Non-Kosher B12 Gluten Free Thanksgiving

What a Thanksgiving.  Scharffenberger brut sparking wine from Northern California and a few firsts for the family.  We made some traditional Baltimore-style crab cakes, sans breadcrumbs with some percorino romano to bind the lump crab meat together.  They came out fabulously and Yael ate them which was surprising and delightful.  We will need to keep crabbie patties on the menu here.  Lisa made some wild rice and roasted beet, leak, and chestnut salad and a sugar free sweet potato pie with a pecan crust.  All gluten-free but not necessarily glutton-free.

We have been debating the merits of the whole kosher thing.  From a historical perspective dietary restrictions which might promote health/sanitary conditions and a means of identity and meaningful differentiation on a day-to-day basis make sense.  Thousands of years ago I'm going to guess there was no such thing as organic of free-range.  That was the standard and perhaps the only option in terms of meats.  Now, of course something might be kosher but no necessarily organic or free-range.  Is is possible to set a table with foods that are ethically cultivated, sanitary, based on fair trade practices and find differentiation from a religious perspective in other ways? Would I feel better eating a scavenger than kosher chicken that has passed through this world in a restricted pen?  Or, are the modern ethical/fair trade considerations just an additional layer on top of the existing kosher mandate?  I'm not sure and it is too heavy a set of questions to figure out this Thanksgiving.  I know we do like crab and it satisfies the need for a B12 gap Lisa has had in her diet.  Maybe we have the pseudo kosher rules of crabs in the house for the B12 but only on non-Jewish holiday rules.

We hope all our friends, family, and readers are safe, sound and well.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Michael

Call Me Jelly Because I'm on a Roll - I Mean Gluten Free Waffle

I've been experimenting for a while with a new waffle maker.  Our most recent recipe is a gluten free one which goes along nicely with a topping of Trader Joe's or other high quality raspberry jam.  Batter ingredients: 2 cups of buckwheat flour, 4 teaspoons of baking power, 2 eggs, 4 teaspoons of cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon of agave or honey, 1 table spoon of vanilla extract, 1 1/3 cups of milk (goat milk works very well), and 1/3 cup of canola oil.  Mix the wet ingredients first, then stir in the dry ingredients.  Add to waffle iron and proportion as needed.  These come out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside without too much density.  They also heat up very well in a toaster oven or regular pop-up toaster.  Kids love 'em.

These are pretty easy to make.  I can generally prepare them from start to finish in about 1/2 an hour including cooking time.  Enjoy!

I'm back

 Well, it's been a while.  Our Indian food adventure formally concluded in June, but we still like to eat good stuff.  I will be posting Indian and non-Indian inspired things.  Things such as this Chia Seed Delight.   An oxymoron, you say?  Well, the picture of our daughter the picky eater doesn't lie.  This is a sweet treat that you can feel good about giving the kids and yourself.  Made with chia seeds, raisins, walnuts, orange juice and coco powder, and covered in a thin layer of vegan chocolate.  So easy.  Lots of omega fatty acids, iron, protein, vitamin C, etc.   The texture inside is like Turkish Delight, kind of gummy and soft.  I am thinking this could be done with lemon or lime juice, eliminate the coco powder, use cashews or almonds or any kind of nut.  Lots of variations.  Let me know if you make a variation.

This is slightly adapted from this recipe I saw at Gone Raw, my go-to raw foods website. I'll blog some about doing raw foods in the near future.

So, we are going Gluten Free here.  Just got a new Zojirushi breadmaker and a GF loaf is cooking right now. I'll let you know in the next post how it turned out.  Meanwhile enjoy the:

Chia Seed Delight

4 T of ground chia seeds (I used Salba brand already ground, but you can grind your own in a coffee or spice mill)
Enough orange juice to make a thick sludge when added to the seeds.  I juiced four mandarins, but one orange should do it.
Zest of the aforementioned orange.

3/4 - 1 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips (I used the Enjoy Life brand, allergen free) with just a splash of soy or nut milk.

Place the ground seeds in a bowl and add the zest and juice.  Mix well and let stand for about half an hour until the seeds absorb all the juice and become jelly-like. 

In a food processor, grind the walnuts until they are a coarse meal.  Add the raisins and process until all is combined into a paste.  Add the chia jell and process further until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.  At this point, it does not look appetizing and you will begin to doubt whether this will turn out.

Wet your hands and roll the mix into bon-bon sized balls.  Place in a container and refrigerate for an hour or so.  Then melt the chocolate chips.  I just pop them in a Pyrex measuring cup with a splash of soy milk and microwave for 20 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  Then use this to coat the chilled bon-bons.  Put back in the fridge for the coating to harden up. 

The Octopus and The Hot Dog

 We are very excited to announce our son Sol (8) has just published his book, The Octopus and the Hot Dog.  It is a fun Summer adventure read.  We hope you will enjoy it.  There is no tie in here to Indian food unless of course either Octopus or Hot Dogs are popular in Indian cuisine. You can find it on Amazon

Cambridge Graduation Weekend & New Food Aventures

After a long journey I've graduated with my masters from Cambridge. This was a truly transformational experience.  I managed to have one last Indian meal at the curry house the weekend of May 14th.  It did not disappoint.  There are a number of things that will be missed about this adventure.  The group projects, pre-eating before the Friday night college meals, MCS modeling, runs and walks along the Cam and passing my friends the cows, the long formal suppers, excellent academic exposure, the town and its architecture, and on and on.  Our group of friends and network will surely continue on after this two years and I expect we'll all achieve quite a bit in industry and not for profit ventures.  Lisa and I will now be looking at non-Indian food experiences. although I'm certain Indian foods will still play a central role in our diets.  Just this morning Lisa made herself a dosa for breakfast and I caught myself wondering why, now that the project is "over."  But the truth is it will never be over and we'll continue to explore the many avenues different cuisines of India have to offer.  Our new focus may become that of the south pacific/Asia Pac - we'll see shortly.  Cheers.

Indian Food Up in the Sky

Yes, over this project we've encountered all types of Indian food in a lot of strange places. Last week we took a cross country trip to Philly and Upstate NY. On the way out and back Sol ordered the vegetarian option - a Hindu meal. The offering came with traditional rice, spinach saag, a tomato based curry, and a plain paratha with packaged yogurt on the side.

I'm not a huge fan of saag but if you are interested in trying to make it the following is a promising recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons cumin seed
• 1 green chile pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
• 1 pound chopped fresh mustard greens
• 1 pound chopped fresh spinach
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large skillet or wok, melt butter over medium-high heat, and cook and stir cumin seed, chile pepper, garlic, and turmeric until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the chopped mustard greens and spinach a little at a time, adding the tougher parts first (the stems and thicker leaves). Continue to add greens, and cook and stir until all greens have been added and all are thoroughly wilted. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and salt. Cover; reduce heat and simmer until greens are tender, about 10 minutes, adding water as needed to keep the greens moist.

India Wins World Cup!

Lots to celebrate today and some inspiration for cooking this week. India has prevailed in the cricket world cup at home in Mumbai. This is their first win since '83 - with a six wicket triumph over Sri Lanka.

Spring Supper Party

Over the past weekend we hosted a small gathering to celebrate the project and enjoy some classic items we've made since we started. Tradtional dress, lots of bracelets, sandlewood incense, and music were good environmental adds. On the music side we dug out an older Anoushka Shankar album we had not listened to in a while. Oddly later in the evening during our clean-up we gravitated to a Norma Jones set of tracks that helps bring a relaxing warm mood to a room. A cosmic turn of events that we would vicariously join these two half sisters in our home without any design and then only realize afterwards that we'd staged a family renuin. We'll put on a onther fest and post the menu details and pictures in a short bit. Cheers.

Indian Baked Goods

If you enjoy desserts and finger-sized baked goods, exploring India's regional offerings is a must. Pictured at the left is the counter from India Sweets & Spices (on Los Feliz Blvd, LA) which has a broad variety. One of the more popular items is Badam (almond) Burfi. This is not so much a candy as it is a rich snack food that will hit your sweet spot without causing a sugar head-ache or the type of down one would feel after eating something processed. You can find a very fine recipe and discussion on Manjula's Kitchen site which we've reproduced below. A minor note of caution, many find these types of dishes bland or a bit starchy which is I think a question of adjusting one's palate. Enjoy.

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/09/24/badam-burfi-almond-candy/

Recipe makes 20 pieces.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup sugar
Pinch of Cardamom powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee (clear butter)
1/3 cup milk
Method
Soak the almonds in hot water for 30 minutes.
Peel the skin off the almonds. Blend the almonds into a fine paste using just enough milk as needed to blend.
Add the sugar and whip it for a couple of minutes.
Heat the ghee in the frying pan on low-medium heat.

As the ghee melts, add the almond paste and cook on medium heat, stirring continuously.

Continue stirring until the mixture thickens to the consistency of bread batter, and starts leaving the sides of the pan.

Add the cardamom powder. Remove the frying pan from the heat.
Whip the batter using a spoon in a circular motion for about two to three minutes.

Pour it into the prepared greased pan.
Smoothen the surface of the mixture to about a quarter inch thick.
Let cool for about 20 minutes until burfi is just look warm.
Cut into 1-inch squares or any shape you like.
Cool to the room temperature and store burfi in an airtight container.
Almond burfi has a long shelf life and can be kept outside for up to one week. When refrigerated, almond burfi will last a couple of months.
Suggestions:You can make burfi using almond meal or almond flour. If you are using almond meal, mix one cup almond meal with the sugar and milk and knead the mixture for two minutes. Let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then follow the directions above. The almond flour burfi will be a little chewy.

Annapurna Here We Come

Over the Summer we blogged about trying to find this place and getting stuck in the cross-hairs of a Culver City rave. We'll we were finally able to make our way over and it did not disappoint. All of the items on the menu are made from scratch. You know it is a good sign when you order a samosa and a few minutes later hear the food processor go on in the background. Pictured at the left is possible the world's best garlic naan. Not overly flaky or buttery. Also pictured below is a sampler plate we did not try out and which I'm sure will make for a nice future experience. We caught a look at it in a picture on the window on our way out and some self restraint was necessary so as not to go back in an eat a second meal. The staple of their menu has to be dosas (one shown below) which come in many varieties all at Flintsone-sized proportion. Lisa tells me hers was simply spectacular which is high praise indeed since she not only makes wonderful ones herself, she's a bit of a Russian judge when it comes to using superlatives and modifiers. The capstone of the meal was a carrot halva which we'll try and over under a separate post. Rich, rich, rich indeed. Cheers.

More Indian Food Trucks? The Dosa Truck

Hard to believe there is more than one Indian Food Truck in LA; but apparently there is at least one other, the Dosa Truck.  Thanks to one of our good friends and readers out near Pasadena we now know of this place and it will be on our list for sampling.  Dosa's as you may have read in prior posts look pretty much like American pancakes or fermented crepes which are typically made from black lentils or a fermented rice batter.  They are most common in Southern Indian states, think Kerala and Tamil Nadu.  Dosas come in a number of varieties and the masala dosa may look familiar to those that enjoy alu parathas.  The masala dosa normally is stuffed with fried onions, spices, and potatoes. 

The following is a basic recipe for dosas.  Lisa makes them all the time with interesting variations and we encourage you to look at the prior posts on this.

Ingredients:

3 cup rice (chawal)
1 cup split black gram lentil (urad ki dhuli dal)
1 tsp salt (namak)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (dana methi)
oil as required

Steps:

• Soak rice, dal and dana methi for 6 hours.
• Then grind them to a fine thin batter by adding little water.
• Add salt to it and leave it covered for 12 hours for fermentation.
• Now heat a non stick tawa and spread 1 tbsp of the batter on the whole of the pan.
• Grease all the corners and then cook it on the other side also.
• Put little water on the tawa and wipe it with a clean cloth before making each dosa.
• Serve them hot with hot sambhar and chutney.

Culver City Food Truck Adventure

On Monday night Lisa and I ventured off to Culver City near the Sony Studio lot to check out a new trend here. Food Truck courts. The one in Culver City, The Westside Food Truck Central, is apparently run like a commune and has about 10 trucks. They offer fair from kabobs, sushi, fried chicken, to Indian Food - served by a group with a truck named India Jones (pictured below). With flexible hours, lower start-up costs, and mobility, gourmet food trucks are all the rage here. India Jones is best known for their "Frankie." (pictured above). You can buy one for $4.50 and experience a roti roll up with cilantro tamarind chutney and chopped onion, with an egg wash (they can be ordered with lamb, chicken, beef, shrimp, paneer and mushroom & cheese). If you are looking for something to do, exploring a food truck emporium is definately something worth experiencing at least once.

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

We recently took a local trip to the LA Flower Market, one of the oldest flower markets in the States (located reasonably/surprisingly close to down town LA). Now sadly many of the flowers are flown in from other parts of the world where historically most of the offering was locally grown. This got me to thinking about India and their floriculture; not just because of the food project - but also because we picked up a nice bunch of tropical flowers grown in remote parts of the world.

India has a rich history there with references to flowers in ancient Sanskrit classics like the Rig Veda (C 3000-2000 BC) and Mahabharata (prior to 4th Century BC). India's vast natural resources and wide ranging climate conditions allow for growth of tropical flowers virtually year round somewhere in India - very similar to California and the Pacific Coast. Most flowers these days are grown and sold for individual and bunch sales e.g. marigold, jasmine, chrysanthemum, aster, crossandra, tuberose etc. India's growing economy means the appetite for roses, carnations, orchids, etc. will likely grow. Not sure that means the imports we receive will be redirected to India or that red roses on Valentines Day will be the next big business opportunity in India. Something we'll look into a bit.

NY Times Coverage

Below is a bit of free press we received courtesy of the NY Times. The editors included her comment in the Highlights section for comments that are particularly interesting or thoughtful. Good job Lisa!

http://community.nytimes.com/comments/bittman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/the-savory-breakfast-department-progress/?sort=newest

Lisa
Los Angeles
February 7th, 2011
8:24 am
I am eating my savory breakfast of dashi with tofu, spinach, shitaki, and udon as I read your column. When I moved to California from Back East in the mid-90's I stayed briefly at a Residence Inn the clientele of which was largely Japanese corporate travelers. They served traditional Japanese breakfast of rice, dashi, miso, and pickled vegetables. I was hooked. Here are a couple of posts from my blog with recipes for some savory breakfasts. I hope you enjoy them. http://projectparatha.blogspot.com... and http://projectparatha.blogspot.com...

Pink Cloud Sparkling Meadow II

Pink Cloud Sparkling Meadow II

We used to be very "in" to shakes and juicing several years back.  The name of this one is a take off of one of our most delightful ones which had a guava juice base and a similar colour.  The Junger book has brought back many fond memories of making interesting and healthy juice mixes; although now we are aided by a Vita Mix which makes quite a difference.  This concoction is a take off of the recipes in Clean. 

The base is a nut milk; made with equal portions of brazil, walnut, and almonds.  1 cup of nuts is placed in a bowl to soak for 2 hours with 2 cups of water.  The nuts are then drained and added to the mixer with 2 cups of fresh water and run for 2 minutes.  Many folks like to strain the remaining nut  meat from the milk - I like to leave about half in. 

To prepare the shake, add one cup of nut milk to the mixer, a teaspoon of agave, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1/2 cup of blue berries, a handful of raspberries, and some cardamon.  If the fruit is frozen mix for 1 minute, otherwise 30 seconds.  This drink delivers a euphoric feeling and really will provide a lot of energy to your day.  If you want you can also add some protein powder - if you do go with something that has a vanilla flavour to it. 

The drink is not so much Indian, despite the spices, as it is a good start to a day and part of our overall food journey.  We hope you enjoy this one.

Clean and Corn Bread

Well, there is some news with this recipe. The corn bread came out nicely. The key dry ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 pinch red pepper, 1 pinch garam masala, 1 pinch sea salt, 1 tsp baking powder. Wet ingredients: 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels, 1 cup 2% milk, 1 tbspn cold pressed olive oil, 1 tbspn CA honey from the farmer's market and 2 eggs. Great with a dipping sauce and probably would be nice with a curry.

Lisa bought me a copy of Alejandro Junger's Clean this week and reading through it; it looks like many of the ingredients contained in this recipe, at least for me cause inflamation - eggs and dairy and potentially the corn. Clean is a wonderful way to detox, without the dangers of a water only, or water/maple syrup/pepper, or liquid only process. The book takes the reader through the types of items that cause inflamation, irritation, etc. to our systems, how to go through a temporary process of restarting/rejuvinating our bodies, and then offering sensible/non-extreme views as to what one might do going forward. We'll write some more about this and the advantages of the Clean method over other methods. Without a formal immersion yet, I am pretty convinced it works based on what I've seen with Lisa and my own very limited recent experience. About a week and half ago I cut out eggs, and particularly egg whites - which I had been consuming like they were going out of style, on a hunch from Lisa that they were causing this odd red spot on my neck. According to my doctor I don't have an allergy to them but, ... eliminating them from my diet cleared up the rash thing quickly. Even a small taste of the corn muffins brought it back slightly. So no more corn muffins of this ilk for me. If you don't have an issue with corn or any of the other ingredients you'll love them.

Indian Corn Breads

We have not done much with Indian corn and griddle cakes on this project yet. In the Spring time in the States corn-based breads have a long and storied history, particularly in the SouthEast. They also have their roots in the South, the Civil War, back-yard family gatherings, and various different events/moments that conjure for some a very complex tapestry of experiences and emoitions when we talk about corn bread. The town of S. Pittsburg, TN even hosts and annual corn-bread festival replete with eating contests, cook-offs, etc. This evening we'll take on a fusion project of making Southeastern corn muffins, think Baltimore style with good bits of corn in them - and look to infuse them with a delectible Indian spices or possibly a dipping sauce. More to follow.

Meanie Greenie Curry & Cirtrus Mustard Sweet Potato(es)

Dinner last night was a mix of a few favourites.  Trader Joe's masala naan - toasted to a slight crisp on the outside.  Chopped sweet potato (the "e" in the title is hard worn memory of the 1990s VP Quayle debate about how to spell potato which sadly is forefront in my mind whenever I have to type the plural form of the word).  Lisa made these with a combination of clementine and lemon juices, olive oil, dijon mustard and tempered spices.  The green curry base was made from ginger, garlic, green chilies and cilantro - both from our garden - cooked with coconut milk.  A "super simple" curry that had just the right amount of heat.  We paired this with a 2007 Upstate NY Pinot Noir.  The bird pictures on the place-mat are of various birds - which is a bit coincidental since the NY Times travel section this weekend just included a beautiful spread on Indian and birding in India.  It is perhaps the first time birding every appealed to me. The link the article is:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/travel/16India.html?ref=travel.  I believe you'll find the content quite lovely.

Cheers, Michael

instant savory pancake and instant sweet "nougat"

savory pancake

instant nougat

So, it's kind of cold here right now and fermenting a dosa/idli batter overnight is just not happening.  So I have taken to making instant savory pancakes for breakfast.  They are filling and healthy, protein rich, and wheat free.  I haven't tried making them entirely gluten free yet, I use oat or barley flour. 
The nougat is inspired by the Torrone nougat I that was a treasured treat when I was growing up.  Torrone are sweet and light and flavored with citrus.  Not especially healthy though.  My version is based on almond butter and nonfat dry milk with added nuts and dried fruits.  They are lightly sweetened with agave nectar or honey.  Also rich in protein and healthy fats, vitamins and minerals from the almond butter and nuts.  They are also so  colorful although my picture doesn't really capture that so well.   

Instant savory pancake
makes one

2T garbanzo flour
2T barley or oat flour
red pepper flakes to taste
pinch of salt
1/8 t each baking powder and baking soda
1/4 c buttermilk, kefir, or thinned nonfat yogurt (or slightly more or less to make a thick but pourable batter)
1t veg oil
1/8 t each nigella seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds

Heat the oil in a small skillet and temper the seeds until they start to turn color.  Mix the dry ingredients together and then mix in the buttermilk or yoghurt.  Should be pretty thick but still pourable.  Add in the seeds and oil and mix.  Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add just a touch of oil.  Pour in the batter.  Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Cook until the bottom is brown and the top is dry.  Flip and cook until the bottom is brown. 

Nougat
amount of servings is up to you.  I will give approximate amounts.

Equal parts raw almond butter and nonfat dry milk powder.  I used about 1/4 cup each.
Vegan option is to use coconut flour in place of milk powder
1-2T agave nectar or honey
zest of one lemon or orange
1/4 cup or more of roughly chopped dried fruits of your choice, such as cherries, apricots, peaches, etc.
1/4 cup of roughly chopped nuts (green pistascios look great and hazelnuts taste good)

Mix everything together and knead until the mixture holds together.  If it is too crumbly, add a bit more almond butter, if it is too sticky add a bit more milk powder.  Plop it out onto a silpat or or waxed paper.  mold into a flat rectangle and then slice into whatever size or shape you like.  You can put it in the refrigerator for a bit before you slice it. 

Happy Healthy New Year

Fish Taco with fruit compote

Special Tofu and gingerbread cupcakes

Channa Dal patties with cranberry yoghurt raita

So we're back from our little New Year hiatus.  We didn't stop eating and cooking, just didn't blog about it.  So, let me catch you up a bit.  We are both on a health plan right now.  Some shocking news for me regarding BMI is going to turn this blog into a health blog (well, it kind of always was since I focus on making healthful foods anyway).  But I will be blogging about other foods in addition to our Indian foods.
So here we go.  I invented Special Tofu years ago for our son, who loves ginger and soy.  This dish could not be easier or quicker.  Comes together in less than 10 minutes!  I also like to make healthful treats such as cupcakes.  The gingerbread ones pictures with the tofu are made with whole wheat, eggs, molasses, and just a bit of vegetable oil.  I also use only 2 Tablespoons of sugar for 6 cupcakes and fill in the rest of the sugar with Z sweet.  I think I blogged about Z sweet before.  It is a no-calorie sweetener called erythritol (yeah, I know, it sounds like a urinary tract disease).  I use it in most non-chocolate sweets to drastically reduce the sugar.  Can't really use it with chocolate because it produces an unpleasant "cooling effect" on the tongue.  I also made the frosting with non-fat dry milk for some added protein and reduced fat.  Don't get me wrong, the cupcakes are not really a diet item, but for a special treat, they would be my choice.
The fish tacos are a homage to Rubio's fish tacos.  These are about 200 calories or so, depending on the amount of fish and size of the tortilla.  I make them with tilapia and they are also a super quick meal.  Only about 15 minutes.
The channa dal patties would traditionally be deep fried, but I shallow fried them in just a bit of oil in my new non-stick pan and they turned out just fine.  They did need the raita for extra moisture, though.  These have a good deal of coconut in them, so the calorie count may be a bit higher, but they are so tasty.  Also, the cranberry chutney that I mixed with the yoghurt is heavy on the sugar so I would probably use a less sugary chutney for this next time.
By now you are ready for the recipes, yes?  Here they are.

Special Tofu

1 package of firm tofu (firm is nicest, extra firm or superfirm will not be as good)
juice of one lime
1-2 T tamari
1t finely grated ginger (or more to taste)
1-2T nori flakes
1-2T toasted sesame seeds
1T vegetable oil

Slice the tofu into slices about 3/4 inch thick.  Heat a large non stick skillet over medium heat.  Add the oil and lay in the tofu slices (you may need to do two batches).  Cook until the bottom of the tofu starts to brown.  Flip the tofu.  Meanwhile, mix the lime juice, tamari, and ginger in a small bowl.  When the tofu starts to brown on the second side, pour on the lime/tamari/ginger sauce.  Flip the tofu over a few times until coated with the sauce and the sauce starts to thicken.  Sprinkle on the nori flakes and sesame seeds and slide onto a platter.  There, Done.

Fish Tacos

Tilapia filets (one per taco)
Spice Hunter brand Mesquite Seasoning (Whole Foods sells this).
salt
oil
frozen roasted corn kernels about 2-3T per taco
red cabbage about 1/4 cup per taco
spinach leaves about four or five baby leaves per taco
1t mayonaisse per taco
1/2 t maple syrup or agave nectar per taco
1/2 t lime juice per taco
pinch of chili powder or chipotle chili powder
one corn tortilla per taco

Salt the tilapia to taste and generously rub with Mesquite Seasoning.  I really use a lot of this.  Heat a non stick skillet and add just a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil.  Lay in the tilapia and cook on each side for a few minutes until cooked through.  I use a medium high heat to give a bit of a char to the fish. While the fish is cooking, defrost the corn in hot water or the microwave and chop the cabbage into corn-size bits.  Mix the mayo, syrup, lime juice and chili powder in a large bowl and toss in the corn and cabbage to coat.  Steam or heat the tortilla in the microwave (takes about 20 seconds per tortilla in the micro).  Place a few spinach leaves on the hot tortilla and then put a nice piece of the cooked fish on top.  Top that with the corn cabbage mixture.  Have a napkin handy.  You can also add some hot salsa as well, but I think the flavors here are delicate and are best enjoyed without the salsa.

Channa Dal Patties with Coconut and Sesame Seeds
slightly adapted from Lord Krishna's Cuisine
2/3 c chana dal
2 hot green chilis minced
3/4 in ginger grated
1/2 t crushed fennel seeds
1t salt
1/2 c shredded fresh or dried coconut
3T sesame seeds
3T finely chopped coriander
3T urad flour or arrowroot powder
1/2 t baking powder
oil for pan frying

Soak the dal 5 hours or overnight.  Grind soaked dal in blender with enough water to make a firm paste that holds it shape in your hand.  Process until fluffy.  Pour into a bowl.  Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the oil, of course).  Heat a non stick skillet and add about 1-2T of oil.  Plop heaping tablespoonfuls of the mixture into the pan to form thick patties, don't press them down too much.  Cook on medium until well browned, then flip and cook until that side is well browned.

Gingerbread cupcakes with lemon coconut icing
makes 6

Cakes

1 cup whole wheat flour (I use the fine ground)
1/2 t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon (or to taste)
1/2 t powdered ginger (or to taste)
1/2 t allspice (or to taste)
1/2 t ground cloves (or to taste)
1 egg (optional)
1T veg oil
3/4 cup any kind of milk (cow, goat, soy, whatever)
1-2 T molasses

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder and soda and all the spices.  In a measuring cup beat the egg, oil, milk and molasses.  Add the liquid to the flour and mix until just blended.  Pour into muffin or cupcake tins lined with paper or foil.  Bake at 350F for 30 min.

Icing

1/4 cup non-fat dry milk powder
1/4 cup confectioner's powdered sugar
zest of 1/2-1 lemon to taste
2T dried shredded coconut or to taste
1T milk as needed

Combine the milk powder, sugar, zest and coconut in a bowl.  Add milk a little at a time, beating until the consistency is firm, but not so stiff that you can't spread it.  Spread on the cooled cupcakes.  It will run a bit, but will solidify as it cools.

Quick Apple Compote
serves 2

One large sweet apple
one half really ripe large persimmon
pinch of salt
generous sprinkle of cinnamon to taste

chop the apple and persimmon into cubes.  place in a microwave safe bowl.  sprinkle with the salt and cinnamon and microwave for three minutes.  I chose to leave the peel on the apple, but you can take it off if you wish.  This is so easy and so nice on a cold day.  You can also use different kinds of winter fruits like pears or, uh, ok, name a winter fruit.