Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

For the past few years I have cultivated greens and herbs in my outside. This 12 months, with cautious attention to watering because we've had a dry summer time here in Ontario, I ended up with a treasure trove of clean produce.

Fresh herbs are optimal in most dishes, and it's far one of these pleasure to exit some steps and choose simply what you need rather of purchasing a large bunch of herbs from the market, most of that you understand will possibly go to waste. Why is it often so tough to discover portions that are doable? I detest losing meals. Really, for maximum dishes do we in reality require a bushel of dill, cilantro or parsley? As it does not maintain for all that long in the fridge, into the bin it lamentably goes once in a while. I certainly do not have the distance to dry it out, nor do I actually have room to develop herbs indoors at some stage in the iciness as my houseplants have taken over the place, and I stay with a cat except.

Another pride is an abundance of clean hot peppers. Spicy meals are so frequently on the menu in my home, and chilies are a must. The ones from the lawn are so clean, juicy and superior in flavor, and I do not have to pass hunting round for the sorts that % simply the right amount of warmth or force to the closest Indian marketplace to get those lovely little inexperienced chilies.

This brings me to my subsequent favourite part of this summer's harvest: clean tomatoes, and masses of them! In the beyond, I have not had tons success with developing tomatoes, but after taking some advice from my Dad's girlfriend I planted a range called Early Girl tomatoes. These brilliant crimson meaty tomatoes start early and grow properly in the course of the season. It is now the start of September and there are nevertheless lovable tomatoes growing at the vine. I've given a few to buddies, made them into a whole lot of dishes, eaten them sliced up with a chunk of fresh cracked black pepper, and roasted them within the oven. This time, I desired to lead them to shine and crammed them with a mixture of quinoa, cornmeal for a bit of crunch, warm lawn peppers and spice for a chunk of a kick, black olives, and a generous supporting of clean herbs.

These make for a tremendous appetizer, or flip them right into a mild meal served with a heat goat cheese salad on toasted bread with pesto. A colorful and delicious tribute to the waning days of out of doors summer dining.

Tip: If you keep your tomatoes in the refrigerator, take them out an hour or two before making ready your dish as this may make it less complicated to dispose of the seeds and pulp.

More filled goodness from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Quinoa

Stuffed Mushrooms with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Olives

Samosa-Style Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers with Goat's Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes

On the top of the reading stack: Mediterranean Harvest: Vegetarian Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine by Martha Rose Shulman

Audio Accompaniment: Marko Furstenberg - Espenhain

Urad Dal with Spices

Complicated dishes can grace any table, but such fashionable and simple but flavorful dal dishes which include this urad dal dish with spices are a really perfect solution when you are pressed for time however need to make certain your family is well-nourished. Pleasing to the attention and palate, serve with a rice dish or Indian flatbread and any vegetable facet dish for a whole meal.

This recipe makes use of cut up urad dal with out skins. These versatile mild flavored beans, while cooked in curries soak up the flavors of the spices and greens. They have to be rinsed well and are regularly fried with out soaking or cooking ahead in aggregate with aromatic seeds and spices for tempering vegetable curries. The opportunities are as countless because the imagination of the cook.

If oil is used rather than butter or ghee, this dish is vegan pleasant.

Other Urad Dal dishes from Lisa's vegetarian kitchen you're certain to experience:

Urad Dal with Tomatoes

Urad Dal with Toor Dal and Spinach and Parsley

Wild Mushroom and Paneer Pilaf with Urad Dal

Urad Dal with Fresh Fenugreek

On the top of the reading stack: Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking by Raghavan Iyer

Audio Accompaniment: Paul Kalkbrenner

Spicy Tamarind and Channa Risotto Kitcheree

As a diner I love the creamy and toothsome texture of risottos. And as a prepare dinner, I love the countless creativity that may be implemented to the making of them. A risotto is essentially a clean canvas on which to color your favorite flavors, Italian-themed or in any other case, making this a super vehicle for fusion-style cooking ? There are even dessert risottos obtainable.

I've had some super successes with risottos earlier than, but this is my first Indian-style model.

I used a number of the conventional tastes of Indian cooking on this risotto, cooking the rice in a warm tamarind vegetable inventory and seasoning it with a fave aggregate of spices and fried seeds, which include the usage of nigella and fennel seeds to offer the risotto a lovable onion-and-anise fragrance. A sector a part of channa dal or break up yellow peas lends an earthiness that balances the various warmness and perfume of the seeds and spices as well as the beauty of the rice, and makes this risotto essentially an unconventional type of "khichari" or kitcheree ? The conventional Indian rice and dal one-pot comfort food.

The dal or cut up peas also provide a protein element to the dish, making this risotto kitchari an attractive choice for a complete light and simple dinner if served with a side salad or veggies. It's also a vegan-pleasant meal in case you use oil instead of ghee to fry the spices.

Nigella seeds, additionally called kalonji or black onion seeds, are effortlessly discovered in any Indian grocer, as are channa dal, tamarind paste or dried tamarind pulp.

Other risotto or rice dishes you could experience:

Simple Chana Dal, Dill and Tomato Khichri

Pilau Rice with Nuts and Seeds

Spicy Azuki Bean Risotto

On the top of the reading stack: The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour by Kim O'Donnel

Audio Accompaniment: Off The Sky - Nonlinear Surface Tensions / Mileece's Reduction (Studies Of Lifeform In Transit)

Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste

The same standards that practice to creating your own spice blends at home similarly follow to homemade pastes, chutneys and sauces. Jarred and/or canned varieties to be had at your neighborhood marketplace lack the freshness and flare that you could without difficulty attain by means of making your own staples at home. Certainly every other advantage is you have got total manipulate over the amount and excellent of the components used. The system is less complicated than you may initially assume ? Specifically if your kitchen is stocked with a spice grinder or food processor ? And if saved in tightly sealed jars, spice blends will stay fresh for months on quit, even as maximum pastes, chutneys and sauces will keep well in the fridge for some weeks or longer.

As I am exploring Thai cooking in extra depth these days, it appears crucial that I have some sparkling curry pastes available as they are an vital addition to such a lot of Thai dishes. Many of the economic ready-made Thai curry pastes which you discover on grocery keep shelves contain fish sauce making them incorrect for vegetarians and vegans, so there may be a further incentive to make your own. In addition to Thai inexperienced curry paste, this crimson curry paste is now a frequent occupant on the second floor of my refrigerator. Used sparingly, your soups, sauces and curries will benefit from the lingering sensation of hot chilies, clean galangal or ginger, and lemongrass. Those with passionate palates may also workout much less restraint for a greater febrile experience.

More pastes you are are positive to experience from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Homemade Massaman Curry Paste

Homemade Thai Green Curry Paste

Red Chili and Vinegar Paste

Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Paste

Thai Mushroom Soup with Coconut

I'm wild approximately mushrooms of any variety, dried or fresh, and that they seem on my dinner desk at least once every week in a few form or different. I adore them so much that I often cut up greater than I want for my dish due to the fact I cannot assist myself from nibbling on them for the duration of meal prep. The meaty texture of mushrooms provide limitless possibilities for cooks. They shine on their own pan fried with spices and seasonings, and are a vital a part of many soups and stews, salads, tapas, egg dishes, pasta and pizza, sauces and endless other dishes that grace our dining table.

There is a fall sit back inside the air that stimulates the yearning for a steaming bowl of nourishing soup. Of route, a mushroom soup got here to thoughts. Yet another excuse to consist of mushrooms at the menu, as if I clearly wished one. Tender chunks of mushrooms are combined with the delicate yet extraordinary taste of coconut milk. This elegant Thai soup is light, earthy however colourful at the same time due to the complimentary addition of Thai inexperienced curry paste, salty tamari, a touch of sweetness from the jaggery and the zing of clean lemon juice. This highly-priced layering of flavors is to be savored, one superb spoonful at a time.

Any aggregate of mushrooms will work quality for this recipe, so use what is without difficulty to be had. You may also use canned coconut milk, however here my favorite method of soaking dried coconut and draining it makes for an in particular attractive and aromatic broth that stimulates the palate. Use your own selfmade green curry paste if feasible as pre-prepared commercial sorts discovered at your neighborhood grocer faded in evaluation.

Other Thai dishes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Thai Coconut Mango Salad

Simple Green Curry and Corn Soup

Massaman Curry with Paneer Cheese

Hot and Sour Thai Mushroom Soup with Nam Prik Pow

On the top of the reading stack: Betty Crocker Indian Home Cooking by Raghavan Iyer

Audio Accompaniment: light breeze outside my window

Thai Red Curry Tempeh Soup

My hope of a really hot summer time morphing into a pleasing heat and sunny fall certainly hasn't come about, and that has me speeding round the kitchen to generate some warmth. As nothing can quite suit the soothing feeling of mouthfuls of steaming hot soup regularly warming your frame from head to toe, the notion of a bowl with a few greater highly spiced flair mixed with the comforting goodness of autumn vegetables quickly have become a reality.

This Thai pink curry soup is stylish and exceptionally light regardless of the addition of earthy greens and crispy pieces of meaty tempeh. I especially like the creamy coconut broth made with home made Thai pink curry paste that serves as a base for lightly cooked vegetables. The coconut milk tempers the spices in a subtle way that lets in the sensuous warmth of the curry to shine. You may desire to lessen the quantity of tempeh used to your soup, and that's okay, because the marinated and fried tempeh is delicious for snacking on, so move in advance and fry up the complete package deal besides. You can munch at the tempeh as an appetizer in anticipation of the next route. You may additionally of course leave out the tempeh altogether for a lighter model of this dish even though I personally loved the chewy texture it imparts to the complete culinary revel in.

This soup made a superbly satisfying and balanced dinner, specially whilst served alongside a bed of piping hot white rice. An introduced bonus is that this soup makes desirable use of any leftover quick-cooking greens that may be pining away on your fridge.

While preparing this soup, special attention ought to be paid to the depth of the crimson curry paste that you are the usage of. Taste a wee little bit of the paste to get a feel of what it is going to contribute to the dish. Remember, you could usually upload greater close to the stop of the cooking time, but in case you upload too much proper initially, your palate would possibly burst into flames.

More fascinating tempeh recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen with the intention to be sure to thrill:

Oseng Oseng Tempe

Thai Tempeh Patties with a Red Chili Dipping Sauce

Baked Tempeh & Japonica Rice Casserole

Tempeh Breakfast Hash-Up

Tempeh Stuffed Mushroom Tapas

Food is a important function of quite a good deal any excursion amassing that I can think about, and this is specially genuine of wintry weather celebrations. Not best can we need to consume, but we adore to devour, and us chefs generally tend to get more creative and formidable with our culinary services on special occasions.

Unfortunately, vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike are all too acquainted with the frustrations of vacation gatherings precisely because of the valuable position meals performs at such times. Winter holiday gatherings and meals are traditionally dominated via meat, fowl and fish, and consequently our extra carnivorous family and buddies serve up food without a know-how of what makes for balanced, filling and scrumptious vegan and vegetarian fare, apprehensive due to the fact they want us to experience the culinary factor of the festive occasion as a good deal as they do. Similarly, even skilled vegan and vegetarian chefs preparing the majority of the vacation spread wish they could provide sufficient dishes to fulfill the urge for food and stimulate the palates of all their diners, mainly if neither meat nor seafood is served.

You can imagine my delight then when I was contacted by Zel Allen who offered me a complimentary copy of her new book, Vegan for the Holidays: Celebration Feasts for Thanksgiving through New Year's Day . I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years and have learned to adapt and often make much of the food for family dinners enjoyed by carnivores as much as by the vegetarians present. But you never can have enough recipe ideas, and the unique charm of this book is that it is specifically designed for special occasions with recipes free of all animal products.

Ms. Allen remains actual to the flavors and pairings historically associated with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year celebrations. Between the covers you'll discover particular, stylish and regularly formidable recipes of varying complexity for appetizers, starters, graceful consolation foods, sensuous mains and facets, irresistible cakes and treats, or even liquids to fit the event. The modern services are made with ingredients which can be reachable to most chefs and you may be pleasantly surprised how clean and easy the recipes are to prepare. The grace and difference that characterizes each dish will depart each person glad. Equally critical is that the food is supplied so that it will wholesome consuming, so that you need not sense too responsible in case you discover your self over-indulging. This is a e-book in an effort to have you counting your blessings as opposed to your calories.

After flipping via the pages, my appetite stimulated, I simply had to begin cooking right away.

Mushroom gourmet that I am, the first dish I tried was tempeh bacon crammed mushrooms. Of course, this is a vegan recipe, so there's no actual bacon protected. I tailored the recipe due to the fact I experience gambling with special taste combos and textures. Ms. Allen without a doubt appears to enjoy doing the identical.

I fried tempeh strips in oil sprinkled with smoky chipotle powder till crispy in preference to using tempeh bacon, substituted quinoa for the bread cubes, and spiced it up further to attain a smoky taste with the rather liberal use of the chipotle powder in the stuffing too. In addition, I came up with a light salad dressing for the leaves that line the plates.

The recipe for those luscious little tapas appears in the New Year birthday celebration chapter of the book but I assume they would be a welcome treat for any event. Serve as appetizer or as a characteristic on a tapas platter. Myself, I ought to easily devour a good few of those for dinner, all by myself, and are available away from the table pretty glad.

Then I was intrigued and tempted via Santa's favored panforte. This nut and dried fruit chunky, sweet and chewy treat is distinctly addictive ? I could barely manipulate the urge to devour a range of small squares at one sitting.

Now I am eager to try a number of the impressive vegetable dishes and full-size mains further to extra starters, little bites and tempting desserts. Topping the entr?E listing are pistachio and sweet pea torte with roasted-tomato a?Oli, savory lentil terrine with mushroom-wine sauce, savory chickpea Yule log and shiitake tornadoes in cashew cream sauce. Glazed beets in maple-balsamic sauce and chestnut-smothered brussels sprouts are appealing sounding facet greens dishes and also you could not go incorrect with wild rice and chestnut pilaf or curried pumpkin-peanut soup. My listing of appetizers and starters to make is already quite substantial, and I'm intrigued by means of a recipe for selfmade Parmesan cheese made with almonds and tense to strive some of the vegan pastries.

Though all of the recipes are vegan, vegetarians ought to adapt a number of them to include dairy. But vegetarian that I am, after take a look at tasting some of the recipes, I don't suppose you will sense the want to do so.

Vegan for the Holidays is a festive guide to help you create your own special meals that will be sure to impress everyone present. Vegans surely won't be disappointed, carnivores won't miss the meat, and vegetarians won't miss their dairy. Ms. Allen certainly demonstrates that vegan food is far from boring. I will be cooking from this book all year long, no matter the occasion. Don't be surprised if your non-vegan friends start asking you for recipes after trying some of the fare.

You can purchase a copy from the author's website or through Amazon .

The critiques expressed here are my very own. I am no longer affiliated with the author nor her writer.

Sweet Fried Plantains and Coconut-Peanut Butter Sauce

In the past year or so I've made a bit sport of on occasion picking up veggies or end result I've never eaten before and giving them a whirl in the kitchen, from time to time from the suggestions of readers, other instances out of easy curiosity after passing them within the market aisles. Bottle gourds, sour melons and mustard greens have all made an impression on me on this fashion, and it's constantly worthwhile to feature new reports and views.

This time a couple of plantains made it into the basket for the primary time. Large and thick-skinned banana cultivars, the starchiness, lower sugar content and greater neutral flavor of inexperienced unripe plantains makes them a staple cooking vegetable in plenty of the arena, in place of the soft and candy bananas we usually eat here in North America.

But my plantains have been ripe, which means that that lots of their starch content material have been transformed to sugar ? Still much less candy and milder than a banana, they're nonetheless not very appealing to devour on their own. But frying slices of ripe plantain in hot oil is a famous deal with in important America, that is what I did. As the slices turn a rich reddish-brown, the sugar caramelizes and the corporation flesh within the candy crunchy exterior softens into a mellow, barely banana-y and soften-in-your-mouth creamy filling. They're lovely to examine, and astonishingly tasty with out being too sweet. Dressed with a easy coconut milk and peanut butter sauce, those candy fried plantains are a lovable, short and clean treat.

Select ripe plantains for this snack ? Green plantains will flavor bland and experience starchy within the mouth. You can inform while plantains are ripe while they may be yellow with darkish splotches and yield to touch.

Other quick and clean fruit treats you may revel in:

Apricot Rum Fritters

Cream Cheese and Caramel Strawberry Dip

Red Fruit Salad

Quinoa Soup with Beets and Fresh Dill

Beets and quinoa integrate perfectly right here with clean dill on this hearty bowl of warming soup this is perfectly suited for autumn. Surely the energetic colours and depth of flavor would make this a adorable soup to begin a special meal, as an instance Thanksgiving, that is quick approaching here in Canada. Earthy, with a slight nuttiness from the quinoa, and a diffused hint of warmth from the peppers and spice, this velvety bowl of goodness is packed complete of vitamins and smooth to put together except. After only some spoonfuls, you'll be convinced that simplicity is often the key to a gourmand starter or side. Serve piping hot to warm your ft, even though it will taste simply as exact close to room temperature.

More earthy beet recipes you're certain to revel in from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Beetroot Rasam

Beet, Orange, Olive Salad with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Shredded Beet and Dill, Coconut Salad

Beet and Feta Salad Dressed with Honey, Balsamic Vinegar and Oregano

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

A as a substitute new to me idea within the kitchen is which include fruit in soups intended to be served as a part of a main direction meal. Though I have been cooking for years and experimenting with various strategies, substances and mixtures, fruit in a savory soup just did not appear right. Much like my preliminary aversion to eggplant, a touch studies and trying out ended in combinations that have graced and maintain to grace my desk. The reactions of my visitors verify my own new evaluation of such soups, like this one employing the usage of nourishing seasonal squash and pears, in addition to a preceding favorite, pear soup with homemade raspberry sorbet.

Squash is evidently sweet, especially whilst roasted to honestly bring out that goodness that pairs so well with a variety of spice combos and, in this situation, some beans and pears. No extra sweetener wished here. This stylish side is more filling than you might suppose and served with a rustic brief bread for dinner, you without problems have a complete meal. Everyone present became satisfied for hours, actually.

More adzuki bean recipes you're certain to revel in from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Adzuki Croquettes and Spicy Sesame Sauce

Spicy Adzuki Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Yunnan Stir-Fried Azuki Beans and Green Pepper

On the top of the reading stack: 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra

Audio Accompaniment: Lazy Sunday Funerals through Marsen Jules

Spicy Homemade Hummus Pizza

Pizza. It's natural comfort meals and occasionally not anything else can quite satisfy those decadent past due night time cravings. If you show up to stay in the town or a first rate sized town, you could select up the smartphone and feature a pizza added to your door in approximately an hour almost every time of day.

At the equal time, not anything compares to selfmade pizza. Think of that dough as a blank canvas to be embellished with combos of your own making. Dispense with tomato sauce possibly, pass over the cheese altogether or maybe turn out a dessert pizza.

Inspired through the success of my as an alternative connoisseur homemade olive tapenade pizza, the concept of a hummus pizza without delay came to thoughts. Thick creamy hummus is a great accompaniment to crusty breads and crackers, so why not spread a pizza crust with a few homemade hummus and pinnacle with a number of your favored toppings?

What follows is a primary chronicle of what I did. If you want to cut corners, you could of direction use pre-organized hummus and pizza crust, even though the reason I am imparting my recommendations here is to help you recreate a unique and healthful revel in for your very own kitchen, time allowing.

In terms of taste, I wanted a hummus that had a chunk of smoky taste with a few goodness of tomatoes that we are so often used to taking part in on pizza crust. I made my own hummus, the usage of my recipe for solar-dried tomato and olive hummus with goat cheese as a base, after consulting every other favorite, roasted purple pepper hummus, and melding the 2 collectively. I not noted the cheese, made positive to encompass roasted purple peppers, tossed in some chipotle spice, and just blended and coupled some of the flavors from each recipe. I made a complete batch of hummus, that's high-quality, because you can make more than one pizza or shop the relaxation for snacking on with vegetables and gently toasted pita triangles or flat breads the following day.

The dough recipe, reproduced right here, is the equal I used for the tapenade pizza. I had leftover dough as it makes sufficient for two 12-inch pizzas ? I most effective wished sufficient dough for one pizza that day, so wrapped the remainder in plastic wrap and popped it inside the freezer. The dough does freeze properly, I can now say, and how available to have homemade dough accessible while you want to come up with a conventional or no longer-so-conventional pizza. Just make certain to allow the dough thaw inside the fridge for a couple of days before the usage of or at room temperature for some hours.

The toppings for my hummus pizza are simply hints. Depending on the form of hummus you use as a base, this might change your choice of elements. Feel unfastened to play with anything flavors tickle your palate. If you want a vegan version of this pizza, sincerely leave out the cheese. I became instead sparing with it myself due to the fact the hummus clearly adds pretty a chunk of flare and substance to this filling pizza.

More scrumptious pizza recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Paneer Tikka Pizza on Naan Bread

Mini Toasted English Muffin Pizzas

Mushroom, Ricotta and Asiago Cheese Pizza

Chickpea Flour (Besan) Crêpes with Spinach

A genuine feast can easily enough be an elegant combination of humble ingredients that come together to satisfy not only your palate but also an eager rumbling tummy. My frequent experiments with Indian shallow-fried flat breads certainly illustrates the truth of my impressions here, and if you don't think these lovely, fragrant and lightly spiced chickpea flour crêpes served with a refreshing homemade cashew chutney would qualify as a fine dining experience any time of day, then just give these little beauties a try and see if you don't change your mind. Serve them along with a bed of hot steaming basmati rice and, if enjoying for lunch or dinner, a nice spicy dal.

I was especially delighted and surprised with the dense, chewy and egg-like consistency and texture of these crêpes despite the fact that they contain no dairy whatsoever. An extra bonus is these Indian pancakes are also gluten-free. The uncooked salted spinach, once fried as a "topping" for the crêpe, adds a further crispy component to this array of culinary layers. The alchemy was going well in the kitchen the day I made up a batch and I couldn't even wait until the frying was done before I started nibbling on the first one just warm and fragrant out of the pan. Oh well, I was home alone at the time.

These make for a great breakfast too, and because they are so easy to prepare — especially if you use two skillets to cut down on the time spent in front of the stove — you can also treat yourself to a midweek breakfast that, despite the ease of preparation, is rather a lot fancier than what we are often accustomed to when we sit down to a midweek breakfast.

Not a must, but recommended for inclusion in the crêpe batter is a teaspoon or so of what I affectionately term "fire paste" or, if you prefer, red chili and vinegar paste. I always have some on hand in the refrigerator as it keeps for a good few weeks. It's perfect for adding to soups, sauces and so many other delights made up on your range if you want some extra kick. Just take care to taste your particular batch before incorporating into your creations as you don't want to overpower the other flavors present. If you don't happen to have fire paste on hand when the craving hits, then sprinkle in some of your favorite spices that are included in the blend, such as turmeric, chili powder, ground cumin, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne or whatever else strikes your fancy from the list. Explore your spice blends and pastes and come up with a multitude of chickpea flour crêpes to stimulate and satisfy your palate.

Warning: these are highly addictive, so feel free to double or triple the batch. Any leftovers wrapped in foil wrap and heated in the oven the next day at a low temperature are just as appealing as the day they hatched from the skillet — of course, that is assuming you have any leftovers once your eager diners are invited to the table for the experience. You may also wish to keep a batch of these a closely guarded secret when you anticipate you will be eating alone.

More Indian breads and pancakes from Lisa's Vegetarian kitchen to keep your obsessive palate happy:

Fenugreek Roti

Indian Lentil and Rice Pancakes

Paratha Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Potato

Makki Di Roti (Griddle Cooked Corn Bread)

Roasted Butternut Squash & Cannellini Bean Soup with Spices and Toasted Pistachios

Local squashes and pumpkins are in season now, and I like to inventory the pantry cabinets with a small collection of those attractive gourds ? They keep see you later, and it's just someway comforting to have them round just in case you need to make easy cold climate vegetable fare like this colorful, nourishing and gently spiced soup. Roasting the butternut squash earlier than including to the soup enhances the flavor of the sweet orange flesh in place of turning it bland and watery, and the addition of pur?Ed cannellini beans lends heartiness and creaminess. And a scattering of crunchy toasted pistachio pieces is the right taste and texture end within the mouth at the cease of a spoonful.

Other fall and iciness soups from my kitchen:

Cranberry Wild Rice Soup

Red Bean and Squash Soup

Split Pea and Mushroom Soup

Curry-Laced Pumpkin and Potato Soup

Lentil Dumplings Simmered in a Sweet Tamarind Sauce

This fragrant and elegant dish truly desires no problematic creation and I suppose your keen taste buds will agree. To me, that is pure comfort meals, especially when served as a part of a fancy spread. These stimulating and succulent lentil dumplings smothered in a sweet and spicy tamarind gravy as the centerpiece of a unique Indian-themed vegetarian menu are an ideal choice, however truly I could consume those for breakfast, lunch AND dinner, just as is.

For my unique Indian dinner, I served this dish with highly spiced green beans, Indian Mulligatawny soup, saffron rice and, for dessert, nicely, manifestly not a traditional quit to an Indian meal, however my blueberry goat cheese pie which regarded just right all the same. If you've got the time, consider serving stacks of steaming hot savory Indian flatbreads with the meal too.

I've adapted this recipe somewhat from Raghavan Iyer who has for the past few years greatly influenced my approach to Indian cooking. I am a proud owner of three of his informative books. 660 Curries continues to occupy a special place on my shelf and snuggled up next to it is Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking , from which this recipe has been slightly adapted, and a lovely copy of The Turmeric Trail . Mr. Iyer's recipes are based on traditional Indian creations from all over the continent. Combined with helpful and detailed information about pantry basics, culinary traditions and easy to follow instructions, it is always a pleasure to cook from his books; of course, once the dishes you are making are complete, an absolutely exquisite meal awaits. Regrettably, I am not able to pull up a chair at Mr. Iyer's table, but the next best thing is to have a treasure trove of tried and tested recipes at my fingertips to inspire my own culinary efforts.

Included in this dish is sambar powder and I always have a few reachable because this aromatic spice aggregate mainly famous in South India is a terrific addition to not handiest sambars, but rasams and some other curry dish that you need to boost with a unique contact. It's clean to locate in any Indian grocer, however the selfmade recipe which I have protected under keeps properly for months in a sealed jar stored in a cool, dry vicinity. If you do not have sambar powder available, you can use curry powder alternatively or a aggregate of your preferred spices for the sauce.

More recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen proposing dumplings:

Chickpea Flour Dumplings in a Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Ricotta Dumplings Smothered in Mushroom Sauce

Split Pea Cilantro Dumplings in a Coconut Curry

On the top of the studying stack: South Indian cookbooks

Audio accompaniment: Carbon Based Lifeforms - World of Sleepers

Spicy Kidney Bean and Chickpea Stew

As cooler temperatures begin to succeed and mind flip in the direction of the approaching winter months, a steaming bowl of this thick, hearty and nourishing kidney bean and chickpea stew brings warm temperature and luxury to body and thoughts. Seasoned with a terrific array of Indian seeds and spices, the aromas of this smooth-to-make stew because it simmers on the range will help you neglect the relax of the wind outside your kitchen window. This is a unique treat for legume enthusiasts as each chickpeas and meaty kidney beans are featured right here.

Panch phoran ? Or panch phoron or Bengali five-spice as it's also known ? Is a bittersweet and aromatic combination of seeds generally utilized in east India and Bangladesh wherein it is fried in hot oil till it "pops" and used to season dals like this one. You can without problems locate it at any Indian grocer, however it is so clean to make at home because it consists of most effective fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds in identical quantities, with out requiring any roasting or grinding. Make a small batch of panch phoran for this stew and shop the closing component for months in an airtight container. Bring it out again every time you need to a short, simple and delicious seasoning for potatoes.

More chili and stew recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you are certain to revel in:

Vegetarian Three Bean Chili with a Cashew-Pistachio Sauce

Indian-Style Smoky Black Bean Chili

Mixed Bean Indian Stew

Spicy Lentil Indian Stew

Portobello Quinoa Stuffed "Sandwich"

Or salad in case you select, these marinated portobello mushrooms packed with a dressed-up quinoa stuffing make for a exceptionally clean and wholesome dinner idea. On the plate are a few of my favorite things. I've never met a mushroom I should resist, and broiling the mushrooms in reality bring out their "meaty" texture. Quinoa provides more goodness and texture to the sandwich and I had to restrain myself from eating greater than this type of filling delights due to the fact I adore mushrooms and quinoa that a lot.

Note: the measures here are approximate as it depends on the size of your mushrooms and the quantity of quinoa which you desire to encompass. Serve as open confronted sandwiches if desired. This is also an superb way to deplete any leftover quinoa and, of path, some other excuse to adorn your plate with amazing mushrooms.

Other mushroom dishes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Curried Black-Eyed Peas with Dried Mushrooms

Mushroom Cheddar Cheese Toasts

Mushroom Curry Simmered in a Fenugreek Cream Sauce with Green Peas

Mushroom Nut Loaf in Puff Pastry

Indian-Style Roasted Squash Curry

Making appropriate use of seasonal vegetables is an important element of my culinary adventures. Squash is my cutting-edge fetish and for some reason, in the past, I even have alternatively left out this wholesome and flexible veggie. Funny that as my brother, who used to eat no extra than about 5 or 6 different things as a toddler and could experience potatoes but infrequently some other vegetable ? Pretty literally ? Surely took to squash whilst he improved his repertoire of "suitable for eating" food. Myself, I become no longer surely a choosy eater besides while it came to meat and fish, so I bet it's miles no wonder that I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years now.

Squash is not best true for you, however unexpected filling too, greater so than most vegetables that seem on my desk. Most lately I were making soups with squash however this time around I desired a alternatively dry hot curry squash dish to serve with a mattress of rice and green peas. The only factor lacking for this meal changed into a few savory flatbreads that I did no longer get round to making. Do don't forget the usage of candy dumpling squash if you can find it. Now a fave of mine, it tastes lots like pumpkin, more than maximum squashes I even have attempted.

Roasting the squash enables preserve the nutrients and brings out the natural sweetness. You may additionally even desire to apply a pumpkin in place of the squash varieties I endorse right here as this curry might turn out simply as properly.

More delightful squash recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Roasted Butternut Squash & Cannellini Bean Soup with Spices and Toasted Pistachios

White Bean and Mushroom Soup with Butternut Squash and Kale

Butternut Squash Sambar

Roasted Butternut Squash and Herbed Cannellini and Artichokes with Fennel and Parsley Salad