Food + Drink | Door Sixteen

Lazy + cheap: Tofu lentil salad.

May 2, 2013

tofu lentil salad

Once upon a time in the recent past, I cooked at least 6 dinners a week. On the weekends, I even cooked extra food to freeze for lunches at the office. And then something happened: We got an apartment in Brooklyn. Oh Brooklyn, home of M.O.B., Wild Ginger, Vegetarian Ginger, Britain Indian, Darna Falafel, Siggy’s, Zaytoons and, of course, my beloved Hanco’s, home of the best vegan pork banh mi sandwich imaginable. Brooklyn is a food paradise, and having so many awesome vegan options available — whether by walking a few blocks or ordering delivery — is kind of irresistible.

There are, however, some downsides to all of that delicious convenience:

1. PRICE. Yes, that’s obvious. I know. Buying dinner out for two people night after night is stupidly expensive, and while I know that’s kind of the New York way of life that everyone makes jokes about (“My oven? Oh, you mean where I store my off-season clothes!”), it’s shocking how much it all adds up to week after week. I need to keep that in mind the next time I shake my head at an $8 bottle of olive oil — I mean, the oyster mushrooms I had as an appetizer last night cost $9. C’mon.

2. WEIGHT. As in, I have a lot of it to spare. That whole thing about vegans being skinny? That’s a damn lie. Healthful eating and fitness are about a whole lot more than whether or not you eat animal products. If you eat giant portions of processed takeout food every night, guess what? You’re going to feel (and see!) the effects on your body. It isn’t even so much about size specifically as it just feeling slow and tired and knowing that the weight gain is the result of eating too much of the wrong stuff all the time.

3. STRESS. I don’t know why it’s so hard to remember this when it’s 8:00 at night and I’m starving, but cooking and preparing food makes me feel really good. I’m a big fan of task completion even when it’s on a really small scale, probably because I work in an industry where nothing ever really feels done. Having a sense of definable accomplishment is a huge motivator, and getting a healthy, yummy meal together is a huge stress reliever. The same goes for doing the dishes…but now I’m going off on a tangent. (OK, so this whole post is a tangent.)

To help curb my addiction to takeout, I’m assembling a small arsenal of simple recipes that I can fall back on night after night. Aside from being vegan, the only rules are that I have to be able to prepare the meal in less than 30 minutes, it has to be reasonably healthy, there can’t be any ingredients that would require me to buy huge amounts of something perishable when I only need a tiny bit and, most importantly, Evan and I both have to LOVE the way the meal TASTES. It’s going to take a little trial and error, but I’ll post the successful recipes here along the way. (Please feel free to share your own favorite fast, cheap, vegan recipes in the comments, too!)

Tofu lentil salad (vegan)
Serves 2

8 oz super or extra-firm tofu
1 tbsp peanut oil
salt
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp Sriracha (or to taste)
5 oz salad greens, any type
1/2 cup cooked lentils (Either make a bunch in advance and store them in the fridge, or cheat and buy a vacuum-sealed pack from Trader Joe’s — they go a LONG way)
Spicy peanut dressing (I’m lazy, so I buy Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette from Trader Joe’s, but you can certainly make your own)
Whatever other stuff you have in the fridge: Avocados, cherry tomatoes, sprouts…

Slice the tofu into quarters, press to remove excess moisture and cut into chunks. Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat, then add peanut oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. I follow all of Isa Chandra’s advice when cooking tofu — if you’ve had trouble getting it to come out nice and brown, definitely take a look at her suggestions.

Once the tofu is nicely browned on all sides, reduce the pan heat slightly and add in the mirin, vinegar and Sriracha. Toss with a spatula to coat, and turn off the burner. Let the tofu sit in the hot pan while you prepare the greens.

In a large bowl, toss the greens, lentils and any other veggies with the salad dressing. Divide into two bowls, and top with tofu cubes. Done!

Snack obsession: Maple pepper popcorn.

Jan 15, 2013

Food + Drink

47 comments

maple pepper popcorn

When people ask what my favorite food is (um, all of them?), I usually say one of three things: Toast, kale…or popcorn. I’m a greedy popcorn freak. To quote Evan, “The only way I get to eat popcorn is if Anna isn’t in the room.” Before I make popcorn, I always ask if Evan wants any, and, if so, exactly how much he plans to eat. If I think he’s going over the agreed upon amount, I’ll give him a side-eye and ask if he wants his own bowl.

Yeah, I’m kind of a jerk when it comes to popcorn.

I make it reeeeeeally good, though. Until last year I always either popped it in olive or peanut oil, but now I’m a total devotee of coconut oil. It does lend a very mild, barely-discernible coconut flavor to the popcorn, but not enough to make you feel like you’re eating suntan lotion. Sometimes I just sprinkle on a little salt, other times liquid aminos and nutritional yeast, or if I’m getting really fancy, crumbled up kale chips and cayenne pepper. Lately, though, this is my snack obsession—Maple Pepper popcorn. So yummy.

Maple Pepper Popcorn (vegan)
Serves 2 (but let’s be honest here, this is how much I make for just myself)

1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup popcorn kernels
1 tsp Earth Balance
Maple Pepper

In a small pot with a tight-fitting lid, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Pour in the popcorn kernels, stir to coat and put the lid on. Get excited when the corn starts to pop, but listen carefully—when you hear that there are more than 2 seconds between pops, turn the heat off. Pour the popcorn into a big bowl, then put the Earth Balance in the empty pot. No need to turn the heat back on, the pot will still be hot enough. Pour the melted Earth Balance over the popcorn, and sprinkle liberally (and I mean liberally) with Maple Pepper.

If you’re alone in the room when you finish, lick the bowl.

Oh, and about that Maple Pepper…

maple pepper

What’s Maple Pepper, you say? Glad you asked. I hadn’t heard of Maple Pepper until I saw a photo of a jar on Jen’s Instagram. It was a gift to her from Tamera. When Jen discovered I share her intense love of all things maple, she sent me two jars (one for the house and one for the apartment, of course). Now I need to choose a friend to give some to. We’re all paying it forward with Maple Pepper.

I’m so in love with this stuff. It’s a blend of pure maple sugar, black pepper, sea salt and citric acid. The resulting flavor is, obviously, both maple-y and peppery, but the saltiness is definitely noticeable, as is the citric acid, which comes across like a very very subtle hint of lemon. It’s faaaaaabulous, and I put it on (and in) EVERYTHING: Popcorn, toast, coffee, tea, ice cream, Brussels sprouts, spiced almond milk, tofu scramble, kale chips, baked sweet potatoes…everything. Maple Pepper is just always the right thing. It comes in other flavors (Garlic! Habanero!), too. I’ve only tried the original so far, but I’ll be branching out soon. I bet they ALL taste good on popcorn.

✚ That nifty tea towel is the work of the incredibly talented Shanna Murray. Both the towel and the popcorn bowl were purchased at West Elm…and both have since been discontinued, unfortunately.

Vegan Svensk-Danska Kottbullar!

Dec 18, 2012

Food + Drink
Friends + Family

19 comments

So, I’m sick. Super-duper sick. Pretty sure it’s the flu, which serves me right since this is the first time in years I’ve gone without a flu shot. Sleeping and recuperating has taken over my life in recent days, so please forgive my quietness! Here’s a holiday repeat until I’m back on my feet.

vegan kottbullar

I came up with a vegetarian version of my mother’s meatballs (which are themselves somewhere between between Swedish and Danish, as a result of her mixed origins) years ago, but a couple of years ago I created a fully vegan version. I’ve made them for holiday potlucks at work and for my whole family to enjoy. They’re delicious reheated (or cold!) the next day, too.

Vegan Svensk-Danska Köttbullar // Vegan Swedish-Danish Meatballs
Makes about 40 meatballs

1/2 cup unsweetened MimicCreme*
1 unit egg replacer*
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lb Lightlife Gimme Lean (sausage style)*
3 tbsp Earth Balance

In a large, heavy pan (preferably cast iron), sautée onions in 1 tbsp Earth Balance until translucent.

Beat together cream and egg replacer in a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, pepper, allspice, and onions; combine and let stand for about 10 minutes.

Add Gimme Lean to mixture, and use your hands to combine everything thoroughly.

Roll mixture into small balls no more than 1″ in diameter (I try to aim for about 3/4″), arranging on a tray or plate until finished.

Heat 2 tbsp Earth Balance in the cast iron pan until it’s lightly browned and the pan is very hot.

Add meatballs to the pan in a single layer. Turn until hot and dark brown on all sides—I like to pick up the pan and just jostle it slightly rather than use a spatula. Don’t be afraid to overcook the meatballs! You want them to be nice and dark.

Serve hot with boiled potatoes, lingonberry sauce, and, if you wish, vegan gravy—my mother thinks putting gravy on meatballs is barbaric, but I like it!

If you wind up with leftovers (as if!) or want to prepare your meatballs in advance, they can easily be reheated in a pan or covered in a 400° oven.

* A few notes about the ingredients:
I’m unsure of the availability of the pre-packaged products outside of the U.S., so perhaps readers can chime in with suggestions for vegan substitutes (for heavy cream, egg, and ground sausage) that could work in other parts of the world. For egg replacer, I used Bob’s Red Mill, but there are other brands that will work just fine.

Also, since it came up the last time I posted this recipe, I should mention that I use processed fake meats in cooking very sparingly—but for special occasions a few times a year, I think it’s okay to use some of the pre-made products that are out there, particularly if they help to recapture some of the traditional flavors we might miss. Everything in moderation, including moderation!

vegan kottbullar

Things to drink coffee out of.

Dec 12, 2012

Food + Drink
Greed

31 comments

I have a problem with buying mugs. I love coffee (and tea, and spiced almond milk), and there’s just something about drinking it from a perfectly-weighted, beautifully-designed mug that makes the whole experience so much nicer. I’m not content to stop with a set of 8 matching mugs, though—no, I need to keep buying more and more mugs (usually in pairs, with the odd single here and there) and consequently finding more and more places to stash them. There are certain ones I prefer for weekday mornings, others that feel right on a Sunday, and the ones I gravitate toward when I’m being stupid and drinking coffee at 10:00 at night.

coffee mugs

1. Bono mugs by Catharina Kippel, Design House Stockholm

Of all of the mugs featured here, these are the only ones I own. Actually, I only own the two in the top row—I have four of each! For a short period of time several years ago, C&B was selling these mugs individually for a great price, so I stocked up out of fear that they’d break easily and then I’d be sad. Happily, they’re all still in great shape! When I have guests, these are the mugs I serve coffee in. They’re also the ones Evan and I use most frequently on weekends. I love love love them.

2. Black Dot mugs, Schoolhouse Electric

I’m obsessed with these mugs. Every time I see a picture of one on Jen’s Instagram, I am filled with lust and greed. Don’t they just look like they’d be so nice to hold?! The little ones are particularly well-proportioned. I love how creamy the white is…I bet they’d look really good in my kitchen.

3. Yellow Fire-King mug, Vint

I’m a sucker for bright yellow, and I love Fire-King glassware. I saw this mug at Vint last night and had to force myself to not buy it. It’s like drinking out of a lemon! Perfect for tea.
✚ Vint is kindly offering a 16% discount for anything in the shop until 12/20. Use the code DOOR16 at checkout!

4. Black Harlequin and Gold Harlequin Thermo mugs, Ferm Living

I pretty much want everything at Ferm Living, these mugs included. I was concerned about the lack of handles at first (I have a few handle-less mugs, and I always wind up having to hold them with napkins), but then I realized they’re actually “thermo” mugs. They have a dual-wall design, so your coffee stays nice and hot inside, but the part that touches your hand is cool. Neat!

coffee mugs

5. Arne Jacobsen letter cups, Finnish Design Shop

Yeah, I know I just said I’m averse to handle-less mugs, but LOOK AT THESE. Worth the burns. (Or, you know, you could keep pencils in them. Or let your coffee cool down and stop being so impatient.) I first spotted these letter cups at Design Milk months and months ago, and I can’t stop thinking about them. The typography dates back to Arne Jacobsen’s signage design for Aarhus City Hall from 1937, and it still looks fresh and modern today. I’d love to have a digitized version of this typeface for my own use!

6. Tu Es La Vague cup, House of Rym

The entire House of Rym product line is beautiful. The ceramics are designed by Swedes Anna Backlund and Elisabeth Dunker (my favorite!). It’s probably not enough to just buy one cup, though, since they look so great when combined with a mismatched saucer as part of a mismatched set. So many pretty photos of all of the options on Elisabeth’s blog!

7. Stig Lindberg Bersa cup & saucer, Huset

Eternal wish-list item. Sigh. What is it with Swedes and ceramics? What is it with Swedes and everything? I’ve been dreaming about owning a set of Stig Lindberg cups and saucers for years, but they look so delicate. I’d probably drop them all in the first week and be sad forever. So pretty from afar, though.

8. Silkkikuikka Mug, Marimekko

Any mug with FIVE Ks in its name is good enough for me! I can tell you from experience that the handles on Marimekko mugs are perfectly positioned for maximum comfort. They’re a pleasure to hold, and small enough that your coffee doesn’t cool down too much before you get to the bottom.

OK, now I want coffee…

Spiced almond milk.

Nov 28, 2012

Art + Design
Food + Drink
Handmade

29 comments

A few weeks ago, superawesome artist Jen Ray (she who will make you happy) posted a photo of a yummy-looking mug of spiced almond milk with a weird-sounding list of components on Instagram, and she said it was her new favorite hippie drink. I told her the inclusion of tahini was freaking me out, but she assured me it’s delicious. It took me a while to get around to finding out for myself, but now it’s my new favorite thing. I want to drink it all the time! The weather in New York has dropped below freezing at night, and this is just the thing to warm me up and make me feel ready for bed.

You’ll need to play around with the amount of agave you use, since the type of tahini (some brands have less bitterness than others) and whether you use sweetened almond milk can affect the outcome. I suggest starting with a teaspoon and adding a little more only if you need it.

Spiced Almond Milk, a.k.a. “Jen Ray’s Hippie Drink” (vegan)
Serves 1

1 cup almond milk
1 tsp tahini
1 tsp agave
pinch turmeric
pinch nutmeg
pinch cinnamon

In a small pot, heat the almond milk on medium-low. Be careful not to let it boil, or a skin will form. Whisk in the tahini, being sure to blend any lumps. Add the agave and spices, and heat until steamy. Pour into a mug, add a little sprinkle of cinnamon so you can feel fancy, and drink up! So good.

And since I can’t mention Jen Ray without sharing a couple of my current favorites from her shop, Corduroy, here you go! Behold “Zukunft so hell muss ich eine sonnenbrille tragen!” and “Para bailar la bamba!” Makes you happy, right?

✚ The whale cutting board is from Suddenly, it’s real!, the tea towel is from Bookhou, and the mug and spoon are from CB2. Alas, the tea towel is the only one of these things that’s not discontinued!

Mapled Brussels Sprouts.

Nov 9, 2012

Food + Drink

43 comments

Oh, Brussels sprouts. How I love thee! It’s a tough call, but I think Brussels sprouts are the best cold-weather vegetable (broccoli rabe is a close second). There are so many ways to prepare them, but the classic boiling method is probably my least favorite—and also probably the reason why a lot of kids think Brussels sprouts are gross. The best way to make them? Pan-roasted.

I’m not going to lie, this recipe has a whole bunch of sugar and fat in it and probably a gazillion calories. I don’t care, though—there’s a time and place for junk food Brussels sprouts, and holed up after a hurricane is definitely it. Jen and I are both maple freaks, so I made this for lunch one day when she was visiting. Oh man, SO GOOD. I can’t stop thinking about it. Jen has now started using the word “maple” as a verb, so this recipe is named accordingly. The Brussels sprouts have been mapled.

I served the sprouts alongside a slice of Celebration Roast, a grain-based roast stuffed with butternut squash, mushrooms and apples. I really like the whole Field Roast line of products, by the way, especially the grain sausages. I don’t really think of them as a “meat substitute”—they’re kind of their own thing. Definitely recommended.

Mapled Brussels Sprouts (vegan)
Serves 2–4, depending on gluttony

2 lbs Brussels sprouts
3 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil (any oil that can handle high heat is fine)
Kosher salt and fresh pepper
2 tbsp Earth Balance or other vegan butter (coconut oil would also be OK, but it will affect the taste)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Put the oil in a large, cast iron pan over medium-high heat. While it’s warming up, wash and trim the Brussels sprouts. I like to cut the end off, remove any weird-looking outer leaves, and then slice them lengthwise. It goes quickly with two people.

When the oil is good and hot, add the Brussels sprouts to the pan along with some salt and pepper. Toss quickly to coat, turn the heat up a bit, and then leave everything alone for a few minutes. The sprouts should get nice and brown and even charred a bit.

Add the Earth Balance and the brown sugar and slowly stir. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the maple syrup, and let everything get roasty for 10-ish minutes (more or less depending on the size of the Brussels sprouts) until tender. You want the sugars to caramelize, but if the pan is looking too dry you can add a couple of table spoons of water and stir gently. Add the vinegar and cool a minute or so more.

Once the Brussels sprouts are looking fully mapled, serve!!

(Based on this recipe from Food & Wine)

It’s chili weather!

Oct 22, 2012

Food + Drink

47 comments

OK, so this is totally cheap, RECYCLED content, but I can’t help myself. Whenever the temperatures drop and autumn shivers start to creep down my arms, I crave one food more than any other: CHILI. I’ve been making this recipe for about 6 years now, and I have yet to taste a better chili. Seriously. It’s ridiculously good.

ANNA’S VEGETARIAN CHILI (vegan, actually)
Makes 6–8 portions

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder*
28 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil**
14 oz can black beans**
14 oz can kidney beans**
1 cup corn kernels
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup bulgur wheat
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions, carrots and garlic; sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add yellow pepper, jalapenos, celery and chili powder; cook another 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans (with liquid), corn, salt and spices. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in bulgur wheat. Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes (I usually let everything simmer for a couple of hours to let the flavors really develop, but it’s okay to take it off when the veggies and bulgur are soft), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Just as you’re taking the chili off the heat, stir in the balsamic vinegar. I know it might seem weird to put it in, but trust me—it really does make the chili taste extra amazing.

*What we call “chili powder” in the US is actually a blend of several spices. Please don’t use 2tbsp of straight cayenne pepper! If blended chili powder is not available in your part of the world, you can add an extra tbsp of cumin, and then just add your cayenne a pinch at a time to taste.

**I take the easy route and use canned beans and tomatoes. You can soak dried beans and use fresh tomatoes if you prefer, of course, but you will want to add water to make up for the liquid in the cans.

As always, I’d love to hear what kinds of modifications and variations you’ve made to this recipe, since it is really flexible. I’ve subbed chickpeas and edamame in place of kidney beans plenty of times, and I often use farro instead of bulgur wheat depending on what I have in the house. I’m really partial to Muir Glen’s fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, and using ancho chili powder in place of regular changes the flavor of the whole thing completely. Sometimes I sprinkle a little Daiya on top if I have it, but it’s definitely not essential.

This chili freezes really nicely, by the way. One pot will yield six very generous portions, so after you’ve gobbled down dinner, you can divvy up the rest into containers to heat up for lunches during the week.

Dansk Kobenstyle at Crate & Barrel.

Aug 6, 2012

Art + Design
Food + Drink
Greed

30 comments

I’m not sure how I missed this until now (and I apologize if it’s old news), but Dansk Kobenstyle cookware has been reissued and is now being sold at Crate & Barrel. There are two casseroles, a baking pan and a wooden-handled saucepan, each available in black, white and red. Nice!

The Kobenstyle line was designed by Jens Quistgaard, the co-founder of Dansk, in 1956. It’s been out of production for more than 20 years now, so this reintroduction is very exciting. Did you know that the X-handled lid doubles as a trivet and makes the pots stackable? Yup.

I love enameled cookware, and I’ve been admiring Kobenstyle stuff for a long time. I kind of feel like a jerk for saying this, but what’s held me back from buying any thus far is that I’m not all that into the colors of the vintage pieces (here’s a rather beautiful collection), at least in my house. I like the way those colors look in other people’s kitchens, but…well, you know me!

Is it weird that the prospect of having a couple of these guys sitting on an open shelf makes me feel a tiny bit less lazy about working on my kitchen renovation? But just a tiny bit…

< Older Posts

Lazy + cheap: Tofu lentil salad.

Snack obsession: Maple pepper popcorn.

Vegan Svensk-Danska Kottbullar!

Things to drink coffee out of.

Spiced almond milk.

Mapled Brussels Sprouts.

It’s chili weather!

Dansk Kobenstyle at Crate & Barrel.

My name is Anna.

I love my sponsors!!

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