by Veggie Sutra

Sun-dried tomato hummus

Last month, I had kicked off the Dirty Dozen series with a recipe for lentils with leafy greens like spinach.  Spinach has consistently stayed around the top of the Dirty Dozen list at least for the past 5 years.  However, tomatoes appeared on the list just this year.  I was dismayed to see staples like tomatoes and potatoes on the list now at #10 and #12 respectively.   What’s a girl supposed to eat if tomatoes and potatoes are now “dirty”?

 

 

In the Dirty Dozen Recipe Roundup, I had listed a few of my strategies for dealing with the dirty list. One of them is to try and grow some of the offending produce in my own backyard to ensure it is totally chemical free.  While this may not be feasible for everyone, if you even have space for potted plants, tomatoes can be grown.   Since we have a very small vegetable patch, we typically plant 1-2 tomato saplings around March.    After a long, patient wait, we start getting ripe tomatoes around July.   In a good year, we get enough for our immediate cooking needs as well as to save for later. During years when we don’t have abundant produce at home, we simply buy organic tomatoes in the farmers market in peak summer when it is super cheap and save for later.

To save tomatoes for those wonderful soups and stews in winter, simply cut them in to small pieces and place in a saucepan at low heat and let it cook with a lid on.  I typically add a bit of turmeric to the tomatoes.  Once it has released all the liquid and cooked well, allow it to cook completely.  Scoop in to small bottles and store them in the freezer. Then during those cold dreary months, you can just pull out one bottle at a time as needed. You could also make sun-dried tomatoes to save for later. Thinly slice the tomatoes and place it in a single layer on large plates or cookie sheets.  Place in direct sun until the liquids have evaporated and the tomato shrivels up.

 

 

The hummus I made today uses sun-dried tomatoes but they came from a huge jar that I bought in Costco.  You can buy sun-dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil in regular stores as well, but look for organic.

Recipe for Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

[Printable Recipe]

Makes a little more than 1 cup

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup dried chickpeas (If you are using canned chickpeas, use one 15 oz can)
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes with a little of the preserve oil
  • 2 Tbsp tahini paste (I buy organic Kevala tahini paste from Whole Foods)
  • 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (optional)
  • A handful of basil leaves, washed and roughly chopped
  • Pinch cumin powder
  • Pinch paprika
  • salt to taste

Method:

  • Cook the chickpeas (skip this step if you are using canned chickpeas):
    • Rinse the chickpeas and soak in tepid water at least overnight, for up to 2 days occasionally changing the water.   The longer you soak it, the easier it is to cook.  Also if they start to sprout, that’s a good thing as sprouted chickpeas are super healthy
    • Throw away the soaking water before cooking
    • Cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker or slow cooker with enough water to submerge the soaked chickpeas.   Allow 4-5 whistles in the pressure cooker and wait a while before opening.  If cooking in a saucepan, use more water and cover and cook on low heat until the chickpeas become mushy
    • Reserve some of the cooking liquid
  • Blend the hummus:
    • Throw in the drained chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes with oil, tahini paste, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, and spices in a high-speed blender or food processor
    • Blend until super smooth using as much of the cooking liquid as and when you need it
    • The consistency should be that of peanut butter or maybe just a tad more liquidy but not much
  • Scoop in to an airtight container and refrigerate if you are not using it right away

 

 

This hummus will be a great hit as an appetizer at parties.  Serve it with vegetables like celery, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, or with dinner crackers.

However at our place, we use hummus for breakfast.    The very first post on Veggie Sutra featured a Cilantro Hummus recipe, and as mentioned in that post, hummus is a staple in our household for breakfast.  I love to dress up the hummus with whatever herbs I have on hand or in the garden.  This time, I used basil from the garden in addition to the sun-dried tomatoes.   A healthy, wholesome spread on top of crackers or rice cakes or bread makes for a very satisfying breakfast in the morning!

Other breakfast spread variations from our kitchen:

 

by Veggie Sutra

A Dirty Dozen Roundup – Recipes

I had kicked off the Dirty Dozen series in the last post with a focus on greens, such as spinach.   This year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) moved spinach to #2 on the Dirty Dozen list, citing that it has more pesticide residue by weight than all other produce tested!  Yikes!  While going organic for all produce does burn a big hole in the wallet, I would definitely choose to go organic for a few select produce like greens, tomatoes, potatoes and bell peppers.

 

 

I had intended to continue to cover other culprits of contamination, but was stumped when I realized that it may not be the season for specific produce, like say strawberries, in Fall.  Strawberries by the way, are at the top of the list in 2017, which breaks my heart.   In late spring and summer, when V and I visit friends in Sacramento, our car whizzes past vast stretches of farms where bright red strawberries stand out gloriously on low lying shrubs.  What a sight to watch!  Strawberry picking with kids is a popular activity here in Northern California and it is sad that one cannot snack on strawberries right off the bush if the farm is not an organic one.

The same applies to stone fruit like nectarines and peaches, which grow abundantly in Northern California and ripen in peak summer.  In fact, Silicon Valley used to be called “The Valley of the Heart’s Delight” for all the amazing drupes that grew here.  Unfortunately they are also on the Dirty Dozen list.

And come Fall, it is time to visit Apple Hill at the foothills of the Sierras.   Last month, one of my hiking buddies, who was looking forward to this year’s festival, remarked how she and her husband make the pilgrimage to Apple Hill every year in Fall just to get one single caramel apple each from their favorite farm, and they have been doing this for over 18 years!  Several others make an annual pilgrimage to Napa Valley in late Fall to watch the year’s grape harvest being metamorphosed into world-class California wine.

Such is California’s devotion to local produce!  If only we could banish excessive use of pesticides so that we can freely enjoy this abundance without worries!

 

Sunnyvale Farmers Market Open Saturdays 9 AM to 1 PM

 

Before moving on to recipes, here are a few rules that I follow to minimize exposure to pesticides through produce:

  1. Keep track of the Dirty Dozen on EWG’s website as they update it every year.
  2. Use the EWG shopping guide to buy organic on the most contaminated produce.  However, if you can afford it, go organic all the way.
  3. Shop at local Farmers Markets but do not assume that everything sold there is organic.  Talk to the farmer and get information.  I find organic potatoes in the farmers market, while it is not that commonly seen in regular grocery stores.
  4. Buy organic frozen berries for smoothies and desserts.  While there is nothing more satisfying than snacking on a fresh berry, organic fresh berries are exorbitantly expensive, and go bad so quickly that you are left feeling guilty.  So opt for frozen if you are buying berries for smoothies or desserts.
  5. Wash thoroughly and peel non-organic produce.  Typically I would keep the peel on apples and pears to benefit from the nutrients and fiber in the peel, but if they happen to be non-organic, I do peel them before eating.
  6. Try your hand at growing some of the notorious produce.  Tomatoes, for example, are a favorite for house gardening and given enough water and sunshine, they produce abundantly even in containers.  Bell peppers do really well in hot weather, like in Sacramento, but here in the Bay Area with cool nights, they produce only in late summer.  Figure out what works in your garden or kitchen counter.
  7. Finally, as a bonus, try activism perhaps in small doses, like contributing to the Environmental Working Group and talking to the farmers in your Farmers Markets and letting them know which vegetables you would prefer to buy organic.

 

Home-made peach jam

 

Here are 8 recipes from previous posts featuring some of the Dirty Dozen culprits.  Feel free to add your own recipes, and remember to buy organic for the Dirty Dozen.

  1. Spinach Kale Bites
    • Dirty Dozen member: Spinach
  2. Oat Bars with Peach Jam Filling
    • Dirty Dozen member: Peaches
  3. A Cleansing Juice with Celery, Peppers, Tomatoes and Ginger
    • Dirty Dozen members: Celery, Red bell peppers, Tomatoes
  4. Vegan Enchiladas with Spicy Fermented Tomato Salsa
    • Dirty Dozen member: Tomatoes
  5. Roasted Bell Pepper and Yam Soup
    • Dirty Dozen member: Red bell pepper
  6. Stuffed Eggplant with Potatoes, Red Bell Pepper and Greens
    • Dirty Dozen members: Potatoes, Red bell pepper, Greens like Spinach
  7. Stir-fried Traffic Light Bell Pepper Curry
    • Dirty Dozen member: Red bell pepper
  8. Warm Kale Salad with Pear
    • Dirty Dozen member: Pears

 

Warm Kale Salad with Sliced Pear

 

Happy fall and happy cooking!   I will try to keep the Dirty Dozen series going with new recipes next time!

by Veggie Sutra

Leafy Greens with Lentils

This is the first of the Dirty Dozen series focusing on produce that have the most pesticide traces.  Greens like spinach are notoriously on the top of the list always.  Luckily, some greens just grow like weeds even in containers.

Our visit to the Farmers Market in Sunnyvale yesterday was rather interesting.  It has been a warm summer (apparently the warmest on record) and the market still has an abundance of summer vegetables like peppers, beans, eggplant and tomatoes.  We were a bit late yesterday and the greens at our favorite farmer had been picked clean.

But I noticed just one type of greens still piled high.  It seemed like it hadn’t moved at all.  The long vines had beautiful maple-shaped leaves and yellow flowers and delicate tendrils grew on the stems.   Upon a bit of querying it turned out they were bitter melon leaves.  For those of you who have not eaten a bitter melon or even seen one, it looks a squash with ridges and tastes… bitter!   It is used widely in China and India and is somewhat of an acquired taste.  Fortunately both V and I love the taste of it!   But, I did not know that the leaves can be cooked.  The farmer said that her Chinese grand parents make a soup with it.  Although, we do have a bitter melon vine growing in our garden now, I haven’t dared to cook with it… yet!

 

Leafy greens are an essential nutritional component of many old world cuisines.  I remember learning about cooking with borage leaves from a Greek friend when I was volunteering at an urban farm in San Jose.  Dandelion greens are another example of a weed consumed widely. However, there was not much fanfare to these greens.  They were certainly not called “super foods” and they were not sold triple-washed in plastic clamshell boxes.   Most often they were just weeds foraged from the wild or from the swamp at the edge of the backyard or picked off the vine growing on the neighbor’s fence.

 

 

The greens that amma made today, called “sessile joyweed“, is one such weed that grows profusely in swamps in Southern India, spreading low to the ground.  It is called “ponnangani keerai” in Tamil.  In our garden, we have it growing in a couple of pots and as it is a perennial plant, we do not bother bringing it in during the winters.

 

 

This recipe would be considered a rather quotidian one in a South Indian household, and the version I am posting below comes courtesy of amma.  At least once a week, if not more often than that, some type of leafy greens are prepared, perhaps in this simple fashion with or without the lentils.  You can substitute almost any type of edible leafy greens, like spinach or amaranth leaves or swiss chard, in lieu of sessile joyweed.

 

 

Recipe for Leafy Greens with Lentils

[Printable Recipe]

Serves 3-4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup split yellow -mung daal (yellow lentils) (you can find it in an ethnic Indian grocery store called moong daal)
  • 3 cups leafy greens, thoroughly washed and chopped  (I used “sessile joyweed”/Ponnangani keerai but spinach or chard or amaranth leaves would work wonderfully as well)
  • 1/4th tsp turmeric powder
  • To grind with very little water:
    • 2 Tbsp grated coconut (you can find frozen grated coconut in ethnic Indian grocery stores)
    • 2 dried red chilies
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • To temper in hot oil:
    • About 2 tsp oil (you can use coconut oil or just regular vegetable oil)
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp split black lentils (you can find it an ethnic Indian grocery store called urad daal
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Rinse the lentils in running water.  In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the lentils.  Once the water comes to a boil again, switch to lowest heat setting and let the lentils simmer.  Keep an eye on it to make sure the water does not dry out and add some hot water if needed.  Moong dal tends to cook faster than other types of lentils, so after about 30 mins, check if it mashes easily which means it is done
  • Once the lentils are cooked add the chopped greens, and turmeric and cook covered on low for 5-10 mins
  • While the greens are cooking, grind the grated coconut, dried red chilies and cumin seeds in to a smooth paste in a mini food processor
  • After the greens have wilted, add in the grated coconut mixture to the saucepan and mix.  Add salt to taste
  • Cook on low heat for another 5 mins and switch off
  • Heat oil in a small pan.  When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds.  When the mustard seeds sputter, lower the heat and add the lentils and fry until golden brown.
  • Add the tempering to the saucepan, mix and serve

 

 

This is comfort food at its best when served over steamed white rice with a dollop of ghee!  What a simple, wholesome way to have your greens and enjoy it too!   You can also add more water and serve it as a hearty soup with a side of crusty bread.

 

by Veggie Sutra

Cold asparagus soup with pan-fried asparagus heads

I read about Bea Johnson’s Zero Waste Home a while back in the New York Times and I am ashamed to admit that while I was super inspired by her waste free living, I did not follow through with it for more than a week or two perhaps.  It is hard when our lives and schedules are dictated by packaged conveniences in every walk.  This week, the Sunnyvale City invited Bea over for a talk and seeing her in person inspired me once again to try to follow her principles of waste-free living.  Bea brought the entirely of her family’s trash in a small flip-top bottle and I was blown away!

V and I are pretty good about not wasting food.  But then if that food comes in any kind of packaging it is still pretty wasteful.  We buy our staples like rice and lentils in plastic packaging, as well as other stuff like crackers, snacks, nuts and so on.  We buy some drinks like club soda in plastic bottles.  Sometimes we buy washed salad greens in clamshell plastic boxes or plastic bags.  It is really amazing to just note how much plastic we throw away each week apart from what we obsessively recycle.  We definitely will make a conscious effort to reduce our footprint and buy stuff in bulk.   And for those interested in tips and ways to live a zero waste living, do follow Bea on zerowastehome.com.

Speaking of using packaged stuff, we had a 2.2lb bag of asparagus that we got from Costco a week or so back.  Well, no point throwing it away just because we got it in plastic packaging.  Usually my go-to recipe for asparagus is to simply roast it in the oven with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.  But the last couple of days in the Bay Area were a true anomaly with temps reaching in the high 100s.   And it did not cool off even in the evening as it typically does.  Uff!!  With climate change, I wonder if this is the new normal we need to get adjusted to.   I was loathe to turn on the oven, so I quickly prepared a cold soup early in the day and put it in the refrigerator.

 

 

Recipe for Cold Asparagus Soup with Pan-fried Asparagus Tips

[Printable Recipe]

Serves 6 for dinner with a side

Ingredients:

  • Approx. 1 kg / 2.2 lbs of asparagus spears
  • 2-3 medium potatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4-5 basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • salt and pepper as needed
  • 4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • water as needed

Method:

  • Wash the asparagus.  Trim the tough ends of the asparagus and discard.  Save the heads from about half the asparagus and cut the rest in to bite-sized pieces
  • Wash and cube the potatoes
  • Bring water to a boil in a large pot (enough the submerge the potatoes and asparagus).  Add some salt.
  • Put the potatoes in first for about 8 mins until the potatoes can be pierced with a knife
  • Then throw in the asparagus pieces except the saved heads for about 8 mins until asparagus is soft.  Switch off the heat.  Drain the asparagus and potatoes and cool
  • While the potatoes and asparagus are cooking, peel and chop the onion roughly.  Smash the garlic, peel and chop.
  • Add about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and when it is hot, add the saved asparagus heads and fry until slightly browned.  Remove with a slotted spoon and save
  • Add the onion to the same pan and saute until golden brown.  Let it cool.
  • In a powerful blender, blend together the cooked potatoes and asparagus, sauted onions, raw garlic and basil leaves with milk.  Add water if needed and add salt and pepper to taste
  • Pour the soup in to serving bowl and mix in the shredded Parmesan cheese and refrigerate
  • After it has cooled, serve in bowls topped with a few of the reserved asparagus heads

 

 

On a warm day, this cold soup can be served with a side of oven-toasted crusty bread or a nice bruschetta.  Yesterday, as the mercury refused to budge even in the evening, I just prepared a simple raw radish salad with pesto dressing to supplement the soup.  As we sat outside in the backyard trying to cool off on this unusually warm Bay Area evening, climate change and resource waste definitely came up in the dinner table conversation topics.  Perhaps if we all lived a zero-waste life, we would not be feeling climate change to this extent in our life time.

by Veggie Sutra

Braised radishes

As we are wading through the dog days of summer, lethargy has set and I have not posted in a while.  Veggie Sutra’s passion for brassicas has however continued unabated, and I even baked some savory broccoli muffins to take along with us for our July 4th road trip to Truckee and North Lake Tahoe.  I clicked pictures but forgot to write down the recipe.  Well, next time!

 

 

Speaking of Tahoe, aren’t we lucky to live in California where one really does not have to go very far to get away?  Due to the enormous amount of snow we were blessed with last winter, the Sierras were absolutely gorgeous.  Year after year during the drought, my heart would sink when I saw dead brown trees all over the mountain-scape.  Within one winter of good rains, the whole place has transformed in to a beautiful lush, green forest.  As we drove past the breathtaking scenery, we saw black specks teeming on the white slopes – people skiing in 80 degree weather presumably in their shorts!

 

 

Coming back to the blog, last week I finished reading “Culinary Intelligence – The Art of Eating Healthy and Really Well” by Peter Kaminsky.  And that is what kicked me out of my lethargy / writer’s block / whatever.  The book is a tantalizing ode to all cooks everywhere, and plea to everyone to develop basic cooking skills for the sake of one’s health.

Peter Kaminsky assures us that we do not have to eat bland, unappetizing foods to stay healthy, rather with a little culinary skill and an understanding of flavors, one can eat well and live well.   I do highly recommend reading the book. Though a lot of Peter Kaminsky’s observations seem obvious (like avoiding processed foods), he peppers it with fun stories from his career as a food writer which makes those obvious facts memorable.  Once he establishes what an important role cooking plays in staying healthy, he moves on to the topic of breaking down cooking in to a very simple process, starting with getting the best ingredients.

To summarize, Culinary Common sense is listed as follows in “Culinary Intelligence”:

  1. Don’t eat processed foods.
  2. Buy the best, most full-flavored ingredients you can afford.
  3. Make those ingredients even better by cooking

Speaking of ingredients, a bunch of beautiful round radishes always makes my heart sing.  Radishes are part of the brassica family and there are a few dozen varieties of radishes, all with a distinctive characteristic and flavor, some biting, and some mellow.

 

 

Daikon radish, the most commonly found radish in the markets in California, also available pretty much year round in the farmers markets, was featured in an earlier post in an Asian-flavor inspired Daikon radish salad.  This week, I chose round red radishes because their small size lends well to braising whole or halved.  V was upset that I did not serve these beauties raw, in a salad, as I sometimes do, and instead subjected them to heat and flame.  But in the end, life is about variety and these braised radishes make a rather beautiful side dish.

 

 

Recipe for Braised Round Red Radishes

[Printable recipe]

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

  • 3 bunches of round red radishes with the greens
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 small onions / shallots, minced fine
  • water
  • Salt and white/black pepper to taste

Method:

  • Separate the greens from the radishes leaving a bit of stem on the radishes.   Wash the green thoroughly by dunking in a few changes of cold water.  Chop the greens roughly and set aside.  Snip just the tail of the radishes and scrub them.
  • If the radishes are small, you can leave them whole.  If not, half or quarter them.
  • Heat the butter in a wide saute pan.   Add the minced onion and saute for 5-10 minutes until slightly browned
  • Add the radishes to the pan and toss to coat.
  • Add about half a cup of water and bring to a simmer.   Add salt and pepper.  Then lower the heat all the way down, cover and cook for around 10-15 minutes until a knife goes through the radish easily but it is not falling apart.
  • Add the greens and cook with lid on for 3-5 mins until the greens have wilted.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon as much of the radishes, onions and greens as possible in to a serving dish, just leaving the liquid in the pan
  • Increase the heat and simmer for a few minutes until the liquid reduces to about half the quantity
  • Add a splash of apple cider vinegar optionally and pour over the radishes
  • You can serve the radishes over grains like brown rice or quinoa as well to make a complete meal

 

 

 

by Veggie Sutra

Stuffed Pita Sandwiches with Sauerkraut

Sunday has been an absolute scorcher here in Northern California!  After a rather gentle spring with a gradual and smooth increase in temps, we are back to the yo-yo weather that tormented us last year. What is one to do but hunker down indoors with windows and doors closed and blinds drawn, trying to keep as cool and still as possible.  To this end, I kept lunch a simple affair with minimal need for heat.

 

 

Back in March when the weather was a lot cooler, and we were in the throes of beginning the Veggie Sutra series on Brassicas, I turned to the humble cabbage for a warming, and hearty sauerkraut soup. Surely, cabbage, the most iconic of brassicas, is worth featuring more than once in our Brassicas series.

So here goes:  The recipe today also uses cabbage in the form of sauerkraut.   Before our current obsession with brassicas, we did a whole series on fermentation, and as part of that I had posted a fool-proof recipe for making sauerkraut.   But if you still find it daunting to make sauerkraut, you can find home-made sauerkraut in farmers markets and health food stores.  Sauerkraut has become a staple at our place and just to complete the picture, apart from eating them by the spoonfuls and using them in soups and sandwiches, we also make yummy salads with sauerkraut, like this Steamed Broccoli Salad with Sauerkraut.

 

 

As an aside, people who follow the blog regularly know my fancy for using fresh herbs from the garden in spring and summer.  Today’s sandwich uses a spread made with fresh basil from the garden.  But if you don’t want to make the spread, you could also simply stuff the sandwich with a handful of herbs – basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, or whatever you have growing in the pot.

 

Recipe for Stuffed Pita Sandwiches with Sauerkraut

[Printable Recipe]

Serves 2 people with 2 half pockets each

Ingredients:

  • 2 whole wheat pita bread cut in to halves
  • Sun-dried tomato with Fresh Basil Spread (recipe below) (Alternately use your favorite store bought spread)
  • 2 store-bought veggie burgers like Trader Joes Quinoa Veggie Burgers, cooked as per package instructions
  • About 4 Tbsp Shredded pepper jack cheese (optional)
  • About 8 Tbsp sauerkraut (recipe here)
  • 2 handfuls of spinach, arugula or any summer greens
  • For the Sun-dried tomato with Fresh Basil Spread:
    • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil with a fair amount of the oil
    • 1/4 cup soft cheese
    • A big handful of fresh basil leaves, washed
    • More olive oil if needed

Method:

  • Make the Sun-dried tomato with Fresh Basil spread:  In a food processor, process all the ingredients until smooth, adding oil as needed. Scrape and store in an airtight container. Alternately use a store bought spread like hummus (for a vegan sandwich) or a cheese spread or pesto.
  • Assemble the sandwich
    • Open up the pita pocket half and spread generously with the spread that you are using
    • Cut the cooked burger in half and stuff half in to each pita pocket
    • Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of shredded cheese (omit for a vegan sandwich)
    • (Optional) Pop the sandwich in to a toaster oven for a few minutes now for the cheese to melt and to warm up the pita bread.  If it is a warm day, you may skip this step.
    • Fill with about 2 Tbsp of sauerkraut and some of the greens
    • Serve with an ice-cold drink

 

 

You can get pretty creative with sauerkraut sandwiches and include any fresh summer vegetables you may have on hand like sliced cucumbers, avocado, radishes, and/or a variety of herbs.  We were pretty satisfied with this simple sandwich plus some ice-cold sparkling water with lemon and salt.

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

A Simple Cauliflower Curry with Grated Coconut

I finally finished reading Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat by Barbara J. King, a touching book about the sentience of animals ranging from octopuses to chimpanzees.  She says “In the end, pain is pain” whether or not animals feel the pain exactly as we do.   In each chapter, she focuses on one animal – insects, fish, octopuses, chicken, cow and so on.   Of all the chapters, the one that fascinated me the most was the one on octopuses.

We all justify what we eat using cultural, social, health and sometimes religious reasons.  And having being brought up a vegetarian, and not a vegan, it is hard for me to eschew yogurt and ghee, two ingredients which are near and dear to every South Indian’s heart.  While I now know how cows are treated on commercial dairy farms (yes, even those that carry the “organic” label), it is still hard for me to completely give those up.   So far be it from me to stand on my soapbox to preach, however Barbara J. King puts it quite well when she says that her book “is an invitation to see clearly who we eat, and our connections with animals who, in their different ways, experience the world with awareness and intention.”   A reducetarian movement – consciously reducing one consumption of animal products, would greatly benefit the animals, the planet, and ultimately us, she says.

 

 

After finishing that rather intense book, I was in no mood to cook anything elaborate for the series on brassicas.  So this recipe is a rather simple South Indian style stir fry curry.   Most South Indian vegetable curries are rather simple compared to the North Indian counterparts which usually involve some form of dairy, aromatics like garlic, and heavy spices.   For South Indian vegetable curries, all it takes is a touch of oil, some mustard seeds, turmeric, and grated coconut for garnish.  This general recipe can be used with a variety of fresh vegetables, like green beans, broad beans, okra, cabbage, and even vegetables not typically found in South India like broccoli.

 

 

I used a combination of cauliflower, potatoes and peas – cauliflower being our featured brassica this time.  Contrast this method of preparation with the typical “aloo gobi”  that is found on menus of Indian restaurants across the US, a rather heavy preparation with onions, garlic and various spices.

 

 

Recipe for a Simple Cauliflower Curry with Grated Coconut

[Printable Recipe]

Serves 3 people or 2 people generously as a side dish

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil or regular vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • Optional – 1 sprig Curry leaves (you can find fresh or frozen curry leaves in an ethnic Indian grocery store)
  • 3 small potatoes, washed and cubed
  • 1 medium cauliflower, washed and cut into bite-sized florets and pieces (don’t waste the stem)
  • 1/2 cup frozen green peas
  • 1 tsp organic turmeric powder (I buy mine from the spice bin at Whole Foods)
  • 1 tsp red chili powder / cayenne powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 Tbsp grated coconut (you can find freshly grated coconut in an ethnic Indian grocery store in the frozen foods section – alternately, use dried unsweetened shredded coconut)

Method:

  • Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat and add the mustard seeds
  • When the mustard seeds start sputtering, lower the heat and add the curry leaves if using
  • Add the cubed potatoes and toss to coat in oil.  Then sprinkle a few drops of water and close with a lid
  • After about 5 minutes, add the cauliflower and frozen peas, then add turmeric, toss and cover with a lid
  • It may take another 10 minutes for the cauliflower and potatoes to cook.  But test after around 7 mins to make sure the vegetables are not over-cooked by inserting a sharp knife through a small piece of potato.
  • Once the vegetables have cooked, add the red chili powder and salt to taste and mix
  • Switch off the heat
  • If you are using frozen coconut, add it to the pan, close with a lid and allow it to thaw in the heat of the pan and then mix.  If using fresh or dried shredded coconut, simply mix it in
  • Enjoy hot as a side with rice

 

 

Growing up, vegetable preparation like this was featured very often on the plate, alongside rice and a lentil-based stew.  Yogurt also was part of the plate always.  Comfort food to me even now is white rice mixed with yogurt with a piece of lemon pickle on the side, as it is for millions of South Indians.  (Fortunately for V, he is not very much in to it).   Giving up yogurt was not easy, but I have greatly reduced our consumption of yogurt and milk.   Barbara J. King quotes Michalel Pollan in her book and he captured it best when he says “Eat Food.  Mostly Plants.  Not Too Much”.

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!