Tag Archives: jalapenos

A Bit of Vegan Heaven; 24 Carrots

Once in a great while, I come across food that doesn’t just speak to my mouth, or just hums for me, it sings in my soul. On the quest for great quality vegan food that holds the flavors I’m looking for, I have been disappointed. Yes, there is great food out there, and the partner and I frequent the places where we can eat without too much hassle. Me; no corn, no peanuts, Her; no gluten, no dairy (in case we are in vegetarian places). But they’ve all seemed to miss one or two notes.

Along came 24 Carrots, in Chandler, Arizona. I got excited when I heard about them, but life kept getting in the way. It is a bit of a trek from our house. I knew I wanted to try it, and I keep an eye on the social media, and the specials were starting to make me drool. We were able to visit the other day, and found a relaxing, yet vibrant atmosphere, coupled with a knowledgeable counter person, and good smells.

Nestled between a Subway, and a Caribbean house, 24 Carrots is a strip mall slice of vegan heaven. The juice bar is prominent, and there are small dining tables up front. In coffee house tradition, there is a lounge area with couches, and comfy chairs, and a large flat screen t.v. on the quote board. There is a small library, and you can read while waiting for food, unless you want to take advantage of the wi-fi on your mobile device.

There is so much to choose from. They have an extensive menu with a variety of vegan cuisines represented. I was interested in their specials, and the veggie burger. I’ve been disappointed so far with most of the grain burgers I come across. It was Taco Tuesday, with Soyrizo Tacos on the special board, so the partner ordered two of those. I went for the Roasted Tomato Burger. We decided on the Raw Jalapeno Popper appetizer. After having a nice chat with Marcus, the counter guy, we ordered juices and food, and sat and waited.

The wait was a little long, and that could have been for several different reasons, but once the food came, we were not disappointed. The Raw Jalapeno Poppers looked exquisite. Almond cheese stuffed into baby bell peppers, laid out on a bed of mixed greens, with what looked like a bit of cilantro pesto. Then there was the Soyrizo Tacos. Soyrizo smothered with avocado puree, purple cabbage, onions and mushrooms, all wrapped up in a warm corn tortilla. An optional side of chips with a pineapple salsa fresca completed the plate. Then came the Roasted Tomato Burger, the ever present LTO, an oat bran bun, served with a refreshing mixed green salad with not only sunflower seeds, but pumpkin seeds as well. I love pepitas!

Eye to stomach is what I’ve been taught as a chef, and 24 Carrots applied the rule. I wanted to eat everything as they set the plates down. But first, pictures! Can’t forget the pictures. Then we dug in. I’ve found my home for vegan Sonoran flavors. This is what I’ve been looking for. One other place came close to pleasing my chili/lime/cilantro craving palate, and that was Native Foods Cafe in Southern CA. Glad to know the flavors exist closer to home. The first bite into the Popper caused a bit of ecstasy in my mouth. A burst of flavors, and my mouth was singing. Then I tried the burger. Satisfying, and it did not squish or fall apart. It was warmed all the way through, and the basil aioli came through all the way. The salad was dressed perfectly, not too much, not too little. And I ate it all. We took a couple of the poppers home, and as I was writing the first draft of this review, I had to go eat one, I got so hungry just remembering how good they were.

The report on the Tacos were excellent. I could only take a little bite due to the corn tortillas. I tried the salsa, and it was very pleasing. We had fresh juices to wash everything down with, Apple-Ginger, and Ginger lemonade. When I tried the ginger lemonade my mouth puckered. Thanks, I’ll stick to apple-ginger. But the partner really enjoyed it.

We will definitely return to explore the rest of the menu, enjoy the specials of the day (posted daily on their Facebook page– great use of social media by a vegan restaurant), the decor, and the fresh atmosphere at 24 Carrots. I hope you do too, if you are in the area. Support independent, and support local.

The Fantastic, Amazing and Versatile Chili Pepper

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One of the main ingredients I cook with is chili peppers. Jalapenos, Serranos, Anaheims, New Mexico Reds, Poblanos, Pasillas, Cayenne, all these chilis and more have a home in my kitchen.

There are approximately 25-30 kinds of chili peppers, and in that family there are multiple varieties. Chilis give flavor to dishes, and some great health benefits as well. A hot chili pepper has more vitamin C in it than an orange.

Chilis hail from the South American continent. Along with tomatoes and potatoes, they were part of the new food group that traveled over to Europe from the New World. Long chilis already existed in India and Asia, but the chilis discovered on the South American continent were a whole new variety.

One of the problems in identifying different kinds of chili peppers is that there are different regional names for the same chili. Pasilla and Poblano chilis get mixed up more frequently than others. A Pasilla is long, with wrinkles on the top end, and a tapered tail, like the Anaheim. A Poblano is fat like a sweet green pepper, with dark green flesh and a pointed end. I once sent a friend on a hunt for a Poblano, and she came back almost in tears because she asked in three different grocery stores, and got three different answers, so came home with nothing. I learned, if I want chilis, shop for them myself.

When naming a chili in a recipe, I will try to give more than one name for it, because it could be called something completely different in your area of the world.

I can expound upon the virtue of the chili all day. Jalapenos make up part of the mirapoix I use in my dishes. There is a depth and essence that chilis bring out when combined with other food that elevates the humblest of soups to greatness. Chilis can be roasted, baked, fried, stuffed, sauteed, caramelized, pureed, dried and crushed. They play well with all sorts of other food stuffs and make great sauces and soup bases. When caramelized, chilis impart a rich, smoky flavor to any dish.

When smoked, a jalapeno becomes a chipotle. When put into a sauce called Adobo, it is sold in a can in the Supermarkets. Years ago, I found a recipe for the Adobo sauce in a cookbook called The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. Eventually I learned how to smoke my own chilis.

Chipotle, or the Smoked Jalapeno is expensive when found in the produce section of the grocery store. I believe it was $12.99 per pound the last time I was in a store. Now, a smoked jalapeno does not weigh very much, but I can buy them for .99 cents/lb in season, and fire up the smoker and smoke them myself. With the cost of smoking chips, it probably runs $4.99 a pound.

I am fortunate to live in the Southwest where we find chilis year round. The harvesting season is usually between late August and Mid-September. That’s when the Anaheims and New Mexico Reds have matured and are sold by the bushel, not by the pound. In Sante Fe, New Mexico, there are chili roasters on every major street corner. I couldn’t walk any where in that town without smelling roasting chilis. (Still one of my favorite smells of the year).

Chilis are used as garnishes at tables, and there is an entire cult of the chili motif. If you want to, you can buy just about any kind of table ware, decorations, wall paper and even furniture with a chili pepper design. There for a while it was a fad for chefs to wear pants that had chili peppers on them.

Whatever your plans for the chili pepper, I hope to be a guide for how to use them in cooking. Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore a few of my favorite chili recipes, and how chilis interact with other ingredients. Please, if you have questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you.

Recipe Wednesday: Lentils and Vegetables

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The weather is turning cooler here in the land of sunny hot, and the cooking mind turns to comfort food: soups. How to make those tasty vegan soups rich and yummy, check out this recipe guaranteed to warm you on a cold day.

Tools:

Good cooking pot

Recipe Wednesday: Lentils and Vegetables

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp sunflower oil*
1/8 cup red peppers, diced
1/8 cup green peppers, diced
2 jalapeno, diced(0ptional)
1/8 cup carrots, diced
1/8 red onions, diced
1 tbsp (more or less) garlic, chopped
1 each zucchini and squash diced
1 cup lentils
4-5 cups water
1 tbsp turmeric
3-4 curry leaves (found in specialty markets, or Asian grocers)
S & P to taste

Process

Heat up the pan, add the sunflower oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, peppers, carrots and garlic, lower the heat to simmer, and “sweat” the vegetables until the onions start to turn translucent. Add a bit of salt to the veggies as they sweat.

Add the zucchini and squash, stir for a bit and let them cook, then add lentils. Add water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Add turmeric, curry leaves and salt and pepper. Cook until the lentils become soft (it’s ok if they get mushy, but you don’t want the squash and zucchini mushy), approximately 1 hour.

Serve hot with your favorite bread, or tortilla.

Notes

Sunflower oil gives a “buttery” flavor and consistency to a finished dish. It is one of my favorite oils of the moment. Give it a try I’m sure you’ll find the results pleasing.

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A Recipe a Day: Tofu Scramble

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What I love about Tofu Scramble is it’s versatility. This is by no means the be all and end all recipe for this dish. Experiment with the base, and come up with different vegetables and spices to put in it. I like jalapenos and chili powder, so it goes into the one I make here at home, but you can add any thing, really, that you want to, it all depends on your palette.

The important things are the turmeric for coloring and some kind of aromatic vegetable base. That’s what gives the tofu its flavor.

A Recipe a Day: Tofu Scramble

Ingredients

1 lb soft tofu, drained
2 tbsp Sunflower oil
1 bunch spinach
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Red Chili Powder
2 tbsp Turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne
½ tsp Cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Process

Drain tofu into a colander, let drain for 15-20 minutes.

In the mean time prepare the vegetables for sauté.

Heat up a skillet, add oil when skillet is hot. Add vegetables (except for spinach) when the oil starts to sizzle. Sauté until tender. Add Tofu and spices, sauté. Turn down heat and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Check periodically and stir.

Flip tofu scramble and add spinach. Sauté until tofu takes on scrambled egg consistency.

Serve fresh fruit as a side when in season.

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A Recipe a Day: Sonoran Quinoa Cakes

Is it hot enough? Salsa!

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Here is the long awaited Roasted Salsa Recipe. Any time I make this people seriously fall in love with me.

Depending on where you get the jalapenos, and how hot you like your salsa, you can adjust the amount to your liking. I’ve found that using the same amount of jalapenos sometimes results in very hot salsa and other times it results in medium or even mild salsa. You can sometimes tell the heat of a chili by smelling it, but it is not a 100% proof method. Experimenting is recommended.
Enjoy.

Is it hot enough? Salsa!

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Remember when working with hot chilis, wear protective gloves. The active ingredient in the chilis can burn the skin.

Ingredients

8 Roma tomatoes
1 poblano chili (in some regions called a pasilla)
1 red pepper
1 gold pepper
1 green pepper
2-3 jalapenos
1 red onion
1 head of garlic
1/2 bunch of Cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp Lime juice
S & P

Process

Roast all the vegetables on the grill or in a broiler, until the skins start to blacken. Remove tomatoes when skin starts to split. This usually happens before the peppers and chilis are done.

Cool the vegetables. Fine chop the cilantro, and squeeze the lime juice while vegetables are cooling.

Peel the skin off the peppers and chilis, and remove the seed core. Clean the skin off the garlic and use 4-5 cloves, Save the rest for hummus or dressings.

Place all the roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor. Blend until large chunks are gone. Work in several batches if there is too much to fit in the work bowl.

Pour into mixing bowl and add cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for approximately 2-3 weeks.

Serve with Chips, Burritos, Quesadillas, Rice & Beans, Roasted veggie wraps, and any thing else that might need a really great roasted salsa!

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Latest Culinary Feat

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We had guests over the weekend. I like to cook for people when they stay with me. However, these folks were busy with a conference, so they were in and out all weekend. I figured Sunday would be a good day to cook for them. (I did not know that they would be having dinner at the conference as well).

I planned to make Spring Rolls, and an orientalish fried brown rice. A light but filling “snack.” I had all the ingredients but one. Red Fresno (or red jalepeno) chilis. I live in Southern Arizona, I ought to be able to find a fresh red chili somewhere.

I went to 10 grocer outlets. TEN! I spent almost three hours on this hunt, and I could not find a red hot chili any where, no japones, fresnos, jalepenos, nothing. I was distraught. I finally found, to my culinary terror, a jar of red jalepenos. I purchased it praying that they were hot enough for the chili dipping sauce I was making for the Spring rolls. Sometimes a chef has to improvise.

I returned to my kitchen to slice, dice and create my culinary delights. The experiment to use water to close up the wraps worked for my partner’s vegan diet. The others received the standard egg wash.

This dish is a variation from the cookbook “Vegetarian”, edited by Nicola Graimes. This book is virtually a bible for vegetarian cooking.

Orientalish Brown Rice

Ingredients

1 cup Cooked Brown Rice
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup celery
2 tbsp Ginger, minced
2 tsp Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

Process

Thinly slice carrots and celery on the bias (diagonal cuts). In a clean wok, add 2 tbsp of oil, let it get hot. Add the celery, carrots, ginger and garlic. Saute on a high heat until vegetables become tender, but still have a bite. (al dante). Mix in the rice, and salt and pepper. Serve with Spring rolls and dipping sauce.

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Spring Rolls

Ingredients

Spring Rolls

1/2 cup Carrots
1/2 cup Celery
1/2 cup Red onion
1/2 cup Zucchini
1/2 cup Yellow squash
1/2 cup Bean sprouts
3-4 Scallions
1/2 inch ginger finely shredded
4-5 Garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tsp Cilantro finely minced
1/2 tsp Dry mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1 pkg Rice Noodles, cooked
1 pkg egg roll wrappers

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup Rice vinager
1/2 cup Sugar
4-5 tbsp Water
1-2 Birds eye or Cayenne Chilis

Process

Spring Rolls

Slice all the vegetables. Keep separate. Preheat a wok on high, and add safflower oil. Let the oil get hot. Bring the heat to medium flame, and add the carrots, celery and onion. Saute until tender. Add zucchini, squash, garlic and ginger, saute until soft. Add bean sprouts and half the scallion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the cilantro at the last minute with a splash of rice vinager. Let cool.

Lay out the egg roll wraps. Add a bit of noodle and a bit of the veggie mixture. Roll the wraps like a burrito, so that both ends are sealed. Do this until you run out of mixture and noodles.

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pot. Make sure the temperature is near 400 degrees. Fry the Spring rolls until golden brown. A few at a time depending on what kind of pot you are using. Drain on paper towels.

Put the rice in a mound on the plate, cut the Spring Rolls in half on the bias. Place the Spring Rolls around the rice. Garnish with the left over scallions and cilantro. Serve with dipping sauce to hungry diners.

Dipping Sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves, bring to a light boil. Boil until mixture becomes a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.

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Tag Archives: jalapenos

A Bit of Vegan Heaven; 24 Carrots

The Fantastic, Amazing and Versatile Chili Pepper

Recipe Wednesday: Lentils and Vegetables

A Recipe a Day: Tofu Scramble

A Recipe a Day: Sonoran Quinoa Cakes

Is it hot enough? Salsa!

Latest Culinary Feat