Tag Archives: vegetarian

Saag – My new favorite dish!

by Jamie Ginsberg on 31. Aug, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

Recently, I hit the lunch time buffet at India Garden on the Westside of Cleveland. The food is delicious and it is easy to lose control and fill your plate repeatedly with a variety of traditional Indian dishes. There are always 4 vegetarian dishes and 4 meat dishes, what got me excited was the Saag. On both visits the Saag was different yet equally delicious. But enough about their Saag, have you ever made Saag? Tonight, I made one of my favorite vegetarian dishes ever and it was really easy!

After googling Saag and looking at a few recipes, I decided this was an adventure I could try. I sliced up a large onion and started sauteing it in olive oil. All of the recipes said to saute the onions until they turned clear. BORING!!! I cranked up the heat and got them lightly browned, really bringing out that delicious onion flavor. Next, I crushed and chopped in 3 cloves of garlic and added 2 cans of organic chick peas. Ok, none of the recipes called for chick peas, but they are delicious and I have been craving protein.

This is where I cheated. Garam Masala, I have been holding onto a packet I scored from The Occasional Gourmet at the Marin Farmer’s Market 2 years ago. I have had no idea what to do with the stuff until tonight. I opened the vacuum sealed packet and a gorgeous scent wafted upwards. I took 2 heaping teaspoons and mixed them in with my chick peas, onions and garlic. Instantly my kitchen smelled like India Garden, awesome! Feeling a little wild, I grabbed the cinnamon and dashed a little in letting everything cook for 10 minutes, covered. Wow, liberating!!!

The chick peas/onions were looking good, so I moved them to half the pan and added in a massive container of fresh washed spinach from Costco, covering the pan. I then sliced 4 smallish tomatoes in half and added them to the spinach. After a minute or 2 I stirred the spinach, adding more until it was all cooked. I took out the Spinach, a lot of the onions and 1/2 the chick peas and pureed the mess in the cusinart for approximately 10 seconds. I squeezed in half a lemon, wondering if Indians used lemons (probably not). I added medium thin sliced of Firm Whole Foods Tofu to my pan, covering it in the sauce and chick peas onion mixture. I then added the pureed spinach back into the pan covering the tofu completely.

The spinach was tasting good, but looking a little to healthy. Every recipe called for yogurt, so I scooped out to nice size tablespoons of Fage 2% and added it to the spinach stirring lightly. I kept looking at the cayenne, not really feeling it but wanting that heat that makes Indian food clean out your system. In a moment of clarity, I grabbed my bottle of Crystal Hot Sauce and dumped a mess of it. Yeah, that’s a technical measurement, mess. If you don’t know Crystal, get some. It blows all of those B.S gourmet hot sauces out of the water and it is cheap, like hot sauce should be. They have the perfect blend of vinegar and heat that is addictive and delicious on just about anything. The consistency and color was looking good, so I did something bizarre, I started stirring.

As the Tofu broke up, I started wondering if soft Tofu would be even better, maybe. I pulled the bottom of the pan up into the spinach making sure I got a nice uniform consistency. As you know, Saag is not pretty to look at.yet the scent and flavor was getting me excited. I added some salt, mixing the Saag gently but firmly with a large spoon. I toasted up some Pita bread and used that to eat the Saag. Delicious. Easy. Exciting. I felt a mild euphoria as I realized I have officially made my first curry. I kept it healthy and it came out delicious. If you are a vegetarian or simply like Indian food, you must make your own version of Saag!

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Gnocchi – You Can Make It If You Really Try

by Jamie Ginsberg on 22. Jul, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

Recently, the family and I traveled to Bass Lake, right below Yosemite (California). My cousin Cristian got married to Courtney and we got to enjoy a long weekend with family in the Sierra Nevadas. Besides, vistas, family time and perfect weather, I enjoyed talking food with my uncle Claudio who is a fantastic cook. What did we tlk about? Pesto and Gnocchi.

For some bizarre reason I was thinking about this conversation as I headed into Whole Foods today. I picked up some Potatoes and decided to try making Gnocchi. I made mistakes right from the start, yet still it kind of worked out. First mistake, I got Yukon Gold potatoes. Next time, I will get good old Russet potatoes. My second mistake, I used whole wheat flour. Next time, I will use good old white flour. So, what happened?

I boiled 6 potatoes, and mashed them up. Why? Because I discovered that I don’t have a “ricer.” Claudio told me to “rice” the potatoes, if you have a ricer you will get the fine consistency that will make your Gnocchi better than mine. I added a heaping teaspoon of baking soda, a splash of salt and a splash of vegetarian broth. I mixed and mashed while I added handfuls of flour until the consistency became that perfect non-sticky dough. I have fear of doing things like this, but for some reason Claudio gave me the confidence to try it. What is the secret? Put the love in.

I rolled out the dough and my line chef, Eileen cut off little chunks. Dropped the “Gnocchi” into nearly boiling water and cooked them. I added my olive oil and spices and called it disgusting. Turns out the little chunks were way too big. I didn’t account for them growing. I made six more batches experimenting with size and cooking time. The missing ingredient is the sauce. I should have made the Pesto sauce or even a red sauce.

It was really fun to make potato pasta, I am feeling motivated to make some normal pasta and even try some wild mushroom ravioli. The Gnocchi was not delicious, but it was edible. It reminded me that experimentation and the thrill of cooking something new is AWESOME. Sometimes you have to leave the books and take a risk. Screw things up. Have fun. Then hit the books, the internet and talk with your people. Next time will be delicious.

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The Veggie Burger at J.Alexanders – Delicious

by Jamie Ginsberg on 26. Jan, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

The Veggie Burger at J.Alexanders is delicious. It is Big, falls apart when you eat it. Heavy on the rice/grain factor but the consistency and flavor is perfect. Begs you to cut it in half and do your best to wrestle it into your mouth. I ask for no jack cheese, so I can feel all right about eating their thin fries piled high on the plate. The fries are perfectly balanced between crispy and soft, with a nice salty flavor. At $9 this dish is a bargain. Beef eaters seem to really enjoy the normal burgers, also cooked on a wood burning grill. My lunch mate, the chubby cook, had a good looking salad with grilled chicken, he polished it off without touching my fries (huh?).

I was hesitant about ordering this today as I haven’t gluten/bread in 3 weeks. I kind of wanted to save myself for a Fougasse at On The Rise on Saturday. But the call of the wild was just too strong for me. Next time you are at J.Alexanders, try the veggie burger, just make sure you ask for it to be well done.

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21 Day Cleanse – Living La Vida Vegan

by Jamie Ginsberg on 07. Jan, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

On Monday I started my first Cleanse of the year. Yes, I need this one after a week of excessive tequila and eating in Mexico combined with holiday treats that included cheese everywhere I went (especially in my own house). What is special about this Cleanse? First of all I am doing it with a crew of at least 67 people at Cleveland Yoga, this is a fantastic way to do a Cleanse (the group is very motivating). Second, I am not eating Gluten, Animal, Alcohol, Caffeine or Sugar. A Vegan diet without alcohol and sugar? Have I removed all of my joy in eating? Can I still qualify myself as a Foodie? With these panicky questions in my head I started the Cleanse on Monday, this is what I have learned.

I Love Eating. It is really that simple. Vegan Shmegan. There is nothing like a challenge to inspire you to cook better. Day 1, I cooked the best Black Beans and Brown Basmati I have ever made. It may be the sea salt I added to the beans and water while they were soaking, or it could be the seasoning was just right. Either way, Arroz con Frijoles Negros is delicious, a complete protein (whatever) and easy to eat hot or cold. I added in a little hot sauce (after triple checking the label to make sure they did not sneak any sugar in it) and it was like a brand new dish 3 days later.

I am back on fruit smoothies hardcore. A handful of grapes, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, half a banana and even some flax seed (hellllllooooo). Rinsed the bowl of fruit, thrown into the Vita-Mix with some ice and BLAM you have a delicious smoothie in 3 minutes or less. I have had 4 this week and do not miss coffee at all! This is truly the breakfast of kings!If you do not have a serious mixer, you are missing out on a lot of fun!

I have a few exciting greens in my fridge (Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Avocado) begging to be made into something delicious. I have a pea soup in the crock pot right now and I am looking forward to making a few more. Am I starving on this cleanse? Noooooooooo! I am eating all of the time and still truly enjoying it. Would I like  glass of wine tonight? Sure, but I’d also like to be healthy and live for a long time. This is the start of something…

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The meat and potatoes of tofu

by susannahm on 15. Nov, 2008 in Susannah Michaels

What does a vegetarian eat when they want meat and potatoes? Sesame tofu stir fry.

Here’s how, as derived from the recipe in Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, a book I’m afraid I’ll continue to reference like a broken record. The night before, or the morning of, make your sesame marinade: 3 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1/4 cup soy sauce (use some Braggs liquid amino acids if you don’t want to use all soy sauce), 1.5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, a few chopped scallions, some chopped cilantro, if you have some. Next, get some of the water out of your 12 or 16 ounce block of tofu. Either put a weight on it to squeeze the water our, or cut it into slabs and use a few paper towels to blot it. Cut it up into cubes and put it in your marinade. Refrigerate. Walk away for a bunch of hours. Stir when convenient.

Forty minutes before dinnertime, put a cup of brown rice on to cook in two cups of water. Half an hour before dinner, heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat and fish your tofu out of your marinade. Let your tofu brown, giving it a stir now and then to get other sides. The beauty of tofu, unlike meat, is that not everything has to be cooked. If one side of a cube of tofu doesn’t get browned, it’s neither unhealthy nor unappetizing; it’s just fine. About ten minutes before dinnertime, throw in some vegetables – broccoli, carrot, zucchini, snow peas, red pepper – as much or as little, as many or as few as you like or have on hand. On this particular night, I also added a can of water chestnuts, for the added crispness. Cook the veggies for a bit, then add the waiting marinade to the whole thing and cook for a few more minutes. Serve over rice. If you want to make it that much more nutty, add some toasted sesame seeds, which you can make by putting a tablespoon of raw seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat and shake and watch as they begin to brown.

And there it is, the vegetarian equivalent of meat and potatoes – hearty, simple, satisfying, downright meaty. And because this dish already has veggies in it, I don’t even bother making a salad. Bring the leftovers in to work the next day and your coworkers will be jealous of the aroma emanating from the microwave. Trust me, I know.

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