Iced Vegan Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Even here in Southern California, it's beginning to feel like fall! The nights are slightly chillier; it was cool enough this morning that I pulled my blanket out of the closet for the first time in months (in the summer we sleep with just a top sheet and a duvet cover). While the mornings are cooling off, the days have still been warm, and to combine my love of fall with the reality of the daily temperature, I decided to try my hand at iced vegan pumpkin spiced lattes.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Cilantro Sauce

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables, and sweet potato fries are one of my favorite foods. But who wants to deal with all of that deep frying? What if you could harness the deliciousness and nutritiousness of the sweet potato in a healthier, BAKED sweet potato fry?!?! Well my friends, no more "what ifs." The baked sweet potato fry is here to stay.

Greek Layer Dip

I've been seeing different versions of this dip flitting around the internet since the Super Bowl, and when I was trying to decide which dip to serve with some freshly made pita chips we got at the farmer's market, I decided that a "Greek" layer dip would be perfect.

Tapas Sunday: Eggplant Caponata

Robust and rich, this flavorful eggplant dish makes a wonderful appetizer with flatbread or toasted baguette. Eggplant is cooked with onions, tomato, garlic, olive oil, capers, olives, and fresh herbs until soft, then sprinkled with toasted nuts and served hot, room temperature, or cold. It seems like every cook has their own version of caponata. I looked at several caponata recipes for reference, but in the end I relied mostly on  my personal taste. The resulting eggplant dish was savory and oh-so-satisfying. I can't wait to try the leftovers with pasta!

Tapas Sunday: A Farm Fresh Feast!

This Sunday, Nate and I visited the Underwood Family Farms. We had quite a lot of goodies to choose from for our tapas extravaganza!

I started off by making this "Magic Sauce," a blend of olive oil, garlic, paprika, thyme, rosemary, oregano, lemon juice, salt, and crushed red pepper.

I decided to make some Roasted Baby Blue, Red, and White Potatoes. I tossed them with about 2 TBSP of the sauce, then roasted them at 400° for about 20 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. I sprinkled the potatoes with salt, then served them on the table with the rest of the sauce for dipping.

Nate stepped up to the plate and made some Fried Green Tomatoes! He worked off of this recipe but made some modifications along the way. He did a great job! The crust was crunchy and not greasy, and the tomatoes were just tender enough. We dunked the tomatoes in the amazing garlic/basil dip I got from Brothers Mediterranean Food at the Farmer's Market.

Next up, I made Stuffed Red Cherry Peppers Wrapped in Bacon. Oh yeah. I cut the tops off the peppers and scooped out the seeds. They are a little spicy without the seeds, and REALLY spicy with them! I then cooked the bacon on one side in a frying pan (1 slice per pepper). The filling consisted of 2 T cream cheese, 2 T goat cheese, and 1 T "Magic Sauce," mixed together until smooth. I stuffed the peppers with the cheese, then wrapped them in the slices of bacon, with the crispy side of the bacon facing the pepper (since the outside would get crispy in the oven). I baked them at 400° for 10 minutes, until the peppers were mostly tender and the cheese was nice and gooey.

Last but absolutely not least, we had a platter of Sliced Heirloom Tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, drizzled with Magic Sauce and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

We served it all with some wedges of fresh pita bread from the market and a glass each of chilled Pinot Grigio.

Not a bad spread! Though we couldn't finish any of it (except for the peppers). Let's just say I'm pretty excited about my heirloom tomato and pita bread lunch tomorrow!

Crostini with Goat Cheese and Peach-Jalapeno Jam

Last night we had some friends over, which means I got to do one of my favorite things...make snacks! I had four peaches sitting in the fridge, and I knew that a slightly spicy, sweet peach jam would be the perfect complement to some tangy chèvre.

I was right, and everyone loved the crostini. I served it along with some roasted potato bites with a homemade lemon curry mayo. That was amazing too, but I forgot to take a picture! We also had a selection of beverages, including cider, beer, and wine.

From top to bottom: Cabernet Sauvignon, Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA, Lagunitas IPA, Samuel Smith's Organic Hard Cider.

Other than the homemade mayo, the crostini was definitely the big hit of the night. This recipe was super easy to put together and was just delicious! The only thing to watch out for is the boiling jam, because it splatters like crazy and sticks to your skin like magma. I have the red burn on my wrist to prove it.

Crostini with Goat Cheese and Peach-Jalapeno Jam

4 peaches, peeled and cut into chunks, then pureed in blender until mostly smooth
2 Jalapenos, seeded and diced small
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
Juice of 1 lime
1 scant cup of sugar

1 loaf crusty bread (baguette or ciabatta)

1 4oz log chèvre

Add all of the ingredients (except the bread and cheese!) to a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, stirring to combine. I recommend tasting the jalapenos to see how spicy they are. The ones I got were not spicy at all, so I added some cayenne pepper. The jalapenos did lend a nice peppery flavor to the jam, nonetheless.

Cook the jam over medium heat, and bring it to a boil. Cook it until the foam on top subsides and the jam is thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon. You can let it get as thick as you like, I would have liked to cook my for a little longer but I only had an hour and a half after I got home to clean the apartment and get all the snacks together!

Once the jam is thickened to your liking, chill it in the refrigerator.

Slice the bread about 1" thick. Brush with olive oil and toast or broil until golden and crispy on top. Spread with goat cheese while still warm, then top with peach-jalapeno jam, and garnish with some ribbons of basil.

The best part is that this morning, I made goat cheese and peach jam stuffed french toast for breakfast out of the leftovers!

Padron Peppers

This tapas dish may be one of the simplest, quickest, and tastiest snacks ever made. Padron peppers (Shishito peppers can also be used) are quickly sauteed in hot olive oil until the skin blackens and blisters, then are sprinkled liberally with sea salt and served. A fun surprise? About one in ten Padron peppers is very very spicy, while the rest are mild (like Shishito peppers), earning them the nickname "Russian Roulette Peppers." This batch, which we served at our inaugural Tapas Sunday, didn't have any of the spicy buggers — so I guess we'll have to keep on making them!

Sauteed Padron Peppers

1 lb Padron or Shishito Peppers
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan until almost smoking. Add peppers and saute, turning frequently, until slightly blackened and blistered. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Patatas Bravas

Waxy, tender fingerling potatoes roasted until golden and crispy, served alongside a slightly sweet, tart, and spicy tomato based sauce...it may not be 100% authentic, but this roasted Patatas Bravas recipe was delicious, and made a great addition to our first Tapas Sunday spread!

Patatas Bravas are a very traditional Spanish tapas. The more authentic recipe fries the potatoes instead of roasts them, and serves them in the sauce instead of on the side. I chose to roast the potatoes to save on the calories (and the mess!), and left the sauce separate so the potatoes would remain crispy. The sauce was so good I ended up toasting up some baguette slices so we could scoop up the leftovers. Muy Bien!

Roasted Patatas Bravas

For the potatoes:
1 lb fingerling potatoes, scrubbed, dried, and sliced in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper

For the sauce:

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small-diced yellow onion
2 tsp olive oil
1 T flour

1 can tomato puree
1 can vegetable stock
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 T red wine
1 T white wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350°.

Toss sliced fingerling potatoes with 1 T olive oil, 1/2 tsp paprika, and some salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking dish and cook for 30 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 425° and cook until golden brown and crispy on bottom.

While the potatoes are cooking:
In a medium sauce pan, saute 2 tsp olive oil, onions, and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Take care not to brown the garlic.

Add 1 T flour and stir to coat. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until thickened.

Serve potatoes alongside the bravas sauce. Yum!

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

I love chickpeas, and I'm always looking for new ways to cook them. Nate's not a big fan of the texture of beans, so I thought it would be fun to turn some into a crunchy, spicy snack. This recipe is really easy and makes for a great treat or part snack.

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

1 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350­°. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Set them on a double layer of paper towel. Cover with another paper towel, and gently roll the chickpeas to dry them. Remove the top layer of paper towel and remove any loose skins from the beans. 

Put chickpeas on a large cookie sheet. Put pan in oven and bake for 30 minutes, shaking about every 10 minutes. 

Remove pan from oven. Toss chickpeas with olive oil, spices, salt and pepper, then return to oven for another 20-30 minutes or until crunchy, shaking the pan often. 

Tapas Sunday

In my house we have a "Pizza Friday" tradition, as I mentioned in my post White Pizza with Zucchini, Summer Squash, and Manchego. Starting this week, we have a new tradition: Tapas Sunday!

I go to the farmer's market every Sunday morning, and when I get back I am always eager to cook something up. Tapas are the perfect way to try a taste of several ingredients without depleting our supply for the week ahead.

What are tapas? Tapas are a Spanish tradition: simply prepared small snacks meant to accompany a glass of beer or wine. They're becoming increasingly popular all over the United States as well. Tapas bars offer a selection of wine, beer, and small snacks like olives, garlic shrimp, or herbed almonds.

For our initial Tapas Sunday, I made Crunchy Spiced Chickpeas, Patatas Bravas, and sauteed Padron peppers. Alongside these yummy treats we drank a slightly chilled 2009 "Tempra Tantrum," a wine blend of Tempranillo and Grenache grapes from Toledo, Spain. It's a very subtle, easy to drink red wine, and was the perfect accompaniment to our casual Sunday afternoon spread.

Stay tuned this week for the tapas recipes!