The Rich Vegetarian

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Category: Recipes (page 6 of 10)

December 4, 2012 / 2 Comments

Apple Pie for Breakfast!

Imagine an apple pie so healthy that you can eat it for breakfast every day. One that is choc-a-full of coconut, pecans, dates, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices, an apple pie that is vegan and gluten-free, spicy and sweet, healthy and nutty and all that good stuff…

I got the recipe from John and Brenda Strickland, good friends from Atlanta Unity. I believe they got it off the Internet although John couldn’t remember the source. Thanks, John and Brenda!

This is a keeper of a recipe. I have made it twice already. P loved it, so did I. I remember eating a slice for breakfast each morning! A food processor is mighty useful to make this pie unless you like to chop up six apples into tiny bits and bites. I put my cute little Kitchenaid to good use here. I had no pecans, so I used walnuts instead. Also, I used lime juice instead of lemon juice.

The first time I made it, I followed the recipe. Second time, I halved the proportions but used the same 9″ pie plate. End result? A delicious apple pie that was a sliver high. Note to self, use a smaller pie plate if you halve the recipe.

Crust
1.5 cups shredded coconut
1.5 cups pecans
0.5 cups pitted dates
0.5 teaspoon salt

In a food processor, combine the coconut, nuts and salt. Process until fine. Add the dates and process until a dough is formed. Press the dough into a 9″ pie plate or tart dish.

Filling
6 cups peeled and chopped apples
Juice from half a lemon
1 cup of pitted, soaked and drained dates
2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine two cups of the apples in food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend well and pour the mixture over the remaining apples. Mix well. Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust. Refrigerate for an hour or longer.

Tada!

Raw Apple Pie

John and Brenda made this pie a day ahead and chilled it overnight. That’s what I did as well. It helps the pie to firm up and set. I used Fuji apples but I am sure it will taste great with other varieties as well. This is a recipe that you would have to try real hard to go wrong with. You can’t mess up this apple pie, really.

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Pumpkin Black Bean Chili
November 14, 2012 / 1 Comment

Vegan Black Bean Pumpkin Chili

I first encountered chili in the cafeteria at my old workplace. It was one of the few items I could order off the menu. I loved the spicy-sweet flavors, the hearty and all-is-well-with-the-world feeling it generated in me, and the sheer heat of the preparation. Over the years, I have seen many chili recipes, both vegetarian and vegan, but I never stirred to make it at home. I knew that it was simple enough but my list of ‘to-make’ recipes is constantly expanding… and so vegetarian chili stayed put on the list.

Until last night.

I had bought a can of organic pumpkin to make Pumpkin Spice Latte. I suppose I am one of the very few rare individuals who cannot understand the pumpkin madness that engulfs the United States this time of the year. But I wanted to give it a chance, so I went ahead and made the drink. Hmmm, still not a fan. Anyway, I found myself left with an almost full can of organic pumpkin. It occurred to me that I could buy a can of black beans, add the pumpkin, throw in a smattering of spices… and voila, chili would be ready!

That’s how this dish came about. I looked online for recipes, finally alighting on this one. I don’t drink alcohol or use it for cooking, so I skipped the beer component. Instead of using the various spices mentioned in the recipe, I took the lazy way out by substituting Taco Seasoning bought at Trader Joe’s some time ago. I didn’t have onion at home, so that was out as well. I had a giant clove of garlic but I was sure that the dish wouldn’t suffer from its absence, so I skipped it as well. At the end, when the chili was simmering, I tasted some, and thought that it could do with some sweetness. I squirted a few drops of agave in it but it didn’t make much of a difference, as I realized later.

All that being said, it was one rocking bowl of chili! It had all the heartiness and bite that I adore in this dish plus it had the subtle sensation of heat that doesn’t burn the tongue but warms your system in the nicest way possible. As I began eating, my nose started to run… Yes, it was that kind of heat. I suppose it came from the green chiles in the fire-roasted tomatoes. I felt that I could have thrown in more vegetables, some corn, chunks of butternut squash… the possibilities are endless.

What about the pumpkin, you ask? I think it contributed to the thick and creamy texture of the chili but its flavor was most likely masked by the other intense spices, I think. But the fact that it’s in there, swimming with the other ingredients, adding its nutritious punch to the dish… makes me happy.

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

Ingredients

3 – 4 teaspoons of olive oil
1 can black beans
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 can pumpkin
1 – 3 teaspoons of Taco Seasoning
salt to taste

Method
1. Warm 3 – 4 teaspoons of oil. I used extra-virgin olive oil but you can use any kind that you like. I wouldn’t recommend coconut oil, though.

2. Add chopped peppers. Saute for a couple of minutes until the peppers begin to sweat, then add the pumpkin. Stir thoroughly and let it cook.

3. Now add the fire-roasted tomatoes and black beans. Mix well. Add water until it has the thick soupy consistency you are looking for.

Simmering Chili

4. Add the Taco Seasoning, a little at a time, tasting as you go.

5. Reduce the heat, let it simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. This will help the flavors to meld, and for the dish to come together as a whole. Taste for salt, add as appropriate. Turn off the heat. Serve piping hot!

I like to garnish my serving with a blob of Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread. You can use the topping of your choice. I should think that sour cream or butter would do the trick.

If you plan to eat later, then keep in mind that the chili will thicken a little with time, not a lot.

I assume that this is a dish that only gains in flavor with time, so I am looking forward to the leftovers tonight!

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September 27, 2012 / 3 Comments

Sweet Potato Coconut Mash

I have recently begun to get recipes from my Mom. You might wonder why I never thought of it earlier. Laziness, probably. Mom’s style of cooking is simple, effortless, organic and free-flowing. By organic, I don’t mean that she uses organic ingredients. She simply goes along as per her whim, throwing together a seemingly random assortment of vegetables, spices, seasonings and garnishes. The end result is always yummy, no exception. I think her secret lies in taking neither herself nor her cooking too seriously. Seems like a solid recipe for a happy life, don’t you think?

Below is her recipe of Sweet Potato Coconut Mash. I can take credit for the fact that this simple yet delicious recipe originated in my sunny kitchen this summer. A delightful sweet-tangy-spicy combination… Who’d think that the humble sweet potato could taste so divine? I’d like to believe that Mummy had the bright idea first!

Here are the ingredients you need.

The plastic container (top) contains white urad dal. It can be purchased from your neighborhood Indian grocery store. Buy the smallest packet you find. Use what you need and store the remaining in your refrigerator. I use urad dal frequently while cooking Indian dishes, so I keep it in my pantry. Other ingredients in the top picture are sweet potatoes, green chillies, curry leaves and mustard seeds. I keep a packet of frozen coconut in my freezer all the time. I like the brand Daily Delight but you can use whichever one you prefer. Or if you have fresh grated coconut at hand, use it. Infinitely preferable to using the frozen kind, I think. Lastly, you need the juice of one lemon (I prefer lime), chopped cilantro, turmeric and salt to taste.

Here is Mummy’s recipe.

Chop sweet potatoes into small cubes.

Warm 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil. At Dekalb Farmers Market, I found a 32-ounce container of organic, extra-virgin coconut oil for $9.99. It is fragrant, rich and delicious! That’s the one I have been using these days. When the oil is warm, add a teaspoon of mustard seeds. As the seeds start to pop, add a teaspoon of urad dal, a handful of curry leaves, one chopped green chili (chilli?).

Roast the mixture for a few seconds.

Add chopped sweet potatoes, a teaspoon of turmeric, salt to taste. Stir well.

Cover, let it cook.

Stir periodically to ensure that the potatoes don’t stick to the bottom of the vessel.

When the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh/frozen grated coconut, chopped cilantro leaves, lime juice.

Sweet Potato Coconut Mash, Voila!

Enjoy with steaming brown rice, a generous dollop of ghee, your choice of accompanying dal or sambar or rasam, lime/mango pickle! Or serve as a side dish to your main course.

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June 12, 2012 / 1 Comment

Blackberry Jam

A couple of weeks back, we saw rows and rows of bushes in our backyard bearing tiny red fruit. They looked like blackberries but I wasn’t sure. Finally, P tasted one and confirmed – blackberries, yes. And so many of them. Unexpected bounty from the backyard that literally sprung up overnight. Each day, we picked bowls and bowls of ripe blackberries. Sprinkled rock salt over them, threw them in salads, ate them plain.

Blackberry Bushes

And then one day, I made a batch of blackberry jam. This has to be the simplest recipe ever.

Ingredients
4 cups of blackberries
1 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the blackberries and sugar in a thick-bottomed steel pan. Don’t worry if the fruit-sugar mixture reaches up to the rim. It will cook down to less than half of the original volume. Turn on the heat. The fruit and sugar will begin to break down, reducing in volume, bubbling merrily. After it has liquefied completely, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer.

The mixture will first gain a sauce-like consistency, and gradually start thickening. Keep stirring so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom. At this point, you can spoon out a little bit, lay aside to cool, and taste for sweetness. Turn off the heat as soon as the mixture achieves a jammy level of thickness. Add the vanilla extract. Stir well.

Simmering Jam

Cool. Store in a clean glass bottle.

Spoon the jam into a bowl of yogurt, slather on toast, eat straight from the bottle… 🙂 For a spicy kick, consider adding red pepper flakes as the fruit-sugar mixture cooks down. Another option is freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!

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