Poco-Cocoa

Tonight we had a wonderful dinner…I splurged on a few things, and cooked from scratch, and it was perfect. We had toasted baguette with a wonderful, creamy Brie, Fromager d’Affinois. It was delectable. We drank a McManis Viognier, which was just as delicious as when we were introduced to it last night at Vin Bistro. And for the main course, we had this earthy, fresh supper of vegetables and cannellini beans. We’ll be leaving shortly to watch a free movie at a local coffee shop…I can’t imagine a more perfect evening.

Vegetable and Cannellini Bean Saute

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, onion, red bell pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic; saute 10 minutes. Stir in tomato and beans; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add spinach, salt, and pepper to zucchini mixture; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Sprinkle with cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light.

Tonight we ate at Vin Bistro in celebration of Lindsay’s new job. Hooray for Lindsay! And hooray for us, because Vin Bistro was AMAZING. The restaurant focuses on their wines, and pairs them perfectly with the meals. Justin had a McManis Viognier that was just fabulous.

My appetizer was incredible. It was the special, unfortunately, so I may never get to try it again…barely seared salmon, still rare in the middle, that came with an amazing soy dipping sauce, and was atop a spicy papaya-tomato salad and zucchini tempura. Then I had pork tenderloin with a pistachio pesto, wild mushroom polenta squares, and zucchini with bacon. The polenta was really flavorful, and the texture was perfect.

Justin had fried Brie with raspberry coulis and toast points. I’m not sure what kind of Brie it was, but it was so creamy and cheesy. Then he had a curried tofu dish, with a spicy coconut broth.

Chad started with mussels in a curry broth, then moved on to smoked duck. Lindsay had Chilean sea bass with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes.

And then came dessert. Lindsay and I shared the Vin Sin–a decadent chocolate torte covered in chocolate ganache and served with fresh raspberries and a raspberry coulis. The raspberries were so ripe and sweet, and the chocolate was sinful…or heavenly…anyway, it was good. Justin had creme brulee, which I dipped into a few times, and Chad had cinnamon gelato with blackberry sauce.

We were really pleased with the meal, the service, and the atmosphere. I was very sorry that I forgot my camera, because the food looked as incredible as it tasted.

So, to make up for it, I’m posting one of our recipes from the Austin Folk House. These cookies stay fresh for quite a while, and guests always ask for the recipe. The cinnamon adds a warm and cozy touch, and you could also substitute raisins or butterscotch chips for the toffee bits.

Oatmeal-Toffee Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/3 cups toffee bits

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet.

Beat butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat until well blended. Stir in oats and toffee bits with a spoon.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto prepared sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Source: Austin Folk House.

I’ve been inspired by Joe, a blogger at Culinary in the Desert, in two ways: First, I’m hoping to adapt his idea for a Saturday salad night and create a Friday Pizza Night. We actually had pizza last Friday, and it seems to be a good day for it. I have time to make the dough, and it’s a yummy dinner that we can look forward to all week. Second, I went to Book People tonight and bought Small Batch Baking, and I’m eager to try out a few of the recipes. If you haven’t visited Joe, mosey on over there, because his blog is such a great read.

This pizza is another of our favorites. I love that it doesn’t have a sauce, but still has so much flavor and texture. I used olives on half of the pizza, and left my half free of the smelly little things. I didn’t feel like venturing into the olive world that night. Anyway, I (of course) changed a few things, so I’m posting my version.

Greek Pizza

• 1 recipe pizza dough
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons very finely minced garlic
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced
• 3/4 cup chopped artichoke hearts (canned)
• 10 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1/2 a medium red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Crushed red pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F. Roll out pizza dough into a circle.

Brush the dough rounds with half of the oil and sprinkle with half of the garlic. Spread the tomatoes, artichokes, olives, and onion slices on the dough, and sprinkle with the feta. Sprinkle the dried herbs (slightly crushing them with your palms first), parmesan, and remaining garlic next, then drizzle with remaining olive oil. Grind a little black pepper and sprinkle some crushed red pepper over the top, if desired.

Bake for 12 to 18 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool a moment or two, then cut and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon.

This was another dinner request from Lindsay…what’s funny is that we couldn’t remember what the recipe was, where I had found it, or when we had eaten it, but we both remembered the sauce. Garlicky and super-flavorful, this sauce is great spooned over anything…not just these burritos. We spooned it over the burritos and some steamed broccoli the first night, used it as a salad dressing the second night, and spread it on falafel sandwiches the third night.

I finally located the recipe in an old issue of Cuisine at Home. I changed it quite a bit, and the recipe that follows is my version.

Curried Lentil Burritos

• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup cubed red potatoes
• 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt to taste
• 4 to 6 whole wheat tortillas
• Cilantro Scallion-Spiced Yogurt (recipe follows)

Saute onion, curry powder, and jalapeno in oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until onion begins to brown, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often. Stir in broth, tomatoes, potatoes, lentils, and bay leaves. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted; add lime juice and salt.

Heat the tortillas in a nonstick pan, in the oven, or over the flame until soft and pliable. Fill with lentil mixture and spiced yogurt.

Cilantro Scallion-Spiced Yogurt

• 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems
• 1/4 cup scallions, sliced (white and green parts)
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Salt and cayenne to taste
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) plain yogurt

Process all ingredients except yogurt in a food processor until minced. Stir herb paste into yogurt; chill until ready to serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.