Project Vegan Yum Yum: Aloo Muttar

Project Vegan Yum Yum continues!

This week's recipe assigned to us by Elle from Lauren Ulm's blog-turned-book of the same name, is "Aloo Matar" (Which I'm pretty sure means "dead potato". Oh no, wait. That's Spanish. Never mind.)

Aloo means Potato and Matar means Peas. This is a vegan turn on an already vegetarian Indian dish of potatoes and peas in a spicy tomato-based sauce, properly called "Aloo Muttar". But that's how she spelled it, so...


What's really vegan about this recipe, is that there is no ghee (Indian clarified butter), and no yogurt. In order to create that creamy consistency, Lauren has you run cashews through a food processor and blend in water. A stick blender with a mini-chopper attachment will make short work of the operation (a couple of good ones are in the "In My Kitchen" section of my Amazon store, there in my sidebar. Plug.). While the consistency is by no means as thick as yogurt, the effect in the finished dish is pretty authentic. I noticed that she uses this little trick in several different recipes, but this is the first opportunity I've had to try it. I was initially skeptical, but I have to admit that it works!

Unless you cook Indian food on a regular basis and already have an extensive pantry of Indian spices, you'll need to go shopping. Don't expect to find asafoetida or fenugreek leaves on the shelves at your local megamart. But that shouldn't discourage you! After all, the internet is a marvelous thing, no?

Other things I did differently:

I didn't feel like going shopping and didn't have any fresh hot peppers in the house, so I used one whole dried Indian pepper. I didn't process the diced tomatoes - seemed like a waste of energy. The tomatoes break down and the sauce cooks just as beautifully without it.

My husband had recently boiled a bunch of new red potatoes that he was afraid might go bad soon, so I used those, with the skin on, and just quartered them. I probably used twice as many as the recipe calls for, and that's a good thing. As much as I like spice, there's a lot going on here, and the additional potatoes helps smooth that out a bit.


I served this over rice and it was delicious! And don't jump all over me for not using basmati. This was already cooked and in the fridge, just waiting to be refreshed and used. I'm all about the easy, people. The leftovers also keep really well. A few minutes in the microwave and it was just as good as the night I made it. The second time, I served it with purchased whole wheat naan and it was equally tasty.

The fussiest thing about this recipe? All the spice batches. But frankly, a lot of Indian cooking is like that - six gazillion spices separated into batches that go into the dish at different times. But if you organize them ahead in small prep dishes, it makes the process go much smoother. So don't use that as an excuse!

Verdict: I will absolutely make this again. It's a keeper.

Want to cook along with us? Get yourself a copy of Vegan Yum Yum (in the "In My Library" section of my Amazon store, too. Yeah, I know. Another shameless plug.) and then click on the Project Vegan Yum Yum banner, below.

PhotoHunt: Daily & Purim Hamantaschen

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Daily"

Many people joke that, if you look at a Jewish calendar, it almost seems as if there's some sort of holiday Daily. It does seem that way sometimes! For instance, tomorrow we celebrate the holiday of Purim. Purim celebrates the story told in the Old Testament Book of Esther.

Purim has a number of traditions associated with it - carnivals, satirical plays, giving charity, and of course, food. We read the Book of Esther in the synagogue and stamp our feet, boo, and use noisemakers to blot out the name of its villain, Haman.

And we're supposed to send gifts of food to our friends. The food that symbolizes Purim is a filled cookie called a "Hamantasch." Hamantaschen are generally made out of a sturdy sugar cookie dough and filled with things like poppy seed or fruit pastes. I always liked almond paste best, so that's what I've made here.

If you'd like to know more about Purim and some of its traditions, click here.

Have a great weekend, and please enjoy these Hamantashen with Almond Filling... I made them just for you. But please don't eat more than one daily!

Recipe Monday: Elegant Freezer Chicken Two Ways + Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Fingerling Potatoes

It's still Monday, right?

I really wanted to come up with a sexier name for this, but it was either that, or Soccer Mom Chicken. Which one do you like better?

What it really comes down to, is the ability to put a healthy and delicious meal on the table in a limited amount of time and on a budget. Because, who's got time these days? Or money. With a little bit of forethought, though, you can do this. Okay, first the recipe, then we'll chat.

Middle Eastern Style Freezer Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup orange juice
Juice of one lemon
4 Tbs. olive oil or grapeseed oil
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

1 cut-up chicken or parts of your choice, equalling 2 - 3 pounds

Ready? You're going to love this.

Combine all ingredients, except the chicken, in a gallon-size zip-top freezer bag. Zip the bag closed and swish it all around to evenly mix. Open the bag and put in the chicken. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Label the bag with the contents, throw it in your freezer.

Either the night before, or the morning of the day you want to use it, take the bag out of the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. If you take it out the same morning, you may want to take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Empty the contents of the zip bag into a roasting pan or large casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

Seriously. That's it. Moist, juicy and some rockin' flavors. Serve this with maybe some jasmine rice (put a few drops of sesame oil in the cooking water), or couscous, or the roasted brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes, pictured (recipe follows).

Ready for version two?

Italian Style Freezer Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup white wine
4 Tbs. olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 cut-up chicken or parts of your choice, equalling 2 - 3 pounds

Combine all ingredients, except the chicken, in a gallon-size zip-top freezer bag. Zip the bag closed and swish it all around to evenly mix. Open the bag and put in the chicken. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Label the bag with the contents, throw it in your freezer.

Beginning to sound familiar?

Either the night before, or the morning of the day you want to use it, take the bag out of the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. If you take it out the same morning, you may want to take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Empty the contents of the zip bag into a roasting pan or large casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

Serve with the roasted veg below, or maybe some orzo or farfalle (bow-tie) pasta dressed with a little butter and chopped parsley.

Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Fingerling Potatoes

1 to 1-1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes (I get them at Costco. Way cheaper than the grocery store)
1 lb. fresh brussels sprouts with the ends and any bruised leaves trimmed (Ditto.)
2 - 3 Tbs. olive oil or grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Wash, but don't dry the potatoes and brussels sprouts. Place them on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil.

Drizzle the oil and sprinkle the seasonings over the veg and toss with your hands until everything is well-coated. Put the pan in your preheated (375ºF) oven for about 30 minutes, or till the potatoes are cooked through (easily pierced with a fork).

*Notes*

These chicken marinades will work with any chicken parts - dark meat, breasts, mixed parts - so buy what's on sale, bag up a few of these, and toss 'em in the freezer.

I am reminded to remind you: Never ever ever EVER ever re-freeze chicken that has been frozen and thawed! Use only fresh, just purchased chicken for these recipes, OR if using thawed chicken, put it in the marinade, and put it in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours (you could throw it together in the morning), and cook the same day as directed.

The nice thing about the roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts, is that you can put them in the oven to cook at the same time as the chicken. Everything done at once!

Tasty enough to serve company, this is one of my go-to recipes. I keep a couple of bags of this in the freezer at all times, and for good reason. You should, too!

Bonjourno! Italian Culinary Weekend Getaway

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Didn't get what you really wanted for Valentine's Day? Need a little break? Love Italian food?

The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel in Branson, Missouri, is having a fun, foodie weekend, Friday, February 26th and Saturday, February 27th, focusing on incredible Italian cuisine.

Your Italian Culinary Weekend begins on Friday evening, when you start off with a special reception where hors d’oeuvres and antipasti are teamed up with fabulous Italian wines. The next morning, you'll have a three-hour hands-on cooking demonstration, focusing on some of the foods you sampled the evening before, and some of the items you'll be served at the grand five-course Italian dinner on Saturday night.

The whole thing, including accommodations, starts at $429 for two people (depending on the room type you choose). Think of it: the Italian Culinary Weekend package for two and two nights of famous Hilton service, at a pretty great price. Oh, yeah - plus a goodie bag filled with all kinds of cool stuff for the home chef!

Centrally located within driving distance of Branson's many attractions (did you know they have 49 live entertainment theaters?), take a stroll along the River Walk after class on Saturday afternoon. Maybe stop at a sweet little restaurant for a bite and a glass of wine - relax - just the two of you. The Hilton Branson is even pet-friendly, so no need to worry about who's going to feed Spot while you're gone.

Be impulsive! Spirit your sweetie away on a romantic weekend for two next weekend, filled with Italian food, wine, and fun, to the Hiltons of Branson. Click on one of these links and then click on Italian Culinary Weekend, or any of the other neat packages available.

Sounds like something right up our alley. :-)

Can Jam 2: Carrots

Got that? Carrots.

When Doris and Jilly chose "carrots" as the February assignment for Tigress' Can Jam, I admit to trembling just a little. Carrots are not exactly a high-acid food, and therefore more susceptible to going bad on you if you don't know what you're doing, preserving-wise. And I readily confess that I don't know what I'm doing.

This is only my second time ever, canning anything, the first being last month's marmalades. The warnings were issued: follow an established recipe to the letter! Don't alter the ingredients, don't get all creative if you've never done this before, because you might alter the acid-balance! Sure - scare me witless with the "B" word (Botulism, to you)! Okay, okay!

After last month's positive experience, MJ came back from one of his numerous forays to the used bookstore with a couple more books on canning, and one of these little gems was Preserving the Taste by Edon Waycott. As this book is well out of print, I'll share my adapted version of Ms. Waycott's recipe for

Baby Carrots in Honey, Vinegar, and Dill
(Makes 2 pints)

Ingredients:

1 pound baby carrots

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup water

2 tsp. kosher or pickling salt

1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

3 Tbs. honey

4 sprigs fresh young dill (I used 2 pinches of dried dill)

Blanch the carrots for 2 minutes in boiling water and drain. Pack the hot carrots into the two hot, sterilized jars.

In a small saucepan, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the dill, and bring just to a boil. Pour the liquid over the carrots, leaving 1/2" of head space. Add the dill. Cover with new lids, screw on rings, and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Well, so far, so good! After an agonizing several minutes after removing the jars from the boiling water, I heard the reassuring ping! of the lids sealing themselves into place. Now we wait. It will be at least two weeks before we can open one of these guys and see what we've got.

Now, what goes with pickled carrots? Hmmm? No, really. I'm asking.

The Can Jam Roundup is up! WooHoo!

HB in 5: Red Beet Buns

To review, Michelle over at Big Black Dog, organized a group to bake from the book by Dr. Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe François, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

I'm a day late and quite probably more than a dollar short, to get this post up with our assigned Red Beet Buns in honor of Valentine's Day. And yes, I skipped the Chocolate Espresso Bread - I just couldn't do another sweet after MJ said to me: "You've been baking sweets since November!" Not exactly part of our healthy diet plan.

And even though I hate beets, when presented with a couple of free ones from my friend's CSA box, it was obvious that the fates conspired to force me to make the assigned Red Beet Buns. So I made a quarter recipe and decided to at least get a little creative with the shaping, in line with the theme. So I pulled out my hearts and roses mini-bundt pans and squooshed the dough into each of the little compartments.

Although the dough rose quite nicely in the container after mixing, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of rise in the finished, baked product.

Probably had something to do with all the squooshing I did to ensure that that the baked "buns" would acquire the detail from the forms. Although smaller than I'd hoped for, they did bake through properly.

I sliced the roses and left the hearts whole and toasted them for Valentine's Day breakfast, which (to me) improved the flavor, and filled them with vegetable cream cheese. The indentations in the heart-shaped ones lent themselves particularly well for filling!

Okay, they didn't taste beet-y, and although they were a hit with MJ, I probably won't be making these again because, well, because, you know, beets.

Please visit our current Bread Braid and see what others have been doing with our latest assignment!

We Have A Winner!

Random.org has spoken, and the winner of the Microplane Specialty Cut Resistant Glove from CSN Stores and cookware.com, is (drum roll, please!):

Number 29 - Di! She said...

"Cool giveaway! I don't have too many problems when I'm using knives. What I really need the glove for is when I'm grating cheese! I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally grated some part of my hand..."

Congratulations, Di! And may you never serve faux pimento cheese ever again! Okay, wait. That was kind of gross. Well, you know what I mean...

Thanks for playing, everyone!