Moroccan Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Here is another soup that I have fallen in love with! The coriander is the winner in this one! It has such a sweet flavor, I sure was pleased. I left out the lentils this time. but next time I'll do no such thing!

FYI-  I found this recipe from this lovely blog.

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seed
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp sea salt
Few pinches cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup onion, diced
3-4 medium-large cloves garlic, minced or grated
3 – 3 1/2 cups yellow or orange-fleshed sweet potato, diced
1 can (14 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger

In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil with the spices and salt. Cook for a couple of minutes, and then add the onion, garlic, and sweet potato. Stir through, cover, and cook for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have started to soften. Add all remaining ingredients except ginger (and figs, if using), and increase heat to high to bring to boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are fully dissolved. Add fresh ginger, stir through, and serve!

Tarka Dhal

This recipe is from my friends blog. She is more then an amazing cook! She is in her element when it comes to  making delicious food.

She made this dish for me and I thought I was in heaven! 

It was so long ago when she made this dish for me and has since move far away and I no longer see her. It's sad. But it's happy that she posted this recipe on her food blog so I can make it when ever I want and think of her as I scarf down this plate of yum.

 Ingredients

1/2 cup(s) dry red lentils, rinsed 

1 cup(s) water 

2 medium scallion(s), chopped (or 1/2 yellow onion, chopped) 

1 tsp yellow mustard seed 

2 clove(s) garlic clove(s) 

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, (8 seeds) 

1 tsp ground ginger 

1 cup(s) canned tomato sauce 

1/2 tsp sea salt 

2 medium tomatoes 

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

4 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional) 

1/2 tsp gram masala 

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp olive oil 

Instructions

1. In a pan, cook the rinsed red lentils with the water by bringing to a boil and then simmering with the lid on until the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes. The lentils will get very foamy, so use a large pan. You may need to vent the lid a little. 

2. In a non-stick pan saute the onions in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and cover and cook until they start to pop. Add the cloves of garlic, crushed, the fenugreek seeds and ginger powder. 

3. Stir and add 1 can of tomato sauce. Add the salt and stir in the cooked lentils. Stir in the fresh tomatoes, diced, lemon juice and the fresh cilantro, if desired. Simmer for about 5 minutes. 

4. Place in a serving dish. Add the garam masala and chili powder. 

Serve with warm chapati bread or over rice. 

Snobby Joes

I found this recipe on the web when I searched for cheap vegan meals. It looked easy, so I decided to give it a try.

This is my first experience cooking with lentils. I wasn't sure what to expect, mostly because I can't even recall  eating a lentil until now. And to tell the truth, I was a little scared. Beans can be a little frightening. But, I'm happy to report, am very satisfied with the out come. This dish is tasty and filling.

1 cup uncooked lentils 

4 cups water 

1 tblsp olive oil 

1 medium yellow onion, small dice 

1 green bell pepper, small dice 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

3 tblsp chili powder 

2 tsp oregano 

1 tsp salt 

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce 

1/4 cup tomato paste 

3 tblsp maple syrup 

1 tblsp prepared yellow mustard

Directions

1. Pour the lentils and water into a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil; once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for ~ 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

2. About 10 mins before the lentils are done, preheat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more.

3. Stir in the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregan, and salt. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.

4. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit on the warm burner for about 10 minutes so that the flavors can meld.

Maple-Mustard-Glazed Potatoes and String Beans Isa Chandra Moskokowitz Recipe

Maple-Mustard-Glazed Potatoes and String Beans---YuM!!

This is truly a heavenly dish!! Goodness dripping from every bite! Most important, it is fast and easy.  Plus there's not too many ingredients. It's cooks for an hour and 15 minutes, kind of a bummer. But it's worth the wait!

What you'll need...

2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes, halved(about 1-inch pieces)
1/2 pound string beans, halved, ends cut off and discarded(I used canned)
1 yellow onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oli

Preheat oven to 400.

Place the veggies in a 9x3-in casserole dish. In a mixing bowl stir together all the other ingredients until the mustard is dissolved. Pour over the veggies and mix will until everything is coated. Cover with foil and place in oven. Bake for 25 Min. Remove from oven and toss everything: use a spoon to drip the sauce over the veggies. Turn oven down to 350, and cook for 25 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven. toss again, cook for 25 more minutes uncovered.

Kabocha squash stuffed with Butternut vindoloo Isa Chandra Moskokowitz Recipe

So the Vegan recipe I would like to share this week is called Kabocha squash stuffed with Butternut vindoloo. It is so good! I gave it a 9.7! It would have been a ten but I've never given a ten to a recipe before, so  I thought I'd go with the next best rating. All the spices blend so perfectly in this dish and it just melts in your mouth! I can not stress the word 'YUM' enough here.

I made a few revisions. I used Russet potatoes instead of Yukon, because that is what I had. I used 1/2 cup of beef broth in place of the red wine (with apologies to the vegans!) . I did not do the stuff the kabocha squash part, so I'm leaving that part out of the recipe. Just serve with rice and be ready to be impressed!

You'll need:

3 tbs olive oil
2 cups diced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, miced
2 tbs grated ginger
1 tbs mustartd seeds
1 tbs ground cumin
1/2 ts ground cloves
4 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup red wine (I used beff broth)
1 (12-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

In a stock pot over moderated heat, saute the onions in oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger; saute until fragrant (about a minute); add all the seeds and spices and stir; add the red wine vinegar, broth and tomatoes. Mix to combine. Add potatoes and butternut squash, cover, and bring to a low boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

Bon Appétit!

P.S. This recipe is really serious about the amount of potatoes and squash you put in and for the amount of time you cook them for. I would suggest weighing the veggies if you can and not over cooking them. There is not a lot of liquid and it will burn easily. Plus, the more evenly you distribute the juices, the tastier it will be.

Also, if you are not familiar with the spice Cardamom, let me tell you about it. It is a heaven-sent spice. It has a beautiful favor. You'll find it a lot in Indian dishes. So good. But when you go to buy it you might faint from sticker shock. It's kind of pricey. This calls for Cardamom pods and instead of seeds. I don't know how hard pods are to find in a neighborhood grocer. I have a Indian food store that I bought mine from. But the seeds might work just as well. Also, you can easily find any ingredient on the internet.

This week I'm trying Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions! If it's good, you'll hear about it!

Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions Isa Chandra Moskokowitz Recipe

Okay. Here is the recipe of the week. I loved this dish. Not quite as much as my last two, but I do declare it as an instant fave.


This dish has a very mild flavor, but it's not bland. My children even enjoyed it, which says a lot. I think that if it was to be served with a strong flavored meat, like bacon or sausage, it would be even more divine.


Give it a try. You maybe pleasantly surprised!


You'll need:



3/4 lbs uncooked ziti or penne pasta, 
2 onions, sliced very thinly, 
2 tbsp olive oil, 
1 tbsp brown sugar, 
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne, 
2 cups pureed pumpkin or 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix), 
1/4 cup vegetable broth 


To make the Cashew Ricotta: 
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces (approx 4 oz), 
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, 
2 cloves fresh or roasted garlic, 
1 lb firm tofu drained and crumbled, 
1 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1 1/2 tsp salt 

In a food processor, blend together the cashews, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic until a thick creamy paste forms. Add the crumbled tofu to the food processor, working in two or more batches if necessary, until the mixture is thick and well blended. Blend in the basil and salt.


Then for the main recipe:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 11-inch baking pan with olive oil, or use two smaller pans.

Prepare the ziti according to the package directions, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, make the caramelized onions.

Place the Cashew Ricotta in a large bowl and fold in the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne, and veggie broth and mix. Add the cooked ziti and caramelized onions, stirring to coat the pasta. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press lightly with a rubber spatula to level it.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until the top of the ziti is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Curried Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup

This lovely recipe comes from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen and is really so delish! It's been one of my favorite so far. Although all the recipes I post are my faves. If I don't love it, then I don't post it. I loved it so much that it's going on the list for next week menus.

I didn't have chickpeas so I used corn. But, if I had been thinking i would of put in chicken. Since beans are there to provide protein. Also, I forgot to put in the peanut butter at the end. 

The soup was so good the way it was though. However, I do want to try it with the chickpeas and peanut butter. 

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon ginger paste or minced ginger root

1 small chile pepper, such as jalapeño or serrano, seeded and minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable broth (or water plus bouillon cubes)

1 pound sweet potatoes (about 1 large), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 tablespoon mild curry powder, divided

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large head cauliflower, separated into bite-sized flowerets

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

2-4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

Heat a large non-stick pot (4 quarts or larger). Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, chile pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon of the curry powder, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook over low heat until sweet potato softens, about 20 minutes.

Add the cauliflower, chickpeas, and tomatoes to the pot. Add just enough water to almost cover the cauliflower, probably about 3 cups. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of curry powder, and add salt and cayenne pepper (more if you like things hot, less or none at all if you prefer it not spicy). Cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and serve hot.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

The other day, Damon was watching the Today Show while running on the treadmill. They had a segment on 5 ingredient meals and that's when Damon heard the angels start to sing. This cook used olive oil, garlic and grape tomatoes in almost every dish to transform it into something special. Brilliant! 


The recipe is by Claire Robinson who is the host of a show called 5 Ingredient Fix, it is taken from foodnetwork.com.

4 cups grape tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (we think this could go down to 1 or 1.5 teaspoons next time)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish, place the tomatoes and garlic cloves, ensuring they are in just 1 layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper. Stir to distribute the seasonings and then roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Return to the oven and cook for 20 more minutes.

When ready, the tomatoes will have begun to shrivel and the liquid in the dish should have thickened. Serve hot from oven.


Damon put the roasted grape tomatoes over whole wheat angle hair pasta and it was fantastic! When I popped  one of the roasted tomatoes into my mouth I really almost died. So good!