Peanut Butter Smoothie

Monday, November 21, 2016 - Lunch
Peanut Butter Smoothie (Recipe from Mayim's Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik)

This smoothie was pretty good. It was my second attempt at this recipe, this time without the optional spinach (see earlier post). It was much better this way. The only change I might make, if I were to try it again, would be to add a little extra almond milk to thin the consistency; it was a little thick, but still tasty and filling.

Pumpkin Curry

Sunday, October 23, 2016 - Dinner
Pumpkin Curry  (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This pumpkin curry was delicious, and perfect for a cool fall day.  I made it a little spicier than the recipe suggested, and it was nice and hot with a hint of sweetness.  The only thing that made it a little weird was the texture of the coconut - at first, I thought that the lentils were undercooked, but it was just pieces of coconut.  Perhaps next time I could blend the coconut before adding it to the curry sauce.  This curry dish was tasty and satisfying, and it made 10 servings, so I have plenty of leftovers for lunches!  

Pasta with Tomatoes and Artichokes

Sunday, September 4, 2016 - Dinner
Crowd-pleasing Pasta with Tomatoes and Artichokes (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This sauce was flavorful and easy to make, and the recipe made so much food that I'll have plenty of leftovers for lunches this week!

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

Saturday, September 3, 2016 - Dinner
African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

I've been wanting to make this recipe for a while, so as soon as my local farm had fresh sweet potatoes, I jumped at the chance to cook up this stew.  I was not disappointed.  The stew smelled delicious while it was cooking, and it tasted fantastic.

It reminded me a little of the Saffron-spiked Moroccan Stew, but while that was sweet and spicy, this one was a hearty stew with a strong peanut flavor and a hint of sweetness.

I served the stew over couscous, per the cookbook's recommendation, and added some texture and made this meal even more filling and satisfying.

Warm Spinach Salad

Monday, August 22, 2016 - Dinner
Warm Spinach Salad (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This salad was delicious!  It was quick and easy to make.  The recipe name is a bit of a misnomer: the spinach is cold, with warm balsamic dressing poured on top.  The dressing only took a few minutes to cook on the stove, while the pecans toasted in the toaster oven.  I don't normally like raw red onions, but when they absorbed the warm dressing, their texture and flavor turned out great.  I have a lot of leftover dressing (the recipe made 6 servings), so I'm planning to try it cold as well as reheated.  It might also be good as a marinade.

Peanut Butter Smoothie

Monday, August 22, 2016
Peanut Butter Smoothie (Recipe from Mayim's Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik)

I did not like this smoothie at all.  It was very thick, strong on the peanut butter / banana flavor, and the (optional) spinach did not go well with the other flavors, in my opinion.  I may try it again some other time - without the spinach - but there were other smoothies from this cookbook that were much, much better.

Cornmeal-Crusted Tempeh with Orange Ginger Sauce

Sunday, August 22, 2016 - Dinner
Cornmeal-Crusted Tempeh with Orange Ginger Sauce (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This dish turned out well - the tempeh was tender with a crunchy cornmeal crust, and the sauce was really good.  This was probably my most successful attempt at breading something - it came out perfectly.  It was a bit messy to make, and it took a little while, but it was worth it.  

The flavors in the sauce didn't seem like they would all go together (oranges, onions, capers, garlic, ginger), but the sauce turned out to be very good.  I had a lot left over, which would probably taste good on some frozen chik'n nuggets to make orange ginger "chicken."

"Chicken" Parmigiana

Saturday, August 13, 2016 - Lunch
Skillet "Chicken" Parmigiana (Recipe from Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian)

This is a recipe I started making over 10 years ago.  Like many of the other recipes from this cookbook, it's a simple combination of mostly store-bought ingredients.  I used Boca brand vegan breaded "chicken" patties.  I melted some lactose-free (but non-vegan) cheese on one of the two patties.  This recipe could easily be made vegan without cheese, or using vegan cheese.  This is a quick recipe that is easy to make, filling, and tastes good.

Boston Baked Beans

Sunday, August 7, 2016 - Dinner
Boston Baked Beans (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

These beans were delicious!  They tasted as good as (or better than) canned, name-brand beans.  They were pretty simple to make, with only a few ingredients to mix together and bake.  It could be even faster with canned navy beans, instead of starting from dry beans.

The photos didn't come out as well as I would have liked.  Originally, I was planning to make the baked beans for a meal with corn on the cob and green beans.  The summer feast would have made for a better photo than the beans alone, with a little more color.

I would definitely make these again -- they were fantastic.

Mexican Tofu-Rice Skillet

Saturday, August 7, 2016 - Lunch
Mexican Tofu-Rice Skillet (Recipe from Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian)

This is a dish I've been making for over 10 years, from the very first vegetarian cookbook I ever owned.  This dish is tasty and filling, and though you don't usually think of tofu in Mexican or other Hispanic dishes, it is a great combination.  The recipe makes 4+ servings, so there are always leftovers for lunches during the week.

Most of the recipes I've made for the blog are completely "from scratch," using only fresh ingredients and whole foods.  This Betty Crocker cookbook lives up to its name, as the "easy" recipes tend to be quick, simple dishes which often use store-bought, pre-packaged ingredients.  For example, this recipe calls for canned tomatoes with chili peppers and a packaged spanish rice mix.  This makes the recipe quick and easy, but it can also add a lot of salt and processed ingredients, so I don't use this cookbook as often as did a few years ago.  There are still a few favorite dishes - like this one - that I make fairly regularly.

Peach-Bourbon Compote

Saturday, July 30, 2016 - Dessert
Peach-Bourbon Compote (Recipe from Runners' World, August 2016)

This dessert was delicious!  I'm surprised it was featured in Runner's World, since it's basically fruit covered in syrupy molasses, sugar, and butter, with little bit of bourbon.  I made it even less healthy by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  I made this dairy-free using almond milk ice cream and nondairy butter.

Falafel Burgers

Saturday, July 23, 2016 - Lunch
Falafel Burgers (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

These chickpea and parsley burgers were tasty.  I have made them before, and I usually cook them in a skillet with a little oil.  This time, I baked them in the oven according to the recipe directions.  I modified the recipe slightly, to use less onion and slightly less garlic than suggested.  I also added water to the mixture to help form it into burger patties - otherwise they would have been too dry.  Even so, they crumbled during baking and when I tried to flip them part way through the baking time.  The crumbly burgers were a little messy on a bun, but actually worked well in pita sandwiches, because they spread out in the pockets and allowed more room for veggies without ripping the bread.  

The recipe had an accompanying recipe for vegan tzatziki sauce (a cucumber / sesame yogurt sauce), but the store only had vanilla soy yogurt, instead of plain, and it might have been weird with the sweetness of vanilla.  I'd like to try making the sauce eventually.

Lavender Lemonade

Sunday, July 17, 2016
Lavender Lemonade (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This lemonade hit the spot on a hot summer day! The infusion of lavender with fresh-squeezed lemons was delicious and refreshing.
(It would also be tasty with a splash of vodka or gin.)

It took much longer than it should have to make, because I couldn't find my citrus juicer (or maybe I only imagined that I have one?), so instead I squeezed the lemons by hand. I also tried, with limited success, to use a spout-style 'juice extractor,' but it works better for larger fruits like oranges and grapefruit.
I will definitely make this recipe again, and I will make sure I have the proper tools next time.

As an added bonus, every time I make this, I'll be helping to keep my overgrown lavender plant from getting out of control.  And I'll get yummy lemonade as a reward.

Chickpea Salad

Saturday, June 25, 2016 - Lunch
Better-Than-Tuna Salad (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This salad was fantastic.  It didn't taste anything like tuna (which is perfectly fine with me), although the texture of the mashed chickpeas was similar to shredded tuna.  The recipe said that the salad could be made with whole chickpeas instead, but it recommended mashing them for texture and to help it hold together better for sandwiches.  The next time I make this, I might skip the effort of mashing the chickpeas and use them whole, because I ate much of the salad by itself (instead of on sandwiches), and I could easily make pita-pocket sandwich to hold the salad.

The salad had a few ingredients that I'm not used to seeing in a tuna salad - like carrots, red bell peppers, and walnuts - in addition to the more traditional celery.  I plan to make this salad again - it would be great for summer cookouts!

Smokin' BBQ Tofu

Saturday, June 18, 2016 - Lunch
Smokin' BBQ Tofu (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This was a great post-run lunch on a hot summer day.  The recipe called for the tofu to be pan-fried, with a little oil, then baked with a thick covering of sweet and spicy barbecue sauce.  The tofu was crispy and fluffy, tasty and filling.  I used store-bought barbecue sauce, but I'd like to try the recommended recipe from this cookbook.  I will definitely make this recipe again - it was simple and delicious!

Tofu Benedict with Chipotle Cream

Sunday, June 5, 2016 - Lunch
Tofu Benedict with Chipotle Cream (Recipe from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin)

I've never had eggs benedict, so I don't know how it compares, but I enjoyed this tofu benedict recipe.  Instead of hollandaise sauce, the patties were topped with chipotle cream, a vegan chipotle mayo sauce.  I made a couple slight modifications to the recipe from the cookbook - I omitted the red bell peppers in the patties, since I didn't have any in the house, and I used english muffins instead of bread for the base.  The dish turned out well.  The tofu patties tasted good, and crumbled easily like scrambled eggs.  The flavor was good, and the charred tomatoes complemented the spices and herbs in the tofu patties.

Chipotle Cream

Chipotle Cream - Recipe from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin

This sauce is a vegan chipotle mayo that goes well on sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and tacos.  I made it originally to go with Tofu Benedict, another recipe from the same cookbook.

Tofu Egg Salad

Sunday, May 22, 2016 - Lunch
Tofu Egg Salad (Recipe from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin)

I've never really loved egg salad, so I was not sure what I would think about this recipe, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It tasted very similar to egg salad, in my opinion, and although I don't think I'll eat much of the leftovers, I enjoyed my sandwich.  My husband was skeptical of the substitution of tofu for eggs, but he liked it, and said it reminded him of the sandwiches his family would eat as a picnic lunch on vacations when he was a kid.  Today was a great day for a summer meal, and I think this recipe would be fitting for a summer picnic or barbecue.  

Matzoh Pizza

Thursday, April 28, 2016 - Dinner
Passover Pizza (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This matzoh pizza was a variation of the English Muffin Pizzas from the same cookbook.  The outer edge stayed crispy, but the part with the sauce and toppings got a little softer, like a thin-crust pizza.  The matzoh pizza was okay, but the english muffin pizzas (and my own pita pizza recipe) are better.

Matzoh Chocolate Brittle

Saturday, April 23, 2016 - Dessert
Matzoh Chocolate Brittle (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

I was expecting this to be similar to chocolate-covered pretzels, with a peanut brittle flavor.  I used unsalted matzoh, so it didn't really have that sweet/salty combination that chocolate pretzels have.  There was a strong toffee flavor, which is not my favorite.  The bottom side of the bread was very sticky with soft toffee, but the top side turned out well with the hardened chocolate.

I didn't love the flavor - or the texture - so I will probably not make this again.  There is a full baking sheet's worth of brittle, so I probably will not even eat what is already made, though I may have a few more pieces.

Outrageous Granola

Saturday, April 23, 2016
Outrageous Granola (Recipe from Mayim's Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik)

This granola turned out perfectly. It was crunchy and delicious, and relatively simple to make. I made the granola on Saturday afternoon to eat for breakfast on Sunday. It smelled delicious as it was baking, filling the whole house with the scent of toasted oats, nuts, and maple.

I sampled some of the granola on Saturday evening, and saved the rest for later. It was great by itself, and it made a fantastic cereal - topped with almond milk - for Sunday morning breakfast.  It would also be good on top of yogurt.

This recipe is a new favorite, and it would be easy to modify the types of nuts and dried fruit to try different flavor combinations.  

Rainbow Smoothie

Saturday, April 9, 2016 - Dinner
Rainbow Smoothie (Recipe from Mayim's Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik)

This 'rainbow' smoothie is made from a variety of colorful fruits and veggies, including blueberries, raspberries, oranges, pineapple, and spinach.  I was skeptical about spinach in a fruity drink, but I couldn't taste it -- the smoothie tasted like berries with a hint of orange.  This smoothie was very sweet, and it was more like a dessert than a meal, but it was a relatively healthy dessert, since there was no added syrup or sugar, and since it had vegetables in it.  It was very thick, so I added a little more almond milk than what the recipe suggested.

Green Smoothie

Friday, April 8, 2016 - Lunch
Green Smoothie (Recipe from Mayim's Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik)

This smoothie was delicious!  I admit that I was not expecting to like it -- the green color is not appetizing.  The main ingredients are banana, pineapple, and spinach.  It mostly tasted like banana, and not like spinach at all.  Avocado was an optional ingredient that I didn't use this time, but I might try including it the next time I make this recipe.

Fruity Oatmeal Smoothie

Sunday, April 3, 2016 - Lunch
Fruity Oatmeal Smoothie (Recipe from Mayim's Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik)

When it comes to smoothies, I tend to be a bit old-fashioned.  I've tried some weird combinations, and I usually prefer the simple fruit and milk blends (or almond milk, in my case).  I'm planning to try a few of the smoothie and shake recipes from the various cookbooks I own, and I started with this simple recipe that falls on the milder end of the smoothie spectrum.  I was a little wary of the oatmeal, so I made sure it was very well blended before tasting.

This was a good smoothie.  Strawberry-banana is one of my favorite fruit flavor combinations.  The oatmeal was detectable, but not distracting - about the same size as the strawberry seeds, with a slightly different texture.  The smoothie was tasty, but not very filling -- at least not as a lunch meal.  It would work best as a breakfast meal, or as a summer side dish / dessert.  I will probably make this recipe again, and I look forward to testing some of the other smoothie recipes as well.

One Year of Recipes

It's been one year since I started this blog with the goal of trying new recipes and cooking healthier foods.  Here are the stats on what I've cooked in the past year.

The blog includes 67 different dishes, including 55 new recipes I had never tried before starting the blog.  I've used recipes from a variety of sources, focusing on my favorite cookbooks:
    - The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (43 recipes)
    - Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin (11 recipes)
    - The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (3 recipes)
    - Party Vegan by Robin Robertson (2 recipes)
    - Mayim's Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik (1 recipe)
    - Runner's World magazine/website (2 recipes)
    - my own recipes and creations (4 recipes)

A few of my favorite recipes (Pad Thai, Chana Masala, Cinnamon French Toast, and variations on Tofu Scramble [1, 2, 3]) are meals I cook on a regular basis, and I've made several of the other new recipes multiple times.  I've also incorporated many of the recipes' cooking tips and flavor combinations into my own homemade creations - sometimes with great results (for example, the sauce in my Grilled Tofu with Peanut Soy Sauce), and sometimes it doesn't turn out as well.

I've discovered several great new breakfast foods, like Whole Wheat Waffles with Maple-Berry Syrup, the Not-Just-For-Breakfast Banana Split, and Wheat Pancakes.

I still haven't bought a nice camera.  My phone has a decent camera that works well in natural light, but I still want to get a good quality camera that allows me to play around with different exposure settings.  It would be nice to have it when I travel to new places, and for other amateur photography that I enjoy, in addition to taking food photos for blog posts.

My goal of one new recipe per week was tough to maintain, but I did it - at least on an average basis.  There were many times I made 2-3+ new recipes per week and other times I didn't make a new recipe for a couple weeks in a row, instead of consistently doing 1 new recipe every week.  The point of the blog wasn't to force myself to stick to a schedule, but rather to explore new recipes instead of always falling back on pizza and tacos.  In those terms, I think I've been successful.  I still make homemade pizza (with store-bought crust) every week, but I'm doing a much better job of cooking new foods in addition to sustaining my pizza habit.  I look forward to continuing the blog, cooking new recipes, and finding more favorite meals!

English Muffin Pizzas

Sunday, March 27, 2016 - Dinner
English Muffin Pizzas (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This recipe was essentially a serving suggestion for making individual pizzas.  There is a similar meal that I make using pita bread for a single-serving pizza.  The english muffins provided a thicker crust, but less room for toppings.  Having multiple pizzas enabled different combinations of toppings.  The pizzas shown are tomato and green pepper (left), mushroom and pepper (top), and artichoke with olives and peppers (right).

My pizzas are vegetarian and lactose free, but not vegan, since I used "Veggie Shreds" mozzarella-style cheese, which contains casein, a protein derived from milk.  I like the flavor and texture of this brand better than most vegan cheese varieties.  The oven temperature may have been a little too high (or the cooking time too long), because the cheese turned golden brown and crispy instead of melting.

Pasta and Green Beans with Peanut Sauce

Sunday, March 20, 2016 - Lunch
Pasta and Green Beans with Peanut Sauce (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This recipe was tasty, and relatively simple to make.  It was fairly similar to a family recipe for an Asian pasta salad, and I prefer the family recipe.
This dish was also somewhat reminiscent of the Pad Thai recipe from this same cookbook, and I prefer the flavors and variety of vegetables in the Pad Thai recipe.

Served with tofu.  The tofu made the dish more filling, and helped it to serve as an entree instead of a side dish.

Home-Fried Potatoes

Saturday, March 19, 2016 - Dinner
Home-Fried Potatoes (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

It's a couple days late for St. Patrick's Day, but I made this delicious potato recipe for dinner.  The potatoes were fantastic, and fairly simple to make.  Steaming them first made them fry perfectly - not too soft, and slightly crispy without getting burnt.  The fixings of onion, garlic, parsley, and paprika were a great blend of flavors for the potatoes.  I might start using a variation of this recipe when I make mashed potatoes as well.

Chai-Spiced Almond Cookies

Sunday, March 13, 2016 - Dessert
Chai-Spiced Almond Cookies (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

I've been waiting to make these cookies, because I thought they seemed like a lot of work, but the recipe wasn't complicated at all.  The cookies were delicious, and the addition of cardamom gave them a little more (Indian) spice than a traditional Russian or Italian tea cookie, with the same consistency.  The powdered sugar was a little messy, but the cookies tasted great!

Homemade Tofu Scramble

Sunday, February 28, 2016 - Lunch
Homemade Tofu Scramble (my recipe)

I threw this together with the ingredients I had available in the fridge.  The dish was filling, and it tasted really good.  It was a great post-run meal.

Ingredients:
1 brick extra-firm tofu
Half a large yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Anaheim or other mild chili pepper, diced
Half a red bell pepper, diced
Paprika (~2 tsp?)
Nutritional yeast flakes (~1 tsp?)
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
Tabasco sauce (Smoked Chipotle flavor or regular)

Press tofu between towels to remove moisture.  Crumble tofu into pieces in a bowl.
Saute onion, garlic, and peppers in a small amount of water in a large skillet.
When peppers are softened and onions are translucent, add tofu and spices.  Cook 5-10 minutes, then add parsley and Tabasco and cook a couple more minutes.

Aloo Gobi (Curried Cauliflower and Potatoes)

Saturday, February 27, 2016 - Dinner
Aloo Gobi (Curried Cauliflower and Potatoes)

This recipe was delicious and filling, and I will definitely make it again.  The photos don't do it justice.  I used poblano peppers, and I could make it spicier next time by using hotter chili peppers.  The dish also included cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, spices, and fresh italian parsley.  Served with naan (from the bakery) and basmati rice.

Banana-Blueberry Muffins

Saturday, February 20, 2016 - Brunch
Banana-Blueberry Muffins (Recipe from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin)

These muffins sounded delicious, but they didn't turn out as well as I would have liked.  I think the oven temperature was too high, because the outside of the muffins (especially the blueberries) started to burn, while the insides were not fully cooked - even though I took them out 10 minutes early.  I made one tray of regular muffins (below), and a second tray of mini muffins.  For the mini muffins, I lowered the temperature by 20 degrees and watched the muffins closely to remove them when they were golden brown.  The mini muffins turned out much better (above).

Polenta Hearts and Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

Sunday, February 14, 2016 - Lunch
Polenta Hearts
Roasted Red Pepper Coulis
(Recipes from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

Polenta Hearts were a fitting meal for Valentine's Day. I used a cookie cutter to form the heart-shaped polenta cakes. The cooked polenta needed to chill for at least an hour to set up enough to make shapes, so I had enough time to clean up the kitchen, prepare the ingredients for the sauce, and go outside to run a couple miles in the snow. The recipe filled a 13x9 baking pan to half an inch deep, which yielded about 10 hearts (2-3 servings) plus another 1-2 servings of extra polenta. The finished product was delicious. The sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, and fresh basil added a good mix of flavors to the polenta - and the fresh herbs made my kitchen smell great.  I'm pleased with how well some of the photos turned out - the natural lighting must have been just right today.   

The coulis was very good. It was simple: put the ingredients into a blender, then warm the blended sauce for a few minutes on the stove.  It had a good roasted pepper flavor (without the sliminess of eating whole roasted peppers), and it was a little sweet and a little spicy. I would like to make this again to try it as a pepper-based pasta sauce.

Southwestern Tofu Burgers

Saturday, February 13, 2016 - Dinner
Southwestern Tofu Burgers (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

These burgers were fantastic.  The recipe was one of the easiest homemade burger recipes I've tried.  The only hassle was having to freeze then thaw the tofu in advance, but it was worth it for the texture and consistency that it yielded.  These burgers were easy to form into patties, stayed together while cooking, and didn't crumble while eating.  They tasted great too - the mixture of tofu, peppers, corn, and spices was tasty, and a dollop of salsa on top was the finishing touch.

Oven-baked "French Fried" Yams

Sunday, February 7, 2016 - Dinner / Superbowl snack
Oven-baked "French Fried" Yams (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

These fries tasted good, but they were too soft.  I adjusted the cooking time and temperature from the first baking sheet to the second one, but the fries still weren't as crispy as I would have liked.  A few extra minutes in the toaster oven helped a little.

The savory herb and spice mixture in this recipe was different than seasonings I've used on sweet potato fries previously.   It was a good flavor that went well with the sweetness of the fries.

Quinoa and Corn Medley

Sunday, Februray 7, 2016 - Lunch
Quinoa and Corn Medley (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This recipe was quick and easy -- it took less than 45 minutes, including prep time to chop all the vegetables and herbs.  The finished product was filling and tasted great, and since the recipe made 6 large servings, there are plenty of leftovers for lunch this week.  I really liked the mixture of Latin and Mediterranean flavors: the quinoa, corn, lemon, and parsley complemented one another well.  This is one of my new favorite quinoa recipes!

Naan (leavened North Indian bread)

Sunday, January 31, 2016 - Lunch
Naan (leavened North Indian bread) - Recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

This was my first time making homemade naan from scratch.  I cooked the naan on a pizza stone in the oven, and since only 1-2 pieces fit on the stone at a time, I was able to experiment with a variety of different dough thicknesses, cooking times, and the amount of (dairy-free) butter brushed on top.  The last couple trials turned out very well - the secret seemed to be thicker dough, with a moderate brushing of butter, cooked for the shortest time within the suggested range.

The whole process was very time consuming (8 pieces at 6-10 minutes cooking time each, plus prep time and 2+ hours waiting for the dough to rise).  I can get fresh naan from the local grocery store bakery, so it's unlikely that I'll make my own in the future - at least not on a regular basis.

Served with two curry dishes as part of a big Indian feast for lunch.

Masoor Dal (red lentils)

Sunday, January 31, 2016 - Lunch

Masoor Dal (red lentils) - Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

This is a quick and easy curry that can be made even more spicy by simply adding extra cayenne pepper.

I only made a half batch (4-5 servings instead of 8-10), because I made several dishes as part of a big Indian feast for lunch.

Served with: basmati rice, Chana Masala (curried chickpeas), and Naan (leavened North Indian bread)

Chana Masala (Curried Chickpeas)

Sunday, January 31, 2016 - Lunch

Chana Masala (Curried Chickpeas) - Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

This is one of my favorite recipes from this cookbook.  Chana Masala is a mild chickpea curry - the perfect mixture of savory and spicy, with a hint of sweetness.   It was delicious and satisfying.  I only made a half batch (4-5 servings instead of 8-10), because I made several dishes as part of a big Indian feast for lunch.  It was tasty and filling, and there are plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week.

Served with: basmati rice, Masoor Dal (red lentil curry), and Naan (leavened North Indian bread)