Recipe Review

Recipe making has been a bit on the slow side so I haven't had much to report on. I've only been making one new recipe a week for lunches, but the couple I've made have been winners.

Vegetable Korma (Vegetarian Times, Feb 2010) 4.0
The February issue of Vegetarian Times has been a winner for me. I was craving Indian flavors and this one was touted as 30 minutes or less. It was indeed quick, though my rice does take a bit longer. My only complaint was the sauce could have been doubled - but I prefer my Indian saucy. I also used a partial can of whole tomatoes, drained, instead of whole tomatoes.

Vegtables Korma
The only non-traditional thing about his Indian dish is the frozen vegetables. To make it vegan, substitute light coconut milk for the evaporated milk or heavy cream.

basmati rice
2 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 small white onions, cut into chunks
1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
vegetable oil
1/2 tsp garam masala or curry powder
1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
2 tbsp golden raisins
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, carrots, lima beans, and zucchini (12oz) (I used whole bags)
1 7 oz can chickpeas (I used whole can)
3 tbsp fat-free evap. milk
1 tbsp slivered almonds

1) cook rice

2) puree tomatoes, onion, and ginger to past in food processor or blender

3) heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garam masala and cardamom and cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add tomato puree and raisins. Simmer 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

4) Stir in frozen vegetables; chickpeas, if using; and evaporated milk. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 6-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with almonds.


Smokey Split Pea Soup (Vegetarian Times, Feb 2010) 4.0
This was good even with my substitutions. Recipe called for sweet potatoes and split peas, but I had yellow split peas from a previous recipe and some regular potatoes the Folks had left me before heading to warmer climes. I was caught a bit off guard when the recipe said I was supposed to have soaked the split peas overnight, so they only got half a day. I also used up the rest of the canned tomatoes from the recipe above.

1 cup green split peas (I used yellow)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chopped chipolte chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 large sweet potato (or 3 regular potatoes), peeled and diced (3 cups)
2 medium onions (3 cups)
3 ribs celery, diced (I used Swiss chard)
4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp)
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1) Soak split peas in large bowl of water overnight

2) Heat oil in 3 qt saucepan over medium heat. Add paprika and chipolte, and stir. Add sweet potato, onions, celery and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes.

3) Drain split peas, and add to pot with 5 cups water. Bring soup to a boil and simmer 1 hour. Add tomatoes and cook 30 minutes more or until peas are tender.

**My note - I only cooked for one hour total.



This coming week I have plans to make some vegan iced oatmeal cookies (applesauce is thawing as I type), and a squash and mushroom casserole for suppers. I'm still eating the split pea soup for lunches as I made that mid-week and it made about 8 servings.