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Vegan Voyage

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

I have never been a picky eater. Besides adopting a red-meat free diet in college, I am up for trying and eating pretty much everything. And other than mushrooms and bananas, my husband is the same way. So when we invited friends over last month for our first new home dinner party, we were a bit worried as to what would be on the menu. Our one friend is a vegan (by choice) and the other is gluten-free (not by choice). To me, this screamed, “What the heck can we eat then? Salads for everyone!” Luckily, both of these lovely ladies are excellent cooks, and my mind has been completely blown in terms of the diversity of vegan food. I would have been the last person to think I would leave this meal satisfied and amazed, but I am definitely eating my words.

First, Gluten-Free Amy provided a fantastic spring salad that included fresh strawberries and asparagus and just the right amount of a balsamic dressing. I made guacamole (shocking, avocados) and enjoyed this with natural corn chips. As an appetizer and first course, this didn’t steer too far outside our usual box, but still delicious and edible for all. Then it was time for the main course…

Vegan Kelly had brought ingredients to make pizza. Although it wasn’t going to be completely gluten-free, since she said that is actually a really hard feat to accomplish, it was going to be completely vegan.  I was really concerned, since cheese is pretty much my main food group, and to me vegan cheese had bad idea written all over it. I can now officially say with complete honesty the Neapolitan style vegan cheese and spinach pizza I had that night was by far some of the best pizza I have ever had. Even Steve enjoyed it, and he has been the biggest nay-sayer of vegan dinner parties the whole time! It was delicious. I didn’t even notice the difference in the vegan cheese which melted and complimented the flavorful sauce perfectly. I have to admit, I was wrong and need to keep an open mind more often. Kelly will also never let us forget that we fully enjoyed the meal.

Dinner finished off with Vegan Shamrock Shakes for dessert. This was the perfect ending since Amy can’t have lactose either. Not only did they taste exactly like the real version, but my husband who counts down the days until they return each year drank his in a matter of minutes. We even took pictures as proof. The dinner party was a delicious success that all of us can’t wait to repeat. Needless to say, I will remain mum on any future judgments of vegan food from this point forward.

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Labas, Kugelis (Hello, Kugelis)

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

Family and tradition seems to be a trend with my posts, and this one is no different. My husband is Lithuanian, and ever since we’ve been together, I have loved getting to know more about a culture so different from my own. This definitely includes the food. Ever since the first family dinner with my in-laws, I have dreamt of a Lithuanian traditional dish called Kugelis.

Roughly translated to “the best food ever” and actually translated to “flat potato dish”, Kugelis are a traditional Lithuanian side dish served at every possible occasion, at least in my experience.  When we first started dating, I would tell my family about Steve and how awesome he was, but I was also sharing all that I was learning about the Lithuanian culture. Steve’s family is very proud of this heritage, and that is something I have always loved about him. It’s the same way with my family and our British heritage, so I grew up with a similar mindset.

Lauren, Steve and her Lithuanian In-Laws

With Easter right around the corner, there is another family holiday celebration and another batch of Kugelis in my future. I took this opportunity to ask my aunt-in-law if I could attempt my first batch. I figured now that I have married into the family, I should be able to make them myself. She suggested I shouldn’t have my inaugural batch be for such a large family gathering, and I agree. If they weren’t perfect, I would have a lot of upset in-laws on my hands! She did, however, pass along the recipe and encouraged me to try them at home. I can’t wait to make these for Steve, and hope to get his approval. If I’m successful, I will probably make them at all my family gatherings as well. It’s tradition after all!

Kavaliunas Kugelis

5lbs potatoes, grated (I grate them over a sifter to drain out the excess water into a bowl)

3 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 lb. bacon, diced and fried, keep the grease

1 stick butter, melted in with the bacon

1 can evaporated milk

1 crushed vitamin C tablet, helps to keep the potatoes white

 

Grate the potatoes by hand quickly to keep them from turning brown; food processers don’t work, makes it too fine.

Pour off the potato water from the bowl and scrape up the starch that’s left in the bottom and add to the grated potatoes.

Mix all ingredients and bake in a 13×11 pan at 350-375 for about 1-1/2 hours.

Serve with sour cream.

 

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Absolutely Addicted to Avocado

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

I am not ashamed to admit: I am addicted to all things avocado. My friends always make fun of me when we go out to eat because I will choose my meal based on what comes with said addiction. This often results in me choosing something out of the blue just for the advertised added bonus. Rarely does this get me into trouble though, since avocado makes everything taste better.

I was actually inspired to focus this blog on my favorite green fruit while I was taking my first cooking class at The Chopping Block’s Lincoln Square location last week. I attended the Love at First Bite: Appetizers to Put You in the Mood class with Chef Hugh, and it was awesome. I left the class dreaming of the simple avocado salad that had been paired with our Rum-Glazed shrimp. It was then that it hit me; I am officially in love with anything involving avocados! I am also in love with the Lincoln Square location and think everyone should take a class there. The Thyme kitchen is so rustic and cottage-like, it was the perfect setting for my afternoon. But I digress, back to avocados!

Most often associated with your typical guacamole recipe or as an addition to a Cobb salad, it’s nice to see how much versatility and use the avocado has in the kitchen. I have been in multiple classes where mixing avocado with different proteins enhanced the overall flavor palate of whatever else you were cooking. It worked in my seafood class with the mango salsa we created then and it definitely worked in this class too. I am always so amazed how simple alterations to recipes and combinations can create such delicious results.  Oh, the wonders of the kitchen!

This side salad was so simple, and only had 5 ingredients, and it was my favorite part of the entire class. It also didn’t hurt that Chef Hugh is a fantastic teacher, and my classmates were wonderful as well. I will definitely be making the appetizers we had that day sometime soon. Well, unless I skip ahead and just eat all the avocados first…

Rum-Glazed Shrimp

Yield: 4 servings as an appetizer

Active time: 20 minutes

Start to finish: 20 minutes

1 cup rum
2 tablespoons molasses
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
4 peppercorns

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Knox chipotle chili powder blend

Place the rum, molasses, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, star anise and peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium low.

Continue to cook until reduced to a thick glaze. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the spices, and set aside.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat.

Brush the shrimp with grapeseed oil and season with the chipotle chili powder blend.

Grill the shrimp on the first side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and brush with the rum glaze.

Continue to cook until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and brush with more rum glaze to coat.

Serve with the Avocado Salad (recipe follows).

 

Avocado Salad

Yield: 4 servings as an appetizer

Active time: 10 minutes

Start to finish: 10 minutes

2 ripe avocados, cut into medium dice

2 scallions, sliced thin on the bias

1 orange, segmented

2 tablespoons cilantro, rough chopped

Lime juice to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Gently toss together the avocado, scallions, orange segments, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Who’s Afraid of a Little Snow?

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Last week, winter decided to appear with a vengeance. We finally got the first real snowstorm of the season, and I was so excited. I have always been a fan of winter and love seeing the city covered in a blanket of fresh snow. My husband says it’s only because I don’t drive, but I was still very excited for Friday’s storm. I was hoping for another Snowpocalypse like last year, but would settle for anything.  I was ready to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and a Lifetime movie when I realized we had very little food in the house. Now, pre-TCB Lauren probably would have just grabbed the bag of Doritos and moved on with her night, but not anymore. TCB Lauren packed on all her winter best and set off into the night in search of a grocery store and inspiration.

I will admit I was one of the only people outside who wasn’t shoveling off a car and the walk was pretty brutal, I can see why people hate it so much! However I made it to the store in no time and wasn’t the only one there. Others must have had the cooking bug too! After searching through the produce and mentally making sure I had everything to avoid a second trip, I heading back into the winter night and home to start creating.

I’ve noticed ever since I began to cook for myself, I enjoy the idea of a fresh meal. I love being able to use ingredients I pick and see where they take me. I figured it was a perfect way to spend an evening inside, and I ended up with pretty tasty fajitas. I was finally convinced that I could do this often and still have a quality meal at the end. The only issue I faced that night was the always challenging task of cooking for one. My husband was stuck in the suburbs waiting out the storm, so I was left to my own devices. Although a little more difficult, I’ve learned to focus on food that can be stretched over multiple days, or food that is still as delicious the next afternoon.  The simple act of cooking is what’s important. I just enjoy the food more when it’s fresh and made by me, rather than frozen or ordered in. I’ve already started to plan for my next snowed-in adventure. Now I just need the weather to cooperate!

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Merry Christmas, Darling

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. I’m not sure whether it’s the first signs of snow, the twinkling lights or the chance to see all of my family at once that makes me love it so much, but as my husband will attest, it is my favorite season.

My mom is British, so Christmas is always the time when her heritage is featured and celebrated at our house.  There has never been a year where we don’t love popping the traditional Christmas crackers or wearing our prized paper hats. I also love the food associated with our celebrations. My grandmother is a fantastic cook, and she always makes the entire meal from scratch. I look forward to a perfectly cooked turkey and our family’s famous cheesy potatoes all month long. Nothing compares to the sights and smells of this occasion.

This year marks the first time I will celebrate Christmas as a wife. Something about that just makes everything seem more exciting this time around. I couldn’t wait to fully extend the Christmas spirit between our two families as well as start new traditions that I hope to follow for years to come. My husband’s family is Lithuanian, so between the two of us, we have heritage and culture to spare. I always enjoy watching as the family traditions become blended into one large, loving family. This year, I brought my mom’s English Shortbread to Christmas dinner. This traditional cookie has always been a staple in our house, and I was so honored to be able to share this with my new family. Not only is it wonderful with a cup of tea, but it is also super easy to make. Always a plus in my book. This little taste of home was just what I needed to make our first Christmas together perfect. I can’t wait to see what holiday traditions form as we continue our journey together.

English Shortbread (according to The Platt Family)

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 3/4 cup flour

Mix all of the ingredients together, forming a ball. Chill overnight.

Divide in half and press into 2 pie pans. Prick all over the tops with the tines of a fork.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes until pale brown. Cut into 12 wedges while still warm and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

 

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Lauren Fountas is the newest member of the Private Events Team at The Chopping Block. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Lauren moved to Chicago about 5 years ago and has been living it up ever since. Lauren has a background in Theatre and Photography, but has always had a love of all things food (even if she's never been real good at cooking it.) She loves learning and trying anything new, and looks forward to all the adventures The Chopping Block is sure to provide. She lives and enjoys life with her new husband and their puppy and can often be found dancing through the hallways and singing along to the radio.

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