Indian Carrot Pudding ~ Gajar Halvah

A very popular and traditional Indian dessert that is served on festivals- Halvah, which means sweet in arabic. Gajar halva is typically made with sautéing fresh carrots in ghee and cream, however this dessert is made with vegan butter and coconut milk, reducing the calories and making it dairy free. Carrots are naturally sweet and have been used for thousands of years along the Silk Route, as a sweetener is desserts in lieu of sugar. This halva is adorned with chopped pistachios and jeweled raisins with just a hint of cardamom. A little of this densely decadent pudding goes a long way, since it is so rich and flavorful. Can be served warm or cold with a dollop of ice cream after a spicy meal.

Serves 6

Ingredients

¼ cup vegan butter

6 medium carrots, shredded

2 cups coconut milk

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup golden raisins

4 cardamom pods, bruised

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup unsalted pistachios, crushed (garnish)

Instructions

                      1      Melt butter in a skillet and then add carrots. Reduce heat to medium low and coat carrots in butter.

                      2      Stir in the coconut milk and simmer uncovered on low heat for 45 minutes; stirring occasionally.

                      3      Stir in the brown sugar, raisins, cardamom, and salt. Stir constantly until all the sugar is dissolved into a pudding like consistency; about 15 minutes.

                     4      Wait until slightly cool to transfer to small dessert bowls. Store in the fridge and when ready to serve, invert onto a dessert plate and garnish with pistachios.

Banana Coconut 5 Spice Muffins

With winter upon us, it's easy to picture oneself on a tropical island, under the shade of a coconut palm. But even if the mercury does eventually head north, a taste of the tropics remains as close as these bite size banana coconut muffins laced with Chinese 5 Spice. Quick to throw together and under 30 minutes to bake, these individually sized muffins will dreamily take you to the sunny isles.


It might seem like an odd combination, but actually- banana, coconut and Chinese 5 Spice all originate from the Southeastern part of Asia. Marrying them together into these intoxicatingly sweet and nutty morsels made sense.


In Sanskrit (ancient Hindu language), the coconut is viewed as the kalpa vriksha ("the tree which provides all the necessities of life"). Virtually every part of the coconut palm can be utilized in some manner. Such is the case with these muffins- the coconut milk is used in place of regular milk;  coconut oil for baking;  and the white coconut meat is used as a confection. It's wonderful when you can create something that utilizes all parts of a plant, and nothing goes to waste.


Chinese 5 Spice was originally used to make perfumes, but now is used in avant garde savory desserts. The formula is based on the Chinese philosophy of balancing the yin and yang in foods. The most common combination in 5 Spice is bajiao (star anise), cloves, cinnamon, huajiao (Sichuan pepper) and ground fennel seeds.


To finish off the muffins I sprinkled them with coconut flakes, because I love the crunchy texture it gives to baked goods.  The coconut flavor permeated the entire muffin and gave a subtle sweet note that you don't normally find in a banana muffin, while the 5 spice gave them a warmth, and the bananas themselves allowed the muffins to be nice and moist. 

Makes 14

Ingredients

2/3 cup organic coconut milk 

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 

2 1/2 All Purpose Gluten Free Flour 

1/2 cup toasted unsweetened finely shredded coconut

1 teaspoon 5 spice Asian powder 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed slightly so liquified 

2/3 cup packed brown sugar 

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

2 large organic eggs 

3 very ripe medium bananas, mashed well 


Instructions

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Line 14 muffin tins with paper liners.
3. Whisk together flour, shredded coconut, spices, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
4. Whisk together coconut oil and sugar until well combined, then whisk in vanilla, eggs and then bananas until well blended.
5. Whisk in coconut milk and lime juice, then the flour until just combined.
6. Drop batter into prepared muffin pan until each has an equal amount, and sprinkle with coconut flakes. Bake muffins until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, and they are lightly brown about 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Peach and Raspberry Crumble

Call back the summer with an old fashioned summer dessert that relies on seasonal fruits for most of its flavors. While peach and raspberry are not in season now, I actually froze them during the summer when I had an overflow of these juicy fruits.

In my cookbook that I am in process of editing, I write about the importance of seasonal eating, but I also write about how you can capture the bounty and freeze it into a time capsule for later use.

Freezing is one of the easiest, most convenient and least time consuming ways to store fruits of the season. The extreme cold slows down the changes that affect quality or cause spoilage. Freezing fruits is ideal when you will be using it for a dessert, because the texture changes and becomes softer- better for cooking than eating thawed fruits.

These little fruit jewels naturally contain a high amount of fiber, but a crumble topping with nuts add a sprinkling of whole grains and protein. The smattering of raspberries adds a bit of color and tartness to the peaches. If you don’t care for tart then use blueberries in lieu of raspberries. Serve with vanilla ice cream or yoghurt garnished with a spring of mint for added freshness.

Serves 6

Ingredients

¾ cup brown rice flour

4 tablespoons vegan butter

½ cup buckwheat flakes (or millet flakes)

¼ cup almond meal

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1-teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and cubed

1-1/3 cup raspberries

4 tablespoon orange juice

2 tablespoons tapioca starch


Instructions

  1      Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie dish
    2   In a medium size bowl, place the rice flour and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the buckwheat flakes, almond meal, ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon. Mix well.
    3      In the pie dish, combine the peaches, raspberries, orange juice, 2- tablespoons sugar and tapioca starch together. Sprinkle the crumble over the top, pressing it down lightly.

    4      Bake for 40 minutes or until the crumble is lightly browned. Serve warm or cold paired with your favorite ice cream. 

Zucchini Latkes

I know what you are thinking.... zucchini latkes?? When you think of Chanukah, typically most people are thinking of potato latke. But really, what is the origin of potato latke and who said that we need to just eat potato latke for Chanukah. Well, we don't!

Potato latkes has its origin among Ashkenazi Jews in Europe, where potatoes grew in abundance. Consequently the potato latke became the quintessential Chanukah dish commemorating the little olive oil that the Jews found in the holy temple in Jerusalem after its desecration. Mizrachi (Eastern or Asian origin) Jews- of which I am,  eat a variation of latkes- mainly, but not exclusively consisting of any of the following: spinach, cauliflower, leeks or zucchini.  It really depends from which country you come from and what grows indigenous there. Nice to know that they were eating to the seasons and cooking with what is grown locally.  Makes sense, right?
Yet, there are more traditions behind the "Festival of Lights."

The eating of dairy foods amongst some Jews is another custom and has its roots in the story of Judith- the ultimate feminist. Judith was a pious woman who had a plan to save the Jews by pretending to surrender to an Assyrian general, Holofernes, who led his army in the 2nd century BCE to conquer over the Jews so that he could be exalted. The Holy Temple in Jerusalem was sieged and the Jews could not practice their religion. Judith used her beauty and charm to ingratiate herself onto Holofernes. She brought him her home made cheese and wine (nothing like food to a mans stomach) and went back to his tent.

Judith hand fed Holofernes her cheese and wine until he fell asleep. She managed to stop him from his terrible acts so that the Jews could recapture their Holy Temple and rededicate themselves to their holy services. The first order of business was to light the menorah in the temple, but very little oil was found and would only last one day. The miracle of Chanukah was that the little vile of oil that was supposed to last for one day lasted 8 days.

It is for this reason that we eat foods fried in oil (typically olive oil) and eat dairy to pay hommage to a brave woman who wooed a dangerous general with her cheese!


These zucchini fritters inculcate the story of Chanukah with green rope like strands sizzled in olive oil commemorating the miracle of the oil and has a touch of parmesan to honor the ultimate feminist Judith for her courageous acts. For an extra punch, I suggest dipping the fritters into a salsa which adds a delicate piquancy to these light zucchini fritters. 

Makes 12 fritters

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups zucchini, grated through a food processor fitted with a metal blade

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 eggs, beaten

4 tablespoons All Purpose Gluten Free flour (or regular flour if you are not GF)

Olive oil, for frying

Salt and fresh ground black pepper 

Directions

1. Squeeze the zucchini in a dish towel to remove an excess water, then combine with Parmesan, eggs, flour and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat enough oil to cover the base of a large frying pan. Add 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each fritter and cook 3-4 at a time. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve warm with a spoonful of salsa.

Baingan Bharta (Eggplant Curry)

Baingan Bartha is a vegetarian dish from Indian and Pakistani cuisine. It is a Bhurta (minced vegetables) made from eggplant (Baigan), which is grilled on direct fire to impart a smoky flavor to the flesh of the eggplant and then cooked with spices and vegetables. The eggplant is then mashed and seasoned with fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) for a clean flavor. To bring up the heat, I tempered the mustard seeds and then fried up some fresh chile.   Serve with a dollop of yoghurt, if you want to cool your palette and serve with a side of Basmati brown rice.

Jump over Pakistan into Afghanistan, and you will find a variation of this eggplant curry, called bonjan salad. It too, is grilled eggplant that is softened to a point where the pulp just melts off and is then mashed with fresh garlic. This is usually eaten at room temperature with flat Afghan bread as an appetizer, along with main dishes.

I love the way food- in particular, eggplant has traveled throughout the Indian subcontinent and slowly morphed its way into varying recipes. If you think about it, we all share a connection to one another. Sometimes, just as food appears so different, the core is the same- the foundation of Baingan Bartha is the same a the Bonjon. As we move along through life, and meet people we become the sum of all parts- forgetting that we all share a connection to one another- a foundation. Our influences, adorn us- make us special and individuate us, but foods keep us connected to the superluminal connectedness of all things that are beyond our immediate perception.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large eggplants

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed

1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

4 ounces button mushrooms, halved

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 fresh red Chile, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush the skin of both the eggplant with 1 tablespoon of the oil and prick with a fork. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until soft.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and saute the mustard seeds for 2 minutes, until they begin to pop. Take care not to splash the oil.
3. Add the scallions, mushrooms, crushed garlic and chopped chili and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric and salt and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash the flesh briefly with a fork.
5. Add the mashed eggplant and chopped cilantro to the saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Sweet Potato Vegan Pie

What do you think of when you smell sweet potatoes roasting in the oven? How about when you see a carved pumpkin sitting on the outside steps of your neighbors' home? I think of Fall- of course, and these orange vegetables mimic the turning of the leaves with its vibrant hues bouncing off the sun.

Thanksgiving for Vegetarians can be challenging, since it's traditionally around a turkey, however thinking about this holiday for the real essence of what it was supposed to be is about being truly conscious of your surroundings and thankful for all that you have. In that light, you are more likely to take slow, healthier steps to consecrate this holiday in a more pleasurable way.

Thanksgiving is one of the rare holidays that my entire extended family have an opportunity to get together one time during the year. All my cousins, aunts and uncles can get together to celebrate just being together. Since we are roughly 60 people gathered in my aunt and uncles' house, each one of us has to bring a potluck dish. This pie is my contribution and my thanksgiving to my family for our cohesiveness and a gift on how to eat tastefully and humanely.

The flavors of this orange fleshed pie are full, warm and inviting- everything you would want from a holiday pie. In fact the texture is rich and creamy, reminiscent of cheesecake with a naturally sweetened oat crust. No one ever guesses, unless I tell them that it's vegan and that it's made from sweet potatoes. Thanks to Stella from the Witchy Kitchen for sharing this recipe and giving the gift of this pie to my entire family.

Serve 8

Ingredients

Filling

2 (1 ½ cups) Sweet Potatoes

3/4-Cup Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Tapioca flour

3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

¾ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/4-Cup Plain Vegan Yogurt

Oat Crust

1 1/4 Cups Rolled Oats

1/2-Cup Pecans

6 Dates, pitted

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 tablespoon Almond Butter (any nut butter can work)

3 tablespoons Cold Water

Directions

                        1      Preheat oven to 400° F.

                        2      Wash sweet potatoes and prick them with a fork. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until done.

                       3      Remove from the oven and lower heat to 350° F. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool.

                       4      Place pecans in a food processor and break down to a very course meal. Add oats and pulse a few times till they become part of the course meal. Then add the dates, oil, and almond butter. Pulse till combined (the mix will be dry). Add water and pulse once or twice.

                       5      Pour mixture into a pie pan and press it until it goes up the sides of the pan (start from the middle and move out). Place in the fridge till crust is ready for pie batter.

                       6      In a small mixing bowl, combine sugar, tapioca flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

                       7      Place the sweet potato in another mixing bowl and mash it down with a fork until it is smooth. Add the sugar mixture and combine well. Then add the almond milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Blend till completely smooth.

       8      Pour into crust and place on the middle rack oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until filling hardens. Allow cooling on a baking rack for at least 3 hours.

Spiced Pear and Almond Sesame Parfait

Last week was the final week of the fruit share for the season from my CSA. Bless them... for a good portion of the fruit share I received apples and pears. So much so - that I just could not eat them fast enough. I decided that the best use for the pears was a spiced pear parfait.

 I spiced up the pears with a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom- scented them with vanilla and added some golden raisins to it. The combination of golden raisins and cardamom are classic combinations along the Silk Road- adding just a bit of bite to the sweet moist plump raisins.

Then I made some tofu cream- for all those out there that are vegan or avoiding dairy all together. I spiced up Silken Tofu with vanilla and blanched almonds. To top off this creamy Sunday, I made a sweet and salty almond crunch. 

A beautiful presentation in a glass with layers of golden pears and lightly colored cream laced with cinnamon. Whip some up in the fall when pears are at their peak. Thanks to Amy from the FragrantVanilla Cake for sharing this recipe and inspiring me to recreate desserts into healthier wholesome delights.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Pear Filling

4 Forelle Pears, peeled, cored and cubed

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup golden raisins

2-teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2-teaspoon cardamom

1/4-teaspoon nutmeg

2-teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch sea salt

Cream

1 package silken tofu

1/4-cup maple syrup 

1/4 cup blanched almonds

1/4-cup raw white sesame seeds

1-tablespoon vanilla extract

1-teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 tsp sea salt

Nut topping (optional)

½ cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2-tablespoon maple sugar

1/8-teaspoon sea salt

                      1      Place pears in a skillet over medium heat and combine with sugar, raisins, lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Stir occasionally so that the pears don’t stick to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until pears have softened. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract, and salt. Let mixture cool completely then place in the refrigerator until cold.

                       2      To make cream: In a food processor, combine tofu, maple syrup, almonds, sesame seeds, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt and process until very smooth. Place in the fridge to chill until very cold before assembling parfaits.

                         3      To make nut topping:  preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss almonds, sesame seeds, maple syrup and salt until well combined. Spread out on prepared sheet, and bake for 7 minutes until seeds are fragrant and toasted. Remove pan from oven and let cool completely.

                       4       To assemble:  line up 4 (8 ounce glasses). Place a third of the cream in the bottom of each, dividing evenly between the three.  Top with half the pear mixture, dividing evenly between the three, then half the remaining cream, then the rest of the pears, then the last of the cream.  Top with the almond sesame mixture. Serve immediately.