Leftover Mashed Potato-Spinach Cakes

Golden and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, Leftover Mashed Potato-Spinach Cakes make a delicious dish after the holidays, or any time, using leftover mashed potatoes.  I make them every year after Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Enjoy!

Leftover Mashed Potato-Spinach Cakes
Makes 6 cakes

Ingredients:

3 cups leftover mashed potatoes (I use my garlic mashed potato recipe)
2 heaping handfuls of baby spinach - 2-3 cups
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

1 egg, blended
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

Instructions:

1. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft, then add spinach and saute until spinach is wilted.
2. Mix spinach-onion mixture and the egg into bowl of leftover mashed potatoes.
3. Add flour and baking powder, and mix.
4. In the same frying pan used for the spinach-onion mixture, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
5. Drop potato mixture into pan by large spoonful (about 1/2 cup per cake).  Pan fry for 10 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Flipping these cakes can be a little tricky.  I use two spatulas.
6.  Transfer to a plate.
7. Pan fry remaining potato mixture, adding olive oil to pan as needed.
8. Serve immediately alongside your favorite entree or salad.

Remembering Tasha Tudor and a Favorite Recipe

I'm always inspired by stories of women who live a simple life, have a love for home and family, and beauty.  Tasha Tudor was one of these women.

Tasha Tudor was a beloved author, artist, and illustrator of many children's books.  I collected many of her books throughout the years, but The Tasha Tudor Cookbook, published in 1993, was the first.  All of her books are beautifully illustrated with scenes of home, children, flowers, animals, and all things lovely.

One of my family's favorite recipes from the cookbook is Macaroni and Cheese.  I made it for my sons when they were young, and I still make it today!

Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

2 cups elbow macaroni
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup unbleached flour
2 cups milk
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper
4 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed (I know, not the healthiest ingredient ☺)
1/2 cup, or more if you like, crumbled Ritz crackers for topping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook macaroni in boiling water until tender.  Drain it while you prepare the cream sauce.
3. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then whisk in flour and add the milk.
4. Stir the mixture until it thickens, then add Cheddar cheese, stirring until it melts.  Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cut the Velveeta into 1/2-inch cubes and stir into white sauce, but do not allow it to completely melt.
6. Place the drained macaroni in a baking dish, pour cheese sauce over it, and stir gently to mix.
7. Sprinkle with crumbled Ritz crackers.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

~~~

"Life isn't long enough to do all you could accomplish.  And what a privilege even to be alive.  In spite of all the pollution and horrors, how beautiful this world is.  Supposing you only saw the stars once a year.  Think what you would think.
The wonder of it!"
~ Tasha Tudor

1915-2008

The Greenhouse

 

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.  Last summer my husband built this wonderful greenhouse near the back of our house.  It has two long raised ground beds, and plenty of room to grow our favorite veggies.

I planted all my seeds in April, and this Blue Curled Scotch Kale was the first veggie I was able to harvest.  It's been growing so well!  I've been making Kale Pasta, and putting it in Breakfast Smoothies all summer long.

I think these Parissienne Carrots are just about the cutest little carrots I've ever seen!  They're full-grown at 3 inches long, fat, and delicious.  The pelletted seeds would make a fun and easy vegetable for a child to grow.

 I should have transplanted these Green Bush Zucchini outside as soon as it was warm enough, because right now, they are huge!  They're taking up an entire corner of the greenhouse, and are encroaching on my little basil plants.  I planted six seeds,  and they're producing 3-5 large zucchini per plant.  It looks like I'll be giving some away, making a Mexican Lasagne or two, and coming up with a good zucchini bread recipe, that freezes well.

These Waltham 29 Broccoli are mostly growing enormous leaves!  I think it's too warm in the greenhouse for them, and like the zucchini, I should have transplanted them outside sooner.  I will next year.

When I come inside the house from the greenhouse, I pass through my flower garden.  This pretty purple flower is a type of Bellflower.  My husband likes to tie these 6-foot tall flowers upright when I'm not looking . . . I prefer them like this, growing wild and free.

Well, thank you for coming along with me on my little ramble through my greenhouse and garden.  Come again soon!

~~~

The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.

~ Louisa May Alcott

Grilled Tofu Steaks

These delicious tofu steaks have been a regular barbecue dish in our home this summer.  They're also my non-vegan husband's favorite tofu dish. ☺

I grill them alongside a favorite veggie for a simple, healthy, and tasty meal.

Tonight, my husband and I enjoyed them with grilled broccoli and brown rice.  My husband likes to add a little extra tamari sauce to his tofu and rice.  Both tamari sauce and soy sauce add a rich umami (meaty) flavor to any dish.  We prefer tamari sauce because it's less salty than soy sauce, and has a thicker consistency.

Enjoy!

Grilled Tofu Steaks

Makes 4 Steaks

Ingredients:

Marinade:

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. soy or tamari sauce

2 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

3 tsp. ground pepper

2 tsp. dry rosemary leaves spice

~~~

16 oz. extra-firm tofu, pressed (see the kitchen note at the bottom of the page of this post, if unsure about pressing tofu)

Instructions:

1. For Marinade: Mince garlic, then mix with remaining ingredients in a shallow dish.
2. Cut pressed tofu into 4 steaks, then add to marinade and place in refrigerator for 4 hours, flipping occasionally.
3. Oil barbecue grill and sear tofu steaks over direct medium heat for 10 minutes on each side.  Use a thin stainless steel spatula to flip.  Tofu will be firm, and show char marks when done.

Recipe adapted from VBQ: The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook

Installing New Butcher Block Countertops

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.

I've always loved the natural look and warmth of butcher block countertops.  So when our middle son offered to help my husband and I replace our old laminate countertops with butcher block this Spring, we couldn't refuse!  He also helped us install a new single-basin stainless steel sink, faucet, and wood backsplash.  He was a big help to us that week, and we couldn't have done it without him, or our youngest son, who hauled the heavy 10 foot counters by skiff last winter, from the City dock to our house on the beach.

We ordered the unfinished countertops online from Home Depot.  The instructions that came with the countertops advised sealing them on both sides with 4 coats of butcher block oil, or other food-safe sealant, before installing.  We used Howard Butcher Block Conditioner for this step.  We thought the butcher block conditioner (a mixture of mineral oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax), would darken up the maple wood.  It did, but only slightly . . .

They were pretty, but too light.  We really wanted darker countertops that would blend in with the existing wood tones we had in our kitchen.  So, we decided to go ahead and finish the other elements of the project, including cutting the hole for the sink while we had our son's help, and worry about the counter color later.  At least they were sealed, and now we could use them.

 So after a few weeks of online research, my husband and I decided to add food-safe Real Milk Paint Dark Tung Oil to the Howard Butcher Block Conditioner to darken the countertops.  We mixed a ratio of 25% dark tung oil to 75% butcher block conditioner.  Then we applied 3 coats of this mixture onto the countertops, letting each coat soak in, then buffing off the excess, with a soft, dry cloth . . .

Much better!  They're still light, but the warmer tones of the wood grain have been brought out, blending in better with our heart pine wood floors, oak cabinets, and adjacent livingroom . . .

 Water and liquid beads up on the matte-finish surface, which has made dish soap and water clean-up simple.  For maintenance, we plan on wiping our butcher block conditioner mixture onto the countertops every month or so, to keep the wood protected, and from drying out.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions.  I'd love to hear from you!

Kim

Vegan Split Pea Soup

It's Springtime, but still cold and snowing in Alaska.  And the perfect day to make homemade soup and bread!

I've been making this simple split pea soup recipe for many years after finding it in an old book by Dr. Neal Barnard, when I first became a vegetarian.  Dr. Barnard is a vegan doctor, and founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, or PCRM.  If you're interested in learning more about a healthy plant-based diet; the PCRM website, and Dr. Barnard's books are very helpful.

Vegan Split Pea Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups dry green split peas

7 cups water

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

Rinse split peas, then place in large pot with remaining ingredients.  Bring to simmer, then cover loosely, and cook on low heat until peas are tender; about 3-4 hours.  Add 1/2-1 cup more water, if consistency seems too thick.

~~~

I also baked some vegan Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Yum!

Have a warm and cozy Spring,

Kim

Dutch Oven Bread

 

I love this no-knead, artisan-style bread recipe that's soft and chewy on the inside, but crusty on the outside, with amazing flavor in every bite.  Baked in a cast-iron Dutch oven, it's also a good, simple recipe to start with if you've never made homemade bread before.

Enjoy!

Dutch Oven Bread

Makes 1 Loaf

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, and yeast.
2. Add warm water and stir until a shaggy mixture forms.  Mixture will be lose and sticky.  This is what you want.
3. Cover bowl and set aside for 12-18 hours (up to 24).  Overnight works great.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place a cast-iron Dutch oven with lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, place risen dough onto a floured surface and shape into a round loaf.
5. Remove hot pot from oven and place dough in pot.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  Then remove lid and bake bread an additional 10-15 minutes.
6. Carefully remove bread from oven and from pot and place on a cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from Alaska from Scratch

Buffalo Tofu

Buffalo Tofu is a spicy vegan protein dish that can be grilled or baked, and easily accompanies many side dishes.  My husband and I might have it one night with brown rice and grilled veggies, or broiled asparagus; and the next night, the leftover tofu reheated, and tossed into a salad.

Tonight, I grilled and diced the tofu, then tossed it into a roasted butternut squash, kale, onion, and red cabbage salad, then added a little vinagarette dressing and roasted pumpkin seeds.  Yum!

I've broken this recipe out into four sections:

Ingredients, Marinade Instructions, Baking Tofu, and Grilling Tofu.  There's also a note about pressing tofu at the bottom of the page.  It might look a little complicated, but it's not.  It's really a pretty simple recipe once you decide whether you want to grill, or bake the tofu.

 Let me know in the comments if you have any questions, and enjoy!

Buffalo Tofu

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 (14-15 ounce) block extra-firm tofu, pressed (see note below)

1/3 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce

3 Tbsp vegan butter, melted

Marinade Instructions:

1. Whisk together hot sauce and melted vegan butter.
2. Slice pressed tofu into 4 steaks.
3. Marinate tofu steaks in hot sauce marinade for at least one hour in refrigerator, flipping occasionally.  If baking, marinate the tofu directly in your baking dish, for simplicity.

Baking Tofu:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Bake tofu steaks in marinade for 30-35 minutes, flipping each one midway through baking.
3. The tofu is done when the marinade has been absorbed, and the tofu is brown and sizzling.

Grilling Tofu:

1. Oil grill and sear marinated tofu steaks over direct heat for 5-8 minutes on each side.  It's best to use a thin stainless steel spatula to flip tofu.
2. The tofu steaks will be done when they are firm, and show char marks.

Kitchen Note:  Tofu needs to be drained and pressed before using.  Open the tofu and drain off liquid.  Then press the tofu by placing a paper towel on a dinner-size plate, then place tofu on top of that paper towel.  Top the tofu with another paper towel, then weight the tofu down with another smaller plate.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pressing tofu looks something like this.

Recipe adapted from VBQ The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook and the Show Up For Salad Cookbook.

Looking Back, and Looking Forward

Hello, and a very happy new year to you!  So much has happened since I was here last summer.

In August, our middle son proposed to his darling girlfriend!  We're so happy for them, and looking forward to a lovely little wedding in Alaska, next September.

In October, my husband and I took a road trip to Minnesota to see our one-year old baby granddaughter, and celebrate our eldest son's birthday.  We had such a good time!  I made a vegan chocolate birthday cake that really didn't taste vegan . . . if you know what I mean. ☺  It was delicious, and the recipe can be found here.

~~~

Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.

~ Hippocrates

 Last year I gradually strayed away from a healthy plant-based vegan diet, by occasionally adding in both cheese and fish.  But in December, I watched an excellent British documentary called Living Vegan that inspired me to get back on track and restart my vegan journey again in 2021.

 I'm hoping to be here a little more often this year too.

Until then, 

Peace and Blessings,

Kim