Margo's Masala Mushroom Curry

This post is dedicated to my lovely friend Margo.
Margo was the first friend I made after moving to the United States 11 years ago. She is one of the warmest, most intelligent and compassionate people I know. Her hubby, Jon, and she are posted overseas a few years at a time, and each time she fearlessly and wholeheartedly immerses herself in these complex new places and cultures.
Margo was the first to introduce Desi and me to Middle Eastern food and its delightful flavors. She is also one pal who always has nice things to say about my cooking, whether or not I deserve it, which always makes it an enjoyable experience to cook for her and Jon when they visit.
Last night, Margo stayed over with us. She loved this mushroom curry that I made for her and told me she has been trying to cook more vegetarian meals. In the past I have promised Margo countless recipes and failed to deliver because of time constraints and my own sieve-like memory. One of the things I hope this blog will do is make me more organized about sharing my recipes with friends and anyone that cares about compassionate cooking.
So here's Margo's Masala Mushroom Curry. It takes minutes to throw together yet has many layers of flavor, thanks to the curry leaves and garam masala.
In the recipe I use light coconut milk which I buy from Whole Foods, but you can easily substitute with 2 parts regular coconut milk and 1 part water. While coconut does contain some saturated fat, it is far healthier than the fat found in animal products and is also considered to have anti-carcinogenic properties.


Margo's Masala Mushroom Curry

Ingredients:

1 tbsp canola or olive oil
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms (can substitute with button mushrooms)
1 tsp sugar
2 sprigs curry leaves. Chop the leaves into fine shreds.
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tsp garam masala powder (my recipe follows, but you can use store-bought)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 medium onion, diced
1 14-oz can of light coconut milk
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat.
Saute the diced onion with sugar and curry leaves.
When the onions start to brown, add the ginger and garlic and saute for another minute.
Add garam masala and turmeric and stir until spices are coated with oil, about a minute.
Add mushrooms and salt. Stir occasionally until mushrooms soften and the juices begin to ooze out.
When mushrooms are almost tender, add coconut milk and turn heat to low. Let the mixture simmer gently for about 2-5 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through.
Serve hot with rice or rotis.

I didn't have coriander leaves when I made this, but a garnish of 2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves would further enhance this dish.

My garam masala recipe is a little unusual in that I add a teaspoon of methi or fenugreek seeds to it, but you can leave it out. I love methi because it rounds out the flavor of the spices and has great health benefits, including fighting diabetes.

Garam Masala:

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black pepper
2 red chilies
1 tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
1-inch stick of cinnamon.

Roast lightly in a dry skillet. Grind together in a coffee grinder and use immediately or store in an airtight container.

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If you love mushroom curries, which make great meat substitutes, you might also want to try my Dad's Not-Mutton Mushroom Curry, a personal favorite, or this really simple but really delicious Mushroom and Spinach Curry that is perfect for weeknights.

A home for Freddie

Freddie has lived with us for nearly two-and-a-half years now. He came to our home as a foster dog from the Washington Humane Society. At the time he was 12 years old and had been at the shelter several weeks without finding a home. It is hard to imagine why. He is, like most senior dogs, extremely gentle and sweet to the core. He also has a fluffy, elegant tail that cascades over his back and a cute underbite that gives him an adorably befuddled expression.
Soon after he arrived at our house, a parade of visitors came by to see him. They all left with promises of getting back "one way or the other," which in most cases were never fulfilled. We always disclosed upfront that Freddie had a minor heart condition, which will require him to be on medication daily for the rest of his life. But it is a very manageable and common condition and the meds cost just $15 a month.

We have long since given up the idea of adopting out Freddie and he's now a happy member of our large family. We couldn't imagine having him adjust to a new home again, particularly at his age.
But while Freddie has found a home, there are many, many senior dogs out there who are still waiting at shelters for that one lucky person to call their own. People often want to bring home puppies and younger dogs, one of the fears being that older dogs will have health problems or die too soon. But that's just silly. Dogs, in any case, do not live as long as we humans do, and most of us who have a pet will deal with their loss, usually sooner than we expect.
But can you imagine the joy of bringing home a loving senior dog, knowing that they brought out the best in you?

No Egg-o Waffles

The first time I tried vegan waffles, they ended up crusted and burnt to the sides of the waffle iron. But Desi, my hubby, loves waffles so much, I had no intentions of giving up. I modified the recipe and added some applesauce, which resulted in these perfect waffles last Sunday. Even Desi, who is still getting around to the idea of vegan food, had to agree that they tasted far better than the egg-and-milk versions of the past. Yippie.
I want to take a moment here to sing the praises of whole wheat pastry flour which I substitute in almost every recipe that calls for all-purpose flour. Since I discovered it, I have been addicted. It produces a nuttier, richer flavor that enhances any baked goodie, and, being made from a whole grain, is much healthier for you too. Flax seeds and applesauce are two other ingredients that have greatly improved my vegan baking efforts, both tastewise and nutritionally.
So there, now all my secrets are out. Hope you have as much fun making and eating these as we did.

Dry ingredients:

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Whisk these together in a bowl and set aside.

Wet ingredients:

1 1/2 cups soy milk
2 tbsp ground flax whisked with 5 tbsp water
2 tbsp apple sauce
6 tbsp canola oil

Whisk the wet ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix together but let some lumps remain.
Heat a waffle iron and spray lightly with oil. Make waffles per instructions. (I use an antiquated Toastmaster waffler that makes two square waffles at a time with half a cup of the waffle mixture.)
Enjoy with maple syrup or any fruit compote or syrup of your choice!

I'll be back in a few days with another tried-and-tested vegan recipe that shall remain, for now, a mystery. Feel free to leave a comment!

We are what we eat

Food is political.
Most of us know this to some degree. What we put in our mouths has consequences that range from animal cruelty to environmental degradation to simply depriving someone else somewhere on Planet Earth by taking more than what we need.
And then there is the question of where your food comes from, and who brings it to you. And do you really want to enrich them?
So what is a regular person to do?
We can’t stop eating, and let’s face it, most of us love our food. We cook, swap recipes, go to restaurants, try out new cuisines, and brag about them to friends. When we travel, food is topmost in our minds.
I think about food too, a lot, but in a different way.
When I chose to go vegan a few months back, I didn’t hear a round of applause from family and friends that I may have, in a corner of my heart and in all my naivete, expected. Instead, there was a lot of concern about whether it was a healthy, or tasty, choice.
But to me, the rewards have been endless. I feel better, both healthwise and about myself. My mind’s sharper, and I am back at my ideal weight.
But this journey has also been filled with other delightful prizes. Each trip to the market yields fabulous new fruits, vegetables and grains I can cook with. Even my hubby, who for a while feared greatly for his sweet tooth, has come around to believe that great-tasting baked goods do not have to involve butter, cream and eggs.
I look forward to your comments and feedback on the recipes I will share in this, my own corner of cyberspace. We will kick off tomorrow with breakfast, and with my version of the yummiest, crispiest, most melt-in-the-mouth waffles you have ever tasted.
See you then!