Red Lentil + Chickpea Burgers

Another Myra Kornfeld creation. We made it with the peanut sauce (one that doesn't use soy sauce--included with the recipe). Fairly quick and easy to make, though we had mixed success with trying to speed up the cooling process by throwing them in the freezer for ten minutes instead of the fridge for thirty; they were on the verge of falling apart. Our suggestion would be more spice--triple the cumin, double the coriander, get some chili pepper flakes in on the game, whatever, but don't trust her recommendation.

For a full photoshoot, both making and plating, click here.

"Millet Bars"

A recipe inspired by a local bakery's version. While it's true that the millet adds a lot of flair to these bars, they could just as easily be called oatmeal cookie bars. Once you skim the recipe, you'll see what i mean.

For our first attempt we spread them onto a baking sheet, which could possibly work, but it's hard not to overcook them. The goal is to have a crunchy, stable exterior and a gooey, barely cooked middle portion. So the first batch came out hard, like a hard granola bar. Still good, but not perfect (maybe perfect to crumble into granola...). I think you get a sense of the thickness in these two pictures.

The second round was made in a deeper baking pan, and cooked hardly at all. Perfect! And they're vegan, for those people out there who a) are vegan or b) worry about ingesting undercooked eggs. If you have leftover mash (i don't want to say batter, but we all know that's what it is), it seems well suited to be a crumble topping or eaten with vanilla ice cream.

No, It's Not Valentine's Day

I just passed some gorgeous rose bushes on my walk home from work, and there just happened to be three, count 'em, three types of chocolate mousse in the fridge that love to wear pink. Maybe if you're really nice to her, Neeta will post the recipes.

For the full photoshoot, click here.

Tempeh Trial

The recipe is from Myra Kornfeld's The Healthy Hedonist. My first tempeh experience! I had no idea what tempeh was (it's *fermented* soy, thanks Sandorkraut). Colin's departure (and that of his cookware) has required some kitchen innovation on our part--check the awesome steamer:

OMG I Live with a Pastry Chef Pt. 2

Last Days, First Crust

Colin suffered the fate of those of us who have birthdays close to major holidays--we combo'd his b-day and going away quiches. And I did the crust! The process made me realize two things: how completely i'd been a spectator for previous quiche crust-making adventures and how damn good i am at making said crusts. Well, maybe...I had quite a lot of supervision. But look at how pretty!

Crust recipe here, custard here. The spinach was a new twist for us--we sauteed it briefly with the onions and garlic before baking it in. We also used pink peppercorns (in addition to black pepper). Our spiciest quiche yet!

OMG I Live with a Pastry Chef

A pate sucree shell, pastry cream, and gorgeous fruit combine to create this mignardise. Neeta calls it a "pop-it-in-your-mouth dessert", but it took me slighty longer to consume, since it inspired a photoshoot.

Risotto!

A barley based version from Myra Kornfield's The Healthy Hedonist. Turned out to be low stress (you bake it!) and just as creamy as rice ones we've had.