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in the kitchen // carrot bisque

This recipe is one of my favorites and it is a soul-warming treat during the cold winter months. The truth is that you really can’t go wrong with anything from the Post-Punk Kitchen. Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a charming personality (even in her writing) and I’m a huge fan of her cookbooks. This recipe comes from Vegan With A Vengeance. Most of the time and effort involved in this recipe happens during the prep stage. Lots of carrot-peeling and chopping! But, sometimes it’s nice to have a mindless, repetitive task to do. Another favorite cookbook author of mine, Edward Espe Brown (of The Tassajara Cookbook) relates some sage advice he once heard from Zen master Suzuki Roshi regarding carrots. He writes,

[Suzuki Roshi said,] ‘When you wash the rice, wash the rice; when you cut the carrots, cut the carrots; and when you stir the soup, stir the soup.’…I tried in a simple, direct, awkward way to be present, to see the rice with my eyes, to feel the rice with my hands, to have awareness in the movement of my arms…Anyone can do this kind of work. Whole worlds come alive.

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3 lbs. carrots, peeled and diced into small pieces (1/2″ or less)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil of some sort
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
3 cups vegetable broth, of vegetable bouillon cube in 3 cups water
1 can coconut milk (13 oz)
1 tbsp maple syrup

Cook carrots and onions in the oil, covered, until mostly softened. Add the spices and garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to a low boil (last time I made this soup I forgot about this stage and it fully boiled for a minute or two and turned out ok). Next, you will puree the soup. She says do 1/2, I do the whole thing and I do it with an immersion blender. You can do whatever you like. Add the maple syrup (I also forgot this and, again, it was fine).

Enjoy! And, check out the rest of Isa’s books and recipes if you get a chance.

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in the kitchen // october part II

As any mama knows, getting a healthy, delicious meal on the table is a real challenge after a day of dealing with mountains of laundry, crying babies, and the other stresses of life. It seems that some women have won the domestic lottery and their husbands or partners do the cooking. My husband does occasionally cook, and when he does it always turns out amazing, but after working all day, he doesn’t have much left to give to the evening meal. So, the day-to-day cooking is generally my responsibility. There’s an ebb and flow to my interest in the culinary arts, so there are weeks when we eat a lot of pasta, and then there are weeks when I really put my heart and soul into it and we get to try a lot of new things.

As I mentioned before, I am a vegetarian (my husband and daughter are not, and the baby…well, he’s a milkivore!), so almost always I am preparing a vegetarian meal. I have a lot of cookbooks, but I also like to browse online to find new and interesting recipes. I really like the Vegetarian Times magazine web site. Their recipes are always top-notch, and there are many that are easy enough to prepare on a weeknight, even with a newborn strapped to your chest.

Last night, I tried a new one from the VT site, called “Chickpea Tagine with Cinnamon, Cumin, and Carrots.” Tagines are Moroccan dishes, similar to stews, that are slow-cooked in a special earthenware pot. They are typically meat-intensive but, of course, this recipe is adapted to be meatless. The aroma of all the spices made my kitchen smell yummy for hours afterward, and the tagine was delicious! I chose to serve it over couscous to make it more of a meal, but you could certainly serve it alone (like soup).

Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
2 14.5-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
¼ cup dried currants
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. honey
½ cup plain Greek-style yogurt
3 Tbs. finely chopped parsley

Preparation
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, or until onion slices are soft. Stir in chickpeas, carrots, currants, spices, honey, and 2 cups water. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Divide tagine among 4 bowls (or serve over couscous, like I did). Garnish each serving with dollop of yogurt, and sprinkle with parsley.

From Vegetarian Times, October 2008.

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in the kitchen // october

I recently discovered a delicious chili recipe. According to my husband, it has lots of “stuff” in it, which is what makes it so yummy. I made a few modifications to the recipe (see below), which appear in italics. This meal can easily be made using almost all organic ingredients. I’ve found that organic canned goods are really not a lot more expensive than non-organic. And, this meal is packed with protein, which is great for pregnant or nursing mamas, or anyone who wants to get more protein in their diet without resorting to animal products. On top of all that, it is a hearty, meat-free dish that satisfies everyone, including carnivores (I’m the only vegetarian in the family).

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained (substitute two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes)
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (substitute one 15-ounce can chickpeas/garbanzo beans)
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (substitute one 15-ounce can chickpeas/garbanzo beans)
1 small can tomato sauce
about 1/2 cup to 1 full cup of water

Preparation
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

From Cooking Light, December 2003

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