Sweet Potato, Zucchini and Leek Frittata

Frittatas are usually a simple and pleasing way to create a filling and nourishing breakfast or dinner with whatever greens you would possibly have on hand. With a beautiful golden-orange nearby sweet potato sitting within the pantry and a pleasant fresh leek and zucchini within the crisper, it became hardly a second's thought to put them all together in this lovely thick and sturdy oven-baked egg pie. Thin slices of fried sweet potato have a satisfying sweet creaminess that contrasts fantastically with the mild crunch of gently saut?Ed zucchini. Seasoned with the easy flavors of salt, pepper and a spray of fresh thyme, this is a fantastic autumn-themed frittata.

The aggregate of greens for this frittata is pretty pleasing, however in case you don't have a leek handy you could replacement a sliced onion for a slightly sharper taste.

Other frittatas from my kitchen:

Jalape?O Frittata

Greek Feta & Olive Frittata

Potato, Onion and Stilton Frittata

Fennel and Grape Tomato Frittata with Goat Cheese

Mixed Vegetable Coconut Curry

"As an Ayurvedic cook dinner the maximum essential factor we have to provide even as cooking a meal is our own loving aim. When we make some thing for a person we deliver something this is non-public. Our love and care goes immediately into the meals we're getting ready and becomes part of the person that consumes it."

~ V. Sandhya

After vacations with lots of rich meals served up, our bodies start to crave more purifying foods to fend off illness and revitalize the frame and thoughts. Craving an clean-to-digest cleansing dose of gently spiced greens, I flipped thru some of my favorite books and become inspired to make this simple blended vegetable curry with coconut. This dish is simplicity at its greatest and a whole taste enjoy when paired with a few mung bean savory pancakes and a bed of warm clean cooked brown basmati rice. Any aggregate of greens may be used, although I need to admit that I become especially smitten by the mixture that I offer up here. A health practitioner could not have ordered a higher therapy for the iciness chills.

The ebook that was the catalyst for this recipe is Mysore Style Cooking: The Secret Yogic Recipes of Mysore, India by V. Sandhya. This gem is one of the most sleek and nourishing cookbooks in my significant collection. I am perpetually grateful to Yogi Kitchen for the advice. Beautifully illustrated, strictly vegetarian, and stimulated by using her own family's nicely-guarded recipes, Sandhya has a home-primarily based restaurant where she serves yogis. If you want to learn about the healing food that comes from the area of Mysore, that is the book to get. Contained with the covers are lots of ideas for legumes, grains, salads, greens, spice powders, breads, raitas and chutneys, and chocolates. The majority of the offerings are vegan pleasant too. Though I want I may want to visit her domestic, I am satisfied to have a chance to recreate some of her scrumptious and nourishing recipes in my very own kitchen.

This alternatively soupy curry is my contribution to No Croutons Required. The undertaking for January is to come up with a soup or salad employing using the leftovers. In this case, I became the usage of up a few excess greens I had handy.

More vegetable curries you're positive to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Mixed Vegetable Curry ( Sabzi Bhaji )

Simple Spicy Bottle Gourd Dal

Roasted Beet and Coconut Curry

Indian-Style Roasted Squash Curry

On the top of the reading stack: Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875 by Phyllis Louise Harris and Raghavan Iyer

Audio Accompaniment: Pete Namlook

Chickpea Mixed Vegetable Poriyal

This is an smooth and alternatively moderate South Indian chickpea and vegetable curry ? At least consistent with my requirements of moderate as regular readers who go to this area realize that I do revel in fiery dishes. It is a really perfect addition to food whenever of 12 months, a delicious solution for the use of up leftover veggies, and if you appear to be having it on a winter day, an powerful remedy for those bloodless weather chills. This is my concept of comfort food.

Poriyal or palya are dry-textured vegetable curries that make for an elegant starter or aspect dish, normally tempered with fragrant seeds and spices. This one is rather full-size because of the addition of plump chickpeas and I served it as a major. All you want to balance out the meal are some savory rice and urad dal pancakes, or warm fresh cooked basmati rice and possibly a gently dressed leafy inexperienced salad and a few great background ambience to complete the revel in.

More chickpea dishes from Lisa's highly spiced vegetarian kitchen you're certain to enjoy:

Chickpeas with White and Wild Rice, Cranberries and Spices

Chickpeas with Toasted Pita Breads and Yogurt (Fatteh)

Tamarind Chickpeas

Chickpeas in a Tomato and Tamarind Gravy with Spices

Crusted Cornmeal Chickpea Potpie

Pies have sincerely been appearing on my menu more regularly as the temperature shifted from warm to heat to downright chilly. Comfort foods are actually so as, especially for the prepare dinner who additionally gets to revel in the warmth of the oven and the odor of pie. Apart from the aroma of baked bread or perhaps a simmering curry, there may be nothing better to stimulate the urge for food and bring pleasure to the kitchen.

I doubt I even have ever met everyone who failed to enjoy pie of a few type, whether or not sweet or savory. My non-public choice is for the savory range and I have been cooking and baking some lately. I'm now not one to snub my nostril at a fruit pie both, but my candy enamel isn't always what it was.

This excursion into the kitchen became inspired by way of Joanne who is the cook dinner, photographer and thoughts at the back of Joanne eats well with others. Her chickpea potpie with cornbread crust turned into simply too much to withstand and I made it take place in my personal kitchen to proportion with unique others.

I preferred the critical components inside the recipe, and the cornbread crust turned into appealing to me due to the fact it's far less complicated and quicker than making pie crust from scratch. I've made a cornmeal-crusted chili, a longtime classic that is rather similar with a one-of-a-kind filling. My adjustments to Joanne's recipe have been essentially to spice it up, because I have a tendency to do that! The spicing could be familiar to cooks which might be constantly attaining for spices that make Indian cooking so specific and appealing. Let us call this one an Indian-style fusion dish. It's quite filling and packed complete of fall vegetables and filled out in addition with buttery smooth chickpeas.

Any range of vegetables that you may have for your pantry or fridge crying out for interest might be included in the mix, and I guess mushrooms might had been great, in conjunction with a bit of tomato. Not that I suppose the dished lacked something at all and the mixture of greens I used along side the spices changed into even higher than expected. This one pot meal might cross well with a leafy green salad, a side grain dish in case you wish, or an smooth mushroom curry. It was clearly one of those memorable meals you may don't forget fondly and with a bit of luck even make it a regular feature on the menu. If I had greater ramekins available, I could have used those in place of the casserole dish method for a one-serving (or two!) greater unique presentation for diners, but regardless of, due to the fact that is one nourishing meal that I know will be a feature at the menu in my kitchen regularly.

As constantly modify the spicing according to your flavor. I do like things warm but if you are used to spicy meals, I don't assume the measurements here will weigh down your warmth meter.

More hearty and comforting savory pies you are sure to experience from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Aloo Palak Paneer Pie

Indian-Style Samosa Potpie

Grape Leaf Pie with Herbs, Yogurt and Quinoa

On the top of the studying stack: diverse cookbooks

Audio Accompaniment: Marsen Jules

Hearty Lentil Borscht

I adore soups 12 months spherical, but there's something specifically comforting about a steaming bowl of goodness on a chilly autumn or wintry weather day. Bring in the root vegetables for a nourishing dish to fight off that perpetual chill. Beet borscht might be considered one of my all-time favored iciness soups, but I've in no way concept to make it with lentils until these days. The end result of mixing sweet crimson beets with earthy brown lentils and a zesty seasoning actually thrilled the diners and the cook dinner too. The beets I used had a few healthful beet vegetables topping the bunch, so I added them to the soup pot as well with the tomatoes for added nourishment and texture.

A lemony cashew cream is a pleasant tangy addition to this earthy soup, though you could add a dollop of bitter cream if preferred.

This soup was inspired and adapted from The Great Vegan Bean Book by Kathy Hester. Legumes are my meat and, although I am not a vegan, I often prefer vegan dinners because I find them easier to digest than a cheesy meal. Those that may scoff at beans may want to reconsider their stance if served one of the unique dishes from this book that certainly celebrates the humble bean that is not so humble at all when it gets dressed up. Everything bean is covered in this book and the cook is presented with over 100 recipes, most of which are soy-free and gluten-free.

A extensive kind of cuisines are included among the covers, as well as special publications all through the day. Breakfast, appetizers, soups, stews and casseroles, salads, portable food or even desserts are presented up. Beans all day long and all 12 months lengthy! All of the recipes are made with staples you are probable to have to your kitchen, however in case you are an avid legume lover along with I am, you may be specifically intrigued by the "fancy bean" suggestions that you may now not have handy on a normal foundation.

The stylish photographs on my own will encourage you to get cooking for your kitchen. Next on the menu is "Thai Coconut Tongue of Fire Soup", "Red Bean-Filled Mini Muffins", "Creamy Chickpea and Rice Casserole" and "Lentil Quinoa Bolognese Sauce" among many others.

I'm pleased to be able to offer a copy of this book to one lucky reader in Canada or the US. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post and reveal your favorite bean. The contest will run until November 21st, 2013, at which point I will stage a random draw for a winner of this must-have book for legume lovers. Please do leave your email address with your comment should you not have a contact associated with your site or if you don't have a blog so that I can contact you if you win this giveaway.

This giveaway is closed.

Note: I obtained a replica of this ebook for feasible evaluate and labored with a consultant to offer a giveaway to my readers. The critiques expressed right here are my own.

More nourishing beet recipes from Lisa's Kitchen to experience:

Beetroot Rasam

Orange and Beet Soup

Quinoa Soup with Beets and Fresh Dill

Beetroot, Leek and Walnut Salad

On the top of the reading stack: Cooking Inspired by Estee Kafra

Audio Accompaniment: Dave DK

Sweet Potato Hummus Soup with Carrots

Why I've in no way concept to feature hummus to a soup before is a thriller to me thinking about how much I like it, but after seeing Janet's carrot ginger lime soup with candy potato hummus, I was offered. Chickpeas in soups and stews are always a consolation, and including hummus with a highly spiced kick truly imparted a silky and creamy texture that led to spoonfuls of natural bliss.

One the maximum attractive features of this recipe is that you might not want all of the hummus that you make for the soup itself, leaving you unfastened to bask in a wonderfully fresh tasting sweet and highly spiced hummus to be served with crackers, chopped veggies or little toasted breads. I'm no longer one to bitch approximately having hummus round for a few days!

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

More pleasant soups you could experience from Lisa's Kitchen:

Chickpea Vindaloo

Pumpkin and Carrot Split Lentil Soup

Urad Dal and Tomato Soup (Urad Tamatar Dal)

Cranberry Wild Rice Soup

On the pinnacle of the reading stack: the newspaper

Audio Accompaniment: A person disguised as people

Thai-Inspired Sweet Potato Kidney Bean Soup

Canadian winters are tough to undergo, specially ones like the current harsh iciness. Heavy blizzard, ice storms and long periods of extraordinarily bloodless temperatures have persisted into January throughout North America. Already I am tired of it and lengthy for sunshine and sandals. I warm up and take consolation with a bowl of soup. This hearty soup, or stew in case you please, combines the goodness of sweet potatoes and earthy, sturdy kidney beans, all simmered in a Thai-stimulated broth.

The lemongrass and galangal are I assume instead critical on this dish for a extra true Thai flavor, so in case you are fortunate enough to live near an Asian market, do take the little more time to are seeking for them out. The home made Thai red curry paste is likewise no longer to be overlooked ? It's smooth to make, completely vegetarian, and bursting with fresh taste. You could make up a small batch and preserve it inside the fridge for a great few weeks or longer in a tightly sealed glass jar.

More Thai creations from my kitchen you're certain to revel in:

Thai Coconut Soup with Mushrooms

Paneer Tomato Curry with Indian and Thai Flavors

Thai Green Curry Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Thai Red Curry Tempeh Soup

Aloo Mattar (Potato and Pea Curry)

Aloo mattar is a classic Punjabi dish inclusive of potatoes and inexperienced peas simmered in a highly spiced tomato gravy. Those are the primary additives of the dish, although spicing and instruction varies from cook dinner to prepare dinner. This is my trendy model of this dish that normally seems on most of the menus at the Indian eating places I have dined at. I don't order it as an awful lot as I would really like, as I am generally torn among it and mattar paneer. Although you can in no way get enough peas for my part, I generally turn out to be just ordering one or the opposite and then select different alternatives from the menu.

The amusing part is each of these dishes are smooth to put together at home, so you do not must wait until you dine out to revel in them. In reality, with some fundamental expertise of Indian delicacies and some staples reachable, you will be cooking up even finer curries than those determined at your local Indian restaurants. To complete the revel in, consider serving the curry with selfmade savory Indian flat breads, and a steaming warm bed of fresh cooked white rice.

I served this warming vegetable dish with savory rice and urad dal pancakes (dosas) for a complete and pleasing meal.

Notes: Adjust the water as necessary to achieve your desired consistency. I generally like my curries fairly thick, so I only used about 1 1/2 cups of water.

I chose now not to use garlic or onion this time, but you could upload some in case you desire. Add to the pan after the seeds are completed and stir and fry for a couple of minutes earlier than you upload the floor spices and other elements.

Other vegetable curries you're certain to revel in from Lisa's Kitchen:

Mushroom Masala (Succulent Mushrooms with Tomatoes and Spices)

Paneer and Mixed Vegetables in a Creamy Gravy

Mushroom Curry Simmered in a Fenugreek Cream Sauce with Green Peas

Aloo Gobi (Curried Cauliflower and Potatoes)

On the top of the reading stack: Bartleby by Herman Melville

Audio Accompaniment: Thom Brennan - Mist (album)

Southern-Style Eggplant and Potato Casserole with Chickpeas

I become by no means virtually crazy about eggplant till a few years ago, however now I regularly find myself attracted to recipes that show off this flexible vegetable. Although it doesn't have a good deal flavor in itself, it becomes spongy whilst cooked and fantastically absorbs aromatic spices and melds properly with the alternative components it's mixed with. Those that think they do not like eggplant are very probably to trade their thoughts after feasting on this casserole.

Essentially a vegetarian version of "Country Captain", a famous curried dish within the Southern states that usually contains chook and is served with rice, eggplant is here used in location of the fowl. The Indian influence is obvious. How could I withstand spiced up eggplant with loads of greens and chickpeas? Often made at the stovetop, this one is baked. As that is one of the coldest winters I can don't forget, I were searching out masses of excuses to turn at the oven in recent times.

I nearly decided to skip the almonds, because of laziness on my element, but I'm satisfied I did not, as they may be a perfect garnish for the casserole for textural and nutty comparison. I used my personal vibrant combo of curry powder. I endorse you attempt it as it's smooth to make and could preserve for an amazing few months in a nicely-sealed jar. I've also protected some homemade fiery curry paste, but this is optional. As a spice fiend, I introduced it for some more kick. Traditionally, Country Captain is served with rice, however I idea some nutty quinoa become a perfect replacement.

More dishes offering eggplant from Lisa's Kitchen:

Baked Eggplant Stuffed with Curried Vegetables

Eggplant Quinoa Bites with Pesto

Stuffed Eggplant Poriyal

Beet, Lentil and Vegetable Soup

There's not anything like a bowl of hot fresh cooked vegetable soup to comfort the soul and the body with a nourishing dose of nutrients and minerals. And this simple beet, potato and carrot soup does just the trick ? No fancy seasonings or strategies, simply the conventional flavors of winter root greens simmered with dried thyme and a bit paprika, with earthy green lentils delivered for a little protein improve. This is simply the soup to serve on a cold day or to a person who's convalescing from a iciness bloodless or flu. Hopefully extra salads can be performing on the desk soon, however for now, warming soups are nonetheless so as.

If your beets include fresh beet tops, chop them up and upload on the give up of the cooking time for a further burst of color, flavor and nourishment.

More wintry weather vegetable soups you will enjoy:

Hearty Lentil Borscht

Creamy Split Pea & Vegetable Soup

Curry-Laced Pumpkin and Potato Soup

Kale and Vegetable Soup

On the top of the reading stack: Taste of Tanzania: Modern Swahili Recipes for the West by Miriam R. Kinunda

Aloo Gobi with Chickpeas - A Twist on a Classic

While my standard model of aloo gobi needs little adornment, I could not resist including a few chickpeas to this traditional dish for a protein boost. An additional bonus is it helped fill out the meal ensuing in less cooking when I turned into feeling a piece sluggish and lazy.

Not that you might ever realize that laziness stimulated the advent of this vibrant dish that went so well with a aspect grain dish and some leftover soup as a starter. Full of highly spiced zest and substance from the greens and the legume, supplement the meal even further with a few selfmade dosa or different preferred Indian flatbread for a veritable banquet when you have the time, despite the fact that if served with basmati rice you will still have a perfectly balanced and nourishing meal.

More Indian vegetable dishes you are positive to revel in from Lisa's Kitchen:

Aloo Mattar (Potato and Pea Curry)

Cauliflower and Pea Curry

Chana Chaat (Tangy and Tart Chickpea Salad)

Indian-Spiced Squash, Pear and Adzuki Bean Soup with Lightly Braised Mixed Mushrooms

Indian-Style Potato and Pea Salad with Tamarind and Chat Masala

This potato salad is probably now not what a lot of us could think about whilst a potato salad makes its look on the dinner table. Often we envision Mom's well-known potato salad with eggs, mayonnaise and paprika, perhaps, and a few inexperienced onion. Don't get me incorrect ? I loved my Mom's classic potato salad and it become continually a favorite of mine. Potato salads can but be dressed up further and this one would possibly also be considered a form of candy potato and white potato hash with peas and spices. Tangy, highly spiced and barely candy, this dish is a welcome marvel with quite a few textures in every chew ? I am quite content to grace it with a salad label. It's vegan pleasant too.

Serve this one warm or chilled.

More potato salad recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you are positive to experience:

Pesto and Potato Egg Salad

Mexican-Style Potato Salad With Avocado and Jalape?O

Warm Baby Potato and Pea Salad

Potato and Green Bean Chaat Salad

I wasn't quite certain what to name this spiced up vegetable stir-fry, however it without a doubt is as a substitute like a dry side salad, so a salad it is. I cooked up a 3 path Indian meal and this delightful little dish made up the vegetable aspect of the dinner. It's pretty clean to make, and in case you want to shop time, roast or boil your potatoes the nighttime earlier than or within the morning before you certainly get all the way down to kitchen commercial enterprise.

Chaat — or chat — masala is essential in this dish, and can easily be made in your own kitchen (see this recipe here) or purchased from Indian grocery stores. Overall, this dish is rather mild on the heat side, making it a lovely and tempering accompaniment with some zesty flare to a spicy butter paneer masala. I also served a split mung and basmati rice kitcheree. It was a fine meal that was rather a homage to the culinary traditions of northern India.

This could be an awesome salad to take along for an outside outing because it incorporates no dairy and might not damage as fast inside the warm sun as many different potato salads do which might be dressed with mayonnaise or encompass cheese.

More spicy potato dishes you are positive to experience from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Bengali-Style Crunchy Potatoes

Indian-Style Potato and Pea Salad with Tamarind and Chat Masala

Samosa-Style Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Creamy Herbed Potato and Green Pea Salad

Spring is toddling into summer with faltering steps this year, however the respites of warm sunny climate alongside the manner bring to thoughts the comforts and pleasures of summer eating. Soups and hearty meals deliver way to salads and mild fare that can be transported to the patio, warming ingredients deliver way to clean plates, and dried and canned items provide manner to clean herbs and convey. This easy salad of steamed toddler potatoes, green peas and fresh herbs tossed in a creamy and colourful Dijon mustard dressing is simply the component to give you a taste of summer season consolation meals ? In particular if you may get your fingers of clean lawn peas, despite the fact that frozen peas can even make for a lovely salad.

The event for serving this dish become an opportunity to try some Nasoya vegan "nayonaise" that became sent to me to sample. Now I have a tendency to stay faraway from unfermented soya products typically, however I've in no way been overly keen on "conventional" jarred mayonnaise either and, thinking about how hardly ever I use mayonnaise in any case, I figured it turned into well worth a strive. First, I attempted it with my well-known vegetarian Caesar salad because it's a classic that I figured might be a truthful assessment of the unfold. Next, I desired a potato salad and used it inside the dressing with suitable consequences. Though it smelled a touch unexpected after I opened the jar, the flavor became mellow and pairs well with more potent flavors for a unbroken taste enjoy. My verdict is this is stands up properly to shop-offered canola-based totally mayo and it is vegan-pleasant and gluten-unfastened too, crafted from expeller-pressed oil and fortified with Omega three.

Note: I received complimentary samples of the Nayonaise for consideration. The opinions expressed here are my own and I am receiving no compensation for writing this post.

More potato salads you're certain to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:

Warm Baby Potato and Asparagus Salad

Potato Radish Salad

Mexican-Style Potato Salad with Avocado and Jalape?O

Potato Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Sweet Potato Roti

Indian flatbreads regularly make their look on my dinner table and simply I could eat them everyday, whenever of day. They are perfect for breakfast or brunch with some chutney and they're an ideal accompaniment to curries ? As I consume a variety of dal and vegetable curries, it is no surprise I crave savory breads along with those roti as often as I do. In this situation, I desired a wrap for some highly spiced jerk chickpeas and with the sweet potato filling in these flatbreads, the aggregate changed into best. Rotis are not simplest loved in India and in the course of Asia, however are also popular within the Caribbean. To my pleasure, the roti rolled up flawlessly without breaking apart. Feel loose to add greater spice to the breads in case you want to heat matters up further.

As with most unleavened savory Indian cr?Pes and flatbreads, these are definitely easy to make however the system is extra seamless when you have a helper in the kitchen even as frying up the breads. The rotis didn't take long in any respect to brown up and by the point I were given every other rolled out and geared up for the pan, I could have been strolling a quick marathon in the kitchen to preserve up the tempo. But a helper isn't always necessary, as you can roll out some in advance of time or take away the pan from the heat in short if you start to fall in the back of. Do maintain the dough and any rolled out rounds blanketed with a clean kitchen towel so that they do not dry out.

Other Indian flatbreads you're sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:

Besan Roti

Fenugreek Dosa

Fenugreek Chapatis

Paratha Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Potato

Potato and Chickpea Curry with Tomatoes and Tamarind

Nourishment would not get a lot higher than this. Chickpeas, potatoes and spices with a few sweetness from a touch of sugar and tamarind and a chunk of sourness from lemon and amchoor ? It is a pleasing dish to the eyes and tummy and one which I assume works nicely for an early summer dinner. It's smooth to put together and carried out in kind of forty minutes once you've got your potatoes and chickpeas cooked and equipped to move. The relaxation of the ingredients are staples that most cooks who experience Indian food are probable to have handy. This wealthy and rather complex curry will provoke your guests, leaving them with the impact that you spent an amazing while within the kitchen running your culinary magic.

Serve with Indian flatbreads for an entire and fulfilling meal to be enjoyed all 12 months round while the longing for chickpeas and potatoes with a spicy kick hits.

More chickpea curries you're certain to experience from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Spicy Chickpeas in a Tangy Tomato Glaze

Chickpea Vindaloo

Chana Saag (Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Chickpeas and Paneer in a Spicy Creamy Gravy

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Flatbreads

These simple sweet potato delights occupy a spot on the quickbread spectrum somewhere between a cracker and a rather dense flatbread, but with a wonderful flaky interior. Ideal for dipping into spreads or curries too, they were on the menu with some spicy hummus. Roasted sweet potato and a hint of Indian spices elevate these to one of my new favorite savory flatbreads. They are baked too, so no need to hover over a hot skillet cooking up each round individually. Especially if you roast the sweet potato beforehand, these are easy to make and take very little time to come together. A cross between a roti and a paratha? You decide. Toss in your favorite spices or seeds or keep it simple with minimal seasoning — either way enjoy as a side for any meal or just snack on them. They are that good.

Other flatbreads you are sure to revel in from Lisa's Kitchen:

Paratha Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Potato

Sweet Potato Roti

Fenugreek Chapatis

Off and On the Trail Bannock

On the top of the reading stack: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

Audio Accompaniment: the ceiling fan