Vegetarian Curry Night

I am not a vegetarian, but enjoy making and eating vegetarian meals at least a couple times a week. The challenge is to find something that my hubby will enjoy and not start having meat withdrawals. I also am trying to include more whole grains in our diet, which has proved quite a challenge. So, when I find a recipe that my family enjoys, I have to document it somewhere so I can use it again.

Tonight was one of those nights. I made Curried Chick Peas with Tofu from one of my favourite cookbooks: Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I added all the liquid from the tin of chickpeas and one 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes and let it simmer for a bit longer to really let the flavours develop.

I also made Baked Curried Rice with Apples and Coconut from The Food Matters Cookbook on Mark Bittman's site. It looked really good to me, and it was. I peeled my apples to make it easier for my boys to eat. I used a really tart Granny Smith Apple, which ended up being too tart. I really loved the flavours and nuttiness of the rice, but I would recommend using an apple that's a bit soft and not too tart. I also used an English Cox apple, which has great flavour, and I liked that one much better. I didn't have fresh cilantro, so I used about 1 teaspoon of dried cilantro leaves which I sauteed with the rice before adding the coconut milk. My hubby really like this dish, and couldn't stop eating it. It's definitely a keeper!

Baked Curried Rice with Apples and Coconut

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 1 hour, largely unattended

Baked brown rice is mostly hands-off—no fussing or checking for doneness, just a relaxing, undisturbed 45 minutes in the oven. Your reward for doing next to nothing is a pot of tender, fragrant, slightly spicy grains (if you want more heat, use up to a tablespoon more curry powder). This recipe would go perfectly with any simply seasoned pot of chickpeas or other beans.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 cup brown basmati rice

Salt and black pepper

One 14-ounce can coconut milk

1⁄4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

2 tart apples, cored and chopped

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1⁄4 cup yogurt, optional

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Put the oil in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. A minute later, add the curry powder and ginger and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the rice and some salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the rice is glossy and translucent, just a minute or 2.

2. Measure 13⁄4 cups of the coconut milk; stir it into the rice mixture. Bring to a boil, then cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Bake, undisturbed, for 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put the shredded coconut in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan and stirring often, until it begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the rice from the oven, uncover, and use a fork to stir in the shredded coconut, apples, and cilantro. Replace the lid and let it rest for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and fluff again. Serve immediately or at room temperature, topped with yogurt if you like.

Egg Whites

One of hubby's favourite meals to make (and eat) is Pasta Carbonara. If you've never made this before, it involves a lot of egg yolks, and we are left with a mess load of egg whites that I never remember to use for anything. Last Sunday we had "cheesy pasta with peas and bacon" (as my oldest calls it) again and I was determined to use the egg whites in something other than an omelet. I went to eatingwell.com for some inspiration, and found some really yummy recipes to try.

The first was a Red Onion and Goat Cheese Pancake. As the recipe header says, it's like a savoury German pancake (or as we called it growing up, a Popeye pancake). It was really good, especially with the balsamic honey syrup. You could probably substitute the eggs whites for one large egg instead.

We watch a lot of cooking shows here in the UK, and the professionals are always making souffles. Of course they make everything look easy, but the souffles really did look doable. I found some small ramekins and thought I'd give a souffle a try. I made the Broccoli and Goat Cheese Souffle, but instead of having 10 ounce ramekins, mine were only about 3 oz. So, I did my best to 1/4 the recipe adjusting the sauce (pre-egg white) to taste. They were actually really easy to make, and turned out great. I was surprised at how light they were (first time eating a souffle as well). I will definitely have to try another souffle soon (maybe a sweet one next time). I would recommend using larger ramekins though, as you don't get much out of a 3 oz one.

I still had some egg whites left, so I tried my hand at making meringues. I didn't use a recipe, I just whipped the egg whites until soft peaks formed, added some sugar, and then a little cream of tartar, and whipped until the egg whites were glossy and stiff peaks formed. I was being lazy, and just spread the meringue out on baking paper on a baking sheet, and baked in a warm oven until cooked through. I then turned to oven off and let them rest in the residual heat for at least an hour or overnight until they were crisp. The next day I broke up the meringue into pieces and used it in an Eton Mess. An Eton Mess is an English pudding that is traditionally served with Strawberries. I used Mango instead.

Mango Eton Mess

1 Mango, diced

Whipped Cream

Meringue pieces

Mix all the ingredients together, or layer them as you wish in a nice dish. It couldn't be simpler.

Home Made Vegetable Stock (among other things)

When I was at school and then working, most of my meals were ones that I could prepare quickly. Now that I am a SAHM, I have more time throughout the day, but that time is usually rationed to small amounts at a time. So, my meal preparations have changed quite a bit. Instead of finding meals I can prepare quickly, I tend to cook meals that I can prep ahead of time, little bits at time. Today was a good example of how I tend to spend my afternoon, and what I do for dinner.

12 noon, put my boy down for a nap, eat lunch and find a recipe online.

1:00 pm, little one wakes up earlier than I expected. He is a bit groggy and wants to watch t.v. I take advantage of this opportunity to get started on dinner by peeling and cutting celeriac and potatoes for a mash. I am nearly finished when little one comes in needing me. Put the celeriac and potato pieces in a pot, cover with water and leave for later.

2:00, after playing with little one for a while, I find some more time to sneak away and get more done on dinner. Slice the leeks for my main, cut off broccoli florets to steam later, and decide to make a vegetable broth using the ends of the leeks and broccoli stems among other things.

3:30, after getting my older boy from school, I get them interested in colouring in the kitchen while I prepare the rest of the meal. I decide to not only skin my chicken thighs, but actually bone them too, which I actually found quite easy to do with a pair of kitchen shears. So I put the bones into my vegetable stock, and suddenly it becomes a chicken stock. My boys have lost interest in colouring at this point, and want to watch t.v. I decide not to argue, and am able to finish boning the chicken, and get it in the pan to cook. By this time, my little one comes in needing my attention and wants to help me cook. So I let him have a butter knife to help cut up the pears for the main, when he's finished he gets distracted with something else, and I am able to finish up dinner.

5:00, dinner is served. Since the only table we have is a small one for the boys, my hubby and I end up eating on the floor, and both boys usually end up wanting to eat their Dad's food, because his plate is more interesting than their own. I usually end up sneaking their food onto Dad's plate, and they end up eating it that way.

Recipes

Vegetable/Chicken Stock

Making a vegetable stock couldn't be easier, it just may take a bit of planning. I like to use up the bits of vegetables that I don't normally use in my regular cooking. Therefore, my stock is never exactly the same. I tend to use the stalks from broccoli and cauliflower, sometimes the stems from mushrooms I may have just used, the tough ends of leeks, old celery or the tough outer stalks. I'll then supplement those veg with some staples: one or two onions peeled and quartered, one or two carrots cut into chunks, and a few cloves of garlic (no need to peel), and a couple of dried Shitake mushrooms (this really adds a depth to the broth). Then I'll add some herbs (bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, etc). Cover the veg with water, bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of hours. To make is a chicken stalk, just add a chicken carcass or some chicken bones (like from boning chicken thighs).

Let the broth cool, strain the liquid and place in the fridge overnight. Skim any fat that has risen to the top (not necessary if making just a veg stock). To store, I like to pour the stock into ice-cube trays and freeze them, then place the cubes in a freezer bag/container for later use.

Celeriac and Potato Mash

Peel and cut equal amounts of potato and celeriac, place in saucepan, cover with water and add salt. Boil the potatoes/celeriac until soft enough to mash. Add chopped roasted garlic if desired (I had some leftover from roasted veg the night before). Then add a bit of butter, milk or cream, or a combination of the three as desired, and mash. Season to taste.

Chicken Thighs with Pear and Leek Sauce

I found the recipe for the main on the Eating Well website. I had 6 chicken thighs, so I doubled the recipe for the sauce. Instead of using all olive oil, I rendered the fat from some of the pieces of chicken fat I had cut off of the thighs. It gave it a really rich buttery flavour. I also used gooseberry jam instead of the currant jelly, I only used about 3 teaspoons, and it was already pretty sweet. I'd say you definitely don't need as much jelly as the recipe calls for. I used my homemade stock, and it was yummy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed (see Tip)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 large firm ripe pear, peeled and diced
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons currant jelly
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)

PREPARATION

1. Place sliced leek in a colander; rinse and drain well.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown and soften, about 2 minutes. Add pear and 1/4 cup broth; simmer until the pear is soft and the broth is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup broth and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add currant jelly to the pan and cook, stirring, until melted. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn to coat with sauce. Serve sprinkled with walnuts.

Jamaican Veggie Patties and Pumpkin Ginger Soup

The time just before dinner at my house can be a crazy time. The boys are getting tired and hungry, and therefore need more attention from me. This comes just at the time I need to prepare dinner. It's really difficult for me to cook when I have a wee little one clinging to my leg, or insisting that I hold him so he can stir the hot food! So, I try to get as much done during the day. If I'm lucky enough for my boys to take long naps, I can actually have a good amount of time to prepare. Today was one of those days, and I decided to try a new recipe I found on 101 Cookbooks that was a bit more time consuming than most of my meals.

My boys love getting Vegetable Pasties from the bakeries here in England, and these Jamaican Veggie Patties looked like something they would enjoy, and they make a perfect pack lunch too. Although the patties can take quite a while you can prepare most of it ahead of time. I made the dough and the filling while my little one was sleeping, and then they helped me roll out the crust and cut the circles out for the patties. They had a lot of fun playing with the dough, and I kept my sanity while finishing up dinner. The Veg patties are supposed to be vegan, but since I didn't have any coconut oil, I just used butter instead, and they turned out fine. I also used a 4 1/2" round cookie cutter to get smaller patties, perfect size for little hands. My boys ate them right up, and my husband said they were even good enough to buy. I think I'll try whipping up a double or triple batch this weekend and freezing them for future lunches or a quick meal.

I also threw together a soup using one of the Halloween pumpkins I had. Most people think they're just for carving, but you get a lot of good squash from one of those. I cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces and placed in a 9x13" pan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. I roasted the pumpkin at about 350 *F for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked through and very soft. Once it's cooled you can scoop out the flesh and use it for all kinds of yummy things. Tonight I made a pumpkin ginger soup. Maybe next I'll try a pumpkin pie or a cheesecake. Yum!

I didn't add any cream or milk to my soup this time, and I thought it was still very good. Not only does the cream/milk make the soup more creamy though, it also helps to cut the acidity from the apples. I also roasted the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin with a bit of oil and salt. They make a great garnish for this soup.

Pumpkin Ginger Soup

2 Tbs veg oil/butter

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1" piece of fresh ginger, grated

1/2-1 cup apple juice

1-2 cups water or chicken stock

2 cups roasted pumpkin

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste

cream or milk (optional)

salt and pepper

roasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

1. Heat the oil or medium heat, and sauté the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes. Add the apple and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Add the ginger and sauté for another minute, then add the apple juice, cover, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until veg is very soft.

2. Add the pumpkin and 1 cup of water/stock and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove soup from heat, and blend the soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. You may need to add more water/stock to adjust the consistency. If you are using cream, leave the purée a little thicker than you want the soup, then mix in the cream to a desired consistency. Add the nutmeg and seasoning to taste. Slowly reheat the soup if necessary. Serve garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds.