Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
2 cups canned chickpeas (or dried cooked chickpeas)
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon (or less) salt
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Toss all ingredients together. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425◦F for about 20-30 minutes until chickpeas are crispy, shaking the pan occasionally. 

Spices can be varied as desired. These keep well and can be reheated before eating to re-crisp them. Great as a snack or an addition to salads, a topping for curries and stir-fries and more.

Lightly Spiced Whipped Cream

Lightly Spiced Whipped Cream
cream, whipped to stiff peaks
icing sugar
ground cinnamon
ground ginger
ground nutmeg
drop vanilla or almond extract, optional

Fold all ingredients into the whipped cream. If you only have granulated or brown sugar on hand, it can work, but it must be incorporated as soon as the cream is at soft peaks so that the final mixture will not be grainy. Really good accompaniment to apple or pumpkin pie or a cheesecake or sticky toffee pudding.

Quick Dinner Break

• Basmati rice
• Salsa
• Chickpeas
• Spice mix: chili powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, curry powder, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper
• oil
• 1/2 avocado
• salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the rice and mix in the salsa.

Toss the chickpeas in the oil and the spice mix and roast in an oven until beginning to crisp. Add to rice. Add avocado. Season to taste.

This quick meal is the perfect balance of spicy and salty, protein, fat, starch, and vegetables. It satisfies without over filling.

Nectarine Salsa

Nectarine Salsa
4 roma tomatoes, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
4 jalapeno peppers, diced
3 nectarines, diced
zest of 3 limes
juice of 6 limes
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup olive oil
30 basil leaves, chiffonade
30 mint leaves, chiffonade
salt and pepper, to taste

Chop ingredients and mix together in order given. Allow to marinate for a few hours and serve at room temperature. Great on swordfish! Feel free to adjust the spice level by adding or leaving out the seeds in the peppers.

Citrus Pound Cake

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Citrus Pound Cake with a citrus syrup, lightly spiced whipped cream, and lemon curd. 
Citrus Pound Cake = flavored with lemon, lime, and orange
Citrus Syrup = reduction of orange juice and lime juice with sugar
Lightly Spiced Whipped Cream = flavored with ginger and nutmeg
Lemon Curd
Lime Twist
Fresh Mint Leaf

Easy Pork Tenderloin

"Mmm, this pork is delicious, what did you put on it?" Uh, salt and pepper. And a little garlic and cilantro. And some love and sweat.
Pork tenderloin is already a really nice cut, 'tender' and not overly pricey. It doesn't need a whole lot of love to be awesome; although it is rather versatile and can benefit from a lot of different preparation techniques.When I think pork tenderloin though, I always think roast. You can go crazy with marinades and rubs and sauces if you wish. But I kept it simple this time and it paid off.

Easy pork tenderloin
Trim the pork tenderloin of any silverskin.
In a large freezer bag, put some salt, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, dried cilantro.
Place the tenderloin in the bag and shake to coat all sides with the spices.
Heat some oil in a large frying pan over high heat.
Sear the pork on all sides just until browned.
Transfer to the oven and bake to desired doneness. Even overcooked, it's still pretty good!

Spiced Poached Rhubarb

Cooking rhubarb is always a little hit or miss. Rhubarb has some firm, crisp stalks when they are taken out of the ground. But somehow they manage to over cook very easily. You want the rhubarb to be tender enough to bite, but not mush, Rhubarb can be steamed, poached, or baked - but all methods require a careful eye and not much time. Having an ice bath on hand to stop the cooking process immediately is a smart idea. Here, I have gently poached my rhubarb in a poaching liquid consisting of water, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to flavor the rhubarb. I whisked together the poaching liquid, then added bite-sized cuts of rhubarb, I brought the mixture to a slow simmer, and didn't walk away from it, testing the tenderness of the rhubarb every minute or so. Then I removed the rhubarb pieces with a slotted spoon and saved the delicious liquid.

Sweet and Spicy Balsamic Roasted Nuts

Sweet and Spicy Balsamic Roasted Nuts
1 cup mixed nut blend (any kinds you like - I recommend three varieties) 
2 Tablespoons espresso balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch chili flakes

Toss all together, spread on a baking sheet, and roast at 350°F until toasted. Let cool, then break into pieces. 

Caramelized Onion Dip

Caramelized Onion Dip
4 large white onions, thinly sliced
salt
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 Tablespoon spice mix (see http://bexysbakingblog.blogspot.ca/2015/11/spice-mix.html)
1 Tablespoon tahini paste
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

Lay the onions out on a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil, then season with spice mix and salt. Cook at 400◦F for 30 minutes or so until well darkened and caramelized. 
Transfer to a food processor with the remaining ingredients and pulse until just combined, leaving it slightly chunky.

Serve immediately warm, or chill and allow flavors to blend.

Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies

This is a really easy cookie recipe that just happens to be vegan and relatively healthy. The rolling and filling of the cookies is a little time-consuming but well worth the effort. These cookies are filled with oats and whole wheat flour, use oil instead of butter, and are naturally sweetened by molasses and maple syrup. They also contain a hint of spice for flavor, but this can be omitted for a plain cookie. They keep well and freeze well.

Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup maple syrup
strawberry jam (or your favorite flavor)

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, salt, and spices.
Stir in the oil, molasses, and syrup; mix well.
Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, using about 1/2 tablespoon dough for each. Alternately, you may make these cookies as large or as small as you wish.
Place cookies slightly apart on prepared baking sheets.
Using your thumb or the opposite end of a mixing spoon, press a small indent into the center of each cookie. 
Fill each cookie with one teaspoon or so of jam - fill it straight to the top but don't overfill. The jam will reduce slightly when baked and doesn't tend to overflow like in some cookies, so be generous.
Bake for 15 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes to firm up.

Makes approximately small 60 cookies.

Spicy Cornbread Triangles

Spicy Cornbread Triangles
2 cups non-dairy milk (I used almond)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch rectangular pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, add the vinegar to the milk and let sit for a few minutes.
Whisk in the oil and molasses until frothy.
Stir in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing to combine.
Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool slightly, then cut into triangles. 

I cut my bread into 32 squares, 4 cuts wide and 8 cuts long, then I cut each square on the diagonal into 64 triangles. These makes tiny, bite-sized pieces perfect as an hors d'oeuvres, but you can cut the pieces as large as you like if you are serving them along side a main course. Feel free to play with the herbs and spices as well!

Citrus Spice Nut Cookies

This is a cookie recipe I came up with tonight - inspired by a cupboard full on ingredients, holiday spice flavors, and vegan baking. This cookie doesn't necessarily have to be a holiday cookie, but it does contain some nice holiday spice flavors. It is a healthy cookie - not too sweet, but the sweetness comes from maple syrup, oranges, and raisins. It uses whole wheat and nut flours, and a baking soda vinegar mixture in place of the egg, and minimal oil. This retains a soft, moist cookie that is vegan-friendly.

Citrus Spice Nut Cookies
2/3 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 large (navel) oranges
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup each golden and Thompson raisins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup each: ground almonds, ground walnuts, ground pistachios
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon each: lemon extract, orange extract, almond extract

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the syrup and oil in a medium saucepan. 
Peel the oranges, cutting the peel into small pieces and reserving. Cut all the white bitter pith from the oranges, and slice into segments. Add to the pot. Sprinkle all the spices over top, then add the raisins. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover, and simmer for ten minutes or so until aromatic and the orange segments have completely broken down. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender. Blend until no large chunks remain - it doesn't have to be completely smooth and should not be liquidy, just enough to cut the peel into fine zest.

Combine the flour, nuts, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the blender mixture. Add the vinegar to the baking soda in a tall cup, let it bubble, then add along with the extracts. Mix well. 

Roll the dough into small balls, about 1/2 inch, and place slightly apart on prepared baking sheets. bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottoms are brown and cookies are no longer doughy. Let cool before transferring from the cookie sheets.

I decorated these with a simple rum icing to suit the occasion.

Spicy Noodles

Spicy Noodles
one pound Asian noodles (such as rice vermicelli)
hot water
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili oil
crushed red pepper, to taste
sweet chili sauce, to taste
thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
toasted black sesame seeds, for garnish

Soak the noodles in the hot water until soft.
Whisk together the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, red pepper, and chili sauce. Stir into the hot noodles. Garnish with onion and sesame seeds.

Sweet Citrus Spice Syrup

Sweet Citrus Spice Syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 Tablespoon jallab syrup
2 teaspoons rosewater
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
juice and zest of one large orange
juice and zest of one large lemon
juice and zest of two small limes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
4 Cardamom pods
2 whole star anise
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
3 fresh figs, halved

Combine all in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for thirty minutes or so until syrup is reduced and slightly thickened, it should not thickly coat a spoon but should begin to stick to a spoon, as it will thicken much more upon cooling. Remove from heat and strain syrup through a fine chinoise. Set aside to cool.

The original purpose for this syrup was to brush over baklava immediately after they are removed from the oven to give baklava its characteristic crisp texture and sticky sweet flavor. For this purpose, the syrup should basically be honey/maple syrup consistency. Molasses consistency is slightly too thick, anything thinner is too runny. It should be easily brushed on the delicate fillo/phyllo pastry without running off. It can be reheated gently or cooled longer in order to reach the right consistency.

This syrup could be used for a variety of other purposes as well. It has so much flavor - citrus, spice, and sweet, and is one of those rare occasions I created a great sweet item without chocolate or even caramel. Try this syrup (in a slightly thinner state) for soaking spongecakes, as a glaze for cookies to decorate them, to poach or bake figs, as a glaze for coffee cake, as a base glaze for meat or fish, etc. It will keep for ages in the refrigerator.
Don't be daunted by the long list of ingredients either - most of them are common spices or fruits, and the specialty ingredients are not too difficult to find and will keep for a long time, but if you can't find one of them, leave it out and sub some more of another flavor if desired.

Baklava

Baklava
one box phyllo (filo) pastry, thawed and at room temperature (keep well wrapped and cover any pastry with a damp tea towel when not in use. It dried out and becomes brittle and impossible to work with immediately)
dried fruit and nut filling (recipe will follow tomorrow)
Sweet citrus spice syrup (recipe will follow the next day)
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a cookie sheet or baking tray with parchment paper.
Prepare sweet citrus spice syrup, then set aside to cool and thicken.
Prepare dried fruit and nut filling.
Lay one sheet of pastry on a clean, flat work surface. Gently brush all over with olive oil. Repeat with nine more sheets of pastry. Spread top sheet gently and evenly with the filling, you may not use quite all of it. Place another sheet of pastry on top and brush with olive oil and repeat with nine more sheets of pastry.
Gently roll the entire mass up tightly from a long end, jelly-roll or cinnamon roll style. Brush top with a little additional oil. Gently use a sharp knife to slice into sixteen equal pieces, trim off the ends where there is not much filling and discard. Gently place the pastries filling side up on prepared baking tray (they can be close together). Bake for about 20 minutes until crisp and golden.
Remove from oven and brush tops and sides with the syrup, let stand for a few minutes, then turn pastries over and brush again. Let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I have been wanting to make baklava for quite some time now, as I have never even tried it before but it looks so good! I decided to go for it during our middle eastern buffets and was certainly glad I did. I put my own spin on it, as most fillings only have nuts and no dried fruit, and I added extra flavor to my syrup. The big change though, was the way I formed my baklava. Normally the pastry is either divided into squares and individually rolled or formed, or it is baked in a rectangular pan in one big mass, cut before baking, and served as squares. However, the phyllo pastry I had taken out to thaw for myself was used by someone else, and was left uncovered and dried out. This made it impossible to scrounge up hardly any full sheets, so I could not form the baklava in the traditional way. I used any almost full sheets for the bottom few layers, then crumbled the pieces over top of this and drizzled them with oil as best I could, then rolled it up like a cinnamon roll. Thankfully, it worked, and I like this look of baklava even better than the traditional!

The lessons here are to be very careful with phyllo pastry - keep it wrapped and covered at all times, otherwise it dries out and will not be flexible at all; it will break and not bend. If however it is too late, this method will work for dry phyllo pastry, so don't throw it all out yet. Whether your pastry is moist or dried, this recipe is tasty!

Banana Erccherry

Banana Erccherry
4 bananas or 2 large plantains, peeled and sliced
water, to cover
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1 red chili pepper
2 green chili peppers
4 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

In a small saucepan, bring the bananas, water, tumeric, and salt to a boil, cook until just soft. Purée. Add remaining ingredients and purée until smooth. Add more oil if you want a thinner consistency. Serve at room temperature.

I am not sure exactly how to describe this dish. It is kind of made in the way of a fruit compote, with a lot of added spice, but it's consistency is more like a spread such as hummus. This is a bright green condiment that definitely has a kick to it. I even left the seeds in the peppers. You can tone down the spice, or add sugar for something sweeter. 

Eggplant Curry

Eggplant Curry
2 large eggplant, large dice
salt
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 minced green chile pepper
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste

Place the eggplant in a large colander and sprinkle liberally with salt Let stand fr at least an hour to allow the water to drain out.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and sauté until softened. Add the spices and sauté until aromatic. Add in the eggplant, then the tomato and simmer until eggplant is softened. 

Spice Mix

Spice Mix
3 Tablespoons whole cardamom pods
2 Tablespoons whole cloves
2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
1 Tablespoon whole coriander
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 whole nutmeg
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Roast all spices in a large frying pan over low heat in a little oil, stirring constantly. Spices are ready when they become fragrant and dark colored, it will become quite obvious; but be sure to remove the pan from heat straight away or they will burn. Grind them up with a mortar and pestle and use to spice up a variety of dishes.

This is a spice blend I came up with when making Indian samosas. Roasting the spices brings out the flavor, and using whole spices gives a better final flavor than simply using ground. Use as desired/required.

Vegetable Samosas

Vegetable Samosas
DOUGH
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup cold water
FILLING
2 large potatoes, cut into fine cubes and boiled until just tender, drained and cooled
1 cup peas (frozen work fine)
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup dal (any kind homemade or not)
1 hot chili pepper, minced
juice of one lemon
SPICE MIX (see tomorrow's post)
water

DOUGH: Rub together the flour, salt, and oil. Gradually mix in the water. Knead ten minutes. Spread with oil, wrap and let rest thirty minutes. Then divide into eight balls, roll each out to a six-inch circle and cut in half to form sixteen semicircles.
FILLING: Mix all together, the potato should break and mash a bit to bind everything. Season to taste.

Form each semicircle into a cone, sticking the two sides of dough together with water to moisten. Fill with a good two tablespoons of filling, or as much filling as you can to bring it to the top, but still be able to seal the pocket. Seal, moistening with water again to form a pyramid.
Place on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350◦F for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with  peanut dipping sauce, if desired.

This was my first time making, and eating, samosas. For my version, I made a whole wheat dough and baked them to be healthier. My filling is vegetable-based with plenty of spice. The filling ingredients can be varied of course, and although perhaps not traditional, meat or cheese could be added as well.

Peanut Soup

Peanut Soup
oil
1/2 large white onion, finely diced
2 large stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 stalk lemongrass, sliced
1 red chili pepper, diced
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups coconut milk
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
sliced green onions, for garnish
shelled peanuts, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the vegetables and allow to sweat (no color) until softened slightly. Stir in the lemongrass, chili, and cornstarch. Stir in remaining ingredients, Bring to a boil, then simmer lightly until thickened and vegetables are softened. You can make this thicker or thinner by reducing further or adding more broth.

If you haven't tried peanut soup, you definitely should! It may not sound the most appetizing, but if you are a peanut butter lover, you will love this savory take on it. It is filling and leftovers make a nice sauce as well.