Creamy Spicy Pasta with Asparagus and Roasted Broccoli

A good use of leftovers from Adge's spicy aioli.

BEST Mint-Cilantro Chutney

I absolutely love the green chutneys in Indian food, and I've finally found the best recipe! This actually started off as a showdown in which I made two different chutney recipes from two cookbooks. One was too spicy, and one was too sour and salty... but together, they are absolutely perfect. 

This also raises interesting intellectual property questions as this recipe has been less tweaked than most of the ones I re-post, yet is also less recognizable as anyone else's.

ONE CHUTNEY TO RULE THEM ALL

2-3 green chilies (remove some seeds if you don’t want spicy), chopped

1 1-in piece ginger, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

¾ c packed mint leaves, chopped

1 ¼ c packed cilantro, chopped

¾ tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

4 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp apple cider vinegar

3/8 c water

¼ tsp chana masala spice mix

Also, here is a delicious eggplant-tomato dish with nigella seeds and cilantro.

Green Bean Casserole Lasagna

Because "stuff white people eat" should be a blog. Mushrooms, green beans, cashew cream, whole wheat lasagne.

Some other random and pretty food I made:

Thanksgiving 2014!

I found an old Thanksgiving menu on google drive! Sadly, no photos, but this was a fantastic menu--one of the all-time best out of those I've hosted.

Green Corn Soup

Green Salad with Roasted Smoky Chickpeas

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Autumnal Pickled Veggies (this recipe, but less sugar and with a mix of cauliflower and orange squash)

Sofritas-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Mole (this recipe plus peppers and mushrooms sauteed in at the end, plus the chocolate mole recipe from The Artful Vegan)

Black Bean and Corn Cakes with Pico de Gallo and Cilantro-Lime Crema (cashew based)

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Spice-Kissed Pumpkin Pie with Coconut Cream

Almond Cookies

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes (this recipe with cayenne and cinnamon) with Pumpkin Buttercream

Thanksgiving 2015

Another Thanksgiving come and gone. It's pretty amazing to think about how much has happened in a year.

And what a feast we had (16 people I think?). These photos won't do it justice, but I can't go another year without recording the menu and the recipes. Believe it or not, I think the broccoli was the group favorite.

Standing
pumpkin garlic knots by Adge
assorted crackers (thanks Ryan!)
cheese plate
        roasted fennel and white bean dip by Adge (like this but no cheese and lots of miso)

       caraway-havarti beer cheese dip

       green apple slices

       olives (thanks Ryan!)

       roasted pumpkin seeds (thanks Morgan!)

drinks
        fancy sparkling water (thanks Alan and Dana!)
        ginger ale (thanks Ryan!)
        seasonal kombucha
        mulled wine by Adge

        much beer (thanks everyone!)

Sitting
lemony broccoli
roasted squash with smoked paprika, pine nuts, and fried sage (this recipe but with a mix of squash and yams)
mashed cauliflower (this recipe but with virgin coconut oil and bajan seasoning as well as thyme)
mashed potatoes by Alex and Eleanor
fig tempeh (too much port in this recipe--I would reduce by at least 50%)
puff pastry-wrapped lentil loaf  stuffing another stuffing by Alex and Eleanor
green olive bread by Adge

refrigerator pickles (red onions, summer squash, green beans, with sage and peppercorns)

mushroom gravy
cranberry-pepper sauce

Milling
pumpkin pie with toasted spices

Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! The world seems particularly messed up this year, and/but I am really looking forward to sharing food and ideas with friends.

Also, Adge and I have been brewing our own kombucha for a while now, and we made a ginger pomegranate and a (pumpkin) spice for the party.

Lentil Caprese Salad

This is an updated version of that good old lentil salad. I slightly undercook the lentils, then let the acid in the balsamic vinegar finish the job of making them tender (at least, that's the idea). The basil and balsamic make the tomatoes taste downright sweet.

Lentil Caprese Salad

Ingredients
3/4 c dry brown lentils (1 1/2 c cooked?), cooked until just tender
big red tomato, de-seeded and diced
1/2 c yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, diced
2 scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced
lots of basil, chiffonade
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to taste:
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
red pepper flakes
smoked salt