Roasted Fennel Carrots

I decided to make a healthier side dish for burgers instead of fries. I randomly threw some spices on some carrots and roasted them. They came out so good I could not believe it. Michael instantly told me to put them on my blog! I used the organic carrots from my veggie box delivery.

This recipe calls for mango powder. The powder it made from dried green mangoes. It’s a common spice in Indian cooking.  It’s kind of tart and zesty. I bought it awhile since most of the Indian foods Michael ask for call for it (I am trying to not make “white people Indian food” as he calls it) and I am learning to love it. It can be found in Indian Grocery stores and most health food stores. It’s worth adding to your spice rack.

This recipes make 2 servings, but can be easily multiplied.
Roasted Fennel Carrots
1 medium bunch of carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 tbs coconut oil (warmed if necessary so it is liquid)
1 tsp mango powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp curry powder
1/2  tbs whole fennel seeds
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
If using fresh organic carrots, cut the top greens off. Wash well.
Chop the carrots into larger bit-sized pieces, about 1 inch or so.
In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and toss to coat well.
Roast in the oven until soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
A healthy side dish loaded with flavor!

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Roti and Cilantro Chutney

Here are the other two dishes from my awesome Indian dinner. Like I said in my last post, I had never heard of roti before. I have always had nice fluffy naan bread at Indian restaurants. But Michael said his family eats roti, which is more like a soft tortilla, so I thought I would try making them. I looked up some recipes and watched a few videos, and thought I would give it a try. I knew they were not going to come out perfect because I do not have a rolling pin and I used all purpose flour, not wheat flour like the recipes  call for. Also, since I had never had them before and do not know that much about Indian cooking, I had no frame of reference. But, being a good girlfriend, I went ahead anyways.  Michael said mine tasted right, but were too crunchy. I will try making them again, following the same recipe but actually following the method more correctly.

However, my cilantro chutney was amazing and Michael had no complaints. The aloo mattar was good on it’s own, but was fantastic with this chutney.



Roti
1/2 Cup Whole wheat flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon of Oil
Pinch of Salt
1 teaspoon vegan butter 










In a small bowl, mix together the flour, water, and salt into a soft dough. 


Add the oil and knead together until it is no longer sticky. 


Transfer the dough to flat surface and divide into 4 round balls. 


Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with some oil. 


Roll the balls into 1/8 thick rounds. 


Ok, so I had a hard time with the following steps….


Place the rounds into the skillet and cook for a few seconds until the edges begin to curl up and bubbles begin to appear on the top. 


Flip it over until the bubble appear on this side as well. 


Flip over again and begin to press down and rotate the roti. Repeat all the way around until it puffs up and becomes golden in a few spots. 


Remove from the skillet and brush with some vegan butter. 


Repeat with the remaining rounds. 



Cilantro Chutney
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 garlic clove
2 serrano peppers, chopped
1/2 inch piece of ginger
1 tbs of salt
1 tsp garam masala 
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp of asafetida
Water, if needed


Put everything into the blender and blend until smooth.  


I was very satisfied in with this whole dinner, and can’t wait to try making more Indian food…and hopefully not “white people Indian food” as Michael called it. Hope you like it too!







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Rosemary Focaccia

Photo from here

My friend suggested I try making a video blog, so I decided to give it a try. Let me know what you think, I may do more in the future.

Here is the recipe for my video blog, it’s based on one from called Focaccia Bread from AllRecipes.com. I used rice flour (because I accidentally bought it instead of wheat flour) so this version is gluten free, but wheat flour is ideal.

Rosemary Focaccia:
1 cup luke warm water
1 packet of active yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 and 3/4 cup flour (I used rice but wheat flour is fine too)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp salt
2 springs of fresh rosemary, removed from stem
1 tbs olive oil
3-4 springs of fresh rosemary, removed from stem
Sprinkle of salt

This is one of my favorite breads my mom made growing up, I hope you love it too!

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