No Flour Dessert Crepe

A dessert that at least has some protein! Or a Sunday breakfast.
Unfortunately, it was too good to bother with clicking picks ;)

The Ingredients

1. 2 eggs
2. 2 squares of dark chocolate -- at least 70% cocoa. I used 85%
3. 3 handful berries -- fresh or frozen
4. 1 pod cardamom
5. some fresh squeezed orange juice
6. some lime juice
7. a pinch of salt

The Method

1. Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them
2. Open the cardamom pod and grind out the stuff inside. Add it to the eggs.
3. Heat a flat pan, grease it with either butter or your choice of fat.
4. Pour the eggs in. 
5. Cook both sides until done and plate it.
6. Melt the square of dark chocolate until it liquefies. (If you are too lazy to do this, you can also just put the dark chocolate on the freshly made crepe and fold it so it melts in the heat)
7. Pour the melted chocolate onto one half of the crepe you just made.
8. In another pot add the orange juice, lime juice, salt and the berries and gently heat
9. Use only enough juices to make the berries "come together" but not so much that the mixture becomes runny
10. Spoon this mixture into the melted chocolate side of the crepe.
11. Fold over and enjoy!

Variations

1. If you want more sugar you could add stevia or sugar to the berry "reduction"
2. You can also use pectin to thicken
3. If you want compote consistency, you could use -- well, compotes!
4. Another way to make things sweeter is to add a ripe banana or dates
5. If you want chocolaty-er, just melt more chocolate!

References:

1. Compote recipes: 
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/summer-berry-compote/
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/blueberry-compote-recipe/index.html
2. Crepe recipes:
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/basic-crepes/

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Cottage Cheese Ice-Cream -- An ice cream that could actually be good for you

Summer, ice-cream. They kinda go hand in hand.
But if you are the health conscious types... hmmm well...
But, what if there was a healthy way to eat your ice-cream?

Here is the recipe:

1. 1 tub of cottage cheese -- low fat, no fat, full fat -- choice is yours
2. Add to this 3 or 4 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
3. Add stevia to taste -- go real easy on this, because it is very sweet.
4. Give it all a whir in your favorite food processor. Until the texture is mousse like
5. 
6. Use any freezer safe container. Pre-chill it in the freezer for 5 minutes or so, if you like. 
7. Fill the good stuff in it.
8. Freeze until done. If you are really finicky you can take it out of the freezer in 20 minutes an churn it again before returning it to the freezer.
9. 
10. You may have to thaw it in the fridge before serving.
11. Serve with berry coulis for add fun!

Closer look at the texture

Cooking the berry coulis

Enjoy!

Nutrition information:

If you don't add the berry coulis, it is pretty much what is in the cottage cheese you put in. Stevia does not really add anything.

Other flavors to try:

1. Mango ice cream -- add some ripe mangoes instead of the cocoa powder -- no additional sweetener necessary
2. Pina Colada ice-cream -- replace the cocoa powder with frozen pineapple + frozen coconut and maaaay be a hint of stevia.
3. Berry ice-cream -- your choice of frozen berries replaces the cocoa.
4. To boost protein content, add eggs or protein powder.

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Tofu Cabbage Kofta = Tofta?

Presenting the tofu kofta.
Inspired by: http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2009/04/23/cabbage-kofta/

What you need:

1/2 a medium cabbage
2 packets extra firm tofu
salt
3 green chillies
3 pods of garlic
1.5 inch piece of ginger mashed
1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds ground up
oil of choice (I used Coconut oil)
chili powder to taste
turmeric

To do:

1. Shred the cabbage
2. chop the green chilies finely
3. mash up the ginger and garlic
4. grate the extra firm tofu in a food processor or a hand grater
5. mix all of the above with 1 cup besan, salt, ground cumin, turmeric, chili powder and a little oil
6. It will look something like this
7. Heat oven to 350 F
8. On a large baking tray, spread some aluminum foil and grease it with a little oil
9. Arrange the kofta balls and slide it in the oven
   
   
   
10. Cook until done. Time depends on the oven. It took me nearly 45 minutes. Next time, I might set the oven temperature to 375.
11. Should look like this when done:
    
12. Enjoy with either the traditional kofta sauce or in a pita with other veggies, like a falafel; or just eat it as is!

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Moroccan Lentil Soup

Ingredients

1. 6 cups Cooked lentils (I soak and sprout them before I pressure cook them with a little turmeric). Cooked lentils freeze very well, so it is always easy to have some on hand when you need it.
2. 1 large onion sliced
3. 3 2" pieces of cinnamon (grind one of them)
4. 6 cloves
5. 4 pods garlic -- crushed or minced
6. 4 large carrots -- chopped into small pieces
7. 1 green pepper chopped into small pieces
8. 2 sticks celery -- chopped into small pieces again
9. 1 lemon -- juiced
10. 1 tsp cumin seeds -- optional
11. 2 medium sized green chili peppers -- sliced
12. 3 medium sized, vine ripened tomatos
13. Tan-Tan seasoning to taste
14. chili powder to taste
15. salt to taste
16. 1/3 bunch parsley to garnish -- chopped

Method:

1. Heat some oil of your choice or butter in a pan
2. Drop two sticks of cinnamon and the cloves
3. When you start to smell the aroma of cinnamon, drop the cumin seeds and let it splutter
4. Immediately, drop the onions, garlic and green chilies and saute for a bit
5. Add about two Tbsp Tan-Tan seasoning and fry a little
6. Add the green peppers and saute a little more.
7. Then add the celery and carrots and the half of the cooked lentils
8. Grind the remaining cinnamon
9. Puree the rest of the lentils along with the cooking water in a blender which still has the cinnamon in it. Add to the pot. Note: If you cook the lentils in a pressure cooker you don't need a lot of water, so you will just about have enough water in the lentils to make the soup rather than a pulp. If you cooked the lentils in an open pot you are likely to have a lot of water in the pot. So don't add the whole thing -- just enough to make the soup look like soup (more stew-ish)
10. Add some salt and add chili powder according to taste.
11. Chop the vine ripened tomatoes and throw them in.
12. Leave on medium heat for about 10 minutes (or less). Stir often since the soup is thick and can stick the bottom if left for too long. Check a piece of carrot to see if it has cooked. If it has, you are done. Otherwise, cook for a little longer.
13. When done, add the juice of one lemon and the parsley.
14. Stir, dish it on to a bowl and enjoy!

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Subtly flavored, Mediterranean inspired, Tempeh Stuffed Hungarian Peppers

Did that name make your mouth cramp up? Well, you have treat in store for you. I am so glad I came up with this recipe. It makes two things easy: getting some vegetarian protein and eating zucchini. I hate zucchini. Not anymore. I use it as a sauce thickener.

Ingredients:

1. 2 Packets of Tempeh -- finely chopped or crumbled
2. 8 Hungarian wax peppers (they are not sweet, and I like that)
3. 2 medium sized zuchinis or 1.5 biggish zucchini -- peeled and finely chopped
4. One medium sized onion -- chopped
5. 5 garlic pods -- minced
6. 1 cup loosely packed fresh lemon basil -- (you can even add more)
7. 1 tbsp dried rosemary -- crushed.
8. Whole black pepper corns -- to taste
9. Some chili powder or paprika -- to taste
10. Olive oil
11. 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
12. Almond milk -- may be about a cup or more (you will have to adjust on the fly)

The Method:

1. Heat some oil in a pan and saute the tempeh until crisp.
2. Add the lemon basil and a little more oil and saute some more.
3. Set aside, once the lemon basil gives up its aroma and wilts a bit.
4. Add some crushed pepper and a little salt to above.
5. May be around now, you can preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
6. Heat the pan again with some oil 
7. Add 5 or 6 pepper corns whole and wait for it to pop. This will happen only if the oil is sufficiently hot.
8. Reduce heat and drop the garlic and crushed rosemary
9. Once the garlic is translucent and aromatic, add the onions, salt, chili powder, rosemary and some crushed pepper. 
10. Add the chopped zucchini and the almond milk. And let the zucchini really become soft. 
11. You can keep mashing the zucchini which will pretty much liquify it. 
12. Check for taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
13. Check for consistency (we are going for something like the roux here) and add almond milk or oil if needed.
14. Toss the fried up tempeh into this, add some balsamic vinegar and cook till incorporated. Add only enough balsamic vinegar to make the flavor have more depth than salt and heat, but not too much to make it very vinegary.
15. Cut the top off the Hungarian peppers and remove the rind and seeds. 
16. Stuff the tempeh mixture into the peppers -- pack it real tight
17. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and set the peppers on it. 
18. Dribble some oil on each of these
19. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
20. Enjoy -- here is a picture of the stuffed peppers, before it was baked.
    

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Collard Dolmades with Tempeh Veggie Filling

Ingredients:

• A bunch of collard leaves 
• 1 packet tempeh (you can substitute paneer or some other form of protein you like)
• 1 onion
• 3 pods of garlic
• tarragon dried 
• rosemary, crushed  
• 3 or four carrots grated
• red chile powder to taste
• 2 avocados chopped
• Juice of one lemon
• salt
• EVOO
• Olive tapenade -- 1 Tbsp
• Hummus -- optional
• Balsamic vinegar -- optional.

Method:

• Boil some salted water in a large pot -- wide enough to accomodate your largest collard leaf
• Drop one leaf into the pot and when it turns bright green, take it out of the pot and set it on a plate. 
• Do this to all the collar leaves.
• For the filling
• Heat some oil in a flat pan and add the chopped onions and garlic and saute until they become translucent
• Drop the finely chopped up tempeh and saute until tempeh becomes golden brown
• Add salt, seasoning and some red chili powder and a little more oil if need be and saute some more.
• Transfer it to a cold bowl and let it cool a little
• Add the chopped avocados and grated carrots into the cooked tempeh and mix
• Add the juice of one lemon
• Add a table spoon of the tapenade
• Taste and add salt or pepper if need be
• To make the wrap:
• Take each blanched collard leaf and cut off the tough stem at the end, leaving most of the leaf intact. 
• Smear the inside of the leaf with some EVOO
• Spread a little hummus
• Add some of the filling
• Wrap the bottom of the leaf inward, then the sides and roll.
• Stick a tooth pick in. 
• Do this for each leaf.
• You can also stick a skewer through the center fo the rolls.
• You can also sprinkle some balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper on the top, if you like.

Here are some other dolmade recipes from around the web:

http://open.salon.com/blog/beansgreens/2011/02/27/collard_greens_dolmades_with_cannellini_bean_kale_stuffing

http://guvi-guvi.blogspot.com/2011/12/vegetarian-stuffed-grapevine-leaves.html

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Lentil Pistachio Salad in Lime EVOO Dressing

I read somewhere that pairing lentils and pistachio nuts gives you a complete protein profile. So I have been thinking about how to combine these two in something awesome. Today, was the day that I finally managed to make this salad.

The Ingredients

• 3.25 cups of cooked whole lentils. Not mushy, just cooked.
• 1/4 cup salted, roasted pistachios-- shelled
• 2.5 cups of chopped carrots
• 1 garlic pod
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
• 3" piece cinnamon stick
• 1 tomatillo (completely unnecessary -- I added it because I had it)
• You could sub celery or green/red peppers for above
• EVOO -- 1/8 cups or less
• salt and pepper corns to taste

The Method

1. To make the cooked lentils: I soak a whole batch of whole lentils in water for a day or a little more. Rinse and then cook it all in a pot of water. I don't use pressure cooker for this, because pressure cookers will make the lentils mushy. It should be possible to cook it in the electric rice cooker, although I have never tried. I store the cooked lentils in the freezer and use as necessary.
2. Put 1/8 cup of salted, shelled pistachio in a blender or food processor and pulse to chop it unevenly and set aside.
3. Chop the carrots and microwave them for about 2 minutes -- cooking them slightly lets the beta carotene be more accessible.
4. Chop the other veggies-- tomatillos or green pepper or celery
5. Combine all of these ingredients in a large bowl.
6. Squeeze a half of the lime into the blender
7. Add the olive oil.
8. Drop in the cinnamon sticks and cumin seeds
9. Add a few pepper corns and a little salt
10. Give it all a whir in the blender until it looks creamy. Some of the cinnamon pieces and peppers will not have ground up well. That's what I like since I like to see some texture in my dressing.
11. Add the finely chopped garlic into the blender and give it a final whir to incorporate everything together.
12. Pour dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly. Enjoy!

Some resources:

• To cook or not to cook your veggies
• Other lentil-pistachio salads:
• http://foodbloggaprintrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/04/raw-beet-lentil-and-pistachio-salad.html
• http://food52.com/recipes/12861-lentil-salad-with-fresh-peas-pistachios-mint-sheep-s-milk-feta

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Black Bean Beetroot Chocolate Brownie -- Dracula's Wedding Cake

Guess what? Blogspot's decided to allow me to post pics again! Whoo-hoo!
So the blogiverse has been abuzz with black bean-beetroot brownies. This is my version of it.

It has such an interesting color, I might even call it Dracula's wedding cake and serve it for Halloween!

The Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked black beans
• 2 cups roasted beets (peeled)
• 8.3 oz (slightly less than this, actually) dark chocolate bar (I used 72% pound plus from Trader Joes and nearly used half a bar) melted.
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp cacao nibs
• 4 Tbsp stevia powder
• Handful of chocolate chips (optional)

The Method:

• I already had roasted beets in the freezer. If you are going to roast them afresh for this recipe, just heat the oven to about 350F, take a pan with a little water in it and add your beets in them. Plop it in the oven for about an hour. The beets are done when the skin looks all wrinkled and a fork will go through it easily
• Remove from oven, let cool and peel it. 
• Pre-heat the oven to 350F
• Take 3 cups of black beans (pre cooked-- preferably in a pressure cooker until soft) put in a blender and blend until it looks like smooth hummus
• Remove it from blender and blend the beets the same way (without water) with the cacao nibs.
• Transfer both pulps to a bowl and break three eggs into it. Mix well.
• Add stevia and mix well.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave -- I just used my microwave setting for melting chocolate and it came out fine.
• Dribble the molten chocolate into the "batter" and mix well again.
• Taste and see if you need more sweetness. If you do, add more stevia. 
• Line a square baking tray with wax paper or grease it.
• Transfer the batter into the tray and bake for 40 mins.
• Remove the brownie and let cool.

Notes:

• The above method left the brownie a little dry. I might add some butter (about 1/2 cup may be) in future.

References:

• http://www.neverhomemaker.com/2013/02/red-velvet-black-bean-brownies.html

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Grain Free Egg Rancheros/Burritos -- A quick recipe for when eggs get boring

So I am bored of eggs. Bored. Bored. Bored. But, the other day I was at work very early and had no time for home made breakfast so I had to buy something quick. The only thing on the menu that had any protein for an ovo-vegetarian was the egg ranchero. So, I went ahead and ordered it (without cheese). It basically had an omelette-esque thing inside a large pita bread, smothered with refried beans and regular tomato salsa. I ditched most of the bread and ate the rest.

So here's my version, without the bread.

The Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• rosemary
• butter for "frying"
• black bean hummus -- preferably some mexican flavor
• home made salsa: (tomatoes, green chillies, cilantro, chopped up)

The Method

• Beat the eggs lightly
• Add crushed rosemary if using dry or just add the leaves, if using fresh
• Heat a pan, add a little butter 
• When butter melts, pour the beaten egg mixture
• Cook like an omelete on both sides
• Remove from pan when done
• Plate it and spread some black bean hummus one one half of the omelete
• Sprinkle a liberal hand of homemade salsa on the hummus
• Wrap the other half (where you did not spread the hummus) over this
• Eat like a burrito

Variations

• You can use other hummus types: chickpeas, edamame, etc
• I used chickpeas, chipotle hummus this am. Came out great!

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Baingan Bharta for Baingan Haters

This has got to be the strangest baingan bhartha I have tried yet. It arose from a need to suppress the taste of egg plant which my husband hates.

Ingredients:

1. 1 Egg plant roasted in the oven (at 350 F) until cooked
2. 2 Green peppers
3. 1/2 a large onion
4. 1" piece ginger minced
5. 3 pods garlic minced
6. fenugreek seeds
7. mustard seeds
8. shredded coconut a handful
9. red chilies 3
10. chili powder to taste
11. coriander powder
12. turmeric powder
13. curry leaves
14. broken chana dal -- 1 Tbsp

Method:

• Roast the egg plant with a little water in a pre-heated oven (at 350 F) until the skin wrinkles up and it is cooked.
• Grind it up with a teeny amount of water in a blender/food processor. I use my trusty vitamix
• Heat a pan, add some coconut oil (or any other that you prefer). When it gets hot (but not smoking) drop the three red chillies, fenugreek seeds, walnuts and coconut. Stir until the coconut gets to be about golden brown, the fragrance of the fenugreek seeds are evident. 
• Put this lot into the blender with the already blended egg plant and blend it roughly -- preferably with some of the coconut only roughly shredded.
• Put the same pan back on the heat and add some oil
• Add the mustard seeds. 
• When it sputters, add the curry leaves. 
• When it blisters, add the broken chana daal. 
• When that gets to be golden brown, add the onions, garlic and ginger
• When they turn color add the green peppers
• When the green peppers blister, add the turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and saute until the raw smell of the masala goes away.
• Pour the ground up mixture into the pan and add some tamarind pulp. 
• Add salt.
• Turn the heat down to simmer and let everything simmer until the flavors are blended.

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Coconut Milk, Chia Seeds Vegan "Paal Paayasam"

If you are trying to do away with dairy and reducing your grain consumption; but you still want a paal paayasam (Southern Indian milk-rice pudding) fix, this is a recipe for you.

Stuff you need:

3/4 of a can Coconut milk, rich creamy (not the stuff you get in cartons).
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cardamom pod
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (the real stuff not fake)
Stevia to taste (remember stevia is pretty sweet, so taste as you add).

What to do:

Take a clean glass bottle with a lid
Pour the coconut milk into the bottle
Add the chia seeds a little at a time and stir around. (They tend to clump easily. If this happens, you can fish the clumps out and break them up with a spoon).
Break the cardamom pod and crush the cardamom "seeds"
Add the teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mixture.
Add this to the bottle.
Add stevia to taste
Close the lid and shake well. Really well.
Check to see if you have chia seed clumps.
Put it in the fridge for about two hours.
Enjoy your "paal payasam"!
Garnish with cashews, almonds, coconut flakes or saffron.

So next festival that calls for paal paayasam, you have a healthy option!
No pictures, sorry. Apparently I have exceeded Google's quota on pictures. So unless I figure out how to link pictures from a Flickr account, there will be no pictures in this blog!


Notes:

• Inspired by chia seed pudding recipe: http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2013/01/22/coconut-almond-chia-seed-pudding/
• Native Forest's organic coconut milk (http://www.edwardandsons.com/native_shop_coconut.itml) comes in BPA free cans and is awesome!
• Chia seeds have Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA). Here is more on Chia seeds and its nutritional benefits.

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Broccoli Rabe, Sweet Potato Omelet

Here's one more of my crazy omelets. The craziest thus far, I think.

For the "curry"

Broccoli Rabe -- 1 bunch
Sweet potatoes --- 3 small
Purple onions -- 2 fist sized
Mustard seeds
Fennel seeds (Saunf), -- a teaspoon
Oil for cooking -- I used coconut oil
Garam masala
Turmeric
Chili powder

The Method:

Boil the sweet potatoes in water, peel and break them into small pieces
Heat some oil, and add the mustard and let it sputter.
Add the fennel seeds and let it turn slightly brown.
Immediately add the onions and saute them until transparent.
Add the garam masala and and fry until the aroma smells cooked.
Drop the broccoli rabe and saute it
Add the chili powder, turmeric, salt and saute until almost completely cooked.
Add the broken up sweet potatoes and cook a little until the flavors blend.

For the omelete:

As always, break the eggs, whisk it until the yolk and albumen mix well, spoon in as much "curry" as you would like and make your omelet as per usual.

Makes 2 2-egg omelets and 2 3-egg omelets.

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