Carrots With Coconut From My New Cookbook

Carrots with Coconut

   I am so excited. I just bought Madhur Jaffrey's new cookbook, Vegetarian India: A Journey Through the Best of Indian Home Cooking (Knopf, 2015), and it is so full of delicious looking recipes that I don't know where to start. Of course there are dals to try, and my favorite flatbreads, but she has also included recipes that are less familiar to most, like pancakes and poha (flattened rice) upma, which I love.
   I used to live in India, and I miss it every single day: the food, the people, the culture. I spent the greater part of four years living in Goa. I lived right on the beach, going days without ever leaving the sand. I never missed a sunset, and I slept and woke to the gentle sound of the waves. Well it was probably the roosters that actually woke me up, but it was lovely none the less.
   I used to be a professional massage therapist, and I used to travel- a lot. I went to India on vacation, planning to stay for a month or two, and ended up setting up a massage business there in a local guesthouse. I worked through the eight month tourist season, and then travelled by train across that beautiful, vastly diverse country. It's crazy to think about it now, but that's how my life was back then. I travelled. I explored. I was free and open to life's opportunities.

at work

my beach

   Well now, where was I before I drifted away with my memories of India. Oh yes, food, Indian food, and recipes for things I love, but haven't tasted since I left India.

   Now I have to admit here that I am not a very organized cook. I wish I were the type to have a meal plan for the week and all the necessary ingredients on hand, but I'm not. I almost never know what I will make for my next meal. I usually just throw some ingredients together and hope for the best. Even so, I eat well. But when I get my hands on a new cookbook, I get totally organized. I pull out my little colored sticky tabs to mark all the recipes that I like. I make a list of the ones I want to make in the week ahead, and then set out for the markets. Once I have rounded up all the ingredients that I need, I dive in. So, with my new cookbook in hand , I know what I will be eating this week-Indian!

   I chose to start with this recipe for carrots because it was simple, and it reminded me of where I used to live. The use of coconut is most commonly used in southern India, where they grow. In Goa I actually lived surrounded by coconut palm trees, and when it came time to harvest, I would watch the men skillfully climb the tall slender trunks with their deft hands and feet. When they reached the top they would release the large nuts with a quick chop of their machete and let them fall to the ground. You could hear the rhythm- thwack, thud, thwack, thud, until they shimmied back down, and moved on to the next tree.You had to keep your head up at this time, because you didn't want to accidentally wander into the path of a falling coconut. They can do serious damage.

  

   This is a simple light side dish. The flavor of the carrots dominates, while the coconut adds a rich, nutty sweetness. The ginger and dried chilies add warmth, and the cilantro brightens things up a bit. I like a bit more bright acidic flavor to balance the sweetness, so I give it a good squeeze of lime juice.

Recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Vegetarian India
Yields 3-4 servings 

Carrots with Coconut

5 medium carrots
1 T. olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 tsp. urud dal (white lentils)
You can find urud dal in Asian markets or online, but it won't change the dish too much if you leave it out.
1/2 tsp. brown mustard seeds
2 whole dried red chilies broken in half
1 tsp. grated ginger
1/4 tsp. salt or more to taste
3T. grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
2T. chopped cilantro (I used more)
lime wedge (optional)

   Let me start by saying that I don't expect anyone to crack open and grate their own coconut. Extra points if you do, but I certainly am not willing to. I bought frozen. If you can't find frozen, I would go with dry unsweetened, and not worry about it.
   Next, if you are a peeler, go ahead and peel the carrots. It does make for a prettier dish, but I wouldn't hesitate to skip this step. Just scrub them well, and slice them into thin rounds.
  Heat the oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. I used olive oil as the original recipe suggested, but will probably use coconut oil next time. Throw in the urud dal, and when it starts to color throw in the mustard seeds and dried chilies.  When the mustard seeds start to pop (after a few seconds) throw in the carrots, ginger and salt. Stir it around for a bit until well mixed. 
  Add 3-4 T. of water and cover the pan. Simmer until the carrots are tender. I like my carrots on the crunchy side, so I used only 3T. of water.
   Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut and cilantro. Mix and serve with a wedge of lime.

You could try this recipe with other vegetables too. I remember eating something like this with pumpkin/squash, and I bet it would be a fantastic way to do green beans.

Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

   I made this soup at the last minute for dinner last night. I needed something I could make quickly before heading out the door to my pottery class. I already had some roasted squash in the refrigerator, so I decided on a creamy soup. I figured that if I needed to, I could easily put the soup in my thermos and drink it when I got to class. It was so good that I didn't want to wait, so I decided to be a little late. A decision I don't take lightly.
   I remade it this morning so that I could write it down and share it. You will have to start with some leftover roasted squash, or allow time for roasting. I used butternut here.
   Winter squash is at it's peak right now (in New England anyway), so I didn't want too much interference with its sweet nutty flavor. I kept it simple. The almond milk keeps it vegan and adds extra sweetness and creaminess, and the cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth and comfort, but it is the squash that shines here.

Recipe;
serves 3-4

1lb. of roasted butternut squash
1 T. olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 of a medium onion chopped
1/2 of a carrot chopped
1/2 of a stalk of celery chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1 3/4c. water 
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt or more to taste
1c. almond milk (it is best if you make your own)
few grinds of black pepper
toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish (optional)

If you don't have leftover squash, cut a squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Rub the cut side with olive oil, and place it cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast at 375 degrees until tender (30-40 mins.)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Saute the onion, carrot and celery until tender (a few minutes). Add the salt and the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. 
Add the water, spices and roasted squash. Bring it to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add the almond milk. Remove the pan from the heat when hot, but not boiling.
Puree in a blender and serve.

I like to top it with some pumpkin seeds for added crunch, nutrition and flavor.
A dash of cayenne would be good here too.

Just Me

fun fall window box

  If you read the first post introducing this blog, you are probably wondering where my friend and blog partner Margaret is. Well, the last time I saw her she was perched on a chair going head first through her kitchen window.

   We had just spent a lovely morning sitting outside one of our favorite restaurants enjoying a cup of tea.  We were lucky enough to have caught one of those rare warm sunny fall days that appear and disappear this time of year, until they give way completely to the cold of winter, making every ray of sun something to savor.

   We were on our way home when she realized she didn't have her keys. I was driving, and when I had picked her up her husband was home, so she had no need for her keys to drive or to lock the door behind her. Of course shortly thereafter, her husband left for the day. Isn't it funny how the brain remembers something we forgot to do without our thinking about it. So it was. It just came to her. "I think I forgot my keys". Sure enough, she searched her pockets and found no keys. Luckily one of her windows was not yet in permanent lock down for the season, and we were able to break in. I held the chair. She hoisted herself through the window.

   Have you ever locked yourself out? It's a terrible feeling to be locked out, to be denied entrance to the safety of one's own shelter. I haven't done it recently because my door requires being locked from the outside with a key, but because arriving home having lost or left my keys elsewhere is a possibility, I keep an extra key in a secure location.

   While Margaret and I still meet regularly for tea, it became apparent that she doesn't have time to post on this blog. She would really like to, but found that at the end of the day it just wasn't possible. I know I can still count on her support and inspiration, and I am ever so grateful that she got me into this, but she won't be posting any time soon. I guess that means that your stuck with just me. I will do my best.

  I hope that this blog in some way lets those with cancer know that they are not alone, and that yes, cancer is scary, but it's not the end of life. I like to say that cancer may kill me, but it's not going to ruin my life. And for everyone else reading (cancer or not) let's eat and get to know each other.

   

   

Miso Kale Soup or My Cold Remedy Soup

   
  I have a cold- drippy nose, scratchy throat, achey head, miserable cough kind of cold. It used to be a rare thing for me to get any kind of common illness, (I seem to hold out for the big ones- like cancer) but since two rounds of chemo has left me with a couch potato of an immune system, I'm not surprised that a few germs were able to slip through the door and wreck viral havoc on my house. 
   Tired and cranky, I am putting everything I can into getting better quickly, starting with this soup. This is my most powerful cold remedy. It is full of antimicrobial immune enhancing garlic, making it a good one to keep in mind as the winter months approach. I just hope associating it with a cold remedy does not put you off, because its robust flavor is delicious.
   The  construction of this soup is so simple that I put it together any time I feel the need for an immune boost, or just want a strong hit of garlic to excite my palate. Be warned, the garlic lingers. I usually reserve this soup for days when I will be spending a lot of time alone.

 
   This soup is finished in a blender. You can make it as chunky or smooth as you like, but I make it on the smooth side so that I can curl my hands around a warm mug of it, and sip it while sitting on the couch.

Here is the recipe:
Serves 4 4c. water
4-5 fat cloves of garlic
1 large bunch of kale roughly chopped
1/2tsp. salt (or to taste)
3 scallions roughly chopped
3T. + 1tsp. white miso paste (or to taste)
2T. + 1tsp. olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
black pepper
flax oil to garnish (optional)

   Bring the 4 c. of water to a boil with the 1/2 tsp. of salt in a medium saucepan. Drop the peeled garlic into the boiling water and let blanch for 1-2 minutes. One minute will leave a bite, two will leave it more mellow. I like it somewhere in between.  Remove it with a slotted spoon. Keep the water boiling.
   Next plunge the kale into the boiling water. You will need to push it down with the spoon until it is all submerged and wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and throw in the scallions. Give it a stir and let it cool for a few minutes. The kale will continue to cook during this time. 
   Next put the garlic and the remaining ingredients into the pan (oil, miso, pepper,red pepper) and transfer/ dump it all into your blender. Blend until it is the desired consistency.
Taste it and adjust if needed. Top it off with a bit of flax seed oil for added health benefits. Serve. 
  

whole wheat orecchiette

Optional:
Serve it over some whole wheat pasta
or add a soft poached egg (breaking the egg to enrich the broth)
Note: 
Reheat gently over medium low heat. You should never boil miso. Boiling destroys the beneficial bacteria.

Tahini Dressed Butternut Squash with Chickpeas

An Innocent Squash

      First of all I would like to say that I love butternut squash. I really do. With that said, if you were to ask me if I like it, I would probably tighten my lips and scrunch up my nose before I said (with hesitation) it's okay. This is because before I learned about roasting squash to bring out it's delicious sweetness, squash to me was what my mother made at the holidays. She boiled it until it fell apart at the sight of a fork, then drained, sugared, buttered, mashed and put it in a bowl, where over time it became a grainy mound of water leaching mush. I don't think my mother was the only one to commit this crime against squash. That's just what they used to do to vegetables (way back then). I promise that you will not find any of that here.

   
      Luckily I was able to get over the trauma of my mother's squash and give the innocent vegetable another go;  otherwise I would have missed out on dishes like this.
   This is one of my favorite ways to use tahini. It is a simple sesame dressing that mixes well with all kinds of grains and vegetables. I often eat it over quinoa and some steamed broccoli for a quick meal. Here I have paired it with roasted butternut squash, because the markets are flooded with them, and chickpeas, because it seemed the natural thing to do. Tahini and chickpeas have been joined at the hip for centuries.
   The sweetness of the squash is the main player here, but there are a lot of other flavors kicking around in this dish. There is the mellow heat of the ginger, the distinct tang of the vinegar, the brightness of the cilantro, and of course the nutty, earthy tahini is there to round out the team. The cinnamon is subtle here, detected first with the nose, and the onion adds a bit of raw bite and juicy crunch. But what I appreciate most is the  way the structure of the cubed squash, with it's rawness cooked out of it, transforms itself into soft smooth sweetness.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

  
Recipe serves 4 as a side.

For the squash:
2 lbs. of butternut squash peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
2T. olive oil
2tsp. grated ginger
2 cloves of minced or crushed garlic (I advise against using a  garlic press here)
1/8tsp. cinnamon
dash or two of cayenne (1/16 tsp.)
salt and pepper

1 c. cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - use fresh cooked if you can, but if not I suggest draining a can of chickpeas and rinsing them well. Then boiling them in clean salted (if needed) water for about 8-10 minutes before draining again. I think this makes them taste better. Taste them before adding salt. (note: I use only beans from BPA free cans)

2T. minced red onion
2T. toasted sunflower seeds 
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Dressing:
3T. cider vinegar
2T+ 1tsp. tahini
2tsp. sesame oil ( not toasted)
or more olive oil
1T. olive oil
2 tsp. tamari or Bragg's liquid aminos
2T. water
salt (if needed) and pepper

   Mix the cut squash with the oil and spices. Then spread it on a baking sheet. I like to line my sheets with parchment for easy clean up. Place the pan in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes ( give it a stir after about 15 minutes). They will be tender and easily pierced with a fork when done. 

Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients.

In a large bowl mix the cooked squash, chickpeas, onion, seeds, and cilantro.  Pour on the dressing and mix well. Serve. You could sprinkle some extra seeds and cilantro on top.

Sunflower Seeds nutrition and cancer

    You may start to notice that whenever appropriate, I suggest a sprinkling of nuts or seeds atop a dish.  Of course the obvious reason is because they add a delicious roasted flavor, a sweet nuttiness, and a bit of crunch to a dish. The other less obvious, but equally important reason is because they are nutritious, and my goal when preparing food is to maximize flavor and nutrition. Yes, you can do both.
    Today I am going to talk about the nutrition of one of my favorite seeds, sunflower seeds. 
Did you know that 1/4 of a cup of sunflower seeds provides:
82% of vit. E
34% of selenium
28% of magnesium
70% of copper
43% of thiamine
28% of B6
33% of phosphorous 

   Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, and has been shown to aid in the prevention of cancer. It is also an anti-inflammatory, and can reduce symptoms of diseases such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
   Selenium has been shown to inhibit cancers growth by repairing abnormal cells, and by detoxing the body of damaged cells.
   Sunflower seeds are also high in Phytosterols, which can enhance the immune response, and reduce the risk of certain cancers.
  
   I found no information stating that roasting the seeds destroyed any of these benefits.  If I do I will let you know. Or if anyone has any information on this, feel free to leave a comment.

Goodbye Not Dogs

 Farro with Roasted Vegetables and Mustard Dressing

   I love mustard, so much so that there was a time, back in the 90's, when I would eat those processed soy (not) hot dogs just to have something to put mustard on. I would put a couple of those rubbery wieners on a plate with a big blob of mustard, stab them with a fork, dip them in the golden condiment, and savor the sharp, salty heat. I have made a lot of progress in the kitchen since then, and I am happy to say that I no longer eat soy dogs. As you can see, I now get my mustard fix elsewhere. 

   As with most grain salads this one can accommodate a whole range of vegetables, but I suggest sticking with brassicas and roots. I think their density is better suited to the chewy texture of the farro, and it is their heartiness which gives this recipe it's main dish status.

Here is the recipe. 

Serves 4

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

   

for the roasted vegetables:

3 large carrots

1/2 head of cauliflower

1 lb. of brussel sprouts

1T. olive oil

1c. farro

3/4 t. salt

3c. water

for the dressing:

2 1/2t. of grainy dijon mustard or other strong mustard

2T. cider vinegar

1t. lemon juice

1t. honey (can be omitted)

2 cloves of garlic crushed

4T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

pepper 

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

2T of parsley 

2T of sunflower seeds to garnish (preferably roasted)

   Prepare the carrots by cutting them into 4' lengths and then into quarters lengthwise, and the cauliflower by removing the core and cutting or breaking apart the florets. The brussel sprouts can be left whole if small, but larger (anything approaching the size of a walnut) 

should be cut in half. 

   Toss all of the vegetables with the 1T. (or a bit more) of oil. Spread them in a single layer on your baking sheet. I like to toss each vegetable separately and keep them that way on the sheet, but that's mostly my need for aesthetic order. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

  Put them in the 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until tender and beginning to brown. You will want to give them a stir after about 20 minutes to check on their progress.

   Meanwhile rinse the farro, then cook it in the salted water by bringing it to a boil over high heat, and then keeping it at a simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Check the texture. It should be soft and yielding, but still retain a good amount of chewiness. Drain off any excess water.

   While the farro is cooking, make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients with a fork.  Taste and adjust if necessary. Always taste and adjust as you go with sauces and dressings.

   Toss the roasted vegetables with the farro, pour on the dressing and mix well. Sprinkle on the parsley and give it a quick mix. Then top it with the sunflower seeds and serve. Any leftovers will be excellent the next day cold or at room temperature.