Monika Blogwell

I was so excited to post tonight. I had already drafted it and everything. But then my clumsy self got the best of me. We turned Patrick’s computer on tonight — the one I had taken to Cleveland with me — and inexplicably the screen was completely broken. At first it was just blobs of pink. Now, it’s hideous blackness. His precious computer. The one with all his documents. The one with his music. The one with all my pictures and projects. Somehow destroyed during my travels yesterday.

What an epic fail.

So instead of posting about my wonderful trip back home, I’m going to go mope and feel guilty. See you in a few days I hope, with stories of the amazingness that was home. In the meantime, I have a lot of back rubs to give and amazing dinners to cook.

As I filled my ice trays last night, I thought about the fact that my last blog was more than two weeks ago. I’ve been in Alabama during that time to see family, and my return back to Texas last week was also a return back to my day-to-day routine. Aside from an unplanned trip to the vet this week with Fish Taco (he’s on the mend), everything has been status quo lately. Truth be told, I’ve wanted to write for days but couldn’t think of a topic. Last night I had a moment over the sink, holding my plastic ice trays: “I could blog about ice.”

“That’s stinkin’ ridiculous,” I said back to myself as I stuffed the tray into the freezer, sloshing water onto the floor. In addition to being clumsy, I talk to myself.

But then this evening, I discovered that one of my newfound podcasts, The Sporkful, recently did a show about — tah dah — ICE CUBES! Apparently, they’re kind of a bone of contention among drink snobs. Something about the surface area to volume ratio… You can listen to the entire podcast here (it’s episode 73).

Somewhere along the way from their liquid to solid state, ice cubes have gotten fancy pants. How about some legos in your drink?

It’s hot as Hades in Texas, and that means I’m making iced tea like a mad woman. But ice trays can do more than make ice: the little plastic vessels are multi-functional tools. When I make pesto, I freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays. That way, I have individual servings when I make pasta. You can also freeze leftover broth or sauce this way.

You can also use your trays to freeze coffee, so you avoid diluting your iced coffee with regular ice as it melts. Homemade Simple also recommends using trays to organize your office or craft supplies (admittedly, I’m not sure how well this would work, but feel free to try it for yourself).

Sometimes though, the best use for an ice cube tray is regular old ice, and regular old ice happens to be one of the main ingredients in my new favorite treat. Patrick and I are trying to visit Dairy Queen less frequently, and we’ve found a lovely substitute for ice cream. Almost nightly the last week or so, we’ve been making mango lassis. They’re much healthier and are deliciously refreshing during a hot summer evening. Interestingly, I don’t like mango fruit by itself. But when pulverized with yogurt and ice, I find it delightful.

To make the lassis for two (or three if you do small servings), take one large mango or two small mangos and peel the skin off. Cut the fruit away from the hard stone in the middle. Put the fruit, about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of plain yogurt (Greek yogurt will make a thicker drink but regular yogurt will also work well) and 6 ice cubes in a blender. (This is completely optional, but I also add a few drops of vanilla stevia extract.) Blend the ingredients until the mixture resembles a thick milkshake. Depending on your blender, you may need to add some milk to get things moving. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Vegetarianism and a low-carb diet don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand. It takes a lot of work to not rely on carbohydrates as the staples of your meals when you’re a vegetarian. While my diet is not deficient in protein, I am typically over-relient on carbohydrates. But recently, I decided I needed to eat fewer carbohydrates. Giving them up is out of the question, but I am trying to eat more low-carb vegetables and fewer starches.

I love potato pancakes, but potatoes aren’t exactly carb-free. So when I found a recipe for spinach pancakes, I was pretty excited. They still contain flour and some carbohydrates, but they’re not nearly as carb-heavy as their potato alternative. The recipe below is my modified version, containing spinach, zucchini and feta cheese.

Spinach Zucchini Pancakes

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and with excess water squeezed out
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, grated
a handful of cilantro, chopped
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp canola or olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt, ground pepper and freshly ground nutmeg

Mix the spinach, zucchini, cilantro and onion in a bowl. Add the eggs, seasoning and flour. Stir in the cheeses and let stand for several minutes.

Coat a nonstick skillet with a light spritz of oil. Pour in scoops of the batter and cook over medium-high heat until light brown on one side. Flip pancakes and cook the other side.

Serve the pancakes with salsa or diced tomatoes.

Okay, so my idea to blog recipes every day last week was a little ambitious. I haven’t forgotten, though, and I’m going to make this a giant recipe-filled post. Get ready.

With Memorial Day around the corner, these recipes make great food for any summer kick-off picnic. The orzo salad is a great appetizer that travels well. Zuccanoes can be cut into smaller pieces (especially when you use non-gigantic zucchinis) to make healthy finger food. And this carrot cake is a dessert everyone will rave about.

Uncle B’s Orzo Salad

Bryant made enough of this orzo salad to last us a week. But we didn’t complain. It made for a great lunch and keeps well in the refrigerator.

2 cups orzo or other small pasta
1 bag of baby spinach
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 cup flat leave parsley, chopped
1 can pitted black olives
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 peeled and seeded cucumber, chopped
1 block feta, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil pasta in salty water until tender. Drain the pasta and mix with the vegetables. Add the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and spices and gently stir in the cubed feta. Chill prior to serving.

Zuccanoes (or, in my case, Zucchini Boats)
(adapted from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook)

4 medium-sized zucchini
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-sized white or yellow onion, minced
1 pound mushrooms, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup slivered almonds
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup grated swiss or cheddar cheese
A handful of fresh herbs or a few pinches of dried herbs (any combination of parsley, dill, marjoram, basil or thyme)
½ cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

(A note about the filling: you can adapt this filling as much or as little as you like. Add rice if you have some cooked, substitute walnuts for almonds, toss in a few small tomatoes or make a vegan version with no cheese.)

Cut the zucchini lengthwise down the middle and use a spoon to scoop out the insides, leaving a shallow space for the filling. Mince the zucchini insides and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet. Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt. Saute the onion for several minutes before adding the mushrooms and the zucchini insides. Turn up the heat and stir continuously for 8-10 minutes so that the vegetables brown nicely and the liquid evaporates.

Add the garlic, nuts, lemon juice and tomato paste and stir for another minute or so. Turn off the heat and add the cheese and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop the filling into each hollowed zucchini and top with a sprinkling of bread crumbs.

Put the filled zuccanoes on a baking sheet and into an oven preheated to 350-375 degrees. Bake until the zucchini is heated through and the filling has a nice brown crust (about 25-30 minutes).

Carrot and Olive Oil Cake
(from Celia Brooks Brown’s New Vegetarian with adapted frosting recipe)

I have to say, this carrot cake is divine. I was so disappointed when it was gone. It was incredibly easy to make, and would be even easier if you buy pre-shredded carrots. The cake looked a little dry when I took it out of the oven, especially in the center, but it turned out to be incredibly moist

1 cup olive oil
2 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated, about 3 ½ cups (I pulsed my carrots into small chunks in my Vitamix, and this worked surprisingly well)

For the frosting:
1 8-ounce block cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 Tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar or more to taste
a pinch of salt

Grease a 9-inch springform cake pan.

Put the olive oil, sugar and eggs in a bowl and stir until well mixed. Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a separate bowl. Add the spices. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg and oil mixture. Stir until well-blended. Add the walnuts and carrots and mix well.

Pour the batter into a prepared cake pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan, then run a knife along the edge to loosen it before removing the side of the pan from the base.

To make the frosting, mix the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt together until creamy. Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar. Taste the frosting and add more sugar if needed.

Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake and serve. Enjoy!