A Creamy Dessert...That's Vegan!

 

It's not exactly the first thing you might think of when cooking vegan, but you can have creamy desserts without a drop of dairy! Nisha Vora, who wrote the new cookbook Big Vegan Flavor, came by Tonia's Kitchen with her recipe for Chai Spiced Custard Tart with Mango. Nisha told Tonia that while this dessert is inspired by the cuisine by her East Asian/Indian heritage, it is not as sweet as many of the authentic desserts you might find prepared in that tradition. To keep it vegan, Nisha uses coconut cream, vegan butter and ground almond flour. It's an amazing symphony of flavor, dairy-free!

Not The Lasagna You Were Expecting

 

It's actually different in many ways. Let's count them. 1. It has Indian food flavor influences. 2. It's healthy by way of subbing in zucchini for noodles. 3. It has a VERY different sauce. Let's back up. Vasudha Viswanath, who wrote the new cookbook Vegetarian Reset, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her Saag Lasagna recipe and a great story behind it. Vasudha told Tonia that growing up in India, she was exposed to a number of different cuisines from around the world. But in India, chefs and restaurants tend to play with their food, in that they add a lot of spices native to that country. As a result, you have totally different takes on various dishes that you might not expect. Vasudha's Saag Lasagna is an example (and perhaps an improvement) on this Italian classic. She says it's craveable!

Saag Lasagna

INGREDIENTS | Makes 3 servings 

·       1 lb zucchini, cut in half and sliced 1.5mm thick using mandoline or knife

·       1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

·       PALAK SAUCE

o   1 tbsp ghee

o   1 tsp cumin seeds

o   1 green chili

o   1 tbsp ginger, shredded

o   1 tbsp garlic, minced

o   1 onion (250g), roughly chopped

o   1 lb spinach, fresh or frozen

o   1 tsp garam masala

o   1 tsp salt, to taste

RICOTTA MIX

o   15 oz ricotta cheese, full fat

o   1/4 cup parmesan, shredded

o   Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

·       Step 1 - Salt zucchini lightly and keep aside for 15-20 mins to draw out the water. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

·       Step 2 - For the palak sauce - saute cumin seeds in ghee and caramelize onions. Add green chili, ginger and garlic and saute for 30 sec. Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil and add spinach gradually until it wilts. Add salt, garam masala and mix. Blend until smooth

·       Step 3 - Mix ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper and set aside. Pat zucchini dry with a tissue

·       Step 4 - Layer 1/3 palak sauce, 1/3 zucchini slices and 1/2 ricotta mix in the loaf pan. Repeat. For the last layer, add the remaining 1/3 palak sauce, 1/3 zucchini slices and top with mozzarella

·       Step 5 - Bake for 30-40 mins or until golden brown on top

Serve hot

 

A Different Kind of Pesto

  

No question, pesto is an import direct from Italy, and you find it being used in a number of dishes right here in the United States. But have you ever thought of giving this Italian staple an east-Asian twist?  Deepa Thomas, who wrote the cookbook Deepa's Secrets came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her pesto, and how she infuses Indian-fusion into what's quickly becoming one of America's favorite dishes.  Deepa told Tonia she uses cilantro, mint, basil, thyme, onion, sum-dried tomato and a number of spices.  She combines them with organic cannellini beans and then purees it all in a blender.  Deepa told Tonia she gives some props for this recipe to Michelin-star rated chef Ralph Oswald, who owns restaurants in the Los Angeles area.  The two talked about what a fun dish this would be to make, and it's tasty too.  A little bit of Rome, by way of Bombay!