An Indian-inspired meal

Last week in class, we made an Indian-inspired lunch for a group of fourteen. I decided to make a similar meal for dinner this week. I made these rosemary chickpea pancakes topped them with turmeric rice, coconut-braised brussels sprouts and a red lentil dal. It was delicious.

Indian food is full of spice. It's important to use whole, fresh spices. Common spices to use are fenugreek, fennel seed, cumin seed, mustard seed, star anise, clove, and asafetida. Dry roast the spices whole in a pan before grinding and using. Believe me, the time and effort is worth it.

We were hesitant to braise brussels sprouts with coconut milk at first, but after we tasted it, we were sold. The coconut milk imparted a sweetness to the savory brussels sprouts.

Coconut-braised brussels sprouts 
Recipe by Chef Kelly Taylor
1 tsp fenugreek
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black mustard seed or yellow mustard seed
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 bag brussels sprouts, cleaned and quartered (~ 3 cups)
1/2 small red onion, medium dice
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or fresh chile minced, to taste
1 T lemon juice
sea salt to taste

Dry toast the spices in small saute pan. Set aside to let cool. Then grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Add oil to a wide, shallow saute pan over medium heat. When you see the oil glisten, toss in the sprouts. Cook until the sprouts start to brown and caramelize. Add the red onion and cook until they begin to brown, about a minute. Now add the coconut milk, spice mixture, a dash of salt and cayenne. Cook and cover for 15-20 minutes or until the sprouts are done. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.

Turmeric is a health-promoting spice. It's been used in Chinese and Indian cultures for it's anti-inflammatory healing properties. The yellowish-orange pigment is called curcumin. Turmeric is thought to help prevent against cancer. 

Turmeric rice
Recipe inspired by Cafe Flora
3/4 c basmati rice, rinsed well
1 1/4 c water
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp sea salt

Put the rice and water into a pot. Stir in the turmeric, cumin and sea salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Have a happy Halloween!

How to cut an onion

Do you know how to cut an onion? If you do, then skip this post. I definitely didn't know the right way to chop an onion until chef classes. Knowing how to properly cut an onion allows you to control how big the dice is, that way all the pieces cook at the same speed. Or if you're eating it raw, it makes the presentation better (think of all those red onions in your salad). I've created a visual step-by-step that walks you through it.

1) First cut the top off of the onion, NOT the roots. The roots help hold the onion together as you're cutting. 2) Flip the onion over, so it sits on its flat side. 3) Cut the onion in half, right through the middle of the roots. 4) Remove the outer skin. 5) Turn the onion so that the roots are on your left. Place your palm flat on the top of the onion to hold it in place as you slice it. Keep your fingers straight so they're out of the way. 6) Now make horizontal cuts towards the roots. Try to keep the cuts the same width apart. The width between the cuts determines the size of your dice (small .25 inch, medium .5 inch or large .75 inch). 7) Now turn the onion so the roots are facing the top of your cutting board (away from your body). Then make vertical cuts stopping before you reach the roots (or onion will fall apart). 8) Finally turn the onion so the roots are to the left again. Hold the onion tightly so it stays together as you chop it all up.

Pretty easy, right? If you want to see more watch this short video that shows you the steps as well.

Vegan apricot carrot muffins

Most of last week was spent at the beach with an amazing group of friends for our co-ed bachelor/bachelorette trip. We drank, laid in the sun, cooked, played games, swam, and danced. It was laid back and casual, just our style. I highly recommend doing the same when you're ready for that.

Needless to say, I had a hard time getting back into my regular schedule. I knew most of my weekend would be spent working, so I procrastinated and made these yummy muffins on Saturday morning. I'm not usually a sweet breakfast person (prefer eggs over pancakes any day), but every now and again I want a tasty scone or muffin.

It's amazing how fickle baking can be. I made the same recipe in class a few weeks ago and it turned out great. When I made them at home, the first batch didn't rise as much as the second batch (see image below). The original recipe says to let the batter to sit for a minute so it will rise, but clearly the batter than sat for 12 minutes won. I think the humidity of my kitchen slowed that process down a good bit. I've made those notes in my recipe below.

Don't worry if your muffins don't rise all the way either, they still taste delicious. I love that they're packed with beta-carotene rich carrots and apricots, and the applesauce keeps them moist for days.

Vegan apricot carrot muffins
1/3 c dried unsweetened apricots, diced
1/2 c apple juice
1 c all purpose unbleached flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (cloves or allspice would work nicely too)
3 T olive oil
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 c maple syrup
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/3 c almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 T apple juice, reserved from draining the apricots
1 c shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or cooking spray.

Soak the apricots in the apple juice for about 15 minutes or until they've plumped up. Strain over a bowl and reserve 6 T of the apple juice.

Whisk (or sift) together the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg—into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients—oil, applesauce, maple syrup, almond milk, vinegar, vanilla extract, apple juice—together. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix until smooth. Fold in the apricots and carrots. Do not over mix. Let the batter sit for at least five minutes depending on the humidity of your kitchen. You should notice that the batter has grown a little.

Pour the batter into the muffin tins two-thirds full. Pop into the oven and cook for 12-14 minutes. Use a toothpick to see if they're done. Remove from the oven and let cool. Enjoy warm from the oven with a dollop of yogurt. These muffins are very moist and taste great the next day too.

Exciting news!

Image from Cooking by James Peterson

I've been keeping something from you. This fall I will be a (part-time) student! I'm taking two courses: Gluten free and Vegan baking and Intro to Natural Health Cooking! These classes are part of the Natural Chef program at a local community college. I'm super excited, but kind of nervous. I've heard great things about the Sustainable Agriculture program at CCCC. I'll still be freelancing (if you're looking for a designer, email me) and going to school Thursdays and Fridays. I'll be sharing my journey here as I learn more about healthy cooking and baking this fall.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend.