The Bored Vegetarian turns 4 years old on May 2nd. When I started the blog in 2010, I was working from home for a mobile tech company and needed a project to keep me a bit more creatively engaged. The Bored Vegetarian provided the perfect avenue for combining my love for food, photos and words (not to mention over-sharing on the internet) and get a bit better at all three. Looking at some of my first posts, it’s clear that practice does indeed make perfect, or at least much much better.

This weekend I did something I haven’t done in far too many months: made brunch. The swiss chard and leeks were flavorful and the cream added a rich fattiness to the dish, perfect for dipping bread.

Ingredients

– 1 bunch Swiss Chard
– 3 Leeks
– 3 cloves Garlic, minced
– 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
– 2-3 Eggs
– 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
– Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt & Pepper to taste
– Fresh baguette (optional)

Directions

Rinse swiss chard and remove large stems. Chop greens into 2 inch pieces. In a large pot, heat 1/2 inch of water over medium heat and add greens. Cover and stir until the leaves wilt and are tender. Remove from heat and drain remaining water. Slice off the root end of each leek and discard. Thinly chop each leek from the white until the light green part. In a large saute pan, saute chopped leeks in olive oil over low/medium heat. Once tender, add in chopped garlic and saute until fragrant. Add in wilted swiss chard and combine until mixed well. Add in cream and continue to stir over medium heat until it starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a baking pan (I used a low ceramic dish), spread the chard and leek mixture. Make deep wells for the eggs. Carefully crack each egg into a well. Bake in the upper third of your oven for 15-30 minutes (check on them to see how they’re coming along), or until the white are the eggs are firm and the yolks still runny. Once they are close to being done, sprinkle with cheese before putting back in the oven to finish. Serve hot with bread.

When I first moved to New York, brunch was an event, with a lot of thought put into who had the best mimosa deal, breakfast potato option (hello Cameo tater tots) and best chance of getting a table right away. These days I prefer making brunch at home after a quick trip to the grocery store and grabbing coffees from Cafe Grumpy. Chris will throw on some reggae and draw at the table while I get to work in the kitchen. It’s one of my favorite times of the week and most weekends I wouldn’t trade it for the hour-long waits and overpriced omelets of the past.

This scramble recipe can be modified to include whichever vegetables you have on hand.

Ingredients

– 1 container Soft Tofu, drained and crumbled into small pieces (I left mine on the bigger side)
– 1 small Onion, chopped
– 1 clove Garlic, minced
– 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
– 2 Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties, chopped up (I used Gardein)
– 1 cup Kale, chopped, big stems removed
– small handful of Basil, cut into ribbons
– 3-4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
– Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

In a large saute pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over low/medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and saute until nearly translucent. Add in the bell pepper and continue to saute. Next add the garlic and the chopped sausage patties. The sausage will take a bit to brown up, but they’ll take on some of the flavor of the other ingredients as you do so. After about 5 minutes of sauteeing the sausage, add the tofu and mix together. The heat will help evaporate some of the liquid in the tofu. Add in kale and basil and season with Nutritional Yeast and salt & pepper. Continue to saute until all ingredients have been incorporated well into the scramble and the tofu has firmed up from the evaporated liquid. Serve hot.

Ingredients

– 2 Eggs
– 1 cup Kale, stems removed, chopped small
– 1/4 cup Oil-Cured Olives, pitted and chopped
– 1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
– 1/4 cup Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
– 1 Tbsp Mayonaise
– 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for frying
– 2 Tsp Butter
– 2 Tbsp Milk
– 1 soft Roll
– Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts in a single layer in a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. In a food processor or blender, combine walnuts, olives and red peppers and pulse until loosely combined. Add olive oil as needed to bring the ingredients together. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble.

In a frying pan, add a thin layer of olive oil and heat over medium, being careful not to smoke the oil. Add kale and let it crisp up, tossing if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a bowl, beat eggs and milk with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a pan over medium/low heat until it starts to bubble. Add eggs and allow to set for a minute. Use a spatula, push the egg from the sides of the pan towards the center slowly, pausing between each push. Be careful not to overcook! At this point you can slice and toast your roll if you’d like.

To assemble, spread mayo on the bottom of the roll, then pile on kale and eggs. Spread the tapenade on the top part of the bun and place on top to make a sandwich.

I am always amused with the diligence in which Gothamist covers New York’s neurotic (and absurd) food trends. As of late, there has been extensive coverage of the Cronut, but on Friday they mentioned the Ramen Burger being sold at Smorgasburg this weekend. I was intrigued, but as the Ramen Burger is quite a meaty item (not to mention I am terrible at successfully eating at Smorgasburg. It starts to remind me of the food court of my hometown mall but with bigger lines and more attractive people), I decided to create my own crispy ramen bun at home. Instead of using the ramen as a sandwich, I used it as a base on which to pile other delicious things.  

For the Bun

– 4 cups cooked Ramen Noodles
– Frying Oil

Note: I used Chinese Noodles from China Bowl select. There is a proper Ramen Burger recipe which suggests using an egg to bind, but these noodles stay together fairly well and I liked having the loose noodles ones you broke through the outside crispiness. If you are making an actual burger, the egg will help it stay together better. Also, the recipe suggests using sesame oil to fry, but I found that it smoked too much before I could get the crisp I wanted. I had canola oil on hand but next time I might use something like peanut oil.)

Divide the ramen into four and fit down into a ramekin or other round container. Use your hands to push down on the noodles and shape them. Cover and chill in the fridge while you prepare your other components.

When you’re ready to fry, heat up an inch or two of oil in a pan. Remove the noodles from the ramekins (they may not hold their shape perfectly, that’s ok) and fry in the pan, flipping to crisp both sides. Remove from pan and drain on a brown paper bag.

For the Carrots

– 1 large Carrot, julienned
– 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 
– 1/2 cup Sugar
– 1/2 Tsp Salt

Whisk together the cider, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add carrots and toss. Cover and set aside until you’re ready to assemble.

For the Cabbage & Cilantro Slaw

– 2 cups Red Cabbage (chopped thin)
– 1/3 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
– 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
– 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar

Whisk together mayonnaise and vinegar in a bowl. You may need to add more vinegar if it seems too thick. Add in cabbage and cilantro and toss to coat. Set aside until ready to assemble.

For the Mushrooms

– 4 cups Shiitake Mushrooms, chopped
– 1 Tbsp Miso Paste
– 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
– 2 Tbsp Honey
– 1 Tsp Sesame Oil
– Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt

In a bowl, whisk together miso paste, vinegar, honey and sesame oil. It should be a nice consistency (not too thick). In a saute pan, saute the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil and season with salt. Once they begin to brown up, add in the miso mixture a spoonful at a time and toss to coat. Continue to saute until the glaze has nicely covered the mushrooms.

For the Egg

– 4 eggs
– Butter
– Salt

Butter a pan on low/medium heat. Add the egg (or eggs if you do all at once). Once the whites start to firm up, season with salt, remove from heat and cover. Keep an eye on the eggs. When the white is firm, they’re ready.

To assemble

Place a ramen noodle round on a place. Spoon a generous amount of miso mushrooms on top. Add the sunny-side up egg. Spoon on a fourth of the cabbage slaw and some of the pickled carrots. Top with more fresh cilantro if you’d like. Serve immediately.

Hey! Like The Bored Vegetarian on Facebook!

(via NYT’s Recipe)

As some of you may know, my day/night/weekend job is as an event planner for a catering company here in Brooklyn. Part of what I do is discussing menu ideas with couples/clients and discussing how to bring their backgrounds, family recipes and inspiration from their favorite restaurants into their menu. Recently a couple had mentioned how much they love Blue Hill Farm’s “tomato burger,” so I had our chefs do a take on it for their tasting. I got to sample it myself and was so obsessed with the balance of sweetness from the “bun,” the savory tomato and the creamy goat cheese, I made a mental note to try it at home. As someone who loves savory and sweet breakfast foods together (“don’t judge me!” I exclaimed as I dumped syrup all over my eggs and potatoes the other morning), I thought this would be perfect with a delicious sunny side up egg on top.

Serves 4

For the “bread”

– 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp Almond Flour
– 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
– 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
– 2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (honestly, I would recommend using less than their recommendation – it turned out a lot heavier and greasier than I would have liked. Might reduce as much as half next time.)
– 1/2 tsp Salt
– 4 large Egg Whites, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325. Coat a 9×9 baking pan with cooking spray. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Pour in egg whites and whisk with dry ingredients until combined. Continue to whisk and slowly add olive oil in a stream. Pour into baking pan and bake on middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until golden yellow. Remove from oven and allow to cool.Tomato Filling: 2 pounds ripe Tomatoes1 cup Sundried Tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped1/4 Tbsp Shallots, finely chopped1/2 Balsamic VinegarCut a shallow x in the bottom of the tomatoes. Blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and run under cold water. Skins should easily slip off. Remove seeds and chop into a small dice. In a bowl, toss together diced tomato, sundried tomato, shallots, balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Goat Cheese Filling

– 2/3 Goat Cheese, room temperature
– 6 Tbsp Mascarpone Cheese, room temperature 
– 2 Tbsp chopped Chivespinch of salt

Stir together all of the ingredients and set aside.

Egg

– 4 Eggs
– 2 Tbsp Salt & Pepper to taste
– Fresh basil

Melt butter in a pan. Crack eggs into pan and cook on low/medium heat until whites begin to firm up. Cover with lid until whites are about done. Season with salt and pepper.To assemble:Cut a four rounds out of the “bread.” Layer each with some of the goat cheese, a generous amount of the tomato filling, fresh basil and top with an egg. Serve hot.

It’s a slow rainy Saturday in New York.

Ingredients

– 1 egg
– 1/2 cup dry Quinoa
– 1 cup Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
– 1 cup chopped Kale, large stems removed
– 1/4 cup Baby Heirloom Tomatoes
– 2 generous handfuls of fresh Basil
– 1/2 cup chopped Scallions
– 1 clove Garlic
– 4-5 Tbsp Olive Oil
– 1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
– 1 Tbsp Butter
– Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

In a saucepan 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup Vegetable Broth to a boil. Add quinoa and season with a bit of salt. Cover and bring down to a simmer until the liquid cooks off (about 15 minutes). In a saute pan, saute minced garlic in a bit of olive oil until soft. Add the cooked quinoa and toss. Cook on low heat, continuing to cook off any remaining liquid in the quinoa. In a blender, liquify basil, scallion and a 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. With the blender going, slowly stream in the white wine vinegar, which will thicken the puree. In a saute pan, saute the kale and tomato in a bit of olive oil until soft. Add to quinoa and toss. Season with salt & pepper. In a saute pan, melt butter over low-medium heat. Crack the egg into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid until the whites have firmed up. Serve quinoa in a bowl, top with the sunny side up egg and spoon some of the basil & scallion puree over the top. Serve immediately.

While I have your attention, have you liked The Bored Vegetarian on fb? You should! It’s a lot easier to interact that way. Almost like real life, except not at all.

Ingredients

1 Egg
2 cups fresh Kale, chopped well
1/2 Lemon
2-3 Tbsp Asiago Cheese, finely grated (Bear Flag and Vella Cheese make rennet-free asiago)
1/2 Shallot, chopped in rounds
Cooking oil
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp juice & zest from the lemon with the olive oil. Toss with the kale until coated evenly, seasoning to taste. Pile into the bowl you’re going to serve it in. In a pan, heat cooking oil to between 365 or 375 degrees. Toss in shallots and fry until they begin to crisp and brown. Carefully remove (I used a fork, not the safest method) and place on a paper towel or paper bag to drain some oil off and cool. Next, follow these instructions to poach an egg! Once egg has been drained, place on top of kale. Season with salt & pepper and top with a pile of crispy shallots. Serve immediately.

– 2 Eggs
– 2 Tbsp Whole Milk
– 1/4 cup Vegan Kimchi (like Firefly or Sunja’s) (thanks kitormaybeplato )
1 Tbsp Mayonnaise (optionnel)
– 1/4 cup Arugula
– 1 Roll, sliced (I used a deli roll, but brioche would be preferable…)
– 1/2 Tbsp Butter
– Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 and toast roll slightly. Crack eggs into a small bowl and whisk until a pale yellow. Add milk and whisk until incorporated. While you’re doing this, melt butter in a saute pan on low/medium heat. Once melted, add eggs to pan. Allow to set slightly before stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to turn until eggs are cooked but not overdone. Spread mayo onto each side of the rolls. Pile eggs on the bottom half of the roll, followed by the kimchi, arugula and top half of the roll. Serve hot.

Hurricane Sandy was a bit gentler on the area of Greenpoint that I live in than other parts of the neighborhood. I took a long walk along the waterfront this morning where thankfully things didn’t look too bad, though I’m sure there are businesses and apartments that are in worse shape nearby. While standing at the end of India looking out towards Manhattan, staring at thousands of apartments without water or power and a car-less FDR, a stranger remarked that it was “sort of anti-climatic.” Wanted to slap him. Sandy wreaked havoc on so many people and communities up and down the coast, I feel very fortunate that last night I was able to tell my worried family and friends that I was safe and going to sleep in a warm bed. I’m still wrapping my head around the impact this has had/will have. Hope you’re all safe too, you’re on my mind. xo