Fresh Dill-Basmati Rice and Pumpkin Saag

I made the fresh dill-basmati rice (p.116) and pumpkin saag (p.184) from Veganomicon last night!

Both were delicious. I added a bit more lemon juice on top of my rice once I had it on my plate because I really love lemon. I'll also add more cayenne pepper to the saag the next time I make it 'cause I love spice!

I'd never cooked a fresh pumpkin before (!!!) so it was really fun roasting it and seeing how fresh cooked pumpkin tastes compared to canned pumpkin. It was delightful. Plus, this was a fun twist on saag paneer which I make on occasion.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Carmelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping

I made the Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Carmelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping from p.194 in Veganomicon last night.

It's heavenly! ... and I really do think the cashew ricotta tastes like cheese. It was a little time consuming, but the result is definitely worth it. It's such amazing comfort food. Mmm mmm good. I'll definitely be making this again.

I think Lucas liked it. hee hee.


Here's a pic of a praying mantis that decided to land on a sheet I was drying outside this past August. :) (I just found this picture again when I was uploading these last night.)

White Bean Aioli with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Curried Carrot Spread

It looked like this, but I'm no good at taking pictures, so I got these thanks to google image search. haha



The white bean aioli is a combo of the white bean aioli in Veganomicon and one I found here on recipezaar.com.

I used two cans of great northern beans, some chopped rosemary, re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes, and the rest of the ingredients over at the recipezaar recipe.
I added more garlic and oil though (more like Veganomicon's recipe) ... 3 cloves of garlic.
Then I processed everything in my food processor. It is friggin' delicious! I used some pita to dip... Mmmm.

I also made the curried carrot spread on p.62 of Veganomicon. It is REALLY good. Go buy this book; you will thank me.
I think next time, I'm going to throw a can of cannellini beans into the carrot spread to give it a smoother texture. Mmm mmm good.

Indian-Spiced Kale and Chickpeas

This is delicious! It's healthy, inexpensive, and easy too!



Ingredients:
extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

Directions:
♥ Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
♥ Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute.
♥ Add broth, coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt.
♥ Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in chickpeas; cover and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Source: http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Recipes/Indian_Spiced_Kale_and_Chickpeas.aspx

Barley with Butternut Squash, Apples and Onions

*Happy Fall!
*I made this last night. It's delicious, cheap to make, low fat, and good for you! yay!



Ingredients

3/4 tsp table salt, divided
1/2 cup uncooked barley
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cup butternut squash, diced
1 cup onion(s), chopped
1/2 cup sweet red pepper(s), diced
1 medium apple(s), peeled, cored, diced
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium vegetable broth

Directions

Bring 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan; add barley. Cover saucepan and simmer barley until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes; drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add squash, onion and red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are browned and almost tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in apple, garlic, thyme, black pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, until apple is almost tender, about 2 minutes; stir in broth, scraping bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Stir in cooked barley; toss over low heat to mix and coat. Remove from heat and serve. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe Source: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=402621