Recipe Fusion & Thanksgiving Trial Runs

I saw this recipe for Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry, so I decided to try it out. Then, I saw this scrumptious looking Lentil and Lamb Moussaka. But, I didn’t have any lamb :(. It seems to me that lamb dishes are very common in the UK (where these recipes are from), as beef is in the US. Perhaps not. It may just be the particular recipes I’ve come across. Anyway, this is what happens when recipes collide. I used the curry base with the moussaka top. It’s sort of like shepherd’s pie. I didn’t make it too sauce-y, as I was going to eat it without the addition of rice or bread. I really enjoyed it! The top is made from just Greek-style yogurt and egg. I used my homemade non-fat yogurt and added a little nutmeg. It was the first time I’ve used yogurt instead of a cheese (like ricotta). I am sold! Awesome! For the curry, I added a little apple, garlic, and my own curry spice blend with a touch of cinnamon. The recipe calls for chickpeas, but I roasted all of what I had for snacking (see this post). I had white beans in the freezer, though, so they had to pinch-hit. Sorry, the pics were pretty dark, but here you go:

What to do with lentil leftovers? I decided on a taco. I know this prep doesn’t look that great! But, it was satisfying. I didn’t have any tortillas left, though, so I had to make one. I was starving by the time I made this and almost didn’t take a pic. The tortilla was a soft, foldy one. I just left it open for you to see. Just lentils, potatoes, red cabbage, salsa verde, cilantro, and homemade pickled onions. I just love fresh tortillas! This one was made with whole & heirloom wheat.

I am continuing to seek and test ideas for Thanksgiving. I really think I am going to prepare lighter fare this year. It will save me a lot of prep time (and extra workout hours). Here’s one simple dish I think is a go: Grilled Yukon, Beet, and Sweet Potato Skewers.

I found another use for ginger beer syrup: glaze for the sweet potatoes. I used a thyme, rosemary, and oregano oil for the yukon, and orange juice, zest, olive oil, and mint for the beets (similar to this post). Easy peasy. I basted them half way through and again after they were done. I love the bite of orange zest with beets. So good!

One more idea for Thanksgiving: Coconut Cream-Yogurt Sweet Potato Mousse w/ Ginger Beer Syrup. I don’t think I am going to get away with this, but I still wanted to test it out. I will probably get evil glares if I don’t serve our traditional sweet potato pie, lol. Maybe if I make individual mini-pies, it would help with portion control. Anyway, this was a simple whip of raw coconut cream with homemade yogurt and sweet potatoes, chilled, then topped with ginger beer syrup (another use!), praline, and candied orange zest. If you couldn’t tell, I  adore citrus zest. Maybe I will make this for myself and pie for others…we’ll see.

I’ll keep you posted on any other ideas I decide to try out for the Holiday.

Recipe: Edwardian Curried Eggs

Curry. Eggs. Simple, but delightful! After seeing this delectable looking pan bagnat from lavenderandlovage. I also found a recipe for Edwardian Curried Eggs. I really love this dish because it’s ingredients can be prepared ahead of time.

I didn’t use the exact recipe measurements (I just eyeballed them), and it turned out splendid. I altered things a little by using less butter, adding a bit of garlic (because I need to have garlic in everything, lol), and using my own curry blend with just a whisper of cinnamon. Also, slightly different from the directions: I let the apples caramelize with the onion, then cooked out the flour & spices before adding the water. I molded the eggs into a sphere (see this post), and cut them horizontally. Some homemade chutney and brown basmati rice finished it off.

This recipe comes from a 1930’s cookbook and is a meal that was a pleasant reminder of lavenderandlovage’s childhood. I enjoyed her post about familiar scents and smells bringing back good memories. I can always use the comfort that comes from good memories. I tried to create good new memories & used traditional plates as she did. I even had a cup of hot tea in this Arizona heatwave! Luckily, I was inside.

If you adore curries as I do, please have a go at this recipe. It’s a versatile dish that can be used for everyday meals or more elegant, formal occasions.

WhirlwinDISH 9

I thought to make pasta when I picked up butternut squash at my local food co-op, Food Conspiracy. But, I ended up with soup and a curry sauce instead. I was in the mood for a simple curry sauce to go with some grains and veggies. On a whim, I thought the squash might give me the creamy base I was looking for with fewer calories (but with lots of flavor and nutrients, fiber, etc.). The soup came as a result of me wanting to get 2 different uses out of the same base. It was awfully hot for this type of soup, though. I will remember it when winter rolls around.

I made the base for this soup and sauce by roasting butternut squash, garlic, onion, celery, and ginger. I blended this base with cumin, ground red pepper, turmeric, and water until it was pretty thin. For the sauce: I sautéed a bit of tomato paste until it had a nice caramelization, added the base, then seasoned with ground mustard, ground coriander, and black pepper. I let it reduce until it was pretty thick. I reduced the soup portion just until it reached a little thicker consistency, simmering awhile to meld the flavors. I decided to throw in a few black beans, as I had an abundance (see my post about the beans here) and finished with creme fraiche.

The sauce, indeed, gave me the creaminess I was looking for without loading down my veggies and grain with a lot of cals. I love rich, creamy sauces, but this day, I just wanted something lighter. I also used this base to replace cream in an onion tartlette, add a little extra depth to a tomato pasta sauce, to flavor chickpeas, as well as add zip to veggies for spring rolls. Hopefully, I will post more about that soon. Soup was delish, but it will most likely be in my winter rotation.