Chia pudding

 I've been wondering about chia pudding for a while - seems like it would be healthful, but what does it taste like?  What is the texture?  It usually looks like a mound of white bubbles with a hint of a black seed at the center of each one.  I knew it was some combination of chia seeds and milk, so I decided to give it a try and came up with the following recipe.  I'll be making it again to try to decide what I'd really like it to taste like.  Since pumpkin season is upon us, I did use some Pumpkin Pie Spice, but also numerous other ingredients. I'm going to try it a few different ways before it's ready for prime time!  

My first preparation ended up looking more like oatmeal than chia pudding.  It was a bit dark due to the spices and maple syrup.  Perhaps practice will make perfect?! 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup chia seeds

1.5 cups non-dairy milk (I used cashew-almond)

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1) Start by layering the chia seeds either in one bowl, or in 4 ramekins.

2) Cover with 3 times that amount of milk.  Stir immediately to get any lumps out.  

3) Add the remaining ingredients and mix.  Put in the refrigerator, with a reminder set to stir the pudding again in 1-2 hours.  Otherwise, hard areas form and are later difficult to break up.  Taste and consider more of any of the ingredients, or a sprinkle of Pumpkin Pie Spice, or another spice of your choosing.

Tempeh Italiano

 https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-baked-stuffed/tempeh-italiano/

I want to try this again with less tamari.  I ended up drizzling a drop of date syrup, then agave, to soften the taste.  Maybe less garlic next time.  I'll look for other recipes and try to blend them.  Overall, though, it was a very good result.  I had it cut into smaller squares on a salad, with sweet potato (microwaved).  I like preparing 2 packages of tempeh at once so I can add it to different dishes over the course of the week. Marinating it helps to keep the outside firm, but allows it to soften in the middle.  Photos 10/6/2021.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup wheat-free tamari 
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
• 1 ½ tablespoons garlic, minced 
• ¼ cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed a bit with your fingers 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon ground fennel seed 
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into quarters
• 
  
• INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner. I used a toaster oven.
2. In a medium bowl, combine tamari, balsamic vinegar, garlic, vegetable broth, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, ground fennel seed, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add tempeh cutlets, and stir well to evenly coat. Transfer tempeh cubes to the prepared cookie sheet, and spread out into a single layer.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Stir tempeh with a spatula, and spread out into a single layer again. Bake for 10-15 more minutes or until tempeh is golden brown around edges. Remove from the oven. Serve hot or at room temperature as desired.
4. (In the toaster oven, I baked it for about 12 minutes, drizzled a little marinade, turned the pieces, and baked for another 6 minutes or so.)

Mango Lassi

From The Good Gut (about the microbiome)  Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood and Your Long-Term Health by J and E Sonnenburg  2015

In the interest of increasing fermented foods as probiotics, this is made with Kefir, which tastes like liquid yogurt.  It is fermented milk - could be cow, goat, sheep, etc.  It was first noted by shepherds who realized that the milk they were carrying thickened and bubbled in the day's heat.  In its original form:

Serves 2; 3 grams of fiber per serving

INGREDIENTS:

2.5 cups plain, unsweetened kefir

2 cups frozen mango chunks

1 tsp ground cardamon

1 tsp chopped fresh mint

1 Tbsp honey

Water and/or ice for desired consistency

(I added a banana and an extra fresh mango to cut the tart taste.  This adds to the fiber, but also the sugar.)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.  Add water or ice for desired consistency.

Pasta Alla Norman

From Ottolenghi  SIMPLE

The eggplant in this dish was delicious! Basil makes a big difference.  Include some in the cooking, and top with more.   

Can try making the sauce more like we learned in Sorrento - San Marzano tomatoes, just one clove garlic and 1-2 basil leaves.  

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggplants (2 lb)

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and black pepper 

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1-2 mild dried chiles (seeded if you don't want the heat) - the second time I used these, I had to remove them because they were tough.  Will use ground red pepper flakes next time, or chile powder 

2 - 14.5 oz cans whole peeled plum tomatoes with their juice

5 large oregano sprigs (removed, but I chopped them)

1 tsp sugar

10 oz spaghetti

1.5 oz mature pecorino romano or ricotta salata shaved - he suggests the latter if you can find it.

1 cup basil leaves, torn

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2) Using a peeler, shave long alternating strips - take most off.  Cut crosswise 1/2" slices and place in bowl with 5 Tbsp oil, 3/4 tsp salt, and generous grind of pepper.  Mix well, then spread on 2 large parchment-lined baking sheets.  Roast for 25-35 minutes, until dark golden brown.  (I turned them once).  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

3) Put 2 Tbsp oil into a sauté pan and place over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and chiles and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden brown.  Add the tomatoes and their juice, oregano, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and a grind of pepper.  Decrease heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, until sauce is thick.  Remove the oregano sprigs and stir in the eggplant.  Set aside.

4) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente, then strain, reserving some cooking water.  Add the spaghetti to the sauce and mix  well, adding  2/3 of the pecorino and basil, and a few Tbsp of the cooking water if the sauce has become too thick.

5) Divide the spaghetti among four shallow bowls, then top with the remaining pecorino, basil and 1 Tbsp of oil, and serve.

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cozy-autumn-wild-rice-soup/

This is awesome.  I cooked this last night as part of a zoom cooking collective with Kindworks, a wonderful giving organization.  Starting last week, there is a weekly group cooking initiative to produce large quantities of soup to donate to local food banks.  We shop in advance for the ingredients and try to chop the vegetables before the zoom meeting starts.  Then we chat and cook together.  Last night, Chef Saanya started the conversation by asking us to tell kitchen stories from our past, time we spent with our grandparents.  It was a wonderfully warm hour of soup and sharing.  

As many soups are, this one seems like it can easily be altered to suit your tastes.  For instance, I didn't have any Old Bay, which was the main flavor ingredient for this soup.  I had Tagine, which is a Moroccan spice blend of paprika, cinnamon , turmeric, ginger, chili pepper, black pepper and cardamom.  I'll have to make some up, or replenish my supply at Whole Foods.  After dinner, I realized that the 'Best By' date was 2016!  I used a lot of it - might have been able to use less if it were fresh! 

I used only 1/2 of the coconut milk and will try it with another non-dairy creamer.

The wild rice was a wonderful texture with the other ingredients.  I might consider using another hearty grain like farro or bulgur.  

I might try with more kale also.  

From the Gimme Some Oven website, which I will now have to check out: 

This Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup features fresh seasonal produce, hearty wild rice, and a zesty creamy broth. The vegan version of the soup is listed here in this recipe, or see options below for the cream sauce version.

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SCALE INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice*
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (or see cream sauce option below*)
• 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed

• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

---

INSTRUCTIONS
INSTANT POT (PRESSURE COOKER) METHOD:

1. Combine base ingredients. Combine vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning in the bowl of an Instant Pot pressure cooker.  Stir briefly to combine.

1. Pressure cook. Cover and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.  Let the Instant Pot rest and naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.  Then carefully open the vent and quick release the remaining pressure.  Remove lid and discard the bay leaf.

1. Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined.  Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.

1. Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!

CROCK-POT (SLOW COOKER) METHOD:

1. Combine base ingredients. Combine vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning in the bowl of a large slow cooker.  Stir briefly to combine, then place the lid on the slow cooker.

1. Slow cook. Cook on high for 1 to 2 hours*, until the rice is cooked and tender.

1. Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.

1. Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!

STOVETOP METHOD:

1. Sauté the veggies. Heat (an extra) 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.

1. Add base ingredients. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir to combine.

1. Simmer. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

1. Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.

1. Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!

Okra with potatoes and onions

From Aruna:

https://www.sanjanafeasts.co.uk/blog/2019/09/gujarati-style-okra-potatoes/

I was inspired to cook okra after seeing how nice the pods were at Oasis farm.  I dutifully picked some then left them in the field by accident.  The store bought ones probably aren't as good, but they'll do until the next trip to the farm.  

This is a recipe that Aruna recommended.  Seems like a good recipe but there are no measurements.  Cant really say what I used, but it tasted good in the end.  Maybe it doesn't matter?

Learned that using lemon juice keeps the okra from getting slimy - which is why I usually avoid it.  We'll have it for dinner tomorrow, but it seems good so far.  And it has potatoes - what more do I need to say?!

Substitute for asafetida is garlic or 1/2 garlic powder and 1/2 onion powder.  I used the latter.  There were several garlic cloves already in the recipe.