It's A Vegan World: Mexican

As much as Desi and I love to travel, we rarely ever consider going back to places we've visited because there is so much more world left to see. But if there is one country I've been to that I would return to in a heartbeat, it would have to be Mexico.

There's something magical about our neighbor to the south, and I don't just mean the gorgeous but tourist-crammed beaches, mountains and valleys. There's the warmth of the people, the lure of its history and legend, and the food, oh, the food.

I think one of the reasons I love Mexican food as much as I do is because it reminds my tastebuds just a little bit of of their native favorite, Indian food.

Like Indians, Mexicans eat a lot of rice and beans, and they light it all up with plenty of heat. In fact, just thinking of all those gorgeous South American chili peppers makes my head spin and my mouth water. Habaneros, jalapenos, serranos, anaheims, poblanos...how can anything cooked with all that raging, fiery flavor be anything but delicious.

So for the month of March, as we shake off the last of the winter blues, I thought we'd live it up a bit with the brilliant cuisine of Mexico. There's plenty to cook up that's divinely vegan: salsas, guacamoles, tortillas, tamales, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, flans, and so much more....your creativity is the limit.

I am going to throw open this event for guest hosts starting next month. The super-creative Priya of Akshayapaatram will host it in April, but for anyone who is interested in hosting it thereafter, just drop me an email at myveganworld@gmail.com. Let me know if there is any particular country/region you'd like to feature.

I had a truly wonderful response to the first month of IAVW, when we featured Italian cuisine. I am completely in awe of all the creativity you guys showed by cooking up vegan versions of your popular Italian favorites. I'll be posting that roundup in the coming week. And in case you want to send something in, there's still time until tomorrow!

Meanwhile, here are the guidelines for It's A Vegan World: Mexican.

The deadline is March 31, 2009.

These foods are no-nos in vegan cooking, so please leave them out: honey, butter, eggs, cheese, ghee, milk, yogurt (basically no milk-based products), gelatin, and, of course, no meats or fish. Vegan meat or cheese substitutes are fine.

The recipe should be cooked for this event, so please do not recycle old posts.

Link back to this announcement, and feel free to use the logo below.

Non-bloggers are also very welcome. Just send me your recipe and a picture.

As for bloggers, send me an email with your post to myveganworld[at]gmail.com. Include these details:

Your name

Blog name

Post url

I'll get the photograph from your post

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and don't forget to put on your thinking sombreros. It's time for some vegan Mexican enchantment!

Warm Bread Pudding Topped With Strawberry Compote

One of the poems I remember reading as a child is "Leisure," by the Welsh poet W. H. Davies. "What is this life if full of care/We have no time to stand and stare?" went the opening verse.

My life is filled with no more than the average cares, or stresses, that any working woman -- or man -- goes through. And yet those stresses are considerable, robbing me often of the simple pleasures that I know I ought to take time to savor.

But every once in a while, I remind myself of those lines from Davies' poem. I don't ever want to forget them.

I am a big believer in leisure, and I try to grab at it when I can, even when it's hard to. And I don't mean planned leisure, like vacations, although I love those too.

Instead, I try to steal moments in my day when I can enjoy the world around me.

When I drive, I leave the cell phone in my bag. Instead, I watch the world around me go by-- the people on a bus running next to me, reading or talking to each other or knitting or just looking out. People walking dogs on the streets, or jogging. Homes with neat yards and children playing out front. Seeing the world around me makes me happy, makes me feel connected in a way no newspaper or television show can.

When I walk my dogs, I try to enjoy it as much as they do (well, almost), even if I have a million things still left to do when I get back home. Because I know it means a lot to them, and they mean a lot to me. Besides, it is so rewarding to see their tails wag as they run from tree to tree trying to get a whiff of everything that happened between now and the last walk.

And then there are those moments when I indulge myself by doing absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. And although something like that can be seen as a negative in our multitasking society where even a moment is too precious to lose, let me tell you, there's nothing as redeeming as a moment of pure self-indulgence.

So try it, if you don't already. Take those moments in your day to enjoy what you do, without worrying about when you can get it done. Or put away that cellphone, power off the computer, and don't even think about anything remotely stressful.

And once you've recharged, go into the kitchen and make yourself some of this delicious Bread Pudding Topped With Strawberry Compote. Cut yourself a generous piece, curl up on the couch, and relish every bite.

Trust me, you'll be reborn.

Bread Pudding Topped With Strawberry Compote

Ingredients:

8-10 slices of white whole-wheat bread. Trim off the crusts which you can use to make breadcrumbs for another time. Then cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. You should have about 5 cups of bread. (I love white whole-wheat because it's more delicate than regular whole-wheat but it's also wholegrain. So that's like having your bread and eating it too. But if you can't find it, use regular white bread. I'd advise against brown whole-wheat because the flavor might be a tad too strong for the pudding).

1/2 cup raisins

3 cups almond milk (use vanilla soy milk if you can't find this)

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar

6 tsp EnerG egg replacer (or corn starch), mixed with 8 tbsp water.

Whisk together the cinnamon, vanilla, sugar and egg replacer. Then whisk in the almond milk until everything's incorporated.

In a greased square baking dish (mine's about 9 inches square), spread out the bread evenly. Scatter the raisins on top. Now pour the almond milk mixture on top. Soak for about 30 minutes, pressing on the bread with a ladle periodically to ensure the bread gets evenly soaked.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the pudding in a water bath (a larger dish filled with about 1 inch of water).

Bake for 75-80 minutes or until puffy and golden on top.

Serve warm with strawberry compote (recipe follows), or even by itself. It's delicious either way.

Strawberry Compote

Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries, hulled and then cut into slices

1/4 -1/2 cup sugar (use more or less depending on the tartness of your strawberries)

1 stick cinnamon

Place the strawberries, sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan and cook on medium heat until the strawberries break down and express their juices. Continue cooking on low heat about 10 minutes.

Spoon the compote over the pudding and serve.

Enjoy!

Pizza Topped With Tandoori Tofu

Marrying different cuisines can be one of the most fun aspects of cooking. I do it a lot, not just with the various Indian cuisines that I grew up eating in the melting pot of Bombay, but also with international dishes. A little of this, a little of that, and you've got a whole new dish to love.

This weekend, I wanted to have a pizza. Now here's another food that begs for experimentation. You can top a pizza with just about anything. And by that I mean anything other than cheese.

I've been making cheeseless pizzas for a while now, and truth be told, I've never missed the cheese. Of course, you can always buy soy cheese, which is completely vegan, and it is just wonderful and melts like a dream. But sometimes I just want some really good, nutritious food minus the pretend stuff. That's when I turn to tofu.

Tofu's a great topping for pizza. I usually use marinated, baked tofu and crumble it on top of the pizza, just like cheese. It doesn't melt, but it tastes gorgeous.

But this time, given that it's Italian month on Holy Cow!, I set my sights a little higher. I decided I would make a pizza with tandoori tofu.

Now what's tandoori tofu, you might ask? Well, I marinated tofu in the same bright orange-red spice mix one uses to marinade a popular Indian dish, tandoori chicken. The word tandoori, incidentally, is derived from a tandoor, a clay oven that is used in India -- and in Indian restaurants-- to bake the chicken. I just use my oven.

The marinade, spicy-sour with an immense kick, adds a great layer of flavor to the otherwise bland tofu. Instead of crumbling it, I placed the tofu in slices on top of my pizza, alternating with roasted red peppers. My sauce was a flavorful pesto of spinach, garlic and capers, but feel free to experiment here.

I made the crust at home, and it was part whole-wheat. I have posted the recipe before, but I have repeated it here.

So here's the recipe for the perfectly delightful Pizza Topped With Tandoori Tofu. It's fun, it's healthy, and it's delicious. Hooray for fusion!

Pizza Topped With Tandoori Tofu
Ingredients:

Pizza dough (recipe follows)

Spinach Pesto Sauce with Capers (recipe follows)

2 bell peppers (I used red), roasted on a gas cooktop or in an oven at 350 degrees. Turn frequently so the skin gets charred and wrinkly all over. When cool to touch, peel and cut into strips.

1 12-oz package extra-firm tofu, swaddled in a paper towel. Place the tofu in a sieve, put a heavy weight on top (like a cast-iron skillet) and leave alone for about an hour until most of the water in the tofu has drained out. Then cut the tofu into slices, about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch deep and wide. Pour the tandoori marinade over the tofu and coat each slice thoroughly. Set aside for half an hour.

Arrange the tofu slices on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Oil the parchment paper well because the tofu can and does stick.

Place in a preheated 350-degree oven about 25-30 minutes until a crust forms on the outside. Flip once halfway through the baking. The tofu should be firm but still soft inside: that's how I like it best on the pizza.

Remove the tofu slices from the baking sheet and set aside.

Tandoori marinade:
Mix together:

1 cup soy yogurt

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste (don't skimp too much on the salt because the salty flavor tones down when baked)

A few drops of red and yellow food color (optional. This gives the marinade its characteristic color)

Pesto Sauce

In a blender, add and blend:

2 handfuls of baby spinach

2 tbsp capers, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Pizza crust (this recipe makes 2 crusts. You can freeze one for later.)

2  1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 tbsp sugar

1 1/3 cups warm water

2 cups white whole-wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

Mix the yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand for five minutes to make sure the yeast is alive and starts frothing.

Add all of the whole wheat flour, about 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose, dried basil, olive oil, and salt and knead by hand or in a stand mixer. If the dough is too sticky, keep adding the remaining all-purpose flour until you get a smooth dough.

Place in an oiled bowl and turn the dough over once to coat it on all sides with oil. Cover with a kitchen napkin and place in a warm spot for about 1 1/2 hours or until it doubles in volume.

After it has doubled, punch down the dough, and divide it into two. If you're making just one pizza, this would be a great time to wrap one half in plastic wrap and freeze it for future use. When you need it, just bring it out several hours before and let it sit at room temperature to thaw.

Shape the other half into a ball and let it sit around 10 minutes. Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll it into a round of about 14 inches (this isn't a thin crust but I still roll it fairly thin. Make sure your baking sheet is large enough to accommodate the rolled crust).

Push down around the center with your fingers so you get a slightly raised edge around the pizza.

Dust the baking sheet with cornmeal and place the crust on it. Brush the crust with olive oil and place in a 475-degree oven for about 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. The crust might bubble up in places, but don't worry. It adds to the great, rustic look.

Now take the pizza out of the oven and spread the pesto sauce over it.

Layer the roasted bell pepper strips on the pizza.

Put the pizza back into the oven and bake another 5 minutes.

Remove the pizza from the oven and place the baked tofu strips on top.

Cut and serve hot.

Enjoy!

An alert reader pointed out I'd forgotten to put in the quantity of yeast for the pizza dough. I've added it now. Thanks, SB, for pointing it out.

Lima Bean Curry

For years now, one of my favorite quickie recipes has been a flavorful but utterly simple cauliflower curry that requires just a minimum of ingredients.

The cauliflower goes into a tomato sauce that, together with some turmeric, creates a glorious orange color.

I wanted to make this curry for Aparna who's hosting FIC: Orange this month, an event started by Sunshinemom Harini, but as I was about to begin, I realized I needed a protein component to my meal. So I thought, why not substitute the cauliflower with beans?

So in went some lima beans, those creamy, flavorful little nuggets, and the result was quite wonderful. I guess one could use both cauliflower and limas, and I might just try it that way the next time I make this dish.

So here's this glorious, gorgeous but super-easy dish that will have you coming back for seconds, and thirds.

Enjoy!

Lima Bean Curry

Ingredients:

1 cup lima beans, soaked and then boiled until tender (As I thought of using these at the last minute, I just did a quick soak: I covered the lima beans with water and brought them to a boil. I then turned off the stove and let them stand for an hour, after which I proceeded to pressure-cook them. Believe me, this saves a lot of time than if you were to pressure-cook or stove-cook the dry beans right out of the jar.)
Reserve about 3 cups of the liquid in which the beans were cooked, or if you don't have that much, you can add water.

2 tomatoes, diced

1 tsp cumin seeds + 1 tsp mustard seeds, powdered in a spice grinder.

1 tsp cumin seeds for tempering

1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

A pinch of asafetida or hing (optional)

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup coriander leaves, minced

Blend together the tomatoes, cumin-mustard powder and garlic, using just enough water. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the cumin seeds for tempering, and when they sputter, add the asafetida, if using, and the blended tomato mixture.

Add the chili and turmeric powders and stir in. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Now add the beans and liquid to the saucepan. Add salt to taste, and continue to cook until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. (If you use cauliflower, add the florets raw when you would the beans, but stir-fry for a couple of minutes before you add some water. Check regularly to ensure that the cauliflower does not overcook.)

Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

This roasted vegetable lasagna is so full of flavors and healthy ingredients, it takes the guilt out of eating this usually calorie-packed Italian favorite.

I used almost every veggie I had in the refrigerator for this lasagna, and I would have used more if I had them, believe me. There's spinach and coriander in here, melded into a smooth, creamy, tofu sauce, along with eggplant, red and orange peppers and juicy tomatoes. Zucchini would have been great here, or even mushrooms.

The tofu made for a delicious sauce, adding healthy protein to an already nutritious dish. I added some vegan mozzarella cheese to the lasagna, but if you can't find it, leave it out. I'd advise that you whip up some extra tofu sauce instead and use that to smother the top layer, instead of the cheese. Do cover the noodles in the top layer with something, though, or they will harden up when baked.

There's some work involved in making this lasagna because you do have to roast all the vegetables first and make the sauce. But believe me, it is not a lot compared to the work you'd put into making any other lasagna. And the flavor's so gorgeous, it is totally worth any effort.

I used no-boil lasanga noodles which are shorter, so I ended up layering them widthwise into the pan, rather than lengthwise as one would do with the more regular, longer version of lasagna noodles. This was my first time using no-boil noodles, and I must say they worked quite well and took away the fuss of first boiling the lasagna noodles before you can layer them.

I have been having a busy week, so I'll say goodbye for now. Enjoy your weekend, dear folks, and if you have some time on hand for an incredible meal-- try this one!

This lasagna goes to my It's A Vegan World: Italian event. There's still plenty of time before the Feb. 28 deadline, so get rolling, all you amazing cooks! Remember, you can send more than one entry and non-bloggers are also very welcome.
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 package no-boil lasagna noodles. If using the regular noodles, cook first according to package instructions.

2 cups vegan mozarella cheese (I used Vegan Gourmet), crumbled

3 large bell peppers (any color), roasted directly on an oven rack, with the oven preheated to 350 degrees. Turn occasionally until the skin has charred and wrinkled uniformly all around the pepper. Remove, and when the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard along with the seeds and stalk. Chop into thin strips and put in a bowl.

1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/3-inch-thick slices, set the slices down on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the slices and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on each. Place under the broiler and let the slices broil for three minutes until they are turning golden. Flip the eggplant slices and broil another three minutes until the eggplant is quite tender. When cool enough to handle, slice the eggplants and place in the bowl along with the peppers.

3 large beefsteak tomatoes, halved. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. As with the eggplants, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some olive oil on the tomatoes. Bake in a 425-degree oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes are turning golden and are quite soft. Remove, slice when cool to the touch, and add to the bowl containing the other roasted veggies.

For the sauce:

Saute in 1 tsp olive oil:

1 large onion, sliced

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

When the onions and garlic soften, add 1 10-ounce package of thawed frozen spinach. Squeeze the spinach first to remove almost all the water you possibly can from it. Saute the spinach with the onions and garlic until cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the spinach-onion mixture in a blender along with:

1 package silken soft tofu, like MoriNu

1 cup soy milk

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

1 cup coriander leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend until you have a fairly smooth and thick but spreadable sauce. Add more soy milk if the sauce is too thick, but don't let it become watery.

Set the sauce aside.

Lightly oil a 12 X 9 inch rectangular baking dish.

Layer lasagna noodles in the bottom of the dish, overlapping them slightly so there are no gaps in between. If you're using the small, no-boil kind like I did, you'll need around 5-6 noodles in each layer. If you're using the regular lasagna noodles, you will need to layer them lengthwise, in which case you'll need around 4 in each layer.

Spread one-third of the tofu-spinach sauce evenly on the lasagna noodles.

Now layer one-third of the roasted vegetables on top of the sauce, spreading them evenly.

Spread a small handful of the crumbled vegan mozzarella, if using, on top of the vegetables.

Now add another layer of noodles, and repeat the layering process with the sauce, the vegetables and the cheese. (You should end up with four layers of noodles, and three layers of veggies and sauce.)

By the time you get to the fourth layer of lasagna noodles, you will be out of the sauce and roasted vegetables. Crumble the remaining mozarella cheese evenly over the top. You can also sprinkle on 1 cup of breadcrumbs (optional. I didn't use any).

Cover the lasagna pan with aluminum foil.

Bake in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes.

Now remove the foil and continue baking for another 5 minutes or until the cheese on top gets bubbly and starts to turn golden.

Remove and let stand for a few minutes before cutting in.

Enjoy!

Creamy Asparagus and Potato Tart

I saw Jamie Oliver cook up a creamy, dreamy potato and asparagus tart the other day on TV, and I just had to have it.

Asparagus, potato and filo pastry are three of my favorite ingredients, and together they sounded beyond perfect. Since I had all three ingredients at home, I couldn't wait to get into the kitchen, roll up my sleeves, and start cooking.

Of course, I had one challenge: veganizing Jamie's recipe which had in it tons of cream, butter and eggs. But I was confident I could do it, and make the recipe much healthier in the process.

The tart was as delicious as I had hoped it would be, and the contrasting textures of the crisp pastry, the creamy potato filling and the nutty, al dente asparagus were divine. This tart is also versatile, and can be perfect for a light dinner or lunch or even brunch. Or just serve it as a healthy, hearty side-dish. Any way, it's a winner.

I gotta run, but here's the recipe. Enjoy, everyone!
Asparagus and Potato Tart

Ingredients:

6 sheets of filo pastry

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil for brushing the filo

5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled, then cubed and boiled until tender

1 package vacuum-packed silken soft tofu

1/2 cup soy milk, warmed in the microwave for about 30 seconds

1/4 cup of vegan cream cheese like Tofutti (optional)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp fresh-ground black pepper

Salt to taste

1 pound asparagus spears, hard ends removed. Just bend the asparagus stalk at the bottom and break off where it naturally bends, about 1/4th of the way up. Then put the asparagus stalks in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes, drain immediately and set aside

Brush the bottom of a rectangular baking dish with olive oil.

Now place a sheet of filo pastry in the dish and brush with the olive oil all over.

Layer another sheet of filo pastry over the first sheet and also coat with oil. Repeat until you've used up all sheets. Work quickly because the filo dries fast. You can keep the sheets covered with a damp towel.

In a large bowl, use a potato masher to mash the potatoes.

Blend together the silken tofu, soy milk and vegan cream cheese, then add to the mashed potatoes and continue mashing.

Add the salt and pepper and nutmeg. Mix together well.

Pour the mashed potato mixture into the filo pastry dish. Smooth the top.

Now lay the asparagus spears side by side along the length of the baking dish, on top of the mashed potatoes.

Brush the top with any remaining olive oil, fold under any filo pastry that's hanging over the edge of the baking dish, and then bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes or until the filo pastry is golden brown.

Remove and set aside for 10 minutes before cutting in.

My filling was still creamy which is how I liked it, but if you'd like it to be more set, as with eggs, you can add 2 tbsp of cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp of warm soy milk to the mashed potato mixture.

If you're a fan of filo pastry, you might also want to check out my recipe for vegan bakhlava, which was one of the first I ever posted on Holy Cow!

Angel-Hair Pasta with Green Beans and Mushrooms

Desi's accused me of cooking a lot of pasta recently because I'm hosting the It's A Vegan World: Italian event.

Between you and me, there is maybe-- just maybe-- some truth to that. But then again, why not eat all the pasta you can? Apparently Sophia Loren eats it every day, and just look at her! I can always dream, can't I?

I add vodka to this very light sauce because it gives the sauce a great depth of flavor. Besides, the alcohol all cooks off, so rest assured you aren't going to get tipsy after dinner.

Angel-hair pasta is best in this recipe, although regular spaghetti would be fine. The secret here is to add a ton of veggies. Use anything you have on hand. I used mushrooms, green beans and onions, but you could add bell peppers, eggplant, scallions (spring onions), even leafies like arugula, baby spinach or watercress.

I stir in some walnuts to give the pasta more crunch and texture. Pine nuts would work great too.

So here's my easy, weeknight pasta recipe. Try and use whole-wheat pasta to make sure your dish is as healthy as can be.

Enjoy, everyone!

Angel-Hair Pasta with Green Beans and Mushrooms

1/2 pound whole-grain angel-hair pasta, cooked according to instructions in salted water.

In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add to the pot:

1 cup of chopped green beans.
Stop the cooking as soon as the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and beans and set aside. Reserve about 1/2 to 1 cup of the pasta water.

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil

Add:

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Saute, stirring frequently, until the onion softens and turns translucent.

Add 1 pound of sliced button or cremini mushrooms and 1/3 cup of vodka

Saute the mushrooms until they start to caramelize and the liquid is mostly gone.

Add 6 sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil and 1 tsp dried oregano or 2-3 tbsp of fresh oregano, finely chopped

Add 1 tbsp fresh-ground black pepper and salt to taste.

Stir everything together, then add the pasta and beans. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta-boiling water.

Toss together and continue cooking on very low heat another couple of minutes.

Stir in 1/3 cup of lightly toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts.

Let the pasta stand another couple of minutes before serving.

Maple-Flavored Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

Phil saw his shadow this year on Groundhog Day, but if you live in the Northeast United States, you know he was wrong.

For those not familiar with some of our, umm, colorful American traditions, Groundhog Day (there also was a great movie by that name with Bill Murray) is Feb. 2 each year when the nation's eyes turn to Punxsutawney, a teeny town in Pennsylvania. Thousands of visitors with vivid imaginations and trusting hearts gather there that day, absolutely riveted by a groundhog named Phil who is scheduled to emerge from his celebrated burrow to tell us just how long the winter is going to be.

The cute and fluffy but obviously bewildered Phil (who actually lives in the town library, according to Wikipedia) is picked up and flaunted by some important-looking men in tuxedos and top hats. Horns blow, and Phil's "fans" scream their lungs out in appreciation. If Phil does not see his shadow, the legend goes, it will be a short winter. On the other hand, if he does see his shadow, he burrows right back into his hole, woe be, portending six more long, excruciating weeks of cold.

Well, this year that darned Phil saw his shadow (come to think of it, could you blame him for wanting to retreat into a cold, dark burrow back after all that?).

But this year, smartypants Phil isn't getting away with it. Because out here in DC, at least, it doesn't seem to be winter anymore.

Temperatures have been in the 60s the last few days, the sun has been shining, and everything's all right with the world.

Well, not quite.

Things would be all right if I wasn't laid up in bed with the kind of cold that makes you want to burrow into a hole of your own and shut out the whole world while you wallow in your misery.

But before I do exactly that, I wanted to share with you my recipe for these maple-flavored monster oatmeal-raisin cookies that are just perfect with a hot cup of ginger tea.

The addition of applesauce makes these cookies really chewy inside but they are crispy around the edges. I sweeten these with sugar and some pure maple syrup, which gives them that wonderfully rounded, rich sweetness. And I also added some pecans because when you're on to a good thing, why stop?

I bet Phil would burrow out of his hole for one of these.

Maple-Infused Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

Mix together:

1 1/4 whole-wheat pastry flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

In another bowl, mix together:

1/4 cup canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

2 tbsp non-dairy "butter" like Earth Balance

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp EnerG egg replacer mixed with 2 tbsp water (can substitute cornstarch)

1/4 cup applesauce

2 tbsp soy milk

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

When well-mixed, add to the batter:

2 cups rolled oats

Let the batter stand for 15 minutes so the oats absorb the liquid.

Now add the flour mixture in two instalments, mixing well after each addition.

Add to the batter:

3/4 lightly toasted pecans, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

On a large, greased cookie sheet, drop the batter in mounded tablespoons or with an
ice-cream scoop (leveled)

Leave at least 2 inches of space between the cookies because they will spread.

Bake in batches in a 375-degree oven for about 12-15 minutes until the cookies are
lightly brown on top and a deeper brown on the bottom.

Place the cookie sheet on a rack for 10 minutes so the cookies can firm up.

Using a thin spatula, transfer the cookies directly on the rack so they can continue cooling.

Enjoy!

This recipe goes out to the lovely Madhuram who's hosting the Egg Replacement Event. Her egg replacer this month is EnerG.

Vegan "Buttermilk" Biscuits

When's a biscuit not a biscuit?

Depends on where you are, I'd say.

In India (where the English is of course a legacy of its British colonizers), and in many other parts of the world, a biscuit is the name for a cookie. Or a cookie's called a biscuit. You get my drift?

So when I first moved here, I was surprised to find out that a biscuit here wasn't a cookie at all but a flaky, sublime experience of layered deliciousness.

As you can tell, I fell in love with the American biscuit.

Especially buttermilk biscuits which have a really tender crumb. To recreate buttermilk in my kitchen without animal ingredients, I used soy milk and vinegar. It was perfect.

I cook these up every chance I get. They are an unsweet scone, really, and therefore perfect for any kind of topping from jelly to a dab of vegan spread to even a dollop of peanut butter. Or you can, of course, serve them up with any spicy gravy and a side of mashed potatoes. Yum.

I like mine stark naked, though, in all their golden deliciousness.

So here you go. Enjoy!


"Buttermilk" Biscuits

Mix and set aside to curdle:

1 cup very cold soymilk or almond milk

1 tsp vinegar

Mix together:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Add to this:

5 tbsp transfat-free vegetable shortening (like Crisco) or very cold vegan "butter" like Earth Balance, chopped into small cubes.

With a fork or a pastry-cutter, mix the fat into the flour until you have a coarse mixture with no large pieces of fat. If using "butter," work quickly because you don't want the fat to melt.

Now add the curdled soymilk-vinegar mixture and mix quickly until the dough comes together.

Make a ball of the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.

Now take the dough and roll it into about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a round cookie cutter about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter to cut the biscuits.

Place the biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Reroll any leftover scraps of dough to cut more biscuits from it.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with a mixture of 1 tbsp soy milk and 1 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil for a nice, golden-brown glaze. Leave about 1 inch space between each: don't overcrowd.

Bake the biscuits in a preheated 450-degree oven 10-12 minutes.

Cool on a baking rack.

Rustic Tuscan Bread

This classic bread from Tuscany, which requires three rises, including one rather long rise, is a labor of love. But as with all things you love, it is well worth the labor.

One distinctive feature of this bread is that it is saltless, which makes it ideal for dunking into flavorful sauces like, say, a pesto. I adapted the recipe from the Joy of Cooking, which says that this bread is also great for bruschetta. And with its crusty, crunchy crust and pillow-soft, airy crumb, it is easy to see that it would be.

I'd advise starting on this bread the evening before if you plan to have it for lunch the next day, or rather early in the morning if you want it in time for dinner.

This Tuscan loaf goes out to my It's A Vegan World: Italian event. I've got some lovely entries from you folks, but am still hoping more of you will pitch in. I think for many, the idea of Italian food without cheese is a challenge. But it really is not that hard, and here's your chance to flex that creativity: I know all of you have plenty of it!
Rustic Tuscan Loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup bread flour

2 cups lukewarm water

2 tsp active dry yeast

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl by hand or in a stand mixer. Set aside to rise about 8 hours.

Now add 2 cups of bread flour

Between 1 and 2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 tbsp olive oil.

Mix by hand about 15 minutes, or with the dough hook set to medium speed, about 8 minutes. The dough will be smooth but still rather sticky.

Place the dough in an oil-coated bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside for 2 hours or until it's doubled.

Now lightly oil a baking sheet and cover it with some cornmeal (I used some rava, which is coarsely ground rice, because I didn't have any cornmeal on hand).

Punch down the dough and shape it into a round by pulling on the sides and tucking them underneath.

Place the loaf on the baking sheet, cover loosely with an oiled plastic sheet, and set aside in a warm place to rise, about 1 1/2 hours.

About half an hour before baking, heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place a small pan (a pie plate or cake pan would do perfectly) in the lowest rack of the oven.

With a sharp knife, make two quick gashes, like a cross, on the top of the loaf, taking care not to deflate it.

Now place the bread into the preheated oven, and immediately add a cup of water to the pie plate/cake pan you'd already placed in the lowest rack of the oven.

Bake the bread for 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

Slice with a serrated knife, and enjoy!

"Lamb" and Cauliflower Curry With Creamy Mashed Potatoes

My husband, Desi, was the first man I fell deeply in love with. To date, and many, many years later, he still is, to me, the most perfect man.

Sure, we have our shares of ups and downs. But if I was to do it all over again, I don't think I'd change a thing.

I think part of the magic is not just that we are so different that we complement each other, but that we are so similar, we have this wonderful, maybe even boring, harmony that keeps us in sync.

We literally complete each other's thoughts and sentences. We love mostly the same movies (except he's unnaturally obsessed with documentaries. I like them, but in moderation). We like to travel, together. We like animals: in fact, and this could be hard to believe, but he loves them more than I do.

Over the years, our home has played host to every kind of creature, including a chick that he once brought into our one-bedroom apartment in Bombay. She would run all around the house dispensing chalky-white poop everywhere. He named her Chikni, which, translated from Hindi slang, means a good-looking girl.

There was an injured pigeon, who died despite days of fussing by Desi. A large number of stray cats and dogs rescued from the streets. He has even rescued a mouse or two caught by our hyperactive cat Pubm, before she could kill it.

Of course, we are not alike in every way. He is (and I hate to admit this, but it's true) wittier, smarter, and more tolerant than I am. He is also not a vegan, and you can rest assured it's not because of lack of trying on my part.

When I went vegan, I stopped cooking some of the dishes I made that Desi loved. But he was really supportive because he knew it meant a lot to me to be able to do what I believed was ethically right.

So sometimes, I work a little harder to try and recreate, with vegan ingredients, those dishes that he once enjoyed so much. This "lamb" curry, made with soy nuggets or textured vegetable protein, is such a dish. The textured nuggets contrast beautifully with the cauliflower florets cooked to melt-in-the-mouth tenderness.

I serve this spicy curry, which is much healthier than its meaty counterpart could ever hope to be, with creamy mashed potatoes. I can't think of two flavors that go together better.

I am sending this perfect combination to two very special Valentine's Day events: Vegetable Love at the Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen, and Made For Each Other at Asvadha.

I'm also sending this to Mythreyee who's hosting JFI: Cauliflower on her blog, Paajaka. JFI, of Jihva for Ingredients, was originally started by Indira of Mahanandi.

Thank you, folks, for hosting these lovely events.

And thank you, Desi, my love, for being my inspiration.

"Lamb" Curry with Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 cups of TVP chunks (about 1/2-inch square). Soak the chunks in boiling hot water about 1 hour.

1 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1-inch piece ginger, grated

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small cauliflower, separated into florets

2 tomatoes, diced

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp coriander-seed powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chilli powder

Juice of 1 lemon

About 1/2 cup of coriander leaves, minced

Salt to taste

Heat the oil.

Saute the onions until they start to brown. Add the ginger and garlic and stir for a minute.

Add the tomatoes, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander seed powder, cumin powder and turmeric. Stir together to mix, and allow the tomatoes to cook on medium heat until they start expressing the oil, about five minutes.

Add the cauliflower and the TVP nuggets. Mix together.

Add 1 1/2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and let the curry simmer about 20-30 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, sprinkle with coriander leaves, and serve hot with some crusty bread or rice.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

5 nedium Yukon Gold potatoes (I cook these in the microwave by stabbing the potatoes a few times with a knife, then putting them in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the potatoes with just enough water and nuke about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are perfectly tender.)

1/2 cup soy milk

1 tsp fresh-ground black pepper

2 tbsp soy "butter" like Earth Balance

Salt to taste

Mash the boiled potatoes with a potato masher. I don't peel the potatoes because the skins are good for you, and I love them in this rustic dish.

Add the soy milk, "butter", pepper and salt. Mix together until everything's just combined.

You can add some roasted garlic to this, or replace the soy butter with olive oil for other, interesting flavors.

Enjoy, everyone!

Meera's Black-Eyed Peas Curry (Chawlichi Amti): Toques Off!

I love everything about black-eyed peas: that rakish, rebellious look (ever wonder where each one of them got a black eye?), the fact that they look like beans but are called peas, the robust and distinctive taste that sets them apart from other beans...need I go on?

I'm always looking out for special recipes to cook up these special little guys, and last month, browsing through Meera's wonderful Web site, Enjoy Indian Food, I found one that made me hit the bookmark button. (In fact, all her recipes make me want to do that.)

But it was only this week that I got around to finally making this delicious curry, and believe me, it was worth the wait.

This curry uses few spices, but delivers a taste wallop. As Meera suggested, I sprouted the beans first, which always sends their nutritive value soaring into the stratosphere. Sprouting also helps make cooking the beans to tenderness a far quicker process than if you were to use them straight out of the bag.

The curry was very easy to put together, and I didn't deviate one bit from Meera's instructions: hey, why mess around with perfection, right? So I won't post the recipe again, although you can see it on Meera's blog right here.

Here are the pictures, though. Trust me, you cannot go wrong with this one.

Thanks, Meera, for a keeper!

Amaretti Cookies

I love all things almond, and amaretto cookies are right up there at the top of my list.

With a crispy, crumbly exterior and a chewy inside, these cookies, which are made mostly with almonds and which bedazzle you with their almond-y flavor, are a delicious treat from Italy, the subject of my It's A Vegan World event for the month of February. So this just seemed like a perfect time to share these with you.

Veganizing these cookies was a bit of a challenge. Amaretti cookies are usually flourless, and the almonds, ground into a flour (or sometimes paste), are bound by frothy egg whites which also give the cookies their light airiness. Since egg whites are not for me, I used a small amount of whole-wheat pastry flour, just half a cup, and some egg replacer powder to bind them. They worked perfectly.

In addition to It's A Vegan World: Italian, I am also sending these to Madhuram for her Egg Replacer event. Her egg substitute for the month is egg replacer powder.
Enjoy, everyone!
Vegan Amaretti Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond flour (around 1 cup of almonds, processed to a powder in a food processor)

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (can substitute with all-purpose)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

3 tsp EnerG egg replacer powder mixed with 4 tbsp water

3/4 to 1 cup confectioners' sugar (I like mine a little less sweet but add a whole cup if you like them sweet)

Method:

Mix together the almond flour, pastry flour and baking powder.

In a food processor, or by hand, add to the flour mixture the sugar, the two extracts, and the egg-replacer mixture. If using a food processor, pulse a few times to mix the ingredients.

The dough will be sticky. With a teaspoon, place rounded mounds of the mixture on a cookie sheet greased well, or covered with parchment paper and then greased.

Bake in a preheated 300-degree oven about 25-30 minutes until the tops are lightly browned, and the bottoms are a deeper, richer golden-brown.

Place the sheet on a rack to cool about 10 minutes. Then, using a thin spatula, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and place directly on the rack to cool thoroughly.

When cooled, sprinkle tops with some powdered confectioners sugar.

Spicy French Lentils Spiked with Mustard

I've been running a little busy lately, which is why you haven't heard me chatter on as long as I usually do in my posts. Maybe some of you are even relieved :)

Anyway, I quickly wanted to post this very simple weeknight recipe for a very nutritious and delicious lentil curry. It's made with French Puy Lentils, which I love, not least because they cook up easily and have a great, peppery taste.

I used mustard to spice up these lentils. While mustard is used often enough in Indian cooking, I used it a little differently here than I usually do: I ground it up before adding it. Mustard adds a spicy, almost slightly sour punch to the curry, and I couldn't have been happier.

The addition of spinach makes this curry even healthier. Feel free to substitute other greens, including watercress.

So here's the recipe. Enjoy, everyone, and me and my prattle will be back soon, rest assured!

Spicy French Lentils Spiked With Mustard

Ingredients:

1 cup French Puy Lentils (can substitute with whole green lentils or Masoor)

1 12-oz package of frozen spinach, preferably thawed

1 onion, thinly sliced

4-5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 large tomato, diced

2 tsp black mustard seeds, ground into a powder in a food processor of coffee grinder

1 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)

Boil together the spinach and lentils until the lentils are tender. I do this in a pressure cooker, but you can do this on the stove-top or in the microwave.

Heat the oil in a saucepan.

Add the cumin seeds and, when they sputter, add the sliced onions.

Saute the onions until translucent, then add the garlic. Stir-fry for another minute.

Add the tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric and mustard-seed powder. Stir together for about a minute.

Add the lentils-spinach mixture and stir in.

Add salt to taste. Bring the curry to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for five minutes.

Serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Healthy Comfort: Vegan Pot Pie

Imagine a bubbly hot pot pie with a crisp, flaky, golden crust, filled with a creamy mixture of sweet carrots, melt-in-the-mouth tofu cubes, and tender, buttery potatoes.

Now imagine you're eating it.

Does it get any better than that?

Well, it does, if you take the trouble to make this fabulous vegan pot pie.

To many of us, a pot pie signifies the ultimate in comfort food. But as with all comfort foods, your regular pot pie comes with a truckload of calories, not to mention both meat and cream. Not very comforting.

This vegan pot pie, on the other hand, is so healthy, it really makes you feel good about yourself and your waistline after you've eaten it. Try beating that.


The crust is part whole-wheat, and the creamy filling is made with soy milk and a whole lot of veggies as well as healthy tofu. Herbs add zing and flavor to this spectacular dish that really doesn't take long to cook up.

I baked up my pot pie in a pie dish, but any regular quart-sized baking dish would do. You can also add celery (which I didn't have on hand) and play around with the herbs used. Fresh coriander or cilantro would be great in this.

So here is my healthy, vegan version of a classic comfort food. Bake, and enjoy!


Vegan Pot Pie

For the crust:

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 tbsp transfat-free vegetable shortening

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried herbs (I used rosemary and thyme)

Mix together all the ingredients. Cut the shortening into the flour with a fork until no large lumps remain. Add just enough cold water and stir with a fork to mix. When the dough comes together, divide into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

For the filling:

1 medium onion, diced

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into a 1 1/2-cm dice

1 14-oz package of extra-firm tofu, also cut into a 1 1/2-cm dice

1 cup carrots, cut into 1 1/2-cm dice

1/2 cup green peas

2 medium potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-cm dice

1 tsp of the same herbs used in the crust

1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup white wine

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground black pepper

Salt to taste

2 tbsp vegan "butter" like Earth Balance

1 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil

Heat the oil in a saucepan.

Add the onions and stir. Add the garlic.

Cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent, but not brown.

Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, green peas and dried herbs. Stir together. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to tenderize.

Add the tofu, soy milk, vegan "butter," wine, and all-purpose flour. Stir together. The mixture will thicken.

Cook, covered another 5-10 minutes, stirring a few times, until the vegetables are tender. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Turn off the heat and set aside while you prepare the crust.

Take one ball of the crust dough and, using just enough flour, roll it into a circle a little larger than your baking dish or pie plate. There should be an overhang of about 1 inch when you put the dough into the dish.

Transfer the crust to the plate and roll out the second ball of dough into a circle slightly larger than the diameter of the baking dish or pie plate.

Pour the filling into the bottom crust. Smooth the top, and then cover with the top crust.

Using your fingers, press together the top and bottom crusts at the edges, forming a seal. Tuck any overhang into the baking dish. Crimp the edges with a fork or with your fingers for a decorative look.

Make two sharp cuts (shaped like an X), about 2 inches each, in the center of the pie.

Brush the top of the pie with a mixture of 1 tbsp soy milk + 1 tsp canola or other vegetable oil.

Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees about 45 minutes to an hour. The pot pie is ready when the crust turns golden brown and the juices bubble through the cuts at the top.

Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes at least before cutting into slices. The filling will be oozy and a little runny initially, but it will firm up the longer the pot pie stands. I like my filling runny.

This healthy pot pie goes off to Monthly Mingle: Healthy Family Dinners, started by Meeta, and hosted this month by the What's Cooking Blog.

Green Split Peas Dal with Leafy Greens

I usually have some half- or quarter-bunches of greens hanging out in my refrigerator. Lettuce, leftover from a hurried workday salad, a half-packet of frozen spinach, some cabbage...

When I want to use these up without coming up with separate ideas for each, I take an easy but delicious way out: I put them into a pot with some lentils and a few spices to come up with something like this fabulously nutritious and tasty dish that's ready in no time at all. Split Green Lentils with Leafy Greens.

This time, I had some baby bok choy left over, and a few leaves of romaine lettuce. Wonderful. I sliced up some onions, chopped up the greens, grated some ginger, minced up some garlic, and, while I was doing all that, cooked up some green lentils to mushy tenderness in a pressure cooker (You could definitely do it in a microwave or on the stove-top).

Once you have all your ingredients prepared it takes just a little while to put together this dal. Hope you try it one night when you have some leafy greens you don't know what to do with. Enjoy, all!

Green Split Peas Dal with Leafy Greens

Ingredients

1 cup green split peas (can substitute with pink lentils or yellow split peas)

About 3-4 cups of leafy greens, chopped into thin ribbons. I used about 4-5 baby bok choy and some romaine lettuce. You can use any other quick-cooking greens like lettuce, cabbage, spinach, watercress...feel free to experiment. Don't, however, use greens like kale or collards or methi which require more time to tenderize.

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

1 tbsp grated ginger

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 green chilies, minced

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp canola oil

Heat the oil in a saucepan.

Add the mustard seeds, and when they sputter, add the onions.

Stir-fry until the onions are translucent.

Now add the green chillies, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for another minute.

Add the turmeric and pepper and then the leafy greens and stir until the greens loose their stiffness and become soft, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the cooked dal and some salt to taste.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes.

Garnish, if desired, with coriander. Serve hot with rice or chapatis.