Food Blog of the Week - Weeee!!

Wow! I got an email this morning telling me that my foodblog has been chosen as the "Blog of the Week" over at the blog This Mama Cooks!

How cool is that?? I guess all of my updates this summer have made me get more readers... too bad I start school on Monday and will most likely fall behind again. :)

Momo's (Nepalese Dumplings)

My summer nurse externship taught me so much - practicing my nursing skills, time management, teamwork and about Nepalese culture, particularly, how to make MOMOs. My preceptor, from Nepal, has a signature dish she brings with her to every party or potluck and upon trying them, I knew I had to learn how to make them.

Momos are an Asian dumpling that are a delicacy in Nepal and Tibet. From what I've read online, they are traditionally filled with yak meat (eek!) but fortunately, they are quite adaptable and can be filled with pretty much anything you like. Nepal, being a largely Hindu country, has 3 favorite fillings for their momos: vegetable, potato or (for the non veggies) ground meat (lamb, chicken, turkey... maybe even yak).

One afternoon, on a day off from the hospital, my preceptor invited me and her Nepalese friend over to her humble abode for a day filled of momo-making! It's really fun with a group of people because the process of filling the dumpings and wrapping them up is a bit tidious so it makes the time go by faster with friends! You can get creative with the wrapping - my favorite being the traditional half moon shape, with the two ends attached to from a circle.

While the dumpling is very important, I think the most key ingredient to delicious momos is the sauce, or chutney. My friend makes a kick-ass tomato chutney that is sooo good you could just drink it! It really makes or breaks the momos.

So this week being my only week of vacation from work and school, I decided to tackle the daunting task of recreating her fabulous momos. I'm very please to announce, that mine turned out equally delicious - even the tomato chutney!! While my friend used ground turkey for her filling, I decided to give cabbage mix and potatoes a try. They ended up being wonderful - almost like a steamed samosa with a zesty tomato sauce!

These take a big of time to make but take my suggestion and invite a bunch of friends over, pop open a bottle of wine, and make it a momo-making party!

Tomato Chutney

• 1 tsp oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbs minced ginger
• 1 chopped onion
• 2-4 minced peppers
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, stems removed
• pinch of salt

Heat oil in saucepan and fry onions, garlic, ginger for 5 minutes. Add chilis, spices and saute for a few more minutes. Add tomatoes, cover and reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Place everything in a blender, along with cilantro, and blend until smooth.

Momos

• 1 pack of round spring roll wrappers
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  
• ¼ tsp. cumin seeds
  
• 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
  
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
  
• 1 green chili, chopped finely
  
• 1 onion, chopped finely
  
• ½ cup finely chopped cabbage (I used cole slaw mix for the cabbage and carrot)
  
• 1 carrot, chopped finely into tiny cubes
  
• 1 potato, chopped finely into tiny cubes
  
• 3 fluid oz water
  
• salt to taste
  
• ¼ tsp. garam masala (my friend gave me Momo Masala but any masala will do)

For the filling:
Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Add the garlic, ginger, green chili and onions and stir for a minute. Add the cabbage, carrots and potatoes and stir again. Add some water and cook covered for about 7-8 minutes until the vegetables become soft and the water is dried up. Add the salt and garam masala and stir well. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Making the momos:
Before beginning, start up your steamer (making sure to oil it very well so the dumplings don't stick). Put on the table in front of you the spring roll wrappers, your bowl of filling, a small bowl of warm water, and an empty plate.

Grab a spring roll wrapper in one hand, dip your free hand in the water and wet the edge of the wrapper slightly. Next, put approximately 1½ tsp. filling in the wrapper. To seal, lift the bottom arch to the bottom arch of the wrapper and seal firmly by pleating the ends with your fingers. The shape should look like a half moon and have no openings. If the sides are having trouble sticking together, reseal them with water. If you want to get really fancy, take the two ends of the half moon and make them meet, pressing them together to seal.

Similarly prepare all the momos until you run out of wrappers or filling.

Steam the momos for about 15 minutes until they are swollen. Enjoy hot and serve with lots of tomato chutney on top.

Aztec Platter

I've very trying to eat healthier since I've put on about 5 lbs in the past 6 months (it has to be my BCPs). If you've never tried quinoa, it has a nutritional profile superior among grains, with high-quality protein and an abundance of vitamins and minerals. This salad is really nice on those really hot summer days when you don't want to cook.

Quinoa-Corn Salad

• 1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
• 1 cup cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 or 3 scallions, minced
• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Bean Salad

• 1-pound can pinto, pink, or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 heaping cup diced canned tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnishes

• Pumpkin seeds
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add quinoa and simmer gently, covered, for 15 minutes. When the quinoa is done, remove it from the heat, fluff it with a fork, and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Combine the quinoa with the remaining ingredients for the quinoa-corn salad and toss well.

While the quinoa is cooking, combine all the ingredients for the bean salad in another bowl and toss together.

To assemble the Aztec Platter, transfer the quinoa-corn salad onto a large platter and spread evenly to within an inch or so of the edge. Pushing the salad outward from the center, make a well in the center of the platter about 5 inches in diameter. Mound the bean salad into the well, and sprinkle with a handful of pumpkin seeds. Optional, arrange pepper strips around the edge of the platter.

Serves 6.

Cardamom Coffee Cake

On the last day of my summer nurse externship, I brought this spice cake to thank everyone on the med/surg unit. It was a wonderful experience and everyone on the unit was so helpful to me. The cake, from the original Moosewood Restaurant cookbook (a classic!!), got rave reviews, especially on its flavor and moistness.

To everyone on the med/surg unit, thanks again for everything and here's the recipe.

Cardamom Coffee Cake

• 1 lb (4 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2 c light brown sugar
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 4 c flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 tbs cardamom
  
• 2 c sour cream (or yogurt or buttermilk)
  
• 1/4 c light brown sugar
  
• 1 tbs cinnamon
  
• 1/2 c walnuts, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.

In a LARGE mixing bowl, beat butter with 2 cups brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cardamom in a separate bowl.

Add the flour mixture, 1/3 of it at a time, to the butter mixture, alternating with the sour cream. Stir just enough to blend after each addition. Don't beat or otherwise overmix.

Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts in a separate small bowl.

Spoon approximately 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the nut mixture, then add another third of the batter. Cover with remaining nut mixture, then top with remaining batter. Lightly spread into place.

Bake approximately 1-1/4 hours or until a knife inserted all the way in comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a plate. Cool at least 30 minutes more before cutting into it. Enjoy!!

Serves 18