Last weekend, I had such a lovely, rejuvenating visit with my best college girlfriends, as always. The four of us try to get together for a long weekend at least once a year (this year we’ve actually managed three!). It’s the easiest sort of friendship – one where you know everyone so well that you don’t have to worry about what you say or how weird you sound. We spend a lot of time snuggling and a lot of time talking and laughing and last, eating. We love to eat. Obviously, eating is very important to me, so it’s great to have friends that are on the same page. But it can get a bit heavy, particularly at this time of year. I have a lot of dinners out coming up in the near future, and I’m looking forward to all of them, but I’m also trying to eat lighter at any meal that is not a celebration. I’ve been craving vegetables and whole grains and other things that leave me feeling light and fresh in between eating fests, so it was perfect timing to receive a copy of Diana Henry’s newest cookbook, Simple.

I’m a big fan of Diana Henry – I have four of her books, all of which are in heavy use in my kitchen. I love her books first and foremost because she is a whiz with flavors, and I love her food, period. But I also love that all the books have the same clean, appealing design and colorful, casual photography. The books are inviting – they remind me what it is I love about food. As is perhaps obvious from the title, this book focuses on simple food – the kind of thing you can throw together on a weeknight with what you have in the fridge. It’s basically an ode to the way I cook when I’m only feeding myself, full of vegetable roasts and fancy nourishing toasts and quick but healthy pastas. There’s even a special two page section dedicated to fillings for baked potatoes! Seriously, Diana is a woman after my own heart. This is the book I’m going to recommend to friends who love food and want to learn to cook but don’t know where to start. It has all the simple recipes and techniques that you need to learn when you first learn to cook for yourself, but still feels creative and balanced.

The first recipe I made is an adaptation of Diana’s Roast Cauliflower with Pomegranates, Green Olives, and Chickpea Puree. I love crunchy roasted chickpeas, so rather than blending the chickpeas into a hummus, I roasted them with the cauliflower and used the other hummus ingredients to make an addictive tahini dressing. I tossed everything together with a generous amount of fresh parsley leaves and juicy pomegranate seeds and it was amazing, exactly what I want to be eating in between plates of Christmas cookies. And bonus: about halfway through the bowl, I realized that this recipe was naturally gluten free and vegan.  This is not a very frequent occurence in my house – we love cheese and we love bread. So when I don’t even realize a recipe has neither? That’s a win.

Recipe Shortlist: Huevos Rotos; Baked Merguez Sausage with Beans, Eggs, and Feta; Smoky Couscous; Salmon, Fennel, and Potatoes en Papillote; Roast Maple and Mustard Spatchock Chicken with Figs; Spanish Spiced Pork with Sherried Onions; Baked Sausages with Apples and Cider; Butternut Squash Strata; Roast Apple, Blackberry, and Whiskey Trifles

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door in the box on the right, on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Simple from Mitchell Beazley, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Roast Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad with Pomegrante, Green Olives, and Tahini Dressing

Adapted from Diana Henry’s Simple. Serves 3-4.

• 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas
• 6 TBS olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp sea salt
• black pepper
• 1/3 cup walnut halves and pieces, toasted in a dry pan for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned
• 1/2 cup pitted, chopped green olives
• seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 3 TBS minced fresh parsley
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely minced or crushed
• 3 TBS tahini paste
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the cauliflower florets out on one rimmed baking sheet and the chickpeas out on another rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together 4 TBS of the olive oil, the cayenne pepper, the cumin seeds, sea salt, and black pepper until evenly combined. Pour half of the oil over the cauliflower and half over the chickpeas. Use a spatula to flip the ingredients to coat with the olive oil.
2. Place pans in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes. The cauliflower is done when it is tender all the way through and caramelized on the edges. The chickpeas are done when they are crunchy and golden brown. Add roasted chickpeas and cauliflower to a large bowl. Add the toasted walnuts, chopped olives, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley to the bowl and stir together.
3. To make the dressing, whisk the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil together with the minced garlic, the tahini paste, the lemon juice, and the cumin until smooth and thick. Taste and adjust balance of ingredients if desired. Add the dressing to the bowl and stir to coat the ingredients. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The post Book Club: Simple // Roast Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

The Book: Although I somehow missed Sprouted Kitchen’s eponymous first book (so many cookbooks, so little time!), after the rave reviews I saw for it all over my favorite blogs, I wasn’t about to make the same mistake with their newest book, Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon. If you’re not familiar with Sara and Hugh’s lovely blog, please take a few minutes to go check it out – it’s full of warmth, love, and healthy, wholesome meals. In their newest book, which is a seamless continuation of their blog, they take the somewhat trendy idea of “bounty bowls” (see also “earth bowl,” “broth bowl,” etc… even Panera now sells “broth bowls” of quinoa, lentils, and kale, although to be honest, I’m not sure how a broth bowl is different from soup) and explore it to the fullest. They’ve managed to turn everything from breakfast (cabbage, fennel, and apple slaw with smoked salmon) to dessert (key lime eton mess) into a “bowl” meal. Perhaps the best description of what qualifies as a “bowl” is that it should be a hearty but healthy mixture of grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, eggs, lean meats, and flavorful sauces, served together in a big bowl but with each element maintaining it’s own flavors and integrity. The recipes that Sara and Hugh have included are not particularly innovative or particularly classic – what they are is well-loved, tried and true meals that a family that loves to cook and eat has come to rely on. I love that the recipes are healthy without being restrictive – they won’t deny you eggs, a little cheese, or a few spoonfuls of maple syrup. They are also simple – nothing in this book should overwhelm you, even if you’re a tentative cook. Everything is simple to prepare, simple to serve, and simple to eat, the sort of food you’d happily whip up and pack for a picnic, but with smart, bright flavors throughout.

The Food: In my last post, I lamented my recent (poor) eating habits, driven largely by my nutty travel schedule (I have another week-long trip starting tomorrow, and I’m planning to be a lot more diligent about what goes into my body this time!). Coming home to a copy of Bowl + Spoon waiting for me in the mail was exactly what I needed – it’s full of inspiration for healthy, nourishing, and simple meals to fuel you through a busy day. The first recipe I turned to was the Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl, because it was exactly to my tastes without even a small tweak (although I did skip the carrots as Trevor is allergic). The base of the bowl is a hearty scoop of brown rice, which is then topped with a raw kale slaw dressed in a sweet and savory tahini and citrus sauce. The crowning elements are sesame and soy roasted portobello mushrooms, and perfectly ripe avocado. The beauty of this recipe, besides that it’s filling, healthy, and super simple to prepare, is that each element has a distinct flavor – they don’t run together and end up tasting like a stirfry. I made this two nights in a row, and my body and tastebuds were both grateful.

Recipe Shortlist: Burrata with Figs and Crostini; Golden Quinoa and Butternut Breakfast Bowl; Caribbean Bowl with Jerk-Seasoned White Fish and Tropical Fruit Salsa; Lentil and Rice Bowls with Summer Vegetable Kebabs; Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Crispy Lentils; Lentil and Mushroom Stuffed Peppers over Goat Cheese Butternut Mash; Coconut Sorbet with Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce; Key Lime Eton Mess

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door in the box on the right, on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon from Ten Speed Press, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl

Recipe from Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon. Serves 2.

For the Tahini Citrus Miso Dressing:

• 1/2 c. tahini
• 2 TBS white or yellow miso
• 2 TBS honey
• 1 TBS toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp Sriracha or hot sauce
• 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 c. orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon juice, to taste

1. In a mixing bowl or mason jar, whisk together the tahini, miso, honey, sesame oil, Sriracha, vinegar, and orange juice until smooth and evenly combined. Thin with water or lemon juice, 1 TBS at a time, if needed. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. The dressing will keep, covered, in the fridge for two weeks.

For the Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl:

• 2 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 2 TBS toasted sesame oil
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 TBS tamari or soy sauce
• 1 bunch lacinato (tuscan) kale, central stems removed
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 1/2 c. sunflower sprouts or microgreens
• 1 c. cooked brown rice
• 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
• 1/3 c. roasted and salted sunflower seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a small roasting pan with tinfoil and place the portobello mushrooms in it. Rub both sides with the sesame oil and with sea salt and black pepper. Place them gill side up on the roasting pan and drizzle with the soy sauce. Roast until soft and collapsing, about 15-18 minutes. Remove from the pan and thinly slice.
2. While the mushrooms are roasting, prepare the kale slaw. Finely chop the kale into slivers, then toss with the carrot and scallions. Dress with the tahini citrus dressing to taste, rubbing the dressing into the kale to help tenderize it. Add the sprouts to the salad just before serving.
3. To assemble the bowls, divide the brown rice between two bowls. Top with a generous portion of the kale slow, 1 of the sliced portobellos, and half the cubed avocado. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.

The post Book Club: Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon // Tahini Kale Slaw and Roasted Tamari Portobello Bowl appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

This blog has not been getting a lot of love lately, and I feel bad about it. Not bad in a guilty way, per se, more just frustrated because I don’t have the energy or time to put into something I love. Between everything going on at work, my increasingly insane travel schedule, and our frenetic search for a house (alongside seemingly every single other young couple in Boston) my mind/energy is pretty-well consumed. Still, I’m here today, and on sunny mornings like this one where spring seems like a real possibility instead of just a daydream, the light at the end of the tunnel feels closer.

Although I’ve been home from my last trip to Latin America for a little over a week and at this point, my next trip is closer than my last one, I feel like I’m just getting reoriented to life at home. I’m still craving almost all of the things I was when I got off the plane: spending as much time as I can with Trevor, a few lazy mornings spent in a bed that is gloriously familiar, and food that is not some variation of steak, fried plantains, fried eggs, or more steak. Thankfully, I’m no longer craving clean laundry – that, at least, I took care of right away.

It’s a bit tricky to get back into the kitchen after a two-week hiatus. It doesn’t help that the fridge is usually a wasteland. The first thing I reach for are leftovers, tucked away in the freezer for times when I’m really not sure what to cook. After that, I make things that are familiar and simple and that utilize the pantry staples we always have on hand – omelettes, pastas, soups, big bowls of grains and lentils. It takes a few days for my own creative juices to get flowing again, and therefore for me to remember how to blog. Add to that the fact that it’s still unseasonably cold and snowy in Boston, making it hard to focus on healthy cooking and eating when all I want is chicken pot pie and creamy pastas. Still, on Thursday I started envisioning a middle-eastern chickpea stew, something packed with vegetables to help me recover from two weeks of overeating, but still warm and comforting enough to help us deal with the freezing weather. Yesterday we finally made it to the grocery store to restock our fridge, and last night, the stew became a reality. Really it’s somewhere between a stew and a vegetarian tagine, with sweet dried apricots plumped up from the rich broth, hearty chunks of sweet potato and cauliflower, and a thick, sweet-and-sour, almost sauce-like broth. Pomegranate molasses, preserved lemon, cinnamon, coriander, harissa, cumin, and nutmeg are the flavor base, making for a sweet and warming dish. Served over a big bowl of Israeli couscous, it’s a keeper recipe.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door in the box on the right, on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

Middle Eastern Chickpea and Cauliflower Stew

A Katie at the Kitchen Door original recipe. Serves 4-6.

• 1 c. dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
• 5 TBS olive oil, divided
• 2 small yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp dried harissa
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 c. chicken stock
• One 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 TBS pomegranate molasses
• 1 c. dried apricots, cut in half
• 1/2 preserved meyer lemon, seeds removed and finely minced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
• 1 TBS butter
• 2 c. dried Israeli couscous
• 1/2 c. finely chopped parsley

1. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas, then set aside. In a large pot, heat 3 TBS of the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden brown all over, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the cumin, coriander, harissa, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir spices into vegetables and cook until very fragrant, about 5 minutes more. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, cinnamon stick. and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer and simmer until chickpeas are becoming tender, about 1 hour. As the stew cooks, add water as necessary to keep the stew from burning – consistency should be thick but still runny.
2. Add the pomegranate molasses, apricots, and meyer lemon to the stew. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the sweet potato with the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil and sea salt and pepper, then spread out on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove, add the cauliflower, and toss the cauliflower with the sweet potatoes to coat with olive oil. Continue roasting for 20 minutes, until sweet potato is tender and cauliflower is charred in places. Remove from the oven.
3. While the sweet potato and cauliflower are roasting, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook in the butter until toasted in places, about 2 minutes. Add 2 1/4 c. hot water to the couscous and bring to a boil. Cook until tender and water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir the chopped parsley into the couscous and set aside.
4. Serve the stew over the cooked couscous, topping the stew with the roasted sweet potato and cauliflower.

The post At Home // Middle-Eastern Chickpea and Cauliflower Stew appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I’m writing this after a particularly frustrating run because I need to give myself some perspective. It’s a cold Tuesday night at the end of March, and I’ve been cranky since my miserable WWE-fan filled train ride back into the city from Andover. I really don’t want to go for a run but I still have 10 miles left to meet my March goal, and only five days to complete them in, so I talk myself into going with the old “I promise you can stop after two miles” trick, which works every time, surprisingly. I start out, and I feel OK, if a little cold, and at about a quarter mile shy of my two mile mark, I realize that I’m going fast enough that I’m within striking distance of my 5K PR, and I pick up the pace and go for it. Eight minutes later, I stop, wheezing like I haven’t since high school cross country races, and look at my iPod. Ten seconds short of my 5K PR. Eight seconds short of my 1 mile PR. I’m incredibly frustrated, in pain, and in an even worse mood than when I started. The wine is poured as soon as I walk in the door.

As frustrated as I am, I know in the back of my mind that I’ve made a ton of progress this month, and I need to take a minute to recognize that. My mile time tonight was 7:13, and my 5K time was 23:50. My fastest mile in February? 8:24. And 8:37 in January. Earlier this winter it was even slower. That’s a big improvement. Last Saturday I ran 5.3 miles, which is more than I’ve run in one go since my half-marathon training two years ago. I’ve really been pushing myself this month, in large part because of this 40 mile goal I’ve set, and it’s paying off. I’m faster and stronger, and (bonus!) I’ve lost 7 pounds since January, which feels like the first meaningful weight loss I’ve had in years. So despite nights like tonight, I’m sticking with these monthly goals!

Writing the above a few weeks ago was really empowering – it’s the kind of thing I need to write down so that I can go back to it as I encounter the inevitable fitness frustrations the future will bring. Later that week I did beat my 5K record, and I managed to run 43 miles in total in March. A big success, and a goal that really made me focus on what I wanted to achieve.

My goal for April is to take 8,000 steps a day, at least on all the days when I’m not traveling (you don’t really have full control over your activity levels when you spend an entire day on a plane). I’ve been using the Moves app as a pedometer in my phone since January, when I decided I wanted a FitBit but wasn’t sure which model. A few Google searches and I came across the free app which serves my purposes very adequately, negating the need to buy a new device. As I did my research, I also came across the “10,000 steps” goal that most pedometer users strive for – it was mentioned on almost every website I read. I consider myself a pretty active person, so I wasn’t expecting reaching 10,000 steps to be hard, but I was sort of shocked by the low numbers in my first few weeks of tracking. To be fair, I don’t bring it with me when I’m running, but still, I don’t run every day, and it was particularly eye-opening to see that on most weekend days, I barely take 1,000 steps out of the house. Since I’ve only gone above 10,000 a handful of times, I decided that 8,000 would be challenging enough to do every single day, and if I can hit that, I can move up from there.

This month is off to a bit of a rocky start, as I whiffed on the 8,000 number last Sunday, racing to the grocery store in the dark after a long day in the garden, trying to get those last 3,000 steps in before our friends came over. I only made it to 6,000 that day, but in a way, that means I’m setting goals that are hard enough. On weekdays it’s fairly straightforward to hit my goal – I just replace my subway transfer with a 15 minute walk through the park on either end of my commute, a pleasant addition to my day now that it’s finally warm. But those weekend days are hard! So wish me luck with the next few weeks.

As for this month’s healthy recipe, I’m celebrating the return of green to the world by packing as many green spring vegetables and herbs as I can into one bowl of couscous. I mentioned last week that I had caved and bought some of the not-local-at-all fava beans and asparagus I’ve been seeing at the grocery store, and my consumption of spring greens hasn’t slowed down at all since. This salad is mostly vegetables, dressed lightly with lemon, herbs, and salt. You can add as much or as little couscous as you want – just a cup or two and you’ll have something akin to a tabbouleh; the full amount listed below and it will be more like a pasta salad. The ingredients are good in almost any ratio, so feel free to interpret the recipe loosely and incorporate whatever spring greens are currently inspiring you.

Past Fitness Challenges

January: 10 Visits to the YMCA; Recipe: Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins
February: One vegan meal every day; Recipe: Pakistani Chickpea Pulao with Sweet-Hot Date-Onion Chutney
March: Run 40  miles in 20 days; Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Almond Butter Cookie Bites

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin’, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Herb-Flecked Spring Couscous

Serves 8-10.

• 1 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 c. couscous
• 2 TBS basil olive oil or regular olive oil
• sea salt to taste
• 2 c. shelled fresh fava beans (from about 2 lbs. in their pods)
• 1 c. shelled fresh English peas
• 1 c. very thinly sliced asparagus rounds, from about 1/3 lb. asparagus stalks
• 1/3 c. finely minced fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 c. finely minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 c. finely minced fresh chives
• juice from 1 lemon

1. Bring chicken stock to a boil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. As soon as it reaches a boil, add the couscous, cover with a lid, and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the basil olive oil and stir to coat the couscous, then season to taste with sea salt.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shelled fava beans and the peas, and blanch until peas are bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans and peas in cold water, then drain again. Remove the skin from the fava beans by slitting one end with your thumb and popping the bright green bean out by squeezing the other end. Roughly chop the fava beans, and place in a large bowl with the peas.
3. Add the asparagus rounds, the basil, the parsley, the chives, and the lemon juice to the bowl with the favas and peas. Stir to mix. Add the couscous to the greens and stir to coat. Season to taste with sea salt. Serve room temperature or chilled.

The post Monthly Fitness Goals: April // Herb-Flecked Spring Couscous appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Part of me wishes I had never discovered this recipe, because now I’m kind of obsessed with these tasty little pan-fried breads. Seriously. They are the best thing that I’ve made in a long, long time. You know that feeling where even as you’re putting something into your mouth your belly is telling you “too much! You will regret this!”? And yet you do it anyways, because whatever you’re eating is really tasty or somebody put a bowl of oreos in front of you or you’re just bored and noshing mindlessly? Well that has happened to me all three times I ate these, except when I’ve finished them and am sitting on the couch with a very full belly, instead of regretting it, I think “that was so worth it.”

Parathas are a type of stuffed, Indian flatbread. You make a filling – in this case a mildly spiced mixture of smashed potatoes and green peas – plop some into the center of a piece of simple whole wheat dough, fold the dough over the filling twice, and then roll it out again so that the potatoes and peas get all mushed into the dough itself. You fry it in a little hot oil for a minute or two, until the dough is cooked and the inside is hot, then you tear it open and devour it, potentially pausing to dip it in a sweet chutney if you have that sort of self control. They’re soft and doughy, addictively salty and spicy, and just so full of savory goodness. They’re a little bit messy to roll out, but even as someone who hates cleaning sticky dough off counters, these are worth the trouble. This particular recipe for parathas is another hit from Mangoes & Curry Leaves – I’m so glad I finally bought myself a copy of this book! For those of you who know me in person, don’t be surprised if I serve you Indian food anytime you come over to my house in the next few months.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin’, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Spiced Potato and Pea Parathas

Recipe adapted very slightly from Mangoes & Curry Leaves. Makes 8 parathas, serves 4-8.

• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. AP flour
• 1 tsp salt
• scant 1 c. lukewarm water
• 2 c. Spiced Potato and Pea filling, recipe below
• 2 TBS vegetable oil

1. Mix flours and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in lukewarm water, then turn dough out into floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Return to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 2 hours.
2. Split dough into 8 equal sized pieces, keeping the ones you are not working with loosely covered. Roll a piece of dough out to an 8-inch round. Spread 3-4 TBS of the potato filling over one half of the dough. Fold the dough in half to cover the filling, then fold in half again in the other direction so that you have effectively folded the dough into quarters. Roll out again into an 8 inch circle, smushing the filling into the dough. Don’t worry if you’re filling starts to break out of the dough and gets a little messy. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough and filling.
3. Heat 1 TBS of the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add a partatha to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Flip over and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Both sides should be golden brown. If they aren’t, cook for another 30-60 seconds on each side. Remove to a plate, add a little bit more oil to the pan, and repeat with remaining parathas. Serve immediately with sweet chutney.

Spiced Potato and Pea Filling

Recipe adapted very slightly from Mangoes & Curry Leaves. Makes 3 cups.

• 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 TBS vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp minced garlic or garlic mashed to a paste (1 large clove)
• 1 c. finely chopped onion
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste

1. Place diced potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain, let cool slightly, and roughly mash potatoes with a potato masher or a fork. Leave some chunks.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium-high. When oil is shimmering, add mustard seeds, cook for 45 seconds, until they stop spluttering, add the turmeric and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the chopped onion. Lower heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5-8 minutes, until onion is soft and staring to brown. Add jalapenos and cook for 2 minutes longer, then add potatoes and peas and stir to mix thoroughly together. Cook just to heat peas and potatoes through, about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Season to taste with salt. Let cool and use as filling for parathas or samosas. Also tasty on it’s own, or shaped into cakes and pan-fried.

The post Spiced Potato and Pea Parathas appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

My January fitness challenge went pretty well – although I may not have stuck to the letter of the goal, I certainly accomplished the spirit of it. Starting from a place of zero athleticism at the end of the year, I wanted to work my way back into regular exercising, so I bit the bullet, joined the Y, and vowed that I’d go there at least ten times during the month of January. I only ended up making it to the Y eight times, but I also went to Brooklyn Boulders twice for a combo rock climbing and treadmill workout, so I’m counting those as well, because, well, they’re both gyms, right? All told, I worked out on 23 of the 31 days of the month, and I think I deserve a big pat on the back for sticking with the plan. I’ve definitely gotten my base back, both from an aerobic and strength perspective, and now it’s time to build on that. I had a lot of thoughts about how February’s goal could build on January’s success: I could focus on speed, stamina, strength, or workout frequency. But really, I think the next step is that stubborn number on the scale, and that basically means one thing: healthier eating.

Boooo, I can hear you all thinking, what is this, January? But hear me out, I promise it’s not that bad. After waffling back and forth between trying to not eat out at all during the week (including coffee breaks, takeout, happy hours, and the snack drawer), and doing Mark Bittman’s Vegan Before 6:00 program (wanna know more? check out Emma’s honest review here), I decided to start simple and just choose one meal a day that would be vegan. Now, I don’t ever want to actually be vegan, but I know that cheese, milk, butter, eggs, and salty meats (bacon, sausage, prosciutto) are frequently part of my go-to comfort foods, so I wanted to consciously remind myself that there are other options, and replace one potentially cheesy meal each day with something more fresh-vegetable-based. I’ve also been trying to be generous with the term “meal” by making it encompass a full 3-4 hour period after the meal itself, to keep myself from cheating and sneaking on non-vegan snacks immediately afterwards. E.g., if I have a green smoothie at 9, no latte at 10, and no brownie at 3pm after my virtuous lunchtime salad. You get the picture. So far I’ve stuck to it 95% of the time, with a slip or two for which I blame the allure of the office chocolate box in the afternoons. I think the biggest benefit is just that I’m more aware of what I’m eating. And I’m already hyper-aware of food, so that’s saying something. I have also noticed that it forces me to actively plan out my meals every day, because I know that every single day I need to have budgeted in something healthy and vegan and I can’t just wing it. Ten days in, I’m happy with it, but we’ll see if it has any impact on the scale by the end of the month.

Now, on to the good part – the food! I recently bought myself a copy of Mangoes & Curry Leaves, the first cookbook I’ve purchased for myself in over a year. Cooking Indian food that tastes even reasonably well-balanced is tricky, and I love Indian food so much that I really wanted to learn how to do it well, step-by-step. This book is great for that, and also happens to be the perfect resource for finding vegan recipes that don’t taste like they’re “missing” something – so much of Indian and Asian cooking is naturally vegan, with spices and precise cooking techniques supplying the flavor we often rely on dairy for. I’ve been cooking up a storm from this book – from Sri Lankan Beef Curry, to Mountain Dal, to Potato-and-Pea Parathas, to this Pakistani Chickpea Pulao that I’m sharing with you today – and everything has been amazing. This pulao is definitely comfort food, but the kind you can feel good about. Warming, filling, and slightly saucy, the mixture of rice, chickpeas, sweet onions, tomatoes, and spices is packed full of heartiness and flavor, and has lots of good protein and vitamins. With a spoonful of the sweet and spicy date and onion chutney stirred in, it becomes a head-clearing mess of goodness that’s almost impossible to stop eating (completely negating my weight goals, but c’est la vie).

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin’, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Pakistani Chickpea Pulao

Adapted very slightly from Mangoes & Curry Leaves. Serves 4.

Note: The rice needs to be soaked at least an hour in advance, so plan ahead. This can be made on the stovetop or in the oven. If you plan to finish it in the oven, make sure you use an ovenproof pot with a lid for the initial stages. Because the cooking times are relatively short for each stage, it’s important to have your ingredients prepared ahead of time – i.e. measure out your spices, pound your garlic and ginger, and slice your onions before you start cooking.

• 2  c. cooked chickpeas
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, divided
• 1 c. basmati rice
• 4 c. water, divided
• 2 TBS vegetable oil
• one small piece of cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
• 2 medium onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 c. crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 c. coarsely chopped almonds, for garnish (optional)
• 1/2 c. chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)
• Sweet Hot Date-Onion Chutney, for serving (optional, recipe below)

1. Toss together the chickpeas and 3/4 of a tsp of salt. Set aside. Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water, then add 3 cups of cold water and let the rice soak for at least one and up to three hours. After this time, drain the rice and set it aside.
2. If using the oven (for finishing the cooking, you may also use the stovetop), preheat it to 325°F. Place a wide, heavy-bottomed pot that has a lid over medium heat (use an ovensafe pot if finishing in the oven). Add the vegetable oil, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaf, stir together, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Place the garlic and ginger into a mortar and pestle and pound into a paste. Alternatively, finely mince both. Add the garlic and the ginger to the spices and stir fry, stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft, about 10 minutes. If onions are starting to brown before they soften, lower the heat – you want the onions to remain a pale golden color.
4. Add the chickpeas, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne to the pot, stir to coat the chickpeas with the spices, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes, turmeric, and remaining 1 c. water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then sprinkle the drained rice over the top. Return to a boil, then lower the heat and tightly cover. Place covered pot in preheated oven, if using, or keep at a simmer on the stovetop. Cook for 45 minutes in the oven or 30-40 minutes on the stovetop,then remove from heat and let stand, still covered, for 15 minutes. If you’re cooking on the stovetop, you may want to check once or twice for burning on the bottom while it’s cooking – just give it a quick stir and then replace the lid.
5. If you can spot them, fish out the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, clove, and bay leaf before serving, to avoid inadvertently biting into them. Serve in bowls with chopped almonds, cilantro, and sweet hot date-onion chutney.

Sweet Hot Date-Onion Chutney

Adapted very slightly from Mangoes & Curry Leaves. Makes about 1 cup.

• 3 dried Thai chilies, stems removed
• 1 TBS vegetable oil
• 1 TBS sesame oil
• 1 large sweet white onion, about 1/2 pound, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. chopped pitted dates

1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil, then pour about 2 cups of the boiling water over the dried chilies in a heatproof bowl. Let stand and soften for 10 minutes.
2. Add the vegetable and sesame oils to a frying pan, and heat over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown all over with darker brown spots, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Drain the chilies from the water, then place chilies in a food processor with the chopped dates and pulse several times to coarsely chop. Add the cooked onions to the food processor and pulse several more times until the mixture is coarsely ground. Season to taste with salt. Store in a sealed glass container in the fridge for up to several weeks.

The post Monthly Fitness Goals: February // Pakistani Chickpea Pulao with Sweet Hot Date-Onion Chutney appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Falafel is kind of a health-food poser. Sure, it has nutritious ingredients like chickpeas and herbs, and healthy fast-food chains like Pret a Manger and Sweetgreen put them on top of salads, but really, eating falafel feels kind of indulgent. It’s certainly better for you than a grilled cheese sandwich or pasta carbonara or fried dough or a lot of other things, but at it’s heart, it’s fried street food. Delicious. Just not that good for you.

However, falafel can be easily transformed into something healthier – just nix the oil and trade the soft, floury pita for a crunchy cabbage wrap, and your craveable Middle-Eastern snack has become downright virtuous. David and Luise of Green Kitchen Stories have done just that with their Baked Herb and Pistachio Falafel, a flavor-and-nutrition-packed recipe from their book, Vegetarian Everyday (one of my favorites). These falafels are about 50% chickpeas and 50% pistachios, a combo that gives them a wonderful and unexpected creamy sweetness. Baked instead of fried, nestled into a crisp leaf of cabbage, drizzled with lemon-honey tahini sauce, and topped off with bright pink beet and turnip pickles, they make a filling and delicious meal that’s vegan and gluten-free. And you’d never know from the taste how much your body will thank you for giving it all those good things.

P.S., one of my first posts ever was about falafel, too. 2010! So many years ago! Does having been a food blogger for four years mean I’m getting old? Also, reading that post reminds me that those polka dot plates that I kind of hate are also four years old, and it really would not be a crime if I got some newer, more attractive ones. They have been used well, and served their purpose. I’m totally just trying to justify that I might spend a good portion of my snow day online shopping for kitchen things. I mean working.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin’, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Baked Herb and Pistachio Falafel

Recipe adapted slightly from Vegetarian Everyday. Makes about 24-30 falafels, serves 4-5.

• leaves from 8 sprigs of mint
• leaves from 8 sprigs of parsley
• 2 c. shelled raw pistachios (8-1/2 oz.)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 medium onion, peeled
• 3 TBS olive oil
• 2 c. cooked chickpeas (or drained, canned chickpeas)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 TBS buckwheat flour (or another gluten-free flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• sea salt
• 1 small head green cabbage
• lemon-honey tahini sauce (recipe below)
• quick spicy beet-and-turnip pickles (recipe below)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the mint and parsley leaves in a food processor and process for about 30 seconds. Add the pistachios, garlic, onion, and olive oil and process until all ingredients are well minced and combined, about 30-60 seconds. Add the chickpeas, cumin, flour, and baking soda and blend for about 15 seconds at a time, stopping to scrape the mixture down the sides of the processor as needed, until the mixture is fairly uniform but not smooth – you want the mixture to still have some chunks of chickpea and pistachio in it.
2. Remove the mixture from the processor and season to taste with salt. Form the mixture into 24-30 small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the falafel balls on the sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, using tongs to turn the balls over every 5 minutes so that they brown evenly.
3. Slice off the end of the cabbage with a sharp knife. Remove the large outer leaves and rinse them individually. Pat them dry, then fill with the baked falafel. Serve with lemon-honey tahini sauce and spicy beet-and-turnip pickles. Baked falafel balls are also delicious tossed with a green salad with some avocado and feta cheese.

Lemon-Honey Tahini Sauce

• 3 TBS tahini
• 1 TBS honey
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 c. water

1. Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Quick Spicy Beet and Turnip Pickles

Technique adapted from Eating Well and Cook for Good. Makes two 1-pint jars of pickles.

• 1 medium turnip, peeled
• 1 medium beet, peeled
• sea salt
• 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced
• 1 c. white wine vinegar
• 1 c. water
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 20 whole  black peppercorns

1. Cut the turnip and the beet into quarters, then slice each quarter as thinly as you can (use a mandoline if you have one). Layer the slices in a colander, with a sprinkling of sea salt between each layer. Place over a bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes, then toss and squeeze with your hands to remove some of the excess liquid. Repeat this process until the vegetable slices feel a bit limp, about 30-45 minutes. Rinse the slices under cold water to remove the salt and then drain.
2. Toss the beet and turnip slices with the sliced red onion and sliced jalapeno. Divide the vegetable mixture between two clean glass pint jars.
3. In a small pot, mix vinegar, water, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and peppercorns. Heat over medium-low heat, bringing just to a gentle simmer. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt, then remove from heat and pour through a funnel into the two veggie packed jars. Cover the jars with lids and shake a few times to distribute the brine. Put the pickles in the fridge and let sit for at least 3-4 hours. Will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

The post Baked Herb and Pistachio Falafel appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.