Samosa Summer Salad

Summer Samosa Salad {Vegan}

Summer is here, bring on the salads! Lately, my go-to lunch during the work week has been something I’ve cooked on the weekend on top of a bed of greens. Having a bunch of fresh greens on hand helps stretch my meals and although I admit the combinations can get pretty weird and random, I never get sick of eating salads. I remember when my sister and I were kids we would beg my mom to buy salad dressing at the store. Buying a $4 bottle of vegetable oil, vinegar, thickeners and preservatives wasn’t her thing so she usually made her own. At the time I didn’t appreciate it, but now I can’t remember the last time I bought salad dressing from the store. It’s so easy, fresh and fun to make your own and and you can easily customize and complement your dressing to your dish. Plus, it just tastes amazing!

I got this salad idea from one of my random lunches. I had one little store-bought, vegetarian samosa on top of a big pile of greens. I wanted more samosa flavor (without the fried pocket part) and a cilantro dressing to top it all off. I’m a big cilantro fan, I could eat it as a salad by itself! This salad is so packed with flavor you won’t even notice it’s vegan. The chickpeas are seasoned and baked for a crispy crunch. If you haven’t tried baked chickpeas yet, you should! They are easy to make and fun to eat. The carrots and potatoes are tossed in curry, then roasted – they’re so sweet and flavorful this time of year. Oh and I could go on and on about this lemony-garlic-curry-cilantro-with-a-touch-of-mint-dressing, but that’s me, the cilantro lover talking.

Samosa Summer Salad {Vegan}

The greens and herbs are from our community garden. Pulling all those weeds is finally paying off with some healthy green. And speaking of freshly picked green, on my drive home from work this week I heard an interesting segment on npr – how circadian rhythms give vegetables a healthy boost. They talked about how the cancer-fighting compounds found in vegetables are at their peak after a day of sunlight and although these compounds start to diminish in transport from farm to shelf they start to build up again with a natural light-dark cycle, it could change the way we harvest and store our vegetables – interesting stuff! Now on to this tasty dish!

  • Step 1

    Samosa Summer Salad {Vegan}

    Dry chickpeas well, toss with oil and seasonings and bake for about 15 min on 400°.

  • Step 2

    Samosa Summer Salad {Vegan}

    Toss the carrots in your favorite high heat oil and seasonings and roast for about 15 min on 400.

  • Step 3

    Samosa Summer Salad {Vegan}

    These little fingerling potatoes are so sweet and good!

  • Step 4

    Samosa Summer Salad {Vegan}

    Combine the ingredients for the dressing and blend!

Summer Samosa Salad {Vegan}

Print Recipe


Ingredients for the Salad 

Lettuce

1 cup of fresh peas

1 bunch of carrots (about 7)

1 pound of fingerling potatoes

2 shallots

 

Ingredients for the Crispy Chickpeas

1 cup or can of chickpeas

1 teaspoon curry

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper flakes (if you like it spicy)

salt and pepper generously

high heat oil to coat

 

Ingredients for the Dressing

1 bunch of cilantro (see pictured)

3 garlic cloves

2 oregano cuttings (see pictured)

2 to 3 mint leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil (or you favorite salad dressing oil)

juice of a whole lemon

1 teaspoon curry

2 pinches cumin seeds

salt and pepper generously, pepper flakes if you like it spicy

 

Directions 

Start by rinsing and drying the chickpeas. After they are dry toss with your favorite high heat oil and spices and roast on 400 near the bottom rack for 15 to 20 minutes until crispy. Toss the carrots and potatoes in a little bit of your favorite high heat oil and a dash of curry, salt and pepper and roast along with the chickpeas near the middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes. While everything is roasting, make the dressing. Combine ingredients and blend!

Combine salad ingredients: lettuce, peas (if using fresh peas, quickly blanch until bright green in color, then rinse with cold water) and shallots, top with crunchy chickpeas and roasted carrots and potatoes. Top everything with the dressing.

 

Photography by Paige Alisa 

 

Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

You’re in a time crunch (aren’t we all these days)! You promised to bring a dish to that thing you’re running late for. You have flour, sugar, eggs. Yes, yes yes? Maybe you also have whipping cream and some berries? Hooray! You’re about to impress your friends with this easy and oh-so-tasty, German dessert. The dough is light and airy and melts in your mouth along with the whip cream and raspberries. An elegant and delicious dish for very little effort is my kind of dish!

Shout-out to Dolly and her friends for laying these pretty eggs for me.

Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}
  • Step 1

    Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

    Whip the egg whites, slowly add in the sugar and continue to whip until peaks form. Dust in the flour.

  • Step 2

    Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

    Add the egg yolks.

  • Step 3

    Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

    Gently fold ingredients under to combine them.

  • Step 4

    Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

    Spread ingredients on parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Place in preheated, 345° oven between middle and top rack.

  • Step 5

    Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 ingredient German Dessert}

    Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until light brown.

  • Step 6

    Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

    Place pastry face down on lightly sugared kitchen towel (to prevent sticking) and gently pull off parchment paper.

  • Step 7

    Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

    Roll it up with the towel and let it cool. You can stick it in the freezer if you need it to cool faster.

  • Step 8

    Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

    After it has cooled, fill with your favorite fruit and cream feeling. You can also try chocolate and nuts, the possibilities are endless here!

  • Step 9

    Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

    Now roll it back up, place on serving dish and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Biskuitrolle with Raspberry Cream {5 Ingredient German Dessert}

 

Print Recipe


Ingredients for Pastry Roll

5 fresh eggs  (separated)

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup flour

 

Ingredients for Filling

1/2 pint whipping cream

1 heaping tablespoon of sugar

1 1/2 cup of summertime fruit  (berries, sliced peaches, any fruit your heart desires)

 

What you’ll need:

baking sheet with a small rim

parchment paper

clean dish towel

1 tablespoon of sugar to sprinkle on the dish towel

4 tablespoons of confectionary sugar to dust the finished dessert

 

Directions

Line your baking sheet with the parchment paper. Preheat oven to 345F and place rack near top shelf. Lay out a clean dish towel and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Beat the egg whites to foam and then slowly add the sugar. This make a meringue. Continue beating until stable peaks form. Sift the flower on top. Break the egg yolk with a fork and drizzle over the snowy peaks. Gently fold the egg yolks and flour into the egg white meringue using a large wire whisk.  It is ok if the mixture is not completely homogenous, it could even be slightly lumpy. It’s important is to keep it light.

Evenly spread the batter onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake near top shelf for about 11 minutes. It’s ready when it is light golden brown and feels spongy to the touch. Turn baked pastry over onto dish towel and peel off the parchment paper while hot. Roll pastry and dish towel together into a roll, set aside to cool.

Whip whipping cream and when almost firm, add a heaping tablespoon of sugar. Mash some of the fruit and leave some whole for added prettiness. Mix fruit into whipped cream.

When cool, unroll the pastry from the dish towel. Spread cream/fruit mixture onto the pastry, leaving some room around the outer edges. Roll back up. Dust with confectionary sugar.

 

Notes:

Take this dessert over the top by adding 2 tablespoons of triple sec to the whipping cream as you beat it.