“Patty” cake, “Patty” cake…a burger and salad post

Burgers were always a big deal in my house. I grew up with a dad who was a ‘king of the grill’ in his own rights. The man didn’t cook a lot, but the things he did do, he did well.  I always knew when it was his turn to make dinner because there was a different atmosphere in the house.  It was relaxed, enjoyable and messy. Kind of like my kitchen.  I think I learned that from him.

Burgers were one of his specialties (so was garlic bread but we’ll cover that one another time).  And everyone who came over for a BBQ always asked for the “Joel Burger”.  So growing up, the very little meat that I did eat was pretty much always in the form of a patty. Handmade, hand seasoned and grilled with care. We’re talking real burgers here.  Not some pre-formed, frozen-within-an-inch-of-its-life round disc. So I became quite the burger snob.  Having recently chosen a plant-based lifestyle, I am now a vegan burger snob.

Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against a good, hot off the grill soy burger. It definitely does the trick at the cottage or family barbeques.  But I’ve been craving something more. Something real - with vegetables I can identify – and was made in my kitchen and not a processing plant.  So I’ve been embarking on a challenge to make a GREAT vegan burger. The kind that works well on a bun with condiments, or topped with salad, or as an awesome appetizer to dip.  

I’ve got a few under my belt, ranging from broccoli to corn to white bean to black bean, but this one takes the cake. Its part burger, part potato latke, and when they first come out of the oven, the smell instantly transports me back to my Bubbie’s kitchen at Chanukah. And its simple perfection reminds me of my Dad.

 The base for this burger is sweet potato. One of my all-time favorite vegetables. The combination of warm mashed potato, heady spices and the sweet caramelization from a low-and-slow bake in the oven in this recipe is like a holy trinity of sorts. It just works. Well. (It must, because I’ve made three batches of them in the past week alone!)

You could put these on a bun, top them with some condiments and go to town, but since we’re on a “little to no bread” quest at the moment, I opted for a more middle eastern route: couscous salad and lemon-tahini dressing.  

My Dad was a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of guy. But I really think even he would have loved this one. 

Enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potato Burgers with couscous salad and lemon-tahini dressing

Ingredients:

Burgers

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cooked in microwave and mashed

1 19oz can of chick peas or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup ground oats (or breadcrumbs)

1/3 cup flour (I used whole wheat but all-purpose works well too)

1 tablespoon ground flax

3 tablespoons hot water

1 teaspoon paprika (smoked if you have it, sweet if you don’t)

¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (if you are using sweet paprika only, otherwise omit this one)

½ teaspoon mustard powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Couscous salad

1/3 cup couscous

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tomato, seeds removed, diced finely

½ an English cucumber, peel intact, seeded and diced finely

½ an orange pepper, seeded and diced finely

¼ cup each diced green and kalamata olives

Juice of one lemon

pepper to taste

Lemon-Tahini Dressing

1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/3 cup cold water

2-3 cloves of fresh garlic

Pinch of salt

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

 Directions:

1. Cook couscous in vegetable broth according to package directions.  Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet or large plate and cool completely.
2.  
3. Mix flax with 2 tablespoons of hot water and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes until mixture is thickened.
4.  
5. Preheat oven to 400F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
6.  
7. Pierce potatoes and place on a microwave safe plate.  Microwave for 6-7 minutes or until completely tender.   Slice open and allow to cool completely (I usually pop mine in the freezer for 15 minutes).  Drain chickpeas or beans. In a large bowl, mash them well with a potato masher or fork.  Scoop out flesh from cooled sweet potatoes and combine with beans.  Add flax mixture, ground oats, flour,  paprika, chipotle powder (if using), mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Mix well.  Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes to allow mixture to set. 
8.  
9. With lightly wet hands, scoop out mixture and roll into tennis ball sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, approx. 3 inches apart (you should be able to get 6 burgers on a tray).  Flatten using the palm of your hand until they are a good “burger” thickness  between a ¼ - ½ inch thick).  Bake for 40 minutes, flipping them once halfway through. 
10.  
11. Combine cooled couscous and diced tomato, cucumber, pepper, and olives in a bowl.  Add juice of one lemon and a few turns of fresh pepper. Mix well to combine. Chill until ready to serve.
12.  
13. In a small food processor or blender,  combine tahini, water, salt, garlic and lemon juice. Process for 60 seconds until smooth.

 

The Comfort Food Series...Part 2: Pot Pie Perfection

Poll almost anyone on what their Top Ten list of comfort food contains and I’m willing to bet almost all of them will include “chicken pot pie” somewhere above number 6.  It’s a universal hug-in-a-bowl that combines delicious bite-size morsels of veggies smothered in a rich, creamy sauce and topped with homemade crust. Seriously, it’s a cold winter night’s dream-come-true.  

And surprisingly, it is extremely easy to veganize. I was worried about this.  After all, when I was growing up, the only way my mother could sneak veggies past my ‘all things green are poison’ radar was to put them in a pot pie with chicken and smother the heck out of them in sauce.  Having a super-finicky daughter who has inherited that vegetable-hating radar of mine, I wondered how I was going to carry on the tradition of “deceptively deliciousness”.

My first attempts led me to re-create “chicken” pot pie, using several different forms of vegan “chick’n” and veggies. Now there’s nothing wrong with this; in fact, if you take the recipe below and add in some diced Gardein Chick’n Filets (the best ones on the market in my opinion) in place of some of the veggies, you’ve got an awesome dinner. But our quest has been to cut back on processed foods – vegan or otherwise – and I wanted to create a dish that could be awesome without being a “re-creation”.  With the help of my always willing to taste-test husband, and my “I’ll eat the potatoes and the crust” kid, I set out on that quest.  I played with various different vegetable combinations, trying to find a balance between colors, nutritional values and textures.  Oh and taste. Because it can be the most nutrient-rich dish on the planet, but if it tastes like asphalt, no one’s gonna care. I’m pretty confident this version below nails it, but I’ll let you be the final judge.

(P.S. next time I’ll remember to photograph the inside of the pie too! I think I might have a pic of it in the archives somewhere…)

Enjoy!

Vegan Pot Pie 

Pie Crust:
Ingredients (single crust)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup vegan butter (earth balance or becel vegan)
Ice water
NB: for a double crust use 2 ½ cups flour and 1 cup vegan butter

Directions:
Chill flour and butter in freezer for 30 minutes. When chilled, combine both in a food processor and mix until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. With processor running, stream in ice water in small amounts until dough starts to form/clumps together. Alternately, use a pastry cutter (also chilled in the freezer with the flour and butter) to cut the butter into the dough, then drizzle water in a little at a time and combine with a fork until dough forms.
Handling the dough as little as possible, form into a ball of dough; wrap in wax paper and chill in fridge until ready to use.

Pot Pie:

Ingredients
2 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil (or vegetable broth if you want to avoid the use of oil)
1 large white onion, diced medium
2 stalks of celery, diced small
1 yukon gold potato (or sweet potato), peeled and cut into cubes

1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes

1 cup each chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 tbsps mustard powder (This is my secret weapon. It is amazing what it does to the sauce!)
½ can small tender peas
½ can cooked whole carrots, chopped
1 tbsp Melted vegan butter

Directions
1. In a pot of boiling water, cook potatoes and squash until fork tender; drain and set aside.
2. Steam broccoli and cauliflower in microwave-safe dish with a few tablespoons of water for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add oil or vegetable broth, and cook onion and celery until translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
4. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until well incorporated; about two minutes. Add vegetable broth, a little bit at a time, and stir, scraping down the sides and bottom of the pot to release any bits of flour. Reduce heat; add mustard powder, salt and pepper and simmer until filling has thickened; about 10-15 minutes.
5. Stir in peas and carrots. Taste and adjust salt/pepper seasoning as needed. Set mixture aside to cool slightly.
6. Set out 6 ceramic ramekin or pot pie dishes. Fill with pot pie filling to within ¼ inch from the top of the dish. Roll out pie dough until it’s approx ¼ inch thick and cut in circles about ½ inch larger than the ramekins (I use a small soup bowl inverted on the dough and a paring knife to “cut” out the shape). Cover the dishes with the dough, crimping the sides all the way around. Brush lightly with melted butter.
7. Place ramekins on baking sheet and bake at 420F for about 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven; let cool slightly and serve.

A tale about 'Big Red'...

My last post was not about a potato; this post is not about a pot. But yet, it is. 

I don't often use "Big Red", as it's been aptly named.  Not because I don't love the way it cooks; but because using it is such a production. I have a similar relationship with my Dutch Oven that many have with their slow cookers (although I think a Dutch Oven is probably less of a pain).  It's beautiful, it distributes heat fabulously and makes light work of even tough dishes, and it's relatively easy to keep clean.  But it's one of those appliances I don't use often, so it doesn't garner prime real estate in my already-too-small-and-crammed-with-stuff kitchen. 

Big Red lives on a shelf; in a cupboard barely used, right next to the refrigerator, about 6 feet above my head.  Being an even five-feet tall has many disadvantages - especially in the kitchen.  Digging out the 'once-in-a-while' appliances notwithstanding.  It's a delicate balancing act to retrieve Big Red that requires me, a step stool, some heavy lifting and baited breath.  And that's just to get to the lid (which I'm convinced weighs more than the pot).  Or I could just ask Daddy Vegan to get it down for me, but I'm fiercely stubborn and independent about these things (and I wonder where Little Miss gets it from). One of these days I'll learn.

Anyway, enough about the pot. Safe to say it survived it's perilous journey from the cupboard to the stove, otherwise we wouldn't be looking at this pretty picture of it.

There's one dish I always make in my Dutch Oven: Lentil Stew.  I'm not sure how or why this tradition began.  I don't even think the inspiration for this recipe started with "In a Dutch Oven..."; it probably just called for a large stockpot.  But Daddy Vegan had recently surprised me with this much-longed-for pot in my absolute favorite color in the world, and I was eager to try it. So 'Dutch Oven' lentil stew was born.

It's a hearty, deeply rich and satisfying stew; the kind you make on a cold winter's day, in a Dutch Oven, and sop up with tons of fresh crusty bread. To the uninitiated, you'd swear it was a beef stew. But, seeing as it's being posted on a vegan website, it's completely animal-free. 

Perhaps the best part about this stew is how simple - and versatile it is.  I call it "Leftover Lentil Stew" because it's a great way to use up leftover veggies kicking around your fridge or freezer (yes, you can use frozen vegetables here).  Any combination of veg works, from the basic celery and carrots to eggplant, squash, sweet potato and more.   Oh - and did I mention it only takes 20 minutes to cook?  (Weeknight Dinner Warriors rejoice!)

The broth has a southwestern kick to it, with cumin and chili powder being the dominant flavors, but additions of pure pumpkin puree and oregano give it a wonderful earthy "meaty" flavour too.  It's been cold and a bit snowy this weekend, and Daddy Vegan and I were craving something a little more warm and cozy.  And it just so happened I had some celery, carrots, corn and other veggies that were looking a little sad.  They're much happier now! 

Try this stew once as it's written below, and then experiment with the flavors; add different vegetables, adjust the amount of seasoning, or even try new seasonings.  It's a great canvas for carrying delicious bold flavours.

Enjoy!

"Leftover" Lentil Stew

(adapted from www.fatfreevegan.com)


Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (if you like heat then leave in some seeds)
zest of half a lemon
2-3 cups vegetables - fresh or frozen - diced or cut into small chunks (I used carrots, celery and corn)
1 19oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15 oz can cooked lentils, drained and rinsed well
3.5 cups + 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp chili powder, divided in half
1 tsp ground cumin
1/3 cup quinoa
2/3 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (if you can't get pure pumpkin puree, you can use pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp brown sugar (skip this ingredient if using pumpkin pie filling)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a Dutch Oven, heat 2 tbsp vegetable broth on med-high heat.  Add onions and saute until golden and translucent; about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, jalapenos and lemon zest. Cook, stirring constantly to keep garlic from burning until soft; about one minute.  Add cumin and 1 tbsp chili powder and cook for 1 minute, allowing spices to warm through and become fragrant. 

2. Stir in tomatoes, using your spoon and the juice from the tomatoes to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. (That's where the real flavor is).  Stir in mixed vegetables, lentils, remaining 1 tbsp chili powder and oregano.  Pour in remaining vegetable broth and stir well.  Bring to a boil.

3. Add quinoa and simmer, covered, on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until all veg are tender.  Add in pumpkin puree, salt and pepper to taste and brown sugar (if using).  Simmer uncovered on medium heat for an additional 5 minutes.  Stew will appear a bit liquid, but will thicken as you stir it and will continue to thicken after it's removed from heat. 

4. Remove from heat; stir and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

Back to Basics...

picture and original recipe courtesy of Peas and Thank You

When I first met Husband almost 9 years ago, I was a relative vegetarian.  I say 'relative' because I wavered on things like fish or seafood (and eggs), but I didn't eat any red or white meat in any way, shape or form.  Husband, on the other hand, was a super-carnivore. To him, vegetables were merely decoration and took up valuable space that could be occupied by meat. And fish was something you kept in an aquarium - not on your plate.

Over the past "almost-decade", I taught Husband to embrace vegetables, love seafood and even eat tofu. He taught me to eat steak.  We found a happy medium of herbivore and carnivore. And it worked for quite a while.  But somewhere along the way, that changed.  Little Miss joined our family, and it made us stand up and take notice of our lifestyle - and eating habits.  Suddenly words like 'organic' and 'natural' were part of our everyday vernacular - and our grocery list.  A few years ago, you'd be hard pressed to find fresh fruit or vegetbales of any kind in our kitchen; now our fridge and countertops are overflowing with bright colored, sweet fruits and veggies of all kind.  We stopped buying meat from the grocery store and sought out an organic butcher.  Dairy and egg products had to be organic and antibiotic free.  We strived to feed Little Miss only homemade food - with very little additives or processed ingredients - and for the most part, we've been successful. She's definitely a "picky eater", but she's always chosen homemade over processed. (I think I've borne the only child on the planet that HATES Kraft Dinner.)

Husband and I however, weren't as diligent about our own diets as we were with hers. Until now.  Ok - I'll admit, I'm still not as diligent as I should be. I give in to temptation quite easily.  I'm a professional baker - it kind of goes with the territory.  But Husband has adopted a new clean lifestyle - which no longer includes meat.  Or dairy. Or Bread. Or anything processed. Yes, you read that right.  Nothing processed.  Only whole or raw plant-based foods.

Switching away from meat has never been a big deal for me. I've always been 'take it or leave it' about meat.  Whole food cooking however, was a completely foreign concept, and challenged everything I know (and love) about cooking.  No oils, no dressings, no premade or processed sauces, condiments or ingredients of any kind.  Over the years, I've accumulated quite the pantry full of exotic oils, condiments and other funky (and totally processed) ingredients.  Those brightly colored bottles and boxes have been replaced with bags of all natural granola, organic vegetable broth, goji berries, raw cacao and tetra packs of almond milk. This is so NOT my pantry.

Admittedly, I haven't embraced this change easily - or willingly. I'll be honest, I pretty much do all the grocery shopping and cooking around here. So a change like this is huge.  It was as if my entire world was turned upside down.  Meals suddenly required extreme planning. Take out was no longer an option. Labels needed to be scrutinized.  Cooking became a nuisance rather than a joy.  Simple acts like sauteing onions in a bit of oil, or buttering toast were monumental challenges to overcome.  It annoyed me.  And for quite a while, I resisted it at every turn. Until one day I stopped to think about what I was resisting: a husband who loves his family enough to change his lifestyle so drastically so that he can live a long, healthy life.  I must be out of my mind.

It just so happened that this drastic change - and epiphany on my end - coincided with the release of an amazing book called "Peas and Thank You" - a cookbook written by a mom who chose to raise her family (which includes two small children) vegan, and it's full of amazing recipes.  This cookbook has changed my perspective on vegan cooking. Dishes don't have to be laden with fats, or dairy products or meat to be delicious.  And there are many wonderful - and easy ways to substitute those elements and still create a wonderful meal. 

What was - as recently as a couple of weeks ago - a huge upset and inconvenience, has become a challenge that I'm a little more willing to accept:  to find new ways to cook delicious food in a whole-food-healthy way.  And I'm putting my culinary skills to the test.  For example, I figured out the other day that avocado is an excellent substitute for butter. It's rich, creamy, melts easily and hello...it's a fat! (A healthy fat to boot.)  This little trick came in very handy in the recipe I'm sharing below.  The mashed potato topping wouldn't be mashed potato without a little "milk and butter".

Little Miss and I are not completely following Husband's diet. She's only two and still requires certain foods that he won't eat. But we've modified our eating habits quite a bit. She's never cared for meat anyway, and we're doing our best to ensure she gets all the protein, iron and other nutrients she needs from other sources.  And while I still cook with oil or butter at times for me - I'm much more conscious about how much I'm using - and how often.

It's been 3 months since Husband started this quest. In that time, he's lost over 60 lbs, is in great shape and looks and feels way better than he has in a very long time.  And I'm extremely proud of him.  So proud that I made him a modified version of Peas and Thank You's Indian Shepherd's Pie.  It's definitely a "Sunday Supper" kind of meal. It took multiple pots and multiple appliances to make. But the look of utter satisfaction and delight on his face when he tasted it was worth it.  And it really didn't take that much modfiying to make it a "whole food" recipe. Oh - and honestly, you won't even miss the meat!

Enjoy!

Indian Shepherd's Pie

This is my version of the recipe - I've adapted it from Peas and Thank You: simple meatless meals the whole family will love.

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed in 1-inch pieces
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed in 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon very ripe avocado
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3 cups water
2 cups cooked lentils (I used green lentils but any kind would work)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp coriander (ground)
1 cup organic spinach, choppped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add sweet potatoes and butternut squash.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. When potatoes and squash are fork-tender, drain and add to a large bowl.

3. Using an electric or stand mixer, add avocado and non-dairy milk and cinnamon and whip until fluffy and lump-free.

4. In a smaller pot, cook lentils according to package instructions.

5. In a large skillet, saute onion, carrots and chick peas in 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for one minute.  Add remaining broth, curry, coriander and simmer.  Add lentils to pot when ready and cook for another 3-5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken. Add spinach and dried cranberries and stir until combined.

6. Grease a 2 quart baking/casserole dish with avocado and add vegetable mixture.  Top with mashed squash and sweet potato topping and spread evenly to cover filling.  Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.

Get your slurp on...

It's another soup post!

This soup knocked my socks off...literally. Must have been the chipotle pepper. Okay, I'm kidding. It's not that spicy. I think I was just blown away at how a simple thing like a sweet potato could produce a soup that is so rich and spicy and sweet and simple - all at once.

I first saw this recipe on Chef at Home. Michael Smith is kind of a hero of mine. I mean - have you seen that guy's kitchen pantry? I'd do almost anything to play in there for a day. His spice collection alone is staggering. Anyway, he was making this soup and it just looked so comforting and delicious - and it was snowing here for a change, which made me crave something warm and rich. This soup certainly fits that bill.

Having what seemed like a bushel of sweet potatoes on hand the other day, I made two batches of it: one with the chipotle pepper for Husband and myself, and a second batch - minus the peppery heat - for Little Miss. Both versions were an instant hit. And took less than an hour to make. So the next time you're craving comfort, think soup. Just be sure to pour yourself a big bowl...you're going to want to dive right in.

Enjoy!



Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
(From Michael Smith's Chef at Home TV series)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 large sweet potatoes, washed and grated
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
(available in the International Foods section of your grocery next to the salsa)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
salt

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, add olive oil and onions and saute until soft, golden and translucent but not dark brown.

2. Add vegetable stock and grated sweet potatoes and stir. Bring to a simmer.

3. Add chipotle pepper (if using), cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Continue to simmer until potatoes have softened (about 15-20 minutes).

4. Puree in a blender or right in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning and , if necessary, adjust thickness by adding a cup or so of water.

Rainy Day Cooking...

Thursday was the perfect day to spend in the kitchen. It was cold and raining, so Little Miss and I couldn't go to the park; the car was at the mechanic all day so we couldn't go shopping, and quite frankly, neither one of us really felt like getting out of our jammies.

So, while she settled in for an afternoon of play with her toys, and Husband settled into an afternoon of work, I donned my best fuzzy slippers and went into my "happy zone" (a.k.a. the kitchen).

I was craving something warm, spicy, zesty and comforting for dinner - and it had to fit in ONE pot (because by the time I decided I wanted it, I'd already used just about every other pot, pan and container I already owned, and I wasn't about to stop to wash and reload). That's usually the trigger for me to pull out the slow cooker.

Chana Masala is my all-time favourite Indian dish. Chick peas, tomatoes, onions and spices slowly simmered together until all the flavours blend into a hearty, satisfying "I-don't-even-miss-the-meat" vegetarian dish. What I like even more about it is that it's one of those slow-cooker dishes that DOESN'T have to start cooking at 9am in order to be ready for dinner. 4 hours is more than enough, so even if it takes me half a day to decide I want it, I can still be eating it by 6pm. (Of course, the 8 hour setting works well too if you've got the time.)

At the heart of Chana Masala is a vibrant, fragrant mix of ground spices - known as a Garam Masala. It's a staple in Indian and other South Asian dishes, and it's worth keeping in your pantry. I like to make my own Garam Masala (see recipe below), but you can just as easily buy it pre-made in most grocery stores now - just check the International section. In fact, you can even pick up pre-made Chana Masala mixes there too - they'll last a long time and taste just as authentic.

If you are going to grind your own though (which by the way, will last for up to 3 months in an airtight container), use a different grinder from the one you grind your coffee beans in. While Garam Masala is fragrant and wonderful, it doesn't mix all that well with coffee.

So, back to that rainy Thursday: Little Miss played. Husband worked. I prepped, chopped, diced, sauteed, roasted and baked. It was actually a pretty good day.

Enjoy!

Chana Masala (Indian Chick Pea Stew)

Ingredients:

Garam Masala (spice mix)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder

(you will need 2 tablespoons for this recipe)

Chana Masala

2 591 ml cans of Chick peas, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp minced garlic from a jar)
1-inch (2.5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or 1/2 tsp minced jarred ginger)
1 can (28 oz/875 g) diced tomatoes - DO NOT DRAIN
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup water

Directions

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the vegetable oil. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté until the mixture just begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of garam masala and sauté until the spices are fragrant and thoroughly blended with the onion mixture, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, the sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup of water. Stir and bring to a boil.

Transfer the tomato-spice mixture to a slow cooker and stir in the chickpeas. Cover and cook until the chickpeas are very tender, 4 hours on the high-heat setting.

About 15 minutes before the chickpeas are done, sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of garam masala and lime juice evenly over the chickpeas and stir, breaking up some of the chickpeas with the back of the spoon to thicken the mixture slightly. I like the sauce to be a bit thicker so I also mix in 1 teaspoon of corn starch dissolved in cold water and stir for 2 minutes to thicken. This step isn't necessary though, it's just personal preference.

Serve immediately over basmati rice and/or naan.

Meatless Monday...

Yes, I know it's technically Tuesday as I write this, but I made this dish on Monday so the term "Meatless Monday" still counts.

I don't often cook with tofu - not because I don't enjoy it, but because Husband is a true carnivore and not a huge tofu fan. Fortunately, he's a big fan of my cooking and will gladly try just about anything I make. So when I thought about substituting chicken for tofu in one of my recipes, he was all for it.

Technically, this dish isn't 100% vegetarian, as it does call for Oyster Sauce, but you could easily swap it out for Vegetarian Oyster Sauce and ta da! You've got a fully-vegetarian dinner. And thanks to the deep, earthy flavour of the mushrooms and the kick from the crushed red pepper flakes, you won't even notice the meat is missing. Which reminds me - I used 1/2 teaspoon of crushed flakes, but you can adjust up or down depending on your tolerance for heat.

(P.S. it heats up really well for lunch the next day - I just finished off the leftovers!)

Enjoy!

Spicy Tofu Rice Bowl with Mushrooms, Tomato and Bok Choy
(Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray)


Ingredients:

1-2 cups Basmati, Jasmine or Brown Rice (cooked according to package directions)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts separated
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1 small package of baby bok choy, bottoms trimmed and halved lengthwise
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
2 tbsp Chinese oyster sauce

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. In a large non-stick pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, white parts of green onion and crushed red pepper and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, bok choy and season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are brown and tender and bok choy is vibrant green and wilted, about 3 minutes - 5 minutes. Add two tbsp of water to help "steam" the bok choy. Transfer mixture to a plate and set aside.

3. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil and tofu to the pan and cook until golden on one side, about 4-5 minutes, then toss to brown throughout, about 3 minutes. Push the tofu to the side of the pan and add the tomatoes and oyster sauce. Cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Return mushrooms and bok choy to pan and stir in green onion. Serve with rice.