Category: vegetarian

Recipe: Kewa Datshi

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This is a homey and simple dish that is basically a cheese and potato stew. While a lot of Bhutanese food relies on many chilies this is only uses a few to flavor the dish with just enough heat to give it a light, almost sweet flavor. I found this dish very humble and simple but unfortunately that also meant it isn’t very flashing or tempting. I boiled it down a little more I think it usually is (as it seems to be served pretty watery) and added a little less cheese and found myself wishing that it had a little bit more flavor. I think this is an interesting template I might play around with in the future for how to cook potatoes though and its so easy that you should try it for yourself as well to taste a little bit of Bhutan at home.

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Recipe: Pisto Con Huevos

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I’ve seen people characterize pisto as “Spanish ratatouille” but I guess to me its more like Spanish shakshuka. You can make the eggs separate for the pisto by frying them in a pan if you prefer that but I did kind of just make it like shakshuka. Unlike shakshuka though it has basically no heat and is a very simple flavor but that can be kind of refreshing or comforting. This is a fairly easy dish that is mostly hands off so it’s perfect for a midweek meal especially if you have already chopped the vegetables ahead of time.

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Recipe: Barley Risotto

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We ended up with a bunch of leftover barley which I thought I didn’t really like but my husband loves it so I figured I’d give this recipe a try and it worked out phenomenally. While I can admit this doesn’t end up with the texture of risotto because it’s a little too toothy even when cooked and it doesn’t give off as much starch it also doesn’t need to be babysat as much and has an earthy, nutty note that goes really well with the vegetables. I’ve made this 3-4 times already and it’s probably a lasting staple in our house.

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Recipe: Vegetarian Fleischnacka

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Since I love making fleischnacka I really wanted to see if I could make a meatless version just to see if it worked and it does! This version gets its deep umami flavors from a combination of eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms that are slow roasted together with tomato paste and the ground really finely so they stick together in the roll. These don’t taste exactly like the meat version but they have their own delicious, deep flavor all its own.

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Recipe: Masoor Dal

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Quick, delicious and filling red lentils made from pantry staples and things you probably have lying around the house. You can serve this with almost any carb you can think of: rice, roti, naan, paratha, even sourdough bread or biscuits if you want to go crazy and it comes together in 30 minutes without much supervision so it’s great for a weeknight or when you just can’t babysit dinner.

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Recipe: Grilled Nectarine and Bean Salad

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This bright bean filled salad is filled with all sorts of things that it actually has a fun texture and the taste works pretty well. Since there are beans and chickpeas it kind of acts as a reverse bean bowl but also that means it is actually quite filling as a main dish. The dressing is just a nice acidic lemon vinaigrette but a creamy sour cream based dressing wouldn’t be amiss either, if you skip the acid in the dressing though maybe add some tart tomatoes or spinach to off-set the sweetness of the grilled nectarines.

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Recipe: Orzo Salad

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I don’t post a lot of salads on this site because I think salads are barely a recipe but this one is just specific enough that I think maybe it’s time to post a few of these. This pasta-based salad features no mayo but instead a healthy mix of vegetables, chickpeas, feta, and a very basic mustard-lemon vinaigrette. You can make this within 30 minutes including the dressing while the pasta cooks. Delicious hot or cold this is a great summer food but it’s also really to eat a warm salad in the winter too.

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Recipe: Charred Shallots Cooked in Barley

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This recipe is a little bit of a strange duck. I had to read through the recipe more than three times to really understand how to make it and then I can’t locally get freekeh so I replaced it with barley. I imagine most very hearty, long cooking grains will probably be able to fill in like bulgur or brown rice even (with slightly adjusted cook times). This recipe is a flavor bomb so it’s really best served in small portions with something fresh and crisp on the side and maybe some bread sticks or grassini to round it out into a meal.

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Recipe: Chickpea-Potato Curry

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I’ve tried a couple of chickpea curries and a few potato curries before but they never really hit the spot and I guess the missing piece was to make them at the same time because this curry is really delicious, super filling, and nicely spiced. I served this with some nice fluffy rice but it would also be great with naan or rotis instead. This is a great meal to throw together on a week night and can easily be doubled for leftovers for the rest of the week.

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Recipe: Potato, Cheese, and Leek Pie

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This is a little fussy to make but it’s worth the fuss sometimes. If you want a show stopper vegetarian main you can do worse than this. This pie would pair nicely with a good creamy soup and a fancy salad. The type of cheese you use will basically be the main flavor so I suggest going for something local that has the flavors you personally like. I used a creamy, nutty almost sweet cheese and that pairs beautifully with the leeks and potatoes here. You can skip the nuts if you want but it helps with the texture.

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