April 8th: Vegetarian

April's theme is Vegetarian. You decide how vegetarian you want your dish to be. It will be held at Hannah's house on Thursday, April 8th.


Main Dish: Hannah (Spring Black Rice)
Appetizer: Kristen (Cowboy Caviar)
Salad: Kelsey (Wheat Berry Salad)
Side: Sarah
Dessert: Sarah (Chocolate Souffle)


SPRING BLACK RICE (from fresh365)
14 oz tofu, drained and pressed, then cut into 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 c fresh orange juice
1 T honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t salt
1 c Chinese black rice
2 c water
4 T olive oil
20 stems asparagus, tough stems discarded, cut into 1” pieces
1 small bunch chives, finely chopped
1 c packed basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted
1 T vinegar (I used red wine)
pepper, to taste

Combine pressed tofu, orange juice, honey, garlic and salt in a large bowl. Gently toss to coat tofu. Let sit at least 15 minutes.
In a medium sauce pan, combine black rice and water, over high heat. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer, 30 minutes. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan (preferably non-stick), heat 2 T olive oil, over high heat. Add marinated tofu cubes, and cook 8-10 minutes, until golden brown, shaking pan often to avoid sticking. Add asparagus, and cook 5 minutes, until tender (again shaking pan often).
In a large serving bowl, gently combine tofu and asparagus with rice. Add chives, basil and pine nuts. Drizzle with 2 T olive oil and vinegar. Gently toss and season to taste with salt, pepper and more olive oil, vinegar, citrus or honey, if desired.

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE (see picture here)
adapted from George Duran
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces, plus more for greasing
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt, plus a pinch for the egg whites
12 Tbsp sugar, divided; plus more for dusting dish
5 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites, at room temperature for 30 minutes
1/4 c all-purpose flour

Put an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup souffle dish or casserole. Dust with granulated sugar.

Melt the chocolates and butter in a large bowl in a microwave-safe glass bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring well every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool completely.

Add vanilla, salt, and 6 tablespoons sugar. Add yolks 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the flour.

Beat the whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl using an electric mixer at high speed until they hold soft peaks. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until the whites hold stiff glossy peaks.

Whisk about 1/4 of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Pour the batter into the souffle dish, spreading it evenly.

Bake about 30 to 35 minutes or until the center is still jiggling and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs adhering to it (It took me 35-40 min). Serve the souffle warm.

* Tips: when folding the egg whites into the chocolate mixture be very gentle. The more you add, the more careful you should be.

I served mine with fresh strawberries. A light dusting of powdered sugar would be very pretty.

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Spinach, and Feta
adapted from Two Peas and their Pod
1/2 lb orzo
Salt for boiling water
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 med red onion
1 lb asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 package fresh spinach
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup feta cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add the salt, water should taste like the sea. Stir in orzo. Cook according to package. Drain orzo and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, saute onions in olive oil until onions are transparent, add garlic, saute until fragrant. Add in asparagus pieces. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach. Cook until asparagus is tender and the spinach shrinks down.
3. Put the orzo in a medium bowl and add in the vegetables. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the orzo and vegetables. Stir. Season with salt and pepper. Taste. Add more lemon juice if you wish. The lemon I used was huge, so I only needed to use one lemon. If you need more juice, go ahead.
4. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top of the salad. Serve warm. (I also liked the salad cold.)
Serves 6-8

TEXAS CAVIAR

1 can sweet corn, drained
1 small can chopped olives
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
8 roma tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, diced
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 package Good Seasonings Italian dressing, prepared

Mix all together, except for avocados. Allow to marinate a while. Add avocados just before serving. Serve with tortilla chips