The Smiling Onion

Vegetarian and Gluten-free Cooking

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The recipes in this category are Low FODMAP at the proper serving sizes. Please note that I will occasionally link to other recipes that may not be Low FODMAP - when following linked recipes, be sure to check whether they have the Low FODMAP tag.

Green Bean Chutney

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If I were the subject of one of those desert island thought experiments – you know, where you have to choose things to bring with you – I’m pretty sure my blender would be one of them. (That’s assuming, of course, that this desert island scenario included ingredients for me to put in said blender as well as some sort of electrical power – either run off currents or magic, I’m not fussy.) Why would I choose to bring a blender? Well, first of all, it would probably be hot so I would definitely need to make shakes like this one (yum, salted caramel!) and this leche de tamarindo. Ooh, and this tropical papaya smoothie would definitely help me cool down too. I also wouldn’t know what kind of protein sources would be available and how they would taste, so the ability to make vegan sauces like this creamy garlic staple, this decadent walnut sauce, and this spicy serrano cream would make anything taste delicious. (Hemp seeds would have to go on the list too as they are the BEST vegan sauce base, IMHO.) And, to finally get onto the topic of this post, my blender would also enable me to whip up bright and flavor-packed chutneys like the green bean one detailed here – keeping life fresh and beautiful.

Chutney was actually the middle name of one of my childhood pets, Mango. (Yes, Mango Chutney). No, I did not name him – my parents get credit for that. (Where do you think my love of food comes from?)

Anyway, this green bean chutney floated into my head one day after wondering what to do with the 1/2 pound of green beans I had left. I knew they’d be gone all too soon if I roasted them with balsamic, which is usually my go-to, and I was feeling kind of like a sandwich for dinner but didn’t really have anything to dress it up with and make it pop. So…I steamed some green beans, then whirred them up in my trusty blender with cumin seeds, tamarind paste, a bit of sugar, cilantro, lemon, some cayenne for spice, and some oil to help it blend. Delicious!

Bright, fresh, and tangy – but with some warmth from the cumin – this chutney is so versatile. I first enjoyed it on a sandwich with goat cheese and a fried egg, but it would also be amazing on potatoes, grain bowls, or mixed with a bit of yogurt/sour cream for a creamy sauce. You can also enjoy it by the spoonful, which I did rather too much of that first night. (I mean, gotta scrape out the blender, right?) Luckily, the recipe made a cup so even after binging on it, I had plenty to pack up and store in the fridge – ready to make the next meal pop.

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Spiced Carrot Salad with Fennel & Olives

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I tend to think a lot about food right before bed, probably because my mindless internet browsing of choice involves a lot of food blog scrolling. I’ll admit – it’s not a great habit. I end up having to expend a lot of will power in order to sleep on an empty stomach (which is definitely best for digestion, inflammation, disease prevention, quality of sleep…ugh, pretty much everything.) But I do sometimes get great ideas for what to make the next day!

I saw this salad from Smitten Kitchen during one of my pre-sleep food browsing sessions, and could not get the words “crushed olives” out of my head. I’ll spare you a detailed retelling of my dreams that night, but suffice it to say that the crushed olives made quite an impression on my subconscious. Anyway, I had some fennel stalks and fronds in the fridge (left over from making this lovely white gazpacho) and had been wanting to put them to good use, but – aside from the crushed olives – the rest of the salad didn’t look all that appealing to me. I’m not a fan of orange zest, and not that big on shaved fennel or fennel-centric dishes generally. I also didn’t have any fennel bulb  – just the stalks and fronds. What I did have was carrots! (You probably guessed that already.)

Now, one of my absolute favorite salads ever is Ottolenghi’s Moroccan carrot (which you can find here). So it occurred to me that I could do a sort of variation of that – but with the fronds, stalks, and olives from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe. I knew I wanted to vary up the spice mix a bit and simplify the recipe some as well. I also knew that I wanted to sauté my fronds, rather than leave them raw.

And thus, a perfect late summer/early autumn salad was born. I’m actually amazed that I got it so perfect on the very first try – measurements and all. It’s just the right amount of spice, just the right amount of tang, just the right amount of fennel (which I tend to prefer as an accent, not a centerpiece), and basically just balanced AF. The first night I made it, we ate it by itself for a late dinner.  The next day, we enjoyed it on our balcony with some barely warmed quinoa, simple sautéed chickpeas, and a cold kale and tomato dish. Yum!

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Freestyle Fried “Rice”

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These days, flexibility is key. While I used to be one of those people who would go to four different stores just to find one item, that’s obviously changed. Minimizing our time at the grocery store is important, as is adopting a “no-expectations” attitude when it comes to the items that will be waiting for you there. So, in the spirit of flexibility, I thought it might be nice to share a “recipe” that can be easily customized based on what you have on hand. It’s also comforting, flavorful, easy to make, and leftover-friendly (both in the sense that you can use up veggies or grains that are already cooked AND in the sense that it’s easy to make a LOT of this and eat it over a few days). I’m calling it freestyle fried “rice.”

“Rice” is in quotes because you can use just about any grain. My favorite is actually millet, or a mixture of rice and millet. The only grains you probably want to stay away from are the porridgy ones like teff, amaranth, and oats, as they won’t really give you that fried rice feel and are also strongly-flavored. This dish also works best with leftover (refrigerated) cooked grains, which is one reason I always make more than I need whenever I make a fresh grain as part of dinner. Even if I don’t end up making this freestyle “fried” rice, having a grain already prepped and ready to be reheated in the fridge means one component of a meal is already done!

In the spirit of freestyling, I’ve decided not to use measurements for this. It’s more of a general “how to” recipe that you can make using the guidelines below, your own intuitions, and your taste buds. (FYI, if you are interested in perfecting your cooking intuitions, my sibling, Rafael Natan, is offering sliding scale cooking lessons via Zoom. Rafael will help you use your taste buds and senses to create delicious meals suited to you and what you have available in your kitchen. Check it out!)

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Kabocha & Tofu Stew

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You know what sounds better than braving the New York restaurant scene on Valentine’s Day? Staying in and eating comfort food. And yes, I know that sometimes means nachos or fries or pizza, but with the crazy January we’ve had here in the U.S., I’ve been craving something a bit more nourishing.

After all, Valentine’s Day is about taking time out to appreciate those you love and giving them a little extra care and attention. That could be friends, a partner/partners, or even yourself. So in my book, cooking a nourishing (and incredibly tasty) meal is a great way to celebrate. And if you want to break out the ice-cream or alcohol later in the night, I won’t judge.

This stew will make your apartment smell insanely amazing. First, we fry some tofu with chives and ginger (a meal in itself!), then it gets simmered with kabocha, tamari, thyme, and cumin. Finally, we fold in some kale, add some more seasoning, and pop in some kabocha chunks to bite into (the first ones become part of the stewy sauce!). The result is a velvety, umami-laden sauce with a nice gingery punch, chunks of nutty kabocha and meaty tofu sprinkled throughout, and beautiful, tender greens to add to the love. Serve it with your favorite grain, or enjoy it on its own.

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Banana Spice Muffins

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I didn’t plan to bake today. But sometimes, inspiration just strikes and the mixing bowls have to come out. Of course, knowing your baking triggers can be helpful when it comes to acceptance. Here are mine:

-Rain or snow

-The remnants of rain or snow (snow-covered trees, clouds of fog, etc.)

-Waking up early without an alarm

-A clean kitchen

Today, waking up at 7 to a light dusting of very pretty snow and realizing that I had the morning free set my internal baking clock to “Go.” And why fight that? Especially when it resulted in these surprisingly healthy (you wouldn’t know it from the taste) banana spice muffins that happen to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar free. Yum!

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Rugelach Carrots

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Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) begins tonight, and my family has already started celebrating. Our traditional Rosh Hashanah hike happened yesterday; tashlich and apple-picking happened today. When asked which night we wanted to do the “big” dinner, Raf (the youngest of us) responded, “I was hoping both would be a decent size.” And so we’re doing two Rosh Hashanah dinners, both complete with plenty of sweet flavors to encourage sweetness in the year ahead.

Traditionally, I’ve made cake-like desserts for Rosh Hashanah, like this Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake, Apples and Honey Cake, and Apple-Ricotta Tart. However, this year, I wanted something a bit simpler and more veggie centric. I also wanted to embrace the fall theme, since the leaves are just starting to change and some of my happiest moments have been seeing these bits of color floating through the air and landing gracefully on the grass, where I know they will soon be crunched underfoot, raked, and potentially jumped in. Oh, how I love fall!

So carrots it was. Isn’t it always carrots? The lovely yellow, purple, and orange medley of rainbow carrots reminded me of the changing leaves and the luscious foliage that is right around the corner. I roasted them whole, until very tender, and then topped them with what I’ve termed “essence of rugelach” – walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, and brown sugar. (What is rugelach, you ask? It’s a very traditional Jewish cookie often eaten at Rosh Hashanah, with a cream cheese dough rolled around the aforementioned walnut mixture.) While I initially confused my parents quite a bit – they apparently thought I was making rugelach OUT of carrots (maybe next year, guys), they came around in the end and agreed that the dessert did have a rugelach feeling to it. I hope you concur!

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Cold Cucumber Soup

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My goal was to get at least one summer post out before September. I failed, of course. But at least it’s still summer for another eighteen days. I’m gonna call that a win.

If the humidity is getting to you, I highly suggest this cucumber soup. It hits all the right notes: fresh, sweet, tangy, spicy, nutty, and creamy. If you’re a fan of the green chutney often served in Indian restaurants, you’ll love this. The flavor profile is quite similar…but presented in a less intense, drinkable form, with some gazpacho-y notes thrown in. In fact, I guess you could say this soup is kind of a cross between gazpacho and green chutney. Except that doesn’t sound very good. And it’s actually incredibly delicious! Oh, and also there’s no mint.  Hm. I may be a bit out of practice with this whole blogging thing. Let me just get right to the point: Make. This. Soup.

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Giant Veggie Turnover (Grain-Free and Kosher for Passover!)

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I swear that the photos do not do this recipe justice. It wasn’t very photogenic (or needed a better photographer) but it looked strikingly beautiful in real life. So much so that I kept grabbing my phone and taking more pictures of it even after I was technically “done” with the shoot. But there’s much more to this recipe than good looks.

If you are a vegetarian (like me), Passover can be a bit tough. Potato kugels are usually the center piece and then come lots and lots of sides. Not that there is anything wrong with that – I love sides – but sometimes you want something a bit more forward at the center of your seder.

Enter this giant veggie turnover. It’s stuffed to the brim with potatoes, kale, and cabbage seasoned with lots of paprika and dill. The turnover crust is satisfyingly savory, sweet, and bready with a knish-like quality that will surprise you. There’s plenty of extra filling to pile on top or style individual plates with, and it’s super fun to cut off slices for all your guests. And – to add some extra Passover flair – a horseradish-lemon dressing gets drizzled on top.

When I tasted it, I was pretty ecstatic. Who knew plantains could taste so Jewish? And the filling – yum! And the horseradish…oh, man. This was going to be a seder to remember.

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“Pots of Gold” Baked Potatoes with Herbed Sour Cream & Leeks

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Happy St. Paddy’s Day, everyone! If you are wondering how to commemorate the holiday, look no further. I’ve got a simple, St. Paddy’s Day recipe that should fit the bill and would also go great with some Irish beer. Because really, what could be more Irish than potatoes and beer? (Actually, perhaps whiskey, but you can have that for dessert.)

Anyway, for this St. Paddy’s Day, I decided to do a twist on baked potatoes with sour cream. I wanted to keep the simplicity of the dish but also add a lot more fun for your taste buds and a little sprinkle of fancy schmancy just because.  Enter mustard crust, an ooey gooey flavor-packed outside to our little pots of gold. Blending the cream with some parsley and chives also gives the dish a nice brightness of flavor and adds a lovely, St. Paddy’s Day-appropriate green color. Finally, a sweet mustard drizzle (made with your leftover mustard crust mixture) and some sautéed leek greens complete the dish. Think: a lovely rainbow of flavors spiraling out of a little golden nugget, bringing good fortune to your taste buds every time you take a bite. Yum!

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Easiest, Fluffiest Gluten-Free Pancakes

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Out of all the gluten-free pancakes I’ve eaten (and I’ve eaten my fair share), these probably have a texture closest to your standard white-flour variety. They are neither bready nor gummy, which is a hard balance to get right in the gluten-free pancake world. At the risk of sounding like I’m describing coffee, I would call them “medium-bodied,” by which I mean that they are in the just-right category between very thin and very thick. Best of all, they come together in your blender, contain no sugar or sweetener, and brown up beautifully.

So what’s the secret? A very ripe plantain. This lends the batter a delicious, sweet flavor that makes these beauties enjoyable even without any syrup on top. (For those of you who eat pancakes for the syrup, don’t worry: slathering these with butter and syrup is also a win.) You’ll be blending up your ripe plantain with some whole-grain gluten-free flours (oat and sorghum), baking powder, a bit of oil, a non-dairy milk of your choice (I like almond), and a couple eggs. And that’s all it takes!

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