A Hearty Healthy Coffee Cake

Carrots, oats and dates -- it's actually surprising there was any room for the cake part. This was actually a combination of two recipes: a a date cake with a little bit of carrot muffin mixed in.

Really I just had a surplus of carrots, and this seemed like a good thing to do with them. If I were to make it again, I think I might half the oats, or add a touch more milk, to make the whole thing a bit lighter. My cake's consistency need up being more similar to scones than a cake (which is ok really, as it makes it easier to grab a slice as you are headed out the door and nosh it on the bus).

Date and carrot cake, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup wholemeal flour, 1 cup plain flour)
2 cups rolled oats (or a little less)
2 level tspn baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tbsp molasses
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup brown sugar
1 cups milk (a bit more if things seem dry)
1.5 cups grated carrots
2 eggs
5 table spoon vegetable oil


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease and flour a 9" cake pan (I used a springform pan and lined the base with parchment paper.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients
3. Beat the milk, eggs and oil
4. Mix all together, and stir in the carrots
5. Pour in a 9 inch greased tin
6 Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

The-Vegetables-are-about-to-Stage-a-Coup Curry

This is what happens when the bin shows up and you've been ignoring the fridge all week because you've been busy making marmalade. Closely related to the use-up-all-the-left-over-meat-and-cheese quiche is the use-up-all-the -veggies curry. If you're feeling especially ambitious, you can make your own curry paste, as they do in this recipe. I took the lazy route and just threw in a can of massaman curry paste, and augmented it with some extra ginger, garlic, and thai chilis.

Vegetable curry, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Ingredients (open to interpretation)

-1 onion
-1 tsp grated or finely chopped ginger or galangal
-3 cloves of garlic chopped
-3 thai chilis chopped (leave the seeds in for a hotter curry)
-2 cups coconut milk (either canned, or from soaking desiccated coconut in hot water and straining it)
-1 cauliflower cut into florets
-1 cup green beans cut into 2" pieces
-2-3 parsnips or carrots, peeled and chopped into 2" pieces (cut crosswise if the pieces are especially wide)
-3 baby book choy, leaves separated, rinsed and chopped into 2" pieces.
-2 tbsp oil
-1 4oz can of curry paste (or the equivalent amount of homemade paste)

Method:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion until softened and beginning to brown at the edges (5-8 min)
2. Add curry paste, chilis, garlic, and ginger and stir until fragrant (1-2 min)
3. Add the parsnips and cauliflower and stir to coat with curry paste.
4. Add 1.5 c coconut milk, stir, cover and bring to a simmer. Turn heat down to medium, Cook covered, stirring occasionally for about 30-40 minutes.
5. When the veggies still have a bit of a crunch left (around 25 minutes or so) add the green beans.
6. Cook for another 10-15 min until veggies are cooked through.
7. If the mixture seems dry, add more coconut milk, if it is too watery, remove the lid and let some liquid boil off
8. Finally, add the book choy stems (not the leaves) and cook for 2-5 minutes. At the very end, stir in the leaves (they will wilt immediately). You could also add some basil or cilantro at this point if you have any on hand (I didn't).

There are 2 secrets to making a curry like this: keeping the liquid at the right level (making sure it doesn't dry up or become a soup). and knowing how long veggies take to cook.

To keep the liquid at the right level, just start small and add more as needed. If you're really stuck, add water.

As for veggies, starchy things like potatoes, and crunchy things like carrots go in first, as they can take a while to cook (almost an hour usually). Cauliflower, broccoli and green beens (and other similar things) are in the middle (1/2 hr - 15 min depending on your crunch vs mush preference). Finally, greens and their stems (herbs, bok choy, spinach) will cook in a few minutes, and can be thrown in at the very end.

Three Indian Stand-By's

I haven't been cooking much lately…mostly just marmalade-making (yes…I made a second batch, I know, I'm an addict). That said, I figured it was time for a "best-of" sort of post. So without further ado, I give you my three stand-by Indian dishes. Make one as a side, or a couple as a meal, the options are limitless. I probably make one of these three every time I cook Indian food.

Chana Palak, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Chana Palak

This is great as a side with a meat dish, or on it's own, with naan bread to soak up the juices. Adding a bit of cream at the end will make the dish richer and smoother, or, if you're looking for a lighter dish, skip the cream.

1 400ml can Chickpeas; drained and washed
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion; chopped finely
1 400 ml can chopped tomatoes, and their juices
4 cups chopped spinach (if using frozen spinach, thaw it first)
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
2 green serrano chillies; ribs and seed removed, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander/cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp heavy cream (optional)

Method
1 In a medium sauce pan, over med-high heat, fry the onions in the heated oil, until golden brown.
2. add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and chillies, cook for about 5-8 minutes until it is blended together.
3. Add the turmeric, coriander and cumin powders, stir and cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the spinach, stir and cook for a further 8 minutes, until it is limp
5. Add the chickpeas, mix and cook for a further 10 minutes
6. Add the garam masala and the coriander leaves; mix.
7. If you are using cream, stir it in at this point.

Serve with chapatis or naan.

Spicy Cabbage

An excellent way to use up a cabbage.

1 cabbage; finely shredded - a shortcut here is to buy a bag of shredded cabbage (meant for coleslaw) and use that instead.
1 400ml can chopped tomatoes;
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 inch ginger - grated
2 green serrano chillis - minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds - black mustard seeds are good if you can find them, otherwise, normal mustard seeds work too
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp cumin
salt to taste

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, as soon as they start to splutter, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and the minced chillis, stir and fry for a few minutes.
2. Add the cumin, coriander and turmeric, fry for a few minutes.
3. Add the shredded cabbage, stir well, so that it is coated with the mixture.
4. Add salt and cook for 15 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked.

Kerala Fish Curry

This dish is quite possibly the best thing you can do with canned fish. It also tastes great reheated in a wrap the next day.

2 cans (213 g each) of Sockeye salmon or mackerel, drained
1/2 an onion or 2 shallots, chopped
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon of oil
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
6 to 8 curry leaves (fresh are best, if you can find them, but dried work too)
4 green serano chiles, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:
1. In a small to medium pot, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions/shallots and cook until softened and beginning to brown at the edges (5 min). Then add the garlic (2 tsp), and the ginger (2 tsp). Turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly for 1 -2 minutes.
2. Next, add the spices for the fish (turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry leaves) and the serrano chiles. Stir until mixture is fragrant (2 min or so).
3. Add the fish, turn the heat up to medium, and cook, stirring for at most 2-3 minutes, until fish is heated through and coated with the spice mixture.