Cauliflower Curry

Tender cauliflower cooked in warm Indian spices.

This is probably not an authentic Indian curry, but I used the spices and cooking techniques I've seen/used in other Indian dishes.  I love the delicious spicy combination of ginger, garlic, chili, cumin, and turmeric found in Indian cuisine.  All the spices take a dish from bland to exciting and leave me feeling full and satisfied without meat or too many calories.  Not only does the spice combination taste amazing it's said to have many health benefits too.

Warm Indian spices make yummy #vegan Cauliflower #Curry  [Tweet this]

Cauliflower Curry

Cook time:  15-20 minutes
Servings:  4-5

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced pickled jalapeno (or fresh chili if you have it)
1/2 tsp turmeric
chili powder (to taste)
1 Tbsp coriander powder
Salt (to taste)
3-4 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
2 small carrots, chopped (optional)
1 tomato, pureed
1/4 cup water
1 tsp tamarind concentrate (optional)

1 tsp garam masala

Prepare all of the ingredients and have them at hand before cooking.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot.  Add the cumin seeds until they sputter then add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeno.  Stir and cook until fragrant.

Add the dry spices (turmeric, chili powder, and coriander)  and cook for a few seconds then add the vegetables (you can use all cauliflower if you prefer I added peas and carrots for more color) with a good sprinkle of salt.  

Stir and mix well then add the water mixed with the tamarind concentrate (I use the tamarind to add more flavor and because I have it).  Continue stirring until the water cooks off and cauliflower is tender.

Remove from heat and mix in the garam masala.  

Serve warm over rice garnished with cilantro (with naan and chutney on the side if desired).

I served this curry with a cilantro coconut chutney (I happened to have all the ingredients on hand).  It was delicious.  I'll post the recipe next week so stay tuned.

Makes about 4-5 servings.

Enjoy.

For more Indian recipes check out:

Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry

Patta Gobhi Mattar (Cabbage & Peas)

Sambar           -

Linked to:  Full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends, Pretty Pintastic, 2 cup, Lou Lou, TMT, Whimsy, Wonderful

Follow Joybee What's for Dinner? on Pinterest:

Read more ...

Warm Up with Soup

7 delicious soups to keep you warm inside and out.

Soup is a great way to clean out your refrigerator.  You can make soup with all kinds of meat, vegetables, legumes, grains, and/or pasta.  Here are 7 of my soup recipes that are simple and delicious.  Many are meatless, vegetarian, or vegan and all will help keep you warm.

A #roundup of 7 delicious soup #recipes. Warm Up w/ Soup  [Tweet this]

Black Bean Soup

A creamy, flavorful, and meatless soup made with black beans and spices.  Filling enough for an entree.

Warm up w/ #meatless Black Bean Soup  [Tweet this]

Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup

A creamy soup made with chickpeas, cauliflower, coconut milk and warm spices.  Cauliflower and chickpea soup is a delicious and vegan meal.

Warm up w/ #vegan Cauliflower & Chickpea #Soup  [Tweet this]

Green Pea Soup

Healthy and easy frozen green peas pureed in a flavorful broth for a creamy and delicious, vibrant green, soup.

Warm up w/ #frozenpeas in Green Pea #Soup  [Tweet this]

Lentil Soup

A bold and spicy soup with hot Portuguese sausage and healthy lentils.

Warm up w/ #healthy #lentils in Lentil Soup  [Tweet this]

Minestrone Soup

A simple, vegetarian, Italian style soup made with vegetables, beans, pasta, tomatoes, and spices.

Warm up w/ #vegetarian Minestrone #Soup  [Tweet this]

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

A creamy, meatless, soup with mushrooms and wild rice.  It's warm comfort food for a cold night.

Warm up with #comfortfood Mushroom and #WildRiceSoup  [Tweet this]

Pureed Carrot Soup

A creamy, vegan, soup made with pureed carrots, onions, and beans in a vegetable broth with a hint of dill.  It's filling enough for a meal but also great with a small sandwich.

Warm up w/ #vegan Pureed Carrot #Soup  [Tweet this]

Enjoy.

Linked to:  Full Plate, Foodie Friends, Freedom, Foodiefridiy, Pretty Pintastic, 2 cup, Lou Lou Girls Whimsy, Wonderful, Tickle my Tastebuds

Follow Joybee What's for Dinner? on Pinterest:

Read more ...

Bhindi (Okra) Masala

A vegetarian Indian dish made with okra and spices.  A delicious, healthy, and filling meal.

(Re-post of original from 1/11/13. Edited for grammar, updated pictures, tweeables, pinnable image, and like posts.  Had 96 views)

Okra.  It's one of those vegetables I only knew one thing to do with and that is batter and fry.  I grew up in North Carolina and we love our fried okra.  Every spring my dad planted a  garden in our yard and okra was one of the usual vegetables.  By summer, we would have so much okra, but I don't remember having it any other way than fried.  I'm not complaining I love fried okra it's one of those foods I look forward to whenever I go home.

There's more to #okra than frying: Bhindi (Okra) Masala #Indianfood [Tweet this]

Not long after moving to Honolulu and finding Chinatown, I found a market there that had okra.  I was excited and curious.  Fried okra isn't a common food here so how is it used?  It took me some Googling to find an Indian recipe site that had many dishes with okra as the main ingredient.  I like Indian food and I like okra so what could go wrong?  Once I tried Bhindi Masala I fell in love and it's much healthier than deep fat frying okra.  This is a recipe I make frequently.  If you like okra I urge you to try this recipe.

Like Okra? Try this #Vegetarian #Indianrecipe: Bhindi Masala  [Tweet this]

Bhindi Masala

Cook time:  20 minutes or fewer
Servings:  3-4

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp ghee, or oil of choice
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/8 tsp ghost chili masala, or hot chilli powder of you choice (if you can handle more heat by all means add more)
1 pound okra, chopped (about 3 cups)
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce, or juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt to taste

Heat ghee (clarified butter) in large frying pan (I think ghee adds better flavor, but it has 9g saturated fat per tablespoon and it's not vegan so you can use any oil that withstands high heat instead).

Add cumin seeds and stir cooking until they start to sputter.  Then, add the ginger and garlic.  Stir until just fragrant (it won't take long) and add the onions.

Mix the onions around for a minute or two until they soften.  Add the spices and let cook for a little while until fragrant then add the okra and salt.

Stir and let cook until the okra softens, add Worcestershire sauce (or lime juice) and keep stirring.  I add about 1/2 cup of water to deglaze the pan and make a bit of sauce then turn off the heat (the hot pan will evaporate most of the water, but it make things a little less dry as well as helps cool the pan).

Serve immediately over rice garnished with cilantro and with naan on the side.  Makes 3-4 servings.

Enjoy.

For more vegetarian Indian recipes check out:

Arhar Dal           -

Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

Patta Gobhi Mattar (Cabbage and Peas)

Linked to:  2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, Tickle my Tastebuds, Wonderful, Full Plate, Foodie Friends, Pretty Pintastic

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Read more ...

Spicy 3 Beans and Rice

A spicy, one-pot, one-dish, vegetarian meal of beans and rice made with 3 different types of beans.

Beans and rice is always a great meal.  It's an easy no fuss meal when you don't have much food in the house.  I try to keep many varieties of dried beans in my pantry and always rice.  With just these two simple ingredients, I can throw together many delicious meals (it just takes a little time).  Beans and rice are inexpensive and nutritious too.  Best of all they are a great source of fiber.  Whenever I'm on my own for a while (because my husband is out of town) there is nothing I like more than cooking a big pot of beans and rice to eat on all week.  This recipe is from just such an occasion and it was wonderful.

Spicy 3 Beans&Rice a onedish onepot vegetarian meal.  [Tweet this]

Spicy 3 Beans and Rice

Cook time:  45-60 minutes
Servings:  6-8

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 bell peppers, chopped
3 jalapenos, diced (with or without seeds depending on how spicy you want it)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups or 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups or 1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups or 1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp paprika
1 cup dry brown rice
2 cups water
Salt and pepper

**I used dry beans for this recipe so I used 1/2 cup of each type of bean (that's about 2 cups each when cooked) then just cooked them together in the same pot until tender.  I didn't add salt while cooking the beans so I added more salt in the final dish.

In a large stock pot (or I used my big 10-cup rice cooker/slow cooker), saute the peppers and onion, with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, in oil until just tender.  I kept the seeds in my jalapenos...it was very spicy and very good.

Add all the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine.  Increase heat until it begins to boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.  Cover and let simmer for about 45 minutes (my rice cooker has a brown rice setting which is what I used) or until rice is tender.

Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt...I may have used more than just a dollop (omit this if  you want to keep the dish vegan).

Makes 6-8 servings.

Enjoy.

For more one-pot, one-dish meals check out:

Black Beans and Rice

Bean and Barley Stew

Chicken Burrito Bowls

Linked to:  J&J, 2 Cup, Lou Lou, Whimsy, Wonderful, Tickle My Tastebuds, Wake Up, Full Plate, Freedom, Food Friends, Best of the Weekend, Pretty Pintastic

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Read more ...

Beans and Rice Tostadas

Crispy baked corn tortillas topped with beans and rice, cheese, and other toppings.

(Please don't mind that the corn tortillas are broken...sometimes it happens to the last ones left at the end of the pack and I wasn't going to throw them away.)

I love all things taco related. So when there were only 2 corn tortilla  and some Cinnamon Spice Fish Tacos remnants left at the end of the week, I made tostadas for lunch. Tostadas don't have to be just for lunch.  They are quite filling and you can top them with just about anything making them great for any meal.  But for these tostadas, I didn't want to waste any of my leftovers so they are topped with beans and rice, cheese, cabbage, cilantro, and avocado sauce.

I love all things taco related. [Tweet this]

These are delicious enough to make beans and rice just specifically for tostadas (not just to use up leftovers) and you could add any other toppings you prefer (lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, just about anything you have on hand).  Beans and rice make these tostadas an inexpensive and vegetarian meal (omit the cheese and sour cream and this would be vegan too).

An inexpensive and #vegetarian meal. [Tweet this]

Beans and Rice Tostadas

Cook time:  15 minutes
Servings: 1 (2 tostadas)

Ingredients:

2 corn tortillas
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup beans and rice *see note below
1/4 cup shredded cheese
Cabbage slaw (optional)
Cilantro (optional)
Avocado Lime Dressing or Avocado Sour Cream  (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit

Lightly brush the tortillas with oil (or if you have spray oil spritz them). Lay them on a baking sheet and bake at 400 F for about 10 minutes until lightly browned and crispy.  I just used my toaster oven...no need to heat up the big oven for only 2 tostadas (I love my toaster oven)

Don't heat up the oven for only 2 tostadas (I love my #toasteroven). [Tweet this]

Spread about 1/2 cup of beans and rice on each crispy tortilla.

*Note:  the beans and rice can be any kind of beans and rice such as my Black Beans and Rice, Red Beans and Rice, Bean and Rice (Taco Salad), or just simply a can of beans cooked with a cup of dry rice + water, a can of tomatoes, and your favorite spices.

Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of cheese (more or less to your liking) on top of the beans and rice.

Then, broil for a couple of minutes until the beans and rice are re-heated and the cheese is melted.

Top with any optional ingredients or any toppings you choose.  Some ideas are lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, salsa, and/or guacamole.

Makes 1 serving of 2 tostadas.  You can easily multiply this recipe to feed more.

Enjoy.

Check out all the other recipes mentioned in this post:

Black Beans and Rice	Red Beans and Rice	Salsa (How to Make)
Bean and Rice (Taco Salad)	Cinnamon Spice Fish Tacos	Guacamole (Quick & Easy)

Linked to:  Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend, 2 Cup, Treasure Box, Lou Lou Girls Tickle My Tastebuds, Wakeup, Whimsy, Full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends, Favorites

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Read more ...