Herb & Spice Fact of the Day

Spearmint or Garden mint has long been used by humans in drinks and garnishes and chutneys because of its characteristic menthol aroma. It uses underground runners to propagate so is best cultivated in a container instead of in the ground because it has a tendency to easily grow wild. My first experience with 'mint gone wild' was a long long time ago at a cabin in the Himalayas. We were there on a family camping trip and there was a fresh water spring in the back yard with the freshest, most refreshing water. My aunt who was with us discovered that a few hundred years upstream there was a huge patch of 'mint gone wild'. As the babbling brook ran through the mint leaves, the mint imparted its freshness to the water. Here's a picture from that camping trip - with my aunt on the left :) !! It was a long time ago but every time I eat a mint flavored drink, I remember Badi-Ma and that trip to Har-ki-doon!! 

Spearmint is packed with numerous health benefiting vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Unlike some of the other stronger mint varieties, spearmint has a low levels of menthol which make it rather pleasant on the palate when it is added to drinks. Other essential oils include areα-pinene, β-pinene, carvone, cineole, linalool, limonene, myrcene and caryophyllene. These are supposed to help relieve fatigue and stress. The herb parts of spearmint are also very good in minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Iron is required for enzymes in cellular metabolism and synthesis of hemoglobin. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. 

Spearmint is also rich in many antioxidant vitamins including vitamin A (provides 4054 IU or 135% of RDA), beta carotene, vitamin C, folates (26% of RDA), vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), riboflavin and thiamin. Along with the nutritional uses, spearmint has also found its place in traditional as well in modern medicine. It has been used as a remedy for minor ailments such as headaches, nervous strain, fatigue and stress, as well as for the respiratory problems; helping with asthma and bronchitis. It has been useful for digestive problems including nausea, flatulence and hiccups as it relaxes the stomach muscles. Menthol is an analgesic, local anaesthetic and has been used in toothpaste and mouth refresheners. On the skin, when used as cream or lotion, mint extracts and menthol may help relieve the itching of pruritis, dermatitis and hives. Its also used in massage oils as it with headaches, stress, fatigue, and nervous conditions and to relieve itching. So bring on those mojitos and the mint iced teas ... there's a lot of good stuff in this cool herb!

15-min Barley & Vegetable Soup

This past weekend I attended a lecture and cooking demo in Dublin, OH by Julieanna Hever and Chef AJ. Julieanna gave an excellent talk aimed at debunking the myths around plant-based cuisine and Chef AJ followed that up with No S-O-S (salt-oil-sugar) cooking demo where she made a couple of excellent soups, a quinoa salad, and also some yummy truffles. For her split pea soup, made from scratch, she used an electric pressure cooker and she set the timer, to just 6 minutes. The soup was superb. That inspired me to use my stove top pressure cooker tonight to make this Barley & Vegetable Protein soup ... and from start to finish - from the moment I turned the stove on .. to when I served it into a bowl, this recipe literally took just 15 minutes. 

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1. 1/3 cup Quick Barley (I used Quaker Oats brand)
2. 1/3 cup TVP crumbles, rinsed
3. 1/3 cup Split & Skinned Mung dal (green lentils)
4. 1 large onion, coarsely diced
5. 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely diced
6. 1/2 cup frozen corn
7. 1 pk (0.5oz) dried Shiitake mushrooms 
8. 5-6 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
9. 1/2 tbsp Roasted Cumin powder
10. 1/2 tbsp Penzey's Sweet Curry Powder (or use Garam Masala, instead)
11. 1 tsp Roasted Garlic salt
12. 1 14-oz can No-Sodium Vegetable broth
13. 2 cups water
14. 6-8 fresh basil leaves, for garnishing.

Directions:

Before doing anything else, place 2 cups of water and all the vegetable broth in the pressure cooker and turn  the stove on high to get the water going. Meanwhile rinse barley, TVP, lentils and mushrooms and mix in the broth. Add frozen corn. Dice onions and tomatoes and add to the cooker. Then add all the dry spices (except the salt).  By the time I had everything diced and added in the 2.5 cups of water in the cooker was at a rolling boil. Close the lid, keep the stove on high, and allow the cooker to come to a full steam pressure (about 4-5 minutes). Allow to sit at that pressure for 2 minutes and then turn off the steam. Using a spoon, lift the pressure regulator weight and release all the steam. Make sure to stay away from the gushing steam because it will scald you pretty bad. Once all the steam has been released, open lid immediately and mix. Do a quick taste check for salt, and if needed, sprinkle a small amount. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and serve steaming hot. 

My Assessment: Super quick dinner and a hearty one at that. This soup is so thick and rich and chewy, it didn't need any accompaniments at all. The barley was nice and nutty. The dal and the TVP made its texture creamy and I loved the flavor of shiitake mushrooms. Feel free to add more veggies, as you see fit to adapt this recipe to your taste. I used what I had in the freezer on this Thursday evening!! Lovely dinner ... and leftovers for later! Perfect week night dinner!

Tofu Tikka Masala

My dear and very American husband eats only 2 items on Indian restaurant menus ... Dal Makhani and Chicken Tikka Masala. The first I have already made 'plant based' by removing butter and using soy milk instead of cream.  Today, I tried to adapt the second to a plant-based version. Now, there is a vegetarian version of Tikka Masala that is available in Indian restaurants and is a staple at Indian weddings and other religious occasions when meat is a no-no. It is called Paneer Tikka Masala. My plant-based recipe today is basically an adaptation of the same, with Tofu.  

Tofu Tikka Masala

Paneer (Hindi: पनीर) is a fresh cheese common in Indian cuisine. It is essentially an unaged, unsalted acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese or curd cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or any other food acids. The making of paneer does not use any rennet as the coagulation agent, thus making it completely lacto-vegetarian. It is one of the many sources of protein used by vegetarians in India. 

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients: 

1. 1 pack (14-16 oz) Firm or Extra-Firm Tofu, diced into large chunks
2. 1 can (6 oz) Meijer's Tomato paste
3. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
4. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5. 1-2 tsp cumin powder
6. 1-2 tsp coriander powder
7. 1/2 cup Vegetable broth
8. 1-2 tsp Garam Masala
9. 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
10. 1/2 cup Soy milk
11. A few sprigs of fresh Cilantro.
12. Salt, to taste.

Directions:

Using a non-stick skillet, pan roast the tofu chunks until most of the water is evaporated. I did not use any butter or oil for this step. For the first few minutes, move the chunks just a little bit by giving the skillet a little shake so that they don't stick to the bottom. Once each chunk forms a skin on it, it won't stick as much. I pan roasted the tofu until it was just slightly golden.  

Once done, transfer tofu to a plate and set aside and add the vegetable broth to the same skillet. Once the broth starts to simmer, add ginger-garlic paste and stir for a couple of minutes. As the aromas are released, add all the dry spices and then add the tomato paste.

Add more water, or broth, if needed to make a nice thick sauce. Let this simmer for a while and then add the soy milk, mix well to make the consistency uniform throughout the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and add the pan roasted tofu. Mix well so that the tofu is coated with the sauce and that will keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes and then mix in the cilantro leaves. Do a quick taste check, and serve over a bed of rice, or enjoy with some fresh warm french bread. Yum!

My Assessment: I really liked this adaptation of Paneer Tikka Masala. Some people add a little bit of sugar to this recipe to get rid of the tartness of the tomatoes. In my opinion, using tomato paste takes care of the tartness which you get from fresh tomatoes. The can I used had no added spices or sugar. The only addition was citric acid which is added as a preservative. I loved it!!