Ash Reshteh (Persian Vegetable and Noodle Soup)

This hearty vegetarian soup is easy to make with a little planning. There are several versions online and this recipe contains personal tweaks. It is the type of recipe that tolerates "tweaks" very well. You can use alternate legumes, including canned ones if you are in a hurry. 

Soak 1-1/2 cups of dried beans in water for 8-12 hours. I used 1/2 cup each of garbanzos, navy beans and small red beans. Black beans, small fava beans, and green or brown lentils would also work well but I would cook the lentils separately.

Rinse the beans and cook in fresh salted water until they are tender. I used the Instant Pot (manual setting x 12 minutes with natural release).  This makes about 4 cups of cooked beans if you prefer to used canned beans.

In the meantime...

Use a large soup pot.

• Dice 2 onions, 3 cloves of garlic and soften in a tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat
• Add 8 cups of vegetable broth. I used Better than Bouillon paste and water.
• Add 1 generous cup each of chopped parsley, chopped dill, chopped cilantro and fresh spinach or baby kale to the broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until greens are wilted
• Add 200- 225 g of pasta like bucatini or linguine
• Add the cooked beans.

Simmer for 15 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of cumin, salt and pepper to taste

If you have some preserved lemons, finely dice the peel of 1/2 a lemon and add it to the soup. You could squeeze some fresh lemon juice in the soup instead. 

Add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt to serve. 

Serves 6-8

Waffle Falafel

Falafel made with red lentils

I make falafel frequently using a rotation of legumes including chickpeas, fava beans and red lentils. 

Here are the recipes on this blog for chickpea falafel and lentil chili patties.

I put about 1/2 recipe of falafel on a lightly oiled, heated waffle maker and cooked it on medium for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before cooking if desired. The results were very gratifying!

I cut 1/4 of the falafel waffle and sandwiched it between 2 quarters of a multigrain waffle adding some tahini sauce and fresh sprouts. It made a filling and tasty "fawaffle" sandwich.

Paneer Masala Curry or Gravy

The Indian grocer near our home sells hot meals from a small counter at the back of the store. The menu is based on the whim of the cook and each day there are 3 different curries available. Last week we bought a paneer curry and the cook told us it was a tomato gravy thickened with flour. We put it over our spicy oven roasted potatoes and wow! Paneer is better than cheese curds. I have been buying jars of butter chicken sauce or curry sauce at the grocery store but they are relatively expensive and higher in fat and sodium than our usual meals. Today I experimented with a recipe found on Spice Up the Curry. Yum! There will be no need to go to the store to buy a jar of curry sauce or "gravy" in the future. The sauce could be used with other vegetables, lentils or meat.


Sauté in 1 tbsp of coconut oil or ghee:

2 coarsely chopped onions
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 pods cardamom, husks removed
2 teaspoons cumin seed
1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
1 inch fresh turmeric, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, with seeds if you want heat
1/2 tsp salt

When the onions are soft and starting to brown, add 4 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped (3 cups)

Simmer until vegetables are cooked.

Transfer the vegetables to a blender and blend on high until puréed. Add 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons of flour to the mixture while the blender is on low.

Transfer the blended vegetables back to the pan. Add 300-400 grams of diced paneer cheese, 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and 2-4 tablespoons of 10% cream. Stir until combined and adjust seasonings to taste.

Add 1 teaspoon garam masala, hot chili powder and black pepper if desired.

Heat on low but do not allow the curry to boil. Serve over potatoes, vegetables, rice or with naan bread. Like all curries, the flavour improves with time and leftovers are delicious.

(Vegans could use tofu cubes and skip or substitute the dairy ingredients)

Masala Poutine

We visited Quebec City in September and were advised to try a restaurant called Le Chic Shack which is located just below the Plains of Abraham and Château Frontenac in the old city. It was September 13th, the anniversary of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham where the French and British troops fought in 1759. Le Chic Shack is locally famous for its poutine, a calorie-laden French Canadian dish of french fries with cheese curds and gravy.

 I chose masala poutine, a spicy East Indian version that did not disappoint! The potatoes were roasted, curry sauce was used rather than gravy, and the potatoes and curds were garnished with chutney, cherry tomatoes and hot peppers. The restaurant also serves burgers and chicken but I don't know how a person could eat the hearty poutine and a burger in one sitting.

This was a dish that had to be re-created at home. We ate the most successful version tonight, which is significantly modified from the original. It still features the complex flavours of curry and cheese with potatoes. I used this recipe from Kimchi Mom as a starting place for experimentation.  I found a mild Indian Curry Sauce at Farm Boy which is low in calories (50 calories per 1/2 cup) and very flavourful. It works perfectly for the gravy. My next experiment will be reproducing the curry sauce.

Spice Mixture:

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1-2 cloves freshly pressed garlic (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F

Cut 3 pounds of potatoes in wedges or chunks and lightly toss with olive oil. I used half white potatoes and half sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the potatoes and mix with a spoon until they are evenly coated. Spread potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until tender- about 30 minutes.

While the potatoes are roasting you can make this optional fresh chutney. If you want it to be hot, use the entire pepper, otherwise remove the seeds.

Chutney

1 large bunch of fresh cilantro, stems and leaves (3 cups) washed and drained.
1 jalapeño pepper
zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 ripe avocado (optional but delicious!)

Pulse the chutney ingredients in a food processor or blender until pureed. The chutney keeps for a week or so in the fridge and can be used as a condiment for other dishes.

When the potatoes are tender you are ready to assemble to dish. It can be made as spicy or mild as desired.

Toppings:

Grated "melty" cheese or curds
Curry sauce or gravy, heated
Cherry tomatoes, halved or chopped fresh tomatoes
Other vegetables- we added a few steamed brussels sprouts today
Sliced jalapeños, fresh or pickled
Chutney
Sour cream
Fried onions

Enjoy! This is an ultimate, one dish comfort meal.

Mexican Christmas Punch

This recipe is based on one found on Mexicrave for Ponche Navideño. My daughter made this for me last month and I really enjoyed it. I do not have access to fresh guavas, tejocotes or sugar cane so this is a Canadian version. It is served warm with a spoon so the fruit can be eaten after you finish the drink.

Ingredients:

Makes 10-12 cups

10 cups water,

1/2 cup loose hibiscus tea

3 tamarind pods, shells removed

1 orange, cut into quarters, skin left intact

1 red apple, chopped into small cubes

2 pears, chopped into small cubes

7-10 pitted prunes, chopped

handful of raisins

3 or 4 cinnamon sticks

3 cloves

1 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Put 10 cups of water in a large pot. Add peeled tamarind pods and hibiscus tea. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain the liquid and discard the pods and loose tea petals

Add the cut up fruit, cinnamon, cloves and sugar.

Cover pot and let simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the fruit is tender. Stir very well to make sure the flavours and sugars combine.

Ladle into heat proof mugs and serve warm.

Cardamom Rice Pudding

I had a couple of bags of milk that needed to be used up before their expiry date and decided to make rice pudding on this cold and blustery day. I usually make rice pudding in a double boiler with short grain rice, milk, eggs and raisins but decided to try a version I had tasted in an Indian restaurant. After reviewing a few online recipes I used these ingredients to make a very comforting and aromatic pudding.

• 4 cups milk- I used 1% cow's milk but a combination of cream, coconut milk and other milks can be used

• 1/2 cup white basmati rice

• 8 cardamom pods crushed with pestle. Remove the seed hulls and crush the black seeds. You could use 1 teaspoon ground cardamom instead.

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup white sugar or other sweetener to taste (optional)

Combine ingredients and cook them over boiling water in a double boiler until rice is very soft. This takes about an hour. Stir mixture occasionally. When it is starting to thicken up add:

• 1/4 cup diced apricots or raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds or pistachios
• 1/4 cup flaked coconut (optional but tasty)
• a dash of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Let the pudding simmer for another 10 minutes or so without letting it get too thick and dry. Remove from heat and let it cool before serving. I like it warm or chilled.

Lentil Chili Patties

This recipe uses the same method as chickpea falafel but uses red lentils instead. Red lentils require a shorter soaking time and blend up better in the food processor making these easy and fast to make. We make the patties about 5 cm big and serve them in mini burger buns. They can also be added to a salad, put in a pita or eaten in hand with a dip.

Method:

Soak 1 cup uncooked red lentils in water 4-8 hours. Cover the lentils with 1 to 2 inches of water.

Rinse and drain the soaked lentils in a fine sieve.

Combine:

1 cut up onion
3 cloves garlic
1 inch piece of fresh ginger
1/2 c fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cumin seeds or powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or 2 red birds eye fresh hot chilis

Chop in food processor until onion is in small pieces.
Add the soaked lentils and process until mixture is smooth. You may have to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice

Drop by heaping tablespoons on a heated, lightly oiled frying pan. Flip when they are nicely browned. It takes 3-5 minutes to cook the patties. Makes 16-18 patties.

Tortilla Bean Lasagna

We can now buy corn tortillas at our local grocery store. They have a three month "best before date" and are like cardboard compared to fresh tortillas in Mexico. They are inexpensive though and perfect for this main course meal. I cooked the small red beans today in a crockpot before I went to work but canned beans can be used. This recipe is adapted from several I read online.

Saute in a little olive oil until softened:

2 tsp crushed cumin seeds
2 onions, finely chopped
2 sweet peppers, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 lb chopped fresh spinach

Add:

28 oz bottle of strained tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups small cooked beans such as black beans or red beans

Warm 12-15 corn tortillas in the microwave oven and cut them in half.
Spread some of the bean mixture thinly on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Cover with corn tortillas halves placing the cut edge along the edge of the pan. I used 5-6 tortillas for each layer.

Add a layer of bean mixture on top and grate some mild cheese over the beans (optional)

Add another layer of tortillas and then another layer of beans and cheese.

I could have stopped here but I had so many tortillas I finished with another layer of tortillas and topped that lightly with grated cheese.

Cover pan with foil and bake at 400F for 30 minutes. Cut in squares and serve with sour cream and a salad.

Burrito Bowls

I travelled through the Dallas Fort Worth Airport a few weeks ago and had time to eat a hot meal. I chose the 360° Gourmet World Grill and ordered a vegetarian burrito bowl. It was so tasty that I made sure I had another on my return trip to Canada. I made a similar dish tonight and it was versatile, fast and filling. Use a bowl or plate and layer:

Brown rice
Black beans
Meat if desired (I added pork for the meat eater in the family)
Roasted vegetables (I made onion, mushroom, zucchini, peppers and sweet potato)

Then add toppings of your choice such as:

Guacamole
Salsa
Grated cheese
Sour cream
Cilantro and/or shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes, red onion

You can serve it with taco chips, tortillas or tostados but it is filling enough without any extras.

Turkish Lentil Soup

This simple and delicious soup takes only half an hour to make. Our daughter had it in a restaurant when she visited Turkey earlier this year and highly recommended it.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium potato, diced
1 large carrot diced
1 cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Lemon slices

Method:

Cook onions in butter until starting to soften. Add other potato, carrots, lentils, broth, water and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes or so until vegetables are soft and lentils are cooked. Put 3/4 of the soup in a blender and blend until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot or serving bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on soup before eating. (just do it!)

Sprinkle with dried chili flakes if desired.

Serves 6

Bi-Bim-Bap: Vegetarian version

The Becka had Bi-Bim-Bap at an Asian restaurant in Toronto and raved about this "hot pot". It is made with meat, vegetables, rice and eggs and a spicy sauce is served on the side. There are many versions on the internet including several vegetarian options. I used the vegetables on hand in the fridge but other combinations would work just as well. I liked the look of this recipe on the blog Weird Combinations and used their method to make the one pictured above.

Step 1: Prepare 3 cups cooked rice. I used quick cooking brown rice.

Step 2: Cube a package of extra firm tofu and brown it in sesame oil in a frying pan. I sprinkled the tofu with some sesame seeds

Step 2: Cut up 8-10 cups of vegetables. I used carrots, broccoli, sweet peppers, a poblano pepper, garlic and red onion. Mushrooms and bean sprouts are commonly used as well as other Chinese greens.

Step 3: Steam vegetables until tender crisp and set aside

Step 4: Heat some sesame oil or oil of choice in a large wok or pot. Add the cooked rice and spread it evenly on the bottom and sides of the wok. You want to brown the rice until it is a little crispy. After five or ten minutes add the tofu and vegetable in a nice design on top of the rice.

Step 5: Break 4 eggs on top of the vegetables, put a lid on the dish and cook until eggs are set.

Serve with a spicy sauce. We used peanut sauce made with peanut butter, water, soy sauce, and sirachi sauce. You can find other sauce options online.

Vegetable Samosas and Tamarind Sauce

We enjoy spicy potato and green pea samosas from the local Indian restaurant and grocer. The restaurant serves large ones for about $2 apiece and they come with a container of sweet and spicy tamarind sauce. The Indian grocer sells smaller machine made samosas at 3/$1 or handmade ones at 2/$1. Why would anyone want to make them? The ones we buy are deep fried and the paper bag they come is stained with lots of grease. I made these lower fat ones with phyllo pastry and they were quite easy once the ingredients were assembled. The tamarind sauce took very little time to make as well. Feel free to adjust spices to your taste

1-2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds (ground slightly with mortar and pestle)
2 small or 1 large onion finely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oil and add seeds and onion. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until onions are starting to soften. Add the other spices and mix together.

Add:

3 cups finely diced potato- about 1/4" dice ( I used small new potatoes and did not peel them)
1-1/2 cups frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Mix all ingredients and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until peas are thawed and potatoes are starting to soften. Turn off heat. Preheat oven to 400F

Open a package of thawed phyllo pastry and lift off 3 sheets. Cut the sheets lengthwise into 3 or 4 long strips. I found the thirds easier to work with and they made a larger samosa. Place 1/4-1/3 cup of vegetable mixture at one end of the phyllo strip and fold diagonally like a flag. (Here is a video link that shows how to do it) Place samosa on a baking sheet and brush all sides lightly with oil.

Bake samosas for 20-30 minutes until nicely browned. The larger sized ones need a little more time. Let them cool before serving unless you like burning your mouth.

Makes 12-15 medium sized samosas.

Tamarind Sauce

I buy tamarind paste in rectangular packages. There are plenty of large seeds in the paste.

8 oz tamarind paste
8-12 oz boiling water

Cover paste with boiling water, break up into chunks and let it sit and soften for a while. Put the mixture through a medium sieve. Add sweetener to taste. I used 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup Splenda. Heat in a small pot until mixture bubbles. Add spices to taste. I added:

2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
dash of cayenne pepper

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Costco stopped carrying the 10 inch whole wheat flour tortillas we like and I find most store-bought flour tortillas heavy and very filling. I adapted this recipe from a couple I saw online and substituted 1/4 cup of the whole wheat flour with wheat gluten. It makes the dough so much easier to handle. This made 12- 6 inch tortillas that were very delicious and easy to fold and roll.

1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat gluten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix dry ingredients together and add

2/3 cup water
4 tablespoons oil

Stir together, roll into a ball and knead for a couple of minutes until dough is well mixed and smooth. Cut into 12 equal pieces and roll each section into a ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel while you work so the dough does not dry out. I used my tortilla press to flatten the dough and then rolled each circle as thin as possible with a rolling pin on a floured board. This is where the wheat gluten helps keep the dough from breaking apart.

Heat a frying pan (no oil) and cook one tortilla at a time. Turn the tortilla when the surface starts to bubble. Each tortilla should cook in about minute once the pan is hot enough. Keep tortillas covered  in a bowl with a tea cloth or lid to keep them soft.

Variation: (double amount)

Pour 1-1/3 c boiling water over 1/2 cup wholegrain cornmeal (like Uncle Bob's). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Add 8 tbsp oil and mix well.

Measure

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat gluten
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt

Add to cornmeal mixture and mix together. Knead dough for a couple of minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide into 16-20 balls and roll into thin circles with rolling pin. This dough is very easy to work with and cooks quickly because it is warm. Cook as described above in an ungreased frying pan.

Paneer Curry

I am sure there is an official name for this curry, but as I am not an expert on Indian cuisine I will not try to guess what that might be. What is important is that this dish is warming and tasty and the meat-lover in the family found it very satifying too.

Heat 1 tbsp oil on a wok or large pot and add

375 g paneer diced in 3/4 inch cubes.

Brown paneer on all sides, remove from heat and place in a dish. Add to the same pot-

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds, crushed
1 tsp mustard seed
1 diced cooking onion (alternately, you can blend the raw onion with the tomatoes, garlic and ginger)

Heat oil, add seeds and onion and cook until fragrant and soft. In the meantime, combine in blender and puree

4-5 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger root

Add tomato mixture to pot along with 

1 cup vegetable broth or less depending on how juicy the tomatoes are. (You do not want the sauce too runny)

Add

 2-1/2 cups defrosted frozen peas

Add the browned paneer and the following spices

2 tsp garam masala
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric

Simmer to blend flavours.

Serve on rice or with naan bread. Serves 6. Tastes even better the next day if you have leftovers.

Mexican Fish Soup

Assemble your ingredients before you start, and this soup comes together quickly

1 dried chile (or more), opened with seeds and veins removed.

Cook dried chile in a small amount of water until softened (about 5-7 minutes) and put into blender with:
1 white cooking onion
2 cloves garlic
3 fresh tomatoes (plum tomatoes work well)
1 canned chipolte chile (remove seeds if you don't want the broth to be too hot)

Blend on high until smooth and add to a large soup pot along with

4 cups fish stock*
2 cups vegetable stock (or put in 6 cups vegetable stock if you don't have fish stock)
1-2 large potatoes (like a Russet) cut in chunks
1-2 large carrots cut in thick slices
3 large bay leaves

Bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer until vegetables are starting to soften (about 10 minutes) then add

1-1/2 lbs firm white fish like Pacific Snapper cut in chunks the size of the vegetables (see photo)

2-3 cups coarsely shredded cabbage or other greens
5 cilantro stalks

Simmer until fish flakes and vegetables are cooked (about 10 minutes)

Adjust seasonings adding salt, pepper, Old Bay Seafood Seasoning, etc.
If the broth is too spicy, add a 28 oz tin of crushed tomatoes. I did this and really liked the end result even better.

Serve with lime wedges, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, tortillas, taco chips, tostadas or rice as desired.

Serves 6 main course dishes.

*Fish Stock (made ahead of time)

I made fish stock using the bones, fins and head of a mild, non-oily white fish from our fishmonger (about 3 pounds) simmered in a stock pot of water with one onion, leek tops, one large carrot, one large celery stalk, 1 tsp pepper corns, 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp each thyme and oregano, fresh parsley (or cilantro) stalks, salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, strain and cool. It made enough stock for 3 batches of this soup. Store unused broth in freezer.

Corn Tortillas

I have made some pretty awful corn tortillas with masa flour in the past. Our daughter brought me a tortilla press from Mexico this summer and taught me how to use it. When I was in California I tasted delicious corn tortillas that were made with a little wheat gluten. They were very flexible and easy to handle when making tacos. I added some gluten to the masa flour when I made tortillas today and they were every bit as good as the ones we had in California.

1-3/4 cups masa flour
1/4 cup wheat gluten or white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together in a large bowl and add

2 cups very hot water (I let boiled water cool for a couple of minutes)
Stir until combined adding a little more water if necessary to get the ingredients to stick together in a dough you can shape into balls.

Divide into 16 balls and cover with a towel to keep the dough from drying out.

Flatten each ball in a tortilla press or by pressing it with a round plate. Place each tortilla on an ungreased hot skillet and cook until brown spots form and the tortilla puffs up. Place warm tortillas in a clean tea towel or tortilla cover.

You can freeze these in an air tight bag and heat them in a moistened tea towel in the microwave.

Spicy Lentil Tacos

I saw this recipe on Phoo-d and we had it for supper tonight. We have made tacos with veggie ground round in the past but it is expensive and too salty for my liking. This lentil version tastes better. You can follow the link to the recipe I used but it is copied here as links are prone to going dead.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Diced Onion
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Poblano Peppers, diced (or peppers of choice)
• 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Ancho Chili Powder (I used regular chili powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
• 4 cups Cooked Lentils (2 tins, drained and rinsed)
• 1/3 cup or more* Vegetable Stock (Low Sodium)
• 1 small tin Tomato Paste (4-6 oz)
• 1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil or cook onions in vegetable broth

Cooking Directions

Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, onion, garlic, and peppers and saute until soft. 

When the vegetables are soft add the black pepper, salt, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and coriander in and stir for a minute. Add the lentils, vegetable stock, tomato paste, and hot sauce to the skillet. Stir until well combined, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the lentils are warmed through and most of the vegetable stock has evaporated, about 4 minutes. If the mixture begins to look dry add more vegetable stock*. 

 

Serve in a corn tortilla or tostada with traditional taco toppings. Serves 4.

Hearty Curry

I made this curry with ingredients on hand and the meat-lover in the family declared the vegetables tasted better than the meat. I didn’t really measure the ingredients and the recipe is very versatile.

Add to wok or large frying pan with lid:

1 tbsp oil
1 diced onion
2 tsp freshly ground cumin
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric

Fry until seeds start to pop and onion is starting to soften.

Add:

1-1/2 lbs diced potatoes (I quartered mini potatoes and left the peels on)
1/2 diced green pepper
1/2 diced red pepper
1 sliced carrot
1 tbsp curry paste
3/4 cup water

Stir vegetables so they are coated with seasonings. Cover pot and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Add:

1/2 pound spinach leaves
3/4 cup peas (canned or frozen)
1 cup coconut milk (or more to make enough sauce)
Cover and simmer until spinach is wilted

Add:

1 tsp garam masala
cayenne pepper to taste

Serve on rice or with naan bread. Serves 4 hungry people, more if it is used as a side dish.

Tostadas

During my recent visit to Mexico I enjoyed tostadas with various toppings. My sister-in-law served a hot chicken stew, a crab salad, a wonderful concoction with poblano peppers, mushrooms, tomato and cream, as well as refried beans with cheese on baked tostadas at my brother's birthday party.


I watched a group of young soccer players devour close to 50 tostadas topped with tuna salad while watching the World Cup. The Milpa Real tostadas are the fried version my daughter bought and they were addictively delicious. I haven't found anything as good yet in Canada.


The tostada in the first picture is topped with a salad of lentils, finely chopped apples, carrots, onions, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes and sweet peppers mixed with fresh lime juice.

Or layer refried beans and ground round adding toppings of cilantro, tomato, salsa, sour cream, shredded cabbage or lettuce and grated cheese

The possibilities are endless...

Here is a link to more information on tostadas from Simply Recipes.

Layered Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and tried it with a few modifications. It was fast and easy to make and is a good way to use up stale corn tortillas. I did not have any enchilada sauce and could find none at the grocery store. My daughter is going to teach me how to make an authentic version and I will post the directions after we try it out. I made a sauce from 1 cup of hot salsa, 1-6 oz tin of tomato paste and 6 oz of water which was combined in the blender.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups diced zucchini (I used 2 medium zucchini)
  
• 1 cup chopped onion (or substitute some chopped fresh mushrooms)
  
• 2 cups packed coarsely shredded fresh spinach (I used an 8 oz package)
  
• 1 cup whole kernel corn or 1 diced sweet pepper
  
• 2 cups enchilada sauce
• 12 corn tortillas (6 inch)
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat oil in skillet. Add zucchini and onion(mushrooms and peppers if using) and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Add spinach and corn. Cook and stir until spinach wilts.
3. Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Place 6 tortillas, overlapping as needed to cover bottom of dish. Spread with half of remaining enchilada sauce. Top with half the vegetable mixture and half the cheese. Top with remaining tortillas and enchilada sauce and vegetables.
4. Bake 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut into 6 squares and garnish with cilantro.