This Trinidad recipe comes courtesy of my son's mother-in-law. I'd say it comes courtesy of my son-in-law, but he doesn't cook and never learned. My son learned this recipe directly from his husband's mother. This is very near and dear to both my son and son-in-law and they make it every few weeks or so.
I completely understand why - it is delicious and ridiculously easy to make! This is another dish where it is best to start making the rice first because the curry is done so quickly!
The original version of this recipe uses about 6 tablespoons of oil (neutral oil is best if using this amount) and a half cup of brown sugar, so if you want the very authentic version, bump up my quantities accordingly.
For an everyday recipe, I recommend using the proportions I gave, which does have my son-in-law's stamp of approval. In fact, they both say that it is too close in flavor to the original to not go the healthier route.
Also, my recipe uses my homemade curry powder (get it HERE), which I HIGHLY recommend. Buying curry powder at the store will leave your curry a bit flat, unless you know the spices were ground recently. That is something near impossible to tell with a store-bought curry powder. Making your own takes about 10 minutes and lasts about 3 months (for optimal flavor).
I know the recipe and the ingredients look too easy and simple to possibly produce anything amazing, but the sum of the parts is absolutely delicious!
Deep appreciation is sent to my son-in-law's mother. I hope she has a few more recipes she's willing to share!
If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.
Enjoy!
Speedy Cooking Tips:
Start the rice first.
Peel the potatoes and drain the chickpeas (reserve aquafaba; freeze if not using within a few days).
Prepare the water to add to the curry.
Measure the sugar, salt, garlic and salt-free seasoning while the water comes to a boil, after adding the chickpeas and potatoes.
Wash the spinach while the curry cooks.
(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF: choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)
1.Rice: Cook the rice as desired, in a rice cooker or Instant Pot.
2. Base: Have the 2 cups of water ready next to the pot to avoid burning the curry powder. Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the curry powder and cumin seeds, mix well. Cook very briefly to awaken the flavors and then immediately add the water.
3. Potatoes: Add the potatoes, chickpeas, sugar, salt, garlic and salt-free seasoning to the Base. Mix well, bring to boil over high heat, and reduce to medium heat to simmer. Partly cover and cook until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is well reduced, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir once or twice toward the end of the cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4.Spinach (optional): Stir in the spinach. Cook to wilt, about 1 minute and serve.
I bring you a German soup, which is byway of Minnesota and the Dakotas, where there are large settlements of German emigrants from the Russian Empire (source: Wikipedia). Although I gathered this tid-bit from Wiki, most of the recipes I researched also alluded to Germany, Russia and the middle United States.
This is traditionally a chicken and dumpling soup, finished with cream or milk at the end. Of course, it takes nothing to substitute chickpeas and nondairy milk to make this soup. The dumpling recipe uses aquafaba (the liquid from your can of chickpeas) and does a beautiful job of keeping the dumplings together and billowy-soft.
I rolled my dough too thick and wound up with huge dumplings. Make sure to roll them at most 1/2-inch or even better, 1/4-inch, to get smaller and daintier dumplings. Don't get me wrong - this was really delicious, even with my gargantuan dumplings.
This soup is almost as thick as a stew, with all the vegetables and dumplings, and is very lightly creamy. It isn't as thick as a cream of broccoli soup (for instance), but instead has a hint with the milk. The dumplings and potatoes also help to thicken the soup a bit. It is rich and certainly classifies as a comfort soup. If it is chilly where you are right now, this is a perfect soup to make today.
Although you can definitely have this soup on the table in 45 minutes, the ingredients list is a bit lengthy, so I've classified it for the Weekend. I leave it up to you to decide.
If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.
Enjoy!
Speedy Cooking Tips:
Remember to save the liquid from the chickpeas (the aquafaba)
Peel and chop the potatoes while the soup comes to a boil.
Prepare the dumpling while the soup cooks.
Cut the dumplings at least into 1/2-inch disks, but if you have the patience to roll it into 1/2-inch rope, cut into 1/4-inch disks.
(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF: choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)
Knoephla Soup
www.ZsusVeganPantry.com
Makes 4 to 6 servings
weekend
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, reserve the aquafaba (liquid)
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
7 tablespoons soy milk
3 tablespoons reserved aquafaba
2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1.Base: Add the oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas, carrot, celery, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Stir as needed.
2.Seasoning: Add the garlic, bay leaves, broth mix and thyme to the Base. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
3.Broth: Add the water, potatoes and chickpeas. Increase heat to high, bring to boil, reduce to strong simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
4.Knoephla: Combine the flour, baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper (to taste) in a large bowl. Add the milk and aquafaba. Knead in the bowl until the dough is smooth. Add 1/2 - 1 tablespoon more flour only if needed. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rope. Cut off 1/2-inch pieces and add to the simmering Broth. Cover and continue to simmer the soup for 10 more minutes.
6.Finish: Add the milk and parsley to the Broth. Taste for seasoning. Discard bay leaf. Serve.
Time: 45 minutes Dishes: air fryer or oven and baking sheet, large bowl, small bowl, whisk
Hello, hello Dear Readers!
I find it completely ironic and hilarious that a salad should take a lot longer to prepare or cook than a main dish, but those are the facts. I had to classify this meatless, vegetarian and vegan recipe as moderate because of the baking time (which CAN be reduced dramatically the smaller you cut the potatoes, but the lazy in me decided on 3/4-inch dice) and the ingredients list, which, as we all know, can hit the roof for salads.
If you've been to my blog before, you are familiar with my love of shawarma (see Herbivore copycat HERE and seitan shawirma HERE), so turning the Middle Eastern wrap into a salad was not a reach for me! Here is my take on the sandwich-turned-salad, which turned out pretty delicious and all things considered, pretty fast.
It's the baking time that makes this take long, so, if you want, chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and drop the baking/air-frying to 10 minutes from 20 minutes, before adding the protein. That would make this salad take about 35 minutes to bake, but, all in all, consider the extra baking time not as more time in the kitchen but more time to be with your family and fur-babies, since that part is hands-off.
This is a complete dish, with protein, vegetables and starch, so devour as is.
Enjoy!
Speedy Cooking Tips:
Peel and chop the potatoes BEFORE grabbing your ingredients.
Soak the potatoes and preheat oven/air-fryer while grabbing ingredients.
Start baking as soon as possible.
Shawarma Salad
Makes 4 servings
moderate
Preheat air-fryer to 400-F or oven to 475-F
1.Potatoes: Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Soak in cool water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Note: The smaller you cut the potatoes, the shorter the baking time.
4 medium to large potatoes
2.Roasting: Toss the ingredients in a large bowl and add to the baking sheet or fryer basket. Bake/air-fry for 20 minutes (for 3/4-inch dice).
Drained Potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
3. Protein: Add to the pan or basket of Roasting and continue to bake for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp and tender.
The final amazing meal in this Prep Ahead Week 4 menu is Moroccan Chickpea Salad. This salad features chickpeas marinated with dried apricots in a garam masala sauce. It is then added to greens and steamed rapini. The salad is served with Seasoned Pita Wedges and is completely unique and delicious.
The sweetness of the apricots mingled with the spices from the marinade, meld perfectly with the bitterness of the rapini. There is plenty of sauce to act as a marinade and a dressing and everything is whole foods plant-based.
I loved this salad and even my husband, who does not care for fruit in his savory dishes, loved this as well. The almonds add a light crunch and the pita wedges help scoop everything up.
This is very easy to throw together on the Prep Ahead menu, but in this case, I recommend allowing the chickpeas to marinade overnight.
Moroccan Chickpea Salad Serves 4
Marinade ingredients: 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons) 1/4 cup vegetable broth 1 tablespoon tahini 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon sweetener 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped 1/4 cup parsley (1/4 bunch), minced 1/4 medium onion, chopped 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (about 2 cups, cooked)
1 bunch rapini (or see below for substitute) Marinade chickpeas 3/4 cup almonds or 1/2 cup pepitas 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped 4 pita breads. 1 tablespoon vegetable broth
Meal 2 of Week 4 Prep Ahead menu is Firecracker Chickpeas and Vegetables. This delicious dish is full of vegetables and beans and is cooked in a spicy chili sauce.
This fiery dish is very versatile because you can adjust the heat level to suit your taste. You can use the called-for jalapeno or not. Or you can use 3 jalapenos. You can increase the garlic chili sauce or reduce it - the choice is yours.
This is a very easy and quick dish to make - made even faster as a Prep Ahead meal, but can still be ready in around 30 minutes, if you make the rice using my Fast and Easy Brown Rice recipe.
The dish is served with steamed broccoli but you can serve it with mustard greens, bok choy or even cauliflower.
Firecracker Chickpeas and Vegetables
Serves 4 to 6
Firecracker sauce ingredients:
1/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sweetener
12 ounces broccoli, cut into florets
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (use gloves if needed)
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (2 cups cooked)
3 cups cooked rice
1. Combine the ketchup, vegetable broth, garlic chili sauce, garlic, tamari, cornstarch and sweetener in a small bowl. Stir very well and set aside.
2. Steam the broccoli until tender.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced peppers and onions. Stir-fry (cook, stirring constantly) until lightly charred. Add the chickpeas, cook to heat. Mix the sauce and add to the vegetables. Cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
The final meal of Prep Ahead Week 3 menu plan is Curried Chickpea Soup with Seasoned Pita. This soup is packed with nutrition and flavor, but it doesn't require a ton of exotic ingredients. A curry powder (preferably homemade), a cinnamon stick, fresh ginger and garlic supply all the interesting flavors needed.
The heft of the soup is made up of brown rice, chickpeas, spinach and carrots. Because the rice is cooked in the soup, it takes a shorter time to cook than regular brown rice is typically cooked. (See my Fast and Easy Brown Rice for cooking brown rice as an accompaniment.)
The pita bread is simply brushed with vegetable broth, seasoned with salt and pepper and toasted or broiled until crisp. The soup is perfect for a cold night and is ready fast.
Curried Chickpea Soup Serves 4 to 6
2 celery ribs, cut thin 1 medium onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1-inch knob ginger, finely grated 1 jalapeno pepper, minced 2 teaspoons curry powder, Zsu's Curry Powder or store-bought 1 cinnamon stick 1 cup brown rice 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (2 cups cooked), rinsed and drained 8 cups water
Seafood rolls are very popular on the Northeastern coast of the US and I want folks to have some great alternatives for the sandwich that lots of people see as quintessentially coastal.
And if we throw in some sriracha, then it can only be better!
This sandwich is featured on my Prep Ahead Week 3 menu: HERE.
This sandwich features roasted artichokes, chickpeas and vegetables. The dressing can be either vegan mayo or vegan yogurt. I opted for the yogurt since it is just as creamy as mayo and the tang is welcome.
The sandwich is laced with cilantro and shredded carrots and perfect served in whole wheat hot dog rolls.
As the easy green accompaniment, I served it with a simple vinaigrette on a green salad. Easy and satisfying.
Sriracha Artichoke Rolls Makes 4 servings
1 teaspoon olive oil or oil spray 1 (14-ounce) can artichokes, squeezed of excess water and chopped 2 cups cooked or 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 3 garlic cloves, minced
3 celery ribs, sliced thin 2 medium carrots, shredded 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1/2 cup unsweetened plain nondairy yogurt 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) 1 tablespoon sriracha
Been busy little bees these past few weeks. My son has just completed applying to graduate school in an area that accepts woefully few applicants. He is an amazing film director, so he does have an excellent shot at it, but it's all a craps shoot.
I am posting his latest film at the bottom of this post. It's really good and I'd love your opinion about it, if you're game.
For the post this day, I am sharing a Southwestern Strata recipe. It is a perfect brunch recipe!
Strata is an interesting dish. It is supposed to be layers of white bread alternated with layers of cheese, then soaked in a milk mixture and baked. This is the very original version of strata.
Since then the milk mixture has been augmented with eggs to give it a custard-like texture and the the layers now are not so much layers, per say, as additions mixed in.
Mix-ins now can include, vegetables, meats and various types of cheeses. This being a southwestern version, it uses cornbread as the bread (I used the Cornbread Muffin recipe in Everyday Vegan Eats. Delicious!), and a homemade queso fresco (recipe coming this month).
It also includes sauteed peppers, onions and cilantro. I added spiced chorizo chickpeas since there is aquafaba in the batter anyway.
The batter is where it gets interesting. Because I fell in love with the bread pudding recipe in my cookbook Aquafaba [AMAZON], I wanted to make a savory version and this is the result. The aquafaba mixed with psyllium husk (cannot be omitted) and starch, results in a custard.
Mix, let the batter soak into the bread and bake. Serve it with some inspired tomato sauce and dig in.
As promised, here is Mikel's WE-System short film:
In case you missed it, I am hosting a giveaway for The Essential Vegan Travel Guide. My girls used it this summer when traveling in Europe and it is amazing! Go enter the contest or, better yet, pick up a copy! Contest ends December 19.
Southwestern Strata
Serves about 6
Chorizo Chickpeas:
1 cup chickpeas
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
Other:
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
6 cups stale cornbread (cut into 1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup crumbled vegan cheese, optional (Kite Hill or Follow Your Heart block is good or use homemade)
Batter:
6 tablespoons aquafaba**
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups unsweetened plain nondairy milk
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
1. Preheat the oven to 450-degrees F. Combine the chickpeas, broth, vinegar, oil, chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika and salt on a baking sheet. Mix well and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion to the skillet. Cover and cook until the onion is browning, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Add a splash of broth if the onion is beginning to burn. Using a cover will prevent too much evaporation and help brown the vegetables without oil.
3. Add the aquafaba to a blender. With the blender running on medium speed, add the oil slowly. Add the milk in a steady stream (doesn’t have to be slowly) and the psyllium. Blend for 20 seconds. Add to a large bowl.
4. Add the cornbread, cilantro, cheese (if using) and reserved chickpeas. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes. Add to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and bake in a 325-degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes to firm up. Serve.
** Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by 1/3. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.
