Stuffed Kohlrabi in Coconut Milk Sauce

I was lovingly lingering over the brilliantly colorful vegetable array at one of the Sauvie Island farm markets the other day, coming up with recipes on the fly, exploring the different ways I could cook each of them, when I was jolted out of my reverie with a 2 minute warning from the other adult which meant, I am heading to the checkout and if you want anything you better add it to the basket now or forever hold your peace.

So I grabbed a big bunch of kohlrabi (at $1.99 a bunch it was unbeatable), some sweet corn on the cob, and a bunch of purple radishes and dashed. Cippolini onions, scallop squash, and apricots will have to wait till my next trip.

The kohlrabi bunch had six large bulbs plus oodles of earthy greens. The raised eyebrow quizzing What are you going to do with all this kohlrabi? from the other half was met with my own patented grin reassuring Oh tons of things, you'll see! 

And so it is that I've been making kohlrabi dish after kohlrabi dish, wishing I had grabbed another bunch at the farm market before rushing off.

After boiling it tender but firm, the innards can be scooped out and added to the stuffing to enhance the kohlrabi experience. The scooped out bowls of boiled kohlrabi can then be filled with the stuffing, ready for steaming and simmering in the sauce.

The stuffing can be anything, really - TVP, lentils, flavored brown rice or quinoa, barley or freekeh, mashed leftovers, ground meat... whatever the mood calls for.

This time, I wanted to make a vegetarian stuffing that can stand on its own as a side for another meal, so I went with Brown Rice + Barley + Mung Dal + Veggies, mildly spiced with cumin and caraway.

The easiest way to make this particular stuffing for me is to throw the barley, brown rice, and mung dal in the rice cooker, with some salt and enough stock and cook it till done. Meanwhile, chop the veggies, saute with cumin and caraway seeds, then add in the cooked barley+rice+mung mixture, stir well and adjust seasoning to taste.

Sauce can be anything from simple Bechemel to plain tomato sauce. I wanted to use the lemon grass from my garden so The Thai style coconut milk sauce came about.

Ingredients
2 or 3 whole kohlrabi

For the stuffing:
½ cup cooked barley
½ cup cooked brown rice
¼ cup cooked mung dal
¼ cup finely chopped red and orange peppers
¼ cup finely chopped red onions
¼ cup finely chopped red cabbage
¼ cup grated carrots
¼ cup grated zucchini
¼ cup chopped kale
1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
the scooped out innards of the boiled kohlrabi
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
salt to taste

For the cooking sauce:

Some home-garden lemon grass plus dry red chilies and garlic cloves were mashed and pounded in a mortar and pestle to a coarse consistency
1 14 oz can or about 1½ cups of coconut milk
1 teaspoon coconut oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Slice the bottom of kohlrabi just a millimeter or two to make it sit on its bottom comfortably without wobbling
2. Nestle 2 or 3 such kohlrabis in a pot with enough stock or water to immerse them, cover and allow to boil for 20 minutes till a skewer inserted into the middle slides in smooth and tender
3. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing: heat the oil, add the cumin and caraway and the veggies, stir and saute, then add the cooked rice+barley+mung dal and fold it all in to make a uniform mixture
4. Remove the boiled kohlrabis, slice the top, scoop out the innards and add the innards to the stuffing and mix well
5. Stuff the boiled kohlrabis with the prepared stuffing
6. Sauce: Heat the teaspoon of coconut oil in the pot, add the crushed/pounded lemon grass+chilies+garlic and saute till aromatic, add the coconut milk; then gently place the stuffed kohlrabis, cover, and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes till sauce thickens
7. Serve warm or at room temperature with the sauce drizzled on, or on the side

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Kale, Cheese, Chipotle Savory Bread

Savory breads or muffins loaded with winter veggies and goodness seem perfect for the cold weather, especially with a hearty soup or stew.

This type of bread makes a wonderful snack when toasted crisp on the outside - ideal for kids' lunch box.

Sometimes, I add in about ½ cup of grated butternut squash to the mix, just for the fun of it.

Rather than pureed, I liked the finely grated veggies for this bread. Chipotle adds a smoky heat that makes this a favorite tea time snack.

Instead of in a loaf pan, the batter can be poured into greased muffin tins for delicious savory breakfast muffins. Reduce cooking time to about 25 minutes or so, till done.


Ingredients
Veggies:
1 cup grated sweet potato
½ cup grated carrots
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped kale (+spinach)
1 Tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp chipotle in adobo sauce
Dry:

1½ cup flour

1½ tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp flax meal

1½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Wet:

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

½ cup neutral-flavored oil

¼ cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp sugar

2 eggs, beaten
1 or 2 Tbsp of water, if needed

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F
2. Grease a loaf pan and keep handy
3. Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix till well-incorporated
4. Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake in the 375°F oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, turning half way though; check if a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; if not, bake for another 5 minutes or till done.
5. Allow to cool in pan for about 5 minute and remove from pan, slice and enjoy!

Kale and Rhubarb Savory Muffin

Kale is another of those super-foods that has been finding its way into our regular meals over the last few years.

Be it Kale Slaw with Red Cabbage, or Kale Dal, or Kale and Chickpea Soup, or, Kale Quiche, or Oven-roasted Crispy Kale, or Kale Mushroom Bell Pepper Stir Fry, or Kale Sambar, or Steamed Kale with Onion and Garlic... Kale recipes are here to stay with us.

Fresh Rhubarb from the garden is hard to resist, I do find excuses to chop up a stalk or two and incorporate it into my usual recipes. That's how this Kale and Rhubarb Savory Muffins came about.

Serve these savory muffins instead of regular dinner rolls, or as snack or breakfast dish, fresh from the oven. I've also refrigerated these for up to 2 days and served after warming them up in the microwave.

Ingredients
veggies:
1/3 cup chopped fresh rhubarb
¼ cup finely minced onion
½ packed cup finely chopped kale
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger

dry:
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/3 cup oat bran
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt (a pinch more if preferred)
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon ground paprika

wet:
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1/3 cup fat free milk


Preparation

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. Add in the chopped veggies
3. Stir in the wet ingredients, adding the oil and milk a little at a time to form a thick batter
4. Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray, pre-heat the oven to 350°F
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan and bake in 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, checking often after 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
6. Allow to sit in the pan for a 3 to 5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack
7. Serve warm, fresh from the oven

Savory Baked Snack Bread

Dhokla is a favorite and so is Handvo. And this Savory Baked Snack Bread is inspired by these two delicious Indian snacks. Whereas Dhokla is smooth and fluffy, this dish has a coarse texture that I enjoy, and rather than steaming, this is baked in a loaf pan which gives it a crisp outer coating, much like Handvo.

Tempering is optional, but, I think it adds a good texture and flavor to the dish as well. Also, in addition to onion, other vegetables can be used - peas, carrots, red peppers, chopped finely.

Ingredients
¼ cup quick cooking grits
¼ cup quick cooking rolled oats
¼ cup chickpea flour (besan)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
½ tsp salt (more, if preferred)
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp citric acid
¼ medium onion, chopped finely
tempering: 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp urad dal, 1 tsp chana dal, ½ tsp mustard seeds
2/3 to ¾ cup water (about 175 ml)
1 tsp oil for greasing the baking dish

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350°F, grease a baking dish and keep handy
2. Tempering: heat oil, add the chana dal, urad dal, allow to brown till golden, then add mustard seeds, allow them to pop, turn off heat, keep handy
3. Combine the dry ingredients, plus onions and spices, mix well, then add the water a little at a time stirring gently without over-mixing
4. Pour into the greased baking dish, bake in 350°F oven for about 15-20 minutes, checking to make sure it is cooked through in the center - toothpick inserted comes out clean
5. Add tempering adn garnish, if using
6. Cut into small squares or diamonds and serve warm with favorite chutneys