Spicy Thai Style Vegetable Coconut Soup

I really do love soup. I don’t think I ever realized how just how much until the cold Northeast chill kicks in, and then the true appreciation of a soothing hot bowl of soup sets in. That’s exactly the moment I pull out my big dutch oven, open the fridge and get chopping.

It’s February, which traditionally is the coldest month. Naturally, it was frigid outside… truth be told, the inside of our house often times is more arctic than outdoors. If you were to ask my brother, he would definitely have a thing or two to say about that having survived a few winters in our home. So, I knew with certainty that soup would be on the menu in our house.

Normally, I can just open the fridge and cupboards and start creating. But, this time around, I didn’t have much with which to work. If I had any chance of a soup creation that would warm me through and through, I would need to venture outside. We have plenty of Asian markets in our town, so it’s easy to get motivated to stir up something in with that ethnic flare. And that was exactly the direction I would take. I grabbed what I thought would swim nicely together in the pot and headed back home.

Because I don’t seem to know how to make small quantities of soup, I made a boatload. Fair warning, unless you are feeding an army, or like to freeze and save for a later date, I recommend cutting this recipe down. JuanCarlos and I enjoyed this soup for a several days, then I froze two quarts for future yumminess.

As with any type of ethnic food that might be out of your wheel house, I think it’s important at first to keep it simple and use ingredients that will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Sure, you could go out and buy a slew of special items but if you don’t use them often they just go to waste. Plus, I don’t pretend to be an authority on Thai cooking. Quite the opposite, it is a complex cuisine that employs a delicate hand at balance of spice, salt, sweet, etc. For me, I just like to coax as much flavor out of the ingredients that I can. By sautéing and adding ingredients in stages to develop each flavor to the fullness how I built an intensity that kept me wanting more of this soup.

Like with many of my soup creations they start out as a basic soup, which are totally delicious as is, but then can then be added to. Recap examples:
Cauliflower Soup : Add grilled shrimp or chicken. Sautéed mushrooms or roasted cauliflower
Carrot Soup : Use as a puree base for fish
Kale, Potato, Lentil, Cauliflower Soup : Add mini meatballs, or grilled sausage
Roasted Tomato Soup : Grilled cheese sandwich, naturally. Or a Spicy Sausage Sandwich. Add chunks of grilled chicken.

You get the point. So goes for this soup. I added calamari, but shrimp would be great. Chicken would also work nicely.

So here goes the ingredients. This made about 10 quarts of soup.

Ingredients

Makes approx. 9-10 Qts.
2 medium onions, sliced (approx. 2.5 c)
4 c carrots, long stripes (loosely packed)
1/3 c ginger, sliced
2 t ginger, grated
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed
2 + t salt (taste test, add more if needed at the end)
1/3 c olive oil + 1 T
7 c Chinese cabbage, chopped (or Napa)
5 c Chinese spinach, chopped (or baby spinach)
2 c Enoki mushrooms
1 c Shimeji mushrooms
1/3 c scallions, sliced + 2T for garnish
2 T red curry paste
1/4 c cilantro, minced + 2T for garnish
Mung bean sprouts for garnish
2 qts chicken or vegetable stock
2 qts water
2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk

The way the vegetables are cut makes a difference. For this soup, carrot ribbons work best.

Instructions

Create depth of flavor by using strong aromatics, like lemongrass, garlic, ginger and onions.

Spinach, cabbage provides the vegetable base, and cilantro zings in some herbaceousness.

1. In a large dutch oven, or soup pot, sauté onions, lemongrass, slice ginger, garlic, salt. Let these cook down a bit, then add the red curry paste and stir to combine.

2. Push the cooked aromatics to the sides, add 1 T oil in the middle and add crushed garlic and crushed ginger and scallions and let cook until soft.

Softened aromatics with red curry paste.

Grated garlic and ginger, scallions.

3. Add carrot ribbons and mushrooms, let cook for 10 minutes until softened.

Add carrots and mushrooms and let soften.

4. Add broth and water and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add coconut milk, cabbage, spinach and cilantro and simmer for another 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, bring pot of water to boil and add rice noodles. Cook for 7-10 minutes until tender. Drain and reserve.

To serve, add the rice noodles to the bowl and spoon a good helping of the soup and vegetables on top and garnish with sliced scallions and cilantro.

If you want to add calamari or shrimp to this soup, add it 5 minutes after the spinach and cabbage and let cook through. You can also grill the shrimp or chicken separately and place it atop the soup.
This soup has a nice kick to it. If I had put more thought to it I might have also added some sliced chili peppers. But, quite honestly, I felt the spice level on this was just right.

My birthday gift to myself is sharing the love of nurturing yourself with good food and the warmth of a good soup that soothes you like a comfy blanket.. Try your hand at Spicy Thai Style Vegetable Soup. It will warm you through and through, and all over - mind, body and soul. Soup is good food.

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Squash, Tomato, Peppers & Onion Bake

What do you do when you are mandated to follow a food regimen that limits the ingredients you can consume? First, take a sedative. A big sedative. Next, check the food list and start getting creative.

As I mentioned a couple of months back, I started seeing a new naturopath. Among one of my main goals is to try to cure my 3 year sinus issue. Yes, 3 whole years. As we all know, the shin bone’s connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone. The hip bone’s connected the backbone. And so on and so on. You get the point. Everything in our bodies is connected and related to one another. Which is why gut health is key. So among one of the paths to curing my sinuses is getting my gut better. To recap, I’ve been following the GAPS* regimen which cuts out all carbs, grains and starchy vegetables. I had been following this diet for weeks, so when I say sedative, there wassn’t enough sedation to calm my aching pasta brain. But I was a trooper, and wanted to get better so I stuck with it and came up with yummy things to eat.

* Links for more info on GAPS at the end of the post.

I decided to visit my happy place, AKA the farmer’s market, where I picked up as many of the things I could eat. Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes, Herbs. These immediately reminded me of those baked dishes with swirls of zucchini. So, I thought I would give it a spin.

The vegetable line up. Zucchini, yellow squash, red and yellow peppers and onions.

Now you know I couldn’t just leave it at that. On this ‘diet’, I can actually have goat and sheep cheeses. Thank goodness, or a crime might have been committed without this one saving grace! With curds in hand, this veggie swirl was going to be topped with cheese glorious cheese.

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 yellow squash, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced
2 yellow peppers, sliced
4-5 plum tomatoes, sliced
3 T dry oregano
Salt, pepper, olive oil
3/4 - 1 cup feta cheese & goat

(The first time I made this dish I used a combo of both. Next time I only had feta,
so used 3/4 c)

I like using plum tomatoes for this dish.

You’ve all heard to talk about the mise en place. And I’m a true believer, but there is a delicate balance between having everything ready, and multi-tasking. Using your time wisely to prep some items while others cook is the perfect harmony of mise en place and smart prep.

Use your time wisely. While one thing is cooking, prep the next.

Instructions

1. Thinly slice onions and peppers. Sauté peppers first in a pan with olive oil. Once they start to soften add the onions, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Let cook slowly over medium low heat until they are completely softened and nicely caramelized. Approximately 45 minutes.

Cook the peppers down first a bit. They take a bit longer than the onions.

2. Meanwhile, cut the zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes in even slices. You can assemble on the board as you go. Or assemble in the baking dish. Whichever you prefer.

Try to make the slices the same width so everything cooks evenly.

Assemble on the board and then just transfer to the baking dish.

3. Once the peppers and onions have cooked down, place them on the bottom of a baking dish (11” x 8”).

Caramelized to sweet goodness. This creates a bottom layer that add both another texture and flavor to the dish.

4. Then begin to assemble your vegetables on top. I like alternating one of each in rows. Or if you only have a round baking dish, you can swirl the design around. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 tsp of oregano. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes.

Beautiful colors, beautifully arranged and ready for baking.

Only have a round baking dish. No problem, just create a swirl.

5. After 35 minutes, pull of out the oven and crumble the cheese over top. Drizzle a bit more oil and the final oregano. Bake for another 25-30 minutes until its golden brown, the veggies are softened and the liquid is bubbly.

Once the vegetables are partially baked, then you can add the cheese.

That’s some crumbled yum right there. Back in the oven to get yummier!

The first time I made this I inhaled it... I mean, enjoyed it as the main meal. It was a pretty big dish so naturally there were leftovers which I ate for lunch the next day with a piece of sautéed fish. Which is how I ate it the second time, too. Naturally, this dish begs for something starchy to accompany it. Believe me when I say the irony of that thought slays me. Only I would cook up something that pairs perfectly with shit I couldn’t eat at the moment. This combo of flavors would be great with pasta or rice, but my growling stomach thinks that thick slices of roasted or grilled potatoes would the ideal companion. Plate it up alongside a lovely piece of protein like chicken, fish or meat and a complete meal is a done deal.

I like this dish for several reasons. And not because one day soon I’ll be eating it with pasta. But because this recipe is equally suitable for an informal dinner party as it is for a weeknight meal with leftovers for the week. It’s delish piping hot, but I’ve enjoyed it at room temperature as well. I even relished it topped with poached eggs. Which is why I’m posting this right before New Year’s Eve. I think this is a fantastic recipe to make for a New Year’s Day Brunch or even on the buffet table on the eve. And those are just a few good reasons to give this a try. I’m sure there are more. So what are you waiting for?

For those interested in learning more about the GAPS diet and anti-inflammatory methods below are a few links. As a foot note, I stayed on this regime for 6 weeks, and I although it was difficult, and I truly craved some warm, soft starch in my tummy, I stuck with it and did find that it helped my gut. It is meant to help heal, and not necessarily meant for a lifetime regime, unless of course you have a more serious gut issue.

GAPS Diet
GAPS Protocol
GAPS Overview
GAPS Outline
What is GAPS Diet

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Carrot, Ginger, Coconut Milk Soup

Oh the woes of having to eliminate foods from my diet. The struggle is real. Sometimes we forget that our internal body needs looking after. All too often we abuse and mistreat ourselves as if we could go in for spare parts or replacement pieces, or take a pill and get better. It’s not that simple. There are many reasons why our bodies get out of whack. Certainly environment plays a huge role. Genetics another. And then, of course, there is our own care or mis-care. As individuals, our stories vary greatly. As for me, I will attest to the many, many years I worked crazy, long hours, went entire days without drinking anything else but coffee, ate pasta and pizza as quick fill me ups at all odd hours and got little sleep. Bad, bad, and badder. Those were typical days in my life of television production. It wreaked havoc with whole system.

When you are young, you don’t think much about it. You just go, go, go not realizing the damage that is being done. I don’t want to get all preachy. That’s not what my blog is about, but from time to time I do like sharing tidbits of info that show up in my life and are food related. So this is what’s been happening lately. As you may remember I have been eliminating wheat, yeast and handful of other foods from diet after I developed a reaction when consuming those foods. But then a sinus issue has been bugging me. After seeing several traditional doctors to no avail, I knew it must be all related to one thing. The fact is that most of my issues are related to gut health. Now, I can’t be certain that the past misuse of my body is why my gut health is poor right now but I would venture to bet that it has some serious bearing. I also don’t claim to have the answers. Each of us is different and finds cures and results in various ways. I have gone to different types of doctors, naturopaths, Ayurvedic practitioners with minor successes, but nothing major. In an effort to continue making improvements, I starting seeing a new naturopath. I feel confident that I will fix the issues once and for all. In doing so, he asked me to alter my diet by following the GAPS regime for 8 weeks to eliminate all carbohydrates and grains and any starchy vegetables, legumes. All the stuff I LOVE!!

It’s very restrictive, so after one week of following this regime, I thought I would go stir crazy. That’s right, only one week in and I was miserable. My stomach was gurgling and begging for something soft and warm… Like a big bowl of pasta. But alas, I would not give in. I decided that some sort of creamy type of soup would be my salvation and I needed it ASAP! Which meant I absolutely had no time or patience for shopping. I always have beans in the pantry which would make a great soup, but those, too, were a no no on this regime. Seriously, beans? Thankfully, carrots were in copious amounts in my fridge. Thinking, thinking, thinking, carrots and what? Other items in abundance in my house; ginger and coconut milk which seemed like excellent companions. They were on my list of “yes, thank goodness you can eat those”. Thus Carrot, Ginger Coconut Milk soup would soothe my soul.

Since my tummy was feeling delicate, I made this soup very mild in flavors. But this is one of those soups that can be easily altered to up the flavor ante. Much like my Faux Creamy Cauliflower Soup, you can spice this up, adding toppings or make it as thick or soupy as you desire. These types of soups are an ideal base to build upon, as well as just a great soup. I didn’t want anything too spicy, so I held way back on the ginger, but that is one ingredient that you could add more of to really bring out that spicy note.

(I wanted to give you a guide line for the spicer version, so I made a second smaller batch and increased both the ginger and garlic which definitely gave it a kick. I’ve given you both recipes below. Also, you can add ground ginger to fully round out that flavor, I just didn’t have any on hand.)

Simple stars of the show, or should I say soup.

Ingredients

Mild Version
6-7 c Carrots, rough chop
13.5 oz can coconut milk
1 c celery, chopped
1 c onions, chopped
1 T heaping ginger, grated*
1 t heaping garlic, grated
2 t turmeric
2.5 t salt
1/8 t ground pepper
3 T olive oil
6 c water (veg or chicken or broth)

Spicier Version/Small Batch
3 c carrots, rough chop
7 oz. coconut milk
1/2 c celery, chopped
1/2 c onions, chopped
2 T ginger, grated**
2 t garlic, grated
2 t turmeric
1.5 t salt
1/8 t ground pepper
3 T olive oil
3.5 c water (veg or chicken or broth)

*Note: It’s important to grate the ginger instead of just cutting it into chunks. Ginger is very fibrous and when you blend it those fibers do not fully break down. Grating it gives you a smoother consistency.
** Note: The smaller batch is half the amount of the milder version yet the ginger and garlic are doubled which is actually 4x more than the mild version. Adjust to your level of spiciness.

Instructions

1. Chop up all the veggies in chunks. You can make these large or small, it doesn’t matter since everything will be blended together. However, if you want to soup to be ready quicker, cut smaller chunks so they cook through faster.

Funny, the vegetables in this soup are usually the base for any other soup AKA mirepoix or the trinity. In this case, THEY are the soup.

2. First sauté the onions and celery in olive oil. Then add ginger, turmeric, garlic, salt and pepper and cook over medium low heat until the spices are toasted. But careful not the burn the garlic and ginger since they are grated.

3. Then add the carrots and let cook for 10 minutes.

4. Add water or broth and bring to a boil then let simmer until the veggies are soft enough to blend.

5. Next blend the soup.

• If you are using an emersion blender, first remove about 4-5 cups of the liquid and set aside. By doing this, you can decide on the thickness of the soup. If you prefer it thick and chunky, don’t add any more of the broth back in. If you want it more smooth and soupy, then continue to add the liquid until you reach your desired consistency.

• If you are using a regular blender, use a slotted spoon to remove the veggies and add them to the blender with about 1/2 cup of liquid to start. IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember when using a blender with hot liquid do not completely cover the lid. It is important to let out some of the steam while blending or the top will pop off and burning hot liquid will splatter. Add liquid until you reach the thickness you want.

6. Once you have the desired consistency, add the soup back into the pot, add the coconut milk and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Thicker version. More filling.

The more cooking liquid you blend back in not only creates a smoother, more soup like version, but also yields more soup.

As I mentioned earlier, this was a very mild soup which makes it great for kids, too. Because it’s so neutral it can be used in several ways.

• Hold back on the adding the broth to keep it super chunky, then use it as a base purée for seared or poached salmon, or filet of sole. Top with crispy shallots.

• Add all the broth and make it super soupy and use it as a sauce for rice noodles, topping it with fresh scallions, cilantro and chopped peanuts.

• Spoon it over rice, add roasted shrimp and chili peppers.

Black cod with broccoli rabe and the thicker carrot puree.

This is the start of a beautiful carrot crusade. It definitely soothed my achy woes.

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Refrigerator Remnants Salad

Sorry folks, I know it’s been a while since I’ve given you a new recipe, or entertaining ideas. As you know I usually post once a week. This has actually been the longest stretch of no posting; but not without reason. Sure, there is always life’s busyness getting in the way, but I’m usually able to work through all that and post something. This last stretch made it particularly difficult to properly document any of my food adventures.

Reason #1, I was busying helping my parents through my mom’s hip replacement. Not much opportunity for taking good photos while waiting in hospitals and making multiple meals to freeze for them to eat. Although I must admit that the preparing of several recipes simultaneously in order to package and freeze for future use was something I especially wanted to share. I feel it would be useful and much appreciated for many of my readers. Alas, I was unable to photograph the process in any decent, presentable way. I will do my best to recreate the process and share with you in the future.

Reason #2, and truly the big one for the lack of posting… Refreshing the look and function of our kitchen. This has been a long time coming. Due to budget considerations, and having realistic goals, we opted for small updates. And even though the changes were supposed to be minor (replace backsplash, floor and move a cabinet up) not a gut reno; turns out every little thing becomes major work. There was literally no way I could cook anything from scratch. And I didn’t think you needed a lesson in how to warm up leftovers!

For years I have been dreaming up schemes on taking down a wall, rearranging the entire layout and ripping out all the materials I dislike, which would be everything. But those dreams were way too big and costly. So I had very low expectations for a “refresh”. Much to my delight and surprise, this “refresh” turned out way better, and beyond what I could have imagined. Although this will never be my dream kitchen (Gosh, I know that sounds really bratty and ungrateful), these updates took it from a ill conceived layout with poorly chosen materials and ineffectual functioning space to an incredibly pleasing, increased useable space and more enjoyable for cooking and entertaining. I couldn’t be happier.

So given all the work that has been going on in the kitchen, it was impossible to bring you anything new and exciting. But we did need to eat, and clean out the fridge. I got to these “greens” before they started to turn another color. Unfortunately for the actual lettuce, that had already turned on the color wheel to a shade let’s just say inedible. So parsley leaves stepped in to save the day. Refrigerator remnants salad is my way to continue to encourage you to grab what you have and lovingly slice it up and toss it together. Therefore, I thought this salad was a worthy share.

Take notice of wall where we tore out the old, horrible ceramic tile backsplash. You see why it was impossible to post any recipes. Even this one is a stretch.

Fair warning: there will be no measurements for this recipe. It is truly a something from nothing salad of using up what I had before it went bad. And the photos were taken at night with overhead light so kinda yucky but still acceptable.

Ingredients

Fennel & fronds
Celery
Cucumber
Cucamelon, or Mexican cucumbers
Parsley leaves

Dressing
Scallions
Mint, minced
Lime juice
lemon juice
Magic 3 (Olive oil, salt, pepper)

Instructions

You really don’t need instructions, but here goes. Cut everything up in bite sized pieces. Pluck the whole leaves from the parsley to act like the lettuce component. Slice the scallions and mince the mint for the dressing. Whisk together with other ingredients. Pour and enjoy.

Fennel shavings

Celery

Cucumber

Mexican cucumbers known as Cucamelon

Fresh mint and parsley

Whisk the oil, salt, pepper, scallions, mint together.

Whole parsley leaves are so refreshing in a salad. And when they actually ARE the main “lettuce” component, they really shine.

We relished the crispness of this salad alongside a bowl of pesto pasta for dinner. There was enough leftover for me to enjoy rest of it topped with tuna salad for lunch the next day. Gotta love refrigerator remnant salad in a pinch.

Oh, and because you have all been so patient, here are some more crappy photos of the kitchen reno.

Below is the old, dated, ugly ceramic tile backsplash. This was one of the most impractical materials for a backsplash given its porous texture. It had some much embossed detail that it got filthy and impossible to clean. Plus the thickness of the grout lines was wide enough to drive a truck through!! Who does that???

Not brillo, not comet, not even scrubbing with chlorox could get those stains out.

I definitely didn’t want grout, so we decided to install a full slab of quartz. Way more elegant and is a dream to keep clean.

Full slab all the way around.

The floor was just as gross… No grosser than the backsplash. Beside the awful color and always looking dirty because of the moulded graining, it was also impossible to keep clean. And again with grout lines large enough to fit a 2 x 4. There must have been a sale on grout that year.

The grout was impossible to keep clean.

Since ripping up the floor would have not only been a major expense, it would have caused a major headache. My cousin, Louis, who owns a kitchen cabinet company, Cabinets Plus and has decades of experience came to help us sort stuff out. He has practically solutions and takes all your needs in consideration. He recommended the cost saving, and easy to install vinyl flooring. This is not your grandmother’s vinyl floor. It’s so thin you can install it right over the existing floor, which was the answer to our prayers. It looks beautiful and is a breeze to clean.

One of the biggest changes was removing a big granite table that was affixed to the wall, and smack in the way of everything. You can’t see it in the below photo but the only door leading to the outside is right by the table. Anyone seated at the table would have to get up every time we needed to exit. The other problem with the location is that there was no flow within the kitchen. Once you were in that corner you had to walk all the way around, or remain there until I let you out! Whomever designed this kitchen should have been forced to cook large family meals in it for eternity.

We removed it from the wall, painted the base cabinet black, created a temporary wooden top and more importantly repositioned it for optimal flow. Can I just say… Whoa. Or better yet, what the hell?? (Also, although I truly dislike the color of the main cabinets, I am also loathed to paint good wood. Painting all of the cabinets was not in the cards. One, I just don’t think the paint holds up and it begins to wear over time. Two, the cost just wasn’t worth it. So, painting just this one base cabinet made perfect sense, as it makes it feel more like a furniture piece and helps to transition from the new flooring color to the old cabinets.

Now you can totally walk around and get anywhere you want. Including OUTSIDE. We bought new chairs and a small bench for extra seating.

In this shot you can see the door. Imagine the table sticking straight out from there??

If you are wondering what happened to that big slab of granite that was on the table. Light bulb! We reused it to create additional counter space in the butler’s pantry area. Again, instead of going up to the ceiling with the cabinets in this section, the original designers wasted that space. It was a no brainer to lift the middle section up to the ceiling creating an additional 5 ft and 24” depth of space that can now be used daily for as a coffee and tea bar. And when entertaining bigger parties can serve as an actual bar. Genius.

We also swapped out all the delicate black metal hardware for something a bit more substantial.

Now you know why I haven’t been able to post anything. I hope you enjoyed this simple little salad to help you create from what you have plus enjoyed the handful of the kitchen reno photos. The key in both these examples is small, simple items can make huge changes. Next week: Carrot Ginger Soup. Thanks for your patience!

Vegan Chick Pea Mash

First things first, please do not be put off by the fact that I named this Vegan Chick Pea Mash. This recipe doesn’t contain any weird, mystery ingredients posing as something else. I would never do that to you. I’m not going to take some soy based crap and try to turn it into bologna. NEVER. This is vegan simply because it doesn’t have any animal products whatsoever.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get down to how this dish came to be. I love a good challenge. One of my skill sets is solution providing. I love figuring out a better way, an easier way or simply just A Way to accomplish a task. So, when I was hired to cater a Traditional British Style Tea Party the major request was to offer gluten free and vegan options. Normally this shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, but remember the typical Tea Party food is finger sandwiches, which do not sit squarely inside the gluten free and vegan circle. But I’m so glad I was put to the test because it yielded some good finds. Like this Vegan Chick Pea Mash.

Since the event was all about finger food, I needed to devise a bite sized morsel that would fit the vegan criteria. Chick peas are a hearty protein, and versatile thus the top choice in helping me solve this dilemma. Chick peas being what they are, dense and round, make them easy candidates for rolling off the plate, onto the floor and then ultimately squashed under foot. Goal: No rolling. So, how do you keep them from falling onto the floor instead of your mouth? Smash ‘em before they hit the floor. And so I did. But you can’t just scoop up smashed chick peas with your fingers! They needed a vessel, and colorful would be nice, too. Introducing the baby bell pepper brigade to the rescue. Perfectly suited to be filled up with the robust, chunky flavor of chick peas; smashed, of course.

Since I had a good variety of other food offerings in different flavor profiles, I wanted to ensure that this protein mash could stand on its own with savor. The first thing that came to mind was garlic and onion, but then kept layering more and more flavors as I cooked it, adding cumin and turmeric, cilantro and lemon juice. Here’s how it went down.

Ingredients

1 15 oz can Chick Peas
1/2 red onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 t ground turmeric
1/4 t cumin
1 T cilantro, minced
1/4 c Aquafaba (chick pea liquid)
1 T + lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
3 T olive oil

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, heat oil, add onions and cook until softened.

2. Add garlic, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper and cook until the aromatics are nicely toasted.

3. Add the aquafaba and 1 T lemon juice and stir until combined.

4. Add the chick peas, let warm through and then using a fork or a potato masher begin to smash them. I like it chunky so I smashed some very well and other only lightly to give different textures.

5. Squeeze some more lemon juice to finish, then add the cilantro.

You can serve this dish warm, room temp or cold. It truly does work well at any temperature. As I mentioned, the first time I made this was a for a catered event, so making individual pieces was the goal. The baby bell peppers as the vehicle to steer them into people’s mouths was a great choice. The sweet, crunch of the peppers perfectly complemented the earthy flavor of the chick pea mash so much so that it is my preferred serving vessel.

The size of the baby bell peppers makes it an ideal cocktail party bite. And because the chick peas are smashed, no rolling off onto the floor.

You could also, place the chick pea mash in a bowl, place on a platter filled with baby bell peppers and cucumber rounds and use it as a dip. Either way, these made the perfect bite size treat. I recently decided to test drive this again at a backyard party we hosted for our neighbors using the peppers, and then two days later for a small family gathering using endive. Happy to report; it was a hit with every serving.

The tower of offerings. Chick Pea Mash, Salmon Roll Cucumber Rounds and Watercress, Herb Butter Tea Sandwiches.

Since I had some leftovers, I served them up again using endive.

Now, of course, this dish can be used in a variety of other ways. You should know me by now, everything I make has to do double, triple, well, multiple duties. I had some leftover and tossed it over warm pasta. Naturally, it was yummy. You can spread this on toast and add avocado or tomato or both. Go ahead. Start your creative engines…

Postscript: In reading some of the comments, it got me thinking about this recipe. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me before but this can be a heartier substitute for hummus in a pita sandwich. It’s chunkier and therefore will be squish out less than traditional style hummus. Keep it vegan and add cucumbers, sprouts, olives, etc. Keep it vegetarian and add some feta cheese. Just thought I would share the ‘stuff it in a pita’ idea, which quite frankly seems like a no brainer that I’m surprised I didn’t think of before.

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