Curried Carrot Dip

Makes 2 cups. Takes 25 minutes, plus chill time.

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
2 tsp grapeseed or other vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt (less if sunflower seeds are salted)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add carrots and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until soft. Drain and let cool just until they are no longer steaming.

Place the sunflower seeds in a blender and process to crumbs. Add all remaining ingredient and blend until smooth, scraping the sides down a couple times. Taste for salt and adjust the spices and lemon. Transfer to covered container and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes).

Variation:
Caraway-Parsley Carrot Dip
Omit the curry and cumin. Add 1/2 tsp caraway seeds toward beginning and 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley at end.

Samosa Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Makes 8 potato halves. Takes 20 minutes after taters are baked.

4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed baked and cooled
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk or vegetable broth
3 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 small yellow onion, cut into a small dice
1 medium-size carrot, cut into a small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup frozen peas, rinsed
juice of 1/2 lemon

Slice cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato in the skin. Mash the potatoes with soy milk and set aside the skins.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and coriander seeds. The mustard seeds should begin to pop; if they don't pop in a minute or two, turn the heat up. Let the seeds pop for about a minute (put a lid on them so you don't get splattered), add the onions and carrots, and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions begin to brown.

Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for a minute more. Add the cumin, turmeric and salt with a splash of water, stir well, then add the potatoes, mixing everything well. Add a little extra water if it looks too dry. Cook until the potatoes are heated through, then add the peas and cook until those are heated through. Add the lemon juice to taste and stir to incorporate.

Brush the inside of the potato skins with la little bit of oil. Then scoop the filling into the skin, pressing gently to hold the filling in place. Line the potato halves on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.