Dukkah-Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

This is definitely summer food and the kind I love most of all: food that introduces me to new ingredients and ignites my curiosity. Enter dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend comprised of ground hazelnuts, sesame seeds, coriander and cumin. There are variations to this blend, but that's the combination I stuck with. I'm sure I could have found dukkah at a specialty grocer, but had all the ingredients in hand to make it myself. Combined with the thick yoghurt dressing and roasted veg, it enriches the smokey flavours of the salad and helps make it a meal.

I used herbs from my own patio garden for this recipe. I don't have much of a green thumb, but have trialled herb combinations, soils and pot sizes. Year after year there have been improvements and this year, the plants have taken off. With the success of my herb garden, I've been looking for ways to include herbs not in the original recipes. I added flat leaf parsley to this one for that reason.

If you have nut allergies, the hazelnuts can be substituted for pumpkin seeds. A creamy feta would also be delicious with it. There are lots of opportunities to substitute ingredients if you can't find or can't eat certain items. Of course for the meat lovers, shaved prosciutto would be fantastic overtop.

Donna Hay's website is bookmarked on my laptop. Her recipes are appealing to me regardless of what mood I'm in. I've made comfort food, desserts and healthy entrees from her collection of ideas. Check it out if you're looking for inspiration.


Adapted from: https://www.donnahay.com.au

Serves 4

Ingredients

Dukkah

• 1/3 cup hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 T coriander seeds
• 1 T cumin seeds
• 1 T ground pepper
• 1 t flake salt

Salad

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 2, 400ml cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 cup of dried)*
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 t flake salt
• 2 T dukkah
• 1 bunch of radishes, cut in half
• 1 cup of mint leaves
• 1 cup of flat leaf parsley leaves
• 2 avocados
• 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
• 2 T dill, chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup of water

Method

Dukkah

Preheat oven to 400F. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool and then place in a towel. Rub the hazelnuts to remove the skins and set aside.

In a pan on medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until light brown, Remove from the pan and add the coriander and cumin seeds. Heat until they start to pop. Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until well ground. The dukkah should keep for several months if well sealed.

Salad

Preheat oven to 425F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spread the chickpeas and cauliflower over each of the sheets. Drizzle with the olive oil and dukkah and bake for 30 minutes or until the cauliflower has browned on the edges.

Prepare the salad dressing by combining the yoghurt, half of one avocado, dill, lemon juice and water in a blender and mixing until smooth.

To make the salad, distribute the radishes, parley and mint leaves over the cauliflower and chickpeas. Place slices of the remaining one and a half avocados and then the dressing overtop. Season with a little additional salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

I'm in the midst of a love affair with cauliflower. It's my first choice on the party veggie tray and its emergence as a main dish has got me intrigued. Roasting it adds yet another dynamic to this interesting vegetable and it pairs well with any protein if you'd prefer it as a side.

For those who set it aside and favour other more colourful vegetables, don't. Cauliflower's pretty competitive as far as vitamins and nutrients containing 73% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C and almost 20% of vitamin K in a cup of the cooked variety (http://www.whfoods.com). It also peaks in spring and fall, so now is the time to eat it. Finally, cauliflower comes in 4 colours: orange, yellow, purple and green. Who doesn't love experimenting with a little colour!

From: https://www.budgetbytes.com/
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 bunch Italian parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t salt

Chickpeas

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 t paprika
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 450F. Prepare the cauliflower by washing and cutting up the head into bite-size pieces. Slice the red onion into wedges, about a centimetre thick. Toss both into a bowl, add the oil, some salt and pepper and mix well. Spread the veggies onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, toss and flip the roasted veggies and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, combine all the dressing ingredients into a blender and emulsify. Next prepare the chickpeas by heating the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the spices, combining them with the oil and finally include the chickpeas. Brown the chickpeas for about 10 minutes, or until the chickpeas become golden-brown.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Harissa & Chick Peas

I'm just climbing out of the Thanksgiving menu haze and not surprisingly, am inspired to post a recipe somewhat unrelated.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good turkey with all the trimmings. Unfortunately, making 8 dishes doesn't leave me much time to photograph and write about them. Frankly at this point in the season, anyone reading this is likely moving on to other recipes too.

We don't eat much chicken in this house. It's not my meat of preference and when I do have a hankering for it, I crave the bits that are the least healthy. This recipe however looked like the right balance of taste and nutrition. The key here is to sear your chicken thighs well, so the skin crisps up nicely. Pan searing the chicken takes longer than most of the recipes indicate, but it's worth the extra time to enjoy that golden, crispness. In my instructions below, I doubled my time to 10 minutes each side.

In addition to the great combination of flavours, you've got a one-pan dish if you want to keep it simple. I served this with some quinoa, but the chickpeas can make it a meal of its own.

Serves 3-4
From: http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 T olive oil
• kosher salt
• ground pepper
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/4 cup harissa
• 1 540 ml can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Lemon wedges for serving

Method

Preheat oven to 425F. Season the thighs on both sides with plenty of salt and pepper. Place a cast iron pan (or other oven safe pan) on your stove top on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan. Place the chicken thighs, skin side down on the base of the pan. The chicken fat will splatter, so if you have a cover for the pan, use it. Sear the chicken for about 5-10 minutes on each side, or until the skin is brown and crispy. I cooked my chicken in two batches. Set aside the thighs on a plate and pour out all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the garlic and onions to the pan on medium heat and stir well, allowing the onions to soften, 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and combine it well with the onion mixture. Finally, add the harissa, the chickpeas and stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Place the chicken back in the pan, skin side up and move the pan to the oven for 25 minutes.

Serve 1-2 of the chicken thighs in a shallow bowl with some of the parsley sprinkled on top and a lemon wedge on the side. I served mine with a little quinoa as a base.

Smoked Salmon, Chick Pea & Haloumi Salad

Once again, we've reached that time of year where meal preparation shifts from cooking to assembling. Fresh ingredients are everywhere and preparing them so one can enjoy their full flavours means leaving them the hell alone.

This salad is all about assembly, but has a lot of ingredients and steps attached. It doesn't take as long as you might think to prepare, but if you're daunted by the number of instructions provided below, you can simplify it pretty quickly. For instance, the chick peas don't need to be toasted. While it certainly enhances their flavour, with so much going on with this salad anyways, one might choose to skip this step.  Another option is to replace the grilled haloumi with fresh feta. You may wind up doing this anyway if haloumi isn't easily obtainable. I made this salad worth my while by doubling up on some of the items for use in other recipes. The chimichurri recipe, for example was used on grilled fish and vegetables later in the week. Had I had extra chick peas, I would have used them in other dishes too.  Regardless of steps, this salad was a delicious affair and perfect with a cold summer soup and crust of French bread.

From:  http://honestcooking.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Toasted Chick Peas

• 1 400g can of chick peas 
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 t salt

Tahini Dressing

• 2 T greek yoghurt
• 1 T tahini
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T water

Chimichurri

• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1/4 mint leaves
• 1/4 cup of cilantro
• 1 t chili flakes
• 2 t red wine vinegar
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 250g smoked salmon
• 250g haloumi sliced in 1 cm slices
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 4-5 large eggs
• 1 cup pea shoots
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped

Chick Peas

Drain, rinse and dry the chick peas. Heat the olive oil in a pan, on medium heat. Add the chick peas and toss in the paprika and salt, ensuring the seasoning covers all the chicks peas. Continue to toss the chick peas occasionally in the pan. Once the peas have browned, remove them from the pan and let sit on a paper towel-lined plate.

Tahini Dressing

Whisk all the ingredients together until blended. Set aside.

Chimichurri

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour the mixture into a carafe and set aside.

Salad

Prepare the haloumi by heating a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Place the slices in the pan for about 1 minute each side or until browned. Set them on a paper towel-lined plate.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kale to the water for 30 seconds. Pour the contents of the pot through a strainer. Set the kale aside.

Soft boil the eggs by bringing a small pot of water to a boil. Add the eggs and boil for 6 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool immediately by running them under cold water. Peel eggs and set aside.

Assemble the salad by placing all the dry ingredients in a large and preferably shallow bowl. If serving the entire salad immediately, dress it with both the chimichurri and tahini dressing. If not, dress each serving individually.

A Little Green Inspiration

We have a couple of discount vegetable markets in Edmonton that offer a wide array of good produce. When I make a trip, I buy a lot of veg and only after I've brought a box home do I think about what I'm going to do with these damn vegetables. I think I just channeled my uncle. Let's get back on track. Anyways, I'm convinced this is not the way one's supposed to shop, but I like the challenge of using what I have to make a meal.

Dish number one is Aubergine Al Forno. The Canadian translation has got to be 'torched eggplant', which is why we're going to stick to its original title. Oven roasted vegetables with a little garlic, cinnamon and olive oil form the base of this dish. Toss in some breadcrumbs, pine nuts (sunflower seeds for those with nuts allergies), some raisins and dig in. It's great as a side dish, but I paired it with a little pasta to make it a meal and got a kick out of it.

The second  option is a garlicky kale salad. I consider this the hipster's answer to a caesar salad. This salad made me lose my mind with excitement. It was delicious and I was tickled that it offered more food value than a traditional caesar salad.

Finally I made a simple spinach salad with roasted beets and parsnips and added some goat cheese and walnuts to give it a little protein. None of these recipes are difficult. They are an offering of inspiration for those wanting to incorporate veggies into their hibernation diet. While I'm not ready for spring salads, these recipes provide me light winter options for the cold months ahead.

Aubergine Al Forno

From: http://www.jamieoliver.com/

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 Japanese eggplants, sliced in 1/2" pieces
• olive oil
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• salt and pepper 
• 5 green onions, sliced in one inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finally chopped
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes
• red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/3 pine nuts
• 2 T raisins

Method

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place place the eggplant slices in a baking dish and brush the slices with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle the cinnamon and a little salt and pepper to season. Bake for 15-20 minutes, adding the onions, garlic and tomatoes halfway through. Once all the vegetables are softened and a little charred, remove from the oven and pour a little red wine vinegar over the vegetables.

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, pine nuts, raisins, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch each of cinnamon, salt and pepper. Pour the ingredients over the vegetables and toss well. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until crispy and golden.

Garlicky Kale Salad

From: http://minimalistbaker.com

Serves 4 as a meal

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic
• 570 ml can of chickpeas
• olive oil
• 1 T garam masala, paprika and/or garlic salt
• 1 bunch of kale finely chopped
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 T maple syrup
• salt and pepper to taste
• hot water to thin if required

Method

Preheat oven to 375F. Drain and rinse your chick peas well and pour them into a bowl.  Add a drizzle of olive oil and whatever combination of seasoning you want or have on hand. I used a tablespoon of garam masala and some salt and pepper. Toss the chick peas well to season them. Separate the garlic cloves, leaving the skin on and place them on the edge of a baking sheet. Place the chick peas on the same sheet and bake both for about 20 minutes. Remove when the chick peas are golden brown and the garlic is soft.

For the dressing, combine the tahini, lemon juice, syrup, salt and pepper in a bowl. Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and add the cloves to the bowl. Using a stick blender, blend the ingredients. Thin the dressing with water if desired.

Place the kale in a large bowl. Pour in the salad dressing and toss so that all the leaves are well coated. Pour the chick peas into the centre of the bowl and serve.

Roasted Vegetable Spinach Salad

Serves 6 as a meal

Ingredients

• bunch of spinach, washed with stems removed
• two medium beets
• 3 parsnips
• 130g goat cheese 
• walnuts
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• balsamic vinegar

Method

Preheat oven to 400F. Wrap the beets as is in foil. Wash and cut the parsnips in 1-2 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil and toss well. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper and toss again. Pour the parsnips on a baking sheet and place the beets adjacent to them in the oven. The parsnips should take about 20 minutes and can be removed from the oven to cook. The beets will take closer to 40 depending on their size. When the beets are done, remove them from the foil and set them aside. Once cooled, peel both beets and slice in wedges.

To prepare the salad, place the spinach in a large bowl. Add the parsnips and beets over the spinach. Crumble the goat cheese over the salad and add walnuts liberally. When serving, drizzle each portion with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and enjoy.

Don't Fear the Vegan: Cheezy Quinoa & Chick Pea Skillet with Heirloom Tomatoes

When I found this recipe, I went back to my blog to compare it with my other vegan recipes and...

Well, there wasn't much there. I have a vegetable side dish and a creamed soup made with coconut milk.

I truly am on the 'eat less meat' bandwagon. I got on it a long time ago and have found some delicious vegetarian recipes while appreciating a low-cost meal by comparison to many of my meat-filled options. It's just that the bandwagon has so many great detours through steak village and sausage alley. I get distracted!

This one got my attention though, because as I read through the recipe, I figured it had a shot at being flavourful. For one, the basil, tomato and balsamic topping is a favorite combination in this household. It's fresh and chalked full of dynamic tastes. The second sign was that the two neutral components are well seasoned before they're combined. The quinoa is salted and mixed with nutritional yeast and the chick peas are toasted and seasoned with an interesting mix of paprika and maple syrup.

Finally, I've read about nutritional yeast and wanted to try it. For those of you who know about as much as I did a week ago, it's a pure form of yeast grown for its' nutritional value. A tablespoon's worth has about 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. It's also a good source of magnesium and a host of other nutrients (http://bestnaturalfoods.com/nutritional_yeast.html). It has a lovely umami flavour and often binds ingredients like cheese does.

Try it. I enjoyed it, Ruedi enjoyed it, it was an easy weeknight meal to prepare and it goes great with bacon! I'm kidding...kind of.

From:  http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

Serves 4-6

Quinoa

• 1 1/4 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

Chick Peas

• 3 cups cooked chick peas (if you're buying them dried, I've made some notes below)
• 1 t paprika
• 2 t maple syrup
• 1/2 t ground pepper
• salt to taste
• 2 t olive oil

Tomato

• 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 2 T lemon juice

Method

Quinoa: Boil the water and add the quinoa and salt, covering the pot and simmering for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the quinoa to sit for another 10 minutes, still covered. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Mix in the nutritional yeast and set aside.

Chick Peas: If you are using dry chick peas, rinse and soak them in a pot overnight, and then cover and simmer them for 45 minutes. This will give you a chick pea akin to the canned variety. Heat the olive oil on medium heat. Toss in the chick peas, coating them with the oil and letting the chick peas toast for a few minutes. Add the paprika and stir well. Pour in the maple syrup and toss with a little salt. Set aside.

Tomatoes: Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Together: Toss a few spoonfuls of chick peas in with the quinoa. To serve, pour the quinoa on to a platter and spoon the remaining chick peas on top. Add the tomato mix on top of that and sprinkle a little sea salt over the entire platter.

Chickpea Veggie Bowl

My work colleagues have a step challenge underway and it's breeding all sorts of other good behaviours, one of which is healthier eating habits. Frozen meals are being traded in for salads and home cooking is back in style. Hallelujah!

I tweaked my own diet earlier this year and a few key changes have stuck.  I cut out sweets after most meals and with the exception of holidays and a few weak moments, haven't deviated from this plan. I now crave sweets less and find that my tolerance for all things sugared has changed.  Desserts I used to love seem too sweet for me now.  I also cut back my alcohol intake, which has fattened up my bank account and trimmed my waist line.

This recipe celebrates the progress I and my colleagues have made to eat well in order to live better. Build on it or modify as required. I topped my veggie bowl with a spoonful of olive tapenade to give it a little extra dimension. Chili sauce (sambal oelek), a dollop of sour cream or humus would be nice with it as well.  Pair it with rice or noodles if you want more substance and of course, add some chorizo or chopped ham to it if meat isn't optional for you.

Adapted from: http://eathealthyeathappy.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chick peas
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup of fresh basil, chopped
• juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Saute the garlic for about half a minute, then add the onion, allowing it to cook for two minutes. Toss in the pepper, zucchini and asparagus and stir well to coat the vegetables with the oil. Let the vegetables sit for about two minutes. Add the mushrooms and cover the saucepan with a lid, keeping in the heat for another three minutes. Add the chickpeas, the basil and lemon juice and toss until they are combined well with the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Serve with a spoonful of chili sauce or olive tapenade on top.

Pan Fried Halibut with Grilled Halloumi & Vegetable Salad

Hats off to Chatelaine magazine for their ongoing efforts to bring simple and delicious recipes to their readers consistently. I get a little giddy at the thought of each month's issue and try as many recipes as I can with solid results. I recently tried a grilled vegetable and halloumi salad from the magazine's June issue.  I've seen halloumi, a Mediterranean, semi-hard, unripened and brined cheese at a few grocers and figured it was time to try cooking with it. This recipe allowed the opportunity to do just that and offered another take on salad that is refreshing and loaded with ingredients that give you a full meal out of your salad. I paired the original serving with halibut fillets and used the leftover salad for lunches.

We are fortunate enough to have access to some decent not-so-domestic fish in Alberta, thanks to the miracles of modern-day logistics and market demands. Miracles are expensive however, so when buying fillets of fresh fish from your neighbourhood market, make it count!

Grilled Halloumi and Vegetable Salad

Adapted From: http://www.chatelaine.com

Ingredients

• 4 small zucchinis cut diagonally into 1/2" pieces
• 250g package of halloumi cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T olive oil
• 540 ml can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 T chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 T chopped dill
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

If using a barbecue, preheat the barbecue to medium. If your barbecue is out of commission for the season like mine, get yourself a grill plate and make good use out of it. Just make sure to place one of your oven racks on the top level of your oven and preheat it to 500-550F. Brush the surface of the plate/barbecue with olive oil. Whisk 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Place the zucchini pieces on the grill for 3 minutes each side. Remove the zucchini and add the halloumi pieces, grilling for one minute on each side. I recommend testing your halloumi grilling time by grilling one piece first for a minute each side and then sampling it. If overdone, it will be very rubbery and will require less time.  Place a few of the zucchini and halloumi pieces on to a plate and add the chick peas, herbs and toss with the oil and lemon, salt and pepper.

Halibut with White Wine and Shallot Sauce

From: http://www.canadianliving.com

Ingredients

• 350 g (two fillets) of skinless halibut
• 1 t butter
• 1 t extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 t kosher flaked salt

Method

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Fry the halibut in the pan, turning once until the fish flakes easily when tested; about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm by tenting the halibut with aluminum foil. Add the wine and minced shallot to the pan on medium-high heat and allow to until the sauce is reduced to about 2 tablespoons; about 2 minutes. Place each of the halibut fillets on plates and drizzle the reduction over top.

Toasted Kale & Pan Fried Chickpea Salad

If you haven't clued in that salads are more than just vegetables and dressing, then pull your head out of your rear and pay attention. Have I got your attention now? Good. 

We've added meats, cheeses, bread, removed the lettuce, swapped out trendy vegetables for hipster vegetables...what more can we do? A heck of a lot more! One of my favourite salads is a marinated vegetable salad, where the vegetables have been blanched just a teensy bit. The result is an entirely different combination of flavours and textures than one would get with a raw version of the salad. This is why this toasted kale salad sounded so appealing. Sadly the author that I nabbed this recipe from combined her kale with preserved Meyer lemons and I did not have the time nor the lemons to make that magic happen. Instead I used regular unpreserved lemons, which were scrumptious all the same. I really do want to try preserving lemons and using them in this recipe. It just isn't going to happen tonight. If you get a chance, check out the think below for the author's preserved lemon recipe.

Adapted from: http://www.ahouseinthehills.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 large head of kale of your choice
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 T canola oil
• 1 T tablespoon paprika
• 3 T chopped lemons
• 1 lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 225 degrees

Wash the kale, removing the stems and chop into bite size pieces. Toss with a little olive oil and sea salt and arrange onto a cookie sheet(s). Toast in the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until the kale is both wilted and crunchy (you'll know what I mean after 25 minutes).  In a pan, combine the chickpeas, canola oil, paprika and chopped lemons. Cook over medium-high heat until the chickpeas have browned. Remove from heat and combine the chickpea mixture in a bowl with the kale.  Add a little olive oil and sea salt, tossing it well. Serve with lemon slices on top as a garnish.

Chana Masala Fever

This isn't my first attempt at a masala dish, but it's perhaps the closest I've come to anything I've eaten out. I bought roti to eat this with and chowed down on pieces of the roti with yoghurt-dolloped spoonfuls of the chana masala. As great as it tasted, I've been eating a lot of Indian food lately and am still trying to figure out what needs to be in this dish to make it taste more authentic. I used fresh foods as much as I could, choosing whole spices as opposed to ground and fresh tomatoes I stewed myself. I am this close (picture my thumb and index finger almost touching!) to getting this dish to a level of authenticity I am satisfied with. In an attempt to solve the mystery, I'm throwing a sample size of this in my lunch for tomorrow and bringing it to my colleague Tanmay to try over lunch. He's going to take some home to his mother (he doesn't know this yet). I need advice. With all this criticism, you'd think the dish was pitiful. It wasn't, but I know what I like and this has a little ways to go. 

Chana Masala

Adapted From: http://aromatic-cooking.blogspot.in

Serves 6 

Paste

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 t fresh grated ginger
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 t red chili paste
• 1 T coriander seeds
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 3 T cooked chick peas
• 2 T water

             

The Base

•    1 T olive oil   
•    2 cups cooked chick peas
•    1 onion, finely chopped
•    8 T tomato puree
•    1 T Garam Masala
•    1 t cumin seeds
•    4 whole cloves
•    handfuls of cilantro to garnish
•    1-2 cups of water (depending on how thick you lick   the consistency of the sauce) 

Method

To make the paste add all the ingredients in a blender and puree. Set aside.

For the base, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the cumin seeds and cloves to the oil, stirring until the fragrance hits you.  Add the onion, mixing well until the onion is transparent. Combine the puree and paste, stirring well for about 10 minutes. Add the chick peas and the water and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with cilantro leaves and yoghurt on rice or with naan/roti, etc.

Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchinis

I love the idea of self-contained food.  Anything I can use my fingers to eat that offers two or more food groups fits that definition. Man, when pizza pops came out, I thought the world had undergone a revolution!  These aren't pizza pops, but they are self-contained and a meal in themselves if so desired.


From: Canadian House & Home, July 2011 Edition


Serves 4

• 4 medium zucchinis 
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 T olive oil
• 3/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 pkg soft goat cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 2 t finely chopped mint
• 1 T chopped parsley
• 1 t lemon zest

Set oven to 400F and preheat a baking sheet on the bottom rack.

Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and flesh, leaving a 1/4" wall. Place seeds and flesh in a bowl. Toss with a 1/4 t salt and set aside.

Brush the zucchinis inside and out with olive oil, then season the insides with salt and pepper. Carefully place the zucchinis cut side down onto the hot baking sheet (they will immediately sizzle). Bake for 10-12 minutes, until flesh has softened and skin appears slightly wrinkled. Remove zucchinis from oven and flip. Keep oven on.

Working one handful at a time, squeeze the reserved zucchini-flesh mixture over the sink until slightly moist, then roughly chop. Place chickpeas in a large bowl and mash slightly with a fork, keeping some intact. Add zucchini flesh, goat cheese, walnuts, olives, mint, parsley and lemon zest.

Divide filling evenly among zucchini halves, pressing mixture with a spoon and mounding extra filling on top. Place stuffed zucchinis on baking sheet on middle rack of hot oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated throughout and tops are slightly golden. Garnish with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Artichoke & Red Pepper Melt

Artichoke and Red Pepper Melt

Serves 2

Adapted from http://pinchofyum.com;

Ingredients

• 2 slices whole wheat bread, crust on the outside
• 6 T hummus
• 1 red pepper, roasted and sliced
• 1/2 cup artichokes, drained and chopped 
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach
• 4 T mozzarella cheese (I found smoked mozza at the market and used this)

Method

Divide toppings between the two bread slices in this order: hummus, red pepper, spinach, artichokes, and cheese.  Broil at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with cayenne and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

Revolving Door Hummus

What's in your fridge? That's typically what I ask myself before making hummus. Tahini, peanut butter, chili sauce, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, almond butter....this list could go on forever. I made hummus today to add to this artichoke and red pepper recipe, so I'll give you the ingredients I used for this particular batch.


Ingredients

• 1, 540ml can of chick peas, rinsed
• 2 T tahini
• Juice of one lime
• 3 T of chili sauce
• 1 clove of garlic

Method

Combine in a food processor and blend until smooth. I added a bit of water to this mix to thin it out.

Chickpea & Pumpkin Patties

I made potato and chick pea patties a few years ago as part of the Wild Rose cleanse and got a kick out of the idea of a veggie patty. This isn't a new innovation, but it seemed new to me. My first patty experience was not be my last. Something about the veggie patty with a dip attracts me, so when I saw this recipe I had to give it a shot. I have tried using canned pumpkin for this recipe. Although it works, it's a bit wet compared to the real thing.


Adapted from http://aficionado-x.blogspot.com
Serves 6

• 500 g cooked chickpeas, drained well
• 5 T parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 cups pumpkin, diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 t sweet paprika
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1/2 cup greek yoghurt
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plain flour for dusting

Bring pumpkin and garlic to the boil in a pan with water.
Simmer until cooked through.
Strain and cool.
Heat olive oil in a pan.
Add diced onion and a pinch of salt.
Sweat over medium heat (the onion, not you) until cooked through.
Add paprika and cumin.
Toast spices for a minute until fragrant.
Remove from heat and cool.
Throw the chickpeas, parsley, breadcrumbs, egg and garlic into a food processor and pulse until it binds together (a few whole chickpeas here and there doesn't matter).
Gently stir through pumpkin and onion.
Form into as many patties as you like, keeping them about 2.5 cm thick. (The thinner you make your patties, the more you increase the likelihood of them falling to bits before they reach the pan. You could even shape them into balls and then flatten them in the pan afterwards, although the sides won't be nearly as neat.)
Dredge both sides in flour.
Pan fry over medium heat (give them a gentle press with a spatula to maximise surface contact) with a little oil for 3 mins each side.

Stir together the yoghurt and lemon juice.

Season and serve.