My wish for you is to Live Better, Strive Harder, Be Bolder, Dream Bigger, Climb Higher and Seek Greater.
My vision is to help people create food that is delicious, easy to make and high in nutrition, so that food once more becomes a vehicle to fuel your body, mind and soul.
When Mr. B and I were in Italy in May we ate Ricotta fresh from the farm next door every day. It was simple and unadulterated, and you could taste the floral tones of the land.
When we are at home in the USA, Mr. B and I try not to eat too much cheese for health reasons, so I decided to make a healthy vegan version, so as to evoke the memories of our holiday but without the diary. Of course, it is not a perfect substitute, but you do get the richness from the almonds and the texture is pretty similar too. It is also an easy blend and eat recipe, so takes less than 5 minutes to make.
You can flavour this with anything you like, like herbs and spices, which are best blended into the recipe, or lavender and honey, which are better on top.
Ingredients
2 cups blanched almonds (almonds without the skins)
This recipe is in loving memory of my grandmother, whose recipes are my guide to know she is always by my side.
I was very nervous about cooking this dish and have therefore been putting it off inadvertently. This was my grandmothers signature dish, you know, like when you battle on Beat Bobby Flay, you go up against the master with your signature dish. This dish was the dish my grandma was known for. She used them to barter for services, like hairdressing and dentistry, gave them as gifts for people’s birthdays and sold them at fetes to raise money for charity.
My grandma must have made tens thousands of samosas. My husband will say I exaggerate when trying to make a point and I have told him a million times, that that is not true. Okay, maybe he has a point…. I do not exaggerate about this however. I would see hundreds ready to sell for charity on a Saturday morning and we had them every Sunday for as long as I remember, so you do the maths Mr. B! 🙂
Most restaurants I have been to in the USA use a heavy pastry for samosas, like a puff pastry, making them more like a Cornish pasty or Empanada. When I went into the Indian supermarket and asked them for samosa chapati, they gave me won ton wrappers, which I tried and they still come out thicker and more puffed up then my grandma’s, making them heavier, like a spring roll.
My grandma of course made everything from scratch and there is a lot of time and skill involved in doing this. The samosa chapati she makes is much lighter done this way then anything store bought and in fact is the same recipe for phyllo pastry. It is tasty on its own and so if you want to practice you could make it and use it as a wrap for other food.
The dough is just plain flour and water and the filling is potatoes, peas and onions, so pretty simple and cheap. The method looks long, but it is just because I have broken it down into as many stages as possible to make it easy to follow.
Ingredients
Samosa chapati
2 cups flour, extra for dusting, kneading and glue
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup water, add extra if the dough is too dry
Samosa filling
200g oven chips (grandma time saving tip) or 2 cups mashed potatoes
½ cup cooked peas
½ tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
½ tsp. cumin powder
½ tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. garam masala
3 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
Salt
2 tsp. oil
Method
For the chapati
Place flour and salt in a bowl, make a well, then pour in the water
Mix until a soft dough is formed, adding more water if needed
On a floured surface, knead the dough until soft and no longer sticky
Lightly oil the dough and let it rest for about 10 minutes
Once the dough is rested, divide it into quarters
Roll out each quarter into a log and cut to form 3 equal balls
Repeat the above procedure to yield a total of 12 small balls
Keep the small balls covered to keep them from drying out
Take one of the small balls
Using a rolling pin, roll out the ball into a small disc
Repeat the process to form 3 small discs
Take one of the three small rolled out discs and brush and some vegetable oil
Dust the oiled disc with some flour
Take another rolled out disc and place on top of the oiled and floured one
Repeat the procedure, brush some oil on the second disc
Dust with some flour
Place the third disc on the two that have already been staked up
Dust the three layers with some flour and prepare to roll them out
Using a rolling pin, firmly toll out the stacked-up discs
Keep flipping over to ensure the discs roll out while still maintaining a circular shape
Heat a heavy bottomed pan, I used the one for making chapatis. No oil is needed
On a heated pan, place the rolled-out dough
The idea is the dough to partially cook, flip after air pockets starts to form on one side, then remove from the pan
Now the fun part, gently lift the top layer and gently pull away from the other two
Pull away gently to keep the sheets from tearing
Repeat for the second layer
Once all the sheets have been precooked, stack them together
Using a knife, cut the sheets in half
Samosa pockets ready for use
Before using the sheets, prepare the edible glue using flour and water
Take one of the sheets
Bring the end furthest from you to for a triangle
Using a brush or your finger, apply some of the edible glue of the piece that is left
Fold over to seal the pocket
This will form a cone with your preferred filling
Use your thumb to close up the cone
Apply more of the edible glue on the hanging flap
Then fold over to seal the samosa
Eat as is (all component parts are cooked already), bake with a little oil or fry
Filling
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cumin and coriander powder
When the seeds start to brown add ginger and stir for 10 seconds
Add the onions and cook until translucent
Add the peas, followed by turmeric, chili powder and salt. Add the potatoes, mix and sauté
This is one of those recipes that I imagined and just had to try out. I don’t know why I dreamed up pink tortillas, perhaps I have been eating too many foraged mushrooms.
Most people I know have never made their own tortilla’s, even if it’s part of their every day meal. I am here to tell you that it is very easy and you can colour them and flavour them with whatever you like. In this round I made pink tortillas and green tortillas with the last of my ramps, which tasted amazing and nicely garlic forward. It might actually be a good business idea. Flavoured tortilla’s, I have never seen them, have you?
Mr. B loves tortillas and will eat them anytime with anything on top. Even if they are pink! I hope you like them too. Give them a try, cook them with your kids and be as creative as you can.
Ingredients
1.5 cups water
2 tsp. pitaya powder (pink dragonfruit powder)
2 cups masa harina
Method
Combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly until you form a soft dough
Divide the ball into 18 equal sized balls and then cover with a damp cloth
Working with one ball at a time, line a tortilla press with some parchment paper. Place the ball of masa in-between the two sheets and press until you have a tortilla that measures approximately 5-inches in diameter
Heat the skillet to a medium heat and cook for 30 seconds on each side, three times – 3 minutes each in total
Cover cooked tortillas with a cloth napkin to keep them soft and warm
‘When love is the base of something, it is a masterpiece’
This is an amazing recipe from David Bouley, it is a base recipe for any vegetarian soup you would like to make. It is silky, rich and delicious. The richness comes from the coconut and the tomato, garlic and shallots add the flavour profile. Once you have made the base you can eat the soup like that or add another blanched vegetable and blend. I added beautiful green ramp tops, which gave an additional boost to the garlic flavour.
As you can see from the picture, I used the coconut soup and ramp soup as a base for an asparagus appetizer. This was a light snack for Mr. B. Lucky man, I know right?!
You can also use this as a flavour booster to other dishes. I added it to mashed potatoes in another dish to give them a creamy texture and depth to the underlying flavor.
I learnt this dish at a mushroom class. It was a great class, but this was the lasting recipe I took away. This proves to me, a concept that I am realising more and more these days, that you need to follow your heart, but you won’t always know the outcome of where that will take you.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. oil
½ cup Garlic, peeled and chopped
½ cup Shallots, peeled and chopped
3 cups Coconut Milk
½ cup tomato water (the water from 4 Plum tomatoes, cut and drained) or a tsp. tomato paste diluted in hot water
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Method
Add oil, garlic and shallots and sauté for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly
Add the coconut milk, tomato water, bring to the boil, add salt and pepper
Cool, blend and sieve
This is a base for many recipes and any green vegetable. I used 2 cups blanched ramp tops and made a ramp soup
My wish for you is to Live Better, Strive Harder, Be Bolder, Dream Bigger, Climb Higher and Seek Greater.
My vision is to help people create food that is delicious, easy to make and high in nutrition, so that food once more becomes a vehicle to fuel your body, mind and soul.
I have always known the linkages between food and disease and seen its power to heal and to hurt not only in my own life but those of my family and friends. In 2018 I decided to take my knowledge seeking one step further and formally study the correlation through Cornell’s Center for Nutrition Studies. In addition, I have been reading formidable texts such as, How Not to Die (scientific evidence on the top 15 diseases and how to use nutrition to prevent them) and Brain Maker (how your gut health is linked to your brain heath).
The evidence clearly points to one central diet to maximize health and reverse preventable disease. A whole food plant-based diet. More plants and whole grains, less animal-based protein and processed foods. This way of eating is the best way to boost nutritional density and support your immune system.
Your immune system has always been responsible for and done a great job of regulating and healing your body. Cut your finger and watch that miracle happen in less than a day. When did we start accepting the notion that our bodies were created to fight against us?
We need to start thinking about the root cause of health issues and our food as our primary healthcare system. After all, you are what you eat.
Medication, illness and side effects detract time and energy away from our central purpose. It is time to take back the responsibility for our health and to allow our bodies to do what they have always done, heal.
Thomas Edison (1903) ‘The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease’
Ancient ayurvedic text (BC) ‘When food is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need’.
Hippocrates (370BC) ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’
These are not new concepts but as we continue to see an increase in illness, disability and death from preventable diseases they are needed now more than ever.
Since you have been following Tasha.Kitchen you will have noticed that my recipes and diet have moved in this direction already. In moving the blog to Plant To Table this is a formal recognition of this, as well as a mission to share some of the research and knowledge I have gained.
It has been said ‘it is harder to change a man’s diet than his religion’ and I understand the ties we all have to food, the heritage, the comfort, the controllable in the midst of a less than controllable world. I will take on these challenges and create recipes that are healthy and comforting, delicious and nutritious. If you send me your favorite dishes, I’ll help you make a healthy version. I look forward to taking this journey with you.
I like to make my own granola for health reasons but also for taste. I love sweet salt umami for example, so adding salt accentuates that element. Mr. B loves all things chocolate and hazelnut (Nutella), so I use hazelnuts as the nut in this mix. You can change these elements based on your own taste and you will have something just for you and your loved ones.
I honestly never thought I would be someone who made my own granola. It was something that people used to joke about, calling the more naturalistic in a crowd, ‘crunchy granola’. Looks like my inner hippy is coming out these days, making bread, granola, yogurt and pasta by hand using old fashioned granny methods and ingredients from the farmers market. I personally think maybe they had it right all along. A simple life, old fashioned values and plenty of love and respect for the ingredients and environment around you.
Ingredients
3 cups of gluten free rolled oats
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
¼ cup desiccated coconut
2 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp. coconut sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup raw cacao
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Method
Mix all the ingredients apart from the chocolate chips
Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, mixing half way through
Take out of the oven and let cool
Add chocolate chips and store in a glass jar….Or put a ribbon on and give to a friend
‘Indian food touches your soul before it touches your taste buds’
My wonderful husband Mr B, recently booked a tasting menu at a restaurant in New York for our anniversary. When I got there we realized that the vegetarian menu had a lot of dairy in it, which I don’t eat and so they offered me the ‘off the menu’ vegan option. This ‘off the books’ menu was out of this world and Mr. B said better than his non-vegan menu. The layering of flavors was profoundly deep, it tasted smoky, rich and complex. Like a really good Burgundy wine.
As with every amazing dish we discover, I decided that I would make it at home the next day. Mr. B says that is the advantage of having a wife whose favorite room is the kitchen. I decided to put my own spin on this dish and create a culture clash by placing it in a Chinese steamed bun and serving it with pea shoots and pickled chili.
Try it with rice, roti, as a canape, on top of a chickpea pancake or in a bao bun.
Ingredients
5 cup mushrooms sliced
½ onion, cubed
½ cup tomatoes, cubed
½ inch ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
10 cashew nuts
5 tbsp. oil
1 bay leaf
2 cardamom pods
1 inch cinnamon
½ tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garam masala
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup coconut milk
Method
Heat oil in a pan, add the cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and let infuse
Blend the tomato, ginger, garlic, onion and cashew to make the masala
Add the masala to the pan and cook down, add the garam masala, salt and smoked paprika
Add the mushrooms and mix in, cook for 5-7 minutes
If the mixture gets to thick add half a cup of water
‘I’ve always loved how food can preserve a memory’
My family loves a good Chinese meal, which we would gravitate towards for birthdays and celebrations. My grandma, mum and I would love eating spring rolls, no one else really did, so we would basically get the whole portion to ourselves. We don’t eat so many Chinese meals these days, nor spring rolls, but I do gravitate towards them when I am feeling home sick and so decided to make a healthier version, baked not fried and full of tasty vegetables.
This is actually really easy, as it is a quick stir-fry of pretty much any vegetable you have in the fridge, wrapped in phyllo pastry. Mr. B won’t eat Spring Rolls in a restaurant but ate 3 out of the 4 I made, so this is a Mr. B approved recipe.
Ingredients
½ cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, grated
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. soy sauce, tamari
½ tsp. pepper
6 sheets, phyllo pastry, thawed
Method
Stir fry the cabbage, carrot, spring onions in a little oil, adding the pepper and tamari, leave to cool
Roll out one of the phyllo sheets, spread oil over both sides
Add 2 tbsp. filling into one of the sides and fold up into a spring roll
Bake in a preheated oven (350f) until golden brown
‘The discovery of a new dish, does more for the happiness of the human race than the discovery of a new star’ (1775-1826: Anthem Brillat-Savarin)
This recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi. He is a big fan of savoury cakes that can be eaten at any temperature and still taste good. This makes a great addition to the lunch box or a side to a salad. He notes that wrapped well, that this cake will taste even better the next day and Mr B agrees as he had it for breakfast for a few days running.
I served this as part of an 11-dish dinner party as an intermediate course with a mustard watermelon salad. It is a mix between a brioche and frittata. It has layers of flavor with the onion, rosemary, basil, pecorino and has a whole cauliflower on the middle as a secret surprise.
Ingredients
1 small cauliflower, outer leaves removed
2 tsp. rock salt
1 medium red onion
5 tbsp. olive oil
½. Tsp fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. white sesame seeds
1 tsp. Nigella seeds (can use black sesame seeds or cumin)
7 eggs, free range and organic
½ cup basil leaves, chopped
1.5 cups grated pecorino
1 cup all-purpose baking flour
1.5 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. ground black pepper
Method
Preheat an oven to 400f
To prepare the cake, place the cauliflower florets and a tsp. salt into a saucepan of water and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender
Drain and set aside in a colander to dry
Cut 4 rounds from the onion and set aside
Chop the rest of the onion and fry with oil and the rosemary until soft, c.10 minutes
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool down
Meanwhile line the base of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper
Brush the sides with a little oil and toss the sesame and onion sides on the sides so they stick, set aside
Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl, add the eggs, basil and whisk
Add the cheese, flour, baking powder, turmeric, pepper and remaining salt
Whisk until smooth
Add the cauliflower and mix gently as you don’t want to break the florets any further
Pour the mixture into the pan, spreading evenly. Arrange the onion rings on top
Bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown, c. 45 minutes or until you can insert a knife and it comes out clean
Let it cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving
‘I’d rather have a cupboard full of herbs than a closet full of heals’
This is a beautiful dish using vibrant herbs to bring the dish to life. It is an old levantine dish, native to the middle east but widely eaten all over the world. I substituted the bulgar wheat here for quinoa on my husbands suggestion (Mr B also known as the reluctant foodie, is reluctant no more…)
Apart from cooking the quinoa, the rest of the prep is just chopping the vegetables and herbs. An easy quick after work recipe, good as lunch, dinner or a side to a summer BBQ.
Ingredients
½ cup quinoa
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
¼ tsp. salt and pepper
1 cup parsley, chopped
½ cup mint, chopped
½ cup coriander, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 English cucumber, diced
Method
Bring one cup of water to the boil
Meanwhile toast quinoa dry in a frying pan, till it gives off a toasty aroma
Once toasted, pour the quinoa in the boiling water
Turn down the heat and simmer until the water is absorbed
Remove from heat and allow to cool
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper
Combine the herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and quinoa, mix and add dressing
