Stir Fry with Soy Curls

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

Until recently I had never heard, much less tried soy curls. But now, I’m a believer. These shelf-stable meat substitute are easy to cook, have a great texture and absorb whatever flavors you choose to use. And while we eat plenty of gluten, they also happen to be gluten free. My Stir Fry with Soy Curls is beautiful to look at, tastes great and is absolutely riffable.

A favorite niece gifted me with a book titled I Cook in Color by Asha Gomez. While this recipe doesn’t come from the cookbook, although she has many great recipes, the title resonated with me. Most of us eat with several of our senses – how something smells, looks and of course, tastes. So when I cook, I always try to keep the visuals of the dish in mind, particularly in a vegan or vegetarian recipe. How can you look at this gorgeous stir fry and not want to taste it?

Below, I will give the ingredients as I made it, but feel free to substitute vegetables and spices depending on personal taste and availability.

Because like almost all stir fry recipes cook fairly quickly, you should have everything prepped before beginning to cook. Vegetables can even be prepared the night before and refrigerated. While the soy curls require soaking before they can be cooked, it is brief. Should easily be able to have this meal on the table in under an hour – and I have no lightening knife skills. Serve it over rice or noodles for a delicious and satisfying meal.

While I love soy curls, you can, of course, substitute cubed tofu or real chicken if you wish to go those routes. I couldn’t easily find Butler Soy Curls in my grocery stores, but they are readily available online. They keep for months and are a terrific pantry staple for those of us who choose to eat less meat.

RECIPE

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce

3/4 cup vegetable or vegan “no chicken” broth

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos

1/4 cup agave, honey or maple syrup

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil (If you really like spice, you can use the “Hot” toasted sesame oil

2 to 4 teaspoons Sambal Olek or other hot sauce (how much you use depends on you tolerance of spicy food)

1 Tablespoon of Garlic Chili paste (readily available in most grocery stores)

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

For the Stir Fry

4 ounces of soy curls (1/2 a bag)

Hot tap water to cover

1 Tablespoon Better than Bouillon vegetable or non-chicken

2 Tablespoons avocado or other neutral oil

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

2 baby bok choy

About 2 to 3 cups of cauliflower or broccoli

1 large carrot, cut on the bias into pieces about an 1/8 of an inch thick

8 ounces mushroom, sliced (I used Shitake for maximum meatiness but really any mushroom you like and can find will work)

1 bell pepper, cut into large dice (I used 1/2 of a red and 1/2 of a yellow pepper for the visual effect)

4 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 Tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup roasted cashews or peanuts (with or without salt)

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Place the soy curls in a medium bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon and hot tap water to cover. Stir things around to dissolve the bouillon. Make sure that the soy curls are submerged. Let them sit in the water for about 10 minutes. Then drain the soy curls and using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Set aside.

While the soy curls soak, prep your veggies and sauce. This can even be done ahead.

When you are ready to cook, add 1 Tablespoon of the oil to a wok or large, deep frying pan – preferably non-stick. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the drained soy curls and stir fry for about 5 to 6 minutes or until they begin to brown. Then remove the soy curls to a plate or bowl.

Add another Tablespoon of oil to the hot wok or pan. Add in all of the vegetable EXCEPT for the garlic and ginger. Start to stir fry the vegetables, tossing them through the oil. I then added about 1/4 cup of water to the pan, covered it and steamed the vegetables, stirring a few times for about 7 minutes or until the veg were just tender.

Then remove the lid and add the ginger and garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add back the soy curls and toss the mixture to evenly distribute everything. Stir the sauce mixture with a fork or whisk to loosen the cornstarch and to mix it through. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and give a stir. As soon as the sauce starts to thicken (about 30 seconds to a minute) add in the nuts and sesame seeds, if using. Now enjoy!

Chickpea Squash Tagine

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Flavorful, visually striking and nutrition-rich this Chickpea Squash Tagine is perfect for these chilly fall nights. Using pantry staples, it comes together in about an hour.

My husband and I eat very little meat these days and I pretty much save it for Shabbat and other holidays. However, this past Shabbat I just didn’t feel like going to the grocery store and nothing in my freezer excited me. I asked my husband if he minded if I made a vegan Shabbat and thankfully (as I knew he would) he responded that if I was cooking that was fine with him.

This Chickpea and Squash Tagine originated from the Rainbow Plant Life site, but with some changes of my own. I keep a well stocked pantry and had recently bought several different winter squashes, so I knew that I could make this dish without a trip to the market. Now I could have used canned or jarred chickpeas, but when I can my preference is to soak and cook my own beans. They are superior, although there are a few quality chickpea brands available and I will use them when I haven’t thought ahead or am cooking last minute.

So what is a tagine? A tagine is a clay or ceramic cooking vessel commonly used in Moroccan cuisine. It also refers to a kind of stew that you cook inside the tagine. Fear not, an actual tagine is not necessary to make this tagine or any other that you might want to try. I have never owned one and have done just fine. You can use a Dutch oven or I love my Staub All-Day Pan with Domed Glass Lid with an enameled over cast iron base. It’s a fabulous pan and I use it constantly. The pan can be pricey but look for it on sale. You won’t be sorry.

Both the tagine as cookware and the Staub pan trap the steam in the food you are cooking. With a minimal amount of liquid, the shape of the pan and lid allows the meat and/or vegetables to cook slowly and retain all of their moisture. The final dish is flavorful, with the components ending up tender and juicy.

I used Red Kuri Squash this time, but almost any winter squash will work. I admit that cutting up and peeling squash can be a bit tedious and depending on how you are cooking the squash, the skin can be left on in some cases. Many supermarkets at this time of year sell pre-chopped squash (generally butternut) in the produce section. So if you have neither the time nor the inclination, by all means, go this route. Butternut squash is ubiquitous and it’s also delicious.

Winter squash are nutrient dense and fairly low in calories. There are dozens of ways to use them in everything from soup to desserts. So if you haven’t used squash before, now is the perfect time to add this to your meals.

There are some meat tagine recipes available on my blog as well:

Chicken Tagine with Almonds and Apricots

Lamb Merguez and Chicken Tagine

Lamb Shank Tagine

Crockpot Chicken Tagine

Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Cilantro

Tzimmes Chicken

RECIPE

Yield: 6 to 8 generous servings with a grain (I used rice this time but couscous is classic)

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 Tablespoons of Avocado, EVOO or another neutral oil

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped into large dice

6 fat garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 cinnamon stick

2 cups of vegetable broth

4 cups of peeled and chopped winter squash (Butternut, Red Kiri, Kabocha, Honey Nut etc.) Try to keep the pieces about the same size as the chopped bell pepper.

4 cups of cooked chickpeas (But you can get away with using 2 (15-ounce) cans, drained)

1 (14.5-ounce) can of crushed or diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)

6 large Medjool dates, with the pits removed and coarsely chopped

5 to 6 large pitted prunes or dried apricots, halved

Spice Mix (I mostly use rounded measurements when using spices. And when you can, grind your own. It takes seconds and the difference is amazing. Also storing whole spices keeps them fresher longer.)

1 Tablespoon Ras el hanout (These days this is available in many grocery stores and online. Great with any winter squash.)

2 bay laurel leaves (dried or fresh)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ANY of the following: Aleppo Pepper, Rajasthan Chili or Cayenne

Kosher salt (I used a broth that was unsalted and added 1.5 teaspoons of Diamond kosher salt to the entire dish. You can always add salt at the end after you taste the dish.)

DIRECTIONS

Prep everything BEFORE you begin to cook. It will make your life so much easier.

In a small bowl, mix together the spices for the spice mix.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the onions are golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a splash of water or broth if the onions look as if they are sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the bell pepper, garlic and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes.

Add the Spice Mix, stirring constantly for 1 minute to bloom the spices.

Now add in the remaining broth, squash, chickpeas, bay leaves, tomatoes and dried fruit. Mix everything through to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Bring the pan liquid to a boil, then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes or until the squash is tender and the aroma is intoxicating.

Serve over rice or couscous and top with some lightly toasted chopped almonds and some chopped fresh herbs and lemon zest. If you or your guests want to add a little extra heat, I suggest a little Rose Harissa.

Now dig in!

Fig and Black Walnut Muffins

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

These Fig and Black Walnut Muffins may not be the most beautiful muffins, but if you love figs, these are amazing. And as if that were not enough, they are Gluten Free and high in protein.

I know that fig season is coming to an end – at least where we live – but they can still be found in our stores.

These Fig and Black Walnut Muffins have been successfully made using coconut milk, soy milk or yogurt. And while I love black walnuts, you can make these with English or red walnuts if you prefer. Sweet Hawaij (The recipe will appear after the muffin recipe.) has become my go to spice blend when baking anything where either pumpkin spice blend or cinnamon is called for.

Because these muffins are very fruit forward, they will spoil relatively quickly. But the good news is that they freeze beautifully. I only take out what I need for a day or two and always zap them in the microwave for about 14 seconds just to refresh them.

If you follow my instructions, the figs will become positively glistening and jammy. I have thought about increasing the almond flour by 1/4 cup which would result in a slightly stronger structure, but we love these as is. Let me know in the comments if you decide to go that route and how it worked out.

RECIPE

Yield: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of ripe figs, cut into about 12 pieces/fig (How many figs you use will depend on the type of fig and the size. They all work. About 8 to 10 figs with the stems removed.)

2 rounded Tablespoons of fig or orange marmalade

1.75 cups of almond flour (I like to use a mix of natural almond flour with the skins and blanched almond flour for the best texture.

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond kosher salt. Use 1/2 that amount if using another brand.)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons vanilla protein powder

2 teaspoons of sweet hawaij or pumpkin spice mix

1/4 dark or light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1/4 cup of refined coconut oil, melted (If you want the coconut flavor you could use “Virgin” coconut oil.)

1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

About 1/3 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts of choice (Truthfully, I eyeball this.)

3/4 cup of coconut or soy milk or natural yogurt

2 Tablespoons of toasted wheat germ (Optional, but I encourage you to use it. I always have it in my fridge to add to quick breads and yogurt.)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix the chopped figs with the brown sugar and set aside.

Mix all of your other ingredients together. Gently mix through about 3/4 of the fig mixture, including the syrup that has formed. Don’t worry if some of the figs have gotten smashed.

Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare your muffin tin. I line mine with unbleached parchment muffin cups. You could also spray a non-stick pan with a vegetable spray if you prefer.

After the batter has had a chance to start absorbing the liquid, use a scoop or spoon to fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Top each muffin with some of the remaining sugared fig mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees F. for 7 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and continue baking for another 8 minutes or until a lovely brown. The figs on top will have sunk into a lovely jam in the middle of the muffins.

Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan to cool completely. These can then be frozen or eaten immediately. Enjoy!

Sweet Hawaij

Yield: About 1/2 cup

1 Tablespoon ground cloves

2 Tablespoons freshly grated nutmeg

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons ground ginger

1 Tablespoon ground cardamom

This will last in a cool, dark place kept in a small glass air-tight jar for up to a year. Mine gets used up waaaaaay before that!

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Tzimmes Chicken

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Tzimmes Chicken is perfect for autumn. It’s perfect for the Jewish holidays. And it is simply, just perfect. And it’s one of the dinners that you don’t need to stress over exact amounts and is even better when made ahead.

Along the lines of a tagine, Tzimmes Chicken is a mixture of sweet and savory. The recipe can easily be increased to feed the multitudes that may be coming for holiday meals.

Moroccan cooks have perfected mixing meats with fruits and often nuts and getting just the right balance of sweet and savory. There are as many variations as there are people cooking these dishes and this is one more.

While I made this with chicken thighs on the bone and with the skin, you can use a whole chicken, cut up if you prefer. However, the thighs on the bone make this dish almost impossible to dry out or ruin so it is perfect for both the experienced and the novice cook and makes reheating a dream.

When I made this dish the first time it was a favorite of my husband’s. Tzimmes Chicken not only is a great make-ahead meal but it is also a one-pot meal! So less clean-up. And who doesn’t like that!? And if you don’t have sweet potato, use butternut squash or Kuri Red. You want to stretch it a bit, add some red or golden potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices.

As I will always preach, whenever possible, grind your own spices. The difference is huge. It’s also less wasteful since whole spices retain their flavor longer than the pre-ground ones that you buy in a jar.

When I make this for Shabbat or a Jewish holiday, I serve it along with salatim and dessert. But you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this delicious one-pot dinner.

For other tagine and harvest meals:

Chicken Tagine with Almonds and Apricots

Lamb Merguez and Chicken Tagine

Lamb Shank Tagine

Crockpot Chicken Tagine

Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Cilantro

Sweet and Spicy Harvest Chicken

Harvest Chicken (with Japanese Sweet Potato and Dried Fruits)

Vegetarian Tzimmes

Fruit and Vegetable Tzimmes – a perfect introduction to autumn

RECIPE

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 to 4 Tablespoons Avocado oil

About 2 pounds of chicken thighs with skin and on the bone

2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste (If you are using kosher chicken, you should add a little less)

3 teaspoons ground coriander, divided

1 rounded teaspoon ground cumin, divided

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks or quarter moon-shaped slices

3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch coins

1.5 cups dried fruits (I used a mix of pitted dates, apricots and cranberries. Prunes and other dried fruits would work as well.)

Zest of 1 medium lemon or orange

1.5 teaspoons grated or finely chopped fresh ginger root

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large pinch of your red pepper of choice (I like Aleppo pepper for it’s fruity heat)

1 large leek or onion, peeled and sliced into thin half moons

1 cup orange juice plus more if needed when reheating

1 cup red wine plus more if needed when reheating (I used a Pinot Noir)

1 Tablespoon Pomegranate Molasses, Silan (also known as date honey) or Tamarind (Optional)

Water or broth, if needed and you prefer not to use more wine or orange juice

For serving

A large handful of chopped fresh herbs such as cilantro, flat-leaf parsley and/or dill

DIRECTIONS

Pat dry the chicken and rub with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1.5 teaspoons coriander, half of the cumin and all of the cracked black pepper. Place this in a bowl or Ziploc bag. This can be refrigerated overnight or for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare all of the remaining ingredients. Mix together the sweet potato, carrot, dried fruit, zest, hot pepper flakes, remaining spices and cinnamon stick with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt. You can always add salt towards the end so go easy.

In a Dutch Oven or heavy duty oven-safe casserole, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add as many pieces of chicken, skin side down as comfortably fit in a single layer without crowding. Brown on both sides (between 5 and 8 minutes each side). If doing this in batches, remove the browned chicken to a plate and repeat the process. Do not add more oil unless absolutely necessary to prevent burning. Remove the remaining chicken and set aside. This can be done in a separate pan from the one that will hold everything if you prefer, which is what I did. That way, if you used more oil than you want in the finished dish, you can just leave it in the pan when you remove the onions

Add the leeks or onion to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Sauté until the onions become soft and are golden around the edges. Add the garlic and sauté for one more minute. If using a separate pan for the remainder of the cooking, transfer the onions and garlic to the bottom of the Dutch Oven.

Place the chicken on top of the onion mixture. If you are making a lot, place only 1/2 of the chicken pieces. Top with the vegetables and fruits. (If doing it layers, divide the vegetable and fruit mixture so they end up on top.

Pour the orange juice, pomegranate molasses, if using, and wine over everything until most of the ingredients are submerged. Don’t drown the mixture! If you require a little more liquid, add any of your options.

Bring everything to a boil and then cover the Dutch Oven and place it into the oven for 1 hour. At this point, the dish is finished but it can be cooled and refrigerated for later use. Taste to adjust any seasoning and make sure that the pan hasn’t gone dry before reheating. Reheat at 325 degrees F. Enjoy!

Any leftovers can be frozen or will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

Vegetable Soup in Under an Hour

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

It’s starting to look like autumn around here. The days are already shorter and some of the trees have begun losing their leaves. So while we still have warm days, my thoughts for dinner are turning back to hot soup to go with fresh bread. This Vegetable Soup in Under an Hour is delicious, nutritious and fast to make. The recipe does not require exact measurements and you can have homemade soup on the table in under an hour.

My husband and I eat soup of all kinds throughout the year. And many are hearty enough to be a meal in itself with some good bread and occasionally a salad. This may sound strange, but when I have a pot of soup on the stove, I feel a measure of calm even in this troubled world we are experiencing. A pot of delicious soup means safety. And the act of preparing it, chopping the vegetables is a form of meditation for me.

While we eat almost all of our meals at home, I don’t always do a lot of planning ahead of time. However, I still want something healthy and delicious even if we have been out all day. So when I came across this soup on YouTube, I thought I would give it a try with a few of my own tweaks, of course. It came together quickly and my husband’s comment when he tried it was “Wow, I could die happy.” Okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but he tends towards the dramatic at times.

Vegetable Soup in Under an Hour can be doubled or tripled if you either have a bigger family or like having left-overs. There is no fancy knife-work necessary because everything will be pureed with an immersion blender. No need to weigh ingredients and you can use canned chickpeas and vegetable stock, although I prefer to make my own. There is nothing fussy here. And while the soup tastes rich and creamy, it’s actually low in calories and very healthy so enjoy it guilt-free!

There are lots of delicious soup recipes on my blog, both hot and cold. And now here is one more. Try it soon.

RECIPE

Yield: 3 to 4 generous servings

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons of a neutral oil (I used Avocado)

1 crown of broccoli cut into smallish florets

1 onion or 1 large leek, coarsely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

3 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large Bell pepper, cut into large dice

1 large stalk of celery, coarsely chopped

1 Quart of vegetable stock

200g of cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained (about 1.5 cups)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt to taste (It will depend on both your preference as well as whether you used a salted stock.)

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1 large Bay Leaf

1 teaspoon each: dried oregano, basil and thyme

A large handful of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro or a mix

About 100ml of full-fat coconut milk or non-dairy cream

For the Garnish

1/3 cup of cooked chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry

1 Tablespoon of neutral oil

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Either: Some chili flakes or Aleppo pepper and Sumac (I went with Aleppo pepper and Sumac)

DIRECTIONS

In a 5 quart soup pot (or larger) add the 2 Tablespoons of oil and heat until shimmering over medium high heat.

Add the onions and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes or until softened but barely beginning to brown.

Then add the carrot, celery, Bell Pepper, garlic and 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Continue cooking until the vegetables have all softened but not browned.

Mix through the chickpeas, broccoli florets, dried herbs and spices. Add the vegetable stock. It should just about cover the vegetables. If necessary, add a little water just to cover. Bring everything to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

While the soup is cooking away, add 1 Tablespoon of oil to a small skillet, preferably non-stick. When the oil is hot, add the chickpeas and seasoning and sauté until lightly browned. SEt this aside for the garnish.

When the soup has finished cooking, use an immersion blender to puree everything. I like a bit of texture but how smooth you make it is up to you. Then add the coconut milk or non-dairy cream along with a handful of chopped parsley or cilantro. Puree for another minute. THAT’S IT! You now have soup! Serve garnished with some of the seasoned chickpeas and a scattering of chopped fresh herbs. Don’t forget the bread.

Fresh Figs Poached in Syrup

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Fresh Figs are everywhere right now and we love them. In recent years, I have seen the trend that recipes decide that an ingredient should be made popular and it will appear in everything from appetizers to desserts. But new isn’t always better and these Fresh Figs Poached in Syrup are a perfect example.

Growing up my mother would often serve poached figs from a jar with a bit of cream for a simple dessert. Or we ate them as is as part of a breakfast. I loved plunging my spoon into their plump bodies, dripping with the sweet syrup,

Fresh Figs Poached in Syrup is a classic recipe dating back to the Greeks and Romans. So I guess it would be safe to say that this is a tried and true method of enjoying this delightful fruit.

There are a number of varieties of fresh figs available and I used what are referred to as Turkey Brown Figs. But you could use the same directions with any figs that are ripe, unblemished and available to you. You should choose figs that have some give but are not oozing juice or mushy.

This recipe with cloves, cardamom and cinnamon not only is a harbinger of autumn but reminds me of the spice markets in Jerusalem. You could, of course leave them out, but why would you want to? While I have not added any alcohol to my figs, you can choose to add a bit of brandy, rum or Bourbon. I prefer them as is or with a bit of heavy cream, creme fraiche, yogurt or whipped cream. Serve some simple cookies like a shortbread or sablé. Fresh Figs Poached in Syrup is a wonderful, light and satisfying treat.

Fresh figs are perishable so have a plan how to use them before actually making your purchase. For the fig lovers among you, check out these other delicious ways to make the most of the fig bounty now in your market.

Fresh Fig Salad with Blue Cheese and Candied Pecans

Frangipane Fig Tart

Fresh Fig and Walnut Bread

RECIPE

Servings: 5 to 6 (Can be doubled)

INGREDIENTS

1.5 pounds of fresh, ripe, unblemished figs of any variety

1.5 cups of water (If you like a lot of syrup, use 3 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar and a little more of each of the spices below)

1.5 cups of granulated sugar

1 small lemon, sliced

1 or 2 sticks of cinnamon

4 to 5 whole cloves

4 to 5 whole green cardamom pods

A whole vanilla bean, split down the middle

DIRECTIONS

Remove the tough stems from the figs

Place all of the other ingredients in a pot or pan that will hold all of the figs in a single layer

Bring the syrup to a boil and once the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is clear, gently add the figs.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and poach for 1.5 hours, basting the figs in the liquid about every 15 minutes or so. f you wish to have a thicker liquid, carefully remove the figs from the liquid and boil the liquid to the desired consistency.

Once the figs have finished cooking, they will keep in the fridge for about a month. I

Baingan Bharta

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Baingan Bharta is a hit with us for two simple reasons: eggplant and Indian food. And it is also vegan and gluten free. Oh, yes, very, very delicious.

I had only ever eaten Baingan Bharta in an Indian restaurant and it always was a favorite option. So when I saw this recipe by Nisha Vora of Rainbow Plant Life, I was excited to give it a try. It worked perfectly. Now a key to making this dish sing is properly smoking the eggplant (aubergine).

Baingan Bharta is a great side dish as part of an Indian feast, but works equally well with grilled meats or fish. If you haven’t tried it but love eggplant, this is a great dish to add to your repertoire. It can be made ahead and reheated which is always a plus in my book.

Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients. If you like Mediterranean and South Asian foods, you will be using all of these spices over and over again.

If you don’t have either a gas range or a grill, you can prepare the eggplant under a broiler. The resulting dish will be very good, but a little less so. A trick that I learned to improve the smokiness when you don’t have a gas stove, is to include small bits of the skin that blistered and crackled in the oven. And while your range will require a little clean-up, the final product makes it so worthwhile.

Blistered eggplant transforms the fruit’s (Yes, Virginia, this is technically a fruit) texture to a creamy, rich, almost spreadable wonder. 

RECIPE

Yield: About 4 generous servings as a side

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (I like avocado or canola)

1 medium or two smaller eggplants between 1 to 1.5 pounds in total

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 medium onion, red or yellow, finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 small serrano pepper, seeds removed (Unless you like a lot of heat) and finely chopped

1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, grated (TIP: Freeze fresh ginger root. It lasts a long time and makes grating very easy.)

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1.5 teaspoons kosher salt

2 medium tomatoes (ideally Roma or plum tomatoes, but any work), finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Prick the eggplant all over with a fork. This will prevent it from exploding. If you have a gas stovetop or a grill, place the eggplant directly over the flame as pictured above, using tongs to turn it frequently. Do this until the eggplant skin is blistered all over and the eggplant begins to collapse on itself. If you do not have a gas flame, place the eggplant on a baking sheet and put it under the broiler for 30 to 40 minutes, turning frequently. When done, move the eggplant to a cutting board. (SEE the photos above)

Once the eggplant has cooled a bit, carefully peel off most, but not all of the blistered skin and set aside. Then chop or mash the flesh to break it all apart. (TIP: because so many eggplants have a lot of seeds these days, I suggest that you place the mashed eggplant in a fine mesh sieve and press down on it. This will release the bitter juices and also will keep the finished dish from being too watery. It won’t remove the seeds, but they won’t get in the way of enjoying the dish.)

Heat the oil in a 9 or 10-inch non-stick or well-seasoned skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmering add the cumin seeds and cook for one minute to bloom the spice. Move the seeds frequently to prevent burning.

Add the onions with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook for about 5 minutes. You want them to soften but not brown.

Then add the garlic, serrano peppers and turmeric, stirring frequently for 60 to 90 seconds.

Next comes the coriander, remaining salt and tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes with the pan covered and then an additional 5 minutes uncovered. The tomatoes should be softened and almost jammy.

Once the tomatoes are jammy, add the chopped or mashed eggplant and Kashmiri Chili and mix everything through until well combined. Cook on medium-low heat for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Now enjoy!

Vegetarian Borscht

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Growing up we ate three cold soups in the summertime: my mother’s wonderful gazpacho, schav, and borscht, both of which came in a jar from Manischewitz and are loved by Ashkenazi Jews. If my mother was being a bit fancy, she would blend the borscht and sour cream in a blender, reserving a few borscht matchsticks for garnish. The soup became a gorgeous deep pink and we couldn’t wait to take a spoonful.

The borscht and schav would be served on hot summer nights with a generous dollop of sour cream and slices of dark rye bread. This Vegetarian Borscht is perfect for lighter summer meals and can be eaten as a first course or a light main dish. If you choose to use a non-dairy sour cream or yogurt the dish is vegan and pareve.

You can, of course, serve this version of borscht hot as well, which I did the day I made it. I still served it with a dollop of our homemade yogurt, some dill and my breadsticks. It was a huge hit with my husband.

This borscht is made from beets and as anyone who follows my blog knows, I LOVE beets in all of its many forms. “Beetroots are a good source of nutrients, fiber, and many plant compounds. The health benefits of this vegetable include improved heart health, the ability to reduce blood pressure, and enhanced exercise capacity.” While beets come in varying colors and varieties, red beets are the best in this recipe. The resulting color of the soup is a rich, deep garnet that simply invites you to dig in.

This Vegetarian Borscht is a perfect summer soup, but there are also heartier winter versions which are only served hot and generally have a meat base. Borscht’s origins are from Ukraine, Russia and Poland where beets were plentiful and where the root vegetables used could be stored for the winter when fresh vegetables were scarce. It is generally described as a sour soup, although Jews from Poland often added a bit of sugar along with the lemon juice for a sweet and sour finish. And since that is where my mother’s family was from, I have added sugar to this version.

If you are looking for an easy, inexpensive and delicious summer soup, you cannot go wrong with this Vegetarian Borscht. The recipe began from Serious Eats, but the tweaks, short-cuts and suggestions are mine. The short-cuts will make this soup come together even more quickly. And don’t get bogged down in exact amounts. A little more cabbage, onions, beets and/or carrots will not spoil the soup.

Serve it with a dollop of sour cream, thick yogurt or unsweetened creme fraiche, dairy or non-dairy.

RECIPE

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

2 medium to large raw beets (beetroot), scrubbed and cut into matchsticks (you can reserve a small piece to grate into the soup at the end, although I didn’t)

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks OR use an 8 to 10 oz. bag of pre-cut matchstick carrots

1 pound white cabbage (It’s really light green, but called “white.” Go figure!), cut thinly into shreds (Sometimes you can find shredded cabbage in the produce isle. If you own a mandoline, it takes seconds to finely shred a cabbage, especially if someone else, like my husband, does it for you. It also made fast work of match-sticking the beets)

2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil

8 cups (2 quarts or liters) vegetable stock (I make my own because I don’t happen to like commercial vegetable stock and it is so easy, but feel free to use it if there is brand that you like.)

Juice of 1 to 2 lemons

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar or more to taste (Optional)

Kosher Salt to taste (How much you use will depend on the stock. If you are using a commercial, salted stock, you will use less than an unsalted stock. Remember, to start with a smaller amount, in any case. You can always add salt but it is almost impossible to reduce the amount once added to the dish.)

Coarsely ground black pepper (This is personal preference. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more if you like.)

Sour cream, thick plain yogurt or unsweetened creme fraiche (dairy or non-dairy alternatives)

Finely chopped dill, parsley or chives (optional, for garnish)

Directions

Sauté onions, carrots, and beets over medium heat in the olive oil with a a teaspoon of salt in a large soup pot. Stir and turn over the vegetables occasionally for even cooking.

In the meantime, bring the vegetable stock to a boil. When the vegetables have softened (10 to 12 minutes), add the shredded cabbage and the hot stock. Bring to a boil and simmer 15-25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Because my onions seemed to be particularly strong, I actually simmered the soup longer.

(The borscht can be served this way or you could take about half of the soup and blend it until smooth in the blender or using an immersion blender for a thicker, creamier final product. This can be done with added sour cream or yogurt or without. The color will either be a deep garnet or a beautiful pink. I blended it without the yogurt when I served it hot.)

Season to taste with salt and pepper, then squeeze in the lemon juice, aiming for a pleasing but subtle sour taste. Since I used an unsalted vegetable stock, I found that I needed a fair amount of salt. For what ended up being a 6 quart pot of soup, I added 1 Tablespoon of Diamond Kosher salt. If you are using table salt or Morton’s kosher salt you could use less. I also found that I needed to pump up the sour by adding some apple cider vinegar to the lemon juice. And to get that exact right balance of sweet to sour, I added a few teaspoons of granulated sugar. In addition to personal preference, some beets are just sweeter than others and some onions are stronger. So taste and don’t be afraid to make some adjustments.

Serve with freshly ground black pepper, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, and chopped dill, chives or parsley, if desired.

NOTE:

Since it is highly unlikely that there were fresh lemons available in the winter in the Pale of Settlement, my guess is that sour salt or apple cider vinegar was used to produce the subtle sour taste. I use it in my Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup.

Smoky Eggplant Dal

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

I recently posted a recipe for a delicious Butternut Squash Curry, pictured above. My husband absolutely loved it. And I served it along with basmati rice and this Smoky Eggplant Dal. Both recipes came from Jamie Oliver‘s fertile mind. While neither dish is a completely authentic Indian dish, they definitely pay homage to the wonderful variety of South Asian cuisine.

The trick to making this dish special is properly blistering the eggplant. This technique also makes for the best Baba Ghanoush you will ever eat. If you do not have access to a gas stovetop or grill, this can be prepared in a broiler. It will still be delicious – just a bit less so, since that smokiness will not be as present.

Smoky Eggplant Dal can be made ahead and will keep refrigerated for a week. It reheats beautifully. Served with rice and/or naan and this is a healthy protein-rich, vegan meal of its own. Photos of dal do not even begin to do justice to the taste. So if you are a fan of Indian cuisine, there will not be any need to convince you to try this. And if you are either not familiar with dal, in general, or think that you dislike eggplant, please give this a try anyway. I hope that you will be pleasantly surprised.

Blistered eggplant transforms the fruit’s (Yes, Virginia, this is technically a fruit) texture to a creamy, rich, almost spreadable wonder. In this dal, you are not aware that is it there – only that this tastes delicious. And if you don’t wish to do an entire Indian dinner, this dal also makes a wonderful side dish to any roasted meat.

While I have listed amounts, don’t get too bogged down. A little more of the eggplant or the beans and the dish will still be wonderful.

RECIPE

YIELD: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 large or two smaller eggplants (also called aubergine in many places) (Look for eggplants with a good skin and not too fat. Many eggplants we get these days have a lot of seeds, so try for an eggplant that weighs about a pound to 1.5 pounds.)

1 chilli of choice – serrano, jalapeno, Fresno etc.

2 large cloves of garlic, peeled

1 medium red onion (although yellow onion works as well)

2 cardamom pods – preferably black cardamom, which additional smokiness, but you can use green if that is all you have

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds

1 sprig of rosemary (I know, but it works!)

1 Tablespoon of red wine or apple cider vinegar

1 400g or 15 oz. can of black beans (DO NOT drain)

200g of lentils (Pardina, du Puy, brown, Beluga)

1 large cinnamon stick

DIRECTIONS

Prick the eggplant all over with a fork. This will prevent it from exploding. If you have a gas stovetop or a grill, place the eggplant directly over the flame as pictured above, using tongs to turn it frequently. Do this until the eggplant skin is blistered all over and the eggplant begins to collapse on itself. If you do not have a gas flame, place the eggplant on a baking sheet and put it under the broiler for 30 to 40 minutes, turning frequently. When done, move the eggplant to a cutting board.

Once the eggplant has cooled a bit, carefully peel off most, but not all of the blistered skin and set aside.

Halve the chilli lengthwise and remove the seeds. If you like things spicy, you can leave the seeds, but I do not. If you have never worked with hot chillis, a word to the wise, wear gloves and DO NOT touch your eyes afterwards! Peel and finely slice the garlic, then peel and finely chop the onion. Crush the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar and remove the outer shells, then pound up the seeds. (If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use a rolling pin, meat tenderizer or cast iron pan to whack it. I would place a towel as a cushion under a board to spare your countertop and ears.)

Place a large (10 to 12 inches) non-stick frying pan on a medium low heat with 1 Tablespoon of neutral olive, Avocado or other neutral oil. Add the cumin, cardamom and mustard seeds.

Strip the rosemary from the stem and add that to the pan as well. Allow the herbs and spices to sizzle and infuse the oil for a few minutes. Then add the chilli, garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring regularly. Chop the peeled eggplant into 1-inch chunks and add it, along with any bits of blistered skin, to the pan as well, with 1 Tablespoon of red wine or apple cider vinegar.

Allow everything to sizzle for a couple of minutes, then pour in the black beans, with their liquid and 600 ml (A little more than 20 oz.) of water. Now here’s the slightly tricky part. Set one end of the cinnamon stick on fire and then place it in the center of the pan. Quickly cover the pan with a tight lid. This will add smokiness as well to the dal. Cook the mixture on a medium low heat for about an hour until it thickens, stirring occasionally. Add splashes of water, if necessary (I didn’t need to) to loosen the mixture and to keep it from sticking. Season with salt and pepper. Now enjoy!

Apricot Galette with Almond Mascarpone Cream

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

We are firmly in stone fruit season. And while I love a juicy, fragrant peach or nectarine, I have found over the last 10 years that they are very unpredictable. Sometimes they can look good on the outside, but are either mealy, tough or without flavor. But apricots and plums seem to be more consistent, with new varieties and colors every year. My Apricot Galette with Almond Mascarpone Cream makes the most of apricots. I rarely gush but this galette is the dessert of my dreams. Loaded with perfectly ripe apricots nestled into a creamy, almond mascarpone.

The apricots are ripe, sweet, tender and almost creamy. Just a hint of almond and nutmeg enhance the apricotiness of the fruit. And who doesn’t love a delicious cream in their dessert?

I believe this recipe would work with plums, although I have not tried it yet. And obviously, the number of plums used would be fewer than the number of apricots given their relative sizes. The Apricot Galette with Almond Mascarpone Cream does not need any garnish, but if you added a dollop of whipped cream, you won’t find me faulting you.

This galette is the perfect finish for a summer dinner. I prefer desserts that are not overly sweet, but creamy and fruity – my pecan pie being the exception. To an extent, how sweet your finished product will be depends on the actual fruit you use. You can add an additional tablespoon or 2 of sugar if you want to go sweeter. I won’t, but no judgment here.

RECIPE

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Galette dough (See below for my favorite dough)

For the filling

13 to 14 apricots, any variety, halved, pitted and sliced into 6 to 8 slices

6 ounces mascarpone, room temperature

1/3 cup of granulated sugar

rounded quarter teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

healthy pinch of fine Himalayan sea salt or kosher salt

1 rounded Tablespoon of preserves (Either apricot or blood orange)

1 large egg, room temperature

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

For the dough

1.5 cups, unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

large pinch of kosher or Himalayan sea salt

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) of unsalted butter, cubed and very cold

1 teaspoon of vinegar (Distilled or apple cider)

4 to 5 Tablespoons ice cold water

For the glaze

1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tablespoon of cream for the glaze

Demerara or other large crystal sugar

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds (Natural or blanched)

DIRECTIONS

I make my dough in a food processor. While admittedly it takes longer to wash the food processor than it does to make the dough, I just find it preferable. However, you can, of course, make the dough by hand.

Place the first 4 ingredients into the bowl of the processor. Pulse 15 times. Then add 4 Tablespoons of the ice water and the vinegar. Start processing. If the dough doesn’t appear to be quite coming together, add the last Tablespoon of water. Then run the machine just until the dough starts to come together.

Remove the dough from the processor and using waxed paper or plastic wrap, push the dough together into a ball. Then flatten into a thick disk. Refrigerate for 40 minutes if you will be using it right away. It can stay in the fridge for a day or two if well-wrapped. It can be frozen, although I never do that.

While the dough is resting in the fridge, combine all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl EXCEPT for the apricots. Mix them together until well combined. THEN add the apricot slices and using a spatula, gently mix them through the cream.

When you are ready to bake the galette, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment.

If the dough has only been in the fridge for 40 minutes, you should be able to roll it out with ease. If it was in the fridge longer then you will need to have it sit on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before you can roll it out without cracking it.

Lightly flour a counter or large Silpat baking sheet. Lightly flour the area where you will be rolling out the dough. Place the disk on top of the flour and sprinkle flour over the top of the dough. Roll out the dough from the center rolling outwards, turning the dough frequently. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking. You want to end up with a 14-inch circle. It doesn’t have to be perfect. This is rustic.

Carefully roll the dough back onto the rolling pin and transfer it to the pan with the parchment. It might overlap the sides a bit, but that is okay. Now carefully pour the apricot/mascarpone mixture over the dough in the center. Begin to pull up the dough over the filling but leaving a large opening in the center. Pleat the dough as necessary. (If you don’t like raggedy edges you, you can trim them using a small knife or pastry cutter. Sometimes I do – this time I didn’t.) I happen to love a good pastry dough, but you can cut the dough back, making a larger opening in the center with a smaller dough surround. Extra dough can be used to make a simple cookie with a bit of egg wash and sugar on top.

In a smallish bowl, add the cream to one large egg yolk and stir well. Brush the outside of the dough all around with the egg wash. Then generously sprinkle (from above) the Demerara or coarse sugar and the sliced almonds, if used.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is a golden brown and the cream filling appears to be set.

Remove to a rack to cool completely before serving. Ideally this is served at room temperature, but left-overs will need to be refrigerated.