I make a lot of dal. Some are good. Some are great. Some are not great. When I run out of freshly-made garam masala and decide to use the contents of an unmarked bag in my spice containers that may or may not at some point have been garam masala, my dal generally tends toward the … [Read more...] about Red Lentil Tadka Dal
Vegetarian
Coring Woes and the Other Cabbage: Indian Cabbage with Peas
I'm going to tell you a story you maybe don't want to hear. It has a delicious, happy ending though. Although the happy part comes before the really bad part , thus making it not exactly an ending, I suppose. I was making my second "I don't like cabbage" cabbage recipe last week … [Read more...] about Coring Woes and the Other Cabbage: Indian Cabbage with Peas
Sucking it Up and Finally Using my Cabbage: Gujarati Cabbage with Carrots
I tried making sauerkraut, my crock got moldy. I tried doing fresh slaw, my intestines revolted. So I'm going to tell you a secret. I started giving away green cabbage from my Lufa Farms Fresh Basket! Shh! I'd see that unsightly cabbage in the box and I'd groan. For one, it was … [Read more...] about Sucking it Up and Finally Using my Cabbage: Gujarati Cabbage with Carrots
Orange, Fennel and Red Cabbage Salad
I used to hate fennel. Anise, black licorice, ouzo, pastis - I hated all of it. I especially hated it with orange. But then I realized that I liked it depending on what I ate it with, and I especially loved it roasted, when it sweetened and softened in flavour. From there I … [Read more...] about Orange, Fennel and Red Cabbage Salad
Malaysian Breakfast: Coconut Rice with Red Curry Sambal and Swiss Chard
Since realizing that green curry paste was as easy as tossing cilantro, Makrut lime leaves, onions, garlic and a few spices in a blender, I've been making a lot of green curry. But red curries were another matter. To get that red colour you'd need a LOT of red hot peppers, … [Read more...] about Malaysian Breakfast: Coconut Rice with Red Curry Sambal and Swiss Chard
“Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans” from Simply Recipes
Rarely do I follow a recipe this perfectly, but I was bound and determined to get this one right. I think I spent about an hour and a half (of my free time, not my work time!) choosing the best black bean recipe I could find. Usually I'd just go with one of the fall-backs - rice … [Read more...] about “Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans” from Simply Recipes
Chicken and Vegetable Soup with Stock from the Montreal Gazette
The Montreal Gazette featured an article on how to make stock a few weeks ago just as I was buying a whole chicken and a bunch of legs. Perfect. Chicken soup stock. I used the roasted vegetable recipe at the end, but browned my chicken bones along with it as it said to do in … [Read more...] about Chicken and Vegetable Soup with Stock from the Montreal Gazette
Butter and Maple-Braised Endives
I took Lufa Farms' recommendation on this recipe for braised endives. I'm not blown away, but it was simple enough, and it's a simple recipe if you don't love eating endives raw in a salad. Ingredients 1 bag Diva organic endives (about 8-12) 1/4 cup butter or earth balance 2 … [Read more...] about Butter and Maple-Braised Endives
Cauliflower with Ginger and Cumin (Adraki Gobhi)
While it's maybe not a good idea to inhale an entire pot of cauliflower, it's a lot easier than I thought. Sometimes all you want is a salty, tender plate of cauliflower on rice. Or maybe that's just me... This is a pretty easy recipe as far as Indian spicing goes, but the fennel … [Read more...] about Cauliflower with Ginger and Cumin (Adraki Gobhi)
“Raw” vs. Canned Chilies and the “Ultimate Caribbean Chili Paste”
If you think pickling chilies ends at vinegar, black peppercorns and salt, think again. This paste becomes rich and mind-numbingly pungent from cilantro, garlic, and lime, and is lightened up by carrot. You're supposed to use green papaya and bitter melon, but I like baby steps, … [Read more...] about “Raw” vs. Canned Chilies and the “Ultimate Caribbean Chili Paste”