Monika Blogwell

It tastes as yummy as it looks, and it is great sandwich bread – it toasts beautifully and doesn’t fall apart as you take monster bites out of it. I’m already a messy enough eater as it is; I don’t need my bread to add to my food shrapnel.

Over the weekend I also made seitan (pronounced say-tan) based on a recipe I found on one of my new favorite blogs, (never home) maker. Seitan is a meat substitute made primarily out of vital wheat gluten. I added some red pepper flakes to my seitan and some ground sage in addition to the other suggested herbs.

Since I can’t help thinking of the word “satan” whenever I hear the word “seitan”, the name of the sandwich speaks for itself. It also has a ton of sharp cheese in it, and the devil has, you know, sharp, pointy horns… or something.

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.

The thing about our vegetarian feast that made it so special was that each course was bursting with flavor. So many things I eat now have been acquired tastes. I now love olives and Gorgonzola cheese and mushrooms. Each of these foods adds pizzazz to a meal.

My favorite cookbook is New Vegetarian by Celia Brooks Brown. I’ve yet to make a single dish from this book that I didn’t love. I have to admit, though, I was skeptical that such simple stuffed peppers could be so splendid.

But the Piedmontese Peppers on Gorgonzola Polenta turned out to be as beautiful to look at as they were to eat. Creamy, tangy polenta makes the perfect bed for oven-roasted bell peppers filled with olives, capers and tomatoes.

If you make this dish for a dinner party (which I suggest you do), be sure to double or triple this recipe. I used a box of instant polenta to save time, and the entire box made enough polenta squares for 4 bell peppers.

Piedmontese Peppers with Gorgonzola Polenta
Recipe courtesy of Celia Brooks Brown’s New Vegetarian: Bold and Beautiful Recipes for Every Occasion

For the Piedmontese Peppers
2 red bell peppers
2 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into quarters (or 4-6 cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half)
8 kalamata olives, pitted
1 tablespoon capers
2 garlic cloves, sliced
8 basil leaves, torn
1/4 olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Gorgonzola Polenta
3/4 cup polenta or coarse cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
4 oz Gorgonzola cheese (the original recipe only calls for 2 but add more especially if you prepare a full box of instant polenta)
sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (also not in the original recipe, but a delicious addition)

To Serve
Arugula leaves (we didn’t have any arugula, and this was still a complete entree)

Cut each pepper in half lengthwise. Do not remove the stems as this will help keep the peppers shape. Cut out the seeds and discard.

Put the hollowed out peppers in a roasting pan. Divide the tomatoes, olives and capers between the pepper halves. Tuck in the garlic slices and torn basil and spoon the oil and vinegar over the top. Season well with salt and pepper.

Roast in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender and just blackened around the edges.

Meanwhile, to make the polenta, put 2 cups water in a heavy-bottom saucepan, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and sprinkle in the polenta or cornmeal, stirring well with a wooden spoon.

Cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 15-30 minutes (depending on the quality and type of polenta) or according to the package instructions. The polenta should be thick and lump-free.

Add the butter and salt, if needed, and stir well. (Do not overseason the polenta–the cheese is quite salty already.) Add the Gorgonzola and mix thoroughly.

Transfer to a shallow tray or wooden board (dampened to prevent sticking)* and spread into an 8-inch square. Let cool until firm. The polenta can be made several hours ahead or the day before, then cooled and refrigerated until needed.

Cut the polenta into 4 squares, put on a nonstick baking sheet and cook under a very hot broiler until the cheese begins to bubble and melt. To serve, transfer the polenta to warmed plates, top with the bell peppers, and serve with arugula.

*I cut out a step by pouring the polenta directly onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat mat. I even was able to broil the peppers briefly on a silpat mat. I recommend broiling everything for a few minutes so it all gets a nice crispiness. Bryant’s cooking tip: You gotta put some stank on it.