"Spanish Sauce"

#fbf : My grandma used to make this for me, and now I make it for myself. She always called it "Spanish Sauce," although I don't know that it's an authentic Spanish recipe. It generally starts with olive oil and onions, and always includes tomatoes and green bell peppers, with tomato sauce. Everything is cooked together until you feel it's "done." Grandma used to serve this sauce with eggs or over rice. It's very simple to make, and very delicious! 

Manga Pachadi (Mango Chutney)

This recipe is from Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian & Grain Cooking. One mango made a large amount of chutney; it's perfect for freezing small portions for another time. It's sweet (with brown sugar in place of jaggery), and spicy at the same time. You can have it with an Indian meal, or on bread instead of jam. I've tried both ways, and both are yummy! This chutney is nice to add a pleasant kick to your day. 

I left out the fresh green chilis, so it wouldn't be too hot, but did include some whole dry red peppers in the tempering with the mustard seeds. Those dry peppers always smell sweet, even though they are spicy; the last time I made this chutney (without peppers), it was rather sweet -- so I thought their inclusion would just balance the sweet sugar.

Manaqish bil-Za'tar (Thyme "Pizza") 

This bread is popular for breakfast in Lebanon, according to the recipe from Anissa Helou in Savory Baking from the Mediterranean. It is a pita bread dough (Khobz Arabi), topped with a blend of olive oil and a dried herb mixture. Although this doesn't look like many of the photos I see on Instagram of the same bread, it puffed up in the hot oven and turned out to be very light. I was very satisfied with my first attempt at Manaqish. Yay! 

Anisssa Helou Facebook

Iraqi Sambousek (Chickpea-Filled Pastry Pockets)

This recipe is from Janna Gur's Jewish Soul Food. Since I can't have butter, I used a smaller amount of coconut oil in the pastry, instead. I baked them, as I can't eat deep-fried food, but the taste didn't suffer for that. 

This recipe made many sambousek, of which I baked the amount that fit on one baking sheet, and froze the rest unbaked. 

The main thing I would do differently next time, would be to do each of the steps on a separate day (make filling, make dough/refrigerate or freeze, fill and bake/freeze pastries). That would make life easier, and it would be more fun to bake these.  The recipe is well-written. Scrumptious! 

Egg-Potato-Green Pepper Sandwich

This sandwich is made on homemade toasted bread, with a bit of pav bhaji masala for flavor. A filling and tasty lunch! If you don't have a lot of time or energy, and therefore decide to use frozen hash browns and frozen chopped peppers that cook together very quickly, I won't tell anyone. 

Vanilla Mahalabia (Middle Eastern Rice Pudding)

This was made with rice flour, according to SmileyGirl230's recipe on YouTube. It's very thick and luxurious, and I added some ground cardamom in addition to the vanilla extract. Very soothing and creamy after a spicy meal, or just when you need a little pick-me-up during the day!

SmileyGirl230 YouTube, How to Make Mahalabia - Easy Rice Pudding

Baked Cauliflower Pakore (Pakoras/Fritters/Dumplings)

These were made according to Vegan Richa's recipe for Baked Broccoli Fritters. I don't think I got them exactly right, so I guess I'll just have to make them again. I really liked them, and had to stop myself from eating all of them at once!

The veggies were cut up small and mixed with a thick batter of chickpea/garbanzo bean flour/besan, before being baked; I also sprayed them with oil. I used slightly defrosted frozen cauliflower, as that's what I had to work with. Maybe I'll have broccoli to try it with, next time.

Vegan Richa Website, Baked Broccoli Fritters with Spiced [Vegan] Yogurt

Pomegranate Syrup on Peaches & Cream Sorbet

I was trying to document the exciting process of drizzling Pomegranate Syrup onto Peaches & Cream Sorbet. Although I wasn't able to photograph the end of the process, I think you get the idea.

Pupusas

These are like stuffed corn tortillas made from masa harina corn flour, and which are popular in El Salvador. The package of masa harina which I bought recently at the supermarket, mentioned that this flour could be used in a variety of yummies, including "pupusas." I looked it up, and decided to try it. As I get tired easily and as I have to be careful what I eat, I couldn't make it this time the proper way, with traditional fillings and with the usual accompaniments. I decided to use as filling, the leftover spiced cauliflower and green peas from the Gobhi Matar Mini Samosas, pictured a couple of days ago. I had exactly enough filling for the amount of masa (dough) that I made!

I think everything went well regarding cooking them (except for burning the pan), but I'm not sure if these look like real pupusas, as I've never had any before. I made the first few without any oil, as I've heard is traditional -- which is why the pan was burned a bit -- and the last ones with a minimal amount of oil. I did enjoy them, but have been wondering since then if they look like they're supposed to. They remind me of what I imagine stuffed makki roti (Indian flatbread made of corn) would look like. 

Archana's Kitchen Website, Gobi Matar Mini Samosa Recipe

Eggplant "Pizza" (Patlicanli Pide)

This is a Turkish recipe from Anissa Helou's Savory Baking from the Mediterranean. The dough is very simple and easy to make, according to this method, and I had some eggplant topping already cooked and frozen. It's better for me if eggplant is blended with a food processor, so that's what I did this time. This eggplant is very delicious by itself, and of course, as a pizza topping, it's even better! Very yummy and satisfying.

Vanilla Muhalabiya (Pudding) Ice Cream with Pomegranate Syrup

The ice cream, which was a Middle Eastern pudding that I froze, wasn't photographing well by itself. (My camera has trouble with very light monocolor foods like this.) Since I'd eaten it a few times served with the syrup, I tried that approach of photographing it; this seemed to work better. For the syrup, I boiled some pomegranate juice with a simple syrup, and it was successful, if a bit too sweet. I must say, though, that it went very well with the ice cream! 

Thai Curry Potato Soup 

This soup is from a Foxes Love Lemons recipe. It was fantastic! I had it with some fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and homemade bread (not pictured here). It was well-spiced, but not too hot for me (as I have to be a bit careful with that). All the ingredients just melded so well together. A real winner! 

Based on what I can't/don't have, I substituted the following: rasam powder for curry powder, water for chicken broth, and storebought Thai red curry paste for sambal oelek. Also, for some reason, I don't know why, I don't really like very smooth, blender-ed soups, so I skipped putting the soup through a blender. I did mash the potatoes in the soup with a spoon, however, and they melted right in. Yummy!

Foxes Love Lemons Website, Thai Curry Potato Soup

Foxes Love Lemons Facebook

Gobhi Matar Mini Samosas 

(baked turnovers, with a filling of cauliflower and green peas) 

These samosas are from an Archana's Kitchen recipe. I took one bite, and decided these are awesome! The filling, which I made the day before, is sweet and spicy at the same time. The pastry is very flaky, but the dough didn't require much work at all. I think I need more practice making this small size samosa with this method. Next time, I might make twice as much pastry, and make larger samosas. That should help with the shape. No help is needed with the flavor or texture, both of which are awesome! 

I left the garam masala out of the filling, as it looked to be seasoned very well without it (and I have to be careful not to get too much spice). I can't have butter, so there's no ghee in the pastry. However, I've been experimenting recently with coconut oil, and that's what I used here, instead.

Archana's Kitchen Website, Gobi Matar Mini Samosa Recipe

Chocolate Pudding Ice Cream

Throwback to this Chocolate Pudding Ice Cream. I guess it's really ice milk, strictly speaking, but as I can't eat cream, I'll take what I can get. It's ice cream-y enough for me, and nice to finish off the day with. 

Bhavna's Kitchen provided the pudding recipe, which I modified by using an equal amount of honey instead of butter. After the pudding cooled in the fridge, I just put it in the freezer. That seems to work better with chocolate pudding; still trying to perfect the technique for vanilla eggless pudding.

Bhavna's Kitchen Facebook

Bhavna's Kitchen YouTube, Quick Chocolate Pudding

Thai Red Curry with Cauliflower & Broccoli

I don't know much about Thai cooking (except how to eat the finished product), so I decided to start out by using a vegetarian red curry paste from the supermarket. Instead of putting the curry together using the method on the jar, I followed instructions from similar recipes in Nancie McDermott's Real Vegetarian Thai. It worked out very well, and I enjoyed it with rice. Since I have to be careful what I eat, I hadn't eaten Thai food in years until recently, and I missed it. Now I don't have to miss it anymore, yay!

Blueberry-Almond Scones (with dried blueberries)

This recipe is from James Villas' Biscuit Bliss. The scones are based on the recipe for chocolate chip scones, with the dried blueberries instead of the chips. Also, I was trying out some almond milk at the time, so I used that here in place of the regular milk. With my usual habit of using oil instead of butter, these scones are vegan. I really liked the very blueberry-y flavor from the dried fruit, and it was easy to use with these scones. (Normally, I use frozen blueberries for muffins, but I don't think they'd work so well here.) A success!

Basic White Bread

Basic White Bread, one dough, 2 different loaves. For one person, I sure can eat a lot of bread, when I'm in the mood. I wonder what this bread will turn into . . . Will it become grilled veggie sandwiches? French toast? Chocolate bread (spread with melting chocolate chips)? Or will it become something new, some yummy delight that I've recently seen online? Hmm . . . 

This recipe is from the manual/recipe book that came with my Cuisinart stand-mixer. It was fairly simple, especially after making this bread a few times.

Savory Hamantashen (cookie-pastries) with Spicy Eggplant Filling

I was inspired by all the savory-hamantashen pics I've been seeing lately online, and had some leftover Baingan Bharta (Indian mashed eggplant and tomato) handy in the freezer. The dough and method is actually from the Kitchen Tested recipe for Easy Hamantaschen Dough; I left out the sugar and added a little more salt. I decided to use it, over a different dough that required refrigeration, because I didn't have enough time for that. Usually when I experiment like this, I'm lucky if the result is edible. I was quite delighted when the hamantashen turned out to be delicious, and the pastry, very flaky! This dough is not only easy to make, but also versatile. 

Kitchen Tested Website, Easy Hamantaschen Dough

Chocolate Chip & Hazelnut Mandelbrot 

(similar to biscotti) 

A flashback to one of my first posts last autumn: Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot, with mini-chocolate chips and ground hazelnuts. They are based on Marcy Goldman (Betterbaking.com)'s recipe in A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking. Mandelbrot are kind of like biscotti, and these were delicious! 

Betterbaking.com Facebook

Marcy Goldman (Betterbaking.com) Facebook

Hamantashen (filled cookie-pastries) with Peach Preserves

These were made with the Easy Hamantaschen Dough recipe from Kitchen Tested. (Peach preserves were store-bought.) This recipe was so highly-recommended by Peas Love & Carrots on Instagram Stories that I had to check it out; since it was oil-based, I really wanted to try it. It was simple to mix into a dough, and the filled hamantashen didn't fall apart, open up, or ooze filling while baking. Very successful! And delicious. 

Many recipes that I’ve seen are based on butter, margarine, and/or shortening, none of which I can eat. So, I just substitute oil and adjust the amount of fat. It was nice this time to not have to adjust the recipe. In fact, it worked very well, probably because it was designed for using oil. Great recipe!

Kitchen Tested Website, Easy Hamantaschen Dough

@kitchentested Instagram, March 9, Hamantashen made with Easy Hamantaschen Dough

Kitchen Tested Fan Page Facebook

Peas Love & Carrots Facebook

5 Ingredients Homemade Challah (Braided Bread)

This is a festive braided eggless bread, from a recent recipe by Lil Cookie. It sounded so simple, and it was! I used a mixer to knead the dough, so the hardest part was stretching the strands used for the braid. I used 2 Tbsp of honey for the sweetener (in addition to a little sugar when I proofed the yeast separately, to be on the safe side). Also, I used bread flour, as a) I had it, and b) I didn't have too much regular flour left and didn't want to run out. I couldn't quite get my challah to look exactly like in the recipe, but, as I hadn't made challah in a very long time, and as I really have enjoyed eating the bread, I'm satisfied.

@lilcookieblog Instagram, Feb. 22, 5 Ingredients Homemade Challah

Lil Cookie Website, 5 Ingredients Homemade Challah

Lil Cookie Facebook

Vanilla Pear Compote

This is based on the recipe of Two Red Bowls, which she featured on her Instagram feed a week ago. When I saw the photo, I really wanted to make it, too. I remembered the canned sliced pears I had left over from my Masala Chai Pear Scones of a couple days before. So, I took the pears, added some water, and then added brown sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (I also added a little cardamom), and simmered as directed. It was a great way to jazz up my leftover pears, and hopefully I'll get to try it again some time soon, with fresh pears! 

Two Red Bowls Website, Sprouted Flour Pancakes with Vanilla Pear Compote

Two Red Bowls Instagram, Feb. 28, Sprouted Flour Pancakes with Vanilla Pear Compote

Two Red Bowls Facebook

Amiri Khaman (Savory Steamed Cake Crumble Stir-Fry)

This is from the recipe of Archana's Kitchen. I made some khaman the other night, just so I could make this the next day! It's basically leftover khaman, or you could also use dhokla, which are two kinds of steamed, savory cakes from Gujarat in India. The khaman or dhokla is crumbled and then briefly fried with onions and some seasonings. Unfortunately, I didn't have any sev, coconut, or pomegranate seeds with which to garnish it. However, I still had to stop myself from eating it all at once, it was so good.

As I was eating, it occurred to me that this could make a nice stuffing at holiday-time, to make vegan and vegetarian guests feel special. It's also gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. I think it would be nice as a filling for stuffed vegetables. If I try that, I'll be sure to post a photo! 

Recipe with Dr. Shalini YouTube, Dhokla in Microwave

Archana's Kitchen Website, Amiri Khaman Recipe (Sev Khamani) - Steamed Breakfast Lentil Crumble