Fall is officially here
And that means cooler nights & darker days…I don’t really like fall. What’s to love about looking up and seeing brown everywhere? I prefer green over orange. I also prefer warmth over cold. And sun over darkness. But that’s just me, I suppose I’m living in the wrong location if I want summer and spring all year round. What is good about fall is that it reminds me to get back into indoor hobby’s, like knitting and crocheting. It also inspires me to light more candles, cuddle under fuzzy blankets, turn on more christmas tree lights, and get the cinnamon aromas in the air with my essential oils and incense. I love making my place real cozy this time of year. I hope my plants survive the darker days though, I picked up some new plants since summer: a fiddle leaf fig, a philodendron, and an elephant ear plant, and I really like them, so hopefully I can keep them alive without a grow light.
Sheep and Wool Festival
This time of year an event takes place near us that I’ve never gone to before; the Sheep and Wool festival. Apparently it is a big hit in the area, with workshops galore all sold out more than a week prior to the event (and they arent cheap either!). My dad, Tim and I decided to embrace the cold together and go last weekend. You wouldn’t believe how many people were there, people came from Florida and Oregon to show off their sheep. They had goat jumping events, there were sheering demonstrations every 45 minutes, and even a demonstration of a very fluffy rabbit sitting on the owner as she gently twisted the shedding fur into her spinner. People were selling salsas, dips, wine, soaps, and more there too. My favorite part was the amount of wool and yarn sold EVERYWHERE. I could not believe how many tents there were of just YARN! Colors upon colors, different sizes, different textures, different smells. They sold spinners and spindles and weaving kits and everything and all things wool and yarn related. People came flaunting their crocheted creations or their knitted cloths. Every time I thought I was done walking through a tent, I found out there was more. We never finished seeing everything by the time we left. I found some chunky yarn and bought a good bit worth for the winter (I need to figure out what I want to make with it). It was a fair for sheep owners and wool creators a like. I enjoyed myself, and it inspired me to create more (I am often times pulled into an internal struggle of working on the computer vs I making things with my hands, ahh if only there were more hours in the day).
Indian Food Veganized
Fall is the time of the year where soups and creamy dishes or spicy foods really shine. And this here is no exception. Malai Kofta is one of my favorite Indian dishes, but often times I can’t get it because they don’t make it without milk or heavy cream. And I’m allergic to the protein part of the milk, so I tend to stay away and order something else. But when they can customize it for me with coconut milk instead, it is So so delicious!!! And I was craving it the other week, so I decided to try making it. I followed one of my favorite Indian chefs on YouTube, VahChef and tweaked his recipe a tiny bit to make it vegan. I will admit, this is not a true copy of what I expect when I go to an Indian restaurant, but when I brought it over to my in-laws house and shared it with company, they all LOVED it. They raved over how good it was. I was shocked! Because my in-laws are good Trinidadian cooks, so they know Good curry. And yet they were impressed by my dish (made my night!). So don’t take my word for it, take theirs. The kofta balls held up really well without any flour or breadcrumbs, and are super healthy because I baked them instead of frying them in oil. And the sauce came out rich and creamy and bright orange, just like you’d find in the store. If you are expecting authentic Indian, this isn’t it lol. Because Authentic Indian kofta is made with cheese and cream often times, but I’d consider this a Delicious second. It is a bit of a labor of love because the potatoes take some time to cook, but there isn’t too much prep work, so you won’t need to be slaving over the stove top. Everything in here is so healthy for you, the spices are immune boosting, the potatoes contain just about all that you need to survive, and you can sneak in some mixed vegetables too. If you’re looking for a different kind of dinner, why not try this one? I hope it helps to welcome in fall for you <3
Ingredients
- KOFTA BALLS:
- 3 - Medium Sized Potatoes
- 1 Cup - Frozen Chopped Mixed Vegetables
- 1 Tbsp - Coconut Oil (melted)
- 1 tsp - Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp - Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp - Chili Powder
- Handful Chopped Cilantro
- Dash of Sea Salt
- -
- SAUCE:
- 2 Tbsp - Coconut Oil
- 1 - Onion
- 4 - Garlic Cloves
- 1/2" - Ginger
- 2 - Tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 tsp - Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp - Chili Powder
- 1 tsp -Turmeric
- Dash of Sea Salt
- 1 Cup - Filtered Water
- 1 tsp - Cumin Seed
- 1/4 Cup - Cashews powder (or almond meal/flour)
- Handful - Chopped Cilantro
- 1 Can - Coconut Cream
Instructions
KOFTA BALLS:
- Start by washing and dicing your potatoes. Put a large pot to steam over high heat with 1-2" of water. When boiling, place your potatoes in a metal colander and place over top (don't let the potatoes touch the water, we want to steam them and keep the nutrients from seeping out into the water). Cover with a lid and let cook until tender to poke with a fork, about 30-45 min.
- Meanwhile, let the mixed vegetables sit out next to the stove (not in plastic!) so they can defrost and soften up. If they aren't soft by the time the potatoes finish cooking, you can steam them too or place them in a microwave.
- Once your potatoes are cooked, drain them well and place them in a large mixing bowl. Use a cheese cloth or your hands to squeeze your mixed vegetables until most of the remaining liquid comes out. Place them into your mixing bowl.
- Preheat your oven to 375-400F.
- Using a masher (or your hands...be careful it is not hot though) mix and mash everything into a dough form, then add in your remaining spices and melted coconut oil. If everything is too wet to stick, add in some almond flour to dry it out. Form with small 1-2" balls and place spaced out on an oiled down sheet of parchment paper. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside. Be sure to flip over midway through.
- Once they have finished cooking, take them out, let them cool, and add them to your dish, or save them in a zip lock baggy in the fridge for future use (they should last up to 5 days in the fridge).
SAUCE:
- Place 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Chop up your onion while the oil warms up, and place inside your pot. It will sizzle loudly, but just stir around and be careful for any back splash (since the oil is hot!).
- Then add in your ginger and garlic. Let it sizzle for a few minutes, and then add in your chopped tomatoes.
- Add your spices (besides the cumin seeds) and let it cook for 1 minute (stirring vigorously to be sure not to burn anything). Then add in your water. Cook for 5-10 more minutes (some water will evaporate, so if you feel you don't have enough liquid, add more before the next step and let it infuse with the spices and cook down for a few more minutes).
- Turn the stove off, pour your mixture into a blender and process until creamy.
- In your pot, heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil over medium heat. Once its hot, add cumin seeds and wait for it to sizzle. After a few seconds, pour the creamy mixture back into your pot. Add in your cream, cilantro and cashew powder (I used a nut processor to finely chop the cashews into a flour, you can also use almond flour).
- Taste to see if anything needs adjusting. Continue stirring until the liquid is creamy and cooked down to your liking. Turn off the stove and serve in a bowl with your kofta balls. For leftovers, keep the sauce and kofta balls separate, warm them up separately and combine when you are ready to eat together.