Vindaloo Vegetables

After an indulging weekend (thanks to my friends who hosted a fantastic Mardi Gras party), I wanted something light and full of vegetables. I had this Vindaloo Vegetables recipe in mind for a couple of weeks, having seen it on FatFreeVegan.com and the time came to try it out. As with many Indian dishes, more time is spend chopping up the veggies, grinding the spices and the paste vs. the actual cooking, which can be quite time-consuming. Also, I had a sink full of cooking accessories by the time I was done (an auto spice grinder), so I've modified the process to cut down on the preparation time.

I've used my mighty pressure cooker from the beginning to finish to make a one-pot meal: from cooking dry beans to sauteing all the veggies to heating them up. This definitely saves you washing another pot and a skillet.  

The result is an outstanding sublime Vindaloo Vegetables dish so full of flavour, very light, and a virtually a guilt-free foodie main dish. I served it over rice for the kids but Vindaloo Vegetables is great on its own (that's how I had it) .

Servings: 8 
Makes in: 1 hour

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 small carrots, thinly sliced
• 4 cups small cauliflower florets
• 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 green / red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 pitted date, coarsely chopped
  i used 1/3 cup of sultana raisins
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 cardamom clove, ground
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans (or one 15.5 ounce canned beans, rinsed and drained)
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  i used 1 cup tomato sauce
• salt and freshly ground black pepper (salt is optional)
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1. Prepare all of the vegetables.
2. Heat a large non-stick pot or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and one tablespoon of water, cover, and cook until softened, stirring often and adding more water as necessary to prevent burning - about 5 minutes. 
3. In the mean time, a blender or food processor (I used a coffee grinder and only 1/4 cup water), combine the garlic, ginger, date, coriander and other spices, vinegar, and 1/2 cup water; process until smooth and set aside. 
4. Add the spice paste from the blender and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. 
5. Add the cauliflower and kidney beans. Cover and turn heat to low. 
6. Put the tomato paste and 1 1/4 cup water in the blender and blend thoroughly. You can skip this step by using tomato sauce + 1 cup water instead. It will not have the same concentrated tomato taste, but I'll take it as I won't have to clean up a messy grinder.
   Add the tomato paste mixture to the vegetables, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. 
7. Add the zucchini and bell pepper, season with pepper and salt (if using), and continue cooking, covered, until the vegetables are tender, but not mushy, about 5 -10 minutes. 
8. Add the peas and allow to heat through for a couple of minutes.
   Serve alone or over basmati rice or other grain.

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"Buffalo"-style Cauliflower Bites

Superbowl 2015 has recently passed. There are a few quint-essential recipes that are associated with watching the game, Buffalo chicken wings included. I love the pungent flavour of the Buffalo dressing, spiked with vinegar, but have always wanted to try a vegetarian option. After searching a bit, I found this recipe of the Cauliflower Buffalo Bites on by the SaucySoutherner.

I simplified the preparation: so this recipe of the "Buffalo"-style Cauliflower Bites is easy and fast. You can have this guilt-free and light recipe ready in under 30 minutes, including the prep time!

• 1 head cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tbsp hot chili sauce / Sriracha / Frank's Hot sauce , etc
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups Panko crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
2. Separate the cauliflower head into bite-sized florets. Place the florets in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, add the melted butter, hot sauce, white vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower and mix well so the florets are covered with sauce evenly. 
5. Pour the crumbs over the cauliflower and mix well. Most of the crumbs will adhere to the florets.
6. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden brown.
7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.

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Red Cargo Rice and Brown Rice Salad with Bell Peppers, Raisins, and Walnuts

This Red Cargo Rice and Brown Rice Salad salad is a burst of textures, colours, and flavours. Asian-style dressing adds depth to the nutty texture; with a surprising combination of raisins and red bell peppers.

Red Cargo Rice is definitely a star in this Red Cargo Rice and Brown Rice Salad - it has more texture than brown rice and adds a great colour.  The presentation is beautiful enough to make it a holiday dish. It can be served warm as a colorful side dish or as a salad, when chilled.

Serves:  12 

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 cup red cargo rice 
• salt to taste
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup roasted walnut pieces, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Soy Sauce Dressing

• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sugar 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic crushed or finely chopped
• 1cm root ginger finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste 

1. To make the soy sauce dressing, put all sauce ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake well to blend. 
2. Cook rice in boiling salted water for 40-45 minutes until soft. Rinse, drain well and cool. Place in a bowl and add remaining ingredients. 
3. Toss thoroughly before serving. 10 minutes before going to serve, add the soy sauce dressing to the rice and veg and toss well, then serve.
   
   
   
   Adapted from Allrecipes.au

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Zucchini and Bell Peppers Slaw

Last night I made an Italian dinner for a group of people. With many antipasti to start, I really wanted a very light salad to accompany Osso Buco, the hearty main dish. Zucchini and Bell Peppers Slaw was just perfect - very light and crunchy, it balanced the veal very well. The crunch of raw vegetables and the zesty flavour of the balsamic dressing add a punch to the main dish. It can be easily served as a side dish or a salad. All in all, Zucchini and Bell Peppers Slaw is a fantastic salad, that is so easy to prepare and easy to enjoy.

Serves 6
Ready in 2-3 hours

• 1 medium zucchini, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow / green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced 

1. Prepare Balsamic Vinegar Dressing.
2. Julienne the vegetables uniformly to have the same length and width.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix gently. Put the salad in the fridge to let the flavours develop for at least 2 hours.
4. When ready to serve, drain the accumulated juice by reclining the bowl over the sink.
   
   

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