Category: Main Courses

Butternut Coconut Red Lentil Dal

I cheated. The picture above is the nicest picture I think I’ve taken of dal/lentil soup. It’s actually not the dal for the recipe, but… it’s lentils and squash, you get the idea. It’ll look similar. Dal is really hard to photograph nicely, so this is what you get, at least for now.

This recipe makes about 3 to 3.5 quarts of dal. I usually store it in quart mason jars, and put two in the freezer right away. Cut the recipe in half or a third if you don’t want a lot of leftovers. As written, it uses the whole squash, though.

Bits

  • 1 large sweet winter squash, such as butternut or kabocha, about 4.4 lbs or 2 kg
  • 3 cups dry red lentils
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp salt, more to taste
  • Coconut oil for pan-frying, optional
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 20 to 25 curry leaves – You can get these on Amazon in big bags, but they freeze really well in air-tight jars, and if you have some frozen, you can add them to recipes straight from the freezer. Dried curry leaves have so little flavor compared to fresh or frozen, I don’t think they’re worth it.
  • 2 serrano peppers, if you want a little spice; omit if not!
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 ½ – 2 Tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp Berbere spice mix, if you want some more spice, or a little spice and don’t have serrano peppers. If you don’t have Berbere spice, use chile powder to taste
  • ½ can lite coconut milk (or if tolerated, use regular coconut milk and use the whole can)

Algorithm

  • Roast the squash – This can be done up to a few days ahead. If you roasted your squash and it’s been a few days and you’re still not ready to make dal, just put the squash in an airtight container in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
    • Preheat the oven to 425
    • Cut the top stem and any bottom knob off the squash, and then slice in half from top to bottom
    • Scoop out the seeds and strings from the middle and discard them
    • Place each half of the squash open side down in a large baking dish (such as a 9×13” glass dish)
    • Add about an inch of water to the dish.
    • Place the dish in the oven and let bake about 30 minutes, until the squash is baked all the way through, and there is almost no resistance when you push on the top with your finger or a spoon
    • Dump out the water, turn the squash halves over in the dish so the flesh is facing up, and let sit until cool enough to handle.
    • When cool, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. You should have between 3 and 4 cups.
    • If you’re using a kabocha squash, the skin is edible and delicious. Discard any of the skin that has hard bits / “scars” but the rest is good to eat. Optionally, you could slice it up into small squares and add to your dal when it’s finished.
  • Clean the lentils. If you don’t wash them, your dal may taste gross!
    • Add the lentils to a deep bowl.
    • While filling the bowl with cold water, swish the lentils with your fingers to help clean them faster. When the bowl is full, skim off the bubbles/froth. Then use a strainer to drain the water. Repeat until the water in the bowl is clear and there is minimal froth.
  • Cook the lentils
    • Add the cleaned lentils to a large stock pot
    • Add 9 cups of water to the stock pot, and bring to a simmer
    • When the lentils start simmering, they’ll generate some foam; scoop out as much of the foam as you can, but don’t worry about getting it all.
    • Add the turmeric and salt, and let the lentils simmer while you do the next steps
  • Pan-frying
    • If you’re using it, add about a teaspoon of coconut oil to a small frying pan over medium heat. Otherwise, just put a small frying pan over medium heat.
    • Add the mustard seeds to the frying pan
    • After a few minutes when the mustard seeds start to pop, put a lid on the pan and take it off the heat.
    • Once the mustard seeds stop popping, add them to the stockpot with the lentils
    • If you’re using it, add more oil to the frying pan and add the curry leaves and serranos (if you’re using them).
    • Stir fry the curry leaves and serranos a few minutes until they become fragrant. Then add them to the stock pot with the lentils as well.
  • Finish the dal
    • After about 10 minutes of simmering, the lentils should start to fall apart. When they’re just starting to fall apart, add the roasted squash flesh and the coconut milk.
    • Once all the ingredients have been added to the stock pot, let everything simmer together for about 15 more minutes. Be sure to keep the heat low, and stir every few minutes, to prevent the dal from burning on the bottom. Have a lid ready to partially cover the pot if the dal starts to sputter (that’s probably a sign it needs a good stir, too). Add more water if it’s starting to look too thick, and sputtering a lot.
  • Serve and enjoy! Some totally optional things I sometimes like to top my dal with are:

Cauliflower Tofu Curry with Sugar Snap Peas

Bits:

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • Seeds from about 6 cardamom pods (or 1 – 1 1/2 tsp whole cardamom seeds if your using the kind that come already de-podded in a spice bottle and had a “best by” date from about a year ago so they’ve lost some of their flavor… I won’t judge you if you don’t judge me)
  • 1 large yellow/white/sweet onion, halved and sliced
  • 1-2 serrano peppers or 1/2 tsp chili powder or 1 tsp Berbere seasoning (my preference)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced (or garlic scapes if you can get them, which are low FODMAP!)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp ras al hanout spice mix (I use Frontier Co-op, but use your favorite if you have one)
  • 1 head of cauliflower (about 2 lbs with stalk and leaves, about 1.75 lbs without)
  • 21-28 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into ~1″ cubes, depending on how much tofu you like.
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups total of lite coconut milk and/or milk alternative (e.g. soy milk)
  • 2 med-large zucchinis (I’ve also used green bell peppers here, which I can recommend as a substitute if you prefer)
  • 1 lb. sugar snap peas (use frozen peas to make up for however many fresh peas you don’t have)
  • To serve: cubed roasted potatoes (or rice, chapati, naan, or grain of choice)
  • Optional garnish: Greek yogurt (non-fat works great), Dal Mix

Algorithm

  1. Put a large frying / sauté pan or wide stock pot on medium heat.
  2. Add the cumin and cardamom seeds a couple of minutes until the cumin seeds get a shade darker and they start to smell fragrant. Add the chopped onion and sauté until golden, 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, peppers if you’re using them, and spices to the pan. Stir and let cook about 1 minute until they just start to smell fragrant.
  4. Add the cauliflower and tofu to the pan, and stir to mix with the onion and spices. Add the 1/2 cup water and the coconut milk; stir to combine. Put the lid on the pan and let simmer for 5 minutes, until the cauliflower has softened slightly.
  5. Meanwhile bring a small sauce pot of water to a boil. Add any frozen peas you’re using, let them come back to a boil and boil for about a minute. Add sugar snap peas, let them come back to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and strain from the water. Set aside
  6. Add in the zucchini (and/or green bell peppers) and stir. Let simmer for a couple minutes until the cauliflower is softened and cooked to your liking (shouldn’t take too long).
  7. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the peas.
  8. Serve with grain or starch of choice. Optionally, pass around Greek yogurt and Dal Mix to top each dish.

Savory Tomato Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Tomato Ginger Chutney

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Grain-free    &&    Low-fat    &&    Vegan

I can’t even try to pretend; I’m a bit obsessed with pancakes. These savory pancakes are the perfect excuse to have pancakes for lunch or dinner without feeling too weird about it (honestly, I wouldn’t judge either way). Like my breakfast pancakes, these are made with only chickpea flour, and are also secretly packed with shredded carrots. So there’s your protein and your vegetable, check and check! You can also change it up by using shredded zucchini, hearty greens, onions, or whatever you fancy, instead of, or in addition to, the carrots.

Instead of syrup, these are topped with a bright, flavorful tomato ginger chutney. If you’re not vegan, I’d also suggest adding a dollop of yogurt and/or an over-easy egg to these to really round out the meal.

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Savory Tomato Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Tomato Ginger Chutney

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Vegetarian India

Bits:

For the tomato ginger chutney:

  • 3-4 large (24 oz total) tomatoes, finely diced
  • 4 tsp peeled and minced (or grated) fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (such as cayenne)
  • 1 tsp whole yellow mustard seeds
  • 6-8 fresh curry leaves, finely chopped

For the pancakes:

  • 150 g chickpea flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp rasam powder spice mix (substitute curry powder if you don’t have rasam)
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1 large tomato, finely diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 jalapeño, finely diced (ribs and seeds discarded for milder heat)
  • Butter, ghee, or oil for greasing the pan

Algorithm:

  • Start by making the chutney:
    • Put a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
    • When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the remaining ingredients to the pan, and bring to a low simmer. Stir every minute or so for about 10 minutes, until some of the juices have evaporated off and the chutney has thickened slightly. Keep over low heat, stirring occasionally when needed, to keep warm.
  • Make the pancakes:
    • Preheat a large frying pan on the stove over medium heat.
    • Sift the chickpea flour into a bowl. Add the salt and spices through asafoetida, and stir to combine. Slowly add the water, mixing with a fork continuously to maintain a smooth consistency, until you have a thin, smooth batter.
    • Add the tomato, onion, and jalapeño to the batter and stir to mix.
    • When your frying pan is hot, add the minimal amount of low-fat butter to coat the bottom of the pan (or more if you can tolerate it in your diet). Use a 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter into separate blops in the frying pan to make the pancakes. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes before flipping the with a spatula; cook for two to three minutes on the other side. When done, remove the pancakes to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining batter
  • Top pancakes with the tomato ginger chutney. (If you’re not vegan, the pancakes and chutney are extra tasty with an added dollop of yogurt or topped with an egg!)

Everyday Red Lentil Dal

Everyday Red Lentil Dal with pickled carrots and peppers and a boiled egg. YUM.

Vegan && Very Low Fat && Oil-Free && Grain-Free

I called this “Everyday” dal not because it’s mundane; actually the opposite, I love it so much I am excited to eat it almost every day. Like most dals I’ve ever met, it’s filling, satisfying, and (perhaps strangely?) soothing. It feels almost like a cheat to call it a recipe and make a post about it because it’s so simple and essential, it feels a little like making a recipe post about corn flakes in milk.

One thing I love about this recipe is that it’s extremely adaptable. It’s hard to make it taste bad if you are just adding ingredients you like, or omitting ones you don’t. This is the combination of my favorites, but I also frequently change things depending on what spices strike my fancy at the time, or what green vegetables have been sitting neglected in my fridge longest.

This recipe also has the benefit that the cooking part has enough hands-off downtime between adding ingredients, that you can prep while you cook, which I think saves time and energy. Making a big batch, as written, usually takes me 30 minutes or less from start to finish (including cleaning up my mess while it finishes simmering on the stove), so I feel like that’s pretty time and energy efficient, especially for so many servings.

The other great part about this dal (there are so many great parts!) is all the options for toppings. I try to make and keep a jar of picked carrots and hot peppers handy at all times to eat with my dal (I’ll make a separate recipe post for that; they are good on lots of other dishes too)! I also love adding a soft/medium boiled egg. Depending on the day, I may add a handful of cubed roasted potato or sweet potato. And DO NOT get me started on Dal Mix from Indianlife, that stuff is crack. It’s pretty low-ish fat, and grain free (yay!), so I enjoy small portions on *many* dishes, most especially this dal.

Dal is really hard to photograph. Also I am not a food stylist. But, trust me, this dal tastes way more amazing than any photo could convey.

Everyday Red Lentil Dal

Makes about 13-14 cups (about 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 quarts) — *freezes and reheats very well*

Depending how hungry you are and what else you’re eating at the time, one serving is one to two cups.

Hardware:

  • Deep bowl or mixing bowl that’s easy to pour from
  • Sieve for straining water from the lentils
  • Stock pot with at least 5.5 quarts capacity
  • Wooden spoon

Bits:

  • 3 1/4 cups red lentils
  • 1 (human) thumb of fresh ginger
  • 2 serrano peppers
  • 2-3 tsp salt (start with 2 tsp and add salt at the end to taste)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • optional: 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
  • optional: 20 fresh or frozen curry leaves, chopped into small bits
  • optional: 1/2 tsp Berbere Ethiopian spice mix (for added spice)
  • 4-5 large roma tomatoes
  • 1-2 bunches of lacinato kale (or collard greens)

To serve: pickled carrots and peppers, pickled okra, boiled egg, hot sauce, cubed roasted sweet potato, Indianlife Dal Mix

Algorithm:

  1. Wash the lentils (do not skip this step or your dal will taste gross!): Measure out the lentils into a mixing bowl that’s easy to pour from. Fill the bowl with cold water, swishing the lentils around with a spoon or your clean fingers. Skim the foam off the top, and then pour into a large sieve to drain the water. Dump the lentils back into the bowl and repeat until the water running through the sieve is clear, usually after 4 or 5 changes of water. This method is more effective and wastes less water than just putting the lentils in a sieve and running tap water over them.
  2. Put the lentils in a large stock pot. Add 10 cups water and turn the heat onto high. When the water gets near a boil, skim off the foam that bubble up; don’t worry about getting it all, but try to get most of it. Once water comes fully to a boil, reduce heat to medium, enough to maintain a gentle simmer.
  3. While you’re waiting for the water to come to foam and boil, mince the fresh ginger and serranos. If you’re using them, chop up the curry leaves.
  4. After the water boils, add minced ginger, serranos, salt, spices, and chopped fresh/frozen curry leaves if you’re using them. Give everything a good couple of stirs.
  5. Dice the tomatoes. When they are all diced, add them to the pot. Stir again to make sure the lentils are cooking evenly and nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  6. Slice the kale leaves off the stems, and chop into 1- to 2-inch squares/strips. When they are all chopped, add them to the pot. Stir to incorporate the kale, and again make sure the lentils aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  7. Leave the dal to simmer uncovered for at least 5 minutes, until the kale is cooked and soft. Add water if the dal to achieve your desired consistency. Optionally, let the dal simmer up to 10 minutes more to let the flavors meld further, stirring occasionally. (This is a good time to clean up any mess remaining in the kitchen).
  8. Take off the dal off the burner. Optionally, add more salt to taste.
  9. Enjoy as is, or garnished with pickled veggies, egg, Dal Mix, or any toppings you like!

Robot Pizza with Roasted Garlic Sauce

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Grain-free    &&    Low Fat    &&    Vegan Option

Hey. So, I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus. I will catch you up later. But I’ve been thinking a lot about resuming my food blogging! Also, I just saw this perfectly good post I wrote up **PRE-PANDEMIC** sitting here. I didn’t post it right away for reasons, which I will include in the catch-up post. For now, I’ll just say: Thanks for sticking with me. I plan to be back soon. In the meantime, please enjoy some pizza!

Original post:

This was a bit of a project, but so worth it when you want to kick back with some comfort food (and possibly your spouse has been making you super jealous with real pizza that comes in a cardboard box with a tiny plastic table in the middle and is delivered by a guy wearing a cap who inevitably rings the doorbell when the husband’s in the bathroom, leaving you to get the door. Ahh, the true American pizza experience).

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Robot Pizza with Roasted Garlic Sauce

Makes two 11″ pies; serves 3 to 4

60 minutes (including about 45 minutes for roasting garlic. Use extra between-time to cook a vegetable, or throw together a salad to make a complete meal! Let’s be honest, a few leaves of basil on a pizza does not count as a serving of vegetables.)

Bits

– For the crust

  • Corn flour for dusting
  • 315g chickpea flour
  • 65g Greek yogurt (or substitute vegan yogurt for vegan option)
  • 20 g yam
  • 1+ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • pinch of asafoetida (or garlic powder)
  • 4-5 Tbsp water

– For the roasted garlic sauce:

    Dry:

  • ¼ cup chickpea flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp dried thyme (or Italian seasoning or ground sage)
  • ¼ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp nutritional yeast

    Wet:

  • 1 head garlic
  • ½ cup water
  • ¾ cup milk of choice (skim cow milk to keep the dish nearly non-fat, or alternative plant-based milk for vegan option)
  • 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp tamari

– Suggestions for the topping (or use toppings of choice):

  • 2 medium slicing tomatoes
  • 4 sliced peppadew peppers
  • Handful of basil leaves
  • ¾ cup low fat cottage cheese, strained/drained of excess liquid (omit to make vegan)

Algorithm:

  • Adjust oven racks to top and bottom thirds of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 450ºF. Sprinkle a couple good pinches of corn flour over two baking sheets.
  • Slice the top off of your head of garlic and wrap it tight in aluminum foil. Bake it in the pre-heated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until garlic is browning and soft throughout.
  • Combine the crust ingredients except the water in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add 4 Tbsp of water and stir to bring it together into a rough dough. Knead with your hands, and add the remaining little by little until the dough just comes together, but is still dry and kneadable. Knead a few times in the bowl until the dough is smooth. Set aside.
  • Put the dry ingredients for the garlic sauce in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
  • Prep your pizza toppings of choice: slice fresh tomatoes, tear some basil leaves, slice some peppers, put some cottage cheese in a cheese cloth and squeeze out the excess liquid… etc.
  • When the garlic is done roasting, use a knife to remove the soft garlic cloves from the papery encasements in the bulb, and place in a small food processor or blender. Add ½ cup water, and blend until smooth.
  • Add the blended garlic to a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining wet ingredients for the sauce to the saucepan and stir to combine.
  • When the contents of the saucepan are hot but not boiling, pour a small amount into the bowl with the dry ingredients to make a paste. Continue pouring the wet ingredients little by little into the mixing bowl holding the dry ingredients, stirring in between additions, until you get a thin sauce. When most of the wet ingredient mixture has been incorporated, pour the contents of the mixing bowl back into the saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring continuously for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens noticeably. Remove from heat and set aside to cool until ready to use.
  • Split ball of dough in half. Spread a pinch of cornflour on a smooth surface or cutting board and use a rolling pin to roll one of the halves into a flat circle (or a rough approximation of a circle) of desired thickness. I rolled mine pretty thin, about ¼-inch thick. Repeat with other half of the dough.
  • Divide the garlic sauce between the two pizzas and spread into a smooth layer. Add other toppings of choice (except basil; that’s best added after baking). Bake pizzas in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes until the edges of the crust start to brown.
  • Remove baking sheet from oven and let pizzas cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Scatter reserved basil leaves on top of the pizzas. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and/or chili flakes as desired. Cut into slices and serve!

Baked Vegetable Pancakes with Tangy Sauce

Grain-free    &&    Low-fat    &&    Pancakes

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In this edition of Pancakes Today… er, I mean, Robot Recipes…

More savory pancakes! Have them for dinner! Pack them for lunch! Have them for breakfast to get a jump start on your veggie quota for the day!

These pancakes are mostly vegetables, with some protein to help them stick together, but not enough protein (in my humble opinion) to be really filling, particularly if you’re super hungry. If you have these for a meal, I recommend serving them alongside something else that will help satisfy a hearty appetite. To make a more filling meal, you could have some spiced/garlic cauliflower rice on the side and serve the pancakes topped with an over-easy egg (or egg whites). There’s also time to rummage through the fridge and throw something together that suits your fancy while these are baking.

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There is a bit of vegetable prep involved, but it’s definitely worth it. These pancakes are tastier than a stack of vegetables has any right to be.

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Baked Vegetable Pancakes with Tangy Sauce

This recipe is an adaptation (a more flavorful one, if I may be so bold) of Smitten Kitchen’s Japanese Cabbage and Vegetable Pancakes.

Bits:

For the Pancakes:

  • About 7 large lacinato kale (cavalo nero) leaves, de-stemmed and chopped (about 90g after de-stemming, about 3 cups chopped)
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and grated (about 250g, or 2 ¼ cups grated)
  • 1 medium beet, peeled and grated (about 80g, or about 1 cup grated)
  • ½ head green or red cabbage, shredded (about 330g, or 4 cups after shredding)
  • 5-6 scallions (50 g after slicing)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp rasam powder (or substitute your favorite curry powder)
  • 1 cup (120 g) chickpea flour
  • 1 cup egg whites (equivalent of 5 large eggs)

For the sauce:

Algorithm:

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In your largest mixing bowl, toss together the prepared vegetables. Add the salt, cumin, coriander, rasam (or curry) powder, and chickpea flour. Toss again to evenly coat the vegetables. Pour the egg whites into the bowl and stir with a big wooden spoon until everything is evenly coated.

Scoop a scant 1 cup of the vegetable mixture and place it on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten into a disk about 5 inches / 13 cm in diameter. Repeat 10 or 11 more times until you run out of batter. Bake pancakes for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges start to brown and the vegetables look fairly roasty. When the pancakes are done, remove baking sheets from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

While the vegetable pancakes are baking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine all the sauce ingredients, stir together and bring to a boil. Lower heat and keep at a gentle simmer for at least five minute. I usually leave the sauce on the stove on low after that until the pancakes are ready.

Now make any optional sides or garnishes (cauliflower rice, over easy egg, etc). Serve the pancakes alongside the sauce for dipping or spreading over as desired.

Carrot Chickpea Flour Pancake with Charred Green Beans and Tomatoes

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Grain-free    &&    Low-fat    &&    Vegan option

I have been a bit obsessed with pancakes lately. Of course they need to be made with chickpea flour, and be low- to no-fat, but beyond that, anything goes! This pancake is something I’ve been making for dinner; it’s a little sweet as it’s made with grated carrots, but it’s not sweet like a breakfast pancake (there’s no additional sweetener). It’s topped with spicy, savory charred green beans and cherry tomatoes. I am going to be very sad when those bright plump cherry tomatoes go out of season (in about two seconds from now), but maybe I’ll find something else for the fall or winter to substitute that goes just as well.

For now, I’ve been making extra green beans and cherry tomatoes (about 1 ½ times the amount given in the recipe below) and using the extra to top a good red lentil dal.

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Dear summer produce, I love you. Yours Truly, Robot Recipes

The recipe for the pancake is roughly based on Anna Jones’s carrot pancake in her excellent book “A Modern Way to Cook“. The charred vegetable recipe is adapted from the recipe “Blistered Green Beans and Tomatoes with Honey Harissa and Mint” from the New York Times Cooking.

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Carrot Chickpea Flour Pancake with Charred Green Beans and Tomatoes

Bits:

     Carrot chickpea flour pancake: 

  • 150g chickpea flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp coriander
  • ½ tsp curry powder
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 2 medium (~200g) carrots, peeled and grated (you should have ~125g, or 1 ½ cups after peeling and grating)

     Green beans and cherry tomatoes: (hint: make extra to eat on top of your favorite dal!)

  • 1 lb green beans
  • 10-12 oz cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tsp berbere spice mix (use extra if you like extra spice; substitute a mild curry powder if you don’t like much spice)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • ½ tsp honey

To finish:

  • Plain Greek yogurt (optional) for serving
  • Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Algorithm:

Move oven rack to highest position, and preheat broiler on high.

First start the pancake cooking: Combine all pancake ingredients. Preheat a 12” non-stick frying pan / skillet on medium-high. When hot, if your pans have lost a lot of their non-stick-ness like mine have, add a teaspoon of reduced fat butter, or oil of choice and swirl it around the pan as it melts to create a better non-stick surface. Pour the batter into the frying pan and smooth it around with a spoon or spatula. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Let cook undisturbed for at least 20 minutes. The pancake is done with when the top is dry all the way across. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, start a medium saucepan of water boiling. Chop ends off of green beans and cut into desired size pieces. Boil green beans for 4 minutes and refresh in cold water.

Halve the cherry tomatoes (unless they’re already tiny).

Combine the berbere spice mix, salt, lime juice, and honey in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the green beans and cherry tomatoes on top. Pour over the berebere mixture and toss until the beans and tomatoes are evenly coated. Spread the beans and tomatoes out into a single layer on the baking sheet and place under broiler. Let cook for about 5 minutes. Check the contents of the baking sheet often, as the difference in time between nicely charred and burnt to a crisp is surprisingly short under a hot broiler.

To serve, slide a spatula under the pancake to loosen it from the pan. Once it’s loosened place a large dinner plate or serving plate over the pan and quickly and carefully flip the pancake onto the plate. Top with charred green beans and tomatoes, or alternately, slice the pancake like a pizza and let individuals top their portions with their desired amount of vegetables. For non-vegans, a dollop of plain greek yogurt is nice. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Red Lentil Rasam with Tamarind Roasted Red Cabbage

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Hot weather be damned, this is one recipe that I will cook and eat happily all year, regardless of the temperature outside (or in the kitchen).

This is one of those magical simple recipes that somehow makes more than the sum of its parts. Amazingly, the best part is really the roasted cabbage with tamarind. It’s just two simple ingredients (plus water), and somehow it completely steals the show! (And that’s hard to do when lentils are the other half of the show!) I think cabbage prepared any other way has now been ruined for me.

Now that I’ve totally talked it up, there’s probably no way it will live up to your expectations. But still, go make this right now, and I don’t think you’ll be sad with the result.

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Red Lentil Rasam with Tamarind Roasted Red Cabbage

Adapted from Meera Sodha’s recipe in The Guardian

Makes about 6 cups of rasam + 1 roasted cabbage; serves 4

Bits:

  • 1 small head red cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs / 700g)
  • 1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 10 – 15 fresh curry leaves
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
  • 1 ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 ¼ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 3/4 tsp rasam powder (if needed, substitute 1/2 tsp curry powder + 1 tsp lemon juice)
  • 400g canned/boxed chopped tomatoes
  • 1 ¼ cups (250g) split red lentils, washed in several changes of water until the water runs clear
  • 2 cups vegetarian stock
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp tamarind paste, divided (I like Aunt Patty’s Organic Tamarind Paste)

Algorithm

  • Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Slice the cabbage into quarters from top to bottom (or into sixths or eighths if you’re using a much bigger cabbage. Sprinkle lightly with water (or a couple drops of olive oil if you can handle it in your diet). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and put the cabbage wedges on the sheet, and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until they’re looking roasty and the stem is soft and cooked.
  • While the cabbage is roasting, make the rasam. In a large stock pot over medium heat, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the garlic to the pot and stir for about a minute or two until the garlic starts to turn golden. Add the spices (cumin through rasam powder) and stir for 30 seconds until the spices become fragrant.
  • Pour the canned tomatoes, lentils, stock and water into the stock pot, and stir to combine. Bring rasam to a simmer, partially cover, and let simmer about 20-30 minutes until the lentils have fallen apart completely. Stir occasionally, particularly toward the end of cooking time to ensure the lentils don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
  • When the cabbage has cooked for 30 minutes, mix 2 Tbsp tamarind paste with 2 Tbsp of water. Drizzle the tamarind-water mixture over the cabbage wedges generously, and bake for a further 10 minutes.
  • When the rasam is cooked, add salt and remaining 1 Tbsp tamarind paste to the pot. Stir to combine, taste, and add any extra seasoning as desired. Simmer for another minute or two for the flavors to meld. The texture of the final product should be between a soup and a dal.
  • To serve, ladle rasam into separate bowls. Cut each wedge of cabbage into 4 or so slices, and place slices on top of rasam. Serve with cauliflower rice, or chickpea flour flatbread if desired.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in air tight containers for at least a week!

Fresh Mint & Snap Pea Pasta/Chickpea Bowl

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Grain-free    &&    Very low fat    &&    Vegan option    &&    30 minutes or less

I know I already posted this dish with a rough algorithm for the recipe on Instagram, but I seriously CANNOT stop eating this dish! (Why do mint and peas go so well together?!? Apparently the British already had this figured out, but it’s news to me!) I was hesitant to post yet another pasta recipe, but my continuing love for this one is too great to contain. So, I figured it’s time to get serious about it, write down exactly the recipe I’ve settled on (instead of just winging it every time as I had been), and share it with the world.

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The Insta pic that got this whole thing started.

As I said on Instagram, I saw a recipe in The Irish Times by Nigel Slater from his new book Green Feast (Dear Seattle Public Library, Please add this book to your collection so I can check it out. Sincerely, Robot Recipes) for a pea, paparadelle and parmesan dish. The recipe was super simple, and screaming to be made, but with several twists to make it more robot friendly, and give it a little more zip. The result is a great seasonal recipe; I don’t know about you but my garden is currently in danger of being overwhelmed with fresh mint, and to my delight every other stall at my local farmer’s market has plump, crisp sugar snap peas that taste amazingly sweet even raw. It’s also super fast to throw together for lunch or dinner (or perhaps a pre-dinner snack!).

If you don’t have grain-free pasta on hand, this recipe also works well with canned chickpeas substituted instead. If you don’t have fresh sugar snap peas, just use extra frozen peas.

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Fresh Mint & Snap Pea Pasta / Chickpea Bowl

Serves 4 (makes about 2.5 cups mint pea sauce)

Ready in 30 minutes or less

Bits:

  • 8 oz. box of grain-free pasta (I used Tolerant Red Lentil Rotini in the Instagram pic, and Tolerant Green Lentil Penne in the other two pics); or substitute two 14oz. cans garbanzo beans, rinsed
  • 4 1/3 cups (1 lb. + 1 cup) frozen peas
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (such as Imagine Organic Vegetarian No-Chicken Broth)
  • 2 – 3 cups sugar snap peas, stemmy ends cut off, and chopped in half if desired for more bite-sized pieces.
  • 1/4 cup (7g) chopped fresh mint leaves; plus extra mint leaves for garnish
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • Black pepper (or lemon pepper) to taste
  • Optional for non-vegans: 1 cup low-fat/non-fat cottage cheese

Algorithm:

  • Cook grain-free pasta according to package instructions. If you use a similar chickpea and/or lentil based pasta like the one I used, after boiling, strain out the cooking water from the pan, and fill the pan (with the pasta still in it) back up with cold tap water. Rinse and strain out the cold tap water. This not only to stop the cooking when it’s done, but also will remove extra starch and prevent the pasta from sticking together.
  • In a small saucepan, combine the frozen peas and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Strain out the peas, reserving 3/4 cups of the broth. Set peas and broth aside.
  • If using fresh sugar snap peas: Using either the same small saucepan or a second one, fill half full with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the fresh sugar snap peas and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft, but not mushy. Strain out the water and refresh with cool water to stop the peas from cooking further.
  • In a blender (bonus if you have a high-speed blender!) combine the reserved 3/4 cup broth, 3 1/3 cups (equivalent of 1 lb bag) of the peas boiled from frozen, 1/4 cup (7g) chopped fresh mint leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.
  • Divide pasta, reserved peas (from frozen), and the sugar snap peas (if using) among four deep bowls. Add 1/4 of the mint pea sauce to each. Garnish with chopped fresh mint leaves and extra pepper (or lemon pepper) as desired. I love to top my bowl with about 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese as well. Serve and enjoy!

 

Tomato Cobbler with Buttermilk Chickpea Flour Biscuits

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Grain-free    &&    Very Low Fat    &&    Vegetarian

The summer weather is really getting into swing now, but I am lucky to live in Seattle where it almost never gets too hot to turn on the oven. Even if it got super hot, I am probably crazy about cooking and baking enough that I’d turn on the oven anyway.

This recipe is an adaptation of one found in Hetty McKinnon’s beautiful and amazing new book “Family.” I know I’ve said I love her before, but it’s worth saying again; check out all of her cookbooks if you can. Of course I changed this recipe to make it robot-compatible (grain-free and practically non-fat), and I amped up the spices a little bit. The recipe calls for a lot of tomatoes, and would be great for using up those soft wrinkly tomatoes in the back of the fridge that got just past their prime before you could eat them fresh. Or if you can, go to your local farmer’s market, look for someone selling tomatoes and ask them if they have any “seconds”; I get seconds of organic tomatoes at my farmer’s market fo $1/lb, and usually there’s barely anything wrong with them! To be honest, I cut back on the amount of tomato filling when I made this because I just didn’t have the tomatoes, and I thought it was fine.

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The real star of the show here is the buttermilk biscuits! Because of the chickpea flour, they’re not quite as light and flakey as traditional buttermilk biscuits of course, but they’re still full of warm, soft, savory biscuity goodness, without the grain or fat!

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Tomato Cobbler with Buttermilk Chickpea Flour Biscuits

Adapted from Hetty McKinnon’s “Family” cookbook (p.163)

~45 minutes prep, 40 minutes to bake, 10 minutes to cool (total: 1 hour 35 minutes)

Serves 4 to 6

Bits:

Tomato Filling:

  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced fine
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a knife and diced fine
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp chickpea flour
  • 4 lbs tomatoes (any variety), cut into about 1″ chunks
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Hot sauce to taste (optional, if like me, you like everything to have a little kick)

Buttermilk Biscuits

  • 120 g (about 1 cup) chickpea flour
  • 110 g (3/4 cup) fine-ground corn meal
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 100 g (about 1/2 cup) yam, roasted or boiled until flesh is fully softened
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Algorithm:

  • Adjust oven racks so that one is in the center of your oven, and the other is any distance below that. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
  • Make the tomato filling:
    • In a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat, add the red onion, and cook about until caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes; add a tablespoon or two of water if the onion starts to stick to the pan.
    • Add the jalapeño, garlic, thyme, and balsamic vinegar to the pan and immediately add the chickpea flour. Cook for one minute, while stirring continuously; don’t worry if the chickpea flour soaks up all the liquid and looks a little dry.
    • Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and hot sauce if you’re using it. Give everything a few good stirs. The chickpea flour should dissolve into and thicken the liquids in the pan to make a nice sauce. Add water a tablespoon at a time if it’s still to thick, or turn up the heat and cook it down for a couple minutes if it looks too watery.
  • Make the biscuits:
    • In a medium bowl, add the chickpea flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, paprika, and cumin in a bowl, and stir to combine.
    • Treat the yam just like you would butter; add it to the bowl, and using your fingertips, rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
    • Stir in the nutritional yeast and chopped chives. Pour in the lemon juice and buttermilk; whisk with a fork until no the buttermilk is incorporated.
  • Put it all together and bake:
    • Lightly grease the sides of an 9″ by 13″ baking dish with reduced fat butter or vegetable oil spray (this adds a negligible amount of fat to the dish).
    • Pour in the tomato mixture. Loosely form 12 balls of biscuit dough (or drop 12 large spoonfuls of biscuit dough) and place them evenly on top of the tomato mixture.
    • Place a baking sheet (or large bit of aluminum foil) on the bottom rack to catch any drips, and place the tomato cobbler on the top rack. Bake for 40 minutes; check halfway through and loosely place an aluminum foil hat over the baking dish if the biscuits start to get too dark.
    • Remove from the oven and dust lightly with extra nutritional yeast. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Serve while still warm. Pairs well with a fresh arugula salad.