Moist Carrot Cake Recipe

I never really gave carrot cakes much thought until I came to Singapore. Cedele kind of opened my eyes to them with their really good carrot cakes with tons of walnuts in them. For the longest time, I really believed that they had the best carrot cake in Singapore!

Until one day I saw this box in our office pantry labeled "Sample for Google Employees". Inside was an 8" carrot cake with cream cheese frosting that was still cold from the fridge. I took half a slice, brought it back to my desk and forgot about it for the next couple of hours. Big mistake! 

Eventually, when I did end up taking a bite, it was a virtual explosion of taste and texture in my mouth. That is hands down the best carrot cake I have ever tasted! If you are in Singapore and you wouldn't mind a carrot cake changing your life forever, order one from Calendar's. 

Anyway, all this carrot cake overload made me want to bake my own and I was aiming for a moist, dense, yet soft one like they baked at Calendar's. The following recipe worked great!

Moist Carrot Cake Recipe a la Calendar's Carrot Cake Recipe

Adapted from Recipe Trezor

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour / maida

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon (not optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional but really adds flavour)

2 eggs

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used veg oil with carotene which explains the deep orange colour of my carrot cake)

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk or buttermilk (I used milk)

1.5 cups peeled, shredded carrots

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

How I Made It:

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 180C

2. Butter and flour a cake pan of choice. I used my 8" square baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and allspice. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl or using your stand-mixer, whish the eggs, oil, both sugars and milk (or buttermilk) until blended. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until combined. Fold in carrots and walnuts.

4. Transfer to your greased and floured baking tin. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack and let cook completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

I always use my own eye-balled measurement for frosting. Most of the frosting recipes I come across have too much sugar and since I don't ever pipe on icing to cakes (I prefer the slathering technique), I just follow what I want to put together frosting, tasting as I go.

Ingredients:

Half a block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (about 125gm) - at room temperature

4 tbsp unsalted butter - at room temperature

1/2 to 3/4 cup icing sugar (taste as you go and stop when its sweet enough)

1 tsp vanilla extract

How I Made It:

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then add the sugar and vanilla and beat until blended. You can do this by hand or using an electric beater. Spread evenly over the cooled carrot cake and serve immediately. I prefer a thin layer but go with what your heart says!

Refrigerate remaining cake for up to 4 days but make sure you bring to room temperature before serving. 

Winter Vegetable Mini Pies

When I announced my one month hiatus from ye olde blog, I promised that I would be back with ideas for the upcoming holiday season. So, as promised, here is idea number one. The filling really isn't much of a breakthrough, but the crust definitely is. The pastry recipe comes from Top Chef Just Desserts, appropriately veganized, of course. It is easy (as pie) to roll out, is durable, and bakes up beautifully. The filling is really up to you. I did something very similar to this recipe, but you could easily make it more festive with the addition of some cranberries and roasted chestnuts.

Makes 12
Pastry
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb all purpose flour
- 0.5 oz sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10.5 oz cold Earth Balance margarine, or vegetable shortening
- 5 oz cold water
- 2 tsp ground flax seed

METHOD
1. Whisk dry ingredients together, then cut margarine into the dry ingredients. Work with your fingers until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
2. Whisk flax seed into the water, then add to dry ingredients. Work into a soft dough.
3. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Mini Pies
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups diced turnip
- 1 cup diced parsnip
- 1 cup diced rutabaga
- 2 cups diced potato
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2-3 tbsp white wine (or veg stock)
- 1 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp marjoram
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/3- 1/2 cup soy milk
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, potato, and carrots. Boil for 5-7 mins, or until softened but not mushy. Rinse with cold water, drain, rinse, and drain. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute onions, celery and garlic for 5-7 mins, until translucent. Add 1 tbsp of wine (or stock) and reduce. Repeat twice with remaining wine.
3. Add flour and spices to the pan and mix well. Then slowly add soy milk, mixing well. Add enough to make a gravy that is not too runny. Add cooked veggies, mix well, and season to taste. Set aside to completely cool (or stick it in the fridge).

To Make the Pies
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out twelve 7" circles (I cut around a cereal bowl), re-rolling dough scraps to make more circles. Place about 1/2 cup of filling off centre, brush a little water around half of the circumference, then fold in half. Press dough together along the seam, then press with a fork.
2. Cut two slits in the tops to allow steam to escape, the place on the baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 mins, or until golden brown.

I put half of these in the freezer, unbaked, for later. I will report back how they fared, and the method for thawing and baking.

Irish Stew 2.0

Here is the stew I made for St. Patrick's Day. I have made Irish Stew before but this time I found a secret ingredient that made it even more awesome: Montreal Steak Spice. The pepper adds some kick while the coriander and paprika make for an earthy and hearty tasting stew. I did not have any seitan on hand, so I made "beef" by adapting the vegan sausage recipe and was thus able to whip up a tasty stew fairly quickly. As while most stews, feel free to improvise as you see fit. Here is what I did.

INGREDIENTS
Seitan
- this recipe, made with 1 1/2 cups of wheat gluten, no fennel, and 1 tbsp Montreal steak spice. I also added 1/2 tsp of gravy browner to get the dark brown colour. I then shaped it into a square, wrapped it in foil, and steamed it for 45 mins. I used half of the seitan (and froze the rest), cut it into small cubes and simmered it in the stew for about 30 mins. The end result was pretty good. Not too tough or bouncy.

Stew
- basically this recipe, but I did not use the vinegar or red wine. Instead I used veggie broth and added 2 tbsp Montreal steak spice. A reader commented that this was WAY too much steak spice, so maybe mine is old and less potent. Just add to taste.

Burgundy Stew

Hi kids! Sorry I have been gone for so long. Perhaps you caught my guest post on Crazy Sexy Life in the meantime. Things have been pretty interesting around here as of late. We are coming to the end of some pretty tense contact negotiations at work, and I was positive it was going to end in a strike. Well, a strike has been avoided but no contract has been ratified as of yet. The whole thing has been one big pile of stress. Of course, nothing relieves stress like some tasty comfort food. Say, a nice hearty stew.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 leek, white and light green part, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 15 whole pearl onions
- 3 turnips, cubed
- 2 parsnips, sliced
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 2 large potatoes, cubed
- 2 cups red wine
- 2 cups veggie broth (more, if needed)
- 1 19oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1/4 cup tomato paste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute leeks and garlic for 5-7 mins, until softened and beginning to brown. Add onions, turnips, parsnips, potatoes and fry for 2 mins.
2. Add wine to deglaze the pan, then add veggie broth, beans, and basil. Season to taste, then bring to bubbling. Reduce heat, loosely cover, and simmer for about 20 mins, until veggies are cooked. Add more broth if stew gets too dry.
3. Mix tomato paste into the stew, adding more broth if needed to get a nice thick consistency. Add spinach to the pot and cook for a min or so, until spinach wilts but is still a vibrant green. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Fortified Curd Rice Recipe

The most striking thing about being married to a Tamil Brahmin is the addition of curd rice to my daily diet. TH cannot do without at least a spoonful of curd rice at the end of each meal, if we are having rice and curry. He is not very particular about rasam and is fine if I make only one kozhambu and two side dishes but curd is not subject to compromises, ever!

So I always have a good amount of curd in the fridge and proceed to make the next bowl if the current one is depleting. This is extra-advantageous after a long day at work and neither of us feel up to cooking or going out for dinner.

I don't find just curd and rice with pickles a justifiable meal because I feel it doesn't have even nutrition, comforting as it is. So I have a 'fortified' version adding as much vegetables as can be eaten raw.

Here's my standard version that I stick to more or less each time we have only curd rice for dinner.

Fortified Curd Rice
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 mins

What I Used:
4 cups cooked rice
1 cup thick curd / plain yogurt
Half cup or so water
1 grated carrot
1/4 cup grated cucumber
1/2 tsp grated ginger
A bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped fine
A pinch of salt

For tempering:
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp urad dal / ulutham paruppu
A pinch of hing / asafoetida / perungaayam
2 red chillies, torn into small pieces

How I Made It:

1. Mash the rice with a potato masher. Add the curd and water and mix well.
2. To this, add the chopped coriander and grated vegetables and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the ingredients for tempering. When the mustard seeds pop, remove from fire and add to the rice. Mix well with salt.

If the consistency is too thick, add some more water / curd. If you keep this for long, the rice will absorb the water and make it thick, so adjust accordingly.

Isn't this so much nicer and prettier than normal boring curd rice? ;)

Tomato Spinach Pulao - Step by Step Recipe

Whenever I post step-by-step recipes for baking, most of you love it, try it and give me your thoughts. I have been itching to do the same for normal recipes too, but the only reason stopping me was the poor lighting in my kitchen. After many months of giving myself this excuse, I decided to go ahead and do it anyway.

Because of this, you will see pictures with different lighting in this post, so bear with me. Hopefully you find it useful (not the lighting, the recipe!)

After all that talk, I'm hungry. Let's have a nice bowl of hot tomato spinach pulao, shall we? If you want to skip the pictures and yada-yada, scroll to the end of this post for the recipe in one place.

Ok. First, chop 4 cups of green spinach, 2 tomatoes and grate 1 carrot and set aside (ignore the green chillies, we don't need them, unless you want to use them and reduce the amount of red chilly powder in the recipe).

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai.

Add 1 sliced onion and 3 cloves of chopped garlic to this.

Fry until the onions turn transparent and brown slightly.

Time to bring out the 2 chopped tomatoes. Add these to the fried onions.

Cook well until the tomatoes have wilted and turned soft.

To this, add 1 tbsp coriander powder and 1 tsp jeera. Mix well.

Time to spice things up a bit. Bring out your red chilly powder and add about 2 tsp of that. Go on, dare yourself and add another tsp if you wish ;)

We've already added 2 tomatoes but since this is tomato spinach pulao, we will need a more dense tomato flavour. Canned tomato paste works best.

Add 1 tbsp of that and mix well. If you don't want to use the paste, add 1 more large tomato in the first step.

To this, add the chopped spinach and..

.. grated carrot and mix well.

Close the kadai and let it cook on medium-low fire for about 10 mins. Don't add any water, the spinach will give out its own water while cooking making the mixture soft.

Open kadai carefully after 10 mins and add salt.

Add about 3 cups cooked rice to this mixture. I used basmati rice but any rice will do, even warmed leftover rice.

Gently fold from one side so that the rice isn't mashed up too much.

Garnish with some roasted cashwes and serve hot. I roasted the cashewnuts in the microwave on medium power for a minute. Saves time and oil.

Here's the pulao recipe again, all in one place.

Tomato Spinach Pulao

Serves: 3 to 4

What I Used:

3 cups cooked rice

4 cups chopped green spinach

1 grated carrot

2 chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste (or add another tomato)

1 sliced onion

3 cloves chopped garlic

1 tbsp coriander powder / malli podi / dania powder

1 tsp jeera / jeerakam / cumin seeds

2 tsp red chilly powder

1 tbsb oil

Roasted cashewnuts to garnish (optional)

Salt to taste

How I Made It:

1. Heat oil and fry the onions and garlic for 3 mins. Add the tomatoes to this and cook well until soft and mashed.

2. Add the coriander powder, jeera and red chilly powder. Mix well and fry for 2 mins. Add tomato paste to this, if using, and mix well.

3. Add chopped spinach and grated carrot. Close and cook for 10 mins until soft.

4. Add salt and cooked rice to this. Fold gently and serve after 3o mins, garnished with roasted cashewnuts.

Gajar Matar Recipe - Carrots & Peas In A Milk Gravy

The moment I saw this on their blog, I knew I wanted to try it. It seemed so simple and the story behind it was quite amazing. I tried it a few weeks ago and have been wanting to post it ever since! 

The fact that cilantro / coriander leaves was a must and not just a garnishing suggestion made me wait until I had some fresh leaves ready to be used. 

I didn't have onions so added a few chopped shallots instead. I also omitted the cream, but otherwise, the recipe is 'authentic' :D 

Gajar Matar Recipe

Carrots and peas cooked in a creamy spiced milk gravy

serves 2

What I Used:

Carrots - 1.5 cups, chopped
Peas - 1 cup
Shallots - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Milk - 2 cups
Cumin / jeera- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala -1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Fresh coriander leaves - add as much as you want, chopped

How I Made It:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the jeera. Once they splutter, add the shallots and fry lightly. 

2. Add peas, turmeric and chilli powder to this and stir around for 2 minutes. 

3. Add the chopped carrots and a little water (not more than 1/4 cup) and cook covered, until the carrots are semi-cooked. You can also pre-cook the carrots separately or in the microwave. 

4. Add 1.5 cups milk and top it off with the garam masala and salt. 

5. Keep fire on sim and cook covered for about 10 minutes. At this stage, the curry will be dry and the vegetables cooked. Add the rest of the milk (1/2 cup) and bring to boil. Do not let the gravy thicken too much because it will once you remove from fire. For a more creamy consistency, add err.. cream! 

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy! 

This is my entry to JFI - Cilantro hosted by Cilantro :D Wow! There's going to be a lot of Cilantro at the round up! 

Carrot and Baby Corn Stir-Fry Recipe

This recipe is from Das Sreedharan's Easy Indian, and he is right, it is easy! The book is a good mix of really simple recipes like this one and ones that require a bit of practise, like Indian dumplings. Even then, the entire book has recipes with easy-to-get ingredients and something all Indian kitchens stock up on anyway.

Though there is nothing much that's unique or different about the recipe, the combination was quite new to me, something I hadn't tried before - carrots and baby corn! The crunchiness of the baby corn offset the soft cooked carrots and the simple masala mix gave it a nice twist.

Carrot and Baby Corn Stir-Fry Recipe

What I Used:

Carrots - 1 cup, cut into long thin pieces
Baby corn - 1 cup, quartered into long pieces
Onions - 1/2 cup, chopped into thin long slices
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala or curry powder - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Fresh cilantro / coriander leaves - to garnish (optional but highly recommended)

How I Made It:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the onions and fry until soft and transparent.

2. Add the chilli powder and salt and fry for another 30 seconds. Then add the chopped carrots and sprinkle some water on the it. Cook closed for about 5-7 minutes until the carrots are cooked through. Make sure to check in between to ensure that they don't burn and the carrots don't get too mushy.

3. Increase the heat to high and add the baby corn, stirring continuously until the vegetables mix well. Lower the heat, mix in the garam / curry masala and adjust salt if required. The baby corn should still be crunchy so remove from fire about about 2 mins.

4. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice or wrapped in a chapati / roti.

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera sounds soooo much better than what this actually is: Clean out the Fridge Pasta. I used to hate pasta primavera because back when I was a vegetarian it seemed to be the only thing available when I went out to eat (kind of like the way I feel about salad and grilled veggies now that I am a vegan). Hmm. That tells you how long ago I was a vegetarian; I actually had the time and money to out to a restaurant. Anyway, despite Son #1's protests about the presence of mushrooms, this dish went over very well. It's not overly saucy, so increase the flour and soy milk if you want more.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6

- 300g capellini, cooked

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 onion, diced

- 1 red pepper, seeded and diced

- 1 large carrot, cut into thin sticks

- 8oz sliced mushrooms

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 cups frozen peas, thawed

- generous tbsp of flour

- 1 1/2 to 2 cups soy milk

- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute onions for 3 mins, until beginning to soften. Add red pepper and carrot and saute for 5 -7 mins, until carrots are starting to get tender. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms have released their water.

2. Add peas and heat through. Sprinkle flour over veggies and mix well. Add 1 1/2 cups of soy milk and nutritional yeast and bring to bubbling. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Drain pasta and return to the pot over medium heat. Pour sauce over top and mix well. Add more soy milk if pasta is too dry.

Braised Tofu and Vegetables

I love watching cooking shows. Well, more like cooking competition shows. Top Chef is a favourite, and I love anything with Gordon Ramsay, even though he pretty much mocks everything I stand for. Anyway, it seems like someone on these shows is always braising some piece of meat, so I thought I would apply the method to some tofu. Braising is usually reserved for tough pieces of meat that need to be tenderized, so I guess you really don't need to braise tofu. Still, the end result was quite tasty, and I love the taste of oven roasted veggies.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, thickly sliced

- 1 sweet onion, halved and sliced

- 1 small red onion, halved and sliced

- 2 celery stalks, chopped

- 1 large carrot, sliced

- pinch of tumeric

- 1 tsp thyme

- 1/2 tsp paprika

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 1/2 cup white wine

METHOD

Preheat to 350 degrees

1. Heat oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Fry tofu slices for a few minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Remove tofu from pan and set aside.

2. Add vegetables to the pan and fry for 8-10 mins, until softened and onion is beginning to brown. Add spices and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add wine to the pan. Let bubble for a few mins to let the wine reduce a bit. Place tofu on top of the veggies, baste with sauce, and place pan in the oven.

4. Bake for 30 mins, uncovered, basting tofu every 10 mins, until veggies are cooked, sauce is reduced, and tofu is golden brown. Serve tofu with veggies in the side, and topped with extra sauce.

Winter Vegetable Pie

It has been a crazy past few days of home renovating, so I am sorry to say I have not been very creative in the kitchen. But now, with all the saws, screwdrivers, ladders and paintbrushes put away, it was time to create something tasty in the kitchen. With winter weather upon us, root vegetables are abundant in the grocery store, so this dish makes good use of them. The quantities are variable here--it's better to have too many veggies than not enough so add more if needed.

INGREDIENTS

- 10" pie crust (top and bottom)

- 1 large Yukon gold potato

- 2 parsnips, peeled

- 2 turnips, peeled

- 2 carrots

- 1/2 rutabaga, peeled

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 leek, thinly sliced

- 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced

- 1 celery stalk, sliced

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 2 tbsp flour

- 1 3/4 cup soy milk

- 1 1/2 tsp salt

- freshly ground pepper

- 1/2 tsp sage

- 1 tsp thyme

- 2 tbsp chicken-style broth powder

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Get a few inches of salted water boiling in a large pot. Slice potato, parsnips, turnips, carrots, and rutabaga as thinly as possible. Cook in the boiling water for 1-2 mins, until veggies are softened but still somewhat firm. Drain veggies and rinse in cold water.

2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute leek, onion, celery, and garlic for 5-7 mins, until softened. Add flour and mix well. Slowly add soy milk and bring to bubbling. Add spices and broth powder and adjust seasonings to taste.

3. Lay a few layers of veggies in the bottom of the pie crust. Top with 1/3 of the onion mixture. Repeat. Repeat again, then top with a final layer of veggies. Top with the crust. Bake for 40-45 mins, until crust is browned and sauce is bubbling. Let pie sit for 10 mins before cutting and serving.

Sweet Potato and Carrot Muffins

You may have noticed a that my mom posted a message a few days ago asking for a carrot or zucchini muffin recipe. Well, here you go, Mom.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 12 large muffins

- 1/2 cup raisins

- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp ginger

- 1/2 tsp nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp allspice

- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3/4 cup wheat bran

- 1/4 cup oat bran

- 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato

- 1/3 cup canola oil (or applesauce)

- 1 1/2 cup soy milk

- 1 1/2 cup cup finely grated carrot

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Soak raisins in hot water.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, sugar, spices, salt, and bran in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together sweet potato, oil, and soy milk until well-blended. Mix in grated carrot.

3. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just moist (over mixing makes for tough muffins). Batter will be thick. Divide batter into muffin tins and bake for 20-24 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Irish Stew

Following the stew theme started last night, I went for a more familiar Irish stew tonight. I was disappointed to find out that most Irish ales are not vegan (Guinness as well) because they use isinglass to filter the beer. Most lagers, though, are vegan, including Harp's. The stewing beef is Bryanna's beefy seitan, an old-school simmered seitan that is wonderfully tender.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 3 cups cubed beefy seitan

- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

- 3 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 cup lager

- 1 cup red wine

- 2 cups chopped carrots

- 1.5 lbs cubed potatoes

- 2 tsp coriander

- 2 tsp thyme

- 1 tsp sage

- salt and pepper to taste

- water

- 3 tbsp flour

- 1/2 cup soy milk

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 5-7 mins, until soft and translucent. Add seitan and fry for 2 mins. Add vinegar and soy sauce and cook until liquid has been reduced.

2. Add lager and wine to the pot and cook for 10 mins, uncovered, until liquid reduces a bit and no longer smells so boozy.

3. Add carrots, potatoes, spices, and enough water to almost cover everything. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to bubbling, cover, and simmer for at least 30 mins, until veggies are soft.

4. Mix flour into soy milk and add to pot. Bring to bubbling to thicken. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with Irish soda bread to mop up the sauce (recipe tomorrow).

Hearty Early Fall Stew

It looks like we can kiss summer goodbye here in ye olde northe. The nights are quite cool (threats of frost) and the days, while sunny, have that fallish nip in the air. Suffice it to say the bike ride into campus in the morning is a tad chilly. Weather like this makes me think of pumpkins, beautiful leaves, and tasty stews like this one. I love the whole potatoes and baby carrots because they give it a really hearty look and texture.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 leek, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1.5 lbs mixed baby potatoes (red, yellow, white, purple)
- 2 cups baby carrots (or more)
- 1 can mixed beans, rinsed and drained
- water
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp HP or A1 sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1/4 cup flour
- generous 1/2 cup soy milk

METHOD
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Saute onions, celery, leek, and garlic for 7-10 mins, until soft and translucent. Add potatoes, carrots, and beans and mix well.
2. Add enough water to cover veggies about 3/4 of the way (i.e. some veggies should be poking out of the water). Add seasonings (including parsley) and sauces and bring to bubbling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 mins, until potatoes and carrots are soft.
3. Put flour and soy milk in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake to mix together. Add to stew with peas and bring to bubbling. Add more liquid, or more flour mixture to get the consistency you like. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Carrot Rice

When I was about to leave to Hyderabad for 3 weeks, the vegetable tray had an assortment of veggies that were unused. Among them was one carrot, a few green chillies, 2 onions, some okra, 10 beans and so on. I fried the okra and made usili with the beans but was stumped on what to do with just one carrot. I could have made a salad but then thought I should probably add it to rice and make it a carrot rice!


This is an easy rice dish that I have seen in many blogs. But most of them use chana dal in it. Since I was feeling plain lazy to soak, grind and all the rest of it, I made a simpler version. It came out quite tasty but next time I think I will try it with the dal and other masala in it.

What I Used:

Serves 2

Cooked rice - 3 cups
Grated carrots - 1
Green chillies - 3, slit lengthwise
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Curry masala - 1 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

How I Made It:

1. Heat oil and saute carrots and green chillies in turmeric till the carrots become limp (for lack of a better word)

2. Now add the ginger garlic paste, curry masala and salt and fry for a minute or two.

3. Mix in rice and leave on for another 2 minutes.

Serve warm with raita, papad and pickles.

See how simple it is? :)

This orange-y rice goes to Pooja's Indian Independence Day event.

Rosemary Tofu and Vegetables En Croute

Don't dishes sound better with some French thrown into the title? This is a dish that may be better suited for colder weather, but I needed to use up the puff pastry I made the other day. You may want to keep this in mind for Thanksgiving dinner. I also wanted to use up the potatoes, carrots, and beans from the farmer's market. I put tofu in the filling, but you could use beans instead, or both.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 recipe puff pastry (1 sheet)

- 2 potatoes, diced

- 4-5 small carrots, sliced

- handful of yellow beans, chopped into 1/2" pieces

- 1/2 pkg extra firm tofu, small dice

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced

- 1 large garlic clove, minced

- 1 tsp crushed rosemary

- 1 tsp sage

- 1/2 tsp marjoram

- 1/2 tsp parsley

- salt and pepper

- 1 tbsp flour

- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

- 3/4 cup soy milk

- 1/4 cup vegan sour cream

- soy milk for brushing

METHOD

1. Place potatoes and carrots in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 8-10 mins, until potatoes are getting tender. Add beans and simmer another 5 mins. Remove from heat and drain.

2. While veggies are cooking, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add tofu and let cook for a few mins to release some of the water. Spray tofu with oil and cook until golden. Remove from pan.

3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in pan and saute onion and garlic for 5 mins, until soft. Add tofu and vegetables and mix well. Add spices and season to taste.

4. Add flour and nutritional yeast and mix well. Add soy milk and stir well. When thickened, remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. The filling needs to completely cool before you can put it in the crust. Stick the pan in the fridge while you prep the dough.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. On a floured surface, roll dough into a 13" x 16" rectangle. Place cooled filling in a line down the centre (there is a lot, so heap it on). Fold sides into the middle, making sure they overlap and inch or so. Fold ends in and press down to seal.

7. Flip over onto the baking sheet (seam is now down). Seal ends by pressing down on them with a fork. Brush with soy milk. With a sharp knife, cut slits along the top every 1 inch or so.

8. Bake for 35 to 40 mins, until golden brown.

Potato Apple Casserole with Maple Sausage

This is one of those dishes that I made up in my head as I rode the bus home. It pretty much snowed all day here (boooourns!), so I wanted something more wintry. Potatoes. Carrots. That kind of thing. Plus, I wanted to work in some of the maple syrup I bought on the weekend. The end result was a mix between scalloped potatoes and a casserole. The boys loved it, I had thirds, and there was only a little bit left when dinner was done.

INGREDIENTS

- 6-7 Yukon gold potatoes, skins on, thinly sliced

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 vidalia onion, chopped

- 2 celery stalks, chopped

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 3 carrots, thinly sliced

- 2 maple sausages, chopped into large chunks (see below)

- 1 1/2 cup canned white kidney beans, rinsed and drained

- 1/2 cup maple syrup

- 1 1/4 cup water

- 1 heaping tbsp cornstarch

- 1/4 cup soy creamer

- 1 tsp sage

- 1 tsp thyme

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 large McIntosh apple, cored and thinly sliced

METHOD

1. Boil potato slices in salted water for 1 min, until softened but still firm. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over med-hi heat. Saute onion and celery for 4-5 mins, until onion is translucent. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and carrots. Cook for 8-10 mins, until carrots soften. Add chopped sausage and beans to the pan.

3. Add maple syrup and 1 cup of the water. Bring to bubbling. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/4 cup of water and add to pan. Bring to bubbling. Add soy creamer and spices, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

5. Grease a large casserole dish and place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Top with 1/3 of the apple slices, and 1/3 of the sausage mixture. Top that with another layer of potatoes and apples, and 1/3 of the sausage mixture. Repeat, and top with a final layer of potatoes.

6. Lightly spray potatoes with oil and bake for 30-35 minutes, until casserole is bubbling and potatoes are golden brown.

A Note on Maple Sausage

- To make maple sausage, make the breakfast sausage recipe, but increase maple syrup by replacing 1/4 of the water with maple syrup. Also, add 1/2 tsp maple extract. Make four large sausages.

Republic Day Special Dish : Beans-Carrot Thoran

When I saw Pooja's blog and her theme of the week - orange, white & green - event, my mind starting whirring into action. I thought of making a tri-coloured sandwich with carrot and cilantro chutney. I thought of using the chutneys on a dosa. Finally, zeroed in on one of my favourite dishes, thoran, using carrots and beans.

Here is wishing all my Indian readers a very happy Republic Day.

May we all live in peace and harmony just like the vegetables, coconut and masala in this curry blends to make a great-tasting dish.

For thoran recipe, click here.

This post goes over to Creative Pooja's very creative event.

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Reminder: You have four more days to send in your papaya recipes for AFAM this month. Details here.

Yetakelt We't and Misr Allecha

Here are the other two dishes from last night's Ethiopian feast. Yetakelt We't is a tasty vegetable stew, and Misr Allecha is a wonderfully spiced lentil dish. Both taste best of you can let them simmer for a few hours before serving. I have included a picture of the Yetakelt We't but not the Misr Allecha. Although I think it is my favourite dish, let's face it, there is no good way to photograph a plate of lentils.

Yetakelt We't
INGREDIENTS- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- berbere to taste
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/4 cup niter kebbeh
- 1 cup green beans
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 potatoes, cubed
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup peas
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Saute onions, garlic, berbere ans paprika in nitter kebbeh for 5 mins.
2. Add beans, carrots, potatoes and saute for 10 mins.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Mix well, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until veggies are tender and stew is thick.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Misr Allecha
INGREDIENTS
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp niter kebbeh
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 2 1/3 to 3 cups of water

METHOD
1. Heat niter kebbeh in large pan and saute onion and garlic for 5 mins. Add in rinsed lentil and spices and fry for 1 min.
2. Add in water, bring to bubbling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils are soft. Add more water if needed.

Maple Roasted Tofu and Veggies

Well, winter has come to the north in full force. Freezing cold, snow, parkas, touques, and big clumpy boots. It makes me want to roast things in the oven, if for no other reason than it heats the house up a few more degrees.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 yukon gold potatoes, diced

- 2 large red potatoes, diced

- 1 yellow onion, cut into eighths

- 1 red onion, cut into eighths

- 1 small rutabaga, peeled and diced

- 3 carrots, cut into chunks

- 4 cloves of garlic, cut into chunks

- 1 cup cooked chickpeas

- 1 pkg firm tofu, pressed and diced

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

- 1/2 cup maple syrup

- 2 tbsp water

- 1 tsp dried sage

- 1 tsp dried thyme

- salt and pepper

METHOD

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1. Place all veggies in a large bowl. Mix oil, vinegar, syrup, water, and spices in a small bowl. Pour over veggies and toss well. Place on a stoneware baking sheet. Put tofu on veggies and gently toss to coat in sauce.

2. Roast veggies in oven for 60-70 mins, stirring veggies after 30, 45, and 60 mins to keep the sauce from burning. Toss in an extra bit of maple syrup before you serve if you want an extra bit of sweetness.

I served this dish up with pumpkin scones.