Feast Your Nose On This: A Curry Dinner

Mmmm. You're either a curry person or you're dumb not. Here is a three recipe feast for those of you in my pro-curry camp, adapted from Atlas' and Kayte's Vegetarian Express:

Fruit & Spice Pilaf

• 1 cup raw quinoa (the original recipe called for couscous. My instructions below are for quinoa)
• 2 Tbls butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 apples, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped mixed dried fruits (I used raisins)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• Salt, to taste
• 1/3 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds (I used walnuts)

1. Rinse the quinoa and combine it with 2 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes on medium or until water is absorbed, cover and let sit for five minutes, then fluff with a fork.
2. As the quinoa cooks, melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent.
3. Add the diced apple into the onion saute, cover, and let cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the apple has softened. Stir the dried fruit into the apple-onion mixture.
4. Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet. Pour 1/2 cup water into the skillet and sprinkle in the spices. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes, until everything is well-mixed and heated through.
5. Salt to taste. Add the nuts. Serve. (Alternative:  set the toasted nuts aside in a serving dish and let people sprinkle on their own, to taste.)

Creamed Curried Vegetables

• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large dice
• 3 cups cut broccoli florets (save the stalks for another recipe)
• 1 cup peas
• 2 Tbls flour
• 3/4 cup whole milk or whole plain yogurt
• 1-2 tsp curry powder, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• 1-2 Tbls minced jalapeno pepper, optional

1. Place the carrots and potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover all but an inch of their volume. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until nearly tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the broccoli and peas. Cover and cook another 5 minutes or so, until broccoli is tender-crisp. 
3. As the broccoli & peas cook, dissolve the flour in the milk (or mix into the yogurt) and then stir in the curry powder. Add the mixture to the vegetables, followed by the jalapeno (if using). 
4. Cook, uncovered, another 2-3 minutes until the liquid has thickened. Season to taste with salt.  

Cucumber Raita

• 1 large cucumber, peeled, quartered, and diced
• 1 cup whole plain yogurt
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Fresh dill weed, optional

1. If cucumber seeds are large and watery, remove before dicing the cucumber (if small, leave them in). 
2. Combine the cucumber and yogurt in a serving dish and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper (and dill, if using).

Why I love this dinner: The vegetable curry has a snappy zip to it. The simple raita is cool and refreshing. The pilaf is sweet and simple. It's a great combination of flavors to have on one plate. If you're a lover of curry (or suspect you might be) I encourage you to recreate this meal in your own kitchen. It's a great way to warm up as this autumn weather gains hold over summer's warmth, and it's surprisingly quick to make.

Superb Strawberry Omelettes

This did sound a little strange upon first read, but I realized it's like a crepe, and crepes are delicious. As was this (and much easier to make than a crepe). A great way to use strawberries that may otherwise go squishy (does that happen in your house? We so rarely have fresh organic berries that when we do get them, I forget we have them!).

     Strawberry Omelette
     from Martha Rose Shulman's Gourmet Vegetarian Feasts

     For each omelette:

• 1 Tbls butter for pan
• 2 eggs, beaten
• a generous handfull of strawberries, stemmed
• 2 Tbls plain yogurt
• 1 tsp mild honey
• fresh mint for garnish (optional)

1. Heat butter in an omelette pan, and meanwhile beat the eggs.
2. Crush the strawberries very slightly and mix together with yogurt and honey.
3. When the butter has stopped sizzling, pour in eggs and tilt pan to coat evenly. Gently shake pan while lifting edges of omelette so that uncooked eggs can run underneath. As soon as it is set, spread strawberry mixture down the center. 
4. Fold omelette, cook a minute longer, and turn out of pan onto a plate. Garnish with fresh mint and serve.

I didn't have mint on hand, but otherwise made this according to recipe. Quick, easy, tasty. Perfect for that special early-summer breakfast or brunch. Share it with someone you love!

Red Lentil Soup

My copy of Moosewood is secondhand, and over this recipe the previous owner wrote in "****". Who am I to ignore four stars? I had most of the ingredients on hand, so I made it for lunch. My three year old wasn't so interested, but my husband and I loved it. Four stars indeed.

Red Lentil Soup from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

• 1 1/2 cups red lentils
• 6 cups water
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped [I substituted garlic scapes from my CSA]
• 2 slices fresh ginger root, each about the size of a quarter

• 2 medium carrots (1 cup grated)
• 1 cup canned tomatoes, or 1 medium fresh tomato, chopped (undrained)
• 1 small red or green bell pepper (1/2 cup finely chopped) [I left these out]

• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 2 Tbls olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• pinch cayenne
• 2 Tbls fresh lemon juice
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• dollop of plain yogurt (optional)

     Sort and rinse the lentils. Put them in a soup pot with the water, bay leaves, garlic [scapes], and ginger. Cover and place on high heat.
     Prepare the carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers, and add them to the pot. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 mins, until the lentils are tender.
     While the vegetables simmer, saute the onion on medium heat in the olive oil in a heavy skillet for about 10 mins or until browned. Add the cumin, coriander, and cayenne and saute for another minute, stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat. When the lentils are tender, remove the bay leaves and ginger from the soup pot. Stir in the sauteed onions and the lemon juice. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Top each bowl with a spoon of yogurt, if desired. 

I served this with the carrot herb salad from the same cookbook, using cilantro instead of parsley, and adding the teaspoon of cumin noted as a variation.  Seemed to make sense, serving them together;  if you use a food processor it's no more trouble to grate ten carrots than two.

Perfect for a Hunger Games Theme Luncheon

Here's a recipe I used to make often but had forgotten about until just now.  It's been a while, but I'm planning to put it together again this summer.

Pita with Creamy Zucchini
from Student's Vegetarian Cookbook by Carole Raymond

• 1 medium zucchini, shredded
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lg clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp mint, dried (more if fresh)
• 1/2 tsp oregano, dried (more if fresh)
• 1 Tbsp plain yogurt
• salt & pepper
• 1 whole wheat pita bread, split in half

1. Shred the zucchini on the coarse side of a handheld grater with the largest holes.
2. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic, zucchini, mint, and oregano, stirring often, until the zucchini is firm-tender and bright green, about 5 mins.
3. Remove from the heat;  stir in the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Scoop the filling into the warm pocket bread halves. 

Yield:  1 serving

This was one of my favorite go-to lunches; I can't believe it been so long since I've made it. Well, forgotten no more, little pita, no more.

No Whey. Yes, Whey!

Plain yogurt is the bane of my existence. (Okay, not true. I live a privileged life--most food writers do--but not that privileged. However, for the purposes of this post, just go with it.)  Every other month I place a container of plain yogurt in my cart, convinced I will enjoy its wholesome taste the next breakfast.  Think of the parfaits! my heart sings. Upon returning home the supermarket trance breaks, and I remember I don't routinely stock granola or fresh berries (coffee with perhaps a slice of toast are generally all I can rustle first thing in the morning). The unsweetened dairy is slowly buried in the fridge behind ketchup and pickles.  I invariably rediscover the container weeks later and am faced with that most fearful of all challenges: make something amazing that very day from four cups of nearly expired plain yogurt or else toss it all out and prove myself unworthy of life itself. (Something like that.)

This most recent near-yogurtpocalypse I maintained my composure and rescued the entire container from ruin. I've already blogged about using a cup for a sauce;  I then separated the remaining yogurt into whey and cream cheese.

Whey and Cream Cheese
from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

• 2 quarts piima milk, whole-milk buttermilk, yogurt, or raw milk

[...]When using yogurt (either homemade or good quality commercial plain yogurt): 

Line a large strainer set over a bowl with a clean dish towel. Pour in the yogurt... cover and let stand at room temperature for several hours or longer. The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer. Tie up the towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a container so that more whey can drip out. When the bag stop dripped, the cheese is ready. Store whey in a mason jar and cream cheese in a covered glass container. Refrigerated, the cream cheese keeps for about 1 month and the whey for about 6 months.

Makes 5 cups whey and 2 cups cream cheese 

I had less yogurt to begin with and thus gleaned far less than the five and two cups noted in the recipe. Nevertheless the amount of cream cheese was perfect for at least one week's worth of breakfast toast, and the whey, since I am forgetful of its existence and unpracticed in its uses, is still in the fridge, ready for use.

Disaster averted. This time.

Yogurt Sauce

Faced with a rapidly expiring (already past date, but still good) container of plain yogurt, I turned to Laurel's Kitchen for inspiration.

from The New Laurel's Kitchen:

Yogurt Sauce

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbls oil [I used EVOO]
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds [I only had about 1/8 cup. Just fine.]
• 1 Tbls lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt [I used a bit more. I like my salt!]
• pepper to taste [I also like my pepper!]
• 1/2 - 1 cup plain yogurt [I used a heaping cup]

Saute the onion in the oil. In a separate pan, toast the sesame seeds [takes just a few mins, constantly sturring the seeds]. Put all ingredients into the blender [food processor] and puree. Thin if desired with additional yogurt or buttermilk [I didn't need to thin].

The recipe intro had suggested this sauce as a nice accompanyment to boiled potatoes, for a potato salad. And, whatdoyaknow but I had rapidly expiring (but still hangin' in there!) red potatoes in the cupboard. Boiled them in their jackets and sliced them up. Combined the taters and the sauce. Perfect.

An excellent way to cook with plain yogurt. And another sauce for my Twenty-Four-New-Sauces-in-2012 self-challenge!

Pineapple-Yogurt Ambrosia

Can it be called cooking if you don't heat anything? I vote yes, and thus feel little to no shame in boasting (okay, some shame. I can't believe it's been so long...) that I finally cooked something from my cookbooks once again.

A dessert:

     Pineapple-Yogurt Ambrosia
     from Vegetarian Express by Nava Atlas & Lillian Kayte

• 1 lb can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 lb container vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup dark raisins
• 2 seedless oranges, peeled & sectioned

     Combine ingredients in a serving dish & stir well. Chill until needed.



Mmmmm. Very tasty. And super easy (i.e., perfect for a new mother!).

Yogurt Nan

Ever buy one of those giant tubs of plain yogurt and then realize it's weeks later and you must use it up immediately or toss it out? That exact situation was the inspiration for my searching for and deciding upon this recipe.

A success! My toddler, especially, enjoys these breads, and using the freezer and the oven methods I've been able to bake fresh bread for her even on weekday (work) mornings. What a treat, to have hot steamy fresh bread available each morning. Totally worth taking the time for the preparation on a weekday night or weekend morning.

Yogurt Nan

from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe

1/4 cup wrist-temperature water

1 1/4 tsp yeast (1/2 a package)

pinch of sugar

1 cup plain yogurt

1 Tbs olive oil or unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for brushing the breads)

3/4 tsp salt

2 cups plus 2 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour (plus more for handling dough)

cornmeal (opt)

coarse salt (opt)

Place the water in a med-size bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and sugar, and let it stand for 5 mins. Add yogurt, olive oil or melted butter, and salt and whisk until smooth.

Add one cup of the flour, whisking until it is incorporated. Switch to a wooden spoon, and mix in the remaining flour. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough, still in the bowl, for a minute or two, or until the dough is smooth (it will be quite soft).

Gently lift the dough, spray/spread the bowl underneath it with oil and then put the dough back down. Lightly spray its top surface with oil as well. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towl and leave it in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

When the dough has risen, lightly flour your fist, punch down the dough, and turn it out onto a clean, floured work surface. The dough will be very soft and slightly wet. Use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut the dough into 8 equal pieces, then briefly shape each piece into a ball with your hands. Let the balls rest for 5 mins.

Generously flour a rolling pin and the work surface, and without kneading or handling the "rested" balls, roll each one into a very thin circle 7 to 8 inches in diameter. The breads are now ready to cook [or freeze].

To Freeze: line a plate with plastic wrap and place a rolled-out, unbaked flatbread on top. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on top of the bread. Continue layering plastic wrap and rolled-out flatbreads. Seal the whole thing including plate in a large ziplock and place in freezer for about 45 mins. Remove the plate and plastic wrap and place the separately frozen breads back into the bag. Will keep for a month in the freezer. You can bake them as needed, one or more at a time, straight from the freezer. (They are so thin the fact that they are frozen does not increase their cooking time.)

Cooking with the Oven Method (there's also a griddle method, which I do not record here): Preheat the oven to 450F. Oil a baking tray or sprinkle lightly with cornmeal or flour. Lay the breads flat on the tray and bake for about 5 mins. Turn them over and bake for 5 minutes more or until golden brown in spots but still supple.

Brush the tops with olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle with course salt, if desired. Serve hot or warm.

Beet Casserole

If you were just thinking: I wonder what other delightful beet dishes Well-Cookbooked has tried lately? than this post is sure to please! (And even if you weren't thinking that, I think this is a recipe you can still enjoy.)

Technically I didn't so much cook this recipe as I did pick it out of a book and tell my husband to make it. But I did the cookbook perusal and the shopping for ingredients, so I'm including it and counting it toward my 5-recipes-from-each-book goal.

Russian Beet Casserole

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Steam until soft: 

3 1/2 peeled and chopped beets (about 6 med sized)

1 3/4 chopped onion

Mix with:

2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar

Scant 1 cup plain yogurt

1/8 tsp each salt & pepper

Bake 10 mins. The cheese seems to disappear if overcooked.

Serve over rice, noodles or toast.

My favorite beet recipe so far! I was surprised, actually, because while I'd picked the recipe because it'd use up a good portion of beets, I wasn't really expecting to like it. But I did--it was scrumptious! The beets were al dente (though cooked enough to be sweet, since raw beets can be bitter) and the onion was a savoury touch, but then the sharp cheddar was, well, cheesy and the yogurt was slightly sour... All together it was complex and delicious. I would definitely make this recipe again.

Having this dish turn out so well makes me look forward to trying out other recipes from the cookbook. This came from Simply Vegetarian! [yes, complete with exclamation point]. My copy is the revised edition from 1989 with Nancy Mair and Susan Rinzler.