Chickpea-tomato-coconut YUM!

The purpose of this blog is to publish my simple, go-to recipes that I eat on a regular basis. This dish is Indian in impression, although as far as I know it doesn't have a traditional name. Easy, hearty, wintery... perfect snowboarding food!

Time Required: 15 minutes
Put on some brown or basmati rice to start.

1 tsp ghee
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 carrots (if we have em)
2 pcs celery, diced
8 oz.can tomatoes, diced
1 can chickpeas
1/2 can coconut milk
4 leaves of kale
at least 1 tsp salt
fresh cilantro for garnish
habanero hot sauce, to taste (not for pittas!)

Heat the ghee in the pan. Test the temperature by tossing in a couple seeds. When it's ready the oil will sizzle. Add the cumin, and when it starts to darken (not burn!), add the garlic and onion. Toss and cook on medium heat. When the onions start to become translucent, add the carrots and celery, and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 3-4 minutes, then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk, and a bit more salt. After about 5 more minutes, add the kale and cook for 3 more minutes. Turn off the heat and garnish with fresh cilantro. YUM!

Hearty Miso-Adzuki Stew

Hearty is not usually what you think of when considering Japanese food. However, adzuki beans pack a nutritional punch, being especially good for supporting the liver, and the seaweed lends this soup delicious depth. In addition to being nourishing, this soup is super tasty and easy to make!

Time Required: 15-20 minutes, once you've cooked the beans

4c cooked adzuki beans
water
1/3c hijiki
1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
2 tbsp finely chopped/grated ginger
2 carrots, chopped
2c chopped green cabbage
2 ribs of celery, sliced
pinch of salt
4 leaves kale, de-stemmed and ripped into bite-sized pieces
1/4c miso, dissolved into a paste with hot soup liquid
green onion for garnish (optional)

Cover the beans in the pot with an extra inch of hot water and cook on medium heat. As soon as the water boils, add the hijiki. In the meantime, heat the ghee in a frying pan. When hot, toss in the ginger, carrots, cabbage and celery and saute on med-high heat. Add a bit of salt to help the vegetables to sweat. After 5 minutes, add the kale and transfer the veggies to the now-hot pot of water and beans. Allow the completed soup to marry for a few minutes. When the vegetables are almost tender to your liking, turn off the heat and dissolve the miso into a paste. Stir the miso into the stew. Add the green onion and enjoy!

Kale Saag

This is a surefire way to get greens into even the most stubborn vegetable-haters (they do exist, although i have a hard time identifying...) Spicy and creamy, my friend Cam declared that "This one's a keeper!!" Saag was also the easiest way to ingest greenery in India, where we westerners must eschew raw leafies or likely suffer a bout of "Delhi-belly," much to my chagrin... Traditionally mustard greens or spinach are used, but I often substitute kale because it's more readily available. In Northern India, it's traditional to use cream, but I substitute coconut milk for a vegan-friendly approach. In fact, I prefer the taste.

1 tbsp ghee (see recipe below)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ajwain seeds
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic
1c minced onion
1 head of kale, mustard greens, or a combination: de-stemmed and chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp. maple syrup, or more to taste (hee-hee!)
3/4c coconut milk
1 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne or preferred hot sauce
fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat the ghee in a large, heavy skillet. Test the temperature - it should sizzle when you drop a couple of seeds into it. Add the cumin, ajwain (if you can find it) and mustard seeds. Toss in the oil until the mustard seeds start to pop like crazy. Then add the ginger, garlic, onion and a pinch of salt and continue to saute, until the onion starts to become translucent. Then add the kale, turmeric and maple syrup. When the kale turns bright green, add the coconut milk, salt, black pepper and chili. Allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes, and then turn off the heat and blend with a hand blender. Serve over basmati rice, or Saffron Pilao, garnished with fresh cilantro!

Lady K's Delectable Green Omelette

Lady k’s Delectable X-mas brunch Omelette

Being that my family are die-hard traditionalists, there is no way they’ll let me make anything more than a side dish for Christmas dinner. Therefore, since I’ve been inspired to eat eggs these days, I offered to make Christmas brunch for everyone. Also known as... Green eggs and yum!

serves 6
takes 20 minutes

1 tbsp olive oil/ghee
1c onion
2 cloves garlic (optional)
3/4 lb. asparagus, cut into spears
1/3c grape tomatoes, halved
2c arugula or spinach, packed
8 organic eggs
1/2c organic milk or soymilk (not vanilla!)
1 tsp olive oil/ghee
1/2c grated asiago cheese
1 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp (or more) chopped fresh cilantro

In a heavy skillet, heat the oil. When hot, toss in the onion and garlic and saute until it’s becoming translucent. Toss in the asparagus and tomatoes with a pinch of salt and saute until it’s bright green and starts to soften. Toss in the arugula, and just as it starts to wilt, turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and milk together. In the same pan, heat the oil again, make sure it has evenly coated the bottom of the pan, and pour the egg mix into the pan. Cover and watch carefully as it cooks. After 4-5 minutes, sprinkle the asiago cheese over half the omelette, add the green filling, and fold the other half of the omelette on top. Allow to cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a serving plate, and sprinkle with the cilantro. Green eggs and yum!

Tomato Sauce: Take it Seriously!

My girlfriend Sjanie makes a very similar sauce entitled “Never -Fails-to-Get-You-Laid Tomato Sauce” ...and it’s true to it’s name... The secret to great tomato sauce is LOTS OF IT: lotsa garlic, ample olive oil, copious booze, plenty of salt... and an abundance of time and love! An Italian mama I met in Australia taught me that you need to cook it for several hours in order to get that irrisistible, almost cheesy quality. You cannot rush great tomato sauce! My Danish friend Ole also lived in Italy for a while, and once made me a tomato sauce that had maple syrup in it. He mentioned that while in Italy it’s common to use white sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, he likes using maple syrup because it lends a certain depth to the sauce.

This sauce needs time to get really good. It is an extended, sensual affair... You can do a fresh tomato version when tomatoes are in season... use 10 ripe plum/red heirloom tomatoes and increase the cooking time by at least 2 hours.

1 1/2 tsp. ghee (see recipe further down)
5 cloves garlic
1c julienned onion
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2c. red wine
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp (or more) celtic sea salt
ample fresh ground black pepper

Heat the ghee in a heavy saucepan or pot. When hot, toss in the garlic and onion and sauté until translucent, adding a pinch of salt. Then add the tomatoes, 1/3 of the wine, maple syrup, the olive oil and more salt. Allow the sauce to simmer while you do other things in the kitchen - if you’re going for gold with the shiitake phyllo wraps, you’ll have plenty else to do! Add the rest of the wine slowly, over time. The rosemary goes in about 45 minutes into the process. When it’s done, you’ll know because it will taste like it has bound, or “come together.” Usually that takes between an hour and an hour and a half.