Aloo Palak Paneer Pie

Pies seem to be the rage recently and I've noticed lots of cookbooks lately featuring both savory and sweet pies, sometimes mini ones and others fitting the more traditional standard. This one is adapted from a cookbook that I received to look over and I was immediately drawn to a unique take on aloo palak that incorporates the potato component of this classic Indian potato and spinach curry into a delightful crust. To make it even more interesting, I added some crumbled paneer cheese and some of my favorite spices that are always eager to greet me when I open the cupboard door.

Now, Pies and Tarts with Heart is a vegan book, but although I am quite smitten by many of the creative ideas for pies that are presented throughout the book — and adore vegan options besides — my initial complaint was the use of margarine in many of the recipes. This is not to say that I don't recommend the book, especially as oil and other alternatives could be used instead of margarine or vegetable shortening to keep it vegan. Vegetarian that I am, I substituted butter and yogurt in the crust with great success and look forward to trying more of the book's recipes, with an inspired take on the dishes that are presented between the covers.

Citrus pies, traditional pies with a vegan twist, go raw if you please, or nutty or maybe creamy, or load them up with berries, nuts, veggies or fruit. No matter your dietary preferences or cooking style, there are a good many recipes to inspire you in the kitchen in this cookbook. The writing is informative and warm, just like your favorite pies, and the book is complete with lovely photographs that will encourage numerous cooking sessions.

I know my husband and best friend enjoyed their meal immensely, as did I, especially served alongside some pappadums with an avocado pomegranate spiced dip.

Don't let the long list of ingredients intimidate you. It really is not difficult to make, especially if you plan ahead.

Aloo Palak Paneer Pie

Classic tangy and spicy Indian spinach, potato and paneer cheese curry transformed into a pie with a mashed potato crust — this delicious and nourishing savory pie will make a real impression on your diners Print this recipe Potato crust: 5 medium potatoes (1 1/2 lbs or 675 g), peeled 3 tablespoons butter, softened 3 to 4 tablespoons yogurt or milk 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 1/2 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground black pepper Spinach paneer filling: 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (optional) 1 small onion or large shallot, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 2 to 3 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped   2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon sumac or ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon amchoor powder (optional) a few pinches of asafetida a few small handfuls of dried curry leaves   1 medium tomato, finely chopped 1 bunch fresh spinach (8 to 10 cups), trimmed and roughly chopped juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons) 1 cup paneer cheese, grated, crumbled or mashed 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon garam masala 1/2 teaspoon chat masala (optional) Instructions: Begin with the crust. Roast, boil or steam the potatoes according to preference until tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the butter and yogurt or milk and mash until creamy and smooth. Sprinkle in the red chili flakes, salt and pepper, and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, press the potato mixture evenly into the prepared pie plate. Cover and refrigerate until the filling is ready. To make the filling, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, tos in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds if using, and stir for 30 to 60 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Add the onion and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Toss in the garlic, ginger and chilies and continue to stir for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the ground coriander, ground cumin, sumac or nutmeg, turmeric, chili powder, cayenne, amchoor if using, asafetida and curry leaves. Cook, stirring continually, for 1 minute. Now add the tomato and cook for 5 minutes or until the tomato has reduced. Add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, stirring until wilted. Sprinkle in the lime juice and paneer and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Finally stir in the sea salt, garam masala and chat masala if using. Simmer for another few minutes to let the flavors mingle. Preheat an oven to 350°. Spread the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pie is set and browned on the edges. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot or warm. Cover leftover pie with aluminum foil and reheat at 300° for 10 to 15 minutes. Makes 6 servings

Audio Accompaniment: Harold Budd

Blackberry Quinoa Muffins

I'm not one to fuss over breakfast, unless I have some time on the weekend when I am not home alone in the morning because it is always best to have someone special to share with. Still, breakfast is an important meal, even if not enjoyed until the "brunching" hour and even if a light one. Savory grain-based muffins make for a quick morning or mid-day meal or snack when you just want to grab something on the go, or supplement your take-to-work lunch. Heck, they are good anytime of day. Leftover grains never go to waste in my kitchen.

As is usual with me, I keep sugar content to a minimum in my baked goods most of the time, and you really don't need much sugar in these cakey and moist muffins — nothing like a burst of fresh fruit and berries to satisfy those taste buds craving natural sweetness. The addition of quinoa makes these an even more substantial and nourishing muffin than most, and they stay fresh in a well-sealed container for a couple of days.

Local blackberries are strutting their goodness right now, but I can pretty much buy them year round in London, and I take advantage of this luxury on occasion because I love fresh berries and simply can't pass them by and pine away until late summer.

Blackberry Quinoa Muffins

Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup cake or pastry flour or spelt flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/3 cup uncooked) 1 large egg 1/3 cup brown sugar or jaggery 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 3/4 cup plain yogurt 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup fresh or frozen and defrosted blackberries 1/4 cup fresh or frozen and defrosted blueberries (optional) Instructions: Preheat an oven to 350° and butter or grease 12 standard-size muffin cups. Sprinkle the greased muffin cups with cornmeal. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk in the quinoa. Break the egg into a medium bowl and beat lightly. Add the sugar, beat again, and then beat in the melted butter, yogurt and almond extract until everything is combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the egg and yogurt mixture, and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the berries. Evenly transfer the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Let sit in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 muffins

Potato, Pepper and Zucchini Skillet Hash with Pinto Beans

Hashes are a great way to use up vegetables that are about to expire for want of any other use, and they're a marvelously simple solution to breakfast, lunch or dinner in the absence of any other plans. Fried potatoes are a blank canvas upon which any number of different foods and flavors can be tossed with almost without reserve — vegetables, greens, beans, eggs, cheese, herbs, spices, etc. Here local vegetables shine and you may want to include some fresh corn.

This potato, pepper, zucchini and pinto bean hash was a wonderful success, and elicited cries of envy from my husband's co-workers when he brought the leftovers in for lunch. It's also a great way to use leftover cooked beans — just substitute 1 cup of cooked beans for the dried beans in the recipe below. Of course, any kind of bean can be used in a hash, but keeping with the Mexican-style spicing in this version I think that pinto or red kidney beans would work best.

Potato, Pepper and Zucchini Skillet Hash with Pinto Beans

Simple, nourishing and zesty potato, bean and vegetable hash — an easy and delicious lunch or dinner solution Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried pinto beans (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can) 4 medium potatoes, chopped 1/2 cup olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 green onions, green and white parts, sliced 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped 1 small zucchini, chopped 2 teaspoons chili powder 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper Instructions: Rinse the beans and soak overnight in several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain and rinse, then add to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 to 60 minutes or until the beans are soft. Drain and set aside. Steam or boil the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes — depending on the size of your pieces — or until just tender. Heat the oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in the onion and the white parts of the green onion, and continue to sauté for 5 to 6 minutes or until the onions are softened. Now stir in the drained beans, bell pepper, jalapeños and zucchini, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Toss in the chili powder, ground cumin and dried oregano, and stir to coat the vegetables and beans. Remove from heat, stir in the salt and season with black pepper. Serve hot or warm with sour cream and garnished with the green parts of the green onions, a sprinkling of chili powder, a runny egg, fresh grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, or fresh diced tomato. Makes 4 servings

Spicy Urad Dal with Cauliflower and Peas

Split dals are a fast and simple way to deliver nourishing and easily digestible proteins to vegetarians, and split skinned urad dal is among the fastest and simplest. These little white pearls — also known as black gram for the dark skin which is usually hulled — cook quickly, and their uniquely mild and floury taste is a wonderful vehicle for tangy flavors, aromatic seeds and hot spices. I always have a large bag on hand for when I need to come up with a quick meal without much planning. You can find urad dal at any Indian or Asian grocer.

This simple but very flavorful dal is cooked with tangy tomato and seasoned with warming seeds and spices, with cauliflower and peas added near the end to preserve texture and nourishment. It's a complete and satisfying meal served with hot fresh cooked rice, and it's vegan-friendly too if you use oil instead of ghee.

Spicy Urad Dal with Cauliflower and Peas

Simple, nourishing and easily digestible tasty Indian cauliflower and pea dal curry cooked with tangy tomato and seasoned with warming seeds and spice Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup split urad dal, without skins 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 small onion, chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 1 green or red chili, seeded and minced small handful of dried curry leaves pinch of asafetida 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 cup fresh or frozen and defrosted peas 1 cup water 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste Instructions: Rinse the urad dal under cold running water and let soak for 20 to 30 minutes in several inches of water. Drain and rinse again. Add the urad dal to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the dals are tender but still hold their shape. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside. Heat the ghee or olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin and fennel seeds and stir for 1 minute. Add the onion and stir for 2 minutes or until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the ginger, chili and curry leaves, and stir for 1 minute. Drop in the asafetida, stir once, then add the tomato, cauliflower, turmeric and cayenne. Stir for 2to 3 minutes longer to let the tomatoes start to soften. Now add the cooked urad dal and peas. Stir to coat the dal with the tomato and spices. Stir in 1 cup of water, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to heat the dal and let the flavors blend. Remove from heat, stir in the salt, and serve hot over a bed of freshly cooked white rice if desired or with some Indian flat breads, such as naan bread. Makes 4 servings