Vegan Kheer or Indian Brown Rice Pudding- No Sugar added

Kheer was one of my favorite desserts growing up. I just couldn't wait for the soothing, icy cold kheer, especially after spicy Indian meal. Kheer is thinner in consistency than the traditional American rice pudding. You can adjust the consistency according to your liking. It is also delicious served warm on a cold night. There are many variations of kheer, but it mainly consists of rice and milk, cooked with warming spices and chopped nuts. I added sweet potato to this recipe - I know its unusual - but it adds sweetness and creaminess to the dish without adding any sugar. You may choose to omit a certain spice or add your own twist (saffron, nutmeg, etc). Keep in mind that the kheer will thicken as it cools and taste sweeter when warm, so if you plan on serving this dessert cold, add some more agave or top the chilled pudding with some honey. 

Vegan Kheer

Ingredients:
1Tbsp. coconut oil or margarine.
2 Tbsp. golden Raisins
2 Tbsp. chopped mixed unsalted nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews)
2 Inch piece cinnamon stick
1.5 cup brown basmati rice(or any long grain brown rice) - cooked until al-dente
4 cups non-dairy milk (I used almond milk, but rice or soy milk would work as well)
1 cup sweet potato - peeled and grated
1 pinch salt
2 Tbsp. agave nectar, maple syrup or honey - or to taste
1 pinch cardamom powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Almond and pistachio slivers to garnish


Directions:
In a heavy sauce pan, heat the coconut oil on medium low heat until hot but not smoking. Add cinnamon stick, nuts and raisins and saute until nuts get a very light brown color. Add rice, soy/almond milk, salt, sweet potato, and agave nectar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Let it cool for about 15 min or until just warm and then stir in the vanilla and cardamom powder. Discard the cinnamon stick, and serve garnished with slivered nuts and a sprinkling of cardamom powder.


Alternatively, you can chill the pudding in individual ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap making sure it is touching the surface of the pudding, to avoid the formation of a skin. Chill for at least 2 hours and garnish with nuts and some more cardamom powder right before serving. 

Mushroom and Butternut Squash Risotto


A perfect recipe to warm you up on a cold winter night. Use a short grain rice, specifically for risotto, as any other rice will not produce a creamy texture. Arborio rice is easily available in most super markets, whereas, carnaroli is a type you'll find at an Italian specialty food store. Once you've mastered making a basic risotto, you can create countless varieties using seasonal vegetables. 

Mushroom & Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup good olive oil 
1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 shallot finely minced
1 lb. cremini or portabello mushrooms - cubed into bite size pieces
2 cups butternut squash - cooked and cubed into small pieces
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Parsley for garnish


Directions
To cook the butternut squash, peel, seed and cube into 1" chunks. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on it and toss. Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 20-30 min until tender. You may need to toss it half way through, so the pieces do not burn. Alternatively, you may steam the squash or even microwave it. 


For the risotto, bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan and keep at a simmer. In a separate, heavy bottomed pan, on high heat, saute mushrooms in 2 Tbsp. of olive oil stirring frequently until they are nicely browned. They will exude their liquid and then start to brown in about 8-10 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside. 


On medium high heat add the other 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the pan and saute the shallots until soft - about 2-3 minutes. Then add the rice and "toast" the rice for 1-2 minutes, or until it becomes nicely coated with oil and has taken a pale, golden color. Add the wine and stir until the wine has almost evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring constantly. Make sure almost all the liquid is absorbed before each addition. The amount of liquid required varies on the rice, you may not need all 6 cups of the broth. Risotto usually takes anywhere from 15 - 20 minutes. Start checking for the desired "al dente" texture after 15 min.  Remove from heat and stir in the mushrooms, squash, parmesan cheese and taste for seasoning. Adjust seasoning according to taste. If the risotto is too thick, you can loosen it up by adding some more broth. Garnish with parsley and serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and more parmesan cheese. 

Ina Garten's Split Pea Soup


Okay so this is a recipe from The Barefoot Contessa, whom I absolutely adore! Every time I have tried any of her recipes, they come out great and its a hit at parties. I just made this soup tonight from left over ham. The original recipe is vegan but since I had leftover ham, I decided to use it to make the stock. Serve it with crusty bread or croutons. Forgot to take a picture of it but trust me, it is delish!


 Ingredients
2 cups yellow onions - chopped
1 tbsp. minced garlic - about 3 cloves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 cups medium - diced carrots
2 cups medium - diced red potatoes with skin
2 pounds dried split peas
16 cups ham or chicken stock or water*
Smoked ham or croutons to serve with


Directions
If you are using left over ham from a holiday party, like a spiral cut ham, make a stock out of that by submerging water and 3-4 bay leaves in a 4 qt. pan. Let it come to a boil and then simmer for two and a half hours. Once cooled, remove the ham and strain the stock. The meat can be used in the soup, so carve it off the bone and cut into bite size pieces. It should yield about 3 quarts(12 cups) of stock.


In a 8 quart stock pot, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil with the salt, pepper and oregano. After about 10-15 minutes on medium heat, the onions will turn translucent.  Add the diced carrots, potatoes, stock and 1 1/2 pounds of the split peas. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 min, partially covered. Then add the rest of the split peas and simmer for another 40 minutes or until the peas are tender. Mix in the reserved ham and serve hot with some crusty bread of sliced croutons.


*substitute vegetable stock or water for a vegan version and omit the addition of ham all together. It still tastes very hearty and delicious! 

Potato and Onion "Vichyssoise" with Fried Onions


The classic Vichyssoise, is a french soup made with potatoes and leeks. I don't always have leeks in my apartment, so this is my version made with onions. This is a vegan recipe, but you can substitute veg. stock with chicken stock and add cream instead of soy yogurt. Serve this with some crusty french bread or croutons.

Potato and Onion "Vichyssoise" w/ Fried Onions

Ingredients
2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, or any other yellow potato - peeled and diced small. About 2-3 medium potatoes
2 cups Yellow onion - diced small. 
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cups Vegetable stock - or more depending on consistency 
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 Tsp. Ground nutmeg
1 cup soy yogurt or 1 cup soy milk + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Some fried onions and scallions to garnish.


Directions
In a medium size stock pot, on medium heat, saute the onions with olive oil, salt and pepper until translucent - about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, nutmeg and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 10-15 min or until the potatoes are fork tender. Blend the  mixture in a blender in batches. Fill the blender jar half way up, be careful as the mixture is really hot and my explode. The soup should be very smooth, with no lumps. Return to low heat and add 1 cup of soy yougurt. Adjust the consistency to your liking by adding more stock. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with fried onions and scallions.


Fried Onions
Thinly slice one medium onion into rings and fry in vegetable oil, on medium to medium low heat. They will turn a deep golden brown in about 15 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. They will get crunchy as they cool. 

Fettuccine with raw avocado "Alfredo"


In my attempt to create a vegan version of Fettuccine Alfredo, I tried out many recipes that included nutritional yeast and a bevy of other ingredients in minuscule quantities to imitate the "cheesy" flavor. Well, the end result never really great and I ended up with an ingredient I wouldn't normally use. So this recipe came to me as a result of being too lazy to go to the market and too frugal to buy anything too exotic. The avocado and pistachios gives the sauce the richness and texture of the classic Alfredo sauce. Enjoy!

Fettuccine with raw avocado "Alfredo"

Ingredients

1 lb. Fettuccine or any long pasta

20-30 basil leaves

1/2 cup nuts - roasted and unsalted (if you only have salted ones, they are okay too, just reduce the amount of salt in the recipe)*

2 ripe but firm avocados - roughly chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic - roughly chopped.

1/4 -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon zest

1/4 cup unseasoned toasted bread crumbs 

Salt and Pepper to taste

Roasted red bell pepper (optional)

Directions

Put the basil, nuts, avocados, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in the food processor and process until smooth drizzling in the extra virgin olive oil until it has reached the desired consistency. It should have the consistency of a thick mayonnaise. Reserve some basil leaves for garnishing the dish. Pour out into a large bowl and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1tbsp salt to it. Boil the pasta according to package instructions. When the pasta is boiled, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and drain. Add the hot pasta to the bowl with the sauce and toss to mix. Add in the toasted bread crumbs and roasted pepper and toss.  If the sauce seems too thick, add some of the water used to cook the pasta, 2 tbsp at a time. The sauce should cling to the pasta and not be soupy at all. Serve with a sprinkle extra bread crumbs, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and garnish with basil leaves.

*I used pistachios in this recipe, but you may use whatever you have on hand. Walnuts, almonds, cashews or pine nuts are really delicious as well. 

Chicken with Green Beans

This is my easy version of the classic recipe that I have had many times at Chinese restaurants. I usually don't have all the ingredients  to make the sauces required for a lot of Asian dishes, and I don't believe in spending money on an ingredient I am only going to use once or twice. So, I try to use ingredients that are already in my pantry or fridge. There is a variety of chili sauces available these days - feel free to use your favorite. Just remember, whenever you use a commercial product, use something that you have liked and tasted before. This recipe makes  one or two servings, but they can be easily multiplied. 

Chicken with Green Beans

Ingredients

Green Beans - a healthy handful, trimmed from the stem end

1 or 2 Chicken tenders depending on size - cut into bite size pieces

1/4 Onion - sliced

1/2" piece of ginger - cut into thin strips

2 cloves of garlic - minced or grated

2-3 whole dried or fresh red chilies - broken up in half

1 tsp cornstarch - mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of cold water to form a slurry

1 tbsp Tamari soy sauce or to taste

1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce or 1tsp of Sambal chili paste or to taste

1/2 tsp Agave nectar or honey or sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Sesame Seeds to garnish

Directions

Blanch the string beans in boiling water for about 1 minute. They should be bring green and remain crunchy.

Meanwhile, heat a nonstick pan or wok on high heat. Add the oil, wait till you see ripples but do not let it smoke. Add the red chilies, stirring constantly so they do not burn. Next add in the ginger and the garlic, stirring constantly, and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. Next add in the chicken, stir and cook till the chicken appears white from all sides. Then add in 1/3 cup of water, soy sauce, hot sauce, agave and green beans. Give it a quick stir and cover for about 4 min. Uncover and stir in the cornstarch slurry, making sure there are no lumps. The sauce will thicken immediately. Toss to coat all the beans and chicken and serve on a bed of brown or white rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds. 

Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli or Pasta Fazool is a rustic Italian soup that is perfect for a cold night. It is not only inexpensive and delicious, but also very nutritious. I am not Italian, and I don't claim to make the best Italian recipes. But, I've tried many different versions and come up with this version which I like the best. I have used dried beans here, but of course you may substitute 2 cans of beans for a quick 30 minute dish (just be sure to rinse the beans first!) Be creative with this recipe, if you like more heat, add more red pepper flakes. If you like basil, add it. Serve it with some grilled or toasted Italian bread. 

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients


2 cups dry beans - Soaked overnight in cold water and drained*
2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion - chopped
1 medium carrot - chopped
1 celery stalks - chopped
1 head garlic - coarsely chopped
2-3 bay leaves
2 tsp fennel seeds
Handful of parsley leaves- coarsely chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes - to taste (optional)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1.5 cups pasta - ditalini or any small shaped pasta
6 cups water (you may use a combination of chicken/veg. stock and water)
Salt and pepper to taste.


Directions


Heat a heavy bottomed pot, with olive oil on medium high. Add the bay leaf, garlic and crushed red pepper and stir to ensure garlic does not burn. The raw smell of the garlic will evaporate in about a minute. Next, add the onions, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper until they are soft, about 5-8 min. Add, half of the parsley, crushed tomatoes, beans and water. Bring to a boil.

Let the beans cook on a medium low heat, covered for 45 minutes to an hour. Check them after 45 min to see if they are thoroughly cooked. They should be easily smashed by the back of a wooden spoon, without any "tooth" to them. When the beans are fully cooked, smash some of them with the back of a spoon. You can also adjust the amount of water at this point, if you like a lot of broth, add upto 2 more cups of water. Next add about 1 tbsp. of salt and the ditalini. Cook uncovered for 15 min. Adjust heat so that the soup is at a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings by adding more salt, pepper or more crushed red pepper flakes. Serve with a fresh drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley.


* I used Northern and Garbanzo, but you may use whatever you have available. I would refrain from using dark colored beans as they bleed their color into the soup and discolor the pasta.


Making ahead

Make the soup up to the point of adding pasta and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for 6 months. When ready to serve, bring to a boil and proceed with the recipe.