Veeegs: March 2007 Archives

Though we had high hopes for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day — there were rumors of $2 Jameson shots at a bar downtown that opened at 6 a.m. and allowed entrance only to those dressed as leprechauns — we played it safe with brunch.

Naturally the morning started with two arthurs, a fridge of bevies and fierce plans to get full. First on the menu was a mean barley and white potato hash made with four leafy herbs from our garden. We sopped up the hearty mash with smoky red baked beans, which put to shame the gooey brown shite that the Brits sling, and smoked tomatoes and crispy bacon.

For afters we made a stout stack of Guinness flaps and topped them with hand-whipped Irish Cream and whisky syrup and proceeded to make arseways of our selves by tasting 3 different combinations of black and tans. Those recipes are forthcoming throughout the week. In the meantime, here are the brunch recipes. Be dog wide with these ones droogies.

Four-leaf Clover Hash Browns

10 white potatoes, cleaned
1 cup barley, cooked
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup vegan butter
salt and pepper

1. First microwave or boil your potatoes until they’re about half done (about 3 minutes either way) and slice them in half. Once potatoes are cool enough grate them finely. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, combine all four fresh herbs with the vegan butter, leaving a large pinch of each kind that you’ll add fresh toward the end. Cook until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Then add the half-cooked hash browns and one cup of cooked barley.

3. Stir thoroughly and cook for 20-30 minutes or until hash is fully cooked. (If needed, throw mixture in a non-stick pan for the duration of cooking as potatoes tend to stick). Before serving, season and toss with the remaining fresh green herbs.

Lucky Baked Beans

4 cloves garlic
4 green onions, chopped
2 cans baked beans
1 can roasted whole tomatoes
1 Tbs. ground pepper

1. We started with run-of-the-mill baked beans in a brown sauce (make sure they’re meatless) and doctored them up from there. In a small sauce pan, combine garlic and green onions in just enough vegan butter to cover the bottom of the pan. Let cook 5 minutes.

2. Then open the cans of beans and tomatoes and add them to the pan. Season the pot and let cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. Serve

Smoked Tomato with crispy bacon

4 fake bacon strips
4 tomatoes
2 Tbs. smoked salt

1. Quarter the tomatoes and season the fleshy, seed side with smoked pepper.

2. Bring a pan to high heat with just a touch of olive oil. Cook tomatoes on their fleshy sides for about 5 minutes or until starting to black in places. Add more oil and fry bacon slices.

Beverage: Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout
Soundtrack: The Fall Anthology Disc 3

Short of waiting in a loser line at Olive Garden and pitifully gorging on “endless salad,” it’s pretty hard to get cheap, vegan Italian food. But if you’re armed with a few quality ingredients and some Mama Celeste know-how, the possibilities are endless.

Here is a recipe for bruschetta and one for spaghetti (that is half noodles and half slurpy zucchini) that both rely on the same basic sauce, all you really need is a decent olive oil and some basic groceries.

Garlic Oil Bro-shetta

1 head garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. red pepper flakes
2 tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup chopped basil (or cilantro, parsley)
1 Tbs. aged balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. sea salt
pinch of black pepper
Toast points

1. In a small saucepan, heat your garlic and oil on high. Once sputtering, immediately bring to a simmer so as not to burn or even brown the garlic. Let it roast for 10-15 minutes or until nutty. Add pepper flakes and remove from heat.

2. Combine all other ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss with hot garlic oil. Let mixture stand for another 20 minutes to fully marinate flavors.

3. Toast a couple pieces of bread and cut into diagnal toast points and serve.

Zukesghetti

2 zucchinis
A half pack of spaghetti
Bro-schetta topping
3 Tbs. nutritional yeast

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add your zucchinis. Let cook for about 8 minutes or until mildly soft. Remove and run under cool water.

2. While the zukes chill, bring another pot of salted water to boil and cook your pasta for another 8 minutes or until al dente.

3. While the spaghetti cooks, slice your zucchinis into super thin strips, as close to spaghetti noodle-shaped as possible so as to contrast the textures of the two. When pasta is done, strain and immediately toss with both zucchini and the brushatta topping. Serve with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast to replace the Parmesan.

Beverage: Sara Organic Buckwheat Ale
Soundtrack: Sparks’ In Outer Space