Spiced red lentil soup

I don’t have a special story or rambling anecdote today. No, it’s as straightforward as this: I had some veggies and lentils to use up, I came across this recipe, and a healthy, lo-cal dinner was born.

1T olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Dash of ground cinnamon
1 small onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
2 medium carrots, shredded or chopped
29 oz. vegetable broth (or 2 bouillon cubes)
6 oz. red lentils (masoor dal)
1/8 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 cup plain soy yogurt

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin, coriander, crushed red pepper, and cinnamon, and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds.



Add the onion and cook and stir until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. (I didn’t decide to add the onion until later, so that’s why you don’t see it here, but you should definitely sauté it with the spices at this point for the best flavor.) Add the red bell pepper and carrots, and cook and stir until just tender, about 5 minutes.



Add the broth, (or two bouillon cubes + scant 4 cups water), lentils, and salt.



Bring to a boil.



Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.



Purée with a hand blender (or in batches in a blender). Ladle into bowls, swirl a heaping tablespoon of yogurt into each, and grind on some fresh cracked black pepper. You could also garnish with chopped cilantro, parsley, or green onions. It’s smooth, well-spiced, simple, and satisfying. Keep this in mind for your next busy weeknight!



Yield: 3 servings. Per serving: 166 calories, 5.2g fat (.5g sat), 23.6 carbs, 9g fiber, 7.6g protein.

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Creamy chickpea soup
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Indian curried lentils

Curry lentil crackers w/spinach-avocado dip

When I ordered Brendan Brazier’s The Thrive Diet from Amazon a couple weeks ago, I couldn’t wait till it came in the mail to try out one of his nutrient-dense dishes. A web search yielded this cracker recipe on the Vegetarian Times site. Curry + lentils? It was made for me! It also brought to mind another VT recipe for a great raw Indian dip I’d had my eye on for some time, and it just so happened I actually had spinach in my fridge (left over from my green smoothies). I knew they’d make a perfect pair.

For the crackers:
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup cooked or sprouted lentils
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2T balsamic vinegar
1T coconut oil
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp agave nectar
Salt to taste

For the dip:
4 cups (about 6 oz.) spinach leaves
1 large avocado, peeled, pit removed
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp minced fresh ginger
Dash chili powder
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash cumin

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a food processor, combine all cracker ingredients. If you don’t have chickpea flour (I happen to, since I cook a decent amount of Indian food), I’m sure whole wheat pastry or all-purpose would work fine.



Pulse ingredients together, then process until incorporated. It will still appear grainy.



Lightly grease an 11x15-inch baking sheet with cooking spray or extra coconut oil. Spread the mixture on the baking sheet as thinly as possible. I used a wooden skewer as a miniature rolling pin, but this was still the best I could do:



Not quite a full pan, to say the least. Oh well; just call it "rustic." Gently score it with a knife to mark desired cracker size before baking. I also sprinkled them lightly with salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before breaking apart.



Meanwhile, make the dip. So as not to overload the food processor, I pulsed together half the spinach and half the avocado first, then added the other halves of each.



Once roughly chopped, add the remaining ingredients...



...and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl or container and refrigerate. The longer it chills, the yummier it gets. When the crackers have cooled completely, dip away! Is that a ridiculously vibrant green, or what?



The crackers are delicate, but hold up just fine against the lightly-textured dip. They’re hearty and filling (remember, all the saturated fat in these is coconut-derived), and the flavor is super-unique. I could pick out a faint taste of sunflower seeds, a tiny tang of balsamic, and just a whisper of curry and cumin. They’re salty, savory, and full of "umami." When the crackers are gone, there will be plenty of dip left, so plan to eat it with raw veggies, in sandwiches, on pita bread, as a veggie burger topping (which I tried; delicious!) or any other way you can dream up. Despite the seemingly minimal seasoning, it packs a massive flavor punch. I don’t see seasoned salt called for often in recipes, but I think it really made a difference here. And I’m telling you, this dip is downright silky. The luxuriously smooth avocado sends the spices spinning in all directions across your palate. And I couldn’t taste the spinach! Victory!



Crackers—Yield: 2 servings. Per serving: 258 calories, 17.6g fat (7g sat), 18.5g carbs, 6g fiber, 8.8g protein.
Dip—Yield: about 2 cups. Per 1/4 cup: 102 calories, 8g fat (1g sat), 8g carbs, 5g fiber, 2g protein.

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Indian spice hummus
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Indian spice hummus

Can you believe that for all the chickpea adoration and hummus exaltation this blog is packed with, I have never posted a recipe for hummus? Me neither. Clearly it’s time.

Needless to say, there are practically an infinite number of ways to prepare hummus. Not only can the base ingredients be altered a bit, but you can make it any flavor under the sun. Plain, garlic, olive, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, chile pepper, the list goes on. You can also craft hummus with the essences of many different regions’ cuisines—Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Greek, Egyptian, Spanish, Moroccan, you name it. This is my favorite type to make, a vibrant golden hummus infused with the opulent spices of India.

1 can chickpeas, drained
2-3 cloves garlic
2T lemon juice
3T tahini
1T curry powder
1 tsp cumin seed, or 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
Salt to taste

Put the chickpeas, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor.



Pulse to combine. Turn on the food processor, stream in 1/4 cup cold water, and blend until semi-smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the tahini and all the spices (but no salt). If you’ve never tried it, I recommend picking up some Madras curry powder. It’s so much more aromatic and deeply flavored than supermarket varieties.



Pulse together. Turn the processor back on and stream in another 1/4 cup or so of cold water as it’s running. Stop and scrape down the sides again, then turn back on and purée for at least 3 minutes. Yes, it’s a long time, but trust me. After that, give it a taste, then add salt to your liking (I usually put in about a teaspoon) and purée for another 30 seconds.



Transfer the hummus to a bowl or container and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. The longer it sits, the more intense the flavors become—and that's a good thing. The fragrant spices are enhanced by the punch of garlic and the mellow tahini in the background. Garnish it with a sprinkle of paprika and a drizzle of olive oil if you like. This may be the first hummus recipe I've posted, but it will not be the last.



Yield: about 2 cups. Per 1/4 cup: 96 calories, 4g fat (trace sat), 13g carbs, 3g fiber, 4g protein.

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Dal makhani: a refresher

As you may or may not remember, my friend Henry and I took a vegetarian Indian cooking class last October, where we learned to make vegetable kofta curry, palak paneer, mango chutney, and one of our favorite Indian dishes ever, dal makhani. In December, we revisited those recipes and made kofta curry and dal makhani for ourselves and Tyler. Recently, I made dal makhani myself at home, and (as is my tendency) I made the recipe healthier and a bit more accessible. Since, as you know, I don’t mind having tons of leftovers, I made a biiig batch, with a full pound of lentils. Don’t be dismayed by its large size, though—it keeps extremely well, and it tastes even better the next day.

1 lb lentils
2T corn or canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1T minced garlic, or garlic paste
1T minced ginger, or ginger paste
1 large onion, diced
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
10-oz. can diced tomatoes w/green chiles (like Ro-Tel)
8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp coriander
Salt to taste
Cilantro, chopped

Rinse the lentils and pick out any bad ones. In an extra-large saucepan, submerge them in 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring regularly. Drain in a colander when done. While the lentils are working, cook yourself some rice. I like brown basmati with homemade Indian food, but feel free to use whatever you have.

In another large saucepan (or just wait until the lentils are done and use the same one), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, garlic, and ginger, and cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the diced tomatoes, with their juice, and cook and stir for 5 more minutes.



Add the tomato sauce, then the garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, and coriander.



Gently stir in the kidney beans, then the lentils.



Add water until it reaches a thick but saucy consistency. Season with salt to taste. If you want to make it a little richer, you can mix in 2-4T of Earth Balance (or ghee, if you're so inclined) at the end. "Makhani" does mean "butter," after all, but I find it’s just as good without it.



Spoon up some rice, top it with a nice big scoop of the dal, and crown it with a sprinkle of cilantro. It’s super thick and hearty, with a robust balance of spices. I’m not a fan of traditional comfort food, so I prefer to say farewell to winter with something still warm and soothing, but a little more exotic—this fits the bill perfectly.



Yield: 8 servings. Per serving, without rice: 300 calories, 5g fat (trace sat), 48g carbs, 21g fiber, 18g protein.

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Tofu makhani curry

Happy new year! Hope everyone had a great Eve (how very fortunate that liquor is vegan). I’m looking forward to my first full year of food blogging, and all the delicious meals it will bring. My last cooking adventure of 2008 was an awesome one, and something I had been meaning to make for a long time.

Chicken makhani is an Indian dish that I would liken to chicken tikka masala, with the difference being that it’s even richer. “Makhani” means “butter,” after all (though it’s not the same dish as “butter chicken”...go figure). I based this recipe loosely off of one on Allrecipes that, in its original form, was nowhere near vegan – besides the obvious (chicken), it contained butter, half-and-half, and yogurt. But with a couple easy substitutions (and one particularly creative one), this dish adopted its new vegan identity effortlessly. The resulting meal is not just healthier, but is actually quicker and easier to make than the original.

1T canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
2T Earth Balance
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1T ginger paste (or minced ginger)
1T garlic paste (or minced garlic)
1/4 cup ground almonds or cashews
1 cup plain soymilk or nut milk
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

A few tips...
- Ginger and garlic pastes are available at Indian grocers, and are well worth the trip. I was only recently turned on to them, and already find them indispensable. If you make a lot of Indian or Asian food, or if you just use garlic as copiously as I do, it can shave valuable minutes off your prep time.
- Ground almonds can be made by putting blanched whole almonds in a food processor and blending until they’re in the tiniest crumbs possible, but stopping before it turns into almond butter. (This is what will thicken the curry.)
- Get your basmati rice going before you start. (I use brown basmati.) Bring 1 cup rice and 1 3/4 cup water to a boil, then put the lid on, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Stir in the Earth Balance, lemon juice, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, and bay leaf. Cook and stir for 1 minute while breathing in that spicy, mouth-watering aroma.



Add the tomato sauce and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the soymilk, ground almonds, and ginger and garlic pastes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, throw in the tofu cubes and cayenne, and reduce the heat to low.



At this point, the sauce will be fairly thin.



Simmer it for about 10 minutes. The tofu will absorb a good amount of the liquid, and the ground almonds will thicken the sauce. Add water, about 2T at a time, if it condenses too much/too quickly. By the time your rice is done, your curry should look more like this:



Remove the bay leaf, and garnish it with cilantro if you’ve got it, or stir in some frozen peas, or enjoy it as-is. It’s thick, rich, and luxurious, filled with chunks of firm tofu and permeated by warm, indulgent spices. Now this is my kind of comfort food.



Yield: 3 servings. Per serving (without rice): 353 calories, 24.6g fat (3.6 sat), 10.6g carbs, 3.3g fiber, 20g protein.

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Indian & Moroccan at home

A couple months ago, my friend Henry and I took a vegetarian Indian cooking class, and vowed to soon recreate the dishes we saw made that night. It took us a few weeks, but on Saturday, we did just that. On the menu was kofta curry and dal mahkani with basmati rice and naan, and we concurred that our dishes were better than the ones made in class.

Kofta curry = fried balls of shredded vegetables swimming in an aromatic tomato sauce...



Dal makhani = lentils and kidney beans curried to perfection...



Add them together, and you get a nutritionally complete, richly spiced, and insanely delicious Indian meal.



Last night, I made another 5-minute dinner, this one with just three ingredients: extra couscous from last week, a jar of accidentally-vegan Moroccan tagine sauce from World Market, and (of course) more chickpeas.



I heated the chickpeas up in the sauce and served them over the couscous. Though technically “homemade,” it’s so easy, it feels like cheating.



Also, I bought myself an early Christmas present last week that recently arrived – a six-jar sampler pack of peanut butters from PB Loco! Asian curry spice, Sumatra cinnamon raisin, jungle banana, dark chocolate duo, white chocolate raspberry, and chocolate chip cookie dough. Aaahh! It’s going to be a peanut buttery winter.



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Almost vegan cruise, part 3

The last few of my cruise dinners were just as tasty as the first few. Here’s another curry – this one was cauliflower, and was particularly oily (in a good way).



This lovely fruit appetizer had orange, grapes, cantaloupe, kiwi, grapefruit, and strawberry topped with a passionfruit glaze.



This mixed vegetable curry contained cauliflower, potato, carrot, and green beans.



I was thrilled one night to see roasted red pepper hummus with pita as an appetizer. When it came, though, I realized my excitement was not quite justified. It was very good, but two bites of hummus is just not enough. If these people only knew how much hummus I eat at home...



My favorite non-Indian dish of the trip was this Asian fried tofu with stir-fried vegetables and a curry dipping sauce. Mmm, I still think about this one.



The last of my curries (sniffle) was chickpea, and it tied with the first one as my favorite overall. Oh, how I’ll miss these.



This pumpkin sage soup was a dreamy appetizer.



On the final night, the Indian entrée was a mixed vegetable biriyani. It was good, but not as rich and succulent as the curries I had become accustomed to.



So there you have it – a week’s worth of dinners at sea, as well as some neat foodie sights along the way. I loved the trip, I loved visiting Mexico, and I can only hope my next cruise is not too far in the future.

Almost vegan cruise, part 1

It’s cruise time! This is the first of three entries detailing some of my food adventures at sea. This entry and the third will feature my dinners, and the second will show some food-related things I encountered on the trip.

I only have pictures of the dinners because it would have been ridiculous to try to photograph the breakfast and lunch buffets – there were about a ten different buffet bars, each with dozens of food items apiece. And oh, it was delicious...actually, most days, we didn’t even eat lunch, because our breakfasts were HUGE. I started each morning with a big bowl of fruit, followed by breakfast potatoes, fried rice, oatmeal with brown sugar and golden raisins, and (the real kicker) fried plantains, in addition to several dishes-of-the-day each day. We’d often get a snack in the afternoon, and then we stuffed ourselves with three-course dinners in the evenings. To put it in perspective: I ran a total of 30 miles on that ship (on the treadmill, spread out over 7 days), and I still gained 3 pounds. Yeah.

Anyway, moving on...
The first evening, I got right down to business and ordered two entrees (each night, you can order as many items as you want. No joke). I sampled a Mediterranean quesadilla – grilled bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini in a sundried tomato tortilla, served with salsa. Not bad, but not great, largely because I just don’t like mushrooms.



I also ordered the vegetarian curry selection. (There was one on the menu every night, and yes, every night, I ordered it. Be ready to see more curries throughout these entries.) This one, my second favorite of the trip overall, was a cauliflower and potato curry. The curries were always served with rice, pappadum, and some particularly yummy roti. They also came with raita, but that was disposed of.



On Italian night, I ordered minestrone soup as my appetizer, but it was unlike any other minestrone soup I’ve ever heard of. Instead of broth, it seemed to be based on a tomato puree, and it contained just a handful of veggies and beans, along with broken spaghetti strands. Strange, but I enjoyed it. I likened it to sipping a bowlful of a tasty pizza sauce (that’s a good thing).



I got two entrees that night too. The first was a fried eggplant tower with marinara sauce. This one did have cheese on it, but a) I peeled it off anyway, and b) I didn’t care for the dish, so I quit after a few bites. I want so much to like eggplant, but most of the time, I just don’t.



The curry was dal and potato. Yummy.



The next night’s tropical fruit appetizer contained watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberry, mango, papaya, and lychee; can't go wrong. But that green thing on there is a dollop of mint jelly, ew! I don’t think I’ve mentioned it yet on here, but I HATE anything mint. Gum, breath mints, mouthwash, toothpaste, you name it – I won’t eat it or use it if it’s minty.



The curry was potato (yes, again, but it was always good!) and bell pepper.



And finally, this entrée was actually Nick’s, but I wished it were mine! It’s a vegetarian chili with three (count ‘em, THREE!) different kinds of beans (navy, kidney, and chickpea, to be exact – the inclusion of chickpea is genius) in a tomatoey base full of carrots and green peppers. It came with a heavenly piece of cornbread. This is how good it was: Nick hates beans, and not only did he eat this, he declared it his favorite meal of the whole trip. Yay!