Veggie Foodie

A pretty good attempt at reproducing quesadilla we had at a restaurant in Montecito, CA

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size eggplant
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• Cheddar cheese
• 2 spring onions
• 4 tortillas

Method:

1. Finely chop spring onions
2. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick round slices
3. Heat 1 tsp oil in a flat pan on medium heat
4. Spread eggplant slices in the pan
5. Sprinkle some salt and oregano on eggplant
6. Turn the eggplant slices a few times and roast on both sides till medium brown in color
7. Keep the cooked eggplant slices aside
8. Pour 1/2 tsp oil on the flat pan and put it on medium heat
9. Place a tortilla on the pan
10. Place 4 eggplant slices on the tortilla and sprinkle spring onions and cheese on it
11. Cover it with another tortilla, gently press it and roast it on both sides till lightly brown on each side
12. Follow the same steps for the second quesadilla
13. Cut the quesadilla in 4 pieces and serve hot with a generous dollop of guacamole (see recipe under dips / spreads) – https://veggiefoodie.com/2012/08/30/guacamole/

Serves: 4

Remarks: As you can see, I’ve improvised by using Indian bread chapati instead of tortillas!

Italian Eggplant Ragout

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants, halved
• 2 Tbs. salt
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tbs. capers
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Method:

1. Scoop out center and seeds of eggplant halves. Cut eggplants into 3/4-inch dice. Toss with salt in bowl, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain, rinse well, and pat dry
2. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, and eggplants. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes, or until eggplants are tender but not mushy
3. Stir in capers and sugar, and cook 2 minutes more. Fold in parsley, and season with black pepper

Serves: 6

Remarks:

The meaty texture of eggplant makes it an ideal ingredient in vegetarian entrées, and its antioxidant content makes it a nutritional powerhouse.

Eggplant is rich in a phenolic compound called chlorogenic acid, a potent free-radical scavenger that confers antiviral, antimicrobial, and cholesterol-lowering benefits.

Prep tip: Salting the eggplant before cooking it draws out any bitter juices and helps the vegetable hold its shape when cooked.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup masoor dal (red lentils)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 chopped green chillies
• 1 tsp cumin
• 4 cardamom pods whole
• 2 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup chopped green beans / french beans
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 tbsp fried cashews pieces
• 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp Ghee

Method:

1. Add the ghee to a deep bottomed pan and put it on medium heat
2. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and chopped onions
3. Saute till the onions turns translucent
4. Add ginger, green chillies, turmeric, vegetables, quinoa and masoor dal
5. Toss for about three minutes to immerse the grain and the vegetables with the spices
6. Add four cups water and salt and simmer on a slow flame till cooked and the water is all absorbed. It should be light and fluffy
7. Add crushed cashews as garnish to give it a nutty flavor
8. Serve with papad and tomato chutney

Serves: 4

Inspiration source:

India Currents, Nov 2014 – page 58

https://www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2014/11/05/cooking-quinoa

Ingredients:

For tacos:

• Trader Joe’s Taco Shells (made with organic stoneground yellow corn)

For beans:

• 2 cans black beans
• 2 tbsp Trader Joe’s Taco Seasoning Mix
• 2 tbsp oil

other:

• 2 cups thick full cream yogurt
• 2 cups guacamole (https://veggiefoodie.com/2012/08/30/guacamole/)

Method:

Tacos:

1. Heat the taco shells in toaster oven at 450 degree F for a minute (make sure it doesn’t become brown / burn) and then put aside

Beans:

1. Gently wash the beans with cold water to remove preservatives, etc
2. Heat the oil in a pan
3. Saute the beans in the oil for a minute
4. Add the taco seasoning and saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat

Putting together: In each shell, put 2 tbsp of seasoned beans, 2 tbsp of yogurt and 2 tbsp of guacamole and enjoy!

Remarks:

You can add shredded lettuce and cheese to enhance the richness of the flavor

Miniature parathas topped with stir-fried aloo ki subzi and spiked up with a dollop of green chutney

Ingredients:

For the paratha canapes

• 1 cup rajaira flour, more as necessary
• 1/2 cup grated bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• oil for cooking
• salt to taste

For the aloo subzi

• 2 cups boiled and diced potatoes
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp asafetida
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 to 2 green chilies
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

For the garnish

• green chutney (https://veggiefoodie.com/2015/01/01/coriander-chutney/)
• grated coconut (optional)

Method:

For the paratha canapes

1. Mix all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough using water only if required
2. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions
3. Roll out each portion thinly into a circle of 1 to 2 inches diameter
4. Cook each paratha canape on both sides using a non-stick pan on low-medium heat until brown spots appear on the surface. Keep aside.

For the aloo subzi

1. Heat the oil in a non- stick pan, add the mustard and cumin seeds and allow them to crackle. Add asafetida
2. Add the green chilies, potatoes, turmeric powder and salt, mix well and cook for a minute
3. Add the coriander, mix well and keep aside

Put it together

1. Arrange the paratha canapés on a serving platter, top each one with a spoonful of the aloo subzi
2. Top with a dollop of green chutney
3. Serve garnished with grated coconut

Serves: 2