Vegetable Korma {vegan + gf}
Anyone who knows me knows I've had a long-time obsession with Indian food. As a practitioner of yoga and meditation, a student of ayurveda, a vegetarian, and a lover of all things Indian food, I sometimes think I was born into the wrong culture. Did you know an estimated 40% India's population are vegetarian? How cool is that?
When we lived in LA we went on a date night to our favorite indian restaurant and ordered the vegetarian special for two literally every single week. I've attempted cooking Indian food at home for years to no avail. It seems to always take hours, use hard-to-find ingredients, and never end up even half as good as in the restaurants. Unfortunately, Chicago's indian food scene is limited to a small neighborhood over an hour from us on the far north side so I've given Indian food at home another shot.
I've made this dish over and over and it's definitely restaurant-worthy with only a moderate amount of effort. Not only is it not filled with heavy cream (hello vegetable masala) but it's dairy and gluten free so everyone can enjoy.
Serves 6
For the Sauce:
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled & minced
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 small leek, finely chopped
3 tablespoons almond meal
2 tablespoons dried coconut
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see notes)
1 tablespoon korma powder (recipe below)
1/2 cup chickpea flour
3 cups vegetable stock
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 large date, finely chopped
1 large handful cilantro
salt & pepper to taste
For the Vegetables:
8 onces yukon gold potatoes
6 ounces broccoli, chopped
6 ounces cauliflower, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
Notes: 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne makes for a rather mild to medium spiciness level. For no spice feel free to omit it altogether, for a hotter dish add more.
As with all Indian food, this dish tastes better on day 2 than day 1. Something about the spices blending together.
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add coconut oil and heat until warm, followed by ginger and mustard seeds. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the leek and cook until it has softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the almond meal, coconut, cayenne, and korma powder, and cook until the coconut begins to brown, about 5 - 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
Sprinkle in half of the chickpea flour and stir until the mixture becomes a thick paste. Slowly pour in half of the stock, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk as you sprinkle in the remaining chickpea flour followed by the remaining stock. Continue to whisk for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens to a gravy-like consistency.
Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the coconut milk, lemon juice, tomato paste, and date and heat until the mixture is warmed throughout. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until it is smooth and creamy (alternately, transfer the mixture to a blender). Add a generous amount of salt (to taste) and adjust spiciness level by adding more cayenne if needed. Leave the sauce on low while you prepare the vegetables.
Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Top with a steamer basket, making sure the water doesn't touch the basket. Meanwhile, chop the potatoes into bite size pieces, sprinkle with salt, and steam, covered, for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Transfer to the korma sauce. Repeat with broccoli and cauliflower which steam for about 2 minutes, mushrooms which steam for about 4 minutes, and bell pepper for about 2 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the korma sauce once cooked and then stir in the peas.
Top the vegetable korma with chopped cilantro and serve with rice and/or naan bread.
For the Korma Powder:
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds
1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
1 tablespoon whole fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon whole cardamon seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Place all the ingredients in a spice grinder or spice mill and blend to combine. Alternately, grind the whole seeds into a power using a mortar and pestle then stir in the rest of the spices (I did it this way). Store in an airtight container.
Notes: This makes about 1/2 cup of powder which can be used to make this vegetable korma several times, but feel free to half the recipe as well.
Pistachio Lemon Granola Bars
The number one thing I hear in response to my love for cooking is always how stressed cooking makes people feel. People often associate cooking and childhood memories around it with a stressed out parent struggling to get the big meal out on the special holiday. And to that, I say, I totally get it.
Michael Pollan, whose documentary series I just started watching on netflix, talks about how the entertainment industry plays on this stress by making cooking shows that portray cooking as something better left up the pros (iron chef anyone?) and the food industry has been telling us we're too busy and too stressed to cook for years so that they could valiantly come in and save the day.
The first time I made these granola bars, my vitamix died mid-blend of homemade almond butter. And as I was trying to figure out what the hell was wrong I burnt approximately $15 worth of pistachios that I had just spent 20 minutes shelling. I slammed the pan of burnt nuts down on the counter, yelled at my husband about how next time will be paying extra for store-bought almond butter and pre-shelled pistachios and screw the fact that I was trying to be responsible and save money because look where it got me! Then I slammed the door of our bedroom and put my legs up the wall for a couple deep breaths.
So yeah, I totally get it how cooking can be stressful. That's one of the reasons I prefer to cook alone without a time limit and without a crowd to please, and preferably with a good playlist in the background. As ocd as I sound, I need to start with an immaculate kitchen, and clean as I go, even if it takes longer. This, by the way, drives my husband nuts. But my kitchen is my workspace, and a clean kitchen takes away stress and makes the whole cooking process much safer, trust me.
Somehow after picking out the black nut pieces, these bars came out just as I imagined. They're adapted from one of my favorite food blogs, Cookie and Kate, and inspired by my favorite larabar flavor, lemon! I'm such a sucker for tart, springy lemon. The bars are bound together with a combination of nut butter and honey and packed with so much protein and fiber they could almost qualify as breakfast.
I stocked up on homemade granola bars before this semester of grad school started, and individually wrapped them in plastic wrap then tossed them in a freezer bag on the door of the freezer. They defrost in about 30 minutes, and warm perfectly in the toaster if you're in a rush. Super filling and totally guilt-free on-the-go-treat that will ultimately save you money and leave you feeling fuller than any store-bought kind. Bring these to work or class and people will be jealous. Just saying. They're pretty awesome.
Yields 12-16 bars
Ingredients:
1/3 cup pecans (1.5 oz)
2/3 cup shelled pistachios (1.5 oz)
1/3 cup pepitas
2/3 cup dried cranberries (or dried fruit of your choice)
1 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 packed tablespoon lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon salt (decrease if your nut butter is salted)
1 cup almond butter or peanut butter (I did half and half)
1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Line an 8x8 (for 12 thick bars) or 9x9 (for 16 thinner bars) inch baking dish with parchment and set aside. Toast the pecans, pistachios and pepitas in a skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the oats for about 5 seconds until broken up significantly, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Once the nuts & pepitas are toasted add them to the bowl of the food processor along with the dried fruit and run for about 10 seconds then transfer to the mixing bowl with the oats. Add the lemon zest and salt and whisk to combine.
In a small bowl bowl (or liquid measuring cup) combine the nut butter, honey, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and stir until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. I found using my hands to integrate the ingredients into a thick, sticky batter was easiest, but you could also use a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. If the batter seems too dry add in another small scoop of nut butter.
Press the batter into the parchment lined baking dish (the bottom of a drinking glass works best for this) then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Cut into bars and serve. Bars store best individually wrapped in plastic then stored in a freezer bag in the freezer. Stored this way they should last up to 6 months.
Simple Smoky Baba Ghanoush
My life has become completely consumed by school. Literally I stay up until 2am every night of the week reading and writing, I go to sleep exhausted and then wake up and do it all again. I love what I'm studying, I really do. I know this because the thought that so often fills my mind is that in less than five years "I get to be a psychologist". How lucky am I? But that doesn't make it easy.
Last night I came home from class, and watched the Daily Show, something Nate and I watched together nightly before we moved. No laptop, no reading. Just me my dog and the tv. Despite having a different host, the stories, the soundtrack and co-hosts were the same. Then I turned on my favorite pandora station, the one I used to bake to every afternoon in California, and I caught up on reading my favorite food blogs. I was taken back to our apartment in Calabasas. To life as a full-time yoga teacher, with an achy low back from all the hours I spent in the car driving from class to private to class. To long, full days, and evenings filled with teaching in the absolute best way possible. To a husband who I got to come home to, eat dinner with, go to bed too late with in our little apartment surrounded by neighbors we knew in a life that felt comfortable. And my heart ached.
Nate has been away for four weeks now on a ship in the great lakes. I'm making friends, studying my ass off, barely teaching or making it to class myself. Having enough time to cook myself dinner, let alone spend an entire afternoon playing with ingredients in the kitchen, is a rarity. And by rarity I mean it has been months. And it makes me just so sad.
Sometimes I wish I could live consecutive lives because there's just not time to be all I want to be. Does anyone else feel this way? And right now all I want to do is blast ingrid michaelson and bake vegan cinnamon apple cheesecake bites while I wait for this new life to feel comfortable.
Simple Smoky Baba Ghanoush
makes about 1.5 cups
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Notes: Smokiness requires a gas stove, something I no longer have. So I broiled the hell out of the eggplants instead. The result? They weren't even a little smoky. Fail. Insert liquid smoke. I won't tell if you don't!
2 small eggplants
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tahini
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon, ~ 4 teaspoons
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons parsley, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Slice the eggplants in half length wise, drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place cut size down on the baking sheet and cook for 1 hour until the skins are dark and shriveled and the center looks brown and slightly caramelized. Remove from oven and let cool.
Using a spoon, scape out the centers of the eggplant and discard the skins. Combine eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, liquid smoke, salt, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until completely incorporated. Adjust to taste.
To serve top drizzle with olive oil, and top with parsley and sesame seeds. Serve with pita chips or vegetables.