Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Thirty-Five (Vegan Spiced Turnip Wraps)

This recipe was pieced together from a handful of random recipes by Tim. It has a pretty distinctive Indian/African flavor and it is a little more involved than most of our recipes, but it's not really that hard. It needs a little work on the flavors (I think I overdid the turmeric) and I'll bet someone would have a suggestion on how to give it just the right twist to be really delicious.

I made this for my kids as a kind of thick stew over rice and used the leftovers (no rice) in the spelt wraps.

Ingredients:
3 small turnips, cut into small cubes
3 medium leeks, use the white part, cut into small rounds
3 medium carrots, cut into small cubes
1 small eggplant, cut into small cubes
1 medium onion
1 tsp ginger root, minced
1 can chickpeas (rinsed) - I didn't have time to soak dried beans
4 - 5 cups, vegetable broth
1 Tbs ground cardamom
1 Tbs ground coriander
1 Tbs ground allspice
1 Tbs ground cloves
1 Tbs fenugreek
1 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 Tbs black pepper
1 Tsp cayenne
1 Tbs sea salt
1/2 cup plain soy milk

Notes: I took all the peels from the vegetables and added to about 5 cups of water and boiled to make the vegetable broth. Pretty good!

Also, I didn't have all these spices, so I just picked up small amounts at the bulk section of our local natural foods store. Looks like alot, but it was pretty easy. Just blend them together in a small bowl with the salt and pepper.

How to prepare: Sautee the onions in olive oil until golden brown. Added ginger root and the spice mix. Then throw in all the other ingredients, except the soy milk. Cook for about 30 minutes on a medium heat - you want the turnips to cook all the way through. I had to add a little bit more veggy stock to keep it from drying out. Once everything is tender, take out about half the mixture and blend in a food processor. Throw it back in the pan with the soy milk.

This makes quite a bit, so have this as a meal with a spelt pita bread (see last post) or try it in a spelt pouch.

Stay tuned for a special treat from Emma and Adam, coming up soon!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Twenty-Two (Turkey Pot Pie!)

I am so lucky to have my mom. Today, I had more on my figurative plate than I could handle. So, what to do? Call mom! 84 and 1/2 and still there when I need her. We had a very large frozen Kosher turkey thawing in the extra fridge for days, but it just wouldn't thaw! We needed dinner and I had no time. Her directions to me: "soak that damn bird in a salt water bath in a clean sink, leave me directions on how to use your new stove, leave out the roasting pan." Result: came home after a frustrating day (did I mention my disdain for flood maps and banks?) to a house filled with the aromas of Thanksgiving! Roasted turkey, potatoes, carrots, the fixins' I'm blessed. Thanksgiving in May! After dinner, we rushed off to Olivia's concert to hear the K-2 kids singing and jazzing.

And after all that, I had a perfect idea for a Lunch Box delight - Turkey Pot Pie - Spelt Right style.

Ingredients: One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed). Left over turkey, carrots, potatoes, peas, Vita Spelt flour, butter, gravy from left over turkey. Make a rue on the stove top with 2 TBL butter and 2-3TBL Vita Spelt flour, set aside. Chop 2-3 carrots and potatoes in small chunks, boil soft, add some turkey on the bone for flavor, salt and pepper to taste, remove bones, but keep in turkey, cut into chunks. Add rue and any left over gravy you might have (if your mom cooked a turkey for you), let broth become thick, add peas. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400-450F.

Cut dough into 6 even sized balls, stretch or roll to about 1/4 inch thick. I used a pizza peel this time covered with finely ground organic corn meal. Shape fitayas on pizza peel. Place two-three TBL of turkey mixture on dough ball. Make triangle shape (or any shape you can to close) Then gently slide on to hot pizza stone. I brushed these with butter when they were in the oven, but that is optional.

Bake until golden brown.

I was SO STUFFED from the turkey dinner that my mom made that I could not eat another bite. Solution? Ask Tim. His response, "if you want me to keep doing this, don't complain about my girth." Next solution? Ask the kids. Their ability to eat never ceases to amaze me. Response from the kids: "Yum, two thumbs up we want more." Answer from mom, "Enough for tonight, turkey pot pie fitayas for breakfast tomorrow!"

Good night.