Too late now for that batch, but one of the things I really like doing with carrots (HEY! GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!) is steaming them with just a little bit of orange juice. Hit of citrus, a little extra hit of sweetness - works great. Bet it would work for roasting or even sauteed carrots too.
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This weekendās invention - loosely based on a couple different recipes off the web - was really easy:
Curry-roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes (OK yams, technically), served with rice and a cucumber raita.
Cucumber raita
- 1 large cucumber, preferably Japanese
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Yogurt to taste - ~ 2 cups?
Peel cucumber and grate on a coarse grater into a bowl. Stir in salt and allow to sit for a few minutes to draw out moisture. Add yogurt and mix evenly.
Curry-roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes
- 3 or 4 garnet yams (aka sweet potatoes, regionally)
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 1 large onion
- ~ 4 Tbsp olive oil; not measured = several drizzles?
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Mixed Indian-style spices - for this amount, I used: - ~ 2 tsp ground turmeric
- ~ 2 tsp sweet paprika
- ~ 1/4 tsp hot paprika (feel free to greatly increase amount and/or substitute cayenne or a dried chili - the rest of my family canāt tolerate hot spices)
- ~ 1&1/2 tsp cumin
- ~ 1&1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala mix
Peel sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks, wash cauliflower and break into small florets, mince the onion.
Toss in large bowl with olive oil, add salt and spices and toss well. Roast on a cookie sheet at about 400 F until tender and lightly browned - about 25 minutes - tossing a couple times to heat evenly.
Optional serving suggestion:
Serve with rice and cucumber raita in front of TV, while watching Airplane! with 14-year-old son who has never seen it before and laughing hysterically.
Edited: ate the leftovers last night, and remembered to include the onion in the recipe
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I made another batch of my special faux dal. Trader Joeās had some fresh turmeric root this week, so I thought Iād try it out. My fingers are lovely shade of yellow now!
What I did:
- Boil 2 cups water
- Add 1/4 cup each: barley, sprouted organic California rice, split red lentils, whole green lentils
- Simmer 25 minutes
- In a separate pan, melt around 1 T vegan ābutterā type product
- Add about 1 tsp garam masala and 2 shredded āfingersā of turmeric; cook for a few minutes
- Add 1/4 cup light coconut milk, cook about 30 seconds
- Add a bowlful of the grain/lentil mix and a handful of cashews and cover the pan
- Cook another 3-5 minutes
- ENJOY
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Oh my god, that sounds great. Will try.
(Except I have to leave out the coconut milk because my wife canāt stand the mouth-feel of coconut milk and my son canāt stand the flavor. Cooking Indian food without hot peppers or coconut - Challenge level: EXPERT)
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I normally use broth, but saw the can of coconut milk in the cupboard and thought it would be interesting. I have about half of the grain/lentil mix left, so Iām thinking Iāll add some heat and some onions to it tomorrow.
Good luck with yours!
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I have outdone myself. Chicken and eggplant curry. I kind of cheated by using Better than Boullion, but the results are astounding.
Highly spiced red chicken (paprika, chili powder, tumeric, salt, and a shit load of pepper) in a slightly garlicky sauce.
In an hour when I plate it Iāll take another pic.
Best curry Iāve ever made. Some people make birthday cakes, I make birthday curry.
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Curry just does not photograph well 
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'bout to try velveting some chicken for the first time.
Anyone got any special tips and tricks? Following this marinade:
- 6 chicken thighs, diced into 1" pieces
- 1egg white
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1T Xiaoshing Cooking Wine (can replace with Sherry or Marsala wine)
- 1T water
- 1T soy sauce
- 1t sugar
- 2T cornstarch
- 1t sesame oil
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Yeah, check out water velveting. It removes the need to Blanch in a bunch of oil.
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It really doesnāt
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I didnāt have the right stuff for this, because my barley turned out to have bugs in it*, and we had no fresh turmeric, but it inspired me to make a completely different dal with red lentils and broccoli, which turned out great. Pretty quick, delicious, and very filling dinner over brown rice.
- Squeamish American!
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Iām on a keto diet right the noo so deep frying in oil isnāt a big deal, encouraged even. I see varying estimates of marinade time online varying from 30 to 60 minutes for chicken. Iāve only got chicken breast to use so maybe will go for about 45 mins.
Will let yāall know what happens.
Ta
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Coincidentally, I just read this very short article at The New Yorker: āReal Food, No Filterā by Andrea Denhoed, about a new book of photos by Martin Parr called Real Food [you can read a few TNY articles free, then thereās a paywall]
ā¦the photos in Parrās collection have no resemblance to the aspirational-rustic stylings that dominate food photography today.
ā¦
This food isnāt ārealā because itās somehow more authentic or pure than other food; itās real because it exists in the world and people eat it.
ā¦
Food in its many guises, reduced to colors and shapes and textures, is a garish sight, but itās hard to look away. A heaping plate, slopped with gravy, looks more than a bit like vomit, and yet itās easy to imagine that a fork plunged straight into its center would come up satisfyingly full.
Here is the book itself for sale. I enjoyed looking at the sample images there.
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That looks great! I may need a copy.
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Ooh! Pleas tell me youāve tried the green tea variety as well.
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Not yet. This is new culinary territory.
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I like the Mung Bean as well, but Green Teaās a the top of my list.
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Trader Joeās Mochi is my secret guilty pleasure, especially the green tea flavorā¦ it is also what I stuff my face with when I am stressed and/or depressed and have a bout of emotional eating. I personally think it works better than antidepressants but it also has the negative side effect of uhā¦ calories.
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I dIdnāt realize that was the Trader Joeās house brand. I just saw mochi and kind of went off, because, well, I have the same problem with it apparently.
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