11/20/2013

So haven't posted in a while.  Thnking about food and health, and the relationship, as is common here.  Today I made a wonderful Indian rajma, or kidney bean stew.  Basically, I put a sliced jalapeno whole in the cooking water after soaking a cup of kidney beans overnight.  Then I cooked them until they were nice and still a bit al dente.  I sauteed some onion and garlic with cumin (whihc can take the immediate heat of sauteing in a way that other spices can't), then poured in the beans with their thickened liquid. I don't measure, but maybe a tbs of cumin.  (Not rounded though.)  Then added turmeric, coriander (tsp), cardamom (half tsp), cinnamon (quarter to half tsp), and a couple of tbs tomato paste.  Then just let that simmer for an hour, on very low heat, covered.  Oh, I added another jalapeno in with the sauteing onions and garlic.)  Twoard the end I added some frozen peas and carrots, for looks as much as anything.  I would have added a handful of chopped cilantro, but didn't have any.

Served over rice with turmeric and cayenne.  Heaven, right here in my house.

I want to put together 10 basic recipes for the coming winter that are vegan and healthy.  Just rotate them and that will be pretty much all I eat.

Thanks to the Hare Krishnas in Tallahassee, who many years ago taught me to use these spices well enough that I don't have to measure them.  They make it a lot easier to be vegan (which, by the way, I'm not, yet).

One recipe I have for my 10 is a basic Thai curry, using one of those cans of curry paste and coconut milk, with some (vegetarian) fish sauce.  I use the really good Twin Oaks tofu, which is to the stuff you get in supermarket what a free range chicken is to the ones from Tyson.  Try it if you can find it.  I saute that with sweet potato cubes, carrots, regular potatoes, and then add green beans.  This is pretty excellent. Cilantro at the end.

I don't do hummus regularly now, adn might have lost my skills, but my hummus used to be famous.  I will bake fresh bread through the winter, so one dish is just hummus on fresh bread.  I usually eat the whole loaf (not at one time!) with butter, but that's not vegan. Need to get some of the Earth Balance stuff.  Or jsut use olive oil with some balsamic and herbs.