Iced Cucumber-Lemon Soup

From EatingWell Magazine November/December 1993

You can substitute dill, cilantro or basil for the mint in this refreshing cucumber-lemon soup. An easy way to make crushed ice is to fill clean milk or juice cartons with water and freeze. Then place the carton in a large plastic bag and smash with a hammer.

Makes 6 servings, scant 1 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

5 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped scallions (2 scallions)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups crushed ice
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine cucumbers, mint, scallions, lemon juice, zest and sugar in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Add ice and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately in chilled bowls.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 38 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 58 mg sodium; 378 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (25% daily value).
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 vegetable

Cucumber Salad (Tzatziki)

This garlicky cucumber-yogurt salad is delicious served with grilled lamb or as a dip for toasted pita chips.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 large or 2 small cucumbers, peeled, halved and seeded
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or 2 teaspoons dried
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Coarsely shred cucumber and gently squeeze by hand to remove excess liquid. Place the garlic on a cutting board, chop coarsely and sprinkle with salt. Work the salted garlic into a paste with the flat side of a chef’s knife
2. Whisk together the garlic paste, yogurt and mint in a medium bowl. Stir in shredded cucumber. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 30 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 2 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 169 mg sodium; 183 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings

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Evonne has sent you a recipe

This Epicurious.com recipe:
Beef Stew with Shiitake Mushrooms and Baby Vegetables
has been sent to you from Evonne

Evonne wants you to know:

You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/1551

Beef Stew with Shiitake Mushrooms and Baby Vegetables
All purpose flour
6 tablespoons (3/4 sticks) butter
3 pounds trimmed boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 cups dry red wine
2 14 1/2-ounce cans beef broth
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 1/2 pounds baby red-skinned potatoes, quartered
30 baby carrots, trimmed
12 to 14 ounces baby pattypan squash, halved
1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thickly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or 1 tablespoon dried

Place flour in baking pan. Season with salt and pepper. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, coat meat with flour; add to pot and brown on all sides. Using slotted spoon, transfer to plate.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; saut� until tender, about 6 minutes. Mix in tomato paste, then wine. Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add broth and sugar, then beef and any accumulated juices. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Add potatoes and carrots; simmer uncovered until meat and vegetables are almost tender, about 25 minutes. Add squash; simmer until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and 3 tablespoons marjoram; simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover, chill. Before serving, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.)

Bon Appétit
March 1996
1998-09-17 00:00:00.0

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Vegetarians of Washington - A Seattle based vegetarian/vegan organization | About Us

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Vegetarians of Washington - A Seattle based vegetarian/vegan organization About Us:

Vegetarians of Washington is an independent 501(c)3 non profit organization, formed and incorporated in the state of Washington in June 2001. We are an active and dynamic group with events happening in and around the Puget Sound, and in many other parts of the state from time to time. We are the largest vegetarian organization in the Northwest and one of the largest in the country. Run by full-time, experienced professionals from the medical and business fields, we also have a large team of advisers from major, relevant sections of the community, including medical, religious and business leaders.
Our mission is to help improve the health and well-being of people and the world we live in, both by encouraging mainstream Americans to discover the advantages and pleasures of vegetarian food, and by providing support and service to the vegetarian community.
We aim to improve circumstances in the mainstream of American society. We care when people die needlessly from heart disease and other diseases of excess in the developed world, and from starvation in the developing world. We care when the environment is damaged and animals suffer. We have faith that a better world is possible, and that educating people about the vegetarian solution is one way to make a real difference.
To achieve this, we established the following goals:
To help the average person, who follows a standard American diet, recognize that a vegetarian diet is a much healthier option, that it’s tasty, affordable, popular and easy to do.
To help the environmentally conscious make the connection between the food they choose to eat and the environment they inhabit.
To help those who feel compassion toward animals understand the harsh conditions that animals endure due to current farming methods, and"

Veg Seattle! Home

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Welcome!

Welcome to VegSeattle.com, the Pacific Northwest's most comprehensive resource for anyone interested in reducing the meat and/or dairy products they consume, for whatever reason and at whatever pace.

Cookus Interruptus - Mission - Comedy cooking videos, whole foods, local, organic

Cookus Interruptus - Mission - Comedy cooking videos, whole foods, local, organic:


cookus mission

Our mission is to educate viewers about how to prepare high-quality wholesome food within the context of busy family life. We welcome dialogue on our blog about how to achieve this.

Cookus Interruptus utilizes and advocates the consumption of foods that are sustainably produced emphasizing whole fresh local organic ingredients made into recipes that taste fantastic. These choices help maintain health and pleasure for individual family members and well as for our community and our environment.

We believe that education should be entertaining as well as informative."

Sutra Seattle, Vegetarian Community Restaurant - Home

Sutra Seattle, Vegetarian Community Restaurant - Home:

Welcome to Sutra

In the Sutra kitchen our focus is amazing vegetarian food that appeases all the senses and is served in an atmosphere where sustainable agriculture, community dining, and responsible business practices are of utmost importance.
All of Sutra's food is prepared fresh each day. The practice is artistic, intuitive cooking with a menu that respects the changes of season, availability of local organic ingredients, and the experience of connecting to our communities in a holistic urban environment.
Our unique rotating menus and dining style reflects our commitment to the environment, our gratitude for the opportunity to serve our community, while enjoying the benefits of urban living."

Awesome Food Blogs

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Brown Butter Ice Cream

Brown Butter Ice Cream

Yum, yum, yum. Doesn't the mere thought of this ice cream get your mouth watering? Admittedly, I was a bit nervous before starting the emulsification, knowing how tricky it can be when making mayonnaise. Well I needn't have worried; as long as your butter is warm (not hot!) and liquid and you whisk diligently, there's very little room for failure. Really, it's a cinch. And while there really isn't anything I'm compelled to change about this recipe, if I did want to tinker I might try upping the proportion of milk to cream, just to see what a slightly less-rich version might taste like. 
Source: Fat by Jennifer McLagan
Yield: about 3 cups (750ml)

1 cup (250ml) whole milk
1 cup (250ml) whipping cream
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, diced
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Combine the milk and cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add about half the sugar. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In another saucepan (not nonstick - something that will allow you to see the color change), place the butter over low heat. When the butter is melted, increase the heat to medium. Watch the butter carefully, using a spoon to push aside any foam to check the color of the milk solids. When they turn brown and you smell a nutty aroma, remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice, and allow to cool until the butter is no longer hot to the touch but still liquid.

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks, the remaining sugar, and the salt until light-colored and thick. Whisk in the browned butter bit by bit, whisking vigorously so that the mixture is emulsified (it should look like a loose mayonnaise). Once all the butter is incorporated, slowly whisk in the warm cream and milk mixture.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan the milk was in and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Don't let it boil. Strain the mixture into a bowl and cool quickly by placing it in a larger bowl or sink filled with ice water. Stir the mixture often. When it is cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, churn the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. This ice cream will keep, covered in the freezer, for a week or so.

Homemade Ricotta

Homemade Ricotta 

You see, ricotta is just a fancy name for what our great-grandmothers would have recognized as a kind of farmer's cheese — a category of simple, acid-set cheeses that used to be everyday fare before people began buying their dairy products instead of making them at home. Now we're more likely to buy our farmer's cheese with exotic names like paneer, queso blanco and quark. But whether they're soft or crumbly, aged or fresh, at heart all these cheeses reflect a basic technique home cooks have used for centuries to preserve an abundance of fresh milk.

What sets ricotta apart from many other types of farmer's cheeses — and what sets homemade ricotta apart from its chalky supermarket cousin — is its silken, creamy texture. Italians achieve this by making ricotta from sheep or water buffalo milk, both of which have a higher fat content than cow's milk. For those of us who don't have a handy supply of either, though, cow's milk mixed with some cream does beautifully. By far this ricotta's greatest attribute is its versatility. It goes with just about everything. I serve it stuffed into homemade spinach pasta, smeared on thin-crust pizzas with tangy tomato sauce and crumbled sausage, mixed with fresh herbs and garlic as a dip for crudités — even paired with fruit for dessert. More often than not, though, I find myself succumbing to its charms in the simplest form possible: scooped into a bowl and drizzled with a spoonful of honey, or better yet, leftover chocolate sauce. After all, the hard life of a cheesemaker deserves some reward.

Melissa Kronenthal is a Seattle freelance food photographer and writer. Check out her other work atwww.melissakronenthal.com.

Homemade Ricotta - 

Makes about 2 ½ cups

The flavor of homemade ricotta depends on the flavor of the milk and cream that go into it, so use the best you can find. I love the dairy from Fresh Breeze Organic in Lynden.

2 cups buttermilk, 

2 quarts whole milk (not ultrapasteurized, preferably organic)

1 cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon salt

1. Set a colander in the sink and line it with a triple layer of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) that you've rinsed and wrung out. Combine the milk, buttermilk, cream and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and place over medium heat. Stirring frequently to prevent scorching, heat the milk to a gentle simmer. Watch it carefully; when it reaches 175 degrees, it will start to curdle. As soon as you see this, give the milk one last stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom, and turn off the heat. Let the pot sit there, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. The soft white curds will separate from the yellowish whey and rise to form a raft on the surface.

2. Using a wire-mesh skimmer or large slotted spoon, gently lift off the curds into the colander, leaving as much of the whey behind as possible. Go slowly so as not to break up the curds too much. When you've transferred them all, pour off and discard the whey left in the pot, and salvage any curds that are stuck to the bottom. Let the cheese drain for about half an hour; when the draining slows, gather the edges of the cloth, tie them into a bag, and hang the bag from the faucet. Continue to drain until the ricotta is as thick as you like it, up to an hour longer.

3. Pack the ricotta into a covered container and store in the refrigerator. It's at its best during the first 3 to 4 days, but it will keep for about a week.