Cadry's Curried Ginger Men

Back in my pre-vegan days, I used to love a good cookie swap party. Now that I’m vegan and don’t have many vegan friends close-by, I’m bringing the cookie swap party to Keepin’ It Kind! Each day, for 25 days, one of my favorite bloggers will visit and share one of their favorite holiday cookies! That’s 25 Days of Cookies, my friends! Happy Holidays!

If you follow my blog, you know I’ve made it no secret that one of my most favorite people ever is my friend, Cadry of Cadry’s Kitchen. We share a love for Alex P. Keaton, Kermit the Frog, and we actually both once worked as entertainers at childrens’ parties. Her blog, Cadry’s Kitchen, is eloquently written, insightful, humorous, creative, and full of delicious recipes, tips, and reviews. It’s always a pleasure to have Cadry as a guest at Keepin’ It Kind and I know that you’re going to find her cookie contribution as original and scrumptious (and the perfect break from all of the sweets) as I do!  

I have been blogging at Cadry’s Kitchen for 4 ½ years. In those years I’ve developed recipes for 30 entrees, 17 appetizers, 12 salads, and numerous other soups, beverages, sides, and breakfasts. Over the course of that time, do you know how many desserts I’ve put on my site? Five. And one of them was developed for Kristy’s cookie exchange last year.

It’s not that I never eat desserts. I enjoy a bit of dark chocolate after dinner or a spoonful of cherry amaretto Coconut Bliss on occasion. It’s just that if I have a choice between a savory appetizer as a starter or a dessert to finish the meal, I’m going to choose the appetizer every single time.

So when Kristy contacted me about taking part this year, I have to admit I hesitated. Last year’s cookies took multiple trials and multiple failures… Sweet treats don’t come naturally to me. I hemmed and hawed until Kristy wrote me again, “Did you get my email about the cookie exchange…”

Sheepishly I wrote her back. “Yeah. I’m sorry, Kristy. I don’t know if I can do it… Unless you’d be up for me doing some kind of savory cookie that’s not actually a cookie at all.”

Surprisingly, she wrote back eagerly, saying something like… “Sure! Since there will only be sweet things, a savory option could be good.”

That night I told my husband, David, that I was doing the cookie swap again. A smile passed over his face. “You just couldn’t say no to Kristy, could you?”

“Nope.”

(If you’ve been reading Kristy’s blog for long, you can probably understand it too. Who could look at that face – even virtually – and say anything but yes?)

Then I realized what I’d gotten myself into. A savory cookie that’s not actually a cookie??? What does that even mean? Were people going to think I was nuts when I started offering up mashed potato snowmen and broccoli Christmas trees for a cookie exchange? Would they start making lists of who not to invite to their next holiday potluck?

But wait! I see you scribbling there! Not so fast! Before you include me on the list with the person bringing the Green “Cookie Dough” Smoothie, hear me out! This cookie recipe is not for dessert. It's an appetizer or main course.

If spicy, salty, and just a hint of sweet is what makes your palate sing, these Curried Ginger Men will have you fa-la-la-la-la-ing right along with me! These spicy “cookies” are an Indian take on my favorite falafel recipe from Appetite for Reduction. Instead of Middle Eastern flavors, they are filled with curry, cilantro, ginger, and garlic with a bit of heat from Sriracha. They'd make a fabulous lunch or festive dinner, and what other time can you tell people unabashedly that you had cookies for supper?

And is that a glass of soy milk for Santa? Nope! It’s a sweet peanut curry dipping sauce as a cooling compliment to the spicy ginger men. The combination of flavors from the warming spices and nutty dip may have you reconsidering the savory cookie that’s not actually a cookie after all.

Outside of her irrational fears of developing cookie recipes, Cadry is a totally normal human-type person who writes at Cadry’s Kitchen. She delights in sharing down-to-earth recipes and demystifying what it means to be vegan. She makes humorous vegan-oriented videos, interviews, and claymation cooking demonstrations.

When not writing or chopping, Cadry can be found in the pottery studio making hand-built ceramics, cuddling her two affectionate cats, or traveling with her husband. Her pottery is available on Etsy. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.