Green Beans with Toasted Mustard Seeds and Garlic

September 3, 2012 2 Comments

 I should probably re-label this the determined Green Beans with Toasted Garlic and Mustard seeds, because for some reason this site has been a little resistant in allowing me to post this recipe. It pretty much wiped it out the first time around.

Maybe it is upset at being the second fiddle to this whole foods contest, where this recipe ended up winning and paying for itself. Ha! But seriously speaking, I like to think that my seasonal take on Indian cooking could use all the endorsement it gets and a contest like this helps! The feedback and emails from my weekly small bites column also helps!

Down to other thoughts and speaking of small bites, my fellow columist JL, wrote a post about how she accidently ate food that was well, non-vegan. This generated a lot of controversy and while the traffic for the blog was good news it got me thinking. about opinions and food preferences. I realize that as someone who in my small way am espousing a choice and preference (seasonal eating is a choice), and writing about it in an open forum I too am voicing an opinion, but do I really have the right to impose this choice or speak about someone who eats and feels differently.

Growing up in a country where more than half the people still lead a vegetarian lifestyle, I cannot help wondering why we have disected food into so many categories – vegan, paleo, you get the drift. Worse yet, why do we feel when we have decided to eat a certain way for phillosophical, ethical or even health reasons that our way is the right way? And by the way what about taste? I bring this boring concept into the equation, mostly because I have realized that over 50% of the recipes on this blog, interestingly enough happen to be vegan. This just happens to be the preffered way of cooking them. Of course, you can ask why the hell do I even tag them in these categories? This is for a lot of my students and the few followers who express an interest in this kind of cooking. I guess, what I am trying to say in my own special way is why can’t we live and let live? Well, now that you have my unwanted and strange ramblings on a rainy summer night, here is the very simple and fresh tasting recipe, which yes, is vegan, vegetarian and guaranteed to offend my MIL. I shall tell you after the recipe why.

 

 

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Green Beans with Toasted Mustard and garlic

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6

A light and lively rendition of green beans, garlicky with a nice dose of mellow tempered heat!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh green beans
  • 11/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3/4 teaspoons black mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 4 pods)
  • 3/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes or to taste
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Trim the beans and finely chop the beans (I like to cut them into small breadth wise slivers).
  2. Heat the oil and the butter on medium heat for a minute and add in the mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle and pop, this takes about 30 seconds.
  3. Turn off the heat for a minute or so and then turn back the heat on low and add in the garlic and gently cook until the garlic is pale golden and fragrant. This takes less than a minute and it is important to make sure that the garlic does not get burnt or it will taste bitter and ruin the dish.
  4. Add in the green beans and stir well with the red chili powder and the salt and stir well.
  5. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the beans are cooked through.The beans are soft with a slight hint of crunch in this recipe.
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Ok, just in case you are interested, back to the MIL…

She does do milk and dairy, why because you are not killing anything but simply using milk, to her this is as natural as nursing your child. However, anything in the allium family, onion and and garlic to be specific is live, potent and if you are to subscribe to a certain variety of hindu thinking, bad for life. So, there you have it, I have honestly concluded, it is really not possible to eat and please everyone.

However, eat, cook and do what makes you happy!

Filed Under Local and Backyard Cooking, Mustard, Uncategorized, Weeknight Cooking Tagged With easy, Garlic, Gluten Free, Green Beans, Indian, Mustard Seeds, red pepper, simple, Summer, vegan. vegetarian

Sunday Raspberry and Sour Cream Crepes

August 20, 2012 Leave a Comment

A fresh tasting crepe recipe, for a Sunday morning Raspberry and Sour Cream Crepe, fits with my dreamy imagination of Sunday. 

In my dreams, I imagine a life filled with orderly mealtimes, where the food looks perfect, the table is organized and well set and I am supervising the eating of two well behaved and calm children. Well, this is not everyday in our household, while for the most part we eat well and I will go as far as saying the kids appreciate what I cook for them, the ongoing and everyday is more chaotic than calm, filled with school, work, piano and the usual that makes the hustle and bustle complete. In the middle of these we fit in the garden, that is now filled with berries, specifically raspberries that we enjoy in the mornings and evenings.

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Filed Under Local and Backyard Cooking, Uncategorized Tagged With Breakfast, Brown Sugar, Crepes, Dessert, Pete and Gerry's, Raspberries, Sour Cream, Summer

Baigan Bharta – Char Roasted Eggplant Puree

August 15, 2012 Leave a Comment

I am grateful for various reasons that I actually waited until this morning to truly formulate this post. Heading out this morning, taking in a truly beautiful day allowed me to pause for a few moments, breathe and remember what was important. Just as grateful as I am for the heady bounty of summer eggplants and tomatoes. The small expanse of the yard as I walked through was a riot of bright yellows, squash blossoms and these pretty black-eyed Susans that are hardy and a consistent harbinger of summer at its peak. I was initially drawing a blank at the name, I guess, I needed that espresso shot in this morning’s coffee.

Baigan Bharta

My friend Julianna’s quiet comment to me had been, not easy, I actually could not size it up better. The weekend just had not been easy. There I said it!

Anshul has been sick for over a week. It also coincided with a deadline for the book. Thank goodness, I never wait until the last minute, usually. It gets a little scarier for me with every step, wonder if this is a weird reaction. In fact, this weekend was so crazy I did not have the energy to open the manuscript. To add to the craziness, Deepta to coincide with the fun has a ear infection and since her doctor feels that she should not have fever with this, she just might have introduced a totally different bug to the household. So much for the rest of August!

To smooth out the weekend, I made a whole bunch of comfort meals, one of them includes this baigan bharta, or fire charred, spicy pureed eggplant. There are no set rules to these recipes, so I vary them from time to time, in summer, I tend to add more tomatoes so the dish tends to be darker in color, however one of my favorites. I actually made a stack of tandoori rotis, to go with these and was quite pleased with the results.

Ironically enough, char roasted eggplants are more of a winter specialty in India, and once upon a time I was ok with cooking them in winter, the problem is that the tender summer eggplants have spoilt me, the seedy eggplants usually found off season in the supermarkets do not cut it. Sorry, A&P, even your loyalty percentage off cannot fix this one. The husband has been also very sad that his garden has been withering, well, unfortunately, I cannot help with that one.

Too exhausted to even try, thank goodness for all these automated sprinklers. We have a fridge full of food, well, anyone who knows me does know that I cook to de-stress. I just wish it burned more than fuel, some calories, maybe?

My dear friend Dawn, has been asking me for this recipe for a while. I will say that like with all dishes such as this one there are several variations. In fact, my own kitchen has at least three. The first two are close cousins, I sometimes add the bell peppers and other times I skip that out.

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Baigan Bharta – Summer Eggplant for the Soul

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4

Char Roasted Pureed Eggplants in a Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sized eggplants
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • ¾ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 tomatoes, blended into a puree
  • 2 green chilies, minced
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons minced cilantro

Instructions

  1. Place the eggplant on an open gas flame on a corner of the grill if you are grilling. If neither of these are options then place the eggplant in a 350 degree oven and bake until soft and then broil until the outer skin is charred. Back to the open flame eggplant, cook until it is soft and the outer skin is completely charred. Set aside to cool.
  2. Heat the oil on medium heat for about 1 minute, and add in the cumin seeds and when they begin to sizzle, add in the red onion and sauté lightly until the onion softens and wilts and finally gently turns pale golden in corners.
  3. Add in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté lightly until the paste is somewhat dry and begins to turn fragrant.
  4. Add in the tomatoes and the chilies and begin to cook this mixture to allow the tomatoes to turn into a thick fairly dry sauce, you should begin to see the oil leaching again from the edges.
  5. While the tomatoes are cooking, peel and discard the charred skin from the eggplant and mash lightly.
  6. Add into the tomato spice mixture and mix well.
  7. Stir in the cilantro and mix well.
  8. Enjoy with your choice of bread or rice.
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Filed Under Ginger and Garlic Paste, Local and Backyard Cooking, Regional Indian Tagged With Baigan Bhartha, cilantro, Eggplant, Summer, tomatoes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Saag Alu – Potatoes with Seasonal Greens

July 23, 2012 2 Comments

 This has been our third year of backyard cooking and living. We have settled into a comfortable more. I am at a point, I sort of know what to expect, sure we vary the “catch” a little, but overall I know we will get a good summer crop that will comfortably see us through the winter months. As most people know, I have adapted our cooking to work with the backyard and honestly it works very well.

Today was a different level of accomplishment, I had my first, “farm to table” class. I did not label it such, but we cooked with kale, tomatoes, beets, spinach and green beans from the garden. I was thrilled to see how well things worked out. In particular, this was not one of my very enviromentally conscious groups, but I think I have just persuaded a few people to visit the farmer’s markets this season.

So one of the surprising great creations was, this adaptation of the classic Indian greens and potatoes, that we call Saag Alu. Now, Saag is a generic name for greens, not just spinach.  This recipe made with Kale will offer fenugreek lovers familiar notes of sweet and slight bitterness. Overall the soft potatoes offer a perfect background for the kale. Just a note, to make this recipe work like the kale and potato were made for each other, you need a touch of spinach to soften the kale and the kale needs to the very finely choped. I use a pair of scissors and do this with my kids. We actually have a lot of fun, slicing the kale into super thin ribbons.

The potatoes in this recipe are organic baby potatoes, that I boiled and peeled and halved.

 

 

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Saag Alu – Potatoes with Seasonal Greens

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 pounds baby potatoes (about 15)
  • Water for boiling
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 2 cups (about 6 to 8 large kale leaves) very finely chopped kale
  • 1 cup finely chopped spinach
  • 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder
  • 1 lime (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash the potatoes and place in a large pot of water to boil. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Drain the potatoes in a colander, peel the potatoes and cut into halves.
  3. Heat the olive oil and add the cumin seeds and wait till they sizzle.
  4. Add in the ginger-garlic paste and saute lightly for 1 minutes, until the mixture is very fragrant.
  5. Add in potatoes and mix well.
  6. Add in the turmeric and the salt and mix well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  7. Add in the chili powder and the tomatoes and let the mixture rest on low heat until the tomatoes soften, this will take about 3 to 4 minutes.
  8. Mix the tomatoes into the potato mixture.
  9. Mix in the kale and spinach, with the cumin-coriander powder and stir well, this should mix into the the tomatoes, continue cooking stirring frequently until the kale wilts and coats the potatoes in a soft dark green coating.
  10. Squeeze in the lime juice if using the lime and mix well, check the seasonings and serve.
  11. Squeeze in the lime juice if using and con

Notes

Vegan and Gluten Free.

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Filed Under Class Vignettes, Local and Backyard Cooking, Turmeric, Uncategorized, Weeknight Cooking Tagged With Desi, Kale, North Indian, Potatoes, Saag Alu, Spinach, tomatoes, Vegetarian Main Dishes

Peach and Fresh Papaya Lassi

July 17, 2012 Leave a Comment

 There are many joys to summertime, including of course the rich bounty of fruit, especially stone fruit – there are cherries, peaches, plums and a whole bunch of others that would fill up the page. This summertime for various reasons, I am back to Indian drinks. Actually, we have a local lassi bar, I shall tell you about our visit there one of these days. The are a sister enterprise run by the folks at Little Kabab Station. The drinks I have been enjoying are non-alcoholic and I shall not insult them by calling them mocktails, since somehow the word seems a little fake, almost suggestive of an imposter.

A lassi folks, is a quitessential Indian drink and contrary to popular believe is not always made with mango, in fact, the best lassis are light and made with a mixture of whipped yogurt and sweetened as an optional choice. In fact, most restaurants in India offer a choice of sweet or namkeen (savory) lassi.

Well, we all know what a local freak I am, so I usually tend to substitute ripe, soft and sweet peaches for a lot of the mango recipes and yes, I make a lot of fruit lassis. My favorite one being the strawberry one here.

Now,  it just so happened, I had some ripe papaya left over, so this added a touch of color and the flecks in the drink are from the peach skin.

So, here we go,

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Peach and Fresh Papaya Lassi

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 8-oz glass

Ingredients

  • 3 peaches, seeded ( I do not peel)
  • 1 cup papaya chunks, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar or a sweetener of choice
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed cardamom
  • 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice (1 lime)

Instructions

  1. Place the peach, papaya, agave nectar, cold water, cardamom, lime juice in the blender.
  2. Blend for about 3 minutes, till smooth and frothy,
  3. Serve over additional ice or as is.
  4. Enjoy!
  5. For a lighter vegan version of a fruit drink, try my watermelon smoothie.
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Filed Under Green Cardamom, Local and Backyard Cooking Tagged With Cardamom, Lassi, Papaya, Peach, Peach and Papaya Lassi, Summer, Yogurt

White Bean Spread/Dip in a Slow Cooker

July 12, 2012 1 Comment

The truth of the matter is, I do not really function well when it is very hot. I tend to get tired, and even the kitchen which is my usual solace seems to become a rather unwelcome place. Well, that is when I turn to my slow cooker, this week it was to create a white bean dip. Grilling on a really hot day never quite made much sense to me. I am strange that way.

The kids have settled nicely into camp. They are finally enjoying it. I too have gotten into a routine. They get an extra half hour in the mornings since camp starts at9am. I get 15 minutes, extra since the dad drops them and I can avoid the bus drop off. To celebrate this new found quarter hour, we have been enjoying breakfast. Nothing elaborate, but I have been relishing the morning routine of scrambling eggs and toasting bread. I have been indulging myself with fruit smoothies. My latest is a frothy banana and fig creation. I shall tell you about it sometime.

Back to the rest of the day, I am totally back to slow cooking. I use my slow cooker happily and extensively all through the year. It is less about fixing and forgetting, since I do tend to supervise and nurture the dish, it is mostly about the quite cooking that does not generate a lot of heat.

A few days ago, I made this French inspired lovely white bean spread. It is surprisingly creamy, mostly the soft combination of white beans with olive oil and keeps fairly well in the refrigerator. The cherry tomatoes are out, so today we enjoyed this with whole grain crostini and tomatoes. I have revived and improved this fish curry that I made last year and of course made this mint and almond slow cooked chicken curry.

So how do you cook and survive when its hot?

Slow Cooked White Bean Spread

 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours (in a slow cooker

Makes 1 cup spread

 Ingredients

¾ cup white beans ( I used northern  and cannelloni beans)

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cups vegetable stock

Salt to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ lime or lemon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Toasted whole baguette slices

Cherry tomatoes

Method of Preparation

1. Place the beans, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes and vegetable stock and salt in a slow cooker.

2. Cook on high for 3 hours. The beans should be soft and the moisture mostly absorbed.

3. Cool the mixture slightly.

4. Place in a blender and add all but 1 tablespoon of the oil.

5. Squeeze in the lemon juice and blend until smooth.

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French Inspired Slow Cooked White Bean Spread/Dip
Recipe type: Appetiser
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 1 cup
 

A flavorful and easy french inspired white bean spread.
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup white beans ( I used northern and cannelloni beans)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ lime or lemon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Toasted whole baguette slices
  • Cherry tomatoes

Instructions
  1. Place the beans, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes and vegetable stock and salt in a slow cooker.
  2. Cook on high for 3 hours. The beans should be soft and the moisture mostly absorbed.
  3. Cool the mixture slightly.
  4. Place in a blender and add all but 1 tablespoon of the oil.
  5. Squeeze in the lemon juice and blend until smooth.
  6. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil before serving with toasted whole grain baguette slices and cherry tomatoes.

6. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil before serving with toasted whole grain baguette slices and cherry tomatoes.

Slow Cooked

 

So, how do you beat the heat?

 

 

Filed Under Grains and Lentils, Local and Backyard Cooking, Slow Cooking Tagged With French, Gluten Free, Parsley, Rosemary, Slow Cooker, Summer, Vegan, White Bean Dip

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Herb Curry – Murgh Hariyali

July 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

 So, it is officially hot enough for me to start avoiding anything that looks or feels like fire. Call me weird, but much as I savor and love the taste of the super smokey grilling, it just is too much for me to do the grilling thing at any temperature beyond 80F. Well, luckily, there are enough people who feel otherwise. So, tomorrow, in between two dance lessons, I shall be going to my friends barbque event.

Let me tell you that this weekend is officially a scheduling disaster. I have confused and blown a good friend’s son’s wedding, have maybe a few hours to wish my cousin a happy birthday, and lastly need to order a gift for this wedding that I have blown. Gosh! Call me clueless Rinku.

So, onto the slow cooker, even though I use it rather extensively, I tend to do supervised slow cooking rather than the fix and forget variety. It still takes much less time and certainly offers all the energy benefits that I can think of.

This simple and very flavorful recipe, is one of my summertime staples, that I make with any herb that I find available. This version is with a nice dose of green chilies, mint and just a hint of cilantro.

BTW, on an unrelated topic, my neighbours have been bursting fireworks for about a week, honestly, don’t they feel hot. I think I should go over with a bowl of my green curry and remind them, that the holiday is on Wednesday.

So, on to the recipe.

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Herb Curry – Murgh Hariyali

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours, mostly unattended in a slow cooker

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the chicken

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, very finely diced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste

4 pods garlic pressed

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 large tomato, diced

2 pounds boneless chicken, cut into small pieces ( I use boneless skinless chicken thigh)

For the cream paste

1/3 cup low fat sour cream

½ cup cashew nuts

For the herb finish

¾ cup loosely packed mint leaves

1 large lime, halved

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

3 green chilies, coarsely chopped

Method of Preparation

1. In a large non-stick skillet or pan heat the oil on medium heat for about 1 minute.

2. Add in the onions and sauté well for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions soften, wilt and begin the turn golden at the edges.

3. Add in the ginger paste and the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Add in the cumin and coriander powders and mix well.

5. Place the entire mixture in a slow cooker, add in the salt, sugar and the tomato and turn the setting on a high.

6. Let this cook undisturbed for 1 hour on high and add in the tomatoes and cook for another 45 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and cooking briskly.

7. Add in the chicken and cook for 40 minutes.

8. Place the sour cream and cashews in a blender and grinder until smooth and stir into the chicken and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

9. Place the mint in a blender, squeeze in the lime juice and add the cilantro and green chilies and grind to a paste.

10. At this point the chicken should be soft and the gravy a light creamy texture.

11. Pull out the plug for the slow cooker and stir in the herb sauce and mix well. Let this rest for 20 minutes before serving.

Stir well and serve with rice or bread garnished with extra lime slices if desired.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under Cilantro, Ginger and Garlic Paste, Local and Backyard Cooking, Slow Cooking, Uncategorized Tagged With Cashews, Chicen Curry, Green Chicken Curry, Murgh Hariyali, Slow Cooker

Chickpeas with Kale, Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

June 13, 2012 1 Comment

If Sunday was about griping, yesterday was different and today I am back to feeling positive and cheery. Something very interesting happened to me, I recently swapped phones. Yes, I am finally on an I-phone. I had resisted using it for a while, now why you might ask?

It is one of those principles that I have, I like to support the independent and the underdog. They are not always the same, but I have a dislike for monopolies, do not like chains so usually settle for the independent book store over Barnes and Nobles and Borders (if I can), avoid Starbucks (this one is not difficult) and I had placed I-phone in the same bucket.

 Well, there is one case where I make exceptions. It is about convenience. As a busy mama, time savings trump all. One of the reasons, I cannot avoid shopping on Amazon, in fact, I just placed an order for my first cast iron skillet. I am told by fans it is going to change the way I cook. The I-phone I have to confess is indeed a very convenient tool and has made my life significantly simpler. But the interesting side benefit of swapping phones has been that I have found messages and contacts that I had stored in drafts and forgotten about. One of these was an email to a very close friend, who I had almost lost touch with, almost… Yesterday we picked up like we had never separated. That is what makes a good friend different.

 Speaking of convenience, these chickpeas are all about simplicity and ease. They need about 15 minutes of hands on cooking time. Do not get me wrong, they cook much longer, but that is what the slow cooker is for. The flavors are seemingly complex but really not so, but roasting the tomatoes and garlic offer this recipe a surprising depth. Something magical happens to garlic when it is roasted, it mellow into a rich silky soft smoothness.

 Next week, I head of to Spain for a week on a much needed vacation. Cannot wait, so stay tuned for Tapas –Westchester style.

Chickpea Stew with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic and Kale

 Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves 6

 Ingredients

 1/3 cup for 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 tomatoes, quartered

8 pods of garlic

2 cups chickpeas, cooked until very soft (I did this in the slow cooker overnight on an 8-hour cycle)

1 teaspoon coarsely ground cumin

11/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 small bunch of kale (finely chopped, about 8 leaves)

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Lime or lemon juice (optional)

 Method of Preparation

 Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the tomatoes and the garlic in separate ovenproof containers.

Drizzle most of the 1/3 cup oil over the tomatoes and some over the garlic.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat for a minute.

Add in the cumin and cook until it sizzles.

Add in the pepper flakes and the kale and cook for 5 minutes.

Lightly mash some of the chickpeas to give some texture to the sauce, add in the whole and partially mashed chickpeas to the kale mixture with some water (about 1/3 cup).

Add in the salt and continue simmering.

Mash or mince the garlic and stir it in.

Add in the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cilantro leaves and sprinkle with lime or lemon juice.

 

Filed Under Grains and Lentils, Local and Backyard Cooking, Uncategorized Tagged With Chickpeas, cilantro, Garlic, Kale, Roasted Tomatoes, Summer

Seared Scallops with a Ginger Blueberry Sauce

May 20, 2012 1 Comment

In the midst of these few crazy weeks, I ended up creating an interesting dish that will bring summer to your table. Life has been a little hectic and will likely continue this way for a few more weeks. Just too much going on, not all bad but a mixed bag.

On the family front, I received some more bad news from home. I realize that I have probably reached that stage in life, when a lot of the friends I grew up with have parents that are passing on. In my own family, it has been challenging with my own father and then this week my uncle passing on.

I did tell you that it was not all bad, the book project has reached a new milestone. Also, loosely adapted from my spicy Sunday on the blog, is a column called Spices and Seasons that I shall be doing for Small Bites. One of the first things that I have learnt from this exercise is how to plan for lulls in blogging and if I ever get caught up, I shall definitely try to apply my new found knowledge on Cooking inWestchester. I am excited to see how that turns and this Monday, I shall be supporting the library for their Books and Cooks event.

I am not sure where I picked up a pack of fresh and fruity organic blueberries. I used them for a sauce for some medium sized scallops that I had picked up. All of the dish was put together in a very short period of time. I baked the sauce, while I seared the scallops and then combined them together with some finely chopped basil. I have used medium sized scallops here, because that is what I found this weekend at the store. I would however highly recommend the large scallops if you can get a hold of them.

So, what has been cooking in your kitchen?

Sumac Seared Scallops in a Blueberry Ginger Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the scallops

1 pound of medium or large scallops

1 teaspoon sumac

½ teaspoon raw cane sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Blueberry Sauce

½ cup fresh blueberries

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

½ teaspoon raw cane sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

To garnish

1 tablespoon finely chopped basil

Method of Preparation

1. To prepare the scallops, make sure that they are very dry, I was them and blot them out on a lot of paper towels. I shall definitely tell you that paper towels are one of my non-green vices, but they work.

2. Toss the scallops in the sumac and the sugar.

3. In an oven proof dish add the blueberries, ginger, cane sugar, salt and the ground coriander and toss lightly.

4. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place the dish in the oven.

5. In a large flat skillet, heat the oil and the butter on medium heat for at least one minute.

6. Carefully place the scallops on one side in a single layer with some space between each scallop.

7. Cook for 3 minutes and turn and repeat on the other side for about 4 minutes on the other side. The scallops should turn golden and turn just a little golden on each side.

8. Check on the blueberries, which should have popped and have formed a bubbling sauce.

9. To serve spread the sauce on the place and place about 5 scallops per person. This should be about 3 to 4 scallops if using the large variety.

10. Sprinkle with basil leaves before serving.

 

Filed Under Ginger, Local and Backyard Cooking, Weeknight Cooking Tagged With Basil, Blueberries, Ginger, Scallops, Sumac

Quick Spring Radish Pickle

April 26, 2012 Leave a Comment

On an evening when I am tired, yes like this one, I love to riff though pictures to tell you about some food that is colorful, spicy and simple. The last is important, someone my tired brain gets a pick up from thinking about food, but cannot quite handle something too complex.

There in my collections, waiting for me was this radish pickle that I have not yet shared with anyone, certainly not on this little space. This was my first spring creation, well almost, before the spring radished we had the wild garlic.

Indian pickles are yet another tradition, that I did not know much about I mean, most pickles at least the savory variety pack a generous amount of heat. I did not really care much for chilies as a child. Also, I did not really help much by way of real cooking in the kitchen, but I watched and watched and watched. So, what happened with pickles? Well, traditional pickles are not just about watching, they tend to be sun dried and mellowed into their state of spicy perfection.

For the longest time, I did not do much by way of pickles, but then it was the husband thing. He likes pickles with rice and lentils, and I love rice and lentils. It is my idea of ultimate and simple comfort. Sure, his mom sends pickles and makes them while she is here, but I could not help wishing that I could make some too! It was like, I can make pickles, I know I can…

Now, here in New York, the sun does not always co-operate. So, I have two recipes for adapted pickles. I par cook them, so that we are not quite reliant on the sun to complete the spice absorption process. The two pickles are adapted and inspired from very different sources.

The second one is made with cauliflowers and shall tell you about it, when its turn arrives.

Radishes, in our backyard are a harbinger of spring, they are the first to surface actually, right along side the asparagus and the not to forget the green garlic that we have been foraging this year.

The preferred Indian radish is the white daikon, but this lovely red and simple radish wooed and converted me a long time ago. It pretty red tones made quite a believer of this non-radish eating girl. This year in fact, the kids have been growing radishes in their little patch.

Quick Radish Pickle

Prep Time: 1 day (to let the pickle mature)

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Makes 1 and 1/2 cups (about 2 small jars)

Ingredients

20 red radishes, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/3 cup oil (preferably mustard)

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon panchphoron

2 limes

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sugar

Method of Preparation

1. Place the radishes and the salt in the colander for about 20 minutes.

2. Heat the mustard oil for about 1 and a 1/2 minutes until the oil is smoking.

3. Add in the mustard seeds and wait till they crackle.

4. Grind the panch phoran to a powder.

5. Add in the radishes and reduce the heat to low.

6. Cut the limes and squeeze the juice in a separate container.

7. Add in the turmeric, ginger and chili powder and toss to coat and cook for about 1 minute.

8. Add in the lime juice and the ground panchphoron and the sugar.

9. Add in the sesame seeds, stir well and turn off the heat.

10. Let the radish pickle cool thoroughly.

11. Store in small jars. They can be sealed or stored in the refrigerator for up to six months.

 

Filed Under Local and Backyard Cooking, Uncategorized, Weeknight Cooking Tagged With Condiments, Ginger, Mustard, Panchphoron, Pickles, Radishes, Vegan
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