Showing posts with label Vegan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegan. Show all posts

Monday, March 21, 2016

Cinnamon Cardamom Granola

When you hear the word antioxidant, what image comes to mind? A bowl of blueberries, a chunk of dark chocolate, or a carafe of red wine? Well, that's not surprising as they are often cited for their antioxidant prowess. However, if you depend on two of the three for disease fighting nutrients, you risk becoming overweight and tipsy! 


Thankfully, there are plenty of other antioxidant-rich options to choose from including my favorite, spices. In fact, according to the National Institute of Health, herbs and spices have the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food group. Cloves, peppermint, allspice, and cinnamon top the list. 

I add spices to everyday fare including hot tea, salad dressings, and smoothies. The low-calorie nuggets help me  create a nutrient-rich layer of flavor. If you're looking for simple ways to consume antioxidants and bring more pleasure to the table, why not sprinkle in some spice? 

CINNAMON CARDAMOM GRANOLA

Makes 8 cups

INGREDIENTS

3 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw almonds, cut in half 
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconuts
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sunflower oil, plus some for greasing
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisins

INSTRUCTIONS



Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Cover the foil with a thin layer of oil.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, shredded coconut, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl.


Place the honey, brown sugar, oil, and molasses in a small  saucepan. Stir to combine. Heat on low heat until the brown sugar melts, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla, and whisk together.

Pour the honey syrup over the dry ingredients. Stir together to coat the dry ingredients completely.


Spread the mixture in a single layer on the greased foil.


Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool and break into 1/2 inch chunks.


Mix in the raisins.


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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Plantains with Coconut Milk (Banana Stew)

Banana Stew

When I traveled to India, my paternal grandmother, Amachi, always served plantains as a mid-day snack. By late afternoon, everyone would gather in the dining room for a dose of milky tea generously sweetened with raw sugar. A steel platter sat in the middle of the table stacked with steamed plantains. Each one had been sliced in half. Peeling back their blackish-yellow jackets set off a stream of steam and revealed the fruit’s saffron-colored flesh.  

Slice bananas

The plantains were as local as it gets having been plucked from plants in Amachi’s yard. They offered a sweet complexity in every bite and had a heartier texture than the wide variety of bananas we consumed over the course of our stay. We were treated with chunks of fresh jackfruit, tender coconuts, juicy mangoes, and plump papayas all the while. But they never gave me the comfort of Amachi's steamed plantains.

Sprinkle sugar over plantains
Add cardamom

It's been 20 plus years since Amachi passed away, and yet, whenever I bite into a perfectly cooked ripe plantain, I picture her moving about in the kitchen.  

Cook plantains with coconut milk 

BANANA STEW

Serves 2

Banana Stew and banana chips are both made with plantains not bananas. Don’t ask me to explain why that isn’t spelled out! What I can tell you is that this delicately flavored dish makes for a lovely, filling breakfast or dessert, particularly if you’re a fan of plantains, coconut, and/or cardamom. My suggestion? Cook some up and dig right in.


INGREDIENTS

2 medium ripe plantains
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch salt
1/2 cup coconut milk


INSTRUCTIONS

Slice the plantains into 1/2-inch discs. 

Place in a sauté pan. Add the butter, water, sugar, vanilla, cardamom, salt, and coconut milk. Stir.

Heat over medium-low heat. 

Cook, stirring occasionally until the plantains are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.





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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Kappa (Yuca) with Onion Chutney

Kappa with Onion Chutney

I moved to Chicago over a decade ago without knowing a soul. Early on, my attempts to build a social circle fell flat. My neighbors kept to themselves, and my colleagues remained in their cubes until the end of day and then sped home. I took a flurry of classes (from Senegalese dance to swing) in search of a human connection, but ended up eating many meals alone. 

Chopping and skinning yuca

On one such occasion, I popped into a modestly furnished Colombian restaurant. It was filled with immigrants from Latin American so I decided to stay. A waiter greeted me in Spanish and seated me in the thick of things. The menu included a mix of meat dishes paired with red beans, fried sweet plantains, white potatoes, and yuca. When the waiter returned, I asked him about the yuca. He explained that it was like potatoes in somewhat broken English.
   Adding water and oil to make the chutney
Crush the chopped onions and chiles

My plate arrived piled high with a collection of fried carbs. Happily, when I bit into the yuca I was transformed to the comfort of my parent’s kitchen where we refer to the soft, slightly sweet root as kappa, and eat it dipped in onion chutney.

KAPPA AND ONION CHUTNEY

Serves 4

This is my favorite Kerala-style kappa preparation. The toughest part is peeling and chopping the kappa. The rest is a breeze!

INGREDIENTS 

2 1/2 pounds yuca
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped serrano chili
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 tablespoons water
5 curry leaves (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare the kappa:

Thoroughly wash the kappa. Place it on a cutting board and chop it into 3 inch pieces using a cleaver. 

Place a piece of the kappa on the cutting board. Tap it with a chef’s knife to make a slit in the skin. Rock the knife left and right to pry away a portion of the skin. Work the knife under the skin and slice it off, following the curve of the root. Repeat with the rest of the kappa.

Slice each chunk of kappa in half. 

Fill a large pot with water and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the salt. Bring to a boil.

Add the kappa and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes.

To prepare the chutney:

Place the onion, serrano chili, vegetable oil, water, curry leaves, and remaining salt in a mortar. Pound it with the mortar to release the liquid from the onion and combine all of the ingredients.


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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Spiced Mung Beans

 Mung beans cooked with onions, chlilies, salt, pepper

If you’re looking to save money in the New Year, I suggest stocking your pantry with a variety of legumes, including mung beans (a.k.a. green gram). Native to India, these fiber-rich pulses are integral to my mom’s culinary repertoire, and appeared on the table so often during my childhood that the bubble above my head read: Oh not, not again! We dined on mung beans sprinkled with black pepper and interlaced with shredded coconut. On special occasions, we spooned them up in pudding, doused with half and half and molasses. 

Sauteing onions with turmeric, cumin, garlic powder

Like other legumes, mung beans often a fiber-rich, protein punch for pennies on the dollar. They are relatively quick-cooking, and can be sprouted for a wallop of texture. (Think of the sprouts that top Chinese dishes. They often come from this dynamic bean.) For all of these reasons, mung beans occupy prized real-estate in my jam-packed pantry. 

Combining cooked mung beans and sauted onions
Mung dhal with spices

SPICED MUNG BEANS

Serves 4

This vegan mung bean dish is a family staple. It calls for a  technique commonly used in Kerala: sauteing cooked legumes with onions and a mix of spices. Serve it with white rice and lightly salted yogurt.  

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mung beans
2 cups water
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 dried red chilies, broker in two
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
10 curry leaves (optional)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 


INSTRUCTIONS


Thoroughly wash the mung beans.

Place the beans, water, 1/2 cup of chopped onions, dried red chilies, and salt in a medium sized sauce pan. 


Bring to a boil. 


Lower heat to low and cover. Cook until the beans soften, but still retain their shape (about 30 minutes). 



Place a large frying pan on medium low heat. Add the oil and 1/4 cup onions.

Cook for 5 minutes. Add the curry leaves, turmeric, cumin, and garlic powder. 

Cook until the onions become translucent. 



Add the cooked beans and stir to combine. 


Cook for 5 minutes. 


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Monday, October 20, 2014

Lemon Rice

Adding tumeric to mustard seeds and dhal

I started culinary school with a required course on classic French technique. It was led by a chef instructor who had worked for several renowned restaurants in Paris. A few weeks into the semester, Chicago banned the sale of foie gras. It became a topic of discussion, with the chef advocating for its reversal. Force feeding animals seemed inhumane to me. Nonetheless, I held back my opinion, taking cues from students who clearly felt it foolhardy to break rank. 

Combing fried spices and cooked rice

In the weeks that followed, we made sauces and soups that were invariably doused with dairy. I had never reached for so much cream and butter in my life. At home, I flavored my meals with a cocktail of spices that left me light on my feet. I found the dishes that we made in class numbingly filling, and worried that I might settle in for a nap after a marathon of tastings.

Sprinkling in fresh lemon juice

Towards the end of the course, the chef gathered us all around for another demonstration. When he reached for the cream, I found myself blurting out, “Chef, why don’t you just use some cumin?”

Humored by my outburst, he smiled, and muttered under his breath, “She wants me to use cumin.” 

Then he poured in the cream.

LEMON RICE

This spice filled vegan dish makes for a great meal on its own. If you’re sensitive to crunchy things, omit the channa dhal or wait a day before digging into it. By that time the channa dhal will soften. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup uncooked parboiled rice
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon urad dhal
1 teaspoon channa dhal
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
1 dried red chili
10 curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the rice in a pot. Cover it with four cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is soft. Drain the rice in a colander. 

Place the oil is a skillet over medium-low heat. When it is hot, add the mustard seeds

Add the cumin, urad dhal, channa dhal, asafoetida, red chili, and curry leaves. Cook until the urad dhal turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. 

Add the ginger, turmeric, and salt. Cook until the ginger softens, about 5 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in the rice. 

Sprinkle in the lemon juice and stir to combine. 


Serving South Indian Lemon Rice
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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Kadala Stew

Chickpea varieties_edited-3

Poke around the dhal section of any Indian grocery store, and you’ll find kala channa (pictured to the right above) stacked among a mystifying selection of legumes. They look dwarf-like next to Kabuli chickpeas (pictured to the right), but offer an earthier flavor and a richer color than their more common culinary cousins. Be sure to soak these thick-skinned peas overnight.

Soaking chickpeas_edited-1
Saute onions ginger garlic_edited-1
Grinding coriander fennel turmeric red pepper_edited-1

Kadala curry - 1_edited-1

KADALA CURRY (CHICKPEAS)

Kala channa are the chickpeas of choice in Kerala. They’re referred to as kadala locally, and used to make a hearty vegan dish flavored with coconut milk, coriander, and a mix of other spices. Although Kadala Stew is typically served at breakfast alongside puttu (a steamed cake made of rice flour and shredded coconut), leftovers are often spooned over plain rice.  
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup uncooked kala channa
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups water plus 3 tablespoons
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
10 to 15 curry leaves
1/2 cup diced tomato
3/4 cup coconut milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Place chickpeas in a medium size pot. Cover with water. Swish around and drain water.
Cover the chickpeas with water and soak for 12 hours. Drain water.

Add 1 1/2 cups of water. Add the cinnamon stick and salt.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook until the chickpeas are tender (about an hour and a half.)

Place the coriander, cayenne, fennel, and turmeric in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.

Transfer ground spices to a small bowl. Add a tablespoon of water and stir to form a paste.

Heat oil in a medium sized saute pan over medium low heat. Add the onions, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves. Cook until the onions turn translucent (about 10 minutes).

Stir in the spice paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.

Add the tomato and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook until the tomato softens.

Add the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Stir in coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes.
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Thursday, April 24, 2014

Sambar (Vegetable Stew)

My maternal grandmother Mummi made many vegan dishes when my mom was young, including sambar - a thick, fiber-rich, stew that is best served with a ladle. Upon reaching her mid-30s, she gave up meat all together, but continued to cook mutton cutlets, chicken stew, and other meat dishes that most of Kerala’s Syrian Christians crave to stave off an in-home riot. 

Toor dhal cooked until you can mash it with the back of a spoon

Mummi’s journal contains many tips on good nutrition (including the importance of avoiding a high protein diet after the age of 40). So I assumed that she changed her eating habits for health reasons. But according to my mom, my grandmother cut out meat with the hopes of securing a prosperous future for her children. That came as no surprise. My mom is constantly negotiating with a higher power.  

Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and green beans roughly chopped for sambar

Mummi’s love of meat-free dishes was also handed down to my mom. As a child, I loved to watch her douse lentils with water and slice up vegetables for sambar and other vegetarian dishes that Mummi once spooned on her plate. 

Adding sambar powder to vegetables and lentils before they are simmered

SAMBAR

Serves 4 to 6

Sambar is a versatile vegan dish. I like to include  tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes, but you can swap in other veggies, including those buried in your crisper. It’s traditionally served with idlis (sourdough buns), dosas (sourdough crepes),  urad vada (donut shaped fritters), or, more simply, a plate of piping hot parboiled rice.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup toor dhal (pigeon peas)
5 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup roughly chopped onions
1/2 cup roughly chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup roughly chopped potatoes
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1 tablespoon sambar powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 1/2 teaspoons canola or olive oil
1/8 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
1 dried red chili (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the dhal in a medium sized sauce pan. Cover it with water and stir to remove excess starch. Drain and repeat until the water becomes clear. Slowly drain the water. 

Add 3 1/2 cups of water to the rinsed dhal.

Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium low, and cook until the dhal can be easily mashed with the back of a spoon (about an hour and a half). Most of the water will have evaporated.  

Add 2 cups of water, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and beans to the cooked dhal. Stir. 

Stir in the sambar powder and salt. Cook until the vegetables  just start to soften, about 15 minutes.

Place the tamarind concentrate in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of liquid from the cooked dhal to the tamarind and stir to dilute it

Pour the diluted tamarind back into the dhal mixture. Cook until the vegetable become knife tender, about 10 minutes.

Place the oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add the brown mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the curry leaves and dried red chili. Cook for 1 minute. 

Stir the flavored oil into the dhal mixture. 


Sambar served with a ladle made from a coconut shell
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Sunday, December 23, 2012

Lentil Wafers

1_edited-1

LENTIL WAFERS

Serves 6

Crisp as a potato chip, lentil wafers (pappadam) bring texture the table. In Kerala, they share the stage with simple dhal dishes, regal biriyani, and everything in  between. Most home cooks buy the uncooked wafers and fry them at home. Being very thin, they cook quickly. Give them your undivided attention to ensure that they don’t burn. 

Lentil Wafer - 1
Lentil Wafer - 2

INGREDIENTS

12 lentil wafers (pappadam)
2 cups canola oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Cover a large plate or colander with paper towels. 

Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. 

Add a tiny piece of an uncooked lentil wafer to the oil. When it rises to the top and bubbles around the edges, slip a whole wafer into the oil. The wafer will expand one and a half times almost immediately

Flip the wafer with tongs or a fork and cook the other side for a few seconds. Continue to flip until both sides are golden brown. 

Remove from the oil. Hold over the skillet for a few seconds to allow excess oil to drip off. 

Place on paper towels to cool. Repeat with the rest of the wafers. 

Lentil Wafer - Cover
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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Green Bean Thoran

In the winter, I thank my lucky stars for green beans. The grocery store varieties taste remarkably similar to their farmer's market cousins. (If only that were true of the tomatoes. I stay far away from them.)

On most occasions, I give beans a quick stir-fry with a dash of garlic and some salt. But during a recent trip home, my mom spoiled me with her much more full-flavored green bean thoran. Like other thorans, the dish gets much of its richness from unsweetened coconut. What makes green bean thoran really unique though is the way the beans are cut in short segments. The shape offers a little more chew and a little more give in every bite. Sounds strange, but I swear it's true.



Traditionally, the final step of the green bean thoran recipe calls for flavoring oil with mustard seeds and sauteing the steamed beans in the oil. My mom (who hates to cook, but always tends to my belly) suggested I share this more simple yet still yummy version! Enjoy!


GREEN BEAN THORAN
(COPYRIGHT 2012)

Serves 4 to 6

 
INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound green beans
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 a jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 freshly ground cumin
2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
Salt to taste
Dash of turmeric
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon coconut oil or canola

INSTRUCTIONS
 

Trim the ends off of the beans.

Line four to five beans together on a cutting board.

Slice them into very short segments.

Place the beans, onion, pepper, garlic, cumin, coconut, salt, turmeric, and water in a saucepan. Stir.

Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes. Stir again.

Cook until the water has evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Mix in the oil.

Serve with white rice and yogurt.


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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Carrot Thoren

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

CARROT THOREN

This South Indian dish features freshly grated carrots, toasted mustard seeds, and coconut, which grows abundantly in Kerala. Mustard seeds jump about after sitting in hot oil, so be ready to move on with the recipe when they start to shoot out of the pot. Quickly cooking the carrots produces a colorful, crunchy dish. Remove them from the heat before they fully soften.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
3/4 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
1 dried red chili
1 cup diced onions
1 pound carrots, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut


INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds.

As soon as the mustard seeds start to pop, add the dried chili and onion. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the shredded carrots, salt, turmeric, and cumin. Stir to combine with the onion mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the coconut and cook for another 2 minutes.


Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)
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Friday, September 23, 2011

The Last Day of Summer

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

I am conflicted when my dahlias finally open their petals with the panache of frozen fireworks. By the time they appear, much of the community garden is in need of rest. The corn flowers stoop. The zinnias bend their necks. The oak trees begin to shed their scalloped leaves. One-by-one, they hit the ground brown and crunchy. With autumn on its way, the landscape is inevitably being drained of color.


Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)
I have a passion for fiery fall leaves, but I am never ready to give up the comfort of the flowers that grow in my neighborhood. It is particularly difficult knowing that in Chicago the brilliance of autumn gives way to weeks of gloomy gray skies. I guess it's the price Nature exacts upon those that want to experience all four seasons.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Thankfully, the farmer's market is still full of color. For added comfort, I remind myself that autumn brings a stretch holidays that feature food front and center.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

SWEET POTATO AND PINTO BEAN TACOS


Serves 4 to 6
 

INGREDIENTS

For the sweet potatoes:

2 cups diced sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For beans:

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely sliced red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons slivered garlic
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces white mushrooms, finely sliced
1 15-ounce can pinto beans

For guacamole:

1 medium avocado, seeded and peeled
1 small lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely diced tomato
1 tablespoon minced cilantro


Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the potatoes over the foil. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Rub the potatoes to make sure they are coated evenly with oil.


Bake until fork tender, about 10 minutes.

Heat the oil for beans in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano and salt. Cook for 2 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high and the add mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms soften, stirring off and on.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the beans. Stir. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

On a quarter plate, mash the avocado with a fork. Squeeze the lime over avocado.

Add salt and pepper. Mix with a spoon.

Add the onions, tomatoes and cilantro. Mix together.


Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)
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Sunday, September 11, 2011

Tomato Rice

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

My mom shared the gloomy prediction on a sunny day in June.

"Lucille used to say that the first frost falls six weeks after the cicadas begin to sing." Unwilling to ponder the possibility, I tucked the information in the far reaches of my mind.

About a month later, I heard their first chorus. It had a pulsing rhythm that seemed mechanized. Summer after summer, I had been fascinated by the ebb and flow of the cicadas' melody. So much so that when I lived in Japan my sister sent me a recording on cassette tape. But that day I felt terrorized by it. Hadn't summer just started?


Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

By early August, my rabbit began shedding her coat. I found tufts of strawberry blond fur on the couch, the carpet, and in the windowsill where she loves to perch. "Great???," I thought. "It seems, Honey is in cahoots with those noisy insects!"
Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Unable to cope with the onset of fall, I began sharing the prediction with my neighbors.

"Did you know that it's supposed to frost six weeks after you first hear the cicadas?"

"Really, when did they start?"

"In the middle of July."

They would shoot me a look of disbelief that quickly gave way to weary acceptance.

"That's Chicago for you."

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Thankfully, the six-week point came and went without the appearance of ice crystals. The sun kept shining. The cicadas kept singing, and Honey sported a shabby spectrum of blond.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Last week, I asked a flower vendor at the farmer's market about the cicadas and their foretelling of fall. He gave me a big smile, and in a humble voice said, "There's no way. The first frost coincides with the full moon and won't be here until the end of September."

And in a few simple words, he redeemed the buzzing creatures.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

MOM'S TOMATO RICE

This recipe is wonderful with fresh summer tomatoes. (Be sure to store them on your counter top, not in the fridge where they get mealy.) It starts with a saute of onion, ginger, and garlic, the "Holy Trinity" of Kerala cooking, and calls for turmeric, another very commonly used spice added in "dashes". The hot pepper rounds out the flavors, and I think of it as my mom's secret weapon. Remove the seeds to dial down the heat. Lastly, the women in my family swear by Riceland Extra Long-Grain Rice.
Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 - 1 jalapeno, slice lengthwise (depending on the heat)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
Dash of turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup extra long-grain rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS


Heat the oil in a medium saute pan on medium heat.

Add the onions, ginger, garlic, and jalapeno. Saute until the onions become translucent.

Stir in the cumin, turmeric, and salt. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes. Cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice. Stir until thoroughly combined. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the water and lemon juice. Stir. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.



Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)



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