lunch

Roast chicken and beet pickle tacos

April 18, 2017 by edlyngd@gmail.com

I’m very close to declaring May as “no-blog-month”. But if you know me like I know myself, I probably won’t do no a no-blog-month because I don’t know how to relax. HELP me. I was supposed to come back from Seattle today (I also went yesterday. It’s a 50 min bus ride from my house), sit on the bed and scroll my phone endlessly. Instead I planted onions and now I’m writing this. I walked at least 20 km in 2 days. I don’t know what that means in steps but it was uphill, downhill, through a park, every floor of the library, into a Salumi line, past privileged Seattle, into a P-Patch and under the ropes at Rancho Bravo Tacos in no specific order….

Brown rice bowl with cumin chickpeas, cilantro-mint chicken and yogurt

April 7, 2014 by Edlyn

Today, I asked my friends whether they ever felt they did the college thing differently. A lot of my friends went on the advertising path and a majority of my people chose journalism. I wanted to write for newspapers so I (thought I) knew where I belonged. I am such a smart one like that. I loved my class. We were a small class and the men and women that taught us were hilarious. I feel bold enough to say that some of them didn’t do their jobs well, but at least we got to laugh a lot at their eccentricities. I think I can forget about asking for a recommendation letter now. Good bye imaginary fellowship. I wish I knew the difference between you and a scholarship. I’d rather be a fellow.

(Writer, come back to what you were saying)

If I look at where I am right now, I sometimes feel bad for my choice. Not because it was the wrong decision but because print journalism is somewhat of a dying art. It’s so bleak and dismal. Nobody trusts us and if they do, we’re probably out of a job.

I feel (sadistically) happy to report that my friends are just as confused as me. There’s always a lot of pressure to conform and have a working plan. YAY! They don’t have a plan either. One friend gladly embraced the fact that she only has short term goals. You go girlfrand. I think it’s amazing that she knows that. Having even the slightest knowledge of your expectations can make you feel at peace with yourself. I had such moments every now and then and they were blissful. But if you don’t know, what are you supposed to do? I’m rarely convinced of what the right path is.

In February, Minila was shopping for her bridesmaids’ jewellery at the mall in Malad. Her sister Neola, best friend Roanna and I went along. They were bridesmaids and I was a house guest/prisoner. After some 3 or 4 hours of a crazy game of process of elimination + looking at every piece of cute bling + she says, she says, we finally made it to the checkout line…with jewellery! I was standing with Roanna, who is an amazingly crafty, stylish, creative genius and we were talking some rubbish as usual. Incredibly awkward me and nervous giggling us, she said something very profound. I didn’t tell her how great what she said sounded because I have this horrible habit of reacting internally. I wish I could just scream sometimes. If I try to quote her, I would do a shitty job so I’ll paraphrase. Actually, I don’t even think I can paraphrase so I’ll tell you that it had something to do with her being content that she’s doing what she’s doing…that when it’s time for her to UNLEASH THE CREATIVE BEAST, she’ll know. I’ve known Roanna because of her best friend. She’s always so encouraging and supportive of creative ideas, not knowing that her words mean a lot when you’re screaming into an empty jar. She said magical words. “Listen here universe, I’m ready when you’re ready!”

About that college stuff, I’ve come to realise how little it really signifies. Nobody can point you in the right direction and stories like this only make it worse. Don’t you think it’s harder to believe the writer’s intentions when he has a job with The Economist?

I love my ability to create and I love knowing people with the same talent. Surrounding myself with them is enough for me. Sorry, money. Getting a degree in Journalism wasn’t a leap of faith. It was natural. We are a generation of hyper-informed/stimulated/i-don’t-know-what-else, but let’s not stop creating. Many, many years from now, these tangible things we made, will make us happy. They might be a stepping stone to something kind of cool, a wonderful memory or nothing at all. Don’t disappoint yourself by never trying. Create wonder.

That goes double for me.

I am actually doing well, thank you! I’m sure you were wondering. Me and the blawg go through life in sickness and in health. What a pain in the rear. This recipe is actually a bunch of teeny tiny recipes rolled into one. Some can be done a day ahead and some on the day. Cooking for myself usually consists of foraging in the refrigerator for things I can stuff in a bowl for lunch. Here is one not-so-unplanned outcome. I hope you find inspiration from it. Make me happy. Stuff yo face.

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup chickpeas/garbanzo beans (kabuli chana), soaked overnight or 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin powder
1 300gm chicken breast
3 tbsp cilantro-mint chutney
2 carrots, grated
Spinach leaves, chopped once, right in the middle

For the yogurt dressing

½ cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp tahini
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp turmeric powder
2 cloves roasted garlic

For the garnish

A pinch of paprika
Cilantro, to garnish (optional)

Now for the funnest part, making all of this. First you cook the rice*.

Next you cook the chickpeas, which you so diligently soaked all night. Rinse them out from the water they were soaking in. They will have doubled in size and quantity by now. Put them in a pot of water with the bay leaves and salt. The more water the better. I used 6 cups. Bring the water to a boil on medium high heat and then turn the heat down to a slow boil. Cover the pot with a lid but keep it slightly open on one end. The water should still be boiling with the lid on top so adjust the heat accordingly. The cooking process will take about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Stir occasionally. I usually check to see how the chickpeas “sound” and “feel” when I’m stirring it to predict when it’s ready. If they still clank or clunk on the back of the spoon, they need some more time. A smoother stir means they’re ready. Alternatively, you could just taster about 3 of them from different parts of the pot. Once you’re satisfied with their readiness, rinse the chickpeas and put them in a bowl. Coat with olive oil and cumin powder and keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, which in this house takes so much time that I have managed to raise my own chicken family. They do not like to see me roast chicken breasts so I distract them with a special Indian dance. Just kidding. I WISH I HAD CHICKENS!

Marinate the chicken breast in the cilantro-mint chutney for a minimum of an hour. You can do this step a day ahead as well and marinate it overnight. Longer you marinate, the better the flavour. Line a baking sheet with foil, place the chicken on top, uncovered and cook the meat for 25-30 minutes. Let it cook for 10 minutes and then cut it into bite-sized-looks-pretty-in-a-bowl pieces.

Grate the carrots, chop up some spinach and prepare your cilantro for garnish.

To make the dressing, you will want to have roasted garlic on hand. It’s simple: Turn your oven temp down to 375 degrees F. Take a whole garlic bulb and cut the top. Place the garlic head side up in a cake or pie dish lined with aluminum foil. Put 1 tbsp of olive on top. Cover the garlic with the foil and let it roast for 35-40 minutes. Once you pull it out of the oven, squeeze the cloves out of their skins and then smash them with the back of a spoon. You will need just 2 large cloves for this dressing (approx 2 tbsp). Now you can make the dressing for an easy peasy kick by mixing the yogurt with the lime juice, tahini, roasted garlic and turmeric.

To assemble the bowl, start with the brown rice, then add the garbanzo/chickpeas/chana, pop in some chicken, grated carrot, chopped spinach and last top with the Greek yogurt dressing, cilantro and paprika. You can add and subtract whatever you like and you don’t even have to tell me.

Suggestion: If you don’t want the chicken, just marinate the chickpeas in the cilantro-mint chutney instead. You can use the same overnight principle of flavour notch-upping or you can put it in at the very end.

(*I’ve linked you to an almost perfect way to cook brown rice. If you have your own method, share it with me. I always feel really lucky while cooking rice. Not lucky in the “Oh! I’m blessed by the rain from the skies” way. Lucky in the “Did I just do that” way.)

Thoughts + Spring greens and marinated mushroom spring rolls

May 15, 2013 by Edlyn

Thoughts when I wake up these days:

Should I eat? Maybe I should run. But what about writing? Maybe I’ll run later but I’m going to write soon after breakfast. Oh hell where did these dishes come from? Okay so I’ll wash this right after breakfast because I’m going to dirty more stuff anyway. Frying pans, wash yourself sometime. Try. What should I eat? An egg? Sounds good. Maybe two sound better. I have pesto (I always have pesto) I can eat it with and some mushrooms. Now I feel like drinking coffee. WHAT ABOUT YOUR RUN?! I guess I’ll have to wait two hours or so. Don’t want a side ache. I can’t remember when I said I would write but I’m thinking my brain will be more serotonin-y after and I’ll write an awesome post. I can even think about what to start with while running. Yes! Great plan. Eggs, eggs.

*Crack* Over easy, make toast, scoop pesto, chop mushrooms and 3 minutes tops and I’m ready to eat and yay, coffee is ready too. Sugar, cream, breakfast time. Should I take a picture? Nah I’ll take one when I make this for the 18,0000 time.

(10 minutes later)

This breakfast rocked. Shit. Dishes. Bleah.

(15 minutes and clean dishes later)

Should I go back to sleep? NO! The dogs need to go for a walk and all the other unpleasant but necessary stuff. Look at Chevy, he’s killing me with his sad dog face. Drama queen.

(15 minutes and two relieved dogs later)

Mmmmm I want cake. Run, remember? Whatever, I’ll just hydrate. Maybe I should write while waiting. Wait, I should FaceTime with Goa.

(45 minutes to 1 hour of FaceTime later)

I’m hungry.

This is what I eat because apart from the cutting of carrots, everything is almost always cut and in the refrigerator ready to go. It’s this new thing I’m trying to allow me to not get overwhelmed by the day ahead, especially when it comes to food. If you read what I just wrote, you’ll see that it’s working quite well. What? You don’t see it? Muggles.

Ingredients

5 sheets of rice paper or tapioca starch paper
2 1/2 carrots (110 gms), cut into matchsticks or grated
1 avocado, seed and skin removed and mashed in a bowl
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
50 gms spring salad greens (or as much as you’d like to put in each roll)
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

To marinate the mushroom

3 large crimini mushrooms (3/4 cup), sliced vertically
1 garlic pod, grated fine
1 tsp honey
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp peanut oil
1 tsp lite soy sauce
1 scallion, chopped fine

I am having the most difficult time finding my words today BUT I’ll cry my river some other day.Today I will attempt to explain the subtle art of mushroom marination.

Just kidding, it’s not an art.

Take the stem off the mushroom and have the smooth side of the cap facing up. Slice it fine in one direction and put it in a bowl. Chop up the stems you took off as well and mix with the rest. Don’t want the stem to feel bad. I mean it only supported a huge head of fungus till us humans could rightfully consume it. Anthropomorphisation deactivated. Sorry.Add the rest of the ingredients to the mushrooms and let it sit for up to 3 hours or overnight too if you’ve planned in advance, unlike me.

Mash the avocado in a bowl and mix the onions in it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Wash the salad greens dry and then squeeze some lemon juice on top of them. Mix well and then go on to the carrots.

Okay so you might be wondering why I’ve listed 2 1/2 carrots aka 2.5 carrots in the ingredients. It’s because at the 2.5 point, I turned my index finger into a filet. No big deal. I iced, lemon juiced and bandaged it but not before reminding myself how much I really really reaaaallly really hate cutting carrots! Next time I make this, I’m grating them. Or maybe I should just learn a new trick. Like carrot mind control.

Once you cut the carrots into matchsticks, set them aside and start working on assembling the grand finale: FOOD. I’ve explained in this post (after the fourth picture) how to turn solid rice paper into a malleable spring roll that you can fill and roll. Have a clean basin of warm water and a damp, clean tea towel ready. That and here’s the link again, just in case you missed it.

On the side of the spring roll closest to you, spread on the avocado. A little less than a tablespoon of it should be fine. On top of it, put on the marinated mushrooms. Then put together a set of spring salad greens in between your thumb and index finger and place it over the mushrooms. Within this sort of cocoon of leaves, lay on a few matchstick carrots. You need to have enough for four other spring rolls so even them out that way.

Roll up the rice paper tight but not too tight and I think they’re ready. Yeah. I’ll go now. I might have to run.

PS: Other great fillers for this are cucumber, basil, chicken (3 of these had oven-baked chicken in them for the dude boy) or even tofu. If you have better or more out-of-the-box suggestions, let me know.

Get salad done Monday + Black lentil salad, that is.

April 15, 2013 by Edlyn

Where salad is another word for “stuff” and “stuff” is poop. If you’ve been reading stuff I’ve written so far, you’ll must already know how much I love doing dishes. I love it so much that I do them at least thrice a day. If I can’t find anything to wash, I make myself an unnervingly complicated bowl of food which requires no less than 83 utensils. Then I sit down and heave a sigh of relief because god knows what I’d have done if I didn’t have 83 utensils to wash.

I would have cried. Hopeless tears.

I’ve observed people around kitchen sinks all my life. Whatever they did while scrubbing blackened pots and pans looked simple enough. Yet, I felt guilt. Guilt that I did nothing to help dirty all those things and guilt that I only washed my own plate. And hand. Because that’s how we eat back in the South of the East. I knew it would eventually catch up to me.

All this love I had for washing dishes wasn’t going to stay bottled up in my big juicy heart forever. It spilled out into a sea of suds and blue scrubbers (many times over) ever since I started writing about my lust for eatable green world. Safe to say, I am overjoyed. I can now wash as many butter knives as I want without the slightest fear that somebody else (let alone a dishwasher!) is going to take away my sink full of dreams.

Butter knives? Sink full? It’s for when I want to study the wonders of natural peanut butter in pockets throughout the day. It’s going well so far, thanks for asking. Use a spoon, you say? Oh.

Studies show that using a spoon is a sure sign of an addiction. One that nobody should be willing to admit unless coaxed by observers forced to take out recycling bins full of jars that say “Skippy”. I speak like I know the truth, but really, all I know is there are certain cooking utensils that I love washing a lot more than others.

Spoons. Those same guys. Three sizes they come in. No idea why, but they’re breathtaking when you let the wonder that is running water caress their backs and it looks like a Vegas fountain. Turn the spoon the other way three seconds later and your face gets a free wash. WOW. Truly amazing.

Those scissor-looking things that people use to flip over bacon on pans and such. What a marvelous idea. I really do not know how my fingers have survived all these years without it. Washing the ends of this device is something I would give my left arm to Science for. And I don’t give things up to Science for nothing, ya know.

Knives. Oh if there was anything in the world that made me value the truth of dish-washing, knives would be it. Right on top. Number 1 and nothing less. How else could I explain the concern knives feel for me when they make me slow down. Pause. And breathe. And cherish the fact that it’s not those scissor-looking things that people use to flip over bacon that care for my fingers. It’s the knives. They love my fingers the most.

Non-stick pans and how little they actually make me work. I just have to blow on them and tuck them into a floor cabinet. Anything more is just too much Mama bear.

Pop yo collar (sometimes exploding) Pyrex. Because nothing makes me value my life more than having to see it all disappear in a matter of seconds.

Glasses where protein shakes once lived. They teach me the importance of soaking, and perseverance if I forget.

You see, I’m truly lucky. Blessed beyond measure. Ecstatic. Over the moon. Crock pot crazy! And if you know me, you’ll know that this is nothing out of the ordinary.

I feel like I’m starting to understand the vinaigrette formula better each day, and understanding it helps me adapt it to my arbitrary taste. I did a simple Internet search for a basic vinaigrette and most of them say that the ratio of vinegar to oil should be 1:3 (1tbsp vinegar:1tbsp oil). I’ve tried that formula and it works for sure but my Goan tastebuds are stubborn and they want more of the bite vinegar offers. You can tone it down if you prefer. I’m sorry if my vinegar-frenzy killed your throat or something.

Ingredients

1 cup black lentils, cooked and cooled
1/4 cup cooked and cooled quinoa (optional. I made this salad when I made those roasted carrots so I just threw in some of the quinoa that I used there)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts (unless you have allergies)
3 cups salad greens (I used a mesclun mix)

For the vinaigrette

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Crack of pepper
Zest of 1/2 a lemon or 1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tsp honey (optional)

To cook the black lentils, first you have to buy them. Bring them home, scoop out half a cup and soak them in water overnight or for 10-12 hours. The next day, drain the water and put them in a pot of water with salt on medium heat for 25-30 minutes. The lentils should be just cooked through and not mushy. If they are mushy, kick it in the face and use them anyway. Life’s too short to waste good black lentils.

Roast the peanuts on a dry pan on medium high heat until they release their oils and become fragrant. Rinse and dry the salad leaves.

As for the dressing, in a small cup or bowl, mix together the vinegar and olive oil. Using a spoon or whisk, beat it until it combines. Add the salt and pepper and lemon parts and mix. Finally add the Greek yogurt to hold the vinaigrette together with its fattiness. Mix in the honey at the end.

In a medium bowl, bring the greens and lentils. Pour as much dressing as you want over and mix well. Toss the roasted peanuts in and serve cold. Guaranteed to leave your kitchen sink only slightly overwhelmed.

Can’t live without rainbows Thursday

April 11, 2013 by Edlyn

I’m tired. I’m tired. I’m tired. My eyes want to be closed but my brain doesn’t want to be asleep. It’s cool. We can all have breathing deep kinda days, can’t we?

Alrighty then.

I do love getting off on the right foot. It much better than getting off on the wrong foot, something I’m also quite good at. What I don’t want to do is not brag about my Thursdays. Back in the day, Thursday was my solace, my day to forget time and my one and only weekend. It’s tough working for a newspaper. People seem to want the news everyday and when you’re not the boss, you don’t get to pick which day you want to flip them ALL off.

I picked Thursday. I would’ve rather had Tuesday, my original weekend but Thursday was just laying there, inviting me in. I rolled my eyes and took it. Thursday can be quite dramatic.

This Thursday (I mean the one I’m sitting in right now), was very dramatic. By that I mean, nothing happened. I didn’t get my day off which technically doesn’t exist anymore. I’m glad it doesn’t. I was the only one (well, Claire too for a while) who couldn’t say TGIF. I’m not going to be a day basher. I’ve always loved all days equally. If you’re not living your life on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday or this day of Friday, then you’re not doing much of this living thing at all. I object to not living. The alternative is quite unpleasant.

As Awesomepants just said, “bloggers need holidays too.” I agree. But today is Thursday.

It needs me.

Ingredients

1 bunch of rainbow carrots (Count 7 carrots in all)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup (you can also use honey)
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F which in my house takes eight Thursdays. Days I’ll never get back again, but this is something I have to do. For the fans.

(edit: I didn’t peel the carrots. I just rinsed them well and dried them off. You can peel them before of after they’re roasted. Your choice)

On a baking sheet lined with foil, line up the carrots like prisoners and rub them with olive oil. Pour the balsamic vinegar next and then add the salt and pepper to taste. For me, 1 tsp of salt plus a little bit more was enough. 1 tsp plus a little more….you don’t get instructions like this anymore, do you?

It’s better if you do not.

Close the foil over the carrots and place the tray on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes. At the 30-minute mark, pull the tray out of the oven and drizzle on the maple syrup. Leave the foil open this time around and place it back in the oven for 15 more minutes. The carrots are ready when they’re caramelised and you can pierce a butter knife easily through the largest carrot.

That was easy. My love for roasted carrots and beets is insatiable so it better be easy.

Serve with quinoa or just eat them the way they are. I ate all 7. Once and a half. I know what I’m talking about.

Hope you had a more relaxing Thursday. If you’re in India you’re over it and wondering what the heck I’m talking about.

Oh nothing much. TGIF.

Can’t live without sweet potato sandwich Thursday

April 4, 2013 by Edlyn

Something very strange happened yesterday. I went over to my neighbour’s flat and knocked on her door. She opened it. This is not unusual. Well maybe it is a little bit in most of America but in this case, it’s boring. I know her. We’ve met. At a bus stop, but yet, we’ve done the this and that required for initial human contact.

After talking for a bit, she turned on the TV, went to the red logo magical streaming thing, and hit play on a show I never thought I’d watch: Desperate Housewives. Ick. Sorry Ranvijay and everybody else who worships the Cherry or Berry that created these women, I can’t help rolling my eyes at some of the stuff that comes up.

And my eyes really hurt.

As it typically goes, my sweet neighbour asked me if I watched these women and their secret everything lies. As it typically goes with questions I don’t want to answer, I did my diplomatic “Ohhh my mother and sister used to watch it. Big fans.” Why I feel the need to not disappoint her is beyond me. Maybe I thought she loved her role as a stay at home mother so much that watching a desperate housewife was something very personal for her. Considering the phase of life I find myself in, that fictitious world it’s 100000% something I’d like to pretend never existed in my memory.

Ever.

Thank you.

Because some days sandwiches are the last thing I want to be known for and other days they’re my only friends.

Because some days (most days) I feel like I’m too young for this and other days my stretchy pants feel like a very good deal.

Because some days I just want my own money so I can book airplane tickets to places I close my eyes and point to and other days I can’t get past the door.

Because some days I want to deny Desperate Housewives and the fact that I know their names (Mother, sister, remember?) and other days Susan Delfino Season 7 episode *I don’t know*.

Okay it was episode 3. I know because I googled it.

Now leave me alone.

Roasted spicy sweet potato goat cheese and pesto sandwich

The in-house carnivore loved this sandwich. In this case his opinion matters because he is the in-house carnivore and I am the in-house lentil-eating, rice-munching, spinach-grazing non in-house carnivore. And I unhealthily heart taters. Precious. (Movie reference. Name it, win a lifetime of photographs I take of myself in the bathroom mirror).

Though I have added quantities for the spices (and cheese and pesto), it complete depends on you and how much more or less you want to add. The fennel seeds add a very “refreshing” flavour, the cumin adds spicy smokiness and the red pepper flakes add heat. The goat cheese adds happiness and the pesto justifies the goat cheese, plus MOAR. Own it.

Ingredients

4 slices of bread (I used whole wheat Pane Francese {it’s like a baguette but with more volume} and made two 6 inch sandwiches)
1 sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 oz goat cheese (at room temperature)
2 oz cilantro basil pesto
2 handfuls of winter greens washed, dried and tossed with lemon juice

Finally, I begin!

Peel the sweet potato and chop it…erm. I forgot the word. What I mean to say is you have to cut it the opposite of length-wise, into the little circles about 1/4 inch thick. I am the best recipe-writer in the world right now.

Thankfully I have a picture for it.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, which is my house takes 10 days and by that time I’ve paid for 8 deli sandwiches from the corner store. I kid. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with foil and brushing it lightly with olive oil. In a bowl, toss the cut sweet potato in olive oil, and the spices + the salt. Place them on the sheet and pop it in the oven for 30 minutes. At the 15-minute mark, you need to turn each slice of potato so it cooks on the other side too. You want it to be tender on the inside and slightly golden brown delish on the outside. As you can see in the picture above, the potato slices were a bit uneven in thickness. It didn’t matter too much except for the smaller slices which cooked and got blackened too much on the edges. No. Big. Deal. You will have enough for 2 sandwiches either way.

Set the oven to broil (500 degrees F), slice the bread LENGTH-WISE (THANK YOU) and place it in the hot oven face down. Leave it in for 3 minutes and get the other sandwich fillings ready to fill ‘er up. I’m going to be pretentious of the order of things. I urge you to rebel. I’m fickle like that.

Spread the cilantro-pesto basil on the base of the sandwich. YUM.
Sweet potato goes on top.
Lemony greens.
Goat cheese on the very top. Go thick or go home.
Why does this sound the way it sounds?
It’s ready to eat.
It can sound any way it wants right now.

Your sandwich is ready. You don’t need to read this anymore.

GO.

Eat.

Can’t live without Thursday on Friday: Starring beets

March 1, 2013 by Edlyn

AKA Throwback Thursday on Friday. AKA I forgot to write this post because girrrrlfriend, I had other shit to do.

All these non-existent jobs I have are taking too much of my blogging time. I made myself understand that I do need work and until I become world-famous, this is the path I need to take. Yesterday I spent a lot of time reading about local farming and seeing if there’s any work or learning experiences in it for me. It has nothing to do with my degree but who follows that stuff anyway?

I’ve been thinking a lot about food since I moved here. In a stuff my face way as well as what exactly I’m stuffing my face with way. Grocery shops are nothing like they are back in Goa. People are so much more spoiled for choice and within all these options lay my biggest doubts. I’m reading labels and I don’t understand why half the stuff that’s in plain milk is in plain milk. I worry…because I was so used to getting vegetables a few hours away, from across the state border. Our vegetables had spots, sometimes we’d find worms in the pea shells (I’m still scared of shelling peas), the tomatoes would spoil in less than a week and no amount of love would keep fresh spinach looking fresh if you didn’t cook it on the same day.

I like that.

Why don’t we let the same rules that we apply to ourselves, apply to our food? Food that comes from the earth is supposed to be imperfect. Thank you farmer for perfecting the art of growing uniform, refrigerator-sized melons but I want it to be a struggle. I want my produce to spoil because if it doesn’t, all it has been reduced to is a convenience. Food isn’t convenient. Back home, my parents will shop twice if not thrice a week for vegetables. They’re brought in fresh on Sunday and exhausted on the same day if not the next. My dad turns into angry young man if there aren’t vegetables for him to cook for lunch every morning. Quick ‘n’ easy works but why go there?

I’m sure hugsband feels the same way but he hasn’t wrapped his head around it like I have. This is his world; I’m the one with the “other perspective”. I don’t want to force him to drive me to every farmer’s market or pick up the weekly CSA basket. We still shop at a grocery chain but thankfully, they have a section of local produce that looks “ugly” enough to draw me in..if you know what I mean.

If I sound like I’m complaining, I’m not. I just want the farmers who grow our food to be more responsible. Supporting your local farms is the only way. For those who have already chosen this path, congratulations. Your lovely insides are now part of an amazing debate.

Roasted vegetable peasant soup with cilantro pesto

My beetroot romance goes back to the day I took my first bite of them and they made my tongue a deep red. Then I’d ask the all important question: “Efj nuah naung ehd?”. After that, there was no looking back. If you asked me what my perfect beet recipe was, I’d say sliced, cooked till soft, with salt and pepper. It doesn’t take much. I wish I remembered this before I scoured 85 cookbooks looking for a recipe that lets the dear beets, be beets without me having to change my clothes and walk to the store. Hey, there are important decisions! Finally, she helped me..a woman after my own screwy Louie brain. Only difference is that she looks 10 times more attractive than I do right now in my sweatpants and unintentional windswept hair. Whatever.. YOU’RE the stalker.

Ingredients

2 beets, stalks cut off
2 carrots, peeled
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup rotinin (the colourful kind, which will eventually all turn red anyway so use what makes you happy)
3/4 cup garbanzo beans (I soaked them overnight and then cooked them in salted water for an hour)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves (.7 oz)
1 tsp lime juice
15 lightly toasted almonds
4 tbsp olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, folks. Mine take 2 hours to get that hot so I ran laps around the apartment to annoy the neighbours. Sweet deal.

Line a small baking dish with foil and add the washed beets and carrots to it. Coat them well with 3 tbsp of olive oil, salt and some pepper. Place it into the oven and cook for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, I got angry knocks on my door. Don’t be like me.

For the cilantro pesto, I de-leafed the cilantro and put it in a blender. I could’ve use a food processor but I don’t know the difference yet. To toast the almonds, fill a champagne flute with…oh never mind. I put the almonds on another baking tray and popped them in the oven along with the veggies for about 5 minutes. I pulled them out mid-way just to toss them around before I took them out for reals.

To the cilantro, add the almonds, cheese, garlic, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, lime juice and a tbsp of olive oil. While blending, pour in the rest of the olive oil in a thin stream until it comes together in a green harmony. If it feels too dry, add more olive oil by the teaspoon. It’s ready when there’s still traces of almond crunch and it’s pasty enough to spread easily on bread.

The beets and carrots should be done by this point so take them out of the oven. Peel the beets and chop them and then do the same with the carrots.

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a large pot and then add the rotini. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add the garbanzo beans and 3 tbsp of the pesto and cook for a few more minutes till the pasta is al dente.

Now you have 2 choices as per Bev’s recipe. You can either stir the roasted vegetables into the pot or serve them in bowls and then spoon the vegetables on the top. I did both, but that’s just me. Whichever you choose, don’t forget to spoon a bit more of the cilantro pesto on the top.

Don’t make me say I told you so.

Red tongue, here I come!