Rassa Aloo

Rassa Aloo simply means Curried Brothy Potatoes. My mom would make something similar to these as a breakfast dish which we would eat with puris (Indian deep fried, whole wheat, flat bread). Although it is derived from a very traditional Indian breakfast dish, my version is a lot higher on protein (in the form of TVP) and has no butter at all. My mom's version was pretty loaded with Ghee - a traditional Indian version of clarified butter. I've used TVP in this recipe because I'm trying to finish up my stock and am moving away from processed soy protein. Feel free to use Seitan or Tempeh, or even extra-firm tofu in this dish. 

Rassa Aloo

Prep Time: 15 min (with pre-boiled potatoes)

Ingredients (Serves 6-8):

1. 2 lbs Red Potatoes, boiled and quartered.
2. 1 x 15oz can of Diced (No Added Salt) Tomatoes
3. 1 cup presoaked TVP Chunks (I use Nutrela)
4. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
5. 1 tbsp Goya Recaito Cilantro Cooking Base
6. 2 tsp Cumin seeds
7. 1 tsp Mustard Powder
8. 1-2 tsp Deggi Chilli Powder
9. 1-2 tsp Garam Masala
10. 1/2 tsp Turmeric
11. 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
12. 1/2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
13. 4-6 fresh/frozen Curry Leaves
14. Salt and Pepper, to taste
15. Lemon/Lime juice, to taste
16. Hot Sauce, to taste.

Directions:

Line a pan with water and add ginger-garlic paste and recaito cilantro cooking base. Saute for a couple of minutes and then add diced tomatoes. Saute for a couple more minutes until the tomatoes begin to simmer. Then add 2-3 cups of water (or home-made vegetable broth) to the pan. Bring to a boil and add TVP chunks, remaining spices and potatoes. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot over rice or with slices of whole wheat bread. 

My Assessment: I can eat this dish just by itself, without any rice or bread or pasta because the added potatoes provide the starch. The TVP provides the protein and the tomatoes and curry leaves and spices provide all the flavor you might crave for a meal. Some might call it a chunky potato soup. Its pretty darn filling, I must add!!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 210 (Fat Calories 21)
Total Fat 2.4 g; Carbohydrates 36.5 g; Fiber 7.7 g; Sugars 6.7 g; Protein 13.1 g

Cauliflower in Cream Sauce

I had about three-quarters of a block of tofu sitting in my fridge along with a head of orange cauliflower. I decided to use them both together in a simple dish that came together in under 15 minutes.

Cauliflower in Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 10-15 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 3/4 block (~10oz) of Tofu (Silken would work best, but any texture works). 
2. 1 Head of Cauliflower (~2 cups)
3. 1 cube of Knorr Vegetable Bouillon, or 1 tbsp of your favorite seasoning
4. 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
5. 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
6. 1 cup Almond Milk
7. Salt and Pepper, to taste
8. Sriracha Hot Sauce (optional, to taste)

Directions: 

Cut the head of cauliflower into medium sized florets. Line a pot with water, bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low and add florets. Sprinkle with a little salt and cover until tender. Mix remaining ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Drain cauliflower and pour cream sauce on top. It is creamiest when served raw. You can pour the sauce over the cauliflower while still on the stove to warm it up. Note that cooking too long will make the soy solids separate and the sauce becomes a little grainy. It is still pretty smooth on the palate like a cream sauce.  Serve over a baked potato, or steamed rice as an entree. Or serve as a side dish with whatever else you might fancy tonight!! I garnished mine with a lot of freshly cracked black pepper and hot sauce. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 220 (Fat Calories 86)
Total Fat 9.6 g; Carbohydrates 13.3 g; Fiber 6.2 g; Sugars 3.4 g; Protein 20.8 g

New Veggie Resolution ...

So on December 31, 2011, in anticipation of the new year, I made 2 new resolutions - #1 was to go strictly vegetarian (plant based). No meat. No Cheese. No Dairy & #2 was to try as many previously untasted items from the produce section as I could.  Give plant-based foods a try ... you won't regret it!!

Here's all the new stuff I've tried so far ... you can either click on the links below, or in my whole foods list for recipes associated with each one :) Enjoy!! 

#69 - Collard Greens - May 13, 2013
#68 - Polenta - April 17, 2013
#67 - Cabbage (Purple) - April 11, 2013
#66 - Cauliflower (Green) - January 12, 2013
#65 - Kohlrabi Greens - January 2, 2013
#64 - Cebollitas - January 2, 2013
#63 - Black-Eyed Peas - January 1, 2013
#62 - Potatoes (Purple) - December 23, 2012 
#61 - Cauliflower (Orange) - December 23, 2012
#60 - Mustard Greens - December 19, 2012
#59 - Chia Seeds - December 17, 2012
#58 - Flax Seeds - December 16, 2012
#57 - Sweet Potato (Purple) - December 15, 2012
#56 - Beet Greens - December 12, 2012
#55 - Beetroots - December 12, 2012
#54 - Cannelini Beans - November 22, 2012
#53 - Navy Beans - November 8, 2012
#52 - Cremini Mushrooms - November 4, 2012
#51 - Turban Squash - November 2, 2012
#50 - Delicata Squash - October 26, 2012
#49 - Hubbard Squash - October 22, 2012
#48 - Haricot Verts - October 9, 2012
#47 - Carnival Squash - October 6, 2012
#46 - Pumpkin - October 1, 2012
#45 - Star Fruit (Carambola) - September 23, 2012
#44 - Belgian Endives - September 20, 2012
#43 - Sweet Potato - September 17, 2012

#42 - Eggplant - September 17, 2012

#41 - Butter Beans - September 15, 2012

#40 - Turnips - September 13, 2012

#39 - Tomatoes (Green) - August 5, 2012

#38 - Cauliflower - July 17, 2012

#37 - Kombu - July 10, 2012

#36 - Seitan - July 10, 2012

#35 - Miso - July 10, 2012

#34 - Rutabaga - June 23, 2012

#33 - Broccolini - June 17, 2012

#32 - Green Beans - June 17, 2012

#31 - Rapini or Broccoli Rabé - June 3, 2012

#30 - Taro (Arbi) - May 25, 2012

#29 - Barley (Jau) - May 17, 2012

#28 - Okra (Bhindi) - May 14, 2012

#27 - Artichokes - May 7, 2012

#26 - Swiss Chard - April 16, 2012

#25 - Quinoa - April 10, 2012

#24 - Cauliflower (Purple) - March 30, 2012

#23 - Kale/Kale (Purple) - March 25, 2012

#22 - Crowder Peas - March 24, 2012

#21 - Asparagus - March 23, 2012

#20 - Snow Peas - March 23, 2012

#19 - Soybean Tempeh - March 22, 2012

#18 - Jicama - March 20, 2012

#17 - Kohlrabi (Kadam) - March 18, 2012

#16 - Chanterelle Mushrooms - March 17, 2012

#15 - Radicchio - March 17, 2012

#14 - Oyster Mushrooms - March 4, 2012

#13 - Shiitake Mushrooms - February 28, 2012

#12 - Celeriac - February 27, 2012

#11 - Bok Choy - February 26, 2012

#10 - Porcini Mushrooms - February 23, 2012

#9 - Brussels Sprouts - February 20, 2012

#8 - Leeks - February 19, 2012

#7 - Fennel (Saunf) - February 11, 2012

#6 - Tomatillos - February 11, 2012

#5 - Butternut Squash - January 31, 2012

#4 - Parsnips - January 25, 2012

#3 - Edamame - January 23, 2012 

#2 - Acorn Squash - January 22, 2012

#1 - Spaghetti Squash - January 15, 2012