Vegetarian

Quinoa Black Bean Burger

I love veggie burgers but don’t enjoy the frozen varieties at the grocery store – some have a funny texture or after taste that keeps me from eating them. I also think that these are so easy to make and freeze that buying the other kind aren’t worth it! I usually start with the base of quinoa and black beans and add whatever veggies I have in the fridge. When freezing them I usually cook them and then place them in an air tight container spaced out on parchment paper. You can thaw them before cooking but I go straight from freezer to pan and they turn out great. Enjoy!  (more…)

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Upma (South Indian Savory Porridge)

Upma (pronounced ‘oop-maa’) is a traditional South Indian breakfast dish made from semolina or ‘sooji’. Recipes vary from household to household but this is my favorite way of making it. My mom would make this for me on Saturday mornings after dance classes especially in the winter and it made me feel cozy from the inside out. Semolina is similar to cream of wheat (aka farina) so you can use that instead of going specifically to an Indian grocery store for ‘Sooji’, however it may just turn out a little softer/smoother since it is further processed than semolina.

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Butter Pie Crust Recipe

This is my mother-in-law’s go to recipe for pie crust. The original recipe is here. The most frequent comments that I’ve seen on homemade pie crusts include the importance of cold ingredients/tools and not working the dough too much. Using a small measured amount of ice cold water so the dough just sticks together ensures that your crust won’t be too tough or too crumbly. Once the dough is made you’ll want to refrigerate it for 2 hours up to overnight to ‘relax the gluten’ and re-solidify the fats in the dough so it says in a flaky state and will help prevent shrinking as it bakes. I have a hard time eye-balling 9″ diameter so I just turn the pie plate over to trace the outline on some wax paper so I know when I’ve reached the appropriate diameter and then go 2″ outside of the line to ensure I can have enough height for a 1/2″ crimp on the crust.  (more…)

Spinach and Kale Thepla (Gujarati-Style Flatbread)

My husband had a cold so of course my mom had 15 Indian herbal remedies to make for him to ensure a speedy recovery (my personal favorite is ginger, lemon, and honey tea). One of these suggestions was buying as many leafy greens as possible and throwing them in a blender with tons of ginger and garlic so I thought I’d try it out. ‘Thepla’ is pronounced just as it sounds and can be eaten alone, with some plain yogurt, or used as a bread.  (more…)

Za’atar Roasted Potato Wedges

I love the flavors of the Middle East and found this recipe on Maureen Abood’s website. Oven baked potato wedges are delicious but sometimes they don’t have that crispy salty exterior that I crave. The method used in this recipe is fantastic and gives you that fluffy interior and crispy exterior that really hits the spot. The za’atar spice that I have is a delicious blend of thyme, sumac, roasted sesame seeds, marjoram, oregano and salt. Some za’atar spices don’t include salt so the amount of salt you use to season may vary. Next time I make these I’m going to sprinkle some more sumac on top to add some color and a little tang.

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Chocolate Macarons

This recipe from the Joy of Baking has a really great tutorial on how to make these delicate treats. Stephanie Jaworski is an excellent teacher and graciously allowed me to post her recipe here. I have only tried a few flavors of French Macarons and always find them too sweet. I like this recipe because I think it creates the perfect balance of bittersweet chocolate ganache between lightly flavored cookies. The texture is spot on after 1-2 days refrigerated and then thawed to room temperature before eating. You should have a slight crunch on the outer shell followed by a chewy consistency and then the creamy center… yummm.

 

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Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quinoa Breakfast Skillet

This is a really scrumptious protein-packed breakfast for two that my husband always looks forward to. The ooey gooey goodness of a runny yolk makes a rich sauce but it’s all good on its own also. It would probably taste even better with a tomato relish, but I haven’t found one I quite like yet.

 

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Black Bean, Kale and Corn Enchiladas with Fresh Corn Salsa

Whenever I make enchiladas I try to make some with shredded chicken so that my husband isn’t forced to eat vegetarian 100% of the time. I like the spicy black beans and pinto beans (yay for protein!) countering the sweet bursts of corn. Leftovers work well for tacos / fajitas. This recipe serves 8-10 people.

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