Sorakaya in tomato gravy

I made this gravy for our evening meal to eat with roti. The spice level is mild, but still oh-so tasty. I was licking every last bit of the gravy as I cleaned up ;)

For curry:

bite size cubes of sorakaya, approx. 5cups (save the peel to add in gravy!)

For gravy:

1clove garlic

1inch piece ginger

1green chile

1large tomato

1medium onion

Sorakaya peel

1tbs sesame seeds

1/4 cup cashews

For popu:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp jeera 

Curry leaves

Soak sesame seeds and cashews in 1/4 cup water. Meanwhile, in a small pan, add oil and chopped garlic, ginger, green chile, onion-saute until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato and sorakaya peels along with 1/4 cup water: Cover with lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 min until soft and juicy. Allow to cool. Blend with sesame seeds and cashews to make gravy.

Heat 1spoon oil in a large pan and add popu. Add vegetable pieces and salt, cover and allow to cook until soft. Add gravy, stir to combine. Then add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp coriander powder. Again stir to combine, and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Serve it up and enjoy!!

Black bean vegetable soup

Very filling, high protein, low fat, simple ingredients, easy to make...tastes good, too! A big bowl of soup and a slice or two of whole wheat French bread makes a very satisfying and heart healthy dinner.

Ingredients & Process

2cups soorakaya cubes, or zucchini, cooked and puréed 

1cup black beans, cooked

1cup soy chunks, reconstituted 

1/2 cup corn kernels

1packet Maggi seasoning (or 1tsp salt plus 1/2 tsp chili powder)

Pinch turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder

1/4 cup ketchup 

1spoon mustard or vinegar

2spoons molasses or sugar

Add salt to taste

Combine everything in a soup pot and allow to simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes. Can also put all ingredients in a crockpot and leave on low for 2-3 hours.

Veggie Burgers- to grill!

This burger is fairly simple to make, but does require a little planning ahead in order to ensure all ingredients are ready to go. We love to grill food in the summer, and so decided to try making our own burgers-ones that were eggless and could hold their own on the grill. This recipe is it!

Notes:
-I use soaked and sprouted pesara, however, sprouting is not required. This is one ingredient to plan ahead to have ready.
-Recipe calls for cooked rice and quinoa, which should be cooked ahead of time and allowed to cool.
-Spices can be modified according to your taste preferences and creativity :)
-When the burgers are frozen, they hold up a lot better on the grill. Again, part of the planning ahead process.
-Makes 4 good size burgers.

Ingredients & Process
To saute:
1 large clove garlic, minced
1Tbs ginger, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrot
1 8oz package mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 tsp fresh sage (optional)
Dry ingredients:
1/4 cup oat flour (ground oatmeal)
2 Tbs flax meal (ground flax seeds)
1tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup DRY soy granules (also known as TVP) *Do not soak in water prior to adding
spices:
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp garam masala
pinch of turmeric, marjoram, sugar
For making paste:
1/2 cup soaked & sprouted pesara (green moong dal)
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2-3 spoons oil
To add for texture and "bite":
1/2-1 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice (or a mixture of the two)


Saute the garlic, ginger, and onion until onion is translucent. Add the carrot, mushroom, and sage and continue to cook on medium heat until nicely cooked and most of the liquid evaporates. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, set aside and allow to cool.

In a separate bowl, mix together the oat flour, flax meal, cornstarch, dry soy granules, and spices. Add into the cooked vegetables and stir to thoroughly combine.

Using a mixie or blender, grind the pesara and rice to make a paste, adding oil as needed to thoroughly blend. Add to the vegetable mixture, again stir to thoroughly combine. This is the main binding ingredient. Add the cooked quinoa, starting with 1/2 cup. If mixture still seems too sticky, add the remaining 1/2 cup and stir to combine.

Now is phase 1 of the cooking process: lightly pan fry the burgers.
Take a ball of the mixture (about a 1/2 cup makes a good size burger) and form patties. It will help to put oil on your hands and on the surface you are working on since the mixture will be slightly sticky. Put a few spoons of oil in a pan and fry on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes on each side (should turn a light brown) Lightly cooking like this will help it hold up on the grill. Also, as noted above, we found that they grilled best with less sticking when they were frozen first. This is a perfect recipe to double or triple in order to freeze and have burgers ready to go when it's time for phase 2 of the cooking: grilling!!

 Enjoy!

Creamy White Bean Soup

I always seem to forget how simple it is to make soup, and how satisfying it is as a meal. We enjoyed this soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.


Ingredients & Process
2 cups cooked white beans (I used great northern beans, any white bean should be fine)
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 cup zucchini, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp veggie broth powder or salt
1/4 tsp kitchen king (curry powder)
1/8 tsp black pepper
lemon to garnish

In a soup pot, saute garlic and onion until raw smell is gone. Add cauliflower and zucchini and 1/2 cup of water, cover with lid and allow to cook until softened. Can add additional water if required. Once veggies are soft, add the cooked beans. Use a hand blender to puree the soup, being careful not to splash the hot soup on yourself, of course :) Add water for desired consistency & stir in spices. Garnish with lemon slice and enjoy!

Tart Strawberry Puppu

I picked strawberries recently and was discussing my plans for how to use them with my husband. He came up with the idea to make strawberry puppu, but I couldn't find any recipes online. The following recipe is what I came up with on my own, and it tasted good- horray! :)

Ingredients & Process
1/2 cup toor dal
6 strawberries, chopped (preferably tart ones)
3 Tbs onion, chopped
1Tbs ginger, minced
For popu-
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urid dal
1/2 tsp jeera
pinch of fenugreek powder
pinch of turmeric
1/4 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
curry leaves
green chile, split (1 or more, depending on taste)

Soak 1/2 cup toor dal for 15 minutes, rinse and drain
Add in pressure cooker with 1 cup water and cook for 7 whistles

While waiting to open pressure cooker,
Heat oil in small pan and add popu, ginger and onion. Once onion and ginger are cooked, add strawberries and cook just slightly to soften, 1-2 min on low heat. Add into the cooked lentils, stir, adjust salt per taste.  You can squeeze a quarter of a lemon to induce more sourness if desired.

Butternut Squash Yogurt Soup

Speedy preparation if you have butternut squash purée left over. Otherwise, you will need to allot a little more prep time in order to cook and purée the squash.

The proportions are based on what I was using up, but can easily be increased if making for more than one person.

Ingredients & Process

1 cup butternut squash purée
1/2 c plain yogurt (use non-fat or low-fat to make a creamy yet healthy soup!)
Seasonings- salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, brown sugar

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Whisk to combine, and heat to desired temperature. Add water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Season to taste. I used about 1/2 tsp salt, a dash of onion and garlic powder, a sprinkle of black pepper, and a generous pinch of brown sugar.

French Bread

Freshly baked bread. Enough said :)

I used my mom's French bread recipe. One batch I shaped as per instructions for a loaf of French bread. The other I put in a bread pan. Both turned out well.

Recipe & Process

2 1/2-3 cups flour (I used a combination of all purpose flour and oat flour. I added a spoon of wheat gluten too, which is optional)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs butter *can substitute coconut oil for vegan version
1 pkg dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 Tbs warm water

In a food processor with metal blade, place 2 cups flour, salt, sugar, butter, and yeast. Run machine until butter is cut in. Add half of the water. Turn processor on and off 4 times. Add remaining flour and water. Repeat pulsing, then run until dough ball forms. Let run 40-60 seconds to knead. Knead lightly on a board. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rest for 20 minutes. Roll dough 15x10 inches. Roll tightly into a 15 inch loaf. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush dough with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise 45 min-1hour and bake at 425 for 25 minutes. *I left out the last part of this recipe for an eggless version, but if desired you can beat an egg while and 1 Tbs water, brush it on the loaf after 20 minutes baking time and then bake for 5-10 more minutes. This will give it a nice golden brown, crusty finish. I just drizzled a little coconut oil instead of brushing with the egg white. It still turned out delicious!