Cooking Orange: Angry Vegan Mexican Rice

1 cup rice (I especially like short grain brown rice for this)
1 rounded Tbsp bulgur wheat
2 cups water
1 small onion diced
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 cup julienned or matchstick carrots
1/2 head small cauliflower, broken into small pieces, about 3 cups
1 jalapeño or Asian red chili pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin powder
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1 brick extra firm tofu, drained, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Bring the water to a small pot. Add the rice, bulgur and salt. Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to a slow simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet or wok, sauté the onion, corn, carrots and cauliflower in a bit of olive oil for about 10 minutes, until the cauliflower just begins to loose it's crisp edge. Add the chili pepper, garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook another 2-3 minutes, until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook another 3-5 minutes, stirring only a few times so as not to break up the tomatoes too much.

At the same time, heat a bit of corn oil in a large non-stick skillet. Sauté the tofu over fairly high heat to achieve a good sizzle. Sprinkle in the garlic and onion powers as you fry the tofu. Salt and pepper generously, to taste. Cook about 10 minutes to brown the tofu pieces well.

Add the cooked rice to the veggies, and stir well to mix. Gently fold in the tofu and serve. Serves four.
Angry vegan pumpkin.

Baked Orange Cauliflower

I passed a beautiful farm stand in southeastern Pennsylvania on my way home, and I just had to stop in to see what was on the shelves. Gorgeous locally grown vegetables and hand made pies, local cheeses and honey. I was struck by beautiful cauliflower heads; cream, purple and orange. Crisp, firm and bordered by stiff, green leaves. Being around Halloween, I chose the orange one, never having tasted one that color. It was sweet and fresh, no hint of cabbage at all. I cooked it whole, using an approach I learned years ago from an old colleague, Chet and his wife Laura. They called it Frosted Cauliflower.

1 medium head cauliflower
1/2 cup good real mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely grated herbed cheddar cheese
dash red pepper flakes
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350F. Paint cauliflower head with mayonnaise and top with cheese and red pepper flakes. Salt and pepper generously to taste. Place cauliflower head in a Dutch Oven or large oven-going pot with lid. Add water and bake 20 minutes covered. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes.

Baked Summer Squash

2 zucchini, sliced
2 yellow summer squash, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and grated (or jullienned), about 1 cup
2 cups grated Cheddar or Jack cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence (or Italian herbs)

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 13x9-inch casserole with oil. Interleaved half the zucchini and squash on the bottom of the casserole. Top with half the carrot and half the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Layer the remaining zucchini, squash and carrot on top. Mix together the Panko crumbs with the oil and herbs. Stir crumbs together with the remaining cheese. Top the casserole with the cheese mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top in browned and the casserole is bubbly.

Udon Noodles with Korean Gochujang Chili Paste

Gochujang is a delicious Korean chili paste made typically of red chilies, glutinous rice and fermented black beans. It has a sweetish quality to it and a gentle kick that doesn't knock you down. You can find it in Asian markets and use it where you might use Chinese chili paste with garlic. The ones I have tried have less kick than Chinese chili paste with garlic, and seem very good for subtle spicing up of a dish.

1/2 lb boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp Korean Gochujang chili paste (or 1 tsp Chinese chili paste with garlic)
1/2 Savoy cabbage, chopped
1 small sweet red bell pepper, sliced
2 Tbsp chopped chives (ideally Asian chives)
1 can Asian straw mushrooms (or regular button mushrooms)
2 packages (about 14-oz) fresh Udon noodles
1/2 package extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed

In a soup pot, fry the pork in a bit of canola or peanut oil until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and cook another two minutes, until fragrant. Add the wine, broth and chili paste, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage, pepper, chives and mushrooms (including juice) and gently tuck in the Udon noodles into the broth. Cook another 2 minutes and gently separate the noodles. Gently fold in the tofu to the mixture and cook another 2 minutes. Serve in bowls, garnished with chives. Serves 4.

Orecchietta Pasta with Eggplant and Sausage

1/2 1 lb orecchiette pasta or medium shells
1 eggplant, diced to 1/2-inch
Dash red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
4 chicken-apple sausages, or other nice boutique sausages, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
2 green onions, sliced
1 Serrano chili, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat a large non-stick skillet and toss in the eggplant. Stir about 2 minutes until the eggplant begins to sizzle. Then add about a tablespoon of olive oil and the red pepper flakes and continue cooking at medium heat to let the eggplant brown on all sides very well. Do not stir too often or you will make the eggplant mushy. When nice and brown, sprinkle the Balsamic vinegar about the eggplant, stir and remove to a bowl.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water just until al-dente. Drain pasta well. At the same time, sauté the sausage in another skillet, adding the pepper, onions, chili and garlic after about 5 minutes. Continue cooking just until the veggies are crisp-tender. Toss the eggplant with the sausage mixture and fold into the pasta. Serves 4 adults or 2 students.

Cauliflower Tofu Butternut Squash Casserole

1 pkg extra-firm tofu
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small pieces, about 5-6 cups
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, diced
4 green onions, diced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 lb habanero cheddar or pepper jack cheese, grated
1 tsp favorite curry powder
1 tomato, diced and drained
2 Tbsp fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400F. Squeeze water from tofu and wrap in several paper towels. Weigh down with a can of food. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, sauté the butternut squash and the onion in a bit of olive oil for about 10 minutes, just until the squash begins to soften. Season with salt to taste, plenty of black pepper and the coriander and curry powders.

While the squash cooks, steam the cauliflower in a covered dish with a bit of water in the microwave for 5 minutes. Drain well. In a large mixing bowl, toss the mayonnaise, green onions and cheese together. Mix in the cauliflower very well, then fold in the squash. Finally, dice the tofu and fold gently into the veggie mixture.

Tip veggie mixture into a large oiled casserole dish. Top with the tomatoes and bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Cajun Catfish Mike Anderson

I'll never forget the fish I had at Mike Anderson's Seafood in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Catfish with a creamy Louisiana veggie sauce - I have their cookbook but can't quite find what I seem to remember. This is as close as I come to it, and captures the essence of that great meal.

4 Catfish or Swai fillets (or Tilapia fillets)
1 green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 jalapeño or Serano chili pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 ripe, plum tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup light cream
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
Dash Cajun spice rub

Sprinkle Cajun spice rub all over the fillets. In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion, peppers and mushrooms in the butter and oil until the peppers soften. Add the garlic, oregano, thyme and tomatoes and cook another few minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the Worcestershire and cream and warm until tick and smooth. Set sauce aside. Salt to taste and add a generous amount of black pepper.

Meanwhile heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle with a bit of olive oil. Sauté the fish fillets, rounded-side down for about 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking another minute or so, just until the fish is cooked through. Plate the fish and top each fillet with 1/4 of the sauce.

Croque Madam

I continue my quest of cooking recipes we had in France this summer. OK, staying on the toaster oven theme, I attack the Croque Madam - basically Croque Monsieur (open-faced grilled ham and cheese), with a fried egg on top. Those French - they'll put an egg on anything!

My version:

Ordered in a cafe in Paris:4 slices bread
4 eggs
4 oz cheese (Gruyere or Swiss is classic, and I also like horseradish Cheddar)
4 thin slices low-salt ham
Dijon mustard
fresh parsley
paprika

Preheat the toaster oven to 450F (Pizza setting). Very lightly spread just a bit of mustard on the bread. Top each slice with ham, and equally distribute the cheese and parsley on top of the ham. Sprinkle each slice with a dash or paprika. Bake for about 8 minutes, until bubbly and beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter and just a bit of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Fry the eggs to desired doneness. Place one egg on each slice and serve.

Tuna Melt Habanero

What's not to like about an open-face melt after a good long bike ride?! I love my toaster oven because I'll take a tuna melt over a tuna sandwich any day. Like a panini press, which seems to make any sandwich better, the toaster oven can transform an otherwise mundane collection of bread and foodstuff into a little bit of heaven.

I use this formula - some kind of bread, muffin or crust - tortillas count, then some kind of sandwich filling material, some cheese almost always, and something fun for the top. Bake in toaster oven at 450F for 7-10 minutes. 1-2-3-4 voila.

1 large or 2 small cans tuna, drained
4 slices bread
dash of dried dill weed
1 tsp lemon juice
4 oz sliced habanero cheddar or jalapeno pepper jack cheese
1 doz grape tomatoes
a bit of fresh cilantro or parsley

Preheat toaster oven to 450F (Pizza setting). Prepare the tuna with the lemon and dill and a bit of mayo to your liking. Divide tuna on bread slices, spread evenly about each slice. Distrubute cheese on top of tuna, and then tomatoes on top of cheese. Top with a bit of cilantro or parsley. Bake 7-10 minutes, until bubbly and hot.

...and if you don't have tomatoes, use peppers or onions, or olives, or capers or...

Brine-herbed Pork Kebabs

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup coarse salt

1 qt hot water
1 qt ice
1 more qt cold water

2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 stick cinnamon
2 tsp mustard seed
2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp celery seed
2 tsp mixed whole pepper grains

1 1/2-2 lb boneless pork roast, butt or loin
1 red, yellow or orange pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 purple onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lemon, quartered

In a microwaveable bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water, microwaving if necessary. Pour into a large pot and Add the ice and cold water to bring to at least room temperature. Otherwise refrigerate to cool completely. Add the brining spices to the cold liquid and submerge the pork into the brine. Make sure the meat is completely covered with brine. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 or ideally, 48 hours. Remove pork from brine, pat dry with paper towels.

Heat grill. Cut the roast into 1-inch cubes. Alternate cubes with peppers and onions on 4 long Kebobs skewers. Spray with cooking oil and grill 2-3 minutes per side, 8-12 minutes total. Sprinkle with lemon and serve. Serves 4-6.

Prosciutto Wrapped Rork Roast Roulade with Swiss Chard, Apples, Cashews and Mushrooms

2 lb pork loin, butterflied and pounded
1 bunch red Swiss chard, spines removed
8 oz portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 orange pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup cashews, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
Dash red pepper flakes
4 thin slices Prosciutto
Butcher's cotton twine, about 3 feet

Preheat oven to 375F. Taking care, butterfly the pork roast with a very, very sharp knife. Starting 1/2 inch from the bottom of the roast, cut through to about 1/2 inch from the other end. Unroll and continue about two more times until you have an unrolled 1/2-inch rectangle of boneless pork. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and lightly pound the pork to even out the thickness.

Blanch the Swiss chard in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes. Carefully remove the leaves onto a towel to drain. In a large skillet, sauté the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil over high heat until they release their water. Continue cooking another few minutes just to slightly brown the mushrooms. Set mushrooms aside. In the same skillet, sauté the pepper and onion for about 5 minutes, in a bit of olive oil. Add the apple, fennel seeds, thyme and sundried tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and cashews and cook about 2 more minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.

Spread the chard leaves on top of the butterflied pork. Top evenly with the sautéd veggies. Roll tightly and wrap with prosciutto. Tie carefully with butcher's twine. Roast pork uncovered for about 1 1/2 hrs, just until temperature in middle of pork reaches 140F. The internal temperatur, not the roasting time, is important here. Remove roast from oven and let sit for 20 minutes; temperature will rise to around 150F. Slice and serve.

Chef's note: I use a digital real-time thermometer. With the probe inserted in the roast so that the tip is in the direct center of the roast, the cable extends outside the oven (the door simply closes on it) and is connected to the digital readout on the counter next to the oven. Make sure the tip is nowhere near any bone the roast may have. This gives you a real-time measure of the roast temperature. There simply is no other way to determine when a roast is done than to measure its internal temperature in real time. This has saved many a leg of lamb from being overdone - a cardinal sin in my and my brother-in-law's books!