delayed post! pesach noshlings

these aren't my best food photos, but the meal was really nice. i pair things together on my plate that would make plenty scrunch up their nose and go, "really?" yes, really. i ate kittee's gluten free samosas with tsimmes this year for passover. the cinnamon/cardamom went with the spicy curried potato glory without a hitch. i made a coconut, cilantro, and mango sauce to go with the samosas. yum.

my undoing was making them too damned big and mashing the potatoes too much. they didn't hold well as they baked and looked like blobby fritters instead of kittee's pretty samosas. my taste buds did not know the difference. passover is an awesome time for gluten free folk because jews are not allowed to eat anything with wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats. jews of ashkenazi (eastern european origin) must refrain from what is known as kitnyiot-(translates to "little things") which includes corn, rice, and all legumes. if you're a vegan this is doable, but an enormous pain in the ass. last year, i stepped up to the plate and tried it just to see if i could do it. whew! never again. this is the first year in a decade where i did not quasi kasher my home or adhere to refraining from the fab five grains. i wanted to be free from being a slave to tradition. i had a "tater seder" (loaded baked potatoes, asparagus, and cake) in my home with a couple of friends, told a very modified version of the exodus to my toddler, and had a really relaxing time.

jewbacca's tsimmes

1 large sweet potato, peeled n' cubed
1/2 c. prunes chopped or about 8 whole, set aside
1/2 c. golden raisins, set aside
4 cups shredded carrots
1 c. orange juice
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cardamom
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 c maple syrup
1 t olive oil
couple pinches of salt

preheat the oven to three fiddy. put the sweet potatoes and carrots in a 9x13 glass baking dish. mix the syrup, oil, spices, and pour over the vegetables. disperse the prunes and raisins evenly. finally sprinkle the pinches of salt over the dish, cover with foil, and cook the shit out of the mixture until it is a glorious mushy melding of flavors. this usually takes 60-75 minutes. check it with a fork, baby!

NOTE: leftover tsimmes can be pureed and added to a standard pancake or waffle mix for some bomb-assed waffles. your vegetable hating children will not know what hit them.

NEXT TIME on TPITA Vegan i will AMAZE you all with my very own coconut bliss dessert creation. buckle your tongue's seat belt because it is gonna go for a ride!

remember kids, mediocre food pics are okay as long as the food rocks. be well, eat joyously, and for the love of samosas, stay vegan!