The Smiling Onion

Vegetarian and Gluten-free Cooking

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Carrot Tea

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Wait, what?! Carrot tea?! Oh, yes.

I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a while, but it’s been such a busy couple of weeks that I haven’t had time to actually sit down and write it up until now. You may think I’ve gone nuts during that hiatus and that my carrot obsession has crossed a line – carrot breakfast pudding and carrot lokshen kugel were fair enough, I guess, but carrot tea? Really?

Yes, really! I urge you to reserve judgment until you try the recipe. It’s really quite lovely.

You can make your carrot tea savory or sweet, hot or cold. I recommend the savory version hot and the sweet version iced. If you have kids, see if they like the iced version – it has a lot less sugar than juice or soda but tastes like a new kind of lemonade, if lemonade wasn’t tart.

I love to drink the savory version when I’m feeling like my system needs a bit of extra help  – there is something very healing about it, and the celtic sea salt provides mineral support.

So, am I crazy? Let’s find out!

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Golden Porridge

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When the sun decides to stay hidden for multiple days in a row and the weather is dark and gloomy, there’s nothing better than a bit of gold to brighten up your morning. Especially when that gold takes the form of a warming, hearty breakfast that will give you the fuel you need to start your day, sun or no sun.

This golden porridge is delicately spiced with turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon and uses a mix of gluten-free oats and quinoa flakes for a really lovely texture that is reminiscent of steel cut oats. Don’t panic though – there is a VERY big difference between this porridge and steel-cut oats: it doesn’t take forever to cook!

Finally, I love this recipe because you can customize it to your liking. I happen to be a turmeric freak and often make this with a full teaspoon of turmeric, but I’ve tried to tone it down for my readers. If it’s still a bit heavy on the turmeric for you, or you think it could really use more cinnamon, or maybe you’re feeling a nutmeg vibe, this recipe is yours to fiddle with. Spice it however you’d like. The same goes for sweetener: add a bit of maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey…whatever floats your boat. Or leave it unsweetened, which is what I’ve opted for lately. With some fresh fruit and a bit of candied ginger, I find that I really don’t crave any extra sweetener at all, and my body is happier for it.

So, ready to whip up a batch of porridge? Just make sure to store any leftovers far away from Goldilocks.

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Red Velvet Pancakes (Baked!)

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Red velvet cake is often an appalling maroon color that can really only be achieved with copious amounts of red food coloring – not that appetizing. However, this iteration of red velvet apparently only surfaced during the Great Depression, when an extract company created a food coloring-heavy recipe in an attempt to boost sales. Before that, it was a much more natural color, with the “velvet” term referring to the smooth texture. In fact, the key characteristics of red velvet are buttermilk, cocoa, and vinegar – not red dye.

Be that as it may, there is something luscious about the color red, especially when Valentine’s Day is coming up. So I decided to give these pancakes a slightly redder tint with sustainably-harvested red palm oil, a buttery-tasting oil with a lovely hue that is high in Vitamins A and E. This also has the added benefit of making them dairy-free!

Finally, just in case you wanted to make these for a Valentine’s Day breakfast, I wanted to give you a recipe that didn’t leave you slaving over the stove frying pancakes on a weekday morning. Thus, the batter for these pancakes is actually made the night before and is simply poured out onto a sheet tray and baked the next morning. You can then use your favorite cookie cutters to make pretty little dainty pancakes, that – slathered with a “red velvet butter” and fresh strawberries – make for an elegant breakfast.

And yet, despite their elegance, there’s a heartiness about these too. They are made with whole grains like teff and sorghum that will give you an excellent morning boost.

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Quick & Dirty Coconut Chutney

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Let me just say right off the bat that this is not a traditional coconut chutney recipe. For starters, instead of using fresh coconut that you then have to chop or grate before grinding to a paste, I use shredded, dried coconut softened in boiling water. There is also no tempering oil – I just add a little chili, cilantro, and lime juice and away we go!

The result? A surprisingly close approximation to the coconut chutney you might be used to eating. It can certainly be served immediately; however, if you want it to more closely resemble a chutney made with fresh coconut, let it sit in the fridge overnight. The chutney will absorb more liquid and the texture will be closer to fresh. Of course, if you go this route, you may need to add some extra lime juice the next morning as acid tends to mellow in the fridge. So, if this happens, just remember the words of Harry Nilsson.

Now, you may not want to DRINK this coconut chutney a la Nilsson, but you will want to dollop it on all manner of dishes. It is wonderful on Indian-spiced potatoes, dals (Indian lentil stews), or spicy vegetables. Try it on these buckwheat kati rolls, chickpea cakes, cauliflower steaks, or with this lovely mung bean salad.  And vegans – wherever you might crave raita, try this instead.

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Vegan Winter Bowl with Creamy Garlic Sauce

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One thing that really irritates me about places that specialize in vegan fare – especially the fancier places – is a seeming lack of attention to basic culinary principles like flavor and creativity. Often, the fact that the dish is “vegan” or “healthy” or contains a trendy ingredient (kale, quinoa, etc.) seems to be its sole reason for appearing on the menu and being served (at a ridiculous price point) to customers. I don’t know – maybe I’m just not visiting the right places. But I’m always left confused as to why these lackluster dishes are being served to paying customers, and saddened that the potential to put out something exceptional was missed.

Because, don’t get me wrong: there is absolutely nothing wrong with the concept of a vegan bowl, and there’s a reason why it’s trending: the potential for an exceptional creation is very much there. More than any other dish, a bowl provides the opportunity to put together components that are delicious on their own and use these parts to create a veritable symphony of flavors, textures, and colors. Plus, you get to add a sauce!

Take this vegan winter bowl, for example. We’ve got a flavorful, sweet & salty sesame cabbage, some deep & meaty oyster mushrooms, and a splash of bright quick-pickled daikon all tossed together with quinoa and a creamy garlic sauce that will leave you scraping the blender to get every last drop! So why are so many places missing the boat? I’m not sure. But when it comes to bowls, I prefer to make them myself and I recommend that you do too!

Bonus: You can make any or all of the components ahead of time and make your bowl when you are ready to enjoy, or you can even assemble the bowls within tupperware containers for ready-made, transportable lunches. 

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Christmas Tamales

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Everything is bigger in Texas. The restaurants, houses, highways, cars…even the tamales. Well, when there’s a tamale novice making them, that is! (Yes, I’m referring to myself.) While not a novice tamale lover or eater, I definitely struggle with the spreading, folding, and proportioning side of things, which led to some laughably gigantic tamales that definitely weren’t Texas appropriate. (If my mother in law’s smoothly spread, nicely proportioned tamales are any indication, they’re expert tamale makers down here.) By the way, hers are the ones pictured. I had to move mine out of the way when taking photos!

This is also her family recipe, which she shared with us last year when our Christmas tamale making tradition started. I had every intention of writing a post about them then, but never got around to it. So this year, I’m making sure to share the tamale love. Fair warning, the recipe doesn’t have any measurements – it’s a “do by feel” kind of process which is actually much more my speed. (I never measure when I’m not creating or testing blog recipes!) That said, I think it’s pretty forgiving and easy to follow, if fairly time consuming. Making tamales is a multi-hour process that is best done with friends, family, or both. In addition to yielding deliciousness, it’s quite fun!

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Cruncher-Nutty Chanukah Cookies

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Happy Chanukah, everyone! By now, I hope you are all up to your ears in latkes, dreidel, and menorahs – if you celebrate the holiday, of course. I actually haven’t had any latkes yet, which is probably a Chanukah record, but that will change this weekend. (Can’t wait!) If you, however, are like me on past years — feeling compelled to make latkes on that fourth Chanukah dinner engagement but already well past sick of them — may I suggest my carrot-ginger latkes with green-apple sour cream to spice things up a bit? You won’t be disappointed!

But, in the words of Woody Guthrie, that’s not what I came to tell you about. I came to talk about these cookies! I’m calling them “cruncher-nutty” because they are delightfully crunchy (sometimes hard to find in a gluten-free cookie) and also pleasantly nutty and buttery (though there is no butter in this recipe). They are Chanukah cookies for four reasons:

*They are made with oil – potentially an 8-day supply of it (Jk). Side note: This has the added benefit of making them dairy-free! 

*They are made with Macadamia nuts, which are etymologically related to the Maccabees (Jk). Side note: This has the added benefit of making them quite delicious!  

*You can use a cookie cutter to cut them into many Chanukah-related shapes – driedels, menorahs, etc. Side note: This has the added benefit of making them fun to prepare!

*They are also yummy spread with jam, a la sufganiyot, or – especially if you make circle cookies – as cookie sandwiches with jam in the middle. Side note: This has the added benefit of, well, JAM! 

So…ready to make some cruncher-nutty Chanukah cookies? Let’s do it!

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Shakshuka

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There was a time in my life when I ate shakshuka on an almost daily basis. The Shuka Truck (now sadly closed) used to park very close to my office and was one of my frequent lunch spots. But before I wax poetic about shakshuka, let me just make sure everyone knows what it is: a delicious, middle-eastern/North-African dish composed of eggs cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.

Because shakshuka is eaten in so many parts of the world, there are many different varieties. This also means that – like tomato sauce in general – it is highly customizable. The tomato element can be spicy, smoky, tangy, spiked with warming Middle-eastern spices like cumin/paprika, or laced with fresh herbs like parsley and basil. Single servings of shakshuka are also a great way to use up leftover tomato sauce – just sauté some chives in olive oil, add your sauce, spice it up if you wish, and then crack some eggs into it!

The version below is simple and delicious – the tomato sauce base falls on the tangy end of the spectrum and uses Italian spices. In addition to making a great base for my shakshuka, this is the sauce I use for spaghetti dinners and pizza nights. While I call for fire-roasted tomatoes, there is no smokiness – the fire-roasting simply helps give this sauce plenty of zest while keeping it free of onion and garlic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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Sample Thanksgiving Menu + Stuffed Kabocha Recipe

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Thanksgiving in my family usually involves a lot of arguing. It’s not the arguing you’d expect. Questions like Who’s going to host? When’s it going to be? and Who’s coming? are not major issues. What can fuel heated debates, however, are questions like What’s on the menu? Who’s cooking? and When can I put my dish in the oven – yours has been in there forever!

This year, I (somewhat miraculously) managed to get complete menu control, in exchange for cooking and hosting. Since my brother is vegan and I’m still on a mostly Low FODMAP diet, holidays can be tricky, and we generally end up with a menu where everyone has multiple options, but nobody can eat everything. This year, however, I decided to create a menu that is entirely on both of our diets, and still screams Thanksgiving. I hope it gives you some ideas!

Thanksgiving Menu 2017 (Vegan & Low FODMAP)

Assortment of dips with crackers and crudite
Buckwheat crackers
Blue corn tortilla chips
Veggie spears

Roasted red pepper dip
Garlic oil, red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin

Walnut dip (similar to this one)
Walnut, hemp, hot paprika, thyme

Oyster mushroom dip
Mushroom, zucchini, carrot, chive, basil

Main Meal
Stuffed kabocha squash (recipe below)
Quinoa, walnuts, herbes de provence

Mashed potatoes with oyster mushroom gravy
Yukon golds, garlic oil, fresh thyme

Balsamic-roasted green beans
Dijon, balsamic, toasted pumpkin seeds

Brussels sprouts
Hot paprika, fresh dill

Coriander-pepper tofu
Chives, coriander, black pepper, tamari 

Veggie cakes
Millet, cabbage, lentil, middle eastern spices

Roasted carrots
Citrus, garlic oil, red pepper flakes

Herbed focaccia

Cranberry Sauce

Dessert
Chocolate pudding 

Pumpkin Pie
Pecan-coconut crust

Salty Oat Cookies (vegan version)

Berry Crisp
Crispy quinoa flakes, berries

And now, for the stuffed kabocha recipe, read on!

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Pumpkin-Sage “Nut & Seed” Bread (Nut-free, Vegan, GF, Low Fodmap)

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One of the frustrating things about packaged gluten-free breads is the lack of variety. Most of them tend to imitate white sandwich breads. Every once in a while, you’ll find a whole-grain version, and if you’re very lucky, you might discover a crusty, artisan-style loaf. But I’ve yet to find a packaged gluten-free version of those flatter, denser, heartier, nut & seed breads that were so much a part of my childhood. Breads reminiscent of this sunflower loaf, for example.

Luckily, imitation “nut & seed” breads are super easy to make; MUCH easier than your typical yeasted loaf. The recipe I’ve developed below can be whipped up in about 10 minutes, and then only bakes for 25. It’s composed of healthy, fuel-packed ingredients like oats and quinoa flakes, with a lovely sweetness from the pumpkin and savory notes of sage and marjoram. Better yet, the whole thing can be baked in the tray of your toaster oven! (Unless of course, you want more bread than that, in which case I recommend doubling the recipe and baking it in a regular oven.)

This bread is delicious with all  manner of toppings: hummus & avocado, mustard & swiss, tempeh, lettuce, & tomato – you name it. It’s pictured below with a vegan cheese spread and some fresh veggies. So, how about some hearty pumpkin bread to offset all that Halloween sugar?

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