Greek Stewed Green Peas

This was from the recipe of Mia Kouppa. Recently, I made a version based on this recipe, using every shortcut that could make it easy (as I was pretty tired) ... which made it less like the recipe. However, it was so easy, and so tasty, that it made me feel better.

I decided to make it again, this time "by the book," and stuck pretty close to the recipe. Well, half a recipe. I found that when I defrosted a bag of frozen peas in the microwave, all the ice/water seemed to have evaporated, and so they didn't need to be drained. That bag was equal to about a half-recipe.

As you can see here from pics 1 and 2, I enjoyed them with rice. They were also good with pasta. I liked it with an omelette on the side. I think it might also be good mixed into some egg as part of an omelette, or as a frittata if you also mixed in spaghetti or other similar noodles with the egg and veggies. Well, however you serve it, I found it warm and comforting.

Mia Kouppa Website, Stewed Green Peas

Instant Rava Toast

(Eggless Indian Savory French Toast)

This was from the recipe of Something's Cooking with Alpa. Basically, rava/sooji/semolina/cream of wheat is mixed with yogurt, spices, and veggies. The mixture is spread on a piece of bread, and fried on a griddle on both sides. (Though the recipe calls for butter, I used my usual oil.) Very yummy! When I ran out of bread, I just fried the remaining rava topping as a pancake (1st photo).

This is a great use for leftover bread. For example, I like Calabrese Italian bread from the store, which is oval; sometimes I have to be creative to use the much smaller slices left at the end. That's what is featured here, with defrosted frozen chopped veggies (mirepoix mix = onion, carrot, celery; and green bell pepper).

Something's Cooking with Alpa Website, Instant Rava Toast Recipe -- Open toast sandwich 

Something's Cooking with Alpa YouTube, Instant Rava Toast Recipe -- Open toast sandwich

Healthy Carrot Soup

This was based on the recipe of Kouzounas Kitchen. I was inspired by her recent Instagram Live demonstration of how to make this soup. It was also convenient to try, after I had already steamed carrots in an oven-safe parchment bag. I wanted something simple and nourishing.

I made a much smaller batch than the recipe, with olive oil, chopped onions, the steamed carrots, some cumin and dried basil and mint, water, and salt. I also added some cinnamon, as I thought was mentioned in the Instagram Live video. I don't mind unblended soups, so I left it as it was; I added creamy whole-milk yogurt (not pictured), instead of coconut milk, which I didn't have. (The soup is supposed to be vegan, suitable for those observing Lent, and I thought maybe it wouldn't be nice to show off the dairy. )

The soup was warm and comforting. Hopefully I'll make it again some time soon, when I have coconut milk.

Kouzounas Kitchen Website, The Governor Olive Oil Review & Healthy Carrot Soup Recipe

Thai Massaman Curry 

with Veggie Crumbles, Carrots, & Potatoes

I made this using store-bought massaman curry paste. I made this based on the Beef Massaman Curry of Hot Thai Kitchen. It was spicy and a little sweet, and actually tasted best after 3 days.  The only thing was, this curry paste was very rich, with a lot of oil. (For that reason, I'm not sure I'd buy it again. Of course, I could make my own, but sometimes it's nice when someone else helps me out.) Therefore, I couldn't eat much at a time, no matter how good it was. Keeping this in mind, next time, I'll use less curry paste. (There's plenty left, still, for a "next time.") I stashed half of the curry sauce in the freezer, for one of those times I need to order my own personal take-out. 

Hot Thai Kitchen Website, Beef Massaman Curry Recipe

Hot Thai Kitchen YouTube, Beef Massaman Curry Recipe

 Rava Idli 

(South Indian Steamed Dumplings), 

with Carrot & Zucchini Sambhar 

(South Indian Legume & Veggie Dish)

This includes some of the Rava Idli (South Indian Steamed Dumplings) featured in the last post, with Carrot & Zucchini Sambhar (South Indian Legume & Veggie Dish). The Sambhar was featured in a post on February 6 (with a different batch of Rava Idli). This was the same Sambhar, as leftovers from the freezer. Very convenient. I noticed, as I hadn't before, that the Sambhar had a bit of a sweet taste from all the carrots ... I liked it! 

Spaghetti, Broccoli, & Carrots, with Eggplant

This was a simple combination of Spaghetti, Broccoli, & Carrots, with leftover Baba Ghanoush/Ghanouj (Middle Eastern eggplant spread) mixed in. This is from a few weeks ago, but I seem to remember the veggies had already been steamed? Or were they the ends = remainder of grated veggies which couldn't be grated for safety reasons? (No need to waste!) Either way, the small bits were cooked in the water with the spaghetti, with the Baba Ghanouj added at the end. 

Greek-style Stewed Green Peas

This was based on the recipe of Mia Kouppa. I kept thinking how nice this would be, which meant I should make it! 😉 However, I was too tired to follow the recipe properly, so I made some "adjustments": frozen chopped mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) and frozen peas-and-carrots; frozen chopped cauliflower instead of potato; no tomato sauce at home, but leftover canned diced tomatoes were handy. 

I didn't defrost/drain any frozen veggies, or drain the tomatoes. I just remembered what my mom said to do when something has too much liquid: Cook a bit extra, uncovered, until the liquid evaporates.

It was either make the dish this way, or not at all (with apologies to Mia Kouppa for not following their great recipe). (I guess I was really tired, and needed all those veggies!). Hopefully, next time, I could make it more properly. For this time, though, it was great!

Mia Kouppa Website, Stewed Green Peas

Spaghetti with Carrots & Sauce

The sauce is store-bought pizza sauce = what I had. A few weeks ago, when I made Carrot & Zucchini Kofta with grated veggies, some of the ends of the carrots didn't quite get grated. However, I didn't want to waste them. So, I added them to the water for the spaghetti. When I'm just making a small amount of pasta like this, I like to use a small pan and less water. Once the pasta is cooked, I add some sauce, and cook it a little further, until it looks like this. I might add some dried Italian herb seasoning, as I did this time, for a little extra flavor. And here we are! 

Spaghetti with Carrots & Sauce

The sauce is store-bought pizza sauce = what I had. A few weeks ago, when I made Carrot & Zucchini Kofta with grated veggies, some of the ends of the carrots didn't quite get grated. However, I didn't want to waste them. So, I added them to the water for the spaghetti. When I'm just making a small amount of pasta like this, I like to use a small pan and less water. Once the pasta is cooked, I add some sauce, and cook it a little further, until it looks like this. I might add some dried Italian herb seasoning, as I did this time, for a little extra flavor. And here we are!

Rava Idli (South Indian Savory Dumplngs) 

with Carrot & Zucchini Sambhar

This Idli was made at the same time as those in the photo featured 2 posts ago. (Please see it for more info on the Idli.) However, I steamed it in an ovenproof bowl, on a steaming rack, in the Instant Pot (not sponsored). I steamed it for the same amount of time as the more dumpling-like Idlis. Later, once they were cool, I cut them into wedges. I wasn't sure how that would turn out, but it ended up being a nice alternative. 

Here, the Idli is served with a Sambhar from Healthy South Indian Cooking by Alemalu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt. This is a soupy South Indian dal/legume dish, which here contains masoor dal/red lentils, tomatoes, and lots of veggies. A very healthy and delicious combination. 

Zucchini & Carrot Koftas

These were made in an ebelskiver pan rather than deep-fried. The recipe is from Just a Girl from Aamchi Mumbai. These weren't actually crisp, as I didn't quite manage to squeeze all the water out of the veggies. However, I liked the flavor, and didn't mind. It was a nice way to get one's veggies! 

Just a Girl from Aamchi Mumbai Website, Zucchini & Carrot Koftas

Sandwich of 

Steamed Carrots 

& Paneer (Indian cheese)

The sandwich is seasoned with salt and dried Italian herb seasoning. This was a nice way to use leftovers, for a quick and nourishing meal.

Carrots

These were steamed in the Instant Pot for about 4 minutes. I waited after that about 10 minutes, before releasing the rest of the pressure and opening it. This was almost a pound of carrots (minus the one that looked bad). I also like to roast carrots in the oven ... but then, they always get a little overdone in spots, in order for them to be cooked enough. I don't mind, but thought I would try steaming for a a change. It worked well, and the carrots were done enough for me. (I can't eat veggies unless they're very well-cooked. I often just boil them in water, as soup, for that very reason.) Now, how shall I eat them? ... The other day, I mashed some with Paneer (Indian cheese) and salt, and used it in a sandwich.

Havuç Çorbasi 

(Turkish Carrot Soup)

This is a lazy version of Havuç Çorbasi, Turkish Carrot Soup. The original recipe, from Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, calls for carrots to be cooked very well in stock with salt, sugar, and cinnamon, and put through a blender or food processor. I just cooked it very well in water.  

The next step is to separately make a bit of a white sauce, add egg yolks, and then carefully add it to the soup, to thicken it. However, I tend to just skip all this, and mix in a whole egg, right into the soup (like egg-drop soup). I'd roasted some carrots in the oven a few days ago, so I added in the last few here, along with some cilantro, and a bit of scrambled egg.

Accompanying the soup, are some Plain Harcha (Moroccan Galettes/Biscuits), made from the recipe of My Moroccan Food. The meal was light but with a nice flavor. 

My Moroccan Food Facebook

My Moroccan Food Website, Plain Harcha/Zaatar & Black Olive Harcha

Spaghetti, 

with Tomatoes, Peas, & Carrots 

This was just something simple for dinner. I cooked the pasta in just-enough water, stirring every so often. I had already added olive oil and salt to the water, and later added the defrosted, frozen peas-and-carrots along with some canned chopped tomatoes, just before adding the pasta. I seasoned it with some dried Italian seasoning, onion powder, ground ginger, and a little cinnamon and allspice. After cooking it until it was done, continuing to stir, the water had largely evaporated into a bit of a sauce. Not pictured here: the leftover store-bought ricotta that I mixed into my bowl of warm spaghetti. I just wanted comforting noodles, and that's what I enjoyed for dinner.

Gajar Halwa (Indian Carrot Pudding)

This is from the recipe of Suneeta Vaswani in Easy Indian Cooking. The ingredients are: carrots, whole milk, sugar, and ground cardamom, as well as coconut oil (in place of ghee). Basically, you cook the carrots in the milk until the carrots are done and the milk has reduced. Add the sugar and cardamom, and cook some more, until it's all thickened.

You're supposed to shred the carrots, but I just peel them. I discard the outer peel, and then just keep peeling them as much as I can. The part that can't be shredded, I cut up; it either goes in the Halwa, or in some other dish. (The first time I ever made this, I didn't have anything for shredding veggies, only a peeler. I found I liked that method, so I've continue to use it for this.)

Spring Veggie Sambhar

This version follows the general method in Healthy South Indian Cooking, by Alemalu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt. Sambhar is a soupy veggie and dal/legume dish of South India. This one includes a spring veggie mix, of carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash. Too bad that several ingredients that make it look pretty, always sink to the bottom! 

I used, for the first time, the ground up "flour" of toovar/toor/arhar dal (split pigeon peas). For me to be able to eat legumes, they have to be thoroughly soaked (even if normally they wouldn't require soaking), then cooked twice as long as normal, and then ground up in a food processor or with an immersion blender. This takes a lot more time and effort than usual; even a pressure cooker would only help somewhat. So, I decided to try grinding up dry dal, mixing it with some water, and leaving it for a couple of hours to "soak." Afterwards, I would then add it to the dish, and cook it for a normal time. This dish, is the first time I've tried this method, and it seemed to work well.

As part of the sambhar here, I used carrot water, drained from the canned carrots used in the Handvo featured here recently. (I didn't want to waste the vitamins!)

Savory Vegetable Cake - Handvo

This kind of cake is from Gujarat in India. Recipe of Food Fashion Party. These were baked in a mini-bundt cake pan. This is a quick-and-easy version, that doesn't require hours of soaking dal/legumes and rice, grinding them, and then allowing them another few hours to ferment. It uses Handvo flour, and tells you how to make your own, if necessary. It uses a combination of baking powder and baking soda to instant-ferment the batter before baking. 

As I always find Handvo to be very heavy (that's just me), after mixing the basic batter together, I covered it and let it sit on the counter to ferment a bit (not part of the recipe). I meant it to be just an hour or so, but it ended up being more like 6 hours. Between that and the baking powder/soda, the Handvo was very light, and easy for me to eat. I'm sure I'll make it again! 

I used store-bought Handvo flour, and, for veggies, canned carrots. I like these carrots because they are very convenient. I just take them out of the can, mash them up (they're already very soft), and add them to the batter. (The carrot water from the can, I use for soup or rice or whatever, because it has a lot of vitamins.)

Food Fashion Party Facebook

Food Fashion Party Website, Instant Savory Vegetable Cake - Handvo

Thai Red Curry 

with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, & Carrot

The curry is pictured here over a quinoa-brown rice combination. I made the curry according to the method of Nancie McDermott in Real Vegetarian Thai, and with vegetarian store-bought Thai red curry paste, as well as light coconut milk. As the coconut milk was creamy, so was the curry. Very easy to make, and I really enjoyed it!

Nancie McDermott Facebook

Oven-roasted Potatoes & Vegetables,

 with Herbes de Provence

This is from the recipe of Eye Candy Popper. Several potatoes, along with a leftover zucchini and a carrot, were mixed with some olive oil and Kouzouna's Kitchen herbes de Provence, and baked on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I almost forgot to salt them, but remembered before it was too late. They go well with eggs in the morning, or with anything else at any other time!

Eye Candy Popper Website, Oven Roasted Potatoes & Vegetables with Herbes de Provence