Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup

I get the Washington Post's "Eat Voraciously" newsletter every day and I'd say at least once every couple of weeks, I see a recipe that I want to try. This one is a really excellent mix of things I typically keep around the house - the cupboard and fridge/freezer contain almost everything on a regular basis, so it's great in a pinch and makes for a delicious and healthy lunch. I swapped a few things (frozen cauliflower instead of fresh, curry powder instead of turmeric) and made an accidental omission, and it was still great - even A was keen to have soup. So posting this now for my future reference when I make it again this weekend (and will add a picture if I can manage a decent picture of soup.

Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from the Washington Post

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion (12 ounces), chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder (originally turmeric but I ran out)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed and picked through to remove any stones
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
• 16 oz frozen cauliflower florets
• 1 cup light coconut milk, plus more for optional garnish (I totally forgot to add this and the soup was still great - obviously I will try again and see what difference this makes)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

Method

1. In a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until aromatic, 30 seconds more. Stir in the cumin, curry powder and cayenne pepper until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste to incorporate, followed by the lentils. Add the broth and salt, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. If the lentils have absorbed most of the broth, add more as needed — start with 1 cup — for a thick but soupy consistency. Add the cauliflower and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat so the soup is at a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is soft, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Or, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender: To prevent spatters, be careful to not fill it more than halfway, remove the center ring from the lid, and hold a kitchen towel over the lid as you blend.) Stir in the coconut milk and lemon juice, then taste, and season with additional salt, if desired.
3. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, garnish with a drizzle of coconut milk, if desired, and serve hot.

Arroz Rojo (Mexican Red Rice)

Adapted from Anna Luis Rodriguez's recipe in The Washington Post

This caught my eye since I usually have these ingredients on hand. Unsurprisingly I wanted to add a lot more vegetables, so proportions below show what I did (if you want the more traditional version please go to the original).

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes (8 to 10 ounces total), halved lengthwise
• 1/4 large white onion (3 ounces total), roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or chicken bouillon paste, such as Better than Bouillon or Knorr
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups water, or more as needed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cup frozen mixed vegetables (no need to defrost) - I used some fresh veggies since I had them (carrots, celery) and added frozen corn and peas
• 1 habanero pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

Method

1. In a large bowl, cover the rice with water and let soak for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, bouillon, tomato paste and habanero and puree until smooth. You should have about 1 cup of thick sauce. Add the water so you get 3 cups of sauce total and blend again until well combined.
3. Drain the rice, then rinse 2 to 3 times or until the water runs mostly clear. Drain the rice again.
4. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently until it turns bright milky white and some grains start to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables (inc the cilantro) and stir to combine with the rice. Pour in the tomato sauce, stir to combine and increase the heat to high. When it starts to boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice looks fluffy, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, to ensure the grains are evenly cooked, for another 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove the cover to release the steam. Fluff with a fork and serve, with more cilantro on top if desired.

4 Ingredient Spicy Tofu

 

This has been a repeat favorite at home, probably because it's so easy, so tasty, and pretty healthy on top of it all. It's surprisingly vegan too.

4 Ingredient Spicy Tofu

Ingredients

• 1 bag ground meat substitute, around 12-16 oz (this has been very good with the Gardein frozen ground be'f or the Impossible ground beef)
• 1 container tofu, 14-16 oz (any firmness works - I usually can find firm at my local grocery store, but I also love softer tofu in this dish when I make it to an Asian grocery store), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 12 oz bag of frozen shelled edamame
• Half of a 9.88 oz jar of Laoganma chili oil with fermented soybeans

Method

1. Heat a non-stick pot over medium heat. Add ground meat substitute and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.
2. Add tofu, edamame and chili oil. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are mixed and warmed through.
3. Eat on its own, or serve over rice.

Coconutty Beans & Greens

Some may remember a 9-month period where A and I attempted to be vegan (at least at home). It introduced me to a lot of new recipes and was a good way for us to be a little more mindful of how much meat we have in our diet, and we still mostly use milk substitutes at home now (A is particularly fond of coconut milk for the flavor it adds to his teas and coffees).

This recipe happens to be vegan, but I think it's so flavorful that it beats a lot of non-vegan recipes for me. A feature by Zaynab Issa, associate food editor at Bon Appetit, says this is a take on mbaazi wa nazi, an East African pigeon pea dish, so I should clearly go seek that out as this dish was a big hit. The picture above shows how many jars of this are ready to go for quick lunches during the week.

Coconutty Beans and Greens

Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2023 issue

6 servings

Ingredients

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 plum tomato, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 1" piece ginger, scrubbed

2 red Thai chilies (I bought a fairly large size bag of frozen ones at the Asian grocery and so always have them in the freezer)

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

1 13.5oz can of unsweetened coconut milk

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds and then quartered 

1 16oz package baby spinach & kale (my substitution for chard)

2 15oz cans navy beans (a substitution for cannellini, butter or gigante beans)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Optional: baguette

Method

1. Puree onion, tomato, garlic, ginger and chiles in a blender until smooth. I had to add 1/4 cup of water to get this to work, but it's fine, it cooks off in the next step.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add blender mixture and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture is evaporated and mixture is paste-like in consistency and beginning to stick to bottom of pot.
3. Stir in coriander, cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt. Pour in coconut milk and 2 cups water and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to buil. Add sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10-12 minutes.
4. Add beans, spinach and kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach and kale is wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice as needed.
5. Spoon into bowls and serve. If using baguette, slice it and toast it in a pan with a small amount of oil, then serve on the side of bowls.

Scallion Pancakes with Chili-Ginger Dipping Sauce

I have very fond memories of going to a Chinese restaurant on Sundays as a kid (not every Sunday, probably more like once every couple of months, but it was as close to a "regular" spot as we got). I think it was the previous iteration of Pao's Mandarin House - this would have been in the 80s and early 90s, and I remember it being in Central Austin. Anyway - two things were always ordered - pig ears and scallion pancakes. When I saw this recipe and realized I had all the ingredients in the house, I was so excited! It really brought back some nostalgic feelings for easier times.

Scallion Pancakes with Chili-Ginger Dipping Sauce

From Bon Appetit

Ingredients

Sauce
1 ½" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce (I used dark soy)
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. chili oil (I used chili flakes once, then sriracha the other time)
1 tsp. sugar

Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup chilled club soda (I used lime sparking water since that's what I had on hand)
2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce (I used dark soy)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
10 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal (about 2 cups)
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Method

Sauce

Whisk ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Set sauce aside.

Pancakes and Assembly

1. Whisk flour, cornstarch, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk club soda, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a medium bowl to combine, then pour into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth (be careful not to overmix; it’s okay if there are a few small lumps). Fold in scallions.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high. Pour ¼ cup batter into skillet. Cook, moving pan around on the burner for even cooking, until bottom of pancake is set and golden, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook, pressing down on pancake to create direct contact with pan, until other side is golden, about 1 minute. Continue cooking, turning often to keep scallions from burning, until golden brown and crisp and cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer pancake to a wire rack. Repeat process with remaining batter and remaining 3 Tbsp. oil 3 more times to make a total of 4 pancakes.
3. Cut each pancake into wedges if desired and serve with reserved sauce on the side for dipping.

Vegan Banana Muffins

For a person who hates bananas I sure have a lot of recipes for baked banana goods. This is mainly because I hate the smell of overripe bananas as much as I hate eating them, so when there are bananas going brown on the counter, I have to turn them into bread or muffins to get rid of them. Our vegan grocery shopping experiment in 2020 has resulted in a lack of eggs in the house, so after some Googling I found a recipe that I had most of the ingredients for, so kept tweaking it to work with the quarantine cupboard. A approved of the taste so I think it was successful!

Vegan Banana Muffins
Adapted from The Worktop

Ingredients

4 medium ripe bananas - mashed
1/2 cup water (or milk alternative)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups white flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar, but any vinegar/lemon juice should be fine.)

For topping

1 tablespoon quick cooking oats
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line or lightly grease a standard 12-hole muffin tin.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, water, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and brown sugar. You can mix this by hand, or use a hand mixer on low speed. I usually use a hand mixer since I find that it quickly will mash/puree a ripe banana.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Stir in the vinegar.
5. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups. Top the muffins with the oats (and turbinado sugar if using).
6. Bake muffins, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let muffins cool in pan 5 minutes. Transfer muffins onto a rack and let cool completely.

Sook Mei Faan (Cantonese Creamed Corn With Tofu and Rice)

Sook Mei Faan (Cantonese Creamed Corn With Tofu and Rice)

Adapted from the NYTimes

The original recipe caught my eye as I had all of the ingredients already, and I looooove corn dishes. I was a little dubious as to whether A would be into this, as he sometimes finds the more subtle, soft-textured Chinese dishes (like congee) a little off-putting. But he loves corn too, so I went ahead. Turns out he found this just as delicious as me and it was a comforting, healthy lunch dish that he asked for more of.

Ingredients

2 (14-ounce) packages silken tofu, drained (I have also used firm tofu if you're wanting a more hearty chew to your tofu)

3 cups corn kernels (1 pound), from 3 large cobs or thawed from frozen

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 scallions, finely sliced, plus more for serving

1 ½ cups vegetable stock (used Better than Bouillon)

 Kosher salt

 White pepper (used black pepper instead because I didn't have white)

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

 Steamed rice, for serving (I didn't serve this dish with rice - just on its own)

 Cilantro leaves and tender stems, for garnish

 Sesame oil or chile oil, for drizzling (only had sesame oil on hand)

Method

1. Carefully pat the tofu dry with a clean kitchen towel, and cut each block into 8 slices.
2. Place half the corn kernels into a blender or food processor, and blitz until creamy but still chunky. (I had to add water to the blender to get it to blitz, but I just reduced the amount of vegetable stock I added later accordingly)
3. Heat a medium saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger, garlic and scallions, and cook for 20 seconds until aromatic. (They shouldn't brown too much.) Add the remaining corn kernels, along with the blitzed corn and vegetable stock, season well with salt and white pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to bring the mixture to a boil. Stirring constantly, slowly add the cornstarch slurry, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened.
4. For each serving, lay half a package of tofu in a bowl and top with a generous amount of the creamed corn. Finish with scallions, cilantro and drizzle with sesame oil.
   

Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint

Whenever I see a recipe in a magazine with beautiful photographs, AND I have all the ingredients on hand (or am very close to that), I take it as a sign that I must try it out. Doesn't always end well, but here's another success story.

Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 tsp. cumin seeds (I used 1 tsp ground cumin)
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. honey
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced (I used 1/2 tsp chili flakes)
1 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
Kosher salt
1½ lb. medium carrots, scrubbed, halved lengthwise, tops trimmed to about 1"
2 avocados, cut into large pieces
½ cup mint leaves

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (I added this ingredient)

Method

1. Prepare a grill for medium heat (or in my case, the broiler in the oven). Toast cumin seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. (Or, just use ground cumin.)
2. Coarsely crush cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle or with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Transfer to a large bowl. Add lemon juice and honey. Whisk in ¼ cup oil until combined, then stir in chile and ginger. Season with salt. Let sit until ready to serve, which will give the chile and ginger time to infuse into the sauce.
3. Toss carrots with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Grill carrots, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and tender, 14–18 minutes. Immediately transfer carrots to bowl with sauce. Toss to coat; season with salt.
4. Arrange avocado and carrots on a platter. Spoon any remaining sauce over, then top with mint and sesame seeds. Serve carrots warm or at room temperature.

Sheet-pan Gnocchi with Asparagus, Leeks and Peas

Cooking has become a stress-relieving weekend activity - trying to find interesting things to make to mitigate the feeling of being trapped is certainly helping. Plus it helps me know that there are tasty lunches for the rest of the week and that I can focus on the other things that take up most of my thinking time these days, like actively being anti-racist so that whenever this pandemic eases, we don't just go back in time.

This recipe was a huge hit - A couldn't stop raving about how tasty the crispy yet potatoey gnocchi were, and happily ate enormous servings of vegetables. Modifications made below to reflect what we had on hand, and I can see myself using the same gnocchi roasting technique and mixing them with lots of different other vegetables as well. I have yet to meet a roasted vegetable I don't enjoy. A couple of vegan adaptations included, which I don't think were too detrimental (though I really miss parmesan).

Sheet-pan Gnocchi with Asparagus, Leeks and Peas

Adapted from the NYTimes

Ingredients

24 ounces refrigerated, precooked gnocchi
5 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into thirds
2 large leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, then sliced 1/2-inch thick (about 2 cups) - I don't mind the darker green parts of a leek, even though a lot of leek recipes have you discard them
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 lemon, scrubbed
½ cup grated Parmesan (optional)
¼ cup sliced fresh chives or parsley (optional)

Method

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss gnocchi with 3 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
2. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss asparagus and leeks with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few generous grinds of pepper.
3. Put both pans in the oven, with the gnocchi on the bottom rack and the vegetables above. Stir the gnocchi and vegetables after 5 minutes to distribute the oil. Stir the vegetables once or twice more, but leave the gnocchi undisturbed. Roast until vegetables are golden and getting crispy on the edges, about 15 minutes total, and the gnocchi are golden brown on one side, 20 to 25 minutes total. Stir the peas into the vegetables in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
4. Combine the gnocchi and vegetables on one tray, then grate the lemon zest over the top. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan and chives/parsley, if using, saving some for serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and chives/parsley, if using, and serve immediately.

Let's Make All Roasted Brassicas Delicious

This method works on all vegetables that take well to roasting - in particular, brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Turn your oven up to 375F (and if you have a convection setting, pop that on as well). Take the equivalent of a large head of cauliflower, cut it up into small pieces (for cabbages, it works well to slice it into wedges that are still attached to the stem at the bottom), and toss it on a generously olive-oiled baking sheet so that all the little vegetable pieces get a light coating of oil. Throw the whole pan in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Take the pan out, flip all the vegetable pieces so that you start getting nice browned edges everywhere, and then roast for another 10 minutes.

Take all the ingredients below, except for the mint and cilantro, and whisk in a small bowl. When the vegetables are done roasting, toss all of the veg in a large bowl, and throw all the mint and cilantro in, as well as some dressing to taste. Keep adding dressing until you think the whole thing is salty and sour and delicious enough.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon fish sauce (can use vegetarian or vegan substitutes for this)

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar (brown or white)

1 small chili, minced

1/2 clove garlic, minced

handful of mint

handful of cilantro