Posts Tagged "Vegetarian"
Bombay Potatoes and Yogurt Chicken
In the small town I live in there is one Indian restaurant and it’s on the verge of going out of business. It’s not the best, and certainly not the most authentic but they have a decent lunch buffet that includes as much naan as you can eat and I can’t pass that up. I’ve learned that it’s really not that hard to make most Indian foods at home and for the most part they are healthy. With the threat looming of losing the one and only Indian restaurant within 100 miles (yes really), it has become apparent that I need to start flexing my Indian cooking powers.
Last week I introduced you to Saffron Road’s new line of Simmer Sauces that include a Tikka Masala sauce. The sauces come completely ready to use, just cut open the package and heat up. Really can it get any simpler? Instead of using the sauce in a traditional way, I decided it would be a great sauce for potatoes. I was a little apprehensive and after making these I left them on the stove as I ran to pick up M from a friend’s house. I knew it was a great idea after receiving a call from MarocBaba while I was on the road.
Him “Babe what’s on the stove?”
Me: “Oh it’s a new potato recipe I tried.”
Him “Well you better get home soon because I don’t think there will be any left if you’re gone too long.”
Needless to say 1/2 the original contents were missing by the time I returned.
This recipe isn’t complicated in the least and is a fabulous side dish to go with any number of main course ideas. I made a yogurt chicken (post forthcoming). To begin simply peel 5 medium size potatoes and cut into cubes or rounds between 1/4″ and 1/2″ thick. The size doesn’t matter – just be consistent so that they all cook in the same amount of time.
Isn’t the color of the Tikka Masala simmer sauce lovely? I really think the best part is that when you read the ingredient list you WILL be able to recognize every item listed. There’s no bicarbocrappola and monoglutanimanmoomoo. It’s real ingredients like tomatoes, spices, garlic etc. Love that.
Once the potatoes are cut, simply boil in water until they are fork tender. You do not want them to fall apart when you poke them but your fork should go in easily. Drain the water very well. Return the potatoes (gently!) to the pan. Pour the contents of the Saffron Road Tikka Masala sauce on top. Stir with a soft spatula or very gently with a spoon to coat the potatoes. Turn the burner heat to low and allow the temperature to increase. You can also add frozen (or fresh) peas at this point. If you like peas add a lot – the amount is up to you. Within 5-10 minutes your Bombay potatoes are ready to eat!
I made a yogurt chicken recipe to serve with the potatoes – watch for that post in the next few days.
In other exciting news who wants to try these simmer sauces? I hope you’ll join me next Thursday May 10th at 8pm Eastern for a Simmer Sauce inspired Tweetchat!! Please be sure to RSVP below to join me. We’ll be chatting on hastag #SRFSS (Saffron Road Foods Simmer Sauce. Only those who have RSVP’d will be eligible to win. Bring your cooking questions and I’ll be giving away Saffron Road goodies.
Before I go, what are some of your ideas for using this simmer sauce in your kitchen?
Pin It Read MoreVegetarian Meatballs and Trapanese Sauce
It has been awhile since I have posted a Meatless Monday recipe but we haven’t fallen back into the meat wagon. With MarocBaba’s celiac diagnosis we have been eating even less meat, actually we’ve been eating better all around. It’s a great thing when no one asks what is in a dish (specifically if there is meat or not) and they just eat to enjoy. I have been having a lot of fun creating new vegetarian, vegan and even raw meals. It always seemed much more difficult but I’ve found it has opened up so many new creative doors in the kitchen. I’ve even got a little sous chef backing me up many nights!
One of my favorite ingredients in the kitchen are olives, but if you would have asked me a few years ago to find a way to use an olive other than eating it as is – I would have been at a loss. Last week I had an idea for dinner that was swirling around my head all day at work. I wasn’t sure if it would work but it sounded great. I rushed home that night and started to pull together the ingredients to make vegetarian “meat”balls with olives as a secret ingredient. I knew that the contents of the meatballs warranted a special sauce too so I dug into my Sicilian routes to make this dish. I wouldn’t be surprised if my great-great-great grandma would have created something similar in her kitchen. You won’t need to buy anything special to make this and chances are you have everything in your pantry right now. Here’s my modern day salute to Sicily.
Ingredients for “Meat” balls:
- 1/2 c almonds (or almond flour)
- 1/2 c oatmeal (you can use any binder here such as bread crumbs/day old bread)
- 1 can black olives (Lindsay are my favorite)
- 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 egg
- 1/4 onion chopped roughly
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil + oil for the pan
Directions
- In a food processor blend the almonds, oatmeal, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the almonds are very fine – nearly powder. You can use almond flour or any other kind of nut as well. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
- Next add a full can of drained black olives, garlic and onion to the food processor and pulse until the olives, garlic and onions resemble a paste. If this mix is dry stream some of the olive oil so that it blends well.
- Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and add the egg. Continue to mix with your hands until everything is well combined. Begin rolling small palm-size balls.
- In a skillet preheat olive oil on medium-high heat and add the “meat”balls, making sure to leave enough space to turn them. Watch closely and rotate the meatballs so that all the sides are brown but not burnt. Remove from the heat when all sides are brown. Repeat until all meatballs are cooked.
Trapanese Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 large roma tomatoes, skin peeled
- 1/4 c crushed almonds or almond flour
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/4 c onions diced finely
- small handful of basil or spinach chopped
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tsp olive oil
Directions
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are blended well, the almonds are fine and the basil or spinach are mixed into the sauce. Add the olive oil to a pot along with the blended tomato sauce. Heat on Medium-Low heat until it comes to a bubble. Test the seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed. Red pepper flakes can also be used to bring up the heat.
This dish can be served with any type of pasta on hand, or as the main dish with another vegetable on the side. I’ve never met an Italian -American who didn’t have parmesan or asiago on the table to shave over a pasta dish so do include this as well! A nice rustic bread also adds to the dish.
I am entering this recipe to Lindsay Olives’ blogger contest for Eat, Write, Retreat in Washington D.C. All recipes, images, opinions, and ideas are my own.
Ma’akouda – The Moroccan “French Fry”
It was after a long morning on the beach of Essaouira that we stumbled into the medina to find something for lunch. Well equipped with a list of requests from the rest of the family we found a “snak” stand to place a very large order. It was during this last visit to Morocco that I danced with the idea of vegetarianism having had my fill and then some of meat and chicken. When we went out to eat I was constantly opting for an option without meat. So as we stood placing order after order I glanced into the display case to see what I thought were falafel. My eyes lit up. But when I asked I found out they were not falafel..they were ma’akouda or potato pancakes.
I had never had ma’akouda, nor had I seen them before this visit. I am sure that they can be found in snack shops around the country but for me they will always be synonymous with Essaouira. They were everywhere! Now I have no way of know if this is true but they reminded me a lot of potato latkes, the famous Jewish potato pancake. During the 19th century Essaouira’s Jewish population was about 40% of the total population. There has been a Jewish population in Morocco for the past 2,000 years, reaching 250,000+ people at one point. Israel has a population that is about 15% claiming Moroccan Jewish ancestry. It could certainly be that this was a dish influenced by the Jews of Essaouira.
These potato fritters can be eaten alone or as they are most often, made into a sandwich. They are incredibly easy to make and are sure to please your family. I chose to make this a gluten-free recipe but you can easily make it with regular all-purpose flour.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Yukon Gold or another soft potato
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder or 1/4 of a chopped onion
- 1 tsp minced garlic or garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup gluten free flour for dusting
- frying pan
Directions
I like to use a soft skin potato so that I can keep the skin on (that’s where all the nutrients are!). Scrub them well and then place in a pan. Boil the potatoes until soft, remove from heat and allow to cool. Mash.
Add the spices and egg, mixing well. Begin to add the flour slowly, mixing while you go. The dough should be slightly sticky but should not stick to your hands. You may need to add more than the 1/2 cup of flour. Heat the oil to medium. Begin making small balls with the potato mixture. The size is really up to you. Flatten each ball and dust with flour. Add the patties to the oil, making sure not to crowd the pan. Brown on both sides, remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.
Eat warm with your favorite condiment (harissa is tasty!) or make into a sandwich. Traditionally the ma’akouda sandwich is made on a baguette stuffed with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, spicy Moroccan mustard and mayo.
Paula Wolfert’s Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
We have been having unseasonably warm weather, that is until this week when temperatures have dipped to single digits. Whenever I start to feel a slight winter chill it’s time to dig out my heavy blankets and soup recipes. It has only been in the last year that I have been able to get MarocBaba and the boys to enjoy soup. You must understand how difficult that was for me, a soup lover. For years I went without, choosing to sacrifice my soup-love. Mostly that was because I would never eat a full pot myself but also I didn’t want the work of cooking two different things.
This year has however been a successful year on the soup front. First there was the Avgolemono and Veal Meatball Soup (a HUGE hit), then the Chicken Couscous Soup and most recently Vegetable and Ricotta Gnocchi Soup.
When Paula Wolferts’ Food of Morocco came out I poured over all of the recipes. Moroccans don’t eat a lot of soup save for the traditional harira. But what I did find in this book was a Spiced Butternut Squash Soup. Creamed soups aren’t usually my thing, I like broth, but we had gotten butternut squash in some of our last CSA boxes. This recipe is from the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco (most likely why I hadn’t had it before) where the winters are cold as they are here in the Midwest. You can find Paula’s original recipe in her book or on the Food and Wine website. I made mine slightly differently.
I went a little overboard with turmeric (yellowness) it's good for you!
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium butternut squash halved and seeded
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 8 oz goat cheese
- Harissa on the side if desired
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by halving and seeding the squash. Rub lightly with olive oil and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 375F until soft (about 45 minutes - 1 hour). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- In a large pot add the olive oil and onions and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger, as well as the water. Scrape the insides of the squash into the pot and mix well. Be careful not to get the squash skin into the soup.
- Add the milk and 1/2 of the goat cheese. Because the squash is already soft you do not have to blend this, however for a creamier texture I did blend it. If the contents of the pot don't fit in your blender mix in small batches.
- Serve hot with harissa and extra goat cheese on the side.
I’m linking this recipe up to the January FaveDiets Blog Hop – Soups
A Vegetarian Eid al Adha with Saffron Road Food
Eid al Adha is right around the corner (Sunday) and is perhaps most well known as the “sheep holiday”. Muslim families purchase a live ram and on the morning of Eid sacrifice the animal. This is done as a remembrance of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son on God’s command. At the last minute God replaced Ismail with a ram. After the sacrifice families separate the ram into three parts; one for themselves, one to share with friends or family and one to donate to the poor.
Many women pride themselves on creating a wonderful meal on Eid, making many dishes that only make an appearance for this holiday. One obvious staple is plenty of sheep. This year we’re not making our own sacrificing but allowing a relative in Morocco to do the sacrifice for us. We’ve consciously cut out a lot of red meat from out diet and neither MarocBaba or I would eat enough of the meat over the year to warrant buying one. Frankly, I’m still pretty full of meat from our trip last month. This got me thinking about others who are either vegetarian or just don’t like mutton. There generally aren’t a lot of options for them on the Eid table.
I created this very healthy and filling soup to fill the void. I used Saffron Road broth to speed up the cooking time and add a really great flavor. I love Saffron Road because all of their products are halal and completely natural, but also many of them are gluten free. I stopped using canned or boxed broths awhile ago because of the high sodium levels and blah taste but Saffron Road broths are really different – so much flavor.
There is a little bit of prep work to make this recipe but it’s well worth it.
Pre-cut all vegetables (love the purple potatoes don't you)
Gnocchi can be made ahead of time and frozen until ready to use.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/2 cup brown lentils
- 4 carrots chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic crushed
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 1-2 small to medium potatoes
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1 1/2 cartons Saffron Road Vegetable Broth (if not wholly Vegetarian the Chicken Broth is great too)
- salt, pepper, cumin for seasoning at the end
- 3 cups of AP unbleached flour + more for dusting
- 32 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c parmesan cheese
Instructions
- To make the gnocchi start by placing the ricotta in a strainer or on top of cheesecloth suspended over a bowl. This is to drain any excess water out of the cheese - leave for 30-60 minutes.
- In a stand mixer add 2 cups of flour and the parmesan cheese. Mix using the flat beater. Once the ricotta is strained add this to the flour along with the eggs. Mix on a low speed to combine everything, adding the final cup of flour as the mixture combines.
- The gnocchi will be ready when it has a thick and slightly sticky consistency. Chill for 20 minutes before rolling.
- Remove from refrigerator and pull off a ball of dough. Dust a flat, clean work surface with flour and roll the dough into the shape of a snake. You can make it as fat or thin as you'd like. I make mine about the size of a dime. Cut off pieces of the dough about every 1/2 inch. Use a fork to make a depression on the tops of each one.
- Set aside in a single layer. If you don't plan to use all of them they can be put on a cookie sheet and flash frozen for 30 minutes, removed and stored in a freezer - safe ziploc bag.
- (I like to do all of the prep work first and then add ingredients as needed)
- Prepare the lentils by soaking in warm water for 30 - 60 minutes before cooking. The longer you leave them to soak the faster they will cook. Peel the carrots, potatoes and zucchini and cut into small cubes - keep them separate from each other because they will be added to the pot at different times.
- In a heavy bottom pan or dutch oven add the olive oil and garlic and turn on medium/high heat. When it starts to sizzle pour some of the Saffron Road broth into the pot.
- Stir in the tomato paste and add the rest of the carton of broth. Drain the lentils and add them, as well as the potatoes and carrots.
- Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Allow to cook 45 minutes and check the tenderness of the lentils and vegetables. If tender, add the 1/2 carton of broth and the zucchini and peas.
- Place another pot of water to boil (for the gnocchi) at this point. Once it boils add the gnocchi. It will only take a few minutes to cook and you will be able to tell it's done when they float.
- Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, add a small amount of the cooking water to keep them from clumping.
- Serve the soup and gnocchi in separate bowls, encouraging guests to take the amount they would like of each. This will help with any leftovers there might be as the gnocchi tend to break down if left in liquid. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Here are some of the other great things Saffron Road has going on around the web this Eid;
Great deals on their products at Whole Foods and Kroger nationwide!
A giveaway for a copy of Clean Your Kitchen Green from Yvonne of My Halal Kitchen and free product coupons on their Facebook page.
Speaking of My Halal Kitchen – make sure you check out these two posts to get ready for Eid too!
- Quick and Easy Eid Appetizers (and really these chicken bites are aaahmazing)
- Hajj Season and Preparing for Eid ul Adha Celebration (with a printable shopping list)
What’s on your menu for Eid? Do you have other meat-free ideas to share with other readers?
This recipe has been linked to FaveDiets November Blog Hop.
Spicy Organic Pumpkin Seeds
My kids LOVE pumpkin seeds. Actually they love any kind of seeds or nuts, sunflower seeds, soybeans, almonds, peanuts, squash seeds, you name it and roast it -they eat it. We had two organic pumpkins to carve for fall/Halloween and while I had dreams of roasting and eating the pumpkins the kids had other plans. I had gotten everything ready for gutting and carving including a garbage bag. This was met with cries of disgust. ”Why are you throwing those away? You need to cook them for us!!” Out came the large mixing bowl to save all the seeds.
The kids did most of the gutting and then the seeds were passed on to me to clean and cook.
But what could be better than regular ‘ole roasted pumpkin seeds?
Harissa Coated Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!
I had a jar of Mina Harissa just waiting to be tested out in a recipe. This was perfect. We bring home a new jar of harissa from Morocco every trip. However the harissa we get is usually close to a paste in consistency. From first glance, the Mina harissa has a bright, vibrant red color. The smell on opening is inviting not frighteningly spicy. With a much thinner consistency than what I was used to I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. I’m happy to say they worked and tasted really wonderful. Not too spicy but with enough of a kick to know you’ve eaten something with a little bit of a bite. The recipe couldn’t be easier.
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic pumpkin seeds
- 2 tsp Mina harissa
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- This recipe is to make pumpkin seeds using seeds extracted from a pumpkin. After removing the seeds place into a mixing bowl and clean any excess pieces of pumpkin "guts" from the seeds. Add plenty of water to the bowl to cover the seeds (they will float).
- I allow my seeds to soak for 2-3 hours in the water and add 2 tbsp salt to the water as well. This is optional
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- In a small bowl mix together the harissa and olive oil. Drain the water from the bowl with the pumpkin seeds and pour the harissa mixture on top of the seeds. Use a spoon to mix, ensuring all of the seeds are covered.
- Pour the seeds out onto a baking sheet in a single layer.and bake for 20 minutes or until the seeds are crunchy.
I really enjoyed Mina Harissa and now you’ve got an opportunity to try it too!! I’ve got one extra jar to giveaway to one lucky reader. Here’s how to win;
Mandatory entry: Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite use for harissa, OR if you’ve never tried harissa tell me why you’d like to!
Additional Entries:
- Like Mina Harissa on Facebook
- Follow Mina Harissa on Twitter
- Tweet about this giveaway (sample tweet): “Roasted Organic Pumpkin Seeds with @harissa – a great fall treat and a chance to win Mina Harissa with @marocmama http://goo.gl/b18rP”
Giveaway ends November 7th and I will notify the winner within 48 hours.
Don’t forget to make yourself some tasty pumpkin seeds with Mina Harissa!
This giveaway has ended.
Disclosure: I was not compensated for writing this review however I did receive a complimentary bottle of Mina Harissa. All opinions are my own.
Read MoreWhite Bean Garlic Dip with Green Olives and Tomatoes
Dips and scoop-able salads are really big at our house. It seems to me that in Middle Eastern/North African cuisine dips are just an excuse to eat more fantastic bread. I’m ok with that. I came up with this dip during Ramadan as a side dish for iftar. It came together out of a bunch of leftovers and a can of great northern beans. When I shop I always try to get a few pantry items that I have no immediate plans for. Then when I’m feeling an itch to make something new I have a bunch of different options. It probably adds $5 to my weekly grocery bills but when I’m in a pinch or just needing to feel creative it’s right there.
I’m curious to know – do you only cook from recipes or do you like to be adventurous too? What’s the best thing you ever made up?
Ingredients
- 1 can of Great Northern Beans
- 4 oz sour cream
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 roma tomato chopped coarsely
- 1 handful of pitted green olives chopped
Instructions
- In a food processor add the beans, sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse until smooth. Place the dip into a bowl and top with the olives and tomatoes. Serve with pita bread, or another chip or bread.
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Moroccan Spice Edamame
One of the most unique items that has come in our CSA box is soybeans…on the stalk. Trust me my first thought was, what am I ever going to do with this? A little research showed me that you can’t eat the beans on the pod. That’s a good thing because the pods are a little bristle-y. So I sat down and started to pull off all of the pods. I think I had about 10 stalks/plants and ended up a huge overflowing bowl of pods.
I soaked them in a little water to remove any dirt or grime (looking back not sure why since you can’t eat the pods!) You can’t eat these soybeans raw. So I boiled a huge pot of water and filled it with the pods. Once they started to open up I removed them. Extracting the beans from inside was then much much easier. You can’t eat the outside of the pod so they all went in the garbage.
After extracting all of the seeds the options are to roast them or freeze them. Soybeans (or edamame) can be used in a variety of ways. I came up with this recipe for Moroccan roasted Edamame based on a snack pack I had gotten that had some Asian spiced edamame. Edamame do make a great snack because they have a ton of protein and really the only fat in this recipe is in the olive oil, making this an overall healthy snack.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of shelled edamame
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425F. Mix together the olive oil and spices. Pour on top of the edamame and mix to coat all of the beans. Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Spread out the beans in a single layer and slide into the preheated oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the beans are crispy. Enjoy hot or cool!
**If you don’t have fresh edamame you can buy them frozen in most grocery stores. Thaw them before coating in the spice mixture but you’ll end up with the same great results (and a lot less work!)
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