I know, *another* hash. Can you get any more basic?
Nope. Nope you can’t. This girl loves breakfast, and hates eating dinner off of a plate at home. I also had an inexplicably strong desire for shredded zucchini, so hash it was.
I’m glad I listened to my weirdo craving – this was dang good. I’ll be making it again because this base is super versatile.
Some topping options:
Like I served it with leftover crumbled sausage, cherry tomatoes & Choula
Taco meat, guacamole and salsa
Chorizo or breakfast sausage & a fried egg
Turkey bacon & a fried egg (had this for breakfast the next day and it was 💯
Marinara & shredded protein of your choice with red pepper flakes
Salmon burger or crab cake with lemon aioli and capers
Let me know if you make any of these other options, tag me on Instagram @gastography – I’d love to see how they turned out!
On to the actual recipe.
gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan
Ignore my poor little abused Ikea bowl. She’s got problems.
Veg-Forward Hash Bowl Base
4 small waxy potatoes (about 2 cups shredded)
1 small red onion, shredded
1 large zucchini, shredded
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup sautéed minced red pepper & onion
Salt & pepper
Neutral oil
Shred the veggies and add in a pile to a clean tea towel. When all the veggies are in, twist as hard as you can to release as much water as possible. You want your mixture pretty dry so it picks up a bit of color rather than just steaming – if you’re me. You do you, though.
Heat a Tablespoon or so of your favorite fat over medium high heat. Add the squeezed veggies and stir to break up.
Hit with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Stir again.
Let sauté until browned to your liking. Add the pepper & onion mix. Stir to combine.
This process took me about 12 minutes to hit my desired level of brownness (stirring pretty frequently to avoid all-out burning) and for my potatoes to be cooked through.
You could also use frozen hashed browns here and that may take a different cooking time.
Taste for seasoning and hit with more salt, pepper or garlic powder if needed. Smoked paprika would also be nice here – cumin would be good, too. I made mine plain so I had maximum topping options.
This is a great grab-n-go to have in your back pocket any time you’ve got too many bananas and need a quick breakfast.
gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan
Chai Spiced Baked Oatmeal
2 cups rolled oats
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 over ripe bananas
1.5 cups your favorite milk (I’ve used both hazelnut and oat milk and they were both great)
1/4 cup tahini
2 Tbsp. date molasses or maple syrup
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
3 Tbsp. pepitas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Optional topper: a drizzle of nut butter, fresh or frozen berries, more banana
Preheat your oven to 200c/375F.
In a small baking dish, combine the dry ingredients. Mix to incorporate.
In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and add the wet ingredients. Stir to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix to combine fully. If you still have little chunks of banana, mash them with the back of a spoon while combining. You want to make sure all the oats are wet.
Bake about 25 – 35 minutes, or until the bake is set and nicely browned.
Slice into 6 big squares and serve with your optional toppers.
Orzo is an ingredient I under-utilize and I’m always surprised how much I like it each time I remember to make it. I’m imagining it’s because I spent years exclusively eating paleo, and have been into low carb for years upon that – but this is really good.
This recipe tastes fresh and makes a great accompaniment to next weeks recipe – a baked Mediterranean chicken. It’s also great as a standalone dish.
Vegetarian, vegan
Garden Orzo
1/2 cup orzo
1.5 cups liquid – I used 1/2 a cup of good stock & 1 cup of water; you do you, though I’d suggest using some good flavorful broth as well
6 sundried tomatoes
500g baby spinach
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. your favorite oil
Optional add-ins: pine nuts, a good salty cheese (this one from Violife was what I used for the dish I made to go with and it was fantastic – they also make a “Parmesan” that would probably be great here), a squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of Zaatar
Sauté the garlic in the little bit of oil until just beginning to turn tender.
Add the stock & water and bring up to a boil.
Add the orzo and cook, stirring quite frequently to prevent sticking, until just al dente, a minute or so before the cook time is up.
While the orzo is working, chop the sundried tomatoes.
When the orzo is al dente, remove from the heat.
Chuck the sundried tomatoes in, stir, and add the spinach on top.
Let steam a couple minutes, and stir the wilted spinach in.
Finally. A curry with taste! I have been crap at making truly flavorful curries in general – I find recipes either too light in the spice for my taste, or just generally falling flat of the kind of deeply layered taste thing I love when enjoying my favorite delivery curries.
This is a step in that direction. It’s complex, flavorful, and wholly satisfying.
A word of caution for this recipe: I served mine with just a side of basmati rice, and I was still hungry. Either the carb ratio was off, or the meal needed some protein or fat to be truly filling.
Note: This recipe uses some of the Good Standard Curry I posted last week. That curry is a fantastic base for all number of other curries – I’m hoping I’ll get one more shot at transforming it into something else before I run out. Luckily, it freezes beautifully in batches.
gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan
Okra Curry
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 green chili of your choice
400-500g can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1.5 c. chopped okra
1 bell pepper
1 c. of the Good Standard Curry I posted a recipe for last week
Your favorite cooking oil
Salt & pepper
Chop your onion and garlic. Mince the chili. Fry in a little oil until just beginning to brown.
Add about a quarter cup of water, let simmer about 5 minutes while you are prepping the next step.
While the aromatics are softening, in another pan, fry the coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and tomato paste in a little oil about a minute, or until fragrant.
Add the canned tomatoes, stir well, and simmer 10 minutes.
While the tomatoes are simmering, Whiz the onion mixture to form a paste. Chop the okra and bell pepper.
Add the onion mix, okra, bell pepper and curry base. Simmer 20 minutes, season well with salt and pepper and serve.
I served mine with basmati rice cooked with a little butter – you do you.
This curry makes a great jumping off point for a whole world of sauces. It’s based on this British-style sauce from Great Curry Recipes, but with amped-up spices, since I just can’t help myself. I also turned it into a full vegetarian meal, and it was delicious
gluten-free, vegetarian
A Good Standard Curry
2 yellow onions
Neutral oil
4 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger
1 carrot
2 bell peppers
1.5 cups crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp. + ghee
1 Tbsp. curry powder (your favorite style)
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. coriander
1 Tbsp. asofetida (fenugreek was called for in the original; I used what I had)
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. turmeric
To turn this into a meal:
2-3 potatoes
1 carrot
1 can chickpeas
1 c. water
Lemon juice
Finishing salt
Basmati rice
Thinly slice your onions. Add to a medium- large pan over medium heat where you’ve heated enough oil to cover the bottom till slightly bubbly.
Fry about 20 minutes until really soft and clear with a little color.
While the onions are working, chop the peppers & carrot. Mince the ginger and garlic and make a paste out of them by crushing with the back of a knife or grinding in a mortar & pestle.
When the onions are ready, add the peppers and carrot. Fry 5 minutes to get working.
Add the ginger, garlic and all spices but the turmeric.
Add to tomatoes and enough water just to cover.
Simmer :30, and remove from the heat. Cool until safe to whiz.
Whiz to make a mostly smooth mixture.
Add the ghee to the pan over medium heat and fry the turmeric :30 – 1 minute to bloom. Add the sauce back into the pan and simmer over low for 20 – 30 minutes.
Now to turn this sauce into a meal.
Set the sauce aside, and add a Tablespoon of oil back into the pan. Chop and add the potatoes, second carrot, and can of chickpeas (drained). Let sauté a couple minutes to warm up a bit. I had intended on putting a little color on the chickpeas but I lost patience with life.
Add a cup or two of the sauce and 1 cup of water. Simmer :30, covered.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and a liberal sprinkle of finishing salt over basmati rice.
The dinner portion serves 4 easily, with enough sauce leftover to make at least 1 more big meal
Note: This curry is unsalted on purpose. The original recipe was unsalted as well, and I think that’s a good idea since it’s supposed to be used as a base for additions. I’ll be taking this curry and adding some fire next meal – along with more peppers and a deeper taste with tomato paste.
This version of shakshouka makes a great topper for crusty bread, uses a good blend of fresh + pantry ingredients – and makes a bonus second meal if you swirl some of your leftover sauce in with noodles.
It’s also DH approved, and he’s not a fan of skin-on tomatoes. He could live without the spinach, but we had greens and needed chlorophyll.
This would also be great with chickpeas for added protein and either scrambled or poached eggs/substitute cooked in the sauce. I wanted to keep my eggs separate to maximize leftovers. Scrambled soft tofu would be fantastic.
gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, halal
Fresh Shakshouka
1 small jar fire roasted peppers in oil
2 hands cherry tomatoes
1 large onion
4 Tbsp. zaatar
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 c. tinned tomatoes (I used crushed but use what you have)
3 – 4 cloves garlic – 2-3 minced and 1 or 2 whole with the end sliced off
Thinly slice the onion and sauté on medium in 1 Tbsp. of the oil that comes from the jar of peppers until soft and lightly brown in spots.
Add the sambal and 2 – 3 cloves minced garlic. Sauté a minute or two more to meld together.
While that is working, remove the peppers from the oil and roughly chop.
Add the tomatoes and peppers and sauté until the tomatoes burst.
While the tomatoes are doing their thing, roughly chop the parsley, slice the bread into thick slices and drizzle with some of the pepper oil.
Broil the bread until your desired toast level has been reached. Remove from the oven and rub with the cut end of the reserved garlic clove. Set aside.
When the tomatoes have burst (with or without a little help), add the Zaatar, smoked paprika, salt & pepper. Stir to combine and let sauté a minute or so to meld.
Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and half a cup of water. Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat, add the spinach + half the parsley on top, and simmer 7 – 8 minutes. As soon as that spinach wilts and can be thoroughly mixed in is the time to add eggs if you are cooking them like a traditional Shakshouka.
If you are not, fry your eggs separately in a little of the pepper oil to your desired doneness.
Serves 2 for a light dinner + makes enough sauce to be used for another night’s pasta
This is a surprisingly light tasting salad for having not only chewy pearl barley but roasted pumpkin. I think it’s the dressing and all the fresh spinach.
If you make extra dressing, and I suggest that you do – it pairs great with a more traditional salad, simple cold noodles, and even as a dip for chicken or shrimp. It’s delicious.
vegetarian, vegan
Basil Lime Pumpkin Salad
1 big wedge pumpkin or a butternut squash
Baby spinach
2 large scallions
1/2 cup basil
2 cloves garlic
4 Tablespoons lime juice
2 green chilis
1/2 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup stock
1.5 cups water
Olive oil
Neutral oil
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Cumin
Salt & pepper
Optional: crispy chickpeas (this is one of my favorite brands)
First, get your pumpkin and barley working.
Preheat your oven to 200C/375F and prepare a baking sheet.
Peel the pumpkin and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Toss with a few good glugs neutral oil and liberal sprinkles of the smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
Roast 25 mins or until soft and your desired brownness is reached. I could have let mine go another 5 – 10 mins, but I was impatient so mine turned out soft and only a little browned.
Put the barley in your cooking vessel of choice with the stock and water + a liberal sprinkle of salt. If your stock doesn’t have any fat in it, a Tablespoon of olive oil is good here. Cook according to package directions. I cooked mine in a rice cooker by hitting the ‘rice’ button.
While both those are working, slice the scallions thin. Add half to your blender or food processor.
Add the spinach, basil, garlic cloves, lime juice, chilis (rough chopped and de-seeded if necessary), 5 Tablespoons olive oil, and liberal sprinkles salt and pepper. Whiz to combine, adding a few Tablespoons of water if your mixture is too dry for your appliance. I ended up adding about 3 Tablespoons.
Taste for seasoning and add more acid or salt if needed.
To assemble, toss the pumpkin and second half of the scallions together. Add the spinach and toss. Add the barley to the top while still warm to semi-wilt the spinach. Toss, adding the dressing halfway through.
Taste the whole mix together, adding any salt or pepper if necessary. I added a big sprinkle of finishing salt to mine. I also finished each serving with a generous sprinkle of crunchy spiced chickpeas. This salad makes an excellent chickpea delivery service. Bonus: added protein!
Makes enough to serve as a side for a party or for 4 for dinner
This simple Indian relish makes a great snack, breakfast, or topper for a wide variety of dishes.
Try it tucked into a chapati or roll – with or without an egg, atop a bed of rice (I’m particularly fond of sushi rice), bulked out with sautéed green beans, spread over a protein like chimichurri sauce, mixed into a stir fry (preferably with something sweet like red pepper), or mixed into a salad (this would be great with cucumber and mint).
This is a dead simple dinner that’s quick to prepare and easy to make in bulk for meal prepping.
It’s also healthy – according to my DH, *too* healthy, and can’t be classified as ‘pizza’. 😆 Call it a flatbread, then.
I was a big fan, and ended up eating the leftover hummus & veggies in a bunch of different ways throughout the week.
vegetarian, vegan
Roasted Veggie Pizza
Mixed veggies: I used a combo of zucchini, eggplant, peppers, carrots and onions
Hummus
Some sort of pizza base: I used bran pita, but naan would be great here, as would tortillas or pizza dough flats
Edamame, cooked and shelled
Black olives
Sun dried tomatoes
Red pepper flakes
Zaatar
Oil, salt & pepper
Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. Chop your veggies into bite-sized pieces, and arrange on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
Drizzle some oil over and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread back out in a single layer.
Bake 15 minutes, flip, and bake an additional 10 – 15 minutes or until your desired brownness is reached. Remove and set aside.
The rest is simple. Prep your edamame if it came shelled like mine did. Set aside.
To assemble, spread hummus out in a thin-ish layer on your flatbread like you would marinara on a pizza. Arrange your roasted veggies on top, adding a sprinkle of edamame, olives and sun dried tomato to Zhuzh up your pizza a bit.
Sprinkle spices over top.
Bake on a cookie sheet 10 minutes or until crisp. Pull and slice.
It seems like the entire Internet has lost its collective mind recently over these wrapped tortillas. I must admit … I was intrigued. I’d never thought to wrap a tortilla like I would a crepe and it sounded like the kind of magical lunch I needed in my life that week.
And then I started looking at recipes. Crunchwrap came to mind first, but the glue was cheese. Whelp, that’s out. I can’t do cheese cheese, and even store bought vegan melting cheese + my GI system are currently on the outs.
A YouTuber I follow (who actually introduced me to this fad; I’m not one of the cool kids on Tik Tok) made a sushi roll version that looked delightful and had rice as the “glue” (I tried recreating it for y’all and have thus far failed in my efforts). Which got me thinking … I’ve got leftover potatoes, and I want Indian. What can I do with that information?
Turns out, I can do a lot. I’m going to give you guys a full meal recipe here, with instructions on how to turn it into one of those cool kids wraps. Which is awesome, but you’ll have leftovers. Just slap the rest in a bowl and call it an Indian harvest spectacular.
Note: This recipe uses mustard oil, which may be difficult to source. I’ve included an Amazon (affiliate) link to help. I also included a link for the chicken seasoning I’ve been using recently and loving, as well as for the condiments.
Gluten-free if you use a gf wrap, vegetarian and vegan if you sub the chicken
Dairy Free Tortilla Wrap
This recipe is written a little weird. I’m laying it out in quadrants in the order you’ll wrap them. More on that later. I cooked mine in kind of reverse order, starting with the potatoes, moving through the protein, and ending with the veg. You may wish to do the same.
Protein Quadrant
Protein of choice (I used chicken cut into bite-sized pieces)
Set your potatoes to boil in a large pot with a generous amount of salt. Boil until cooked through and soft.
Drain and set aside.
While the potatoes are working, chop the onion and garlic fine.
In a medium pan over medium heat, bring the oil up to temperature. Chuck the mustard seeds and turmeric into the oil and heat until fragrant and the mustard seeds start to pop.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened and a little brown.
When the potatoes are done and drained, add back to the big pot and mash roughly with a potato masher or beaters. Chunky is fine – I wanted my potatoes to have a bit of heft to them like my favorite Indian restaurant potatoes. Add the onion mixture, the butter, and a healthy pinch of salt. Combine well, taste, and add more salt or fat if needed.
Set aside.
Cut the bottom half down the middle. To assemble, wrap the lower left up, then both of those to the right, then the three to the lower right quadrant.
Assembly
Wrap a large chapati (Mission makes a decent one), roti, tortilla or other flexible and foldable bread in a paper towel. Sprinkle with water and nuke for 15 seconds so it’s bendable.
If you think of your chapati as a wheel with 4 quadrants, you want to cut up the center bottom until you hit the horizontal equator.
Wow, that was some mixed metaphor ish; hopefully followable.
In your lower left quadrant, arrange a little protein. Not overfull – think burritos, here. You don’t want to over fill those, either.
In the upper left quadrant, spread a little condiment.
In the upper right quadrant, add a little veg.
In the lower right quadrant, spread some potato. This quadrant will act as our glue.
To fold, carefully fold the lower left quadrant up (I kind of held the chicken in place as I carefully flipped the chapati up), fold the left side to the right (this went easier), and the top down so the 3 folded sections rest on the potato section.
You should have what looks like a folded crepe sandwich.
Pan fry until golden on both sides, kind of smooshing a bit as you do so it sticks together.
