Fabulous Indian

The dish: Azuki & mung beans with green peas (flavored with about 18 different spices), served with coconut cashew quinoa (only about 10 spices).

Who knew that asafoetida powder was the magic ingredient in South Indian food? I had never even heard of it, but the Indian grocery store a few blocks from my apartment had everything on this list.

When I got back to my place after the holidays, I had an empty fridge but a full freezer and pantry. Rather than go shopping and get a whole lot of the usuals, I resolved to eat everything I already owned--without buying new stuff. The result was a lot of frozen leftovers and meals that were healthy enough, but with a distinct lack of green. This week, I came to the end of this little project when I put to soak a bag of dry azuki beans that had been in my cupboards for over a year. What was I going to do with these?

The internet is great. The first recipes that showed up were all spicy Indian concoctions--just the thing to warm up winter and provide a nice long project in the kitchen. After I decided on a couple, I also decided my hiatus from grocery shopping was over. Faking it would not come near to creating the complex flavors I knew could be my prize. So, off I went to the Indian market with my bag over my shoulder and a list of strange spices. I think the most exciting part--other than the fabulous smells and tastes I got to enjoy--was finding fresh curry leaves. Maybe this isn't so special to you, but here in Baltimore I don't usually expect such specialties. It was a nice surprise.

Below, I have pasted these recipes with some comments in parentheses about how I actually made them (not that different from the directions). The final products are completely amazing.

Mung and Azuki Beans with Fresh Peas and Spices

1/2 cup of whole mung beans
1/2 cup of azuki beans
2 cups of fresh peas (I used frozen)
3 small carrots (my addition--added color and a little extra yum)

2 teaspoons of oil or butter (I used coconut oil)
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder
2 fresh jalapenos or green chilies, finely chopped (I used just one little red pepper)
small handful of dried curry leaves
3 - 4 dried red chilies, broken into bits (omitted)
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (I didn't use tomato and frankly I can't see how it would have added much, but try it!)
1 teaspoon of methi leaves (these are HOT so when it says 1t, obey!)
sea salt to taste

Soak the mung beans and the azuki beans overnight in enough water to cover. Drain, transfer to a pot along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Now add the peas to the pot and continue to cook until the beans are soft and the peas are tender - roughly another 15 - 20 minutes. Add more water to the pot if necessary, though most of the water should be absorbed at the end of the cooking time. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they turn grey and begin to pop. Now add the cumin seeds, coriander, cayenne, turmeric, asafoetida, green chilies, curry leaves, dried red chilies and stir and fry for a minute or two. Now add the tomatoes, methi leaves and salt to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens.

Transfer to the pot of cooked beans, stir well and return to a low heat and cook for a few more minutes so the flavours blend.

Serves 4 - 5.

Quinoa with Coconut and Roasted Cashews

1 cup of uncooked quinoa
1/3 - 1/2 cup of roasted cashews
2 teaspoon of oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder
3 - 4 green chilies (again, just one little red pepper, but it could be a little hotter)
4 teaspoons of urad dal, rinsed (this is actually not a spice, but a little lentil-like split bean; it gets all crunchy when you cook it; I'd add more next time)
small handful of dried curry leaves
1 cup of dried coconut
sea salt to taste
fresh cilantro or parsley or garnishing (optional) (I forgot to buy cilantro, but I think it would have added to the amazingness of this dish)

Rinse the quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer and soak overnight in two cups of water (Amanda recently told me that soaking the quinoa makes the bitter taste go away after you cook it. I found that it works! The quinoa turned out really sweet, even before adding the coconut). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy - roughly 20 minutes. Set the quinoa aside.

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they turn grey and begin to pop. Add the asafoetida, urad dal, chilies, and curry leaves to the pan. Stir and fry for a few minutes, or until the urad dal begins to brown.

Now add the coconut to the pan and stir continuously for a few more minutes until the coconut begins to brown. Add this mixture to the cooked quinoa, along with the roasted cashews and a bit of salt and toss to combine. Garnish with cilantro or parsley if desired.

Serves 4-6.

Sauce Number Two

So, this post is actually from a few weeks ago - internet difficulties kept me from posting it. Now my garden is under a fresh 22" blanket of snow, summer suddenly seems so long ago, and I have lots of green tomatoes slowly ripening in the basement. Here's a quick peek back in time, with some luscious tomatoes to warm you on a cold snowy night, and a recipe to put on your roster for next year:
If you still have a bounty of tomatoes in your corner of the world, and the shortening days have you feeling the urgency to lock all that summer flavor up in jars before the snows fall, here’s a family favorite.

It’s a bit of a variation on a classic recipe from Marcella Hazan, the Julia Child of Italian cooking, combined with a staple sauce often made on the farm in Tuscany where I WWOOFed.

The sauce is descriptively dubbed “Sauce Number Two” in Marcella’s book. It is incredibly quick and easy to prepare, and captures all the fresh summer flavors of the garden beautifully. Using plum tomatoes or a similar sauce/paste tomato is important because they don’t contain as much water as other tomatoes. This leaves you with a nice thick sauce that doesn’t require much cooking down, keeping all the flavors bright and separate. If you have an abundance of tomatoes, this recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, you name it. You may have to increase cooking time slightly if you do.

2 lbs fresh plum tomatoes (like Romas)
2/3 c chopped carrot
2/3 c chopped celery
2/3 c chopped onion
1 TBSP chopped garlic
1/3 c olive oil
salt
sugar
lemon juice

Cut the tomatoes in half, and get them started over medium heat in a covered pot for 10 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and 1 tsp salt, and cook uncovered at a strong simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are starting to loosen up, but are still maintaining their individuality. The carrots and celery should be a little soft, but still ‘al dente.’ Run the sauce through the food processor. I like to puree half the sauce until it is smooth, and the other half I leave a little chunky so the sauce has some tooth to it and you can see little bits of carrots and celery. Return to heat, stir in olive oil, and gently simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

At this point, depending on how sweet your carrots were and how salty your celery, you can adjust to taste with salt, a pinch of sugar or a squeeze of lemon juice. Perfect in its simplicity, it is ready to serve or freeze. Variations before serving include adding some fresh chopped herbs like basil or organo, or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or cayenne. The northern Italians on the farm wouldn’t dream of contaminating the sauce with garlic, so you can omit for another option. Capellini or angel hair are my favorite pastas for this delicate sauce, especially Dad’s homemade pasta. It’s also great with roasted eggplant or spaghetti squash.

Vinojito?....YES Please!

Ok, the name is still work in process, but the beverage...Delightful! Another Monika/Reiber Garden Inspiration...

• Fresh mint - washed well, dried and crushed
• Lemonade
• Icey cold white wine (really whatever is on hand)
• Am I forgetting anything?

Mix until desired taste. Drink while cold. Repeat.

Some may choose to substitute basil for the mint. I have yet to try that, but it is on my life list. Blessings my fellow foodists!

Panzanella...A Garden Delight!

My sweet cousin was in town, leafing through a beautiful Italian cookbook of my mom's, noting her favorites. One was Panzanella. I liked the picture. The tomatoes were full and juicy, the bread looked crunchy, the oil was dripping off the peppers...my mouth was watering. She turned the page and we started oohing and ahhing over the next photo. Panzanella became a distant memory.

A few days later as my handsome hubby and I were gleening beautiful peppers and tomatoes from our garden (truthfully, his garden), that mouth-watering photograph popped back into my head. Thankfully, Scott dosen't eat tomatoes, so I get them all to myself! I started chopping...red plump tomatoes, crunchy green peppers, onions sweet and fragrant. I added fresh basil (yes, from our small yet bountiful garden), two cloves of crushed garlic, s/p, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

We had a few errands to run before we fired up the bbq so my beautiful salad got to sit and be merry for a bit. We came home to a house that smelled heavenly! Scott took care of the sausages on the grill while I put some dill rye in the toaster. I tore the hot toast and tossed it in the bowl. The juice from the tomatoes and the oil/vinegar/garlic coated the toast. I took a forkful. Then another. It was simple, fresh and oh so delicious! Not your typical panzanella, but definately one for the blog. Thank you Monika for opening my mind to what our garden had to offer. I just wish Scott liked tomatoes...well at least to sample...

Gluten Free Biscuits

It has been a long time since I have posted an entry. This recipe, however, is well worth the wait! While many of you know of my love of muffins, you might not all realize that I also like nothing better than a warm biscuit, fresh out of the oven with some melting EB and agave drizzled over the top. My dabbling in gluten-free baking has brought mild success, but this recipe here is a winner! It will satisfy palates of all types. They turn out light colored, not too wholesome looking! And when you take a bite, you won't be able to resist! Crunchy on the outside, rich buttery, flaky on the inside...these biscuits require no EB! These biscuits have converted me into a big fan of the coconut oil. I am thrilled with how these turned out and hope that you will be too!

Gluten-free Biscuits

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup chilled coconut oil (throw it in the fridge for a little bit - it's worth it!)
1/2 cup almond milk with 1 T apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix all the dry ingredients. Cut in chilled coconut oil (it'll work if it's liquid, but it does improve the texture if it's chilled!). Add the almond milk/vinegar mixture. Stir until just combined. Dough should be a little sticky.

If you're feeling fancy, bring out those biscuit cutters. Otherwise, drop biscuits will taste just as delicious. Lightly brush the tops of the biscuits with coconut oil before baking. If desired, sprinkle a little additional salt on top, or some cinnamon and sugar for a sweeter treat.

I baked mine at 425 for about 20 minutes. They turn out with a little golden color coming through when they're done. I put mine in the toaster oven without preheating, so keep an eye on yours - they might not need quite so much time!
As I was experimenting, this is a small recipe - makes four good sized biscuits. Double or triple as needed!

Awesome Contest!!!!

Are you finding this recession to be the most depressing thing since, well, The Great Depression? (Still wondering just what was so Great about it too. Anyone?) With the unending litany of job losses, "the current economic climate" being a driving force behind anything we do lately, the increasing distrust in our government and divisiveness between political factions, no wonder we're all stressed out. It's scary. Not horror movie fake-blood we know it's not real scary, but omg am I going to be able to continue taking care of myself and my loved ones? scary. So... yup, the worst possible kind of scary. Awesome.

Well, don't go driving off any cliffs just yet, folks. I insist on believing we're all going to come out of this just fine. Why? Because we are actually awesome. You, me, us - we are all awesome. Go ahead, give yourself a pat on the back and dance around a little. Now go hug a friend. Feels good, doesn't it?

An example of this awesomeness, and the ability to make lemonade out of depressing recessions, is Beth's latest post. Go check it out; I'll wait here.

...

I know, right? How cool is that? I love this idea so much, I am going to steal it. I mean... pay it forward. While the clock's ticking down on Beth's contest, I'll be plotting and scheming over here. So head over to her blog and enter your awesome self in her contest, and then check back with us for more awesomeness in the next week or so. And in the meantime I challenge YOU to up the awesome ante.

Pineapple = Foe?

These pictures are a little old, think Easter. But I thought I should post something as proof of life. It has been a busy summer, solider back from war, buying a house, moving across the country, etc. It hasn't left me a lot of time to play in the kitchen. Anyways, Jack likes to eat piña, but he had never seen a whole one before, it was quite amusing and I think you might agree.

First, you have to study what exactly it is.

Then you pick it up. Whoa, what is this? Not cool, get it away from me!

Doing everything Fred does, backwards and in high heels

Okay, just one more and I'll stop, I swear.

I can't remember how I ran across this, but I can't wait to try it. So many possibilities for a ginger lover here: ginger-lime mojitos, ginger-mint soda, ginger-blueberry buckwheat crepes, ginger-orange hot and sour sauce for mock-duck stir-fry, ginger hyphens galore!
But everything starts with ginger syrup. I hope you're not shy about sugar (or ginger).

Oh My Freaking Yum

This is kind of a violation of the tacit rules of this blog. This isn't my recipe, and I haven't even tried making it (yet). But it calls for pomegranate molasses. Pomegranate molasses, people! I'm having a little freak-out right here in my online living room just salivating over that idea. Join me:
Eggplant Lentil Stew with Pomegranate Molasses

Summer Sippers

It's been a while, but here are some great, inexpensive patio wines to whet your palates. Best drunk in the out-of-doors, my dearies - and don't forget your sunscreen!

Pavao Vinho Verde - Portugal ~$6
Vinho Verde means green wine, and the grapes for this are actually harvested a bit underripe - truly green. Their youth adds a slight effervescence to the bottle, and this playful summer wine is an absolute must for any patio gathering. Try it with green grapes and fresh cheese to underscore its unfettered frankness. Joyously refreshing, it's wonderful with salads, seafood, cucumbery gazpacho, or just hanging by the pool. (No photo, sorry, but just look for the peacock!)

Castano Rosado - Spain ~$11
Stop right there! Stop judging! This is NOT White Zinfandel, Boone's Farm or Matteus. This is GOODNESS IN A BOTTLE. Pink wines have gotten a bad rap, but traditional roses are best dry and drunk young. This one's perfectly lovely, thank you very much, and it is pleased to meet you too. Mostly from the monastrell grape (also called Mourvedre or Mataro, and one of my all-time favorites), this blend has such a heady nose I almost forget to drink it. Almost... but not quite. Fruity and berrylicious, but not sweet, with a wonderful fullness and an ethereal almost-smoky quality, it's fantastic with cheeses, berries, and - oh yes - chocolate. Go ahead and try it at home with some spicy bbq'd tempeh (or chicken) from the grill.

Three Winds Pinot Noir - France ~$9
Pinot's a notoriously tricky grape. It's the friend who always has to pee on road trips, who always gets sunburned at outdoor concerts, who's never on time for anything and can't plan further than five minutes ahead, but who can be an outrageous load of fun. Because the grape is so sensitive to changes in climate, terroir, and temperature, decent bottles tend to be expensive. This one isn't. Not super deep or complex, this is a great spontaneous summer wine to enjoy right now. And go ahead and put a slight chill on it. Light-bodied, fruity reds are terrific drunk at cellar temperature on a hot summer day.

Red Guitar - Spain ~$10
A blend of old vine tempranillo and grenache, this is my go-to summer bottle. Old vine grapes come from vines that have been producing for over 50 years - these vines won't tolerate your nonsense, young man. They produce far fewer grapes, but each one is perfection incarnate. Wines from old vine grapes tend to be quite complex, sophisticated, rich and full. This one also manages to be juicy, fresh, and energetic. It's the elderly neighbors who drive the beautifully waxed Oldsmobile, who keep their lawn perfectly manicured, and who love nothing better than having the neighborhood kids over for a rousing battle of croquet and lawn darts.

Waffles

In my quest to fuel a triathlete with candida, I have come up with a few successful gluten-free, sugar free creations. I am very excited about these waffles - they come out really nice and crisp. Of course, if you do not have candida, you can use agave, maple syrup, honey, or turbinado to sweeten to your preferred taste. This recipe makes about 2 1/2 waffles on a standard waffle maker, so you might need to double or triple depending on the crowd (or quadruple if you've got plans for an 8 hour day of training!)

Gluten-free waffles

1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup almond flour
2 T flax
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T grapeseed oil (or oil of choice, hazelnut would be delicious!)
1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
5-6 drops stevia, or 1-2 T sweetener of choice

Grind flax seed. Pour into medium mixing bowl along with all other dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Add liquid ingredients and stir until well combined. For a standard waffle machine, use 1/2 cup of batter for each waffle.
Serve warm with agave, maple syrup, fresh fruit, or yacon syrup.
I wish I could post a picture to tempt you with, but our camera is still MIA - I've noticed our blog is lacking in pictures to drool over lately, but hopefully our camera will reappear sometime soon!

Care Packages

I was reading Beth's blog (which always makes me hungry), and she was writing (as she often does) about home-grown and locally produced foods in North Dakota. You can't broach that topic without kuchen coming up at some point, and the thought of it suddenly made me so homesick for NoDak I could have cried a blizzard.

I'm not from North Dakota originally, but I think that makes me love it even more, because I know it'll never really be mine. Being a non-native, my eyes were always open for the new things my surrogate home state had to offer. I think my first kuchen experience was in the kitchen with Mon in our wood-paneled campus apartment right next to the railroad tracks, back in the Good Old Days. Her grandma (whose culinary skills are legendary) had sent some of her magnificent home-made prune kuchen down from Rugby. Monika introduced me to more of her grandma's German-Russian recipes, like the day I came into the kitchen and found her cutting dough bits into boiling water with a pair of scissors. I'd never seen such a thing; I thought scissors were for opening packages, not for cooking. Knoefla soup! Who knew? Turned out Monika kind of was opening up a care package for me with those scissors. It was one of those pivotal moments where you feel your mind opening up to the creative possibilities of comfort food.

Lucky for me I love cabbage and potatoes, the kinds of foods that can be stored for a long dark winter on the Russian steppes or the Great Plains, and on this hot June day down in the Godless Cities, dreams of winter are keeping me cool. Looking for kuchen and knoefla recipes took me here, to this fantastic database of Germans from Russia recipes created by the Heritage Center at NDSU. It just shows you which cookbooks contain recipes that match your search terms, not the recipes themselves, but is pretty inspiring nonetheless. (I just might have to order "Value Meals on the Volga," because you can't beat that title.) And it's a bit humbling to think about how people in kitchens throughout the ages have come up with approximately 900 bazillion ways to eat what little there was, make it last through the end of winter, and still have it nourish both body and soul.

Speaking of which, Beth also tipped me off to a care package service: mail-order kuchen from Hebron, ND. Filling, frugal, and full of love, it's NoDak to the core.

Attention Bakers and Gluten-Free Friends!

One of my favorite blogs, Whole Life Nutrition, is having a contest for some free pumpkin seed flour that has yet to be released on the market. I've never thought of using pumpkin seeds as a flour! But it sounds like a fantastic addition to the gluten-free cabinet. It's extremely high in protein and a great source of essential fatty acids and zinc. She posted a recipe for a chocolate pumpkin seed flour cake that looks amazing! I love the site because she uses lots of different flours, rarely uses sugar, and many of her recipes are vegan (although not all for those of you who prefer eggs!). There's also good nutrition info and plenty of non-baked good recipes as well. So what are you waiting for? All you have to do is leave a comment and your name will be entered in the give away - good luck!

Summer is here!

This past weekend was a time I look forward to as soon as signs of spring start to appear - strawberry picking! I came home with a good amount of strawberries, but I hope to make it out again before they are gone. There is nothing like fresh strawberries! I froze most of my berries this time. I use them in smoothies and baking throughout the year. I love to make a mixed berry crisp in the middle of the winter from frozen berries that I picked throughout the summer....reminds me of better times! I had also gotten some rhubarb, so the first thing I made was a strawberry rhubarb crisp. Paired with vanilla ice cream, it can't be beat!

Today Aurelia and I made the rhubarb muffin recipe from the Whole Life Nutrition blog that I've been following. It uses sorghum flour, which is a decent source of protein, calcium, and iron - and gluten-free! I made a few adjustments to the recipe, the most important was adding strawberries! I also decided to abandon the orange juice and peel and just used almond milk for the liquid. I used agave as the sweetener (probably did closer to a 1/3 cup than 1/2, but I didn't cut back too much!). We didn't have as much rhubarb as she recommends, but we put in what we had. The results were delicious! No crumbliness. If only I could figure out how to make that happen in my own creations! I thought the texture was great and they were quite tasty - the girls loved them too. Aurelia has plans for us to make them again but with mangoes and pineapple. And banana pineapple mango. And strawberry blueberry....and plain blueberry....just in case you need some inspiration for some other combinations :)

The week has been full of greens, sugar snap peas, asparagus, baby carrots, radishes, and strawberries from the garden, the farmer's market, and the orchard....it doesn't get much better than this!

Ode to Sriracha

Oh, Sriracha, what would I do without you beside my stovetop to flavor just about every meal? It is a key component of the hippie triumvirate that holds sway over all of my cooking. I may try to make a dish without them, but they usually end up sneaking their way in one way or another. The trifecta? Nutritional yeast, Bragg’s, and Sriracha. Nutritional yeast brings the savory, Bragg’s brings the salty, and Sriracha, the heat - a tangy, friendly warmth that makes itself at home just about anywhere. And, it turns out Sriracha has a lovely story behind it, as I learned in this NYT article.

Sriracha’s been a staple for a long time. When I lived in the co-op, my 14 housemates could go through a bottle of Sriracha at an astounding rate. And during last year’s campaign, the bottle of Sriracha at the office helped us get through many a late night, livening up snacks like popcorn, pretzels, and even tuna salad. I love it in pho, stir fries, miso, scrambles, and Michele’s spicy Sriracha mayo. Yum! The only thing I always wonder – should you keep it in the fridge or not...?