Quinoa with Aduki Beans

Aduki/adzuki/azuki beans are small beans that are used in the red bean paste of Chinese cuisine.  In this quick and healthy recipe they are used whole, which provides a nice diversion from black beans. 

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water or vegetable broth

1 can aduki beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon dried cilantro or ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 pint tomatoes, diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained)

1 avocado, diced

Juice of ½ lime

Fresh baby spinach, for serving

Place quinoa and water in a saucepan.  Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for about 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat.

Stir in the beans, then add cumin, chili powder, sea salt, and pepper.  Add tomatoes, avocados, and lime juice.  Serve over a bed of baby spinach.

Serves 2 - 4

Napur's Aloo Tikki Chana Chaat

A few weeks ago, Alanna Kellogg of A Veggie Venture invited me to a St. Louis Food Blogger’s event hosted by Anne Cori at the Kitchen Conservatory in St. Louis. Napur of One Hot Stove volunteered to teach us all about Indian street food. She fed us all types of scrumptious dishes, many of them new tastes I had not experienced before.

Napur hosts a blogging event on her blog One Hot Stove called Blog Bites. The theme this month is Copycat Edition – the challenge is to find a favorite recipe on someone else’s blog and recreate it. I decided that since she shared her knowledge and expertise at the blogging event I would try to recreate one of the recipes she shared, her Aloo Tikki Chana Chaat.

While listening to the much more experienced bloggers that night, they kept sharing stories about Global Foods Market in Kirkwood. I had never been there, so I arranged a trip. I spent over an hour walking up and down the aisles looking at foods from around the world, most of which I would never know what to do with once I got them home. (I did see the biggest jar of Nutella ever, but resisted the urge to purchase it.) Thanks to Napur, I had a list of ingredients to look for in the India aisle, and found everything that I needed for this recipe - jaggery, tamarind, chana masala, and sev. All other ingredients could be found in a local grocery store.

There are three main parts to this dish. The first layer is the Aloo tikkis, which are pan-fried potato patties. The second layer is the chana, which is a thick chickpea curry. The third layer is the date tamarind chutney. You can then top them with sev, which are chickpea flour noodles, and whipped yogurt. The flavor combination of the finished dish is amazing. The potato forms the base for the spicy curry, which is balanced with the sweetness of the chutney, and cooled by the yogurt.

Aloo Tikki Chana Chaat from One Hot Stove
Items in italics were purchased at a global foods specialty store

Date Tamarind Chutney
2 cups water
1 cup soft pitted dates
1/4 cup jaggery (unrefined sugar)
1/4 cup tamarind (I used tamarind paste)
1/4 teaspoon coriander
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Mash the dates and tamarind as the mixture simmers making sure to extract as much pulp as possible. Taste and adjust the jaggery and/or salt to your taste.

Strain the mixture to remove the fibers (you can dilute with water if it is too thick). Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chana
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon chana masala
Salt to taste
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add onions, and cook until browned. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, red chili, cumin, coriander, chana masala, and salt. Cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook for a few minutes, then add the chickpeas. Simmer for 10 minutes, then mash some of the chickpeas to thicken the curry.

Aloo Tikkis
4-6 Yukon gold potatoes
Salt to taste
Oil for pan frying

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add whole potatoes and boil until cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Peel the potatoes, then put them in a bowl and mash, adding salt to taste. Form mashed potatoes into patties and pan fry for a few minutes on each side until golden. (Napur said you can add some breadcrumbs if they are not holding together with just the potatoes.)

Assembly
Place two Aloo Tikkis (potato patties) in a serving dish and cover with chana (chickpea curry). Top with date tamarind sauce, plain yogurt, and sev (chickpea noodles).

Serves 4

Asparagus Soup

April is right around the corner, and here in the Midwest that means that asparagus season is upon us. We usually enjoy asparagus roasted with olive oil or blanched and salted. This recipe from Whole Foods caught my eye as a new way to enjoy one of the first green vegetables of spring. I modified it slightly by substituting green onions for leeks, used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and didn't peel the potato. It is quick to put together and tastes great hot or at room temperature.

1 tablespoon butter
6 green onions, white and light green parts chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 medium potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch asparagus, woody stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Chopped chives for garnish

Melt butter over medium heat. Add green onions and cook for several minutes, until they begin to soften. Add vegetable broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Add asparagus to broth and potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Blend the soup with a hand blender or with a food processor until smooth. Bring soup to a boil, remove from heat, and whisk in sour cream. Season to taste with sea salt and white pepper.

Serves 4 - 6

Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

For some, this may not be the best meal for a bitterly cold January evening. For us tonight, the crisp veggies and clean flavors were a reminder that warm weather will come again. This is great for picky eaters, as each person can tailor their meal to their taste. You could add shredded chicken or shrimp as a filling option if it suits you. Round out the meal with some orange and apple slices and you have a fresh, healthy meal.

Summer Rolls
1 package of rice paper wrappers
4 ounces rice noodles
1 small bunch of Kale, washed and tough ribs removed
1 cup matchstick cut carrots
1 1/2 cups frozen edamame

Peanut Sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons water (add more or less for desired consistency)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Whisk ingredients for peanut sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook for 5-7 minutes. Drain and set aside. Bring another pot of water to a boil and blanch the kale, then the carrots for about 3 minutes each. As each is removed from the boiling water, plunge into ice water, then drain and set aside.

Fill a shallow pie pan or plate with hot water. Working with one at a time, place a rice paper wrapper in the water for about 20 seconds, until it is soft and pliable. Remove it and gently lay it onto a paper towel and blot with another paper towel. (It should feel a little sticky.) Place a piece of kale in the center of the wrapper, then add the noodles, carrots, and edamame onto the kale. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll to close. Slice and serve with dipping sauce.

Makes about 10 rolls

Maple-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Most years I try out a new cookie recipe for the holidays. Last year it was the Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies with Nutella, the year before that is was Giada's Holiday Biscotti. Both have become favorites for the cookie gifting season and this year's recipe will follow suit. I started with Martha Stewart's recipe and modified it slightly. The warm maple flavor infused throughout these oatmeal cookies is a nice variation on an old favorite.

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon pure maple extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment.

Combine oatmeal, coconut, flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine butter, maple syrup, and agave nectar. Heat until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the baking soda with 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Stir this mixture into the melted butter, then add the maple extract. Stir the butter mixture into the oatmeal mixture, then fold in walnuts.

Drop by tablespoons onto prepared pans (I used a small cookie scoop). Flatten each cookie slightly. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating racks halfway through. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.