Marathon Pasta

What an amazing event the London Marathon is. So many people from so many places running for so many different reasons. And the American vegetarian was one of them!!! Completing the marathon in an amazing time of 3hrs 51 mins. All of the hard training paid off, and I like to think that the huge vegetable pasta bake I cooked on Saturday also lent a helping hand. The diet has been carb heavy this week, with a variety of pasta, rice and low GI vegetable dishes. By default I have been carbo loading as well, I just now need to start training for my 10k in May to compensate for all the carbs I've been taking in. Note to self: no more pasta until we go to Rome.

With this dish you can basically add any vegetable you like. Curly kale and broccoli are my veg of choice in this dish. The kale wilts beautifully and you can get so much in. So here is my marathon pasta bake.

Ingredients

About 300 grams pasta (or enough to fill the dish you use) penne, fusilli, anything really
3/4 quarter head of broccoli
250 grams of curly kale
1 can of either chopped or plum tomatoes
1 onion
2 peppers
1 aubergine
1 courgette
Some oil
Some cheese; grated
Salt and pepper

Pre heat oven to 180 Celsius
Cook pasta to packet instruction but not to the full time, only until its before al dente. Cut the peppers into large squares, and the aubergine into discs and the courgette into chunks. Add some olive oil and season with salt and pepper and then roast them in the oven for about 20 mins, or until they're done. Then cut the broccoli and steam it. Whilst all that is happening, chop an onion, and fry it off in some oil and then add the can of tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Let this reduce for about 15 mins. You can add garlic here if you wish, I didn't as I didn't fancy it.

Once all the above is done; (veg roasted/steamed, pasta just cooked, tomato sauce done). Put the pasta in a big dish, and mix in the sauce, and peppers, courgette and aubergine. Then wash the kale and place in a colander and pour some boiling water over it so it wilts. Add this to dish, then add broccoli, and season well with salt and pepper. Make sure everything is mixed well together and then place in oven for 20-25 mins. After about 15 mins take out and top with cheese, before returning it to oven for another 5-10 mins.

Serve with a fresh salad.

The picture above is of the pasta bake before it went into the oven and before the cheese went on top. In our haste to carbo load, I forgot to take a picture of the finished result. But I think you get the idea.

Congratulations to all marathon runners.

What? this isn't pasta

No its cabbage and potato curry. I'm putting this recipe up now, because I have a photo of it from when I made it at the weekend. I know this week is supposed to be about fuel for marathon runners, but I haven't got any photos of pasta dishes I've made, so instead you're getting another fabulous curry recipe.

Staying on the 'slow releasing energy foods' theme though, cabbage does have a low GI, so I'm not veering off the subject too much plus I served it with brown basmati rice, another great low GI food. So all in all it was a perfect dinner for marathon runners.

I went to the London marathon expo today, where we picked up the American vegetarian's runner number and various other information. We bought tickets for a 'pasta party' lunch. Not sure what I was expecting, but the pasta party, consisted of pre-made pasta in heated up cartons. This surprised me a bit as I was expecting some freshly made pasta. Anyway, here's a freshly made cabbage and potato curry instead.

Ingredients

1 cabbage chopped
1 medium sized potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tbsp of oil
1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
2 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of salt
3/4 tsp of sugar
1 tomato chopped or 2-3 tbsp of blended tomatoes
1 tsp of ginger, finely grated.

Method

Heat the oil in a pan, and once its hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle and pop, add the cabbage and potato, then add all the spices, salt, sugar, ginger and tomatoes. Give it a stir and cook on a low-medium heat for about 15 mins until the potatoes are done. Now because cabbage has water in it, you don't have to add extra water as it will seep out of the cabbage anyway. But just keep an eye on the pan, and stir half way through.

Serve with yoghurt, rotli, and brown rice.

Veg box delight

I had a lovely surprise waiting for me when I returned home last night; my very first organic vegetable box had arrived. I have to say it was just so beautiful, sitting there waiting for me to take it inside and devour everything that was in it. I felt like all my Diwali's and Christmas' had come at once!

So in my box of delight was asparagus, sprouting purple broccoli, wild garlic, cherry tomatoes, batavia lettuce, a cucumber, a cauliflower, some oranges, pears and a mango.

I had to stop myself from making everything at once, as this is suppose to last us for a week or two. But considering how many veg we do eat, I think this will only last us one week. For dinner last night I decided not to curry any of the veg, and just steam them instead. (Much to the American vegetarian's joy!)

So last night we had; steamed purple sprouting broccoli, lightly boiled asparagus, a salad of cucumber, cherry tomatoes, wild garlic and batavia lettuce, quinoa with wild garlic and lightly roasted cherry tomatoes and some roast potatoes.

It was a taste sensation. I loved every organic mouthful. The wild garlic, was intense. Its like eating garlic in a leaf form. I read that it has a milder taste then garlic cloves, but I found it was just as intense. So instead of keeping the leaves whole, I chopped them up and added these to the salad. You can eat wild garlic raw, or cooked, so I also wilted some of the leaves down and added that to the roasted tomato quinoa salad.

We hardly said a word during dinner, just the odd "mmmmm" here and there. We were mesmerised by the taste elevating from our vegetables. It was glorious.

So if you don't already have a veg box delivery I highly recommend one. It's so exciting to receive and wonderful to eat. Plus a great way of giving more money to the farms and not to Tesco. Another added bonus is the delivery. Seeing as we weren't going to be in when the box was going to be delivered, I requested a secret hiding place for the delivery guy to put the box in. And it was exactly where I wanted it. It's so nice when a company does what you have requested them to do. So I also recommend getting a veg box for the delivery experience alone!

http://www.riverford.co.uk/
http://www.ableandcole.co.uk/

Chick pea, sweet potato and spinach soup...for Marathon runners!

So continuing the low GI theme for this week, last night I made a soup courtesy of go faster food. Chick pea, sweet potato and spinach soup. This soup is full of carbs and lovely fresh veg so is a great meal to have to build up the body for the marathon on Sunday.

Chick peas are high in dietary fibre and are a low GI and a great source of carbohydrates so it ticks all the boxes. Out of all the potatoes sweet potatoes offer the lowest GI rating, and spinach is just full of fab stuff.

This is a really good filling soup and a great way to eat a whole bag of spinach without knowing it!

Ingredients

1 medium-big sweet potato; peeled and cut in small pieces
1 can of chick peas (400grams) drained and rinsed
1 onion; finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic; finely chopped
1 cube of ginger; finely grated (about 1 tsp worth)
2 tomatoes; finely chopped or 2-3 tbsp of blended tomatoes
1 tsp of freshly ground cumin powder
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of honey
1 litre of vegetable stock
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 bag of fresh spinach (250 grams)

Method

Heat oil in a pan and fry onion on a medium heat for a good 10 minutes. Then add garlic, ginger, and the sweet potatoes and stir. Cook for a few minutes, then add cumin powder, chilli powder and cinnamon powder and give it a good stir before adding the chopped tomatoes, drained chick peas and honey. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil then let simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Transfer in batches to a food processor and blend. Then transfer back to the pan and add the spinach. You may have to add the spinach in batches until it all wilts in the soup. Delicious!!!

note to self: must go for a run.

Flapjacks for Marathon runners

Its the final week of training for anyone running the London Marathon on Sunday, so in honor of all those mad courageous people (the American vegetarian being one of them), this week I'm going to be putting up recipes designed for marathon runners. (and their team coach!!).

Since the American vegetarian has been training for the marathon, I have been making ALOT of low GI slow releasing foods, but this week is particularly important as runners need to consume more carbohydrate then normal. Now to avoid getting pasta fatigue, good low GI snacks is a great way to get more carbs in your diet. This flapjack recipe is a winner in our home. I've been making a batch every week, (as they literally only last a few days), and I highly recommend this gorgeous snack for anyone who wants to get more oats in their diet.

I found this fab recipe on go faster food but I've adapted it slightly. The original recipe gives a buttery chewy flapjack, my one gives you a more crunchy type flapjack. Seeing as this is my blog I'm going to give you my recipe and put the original measurements in brackets (or parenthesis for the US readers). When it comes to oats I use organic jumbo oats and for the marmalade Frank Coopers is a fantastic thick cut preserve which will take your flapjack to another level. So if you do try this let me know which one you prefer (*my one pls*)

Ingredients

50 grams of unsalted butter (original = 75 grams)
250 grams of jumbo oats (original = 225 grams)
2 tbsp of marmalade (preferably Frank Coopers)
2 tbsp of demerara sugar
2 tbsp of golden syrup

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C
Melt the butter in a big pan on a low heat, once the butter has melted then add the marmalade, demerara sugar and the golden syrup. Once the sugar has dissolved add the oats and mix well. Take off heat and then put mixture on a greased baking sheet, and flatten out. Put in oven for 20 mins or until nice and golden. When you take it out the oven, place on a cooling stand and with a knife or spatula lightly score the flapjacks in rectangle shapes or any other shape that takes your fancy. Then when completely cool transfer to an air tight container.

Hummus Time

I love hummus, and I really love homemade hummus. Its so simple and quick and I think much more tastier when you make it at home. I love it so much that I've videoed myself making it, so now you can watch me make it, and then try for yourself.





Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas (400 grams)
1/4 tsp freshly ground cumin powder
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
2 tbsp of tahini paste
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
salt for seasoning

Method

Open a can of chickpeas and save about 2 tbsp of the liquid then drain and rinse the rest of the can. Add the liquid and chickpeas to a food processor and give it a quick whizz. Then add the remaining ingredients and whizz up until you have a smooth hummus like texture.

Serve with whatever takes your fancy!

Mung Bean Dhal (Mug ni Dhal)

I used to really dislike this dish growing up. Whenever I asked my Mum what we were having for dinner if she replied "Mug ni Dhal" I used to think "Oh no not the boring one". Yes to me this was boring, it was brown, flavourless and, well it just wasn't fish fingers and chips, which is what I really wanted for dinner growing up. But its amazing what age can do for your taste buds!

My Mum has recently bestowed this recipe to me and I made it the other day. I have to say both me and the American vegetarian loved it. She's training for the London marathon at the moment so I'm having to make a lot of low GI slow releasing energy foods. And this dish is a fantastic flavourful dish, that ticks all the nutritional boxes.

This dish does use jaggery. You don't have to go to an Asian grocery store to buy this, your local Tesco/Asda/Sainsbury should have it in their 'world food' isle.

Ingredients

180 grams Mung Beans (cooked to packet instructions or pressure cooked for 4-5 whistles until tender)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cube of ginger, peeled and finely grated
1/2 fresh green chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 cube of jaggery (gor) (a good tablespoon should do it)
1 tsp of salt
a good handful of fresh coriander chopped
some water

Vaghar (or flavouring the oil)

1 tbsp vegetable/sunflower oil

1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tspn of cumin seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
8 curry leaves
1 tomato chopped or 2-3 tbsp of blended tomatoes
1-2 tbsp yoghurt (optional)

Method

Once you have cooked the mung beans, transfer them to a pan and add enough water so the texture is liquidy and how you would like the the dhal to look (approx 600ml). Then add the turmeric, ginger, green chilli, jaggery, salt and the coriander, and let that simmer.

Whilst this is happening, get a frying pan and make the Vaghar, or flavouring the oil. The way you do this is, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle and pop, add the asafoetida, curry leaves, and then the tomatoes give it a quick stir and then add the yoghurt. Once you add the yoghurt take off the heat immediately (otherwise the yoghurt will curdle) and add this to the dhal. Let simmer for another 5-10 mins. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with more fresh coriander.

Serve with rice, or just have as a delicious soup.

Pressure Cooking

So another purchase from India my Mum made, was buying me a pressure cooker. I protested for years that I didn't want one, and eventually I gave in. I have no idea why I protested so much, because now that I have one, I recommend anyone who eats a lot of lentils and pulses to buy one. It reduces the cooking time for lentils and pulses by more than half! Plus you don't have to soak the pulses overnight. Result!




Lentils and pulses are really good for you and very versatile, so if you want to add more lentils and pulses to your diet, getting a pressure cooker might just be worthwhile.

Now there are a few dishes that I cook, where I do use a pressure cooker. However you don't need a pressure cooker for these dishes, you can cook the pulse/lentil according to the packet instructions. But I swear by my pressure cooker, it really allows making lentils and pulses very easy and most importantly quick.

So here are my general rules for using a pressure cooker.

1. Put desired lentil/pulse in the cooker and fill with water so its about 1 inch above the lentil/pulse


2. Add 1 tsp of oil. Once you put the cooker on, and the pressure has been reached, the steam will need to be released and it will do so by the whistle on the top. All the oil does is prevent the water from coming out the top as well. If there is too much water in the cooker some water will escape from the top. This is slightly inevitable, but once you get the hang of your cooker, you'll understand how much water you can put in.


3. I cook by the number of whistles. A whistle is when the pressure has been reached and steam comes out the top. So here is a guideline of the lentils I regularly cook with, and their timings.
   
   

Black Eyed Beans: 200 grams; 6-8 whistles (approx 20 mins)

Mung Beans: 200 grams; 5 whistles

Green lentils: 200 grams; 4-5 whistles

Red lentils: 200 grams; 3 whistles

Toor dhal/yellow split peas: 100 grams; 4 whistles

Toor dhal (oily)/yellow split peas: 100 grams; 4 whistles. Now this is the only lentil you don't have to add oil too as the lentil is already oily.

Now, once you've cooked the lentil/pulse you need to take the cooker off the heat and allow it to cool down before you can open it. The pressure from the steam inside needs to reduce in order for the lid to come off. If you want to see if the lentils are done straight away then you can place the cooker underneath the cold tap and cool it down that way. But do not take the lid off without the cooker cooling down first. If they are still a bit hard then just put it back on the heat for another whistle or two.

Happy pressure cooking!

Spinach Curry

A friend told me recently that he had a dinner party and cooked a Jamie Oliver curry which consisted of him grinding and chopping and mixing and by the end of it all he was exhausted. Now nothing against Jamie Oliver I love his recipes but I think curry is a simple quick dish to make in less than 30 mins. So here is a simple and quick spinach curry!

 

Ingredients

1 bag (300 grams) of spinach leaves or 2/3 bunches if buying fresh from a farmers market

1 tomato chopped (cheap salad variety will do no need for vine ripened ones in Indian cooking)

1 tbsp sunflower/vegetable oil

1/4 tsp of mustard seeds

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
a pinch of asafoetida (optional)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp of salt
3/4 tsp sugar

Method

Chop and thoroughly wash the spinach. Add oil to a pan and heat, then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, wait until they sizzle and pop then add asafoetida if using, if not add the spinach. Then add all the other spices (turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, salt and sugar), add the tomatoes and cook on a medium heat with the lid half on for about 15-18 mins. Stir halfway, and taste. Adjust seasoning. If you think there is too much salt I add a pinch of jaggery, (goor) which is unrefined sugar (another staple in your masala box). Or just add some sugar.

Serve with rice, yoghurt, rotli or anything you desire. Enjoy!!

My Masala Box

Every curry begins with a masala box. The masala box contains an assortment of spices that will make your curry taste delicious. After years of not having a box, my Mum bought me one from India (even though they are available in the UK, for some reason she still buys me Indian kitchen items from India in the belief that they are better. Her most recent purchase for me was a rolling board (patlo) to make rotli (Indian flat bread) on. Its very good!!)

Anyway so I now have my masala box and I use it every time I make a curry. And this is what is in my masala box; the essential spices to make any curry.

1) Mustard seeds (or small brown/black balls as I used to call them as a child)
You add these at the beginning, about a quarter to half a teaspoon, after the oil has heated up, and once they start to pop you know its time to add the vegetable to the dish.

2) Cumin seeds
You add this spice at the same time as the mustard seeds, usually about half a teaspoon. These whole spices flavour the oil. Cumin seeds have a lovely dense warm smell and flavour. This is one of my favourite spices.

3) Turmeric (the yellow one; note to self; get some more)
Generally you add approximately a quarter of a teaspoon of turmeric to your curry. You don't need to much of this spice. It gives the dish a beautiful colouring and flavour.

4) Chilli Powder (the red one)
This gives the heat to the dish, and you usually add about half a teaspoon to a dish.

5) Ground Coriander (the brown one)
This spice gives a wonderful flavour to the dish and you generally add two teaspoons to the dish.

And these are the main spices in my masala box. There are other flavourings you add depending on the dish, but I will come to that when I put some curry dishes up.

But for now, welcome to my masala box.

Why am I doing this?

I love food. I love vegetarian food. Being a British Asian from Gujarati descent I grew up in a vegetarian home and I now live with a vegetarian, so even though I'm not vegetarian myself, I certainly am very vegetarian friendly.

In the past five years I have developed a passion and obsession with food, and I'm now creating this blog to let others know of all the exciting things you can do with vegetarian food. Its not all tofu, cheese and mushrooms.

So I hope you like my recipes, they will be a mix of ones I've found in magazines, ones I've made up and some from my Mum!

First the simplicity of curry...