Sweet & Sour Balti Vegetable Curry

During the winter, my favorite last-minute dinners involve throwing together whatever root vegetables I have around the house in a warm, comforting soup, stew or curry.  This recipe is an adaptation of a chicken curry dish I found in this Indian cookbook, which uses a yogurt, chutney and tomato base to create a creamy sauce that is, indeed, sweet & sour–and delicious.

Here’s how we did it: first, begin sauteing the vegetables, beginning with the cubed root vegetables–we used red potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots.   While these get going, mix together the following in a small bowl:

• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala (or hot curry powder)
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. crushed garlic
• 2 Tbsp. peach or mango chutney
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar

Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to the sauteing root vegetables, plus any other vegetables you want to add.  We used some red bell pepper and green chillies. Add the spice, tomato and yogurt mixture.  Allow to cook on medium-high for a couple of minutes, then add 2/3 cup water.  Return to a boil, then lower the heat and allow the entire thing to cook, covered, for 5-7 minutes, or until the root vegetables are tender.

Finally, stir in about 1/4 cup milk or cream.  When everything is hot, serve over white rice.  It would also be a great idea to garnish this with fresh cilantro, but we weren’t fortunate enough to have any lying around the house at the time.

I love this curry for a few reasons: one is that it can be assembled using things that I almost always have around in the pantry (though, of course, this means being the sort of person who keeps peach chutney on hand).  The other is that it’s incredibly tasty in virtue of its ability to hit all the satisfying tastes–sweet, sour, salty, and spicy–while also being creamy and rich-tasting (but secretly involves less fat than is apparent, especially if you use low-fat milk instead of heavy cream).  Perfect for winter days at home.

Superbowl Champion Veggie Chili

This is not *my* veggie chili. But it bears a striking resemblance to it.

By this time, you have no doubt heard that the New Orleans Saints won the Superbowl (which, as my friend Nick points out, is like the Grey Cup, but with 4 downs and no “rouges”).  As a Louisiana native, I am extremely pleased with this development.  I vividly recall the days of bag-headed fans venturing into the Superdome to watch the “Aint’s,” and not getting to see home games on television because the failure to sell enough tickets meant a TV blackout within a 100 mile radius.  So, I really never expected this day to come, but I am pretty stoked that it finally did.

To celebrate the Saints’ competition in this, the most glorious of sporting events, I made Veggie Chili, which, as far as I’m concerned anyway, rose to the occasion.  The recipe is an adaptation of Emeril Lagasse’s Texas-style chili (which is definitely not vegetarian), and is both hearty and complex.  Here’s how it goes.

Begin by sauteing the following in a big pot with canola oil:

• 1 large vidalia onion, diced
• 1-2 jalapenos, chopped
• 1 chopped carrot
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
• 4 Tbsp. chili powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

After these have cooked for a couple of minutes, add:

• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 2 tsp. salt
• black pepper
• 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

When this is fragrant, add:

• 1 bottle of dark beer (we used a dark Belgian that we had on hand, but I’ve also used Guinness with pretty good results)
• 4 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Bring this to a boil, and taste it.  If your beer is on the bitter side, you may want to add about a tsp of sugar or honey.  Then, add 1.5 cups of dry, green lentils (make sure that you have washed and picked these over to get rid of any dirt or stones).  Boil for about 10 minutes, then reduce head to med-low and cook, covered, for 1 hour (or until the lentils are tender, but not mushy).  When the lentils have almost finished cooking, add a can of cooked kidney beans, and allow to simmer for another 15 minutes.

We served the chili with cheddar and chive scones, like these (made by Josh, of course),

plus a dollop of sour cream.  I don’t mind telling you that I think this chili is fantastic.  It’s satisfyingly spicy without being too much, and the flavor is big and bold without being one-note.  I also really, really like what the lentils do for the texture.  I’ve previously made this dish with TVP instead, and I think the ever-so-slight al dente character of the lentils is worlds better than the texture of TVP, which can get pretty mushy in soup.  It’s also a fun contrast with all of the other veggies, as well as the kidney beans.

By the end of the night, there were exactly zero servings of chili left–this recipe makes anywhere from 8-12, depending on how much other game-grub you have on hand–so I have a feeling that my chili-feelings here are deserved.    And, thankfully (finally!), so are my feelings for the Saints.

Stuffed Peppers and Hummus

Well, ever since we discovered the awesomeness that is the Lebanese Vegetarian Cookbook, we’ve been Lebanese-stuffed-vegetable-making-fiends.  Or something to that effect.  Josh actually did most of the work here; I was primarily responsible for the hummus–so, I’ll tell you a little bit about what I did there, and then simply relate the recipe for the peppers as it’s presented in the book.

I make hummus much the same way I make anything: putting stuff together and tasting it until it seems right.  So, less measuring than guessing…but you know how it is.  Fortunately, the whole thing is pretty simple: combine the following ingredients in a food processor until smooth:

• 1 can of cooked chick-peas
• 2 (ish) cloves of garlic
• tahini paste (I start with a little more than a tablespoon)
• lemon juice (probably about 1/4 cup)
• pinch of salt
• cayenne pepper (somewhere between 1/4 and 1/8 tsp)

I also usually add a little water in the beginning, which helps to get things moving.  Once these are combined, I taste it, and decide what it needs–I usually like a strong tahini flavor in my hummus, but you might like more lemon juice.  And the beauty of this, of course, is that you could add whatever flavors you liked (roasted garlic or roasted red pepper would be great).  Or you could bypass the whole thing and just buy your hummus in the store (and sometimes that does seem more viable, given the price of tahini)–but I’d encourage trying to make it at home because 1) frankly, it’s better than most of the stuff you’ll get in the store and 2) once you factor in the servings of hummus you can get out of a single jar of tahini and a few cans of chickpeas, it’s actually more cost-effective.

But enough of my preaching.

Here’s what we Josh did with the peppers: Cut the tops off of 4 green peppers (you could use red or yellow as well, of course, but green is cheaper), remove the seeds and rinse.  In a bowl, mix together the following:

• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 small white or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil

When combined, divide the mixture into 4 servings, filling each pepper.  Place the 4 filled peppers into a large pot (in which they can stand up without being overcrowded).  Mix together 1 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water, and pour over the peppers.  Cook for 35 minutes on medium low heat, adding a little water if necessary to keep some liquid in the pot.

When the rice is tender, the peppers are done.  To serve, we removed them (carefully!  use tongs, if you have them) from the pot and topped them with a bit of tzatziki (a lovely yogurt and cucumber sauce that’s great with lemony-garlicky stuff), plus the hummus and some pita bread on the side.  So, it was a garlic-fest–the best kind of fest, incidentally–full of flavor, with a great balance of acidity from the lemon and tomatoes, and creaminess from the tahini and tzatziki.

BONUS: This is super cheap to make, and makes a lot of food.

DOUBLE BONUS: If you want it to be vegan, just leave off the tzatziki.

TRIPLE BONUS: It’s delicious.  What more do you want?

Crawfish Étouffée

Recently, I went on a voyage back to Louisiana, and while there, I picked up a package of those magical little critters known almost as much for their mud-dwelling as for their deliciousness: crawfish.  If you’re a regular reader of this blog (if such things exist!), you know that most of the food we make is vegetarian…but we do make exceptions for fish, and especially crawfish.  Indeed, I was a strict vegetarian for almost two years, and eventually, well, the crawfish-deprivation just became too much to bear.  If you’ve never had them, you should absolutely find a way to remedy this tragic state of affairs as soon as possible. * Between now and then, however, you should simply know that while they’re about the size of smallish shrimp, their texture is far better (not rubbery), and their flavor is more like lobster, but better.

Seriously.  I recognize that, as a Louisiana native, I am certainly biased–but I cannot help but believe that if more people had crawfish, lobster wouldn’t be held in such high esteem.  They’re big, of course, but nowhere near as flavorful as the lowly mudbug.

Anyway, there are millions of ways to eat crawfish (crawfish soup, crawfish enchiladas, and crawfish pasta with cream sauce are only a few of my other favorites), but one of the best–and most classic–is Crawfish Etouffee.  “Etouffee” means “smothered” in French, and any etouffee (they, too, come in a variety of iterations) is essentially a rich, spicy gravy with seafood and veggies served over rice.  It’s actually quite a bit like gumbo (minus the okra), but thicker.

Interestingly, to make sure that the crawfish texture stays on track, most of the etouffee-making process is totally crawfish-free.  I started by making a light brown roux (with butter, a little oil, and flour), in which I sauteed onion, celery and green bell pepper.  When these had softened, I added garlic, and then a little crushed tomato, creole seasoning, salt, pepper and thyme.  Then, I slowly added several cups of vegetable broth, plus cayenne and a pinch of sugar.  I let this all simmer together and reduce for about half an hour, and then at the end, added the crawfish and chopped green onions.  When everything had come up to temperature, we served it over rice and with crusty bread (to soak up the extra, of course).

What can one say about etouffee?  How can you capture its awesomeness?  It’s impossible, of course, so I’ll just let you know that it was my favorite food as a child, and it continues to be right up there today: spicy, savory, rich, and completely, uniquely Louisiana.

*If you are from Louisiana, nothing from this point on will be news to you.

Pasta with White Wine Cream Sauce

Things have been busy at the Philosophers’ house of late, so we haven’t had much time to cook anything worth sharing with you.  Last night, however, after a day of hard work (and a little fun), we decided it was high time for something delicious–but only if it were also simple and quick.

It was thus that we happened upon this simple-looking pasta dish, which packs quite a bit of flavor.

Don’t be deceived by its everyday looks; this pasta is much tastier than you might imagine.  It’s filled with great veggies, of course–peppers, onions, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes–but the real secret (as they say) is in the sauce.  It’s actually just a simple béchamel to start out–I whisk together equal amounts of melted butter and flour to form a roux, then gradually whisk in milk until it’s smooth and creamy.  This time, though, I substituted about a half a cup of Chardonnay for some of the milk, which gives the sauce a really nice hint of sweetness and acid, adding some complexity to what would otherwise just be a straightforwardly dairy taste.

I cooked the veggies in the sauce, and tossed the finished pasta in with it to coat.  I’m also a big fan of the combination of cream sauce and sun-dried tomatoes; the intensity of flavor adds a nice punch to the richness.  So in the end, this dish isn’t too complicated, but is definitely not your average meal.  And as a bonus–if you have things like wine and flour on hand, it only costs about $4 to make.

Penne With Italian ‘Sausage’

This is one of my favorite weeknight minimal-effort-required meals.  It’s reminiscent of both a traditional arrabiata sauce and one of those sausage-and-peppers-on-a-bun deals you might get from a vendor at a sporting event.  I happen to think that both of those things are delicious, so it was only a matter of time before they got together in my cooking, especially once I discovered Tofurky sausages.  As far as I’m concerned, Tofurky makes the best sausages around–they have a great texture, come in a variety of flavors (for this application I used the sun-dried tomato Italian sausage, but I’ve also tried the Kielbasa for Jambalaya), and are really, really good at outdoor cookouts.

Anyway, veggie sausage isn’t the most economical vegetarian food choice (a pack of 4 generally runs you around $5, depending on where you are), it’s still comparable to meat in terms of price and gives the added bonus of convenience and unique flavor and texture that you just wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.  I think that this pasta does a good job of showing off that uniqueness, while making more of it than just a bun could.

The whole thing was pretty simple, but tasty.  While boiling some whole-wheat penne (gotta get your fiber!), I sauteed some peppers, onions and garlic in olive oil.  Once these got a bit of color, I added the chopped sausage, a little Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and dried chipotle chilies.  After the pasta was done, I tossed it in the sausage and pepper mixture with half a jar of store-bought marinara sauce, and added a handful of grape tomatoes at the last minute.  The results weren’t earth-shattering, of course, but they were pretty darn good–spicy, rich and tomato-y–for only 20 minutes in the kitchen.