This one pot rice dish is a staple for fall cooking in my home. Sauté onions and garlic, add in the other ingredients, cover, and let sit for 45 minutes. After that, all that’s left is to eat! The original version of this dish is based on this paella recipe but I’ve morphed it into a stove-top casserole dish as an easy adaptation. Rice and tomatoes cooked together can leave you with al dente rice but the secret is to make sure the rice is well coated with oil before adding the tomatoes. As a side note, our toddler also loves this one pot rice dish (as long as I use a mild curry powder)! Read more and see the recipe.
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Of all the dinner/lunch pairings I’m sharing this month, this cauliflower wrap is my favorite. I’ve mentioned before how I love the combination of curry and cauliflower and this pizza is the best (in my book). I roast extra cauliflower for the pizza and save it to make a wrap/stuffed pita for lunch the next day. Add a little hummus (or even chickpeas) for protein and you’ve got yourself a meal. Read more and see the recipe.
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One of the best things to do when cooking is plan. Planning can help solve the “what’s for dinner” question and also prepare you for the next day. When I worked in an office, I found lunch to be the hardest part to plan. I’d think about it in the evenings and tell myself I’d get it in the morning. That never happened and inevitably I’d be grabbing something kind of junky out of desperation.
February is dedicated to sharing recipes that can easily be made while making dinner. Each recipe I share will have a corresponding dinner recipe that shares ingredients (making it easier to throw together.) For this particular curried chickpea salad, I usually make it while I’m making this chickpea curry with cauliflower. The homemade curry powder takes everything up a notch and the only extra prep is chopping the chickpeas/scallions!
This is the fourth (maybe fifth) chickpea salad I’ve shared on the site and with good reason. It’s fast to make, can be adapted to any taste, and may be the perfect vegetarian lunch. This curried chickpea version is my new favorite (then again, I love anything with curry.) Make up a big batch and eat it for a few days throughout the week. Pack this salad on a road trip or tuck it away in your carry on for a snack mid-flight-it’s great for so many meals/snacks. Read more and see the recipe.
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I only feel slightly bad that it’s only the middle of October and I’ve already shared a handful of sweet potato recipes. I’ve embraced fall full force even though Northern California is downright hot right now. This is an updated version of an older recipe on the site but it’s one that sees a regular rotation in our house. I’ll actually bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time, usually on Sunday. That way you only have to cook the vegetables and assemble everything on the weeknight.
Post originally published on October 8th, 2012. Last updated on October 4th, 2015.
Let’s talk soup. This soup is amazingly creamy and delicious with being vegan and gluten free. The pumpkin plays well with the curry and coconut- it’s a perfect meal. I’ve even thought about leaving it more stew consistency and adding rice to the dish to make it a hearty main.
I recommend two routes for the curry powder: homemade or buy it from a spice shop (I have a few favorites but I’m digging Oaktown right now). The curry powder in the grocery store won’t do any meal justice! There are so many different ways you can whip up curry powder (I highly recommend just searching for “homemade curry powder” and find the right one for you). I made this with a spicier thai red curry powder but I think any type of curry powder would be delicious!
One of the things I love and hate about blogging is the progress I make throughout the years. My ability to write recipes well and to photograph them has gotten much better. The progress is good, the part I love but the old, crusty content makes me cringe, the part I hate. When one blogs for 8+ years, the early stuff is bad. And so, I felt it was time to redo some of the older post with updated photos, videos, and techniques.
These baked french fries are one of my most popular recipes. Sometime in the early days of the site, they went viral on StumbleUpon and Yummly. But, the recipe was poorly written and the photos were less than stellar. I felt it was time to do a refresh on a recipe we use at least once a week in our house.
If you’ve never made baked french fries before, now is the time to start. They are beyond easy and I made you a short video to convince you if you’re really still not sure. All it takes is a potato, knife, and some seasoning. My original recipe called for using Russet potatoes but thanks to my mom, I’m a convert to Yukon. Yukons don’t make the longest baked french fries but they crisp up nicely without having to soak them first. However, you can always use Russets for more traditional baked french fries.
And finally, if you’ve never added a touch of curry powder to your ketchup, you’re missing out. It’s a fun way to dress up this traditional condiment and if you plan on making ketchup from scratch, it’s easy to add the curry right in with your other ingredients.
Preheat oven to 400˚ and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Rinse the potatoes well. Taking one potato at a time, cut the ends off the potato to create a level surface. Stand up on one end and cut down the potato in ¼” thick slices.
Stack half the slices on the flat side down and cut again into ¼” thick strips. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Place the fries on one or two baking trays and toss with the olive oil, spices, salt, and pepper. Spread the fries out so that the are mostly not touching.
Bake the fries for 30 to 35 minutes until crisp and golden. While the fries are baking, stir together the ketchup and curry powder. Serve fries hot with your favorite sauce or the curried ketchup.
Notes
If you want to use traditional russet potatoes, I recommend soaking the cut fries in cold water for at least 30 minutes then rinsing before tossing with olive oil.
If I’m making my homemade ketchup, I’ll add the curry powder into the cooking process.
My original fry recipe called for adding dried oregano, parsley, and a pinch of mustard powder. Try playing around with the spices to find your favorite combination.
“ We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations. ” — Anais Nin
Shaved & Curried Cauliflower Salad
1 extra-large head of cauliflower
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
1 cup celery leaves
1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 orange, for juice and zest
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbsp preferred curry powder
Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Salt
Preheat the oven for 400′ F. Using a mandoline slicer, shave the cauliflower into large pieces. Place on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil, curry powder, juice of half an orange, and orange zest. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the edges brown and crisp. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine celery leaves, parsley, mint, shallots, and apricots. Mix in warm cauliflower and dress with additional orange juice, a lug of olive oil, and a bit of salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
