Yukon Gold and Baby Spinach Masala

Again, I'm on a big kick with the newest issue of VegTimes. They have a set of 30 minute recipes based on coconut milk, so when I saw this recipe I decided I would pick up what I needed to make it happen. It's a really easy recipe: potatoes are steamed and then mixed with a spiced coconut milk. Spinach is added and then you eat it. Well, there is also lime juice, cilantro, and lots of garlic and ginger (which was fun to cut up together). I used my awesome slicer to cut up the onions. Not sure why I don't do that more often....

Indian, again!

I've made it a mini mission of mine to photograph all the Indian recipes on vegweb. So far, things have been good!

Starting in the upper right corner, we have a zucchini and tomato curry. Yum! Next, corn usal. At least that is how I think it is spelt. Next is the winner for the night, mushroom curry. I could eat a gallon of this stuff! Finally is some Afghani-style curry with beans, spinach, and sweet potato. It was good, but spicy! I tossed it all on lime-cilantro rice. There isn't a recipe for that, I just made rice and put some lime juice on it and then mixed in the rest of the cilantro.

Matar Paneer Indian Peas and "Cheese"

I was having something short of a panic attack when I found this recipe to make for dinner. I went to the dentist today to get a filling redone (the first fell out!) and so I was trying to find something I could eat with 2/3 of my mouth numb. Anyways, I have been pretty bad about updating this blog because I've been mega busy. The semester ended, but my work never seems to! I got my grades in and I've been working on the big tasks for the summer: dissertation, course preps (two new, one repeat), and preparing to go back on the job market in the fall. And I got jury duty. BOO.

Moong Dal

This was my first recipe from a friend's cookbook that several of us from vegweb are testing out. I was going though those she sent us and knew I was going to eat this tonight. It's more complex than the Indian dishes I usually make--ones that involve oil/spices, add lentils/water/whatever, and cook into mushland. This involved a yellow pea dhal and a spiced tomato mix that got stirred in at the end. DR really liked the use of coconut oil in it. I just liked it, plain and simple. I made some more of the potatoes and spinach that DR likes for a side.

Dahl and Company!

I'm not sure why I went all out for dinner tonight. School was busy today and I was productive. Perhaps it was the lack of structured meals today. Who knows? Perhaps I just need to get my mind off of things not related to things I enjoy. cooking is the perfect distraction.

Anyways, DR loves potatoes (as you all know) and we both love Indian inspired dish. I decided to use up some ingredients I had in the fridge--a sweet potato, spinach, mint--and hunted for recipes that fit this bill. I totally raided recipes from my home away from home on the internet and found a trio of yummy dishes: Sweet Potato Dahl, Indian Spinach and Potatoes, and Grilled Naan. I also made some Mango Chutney and brown rice to help round out the meal. I used some mint instead of cilantro in the chutney and doubled the spices in the Dahl. This all tasted very nice once I mixed it up on my plate and chowed down, using my naan as my spoon.

Lentils and Friends

Tonight: Lentils. They are such an innocent staple in the vegan kitchen. However, with the right spices and a little effort, they can be transformed into a lot of great dishes, such as these Tamarind Lentils from Veganomicon. A couple friends had been touting the wonders of this dish, and I finially got around to making them (which is odd it took so long, since I cook Indian dishes several times a week!). It's pretty simple to make--lentils, some spices, and a tamarind-agave-tomato paste stirred in at the end to add some goodness. I replaced the tamarind paste and sweetner with some yummy tamarind chutney my friend J got me last month. They added just the right "yumm" factor for this dish! I served them on some brown long grain rice and added some quick, fun samosas on the side.