No Croutons Required - The Winner for April and the Theme for May

The challenge for April was to create a soup or salad suitable for vegetarians that features the allium family. Congratulations to Lucie of Cooking at Marystow who beat the competition with this lovely Potato Salad with Shallots and Chives. A perfect spring dish!

I will be hosting the May edition of No Croutons Required. This time we are going with Mexican cuisine. Make a vegetarian soup or salad Mexican-style and send us your entry by the 20th of May.

Tuna and potato salad with anchovy dressing

Even though it was published here I’m a vegetarian, that is not true – I don’t eat red meat, but like poultry and love fish.

This salad is very simple, but the dressing takes it to a whole new level.

Tuna and potato salad with anchovy dressing
from Donna Hay magazine

600g kipfler potatoes, cleaned and halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 roma tomatoes,

Orange blossom water marshmallows

I told you I’m absurdly partial to sweet recipes and I’m sure you’d noticed that already. :)I love making spoon desserts and cupcakes, for instance, but there’s something that really makes me extra happy: to share what I make. Maybe that is why I’m such an avid cookie baker – they’re easy to package and to carry around; place some cookies in a bag and you can really make someone’s day

Scottish Pizza

I am delighted once again to feature a guest post from a dear friend of mine. Since Fenris moved to London, we have had many enjoyable experiences in the kitchen and he has indeed become an accomplished cook. I am sure you will also want to try Ivan the Terrible's Scalloped Potatoes.

Distressed by the high cost and questionable quality of take out pizza, my sensible and Scottish mother created this delightful substitute that kept me happy in my youth.

Scottish Pizza

2 small onions
2 small beets
1 small potato
2 tomatoes, cut into cubes
3/4 cup frozen peas

paprika
turmeric
chili pepper
salt
black pepper

Peel the beets and shred them with a grater. Take the onions, peel them and cut them up into small bits. Then, in a pan, fry them up with the beets. Now, the beets are moist so you have to stir frequently, and do so until the onions become soft. You won't be able to see the onions, but you can check on them by feel. Around the time that the onions are nearly done, add the spices.

Add the thinly sliced potatoes and a little bit of water. Turn the heat down to a quarter speed, cover. Stir occasionally to see how the 'taters are doing.

When the potatoes are done, you can add in the tomatoes. Add more spices if the mixture is not potent enough. You should catch the aroma of paprika and the turmeric as it cooks. Put the peas in last, and cover. Leave them in long enough to cook to your taste.

When the mixture is done, prepare a baking sheet and put some bread on it. I use a German light rye, which is readily available here in Ontario. On the bread, spoon on the mixture, then cover with some grated cheese. There is a good three year old cheddar available here which I use. You can store the mixture in the refrigerator (like my Mom did) and use as desired when your tummy starts rumbling.

Broil in the oven.

More pizza recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Paneer Pizza on Naan Bread
Mushroom, Ricotta, Asiago Cheese Pizza

Toblerone cookies

I’ve been feeling like a certain cat lately – not so keen on Mondays... :)These cookies could certainly cheer one up, even Garfield – it’s too early for lasagna, anyway. :)Toblerone cookiesadapted from here¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened2/3 cup (117g) light brown sugar, packed1 egg, lightly beaten2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 cup (140g) all purpose flour½ teaspoon baking soda¼ teaspoon

Urad Dal with Fresh Fenugreek

Sometimes a gentle Indian meal with split dal is just the thing I crave. I adore the creamy texture and mellow, yet unique flavour of urad dal so I made this simple dish for a special lady friend of mine when she was over for an afternoon visit. Fresh fenugreek is a must in this dish and it was a delight to find some at my local Indian grocery store. I served it with hot basmati rice, but it certainly would go well with naan or any other Indian flatbread.

Urad Dal and Chana Dal with Fresh Fenugreek and Tomatoes

Adapted from Pure & Simple by Vidhu Mittal

2/3 cup of skinless, split urad dal, well rinsed
1/3 cup of chana dal, well rinsed
sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup of fresh fenugreek leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of water

For the tempering:

1 tablespoon of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
1/2 teaspoon of asafetida
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder

Soak the urad dal and chana dal in enough water to cover for at least 1 hour. Drain, transfer to a large pot, add 1 1/2 cups of water, bring to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the dal is soft, stirring occasionally to ensure the water does not boil away.

Add the fenugreek leaves to the pot and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the tomato and salt to the pan and stir and fry until the tomato begins to soften. Add the tomato to the beans, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the tempering. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a small frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the asafetida, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chili powder. Stir and fry for a minute. Pour over the cooked lentil dish.

Serves 4-6.

More urad dal recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Urad Dal with Tomatoes
Fennel Flavoured Ural Dal Soup
Urad Dal with Tomatoes, Spices and Coconut

On the top of the reading stack: The National Post

Audio Accompaniment: Arc of Passion by Steve Roach

Lemon pistachio friands + something new

There’s something new here today – and I know you’ll forgive me for the self-centered moment. :)After receiving emails and comments asking me about the kind of training I have, the equipment I use for my photos, etc., I’ve decided to add an “about me” page to TK – and that would have to come with a lemon recipe on the side, of course. :)Lemon pistachio friandsadapted from here190g unsalted

Banana pancakes

I love holidays – who doesn’t? :)

Lazy days like today call for a special breakfast, like these banana pancakes – they are delicious with fresh fruit, especially strawberries. A wonderful way to start the day. :)



Banana pancakes
from Simple Essentials Fruit

2 cups + 2 tablespoons (300g) all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup (116g) brown sugar, packed
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk

Italian Onion and Bean Soup with Parmesan Toast

Tender cannellini beans, just-wilted fresh arugula leaves, and good white and red wines add flavour, colour and depth to this Italian-style baked onion soup topped with crusty bread and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Not only delicious and a nice impression on your guests, this minestra di cipolle e fagioli in crosta is also very easy to make. It's also my entry for this month's onion-family themed No Croutons Required hosted by my wonderful friend Jacqueline.

If you have a rind left over from grating the Parmesan cheese, add it during the simmering stage of the soup. This or the rind of any other hard aged cheese lends a wonderful depth and base to the stock of any savoury bean or vegetable soup, and they can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.

This recipe is loosely adapted from Marlena de Blasi's A Taste of Southern Italy — a unique and attractive collection of authentic dishes that are unfortunately almost uniformly non-vegetarian. But there's nothing wrong with a vegetarian using a little imagination to transform a salt-pork soup like de Blasi's original into a meatless delight.

Italian Onion and Bean Soup with Parmesan Toast

(Minestra di Cipolle e Fagioli in Crosta)

Fagioli:

1/2 cup cannellini (white kidney) beans
4 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 dried whole red chili

Minestra:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. Vidalia or sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon brown sugar
2 1/2 cups reserved bean cooking liquid
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup fresh arugula leaves, torn or shredded
4 1/2-inch slices of crusty bread
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil for drizzling
fresh ground black pepper

Rinse the beans and soak overnight covered in several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain and add to a medium saucepan. Cover with the vegetable stock, bay leaf and dried red chili. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are soft. Discard the chili. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid and bay leaf, and set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large cast-iron skillet or stove-top safe casserole. When hot, add the onions and garlic and toss until the onions are translucent, about five minutes. Turn down the heat a little and sprinkle on the sea salt and brown sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden-brown and slightly caramelized, about half an hour.

Pour in the white wine and 2 1/2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid from the beans. Add the bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. If you have a Parmesan rind, add this to the soup as well. Cook for 20 minutes. Now add the beans and red wine, and simmer gently for five more minutes. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf and Parmesan rind if using.

Pre-heat the oven broiler. Toss the arugula leaves into the soup. Lay slices of bread over the soup, sprinkle the bread with Parmesan cheese, and drizzle olive oil over the bread and cheese. Generously dust the bread and soup with plenty of fresh ground black pepper.

Place the skillet or casserole under the broiler to toast the bread and melt the cheese. Carry hot to the table and ladle soup and bread into warm bowls. Serves two to four.

Other Italian-style soups you may enjoy:
Tuscan-Style Pinto Bean Soup with Kale
Cannellini Bean Soup with Fontina Gremolata
Tuscan Bean Soup with Fresh Rosemary
White Cabbage and Bean Minestrone

Choc chip madeleines

Thank you all for your thoughts on the size of the photos here – I was surprised by the amount of comments! :)

Some of you liked the larger photos better – including me – but the majority preferred smaller ones (and yes, I counted the votes). :)

I’ll try to make us all happy with this size – not too big or too small – and hope you like it too.



Choc chip madeleines
adapted from Dorie’s

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Sometimes it is difficult to find something suitable for vegetarians when they eat out, and I have often ordered quesadillas, especially when tagging along to pubs. There really is no comparison though between homemade versions like this, however, and the restaurant variety. I would also recommend Quesadillas with Mushrooms.

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Mexican Published on April 18, 2010 Warm, earthy, spicy and filling black bean quesadillas Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/3 cup dried black beans (1 cup cooked) 3 tablespoons dried quinoa (1/2 cup cooked) 3 - 4 dried mushrooms 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 scallions, finely chopped 3 green chilies, finely chopped 1 tomato, diced 1 tablespoon vindaloo paste or salsa 1/4 cup black or green olives, pitted and chopped 1/4 cup goat cheese, mashed 1/2 cup cream cheese 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to to taste 8 - 10 7-inch flour tortillas 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped oil for frying sour cream Instructions: Rinse the black beans and soak overnight in several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa and soak overnight in 1/3 cup of water. The next day, drain and rinse the beans, remove to a medium saucepan, and cover with several inches of fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes or until the beans are soft. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, bring the quinoa and soaking water to a boil in a small saucepan, reduce the heat to low, and cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside. While the quinoa is cooking, soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, then drain and chop. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the scallions and green chilies and stir and fry for a few minutes. Now add the tomato, vindaloo paste or salsa, and mushrooms and cook for another five minutes. Combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, olives, black beans, quinoa, parsley and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the tomato mixture. Spread some of the mixture onto a tortilla, top with another tortilla and press firmly. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Heat some oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, fry each stuffed tortilla until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Keep them warm in a 200° oven while you finish cooking all of the quesadillas. Cut into wedges and serve topped with a dollop sour cream. Makes 8 – 10 quesadillas

More Mexican recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Tomato Corn Chowder
Baked Cheese and Tortilla Pie with Jalapeños, Corn and Pinto Beans
Guacamole
Quesadilla with Mushrooms

On the top of the reading stack: Pure and Simple: Homemade Indian Vegetarian Cuisine by Vidhu Mittal

Audio Accompaniment: Arc of Passion by Steve Roach

Maple cranberry oatmeal cookies

Certain ingredients or types of food automatically remind me of certain people – does that happen to you, too?

Every time I make something with maple syrup I think of Brilynn – she hasn’t written on her beautiful blog lately, but I’m glad that now I can follow her on Twitter.

Maple cranberry oatmeal cookies
from Big Fat Cookies

1 ¾ cups (245g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼

Chickpea Flour Dumplings in a Spicy Yogurt Sauce

My dear friend Jacqueline recently sent me a most elegant and beautifully presented Indian vegetarian cookbook entitled "Pure and Simple" by Vidhu Mittal. I've already bookmarked lots of recipes to try, but this recipe for chickpea flour dumplings in a spicy yogurt sauce immediately got my attention and so this was my first experiment with this lovely book. I certainly was not disappointed. Delightful dumplings smothered in a creamy yogurt gravy. How could I resist?

This cookbook comes highly recommended from my kitchen already. Ms. Vidhu presents an extensive collection of traditional and contemporary recipes inspired by her native province of Uttar Pradesh. Each recipe is accompanied by stunning colour photos, step by step images, helpful hints, often along with serving suggestions. This is a great resource for both novice and experienced cooks. You will find lots of tempting and straight forward recipes for drinks, appetizers and snacks, soups and salads, rice, breads and desserts. The meal menus and reference guide to spices and kitchen tools essential to Indian cooking are also a nice addition.

Chickpea Flour Dumplings in a Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Adapted from "Pure and Simple"

To make the chickpea flour dumplings:

1 1/4 cups of chickpea flour (gram / besan)
2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, finely chopped
3 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup of water
peanut oil for frying

To make the yogurt curry:

2 cups of yogurt
1/2 cup of chickpea flour (gram / besan)
3 cups of water

Seasoning:

1 tablespoon of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
1/2 teaspoon of asafetida powder (hing)
1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
3/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds
small handful of dried red chilies, broken into bits
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1/4 cup of fresh fenugreek leaves
dash of cayenne

For Tempering:

1 tablespoon of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
1/2 teaspoon of asafetida
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley or cilantro

To make the chickpea flour dumplings, combine the flour and water and stir to combine. Add the green chilies and ginger and beat until light and fluffy. Heat roughly 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, drop small spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and fry until golden brown, flipping occasionally. Transfer to a bowl of salted water (roughly 4 cups of water with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt). Remove and set aside.

To make the yogurt curry, in a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, gram flour and 3 cups of water. Set aside.

For the seasoning, heat the ghee (or butter and oil) in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the asafetida, fenugreek seeds and leaves, cumin seeds, red chilies, turmeric, chili powder and cayenne. Stir and fry for a minute or two.

Now add the yogurt curry, sea salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chickpea dumplings to the pan. Simmer, uncovered, for roughly 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary to achieve your desired consistency.

Meanwhile, prepare the tempering. Heat the ghee (or mixture of butter and oil) in a small frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the asafetida, cumin seeds, red chili powder and parsley (or cilantro). Stir and fry for a minute and add to the chickpea dumpling, yogurt mixture.

Serve hot with rice.

Yields roughly 6 servings.

More chickpea flour recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Chickpea Flour Curry
Scrambled Chickpea Flour with a Fiery Red Chili Paste
Chickpea Fritters with a Creamy Ricotta, Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Filling
Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Crushed Peas and Cilantro (Pudla)

On the top of the reading stack: The National Post

Audio accompaniment: Biosphere

Dulce de leche profiteroles

A while ago, I told you I saw no fun in using Twitter. Well, my dear readers, that has changed – and I have my Brazilian friend Tina Lopes to blame. I still don’t twit a lot, but my opinion about it is definitely different now. :)

Another Brazilian friend – hi, Lu! – and I were twitting about how I’d once tried making a croquembouche using a recipe from “Feast” and it turned out to be a

Corn and Pinto Bean Dip

Warm, creamy, slightly sweet and with a little hot pepper kick … this easy-to-make corn and bean dip is a crowd-pleaser at any time of year, and is filling enough to make for a delightful light warm weather lunch or dinner.

Better results will be obtained if you can find natural whole fat cream cheese and sour cream without added stabilizers or gums. Cooks in Ontario can find these under the Western Creamery label at most major supermarkets.

Corn and Pinto Bean Dip

1 cup cooked pinto beans (1/3 cup dried)
2 cups corn, fresh or defrosted
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup black olives, chopped
2 green onions, green parts sliced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
small handful fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

Lightly mash some of the beans with a potato masher. Combine with corn, jalapeños, oregano, chili powder and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for five minutes or until the corn is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in cream cheese and olives, and heat throughout.

Remove from heat and mix in sour cream, olives and green onions. Place in a serving bowl and scatter cilantro or parsley on top. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh cut vegetables. Makes about 4 cups.

Other delicious dips from Lisa's Kitchen:
Pinto Bean and Zucchini Hummus
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Olive Tapenade

On the top of the reading stack: The National Post

Audio Accompaniment: Dropsonde by Biosphere

White chocolate and vanilla fudge cakes and your opinion about something

Today’s post is a sort of poll: what do you think of the new size of the photos here? Like it? Not so much? Couldn’t care less? Please, let me know – I can’t decide this one on my own. :)

You’ll find a magazine article featuring yours truly here (page 4) – it is written in Portuguese and I’m sorry for that, but at least you’ll be able to see who the girl that keeps asking you for votes and

Spicy Lentil Rasam

As I have noted before, when I first started cooking Indian dishes, I would generally make dishes originating from the Northern region and those adapted for North American preferences. As I became a more accomplished and curious cook, I started to explore traditional dishes from Southern India. Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan has proved to be an essential addition to my extensive cookbook collection. Lots of beautiful photographs accompany recipes for sambars, rasams, poriyals, kootus, vegetable dishes, rice, spice powders, snacks and appetizers, chutneys and pickles and even menu suggestions. This book is invaluable to anyone looking to learn more about South Indian cooking.

Traditional South Indian dishes tend to have more steps, as there is often a paste and tempering step and lots of seeds and spices to measure out, but they are certainly worth the bother and some of the most flavourful and satisfying creations from my kitchen. I will also note the delightful aromatic smell that will warm up your kitchen.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a rasam is a thin and often watery dish, traditionally served as the second course of a South Indian meal. Tamarind, tomatoes, and lemon or lime figure prominently. I made mine a bit thicker and served it with Mustard Seed Rice for an especially satisfying and nourishing Indian dinner. I certainly impressed my dinner guests.

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair, a popular monthly event started by lovely Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook and hosted this time by Ruchikacooks.

Spicy Lentil Rasam (Poritha Rasam)

Slightly adapted from Dakshin

1/2 cup of toor dal (or red lentils)
1/4 cup of mung beans
1/4 cup of split mung beans
3 1/4 cups of water
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of turmeric
dash of cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
juice from 1 lemon
a good sized handful of parsley, chopped, for garnishing

For the Paste:

3 teaspoons of oil
1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
2 - 3 dried red chilies
1 tablespoon of urad dal, washed
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder
1/3 cup of dried coconut
a handful of dried curry leaves
1/4 cup or water

For Tempering:

2 teaspoons of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies, broken into pieces
a handful of dried curry leaves

Rinse the toor dal and mung beans well in a strainer. Cover with water, and soak for a few hours. Drain the water, transfer the dal to a large pot, cover with 3 1/4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dal is soft - roughly 45 minutes. Do not drain the dal.

While the beans are cooking, make the paste. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, red chilies, urad dal and asafoetida powder. Stir and fry until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Transfer to a blender or food processor, along with the coconut, curry leaves and water. Blend into a smooth paste, adding a bit more water if necessary. Set aside.

For the tempering, heat the ghee in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chilies and curry leaves. Stir and fry until the mustard seeds begin to splutter and pop. Add the tomato to the pan, along with the turmeric, cayenne and salt and stir and fry until the tomato is thickened - roughly 5 minutes. Add the paste, stir and fry for another minute or so and then add this mixture to the cooked dal. Add another cup or two of water, depending on how thick you want your rasam to be. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Garnish with the chopped parsley, and serve hot with rice.

Serves 4

You might also enjoy:
Beetroot Rasam
Toor Dal and Green Bean and Pea Poriyal
Toor Dal Palak
Tarka Dal

On the top of the reading stack: 366 Delicious Ways To Cook Rice Beans And Grains by Andrea Chesman

Audio Accompaniment: Translucence/Drift Music by Harold Budd and John Foxx

Spiced chocolate mousse

Do you remember my friend Neusa? A couple of weeks ago she told me she’d looked for a chocolate mousse recipe here on the blog but did not find it. Then it hit me: more than three years into blogging and I’d never posted a chocolate mousse recipe. Shame on me.

It’s about time I fixed things up, with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg to make this dessert even more special. But if you’re in the mood

Thai Tempeh Patties with a Red Chili Dipping Sauce

Although I have always enjoyed Thai cuisine, it has only been recently that I started to get passionate about it in my own kitchen. Armed with some wonderful Thai cookbooks, and of course the internet, I have recently made Hot and Sour Mushroom Soup, Homemade Massaman Curry Paste, and Massaman Curry.

Tempeh is a fermented soy product, which fits my personal belief that the only soy foods one should consume are those that are fermented, such as tamari and miso. This means avoiding or at least seriously limiting your intake of tofu, soybeans and soy milk. Soybeans are by themselves a very detrimental source of proteins and nutrition due to a very high content of enzyme inhibitors and phytic acids that block the absorption of essential minerals and cause potential intestinal problems — however, thorough fermentation in the production of tempeh, miso and soy sauce removes both the inhibitors and phytates.

For further information on the potential dangers of unfermented soy products, see this article by Sally Fallon.

Now to the recipe…

Thai Tempeh Patties with a Red Chili Dipping Sauce

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Thai Published on April 7, 2010 Spicy Thai tempeh patties served with a delicious red chili dipping sauce Print this recipe Tempeh patties: 1 stalk lemon grass 1 clove garlic, chopped 2 green onions, chopped 2 shallots, chopped 3 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped generous handful of fresh parsley, chopped 12 oz (340 grams) tempeh, chopped juice from 2 limes 1 teaspoon sugar dash of cayenne 3 - 4 tablespoons unbleached white or spelt flour 1 large egg sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste peanut oil for frying Dipping sauce: 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar dash red wine vinegar 2 green onions, finely chopped 2 teaspoons sugar 2 fresh red chilies, seeded and finely chopped 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped pinch of sea salt Instructions: In a food processor, combine the lemon grass, garlic, spring onions, shallots, chilies, ginger, parsley, tempeh, lime juice, cayenne, sugar, flour, egg and salt and pepper. Process into a smooth paste. Shape the dough into small (3-inch) patties, adding a bit of flour as necessary to keep them holding together. Heat 1/4-inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the tempeh patties and fry for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and fry for another few minutes until evenly browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. To make the sauce, combine the balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, spring onions, sugar, red chilies, parsley and sea salt in a small bowl. Serve with the warm tempeh patties, garnished with a bit more parsley. Makes about 10 3-inch patties

More tempeh recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Oseng Oseng Tempe
Baked Tempeh & Japonica Rice Casserole
Tempeh-Miso Breakfast Patties
Tempeh Cutlets

On the top of the reading stack: The National Post

Audio Accompaniment: silence

Fruit crumble cake and a big thank you

The list of the Saveur’s Food Blog Awards’ winners has been published – congratulations to all the winners!

Technicolor Kitchen did not win as best baking and desserts blog but I want to thank you all for your votes and support – I deeply appreciate it. And I’d also like to tell you that award or no award the sweet recipes will continue to flow around here – like this delicious and tender

Fresh mint choc chip ice cream

Wasting food is not an option at my house – I’m sure none of you like that either. After making the pineapple mint sorbet there were still some mint leaves around – they smelled so good I started eating some while washing them. :)

Those mint leaves ended up becoming ice cream – choc chip mint ice cream, to make things even better. I always have the feeling the mint flavored sweets taste like

Creamy Mung Dal Curry

Craving mung beans, I happened across this post for Methi Moong Daal from Red Chilies that inspired me to come up with a creamy mung bean curry that I served with Lemon Brown Rice. My sweetie came home from work and was delighted with the aroma of the ingredients. A perfect meal, especially when served with some roti if you are particularly hungry.

Creamy Mung Dal Curry

1 cup of mung beans (moong daal)
1/2 cup of split mung beans
a few teaspoons of oil or ghee
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of asafetida
1 small onion, chopped
3 green chilies, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced or grated
a small handful of dried curry leaves
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 can of coconut milk (400 ml)
a small handful of dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
juice from one small lemon
salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Soak the whole mung beans overnight in enough water to cover. Soak the split mung beans for a few hours in enough water to cover. Drain the whole mung and split mung, transfer to a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the beans are tender - roughly 40 - 60 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Stir and fry until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to pop. Now add the turmeric, cayenne, ground cumin, ground coriander and asafetida. Stir and then add the onion, green chilies, curry leaves and ginger. Stir and fry for a few minutes.

Now add the tomato and cook for another few minutes.

Add the cooked mung beans to the pot, along with the coconut milk, methi leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and roughly 1 cup of water. Bring to a partial boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 5 - 10 minutes.

Serves 6

More Mung bean dishes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Mung Beans with Paneer Cheese
Mung and Azuki Beans with Fresh Peas and Spices
Mung Beans with Mixed Vegetables
Spicy Mung Bean Soup with Coconut Milk

On the top of the reading stack: Pure and Simple: Homemade Indian Vegetarian Cuisine by Vidhu Mittal

Audio Accompaniment: Pearl by Brian Eno and Harold Budd

Cherry chocolate chippers

I always find it sad when a magazine stops being published – I think of all the people that might be out of work and that breaks my heart...This recipe comes from Gourmet’s website – it’s a shame the magazine is gone, but at least there’s some really good online material for nostalgic days.Cherry chocolate chippersfrom here2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon ground