Tag Archives: chipotle

Roasted butternut and black bean kofta

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butternut squash black bean kofta

I feel like I’ve been seeing meatballs everywhere lately. All the internets and newspapers and magazines are brimming over with them. Is this a “food trend” that we have before us? Perhaps, subconsciously, that’s where I got the idea for these. We obviously need a vegetarian version! I’m fascinated that different cultures seem to have their own take on the notion of little balls of meat and grains and veg and spices. My son’s favorite dish to order from an Indian restaurant is malai kofta, which is one variation on the idea. Decades ago, I saw pumpkin kibbeh listed on a menu at a Lebanese restaurant. I’ve been intrigued by the idea for years! This is sort of my imagining of a vegetarian meatball/kibbeh/kofta. It combines roasted butternut squash, smashed black beans, bulgar, bread crumbs, a bit of cheese and an egg. These are seasoned with oregano, basil, sage, smoked paprika, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Flavorful little bundles! I thought about frying them on top of the stove, but in the end I coated them in olive oil and then baked them in a hot oven instead. They still came out quite crispy, but soft in the middle. I made a spicy chipotle tamarind sauce to go with them, and we ate them with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and warm pita bread. Plus oven roasted rosemary french fries. But I have different plans for them tonight! I’m having trouble concentrating on this! My little son is home (not very) sick from school, and I’m getting a tutorial on the shades of difference between his two Luke Skywalker toys!

Here’s Josh White’s One Meatball.
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Chipotle chickpeas

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Still life with chickpeas

Tortillas, injera, dosas, jamaican roti, moo shu pancakes, crepes. Why are they so fun to eat? Why is it so fun to wrap all your food into a tasty bundle and eat it with your hands? These were the thoughts going through my head last night during my 8th night in a row of infuriating insomnia. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be fun to invent a completely new form of flatish bread that you could use as a utensil? And I’m determined to do it! (I even thought of a name for them!) And then I thought about inventing completely new methods of cooking. Like the first time somebody realized that if you whip egg whites they get stiff. Is it possible to invent something absolutely new? Yes it is! In award-winning restaurants in Spain or Norway, maybe. Sigh.

Anyway, last night was a back-to-normal-after-the-holidays meal. Chickpeas and broccoli sauteed with chipotle, sage, oregano and smoked paprika. Smoky, spicy, good. We had them with warm tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, grated cheese and basmati rice. Ready in minutes and fun to eat.

Here’s Move Move Move from Nacho Libre we listened to during dinner last night. I love this soundtrack!
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Spaniko-sushi with spicy sauce

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Greens & feta rolls

I don’t eat seafood, so I don’t eat sushi, well…ever. But I like the idea of tasty little rolls that you can dip in a spicy sauce. So I came up with these little morsels. They reminded me of spanikopita because they combine greens and feta in a flaky crust, and they reminded me of sushi because of their shape. And they happen to be another addition in my series of savory pastries-that-make-an-elegant-vegetarian-appetizer-but-also-make-a-good-dinner-with-soup-or-a-big-salad!

I put black mustard seeds in the pastry, because I like their flavor with greens, and because they add a nice speckledy crunch. I used kale and spinach because I had them, and because I think the mild flavor of spinach is nice with the more assertive flavor of kale. And the sauce is a roasted red pepper and chipotle sauce. Quite spicy, and very pretty with it’s bright red tint.

Roasted red pepper chipotle sauce

Here’s Mean Greens by Eddie Harris.
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Empanadas with chipotle and butternut squash

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Red bean and butternut squash empanadas

These empanadas are like an evening in autumn – the leaves are all golden, red, and orange, and the smoke from somebody’s fireplace fills the air. Made with yellow corn, red beans, roasted butternut squash, and smoky paprika and chipotle puree, they’re pretty and delicious. They go well with artichoke heart salsa, which brings coolness to their smoky warmth. I baked mine, but you could fry them if you wanted.

Here’s Red Beans by Coleman Hawkins with the Red Garland Trio
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