Banana cake with passion fruit icing

As some of you already know, I spent part of my vacation with my lovely and dear friend Valentina. We visited beautiful places, ate delicious food and had a wonderful time together – I miss her already! :DI’ll soon post the photos on Flickr.Not only is Valentina an amazing and generous friend but also a very skilled cook and baker – Trembom was the first food blog I ever read and the inspiration

Back from vacation with white chocolate cherry cookies

Hello everyone!I’m back after some wonderful days off and would like to thank you all for the lovely comments and emails – you are just too sweet!I had loads of fun on my vacation, but must admit I missed blogging... Nothing better than cookies to get back to the kitchen. These are delicious - one of Nic’s great recipes.White chocolate cherry cookies1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour¾ teaspoon

Spicy Kidney Beans with Tomato and Yogurt Sauce

If you are craving relatively easy, yet spicy and unique ways to incorporate legumes into your diet, I highly recommend getting a copy of 600 Curries by Raghavan Iyer. Although his Indian cookbook is not vegetarian, this fat volume contains plenty of creative vegetarian recipes making it a worthwhile investment for carnivores and vegetarians alike. In addition to recipes for legumes, this favored volume also has plenty of tempting ideas for appetizers, paneer, vegetables, rice and even spice blends and pastes. Plenty of helpful tips regarding cooking techniques and ingredients are provided throughout and in addition, each section begins with an informative introduction and every recipe includes a short introduction describing the dish along with serving suggestions. I have shelves full of cookbooks, but Mr. Iyer's collection has a cherished place in my kitchen.

Craving kidney beans, I soaked some dried ones and the next day decided to make this variation of the ever popular rajma. I was originally going to use paneer in this recipe, but forgetting to pull a block from the freezer, figured goat cheese would also work well in this tart and hot dish. The resulting fusion-style rajma was a taste experience that was popular with my dinner companions.

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

Spicy Kidney Beans with Tomato and Yogurt Sauce

Adapted from 660 Curries


1 1/4 cup of dried kidney beans
1 cup of yogurt (I used goat milk yogurt)
2 tablespoons of chickpea flour
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced or crushed
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
3 - 4 fresh chilies, finely chopped
1/3 cup of goat cheese, mashed with a fork
2 tablespoons of oil
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of garam masala
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped

Soak the kidney beans overnight in enough water to cover. Drain, transfer to a medium large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the beans are tender - roughly 10 hour. Drain the cooked beans and set aside.

Whisk together the yogurt and chickpea flour until smooth. (The chickpea flour helps to prevent the yogurt from curdling.) Stir in the garlic, salt, turmeric, cayenne, chilies and mashed goat cheese. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium large pot over medium heat. When hot, toss in the ginger and asafoetida and stir and fry for a few minutes. Now add the tomato and garam masala and simmer until the tomato thickens - roughly 5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked kidney beans and yogurt mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Garish with the parsley and serve over hot rice, along with naan bread.

Yields roughly 4 - 6 servings.

Other kidney beans curries you will want to try:
Kidney Beans in a Slowly Simmered Tomato Sauce with Shredded Paneer
Mint and Potato Rajma
Curried Red Kidney Beans with Paneer Cheese
Nigerian Baked Beans

On the top of the reading stack: Castle to Castle by Louis-Ferdinand Celine

Audio accompaniment: La Bella Vista by Harold Budd

Moosewood's Turkish Lentil & Spinach Soup

Red lentils in broth constitutes possibly the most simple and digestible source of much-needed protein for someone recuperating from a stomach flu or whose digestive system is still sensitive. In the case that the patient retains a zest for flavour, a little cayenne and a helping of vegetables provide welcome taste as well as the additional fortification of vitamins and minerals in this quick and easy soup that places as little strain on the cook as on the convalescent.

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks for a Crowd: Recipes with a Vegetarian Emphasis for 24 or More for a much smaller and cozier audience.

Moosewood's Turkish Lentil & Spinach Soup

1 cup red lentils
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/4 cup bulgur wheat (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 large tomatoes, chopped
large handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch fresh spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
fresh ground black pepper

Rinse the lentils. Cover the lentils with the vegetable stock in a large saucepan or soup pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 25 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the olive oil, wait a few moments, then swirl to coat the pan. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until the onion turns translucent. Add the bulgur wheat if using, along with the cayenne and bay leaf. Stir until the bulgur and onions are lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Toss in the rosemary and stir for a few moments. Now add the tomatoes and parsley, turn down the heat slightly, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to soften the tomatoes.

Pour the vegetable mixture into the lentils, and raise the heat to medium-low. Stir in the spinach and cover the pot. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to let the spinach wilt. Remove from heat, and season with salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.

Serve hot or warm. Serves 4 to 6.

Other recipes you may enjoy:
Wilted Spinach with Pine Nuts and Lemon-Yogurt Dressing
Red Lentil and Carrot Soup
Red Lentil Soup with Baby Arugula
Red Lentil Soup with Prunes and Apricots

Equatorial Stars by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno

On the top of the reading stack: Petersburg by Andrei Bely

Roasted Beet and Coconut Curry

Beets are one of my very favorite vegetables and it just so happens they are extremely good for you too. In addition to having detoxifying properties, beets are packed full of vitamins and minerals and are known to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure. Beets do not get as much attention as they deserve. The only drawback of course is they are rather messy and should be handled with care. You may wish to wear gloves while preparing them, though I find a sink load of dishes usually removes the stains from my hands.

My latest culinary experience with beets is adapted from this recipe for Coconut Beetroot Curry that I found at Red Chilies. I just so happen to have a few fresh coconuts on hand as I have been drinking coconut water lately to keep my body hydrated. Like beets, the clear liquid inside the coconut (not to be confused with coconut milk) also has many health benefits, including an abundance of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, has cleansing properties, can help increase metabolism and reduce fever among other benefits. An added bonus of drinking coconut water is you end up with lots of fresh coconut to add to your favorite dishes. You can also freeze the fresh coconut too for future use.

I added a bit of raw beet to the curry along with the cooked beet for a bit more texture. I used my beet greens in a previous recipe, but if you have them, I highly recommend you include a small bunch near the end of the cooking time. Serve with rice or any Indian flat bread for a most satisfying autumn meal.

Roasted Beet and Coconut Curry

Adapted from Red Chilies

3 small beets, roasted
beet leaves (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
2/3 cup of toor dal (or lentils or chana dal)
small handful of curry leaves
2 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

For the masala paste:

2/3 cup of shredded fresh coconut
3 green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
sea salt to taste

Begin by roasting the beets. Rinse the beets, cut off the stalks and rough ends, wrap in foil and place in a preheat 375 degree oven until the beets are fork tender (roughly 30 - 40 minutes). Remove from the oven, let cool, peel off the skin and chop into smallish cubes. Set aside.

Rinse the toor daal well. Place in a medium pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the daal is tender - roughly 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

To make the paste, grind together the coconut, chilies, coriander seeds, cumin, cayenne and salt with enough water to make a watery paste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Cook until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to pop. Toss in the curry leaves, stir once and then add the onion to the pan. Stir and fry until the onion softens and turns translucent. Add the coconut masala paste to the pot, simmer for a few minutes and then add the beets and toor daal. Add enough water to get your desired consistency. Cover and simmer for a few more minutes to let the flavours blend.

Serves 4 - 6 as a side dish.

Other beet recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen to try:
Haloumi, Beetroot and Greens Dressed with Tahini and Lemon
Creamy Beet Borscht
Beet and Feta Salad
Orange and Beet Soup

Audio Accompaniment: Talk Amongst the Trees by Eluvium

On the top of the reading stack: The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski

Springpad - A Free Online Organizer

Regular readers may have noticed a new button appearing below my recipes inviting people to "save it."


If the questions "save what?" or"save where?" have popped into your head, the answer is that this button is the path to a new free online personal organizer and recipe collector — Springpad — of which I am pleased to be a part of as springpad officially launches.

The idea behind Springpad is to help people get things done by making it easy to collect, use and share content from bloggers, brand websites and trusted friends on subjects from food to entertainment, parenting and ordinary day-to-day life management. By clicking the "save it" button on one of my recipes, you collect the recipe into your own Springpad organizer. From there, you can add the recipe to your own weekly meal planner, automatically generate a shopping list for the ingredients, personalize the recipe with your own notes and photos, and share with other people. And you can follow my recipes on Springpad here.

Especially easy to use for the home cook, hundreds of food bloggers and thousands of members have already collected and shared more than 50,000 recipes and created more than 15,000 weekly meal plans on Springpad.

I do hope you get a chance to try and enjoy this new organizer. If you are like me, constantly bookmarking recipes, I think you will find this is an easy and convenient way to keep your collection all in one place.

French Lentil Salad with Sweet Corn and Tomato

Sweet corn and tomatoes are two of southwestern Ontario's classic late summer harvests, and both flavours burst through in this fresh-tasting, nourishing and easy-to-make lentil salad. Served with fresh baked bread, this is a splendid lunch or light dinner to have outside on a beautiful warm autumn day.

French Lentil Salad with Sweet Corn and Tomato

Salad:

1 cup French or Puy lentils
1 bay leaf
4 ears fresh sweet corn
4 large firm red tomatoes, chopped
large handful fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
plenty of fresh ground black pepper

Rinse the lentils under cold running water and soak for two hours covered in several inches of cold water. Drain, place in a saucepan, and cover with several inches of fresh cold water. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and discard the bay leaf. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, boil the corn for 5 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool, then pare the kernels from the ears.

Place the lentils, corn, tomatoes and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss with the salad.

Serve warm or cold. Serves 4.

Other lentil salads you may enjoy:
Puy Lentil, Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Salad
Ethiopian Lentil and Mustard Salad (Azefa)

Audio Accompaniment: Shutov Assembly by Brian Eno

On the top of the reading stack: Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett