Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup (vegan & gluten free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:


Mr Williams & Mr Everett ~ Can't Take That Away From Me
Foo Fighters ~ Long Road To Ruin
Sting ~ I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying
Janiva Magness ~ It's Love Baby
Black Stone Cherry ~ Crosstown Woman
Joan Jett ~ Love Is All Around
Jack Savoretti ~ Mother
Sheryl Crow ~ Soak Up The Sun
Shakira ~ Ojos Asi
Debussy: Clair De Lune
Alice Cooper ~ No More Mr.Nice Guy
Jamie Cullum ~ Blame It On My Youth

The day I made this soup we were actually having a rare snowy day. I know that some of you reading my humble little blog are experiencing long hot summer days and I wish you luck with that. As I am in little old England, snow for us isn't that exciting..not like Minnesota, New York and Canada for instance. For us its usually a 'dusting' of snow which looks fantastic as it comes down..settles a while and then is gone as quickly as it has fallen...or the worst, that it turns to a thin layer of slush and then hardens in the cold to form patches of ice that would do an ice arena proud. That is the situation in the area I live as its on the east coast of England. I do remember way back when I was a kid, stomping around in snow that was higher than my wellies, doing my morning paper round and loving every second of it. I love snow. Always have and my first experience of 'real' snow on a winter morning in Minnesota blew my snow loving mind. We actually had to tunnel our way outside. Seeing my first bus doing a full doughnut in the road ahead of me was an interesting moment for sure. Apparently it wasn't a cause of concern or anything out of the ordinary to my partner back then. I also remember sitting on a window seat or even out on the porch, eating a steaming bowl of homemade soup or stew as I watched each flake flutter down. These are cherished memories for me. 

So it wasn't out of place to find me making soup on this cold, cold morning. I had found a good recipe in Linda Majzlik's A Vegan Taste Of Mexico. A comforting soup that had all the good stuff in it that you need for a cold winter's day. Red lentils bring the comforting texture, sweet potatoes bring the wholesome goodness to the mix and onion, chilli, garlic and fresh tomatoes starting the recipe off. A good low sodium veggie stock is added along with a good dose of paprika and crushed black pepper so what is not to love about this soup? I chose to completely blitz my soup although Majzlik suggests blending half so you still have a chunky texture to the soup and I will try that option out soon. I scattered chopped fresh coriander over the filled bowls and when that green leafy was in a mouthful it transformed the soup to another level. Delicious..

My best pal and I sat down to two steaming bowls of this soup and it was everything I hoped it would be. Slightly spiced, comforting and very satisfying on the cold winter lunch time we were enjoying. (Well I think I was enjoying it more than Ann..she arrived shaking from the very cold bus ride here..poor thing. No I didn't laugh much...ok maybe a bit..ok alot. Hush!) It was a very welcome lunch...

I have the entire collection of Linda Majzlik's A Vegan Taste of Series...they are very cheap but packed full of fantastic vegan recipes. Some are put off by them having no photos but for me that is never a problem. I haven't made a recipe from any of her cook books that was a bust. Great value for money and such great recipes. Her books were the first vegan cookbooks I purchased after making the transformation to vegan and I have never regretted that purchase...thank you Linda Majzlik. 

Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup from A Vegan Taste Of Mexico/Majzlik

Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup     Serves 4
(Recipe from A Vegan Taste of Mexico/Majzlik)

12oz/350g sweet potato, peeled and diced
4oz/100g red lentils
4oz/100g tomato, skinned and chopped
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 dsp corn oil (I used rapeseed/canola)
30 fl oz/900ml low sodium veggie stock
1/2 tsp paprika
freshly crushed black pepper
fresh coriander leaves 

Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onions, garlic and chilli until soft. Add the tomato and cook until pulpy. Stir in the lentils, stock and paprika and season with black pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the potato and continue simmering for another 20 minutes or so until the potato is cooked. Ladle half of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour back into the rest of the soup and stir well. Reheat, whilst stirring, then spoon into the bowls and garnish each bowl with a few coriander leaves. 

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a good weekend...filled with love and laughter. 

~Red~

NB: This recipe is not my creation and therefore take no credit for it. It is the hard work and creation of Linda Majzlik and hers alone. I thank her for such a great set of cookbooks. ~R~  

Thai Mixed Vegetable and Tofu Curry (vegan & gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Jose Carreras ~ Puccini: La Boheme - O Soave Fanciulla
The Eagles ~ The Girl From Yesterday
VAST ~ Pretty When You Cry
The Ting Tings ~ Traffic Light
Pearl Jam ~ Speed Of Sound
Buckcherry ~ Tired Of You
Paul Weller ~ Pink On White Walls
The Fratellis ~ For The Girl
Tom Jones ~ Sunny Afternoon
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band ~ Trouble Is...
The Eagles ~ I Don't Want To Hear Anymore
Missy Higgings ~ Warm Whispers 
Prince ~ Cream
Becky Hill ~ Last Request (Live)

Leftovers...just great, aren't they? I had leftover mussaman curry paste from the curry I made on Sunday which meant my evening meal last night was relatively easy to throw together. After chopping a few veggies..well with the help of Ann...our meal was simmering away nicely in no time. I also had leftover Thai red rice to accompany the vibrant veggie packed curry. Marvellous. 

We had been for a day at the beach once again although it was a little chilly as the clouds never gave us a moment of sunshine, the simple act of being sat on the beach was enough to make both of us relax for a few hours. I made a rookie mistake and decided against taking my hat as it was so overcast and cloudy...*shaking head in shame*..and now I have very burnt skin on my face and chest. I forgot two things...1. one of my meds makes my skin even more sensitive to the rays and 2. I am porcelain pale and therefore need a body suit to leave the house! Urgh and so today I am smothered in uber moisturiser in the the hope that it eases my skin and stops the dreaded peeling. Next time...I am taking my ginormous floppy hat and be done with it. lol. However this resulting soreness has not taken away from my day at the beach with the lovely Ann. And I am not in any way jealous or envious of her ability to just turn into a bronzed sun goddess at even the slightest bit of sunshine. Nope..I'm not..nuhuh..ok maybe just a LOT little. Anyway...

Today's recipe comes from Linda Majzilk's A Vegan Taste Of Thailand. It shares the same page as the Mussaman Potato & Carrot Curry that I made on Sunday. I had some seasoned and diced tofu pieces in the freezer so I left them to thaw before heading off for the beach. If I'm honest it was team work between myself, Ann and ML as I delegated chopping and stirring to them. lol. If you have the paste ready made like I did..it's a very simple recipe and looks so beautiful as it simmers away and the aroma has your tummy groaning in hunger. The flavours are a delight and I loved the texture from the varying different veggies packed into it. The paste had developed a little more so the curry had a little more heat than Sunday which we both enjoyed. I see this becoming a popular dish indeed...

Thai Mixed Vegetable & Tofu Curry

Thai Mixed Vegetable & Tofu Curry 
(Recipe from A Vegan Taste of Thailand/Majzilk)

8oz/225g firm tofu, diced
6oz/175g carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4oz/100g white cabbage, shredded 
4oz/100g green beans, topped, tailed and cut into 1/2 inch/1cm pieces
4oz/100g red pepper, sliced
4oz/100g cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1"/2.5cm piece of galangal, finely chopped
2 rounded tbsp mussaman curry paste 
1 tbsp ground nut oil
8 cardamon pods, husked and the seeds separated
4 kaffir lime leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
black pepper
6 fl oz/175ml vegetable stock 
5 fl oz/150ml coconut milk
1 dsp cornflour
chopped roasted peanuts 

Fry the shallots, garlic and galangal in the oil for 3 minutes, then add the curry paste and turmeric and stir around for a minute. Now add the carrot, cabbage, green beans, red pepper, cauliflower, baby sweetcorn, cardamon seeds, lime leaves and vegetable stock. Season with black pepper and stir well, bring to the boil, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Put in the tofu and continue cooking for about 5 minutes until the veggies are done. Mix the cornflour with the coconut milk until smooth and stir into the curry. Continue cooking for a minute or so until the sauce thickens, then transfer to a warmed serving dish and garnish with chopped peanuts. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Wednesday has been a sunny one...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Linda Majzilk and hers alone. I thank her for a great recipe. ~R~

 
 

 
 

Mussaman Potato & Carrot Curry (vegan & gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Plant & Kraus ~ Trampled Rose
Meredith Brooks ~ It Don't Get Better
Shakira ~ You Don't Care About Me
All Saints ~ Black Coffee
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band ~ Born With A Broken Heart
Garbage ~ Push It
Alanis Morrisette ~ You Outta Know (Alternative Take)
The Cranberries ~ Carry On
Natalie Cole ~ I've Got Just About Everything
Zac Brown Band ~ Jolene
R.E.M ~ Losing My Religion
Soundgarden ~ Gun
Beth Hart ~ Take It Easy On Me
Whitesnake ~ Too Many Tears 

How was your weekend? Mine? Oh mine was lovely as I once again spent time with those that I love. Friday night we had our nephew Myles to stay over and he and ML had a marathon lego (Mixels) session and then we settled down to watch Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters. I say we but really Myles crashed into a peaceful sleep just after the opening titles had finished. lol. Saturday morning was a riot as my sister and her girls joined us for brunch and before we knew it they were gone again and off to an all afternoon birthday party. We had visits from our good friends Jane & Steve, Bev and Ella (four legged family) in the afternoon and then Ann joined us to stay for the weekend. It was a busy day! Sunday was easy as ML & Ann left early to do a car boot sale at the local cricket field. I spent the morning in the kitchen creating and cooking various dishes...one of which is today's post. Ann and I enjoyed it with some Thai red rice and steamed side veggies and I also tested out some Thai flatbread for Ann but as they aren't GF I didn't partake. But apparently they were nice before they cooled because then they turned a little..erm..crunchy! lol. 

Last weekend Ann & I had a take out (OMGosh..yes I know take out!! But the restaurant is a very good place and their food is all cooked from fresh! Sheesh!) thai Massuman curry. Ann's being a meat based one and mine obviously a mixed vegetable one. We were both shocked at how liquid the sauce was but it didn't stop us from enjoying every single mouthful. When it came to making a decision what to cook for us yesterday we both agreed that a mussaman curry would be the way to go. I turned to one of my favourite cook book authors Linda Majzilk. I love her A Vegan Taste Of...series of cookbooks. And yesterday I dived between the covers of her A Vegan Taste Of Thailand. 

Now I wouldn't normally eat a curry that was based solely around root veggies but occasionally it's a nice treat. It also has taramind puree in it so it's not a perfect meal for my body but again as a one off...and I knew that Ann wouldn't mind taking home the leftovers. Even having to make the curry paste from scratch this isn't a hard recipe to achieve. The paste is a matter of a little prep and then, after the toasting of the seeds, it's a blender moment. The curry itself is one of the easiest I've ever made. And the results are just lovely. The only comparison I made to our takeout curry was that the sauce reduced down a lot and was absorbed into the veggies. We both liked this so it wasn't a problem. The veggies were perfectly cooked, the spices had blended into the coconut and peanut sauce and gave an aromatic spiciness kick to the veggies and had just enough chilli heat that my lips felt it as I ate. I loved this curry and will experiment with the leftover paste with other veggies soon. 

Mussaman Potato & Carrot Curry

Mussaman Potato & Carrot Curry  Serves 4-6
(Recipe from A Vegan Taste of Thailand/Majzilk)

1 1/2 lb /675g new potatoes, diced
1 1/2lb /675g carrots, peeled and diced
2oz/50g roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 rounded tbsp mussaman curry paste (recipe below)
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 tbsp tamarind puree
12fl oz/350ml vegetable stock 
8fl oz/225ml coconut milk
6 kaffir lime leaves
1"/2/5cm stick of cinnamon
8 cardamon pods, husked and seeds separated 
black pepper 
red chilli rings

Mussaman Curry Paste:

2oz/50g red chillies, de-seeded and chopped
1 lemon grass stalk, chopped
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1"/2/5cm piece of fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 cardamon pods, husked and the seeds separated
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 dsp lime juice 
2 dsp groundnut oil
black pepper 

Dry fry the cumin, coriander and cardamon seeds and, using a pestle, grind them in a mortar. Blend to a paste with the other paste ingredients. Set to one side. 

For the curry:

Heat the oil and fry the onion until softened. Add the curry paste, potatoes and carrots and stir around for 2 minutes. Dissolve the tamarind puree into the veggie stock and put in the pan with the lime leaves, cinnamon and cardamon seeds. Season with black pepper and stir well, then raise the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the coconut milk and peanuts and continue simmering, again stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has reduced. Spoon into a serving dish and garnish with red chilli rings. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Monday has been a kind one...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe so therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Linda Majzlik and hers alone. I thank her for such great recipes in her The Vegan Taste Of...series. ~R~
 

Cannellini Beans in Tomato Sauce

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

King and I OST ~ Shall We Dance?
Melissa Etheridge ~ Miss California 
Faith No More ~ We Care A Lot
Dead Sara ~ I Said You Were Lucky
Cult ~ Fire Woman
Foo Fighters ~ Walking After You
The Gossip ~ Coal To Diamonds
Beth Hart ~ There In Your Heart 
Pitbull ~ I Know You Want Me
Sting ~ Desert Rose
Weezer ~ Buddy Holly 
The Pretty Reckless ~ Light Me Up
Eddie Vedder ~ Once In Awhile 
Katy B ~ What Love Is Made Of 

Today I have the pleasure of the company of my littlest niece Layla so no doubt it will be a busy day lol. She recently turned 3 and already I have her practising her kitchen skills. lol. She can peel root veggies like a pro (on a bad day..ahem) and she loves to bring her stool into the kitchen and stand next to me as I cook at the stove. She enjoys stirring the pot (flipping half of the contents over the hob..lol) and her smile when we've finished making her soup for lunch is adorable..the little minx. I am awaiting her arrival so right now I am unsullied but give Layla an hour and I'll be covered in paints, drinks and food products. lol. I love it...and I'm learning Spanish watching Dora, don't ya know lol.

Last night I made a new pasta recipe and I have to say I gave it an 11/10 in my scoring system. It was delicious. I served mine with a little buckwheat fusilli which was a good combo and, as always, some steamed side veggies. I don't know about you guys but I always save my favourite part of my meal until last. I like to savour the last few mouthfuls which is almost always Brussels sprouts or broccoli...or chickpeas. However last night I hastily ate my side veggies and slowly ate every mouthful of the pasta and sauce, taking in every flavour as it hit my palate. 

This sauce recipe comes from Linda Majzlik's A Vegan Taste of Italy. I have the whole series of Majzilk's cookbooks and they were among the first I ever bought. I love them because they are interesting recipes, made with great ingredients and I haven't had a duff one yet. Maybe one that wasn't to my personal taste but you can't hold that against her..lol. I am always on the lookout for new pasta sauce recipes as pasta is one of my favourite foods. And now I have found a good version of GF shaped pasta, I decided to give this one a go. 

I adapted it by using dried herbs because I didn't have the fresh ones available but I don't think it lost anything for it. The hardest work when making this recipe is finely chopping the carrots but, really, is that hard work? lol. I can only use one brand of tinned tomato because they don't put citric acid in them and when I added them to the pan it was clear that it would need a little tomato paste (also without citric acid added) boost so I added 1 tbsp of that too. 

I really lucked out with my cannellini beans yesterday because they were tender and succulent and not hard as bullets as some canned varieties can be. The sauce they were cooking in was intensely herby and the onion, celery, garlic and carrots cooked down into it beautifully. To be honest I could've happily eaten the sauce without the pasta and may do just that with the leftovers. As the recipe serves four I separated it into four portions...one to eat last night..one as leftovers in the fridge for later in the week and two portions for the freezer. Marvellous..and I think this recipe would be great with pasta, rice, jacket potato, quinoa..oh well, with all the usual suspects...lol 

Cannellini Beans in Tomato Sauce...so good!

Cannellini Beans in Tomato Sauce     Serves 4
(Recipe from A Vegan Taste of Italy/Majzlik)

30oz/850g tinned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I used 2 tins)
14oz/400g tin of chopped tomatoes 
8oz/225g carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed and finely sliced
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil (I used 1 tsp) 
1 dsp finely chopped fresh sage (I used 1/2 tsp dried)
1 dsp finely chopped fresh basil (I used 1 tsp dried)
freshly ground black pepper 
1 tbsp tomato paste/puree (my adaption)
roughly chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion, garlic and celery until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the mixture thickens. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Serve..

Enjoy!    

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Tuesday is as busy as mine but also as full of joy...

Grrrrrr...Polar Bear sugar cookies ala Layla & Auntie R...lol

...and it was a fantastic day. Yes I did end up covered in food but I really don't care. lol. Layla was very proud of her Polar Bear cookies and kept Grrring as she handed them out. She also made a new friend in Ann...happy day. xx

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe so therefore I take no credit for it. It is the hard work and creative talent of Linda Majzlik and hers alone. I thank her for such a great cookbook series and the inspiration...~R~