Homemade Chai

INGREDIENTS
2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into thin rounds
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
10 whole cloves
6 cardamom pods
6 cups cold water
6 bags of black tea (preferably Darjeeling)
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

PREPARATION
Combine first 5 ingredients in medium saucepan. Using mallet or back of large spoon, lightly crush or bruise spices. Add 6 cups water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pan, and simmer gently 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add milk and sugar. Bring tea just to simmer over high heat, whisking until sugar dissolves. Strain chai into teapot and serve hot.

YIELD Serves 6

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/homemade-chai-201226

BON APPÉTIT DECEMBER 2002

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

FILLING

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn

MASHED POTATOES

• 3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, thoroughly washed
• 3-4 Tbsp vegan butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice any large potatoes in half, place in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a low boil on medium high heat, then generously salt, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
2. Once cooked, drain, add back to the pot to evaporate any remaining water, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Use a masher, pastry cutter or large fork to mash until smooth. Add add desired amount of vegan butter (2-4 Tbsp), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.
3. While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish (or comparable sized dish, such as 9x13 pan. An 8x8 won’t fit it all but close!).
4. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil until lightly browned and caramelized - about 5 minutes.
5. Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, stock, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (35-40 minutes).
6. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together.
7. OPTIONAL: To thicken the mixture, add 2-3 Tbsp mashed potatoes and stir. Alternatively, scoop out 1/2 of the mixture and whisk in 2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder and whisk. Return to the pan and whisk to thicken.
8. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then transfer to your prepared oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt.
9. Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mashers are lightly browned on top.
10. Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheats well in the microwave.

https://minimalistbaker.com/1-hour-vegan-shepherds-pie/

Sautéed Kale with Tahini Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 pound kale, well rinsed

2 T olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt

4 Tbsp tahini (use tahini made with toasted sesame seeds, not raw)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3-4 Tbsp water

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish

STEPS

1. Using a sharp paring knife, cut out the rib of each kale leaf. Discard or compost. Slice the leaves roughly 1/2-inch thick.

2. Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large sauté pan. When hot, add the chopped onion. Cook for a couple of minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

3. Add the kale to the sauté pan. Even if you have a pretty large pan, the kale will be practically falling out of it. Put in as much as you can and use tongs to turn over and mix with the oil and onions. After a couple minutes the kale should wilt a bit so you can add the rest of the raw kale. Cook, turning the kale leaves over occasionally until the kales leaves have wilted and are tender. Sprinkle a little salt over the kale leaves while cooking.

4. While the kale is cooking, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and dark sesame oil. Add more salt and sesame oil to taste.

5. Once the kale is done, toss in the sauce, reserving a little to drizzle on top.

Serve, topped with a little sauce and toasted sesame seeds. Serves 4.

www.simplyrecipes.com

Sweet-Potato and Parsnip Purée

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and parsnips and boil gently until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor.
Add butter and purée until smooth. Add milk, brown sugar, and salt and blend well. Season with pepper. Serves 4.

Gourmet | January 2001

Party Pumpkin

Ingredients
1 Small Pumpkin (8-9” diameter, 3.5 pounds)
1c Chopped Granny Smith Apples (half moons)
1c Fresh cranberries
1c Raisins
3/4c Toasted coarsely chopped walnuts
1/3c Sugar
1/2t Cinnamon
1/4t Freshly grated nutmeg
1t Lemon juice
1c Nonfat plain yogurt
1 Roasting Pan

Steps
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. Cut off top of pumpkin, set aside. Scrape seeds out of pumpkin
3. In large bowl, combine ingredients e/c yogurt. Stuff pumpkin with ingredients. Replace lid.
4. Place pumpkin in roasting pan and add 1-2” hot water to pan.
5. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.
6. Remove lid and set aside
7. Bake 30 minutes
8. Replace lid and bake for 20 minutes. Add more water, if necessary.
9. Scoop out filling and pumpkin flesh onto plates and add dollop of yogurt.

EJM

New England Boiled Dinner

Ingredients
3 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket (or can also be made with plain beef brisket)
15 peppercorns
8 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 medium sized turnips, peeled and quartered
4 red new potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 large carrots, cut into thirds and the thickest pieces quartered lengthwise
1 small head cabbage, cut into fourths

Steps
Put the brisket in a 5 or 6 quart Dutch oven and cover with an inch of water. If your corned beef brisket does not come already packed in seasoning, add peppercorns, cloves, and a bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a simmer and then cover, lower the heat until it is barely simmering. Keep at a low simmer for four hours or until the meat is tender (a fork goes through easily).

Remove the meat and set aside, keeping the meat warm. Add the vegetables to the pot. Check the broth for taste. If it is too salty, add a little more water to taste. Raise the temperature and bring the soup to a high simmer. Cook at a high simmer until done, about 15-30 minutes longer, depending on the size of the cut of your vegetables.

Slice the meat in thin slices. Serve in bowls, a few pieces of meat in each, add some of the vegetables and some broth.
Serves 6 to 8. Serve with horseradish or mustard.

Notes: The corned beef can be pretty salty, so you may want to rinse it first before cooking. We just use the corned beef as is and don't add any more seasoning or salt. If the broth ends up being too salty, you can serve just the meat and vegetables, without the broth, or add water to the broth to dilute it.

www.simplyrecipes.com