Greek-Style Cauliflower Gratin with Feta and Olives

In my quest to contain greens greater regularly into my meal making plans, cauliflower has been taking a distinguished function currently. Apart from the delightfully sweet and earthy taste and crunch of fresh cauliflower, it is a wonderfully flexible vegetable which could megastar with so many different sturdy-flavored elements and in such a lot of unique cuisines.

Indian curries have lengthy been amongst my favored approaches to characteristic cauliflower, however I've got to say now that Greek flavors are some other preferred candidate.

It could be my weak spot for properly great sheep milk feta cheese and Kalamata olives, however baking gently steamed cauliflower and olives in a tangy herbed tomato sauce topped with browned feta cheese and bread crumbs was any such winning aggregate not most effective for me but additionally for my husband and best buddy Basil that I ended up making it two times in short succession. It's that good, and disappeared quick on each occasions.

This is also a wonderful facet to keep in mind whilst you need or desire to make things up in advance of time, because everything can be assembled in the casserole dish and left for hours on the counter or within the refrigerator before baking. I have a sense that crumbled gentle goat cheese could paintings well inside the topping as nicely in preference to feta cheese (simply upload more salt to the casserole if so). But whether you use feta or goat cheese, the important thing as continually is to pick top high-quality components. Inferior olives and cheese will simply mute the opposite flavors rather than enhancing them.

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

Broccoli Cauliflower Mornay

Cauliflower & Olive Salad

Cauliflower and Green Pea Curry

Curried Cauliflower and Black-eyed Pea Soup

Mixed Vegetable Coconut Curry

Black-Eyed Peas with Tamarind and Coconut Milk

Perhaps it's miles the promise of spring and the few days of sunshine that actually shouldn't be taken for granted after this sort of long and gloomy iciness, as I've been stimulated of overdue. Apart from organizing a few piles and litter which have gathered around the apartment over the months, I've been spending hours targeted around the kitchen, developing and checking out recipes and trying to document them in a well timed way right here on this area. Mind you, I'm effortlessly distracted on the great of instances, and hotter weather isn't going to assist that. Documenting my dishes is at times a daily war and, with a limited amount of hours in a day, I manage my similarly constrained attention span as fine I can.

Without similarly ado, my modern-day offering is this smooth but most flavorful black-eyed pea dish. Cooking would not need to be an all-afternoon affair to provide something nourishing and vibrant for dinner. Serve with a easy lemon rice and a side vegetable dish for a meal a good way to be at the desk in hardly whenever at all and wolfed in tons much less time than that, although it really need to be savored, each delectable bite at a time.

Earthy black-eyed peas are one in all my favored legumes to use in spiced up tomato-based totally curries. This time but, I became feeding my seemingly insatiable longing for something coconut, so as opposed to a predominately tomato-primarily based sauce, right here the tomatoes combine with coconut milk and tamarind resulting in a creamy and highly spiced southern Indian style tamarind gravy that envelops the tender peas in a dynamic embody.

In addition to the goodness that these delights upload to any quantity of dishes, any other advantage of cooking with black-eyed peas is they take hardly any time at all to cook, and even though I commonly soak them overnight, you can escape with a shorter soaking time with out including too much onto the total cooking time.

More black-eyed pea recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Black Tea and Gingered Black-Eyed Peas

Cinnamon Spiked Black-Eyed Pea Curry

Turkish Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Pomegranate, Walnuts and Zahtar Dressing

Curried Cauliflower and Black-Eyed Pea Soup

On the pinnacle of the studying stack: diverse distractions

Audio Accompaniment: Suduaya

Vegan Rosemary Mushroom Brown Rice "Risotto"

When I think about risotto, I usually think of a creamy rice dish with an detail of melted cheese. Often Parmesan functions in my risottos, but this one is completely dairy-free ? Now not that you could are aware of it. Try serving it to dinner guests and notice if they notice that the cheese stayed inside the refrigerator for another day.

Though I cooked this dish up, while enjoying it for dinner, I nearly forgot that Parmesan become absent within the risotto, but the absence become now not missed. This isn't the most effective event I even have made risotto with out cheese or dairy.

Coconut milk and mushrooms upload creaminess to the dish and the almond milk provides a pleasant nutty undertone. Earthy, with a chunk of zest, the rice is cooked until al dente as it should be in conventional risottos. An delivered bonus making risotto the use of this method is you do not need to stand over the stove for half-hour, adding bits of heated stock at a time. Simply permit it simmer away until most of the liquid is reduced and serve.

I tailored this recipe from Janet of The Taste Space. Her vegan creations in no way fail to encourage. Often they have an ethnic twist and lots of traditional dishes that feature meat or dairy are transformed with perfection in her kitchen to fit her vegan eating regimen. If you haven't been following Janet's cooking escapades, I urge you to drop with the aid of and have a look around. You may not be dissatisfied with her sincere and creative recipes that you'll be eagerly serving up in your very own kitchen.

More vegan-friendly risottos you may enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Spicy Tamarind and Channa Risotto Kitcheree

Spicy Adzuki Bean Risotto

Miso Mushroom Risotto

Indian-Style Coleslaw

Although I enjoy cabbage, I do locate that one head is regularly extra than I really need for my immediately menu plans until I need to serve cabbage for an entire week or longer ? And generally that is now not the case, as I desire a wide form of meals. Thankfully, cabbage keeps properly, so it is not frequently that it goes to waste. I cannot always say the equal for the pinnacle that rests upon my shoulders.

This refreshing salad addressed simply that hassle once I had over 1/2 a head left after creating a blended vegetable and avocado salad with almond herbed flatbreads. It so happened that I became serving an Indian-themed meal not too lengthy after and desired an extra vegetable element. My cabbage changed into nevertheless crisp and inviting. Perhaps now not exactly what you would possibly think about while the subject of coleslaw comes up, this Indian motivated instruction features lots of crisp vegetables and a creamy yogurt dressing with a few complimentary heat and tang. This twist on an old traditional did not last long enough for me to tire of. Not at all.

For a pleasantly thick and creamy dressing, use complete fats Greek yogurt. You'll find that it adds richness and zesty vibrancy to the earthy and sweet greens.

Other cabbage recipes to try:

Cabbage Poriyal

Coleslaw Bites with Jalapeno Dip

Chopped Cabbage with a Crumbly Chana Dal Sauce

On the top of the studying stack: Gogol

Audio Accompaniment: Black Smoker by using Tom Opdahl

Green Peas in a Tomato Coconut Gravy

Easy curries featuring inexperienced peas are among some of my favored facets to serve along side different Indian dishes. Simple sufficient to make to go together with a hectic weeknight meal, yet elegant sufficient to be a part of any meal soliciting for some spice, no matter how fancy or humble, this flavorful side with a creamy tomato and coconut gravy is mainly precise scooped over a few steamy white basmati rice. The predominant offering turned into chickpeas, mango and spinach in a tomato coconut gravy. Though the gravies had a number of the equal important flavors and seasoning, every dish become pretty specific and nicely-suitable to the clean rice canvas that followed the meal. If you have the time, do not forget serving up some savory Indian flat breads too.

Take care no longer to overcook the peas so they maintain taste and bring about that "pop on your mouth" sensation that I find so enjoyable.

Other vegetarian recipes providing inexperienced peas:

Green Peas Curry (Mattar Masala)

Corn and Green Pea Tomato Curry

Creamy Herbed and Green Pea Salad

Mini Tahini Cups with a Creamy Coffee Date Filling

Without a doubt, these addictive little uncooked power bites rank excessive on my listing of delectable treats. I've already made them twice, partly because I desired to get the proportions simply proper, and largely due to the fact I wanted to eat them once more, despite the fact that a batch yields about 20. They do maintain well although, as they are stored within the fridge and the fundamental components are coconut oil, tahini and dates ? No longer that they lasted very lengthy in my kitchen, specially thinking about I shared with friends. Peanut butter fan that I am, I definitely assume those rank proper up there with selfmade peanut butter chocolates.

This extremely good recipe is slightly tailored from a brand new favourite cookbook that I acquired for possible evaluation. I've written about Rawsome Vegan Baking earlier than and have not stopped the use of the e-book for suggestion due to the fact that. The unique recipe suggested serving them in widespread size muffin cup portions, but I desired to cause them to into smaller bite-size servings. Mind you, this did no longer prevent me from indulging in greater, as I might have possibly two (or greater!) at a given time. Good issue they're clearly sweetened and full of goodness and without guilt ? You'll not necessary think so due to the fact these luscious creamy date crammed delights fulfill the candy teeth just like the maximum decadent of cakes and actually melt in your mouth. Enjoy them whenever of day while the craving for a chunk of sweetness hits. You may not leave out the butter, sugar, nor the chocolate, in this example.

Other raw treats to strive from Lisa's Kitchen:

Avocado Coconut Nanaimo Bars

Raw Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Carob Balls

Cocoa Fruit Energy Bites

On the top of the reading stack: Dead Souls by Gogol

Audio Accompaniment: Gast?N Ar?Valo

Creamy Lentil, Barley and Mushroom Soup

On a quest to satisfy my frequent longing for mushrooms, I desired some thing earthy and balanced, multi function bowl. Another requirement turned into short and easy. This bowl glad all the above. Although extra salads were appearing at the menu recently, this spring has been a cold one and even if you take place to live in hotter climes, do supply this a try due to the fact soups aren't just for cold times, but comforting all 12 months round, especially so while you serve them with a few selfmade biscuits.

More mushroom goodness to satisfy that fungus yearning:

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Mushroom Risotto

Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup with Kidney Beans

Wild Mushroom Tapas Served on Crusty Bread with Goat Cheese