October Crockpot -- a rich creamy vegan stew

With the sudden change in the weather it is truly autumn. Rainy, chilly, and grey. So, this. Not that I don't make crockpots in the summer. But this time, I really mean it.

The use of chickpea flour from our local Indian super market gives this a mellow creaminess and body that is quite delightful. I have become a raging chickpea flour aficionado. I adore it. Adore, I tell you. Anyway, these creamy delicious dish is awesomeness in a pot.

The onion, cabbage, and cauliflower melt away to nothing, so this stew is about the split chickpeas, the creamy broth, and the carrot medallions. Pretty!!

Every time my husband eats a bowl of this he declares it 'delicious'. That never gets old.

I will definitely use chickpea flour to make the broth again. Inspired!!

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 cups green cabbage very finely chopped
2 cups channa dall, split chickpeas (I used raw, dried, well rinsed split chickpeas. If you don't wanna, you can use canned whole chickpeas. I'm okay with that.)

2 cups white cauliflower, crumbled and very finely chopped

4 carrots -- 3 yellow and 1 orange, narrow and cut into discs (I used what I had from the market)

1 tbsp cumin
3 tsp sea salt
1 cup water + 1/2 cup chickpea flour mixed together

6 cups water

Fakey fake Green Curry with Cauliflower and White Kidney Beans

I loves me some fake green curry. I find the mingled flavours of this dish to be utterly seductive. This is a variation on a theme, but it's got the virtues and none of the vices. Served with crusty bread, socca, quinoa, brown jasmine rice, millet, or even just a side of steamed broccoli, and you have yourself a winner. We went with socca spiked with fennel seed for some echo and fun.

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion

2 shallots

3 cups white kidney beans

1 cup sliced dried mushrooms

3  cups green peas

1 cup celery, chopped

2 cups carrot, diced

1 small  cauliflower, cut into florets

3 cups sweet potato, diced

1 1/2 tsp fennel seed

2 tsp chili powder

4-5 tsp sea salt

black pepper

1 can coconut milk (organic, 400 ml)

1 can water

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced (I used 40 g)

1/2 cup fresh basil, minced (I used 40 g)

1 tbsp lime juice

directions:

1. turn the crockpot onto medium heat, and set the timer for 4 to 6 hours

2. layer the ingredients in as listed up to and including the coconut milk

3. when the food is almost ready, adjust the salt and pepper, and add the cilantro and basil. Stir, and then shut it off. If possible, allow it to sit for a while before using, to allow the flavours to meld.

4. stir

5. serve with a extra lime juice and very very finely minced ginger to taste

For me these flavours work exceptionally well together. I hope you enjoy them too.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

ingredients:

1 cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 or more tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
a generous pinch or three of salt
pepper


directions:

1. toss the cauliflower with the coconut oil, sea salt, and pepper
2. spread evenly on a (lined) baking sheet -- single layer is best
3. oven roast at 345 for at least an hour, or until turning brown and very nicely cooked

This is a tremendously tasty way to prepare cauliflower, and the texture and flavour are heavenly. We used a neon green cauliflower from the farmer's market, but apparently they all taste the same. Just fun to look at!

Sauteed Savoury Vegetables -- A change of Pace

In my house one thing is absolutely true: sauteed broccoli is a safe choice. For this reason, we eat sauteed broccoli nearly every night. Broccoli will pretty much always be eaten with gusto, be enjoyed by everyone, be accepted universally, and won't necessitate coaxing, bribery, threats, or hostage situations.

That being said, my little-rock-hard-fossilized-carbonized-but-vegetable-loving heart yearns for ... more. But not more Broccoli. Broccoli ... just doesn't always cut it. Yes folks, I want to branch out.

This week I got some cauliflower at the farmer's market. But the idea of a simple saute of veg in coconut oil with a sprinkle of sea salt just didn't ... move me. Fortunately the farmer's market yielded some other finds: onions, broccoli, and carrots to go with that cauliflower.

The resulting saute with some spices is vegetable dominant flavour wise, but lightly savoury, for something more than just the usual simple and green side dish. I haven't really included quantities, because the spicing should all be to taste, and the vegetables will vary in size. I swear the carrot was the size of my son's arm, and the cauliflower was the size of two normal caulis (so I used half) ... but the ratio doesn't really matter. It will be delicious any way.

ingredients:

extra virgin coconut oil

1 cooking onion, chopped

1 carrot, sliced 

1 cauliflower, into florets

1 broccoli, into florets

ground cumin

ground turmeric

chili powder

sea salt

black pepper

directions:

1. in a large saute pan, saute the onion, carrot, and cauliflower in coconut oil (use enough!)  over low heat with some sea salt, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, and black pepper to taste. I prefer cooking over a low enough heat that I need to keep the lid closed to help steam the veges

2. when the veges have achieved that 'cooked' look, add the broccoli, toss well, and cover to cook for a few minutes.

serve!

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach, and Peas -- a crazy vegetable side dish

In my pursuit of vegetables, I decided to assemble this motley stirfry of assorted vegetable riff-raff as a side dish to go with our pancakes for dinner. 

As with much of my cooking, it was opportunistic based on what I had in my possession already.

ingredients:

1 or 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 small red purple onion, finely chopped (approximately 1/4 cup)

2 medium carrots, diced (about 3/4 cup)

1 large tomato, diced (about 1 cup)

250 g cauliflower florets

150 g chopped spinach

250 g green peas

250 g broccoli florets

(those 4 are all organic, frozen vegetables -- defrost before using if you do the same)

up to 1 tsp sea salt

up to 1 tbsp marjoram

up to 1/2 tsp turmeric

up to 1/2 tsp chili powder

up to 1/2 tsp mesquite powder

directions:

1. in a large saute pan, melt the coconut oil, and add the onions and carrots

2. add the tomato, cauliflower, turmeric, chili powder, and a little of the sea salt

3. when they are nicely cooked, add the spinach and peas, and the marjoram and mesquite, and a little more salt

4. when the vegetables are all happily seasoned and cooked, add the broccoli and combine well to sauce everything. adjust seasoning and add more salt if needed.

Adzuki Bean and Vegetable Stew -- The New Crockpot Adventures

The amazing thing about a crackpot -- er, crockpot -- is that if you have a few minutes to load it up, it will do all the work for you, regardless of how busy your schedule is. Now, hitherto, I have often pre-sauteed the more potent elements such as onion and garlic. This time however, not only was time quite pressing, but I also thought it was time to get over my fear, and allow the crockpot to do its thing. A benign and benevolent key makeup artist had wrapped me early from work one day, and I decided it was the perfect opportunity to get the crockpot going so there would be dinner for the next couple of nights when I would certainly be home very late in the evening.

I'd been keen to try out adzuki beans in the crockpot, because although they are larger than a lentil and are not a split pea, they are 'soaking optional'. I also thought it would be fun to throw in some barley -- however for those who are gluten sensitive or intolerant, please substitute your favourite short, whole grain rice for the barley.

My son and I both like this hearty concoction very much. My husband, who seems to have the tongue of a super-taster, is not so keen. It does have a bit of a stronger flavour. It's probably the cauliflower that is at fault. I personally can't taste the cauliflower, and certainly can't rule out the adzuki's, the barley, or the wild rice for the 'earthiness' of the flavour, Colin often turns up his nose at dishes that contain cauliflower even if  he doesn't know it's there. Sigh.

How cute are adzukis? Seriously. They are adorable! If you are not a fan of cauliflower, you can definitely substitute something sweeter. Perhaps a combination of chopped tomato and sweet potato? Mushrooms and eggplant? Beets? Kolrabi? Whatever tickles your fancy.


ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
125 g cauliflower, divided into florets (frozen organic works well) -- about 1 cup

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup adzuki beans
1/4 cup barley (or short, whole grain rice for gluten free option)
2 tbsp wild rice
2 tbsp small brown lentils

1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp chili powder
black pepper

3 -3 1/2 cups water

125 g peas (frozen organic works well) -- about 3/4 or 1 cup

75 g spinach, chopped (frozen and defrosted works well)


directions:

turn on the crockpot to medium

layer the ingredients into your crockpot as follows:
1. coconut oil, garlic, and onion + 1/2 tsp sea salt sprinkled on top
2. cauliflower + 1/2 tsp sea salt sprinkled on top
3. carrots and celery + 1/2 tsp sea salt sprinkled on top
4. adzuki beans, barley, wild rice, and lentils, + 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, marjoram, chili powder, and black pepper
5. pour on 3 or 3 1/2 cups of water, careful not to disturb your layers
6. pour your peas on top of the water
7. cook for 6 hours on medium (I just turned mine on and went to bed. It turned itself off after cooking).
8. when finished cooking, stir in the chopped spinach.

Not Chicken Noodle Soup -- Good for what ails you Part 1 (crockpot soup)

My not quite 3 year old (six weeks to go) woke up in the night with a low fever (his first one I think), and wasn't feeling well when we got up this morning. So, not chicken noodle soup to the rescue.

You may be familiar with the potent anti-viral effects of ginger and turmeric, but did you know turmeric also contains salicylic acid, which can be found in willow bark and is used to make asprin? Salicylic acid is a common compound found in many plants, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Organic vegetable soup has been shown to have higher levels of salicylic acid than non-organic vegetable soup (but I'm not going to cite the study. You can google it if you'd like.) Suffice to say it's not the chicken soup but the vegetables in the chicken soup that were good for what ails you. We've updated it by forgoing all chicken, and adding plenty of ginger and turmeric for both the anti-inflammatory effects as well as the anti-viral effects.

Plus what could be more soothing that a hot bowl of soup when you are sick?

I decided to make soup noodles to go with the soup. For this I used my favourite pasta dough recipe, rolled it flat, rolled it up, and sliced it quickly. Two minutes in boiling water and voila. Honestly, it takes longer to tell you about it than it takes to make them.

I ended up throwing in some broccoli after the soup was finished. Broccoli is practically a religion around here. And although I was originally going to just make a clear soup with celery and carrots in it, I ended up throwing in some red kidney beans too. Kidney beans are a good choice because they are contain some essential trace elements, lots of protein, and are great for stabilizing blood sugar. Plus they taste good. 

Well, the soup turned out well, and we enjoyed it for dinner. At least, my husband and I did. My son, noodle lover extraodinaire, refused even a bite -- and didn't even have appetite for his Not Chocolate Ice Cream, which he normally adores. :(

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 1/4 cup diced carrots

1 1/4 cup diced celery

1 1/2 tbsp finely minced garlic

1 cup finely chopped onion (purple)

125 g cauliflower, cut into florets, approx 1 heaping cup

1/2 tbsp turmeric

3 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp sea salt

black pepper

1 1/2 cups dark red kidney beans (cooked, not raw. Or canned, if you prefer)

1/2 tbsp marjoram

1/2 tbsp oregano

4 cups boiling water

125 g broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces (optional) (I used frozen, defrosted) (or you can use lightly-steamed) approx 1 heaping cup

directions:

1. saute the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, cauliflower, ginger, turmeric, sea salt, and pepper in the coconut oil on low for 30 minutes, or until very cooked.

2. put the sauteed vegetables into your crock pot, and add  the kidney beans, marjoram, oregano, and water

3. cook on high in your crockpot for 4 hours

4. turn off the heat and add the broccoli

5. let sit for 30 minutes, or over night.

6. ladle hot soup over cooked noodles, and serve 

:)

Chickpea Tomato and Vegetable Soup -- A delicious variation on a theme -- but no ginger!

This soup rocks. It was easy to make, and quick, too. And like all soups of this ilk, improves with age as the flavours mellow and blend in a palate pleasing way. Chock full of vegetables, it's a meal in a bowl, and goes well with a hunk of freshly baked bread, or some of the tasty poppy seed crackers/biscuits I will post later on ...  I went a little spicy this time, but you can easily mitigate this by reducing the quantity of chili powder in the soup. The tomato 'base' has enough acidity that it helps bring out all the other flavour, and the whole thing is warming and perfect for a cold and wintery day.

You can probably tell that I really like soup on the winter, and you can probably tell I'm lazy, and like soups that comprise the meal all by themselves. True story. I find a hearty soup to be very satisfying, as well as a comfortable meal to eat in the evening.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp garlic, finely minced (1 large clove)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup finely diced carrot

1/2 cup finely diced celery

125 g cauliflower, cut into florets (about 1 heaping cup)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp sea salt

black pepper

375 g finely chopped tomato (1 1/2 cups or so)

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or canned)

1 cup diced sweet potato (asian)

3 cups water

1/2 tbsp marjoram

1 cup of frozen green peas, defrosted

125 g broccoli florets (defrosted, if using frozen) (about 1 heaping cup)

directions:

1. saute the garlic, onion, celery, and carrot with the cumin, turmeric, sea salt, pepper, and chili powder in the coconut oil in a large pot until translucent

2. add the tomatoes and cook for 30-60 minutes covered until tomatoes are cooked into submission.

3. add the chickpeas, sweet potato, water, and marjoram, and cook for 60 minutes

4. turn off the heat and add the peas and broccoli. Let the soup sit for at least 30 minutes.

The soup is now ready, and can be eaten right away. However, as I've mentioned, soups like this are great the next day. So, if your schedule allows, you can make it ahead. This soup will also freeze well. Just make sure you leave an inch at the top of the jar for expansion. I've left inadequate space more than once, and the expanding soup pushes the bottom off of the jar. Kind of messy, and a little disappointing!

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

This is a fun way to prepare cauliflower that my sister Deborah recommended to me. My husband says it still tastes like cauliflower and makes a bit of a face when he eats it. My 2 1/2 year old devours it with greed and gusto.




ingredients:


4 cups of cauliflower, dismembered into florets
1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
a pinch or two sea salt




directions:


1. toss the cauliflower with the coconut oil and sea salt
2. place on a lined baking sheet or in a large glass baking pan
3. bake at 345 for about 30 or 45 minutes, or until it is done to your liking


You'll probably realize that coconut oil is a solid at room temperature, making it hard to toss vegetables with it. However, if you put the vegetables and the oil in the baking dish and then put them in the oven for 2 minutes, remove them from the oven, toss, and return them to the oven, you'll find it's no longer a solid. However,  if you prefer your oil a la olive, be my guest.

Samosa Wednesday

My mother-in-law is a lovely woman. I'm very fortunate when it comes to in-laws in general, I must say. However I mention Kathryn specifically because she really really REALLY likes these samosas. Which is great, because I think sometimes my in-laws just think my food is plain old strange. But these samosas are a crowd pleaser. Easy to do up ahead of time and freeze. Delicious quickie dinner when pulled out of the freezer and into the oven. Or great when made fresh and eaten the same day. I've been known to do up double or triple batches to freeze for upcoming parties. They bake up beautifully right from frozen, (along with my version of panzarotto which I will share no doubt at some point) and have never let me down. We've even had our friends Karen and Aidan over for a cooking lesson and dinner to learn how to make them (and of course eat them after, but they didn't need any instruction on that part). These samosas can be made in parts, so it's helpful for when you don't have a large chunk of time all at once. You can mix the dough at one point, then set it aside tightly wrapped. You can make the filling days in advance if you like.


Part 1) dough


ingredients:


1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
2 cups kamut pastry flour (finely ground, whole grain)
1 cup blanched almond flour
1 1/2 tsp sea salt


3/4 cup filtered water + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar


directions:


1. put the flours, salt, and oil in a food processor. pulse a few times to thoroughly combine.
2. turning the machine on, slowly trickle in the water (and vinegar) until the ingredients clump together and form a dough. If it seems too dry, add more water whilst the processor is on, a teaspoonful at a time. You do not want to add too much water, because then the dough will be very hard to work with. Too little water and the dough will be too crumbly.
3. take the dough out of the food processor, wrap it in parchment and put it in a plastic bag, or wrap it in plastic wrap. Set the dough aside to rest. (you can also make it ahead of time and put it in the fridge. However, it will need to come to room temperature before you can use it.




Part 2) filling


ingredients:


1 clove of garlic, finely minced (1-2 tbsp)
1 onion finely chopped (approx 1 cup)
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric


3 - 3 1/2 cups sweet potato, cut into small pieces
2  cups cauliflower, chopped (or kolrabi, nappa cabbage, celery, carrot, etc)
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper


directions:


1. saute the garlic and onion in coconut oil with salt, cumin, and turmeric until cooked through
2. add the sweet potato
3. add the cauliflower
4. add the chickpeas
5. add the salt and black pepper
6. saute until everything is cooked through. Adjust seasoning to your taste as needed


This recipe will make approx 24-36 samosas depending on how big your balls are. When our friends came over for dinner, it fed 4 adults and 2 toddlers with enough left over for lunch the next day.


Part 3) samosas


directions:
1. take the fully rested dough, and divide into 20 g balls using a kitchen scale. Or if you are not as ocd as me, just make ping pong ball size dough balls. Try to make them even. Using the kitchen scale method, I got 35 balls this time. You could make 'em a touch bigger and get 24 balls, but I like this size best. Keep the balls covered by a piece of parchment topped by a damp towel to keep them from drying out. This is very very important!

2. one by one, roll the dough balls into circles, put some filling in the middle, and fold three sizes to make a triangular package. You should probably roll the dough on baking parchment or a mat of your choice. I find this dough easy to work with and somewhat forgiving.

3. place the samosas on a lined baking sheet. You don't need to leave a lot of space between, but you also don't want them to touch.

4. here, you have to make the decision to bake or to freeze. If you elect to freeze your bounty for later, put the baking sheet fully loaded into the freezer. Once the samosas have frozen solid, put them in airtight freezer bags. They can be baked right from frozen in about 40 minutes at 345.
5. If you choose to bake them now, put your baking sheet in the oven at 345 for about 25 or 30 minutes, until they seem adequately brown for your liking. If you want to bake them in a few hours, cover the samosas on the baking sheet with a piece of parchment topped by a damp towel
6. serve with some kind of seasonal salad (chopped tomato) or side vegetable such as oven roasted broccoli. If you like mango chutneys and dipping sauces, go for it. We don't, so we never use em. The secret is adequately seasoning the samosas so they can really stand on their own without sauce.


These samosas are easy. They are admittedly a wee bit time consuming, but being able to break the procedure into steps and/or make them at ahead of time and freeze makes them convenient. I like things I can do in steps at my leisure.


Let me know how they turn out, and what vegetables you decide to use in them. Really, almost anything will work. We've done spinach and ricotta fillings, lentil fillings, sweet fillings such as dates and pecans (and callebaut chocolate chips), raspberries and chocolate, apple and walnut. But the good ol' sweet potato and chickpea is definitely a standby. Squash might be nice ...