Pasta Salad

I like to eat salad for dinner sometimes and it's really hard to feel full if you're not using meat. That's how I came up with this. 

It's simple, easy, and chock full of good things to make you feel full and healthy.

Vegan Red Lentil Dip & Rye Crackers

I remembered this white bean dip that Melissa Clark did for the New York Times a few years ago.  It was one of the last recipes I made in our old apartment as I was trying to use up all the food before we moved. I'm not the biggest fan of cannellini beans, but I really enjoyed the consistency of this dip. So today, when I was thinking about what I could make with red lentils I thought of that dip. I wanted to give it more of an Indian flavor, which, turns more into a Mediterranean flavor once it's chilled and works remarkably well with the rye chips.
I'm pretty proud of this.

There's other news too. Bob's Red Mill is going to give three(3!) winners one product each of their choice. You can choose from Red Lentils, Dark Rye Flour, or Semolina Flour. 

Isn't that awesome of them?

Sesame Semolina Bread

© 2012 Jessie Kaufman

Remember when I did the No-Knead Semolina Bread?

I revisited it last night. My husband's favorite bread is the Sesame Semolina bread from Panera, and I wanted to replicate it for him.

It's bouncier, has the nice crunch of the seeds, and looks amazing.

Cooler Cleanse & Giveaway

© 2012 Jessie Kaufman

Today I started a 3-day Cooler Cleanse. It's a raw juice (only) diet. You drink six specially formulated juices each day over the corse of three days to detox. Light exercise and sauna time is encouraged.

I've always been one of those people that's curious about juicing. I also think it'll be a great way to continue with my diet.

Check to back to see my progress for the next three days and enter the giveaway below to win a 3 Day Cooler Cleanse for yourself. 

Cheesy Chipotle Yucca

© 2012 Jessie Kaufman

You know that American Classic Cheesy Potato dish that everyone has for any holiday in which a pot luck is involved? You know. Frozen potatoes. Onion. Peppers. Lots of cheese. Last Christmas, my mother in law, who is Puerto Rican, and a very good at adapting any recipe to be a little more Latin, decided to switch out the potato with yucca and add chipotle. It was so good.

I've been craving yucca lately, but if you remember, I'm also on a diet. So I wanted to make the dish as calorie friendly as possible.

I subbed the sour cream and cream cheese with a cheese roux. And instead of all cheddar, I used half Edam and an Extra Sharp Cheddar.  I also used skim milk and completely omitted the condensed chicken soup. (my family uses the soup, my mother in law doesn't.)

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Edible Rose Petals

© 2012 Jessie Kaufman

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I hope that post title got your attention.

This is a story about a cake that never was.

I wanted to make a cake for our Passover Sedar [April 6-April 14]. As you may know Jewish people aren't allowed to eat anything that has been leavened or something that is considered Chametz for the entire holiday. This includes most beers, bread, cereal, wheat, barley, oats, rye, spelt, ... you get the idea. It wasn't until halfway into my planning processed when I remembered that we also do not eat Kitniyot- beans, millet, legumes, rice, and seeds. And that's about where that Kosher for Passover cake ended. My frosting is made of soy. And I didn't really want a flourless cake anyway.

So. I made this for Easter instead. ;)

Salmon Fillet with Grapefruit Sauce

© 2012 Jessie Kaufman

No fancy story today.

 My husband insists this recipe go on the weekly rotation, which is a big compliment in this house.

Peruvian Chicken

© 2012 Jessie Kaufman

Last year at this time my husband and I were wrapping up our time in NYC. We had lived in Brooklyn for five years at that point, had grown tired of the city, grown bored of the attitudes, and had all but given up on ever being able to afford a house there. I shouldn't say given up. We knew there was no way we'd be able to afford a $480,000 one bedroom townhouse, which was right down the street from our then apartment. Marc (the husband and English Professor) had been applying and interviewing to jobs for the previous two years trying to get us out of New York.

He even had an interview with a college in Washington State where they had something called "The World Famous Suicide Race." While we were excited at the prospect of witnessing such a spectacle, we were hoping to be somewhere closer to our families, who live in Michigan, Florida, and Puerto Rico.