Okay, that was a very bad play on words. Forgive me. But kantola is a secret, at least to the Western world.
Kantola
Kantola, also known as spiny gourd, is a member of the gourd family and is used mainly in India and parts of South Asia. I saw them in my favorite Indian market and was fascinated. I bought a few and looked up how to use them.
Most recipes I found called for slicing and frying them, or, occasionally, boiling them. I decided to fry them for my first experiment, but kept the spices to a minimum, since I wanted to taste their natural flavor. I added a little salt, a bit of crumbled chile flakes, and a dash of turmeric, since that seems to be the spice de rigueur for this vegetable. Some sources said to peel them, while others said not to peel them. I peeled a couple and found it to be tedious because they’re so small. In the end, the skin was not an issue.
So, I sliced up the kantola and, as you can see, they have seeds very much like squash or cucumber (also part of the gourd family).
I heated up some oil (I found this extra virgin olive oil-sunflower oil and I wanted to give I a try). I toasted the chile flakes, then added the kantola and, after a minute, the seasonings. Then I transferred them to a paper towel to drain.
And you know what? They tasted like—surprise—fried squash. The flavor was very mild, although a few had a slightly bitter aftertaste, but it wasn’t unpalatable.
So, that was my timid first adventure with kantola. I’m going to go get some more and just go crazy. Maybe I’ll even mix them with other ingredients!
Summer is almost over. Technically, we have until September 22, but the kids are back in school, the stores are already displaying holiday merchandise, and my neighbor’s trees have red leaves in them. As much as I love autumn, I’m always sad when the summer comes to a close. It’s never long enough, is it?
Minty Peach Salsa
But there’s still time to enjoy some summer activity and summer deliciousness, including the wonderful stone fruit that are still available. And if you grow your own mint, it’s probably out of control by now. Here’s a way to use both: Minty Peach Salsa.
This salsa was inspired by a peach salsa I bought at a farmer’s market in Virginia. I set out to replicate it and made a few modifications to make it a little less sweet and a bit spicier. It’s very simple and perfect for those last summer picnics or barbecues. It also makes a great condiment for grilled veggies, chicken, or fish.
You can substitute the peach with nectarines, plums, or apricots, but I find that peach works the best. It has the right flavor and texture to complement the other ingredients.
Enjoy the salsa and what’s left of summer!
Minty Peach Salsa
Makes about 2 ½ cups.
2 cups chopped peaches
1/3 cup chopped shallot or finely chopped Vidalia onion
¾ cup chopped red pepper
1 small jalapeno, minced
2 tablespoon minced mint
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon spiced rum (optional)
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
2. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary, before serving. Serve with tortilla or pita chips.
How many times have you heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? A million times since you were a kid, right?
I’ve never been much of a breakfast person. I can’t really eat first thing in the morning. My stomach just will not accept food when I first get up. It amazes me to know that some people roll out of bed, shuffle into their kitchens, and start eating. My routine is, I go to work, have a cup of coffee, and right around 10:30 or so, I’m ready to eat a little something. I know that’s not a great way to start my day, but it’s the best I can do.
Multigrain Morning Porridge
What I do try to do, however, is to make it a good, energy-inducing breakfast: oatmeal with walnuts or pecans; yogurt with fruit and seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, chia, and flax); whole grain bread with some kind of nut butter. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of green smoothies. The point is not only to curb hunger but to give your body and brain the proper fuel to do what it needs to do throughout the day. It appalls me to see people eating doughnuts, crullers, sugary muffins, and soda for breakfast. (I think muffins are good if they have nutritional components to them, like high-protein flours, nuts, and natural sugar alternatives.)
Breakfast porridges are a great choice and can be made with any grain you like, such as steel-cut oats, quinoa, millet, and barley. Below is my recipe for multi-grain porridge. I had the original recipe for this porridge in my collection for a while but never gave it a try. Not because it didn’t appeal to me (otherwise, I wouldn’t have clipped it), but because I so rarely make homemade porridge for breakfast. During the week, I never eat breakfast at home—I prepare whatever it is I’m going to have the night before and take it to work. On the weekends, I still don’t have time and usually just grab leftovers from the fridge. But whenever I can, I’ll make some kind of porridge.
I made some modifications to the recipe, based on what I had on hand and my personal preferences. The good thing is that this stays well in the fridge for a few days, so I can make a big batch and just reheat it.
Clockwise from upper right: Wheat berries, grits, amaranth, oats.
Mulitgrain Morning Porridge
Adapted from “Multigrain Breakfast Porridge” by
Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, Cooking Light, Oct. 2007
½ cup wheat berries, rinsed
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup steel-cut oats
3 tablespoons regular grits
¼ cup amaranth
¾ cup coconut or almond milk
¼ maple syrup
¼ cup dried blueberries or other dried fruit
½ cup chopped walnuts or other nuts
Bring 5 cups water to a boil. Add the wheat berries and salt; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered until almost tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
Add the oats, grits, and amaranth and stir. Continue simmering until all grains are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in coconut milk, maple syrup, and fruit and cook another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in nuts. Serve hot.
This porridge will keep for several days in the refrigerator. To reheat, stir in a little more coconut milk or water until it reaches the desired consistency. Heat over medium-low heat or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
There so many new things going on in my life, and this blog is one of them. I have moved my blog over from one server to another, and although I already made one post, this is my first one since the official switch-over (I was still in transition when I posted the last one).
Vegetarian Paella
Another new thing happening is my cookbook. After speaking with my publisher, I’ve decided to revamp my cookbook, What, No Meat? Traditional Italian Cooking the Vegetarian Way. It’s going to have a new design, new cover, and even a new title. When I first published it on my own in 2008, and then with Bedazzled Ink in 2010, it seemed to work as it was. But a few years down the road, I decided that it was time for a change. I was no longer happy with my book’s appearance, and I don’t really think my publisher was, either.
So, now I’m in the process of editing it. I’m removing material and recipes and taking photos for the interior. It’s been a more complicated process that I had anticipated for various reasons, but I’m getting there. I hope to have the new one ready in the next couple of months.
In the meantime, I wanted to share my recipe for Vegetarian Paella. Those flat, paddle-shaped leaves you see in the photo is a type of fresh oregano, but since fresh oregano is hard to find for many people, I use dry oregano in the recipe. Enjoy!
Vegetarian Paella
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 or 2 vegetarian chorizo sausages, sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 teaspoons kosher salt 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper 1 green bell pepper 1 ½ cups Arborio rice, rinsed and drained Pinch saffron 2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced 1 medium zucchini diced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 4 cups vegetable stock 2 cups chopped kale 1 cup peas Freshly ground black pepper to taste ¼ cup minced parsley Lemon or lime wedges
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add the chorizo and brown on both sides. Remove to a plate.
Vegetarian chorizo
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon salt and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and red and green peppers. Saute until softened. Add rice and saffron; stir to combine and stir-fry to toast a little.
3. Mix in tomatoes, zucchini and oregano. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add stock and kale; cover and simmer 20 minutes. (If rice is not fully cooked, add a little more stock or water and continue simmering until done.) Stir in peas and cook another 5 minutes. Add the remaining salt if desired and season with pepper.
4. Return the chorizo back to the pan and mix in, along with the parsley. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with lemon or lime wedges.
Miz Chef 