It also reminds me of my first couple years after college, while working in Michigan, where winter was a serious deal. Back then, I did not have the same awareness of the food machinery in the United States (see Food Inc if you want to learn) than I do today. To avoid ingesting insecticides and pesticides, I purchased organic leafy greens – the kale, chard and spinach. I had a head of cabbage that I wanted to consume, so I substituted the cabbage for the spinach. The recipe also calls for making your own vegetable stock, however, I broke one of my own rules and purchased some low sodium vegetable stock from Whole Foods. The ingredients in the vegetable stock were simply vegetables, salt and water – there were no preservatives or msg – check your ingredients before you buy it. I’m not a fan of croutons, but if you’re so inclined, I have provided the recipe for those below as well. I’m not also a fan of garlic – so I replaced the garlic with a mix of dried crushed herbs – thyme, oregano and basil – to provide additional flavor. 

The soup was flavorful and hearty. Enjoy!

Winter Greens Soup Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced, about 3 cups
• Salt and pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or 1 tsp each of dried thyme, oregano and basil)
• 1 cup chard stems, thinly sliced
• 1 medium-sized potato, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups of low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves washed, about 8 cups packed
• 1 bunch of green chard, stems removed and leaves washed, about 8 cups packed
• 1 bunch of spinach, stems removed and leaves washed, about 8 cups packed (or 1/2 large head of cabbage, washed and chopped)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon, juiced
• 1 recipe garlic Croutons (optional)
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several pinches of pepper. Saute over medium heat until the onion is soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Then add the garlic (or herbs), chard stems, potatoes and carrot. Saute until the vegetables are heated through, about 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup stock, cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. When the vegetables are tender, add the white wine and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the pan is nearly dry. Stir in the kale, chard, 1 teaspoon salt, a few pinches of pepper and 3 cups stock. If you are using cabbage, add it in as well. Cover the pot and cook the soup for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chard and kale are tender. Add the spinach and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until just wilted.

Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until it is smooth. Thin with a little more stock if it seems too thick. Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with Garlic Croutons and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Makes 9 to 10 cups.

Garlic Croutons

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or replace with 1 tsp each of dried thyme and oregano)
• 1/4 French baguette, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the olive oil and garlic (or herbs). Lay the slices of baguette on a baking sheet and brush them lightly with the garlic oil or herb oil. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the croutons are crisp and lightly browned.

In standard format, I have modified the recipe slightly to suit my taste. These are quick to make and bake, and they taste great any time of day, but especially with a cafe au lait or a latte, at breakfast, brunch or high tea.  Adapted from the Fields of Greens Cookbook by Annie Somerville, the recipe is also used to make scones for the San Francisco favorite, Greens Restaurant. Enjoy!

Scones Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup golden raisins (replaced with 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries and 1/4 cup raisins)
• zest of 1 orange
• 3-4 tablespoons of fresh orange juice
• 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour (replaced with 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 lb cold unsalted butter
• 1 + 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (used low fat buttermilk)
• 1 egg yolk (optional)
• 2 tablespoons milk (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. First zest the orange and set the zest aside. Squeeze 3-4 tablespoons of fresh orange juice and pour over the 1/2 cup of dried fruit (raisins + cherries). Leave to plump up.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to dry ingredients. Then use your hands to break up the butter into the dry mixture, rolling it through your hands until it resembles coarse meal. Add the oats, dried fruit and juice, stirring with a fork. Add the zest to the buttermilk and then add to the dry mixture, stirring until it gathers into a ball. Do not overmix.

Then, using your hands, pull the dough out onto a floured board or countertop and shape into a large round circle about 1 inch high. Don’t overwork the dough, it will be formed but flaky. Cut the circle into 8 wedges and place each wedge about an inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Optional: Whisk the egg yolk and milk together and brush on top of the 8 wedges.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the scones are shiny (if brushed with the egg wash) and lightly browned. Serve with jam and butter and savor

The muffin has a subtle complexity from the sharp cheddar and Worcestershire sauce and could be mistaken for a new type of biscuit (except the muffin doesn’t contain lard or butter). They muffins taste great with breakfast, brunch, coffee, tea, soup, etc and take about 10 minutes to mix and 20 minutes to bake! This recipe was adapted from Nigella Lawson’s recipe. I replaced the self-rising flour (all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt) with a mix of whole wheat flour and rye flour. The whole wheat flour gives the muffins a bit more fiber. Although, based on some literature that I recently came across, I think the flours will have to be replaced by whole grains that are not pulverized to a powder to retain the benefits of the whole grain.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups self rising flour (or replace with 3/4 cup rye flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour)
• 1/3 cup rye flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons plain whole milk yogurt (or replace with lower fat Greek yogurt)
• 1/2 cup whole milk (or replace with any almond milk, if you use whole wheat flour add 1/4 cup more milk)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, mustard powder and cheese in a large bowl with a fork. In a large measuring cup, beat together the remaining ingredients. Pour into dry ingredients, mixing lightly with your fork. Remember that good muffins are made from lumpy batter. My substitutions are reference in parentheses in the list above.  Regular Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it and since I was trying to keep this as vegetarian as possible,  I used a vegan Worcestershire sauce (that doesn’t have anchovies in it). I also added a 1/4 tsp salt since I didn’t use the self-rising flour. If your cheddar is very salty, you probably don’t need to add additional salt. The cheddar that I used was not that salty.

Lightly oil and flour a 12-muffin pan. Spoon equally into the 12 muffin cups  and bake for 20 minutes, then quickly take out of the oven and sprinkle a little cheese and Worcestershire sauce on each muffin. Put the muffins back in the oven for another 5 minutes, and then put them on a baking sheet to cool. The muffins pull back from the baking pan a bit, so it’s pretty easy to loosen them out of the baking pan. If you don’t want to deal with that, then simply use cupcake liners.

The muffins taste best while they are still warm but not hot. Makes 12 muffins. They are incredible fresh and a day later! I would also say ‘days later’ but I don’t think  they’ll last that long! Enjoy!

Squash or Pumpkin is so simple to bake – and with this recipe, even simpler. I adapted the recipe from the Willams Sonoma Eat Well cookbook. In standard fashion, I made a few changes to the recipe to suit my taste.  I used a small pumpkin in place of kabocha (since that’s what I found in the pantry and the flavors are pretty close). I replaced the milk with orange juice (simply because I did not want to use milk). I replaced granulated white sugar with organic brown sugar – which simply means that sugar is mixed with molasses. Molasses is one of those tastes that you either like or you don’t. I personally think it adds a certain warmth and heartiness. I added some chopped pecans to most of the cupcakes, for variety and texture. I also added a small quantity of lightly roasted ground star anise, which adds a hint of licorice to the cupcakes! This may also sound peculiar but there’s something fragrantly addicting about the scent of star anise.

Cupcakes:

• 1 kabocha (or another squash/pumpkin, about 2 lbs)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar (used brown sugar instead)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground lightly roasted star anise
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk (used orange juice instead)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Then lightly oil a pan and place the pumpkin halves cut side down on the pan. I also lightly oiled the outside of each pumpkin half to ensure each did not dry out while baking. Bake until very soft, about 45 -60 minutes. Remove from oven, peel, mash or puree and measure out approximately 1 cup.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, vaniila and the mashed squash/pumpkin. In a second bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and salt. Stir flour mixture into squash mixture, then add the orange juice. Mix until well blended.

Spoon into a muffin/cupcake pan lined with cupcake holders. Fill each cupcake holder until it is about 80%-90% full (try to evenly split the batter between 12 cupcakes). In about half or all the cupcakes, drop chopped pecans on top before placing in the oven. Bake for approx. 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees F, until a toothpick or knife inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.

To frost about half the cupcakes, mix the following together until smooth:

• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice

Spread onto cupcakes and serve a variety of nutty, frosted and plain cupcakes.

The only flamboyant spice in this dish is turmeric, which adds the characteristic yellow hue to the fish in addition to it’s flavor. I added a few different vegetables to the mix and replaced the rice noodles with whole wheat noodles. I topped off the dish with unsalted dry-roasted chopped peanuts and lemon juice (i.e. a hint of pad thai). The dish came out colorful, tasty and satisfying with a nod of approval from my most discerning food critics!

The recipe makes enough for 5-6 people. I started the recipe with the fish marinade, then cooked the noodles and the vegetables and finally, cooked the fish and combined everything together. The recipe calls for catfish, however, I used mahi-mahi. I also replaced black peppercorns with red, white and green peppercorns, and seasoned the whole wheat noodles with soy sauce. I made some minor modifications to the recipe to suit our tastes….enjoy!

Ingredients:

Fish & Marinade

• 4 catfish or mahi-mahi fillet, fresh or defrosted (if frozen)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon rainbow pepper (red, white and green peppercorns), roasted and finely ground
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder (haldi powder)

Defrost the fish, rinse with cold water and pat dry. If you’re using fresh fish, then simply rinse with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Combine the olive oil, garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper and turmeric in a large non-metallic bowl. Add the fish fillets to the bowl. Ensure each piece is coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or 1 hour in the fridge.

Noodles

• 6 oz. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• 6-10 cups of water
• 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce, low sodium

While the fish is marinating, bring a pot of water to boil. Add the noodles from the packet, stirring occasionally. After approximately 10 minutes, check that the noodles are cooked, then drain the noodles and season with 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Set aside.

Vegetables

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
• 2-3 large broccoli stems, cut stalks into 3 or 4-inch segments and discard tough ends of stem
• 1/2 – 1 cup of water
• pinch of salt

In a large wide bottomed pan over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, then the chopped onions. Stir for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, broccoli and a pinch of salt. Stir for a minute. Add 3/4 cup of water and place the lid on the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. After 3-4 minutes, remove the lid and stir. If the water has evaporated, add another 1/4 cup of water and cover the pan with the lid again for another 2-3 minutes. You’re essentially steam cooking the broccoli with as little water as possible remaining at the end.  Then turn the heat off and remove the broccoli from the pan with it’s juices. Set aside.

Cooking the Fish

• 10-15 mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• 1/2 – 1 cup of water
• pinch of salt
• fish and marinade
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tabelspoon fresh dill, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
• juice of one fresh lemon

In the same large wide bottomed pan, over medium high heat, add the olive oil, then the chopped onions. Stir for a few minutes. When the onions are translucent, add the garlic, mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Add a 1/2 cup of water. Then place the fish fillets one at a time over the contents of the pan. Pour any remaining marinade from the bowl over each fillet. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Allow the fish to simmer for 3-4 minutes on the first side. Then carefully flip each fillet over using a spatula. Sprinkle in the dill and cilantro and cover the pan. Allow fish to simmer for another 3-4 minutes longer until cooked through.

To serve, pour the fish and sauce over the noodles. Then add the broccoli, sprinkle the peanuts and lemon juice on top.

In the backyard of the house I’m currently staying in, there are numerous culinary herbs being grown including mint, basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley and even a bit of cilantro. The fresh herbs are so fragrant that even the chipmunks dawdle as they scurry by…

I ended up incorporating various herbs into this pita bread recipe, to create a type of ‘tapas’ dish. Mini pita’s infused with thyme and rosemary are toasted with slightly tart sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil, and then topped with feta cheese. It was an experiment that my taste-testers inhaled (thanks guys!).

The recipe has two main steps – the pita bread and then the various toppings. The pita bread recipe is adopted from Jeffrey Alford’s and Naomi Duguid’s recipe in the Baking with Julia cookbook.

Ingredients for Pita Bread

• 2.5 cups tepid water
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• pinch of sugar
• 2.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2.5 to 3.5 cups all-purpose flour
• Infused herbs & oil: 1/3 cup olive oil, 5-10 sprigs thyme, 2-3 sprigs rosemary, pinch of salt, pinch of freshly grated black pepper

In a small plastic or glass bowl (do not use metal), mix the  2.5 cups of tepid water with the active dry yeast.  Add a pinch of sugar and mix until evenly incorporated. Then take a larger non-metallic bowl, add the 2.5 cups of whole wheat flour and pour in the yeast/water mixture. Stir 100 times. Then cover and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the ‘sponge’ to form.

After 30 minutes, add the salt, olive oil and stir. Then add the 2.5 cups all-purpose flour to the sponge. Knead it into an elastic smooth dough for 8-10 minutes, on a flat surface. Add small amounts of additional all-purpose flour as needed to form a smooth elastic dough. Then lightly grease the bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 2-3 hours. The dough will double in size.

Punch down the dough. The dough can be utilized right away or be stored in a lightly greased plastic resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Allow the dough to come to room temperature before using it. The longer the dough sits in the refrigerator, the better the taste of the bread.

For the ‘Infused herbs & oil’: Remove the thyme and rosemary leaves from their stems. Heat the oil on low heat for a few minutes until it is warm, then add the herbs, pepper and salt. Remove from heat. Set aside.

To make the pita rounds, heat a skillet on the stove at med-high heat. Pinch off a golf-ball sized piece of dough. Flatten it to a patty with your hand and with a brush apply a small amount of the ‘Infused herbs & oil’ (be sure to grab a few thyme and rosemary leaves from it), then pinch the ends of the patty together to capture the herbs and oil within the dough.  Roll it out to a 1/4″ thickness on a flat surface, utilizing dry flour to prevent the dough from sticking. When the skillet is radiating heat, place the rolled out pita onto it (shake off the extra dry flour used to roll the dough out). Wait 4-7 minutes to allow the bottom surface to cook and then flip it over.  Repeat on the second side for 3-5 minutes until the pita looks cooked through on both sides. Then remove it from the heat. Set aside.

The pita can also be made in the same manner on a grill. This dough makes 15-20 pita breads. The pita bread is best eaten right away but can be wrapped airtight and frozen for a month (thaw and reheat on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F.)

Ingredients for toppings:

• sun-dried tomatoes (enough for 4-5 segments/pieces on each pita)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• telicherry black pepper, freshly ground
• pinch of salt
• feta cheese (enough for 3-4 pieces per pita)
• 1 lime

Set an oven to broil (500 degrees F).  Brush olive oil across the top of the pita bread. Garnish with sun-dried tomatoes and basil, pepper and lightly salt. Then place in oven for 1-3 minutes (or until the sun-dried tomatoes sizzle).  Remove from oven, top with feta cheese and squeeze a bit of lime across the bread. Ready to serve!

Mom and I came up with this recipe after reading a recipe for strawberry muffins on a vegan blog, www.egglesscooking.com. The recipe on that site doesn’t call for whole grains though. Recently, I’ve been reading a number of books on whole grains including Ultra-metabolism by Dr. Hyman and A Cook’s Guide to Grains by Jenni Muir (an excellent book about grains from around the world). Jenni Muir’s book illustrates several recipes where whole grains are utilized in all types of foods. So we modified the muffin recipe to suit our healthy palate.

The whole grains utilized in this recipe include whole wheat flour and millet flour (or bajri/bajra flour). Yes, millet flour is made from millet which is also well known as bird food in the U.S. What is not well known is that it is gluten-free and packs a protein punch. It’s also easy to digest. It is used in some unleavened bread recipes in Indian food because of it’s nutritional qualities.

The whole grains provide a nice complexity that compliment the smooth blueberries. This recipe makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients for Blueberry Whole Grain Muffins

• 1 cup millet flour (bajri or bajra flour is millet flour in hindi)
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (from the standard grocery store, this is not ‘atta’)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (or other less refined sugar)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup applesauce (at room temperature)
• 1/2 cup oil (canola or olive)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 + 1/8 cup water (at room temperature)
• 4 oz frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the millet flour, whole wheat flour, sugar and soda. Mix for a minute to introduce air into the mixture. Note: The whole wheat flour that is sold as ‘atta’ at the Indian stores is more refined as it is used to make unleavened bread (chapathi, etc). The one used in this recipe is more coarse and has more fiber and was purchased at the local grocery store.

In a second bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract. Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mix. Mix until combined. At this point the mixture should resemble cookie dough, so add 1/4 cup of water and mix. The batter should be slightly thicker than pancake batter, and less thick than cookie dough. If it’s still a bit thick, add another 1/8 cup of water.

Then toss in the blueberries. Frozen berries are less likely to get damaged during the process, however, one could try fresh blueberries. Mix and then equally divide into 12 lightly greased cupcake holders and place in a muffin baking pan. The cupcake holders should be about 3/4 full. Bake for 22 minutes. We are baking these muffins at 5000 ft elevation, so the cooking time may be a bit less at sea level. The muffins are done when a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean. You can also bake this as a cake in a 9 inch pie plate or similar sized rectangular dish. It will take about 35-45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.

Enjoy!

It was fairly quick to assemble and made enough salad for 5-6 people.

The salad dressing combines rice vinegar, sesame oil, agave nectar and pepper. The sesame oil is key. I utilized a dark toasted sesame seed oil from Japan.  A small quantity goes a long way – it gives the salad a nutty roasted sesame seed flavor without overpowering the salad. The agave nectar is a low glycemic index sweetener (and is sweeter than processed white sugar). Rice vinegar is less acidic than regular vinegar or wine vinegar, and so is appropriate for this light dish.

Ingredients for Pepper Cabbage Broccoli Salad:

• 1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped length-wise into strips
• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped length-wise into strips
• 2 crowns of broccoli, chopped into 1″ pieces
• 6 oz rice vermicelli noodles (optional)
• 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil

Dressing:

• 1 bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1.5 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
• pinch of salt

Wash and chop all vegetables listed as indicated above. Steam or blanche or pan fry the broccoli only until bright green – about 5 minutes. Set aside. In the same pan, add a teaspoon of oil, then add the remaining vegetables and allow to heat for 2-3 minutes. The cabbage will soften. Then remove pan from heat and add all of the vegetables to a large bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Then pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir. The dish is ready to serve.

If you decide to add vermicelli noodles to this dish, then fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Add the vermicelli noodles to the water and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain the water. Rinse the noodles with cold water to stop the cooking process and drain. If the noodles stick together, then separate in the cold water before draining.

Toss the noodles in the vegetables and serve. You can also add more dressing to the salad to suit your taste and adjust the agave nectar quantity for sweetness.

I often visit the local farmers’ market on the weekend to buy local produce. This past weekend I purchased a number of ripe kiwi fruit and this spice mix called za’atar.

Za’atar is this lovely spice mix from the Middle East. The Lebanese variety consists of thyme, ground sumac, sesame seeds and sea salt.   It can be mixed with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and tahini (sesame seed paste) and used as a topping on pita bread. The first time I tasted za’atar was at the age of 9 – it was heavenly!  Of course, today in the kitchen, I decided to try the za’atar mix with cooked quinoa and then incorporated the quinoa into my salad mix. Since I also had ripe kiwi fruit on hand, I decided to replace the cucumber in this salad with kiwi fruit. It was the perfect storm!

The sweetness of the kiwi blends well with the creaminess of the quinoa and potatoes. The za’atar adds a crisp tartness and a nice complexity.  The salad contains cooked Quinoa, tomatoes, red potatoes, kiwi, cilantro leaves and an olive oil/za’atar/lemon juice dressing.   The red potatoes are optional but make the salad a little heartier. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can replace it with parsley or mint or basil leaves. This recipe makes enough salad for 4 people.

Quinoa Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa seeds
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 2 roma tomatoes (small/medium sized), chopped finely
• 2-3 ripe kiwis, peeled and chopped
• 1 small bunch of chopped cilantro
• 4-5 small/medium red potatoes, washed, boiled and diced (with enough water to cover the potatoes and a pinch of salt)
• Dressing – see details below.

Place a small saucepan on the stove on medium high. Rinse the quinoa seeds in water a few times. Add 1 teaspoon of the canola oil. When the oil/pan is hot, add the quinoa, salt and bay leaf. Stir once and then add 2 cups of room temperature water.  Stir again. Place a lid on the saucepan. When the mixture comes to a boil, lower the stove to low. The quinoa will take 15 minutes to cook.

This is the perfect time to also wash the red potatoes. I recommend chopping the potatoes in half once, and then placing them in a boiling pot of water (add a pinch of salt in the water) for 20 minutes – until tender.

While you are waiting for the quinoa and potatoes to cook, wash, peel and chop the kiwis. Wash and chop the tomatoes and cilantro. Set aside.

Dressing (1)

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspooon minced fresh thyme (or dried thyme)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac (red color)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 small garlic clove, diced finely
• 1 green chili pepper, chopped finely (optional)

Toast 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds on a skillet, at medium heat. Then using a mortar & pestle or alternative spice grinder, grind the toasted sesame seeds to a paste. Add a few drops of olive oil to help grind to a paste if necessary.  You can also purchase sesame seed paste at the grocery store. The sesame seed paste (called tahini) is made using the seeds only (not husk) and is usually more smooth than the homemade version.

In a small bowl whisk together the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, sumac, sesame seeds (1 tsp), sesame seed paste, salt and the chili pepper. Set this dressing aside.

When the quinoa has cooked, place it in a large mixing bowl. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Spread out the quinoa in the bowl to help it cool down.

When the potatoes cook through and are tender, remove from the boiling water. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then dice into 1/2″ pieces.  Add to the quinoa.

Then add the tomatoes, kiwis and cilantro. Pour the dressing on top of the mixture and mix well. Serve as a salad or as a side.

mmm…..so good!

Some interesting facts about kiwis: Kiwi fruit contain as much potassium as bananas, and also contain fiber, Zinc, Vitamin A, C and E. The black seeds of the kiwi fruit can be crushed to produce kiwi fruit oil, which is very rich in Alfa-Linoleic Acid (an important Omega-3 essential fatty acid). Kiwi fruit also have a low glycemic index (52)!

In standard fashion, I modified the vegan/vegetarian recipe to my liking.  I replaced the rice with quinoa and the sugar with agave nectar. I also added some chopped ginger. All attempts to improve the nutritional benefits of the dish while retaining the lovely flavors.

The savory handva came out soft, textured and just the slightest bit sweet, with complimentary flavors of sesame and mustard seed.

Handva Ingredients

• 1 cup corn, boiled and lightly crushed
• 1/2 cup potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
• 3/4 cup mixed vegetables (green peas, french beans, cauliflower, etc), chopped and boiled
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed then cooked
• 1/4 cup semolina (sooji/rava), any grain size
• 1/4 cup ginger, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water

Tempering the Handva

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai/sarson)
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (til)
• a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

1. Measure 1/2 cup dried quinoa. Rinse, then cook the quinoa in double the water (with a 1/2 teaspoon salt) for 15 minutes. Set aside.

2. Combine the corn, potatoes, peas, semolina, ginger, cilantro, chili, lemon juice, agave nectar, water and remaining salt.  The mixed vegetables can include many types of vegetables – I chose to simply use peas. Add 1/2 cup of the cooked quinoa. Stir mixture together.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 9 sq inch baking pan.

4. There are two options for tempering the Handva.

Option 1: Incorporate some of the tempering into the dish prior to baking it. Then finish tempering the Handva once it’s baked.

Place a small pan on the stove on high heat. Add 1/2 of the oil. When it is visibly less viscous, add 1/2 of the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add 1/2 of the sesame seeds. Allow the seeds to sizzle for about 10-15 seconds. Then pour over the mixture and stir in. Then transfer the entire mixture into the square pan, spreading the mixture evenly. Bake the dish for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F on a middle rack in the oven. After 20 minutes move the dish to the top rack of the oven and broil the dish for 30 seconds – 1 minute on the ‘Hi’ setting. Then remove the dish from the oven. Temper the remaining mustard seeds and sesame seeds in oil. Add the pinch of the asafoetida and allow it to sizzle for a moment before pouring the spices over the Handva.

Option 2: Temper the Handva after it is baked

Transfer the entire mixture into the square pan, spreading the mixture evenly. Bake the dish for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F on a middle rack in the oven. After 20 minutes move the dish to the top rack of the oven and broil the dish for 30 seconds – 1 minute on the ‘Hi’ setting. Then remove the dish from the oven. Place a small pan on the stove on high heat. Add the oil. When it is visibly less viscous, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the sesame seeds and a pinch of the asafoetida. Allow the seeds to sizzle for about 10-15 seconds. Then evenly pour over the baked Handva.

5. Cut the Handva into pieces and serve. Makes enough for 4 people.

Yum!