Bay Area restaurant-a-palooza

I know it's been far too long since I've posted a recipe, but in my defense, I've been eating up a storm in some of the Bay Area's best restaurants! My husband and I are living on a tight budget, so we've foregone dining out with the exception of a celebratory burrito in the Mission or a slice of pizza from Dino's on Fillmore. However, my wonderful in-laws were in town this weekend, and we wanted them to truly taste the town!

If you live in the area or are thinking of visiting, it's good to have a few places in mind that also have meat options in case your friends or relatives prefer a little carne with their meal. I'd love to take everybody I know to Greens in Fort Mason, but curried sweet potato souffles won't please everyone ;) So, here's a quick summary of the places we tried. I'll never be a food critic, but I can just share my opinions (and veggie option availability).

Fresca on Fillmore is an amazing Peruvian restaurant. I ordered the bell pepper stuffed with quinoa risotto, cheese, vegetables, and a spicy cream sauce. I was really excited to get a vegetarian option that wasn't pasta with tomato sauce, and this dish really was up to par. It was served a little bit cold, but I attribute it to the packed restaurant as opposed to the dish itself. The cream sauce is made without chicken broth, so it's a truly vegetarian dish. If you were to skip the sauce, it could be made vegan. My meat-eating compatriots were impressed by the cerviche as well as the sangria!

Scoma's on Fisherman's Wharf is nationally famous for its seafood dishes, but I was interested to find out what the vegetarian options were (and how they tasted). They had the requisite pasta dishes on the menu ($28 for pasta with tomato and basil? Are you serious?), but they also had a vegetarian risotto that looked promising. Our server was happy to check with the kitchen to find out if it was made with vegetable broth, and it was! It was served with perfectly al dente rice, a cornucopia of vegetables, and no cream or cheese at all (I got some parmesan added on the top). A truly vegan risotto is almost impossible to find, but the creaminess inherent in the rice made it a rich dish nonetheless. It's not the highest-protein dish, but it was great for a single meal. Needless to say, the seafood dishes left everyone stunned and raving, especially the sea scallops.

Squat and Gobble in the Marina has always interested me because of its.... unique name. When I heard that it had the best patio brunch in San Francisco, I knew we had to go. Brunch is often a more veggie-friendly meal, but their diverse offering of vegetarian crepes, omelets, pancakes, and breakfast sandwiches gave me a huge smile. I loved how the different omelets are named after San Francisco neighborhoods. I got the Lower Haight and loved the veggies, mozzarella, and pesto (!!!). Although my father-in-law is a generally happy guy, he really couldn't stop raving about this place! Any restaurant that can satisfy a hippie veggie like me and a meat-and-potatoes guy like him gets my stamp of approval :)

That was just a sampling of restaurants we visited, and I have a few I've been meaning to write about (including a Chinese food place that actually lets you know which of their sauces can be made with vegetable broth!). Perhaps I'll post a part two soon :) Enjoy!

RECIPE: Peterson's Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ok, I know what you're thinking. Zucchini? In a cake? Gross. Sarah's really gone off the deep end this time... Must've been all those soy products.

Not true. This cake has been my favorite since I was a little girl when my mom first got this recipe from the family-owned Peterson's Produce Stand in Delano, Minnesota. The zucchini adds luscious moisture to the cake without imparting any kind of odd vegetable flavor. Just don't tell people what they're eating until after they've already eaten it ;)

Peterson's Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Serves 10 people (or just me)

Ingredients:
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. canola oil (substitute applesauce for a lower-fat recipe)
2 T. vanilla
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 1/2 c. flour
2 c. grated zucchini1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, eggs, vanilla, cocoa, oil, and milk in a large bowl.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just blended.
4. Stir in zucchini.
5. Pour into a 9"x12" baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, or if you're feeling especially Minnesotan, use a bundt pan.
6. Bake for 1 hour.

RECIPE: Mama Carrie's Baked Custard

This dish goes especially well with the split pea soup recipe below. It's simple, warming, filling, and delicious as a cold breakfast the next day. It can be helpful to have a second person on hand to help hold the bowl of scalded milk while you whisk it into the egg mixture, but my mom manages to do it by herself!

She uses 1% milk for the recipe, which works just fine, but use whole milk if you feel like being extra decadent ;) I've never tried it with skim, but I'd imagine it would work just fine.

Mama Carrie's Baked Custard
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
6 eggs
4 cups 1% milk
2/3 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a few inches of water into a pie pan or other glass baking dish and place in the oven to serve as the water bath.
2. Scald milk on stove top or microwave. Milk should be steaming but not boiling.
3. While milk is heating, whisk eggs in a casserole or baking dish (I use a round Corningware dish). Slowly whisk in scalded milk. Add sugar and vanilla, stirring well. Grate nutmeg on top.
4. Place custard dish in water bath. Bake 55-65 minutes or until knife inserted in the center of custard comes out clean.

RECIPE: Gingered Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup is a satisfying, healthy meal that can be as comforting as a warm blanket during cold winter months (or, if you're in San Francisco, temperate but gross and rainy winter months). It's a basic, simple recipe that takes very little skill but lends itself to endless variations.

The classic recipe has chopped up pieces of ham in it and is often cooked with a ham bone for flavor. Although not identical, adding liquid smoke (IMO, a vegetarian soup lover's cabinet staple) gives the soup depth and a tastier flavor. The optional butter is an addition that I borrowed from the Indian lentil soup dal, which adds clarified butter for richness.

The addition of ginger was a suggestion from my mom, who got the tip from an unknown Swedish couple in my family's small Minnesotan hometown. My mom made this recipe on many cold Minnesota nights, serving it with a side of garlic bread and a tasty egg custard for dessert. Although my husband has trouble with the wobbly texture of the custard, it compliments the soup well and is a decadent end to an almost entirely fat-free main dish.

Anyway, without futher fanfare, the recipe...

Gingered Split Pea Soup
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
3 c. water
5 1/2 c. vegetable broth
2 c. green or yellow split peas (use a combo for a pretty soup)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 t. liquid smoke
3 carrots, finely chopped
1/4 t. salt
1/2-1 t. ground ginger
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1 T. butter (optional, omit to make vegan)

Directions:
1. Combine water, brother, split peas, liquid smoke, and onion in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in carrots, salt, and ginger. Simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes.
3. Add butter and lemon juice, allowing butter to melt completely. Remove from heat, stir, and serve.

RECIPE: Mediterranean Yellow Lentil Soup

If you ever visit San Francisco, the Baladie Cafe is definitely worth a visit. Tucked amongst trendy lunch places in the Financial District, Baladie does a booming business straight through the lunch hour. Even though there are a few tables inside (and three small tables outside for sunny days), it's usually too crowded to find a seat. You can get gyros there, falafel pitas, and something called the Iron Bowl that involves your choice of meat or falafel, rice, and lentil soup, all mixed together. That soup is often my reason for being.
Although I haven't come close to duplicating it, I was inspired by the soup at Baladie. Its chunky consistency, awesome flavor, perfect balance of spiciness and saltiness, and deep-fried pita croutons have seduced and enchanted me. Once again, this is NOT an identical recipe, but it captures at least a portion of the awesome.


Mediterranean Yellow Lentil Soup
Serves 8

Ingredients: 
2 1/2 c. split yellow lentils, rinsed  
2 potatoes, sliced 1/2" thick (I prefer unpeeled) 
3 carrots, sliced 
2 t. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 large or two medium onions, chopped 
3 1/2 c. vegetable stock 
2 heaping t. cumin
1/2 t. dried chipotle chili pepper 
1 T. dried parsley (fresh works too)
1 t. liquid smoke (optional, but creates great flavor dimensions)
1 t. salt
2 pieces pita bread

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch over or stockpot, add lentils, chopped potato/carrot, and salt. Add enough water to cover the ingredients by 2-3 inches, and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low/medium-low and simmer 30 minutes.

2. Drain. Place in a blender or food processor and add 1/2-1 c. hot water (just enough to make it blend well). Blend until ingredients are slightly smooth but still retain chunks of vegetables and lentils. Set aside.  

3. Wipe out pot with paper towel to remove majority of the cooking debris. Add olive oil, heat over meidum heat, and add onion. Cook 10 minutes or until translucent and beginning to brown. Add lentil mixture, veggie broth, and spices. Once warm, taste and add more salt and spices if desired. Cook 5-15 minutes, until ingredients are heated through and soup has thickened to the desired consistency.

4. While soup is cooking, spray pita bread with cooking spray and heat in a skillet until golden brown. Add more oil if a more fried texture is desired. Chop pita into 1/4" squares and sprinkle on top of the soup when served. If fresh parsley is used, sprinkle on as a garnish when serving as well.

RECIPE: Tofu and Broccoli with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce

This is my little black dress of vegetarian dishes... I almost always serve this when I have guests over, especially if they're normally fans of meat. The whole "tofu" and "broccoli" thing might sound intimidating and gross to some, but the secret is truly in the sauce. Ladle enough of the magic on, and they'll forget about the veggie-friendly nutrition underneath. The original recipe calls for shredded carrot instead of broccoli, but I feel that the broc handles the sauce better and provides a better veggie representation.

I found this recipe in one of my mom's old Cooking Light magazines, and it still remains one of the magazine's most popular tofu dishes. I made a few changes, including doubling the sauce. It makes a LOT, but it's so amazing that it can be poured over salads or added to a stir-fry if you have extra.

This recipe can be served with brown rice (my husband prefers it that way), but I think that whole-grain fettuccine or spaghetti holds up better to the texture and intensity of the sauce. The rice tends to soak it up and get a bit soggy, but if you like it that way, I won't stop you!

Tofu and Broccolli with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce
Vegetarian/Vegan
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 c. vegetable broth
2/3 c. chunky peanut butter (try to use natural, as processed versions are too sweet and glue-y)
1/2 c. reduced-sodium soy sauce
6 T. brown sugar
4 T. rice vinegar
4 T. powdered ginger (sub in fresh if you like)
4 t. Thai chile paste with garlic
12 garlic cloves, minced
10 oz. uncooked whole-grain pasta (I like fettuccine or spaghetti)
1-1 1/2 package extra-firm tofu, pressed* and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Directions:

 

1. Combine first eight ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for five minutes or until smooth, stirring frequently with a whisk. Remove from heat.2. Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water.
3. While pasta and sauce are cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add tofu and cook on high heat until tofu is golden, 8-12 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4. When pasta has finished, reserve pasta water and boil broccoli until tender-crisp and bright green, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.

5. When serving, put pasta into bowls, followed by broccoli/tofu and then the sauce. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

I adapted this famous recipe from Sunset magazine. If you're never heard of Sunset before, it's a treasure trove of recipes, ideas, and amazing things to do on the west coast. My parents have subscribed it for longer than I've been alive and kept their subscription even after moving to the snowy Midwest.

Sweet potatoes are (IMHO) one of the most unsung heroes of vegetarian cooking. They're flavorful, packed with more fiber and antioxidants than their russet/red/yukon gold fellows, and they can be prepared in numerous ways. They make themselves at home in sweet dishes as well as savory, and they're delicious when simply baked and sprinkled with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

This is an excellent weeknight recipe, as the prep time is minimal (mostly chopping) and it's a one-pot meal, which is especially appealing if you're without a dishwasher, like us. Increase or decrease the chipotle chili powder to meet your tastes, and feel free to swap in some coconut milk for the broth (add 2 T. brown sugar if you do) to make a sweeter and more Thai-style curry.


Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes
Vegetarian and Vegan
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped

5-9 garlic cloves, minced

1  T. olive oil

2  cups dried lentils (I used brown, but you can use red for a creamier consistency)

4-6 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4" pieces (I prefer unpeeled)

2 1/2 T. curry powder

1 1/2  T.  ground cumin

1 t. salt (use smoked if you have it)

1/2 t. chipotle chili powder (or 1 t. cayenne pepper)

6 c. vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Get out a large dutch oven or stock pot. Heat olive oil on medium and stir in onion and garlic. Saute 5 minutes.
2. Wash lentils in a colander until water runs clear. Add lentils, sweet potatoes, curry powder, cumin, salt, chipotle chili powder, and broth to the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low or medium-low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender to bite and sweet potatoes are tender when pierced, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Serve alone or with warm pita bread or rice.

In one serving (1 2/3 c.):

Calories: 401. Protein: 21g. Fat: 4.1g. Carbs: 73g. Fiber: 12g