The Smiling Onion

Vegetarian and Gluten-free Cooking

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Oatmeal with Frothed Milk, Jaggery, Raisins, and Hazelnuts

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I tend to be very opinionated about things most people consider inconsequential. Oatmeal is one of them. After many disillusioning attempts at following package directions and different recipes from the internet, I finally realized I like to make my oatmeal with WAY more water than is usually called for. I also like to put the oats and water in at the same time for a creamier texture, and they must soak for a bit before the flame is turned on. Finally, I don’t really enjoy oatmeal when it’s piping hot. The texture and flavor are so much more satisfying when it’s served warm.

Since discovering my surprisingly strong oatmeal preferences a few years ago, I’ve developed my own oatmeal making method, and haven’t looked back. I’ll also share it with anyone who will listen, because…you know…passion about inconsequential matters is hard to shake! Recently, however, I discovered something new: the wonders of adding frothed milk to oatmeal. This happened because of something else I’m overly passionate about, of course: the proper ratio of frothed milk to espresso. While I enjoy a cappuccino now and again, I can’t stand it when too much milk waters down the boldness of the coffee. One day, I accidentally frothed more than I needed, and not wanting it to go to waste, I decided to pour it into my oatmeal. The results were quite incredible.

It sounds simple, but the interplay of textures – the creaminess of the oatmeal and the fluffiness of the milk – took my oatmeal to a whole new level. The addition of frothed milk may even turn some oatmeal agnostics into oatmeal believers. The stickiness that some find off-putting is mellowed by the frothy texture and it also serves to make your bowl of oatmeal much more visually appealing! My favorite way to enjoy it is with a sprinkle of jaggery – an unrefined sugar common in Indian cuisines that has incredible molasses-y notes – a few raisins and maybe some toasted hazelnuts for good measure. What a breakfast!

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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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Moroccan Quinoa with Preserved Lemon

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I designed this quinoa with Passover in mind, but it may very well become a staple in our household. Here are three reasons why:

1. It’s incredibly flavorful

Simmered with Moroccan spices like cumin, turmeric, allspice, and cinnamon, a drop of olive oil, and a hefty dose of preserved lemon (if you haven’t tried this, you are in for a treat!) this quinoa tastes even better than it smells.

2. It’s pleasing on the eyes

Forget your mountain vistas and city skylines…instead,  feast your eyes on lovely mounds of beautiful golden pearls, flecked with bits of bright red pepper, dark succulent raisins, vibrant green cilantro, and whimsically geometric walnuts. (Too much? Just practicing my storytelling for the seder…but seriously, my photos really don’t do this dish justice. One of these days, I’ll get an actual camera and stop taking photos on my phone!)

3. It’s easy to make and can be served hot or cold

Aside from measuring the spices, there’s not much you have to do here. Put the quinoa in a pot with the spices and lemon, set your timer, and walk away. In 18 minutes or so, you’ll have the most luscious, flavorful side dish all ready to go. You can eat it steaming hot right from the pot (even without any of the mix-ins) or, as in this recipe, spread it out to cool slightly before tossing it with the red pepper, walnuts, raisins, and cilantro. Once it’s cooled completely, store it in an airtight container in the fridge and serve cold.

So…ready, set, QUINOA!

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Sweet & Spicy Black Sesame Snack Balls

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Have you ever noticed that each judge on Chopped  has at least one pet peeve – feedback that they seem to give over and over? Maneet Chauhan’s is raw cayenne. I feel like I’ve seen at least 8 episodes where she criticizes a chef for not cooking the spices properly, or for adding cayenne right before the buzzer. She hates the taste of raw cayenne!

I totally see where she’s coming from, but I have a dirty secret: I happen to really, really enjoy raw cayenne. Okay, maybe not in curries…you definitely gotta bloom your spices there. But sprinkled on fruit, gluten-free flatbread, fries, plantains … I have to say I really like the intensity you get when it’s raw!

Especially when it’s coating these black sesame – date balls. They were born when I decided to attempt a no-bake black and white cookie (made from black and white sesame seeds!) and then got distracted after my first attempt at the black half because I started thinking how delicious my dough would be rolled in a spice mixture. The cookie idea got shelved, and instead I went for some fiery snacks.

I’m glad I did – the black sesame, date, and raisin mixture is interesting on its own, but after being rolled in cinnamon, cayenne, and crunchy black and white sesame seeds, it really pops! Plus the snack balls are so pretty … and a cinch to put together! They are also nice and healthy – cinnamon and cayenne have a load of health benefits I won’t get into here (because the list is long – google it if you are interested!) and the balls are sweetened only with dates and raisins.

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Chiles en Nogada (Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Walnut Sauce)

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Ever since my 13-year-old self read Like Water for Chocolate and cried her eyes out, I’ve been dying to try chiles en nogada. Incredibly, I ate it for the first time today, 15 years after I vowed to make it as soon as possible. Well, good things come to those who wait.

I should start by saying that this isn’t the traditional chiles en nogada. For one thing, it’s completely vegan – no ground meat whatsoever. For another, the walnut sauce has hemp seeds in it (trust me, you won’t know – they just make it nice and creamy!) And finally, while traditional chiles en nogada is quite heavy on the fruit (the meat filling is usually cooked with raisins, apple, pear, and peach), I just put some chopped raisins in mine for a bit of sweetness and called it a day. Not out of laziness, but because I’ve never been a fan of fruit-heavy savory dishes. Some people also dip their chiles en egg batter and fry them — I chose to leave mine roasted and unfried.

Well, the gods were with me. Because I created a truly delicious (IMHO) vegan, gluten-free twist on the classic dish I’ve been wanting to eat since age 13. Roasted poblanos are filled with a savory mixture of juicy portobellos, lentils, spices, walnuts, and raisins; topped with a thick and creamy walnut sauce; and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. As in the traditional recipe, the colors of the Mexican flag are well represented: just in time for Cinco de Mayo. (Although chiles en nogada is generally eaten for Mexican Independence Day –- which falls in September — it is one of Puebla’s traditional dishes, which makes it  appropriate for Cinco de Mayo in my book! Especially since your standard American-style nachos are deemed appropriate and would basically not exist in Puebla!)

Anyway, if you have a couple hours to spare (nothing with stuffed roasted poblanos is ever quick and easy to prepare), I highly recommend this recipe. The filling is just the right amount of sweet and savory, and the walnut sauce provides the perfect creamy compliment. Plus it’s just so elegant!

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Triple-C Slaw

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For all you Sesame Street fans out there (best children’s show ever!), this post is brought to you by the letter C. Why? Because Cabbage, Carrots, and Coconut happen to make the perfect slaw.  And it’s pleasantly Crunchy. Add in some Cilantro, and you could even call this Quadruple-C Slaw. Cilantro begins with a soft  C, while Cabbage, Carrots, and Coconut all begin with hard  C‘s. But what about the raisins? They don’t belong here! Try as you might, you won’t find a soft  C or a hard  C anywhere in that seven-letter word. Ah, but the addition of raisins to this slaw will Caress your palate and leave you feeling quite Content.  So you see, the word raisins gives us two more beautiful C words!

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Indian Chickpea Cakes

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Do you have specific foods that always stick out to you on a restaurant menu? The ones that immediately catch your eye and say “pick me, pick me!”? For me, it’s fritters, cakes, patties…anything that comes in the form of a nice, elegant, flavor-packed crispy round of goodness. I can’t say no! Sadly, since most restaurants use flour to bind those lovely little rounds, I often have to. And even the ones marked gluten-free often contain rice or rice flour, which is a no-no for me. Luckily, flour really isn’t necessary. My secret for making flourless cakes and patties that still hold together perfectly? Millet!

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