Aloo Paratha

Late fall and winter are potato season at our house.  The reason is simple: during most of the year, it's warm and humid enough in the kitchen even with the air conditioner running that potatoes sprout like mad, so I avoid stocking up on them. So when it cools down a bit, we have some pent up potato cravings. This is when I like to try new things with them, like these aloo paratha.

I've been wanting to make these for a while but was a little nervous about the technique. Then I found some excellent instructions on Holy Cow and felt like it was something I could do. I tore the first two (but I was still able to cook them) and then I got the hang of it. We had these with this curried lentil and squash soup.

 

Aloo Paratha

Make the dough first and let it rest while you prepare the potatoes.

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon canola oil

Water to make dough (I used 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon)

3 medium russet potatoes, about 1 pound

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

1 teaspoon spices of your choice (see note)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Knead the flour, salt, oil and water together to make a smooth dough. (I used my stand mixer and kneaded for 3 minutes.) Set aside.

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. In a medium saucepan, cover the potato pieces with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potato is fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl, and mash well. Add the cilantro, spices, salt and turmeric and mash again. You want the potatoes to be completely smooth so that there are no lumps to tear the dough. Let the mixture cool enough to handle.

Divide dough into 6 portions. Divide potatoes into 6 portions.  Have a small bowl handy with a couple of tablespoons of flour in it.

Scatter a teaspoon or so of flour on your work surface. Roll a portion of dough into a ball on your work surface. Roll out to about 4 inches in diameter, not too big. With your hands, press a portion of the potatoes into a ball and place in the center of the dough. Stretch the sides of the dough over the top of the potato ball and pinch closed. Cup the ball in your hands and press the dough evenly around the potato. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough gently into a 6 or 7 inch disk, stopping to flour the dough when necessary to keep it from sticking. Don't try to roll the paratha too large, as this is when you risk tearing the dough.

Heat a skillet, preferably cast iron, to medium-high. Cook the parathas one at a time for about 3 minutes a side, or until they start to get toasty browned spots on them.

Serves 6.

Note: I used a teaspoon of this curry leaf powder - probably not authentic in aloo paratha, but delicious nonetheless.  Other possibilities are a cumin, coriander, chili powder, garam masala or a blend of a couple of them.

Triple-Chocolate Carrot Brownies

My second favorite episode of the TV show The Simpsons is Lisa the Vegetarian. In one especially funny scene, her classmates tease Lisa by asking her if she's going to marry a carrot. She sighs and answers sarcastically, "Yes, I'm going to marry a carrot." Her classmates miss the sarcasm and exclaim gleefully "Ohh! She admitted it!"

At my last office job, I was also teased for being a vegetarian. (I try to keep it low key, but you can't hide being a vegetarian from your coworkers for long.) One day out of exasperation with being asked the same annoying question once again, I replied, "Yes, I'm going to marry a carrot when I grow up."

That turned out to be the right thing to say! Half the office were big Simpsons fans, everyone laughed, and now I had an answer for all those hard-to-answer questions. "What do you eat at Thanksgiving?" "Carrots!" "How did you figure that problem out?" "Carrots!" "Are you going to work overtime this week?" "Carrots!"

If you make these brownies and someone asks you why they're so awesome, you have your answer. Carrots! Carrots stand in for some of the oil, some of the sugar, and even the eggs. Because you puree them in the blender with water and oil, the carrots create an emulsion that gives these a rich, fudgy texture that I didn't know was possible with a vegan brownie. I'm going to experiment with using carrots (and baking powder) in a boxed mix and see if it's possible to make those deliciously without eggs. (If you substitute a commercial egg replacer in most boxed mixes and many scratch recipes, you end up with greasy bricks.) I also want to experiment with another scratch recipe or two and see if I can come up with a formula for using carrots and baking powder in place of eggs in any recipe.

All together now: "Carrots!"

Triple-Chocolate Carrot Brownies

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup canola oil

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks, about 6 ounces

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, about 3 ounces

Preheat oven to 350. Oil an 8 x 8-inch baking pan.

Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to a medium bowl and mix together with a fork.

Grind the unsweetened chocolate to a powder in the blender. Add the water, canola oil, and carrots. Puree until smooth. Stir into the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer to the baking pan and smooth out the top of the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the center is set.  Allow to cool for 30 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Vegan Moussaka

This is adapted from a Greek recipe that has meat and cheese in it. I used to use store-bought burger crumbles for the meat, but I wanted to make a version without the heavily processed ingredients. I was going to experiment with a mixture of lentils and mushrooms for the burger crumbles and then I saw the cauliflower and walnut "meat" that Ricki made on Diet Dessert and Dogs for her lasagna recipe. This meat stand-in is quite ingenious: it looks like burger and adds a rich umami flavor to your casserole. It was delicious plain right out of the oven, which is always a good sign. I will definitely be using this again.  Next step will be to replace the soy cream cheese with something whole and less processed - cashew nuts, maybe.

This moussaka has quite a few steps to it, but after the work you will be rewarded with melt-in-your-mouth comfort food. It will be worth the effort, I promise. 

Vegan Moussaka

Any of the components - roasted eggplant slices, tomato sauce, burger crumbles, and white sauce - can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a day. The burger crumbles can also be frozen, as can the completed moussaka.

1 large eggplant, about 1-1/3 pounds

Olive oil

1 small yellow onion, minced, about 1 cup

1 clove garlic, minced

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/3 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Scant 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Scant 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups Cauliflower-walnut burger crumbles (see below)

3 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup soy milk

1/3 cup white wine (more Pinot Grigio)

1/4 cup Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (or other vegan cream cheese)

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice eggplant in 1/4-inch slices. Brush a large baking pan with olive oil and add the eggplant slices in a single layer. Brush the tops of the eggplant slices lightly with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Test the slices for tenderness by piercing the center with a fork; remove the very tender slices to a plate. Turn over the remaining slices and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until fork-tender. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, salt, cinnamon, allspice and pepper.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.

Oil a large casserole. Reserve 6 large eggplant slices to top the moussaka. Spread about 1/4 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of the casserole. Top with 1 cup of burger crumbles and half the remaining tomato sauce. Distribute the non-reserved eggplant slices on top. Repeat with the remaining burger crumbles, tomato sauce and six reserved eggplant slices.

Heat oven to 350 F. Melt margarine in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the soy milk until well blended. Put the pan back on the burner and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.  Add wine, cream cheese, nutmeg and salt and stir until cheese melts. Spoon the sauce on top of the moussaka and top with the bread crumbs. Bake for 40 minutes until dish is bubbly.

Serves 6.

Cauliflower-Walnut Burger Crumbles

Adapted from Diet Dessert and Dogs. My version makes more than the original because I had a big cauliflower.

1 head cauliflower, trimmed into florets, about 1-1/3 pounds after trimming

2-2/3 cups walnuts (I used 2 cups walnuts and the rest sunflower seeds

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sage

1/4 teaspoon thyme

2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil a large jelly-roll pan or baking sheet with sides.

Use a food processor to mince the cauliflower, nuts and garlic. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in paprika, salt, sage, thyme, olive oil and soy sauce. Spread mixture evenly on the pan. (This is easiest using two forks held in both hands upside-down.)

Bake for 30 minutes, then turn mixture over using a spatula and spread back out evenly. Bake for another 15 minutes and turn. Continue baking and turning each 15 minutes until mixture is evenly brown and mostly dry (this took me an hour total). Be careful not to over cook.

Makes about 4 cups.

Whole Wheat and Oat Beer Bread

My beer bread can drink more beer than your beer bread.

It's true! I owe it all to the whole-grain flour.  An old-school beer bread made with white flour has a ratio of 3 cups of flour to a 12-ounce bottle of beer, while this one has 2 cups flour to a bottle of beer. The oatmeal flour in this has a special affinity for the beer. I think my Scottish and my German ancestors would be proud.

Don't worry, the alcohol in the beer cooks off, leaving you with a sweet, rich bread that's perfect for fall soups and chilies.

The best beer for this is one that's rich and mild, such as a Bock or Stout. Lager works well, too. Just save the bitter, hoppy beers like India Pale Ale for drinking. 

 

Whole Wheat and Oat Beer Bread

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup oatmeal flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons coconut oil or margarine, melted

1 12-ounce bottle of beer

Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.

Whisk together the pastry flour, oatmeal flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add melted coconut oil or margarine and beer. Stir until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated into the beer, but do not over stir. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick or knife pushed deep into the bread comes out clean.

Serves 4.