Coffee smoothies, broccoli salad and matar paneer
Good morning!
I swear I was wearing a puffy jacket just the other day and now it looks like we're heading for full-on summer mode. So as a counterpoint to the blender hot chocolate of a couple of weeks ago, I offer a blender coffee drink for the upcoming too-hot-already mornings, based on the Almond Java that used to be available at Fresh. (Start freezing chunks of banana now.)
The ingredients are simple: frozen banana, a shot of espresso (or some strong coffee), a spoonful of almond butter and enough almond milk to make it blend. Make it extra frosty by adding ice. And if you can't do nuts, mix your frozen banana and coffee with some cocoa powder and fresh mint leaves and sub your preferred plant milk. If you're a morning runner, this is the summer post-workout breakfast of your dreams.
The truth is, this week I've been cooking very simple meals and dishes: things like fried mushrooms, a beet-and-carrot slaw, and some delicious steamed fiddleheads alongside a very chive-heavy egg salad on sourdough toast. And I have matar paneer ambitions that keep getting delayed because of the step of making homemade paneer; wish me luck on that this week.
In sourdough news
I am still making crumpets, with the recipe update that I now leave out the sugar. (I was too lazy to get it out of the cupboard one morning and decided I actually like them better without.) So my adapted, one-person, skillet-size breakfast version is 1/2 cup discard + a pinch of salt stirred in. Preheat your pan, add a good-size dollop of butter or coconut oil, and stir the baking soda into the batter right before you put it in the pan.
I'm still perfecting all the timing details but I like to let the batter start to puff up (this is an edible version of that baking soda + vinegar volcano kids like to make) before adding it to a hot pan, then turning the heat down after a minute so that it can cook through. I flip once the top has dried out just to crisp it up.
I also made this bread, and it turned out really well and is disappearing quickly.
Things you shared
Helen sent this broccoli salad recipe from Food52. It's called "the best broccoli salad of my life" and she says "it was everything promised".
And Adrienne wrote that last week's mujadara recommendation reminded her of a recipe in Ottolenghi's Jerusalem for basmati and wild rice with chickpeas, currants and herbs. She adds, "This has been my go-to comfort food when I'm running high on stress and low on groceries."
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