Carrot and Cashew Nut Roast - Comfort and Joy

The recent celebration of  National Cashew Day nudged me to retrieve a favorite recipe featuring cashews, Carrot and Cashew Nut  roast. I first made this recipe in the late 1990's when I was a practicing lacto-ovo vegetarian (I consumed eggs and milk, but no animal flesh).  I like the recipe because the ingredients are easy to find and the roast can be frozen before or after cooking.

The ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 medium carrots, cooked (retain cooking water)
• 1 1/2 cups cashew nuts
• 2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs  ( I've used regular bread crumbs too)
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon yeast extract (marmite)
• 1/2 lemon, juice of
• 1/3 cup water or stock from cooked carrots
• salt & pepper,to taste

 My steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Grease 2lb loaf pan. Set aside.
3. Measure out all the dry ingredients and a set aside in bowls. I suggest putting the breadcrumbs in a large bowl because the other ingredients will be mixed with the breadcrumbs.
4. Wash the carrots and cut the ends of the carrots off, discard. I boil the carrots over low to medium heat. I have read that others steam the carrots. It is important that the carrots be soft because the will be mashed.
5. Grind the cashew nuts in a food processor or a coffee bean  grinder. When I first made this recipe I didn't have a food processor. The coffee bean grinder was a less expensive alternative, but meant that the cashews had to be ground in several batches.
6. Chop onions
7. Chop garlic. My friend Ally gave me this wonderful a few months ago - it comes in handy!
8. I use the tablespoon of olive oil to cook the onion and garlic on medium -low heat. I want the onion to be translucent in color
9.  Remove carrots from heat and mash in a separate bowl
10. Add carrots, onions, cashews, yeast extract, lemon juice, and remaining dry ingredients to breadcrumbs. Add water/stock to mixture so ingredients are well combined.
11. Move mixture to loaf pan. Press mixture into loaf pan
12. Place loaf pan in oven. Bake for 1 hour.
13. After removing loaf pan from oven, let the pan sit for 10 -15 minutes before cutting or unmolding.

photo by TEP

photo by TEP

photo by TEP

The roast is delicious  served warm or cold. I've served it with potatoes and  other vegetables as well as with salad.

photo by TEP

I hope you enjoy the dish as much as I do. Let me know if you make the carrot and cashew nut roast.


Be well,

Technicolor girl

image created by Ink+ LLC

Butternut squash soup -a smooth and savory recipe

I enjoy a bowl eating of warm soup, chili or stew  when the temperatures begin to drop. Recently, I wanted butternut squash soup. I had a butternut squash in the refrigerator, but hadn't decided which recipe I would follow to make the soup. I stumbled upon a butternut squash soup created by Emeril Lagasse on Food Network.

Ingredients

• 1 Butternut squash, about 2 pounds
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

I checked the recipe ingredients list and determined the only ingredients I would need to purchase were a second squash, a jalapeno pepper, chicken stock, and heavy cream - a quick trip to the nearby supermarket would suffice.

photo by TEP

Peeling and seeding the butternut squash took the most time.  After getting all the ingredients ready, I heated the peanut oil in a large pot. The onion and garlic were added to the pot first and cooked for about 5 minutes. Per the directions, I added the carrots, cumin, salt and pepper next. The next step was adding the squash, jalapeno and chicken. Once the mixture came to a boil, I reduced the heat. After 20 minutes I poured the mixture into my food processor and pureed it until it was smooth. The mixture was then returned to the pot; I added the cream and once well blended I poured myself a bowl.

photo by TEP

The soup was smooth and creamy, but the jalapeno pepper added a wonderfully  savory element to the soup. The soup was easy to store in the refrigerator and leftover soup retained the savory element.
 
I could see pairing this soup with a sandwich, salad or eating it alone.  I plan to make this easy to prepare, filling soup again very soon.

Do you have a favorite soup or stew? Share in the comments below.

Be well,

Technicolor girl

image created by Ink+ LLC

SNAP Challenge - Dénouement

Why use the word  dénouement in the blog heading? According to Merriam-Webster  dénouement is the final part of something (such as a book, a  play, or a series of events). It  seems appropriate to chronicle the final part of  my  2014 SNAP Challenge journey.

Day 7 was surprisingly smooth. I filled two bottles with water to ensure I would be hydrated  while attending the seminar. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal with raisins. I had chili and the remaining apple for lunch. After the seminar concluded I ran errands and then returned home for dinner. Since this was the last meal I cooked the remaining spinach and splurged and had dessert (1/2 a grapefruit, broiled with a swirl of Dutch Gold's buckwheat blossom honey.  A fitting way to end the Challenge.

Day 7 dinner

Lessons Learned

sautéing remaining spinach

• The groceries I purchased carried me through the week.
• The day without access to water was surreal and could have been avoided. 
• The hummus was a great idea.
• The  package of carrots was definitely more cost effective than the baby carrots I wanted to purchase. I still have carrots
• I 'd give myself a "B" on meeting my stated goals for the week:
• be aware of meal portion/serving size
• pack meals ahead of time
• drink lots of water

An associate asked me if I was concerned about a drop in blog readers or subscribers. I was aware that it was a possibility and took the risk anyway. I've always been clear that the blog is about my experience in all things dining related- exceptional to difficult. I also believe that participating in the 2014 SNAP Challenge gave readers a glimpse of part of the journey that led me to where I am today. For me it was it was humbling to exercise creativity and resourcefulness in order to ensure that I had food and enough to eat.

If a SNAP Challenge were offered in your community, would you participate?

Thank you for joining me on the 2014 SNAP Challenge journey.
 

Be well,

Technicolor girl

image created by InkPlus LLC

SNAP Challenge 2014 - Day 3: Stride and Stress

lunchtime

Day 2  was a lot easier to navigate because I planned ahead. I had oatmeal for breakfast relatively early and the morning.  I ended up eating lunch later than  planned,  because I was focused on completing a task at work. when I did eat lunch I literally stopped working and enjoyed my split pea soup, apple and water. I drank more water today as well.  Later in the day I when I felt hungry the carrot slices and homemade hummus were just what I needed.  To add some variety to the dinner salad I added shredded carrot to the spinach and cucumber. I also used a Katz's late Harvest Viognier Honey vinegar from All Things Olive hat I had on hand to enhance the salad flavors (look for an upcoming blog post about All Things Olive).



Using honey vinegar to enhance the salad flavors

 Day2 Lessons Learned:

• Planning ahead kept me steady through the day.
• While I'm consuming 1/2 cup of  prepared oat meal for breakfast , 1 cup of soup for lunch and  2/3  cup to 1 cup chili for dinner with brown rice I am closely watching to see if I will have enough of soup and chili for the remainder of the week.
• Cutting the cucumbers and carrots into different shapes and sizes with the mandolin and grater helps create variety with the meals
• I continue to have a healthy respect for my mandolin and use it with great care- the blades are razor sharp.



mandolin

Questions posted to me on  Day 2 and my answers:

• Q: Are you hungry?
• A: No. I try to space the timing of my meals and snack so I am not hungry. I think the food selections have helped me feel full as well.

• Q: Do you make oatmeal every morning? Is the oatmeal plain?
• A: I made a pot of oatmeal Sunday evening  ( I used the 'old-fashioned' oats versus the quick oats) and two boxes from a six-pack of raisins. Each morning I take a portion from the pot and reheat it in the microwave.

• Q: How long were you unemployed and what did you purchase to eat on $5 to $10 per week?
• A: I was not gainfully employed for about a year. There's very little in the way of fresh fruits or vegetables that you can purchase on a budget that low. I consumed rice, oatmeal, ramen noodles, applesauce, canned meats. During this time I learned about the 'markdown' produce in the store. I often ate once a day.

photo by TEP

• Q: Why didn't you qualify for assistance when you were unemployed?
• A:  The State of Maryland requires completing an application to participate in the program. After completing the application I was contacted by Montgomery County Health and Human Services for an interview. The interviewer asked a series of questions about assets, sources of income and expenses. About 10 days later I received a letter in the mail stating my application was denied because I had car insurance and I had money in a savings account (at the time about $2,000) - should I exhaust my savings and cancel the car insurance I might be reconsidered. I couldn't cancel the car insurance because I sometimes used the car to drive to my then part-time job and the State of Maryland requires registered vehicles to have insurance.   

Day 3 will be a busy day at work. I am curious to see how the rush to meet deadlines and juggling tasks will impact the time I have to eat lunch and a afternoon snack.  I am  also scheduled to attend an evening meeting where a light dinner will be served. I am a bit anxious about the event as I know the event organizers try to make sure everyone eats - it is a matter of culture and hospitality.

I hope you will return to see how the day unfolds and I make strides to navigate the stressful moments of Day3.

Be well,

Technicolor girl


image created by InkPlus LLC