pimp your baked potato 

Saturday, March 27, 2010 - Posted by urban vegan at 10:25 AM
Baked Potato with Steamed Broccoli and Vegan Cheese Sauce

Baked potatoes are the ultimate fast food: nutritious, delicious, and expeditious [assuming you are using a microwave]. I included a Baked Potato Bar "recipe" in my cookbook, but to be honest, I was hesitant to print it, wondering if I was simply stating the obvious. Imagine my surprise when readers thanked me for the reminder!

Not only can the humble baked potato can save you from succumbing to the take-out menu; everyone also seems to love baked taters' carby comfort factor– even kidlets. The potato above is topped with steamed broccoli and the Cheese Sauce from Joann Stepaniak's The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: Delicious Dairy-Free Cheeses and Classic "Uncheese" Dishes.

Here are 10 baked potato topping ideas to get you started. Your imagination is the only limit. Please add your own favorites as comments.
  1. Sliced avocadoes, black beans, cumin, coriander and salsa [Tater Mexicana]
  2. Vegan tapenade and nutritional yeast [aka, "nooch"]
  3. Steamed cauliflower, cumin and garam masala [Deconstructed aloo gobhi]
  4. Roasted red peppers, garlic and vegan cheese
  5. Spinach sauteed in garlic and olive oil, nooch and plenty of fresh-ground black pepper
  6. Leftovers! Think, crumbled-up veggie burgers, day-old stews, and casseroles that need pimping
  7. Seitan, vegan gravy, fresh ground pepper, and peas [Comfort food]
  8. Crumbled, steamed tempeh or Fakin' Bacon, olives, and olive oil
  9. Chili [including Chocolate Chipotle Chili from my cookbook]
  10. Asparagus with vegan Hollandaise Sauce


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daal recipe, flower show, and
ski weekend shots 

Saturday, March 20, 2010 - Posted by urban vegan at 10:14 AM
Daal Recipe

Daal is an almost perfect dish: easy, versatile, cheap and nutritious

Daal is a vegetarian/vegan staple. I practically lived on this unctuous, stewy dish while in India and Nepal. It's usually served over basmati rice and/or veggies, or is sopped up with bread. It's a great source of fiber, protein, calcium and iron, plus it's extremely economical and a snap to throw together. There are as many daal versions as there are cooks, so it's also a great base for improvisation; you can easily tailor daal recipes to match your taste and the contents of your pantry.

The word "daal" comes from the Sanskrit root "dal," which aptly means "to split." Daal is usually made from gorgeous little polka dots of split legumes such as red and black split lentils and yellow and red split peas.

Massor Daal


Masoor Daal (Red Lentils) with Leeks

Daal:
  • 1 cup massor daal (small, split red lentils)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cups veggie broth
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pinch of asafoetida (optional, but wonderful)
Topping:
  • 2 T canola or peanut oil
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, minched
  • 3 leeks, washed well and sliced thinly. (Include most of the greens; reserve a handful for garnish)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 T mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garam masala
Garnish:
  • 3 T chopped fresh coriander for garnish
  • Handful of thinly sliced leeks
Serves 4

  1. Bring broth to a gentle boil. Add lentils and all other daal ingredients, lower to a simmer and cook, mostly covered, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour or until soupy.
  2. Meanwhile, start the topping. In a skillet, heat oil over medium. Saute ginger, leeks, and garlic until soft, fragrant and transparent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Raise the heat to high, and add the spices. Saute for about 20 seconds, then turn off the heat and add to the cooked lentil pot.
  3. Serve over cooked vegetables and/or brown rice. Or serve with rotis or other Indian-style flatbread.

Philadelphia Flower Show
Every year, I attend the Philadelphia Show to get an early taste of spring. Philly's flower show is the country's oldest and largest. This year's theme was "Passport to the World." It was truly spectacular, with plenty of traditional floral artistry and much more conceptual work than in previous years.

Uber arrangement


Balloon decorated entirely with flowers


Installation of hanging glass vases: my favorite piece


Minimal yet maximal


Ski Weekend
Can you believe I grew up in the mountains and had never been skiing until a few weeks ago? Dr X and I drove up to Elk Mountain, and while he took a telemark workshop, I plodded through my first lesson. After 2 full days of skiing, I'm pretty much hooked.

Our room in a quaint B & B.


Barn behind the inn.

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philly cupcakes 

Thursday, March 11, 2010 - Posted by urban vegan at 6:39 PM
Red velvet, vegan cupcake at Philly Cupcake

Craving an elegant, moist vegan cupper but don't feel like baking? Check out Philly Cupcake. Although they are not a vegan bakery, I applaud them for offering delectable vegan options. All cupcakes are displayed in an ornate, semi-Baroque glass case, which visually elevates the baked goods to precious museum object status. At $4 a pop, they are definitely a splurge. But they're worth the money; the red velvet cupcake was sublime: moist, hedonistically creamy frosting and as fresh as they come. Selections change daily.

I haven't yet made it to all-vegan, gluten-free Sweet Freedom, but from what the Philly vegan cognoscenti are saying, it's da bomb.

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gussied-up tabbouleh 

Tuesday, March 09, 2010 - Posted by urban vegan at 11:29 AM

When I first became vegetarian, Tabbouleh was one of the few dishes in my culinary repertoire. Think about it: Tabbouleh is a classic for a reason—it’s simple to make, and damn tasty – showcasing zippy fresh herbs against sweet and chewy bulgur. It's also frugal and healthy. What more could you ask for?

I recently revisited and updated this Middle Eastern staple salad. I added lemon zest to brighten the flavors and further enhance the dish’s inherent sunniness. And instead of soaking the bulgur in water, I soak it in veggie broth for an added layer of flavor.


GUSSIED-UP TABBOULEH
  • 1 cup dry bulgur
  • 1½ cup vegetable broth
  • Small punch of Italian parsley, chopped (About 1 cup)
  • Small bunch of mint, chopped (About 1 cup)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 small onion or 1 small bunch of scallions, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup grated carrot or carrot pulp leftover from juicing (optional)
  • Juice of 1 small organic lemon
  • Zest of one small organic lemon
  • 4 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional additions: finely chopped black olives, capers, raisins, toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds

Serves 8

In a medium bowl, soak the bulgur in the broth for 30 minutes. Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Stir the plumped bulgur into the ingredients in the large bowl. Chill or serve at room temperature

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post-all girlz' weekend takeout 

Monday, March 01, 2010 - Posted by urban vegan at 7:52 AM
Banana Leaf takeout: never disappoints.

I spent this weekend at the Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown, Washington DC, chilling with some of my BFFs. Every year, we get together in a different locale for our much anticipated All Girlz' Weekend. We catch up, laugh until we feel facial muscles we never knew existed, and drink [too many] cosmos.



Me and the girlz: from L to R: Shawna, Debbie, Pam, Moi, Barby, Mary Ellen

Once my bus from DC landed in Philly, I promptly stopped at Banana Leaf, and ordered take out: Achat – veggies pickled in turmeric and spicy herbs with sesame seeds, and – vegetarian Chow Kueh Teow –fried flat rice noodles with veggies, bean sprouts, soy sauce and [lots of] chili paste. If you order Chow Kueh Teow, ask them to also omit the eggs. Phantasmagorical, as always. Just wish my BFFs were lived closer so they could share it with me.

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