Coconut Lemongrass Rice

One of the themed spices for a recent Spiced-up group potluck was coconut and/or lemongrass.  I was crazy busy in a year of crazy busy so I had time to neither find a recipe nor shop for ingredients.  So I looked at what I had in my pantry and searched for something I could make from what I already had on hand.

What I had was rice, almonds, golden raisins, coconut flakes, brandy, and spices.  I work near what is sometimes referred to as "New Chinatown" at Broadway and Argyle Street in Chicago's uptown neighborhood, so it was not too much of an inconvenience to stop there on the way home the night before the potluck to pick up the lemongrass.  The recipe called for jasmine rice but I knew I could substitute long-grain rice if I could not find jasmine rice.  But wonder of wonders, my neighborhood Treasure Island actually had brown jasmine rice on their shelves.  Of course it cost an arm and a leg, but I was curious to try it and I wanted the dish to be as accurate as possible so I splurged.

As is usually the case, the original recipe uses white rice, but I have gotten quite adept over the years at converting the cooking times to account for brown rice, which I prefer as much these days for flavor as for the health benefits.  The brown jasmine rice provided a layer of nuttiness that stood up well to the robust flavors of the almond, coconut and lemongrass.

The brandy takes this dish pretty much as far away from traditional as one can get, but it added a nice overtone that I can highly recommend.  I mainly used it because I had the end of a bottle hanging around and had been looking for a use for it.  The dish can easily be made without it, but if you happen to have some hanging around I recommend that you give it a try.

I did not really have time to make anything to go with the rice, but given the lemongrass and coconut theme I was pretty sure that folks would bring quite a few dishes that my rice would complement, and I was correct.  By the end of the evening it had disappeared.

Luckily, this recipe makes a double batch so I was able to keep some of the rice for myself.  It was delicious when I paired it with the above version of my Masoor Dal, which is something I make quite frequently for work lunches.

Home Cookin Chapter: Grains Pasta and Potatoes
COCONUT RICE WITH LEMONGRASS
2 cups brown jasmine rice, washed 3 times and drained
3-1/3 cup water
1 cup coconut flakes
1-1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 6-inch pieces lemongrass, bruised until pliable and tied into a knot
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup brandy

Cover the raisins with brandy and set aside. Combine the rice, coconut, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, salt, lime leaves, lemon-grass, and water in a 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover tightly with lid and reduce heat to lowand cook for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and let set for five minutes, then remove the cover and fluff the rice.

Add the almonds and raisins with the brandy and stir them in with the rice. Remove the lemongrass and lime leaves before serving.

adapted from receipe found at http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Nasi-Lemak-Coconut-Rice

exported from Home Cookin v.8.66 (http://www.mountain-software.com)

Vegetables with Apricot Sauce

The idea of eating whole foods has been on the periphery of my life ever since my older sister convinced me briefly to become a vegetarian back when I was in junior high school.  She also introduced me to whole wheat bread, granola, and yogurt, and she was the first person I knew to bring tofu to the table back in the '80s.  Of course, she also replaced all of the fats in her diet with sugar and consumed diet cola by the liter, but nobody's perfect.

While my vegetarian phase lasted about three months, my inclination toward whole grains and non-processed foods remained.  Even though I never again gave up meat entirely, it gradually became more of an accent to my cuisine rather than the basis of it.

Having grown up in a time where a meal was not considered a meal if it did not contain meat, I had a hard time coming up with vegetable-centered main dishes.  (I find that so hard to believe now, but there it was.)  For most of my weeknight dinners I would saute some onion and zucchini or other squash in butter and add an egg beaten with curry sauce at the end for a quick scramble.  It tasted good, but it quickly got old and I would find myself cooking the chicken or meatloaf or pork chops with rice that had been the staples around our table when I had lived at home.

It did not particularly bother me at the time and I don't know that I even thought about it that clearly or consciously.  But what I notice most looking back is how often I was drawn to vegetarian cookbooks, and that many of the recipes that I clipped out of magazines and the paper and copied out of cookbooks were bean or vegetable centered.

These days I usually cook meat maybe once a week, which means I eat it three or four times a week counting leftovers.  That seems to be the proper ratio for me.  If I have meat more often than that I start to feel sluggish; less often and I feel a loss of energy.  This is anecdotal, of course, but I know I feel better when I eat some meat, but not all the time.

So the challenge is finding enough vegetarian dishes that offer enough variety that I do not feel like I am eating the same thing all the time.  I think one reason that folks do not like beans is that it is too easy to get stuck in a rut in terms of how they are prepared.  That is why I am always happy when I find a recipe that uses different ingredients than I usually use, or uses familiar ingredients in a different way.

And that is why I decided to try this recipe I found in American Wholefoods Cuisine, written by Nikki and David Goldbeck back in the '80s.  I have had this book forever and have several recipes marked, but for some reason I had never made any of them.  But I had recently purchased dried apricots and was looking for recipes and ran across this one.

It was easy to make and quite delicious.  The cinnamon and apricots combine to complement the chickpeas and zucchini.  I cooked the couscous in the rest of the chickpea liquid and it was the perfect companion.  You can't really tell from the photo up there, but there was a nice amount of lovely sauce that added flavor to the couscous.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.

And as with most other bean dishes, it travels well for work lunches.

Home Cookin Chapter: Beans and Vegetables

VEGETABLES WITH APRICOT SAUCE 6 servings

1/2 cup quartered dried apricots
2 Tbsp raisins
2 Tbsp oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound eggplant, patty pan, zucchini, or winter squash
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup water from soaking fruit combined with bean cooking liquid or plain water
cooked pasta or grain
chopped toasted pistachio, for garnish

Soak dried fruit in hot water to cover while preparing remaining ingredients.

Heat oil in a 2- to 3-quart pot and cook onion over medium heat until lightly colored, about 10 minutes. While onion cooks, cut the vegetables into bite-size cubes. Add the vegetables to the onion and stir to coat.

Drain the fruit, reserving the liquid, and add it to the pot along with the chickpeas, salt, and cinnamon.  Add enough water or liquid from the beans to measure one cup. Add the liquid to the pot and bring it to a boil, then cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.

Serve over couscous or brown rice.

adapted from American Wholefoods Cuisine, by Nikki and David Goldbeck (Plume, 1984)

exported from Home Cookin v.8.66 (www.mountain-software.com)

How to Build a Sourdough Starter

If you have been curious about making sourdough starter and have done any searching on the internet, no doubt you have run across all kinds of conflicting information about the best way to create and maintain a starter of your own.  If you are anything like me, it was enough to stop you dead in your tracks.  It wasn't until a bread group I joined a few years ago chose sourdough for one of their monthly themes that I took the plunge and got started. What I learned is that creating and maintaining a sourdough starter is much more simple and easy to do than I had thought it would be.  Of all the rules, articles and comments I read online, only these turned out to be true:

1. Use equal amounts (by weight) of flour and water.  (If you are using volume, use half as much water as flour.)
2. You do not need large amounts of flour and water to create a starter. It works just as well with a few tablespoons of each as it does a cup of each, and is much less wasteful.
3. You do not need to add pineapple, grape, or any other kind of juice to your starter.
4. Feed your starter regularly if it is not in the refrigerator.
5. It can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a while without feeding.
6. That is all you need to know.

Anything else you need to know comes from the experience you will gain from maintaining the starter and using it.  It may take a while for you to get the hang of it, but unless you manage to do something drastically wrong your mistakes should be edible and people will still want to be your friend in hopes that you will share your efforts with them.

In case you have been thinking at all about dipping your toe in the water, I thought it might be helpful of me to present a brief tutorial with pictures on creating a starter.  Once it is up and going, you can either leave it out and feed it regularly or put it in the refrigerator and bring it out a few days before you plan to use it.  Either way, once you have done it for a while it will not be so scary and you will wonder why you ever feared it in the first place.

Since I started playing with sourdough I have only used commercial yeast a few times, and that was in order to make enriched breads where the added ingredients retard the sourdough's rising ability.  Otherwise, I  have gotten adept at converting recipes that use commercial yeast to sourdough thanks to this post from Clotilde at Chocolate & Zucchini.  I have even found some recipes to help use up excess starter.

Ready to jump down the rabbit hole?  Follow me.

Note:  I measure my ingredients by weight (and I highly recommend that you do the same).  For those who use volume I have done my best to give conversions but fair warning:  I may have gotten some wrong.  The best rule of thumb when measuring by volume is that you want to use half as much water as you use flour.

Day One - Sunday Night
20g water / 10g flour

On the first day I combined 20g of water with 10g of flour (that's about a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of water if you're working by volume).  This is actually twice as wet as I keep my starter, but I think it helps the bacteria get started if the initial environment is on the wet side.  Stir the two together in a small bowl or jar (I covered mine with cheesecloth so it could breathe but if you use a jar and set the lid on loosely that would work just as well) and let it sit out until you start to see some bubble action on the surface of the mixture, which could take a day or so.  This picture was taken right after I got started so there has been no action yet.

Day Two - Monday Night
Nothing added

About twenty-four hours later I could see a few tiny bubbles, but overall the mixture looked about the same as it did when it was started so I just stirred it but did not add anything to it.

Day Three - Tuesday Night
Before Feeding 30g starter / 10g water / 20g flour

The third night I could see lots of tiny bubbles so I decided to feed it.  At the same time, I wanted to bring the ratio of flour to water where I wanted it to be, which was equal parts of flour to water. This is the only time that I add to the starter without removing anything, as I wanted to bring it to 60g (half a cup) total.  To the existing starter I added 10g (about half a tablespoon) of water to 20g (about one sixth of a cup) of flour.  I stirred it together, covered it with the cheesecloth, and let it sit.  Moving forward from here, I started checking the starter every twelve hours.

If you do not see any noticeable activity by day three and you are getting worried, you can try using whole wheat or rye flour (whole wheat flour is available in bulk if you do not use it regularly and don't have some around) instead of the all-purpose flour for one or two feedings.  That worked for me the first time I made a starter.  After it takes off you will be able to go back to all-purpose or bread flour.

Day Four - Wednesday Morning
No feeding

On the morning of day four I could see that some activity had occurred, but no bubbles had broken through the surface so I just stirred it and left it alone.

Day Four - Wednesday Night
Before Feeding 25g starter / 20g water / 20g flour

When I came back to check on it that night the bubbles had broken through the surface, so it was feeding time!  For this feeding on, you want to remove about two-thirds of your starter so that you are only adding amounts to bring it to its current level.  Because the starter wants its weight in flour and starter, if you don't remove two-thirds of it before feeding it you will be drowning in starter in no time at all.  You can either store the excess starter in a loosely-capped jar in the fridge to make pancakes or biscuits or banana bread (future posts), or you can just toss it.  I had a hard time tossing it at first but I keep my starter small so I am more comfortable just getting rid of it if I already have excess starter in the refrigerator.  That is something you will get a feel for as you get more comfortable working with it.

Back to the feeding.  The ratio of flour to water was now where I wanted it so I discarded two-thirds (40g/a little less than half a cup) of the starter and added 20g (about a tablespoon) of water and 20g (about one-sixth of a cup) of flour.  You may notice there was actually a little more starter than the water and flour I added; that is just something that I do.  I figure the stuff that has dried onto the sides of the jar shouldn't count as the total weight so I always keep the ratio just a tad high on the starter side.  I stirred everything together and let it sit for another twelve hours.

Day 5 - Thursday Morning
No Feeding

On the morning of day five, I could see that there had been more activity than in the previous 24-hour period, but it had not gone crazy with the bubbles so I decided to leave it for another twelve hours before feeding it again.  At this stage I wanted it to be good and hungry!  So I stirred it again and left it alone.

Day 5 - Thursday Night
Before Feeding 25g starter / 20g water / 20g flour

That night, as you can see, there was much more activity.  For the first time my starter looked the way starter should look.  It had doubled in size and was full of bubbles.  I was very excited as I removed two thirds of it and fed it another 20g (about a tablespoon) of flour and 20g (about one-sixth of a cup) of flour.  I stirred it and left it to work its magic yet again.

I just realized that I did not take pictures of the starter right after I fed it so you could see the difference in size.  See the photos at the bottom of the post to get an idea of how your starter will look just after feeding and then twelve hours after that.

Day 6 - Friday Morning
Before Feeding 25g starter / 20g water / 20g flour

As you can see, it was quite bubbly the next morning and ready for its first twelve-hour feeding.  That meant it was almost ready for use.  I have read that you should let a starter go through three rounds of active feeding before you use it, so I gave this one more feeding on Friday night, and then on Saturday I was ready to make my bread.

And that is really all there is to it.  Actually, there are a few more guidelines I can give you that you may discard after you have more experience and have settled into your own routine, but here is what I have learned:

1. Depending on the makeup of your tap water, there may be chemicals (such as chlorine) that will interfere with the development of the bacteria (or even kill it).  I use filtered water that I keep in a jar at room temperature for my feeding and for my breadmaking.
2. You will hear that you should NEVER use metal with sourdough.  I use metal spoons to feed my starter and have never had any problems.  I have seen folks who use metal bowls to mix their dough and let it rise and they do not seem to have any problems with it either.  I do agree that you should not keep your starter in a metal bowl, as that does give the metal time to interact negatively with the starter.
3. You can use either plastic or glass containers for your starter.  I like to use glass because I am not sure what, if any, chemicals from the plastic leach into the starter given the constant contact between it and the container.  So I am more comfortable with glass, given my better safe than sorry approach to life.
4. Sometimes you will feed your starter in preparation for baking and something will come up that will prevent you from using it.  When that happens to me I cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator.  If I am baking the next day I just bring it out and up to room temperature and make my bread.  If it is two days, I bring it up to room temperature and feed it once before I use it.  Any longer than that and I use the general rule of feeding it until it doubles successfully three times before using it.
5. If you store your starter in the refrigerator, I have found that in order to get it up to speed as soon as possible it likes to be fed once a week (give or take a day on either side of that).  It can go much longer than that without being fed, but it will require more time and attention to get it back up to full strength.
6. I was not happy about how much flour I was wasting feeding my starter twice a day, so after a while I cut it in half.  My starter now consists of about 15g (about a scant tablespoon) of starter, 10g (about half a tablespoon) of water, and 10g (about a tablespoon) of flour.  When I am ready to bake my bread, I will build it up to the amount that I need.
7. I started and fed my starter with all-purpose flour and used that for the first year or so, and then it made more sense to me to use bread flour.  Both work, but I think the additional gluten in the bread flour makes the starter stronger and helps my dough to rise faster.

These are photos I took more recently of that same starter in the pictorial above.  The photo at the top of this post shows what it looked like twelve hours later.

And this photo shows what it looks like when you start to stir it.   I took this picture to show how strong the starter is - you can see the gluten strands that formed as I pulled the spoon across the surface.  This baby is ready to make some bread!

Ok, I think that's enough for this first post.  I have a lot of recipes to share, but I wanted to get the basics posted first, just in case someone is feeling brave and inspired by my successes to create a starter of their own.  I hope this gives enough information to help you get started!


And if not, here are links to some sites that I found when I was just getting started that were extremely helpful:

1. Sourdough Home, especially the FAQ page.
2. Some great information on sourdough basics can be found here.  The recipe on this page is the first recipe I made.  I found it extremely user friendly and nonchallenging.
3. In the extremely unlikely case that my little tutorial was not enough to encourage you, you can find another day-by-day guide at Serious Eats.

 
 
 

Sylvia's Lentil Soup

The first time I encountered lentil soup it was one of the most disgusting things I had ever seen.  I was about ten years old and we walked into my parents' friends' house and there was a huge pot of it simmering away on the stove.  When I looked into the pot I saw a thick brown sludge that looked like what I imagined porridge would look like, based on my child's imagination.  It did not smell much better if I remember correctly.

Given my initial reaction to it I can't imagine what could have made me actually taste it, although I suspect some form of parental threat was involved.  And imagine my surprise when I found it so delicious that not only did I have no trouble whatsoever finishing the serving I had been given, I even found myself asking for more.

I owe my friend's mother a big thank you for that, as it opened my mind to all kinds of beans and lentils throughout my life and therefore served as my entree to a whole new world of delicious flavors.

At some point I got the recipe from her, but over the years I found myself cooking with less and less meat and I never seemed to have a soup bone just hanging around my kitchen.  I would stumble across it every once in a while when going through my recipes and consider making it, until I realized that I did not have a soup bone and in all honesty wasn't even sure how to get one.  So back in the box it went.

And then I decided to make a stew from a bone-in chuck roast I had bought on sale.  As I was cutting the meat away from the bone I started thinking about what I could do it.  And I am very glad that the recipe for that delicious lentil soup popped into my head.  It took only a second for me to decide to make it.

And it was just as good as I remembered it being (I was a little afraid that it would not live up to the memory).  The low, slow cooking brought all of the flavors together and the lentils were soft and flavorful.  The thyme adds an additional layer to the already earthy flavor of the beans and the meat rounds out the flavors perfectly.
 
In spite of the lengthy cook time, the soup itself can be thrown together quickly so it is the perfect thing to make on a cold winter weekend day when you don't have to be anywhere but don't want to be tied up in the kitchen.  

While I will continue to mostly cook and eat my lentils without meat, every once in a while this version is the perfect thing to eat on a cold winter's day.  

Home Cookin Chapter: Beans and Vegetables

SYLVIA'S LENTIL SOUP
Servings: 8-10

1 lb lentils
2 Tbsp butter
2 medium onions
2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup sliced celery
2 bay leaves
3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 quarts water
1 medium potato, grated
soup bone

Soak lentils in water for 3 hours or overnight.

In large soup kettle saute onions and carrots until onions are golden. Add lentils and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until lentils are tender and soup has thickened.

exported from Home Cookin v.8.66 (www.mountain-software.com)

Butternut Squash with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

I am always on the lookout for new ways to prepare butternut and other squashes, and this one makes for a nice change.  It is also quick and easy, which makes it a great candidate for a weeknight dinner. The cilantro and lemon juice give it a light, citrusy flavor that would go well with any meat as a side dish, and it would make a great vegetarian meal over pasta.

Two thumbs up (both mine, of course).

Home Cookin v.8.65 Chapter: - New Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO Makes 6 side or 4 main servings

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/2 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup packed cilantro
1-1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.

Toss butternut squash with two tablespoons of the olive oil and about half a teaspoon salt, then arrange in 1 layer in a 17x12x1-inch baking pan and roast, turning occasionally, until golden brown on edges, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast pumpkin seeds in 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until seeds are puffed and beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and cool.

Place the cooled seeds in a food processor with the cilantro, lemon juice, the last tablespoon of olive oil and saltand pepper to taste. Pulse together until a rough paste is formed.

Combine the squash with the pesto and toss. Season to taste. Serve immediately.

adapted from Gourmet Magazine (RIP), November 2007

Exported from Home Cookin 8.65 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Red Cabbage Slaw

I had half of a head of red cabbage in the refrigerator.  I had sauteed the first half with red peppers and red onion and it was quite tasty but I wanted to do something different with the second half.  I also had some mayonnaise I made up for cheese sandwiches that needed to be used before it spoiled so I decided to throw together a quick slaw.  I grated a carrot and added some chopped red onion.

I had an almost-empty container of buttermilk so I added what was left to the mayonnaise along with a splash of apple cider vinegar for the dressing.  I tossed in some golden raisins for sweetness.

It only took a few minutes and I ended up with a fresh, tasty side dish that I will definitely make again, and often.  I might add toasted walnuts for special occasions.

Home Cookin' Chapter: My Recipes

RED CABBAGE SLAW Makes 6 side servings

1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, grated
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins

For the dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt to taste

Place the cabbage, carrot, onion, and raisins in a large bowl.

Combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and whisk together. Add to the cabbage mixture and stir will. Season with salt to taste.

Let the flavors combine for at least half an hour before serving.

02/07/2016

exported from Home Cookin v.8.66 (www.mountain-software.com)

South Asian Shepherd's Pie

As busy as the past year was, I made sure to make time for my spice and my bread group meetups.  That guaranteed that I did at least some cooking and socializing during that time and kept me from going completely insane.
In addition to meeting great people, both meetups challenge me to stretch outside of my comfort zone and work with ingredients and techniques that are new to me.  Sometimes my efforts are not so successful, and sometimes they shine.

Like this take on Shepherd's Pie.  The spice for our monthly potluck was curry leaves.  I had heard of curry leaves but had never seen them and had definitely never cooked with them so I was intrigued but had no idea what I was going to do with them.


The curry tree is native to India and can be found both in the wild and cultivated.  The leaves are rich in essential oils and have a strong earthy, slightly citrus flavor that enhances any dish.  In addition, as I discovered when I brought them home and opened up the package, they have a pungent aroma that is unlike anything I have encountered before in my cooking history.  They filled my senses the way that menthol does, but without the menthol flavor. 

The one thing almost everyone who grew up with them commented about on the sites I visited while looking them up online is that because the leaves can be hard to find outside of India they are often omitted, and while good, the dish is definitely not the same without them.  And after having used them, I can see why they say that.

I wasn't sure what I was going to make for the potluck, but I had two pounds of ground lamb and a package of peas in the freezer and potatoes in the pantry, so I started thinking about Shepherds Pie, which usually consists of leftover lamb cooked with peas, carrots and onions topped with mashed potatoes and baked until the potatoes are golden brown. It seemed to me that those ingredients would lend themselves well to an Indian interpretation and I always have carrots and onions on hand so I decided to give it a try.  I also had a bag of cauliflower florets in the freezer, which is another vegetable often found in Indian cuisine so I decided to use that instead of celery.  But I think celery, which is more traditional to the original version, would be fine to use here instead.

The result was more successful than I anticipated.  Once the ginger and other spices were added as I was cooking the lamb and vegetables I knew I was on the right track.  And adding the Madras curry spices and coconut milk to the potatoes was a stroke of genius if I do say so myself.

It would have been delicious with those ingredients alone.  But the curry leaves added a deep citrus-like overtone that enveloped all of the separate ingredients and elevated them into one amazing flavor, while still allowing the individual ingredients their place at the table.

I will not lie, this dish does not come together in a few minutes.  But if you want something that will impress a crowd and have the time, it is worth every minute it takes to put it all together.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes
SOUTH ASIAN SHEPHERDS PIE Servings: 12

[Note: The only fresh curry leaves I could find down on Devon avenue here in Chicago came in a big package that had many more leaves than needed for this recipe.  In my online research I discovered that you can fry the leaves in a little bit of oil and freeze them, which I did.  It works.]

2 medium-large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
36-48 curry leaves, divided
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp garlic-ginger paste* (or 1 Tbsp each minced garlic and minced fresh ginger)
1 large red onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 lb ground lamb
2-3 Tbsp madras curry powder, divided (or to taste)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tsp ground coriander (or to taste)
1 Tbsp garam masala (or to taste)
1 Tbsp tomato powder (or 4 oz tomato paste)
1 13.5-oz can coconut milk, divided
1 bag frozen cauliflower florets, thawed and chopped (optional)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1-2 tsp smoked hot paprika

*Garlic ginger paste: chop equal amounts of garlic and ginger and place in a small processor. Add about 2 tablespoons of grapeseed or canola oil for every 1/2 cup of garlic and ginge and process until a lumpy paste is formed. Will keep in the jar in the refrigerator for a couple of months.

Place the chopped potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan, setting the burner as low as it will go.

Drain the potatoes and return the pot to the stove. Add about half of the coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of the Madras curry powder, and 1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil and mash until soft. (This can be done ahead and refrigerated, but the coconut milk will set so the potatoes will need to be reheated before they can be spread.)

In a large skillet heat the 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add 24 of the curry leaves and let cook for a few seconds, then add the mustard and cumin seeds. Let the mustard seeds pop (cover if you want to avoid the splatter), then add the garlic-ginger paste, onions and carrots. Cook until the vegetables are translucent. Add the lamb and cook until it is browned. Add the remaining Madras curry powder, cinnamon, coriander, and garam masala. Cook for another two minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices bloom. Add the tomato powder/paste and the remaining coconut milk. Cook until the mixture comes back up to heat. Add the cauliflower and the peas and cook until everything is heated through and the flavors are well blended. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Layer the meat mixture on the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top and sprinkle with smoked hot paprika. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered, then check the topping. It if looks like it is drying out, spread a thin layer of grapeseed oil over the top to keep it from getting hard. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes. During the second half of baking, heat a thin layer of oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the remaining curry leaves and cook until they turn a bright green then remove and place on paper towels to cool and drain, then crush them loosely. When the top of the dish is browned, remove from the oven and sprinkle with the crushed curry leaves.

10/24/15

Exported from Home Cookin 8.63 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Cumin-Roasted Eggplant with Sweet Peppers and Chickpeas

Yeah last year was busy with no time to post because [insert reasons here] but I have been cooking a lot and am ready to share some of my more successful dishes.

Like this Cumin Roasted Eggplant with Sweet Peppers and Chickpeas.  This was surprisingly delicious, with a deep earthy flavor punctuated with the sweetness of the yellow pepper.  Once I started eating it I could not stop.

I adapted this from a recipe I found in Vegetarian Times.  I have finally discovered why their recipes never worked for me.  The original recipe called for 3/4 of a teaspoon of cumin, 3/4 of a teaspoon of coriander and a 1/4 of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper.  That seemed like a low ratio of spice to vegetable so I increased the spices.  I mentioned this to a co-worker when I was describing the recipe and she agreed that most of the recipes in Vegetarian Times don't use enough spice.  I am thinking the recipes might be geared more towards people who are not used to using a lot of spices.  I am also thinking that I will be increasing the amounts of spices in all Vegetarian Times recipes.  I am thinking that will make them taste better to me.  Your mileage may vary.

I served the eggplant over tomato whole wheat couscous.  To make that, I simply used tomato juice instead of water.  It added a nice touch of acidity to the overall dish.  Add a salad and you have a lovely dinner.  It also travels well for weekday lunches.

Home Cookin v.8.65 Chapter: Beans and Vegetables


CUMIN ROASTED EGGPLANT
WITH SWEET PEPPERS AND CHICKPEAS Makes 4 main or 6 side servings

4 cups diced eggplant (1 medium eggplants)
1 medium red onion, cut into small wedges
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size wedges
1/2 lb dryied chickpeas cooked, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp aleppo pepper, or any other dried chili pepper, to taste
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450° F.

Combine the eggplant, onion, and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, oil, garlic cumin, coriander, and aleppo pepper.

Toss everything to coat then season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetable mixture evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and roast the mixture for 20 minutes, turning after the first ten minutes. Increase the oven to 500° F. and roast the vegetables for another 10 to 20 minutes, until tender.

Serve with tomato whole wheat couscous.

adapted from Vegetarian Times January 2009 (http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/cumin-roasted-eggplant-with-sweet-peppers-and-chickpeas/)
Exported from Home Cookin 8.65 (www.mountainsoftware.com)