“Our team stayed in a little truck stop up there once and in the restaurant there, you could have your food prepared two ways: fried or deep-fried.” ~ Fisher DeBerry, former football player and coach of the United States Air Force Academy football team (1938 – )

Come game day, I’m going to want something spicy that goes well with beer. Not that I don’t want that every day, but you know some days are more “gotta have” than others and this is one of them.

When we go out to eat, food from India is right at the top of the list. Besides the fantastic aroma and tongue tingling flavors, Indian restaurants are also very accommodating to vegetarians, making them perfect for a group with a mix of diet preferences. Pakoras, deep fried savory fritters, are among our favorite dishes.

BUT these aren’t just any fritter!

Instead of being made with wheat flour, pakoras are made with a flour of ground chickpeas. Some call it besan, but Bob’s Red Mill calls it garbanzo bean flour, and I call it chickpea flour. Either way, it makes this dish perfect for those who stick to a gluten-free diet – and provides a generous serving of protein for everyone.

While traditionally prepared pakoras are made with the addition of potatoes and onions, we like to include some other veggies to give them a little more color, thus the broccoli in the version show in the photo below. Feel free to use whichever vegetables you prefer – chopped cauliflower and zucchini are also delicious!

By the way, if this day is a “must have deep fried” for you, you can prepare as directed but fry in hot oil that has been heated to 350° F in a wok or deep fryer for about 8 minutes, turning halfway.

Baked Party Pakoras

Serves 4-6 for appetizers
Time: 20 minutes

1 cup chickpea flour (a.k.a. garbanzo bean flour or besan)
2 teaspoons curry powder (your favorite)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup water
½ cup very thinly sliced red onion
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
1 cup finely chopped raw vegetables

Barbecue sauce for dipping

If you are baking, preheat oven to 450° F. Spray or wipe a generous coating of olive oil on two baking sheets.

In a medium bowl, mix the chickpea flour, curry powder, and baking powder together. Gradually whisk in the water to make a somewhat thick batter. Stir in the onion, chilies, and vegetables to coat thoroughly.

Using rounded tablespoons, place mounds of the vegetable mixture onto the baking sheets leaving about an inch between. Place in hot oven and bake for 10 minutes, turning (optional) halfway through if you want them to be brown on both sides.

Serve while very hot (they aren’t very good cold) with a spicy barbecue sauce such as the Jazzed Up Mosaic Barbecue Sauce from page 116 in the Mosaic Meals cookbook.

These pakoras are spicy, so they go great with an icy cold amber ale or a glass of iced tea.

Carlo Indrezzano: YOU saved me?
Wonder Woman: Yes.
Carlo Indrezzano: Impossible. You’re a woman!
Wonder Woman: I have heard that once or twice before.
~ From “The New Adventures of Wonder Woman”, tv series (1975-1979) created by William M. Marston

We’re pretty much of the mind that casseroles are the best dishes, with all the flavors squashed together like they’re at a big party in a small apartment. They get to know each other so very well.

The butternut squash we use here is chock full of Vitamin A, that vitamin your mother told you would help you see in the dark. Like a superhero. Vitamin A also supports a glowing complexion and overall skin health, which is also important to superheroes because of the possibility of scoring a prime time television series. People who don’t like squash in spite of its natural sweetness probably haven’t considered the superhero angle.

As for the rest of the dish, earthy mushrooms and walnuts provide a meaty texture, delicious and nutritious, to produce a casserole worthy of Meatless Monday or any day special powers are called for.

Winter Rice Casserole

Serves: 3 entrée servings, or 6 as a side dish
Time: 25 minutes active + 20 minutes in the oven

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 ½ cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes
8 ounces mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 cup California walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup short grain brown rice
2 cups flavorful vegetable broth

Soften the onion in the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or large, oven-safe skillet for about 5 minutes. Add the squash cubes to the pan, tossing with the onion, then cover the pan and allow the vegetables to steam for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid from the pan and stir in the mushroom pieces. Continue cooking to soften, for about 5 more minutes. Stir in the walnuts, rice, and broth. Cover the pan and place into hot oven for 20 minutes.

Stir and check to be sure the rice is tender. There should be no unabsorbed broth in the bottom of the pan. If more cooking time is needed, cover the pan and return to the oven for 5 more minutes before checking again. Serve while hot.

We enjoy our Winter Rice Casserole with some Simple Tomato Chutney from page 107 of the Mosaic Meals cookbook, or with a sprinkling of dried cranberries on top.

“The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” ~ Aristotle, Greek philosopher (384 BC – 322 BC)

With apologies to Aristotle, when it comes to spending money on seasoning blends, my rule of thumb is that the sum of the parts should never exceed the price of the most expensive individual component – especially if most of the ingredients that are already marking time in my cupboard.

Checking out the spice rack at our local grocery store, I noticed that Thai Seasoning Blend was $6.99 for a 2-ounce bottle. The first ingredient on the list was black pepper.

In making this blend, you can control how spicy you want it to be by adding or omitting the cayenne pepper. Some prepared blends also include nutmeg, onion powder, and mint, for example, so if you have a favorite Thai flavor, by all means add it and make the mixture your own!

Thai Seasoning Blend

Makes about 3 tablespoons
Time: 3 minutes

½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons lemon grass OR basil
2 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Up to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)

Measure ingredients into a small jar. Cap tightly and shake to blend.

Of course, the whole reason for even looking at the Thai Seasoning Blend in the first place was because we wanted a Thai Brown Rice Noodle Stir-Fry for supper.

If you’ve never used rice noodles before, you need to know that this is a great weeknight dish because all you have to do is soak the noodles – no boiling required! We use the Annie Chun’s Brown Rice Noodles (as for Pad Thai), which is almost indistinguishable from the regular rice noodles except that they are more nutritious. They are both gluten-free.

Thai Brown Rice Noodle Stir-Fry

Serves 4
Time: 20 minutes (less if using frozen veggies)

1 (8-ounce) package Pad Thai style rice noodles
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
4-6 cups cut up vegetables, fresh or frozen. We used fresh onion, red bell pepper, pablano chile pepper, zucchini, and snow peas for the batch shown in the photo.
1 cup roasted, shelled peanuts (skins off)
1 tablespoon Thai Seasoning Blend (recipe above)
1 whole lime, quartered

Place the noodles in a large bowl and cover them with hot (not boiling) water. I just use water right from the faucet.

While the noodles are rehydrating, begin to sauté the vegetables in the oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or wok. NOTE: I start with the onion, then add vegetables in the order given, based on their relative firmness, always ending with the tender snow peas at the same time I add the noodles. If you are using frozen vegetables, they can be added all at once since they are already partially cooked.

After the noodles have been soaking for about 10 minutes, drain off the water.

Add the noodles to the skillet with the vegetables, cover the pan, and allow to steam for a couple of minutes. Remove the lid, add the peanuts and Thai Seasoning Blend, and toss lightly to combine. Remove from heat and serve while still hot, with a wedge of lime for individuals to squeeze on the juice to their own preference.

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” ~ from the poem “Fall, leaves, fall” by Emily Brontë, English novelist and poet (1818-1848).

Lunch is undoubtedly my least favorite meal to prepare. I am happy reheating leftovers, or, at best, throwing together a quick soup. Sometimes, however, I am not alone and a real lunch is called for. You know — – sandwiches.

We gave up using mayo and Miracle Whip several years ago, when eggs got scrapped from the diet, which knocked some of our favorite salads off the menu too. Then, we discovered some substitutes. And one of them, the Follow Your Heart Grapeseed Vegenaise really stood out.

Grapeseed oil has been studied for its rare ability to manage cholesterol issues, lowering LDL (bad stuff) while raising HDL (the good stuff). So, if we’re going to include fats in our diet, why not make them work for us?

The grocery stores don’t exactly put this product at eye level, but we did find it in the healthy foods section (which sort of begs the question, “What kind of food is in the rest of the store?”), down near the floor. What a shame, because it tastes really good – very light, slightly sweet, and has a smooth, creamy texture that can certainly compete with the big brands.

We’ve learned to stir some Mrs. Dash into the Vegenaise and find that it comes out with even more flavor than Miracle Whip. Cole slaw made with this combination has never been better.

Today, we were looking for a quick but filling lunch after coming in from a morning spent outdoors enjoying the autumn weather and falling leaves, so we pulled out a can of chickpeas and made an outstanding Chickpea Salad for open-faced sandwiches.

Just for the fun of it, we also stirred in some Japanese furikake seasoning. You can buy this popular blend of dried seaweed and sesame seeds pre-mixed, or use the recipe on page 102 of the Mosaic Meals cookbook to make your own.

Chickpea Salad

Makes 1 ½ cups (4 sandwiches)
Time: 7 minutes

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup Vegenaise or other creamy salad dressing
2 tablespoons Sushi Sprinkles or furikake seasoning
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash

Mash about half of the chickpeas with a fork, then stir in the remaining half along with the rest of the ingredients.

We enjoyed our Chickpea Salad as an open-faced sandwich, but it is also delicious served as a salad on a bed of lettuce or in a tomato shell. Isn’t it great when elegant meets easy? Chickpea Salad is party-worthy, and a perfect alternative to the chicken or tuna salads that are often served for ladies luncheons.

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” ~ Japanese proverb

First business of the day is to announce the So Delicious giveaway winners. (insert trumpet fanfare here) Ashley, Jacob, Marie, and Claire – check your email for a mailing address request so that we can send you each a coupon for the product of your choice! The answer to the question about where mocha got its name is from the shipping port of Mocha in the country Yemen, where coffee beans with distinctive chocolate overtones come from.

And now, without any semblance of a smooth transition, we go on to today’s Meatless Monday meal…

Kabocha (also spelled Kobacha) squash was new to us up until last week. It is grown locally in the southwestern US, but most of it is exported to Japan, where it is popular for its very mild, sweet flavor and buttery texture. At first bite, we knew it would be an excellent replacement for pumpkin in savory dishes, being faster to cook and smoother in the mouth.

Efficient timing will help you get this very nutritious meal on the table in just 35 minutes: Start cooking the grain (rice, quinoa, or couscous) first. Cut up the onion and pepper and, while they are cooking, prepare the squash. Once you’ve added the final ingredients to the pot and covered it, you’ve got 20 minutes to sip on some wine or catch up on the news.

If kabocha squash isn’t in your store, then simply use fresh pumpkin or butternut squash and add 10 minutes simmering time.

Sweet and Spicy Kabocha Stew

Serves 4
Time: 15 minutes active + 20 minutes simmering

1 medium onion, diced
1 pablano chile or green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon garam masala (click here for recipe) http://www.mosaickitchen.com/?p=164
1 (15-ounce) can or 1 ½ cups rinsed and drained chickpeas
4 cups fresh kabocha squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 summer squash (zucchini or gold bar), diced
1 cup raisins
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
¾ cup water

3 cups prepared brown rice, quinoa, or couscous

Soften the onion and pepper in the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan for about 8 minutes, being careful that it doesn’t brown.

Stir in the garam masala for about 20 seconds so that it becomes fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover the pot. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until the kabocha squash is tender.

Serve over cooked brown rice, as we did for the photo, or top with quinoa or couscous. This spicy dish pairs well with a chilled white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or a glass of iced peach tea. If you have time left over for baking, try the Double Ginger Cookies from page 140 in the Mosaic Meals cookbook for dessert.