“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.

“As the game enters its glorious final weeks, the chill of fall signals the reality of defeat for all but one team. The fields of play will turn brown and harden; the snow will fall, but in the heart of the fan sprouts a sprig of green.” ~ John Thorn, sports historian (1947 – )

Verde is the Italian word for green. It is also the Spanish word for green, but we’re talking about an Italian dish here, so that’s what we’re going with this time.

When we got to the end of the week here and discovered that there was a lot of green left in the refrigerator, there was little doubt with what to do with it: Pasta Verde. A stove-top casserole that goes well with all the football games we’ve been watching broadcast from grassy fields in warm and sunny southern states.

Pasta Verde, like many of our quick-to-the-table dishes, is versatile, making it perfect to fix with ingredients that are already on hand. In the past, we’ve prepared it with spaghetti, linguini, and elbow mac, but our favorite is rotini because of how it pulls the other ingredients into it’s spirals.

Most recipes for traditional Pasta Verde call for basil, which we think is fine for a side dish, but we prefer spinach when serving this as an entrée, which also makes it less expensive to prepare and provides a milder flavor. The quantity of green vegetables called for is what we used this time, but feel free to add more or less, depending on your own taste or refrigerator yield – and by all means, don’t be afraid to switch them up with whichever sprigs of green you prefer.

Pasta Verde

Serves 4
Time: 20 minutes

8 ounces whole wheat rotini or other pasta

½ cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium zucchini, sliced ½-inch thick
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups sugar snap peas, halved
2 cups baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons Sesamiso (see below) or other Parmesan cheese substitute
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin cooking the pasta in boiling water as the package directs. When done to your preference, drain well.

Meanwhile, soften the onion in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, without allowing to brown. Once the onion is soft, stir in the zucchini and continue to sautee to make tender-crisp. Toss in the garlic, snap peas, and spinach leaves and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cover and immediately remove from heat. Allow to stand for 5 minutes without lifting the cover to allow the spinach and peas to cook with the gentle, retained heat.

Stir the drained pasta into the vegetables at the end of the standing time. Toss in the Sesamiso or Parmesan flavored substitute, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve while still hot.

Sesamiso is a substitute we often use when a recipe calls for Parmesan cheese. We based this on the recipe for Parmezano Sprinkles in The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak, just substituting ingredients we are more likely to have in our own kitchen. Either way, it is less expensive than the prepared versions found in the healthy foods store and, in our estimation, tastes better.

The Nutritional Yeast called for in this recipe is a deactivated yeast that contains complete proteins and is usually enriched with B complex vitamins, making it a staple for folks who do not eat any animal-based foods. It is a fragile, light yellow flake that supplies a mild cheese-like flavor. You can find it in some regular grocery stores with the Bob’s Red Mill products, in the bulk food section at Whole Foods, or at nearly any healthy foods specialty store.

Sesamiso

Makes about ½ cup
Time: 3 minutes

½ cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (a.k.a. savory yeast flakes)
2 teaspoons brown rice miso
½ teaspoon coarse salt

Whirl the sesame seeds around in the blender until they resemble a gritty flour. Add the remaining ingredients and give it another whirl to combine well. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator and use as a substitute for grated Parmesan cheese.

“If the book is good, is about something that you know, and is truly written, and reading it over you see that this is so, you can let the boys yip and the noise will have that pleasant sound coyotes make on a very cold night when they are out in the snow and you are in your own cabin that you have built or paid for with your work.” ~ Ernest Hemmingway, American author and Nobel Prize Winner for Literature (1899 – 1961)

One of our holiday must-haves includes consuming a slice of a savory pie that heralds from the French-Canadian side of our family. “Tourtiere” is traditionally made from whatever protein source is local and abundant, and most of the time that means ranch fare. In order to not exclude the vegetarians and vegans among us, however, we have changed up the recipe to focus on a rich combination of mushrooms and nuts. It isn’t quick and if you’re making your own crust, it isn’t easy, but we’ve included it below just for those who might want to attack it.

The REAL recipe of this post for everyone is in what we put on top of the pie. Some folks like to lift the top crust of the baked pie and pour on a little maple syrup, while others top with ketchup or gravy. In the longstanding tradition of tourtiere we’ve taken the “local” thing to the US Southwest and pour on a barbecue sauce that is a fusion of Canadian maple syrup, ketchup, and chipotle chili.

Organic barbecue sauce is almost impossible to come by in our neighborhood, so we’ve taken to making our own using organic ketchup, produced with minimal ingredients. It also makes assembling the recipe extremely easy, without any cooking required. You can use all maple syrup as the sweetener, eliminating the brown sugar, but be warned that doing so tends to make the sauce much thinner than we like.

The Garam Masala seasoning blend gives this sauce a chutney influence. If you don’t like it or it is too much trouble, simply eliminate it. For me, however, it is the ingredient that cinches the deal. Clicking on the words Garam Masala in the ingredient list below will open up a past post with instructions on how to blend your own, but it can be found in most grocery store spice racks.

Quick  and Spicy Maple BBQ Sauce

Makes 2 cups
Time: 5 minutes, made at least 1 day ahead

1 cup organic ketchup
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (anchovy-free variety)
¼ – ½ teaspoon dried chipotle pepper, to taste

Measure ingredients into a jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours so that the flavors have the opportunity to marry and intensify.

In case you would like to try out our savory pie… Hint: If you have a food processor, this is the time to use it!

NUTS ABOUT TOURTIERE
Serves 6
Time: 30 minutes active + cooling time + 40 minutes baking time

Pastry for a 2-crust, 8” pie
2 large potatoes, cubed (about 3-4 cups, skin on)
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, diced
3 ribs celery (including leaves), diced
1 pound mushrooms, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup cashew meats, finely chopped ½ cup walnut meats, finely chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon tamari or other soy sauce
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Maple syrup, ketchup, barbecue sauce, or mushroom gravy to top as individually desired

Cook potato pieces in boiling water until they break apart easily when cut through with a fork. Drain, mash, and allow to cool.

Soften the onion and celery in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushroom bits have browned. Stir in the sage and thyme for the last minute of cooking, remove from the heat and stir in the mashed potatoes, nuts, maple syrup, soy sauce, black pepper, and bread crumbs. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, place one prepared crust into the bottom of an 8” pie pan. Fill the pie shell, mounding the filling slightly at the center. Cover with second piece of pastry, seal, vent and bake at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and bake about 30 minutes longer or just until the crust has pleasantly browned.

Serve while hot with your favorite topping – and enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

May you find joy in all of your celebrations and gratitude for the small things that really make them what they are.