Kitchari

When we got back from Chicago/San Fransisco (so much traveling in March!) we were sick of eating. We had eaten so well and so richly that we sort of wanted a break from food...

So kitchari, is India's cleansing-food. It is extremely nourishing, with a lot of spices, and is fed to anyone who is sick or unwell as it is simple to digest, yet stimulates digestion. It is like America's chili because it is a thick, spicy stew that you can add every ingredient and the kitchen sink, but it is very light and easy on the body.

We went on a weeklong kitchari cleanse (kinda) as a nice reprieve for our tummies.
This recipe is vegan and gluten free :)

You will need:
3 cups of dried split muung dal (I normally use yellow and black, but I was out of black for this photo sesh)
2 cups of dried brown rice
6 cups of broth+ extra water
Ghee or coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 carrots, chopped finely
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 finger sized fresh ginger, peeled and minced (*or ground, if you only have it dry)
+Any vegetables you want to add (bell peppers, spinach, kale, green onions, peas, potatoes etc)
**in this one I added zucchini, bell peppers, and green onions
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1/2 tablespoon+ fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon Mustard Seeds or ground mustard
2 tablespoons turmeric
1/2 tablespoon garam masala** optional, I like mine to have A LOT of spice-flavors
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 dash of ground cayenne

Garnish:
Fresh cilantro
Squeeze of lime
Tamari
Sriracha
A dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt

Start by prepping your veggies and tracking down all of your spices (there are a lot)

In your ghee or coconut oil, saute onion, chopped carrot and all whole-seed spices (mustard, cumin, fenugreek) until the onions and carrot soften a tad, about 5 minutes.

Add your dal, rice, all other dry spices and broth and cook on a medium boil for 1 hour, stirring frequently. **if you use potatoes, add them here, too!

After one hour, add other tender vegetables (green onions, peppers, zucchini, etc.) and cover with more water, and continue to simmer (covered) for another 30 minutes, stirring frequently--- the kitchari will absorb all of the liquid and you may have to add more to get it to a consistency that pleases you.

After 30 minutes, taste your kitchari. The beans and rice should be soft, the broth should be almost completely absorbed and the overall flavor should be spicy (but not hot, unless that was what you were going for) but not salty. Since it is a cleansing food, kitchari isn't normally salted. I however, like to add tamari over the top when I am ready to eat it.

Serve with fresh cilantro, lime juice, tamari, hot sauce and a dollop of plain yogurt if you'd like!

xoxo

Quick Seared Eggplant Salad with Lentils and Rice

The evening I made this I was desperate for two things: to eat quickly and NOT to go out to the store.  I was tired (and did I mention, hungry?!). So I made this up with what was in our fridge. AJ approved.

This is VEGAN and gluten free :)

You will need:

Olive oil

10-12 Indian eggplant (or a medium sized eggplant)

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

2 carrots, cut in quarters

1/2 of a yellow onion, diced

1 cup of green lentils

1 cup of basmati rice

Handful of chopped parsley

1 lemon, juiced

2 small green onions, sliced into thin slices

Salt

A handful of spinach or other salad greens

For the dressing:

1 cup of tahini

1/2 cup of white wine vinegar

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 clove of garlic, peeled

1 large tablespoon of honey or maple syrup

First gather your materials and wash your eggplant because you will keep the delicate skins of these adorable little eggplant on.

Next quarter the eggplant and oil a pan slightly. Turn the pan to medium high heat and caramelize the eggplant. After the first five minutes, flipping them side to side occasionally, add the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, so that they are shriveled slightly, and caramelized on the inner fleshy sides.

Meanwhile prep your carrots and onions. 

Add diced carrot, diced onion and lentils to a small soup pot with two cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover, letting them cook for 20 minutes.

Start your rice in another small soup pot, 1 cup of basmati rice with 1 and 3/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil and then cover, allowing it to simmer for 20 minutes. Then remove from heat, leaving it sealed with the cover on for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, your eggplant should be looking like this... once it does, turn the heat off let them sit until you are ready to put together your salad.

While you are waiting for your lentils and rice to cook, make your dressing! Add tahini, wine vinegar, oil, garlic and honey into a small food processor and blend until smooth. I had a few basil leaves to use, so I added them (if you have cilantro, extra parsley or dried herbs you want to try?) blend in as well. If it is too thick add a tablespoon of water or two until it is a dressing-like consistency.

Juice your lemon and prep the parsley and green onion. These will be added to the lentils and rice when they are cooked.

When the lentils and rice are fully cooked, blend together with lemon juice, green onions and parsley. Salt to your liking and add olive oil sparingly.

On a bed of salad greens (spinach pictured) place a nest of lentil-rice mixture and delicately add the caramelized eggplant around the top. Dress with the tahini-deliciousness. Enjoy!

xo

Black Bean and Vegetable Stew

In a distant universe, long-long ago, I used to have a non-profit called The Good Food People, we made all organic, super nutritious meals for people terminally ill with AIDS in Boulder county--- and would deliver them a weeks worth of meals, made with their diet needs in mind, to their door. It was great! But I had to make money to support the Good Food People-- so I made soups and salads that the cafe at the Boulder Public Library and the cafe at the Dairy Center for the Arts purchased (back then the cafes were called "Express-O!") AND this black bean stew was a top seller, always. Its easy, hearty and delicious. 

You will need:

6 cups of black beans, cooked and mostly** drained (check previous homemade black bean recipe if you need!)
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
8 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
7 tablespoons white vinegar

4 tablespoons of soy sauce

salt to taste

Ready your beans, make ahead the day before as per previous recipe-- and then drain off about 75% percent of the "bean juice"(that sounds so appetizing, doesn't it?!)

Saute onions, pepper, celery & carrots in olive oil until the onions turn golden brown over medium high heat, about 5 minutes. 

Add garlic, cumin, vinegar & soy sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring for about 3 
minutes.

Add the beans to the saute. Stir well.

Cook over a low heat for 30 minutes. Add salt to your liking.

****Tonight I served this with finely chopped cilantro and cubed avocado because I had extra of both in the refrigerator  (you could also try sour cream, hot sauce, etc. be creative!!) and if you are REALLY needing a treat, a quesadilla, cut in quarters and stuck into your stew.

LOVE!!!!!

Homemade Blackbeans

This is a STAPLE PEOPLE :)
I make a batch of beans, usually black beans every week. They cost around $1.79 per pound dry, and then they keep in the fridge for about a week-- not to mention how many uses they have: an arepa topping, taco or enchilada filling, they can go in soups or chili or with eggs for breakfast; the list goes on and on.

For this recipe you will need:

A slowcooker(!!)
4 cups of dry black beans
1 medium onion (diced)
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 tablespoon of cumin
Salt to taste

First, rinse your black beans in a colander and go through them-- sometimes I find little stones and such mixed in, so this is an important step. The last thing you want is to bite into your steaming, delicious slow-cooked black beans and break a tooth. I used to skip this step because I like to go fast, and then OTHER people would bite into little rocks and I would feel so horrible that the guilt and shame alone of being too lazy to take the extra step and possibly cracking my guest's crowns gets me to rinse them each and every time now.

SO DO THAT.

Now, put your rinsed beans and diced onion in your slow cooker and cover with water completely. I usually put double the amount of water in (so 8 cups)

DO NOT PUT ANY SALT IN AT THIS POINT. NONE. ZERO. ABSOLUTELY NO SALT. It will keep your beans from getting soft; no one likes crunchy beans.

SLOW COOK.
I cook them (covered*) on low for 8-10 hours, stirring every couple of hours and checking the water level. You are going to have the opportunity to drain them before you use them in any recipe so you can't over-water them while they are slow-cooking...

About an hour before the slow cook cycle is up (say at hour 9) and maybe you have an intention to eat them inside of a taco or something, at this point I stir in the cumin, minced garlic and I salt it to my liking.

DELICIOUS.

Eat them hot and seasoned...

Or drain off 90% the liquid, put them on the stove on medium low heat and mash with chili, cumin, garlic, salt and a hint of lime for "refried beans."

...or let them cool and put them in the fridge in a sealed container until you are ready to use them in another amazing and delicious dish!