Ironically, I was the most stuffed this year than I have been in recent memory. I guess I have my willpower to thank for that. Or lack thereof…

There was also the problem of my menu planning. Two types of stuffing? Sure! Baked vegan mac and cheese? Why not? Cornbread and focaccia? Sounds good to me!

But I had absolutely nothing to do with my absolute favorite part of my meal. A wonderful Aloo Matar (Indian peas and potatoes) which was contributed by my aunt’s friend, an amazing Indian home cook. It was just too good, especially over mashed potatoes (who needs gravy when you can have Aloo Matar?).

So now you have the backstory to why, since Thanksgiving, I’ve been craving good Indian food. Sadly, there is little in the way of Indian restaurants in our neighborhood. As a result, I’m relegated to homemade Indian, which can be (and was) a tricky endeavor for the Indian cooking novice. I finally came up with something that satisfied by deepest cravings. I was a bit disappointed that the canned chick peas I used were weirdly “crunchy” — almost like they hadn’t been cooked enough before they were canned. But crunchy chickpeas aside, I was very happy with how this turned out. I would recommend it alongside some brown rice and topped with chopped cilantro to serve. Who knows, maybe I’ll even put it on next year’s Thanksgiving menu. It’s not like we’re saying no to anything in that department…

Serves: 4

Chana Masala:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 large vine tomatoes, chopped

1 cup water

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup light coconut milk*

cilantro (optional) for topping

Spice Mix:

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large, deep pan or Dutch Oven. Add onion and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until onions just begin to brown. Add spice mix and toss to coat onions.

2. Add chickpeas, ginger, tomatoes and water. Bring to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until water thickens and sauce begins to reduce. Add coconut milk and salt and simmer to heat through.

* No, you’re not going crazy. I changed this from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup on 12/6. The former was an unfortunate typo.

You’ll notice that for a stir-fry, this recipe uses very little oil. Again, it was July when I made this. My parents had just returned from the vegetarian summerfest and were influenced by the many doctors and health experts singing the praises of a low-fat vegan diet. I learned that wine is a great cooking tool for braising or making sauces, as it adds a lot of flavor without added fat. For me, this is especially true in stir-fries. My mom took a Chinese cooking class when I was younger at an amazing Chinese restaurant my family still frequents. One of the revelations from that experience was that almost every stir-fry sauce at that restaurant utilized white cooking wine, lots of garlic and very little if any soy sauce. True Hong Kong style Chinese sauces are light and clear, not thick and brown, as is so common in Americanized Chinese places would have us believe. (For those interested in eating at the best Chinese Restaurant, in my opinion, in North America: Harvey Lo’s Yummy House in Windsor Ontario. It’s divine).

Of course, with the addition of miso, this is more of a Japanese-Chinese fusion dish. I love miso for flavor in dressings and sauces. It makes a really great stir-fry here — tangy, almost sweet and salty combination of flavors. And finally, it’s that time of year where I can make this without losing 5 pounds of sweat in the process. Hooray for fall!

Serves: 3-4 with rice

Low Fat Miso-Ginger Stir Fry:

My new secret to a good stir-fry is to bake the tofu before adding it to the rest of the dish. It tends to get crispy on the outside, but remains intact, rather than crumbling like tofu so often does when its cooked in a skillet or wok.

3 tablespoons white miso

¼ cup white wine

2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons arrowroot + 2 tablespoons water, whisked together

2 tablespoons vegetable broth

1 head broccoli florets, chopped

1 red bell pepper, julienned

4 shiitake caps, sliced

½ yellow onion, sliced

Baked Tofu:

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari

1 block firm or extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry. Sliced or cubed.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together sesame oil and tamari in a shallow bowl. Dip slices of tofu into mixture and and then lay flat on non-stick or silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together miso, wine, tamari, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Set aside.

3. In a very hot wok, add broccoli, bell pepper, onion and vegetable broth. Stir over high heat until broth evaporates and vegetables begin to soften. Add in shiitakes and pre-made sauce. Stir until sauce reduces by about 1/2 and vegetables are softened but still crisp. Add in arrowroot and water mixture and pre-baked tofu. Stir until sauce is thickened. Serve immediately.

In fact, vegetarian chili is such a no-brainer go-to dinner, I should be making it more often. The problem is, much like muffins, I have this “thing” with chili. I can never really get it just right. I’ve made dozens I’d hoped would eventually become part of the Delectably Free family. And most of the time, when I’m making something destined for this site, I don’t stop until I’ve gotten it right (often to the detriment of my loved ones, who have to endure days on end of semi-edible versions of the same dinner or dessert). The problem with chili, though, is that one batch pretty much lasts multiple days — sometimes a week, even — and by the time it’s over the thought of making yet another batch of chili is simply incomprehensible and utterly scary (there are only so many times we can blame the curious odor in the room on the dog). So, usually, I leave it at that.

But, after two years of intermittent trial and error, my mental list of do’s and don’ts finally yielded a blog-worthy recipe. I’m not usually one to praise my own food. Perhaps out of fear or maybe even pride, I usually wait and let others’ reactions dictate whether I am going to post something or not. I rarely declare something “a winner” without a vote of confidence from my taste-testers. But after tinkering with and tweaking this latest batch, I made sure to tell everyone in the family that I had hit on something “really good,” without really caring what anyone else said. But just for the record, I’ll have you know what everyone else in my family liked it, too.

Serves: 8-10

3-Bean and Mushroom Chili:

Don’t be discouraged by the long ingredient list. I promise, most of these are pantry items, with the exception of maybe the mushrooms and the bell pepper. I used Bionaturae jarred strained tomatoes for the “strained tomatoes,” though I’m sure crushed tomatoes would work here as well. When I was younger, my mom used to make chili often and we’d serve it over elbow noodles. I love chili with cornbread (the classic combo), but decided to serve gluten-free noodles with this version and encourage you to do so as well. It’s really good! Finally, the 6-cups of baby bellas will cook down to what seems like a piddily amount, so definitely add the full amount — it really makes a difference in the overall taste.

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

6 cups baby bellas, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 cup strained tomatoes, no salt added (see note, above)*

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice

½ cup water

1 15 0z. can black beans, not drained

1 15 oz. can aduki beans, not drained

1 29-oz. can white cannellini beans, drained

4 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon agave nectar (any other syrupy sweetener would also do)

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Directions:

1. To a large soup pot or Dutch Oven, add onion, pepper, garlic, mushrooms, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Toss to coat with oil. Cook over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until juices release and onions become translucent.

2. Add remaining ingredients, beginning with the diced tomatoes, strained tomatoes and water and finishing with the agave, olive oil and cider vinegar, plus the additional teaspoon of salt, or enough salt to taste. Make sure not to strain the aduki or black beans, as the juices add flavor to the dish. But do drain the Cannellini beans. Partially cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-high for about 15-20 minutes to let flavors develop. Serve warm with gluten-free noodles, corn chips or cornbread. Enjoy!

* If you can’t find salt-free strained tomatoes, instead of adding the second teaspoon of salt simply add enough to taste.

While the cookbook area was largely picked over, I managed to snag a few new ones to add to my growing collection. The store’s last copy of the Skinny Bitch everyday cookbook — nestled among the store’s diet and weight loss offerings — was a steal at $10. But the ultimate steal of the day came in the form of a bargain-section cookbook called Vegetarian Cooking: A Commonsense Guide. Neither vegan nor gluten-free, this cookbook managed to grab my attention by virtue of its $5 original price tag, which came to about $2.50 with the store-wide discount. I figured even a minimal amount of gluten-free or vegan recipes could be justified at that cost.

Less than a week has passed since my purchase, and I’ve already flagged several recipes that I’m dying to try. Between the Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern selections in the book, there’s plenty to choose from for the gluten-free/vegan crowd. This falafel recipe the first to be inspired by my new book (of course, I can never follow a recipe exactly without adding my own twist). With dried chickpeas instead of canned, the chickpea flavor is slightly more pronounced than with the homemade falafel recipes I’m used to. My twist? I baked the falafel instead of deep frying it, which still yielded a satisfying crisp-on-the-outside, slightly soft on the inside result. Then I played with the proportions of herbs and spices, which I feel is an obligatory step for any at-home falafel maker (who doesn’t want homemade meals to be customized to their taste?)

I served this with some gluten-free lavash and a kale salad made with red onions, cucumbers and tahini dressing. It would be great in a wrap, served alongside rice and hummus as a main course, or served with tahini dressing for dipping as a side.

Yield: approximately 14 falafels

Serves: 5-6

Baked Falafel:
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking: A Commonsense Guide

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked 18-24 hours, drained well

½ bunch fresh curly parsley

½ bunch fresh cilantro

½ large yellow/white onion

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

Olive oil for brushing

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor fitted with a sharp blade (except olive oil). Process until smooth and green in color. The end result might feel a bit wet to work with, but it should still hold together when gently formed into patties.

2. Scoop with an ice cream scoop or large spoon into heaping rounds, roll with hands, then lay flat on a lightly greased or silpat-lined baking sheet. Very gently flatten with palm. When all of the patties are formed, gently brush tops with olive oil.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping falafels after approximately 10 minutes (or until firm enough to slip and browned on the bottom), cooking until the tops of the second side are golden brown.

The truth is, I’ve never make this recipe the same twice. The one posted here is the only one I took the time to write down, but really, it’s pretty amenable to change. For a more Southwestern theme, you can reduce or even omit the turmeric and add some chili powder, melt some vegan Daiya shreds on top and finish with salsa and diced avocado. For this particular recipe, I also went a bit lighter on the spices than I’m used to, but figured my readers are all quite capable of — and likely inclined toward — making their own adjustments. Although it’s not pictured, I usually saute some portabello mushrooms with the onion and red pepper. Portobellos are my absolute favorite addition to tofu scrambles.

Tofu Scramble:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon dried mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 lb./15 oz. extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Directions:

1. In a large saute pan or skillet, over medium-high heat, add oil, onion and pepper. Saute until onions begin to brown and soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add spices and toss with vegetables.

2. Add tofu and toss with spices and vegetables until coated and colored. Add salt and white pepper and toss. Saute for about 3 minutes, or until water is evaporated and tofu is slightly browned. You can add more turmeric for color or cumin to taste, plus more salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Bravo was nice enough to provide a gratuitous Bethenny Ever After marathon on Monday. I have to say, maybe it’s the name (I’m a Bethany), or the fact that there’s a cute baby on the show pretty much all the time now (Gennaro would probably have a field day with this one. He knows how I feel about cute babies. I can’t say he’s not a little worried about it, actually), or maybe it’s the whole New York aspect (there’s something fascinating about watching others navigate the city you live in/lived in for four years). Whatever it is, though, I find that show to be the ultimate in my guilty pleasures. And now I’m caught up. Vacation: successful.

Then yesterday Oprah replayed her “going vegan” episode, where 300+ Oprah staffers signed up to go vegan for a week. Of course, as a vegetarian/vegan who has been known to try to gently convince others of the merits of a vegan diet from time to time, (and who says this doesn’t work? My parents went from reluctant to full-throttle — they’re actually signed up to go on a vegan retreat this summer. By their own free will) it made me giddy with excitement to see that some Oprah staffers not only felt better after a week of going vegan, but that they were going to stick with the plan indefinitely.

Then again, it made me sad to see that some folks were less than enthused about their new food options. As someone who does not eat gluten or animal products on a regular basis (if at all), I am used to the questions and cringing from others over what my diet consists of. In those moments, I feel some sense of duty to channel my inner salesperson and convince others that not only am I not deprived, but that I’ve actually never been more satisfied with my diet (and that is really the truth). But I have to say, I felt for Kathy Freston when it was on her shoulders, alone, to do that with hundreds of Oprah staffers at one time. Sometimes, defending your food can be exhausting.

As a blogger, things get even more complicated. I’m putting myself — and my food — out there, so it’s much more likely to be analyzed (Whoah, that girl eats wayy too much Daiya cheese! Probably true.) On the one hand, I would like to be able to say, “It’s my blog, so I can do what I want.” Still, on the other other hand, I feel a sense of duty to those who might be curious about or just starting a gluten-free or vegan or sugar-free diet. I truly want to show people how satisfying these diets can be, which is why I started this blog in the first place. Plus, I want to provide a variety, so everyone can enjoy at least something on this site.

This dish was inspired by that mindset. I am always asking myself, if I could make one meal to convince someone that “gluten-free, vegan” doesn’t mean lettuce and sunflower seeds for eternity, what would it be? My lasagna? My tempeh tacos? I tend to think comfort foods are the most longed-for when we’re overhauling our diets. I already have a macaroni and cheese recipe on this site, but this really easy, somewhat sophisticated version is the ultimate in comfort fare. It’s rich and creamy, but ultimately full of fiber (brown rice pasta) and healthy veggies (a full head of broccoli).*

So, next time Oprah and her staffers need convincing, I would send Kathy Freston this recipe to make for them.

Fusilli with Broccoli and Cheese Sauce:

1 lb. brown rice fusilli pasta

1 head of broccoli florets, chopped

salt to taste

Cheese Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread

1 1/4 cups unsweetened soy milk

1 1/2 cups Daiya cheddar-style shreds

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water. Add broccoli during lasting minute to two minutes of cooking. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, while pasta cooks, melt buttery spread in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in soy milk, then Daiya and stir until cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes. Add drained pasta and broccoli back to pot and pour in cheese sauce. Stir to coat completely. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately.

* It’s worth explaining that I view carb-laden recipes as wasted calories if they’re not infiltrated with something healthy like broccoli or other veggies, which might explain my broccoli with mac-and-cheese streak on this site.