In light of today's tragedy in Boston I did the things that are special and meaningful in my life. I gathered my family, went for a hike with gratefulness in my heart and came home and made a hardy soup that we all shared. Our hearts go to those who may not have that pleasure, that gift, today - our prayers & thoughts are with you. Today, I just made my soup with love and forgot to take measurements - however, I have listed the ingredients below in the best approximation I can. Take care, be thankful and put forth and express love, peace & compassion wherever you go. Live your life as though you have been given a second chance to live it again. I do not add cream or coconut milk to this because I like the direct flavor of the carrots and don't wish to dull it down. However, some people like the creamy, curry flavor and feel - so add this if you so wish. Sometimes, I do, too!
Ingredients:
Instructions:
use your intuitive senses - is it good? does it need something? is it dull on the tongue (add a squeeze of lime juice or dash of salt) - test it with cilantro topping, put your soul into it - add a dash of pepper or cream if you wish... taste again ... that's cooking. Lastly, BE THANKFUL, hug your family and send peace, love and compassion out into the world, into your home, and into your community.
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Tonight's feature is my take on Polenta. I pan roast the corn with Indian spices before adding my pre-heated water and broccoli parts. This makes for a wonderful, hearty, bountiful flavor that blends perfectly with sauteed Balti spiced onions, mushrooms and spinach. Now that's YUMMY in my TUMMY! See recipe below picture for my Indian style polenta! 1 Cup Polenta Corn Grits
3.5 cups vegetable broth or water (go low sodium if using broth) 2 TBSP Sunflower oil (or Olive or Grapeseed) 4 Cups very well-chopped broccoli, stalks & tops (I pulse them in processor - no large than 1/4" pieces SPICES: 1/8 tsp Hing 1/2 tsp Whole Cumin Seeds 1/4 freshly ground Black Pepper 1/4 tsp dry Ginger Powder 1 tsp Tumeric 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Coriander To prepare the corn grits:
To prepare molds:
Serve atop sauteed veggies!! This meal was AWESOME tonight and totally satisfying. Can't ask for anything better and the cost to make this was next to nothing! Much better than going out and easy to make! So what's the Vegan answer to a meaty, cheesy pizza? Tonight I made my hubba-bubba something he's been craving; A meaty, cheesy pizza - animal product free, that is. How? The key is a Bechamel sauce made from brown rice flour & veggie stock atop sauteed mushrooms with a steamed spinach & basil pesto. See my version of a Bechamel recipe below for more detail. Bechamel sauce (like that made for an Alfredo dish) can be made animal product free and still have great flavor and cheesy/sauce consistency. For the pizza - use your own standard vegan crust (mine was store bought - I'm busy, ya know?) and then make ingredients that you love. I sauteed mushrooms with shallots and a tad of hing. I also had some home made pesto on hand (sauteed and drained spinach with basil, hing, lemon juice and pepper - with some chile pepper for spice all pureed with drizzled oil in a processor).
For the Bechamel you need:
Heat oil in pan Stir in flour and whisk around with fork for 1-2 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat. Add heated liquid and stir briskly until smooth Return pan to heat, add seasonings. Bring almost to a boil and then turn to low and simmer until thickened. IT's THAT EASY... I then added some remaining sauteed mushrooms and pesto and a tad of lemon juice. Bake pizza as you normally would, remove from oven, top with bechamel sauce & chopped arugula for a nice peppery finish. AWESOME.... You can find the basic bechamel recipe in Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods.
Found all over North Africa, this is one of my favorite Moroccan recipes. Harissa is the master condiment. It adds heat and flavor and is used like mustard. WARNING! my recipe is very spicy and the green Harissa, especially, can really pack a PUNCH! I like mine to have major, killer, stinging hotness.
This recipe makes 16 oz.
WEAR RUBBER GLOVES when handling hot peppers! Never touch your face or eyes! Add all ingredients except olive oil to food processor or blender. While machine is running slowly add olive oil until consistency desired. Let stand at room temperature for a minimum of 1 hour to infuse flavors. Transfer to glass jar with a tight lid. Can be stored indefinitely in the refridge... AWESOME with anything. I especially love this mixed into cooked basmati rice with thinly cut arugula, goat cheese and a smattering of lemon vinaigrette. Totally delicious! PRESERVED LEMON (Recipe courtesy Williams-Sonoma: Entertaining – Inspired Menus for Cooking with Family and Friends)
This is one for the books and you can definitely make variations that will make it fun to play with! My husband thinks it looks like a cheddar cheese sauce (from the carrot juice color). Below is a picture of the lunch I made today. I used this dressing on steamed broccoli, spinach and sprouts with a sprinkling of fresh arugula and red chiles. Or pan fry some capers for an added punch. This dressing can be used on almost anything from sandwiches to my Breakfast Veggie Benedict where it acts as a Hollandaise Sauce atop a plump beefsteak tomato and steamed spinach. The uses are ENDLESS ... have at it!
Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender - or, to get a work-out, whisk by hand. Slowly drizzle oil in while the machine is running. Consistency should be like a hollandaise sauce or similar - creamy texture. Also, you should not need additional salt but be sure to taste and refine where needed. Sometimes, if it is too miso-like I add a bit more oil or a tad more of the lemon juice. PLAY and be free to experiment with this. NOTE ABOUT MY RECIPES: I am no pro - just a person with a passion who LOVES FOOD. In addition: I happen to be one of those people who just wings it in the kitchen by mixing and blending whatever I have around. I do my best to give you an idea of what is required in terms of measurements and directions. But always remember: use YOUR knowledge and intuitive sense in the kitchen and never use an ingredient that doesn't work for YOU:) |
ABOUT THIS BLOG!
I am simply a person with a serious passion for FOOD! I am not a chef, chemist or doctor - I am just a foodie food-head! The recipes in this blog are things I make for myself, my family and my friends and they have been tested and tried by some of my closest food critics. This blog has helped me become more aware and appreciative of the food I prepare and share and I am very grateful for this. Archives
June 2014
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