To make use of a bounty of fresh beet greens, we made this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014672-beet-greens-and-rice-gratin?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We used about 4 cups of beet stems (diced) and leaves (julienned), which we had thoroughly cleaned (several rinses of water) and dried. Our modifications: first, we did not blanch the beet greens separately. Second, we substituted 2 small… Continue reading Beet greens and rice casserole
Tag: pandemic cooking
Indian dal with beet greens
We had a few bunches of fresh beet greens leftover from making a beet (root) recipe for Thanksgiving. We decided to try this recipe: https://www.spiceupthecurry.com/beet-greens-dal/ For the moong dal, we used 1/2 cup split yellow peas. We found this recipe decent, but not outstanding. The beet greens involved multiple rinses of water to flush out… Continue reading Indian dal with beet greens
Swiss chard and chickpea minestrone soup
We had a craving for a plant-forward soup with Swiss chard, and we tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013539-swiss-chard-and-chickpea-minestrone?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share The parmesan rind is essential. For the 1/2 cup of soup pasta, we used ditalini. Our minor modifications: first, we did not de-stem the chard; we love its crunchy texture and tartness. Instead, we used slightly more than… Continue reading Swiss chard and chickpea minestrone soup
Samosa-stuffed poblanos
We received three homegrown poblanos and loosely followed this creative recipe: https://www.acouplecooks.com/samosa-stuffed-poblano-peppers/ We halved the recipe amounts but still had ample filling for three petite poblanos and 1 small bell pepper. We made significant modifications for our 1/2 recipe: first, for the potato, we used 5 small-medium yukons (about 3/4 lb), peeled, quartered, and boiled… Continue reading Samosa-stuffed poblanos
Persian eggplant and split yellow pea stew (khoresh bademjan)
We were searching for a plant-forward version of one of our favorite Persian stews, khoresh gheymeh (beef and split yellow pea stew), and we tried this vegetarian dish: https://persianmama.com/vegetarian-khoresh-bademjan/. First, we couldn't find Italian or Japanese eggplant, so we used two medium globe eggplants. We followed the author's instructions on baking eggplant: https://persianmama.com/baked-eggplant/ We peeled… Continue reading Persian eggplant and split yellow pea stew (khoresh bademjan)
Simple fig freezer jam
We had about 16 fresh figs left from our friends’ harvest, so we tried this recipe: https://goodiegodmother.com/fresh-fig-freezer-jam/ We used 1/3 c honey as the sweetener. We also found that we needed to simmer the mixture longer (about 45 mins) to reduce to the right texture. (Sept. 2022)
Mushroom, okra and bean gumbo
We were searching for a plant-forward gumbo, so we tried this recipe: https://www.cilantroandcitronella.com/vegan-gumbo/ Our modifications: first, for the vegetables we used 8 oz cremini mushrooms (slightly more than 10 mushrooms) and 2 cups frozen chopped okra. We briefly sauteed the mushrooms (for 3 mins) before adding the crushed tomato (we used a 15 oz can),… Continue reading Mushroom, okra and bean gumbo
Savory fig jam
Our good friends Steve and Andrea generously gave us about 4 lb of figs harvested from their fig tree. We tried this chutney-like recipe: https://pastrychefonline.com/savory-fig-jam/ In terms of proportions, we used: 3 dry cups fresh, ripe green figs (see Note); 6 palm sugar lumps (called "small cubes" even though they are shaped like half-globes), and… Continue reading Savory fig jam
New Orleans-style dirty rice with mushrooms and black-eyed peas
We had a craving for creole cuisine and decided to try this plant-forward take on dirty rice: https://savorandsage.com/mushroom-dirty-rice/ It reminded us a bit of Ghanaian jollof rice. Our modifications: first, to add more texture, we halved the mushroom amount and supplemented with black-eyed peas. We used 8 oz (1/2 lb cremini mushrooms), trimmed and roughly… Continue reading New Orleans-style dirty rice with mushrooms and black-eyed peas
Indian savory amaranth porridge (rajgira upma)
For weekend breakfasts, we routinely make amaranth porridge drizzled with maple syrup. However, one day after cooking the amaranth seeds (but prior to adding any seasonings), I craved a savory breakfast. We figured out how to make upma with the already-cooked amaranth. First, follow this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014313-amaranth-porridge?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share, which provides instructions for cooking 1/2 cup…… Continue reading Indian savory amaranth porridge (rajgira upma)
Cooking Adventures 