Aloo Gobi

Between one thing and another, I haven't been blogging much lately, but I have been cooking. In fact, I've been sort of stuck in an Indian groove for awhile. This is largely due to my inherited tendency to cook too much food, which leads to self-perpetuating cycle: if there's leftover dal, there needs to be something to go along with it, which means cooking a vegetable dish and/or some rice, which leads in turn to more Indian leftovers. (Not that this is in any way a bad thing.) In any case, after making a huge pot of spinach, eggplant, and chickpea curry, I was casting about for something to go alongside it; since we were somewhat short on time and low on supplies, the last of the potatoes and a neglected head of cauliflower that had been waiting patiently in the refrigerator presented the perfect opportunity to whip up a batch of Aloo Gobi. This was a fairly quick and dirty rendition, but it made a nice starchy, tomatoey contrast to the richness of the curry. And now that we're finally getting to the end of the Indian leftovers, so you can look forward to something a bit different in the not-too-distant future!

Aloo Gobi
Ingredients
~ 2 tbsp. canola oil
~ 1 tsp. cumin seeds
~ 1 large onion, diced
~ 1 tbsp. each: minced garlic, grated ginger
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, turmeric, chat masala, chili powder
~ 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (more to taste)
~ 1 15 oz. can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
~ 1 large cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
~ 3-4 large potatoes, cubed
~ 2 tsp. garam masala
~ Chopped, fresh coriander (optional, but awesome)

Directions
~ In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for about a minute, until they just begin to pop.
~ Add the onions, and cook about 3 minutes.
~ Add the garlic, ginger, and seasonings, and cook another minute or so.
~ Stir in the tomatoes, then add the potatoes and cauliflower, making sure they are completely coated.
~ Cover the pan, turn heat to medium, and allow to cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
~ Uncover the pan, add the garam masala, and continue cooking for another minute or two.
~ Serve hot, garnished with chopped, fresh coriander.

Slightly Smoky, Savory Corn Muffins

I freely admit that this recipe was largely experimental, but (fortunately) the results were an unqualified success. I needed - okay, wanted - something to accompany a big pot of soup, but couldn't be arsed to start a proper yeast-raised bread at 6pm on a weeknight, so corn muffins seemed like a good solution. I didn't have a go-to recipe, but remembered that my mom always used a mixture of flour and cornmeal, to avoid that gut-bomb quality sometimes found in the all-corn variety. 

I took that as a starting point, but after that all bets were sort of off; it was a relief when these came out of the oven not only looking and smelling lovely, but tasting really good as well. As the name indicates, they're not super smokey, but the paprika and scallion combination adds a nice savory something that makes them perfect with a bowl of soup or chili.  Of course, you could leave it out if you like, and still have some seriously yummy muffins, but give them a try as is; my inaugural batch of a dozen lasted well under 24 hours, which in my book is a clear vote of confidence.


Slightly Smoky, Savory Corn Muffins
Ingredients
~ 2 cups plain, unsweetened soy milk
~ 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
~ 1.5 cups all purpose flour
~ 1 1/4 cups cornmeal
~ 1 tbsp. baking powder
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, smoked paprika
~ 1/2 tsp. each: sage, garlic powder
~ 2 large scallions, chopped fine
~ 1/4 cup canola oil
~ 2 tbsp. Earth Balance, melted (optional)


Directions
~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.
~ In a mixing bowl, combine the soy milk and vinegar together and set aside. 
~ In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, sage, and paprika.
~ Add the chopped scallions to the dry ingredients and toss to coat; this will give them some "grip" in the batter.

~ Pour the oil into the milk mixture, and whisk until frothy. 
~ Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to make a smooth (albeit somewhat soupy; don't worry, they'll firm up as they bake) batter.

~ Stir in the melted margarine (if using), and pour the batter into prepared muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

~ Allow to cool briefly in the tin before turning out and serving warm or at room temperature.

Vietnamese Tofu Curry

I love Vietnamese curries; that particular combination of coconut milk, lemongrass, basil, and spicy chilis adds up to something so much more wonderful than the sum of its parts. Over the past week or so, I've had a wretched cold, and wanted hot, soupy things, so my lovely partner obliged me with a much-improved update of my own avgolemono recipe. We fed off that for several days, and then it was time for Something Completely Different, and a nice tofu curry sounded like just the thing. I was all set to call our (very good) local place for some takeout, when it occurred to me that we probably had everything necessary right here at home. I checked the pantry, did a little Googling, conflated - 'tis ever thus - a few different recipes, and within an hour we were chowing down on this comforting, delicious meal. (Alas, the partner is now the sick one, so we're back to soup; this time, it's potato leek!)

Vietnamese Tofu Curry
Ingredients

~ 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cubed

~ 1/4 cup cornstarch

~ 1 tbsp. curry powder

~ 1/4 cup canola oil
~ 1 tbsp. each: grated ginger, minced garlic
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, cilantro, dried lemongrass
~ 1 tbsp. curry powder
~ 2 bay leaves
~ 1 large onion, sliced into thin crescents
~ 2 stalks celery, sliced into thin strips
~ 2 carrots, julienned
~ 1 red bell pepper, chopped
~ 1 large zucchini, julienned
~ 2 cups sliced mushrooms
~ 2 tbsp. vegetarian oyster sauce (or soy sauce)
~ 1 10 oz, package frozen spinach, thawed
~ 2 14 oz. cans lite coconut milk
~ 1- 2 tsp. hot sauce, or to taste (I use Sriracha)
~ 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
~ 1/2 cup cold water
~ 1 tbsp. corn starch

Directions
~ In a large plastic bag or a bowl with a tight-fitting lid, combine the 1/4 cup corn starch and 1 tbsp. curry powder. Add the cubed tofu and shake vigorously to coat.
~ In a large, deep wok, heat the oil and cook the cubed tofu over medium-high heat until brown and crisp, turning occasionally. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and set aside.
~ Drain off all but about a tablespoon of the oil, and sauté the onion, ginger, garlic, salt, cilantro, lemongrass, curry powder, bay leaves, and onion over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
~ Add the celery through the mushrooms, and cook another 5 minutes.
~ Stir in the oyster sauce and the spinach; cover and cook a few minutes more.
~ Raise the heat to high, add the coconut milk and hot sauce, and bring to just boiling. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the wok, and allow to cook another 10 minutes.
~ In a small bowl, combine the cold water and corn starch, whisk to combine, and stir into the curry. Cook another few minutes until thickened.
~ Fish out the bay leaves, stir in the fried tofu and the basil, taste for seasoning, and serve hot over jasmine or basmati rice.

Cheezy Baked Breakfast Potatoes

This is basically a veganization of the old-school potatoes au gratin many of us grew up eating. It's quite amazingly "cheesy," and made an excellent brunch on a lazy Sunday. 

Cheezy Baked Breakfast Potatoes
Ingredients
~ 6 medium potatoes, sliced in very thin rounds (about 1/8" if you can manage it)
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced 
~ 1 large yellow onion, diced
~ 2-3 tbsp.oil or margarine
~ Salt and pepper
~ 1 tsp. marjoram
~ 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
~ 1 3/4-2 cups plain, unsweetened nondairy milk
~ 1 tsp. chili powder
~ 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
~ Paprika for garnish   


Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit, and grease a baking dish or casserole.
~ In a beaker, whisk together the nutritional yeast, milk, and chili powder, and set aside.
~ In a skillet, sauté the onion and leeks in the oil over medium heat until softened (about 5-7 minutes).
~ Layer half of the potato slices in the bottom of the greased baking dish, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 1/2 tsp. of marjoram.
~ Layer the onion/leek mixture on top of the potatoes, and sprinkle on 1/4 cup of fresh parsley. 
~ Pour half of the nooch/milk mixture over the whole business, then layer on the remaining potatoes, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, the other 1/2 tsp. of marjoram, and a few more grinds of salt and pepper.
~ Cover with the remaining nooch/milk mixture, dot with a tbsp. of margarine, sprinkle with paprika, and bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour,  or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is bubbling, browned, and lovely. Serve hot.

Blueberry Muffins

These are the sort of old-fashioned, straightforward blueberry muffins that one would like to find in the kitchen upon arising, nestled cozily in a wicker basket atop a gingham-draped table. This is particularly true right now, in the bleak midwinter. When the wind is whistling around the house, and the snow is piled up to unprecedented heights, a little taste of summer can go a long way towards reassuring us that the ice will melt, the grass will reappear, and summer will come again. (Right?)


Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
~ 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
~ 1 cup plain rice milk
~ 1/4 cup canola oil
~ 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
~ 1 tsp. vanilla
~  The zest of 1 lemon (or 1/2 tsp. lemon extract, if you prefer)
~ 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
~ 2.5 cups flour
~ 4 tsp. baking powder
~ 1/2 tsp. each: salt, cinnamon
~ Pinch of nutmeg
~ 2 cups blueberries

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
~ In a large beaker, combine the first 7 ingredients (sugar through vinegar), and mix thoroughly.
~ In a separate bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients, then add the blueberries and give them a good stir around to give them some grip in the batter.
~ Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix with a rubber spatula until combined; don't overmix or your muffins will be tough!
~ Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins; you want each cup to be nearly full (I got 15 muffins from this recipe, but your mileage may vary).
~ Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
~ Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. Eat warm or at room temperature, with jam, margarine, or all by themselves.

MacGyver Risotto

I'm calling this MacGyver risotto because it started out as one of those "I haven't been shopping in almost two weeks and am down to some wilting asparagus, a cup and a half of rice, and a handful of other stuff" meals. 

Fortunately, the rice was Arborio, and a quick Google led me to a recipe for asparagus risotto that looked like just the thing; all I had to do was eliminate the parmesan cheese, and sub margarine for the butter. I also added some extra seasonings, and threw in a handful of frozen peas towards the end to make things more interesting. 

I think the key to this dish's success is to cook and puree some of the vegetables at the beginning, then add them to the risotto in the last few minutes; this had the effect of suffusing the whole with the essence of asparagusness. (Next time, I'm planning to try it with roasted red peppers. You could also stir in a little fresh lemon juice if you like; I didn't happen to have any on hand.) 

Anyway, once the eight remaining carrots were roasted, and the half head of leftover kale sauteed with some garlic, we wound up with an excellent dinner. And I didn't have to use a single paper clip!


MacGyver Risotto
Ingredients
~ 1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1/2" pieces
~ 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk (or broth)
~ 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 2 tbsp. Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
~ 2 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1.5 cups arborio rice
~ 1/2 tsp. salt
~ 1 tsp. basil
~ 1/2 tsp. tarragon
~ A few good grinds of black pepper
~ 3/4 cup white wine
~ 4-6 cups vegetable broth (I'm currently all about the Better Than Bouillon "No Chicken" flavor)
~ 4 large scallions, chopped
~ 1/2 cup frozen green peas


Directions
~ Steam half the asparagus pieces until quite soft, at least 5 minutes. Rinse quickly under cold water, then place the cooked asparagus in a food processor, add the soy milk and nutritional yeast, and puree until smooth. Set aside.

~ Put the broth in a medium saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer. 

~ In a large, deep, nonstick skillet over medium heat, combine the oil and 1 tablespoon of the margarine. Add the garlic and cook about one minute.

~ Add the rice, basil, tarragon, and black pepper; cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. 

~ Add the white wine, stir, and let the liquid bubble away; now add the salt.

~ Begin adding the warmed stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring continually. Each time the stock has just about evaporated, add another 1/2 cup.(NB someone should be bringing you glasses of wine/refreshing your cocktail during this part of the process.)

~ After about 15 minutes, add the remaining asparagus pieces and the scallions,  continuing to add stock as necessary. 

~ In about 5 minutes, taste the rice; it should be tender, but still have a bit of texture or "bite." (It could take as long as 30 minutes total to reach this stage.)

~ Stir in the frozen peas and the asparagus/soy milk/nooch puree, and cook another minute or so.

~ Remove from heat, and stir in the remaining 1 tbsp. margarine. Stir briskly, taste for seasoning, and serve immediately.

O, You Beautiful Dal

Oh, you beautiful dal, you great big beautiful dal.
Let me put some rice about you; 
I don't want to eat without you... 


This is one of the best dals I have ever made, which is sayin' summat. It came about in the ordinary, organic fashion - i.e. based on what was already in the kitchen - but I'm glad I took the trouble to jot things down during the process, because the finished product was so good that it will certainly be appearing again. (In fact, it's got "company food" written all over it, so future dinner guests: start getting excited!)


Chana Dal with Kale and Coconut
Ingredients
~ 1-2 tbsp. coconut oil
~ 1 tbsp. panch phoran 
~ 1 tsp. salt
~ 1 tsp. each: cumin seeds, black mustard seeds
~ 1 large onion, chopped
~ 1 heaping tbsp. each: minced garlic, freshly grated ginger
~ 1 tsp. each: chat masala, cumin, fenugreek, chili powder, salt 
~ ½ tsp. turmeric
~ 2 large carrots, sliced lengthwise and then into half-moons
~ 1 10 oz package mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
~ 1.5 cups chana dal (yellow split peas)
~ 1-2 dried red chili peppers, chopped fine 
~ 1 14 oz. can light coconut milk
~ 1 14 oz. can regular coconut milk
~ 1.5 cups water
~ 1 smallish head of kale, chopped 
~ ½ - ¾ cup fresh, chopped cilantro (optional, but awesome)


Directions
~ In a colander or sieve, rinse and pick over the dal, then place in a bowl and cover with cold water; allow to soak for at least an hour (the longer the better).
~ In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat and and toast the panch phoran, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds until they begin to splutter and pop (about 1-2 minutes; you might want to cover the pot for this part).
~ Add the onions and cook about 3-4 minutes, until softened.

~ Add the garlic, ginger, and dry seasonings; saute for another minute or so.
~ Stir in the carrots and mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes more.

~ Drain the chana dal, then add it to the pot along with the chopped red chilis. Stir to combine, and cook another 2 minutes 
~ Pour in the coconut milk and 1.5 cups of water; cover the pot, and bring to a boil.
~ Reduce heat to low, crack the lid a few inches, and cook for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent sticking. (If it looks thicker than you'd like, you can add a little extra water, but remember that we're not making soup!)
~ Add the chopped kale and cook for another 10 minutes.

~ Stir in the fresh cilantro, taste for seasoning, and serve hot over basmati rice.