Category: Spring

by Veggie Sutra

Daikon radish salad with lemongrass tofu

 

Who knew radishes were part of the brassica family?!   I certainly did not, until I read about it in the Brassicas book that V bought.  It falls in the category of root brassicas along with turnips, rutabagas and horseradish.   Out of all of them, radishes are my favorite.   There comes a season in the farmer’s market when radishes of all varieties show up – rainbow radishes, black radishes, table radishes and other colorful ones. Daikon radishes, however, seem to be available pretty much year round in Northern California.   These long white radishes with a mild flavor are used prolifically in Asian and Indian cooking.

 

 

Daikon radishes in Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese cooking are a favorite for pickling.  In fact, the inspiration for the recipe in this post came from a Banh Mi salad we had last weekend at Veggie Grill, a local vegan restaurant.  (I know Banh mi sans the bread doesn’t make any sense as Banh Mi means bread, but I guess some poetic license was used in the naming!)

In India, the Daikon radishes are more pungent and a lot smaller than the ones we get here in Northern California.  Some sources call these small pungent ones “White Icicles” instead of “Daikon”.  In any case, these long white radishes, known as mooli in Hindi and mullangi in Tamil are prepared in different ways.   They are boiled in lentil soups and stews, stuffed in to bread to make filling mooli parathas (stuffed flatbreads) and are sometimes eaten raw with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt and pepper.   Oh the satisfying bite of eating them raw!   The leaves of Daikon radish are equally flavorful and are added to lentil soups.

 

 

 

Yes, the world is going to hell in a hand basket due to human related activities of over polluting, over-harvesting of natural resources and utter disregard for science (I am referring to our grand gesture of withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord), but I am glad we have radishes in our hand basket.   And that’s all I will say on that topic!

This salad is inspired by Vietnamese flavors, and includes pickled radishes and carrots (called do chua) and baked lemongrass tofu.  It needs a bit of prep work for both these ingredients, but is otherwise quite simple to assemble.   I got the pickling recipe from White on Rice couple, whose recipes are always fail-proof.   The lemongrass tofu is my own concoction.

I could not resist using all the spring herbs in our garden, but one could go a little lighter on herbs, I guess.  Or not.  I always go a little crazy with herbs in springtime when copious amounts of basil and mint are ready to be harvested in the garden.  The lemongrass also is from a pot in the garden.   Lemongrass is pretty easy to grow, and unless you have a huge space, it is better to plant it in a pot as it will take over the garden like mint.

 

 

Recipe for Daikon Radish Salad with Lemongrass Tofu

[Printable recipe]

Makes 4 large lunch-sized servings

 Ingredients:

For the pickled radishes and carrots (Make at least 3 days ahead):

  • 2 cups water (slightly warm to dissolve the salt and sugar)
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1.5 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 medium sized daikon radish (about 0.5 pounds), scrubbed, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
  • 2 small carrots (about 0.5 pounds), scrubbed, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
For Baked Lemongrass tofu (marinate overnight or at least a few hours before baking):
  • 1 tub of tofu (14 oz)
  • 2 stalks of lemongrass, tough outer layers and top stem removed and tender inside green part near the root minced
  • 6 Tbsp avocado oil or some mild vegetable/nut oil
  • 6 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp red chili flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
For the salad:
  • Spring green mix, about 4 large handfuls, washed and dried
  • 1 long English cucumber, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, washed, de-seeded and minced (omit if you don’t want the heat)
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • few sprigs of cilantro, washed well and chopped fine
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves, washed and julienned
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves, washed and julienned
  • few sprigs of spring onion, chopped in to small rings (optional)
  • 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers for garnish (optional)
Method:

 

  • Prepare the pickled radishes and carrots:
    • Mix the water, vinegar, salt and sugar well
    • Pour over the sliced radishes and carrots
    • Close tightly with a lid and refrigerate for at least 3 days
    • When ready to use, strain the liquid and throw it away

 

 

  • Prepare the baked lemongrass tofu:
    • Drain the water and place the tofu on a deep plate or bowl.  Place another plate over the tofu and weigh it down for at least an hour until the water is squeezed out of the tofu.  Then cut the tofu in to slabs.
    • Place the tofu slabs if possible in 1 or 2 layers in a shallow container with a lid
    • Whisk together the oil, vinegar, chili flakes, garlic, lemongrass, salt and sugar thoroughly
    • Pour over the tofu
    • Close tightly and refrigerate overnight
    • To bake the tofu:  Preheat the oven to 400F
    • Remove the tofu from the container and save the marinade.  You will use the marinade as a dressing
    • Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and place the tofu in a single layer on the foil
    • Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, flipping the tofu once mid way, until slightly golden on both sides
    • Cool and cut the baked tofu in to bite-sized pieces
  • Save the marinade for dressing:
    • Strain the minced lemon grass, garlic and chili flakes from the tofu marinade. (Press with the back of a spoon to release all flavors)
    • Add more oil and vinegar if needed
    • Taste and adjust salt and add a pinch of black pepper and whisk
  • Assemble the salad:
    • Toss together the spring green mix, pickled radishes and carrots, baked lemon grass tofu, sliced cucumber, jalapeno peppers, avocado and chopped herbs with the dressing
    • Garnish with toasted almond slivers while serving

As we sat outdoors on this beautiful spring day to enjoy our lunch salad, hummingbirds and bees buzzed around, presumably enjoying their own lunch.  This has indeed been a lovely spring with tons of flowers due to the generous winter rains.    After lunch, I sat outside here dreaming up more radish recipes to make in the days to come.

P.S.  I am submitting this recipe to Meat-free Mondays on Tinned Tomatoes!   As mentioned in the previous post, I totally believe in a “reducetarian” diet, where everyone attempts to reduce their intake of meat for our own health and the health of our planet.

by Veggie Sutra

Broccoli Frittata

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir

It has been a pretty sunshiny week and weekend after a long time!   And since Friday was V’s birthday, which he shares with John Muir (patron saint of the majestic Sierra mountains of California) it only felt appropriate to play hooky from work and hit the local hills.

 

Long Ridge Open Space Preserve, La Honda, CA

 

The rains here in Northern California have been torrential through the first part of April.  The good news is that the tiresome drought was finally declared to be over.   The other good news is that the parched trees and dry hillsides of California have been revived, and it did my eyes and soul good to see the lush greenery.  And since good news comes in threes, the third piece of good news is that my leg is progressively getting better and I am able to do short hikes which are not too strenuous.

On the food front, we are continuing to incorporate brassicas in our diet in different ways.   For V’s birthday lunch, I made a simple arugula salad to go with a vegetable sandwich stuffed with red and green bell pepper and onions and grilled with truffle oil.   And yes, arugula is indeed a brassica.

 

 

Continuing on with Veggie Sutra’s series on brassicas, the brassica of choice is the much reviled broccoli, used to make a frittata.  The recipe is adapted from the book V got me called Brassicas – Cooking the World’s Healthiest Vegetables by Laura B. Russell.  The book has very basic recipes that are easy to make even for a weeknight dinner.

 

 

I used my trusted 12″ Lodge Cast Iron pan which I could directly pop in to the oven.   I strongly recommend getting one, even though it is a quite a workout to lift the pan in and out of the oven.   If not, you may cook the broccoli in a regular saute pan and then transfer to a approximately 13″ casserole or baking dish.

 

 

Recipe for Broccoli Frittata  (*not vegan)

Adapted from Brassicas – Cooking the World’s Healthiest Vegetables by Laura B. Russell.

[Printable Recipe]

Makes 8 slices (8 servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, minced fine
  • 4 packed cups broccoli florets chopped in to bite sized pieces (save the stems to make a hearty soup)
  • 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
  • Red chili flakes (optional) for heat
  • 4 Tbsp ground flax seeds
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp whole milk
  • 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 400F
  • Heat the oil in the cast iron pan, add the garlic and lower the heat
  • When the garlic is fragrant, add the broccoli and saute for a few minutes
  • Sprinkle some water on the broccoli, close with a lid and let the broccoli soften for around 5 mins
  • While the broccoli is cooking, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt, black pepper and a tablespoon of milk
  • Open the lid, sprinkle some salt, flax seed powder and red chili (if using) on the broccoli and mix
  • At this stage if you are not using an oven proof pan, transfer to a casserole or baking dish.  Lightly pat the broccoli to make an even layer at the bottom of the pan or baking dish.
  • Sprinkle the cheese on top of the broccoli
  • Pour the eggs on top and cook for around 2 minutes until the eggs start to set around the edges
  • Transfer the cast iron pan to the oven and cook for around 10 minutes, until a knife inserted in to the frittata comes out clean
  • Remove from oven, and wait for it to cool a bit
  • Slice and serve with some hot sauce

 

 

The broccoli frittata made for a very convenient, filling and healthy breakfast dish, which was super easy to  make ahead for the week.   You could also serve it as the featured dish at lunch with a green salad on the side.

by Veggie Sutra

Vegan Sauerkraut Soup

Spring is here in California!   Golden yellow poppies, the gorgeous state flower, are blooming everywhere and wildflowers are having a wild season this year due to the heavy winter rains after years of drought.   Meanwhile my leg is still healing and I have barely ventured for a walk in to my neighborhood to enjoy the burst of color in everyone’s gardens.  V has promised to take me on a drive this coming weekend.  Keeping fingers crossed for a sunny weekend, as it has started raining again.

On the kitchen front, this year has been about keeping recipes simple, and ingredient lists minimal – a direct influence of our awesome trip to Italy over the holidays.  V and I learnt to appreciate and relish each ingredient for its quality and freshness.  Keeping this in mind, we continue on with Veggie Sutra’s series on brassicas.   This time, the series features the humble cabbage, the most iconic of all cruciferous vegetables.

 

 

Sauerkraut, or sour cabbage or fermented cabbage is itself very simple to make, and a fermented staple in many parts of the world. Cabbage.  Salt.  Time.  That’s all it takes.  In our earlier series on Fermentation, we posted a foolproof recipe for making sauerkraut.   The recipe was inspired by the basic technique for fermenting any vegetable from Sandor Katz’s “The Art of Fermentation“.

Sauerkraut has become a staple in our kitchen, just like lemon pickle is a staple in any South Indian kitchen.  Aside from eating it as a side at any meal, you can stuff a sandwich with sauerkraut or even make a warm steamed broccoli salad which will totally hit the spot in this gloomy, rainy weather.   And so will the warm chunky sauerkraut soup we made last weekend.

 

 

Sauerkraut soup is popular in eastern European cuisine.  Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia and even Germany, each have their versions of sauerkraut or cabbage soup. All of them, as far as I have seen, call for adding some meat to the soup, and some heavy cream at the end (presumably to dull the sourness).  I have left the meat and the cream out to create a totally vegan version of the recipe, but feel free to add cream or coconut cream at the end.

Recipe for Vegan Sauerkraut Soup

[Printable Recipe]

Inspired by the traditional Polish recipe for “Kapusniak” gleaned from various websites

Serves 5 generously

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 medium potatoes cut in to large cubes
  • 4 medium carrots cut in to large pieces
  • 2 cups tightly packed sauerkraut (home-made or store-bought), juice reserved

Method:

  • Heat the oil in a pot and add the cumin seeds
  • When the cumin seeds are fragrant, add the onion and saute until translucent on medium heat
  • Add the minced garlic and sauce for a minute
  • Add the potatoes, and carrots and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil
  • Lower the heat, close with a lid and simmer for around 7 to 10 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are cooked
  • Add the sauerkraut and some of the reserved juice (depending on how salty/sour you want it to be)
  • Add some more water if the soup is too thick
  • Close with a lid and again simmer for around 5 minutes and turn off the heat
  • (Optionally add heavy cream or coconut cream to the soup at the end if you do not like it too sour).

 

 

 

Sauerkraut soup with some crusty bread is all you need for a hearty, healthy meal.   Heating the sauerkraut will destroy some of its probiotic benefits, but all the other wonderful nutritional benefits remain. So, ladle in to a bowl and slurp it up!

by Veggie Sutra

Roasted Asparagus with Basil-infused Olive Oil

Nothing sings spring like asparagus.  Our markets are full of fresh, tender, bright green asparagus now.  This early in the season, when the asparagus is tender, I mostly just roast the asparagus in the oven and we eat it as a side or toss it in a salad.  A little later, around June, when the stalks become a little more mature, I make sautee’d dishes, like the Edamame Spaghetti with Asparagus that I had written about last June.  I also sometimes make a yummy asparagus pesto with olive oil, a couple of cloves of garlic and some pine nuts.

Fresh spring Asparagus

Before we get in to the recipe for roasted asparagus, I wanted to throw in an odd question.  How many of you have felt threatened by hummingbirds in your garden?   I hang out in the garden a lot during the weekend, either line-drying my laundry, or puttering around with my plants.  If I am anywhere close to the patch of the bright pink alstroemeria flowers, this little hummingbird with a red neck flies close to my face flutters around as if to threaten me for intruding into its territory.  I read somewhere that hummingbirds are the Aztec God of War and are actually very fierce creatures.  V simply does not believe me when I say I am being threatened by a hummingbird in our garden!   Thoughts, anyone?

Back to spring and asparagus, basil is yet another spring necessity I cannot live without!  We always have basil growing in the garden during spring and summer and sometimes it even survives the winter.  The basil smelled so lovely when I was out in the garden today that I decided to make a basil-infused olive oil to roast the asparagus with.

Roasted Asparagus with Basil-infused Olive Oil

Recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Basil-infused Olive Oil
[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
  • 1 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb asparagus stalks, trimmed
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Method:
To make basil-infused olive oil
  • Wash and dry the basil leaves on a kitchen towel
  • Blend the olive oil with the basil leaves thoroughly
  • Gently heat the blended oil in a pan for 5 minutes
  • Remove from heat and let it cool
  • Strain the oil through a fine mesh stainless steel tea strainer in to a bottle and store
To make roasted asparagus
  • Pre-heat oven to 350F
  • Toss the asparagus with 2 tablespoons of the basil-infused olive oil, and nice big pinch of salt and black pepper
  • Place on a cookie sheet in the oven and roast for 10 minutes (maybe 5 minutes longer if the asparagus is not as tender)
  • Remove from oven and use as a side, or toss it with pasta or a salad
Roasted Asparagus with Basil-infused Olive Oil
As V and I have been busy on Saturday mornings with a class that we are taking, I have unfortunately not been able to go regularly to our local farmer’s market.  I need to find a different one that is open on Sundays.  I am curious to see what vegetables are available this spring after the first rainy winter in four years! 
by Veggie Sutra

Mint chutney – A versatile herb spread

California in spring!  When was the last time I raved about my beautiful state?  It’s been too long – the punishing drought really had me down for a while there.   Well, we had some decent rain this past winter and are still getting a few interspersed spells, so hopefully we are slowly making it out of the drought.

Lower Yosemite Falls, Spring of 2016

As further proof of slow conquest over the drought, the waterfalls in Yosemite are gushing with gusto this spring!  We were there last weekend to celebrate V and amma’s birthdays and got really lucky. After unrelenting rain and snow on Friday, it cleared up beautifully on Saturday to allow us to enjoy the grandeur of Yosemite.  It is a very humbling, solemn experience to be surrounded by the towering granite monoliths and unimaginably powerful rivers and waterfalls – Every single time I am there, I am reminded of how small we humans are in the large scheme of things.

Mint chutney on breakfast cracker

Back to spring in California!  It is my favorite time of the year to hike – right after the rain has washed the trails clean, the golden poppies are in glorious bloom and baby deer, baby rabbits and baby birds are taking their first steps.  I also get excited about planting my vegetable garden for the year and go crazy trying to decide what to plant in my tiny patch.  Amma helped me decide on tomatoes, basil, bell pepper and okra this year.

Mint bush in the sunlight

Of course, we have mint in the garden all year round.  Mint is pretty hardy and will keep coming back as long as it has plenty of water.  It also spreads like wild so it is better to plant it in a large pot.  With the recent rains and beautiful California sunshine, the mint in our pot grew lush green and fragrant and was begging to be picked and eaten. One fine day, amma made a mint chutney that was so good that I have made it twice since.   V and I love to eat it with everything!

Mint chutney
Mint is pretty versatile and can be used in a number of ways.  It is supposed to good for digestion and stomach aches and I drink a lot of mint tea as I have a pretty delicate stomach.

Here’s a list of 10 recipes you can make with mint:

  1. Dry the mint leaves in shade or sun and store for later use (to make tea or to add to stews)
  2. Make a tea out of fresh mint by pouring hot water over a small bunch of mint in a glass. Let it steep for 5 mins or more before drinking
  3. Use the leaves and sprigs as a pretty garnish for dessert
  4. Mint icecream!  (Thanks V S for leaving the comment below.)
  5. Add sprigs of mint to a fresh vegetable salad with cucumber, tomatoes, etc. or a summer fruit salad with berries and melons.  (Watermelons and mint make a deadly combination!)
  6. Make a tabbouleh salad with couscous or quinoa and finely chopped mint and parsley
  7. Serve a herb plate on your table (like Persians do) with mint, cilantro, basil, parsley, dill and any other leaves or herbs
  8. Make a mint pulao, a delicate rice dish flavored with whole spices and mint sauteed in ghee. (Amma makes a great mint pulao and I will share the recipe one of these days)
  9. Stock up on fermented ginger-mint shrub to make a cooling drink in the summer with sparkling water
  10. Make a mint chutney (recipe below) which can be used as a spread for sandwiches or eaten with plain white rice
Mint chutney

So here’s the super-easy recipe for amma’s mint chutney.

Recipe for Mint Chutney
Ingredients:
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil plus another 1 tsp for tempering
  • 3 Tbsp split black lentils/split black matpe beans (urad daal in Hindi, uluththam paruppu in Tamil)
  • 2-3 dried red chilies
  • 2 cups (loosely packed) mint leaves, washed and patted dry
  • 2 Tbsp of tamarind paste (to make a paste from fresh tamarind, soak it in hot water just to cover for 30 mins.  Squeeze with fingers to remove pulp from fibers and seeds)
  • 2 cups (loosely packed) cilantro sprigs, washed and patted dry
  • 1 green chili, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pinch jaggery or brown sugar (optional)
  • water for grinding
  • For tempering:  1/4 tsp mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
Method:
  • Heat the oil in a wok, add the lentils and lower the heat
  • When the lentils turned golden brown and fragrant, add the red chilies and saute for a minute
  • Add the mint leaves and saute for few minutes until the mint shrivels. Add the tamarind, switch off the heat and let it cool
  • Throw in everything except the tempering ingredients in a blender and grind in to a thick smooth paste adding as little water as you can get away with
  • Heat oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds.  When they sputter, add the cumin seeds and switch off the heat in a minute.
  • Add the tempering to the chutney
This spread will keep for a week or more in the refrigerator.  We took it with us on our trip to Yosemite, and used it as a spread for pita sandwiches on the road as well as a spread for our breakfast crackers.  It was a pretty handy condiment to take along!
Mint Chutney
How else would you use mint?
by Veggie Sutra

Edamame Spaghetti with Asparagus: A low-carb dinner entree

Even though it is right in our backyard, it seems it has been a a long time since we hung out in Berkeley, CA.   The first time we went there, V was running a half-marathon the day after and was in a mood to carb-load; so we went to Cha-Ya.  This is a Japanese restaurant, serving “shojin ryori“, vegetarian cuisine that originated in the Zen Buddhist temples in Kyoto.  I remember that he got a big pot of udon noodles with a very flavorful broth loaded with vegetables  Yesterday we ordered soba noodles with seaweed and mountain vegetables and mushrooms and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Speaking of carb-load, V has been trying to cut down on carbs and he eats salads for lunch and dinner a few times a week.  He is deeply engrossed in a book called The South Asian Health Solution by Dr. Ronesh Sinha.  Dr. Sinha’s contention is that the South Asian diet is very carb-heavy and he offers several practical alternatives which fit in a typical menu.  V met Dr. Sinha at a seminar the doctor gave and got a copy of the book.  Unlike V, I am not as open-minded and quick-to-jump on new diet regimens, but even I found Dr. Sinha’s suggestions common sense-based and easy to adopt.

Edamame Spaghetti with Asparagus and Green Peppers

As for me, I am not a big fan of eating salads for dinner although I will happily do salads for lunch.  It is my belief that cooked foods are more easily digested before bed time.  So, when V and I were browsing in Costco the other day and saw something called Organic Edamame Spaghetti, we were intrigued.  On inspection, we found that it has a high dose of protein with low carbs indeed!  Mission accomplished!

Recipe for Edamame Spaghetti with Asparagus and Green Peppers
Inspired by the low carb diet recommended in The South Asian Health Solution by Dr. Ronesh Sinha
[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients

  • 3 fistfuls of Organic Edamame Spaghetti (you can get this in Costco in bulk or from amazon.com as well)
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • About 4 Tbsp of chopped walnuts for garnish
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Tbsp crushed dried red pepper (optional)
  • 2 green bell peppers or Anaheim peppers, cut in to 1 inch pieces
  • 1 bunch asparagus, cut in to 1 inch pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • About 2 Tbsp of chopped basil (or parsley) for garnish
Organic Edamame Spaghetti from Costco
Method:
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a little salt and throw the spaghetti in.  The edamame spaghetti takes only 4-5 minutes.  Drain, run cold water on it and set aside.  (Follow the directions on the package for any other kind of spaghetti.)
  • In a medium pan, heat the olive oil
  • Roast the walnuts in the oil, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside for garnish
  • Add the minced garlic and saute for about 2 mins until the oil is fragrant
  • Add the crushed dried red chilies if using and saute for a minute
  • Add the green peppers and saute for 4-5 minutes and then add the asparagus to the same oil and saute for around 5 minutes until the asparagus is bright green and crisp
  • Now add the drained spaghetti and toss and switch the heat off
  • Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper 
  • Garnish with chopped basil (or parsley) and walnuts and serve warm

Edamame Spaghetti with Asparagus and Green Peppers

Definitely a tasty low-carb dinner that V totally got behind!   Our mission is to find more low-carb dinner options to bring to the table!  Suggestions?