food is yummy

Samosa Bites with Cilantro Chutney

2009-11-19T20:16:00.009-05:00

Samosa Bites

2 pounds baking potatoes, like russets
1/2 cup ghee or clarified butter
1/2 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno
1 cup fresh peas
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, minced
1 package small square wonton wrappers

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash and dry the baking potatoes. Bake the potatoes in the oven until done, about 45 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then split in half lengthwise to release steam. When cool to the touch, use a fork to mash and fluff the potatoes. Place in a mixing bowl. Discard potato skins.

In a large saute pan, heat the ghee or oil. Saute the onions, garlic and jalapeno until onions are golden brown. Add the peas, ginger, cumin, and coriander. Cook another 20 seconds. Pour over the mashed potato. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and taste to correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro. Allow to cool completely before shaping into samosas.

To form the samosas, take a generous tablespoon of the filling and place on top of the wonton wrapper, right in the middle. Dip your finger in a bowl of water, paint the edges of the wrapper with water to help seal the wrapper and proceed to roll wrapper around the filling, making sure that the top flap is folded to secure filling. Repeat process until you have used up all the filling.

Place the samosas on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Spray the samosas lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cilantro Chutney

2 cups cilantro
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup water

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Cookware Giveaway!

2009-03-25T17:49:00.002-05:00

Food Service Warehouse is giving away a 19-piece Wear-Ever cookware set to one lucky person. This set is commercial quality, and is actually used by professional chefs. It is perfect for the serious home cook.

Enter today by clicking on the above banner. Good luck!

Debbie's Famous Rum Balls

2008-12-23T13:02:00.005-05:00

My mom, Debbie, has been famous for her rum balls since I can remember. Every Christmas, we would make dozens of batches for friends and family. It was a group effort. My mom and dad would perfect the combination ingredients, usually adding too much rum and having to make it less soupy by adding more graham crackers or nuts. I would help roll them into balls and dress them in powder sugar. My grandma lives for these rum balls! Even lately when she doesn't seem to be eating as much as she used to, she still loves to eat the rum balls!

So when my husband asked me to make a batch for his work friends, I thought it would be a great idea and something I could start doing for our new little family's holiday traditions. Maybe when Jay gets older, he can help me roll them, too.

Debbie's Famous Rum Balls

2 cups graham crackers, finely ground
2 cups nuts, finely ground (she uses walnuts but any nuts can work. I used pecans and they were great!)
1 container chocolate cake frosting
A couple shots 151 rum, to taste
1 cup powdered sugar in a medium sized bowl

Take the ground graham crackers, nuts, frosting and rum and mix thoroughly in a bowl. It will be thick. I got in there with my hands and mixed it like I was kneading bread which worked well. Or you can be civilized and use a spoon but be ready for an upper body workout! Once mixed well, sample the mixture. If it's too dry, not rummy enough, etc, add more rum. If it's too soupy or just too strong, add more of the dry ingredients. You get the picture. You want a soft mixture but one the will roll and hold its shape as a ball well.

When you're happy with your ratio, roll up your sleeves, it's time to get messy! Take a small amount of the mixture, roll it into your hand to form a ball and roll the ball into the powdered sugar. The ball size is your call but I think they're best when they're quite small, maybe 1/2 tablespoon of mixture or less.

Anyway, so you're made your first rum ball! Now proceed with the rest of the mixture until it's finished. Of course, you have to sample throughout the process to make sure they're still tasty! Have fun!

Butternut Squash Tortellini

2008-12-12T14:38:00.004-05:00

This is a quick but tasty fall-type meal. Squash is one of my favorite foods this time of year. I bought the smallest squash I could find at Krogers but it was still much too large for 2 cups worth so I'm going to make Butternut Squash Soup from the remainder (and I'll throw in the extra fresh sage!) Maybe I'll even post about it if I remember! (Remember, I do have a newborn!)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 –2 cups (1 small) butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
8 to 10 fresh sage leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package frozen cheese tortellini or ravioli
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash, onion and 2 chopped sage leaves in oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast 20 minutes, turning once or twice, until tender. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry sage leaves in one layer for 1 minute. Flip and fry until crisp, about 1 minute more. Remove from skillet to drain. Reduce heat to low, add broth and bring to simmer. Add drained pasta and butternut squash/onion mixture. Adjust seasoning, garnish with fried sage and sprinkle with cheese.

Gingerbread Scones

2008-12-10T13:05:00.005-05:00

I think I've mentioned this before: I love fall foods! Give me anything spiced with some cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, etc and I'm a happy, happy girl (hence why I love Indian food so much). I made these scones for a 2 year old's pajama party brunch that got cancelled due to the birthday boy getting sick (poor kid!). Whatever shall I do except... eat them all myself! (My husband is helping, too). Most scones seem to be dry and hard but these are rich and moist, like a gingerbread cookie almost, but a cookie you can eat for breakfast! They're great room temperature or nuked up in the microwave with a hot cup of coffee or chai!

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 cup cold butter or margarine

1/3 cup molasses

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, separated

sugar for sprinkling

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, combine the molasses, milk and egg yolk until smooth; stir into the flour mixture just until moistened. Turn out onto a floured surface; knead gently 6-8 times. Pat into an 8-in. circle; cut into 12 wedges and place 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Beat egg white until frothy; brush over scones. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Our Samosa has arrived - 1 month birthday celebration!

2008-11-08T21:38:00.011-05:00

It's been a while since I posted. The last several weeks of my pregnancy were very tiring and I basically gave up on cooking so even if I had had the motivation to post something, I didn't have anything interesting to post about!

Our little Samosa arrive on Oct 7, 2008 after 41 hours of long back labor. We named him Jayant Kieran to honor our Indian and Irish heritages. He was 7 lbs. 2 oz and 20" long. Since he was my first, I don't have anything to compare birthing to but apparently it was a pretty strenuous labor and it didn't scare me away from having another kiddo so I guess I handled it pretty well. I only wish I could have done it without an epidural been able to do the waterbirth but at least we have a happy, healthy baby. I can always try again for a natural birth next time.

Nov 7 marked his 1 month birthday so we had a birthday party! I can't believe a month has gone by already! To celebrate, I baked a cake, one of the first things I've done in the kitchen besides heating up frozen meals in a long time! I made a "Better than Sex" cake but since it's inappropriate for a 1 month old and not something he can relate to, I decided to rename it "Better than Boobies" cake.

Better than Boobies Cake

1 package Devil's Food or German Chocolate cake mix
Water, oil and eggs (as called for on cake mix package)
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
17 ounces caramel sauce
8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 Health bars, broken into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cake as directed on package in a 13x9-inch pan. Cool 15 minutes. Poke top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with handle of wooden spoon, wiping handle occasionally to reduce sticking. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over top of cake, let stand until milk has been absorbed into cake. Drizzle with caramel topping. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours until chilled. Spread whipped topping over top of cake. Sprinkle with Health bar pieces.

Chick-fil-A Rocks!! ... and explanation of my absence...

2008-09-02T10:37:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm 35 weeks pregnant now and cooking hasn't been much on my mind lately. Actually, I take that back, I have been "thinking" of cooking a lot, I just don't execute a lot of my thoughts due to extreme exhaustion and the inability to move around readily! If I do get up to do something, the urge to pee hits me and by the time I'm done in the bathroom, I've totally forgotten why I was getting up in the first place! Yes, it's a sad existance but I know there's a means to the end! (Soon, soon!)

Meals consist of frozen Contessa dinners, pasta, soups, etc. Nothing really very photo worthy.

But yesterday, Labor Day, after work my husband and I took advantage of the Chick-fi-A Customer Appreciation Day and tried their new Chick-N-Strips for free (just had to sport our Gator gear!). They are sooooo good! Chick-fi-A has been a major craving for me anyway so I was thrilled to be out for a night of cooking-free food. Their new Chick-fi-A Sauce is absolutely delicious, too. It's like a combination of honey mustard and bbq sauces and I could just drink it! My husband and I were using it for the waffle fries, too. Good, good stuff.

Anyway, I really have good intentions to post new recipe soon... I have photos on my camera and everything... but we'll see what happens.

Roasted Salmon with Shallot Grapefruit Sauce

2008-06-09T07:07:00.002-05:00

4 skinless salmon fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
2 ruby red grapefruits
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons honey
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the salmon with 1/4 teaspoon salt, place in a baking dish and roast until cooked through, about 18 minutes.

While the salmon is cooking prepare the sauce. Cut 1 of the grapefruits into sections by cutting off the top and bottom of the fruit, then standing it on 1 end, cut down the skin to remove the pith and peel. Then, with a paring knife, remove each segment of fruit from its casing and cut the segments in half. Set the segment pieces aside. Juice the other grapefruit and set the juice aside.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, grapefruit juice, honey, and cayenne pepper and bring to simmer. Cook until sauce is reduced by about half about, 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and season with salt, to taste. Right before serving, toss the grapefruit pieces and basil into the sauce. Put the salmon onto a serving dish. Spoon sauce over the salmon and serve.

Curried Chicken Salad

2008-04-11T15:32:00.002-05:00

As I've mentioned, I have been craving spice. This kid is going to either love or hate spicy foods! (Hopefully love because that would be much easier for me!) One of my favorite fast lunch places is Roly Poly. We've love this little chain since Lavin's grad school days in Gaineville, FL. They have TONS of different wraps with pretty much any ingredient you can think of. My two favorites are the Basil Cashew Chicken ("basil chicken chicken salad, cashews, spicy Thai sauce, green leaf lettuce, plum tomatoes, avocado and alfalfa sprouts") and the Delhi Chicken ("curried chicken salad, swiss cheese, bacon (no bacon for me), green leaf lettuce, avocado, pineapple, mango chutney and alfalfa sprouts"). Today I decided to sort of make a combination of the two chicken salads and have the best of both worlds. It turned out awesome!! I am very pleased with my creation and think I may be making this often now, at least until I get sick of spice!

1 1/2 lb left-over rotisserie chicken, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt
5 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon (or more) Sriracha sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 firm-ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/4 dried currants
1/2 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, minced

Whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, curry, lime juice, honey, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, onion, celery, mango, grapes, currants, cilantro and cashews and stir gently to combine. Serve over greens, or in a wrap! Even better than Roly Poly and cheaper, too!

Ode to Chicken Biryani

2008-04-01T12:17:00.008-05:00

Over Easter we drove to Florida to spend the holiday with both of our families. We stayed with my husband's family and my mother-in-law decided that she would teach me how to make Kerala-style chicken biryani so we could bring it to our potluck Easter gathering at my grandparent's house. We started on making the chicken the night before. Basically, we make chicken curry, though a little drier. Then the next morning, after church and breakfast, we started on the rice. Surprisingly, both steps were not hard at all! It was a lot of fun to work in the kitchen with her, too, and learn from a seasoned Indian cook. The end result was delicious!

My husband and I left early for the Easter dinner so we could get over to my parent's house and help out my mom put the finishing touches on her dishes. I brought the biryani so we'd already have it with us. As I was getting out of the car to my parent's house, I set the ceramic dish of biryani on the back of the car so I could go back in and grab the ziplock bag of chopped cilantro I made for topping it. When I turned around, it was like slow mo, all I saw was the dish crashing to the pavement! Neither my husband nor I could save it. Chicken biryani was everywhere in my parents' driveway and was completely ruined. I was so disappointed after all of our hardwork that all this wonderful food was wasted on the ground. We swept it up and left the rest for a little Easter celebration for the ants.

This is an ode to our biryani.

Chicken Curry

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
6 or so cardamom pods, bruised
4 or so whole cloves
4 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon anise
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
Salt to taste

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil, then add the onion and cook until nicely browned around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, turmeric, anise, cayenne and black pepper and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 15-30 minutes, until gravy is thickened and chicken is completed cooked through.

Rice

3 cups uncooked basmati rice
6 cups water
4 or so cardamom pods, bruised
tablespoon of butter or ghee

Rinse rice 4-5 times until water runs clear. Add cardamom and rice and cook in rice cooker or large pot until done.

When rice is cooked, drain excess water if nessessary. Gently mix chicken curry into the rice (warm first up the chicken if it's cooled down). The rice should be thoroughly yellow and not have any bits of white pieces anymore. Pour the rice mixture into a serving dish.

Toppings

1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 chopped cilantro

Fry the onions in a little oil until browned. Do the same with the cashews. Sprinkle the onions and the cashews on top of the finished rice dish. Finally, sprinkle some raisins and cilantro on top! Yum!

Win $50 Williams Sonoma gift card!!

2008-03-14T07:39:00.004-05:00

Click here for the details over at The Clean Plate Club. The contest ends April 30th at 5 PM. If I won, I'd have a hard time deciding what I would get! I do need some new muffin tins... and I've always wanted a cast iron skillet... Oh, too much fun! *keeping my fingers crossed*

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos with Guacamole Salad sans photo

2008-03-13T12:41:00.005-05:00

I have been so ravagingly hungry lately that the last thing I think about is taking photos of my food before I eat it. It usually occurs to me about half way through my devouring my plate but at that point, photos would be pretty unappetizing. However this meal I made last night was so good that I thought I'd forgo the photo and make you visualize a little bit (plus my mom was insisting I post the recipe). It really turned out pretty, especially the salad, with the avocado and grape tomatoes. I've got an idea - if someone makes this meal, take a photo and send it to me and I'll post it on the site (with proper photo credits, of course!)

One thing I did which was a mistake but actually turned out pretty good is when I was reaching for my cumin in my spice rack, I used cinnamon instead! I put cumin in as well once I noticed my mistake but the cinnamon really tasted good, especially with the sweet potatoes. I guess I sort of "curry-ized" my Mexican dish!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito

5 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other vegetable oil
3-1/2 cups diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional, but it was good!)
4-1/2 cups cooked black beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)
2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas
Salsa

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic, and chile. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. (You can also mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand using a potato masher. The result will be a less smooth but nicely textured filling.) Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices.

Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.

Grape Tomato & Avocado Salad

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 avocados, diced
sea salt

In a non-reactive glass bowl toss together the tomatoes, onion, olive oil, lemon juice and parsley or cilantro. Add the avocado and lightly toss. Season to taste with sea salt. Chill if not serving immediately.

Veggie Mulligatawny Soup for my Little Samosa

2008-03-13T07:17:00.002-05:00

So my big news is that I'm pregnant with our first kidlet! I have been trying to eat healthy and get all of my vitamins, including lots of folic acid, iron and calcium. We've been calling the little one our "little Samosa" and appropriately, I have been craving spice! This is a recipe for mulligatawny soup from one of the local health food stores in Decatur, Rainbow Natural Foods. I've only gone over there once but it's a quaint little shop with a cafe and a hot food bar in the back. I added in the spinach to this soup to give me more nutrients (I've been eating spinach like it's going out of style!) and it adds a nice flavor. If you like your soup a little "soupier" and not so stewy like mine, add more stock as needed.

1 cup yellow dried split peas, rinsed and picked over
6 to 7 cups vegetable stock
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped (or 1/2 of 14-ounce can diced tomatoes)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch ground cayenne pepper
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chopped spinach
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Place the split peas in a saucepan and cover with enough vegetable stock to go 1 inch above the peas. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the peas are soft and falling apart, about 1 hour. Add more vegetable stock as necessary. Add the tomato and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add enough vegetable stock to get the consistency of a thick soup (about 4 cups total volume).

In a small frying pan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, mustard, coriander, cayenne, cloves and ginger. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Stir the onion mixture into the soup with the salt and pepper and simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Right before serving, toss in the spinach and stir to cook the greens into the soup. Garnish the soup with the chopped cilantro before serving.

Chickpea and Spinach Salad with Cumin Dressing and Yogurt Sauce

2008-02-05T17:48:00.003-05:00

I remember watching Ellie Krieger years ago on public television and loving the healthy tips and recipes that she came up with. Now she's got a great new show on the Food Network! This salad is from one of the episodes and it has instantly become one of my favorites. With chickpeas and spinach, you can't go wrong anyway. I wasn't sure about the orange flavored yogurt sauce at first but it's just wonderful and give the salad a great fresh taste. I want to make this to keep on hand all the time now!

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
4 cups baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint

Yogurt with Orange Essence:

1/3 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon honey

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, orange zest, orange juice and honey.

In a medium bowl combine the chickpeas, parsley and onion. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the chickpea mixture and toss to combine. Serve the chickpea salad over a bed of spinach leaves.

Top with the yogurt sauce and a sprinkle of mint, if using.

World Nutella Day!

2008-02-05T11:11:00.000-05:00

Everyone, get a jar of Nutella and a spoon and enjoy glorious Nutella today!

African Groundnut Stew

2008-02-05T10:52:00.000-05:00

My mom recently sent me a recipe in my email box for an African Stew that sounded just awesome. Though I don't know where that email went to, I was paging through "Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant" and found this recipe that sounds very similar to what I remember the other recipe was like. It turned out wonderful and is chockful of great nutrients and vitamins (which a few of you know why I'm especially interested in that right now). I added spinach to the original recipe for added goodness and substituted green beans for okra. I served this with whole grain roti but but it would be great with rice, couscous or any other grain. The book says to serve it along side any of these: hard-boiled eggs, chopped scallions, chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, cubed papaya, sliced bananas, mangos, pineapples, or oranges, grated coconut, whole or crushed peanuts. Tasty!

2 cups chopped onions
2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon minced garlic cloves
2 cups chopped cabbage
3 cups cubed sweet potatoes (1-inch cubes)
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup apple juice or apricot juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 chopped tomatoes
1 1/2-2 cups chopped green beans
1 1/2-2 cups chopped spinach
1/2 cup peanut butter

Saute onions in the oil for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cayenne and garlic and saute for a couple more minutes. Add the cabbage and sweet potatoes and saute, covered, for a few minutes. Mix in the juices, salt, ginger, cilantro and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Add the green beans and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add spinach and simmer a couple more minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and simmer gently until ready to serve.

Broccoli, White Bean & Cheddar Soup

2008-01-18T18:13:00.000-05:00

This has always been one of my favorite soups. I was a strange child and have always had an affinity for broccoli. In an attempt to make a warming, comforting meal for the impending 2nd snowstorm here in Atlanta, I fell back to this classic: broccoli & cheese soup... but with a twist! Instead of loads of cream, this recipe uses pureed white beans. That, along with the broccoli and chedder, gives this soup chock-loads of fiber, protein, calcium, vitamin C and other goodness! I served it along side some hearty whole wheat seeded rolls from Trader Joes and a simple spinach salad. Yum!

1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 pound broccoli crowns, trimmed and chopped (about 6 cups)
1 14-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Bring broth and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add broccoli, cover and continue cooking until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in beans, salt and pepper and continue cooking until the beans are heated through, about 1 minute.

Transfer half the mixture to a blender with half the cheese and puree. Becare when blending hot liquids! Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining broccoli mixture and cheese. (Conversely, if you have an immersion blender like I do, this works great!)

Serve warm.

(From Eating Well)

Indian Feast Evening

2008-01-17T14:15:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I had our friends Natalie, Chris and their adorable baby Dominique over for dinner in our new home. Nat and I were friends in college 10 years ago and recently reconnected and realized that we live less than 20 minutes away from each other! I wanted to make something memorable so I decided to create an Indian feast. I worked both days beforehand so I had to run out that morning and get all my ingredients and start cooking as soon as I got back from shopping. Thank goodness Atlanta has a huge Indian population because it's easy to find even the most unique ingredients here, especially here in Gwinnett Co (the most diverse county in metro Atlanta). I got most of the ingredients at GrandMart, which has a very large Indian section, including fresh Indian desserts and "mix" in bulk (that's what my husband calls it. The trail mix-like snacky stuff with rice, beans and nuts with spices). I also frequented my local Indian grocery store in Lilburn whose name escapes me. Very friendly people there though and it's right next to the new Hindu temple which is always very impressive to drive by (especially at night when at times they have trippy colors changing on the temple!).

Anyway, my dinner was a great success! I made a large spread of chicken curry, cumin-spiced basmati rice, spiced spinach, chickpea salad, roti and samosas. Of course, we had to have dessert as well but I cheated on that one and got a kheer mix (like Indian rice pudding) but it turned out delicous as well! But I.... forgot to take photos. :( Here's the recipes though!

Chicken Curry

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp black peppercorn
2" cinnamon stick
10 green cardamom pods
2 large finely chopped onions
6-8 chopped tomatoes (I used 2 15 oz cans of chopped tomatoes since fresh aren't in season)
2 lbs. chicken pieces (I got a cut-up chicken, removed the skin and chopped it into smaller pieces)
1 tsp garlic paste
3 tbsp ginger paste
2 tsp red chili powder
2 tbsp coriander powder
2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp cumin powder
2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

Heat oil in a pot. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom and black pepper. Add onion and saute until brown. Add tomatoes and cook until they begin to lose their shape and get saucey. Add chicken and rest of the spices. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Add enough water to cover chicken. Cook on medium heat until the chicken is tender.

Jeera Rice

2 tsp olive oil
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 cinnamon sticks
2 cups water
1 cup basmati rice
salt to taste

Heat oil and fry cumin seeds, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks for about a minute. Add water. When water starts to boil, add rice and salt. Cover and cook on low heat until water evaporates and the rice is tender.

Palak Paneer
(mine was minus the paneer and still tasted good!)

2 bunches of spinach, rinsed thoroughly, drained and roughly chopped, stems removed
1 finely chopped onion
pinch baking soda
1/4 cup water
1/2 lb cubed paneer (can use tofu or exclude altogether)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp green chili paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

Add spinach, water and baking soda into a large pot and steam until tender and green. When cooked, cool and blend in a blender.

If using paneer/tofu, saute in a little oil until lightly browned.

Heat oil in a pot, saute the onions. Add ginger, chili paste, turmeric and saute all together for about a minute or so. Add spinach, paneer and salt.

Chickpea Salad

2 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 red pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 green pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 bag cole slaw mix
1/2 bag shredded iceburg lettuce
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 tsp cilantro
1 tsp mint

For dressing:

2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
large pinch sugar
1 tsp chili flakes

Toast cumin and coriander seeds in skillet until fragrant then crush roughly with mortar and pestle or coffee grinder.

To make dressing, in a small bowl, whisk all ingredients and set aside.

Mix remaining salad ingredients in bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cumin-coriander mix over the top and serve.

Great Atlanta lunch spots

2008-01-08T16:33:00.000-05:00

While I've been living here in Atlanta for several months now, there are tons of restaurants/cafes that I still have yet to try. There are so many delicious sounds places around here that it will take quite a while to try them all! I don't know how many of you out there live around here as well but I thought it would be fun to write little reviews of the places I go to.

I came across a great little cafe today while running errands/exploring in Sandy Springs called World Peace Cafe. Apparently it's run with a Buddist philosophy and offers fresh and healthy vegetarian food, with wheat-free and vegan options. I didn't want to stop for lunch today but had to stop in just to check it out. It's very low-key inside and you order at the front but it's beautifully decorated! Lush red and golds with simplistic Asian decor throughout. Very relaxing and inviting feeling. I got a cup of chai and a whole wheat apple cinnamon muffin that was "baked that morning". Both were amazingly delicious! They also have some merchandise like little gifty things and offer WiFi. I also read on their website that you can volunteer to work there in exchange for buddist chanting classes and such. Very, very cool! I will have to go back and have lunch sometime!

http://www.worldpeacecafeatlanta.com

220 Hammond Drive NE

Suite 302

Sandy Springs, GA 30328

404-256-2100

Cajun Pecan-Crusted Catfish

2007-12-11T20:58:00.001-05:00

DSC00689, originally uploaded by jljoseph.

1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco, or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 pound catfish fillets, about 1 inch thick, cut into 4 portions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Blend buttermilk, hot sauce (or cayenne), oregano, chili powder and garlic salt in a shallow dish. Pulse cornflakes in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Transfer to a large plate. Pulse pecans in the food processor until coarsely chopped; mix the pecans with the cornflake crumbs. (Alternatively, place cornflakes in a sealable bag and crush with a rolling pin; chop nuts with a knife.)

Dip each catfish fillet in the buttermilk mixture, then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating both sides. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the catfish for 25 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Our new kitchen

2007-11-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

I finally got the kitchen put away enough to take some good photos. I still need a couple spice racks to get all of those jars off the counter but, it looks pretty nice, doesn't it?

Pumpkin-Walnut Cake

2007-11-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

It has been a long while since I posted anything but I have been taking photos of our meals as I prepare them the past few months. It's been a big project to get settled into our new home but it's finally looking pretty nice. My kitchen is my favorite spot of the house and I've been spending a lot of time in it. I love my stainless steel appliances, flat-top stove and the black granite countertops! I've been having a lot of fun decorating the kitchen, as well as the rest of the home.

This cake is wonderful for this time of year. Fall is my absolute favorite time, especially for food. I just love all the spices, squash, soups, and warmth of fall food. This recipe came from an Eating Well cookbook I picked up from the library. I added in the crystalized ginger to add more spice.

Cake

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 15-ounce can unseasoned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped, toasted and divided
1/2 cup crystalized ginger, finely chopped

Caramel-Walnut Glaze

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons butter

To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan with cooking spray. Dust pan with flour, tilting to coat and tapping out the excess (or use cooking spray with flour).

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves in a medium bowl.

Combine eggs, egg white and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add pumpkin, orange juice, oil and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Set aside 2 tablespoons walnuts and ginger for the glaze and fold the rest into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

To prepare glaze & finish cake: Combine 3 tablespoons brown sugar, milk and butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the reserved 2 tablespoons walnuts and ginger.

Turn the cake out onto the rack; place the rack over a baking sheet. Drizzle the warm glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Transfer to a serving plate; spoon any glaze from the baking sheet over the cake. Let cool completely.

In Atlanta!

2007-09-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

We've been living in Norcross, GA (just northeast of Atlanta) in an extended-stay for the past month and a half. I have just an itty-bitty excuse for a kitchen and it's been very trying to make anything at all, let alone try to be creative, hence my lack of posting. However we close on a brand-new house on the 24th of this month which I'm just thrilled about!! I can't wait to start cooking in my new kitchen. It's got a ton of cabinet space and we upgraded to all stainless-steel appliances so it will be very stylish. :) So I'll will start posting recipes again soon after we're in the new house and settled. Until then, I'll leave you with a photo of my new kitchen (currently unfinished).

A Visit to the Kondeiterei

2007-07-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why, maybe it was the longing to be on vacation in Europe, but while sitting around today, I got a hankering for pflaumenkuchen. "Pflaumenkuchen" translates to "plum cake" in German and is a popular offering at kondeitereis (bakery cafes) all over Germany and Swizerland (and maybe more). It's very popular to go there midday for a slice of cake and some tea or coffee. I remember the last time I had a slice, my husband and I were in Swizerland for our honeymoon. We stopped at this kondeiterei and, oh my goodness, the area of confectionaries were almost too much! Seas and seas of cakes - Black Forest cake, apple strudel, etc. all in a long glass display case. I was so excited to see pflaumenkuchen, which has always been my favorite cake when we have traveled to Germany in the past.

So take a mini vacation and try out this pflaumenkuchen. Brew some strong coffee, close your eyes and imagine yourself in a European street cafe. Guten Appetit!

This will be my last post for several weeks while I relocate to Atlanta. Wish me luck and I'll try to be back as soon as I can!

The display case at the kondeiterei in Lucerne, Switzerland

Pflaumenkuchen (g/f, d/f)

¼ c bean flour (I used chickpea but any bean will do)
¼ c rice flour
½ c equal parts arrowroot (or cornstarch), potato starch, and rice bran
½ tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp softened Earth Balance or other buttery spread
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
2 tbsp milk or water
Several plums (enough to cover the cake; I used 5 or 6), halved and sliced thinly
Cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle over plums
Buttery-spread to dot tops of plums

Preheat oven to 425F.

Combine first 6 ingredients (bean flour to salt) along with buttery spread in a large mixing bowl until small pea-like lumps form. Beat in egg, vanilla, milk. Mix to form a fairly thick dough. Put into a greased square or round dish or pie plate. Top with sliced plums in a circular pattern densely covering the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Dot the top with bits of buttery spread and bake for 25 minutes.

Towels and Babelfish

2007-07-12T22:01:00.000-05:00

I just realized that my previous post marks my 42nd entry. Maybe black beans and cilantro rice are the meaning of life.... If I've completely confused you, nevermind.

Havana Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice

2007-07-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

So my cousin wrote me yesterday and complained how I hadn't posted any really good veggie entrees lately. Well, I just started posting again, period, so with the last 2 entries, 50% have been veggie. :) But then I remembered that I took this photo a few weeks ago and hadn't written about it yet. It is really awesome and could be completed wonderfully with a nice rum punch (Like the ones at the Conch House in St Augustine... oh how I miss them...). So, this one's for you, Mel!

Havana Black Beans

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 med finely chopped onion
1/2 med finely chopped red pepper
1/2 med finely chopped green pepper
1 clove (1/2 tsp) minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh
2 bay leaves
1 tsp canned chipotle chiles, minced with sauce
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c water
1 c coconut milk (reg or light) (You also could sub water or veggie stock but I think the coconut milk really makes the dish)
1 tsp lime juice
2 finely chopped scallions
1/2 c finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan, and saute the onion for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Add peppers and garlic; continue to saute for 2 minutes. Add cumin, thyme, bay leaves, and chipotle chiles, combine well.

Add black beans, water, and coconut milk to pot and stir well. Simmer beans for 10-15 minutes. Stir in lime juice and salt.

Top beans with chopped scallions and cilantro and serve.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 c water
1 c basmati rice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves (1 tsp) garlic, minced
1 tsp grated zest from an organic or unwaxed lemon
1 tsp lime juice
2 c finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 c washed finely chopped baby spinach
3 finely chopped scallions
Salt to taste

In large saucepan, bring water to boil. Add rice, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lime juice, and salt and reduce to medium heat. Stir gently, cover, and simmer slowly for about 25 minutes, or until rice is tender. Leave rice covered so steam stays in, making the rice fluffy.

Transfer rice to large mixing bowl. Add cilantro, spinach, scallions and salt. Combine thoroughly.

Baked Plantains

4 plantains, ripe
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tbsp. molasses, unsulphured
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, ground
1/2 tsp. ginger, ground

Peel the ripe plantains, cut in half and split lengthwise, and place them in a covered baking dish with the rounded side up. In a measuring cup, mix together the apple juice, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, and pour over the plantains in the baking dish.

Bake in an oven at 350 degrees F. for 30 - 45 minutes, or in a microwave oven (on high) for about 10 - 15 minutes. The reason for the covered baking dish is to help "steam" the plantains and prevent them from drying out. Baste as necessary to prevent the top of the plantains from drying out and to help give them a nice color.

Chicken Parmesan

2007-07-11T14:32:00.000-05:00

It's weird having all of this free-time now that I'm no longer a student and haven't yet begun my job. I've become the model housewife! I keep the house spotless, whip up gourmet meals that are ready just as my husband gets home, I do laundry... I think I should get a string of pearls, or something!

So one night a few weeks ago, I was paging through my favorite The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook, and found this recipe. I don't often cook really hardy meals like chicken Parmesan, but hey, I've got time, why not? I served this with a tossed salad and some garlic bread.

Chicken Parmesan

(adapted from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook)

4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used some homemade rice breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I didn't have any - ha, imagine chicken Parmesan without Parmesan! Oh well, have to improvise sometimes!)
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup flour (I used spelt but any flour is good)
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 8 ounces of whatever uncooked pasta you use)
3 cups pasta sauce (homemade is great but I used one from Trader Joes)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Basil sprigs (optional)

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge 1 chicken breast half in flour. Dip in egg whites; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, flour, egg whites, and breadcrumb mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Now this is another place I deviate from the recipe. It says to place 1 cup spaghetti in 4 individual gratin dishes. I don't have the luxury of having fancy individual dishes like that so I just put all the spaghetti in one casserole dish. Anyway, spoon 2 cups pasta sauce over spaghetti. Top with chicken breasts. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Preheat broiler.

Place gratin dishes on a baking sheet; broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Garnish with basil sprigs, if desired.

Mexican Cobb Salad

2007-07-03T19:02:00.000-05:00

I've recently rediscovered one of my favorite cookbooks, The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook. It's an awesome book and there was a huge photo of this salad that just called out to me. "Make me! Make me!" (OK, maybe it didn't but the photo looked yummy) My photo isn't quite as pretty but the salad turned out delish!

Fresh salads are some of the best ways to take advantage of the local produce at the farmer's markets. Right now, my local market started bringing in tomatoes and white corn! I go every Thursday with a nursing school buddy and we both agreed that when tomatoes and corn are in season, it's definitely summer.

It's also the first time I've ever tried jicama, too. I'm not quite sure what I think about it but it wasn't bad. Anyway, on to the recipe!

Mexican Cobb Salad

1 cup fresh corn kernels
8 cups shredded romaine
1 large tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 cup bell pepper, red or green or a mix
1 cup red onion, diced
1 cup jicama, diced
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded Jack cheese (I used my favorite pepper-jack)
1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Steam corn, covered, 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Rinse with cold water; set aside to cool.

Place 2 cups lettuce on each of 4 plates. Arrange 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup onion, 1/4 cup jicama, 1/4 cup bell pepper, 1/4 cup corn, and about 1/2 beans in individual rows over lettuce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese and 1/4 cup crushed chips over each salad. Drizzle 1/4 cup Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette over each.

Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

3/4 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded

Place all ingredients in a blender or mix with an immersion blender; process until blended. Cover and chill.

I'm back! .. and I'm an RN!

2007-06-26T10:55:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything here! That last semester was a killer. Very, very intense. But, good news, I'm graduated and just passed my boards so I'm a real registered nurse now! Yay!! Yippee!! Hurray!!

So to continue in this party-like mood, I've got a Caribbean-styled meal today. It's kinda island, kinda Indian, but I think all the flavors go together really well. And it's great with a bit of cucumber raita on the side. All you need is a nice rum punch and this party can really get started!

Curried Chicken and Mango Salad

1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mango chutney
2 teaspoons garam masala or curry powder, mild or hot
4 bone-in chicken thighs (1 3/4-2 pounds), skin removed, trimmed of fat
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 mango, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.
Whisk yogurt, chutney and garam masala (or curry powder) in a medium bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat.
Remove the chicken from the sauce and transfer to the prepared broiler pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Broil the chicken until the coating is charred in spots, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue cooking until it is slightly charred and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes more.
Meanwhile, combine mango, onion, mint, vinegar, brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Serve the chicken with the mango salad.

Sag Aloo

1 large onion, chopped
2 large potatoes, cubed
1 bunch spinach or chard leaves, stalks removed, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic cloves, coarsley chopped
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala

Fry the cumin seeds in a heavy bottomed pan in a bit of oil and butter until just starting to brown.
Add the onion and fry until it too starts to brown.
Add the potato, garlic, turmeric, ginger and garam masala and fry until the potato starts to soften.
Unless you are using a non-stick pan, you may need to add water and cover to keep the potato from sticking and to help it cook.
Add the spinach or chard and cook until it collapses over the potato.
Salt to taste.

Idli and Coconut Chutney - Entry for JFI

2007-01-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to an exciting New Year! My husband and I spent a week in Florida visiting our families over Christmas which was very relaxing and great to see everyone. It's hard being so far away, especially during the holidays.

One of the best parts of our trip was spending time with Lavin's mom in the kitchen. I've been wanting to learn how to make chicken curry or something from her but we always run out of time during our visits. This time however, we created breakfast together and she taught me how to make idli and coconut chutney.

Idli is a South Indian dish. Idlis are light, spongy rice-lentil steamed cakes/dumplings that are great at soaking up things, like chutney. The actual process of making the idli batter is tedious and involves soaking the rice and lentils, grinding all the ingredients together, letting the batter ferment overnight... needless to say, many Indians now use instant mixes (we used Gits brand) to avoid all those steps and get cooking faster! However, even if you have all the ingredients prepared for the batter, a piece of equipment called an idli cooker is essential. The batter is poured into round molds, placed in a steamer and the idli are steamed for about 10-15 minutes. The traditional accompaniment, coconut chutney, can be whipped up while the idlis are steaming. Idlis can also be served with sambar and eaten during breakfast or any meal.

I went home to Virginia with my very own idli cooker so this weekend I tried my hand at recreating our delicious breakfast. I think the meal turned out great and Lavin agreed. I think my mother-in-law would be proud.

Coconut Chutney

1 cup grated coconut
2 dried red chilies
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 small shallots, chopped
1 small piece dried tamarind (I used about 1 tsp tamarind paste)
water, enough to make chutney thin
salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
a handful of curry leaves

In a pan, heat the oil and add the shallots and chilies. Saute for about a minute then let cool. In a blender, add tamarind, sugar, cumin, coconut, water and the shallot-chili mixture and blend until smooth. Add more water to create a thinner consistancy. Season with salt.

In a pan, heat 1 tsp of oil. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves and saute for a minute or two until the mustard seeds start popping. Add mixture to the chutney and serve.

Links to this post:
JFI Round-Up (Coconut)

Thanksgiving at our House

2006-11-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

Lavin and I enjoyed an intimate Thanksgiving dinner, just the two of us. I was on the fence for a while about whether I should make a turkey or not, since it was only for 2 people, but I ended up going for it. Lavin recreated his amazing pumpkin cheesecake which we have been enjoying each night since Thanksgiving! The recipe comes from Cooking Light so it's not as fattening as traditional cheesecake, but the flavor is as rich as the full-fat version. And, the sweety that he is, even made the crust gluten free for me!

Here's our meal: Roasted turkey, sweet potato casserole, green beans, stuffing and a croissant. Yum!

Lavin carving our cute 10lb turkey

My husband's masterful pumpkin cheesecake creation

Cooking Light's Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
                         About 8 ounces Mi-Del gluten-free ginger snaps
                         1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
                         Cooking spray
                          
Filling:
                         3 (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese, softened
                         2 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
                         1/2 cup granulated sugar
                         1/2 cup packed brown sugar
                         3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
                         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
                         1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
                         1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
                         1/4 teaspoon salt
                         Dash of allspice
                         2 teaspoons vanilla extract
                         4 large eggs
                         1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
            
   Preheat oven to 400°.To prepare crust, place ginger snaps in a food processor; pulse 2 to 3 times or until finely ground. Add butter; pulse 10 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Firmly press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
To prepare filling, beat cheeses with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and next 8 ingredients (granulated sugar through vanilla), beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin; beat well.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared crust; bake at 325° for 1 1/2 hours or until almost set. (Cheesecake is done when the center barely moves when pan is touched.) Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature; cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Tom Ka Gai Soup

2006-11-07T13:28:00.000-05:00

Tom Ka Gai (chicken in coconut milk soup) is my mom's favorite Thai soup ... or maybe even her favorite soup, period. When I visit her in Florida, we often go to her favorite Thai restaurant in New Port Richey and share a bowl of this deliciously creamy soup. She made it once for my Chinese New Years dinner (I always wanted a holiday dinner at my house so I opted for that one since I wouldn't be competing with anyone else) so I thought I'd try my hand at it, too. Surprisingly, even in this diverse DC suburb, I couldn't find galangal (I subbed 'young ginger root') or keffir lime leaves but I just left them out and it still turned out delicious!! I served this as a light dinner with a spring roll but you can also add rice or rice noodles to the bowl and ladle the soup over that.

2 14 oz cans coconut milk (I used light from Trader Joe's)
4 cups chicken stock
12 oz. chicken, cubed
2 stalks fresh lemongrass (Use only the bottom part of the lemongrass, up until about 6" from the root, cut into 2" pieces and smash them a bit to release the oils)
6 tbsp fish sauce
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 kaffir lime leaves
1" piece fresh galangal (Thai ginger) or Chinese ginger, sliced and bruised
2 tbsp sugar
1-2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
15 oz can straw mushrooms (I used a variety can with mini corns, bamboo shoots, and straw mushrooms and it was really good)
Cilantro springs to garnish

In a large stock pot, combine chicken stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, fish sauce, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Strain.

Add the red curry paste and whisk well to incorporate it in to the stock. Add the can of mushrooms and cubed chicken, cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and savor the taste and aroma!

Curried Red Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Greens

2006-10-18T09:15:00.000-05:00

With my first week of my new clinical comes my first soup (I talked about my plan in the last post). I began my new soup for dinner plan with a recipe adapted from Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons, by Nava Atlas. It's a great fall soup, with lots of flavor, color, and goodness!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed and sorted
2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 to 8 ounces Swiss chard or spinach
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the water, followed by the lentils, sweet potatoes, and seasonings. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently until the lentils are mushy and the potatoes are done, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash the greens, remove stems and midribs, then slice into narrow shreds. Stir into the soup along with the lemon juice. If the soup is too thick, adjust the consistency with a small amount of water.

Continue to simmer gently until the greens are just done, about 5 minutes for spinach and 10 to 15 minutes for chard. Season with salt. Serve at once, or if time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or two. Heat through before serving.

Serves 6.

World Bread Day, gluten-free style!

2006-10-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

Although I should be studying, I found out today that it is World Bread Day from Rachel at Coconut & Lime's recent post and thought I should post some of my recent creations. (And I just found out that I'm still maintaining an 'A' average in my nursing lecture class so I deserve a break!)

I've been trying to be good about adhering to my wheat-free lifestyle and recently baked some delicious bread as well as pumpkin muffins, both gluten free. My weakness for pumpkin bread almost made me jump off the wagon on Thursday, when a fellow nursing student brought in a freshly baked loaf of pumpkin bread for us all to snack on as we crammed for our midterm. (Ironic thing is this guy has Celiac Disease but still bakes with wheat, he just doesn't eat it). My strength prevailed but only because I made a mental promise to myself to bake up some gluten-free pumpkin muffins this weekend! The chocolate chips in the recipe have had mixed reviews so far, from those that have sampled the muffins. If it doesn't appeal to you, it would be great substituted with pecans, raisins or even nothing at all!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
2 eggs + 4 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Pantry's Muffin and Scone Mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts

Beat butter until fluffy. Add egg mixture and beat to combine. Toss muffin mix with cinnamon
and add to butter mixture. Fold in pumpkin and mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips or
raisins. Spoon into prepared muffin tins. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Yield: 24 muffins.

I also baked bread earlier last week, as I mentioned. My new idea to save money during my nursing clinical days is to make a big pot of soup, homemade bread and bring that with me each day. So I should be adding plenty of soup recipes if I follow through with this plan. But on to the bread:

I used Pamela's Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix and followed the recipe on the bag. I followed a suggestion on the bag and added some seeds - pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds, during the mixing cycle (I used a breadmaker). The bread turned out really good and it was sooo easy! I've put two slices per ziplock bag and put them in the freezer for easy thawing.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

2006-10-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

Oh, I love fall! I look forward to this time all year round. I created this the other night when I felt inspired to bake something sweet and a little spicy with my leftover zucchini and yellow squash from the farmer's market. With the addition of pumpkin puree, it is so moist and delicious that you'd never believe it's gluten free.

1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Turbinado Sugar
2 large Eggs
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (such as Bob's Red Mill)
2-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
4 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups finely grated zucchini (I used 1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash)
1/2 cup chopped Pecans or Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease two 8 x 4-inch nonstick pans. (For smaller loaves, use three or four 5 x 3-inch nonstick loaf pans.

2. In large bowl, cream oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla together with electric mixer until very smooth. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, xanthan gum, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Mix thoroughly on medium speed until thoroughly combined.

3. Quickly (but gently) stir in zucchini, and nuts. Batter will be somewhat thick. Turn batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake 8 x 4-inch loaves for 60-65 minutes; 5 x 3-inch pans for 45 minutes. Place foil over bread during final 20 minutes of baking to reduce over-browning. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack. Cool thoroughly before slicing.

Serves 12.

Masala Dosas and Sambar

2006-09-30T22:34:00.000-05:00

I have been so swamped at school that cooking interesting things has been almost nonexistant. However this past week, I was fortunate to have a day off in the middle of the week because my clinical instructor thought she'd give us a free day to study for our upcoming exam. So I took advantage of my day off and made a nice dinner for a change (oh yeah, I did study a lot, too). I was still thinking about that wonderful South Indian food from the restaurant I went to earlier and decided to try my hand at making my own masala dosas and sambar. It turned out really good, especially my sambar! The dosas tasted good but, just like crepes, I still need to perfect art of making them nice and thin. But they were tasty! I did cheat though because traditional dosas take a long time, you have to soak rice and lentils, then grind them and let the batter ferment for a while. ...That can be a project for another day (maybe when I'm out of nursing school!). I bought a dosa mix, which can be found at any Indian market.

Masala Dosa
For Potato Masala (dosa filling)

3 medium potatoes, boiled, skinned and cut into small cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
2 chopped green chilies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1tsp turmeric powder
a handful of curry leaves
a pinch of salt or more to taste
3 tsp oil

Heat oil in a pot. Add mustard seeds, green chilies, turmeric powder, curry leaves and onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and salt and mix gently until all the pototoes are mixed up with the onion mixture. Heat through and then set aside.

Making the Masala dosas:
Follow dosa mix up until the part where the batter is ready to be used. Heat your griddle to medium and spray it with cooking spray. Pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the griddle and then, in a circular motion, spead it into a thin pancake.(For beautiful step-by-step photos, try this) Pour 1 tsp oil around the edges and cook for 2-3 minutes. Spread some potato masala in the center of the dosa. Fold the dosa edge over it.

Serve with mango chutney or coconut chutney.

Sambar

3/4 cup red lentils
2 1/2 cups veggies of choice, chopped (I used okra, zucchini, tomatoes and yellow squash)
1 cup chopped onions
1tsp mustard seeds
a handful of curry leaves
1 liter water
2-3 tbs sambar paste (I used the MTR brand)
2 tbs oil
Cilantro as garnish

Cook red lentils with water in a pot until soft. In a large pot, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When seeds begin to crackle, add onions and curry leaves. Once the onions are transparent, add the rest of your veggies and saute until tender. Add water, cooked red lentils, sambar paste and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes.
Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Restaurant Review: Udupi Palace, Takoma Park, Maryland

2006-09-15T16:06:00.000-05:00

My friend (& former nurse preceptor) Arati and I enjoyed the earlier part of the day scrub shopping and then lunch at an all-vegetarian South Indian restaurant near DC called, Udupi Palace.

According the the restaurant's website, "Udupi" is synonymous with southern Indian style vegetarian cooking in India. Typical South Indian food is made with rice and lentils (perfect for us wheat-free souls!!) When these ingredients are blended together with spices and herbs and spread on a skillet, a variety of different types of dosai (which are basically South Indian crepes) can be made. The restaurant is located in a very busy and cultural strip mall in Takoma Park, Maryland. It's elegantly decorated with Hindu god statues and crystal chandeliers, not the tacky Bollywood-style of a lot of Indian restaurants. The servers were very attentive and immediately sat us at a table. During the weekday, they have a wonderful and extensive lunch buffet for $7.99 which is a great bargain! You can find dishes like idli, sambar and rasam, as well as a delicious variety of unusual vegetarian curries and dals. It was such a treat to have different dishes than the typical tandoori chicken and palak paneer (which I LOVE, don't get me wrong, but variety is very nice!). There was also a nice, fresh salad with several different chutneys (including coconut chutney - yum!) and pickles. When my friend and I returned to our table with our first helping, we had two wonderfully warm masala dosas awaiting us! With the coconut chutney, those dosas were like heaven! As in the beauty of buffet style, my friend and I tried everything at the buffet! (Just little helpings of each!) Everything was soooo delicious I could have eaten all day long. As my mom says, I will now dream of that food!

For dessert (yes, we're piggies!), we had a warm and very orange halwa which was like a pudding with raisins and nuts. There were also an assortment of neon colored square type things which I tried a couple of but decided that, despite the different colors, they all tasted exactly the same - sweet.

As we sat with our plates finally empty and our bellies very full (but very happy), I contemplated ordering some chai but thought it might be overkill. We left through the other door, which was an Indian bakery where the friends of the neon wedges resided. I ended up getting two Gulab Jamun for my dear husband who loves them dearly but was hard at work. That should earn me some brownie points.

Udupi Palace had 2 other locations, besides the MD one so folks in the Chicago area can also partake in delicious South Indian cuisine. The website has all the details. And for anyone in the DC area, let me know if you're interested in going because I'd love to go back!!

---------------
Udupi Palace
1329 University Blvd, East
Takoma Park, MD 20192
Phone: 301.434.1531

Easy meal - Crockpot Turkey Chili and Wheat-free Cornbread Muffins

2006-09-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

School returned with avengence. Ugh. I feel like that fish from the Faith No More "Epic" video, flapping furiously out of water (ok, I probably just dated myself). So while trying to get the grips on my new life schedule which consists of classes, reading, clinicals, reading, studying, reading..., I've been bad and haven't been cooking much lately. Lots of take-out and fattening comfort food. Then I realized the other day, five minutes before I had to leave for my first exam, that I had all the makings for turkey chili so I ran around madly and threw it all together in those last few moments. That tells you how fast this dish can come together! I ended up not having time to chop any onions so I just left them out entirely (which is normally blasphemous in my book, but I was under a time crunch).

The corn muffins I baked up when I returned from my exam later that night. Oh, it was so exciting to come down the stairs to my apartment to smell spicy simmering chili awaiting me! I do love my crockpot!

Crockpot Turkey Chili

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 can tomato soup
1 can chopped tomatoes with chili
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash allspice
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place turkey in the skillet, and cook until evenly brown; drain.
Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray, and mix in turkey, tomato soup, tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, and onion. Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, allspice, and salt.

Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.

Wheat-free Corn Muffins

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup spelt flour or rice flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs (or egg substitute)

1/4 - 1/2 cup water, milk or milk substitute

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

1 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Add in egg or replacer, oil, vinegar, and cranberries. Mix and add in water or milk until desired consistancy is reached. You want it to be smooth not too runny. Spoon mixture into lightly oiled muffin tins. Bake for 15-20 mins until you can place a toothpick in the center and no goo comes off on your toothpick. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Food Blog of the Week - Weeee!!

2006-08-18T07:25:00.000-05:00

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)

2006-08-17T16:16:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-14T18:00:00.002-05:00

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

2006-08-12T17:51:00.001-05:00

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

Chili Chicken

2006-07-27T20:18:00.000-05:00

This is one of my sister-in-law Debbie's favorite recipes, Chili Chicken. Though I've never had it made by my mother-in-law, I found this recipe from south India and figure it might be something like this.

Mix together:

3 tablespoons of flour
1tbs corn flour
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 beaten egg
1 tbs tomato sauce
1/2 tbs chilli sauce
1 teaspoon chilli (cayenne) powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Marinate about 2 lbs of chicken pieces (I used breasts but any wil do) in the above mixture. Leave it for an hour and then saute the chicken in a little oil.

Next saute in a little more oil:

2 onions
6 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
6 green chillies

Chop one large green capsicum and add to the pan. Next, add 1/2 tbs soy sauce, toss in the fried chicken and stir well. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes on over medium heat and serve hot with some basmatic rice and naan!

Egg Curry - yum!

2006-07-19T09:08:00.000-05:00

When I was in Florida visiting the parents and parents-in-laws, we had the best breakfasts at my in-laws. Did I talk about this already? I don't remember so if I did, bear with me. My mother-in-law would make us a delicious Indian breakfast each morning - even on the days that she worked, she would make it ahead of time and have it in the fridge for us! Maybe someday I'll be that dedicated of a cook... Idlis and chicken curry, dosas and coconut chutney, and egg curry and parottas. Yes, I have admit, the initial shock of curry and spicy heat to my American tastebuds that early in the day was a little much but I grew to like it. Especially the dosas and the egg curry. This curry would be great served with any Indian bread or rice and does not have to be reserved for breakfast. I had it this morning with Ezeikel sprouted tortillas and it was fabulous!

4 eggs, hard-boiled, shelled and halved
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Curry leaves, a handful or more
a cinnamon stick
4 green cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1-3 green chilli peppers, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 onion, diced
2 cups coconut milk
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Then add clove, cardamom and cinnamon and fry until its color changes. Add onions and fry them until golden brown, then add ginger and garlic paste and continue to fry for a little while. Add the green chillies and tomatoes and cook it until the tomatoes are well cooked and broken down, and the mixture starts to separate the oil. Now add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Next pour in the coconut milk and stir well, being careful not to boil the curry. Finally add the hard-boiled egg halves gently to the gravy, yolk side up and simmer until heated through.

Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Chickpeas Florentine with Roasted Peppers

2006-07-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

I love the Whole Foods Cookbook! There are so many delicious recipes to try. This Mediterranean stew is one that I've made several times before and it's always so flavorful and warming to the soul. I like it warm from the pan but it can also be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled. It's really yummy served over creamy polenta.

1/8 cup olive oil
1 cup of thinly sliced red onion
4 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup drained and finely chopped, roasted red peppers
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano (you can also use dried oregano, just use less)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
5 cups cooked chickpeas, well drained (1 ¾ cups dried)
3 links precooked chicken sausage, sliced (your favorite flavor - I used Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic style) (optional)
1/2 cup water or vegetable stock
2 cups washed baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the roasted red peppers, oregano, and red chili flakes, and continue to sauté for 1 minute. Add the chickpeas and the chicken sausage (if using) to the sauté pan with the water or stock, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the spinach leaves, fold them into the chickpeas mixture, and cook them for 1 minute, until the spinach leaves just wilt. Add the lemon juice, and season with the salt.

Adapted from the The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

Chicken Pesto Chili

2006-07-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to prepare foods in advance lately for those long 12 hour nursing days. Soups, curries and a big pot of rice seem to be our staples in our fridge (Plus there's always a supply of turkey or veggie burgers in the freezer for quick meals!).

This recipe from an old Cooking Light issue is a really yummy, light but hearty, chili. I love the addition of pesto. It's such a great thing to whip up this time of year when fresh basil and tomatoes are plentiful. I made extra pesto and froze it for a quick pasta meal, too.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups finely chopped carrot
3/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup canned chopped green chiles
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons pesto (recipe follows or use your own favorite recipe)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and chicken; sauté 5 minutes. Add carrot, bell pepper, and celery; sauté 4 minutes. Add chiles and the next 6 ingredients (chiles though broth); bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in pesto.

Pesto

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups basil leaves (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I used Galaxy's Vegan Parmesan Alternative but it can be simply left out, too)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Drop nuts and garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Add oil; pulse 3 times. Add basil, cheese, and salt; process until finely minced, scraping sides of bowl once.
Yield: 3/4 cup (serving size: 1 tablespoon)

Cucumber Raita

2006-07-06T18:50:00.000-05:00

Raita is a traditional Indian yogurt salad that is wonderful served along side any spicy dish to cool the palate. This is my favorite one.

1/2 large cucumber, finely diced
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tbs chopped cilantro
1 tbs chopped fresh mint
1 green chile, seeded and finely chopped
salt to taste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds

Place cucumbers, yogurt, cilantro, mint chile and salt in a bowl. Stir gently to mix. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put cumin mustard seeds in a skillet and dry roast over medium heat for 1-2 min, until they begin to pop. Cool, then sprinkle over chilled yogurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate 30 min. Serve cold, garnished with extra cilantro or mint leaves.

California Roll Sushi Salad

2006-06-22T20:33:00.001-05:00

I love sushi and have always wanted to make it myself but it seemed a little daunting. I've make summer rolls so maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all but still, it's a little bit of an investment, with the sushi mat and all. So I saw this recipe a while ago and thought it was an awesome idea. All the makings of sushi, but thrown together in a salad form - now that's something I can handle! It's very easy and sure to satisfy those sushi cravings.

Rice Salad

1 1/2 cups sushi rice
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled ginger
4 scallions, cut lengthwise into thin 1-inch strips (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1 large seedless cucumber (about 1 pound), quartered lengthwise, cored, and chopped
2 sheets nori (paper-thin sheets of dried seaweed)
1 Haas avocado
1/4 pound imitation crab meat, sliced thin (check ingredients if you're sensitive to certain things, some have wheat, egg, etc.)

Dressing

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon prepared wasabi

To prepare rice, rinse rice thoroughly in a sieve. Drain well. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice and salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; uncover and cool to room temperature.

While rice is steaming, in a small saucepan bring 1/4 cup vinegar to a boil with sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and remove from heat. In a dry small skillet toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant and transfer to a small bowl.

Transfer rice to a large bowl and stir in vinegar mixture. Cool rice and stir in sesame seeds, remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar, oil, ginger, scallions, carrot, and cucumber. Salad may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before proceeding.

Dry-roast nori, 1 sheet at a time, directly above moderate heat (gas or electric burner), holding it at opposite corners and moving it back and forth, until it turns bright green, 30 seconds to 1 minute. With scissors cut nori into thin 2-inch-long strips.

Peel and pit avocado. Quarter avoado and cut crosswise into thin slices. Add avocado to salad with crabmeat and two thirds of nori strips and toss well.

To prepare dressing, combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients (vinegar through garlic) in a small bowl. Add wasabi, if desired.

Serve salad sprinkled with remaining nori strips and drizzled with dressing.

Smoothies!!

2006-06-13T15:09:00.002-05:00

When I think of sunny, hot summer weather, I think of smoothies. I just love smoothies when it's too hot to make anything else. Here's 3 of my all-time favorite smoothies: strawberry-banana (a total classic in the world of smoothies), blueberry-banana, and my version of a mango lassi. All of these are great to enjoy outside on your patio while you soak in the sun!

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

a handful of strawberries (fresh or frozen)
one frozen banana, sliced
2 cups vanilla almond milk or apple juice
maple syrup or other sweetener to taste
optional additions include flax seeds, protein powder, blueberries... this is just a very basic recipe and part of the fun is creating it to your mood!

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

3/4 cup frozen sliced bananas
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
a cup vanilla yogurt
a cup vanilla almond milk or milk of choice
maple syrup or other sweetener to taste

Jen's Mango Lassi

a cup of vanilla yogurt
a cup or more of Trader Joe's frozen mango chunks or a 1/2 of a medium ripe mango, diced
maple syrup or other sweetener to taste
a sprinkling of cardamom powder on top of finished smoothie

Instructions for all 3 recipes:
Throw all the ingredients into a blender, turn on and blend until smooth!

My Words are Legendary

2006-05-30T15:26:00.000-05:00

Thanks to folks at Naughty Curry for quoting my previous entry about the post-wedding samosa run. It was completely unexpected but very cool, nonetheless. Just when I thought no one but my mom read this blog...

Samosa Not-so-Quesadillas

2006-05-23T19:02:00.000-05:00

I just love samosas. Every time I think of a samosa (and yes, I often picture food in my head) I remember the day after our wedding. My husband Lavin and I were married in Florida in late Sept. 2004 on the weekend of the last big hurricane to hit the state that year. Our wedding day was fine but that evening, Hurricane Jeanne passed through Tampa Bay. Many of our guests, including our families, Lavin and me, stayed in a hotel right near the Gulf so everything within our general area soon closed down. All the flights were grounded so our guests couldn't leave and no restaurants were open! Fortunately, we had tons of leftover samosas from the cocktail hour portion of our wedding reception so Lavin and I decided to knock on the doors of our guests' hotel rooms, delivering samosas to keep everyone's tummy's happy! It was such a silly weekend and a wedding I'm sure no one will forget. These "samosas" are not the traditional type but an adaptation I created when I felt the craving for one but didn't want to eat wheat. I've instead put the traditional samosa fillings (or innards as Rob would say) inside of a tortilla and pan fried it on both sides - like you would a quesadilla. Hence the reason for my clever title.

The Filling:

2 large potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup finely minced onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon dried coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked green peas (frozen, thawed = fine)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cayenne, to taste
4-6 Tortillas (spelt, rice... whatever you can tolerate)
Chutney, raita or other sauce to dollop on top

Peel the potatoes and chop them into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil until very soft. Drain and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Mash and set aside.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander, and salt. Saute over medium heat about 8 to 10 minutes, or until onions are quite soft. Add this to the mashed potatoes, along with the remaining ingredients. Mix well, but try not to smash the peas. Cool for at least 15 minutes before filling the pastries.

Heat a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon or so of oil. While the oil is heating, take a tortilla and place 1/4 - 1/2 cup of potato mixture onto the bottom half of the tortilla. Fold over the top half of the tortilla and place in heated skillet. Cook on each side 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat until you run out of potato filling.

Soooo tasty!!

Attack of the Killer Blueberries

2006-05-19T19:01:00.001-05:00

Lavin and I just returned from a visit to our families in Florida. One of the memorable events of our trip was blueberry picking. Of all the fruits Florida is known for, blueberries wouldn't have been my first thought but my mother in law, Mary, has a nurse friend with a great little blueberry farm in Hudson. Lavin, Debbie, Mary and I all went down to try our hands at blueberry picking. I found it fascinating watching everyone's very different techniques as we picked. Debbie, who is a 4th year med student at Miami, is always the competitor and easily had her basket filled in no time. I, on the other hand, would go from bush to bush, admiring the berries and picking a big one when I saw one. I tend to think it was because I was the photographer and was also trying to document our trip, but I ended up with only a scattering of berries (but it was sufficient for me!) When we were all tired of picking, we weighed our baskets of berries to find that we collectively picked 17 lbs of blueberries (my basket was 2 lbs and part of those were Mary's because she fell at one point and dumped her basket on the ground so I helped pick them up!) We all divided up the berries and we ended up going home with 2 large ziplock bags full of blueberries! Needless to say, I have frozen most of them and am actively thinking about all the wonderful recipes I can create and will probably be beginning a series of blueberries recipes here. My first recipe I made was last night: I made a blueberry poundcake from Cooking Light for Lavin's work. Apparently, it was devoured in record time and everyone really enjoyed it. Tonight, I made a roast chicken with blueberry peppercorn sauce, along with roasted asparagus and fingerling pototoes. It turned out wonderful and was a nice way to return back home and get back into a routine of cooking.

Roast Chicken with Blueberry Peppercorn Sauce

1 roasted chicken
4 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns
1/4 cup wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
4 teaspoons butter
salt

Cut the roasted chicken into quarters.

In a warmed saucepan, add the sugar and stir until it melts. Add the wine, chicken stock, vinegar, peppercorns and blueberries. Increase the heat to medium high and reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in the butter to thicken the sauce, taking care not to let it come to the boil. Season with salt to taste.

Arrange quartered chicken on serving plates and top with sauce.

Poached Egg - Part II

2006-05-02T19:26:00.000-05:00

As never one to give up, I've been fearlessly attempting to perfect the art of the poached egg. One fateful Monday morning, genius arrived in my kitchen (yes, I'm being over-dramatic on purpose). But first to finish off where I left off on my last post...

On Saturday, I tried again, making 2 poached eggs, one for me and one for Lavin, both made in two different methods to compare. For mine, I tried the rammekin method again, but this time, 1. I sprayed the rammekin with cooking spray before dropping the egg in it, and 2. I used less water. For Lavin's, I did the plastic wrap method, just out of curiousity. Mine turned out pathetic again (not even worthy of a photo) but Lavin's turned out OK. A little weird looking because it took the shape of being wrapped in plastic wrap, but at least it didn't look like bird droppings like mine.

Fast forward to the fateful Monday morning. After speaking to my mom over the weekend about my failed poached egg attempts, she shared with me her technique. She uses the "vortex" method and claims that even Sarah Moulton states that this is the best way to poach an egg. Well... who am I to disagree with THE Sarah Moulton?! So I decide to give it a whirl. (yes, pun intended - it's finals week, remember. My brain is fried)

So I heat up a little bit of water and wait for it to come to a full boil. Once it comes to a boil, I took a spoon and whirled (this is where the aforementioned pun came in for those of you whose brains are also fried) the water around really, really fast!! It was sort of exhilarating! But then the scary part came in - dropping the egg in to the vortex. I had awful thoughts of the egg whirling everywhere in the water and creating a nasty sort of watery egg drop soup. So I EASED the egg into the water, ever so slowly, and quickly put the lid over the pot before I could see my ruined egg and turned off the heat.

In 4 minutes I cautiously removed the lid and... EUREKA!! It was perfect!! I instantly called my mom and tell her about my success. We talked so long (not just about the perfect poached egg) that I had to microwave my egg afterwards! But it still tasted good!

My beautiful poached egg. Perfection at last!

Finals approaching and poached egg trials

2006-04-28T17:48:00.000-05:00

It's that lovely time in a college student's life when every major project is due at one and the big cummulative test awaits. Joy. I love finals week. Fortunately, our college has been thoughtful and has given us a "study week". This is the last week of classes, next week we are free (except for a proctored ATI-OB exam which counts for nothing) and then the following Monday is the final exam.

So when stress approaches and massive studying looms over my head... I cook! And clean! (Yes, stress brings out the domesticness in me)

Months ago, my mom, my fellow foodie, sent me this link on how to poach an egg. She raved about how hilarious it was, on and on. However, I was deep in nursing studying and read it rather quickly and returned to my studying. It was pretty funny but I didn't give it much thought. In the past week, with the finals stress approaching, I started thinking more about that poached egg blog. I'm not even sure I've ever eaten a poached egg much let made one but I've had the intense desire to try. It intensified when I was browsing the web and saw a photo of a perfect poached egg on top of a bed of bright green steamed spinach. Yum! It looked so good I just had to make it!

So this morning I did my first attempt. I tried the "Drop the Pot" technique so elequently described on the "How to Poach An Egg" blog. (I ended up rereading that site more carefully and it was cracking me up!) It wasn't the writer's favorite technique but I felt a little creeped out boiling something in plastic wrap that I'm going to eat. All those plastic particles seeping into my otherwise perfect poached egg... it was a risk I wasn't willing to chance.

I used a rammekin so it was heavier than the writer's bowl and it didn't tip over but I think I filled my boiling water pot too high. When I eased the rammekin gently into the water, the water got in contact with my egg and started making that dreaded egg soup he was so fearful of. As I said, I've never tried this before so I thought it was a bust and my breakfast was ruined. But I let it cook for 3.5 mins anyway. Meanwhile, I steamed some fresh spinach with veggie broth and toasted some brown rice bread.

The egg actually didn't turn out bad. It was a little hard to get out of the rammekin though. It broke open and ruined the esthetic-ness of being a poached egg but it tasted good!

I think I may try again tomorrow morning for Saturday breakfast with Lavin. I'm determined to perfect the art of poaching!

Modifications for next time:

Spray rammekins with cooking spray before adding the egg next time to prevent sticking.
Fill pot with less boiling water so not to make egg drop soup.
Cook egg for 4 min to make yolk set a little more.

An Evening of Indian Food

2006-04-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

Being married to an Indian guy has exposed me to all of the wonders of their delicious food. To think growing up, I mainly ate bratswurst, steak, beef stroganoff... lots of hardy European meat and potatoes fare. Frankly, I've always loved veggies and spices and never really cared much for meat. So I'm just loving learning as much as I can about Indian cooking. Lavin's even said a few times that I made curries even better than his mom. :)

Chicken Thigh Curry

6 chicken thighs, skin on
1 bottle of curry masala sauce (I used Trader Joe's simmer sauce)
1 cup thick yogurt
Quarter of onion, finely chopped
6 tsp curry powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 finely chopped chilli pepper
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 inches ginger root, grated
5 tbsp canola oil
4 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1 tbsp whole cilantro leaves
1 tsp garam masala
Chicken stock

Make a paste of the curry powder and chili powder with a little water. Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan and stir in half the curry paste, add the chicken thighs and sear until browned on both sides.

Meanwhile fry the onion until translucent in the oil then add the garlic, ginger and chili and stir fry on medium for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the curry and chili powder paste and stir fry for 30 seconds or so.

Add the chicken pieces and the masala sauce and enough chicken stock to cover and simmer covered for 40 minutes on a low heat, stirring and turning the chicken occasionally. If needed add more stock to thicken the gravy or some rice flour/corn starch to thicken it.

Stir in the yogurt and finely chopped coriander leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.

Serve with the whole coriander leaves and some garam masala sprinkled on top.

Spicy Cauliflower and Lentils (Dal)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 c onion, diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
2 1/4 c water
1 cup dried lentils (I used red but any kind would be fine)
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
3/4 tsp salt

Heat olive oil in large pan. Add onion, ginger, cumin seeds, turmeric, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and can of tomatoes (drained, reserving liquid) to pan, and stir. Saute for 1 minute. Add tomato juice, water, and lentils. Bring to a boil, stirring well. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 35 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, cilantro, and salt.

Serve with chicken thigh curry and basmati rice.

My Leftover Cabbage = Gado Gado!

2006-03-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

While my friends gave me great suggestions for what to do with my leftover cabbage, from leftovers soup, to cole slaw and stir fry, I couldn't shake my craving for peanut sauce. Like my mom said, peanut sauce would taste great on ANYTHING, but the Indonesian dish gado gado came to mind. We had this exotic salad dish for the first time in Amsterdam while at an Indonesian "Rijstafel". If you've never had rijstafel before, it's a must! It literally means "rice table" which sounds simple but is a lavish marathon of 30 or meat and veggie dishes, sauces and condiments, all brought to the table throughout the meal. Indonesian food is a combination of Chinese, Thai, Indian and Portuguese, among others and is always spicy and wonderful.

Peanut Sauce

1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbs fish sauce
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
6 tbs peanut butter
4 tbs soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos
4 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sambal oelek (Indonesian chili sauce)
1 tbs lemon juice

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and shrimp paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to dissolve the shrimp paste. Add the remaining ingredients, except the lemon juice, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, uncovered, stirring regularly until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency. Add the lemon juice, and stir to combine.

Salad

2 cups peanut sauce
2 potatoes—peeled and cubed
2 carrots – julienned
20 green beans—ends trimmed
¼ head cauliflower—broken into small florets
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups bean sprouts
4 eggs—hard-boiled, shelled and cut into quarters

Prepare the peanut sauce.

While the sauce simmers, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrots, green beans and cauliflower and boil for a further 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and bean sprouts and boil for 2 minutes.

Drain the vegetables and rinse under cold water to refresh. Arrange equal amounts of each vegetable on plates, garnish with egg quarters, and drizzle with peanut sauce to serve.

Tip: Allow the water to return to a rolling boil after adding each vegetable to ensure they are cooked according to the times allocated.

Colcannon Pie

2006-03-29T10:19:00.000-05:00

Colcannon is a traditional Irish comfort food. It's usually a side dish, but can be easily made into a delicious vegetarian dinner. Just add a salad and maybe a roll.

Topping

4 large potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 1/2 cups soy milk
2 cups shredded cheddar (Cabot makes a lactose free one)
3 scallions, green parts only, chopped
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Filling

1/2 stick Earth Balance spread
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, core and tough outer leaves removed, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
3 cups lightly-packed greens, such as kale, turnip greens, spinach, or parsley, or a combination
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add potatoes, cooking 45 minutes or until very tender.

Drain potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl. Add some of the milk and cheese and mash together with potatoes using a potato masher. Continue to add milk and cheese until all is incorporated, then add scallions and salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Mixture should be creamy and smooth. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and add onion, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until onions are golden, then add cabbage and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes, then add greens and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place greens mixture evenly in the bottom of a baking dish, draining off any excess liquid. Top with the potato mixture and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Serve hot.

What to do with leftover cabbage?

2006-03-20T11:30:00.001-05:00

I made this great colcannon dish for St. Paddy's Day. Ooh, so yummy, with it's mashed potato topping and cabbage/spinach/onion bottom. Great comfort food! But since I only made a small serving (there are only 2 of us, you know), I have 3/4 of a head of green cabbage just waiting for me to make something wonderful with it. It's just, between reading 400+ pages on OB, preparing for my next lecture test, practicing NG tube insertion and wound dressing changes, and trying to maintain an assemblance of a life (assemblence being the key term at this point!), I don't have much time to think about that poor, ignored cabbage.

So I rely on you, my dear friends, to pass along suggestions and/or recipes for me so I can make this cabbage useful before it becomes forgotten in my crisper basket past its prime.

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Raisins & Red Pepper Flakes

2006-03-03T16:13:00.000-05:00

While chatting with my brother online last night we were talking about food and he recalled the 'nuclear green' broccoli rabe I concocted during my last holiday dinner with the family in Florida. I believe it was Thanksgiving. He was so amazed at my broccoli rabe's deep green color (due to blanching and submerging it in ice water) that he took a photo. I didn't realize what a great photo he took and once he emailed it to me last night, I decided I'd post this simple but elegant side dish. Too bad you're not closer, Mike. We could be a good team. I cook, you take photos.

4 bunches (12 to 16 ounces each) broccoli rabe (rapini), stems trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup raisins
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Working in batches, cook the broccoli rabe in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 2 to 3 minutes per bunch. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the cooled broccoli rabe and set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add the reserved cooking water, the raisins, and cook until the broccoli rabe is heated through and the stems are tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt, to taste. Toss the mixture with toasted pine nuts, serve immediately.

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

It's a Thai-inspired dinner night!

2006-03-02T15:49:00.000-05:00

Spring Break is next week and I'm officially done with all my classes so I've started my break early and have been completely inspired to cook. So I have half of a butternut squash in my fridge left over from a few days ago when I made Gluten Free Goddess' Winter Ragout (sooo yummy!). Yesterday, on my almost daily trip to Trader Joes (dangerous when it's right near school) they were handing out soup samples. They used their Carrot soup and mixed peanut butter into it. Maybe it sounds a little odd, but it was sooo good! So it got me thinking, I can make a butternut squash soup and add peanut butter to it! Then, almost instantly, I started envisioning corn fritters as a side. Yum! This is going to be one good dinner tonight. I can't wait to eat!

Butternut Squash Peanut Soup

The recipe is also very good with almond butter or hazelnut butter instead of peanut butter, or, for a low-fat soup, omit the peanut butter.

1 large chopped onion
2 stalks of chopped celery
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 3-pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp curry powder or to taste
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
salt to taste
optional garnishes: finely chopped peanuts, chopped scallions

In a large stock pot, sauté the onions, celery and garlic in olive oil until they soften. Add squash and 2 cups vegetable broth and simmer covered, until squash is tender (about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the squash pieces).

Allow squash to cool for a few minutes, then transfer squash and cooking broth to a blender container. Add peanut butter and curry powder, and blend until very smooth. Add a little more liquid if necessary to facilitate blending.

Return mixture to saucepan. Add soy milk, and heat through (do not boil). Salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Thai Corn Fritters

3 scallions, finely chopped
2 tsp Red Curry Paste
1 large egg
1 15 oz can corn, drained
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup flour mixture (Bette Hagman's or similar)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

In a large glass mixing bowl, warm the red curry paste in a microwave on high power for 5 seconds, to soften it.

Whisk in egg, breaking up any lumps of the curry paste.

Add the chopped scallions, drained corn, soy sauce and flour. Mix until just blended

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Using two spoons, drop small mounds (about 3 tablespoons) of fritter batter into the hot skillet. Use back of spoon to flatten fritters. Cook a few at a time so oil stays hot. Cook about three minutes on each side, or until golden.

Drain the fritters on paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with a sweet Thai dipping sauce.

Who needs cable?!

2006-02-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

In January, my husband, Lavin, and I decided we'd cut our monthly expenses by reducing our cable from extended basic to 'basic' basic. We get about 20 channels now which is ok since we usually just watch network channels anyway (Gotta see "Grey's Anatomy" and "House") but I do miss watching Discovery Health and the Food Network. Well, after thoroughly reading my TV Guide, I realized that there are some good cooking shows on PBS, namely Christina Cooks and Delicious TV-Totally Vegetarian. Years ago my mom turned me on to Christina Pirello's PBS cooking show. She's crazy and cooks wonderfully healthy macrobiotic food. You'd never see that on the Food Network! And the new one that I found that's on right after Christina here in DC is Chef Toni's Delicious TV. The one I watched today was actually hosted by the author of "Veggie Planet" and she had the most wonderful veggie burger recipe! I think this one sounds better than the previous post (which I still haven't made yet... I'm a busy nursing student!). I would like to make these now instead but I need to get out to my natural food's store and get some bulk kasha (aka buckwheat groats... which are NOT wheat). If anyone makes these before I get a chance, please, let me know how they turned out!

Didi's Kasha-Crunch Burger

2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. short or long-grain brown rice
2 t. kosher salt (more or less, to taste)
1 1/2 c. coarsely chopped mushrooms (button, crimini, Portobello)
1 c. kasha (whole buckwheat groats)
1 c. chopped toasted cashews (or walnuts or hazelnuts or other nuts)
3-4 T. chopped fresh tarragon (or parsley)
Flour for dredging the burgers
Vegetable oil for frying

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

Add the rice, salt, mushrooms, and 5 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in the kasha and cook until the rice and kasha are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about another 20 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nuts and fresh herb. Transfer the mixture to a food processor in three batches, pulse until coarsely or finely chopped. The mixture can be left "whole," as another option. Transfer mixture to a bowl, and cover it if you aren't forming the burgers right away.

Dust your hands with flour, and form the mixture firmly into large patties. Lightly coat the patties with flour. The flour is what creates the crust!

Heat a generous amount of oil (about 1/8- to 1/4-inch depth) in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Panfry the burgers until the undersides are dark golden brown, about 5 minutes, checking frequently to prevent burning. Flip the burgers, and brown the other side in the same manner.

Note: These burgers can be formed into patties, separated by wax or parchment paper and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, up to 2 months, burgers can be frozen. It is best to individually package burgers in plastic wrap before freezing. Frozen burgers must be defrosted completely before cooking.

Veggie Burgers, w/f, d/f

2006-02-02T16:54:00.000-05:00

So I've been having bad craving lately (and my monthly friend was late which inspired me to take a certain test but my friend arrive today...). My cravings are a little bizzare to some probably because I start wanting things like broccoli, roasted cashews, peanut butter and veggie burgers (not all together, mind you). So during my veggie burger craving last night, I ran over to the Giant that's literally in my apartment complex's parking lot (how's that for convenience?). Now that I'm trying to be much more careful about not eating wheat, I read all food labels. Did you realize that every major brand of veggie burgers out there has wheat gluten, wheat flour or some other kind of wheat in it? Many have cheese also! What's an allergic girl to do? So I did a google search and found this recipe. I just have to find the time to make them now... I'll post a photo when I do.

2 cups dried textured vegetable protein (TVP) granules (not chunks)
1 3/4 cups boiling water
1 small onion, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tamari
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup w/f flour (any acceptable flour is fine, spelt, rice, etc)
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

Place textured vegetable protein in a bowl, add water, and let soak for 10 minutes.

Add onion, garlic and all seasonings to textured vegetable protein and mix together. Add flour and mix well. Shape into burgers. Heat oil in a skillet until very hot and pan-fry burgers until golden brown on each side, about 10 minutes total.

Variations:

Teriyaki burgers: Substitute 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce for ketchup.
Sunflower burgers: Add one-fourth cup sunflower seeds.
Sesame burgers: Add 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil and 3 tablespoons sesame seeds.
Dijon burgers: Add 1 or 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard.
Salsa burgers: Substitute salsa for ketchup and add 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce.

Jen's Famous Vegan Truffles

2006-01-30T11:11:00.000-05:00

Over the holiday break, I worked at the health food store that I've been employed at for over 2 years. One particular woman came in to the store on the day that I had brought in my 1st attempt at this recipe. My manager decided to offer this woman a truffle and immediately the woman asked me, "How much would you charge for a batch of these?" Initially I thought she was kidding but, turned out, she wasn't. I did end up making a batch for her and while I didn't charge as much as I should (I'm too nice for a business mind!), it was flattering and I loved knowing that I was making a 'sweet' contribution to someone's holiday celebration. These will fool any dairy-loving soul and are a goddess-send to use that don't do milk.

3/4 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup cold water
1 lb bittersweet chocolate (I used Trader Joe's semi-sweet block)
Cocoa powder

Put cashews and cold water in a blender and blend at high speed for 1-2 minutes (yes a long time). Scrape the sides down and blend again until the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler heat the chocolate until it's all melted. Cool the chocolate until it's comfortable to work with and fold in the cashew cream (making sure not to stir too fast or you'll create bubbles).

Cool in the fridge for 2 hours (to set).

Take out a small ball, roll in cocoa powder and store in fridge/freezer. Repeat until done.
(Makes around 50 truffles, depending on how big you make them; mine always seem to get bigger the longer I make them!)

Mustard Dill Salmon with Roasted Potatoes & Greens

2005-11-22T15:09:00.000-05:00

I've had a lot of success from this recipe. My mom even raved about it after telling me that she doesn't usually like salmon. So if people that don't like salmon like this dish, imagine those of use that can't get enough of salmon in our diets! Yum! Plus, it's such a nutrient-rich meal, with the good omega-3 fats from the fish, all that goodness you get from leafy green veggies (iron, magnesium, fiber, etc) and pototoes are actually high in potassium (look at the knowledge nursing school is giving me!). But forget the nutrients because that scares off people sometimes, it's just plain delicious!

1/3 C dijon mustard
1 tbs canola oil
1 tbs dill weed
1/4 tbs packed brown sugar
1 1/2 lbs. new potatoes (preferably organic), cut into 1/4" slices
1 lb. salmon fillet
Sm. bunch of mustard or spinach greens, stems removed, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Mix mustard, dill, oil, and sugar in a small bowl. Place sliced potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle 1/4 cup of mustard sauce. Toss until evenly coated. Arrange potatoes in a single layer in a 9 x 13" baking pan sprayed with cooking oil. Bake 35 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and push potatoes to one side of pan. Place salmon fillet in center of pan and top with 1 tablespoon mustard sauce. Bake, uncovered, until salmon is just cooked through and potatoes are golden and tender, about 20-25 minutes.

While salmon bakes, place greens in a large non-stick skillet. Toss with 2 tablespoons mustard sauce and saute over medium heat until greens are wilted, about 4-5 minutes. Divide greens among 4 plates and top with salmon and potatoes. Top with remaining sauce.

Yum!

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from "Eating for IBS" by Heather Van Vorous.

Spicy Pumpkin Burritos

2005-11-22T14:38:00.000-05:00

These are some of my favorite burritos to make. Yes, at first putting pureed pumpkin in a tortilla probably sounds a little weird but, be adventerous and you'll like it! For the garlic-infused oil, if you don't have it, don't go through the extra expense and time hunting it down. Just mince a clove or 2 (depending on your love for garlic) and saute that in the oil for a couple minutes before adding the veggies to the pan.

6 large whole-wheat tortillas (rice or spelt tortillas are available in natural foods stores if you can't do wheat)
1 tbsp. garlic flavored oil
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. roasted jalapeno peppers
15-ounce can pumpkin
15 ½ ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained (black or kidney beans are also tasty!)
1/4 cup water or veggie stock
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
Shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and nonfat plain yogurt or sour cream for toppings

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven to warm while preparing the filling. While the tortillas are warming, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, corn, onion, and peppers; cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the tortillas and toppings). Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 4 minutes.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the pumpkin mixture across the center of one tortilla, folding in the sides to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining pumpkin mixture and tortillas. Serve with toppings.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving (includes 1 whole wheat tortilla, 1 tbsp. sour cream, and 1/6 tomato as garnish): 220 calories, 3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 8 grams fiber, 350 mg sodium, 0 cholesterol.

From "Vegetarian Times Low-fat & Fast".

Slow-Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken

2005-11-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

After a little searching and much thinking, I decided what I'm going to make for Christmas Day when my new in-laws visit our apartment in VA for the first time.

1 chicken (approx. 4 1/2 lbs.), cut into 10 pieces
1 head garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
2 unwaxed lemons, cut into chunky eighths
Small handful fresh thyme
3 tbsp. olive oil
10 tbsp. white wine (make it good wine!)
Black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Put the chicken pieces into a roasting pan and add the garlic cloves, lemon chunks and the thyme; just roughly pull the leaves off the stalks, leaving some intact for strewing over later. Add the oil and using your hands mix everything together, then spread the mixture out, making sure all the chicken pieces are skin-side up.

Sprinkle over the white wine and grind on some pepper, then cover tightly with foil and put in the oven to cook, at flavor-intensifyingly low heat, for 2 hours.

Remove the foil from the roasting tin, and turn up the oven to 400°F. Cook the uncovered chicken for another 30-45 minutes, by which time the skin on the meat will have turned golden brown and the lemons will have begun to scorch and caramelize at the edges.