Carrot-Walnut Cake with an Indian twist

Vegan (bananas keep it together instead of eggs)

I've had this recipe bookmarked for a year or even two and finally made it. VERY GOOD! 

The Indian twist is cardamom and the author said it's similar to the yummy Indian dessert called halwa (not to be confused with Arabic halwa made of sesame seeds, which is also fantastic, but different in every way).

I used the lesser amount of sugar and even then felt it was unnecessary, as the raisins and ripe bananas more than do the job. I didn't add the walnut-coconut-caramel topping, which sounds delicious but then would really make this unbearably sweeeeeeeeet. Maybe if I cut all all sugar entirely, topping included? Anyway, it's a keeper!

For another vegan carrot dessert, check out Carrot-Coconut Cookies

Easy Pear Sauce

Vegan

I often make applesauce 'coz it's so darn easy and if you're doing healthy baking, it'll often show up in a recipe to cut down on the amount of oil. Pretty much any fruit puree will do in my experience (these Fudgy Brownies turned out delish with a medley of stewed fruit) and of course are delicious on their own with a spoon, on toast, pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt...

Anyway, we indulged our expat experience recently with a big box of baby Honey Bell pears from Costco, from New Zealand and as they were starting to soften en masse, I browsed again for a pear sauce recipe. Here is a winner - simple, delicious, and it's got my favorite spices. I made it in our Turtle (the slow cooker) but you don't have to - it only takes about 30 minutes on the stove.

I'm getting lazy with taking photos recently... other people just do such a good job!
 Pic and recipe both from Two Peas and Their Pod

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ovo-veg

No kidding, these taste like pumpkin pie!

I didn't take any good pictures, so photo and recipe credit both go to MyGutsy

Pretty easy to make, although they dirtied up 3 mixing bowls and you need the low-carb-lovers-trend-extraordinaire almond flour (which you can make it yourself with a food processor, if not readily available or you're looking to save $).

Actually, you could probably use any flour and it'll work out fine. The 5 eggs could probably hold together a derelict building, let alone a few measly pancakes.


I also recently baked these Pumpkin Spice Bars.

I did use dark brown sugar as directed and they went super dark, so maybe a mix of golden and dark is what resulted in the pretty color below. Anyway, they were good and VERY EASY!

I didn't take any good pictures, so photo and recipe credit both go to Sally's Baking Addiction

Slow Cooker Inaguration!

Sweet Potato Chili
Vegan

recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking

And the first tomato we've grown in our garden (that we got to before the neighborhood birds ;)

Sprouted Bread aka Essene Bread

Vegan

I've heard it said sprouted bread is the earliest bread in history.  While I have no way of verifying that information, it does seem to be recommended as superior to modern bread made from flour, for its digestibility and nutritional value. It has a natural sweetness and although takes longer (a few days to sprout the grain, a few hours to bake), the actual hands-on time is shorter and way simpler than yeasted loaves.

Of course, the texture is completely different (chewy and crumbly) and therefore best suited to being spread with some nut butter and fruit for breakfast or a snack, you could potentially use it for a sandwich-like creation, especially with the little bagels I made this time around.

The base recipe will make a plenty-tasty sprouted bread from just wheat berries as the sole ingredient. I usually play around with flavor, adding seeds, orange juice or zest, dried fruit, cinnamon, etc.

Sprouted Bagels, inspired by The Happy Raw Kitchen blog

Pumpkin Miso Muffins

Vegan and sugar-free

An unexpected twist on a savory muffin. Quite delish! Recipe from Just Bento

Masala Chai #2: Yogi Tea

Vegan

This is a nice little concoction : )

Taking a break from studying Greek patterns

Recipe is from 3HO Kundalini Yoga

Per serving:

1. Bring 10 ounces (about 1 1/3 cups) of water to a boil

2. Add spices, cover and boil 15 to 20 minutes
- 3 whole cloves
- 4 whole green cardamom pods, cracked
- 4 whole black peppercorns
- ½ stick cinnamon 
- 2 slices fresh ginger root

3. Add ¼ tsp black tea*, let sit for a few minutes

4. Add ½ cup "milk" and reheat (I use oat "milk")

5. Strain, sweeten with honey if desired

______________________________________

Health Benefits as described by 3HO:

• Black pepper: blood purifier
• Cardamom pods: digestive aid
• Cloves: beneficial to the nervous system
• Cinnamon: strengthens the bones
• Ginger root: healing for colds and flu, increases energy
• Black Tea: *a homeopathic (minute) dose of black tea acts as an alloy for all the ingredients, creating just the right chemical balance (I add 1-2 tsp for a caffeine boost)
• Dairy Milk: the milk in the tea helps in the easy assimilation of spices. While it was not a part of the original recipe, Yogi Bhajan (Kundalini Yoga teacher) permitted the use of soy milk as a variation.

Plumped-Up Miso Soup

Vegan (or Pescotarian*)

If you've been to a Japanese restaurant, chances are you've had miso soup. The stuff is salty, delicious and wakes up your digestive system, so it's usually served as an appetizer.

For some years I had been making it a meal in and of itself, by adding vegetables and rice noodles. The process is dead easy and results delicious and filling:

1. Heat sesame oil in a pan (careful, as it goes from hot to smoking rather quickly)
2. Briefly saute thickly sliced carrots
3. Fill pot with boiling water and use a bit more hot water to dissolve a glob of miso paste in a bowl with a whisk (you can add more later according to taste)
4. Keep soup at a gentle simmer (if it goes into a rolling boil, the miso will lose some of its nutritional value)
5. Add quick-cooking veggies like broccoli, bok choy, as well as dried seaweed (I've used wakame, nori, arame, hijiki)
6. Rice noodles: the easiest method is to toss them in at around the same time as veg in step 5, but if making a big pot of soup, they will start to disintegrate after being heated repeatedly. The other option is to make them separately. Cooked brown rice is yet another alternative.
7. To serve, put cooked rice or rice noodles in individual bowls, add cubed soft tofu and ladle broth and veggies on top. Enjoy!

* Since coming to Asia, I've discovered miso paste with fish, as well as miso soup cooked with fish pieces, making it that much heartier and richer in flavor. I like it both non- and veg.

Shakshouka (Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce)

Ovo-veg (Ovo-lacto if you use a cheese, like feta)

photo credit and recipe: Indulge & Devour

This is such an easy, fun and satisfying dish.

I've made it adding any ol' kind of veg:

- just stagger the cooking times (eg. grated carrot can go in with the onions, sweet peppers need only a few minutes if you like them a bit crisp, heavier sprouts like soybean are a nice addition stirred in just before the eggs are cracked in, leafy greens arranged on top around the eggs, to steam once the lid is on)

- this dish benefits from veggies cut into similar-sized small piece: eg the soybean sprouts were delish, but I will chop them up next time, so they get integrated into the tomato stew.

Bean Dips

vegan

Beans dips are just oh-so-easy, versatile in both ingredients and how they end up on your plate, as well as providing a quick dose of protein.

The above is a Kidney Bean Dip, with cumin, lime, tomato and other flavors inspired by Nigella Lawson. Here served with my new favorite tortilla chips: Whole Earth Really Seedy Multi-Grain Tortilla Chips (we buy 'em at Costco).

Hummus - process cooked chickpeas with olive oil, lemon juice, tahini and salt to taste. Yum!
I also make an identically delicious version with green mung beans (and here) instead of chickpeas.

Elias treats us to hummus (he is a master home chef and Lebanon-born, so you know he knows hummus!)

Refried Beans - very easy to make yourself - a staple in one of our signature meals: nachos!

I still loosely use the recipe I originally found in How it all Vegan
(this one does require some easy stove-top cooking):

Refried Beans
Cook in a medium pot on medium to low heat for 10-15 minutes:

• 2 c cooked beans
• about 1/2 c water – may want to hold back a bit at first
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro
• 1 t cumin
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1 tomato, chopped

Remove from heat and mash if desired.  Add salt to taste. Serve over rice or in a burrito, etc.

10-minute Carrot and Bean Skillet

vegan

So fast, there's no reason not to cook at home. Your rice might take longer, so have that ready or start it a bit beforehand.

Grate and saute carrots with spices of your choice (cumin, coriander, curry, ginger or ...)
Add canned or cooked beans, heat through. Add salt and more olive oil to taste.
Serve on rice or whatever suits your fancy.

Grated carrots are a nice base for quick-fried veggies, also see Carrots, Portobellos and Edamame but the variations are endless!

Rye Flour Muffins

Alternative baking... as if my baking wasn't alternative enough! haha...

Although rye contains gluten, at least it's not wheat, so one thing at a time.


Pumpkin-Rye Muffins

ovo-veg (or vegan with egg replacer)
wheat-free
recipe from Bob's Red Mill

They didn't turn out too pretty and I'm guessing some slightly incorrect proportions are to blame. For one thing, I nearly always end up substituting something(s). For another, I gotta get myself dry measuring cups. It ends up being a bit of an eyeballing adventure with the cups meant for measuring liquids.

Left: Pumpkin-Rye     Right: Banana Cinnamon

Banana Cinnamon Muffins

ovo-veg
wheat-free
recipe from Best Health Mag

The topping adds a nice touch! Both aesthetically and for an added texture/sweetness.

Stewed Carrots, Portobellos and Edamame

vegan

Saute, covered:
- coconut oil (the best for cooking, they say!), diced onion and portobello mushrooms with a few twists from the salt grinder
- add grated carrots, plus a bit of soy sauce and hot water to keep everything juicy
- shell cooked edamame and mix in, leave a few minutes until heated through
- just before serving, mix in and also garnish with chopped parsley
- serve on a bed of grains (I happened to have a cooked pot of red Job's tears and mung beans)

Parsley: makes a Green Monster better!!

Whether adding parsley for flavor, or letting it supply the entire "green" part of the green monster, it's a delicious, original addition and also happens to be one of the top detoxifying foods!

vegan

Kinda like an actual recipe!
a mug of black tea and 3 dried apricots, soaking in it overnight
large handful parsley, infused in hot water
1-2 T ground flax
3 scoops fresh papaya
3 large slices apple, chopped

Blend. Enjoy.

That's one Smooth Papaya!

vegan

This can easily double as a dessert!

4 ingredients:
- fresh papaya
- fresh coconut
- ground flax seeds
- Turkish apple tea

ok, I tossed in a slice of lemon just for kicks, but I'm ok with the special bitterness of the rind