more scavenging from the postpunk forum- soups!!

Granny Smith Apple And Yam Soup With Glazed Pecans
http://www.telemundodallas.com/holiday- … etail.html

Indian Cumin-Scented Coconut Milk Stew With Basmati Rice
http://www.kcra.com/food/2954212/detail.html

Polynesian Peanut Soup With Toasted Coconut (the smell of this soup cooking is heavenly !)
http://www.wftv.com/fourthofjuly/3742553/detail.html

Sweet Potato-Ancho Bisque with Apple-Pecan Salsa & Roasted Red Pepper Cream
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/holidayrecipe … etail.html

Tortilla soup with avocado-corn salsa
http://www.wftv.com/fourthofjuly/4120226/detail.html

Yukon Gold Potato Soup with Black Olive Caviar [skip the egg topping, just olives and chives)
http://www.nbc6.net/news/2124732/detail.html

Flaky Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits!

posted tonight by Bazu at the Postpunk forum (thank you, thank you!)

James McNair's Buttermilk biscuits:

1/2 c. solid veg. shortening (I used earth balance stick)
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt (I eliminated, since EB is salted)
3/4 c. buttermilk (I used 1 tsp. vinegar and soymilk to make 3/4 c.)

position rack in middle, preheat oven to 400
spray baking sheet with oil or line with parchment, set aside
in a bowl or food processor, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. cut in the shortening with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. (I used a fork) Add buttermilk and stir just until the mixture sticks together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly and quickly, about 30 seconds. using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out about 1/2 inch thick. using a floured 2 1/2 inch round biscuit cutter, cut out circles. Place onto the prepped baking sheet.

Bake until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Serve piping hot.

I got about 10 biscuits out of this, plus a bunch of loose ends that I'm saving in the freezer to use as dumplings. MMMMmmmmmmmm. I love me some biscuits.

sounds delicious!

posted at the ppk by simplybecause81 (thank you!)

a few tsp cider vinegar
garlic powder
ground ginger
red pepper flakes
a few tbsp crunchy peanut butter

mix with grated carrot and slivered purple cabbage

Chili with masa harina dumplings

This recipe is modified from one at the Epicurious website.

I ignored the call for lamb in this recipe, used veg oil rather than lard. We thought the dumplings were way too delicate, will use less liquid next time. And there WILL be a next time - this is wonderful! I'd only ever made chili with a base of tomato, and this one does not use any tomato. I wondered if it would work. Oh yes, it definitely does. This dish is deeply flavorful, with a chili (pepper) base that's richer and more memorable than any tomato-based chili I've ever made. One bowl is incredibly filling, and yet it really is a healthy, even low fat meal. If you do not like heat, this is not your recipe, because I cannot imagine making the chili without 10 new mexican red chillies, and about 5 chipotles in adobo. I ate the one bowlful with great concentration, and was left suffused with warmth that began with taste and traveled beyond it.

For chili

* 10 dried mild New Mexico chiles (2 1/2 to 3 oz)
* 5 cups water or veg broth
* 1/2 pkg of soy curls, soaked and then drained
* 2 bell peppers, roughly diced (I used one each, red and green)
* 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed. You could use kidney beans,garbanzos (chickpeas), or hominy - any would be great in this.)
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
* 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
* 3 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo

For dumplings

* 3/4 cup masa harina (corn tortilla mix)
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup chilled crisco
* 3/4 cup soy milk, with 1/4 tsp of apple cider vinegar stirred in; let sit for about 10 minutes
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I didn't have any, but it would be a good addition).

FOR SERVING

Accompany with lime wedges and vegan sour cream.

Preparation

Make chili:
Simmer dried chiles in 2 cups water, covered, in a 2-quart heavy saucepan until very soft, about 20 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup cooking liquid, then drain in a colander. Stem chiles (do not remove seeds), then purée in a blender with reserved cooking liquid until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Force purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Reserve purée.

Squeeze soy curls to get rid of excess liquid from soaking, then sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 6-quart wide heavy pot or a 3-inch-deep straight-sided skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown the soy curls until they get nice and browned (but not burned!) Transfer to a bowl.

Add remaining tablespoon of oil to pot, then cook onion, garlic, bay leaves, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Stir in reserved chile purée, cocoa powder, and chipotles and simmer, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add soy curls and remaining 3 cups water, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 15 minutes.

Make dumplings:
Stir together masa harina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Blend in shortening with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dough is moistened (do not overmix).

Skim fat off chili and discard bay leaves, then drop 8 or 9 heaping tablespoons of dough onto simmering chili, about 2 inches apart. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, covered, until tops of dumplings are dry to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Calzones and soup

An interesting meal tonight, though in terms of flavor coordination, it's not so terrific. Taking elements singly, however, it was tasty and filling! I'd been wanting to make the tamarind lentils from Veganomicon, but putting it off because lentils are hard on my colitis. I arrived at the notion of filling small calzones with the mixture, so I'd be eating less of it. Using the 'Isa pizza' dough recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance, I added turmeric and a pinch of cayenne before rolling out 14 little calzones. Success! They were tender and spicy (oh, and I added a healthy pinch of crushed pepper flakes to the lentils, as well - we like it hot!)

With it, I did a potato leek soup:

2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, rinsed well and sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 russets potatoes, diced
2 T chopped fresh chives
3 c vegetable broth
1 c soy milk
2 T Bragg's
1 T dried parsley
1 pinch of hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until onion's translucent
2. Add potato and vegetable broth. Simmer until potatoes are very tender.
3. Use an immersion blender or other blender to make the soup as smooth (or chunky!) as you like it.
4. Put it all back in the pot, adding all other ingredients.

Daphne and Maggie

We have a new housemate! Maggie joined us the day before yesterday, and made herself right at home. Although she was rescued from the alley behind a hardware store, we think it's pretty obvious that at one time, she had a home and family. She loves being held, for example; it took me several years to convince Daphne, our other kitty, that letting herself be loved was a good thing. Speaking of Daph, she is not so happy about the new cat, but you know how that is, eh? Takes time.

As I had written before, Daph has been quite ill. We see that she is improving, but we also think she may have become permanently deaf, and also that her vision is very bad. We don't know how this happened. Since moving here, poor Daph has had one problem after the other.

First, she was attacked by fire ants (which are particularly bad in Raleigh these past several years, apparently), and may have been allergic to their bites. This caused her to avoid her litter box, and the smart girl decided the HVAC vent in the entryway was a better option (so I had to have the vent replaced).

We'd been using a flea collar, but read they're bad, so ordered some drops online. She developed what appeared to be acne on her chin, and got what we thought were earmites... At the same time, because she is a fearful feral kitty, going to the vet's is a seriously traumatic event, taking several days to recover from. That's why we'd ordered stuff online.

But finally, I took her in, only to find that despite the drops, she was crawling with fleas... and allergic to their bites, perhaps, and several other problems. Nearly $1,000 later, she still was not better.

Finding it unbearable to put her through the trauma of a vet visit in a car, we found a mobile vet, who used anesthesia to put her out, cleaning out her ears very well. Maybe too well.

Because from the time we brought her in, she never really did recover from the anesthetic. She had lost her balance, and was instantly this hyper-fearful, unbalanced kitty who refused to eat for more than a week. The doc kept her with her, hydrating her with subcutaneous fluid, and finally, brought her to us just 2 days before Christmas.

Before this had all happened, though, we had finally decided to find her a companion, so went to a wonderful shelter in the area. We had been waiting 'til Daph was well enough - feeling more sure of her home and her people - to bring home another cat, and so we finally did do that.

That's the saga, so far. Poor little Daphne - we hope so much that Maggie's presence will enliven (but not enrage) her, and that she will emerge from this horrible time all well, loved and with a long life ahead of her.

Chana masala

This wonderful dish is copied from the incomparable Manjula, who has a video on her site, if you need reinforcement! I can't recommend her videos enough. I have added my notes in italics.

Serves 2 to 4.

Chola Chana Masala

Ingredients:

* 1 15 oz can of chickpeas (kable chana, Garbanzo beans)
* 3 tablespoons oil
* Pinch of asafetida (Hing)
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds used ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon gram flour (Besan) aka chickpea flour
* 1 large tomato or 1 15 1/2 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, drained (but save the liquid!)
* 1 teaspoon ginger paste
* 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies use 1 Thai bird chili, instead
* 2 teaspoons coriander powder
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder use ground chili pepper flakes instead
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
* 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro (Green coriander)
* Thinly sliced tomatoes for garnish

Method:

1. Drain the water out of the can of chickpeas and wash the chickpeas well.
2. Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed crack right away oil is ready.
4. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds.
5. After the cumin seeds crack, add the gram flour and stir-fry for a minute.
6. Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chily powder and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat.
7. The mixture will start leaving the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity.
8. Add the chickpeas and a half cup of water or the reserved tomato juice and let it cook for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat, covered.
9. Press the chickpeas with a spatula so they soften. Note: add more water as needed to keep the gravy consistency to your liking, and let it cook for few more minutes on low heat. We added at least 3/4 cup more water and it could have used more.
10. Add the garam masala and cilantro. Let it cook for another minute.
11. Garnish with thin tomato slices.

Brussels sprouts in gravy

What a delicious dish we had! I had found this recipe on a very good Indian cooking blog, and saved it as a favorite; tonight we finally made it, with some amendations I'll detail.

Note that the measurements here are double what the original recipe calls for.

Ingredients:

* Brussels sprouts: a whole small bag of sprouts, which I think was about 2 cups
* Yellow Onion: 2 finely chopped
* Tomatoes: 4, or 1 large (28 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes, plus a smaller can (15 oz.) of diced tomatoes
* Cashews: 2 tbsps
* 5 dried Thai (bird) chillies rather or 2 large red chillies, finely minced. You may wish to adjust to your own tastes - we love heat!
* Cardamom: 4 crushed
* Cloves: 4
* Bay leaf: 2
* Fennel seeds: 2 tsps
* Ginger garlic paste: 2 tsps. We used equal amounts of minced garlic and ginger.
* Garam Masala: 3-4 tsps
* Salt as required it definitely did need some, but we added afterward
* Sugar: 1 tsp
* Coriander (cilantro) leaves for garnishing

this sauce would be fantastic with greens or chickpeas (or both!), or with dry-fried tofu and some fresh spinach thrown in.

Directions

1. Wash the Brussels sprouts in running water and slit open the bulb ends like "X". This helps in steaming the bulbs evenly. Steam the Brussels sprouts for about 7 minutes in a idli cooker until half done or in the microwave for about 5 minutes - depending on the size and amount of sprouts.

2. Meanwhile, puree tomatoes, red chillies and cashew in a blender. If you are using canned tomatoes, skip the pureeing step, and just blend the Thai bird chillies or red chillies and the cashews until they're nice and smooth - throwing in some of the crushed tomato from the can to help.

3. Heat oil in a pan, then add bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, Fennel seeds and onions. Fry for about 3 minutes over medium heat and then add Ginger garlic paste and continue to cook, until the onion is light brown.

4. Now add the tomato puree, garam masala, sugar and salt and cook until raw smell goes off this took about 10 minutes for us.

5. Add the brussels sprouts and cook until the oil separates.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with your choice of bread or rice. We chose to serve it with quinoa, which was just wonderful with it! After some relatively rich fare over Christmas, I think we are both ready for some light and healthy meals.

Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip
copied from the New York Times

Yield 2 cups

Time 10 minutes using precooked or canned beans

Mark Bittman
Ingredients

* 2 cups cooked white beans, like cannelini, drained but moist
* 1 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled (my note: I used one large garlic clove, and should have used less - although I love garlic, the taste was way too strong in this. Maybe it was the garlic.)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
* Grated rind of 2 lemons

Method

* 1. Put the beans in the container of a food processor with 1 clove of garlic and a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the machine on, and add the 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until the mixture is smooth. Taste, and add more garlic if you like; then, puree the mixture again.
* 2. Place the mixture in a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to beat in the rosemary, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed. Use immediately, or refrigerate for as long as 3 days.

Garlicky Cream of Celery Soup

This was originally posted at Vegetarian Recipes Around the World by Shari Clayton Brownlee. I have made several changes.

6 servings

* 12 large celery stalks
* 2 T margarine, divided
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 8 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 T unbleached white flour
* 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
* water
* 2 tsp salt-free herb-and-spice seasoning mix (I didn't have this)
* 1/4 c mixed chopped fresh parsley and dill (I used dried)
* 1/4 c celery leaves
* 1 to 1-1/2 cups soymilk, as needed
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
* Chopped fresh dill or parsley for garnish

Trim 10 stalks of celery and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
Trim the remaining 2 stalks, cut them into 1/4-inch dice, and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of the margarine in a large soup pot.
Add the onion and garlic and saute over moderate heat until the onion is lightly golden.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir it in until it disappears.
Add the 10 stalks of celery, the potatoes, and just enough water to cover.
Bring to a boil, then add the seasoning mix, fresh herbs, and celery leaves.
Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the solid ingredients to the container of a food processor or blender and puree, in batches if necessary, until very smooth.
Stir back into the soup pot.
Return to very low heat and add enough soymilk to achieve a slightly thick consistency.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of margarine in a small skillet.
Add the reserved celery and saute over moderate heat until it is touched with golden spots.
Add to the soup, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve at once, or allow the soup to stand for an hour or so, then heat through as needed.
Garnish each serving with chopped dill or parsley.