Simple, Sustainable, Seasonal and Spicy..
I fell in love with Pecan Pie, actually Pecan Pie a la mode about 2 decades ago. It however was a lonesome love not shared by the others in my house so I enjoyed my pecan pie when I could but never baked it and then last year some thing happened.
Something that I did that most true pecan pie connoisseurs would consider blasphemy but it was a way for me to satisfy those sweet and nutty cravings without going completely crazy.
Almost everything about this dish is a surprise. Let us begin with the ingredients, the zucchinis we a result of the end of season garden clean up as we put the leaves away and get the soil into a state of rest for the next season. Despite not being on the gardening side of the production, sadness overcomes me as I realize that the endless source of fresh ingredients will take a pause as the soil rejuvinates itsself for the year to come.
Zucchini tastes like a cross between the green bottle gourd and the ridge gourd. It is low in calories and is rich in Vitamin A and lutien. The surprise element here is that these squashes are the harbinger of summer and usually fade by fall. Well, these babies were waiting right till the end to grace our table for the last zucchini dish of the year at least with garden produce.
To cook these, I used butter, red onion and just a hint of carom or actually later on loads of thyme. These thyme like seeds are common in the cuisine from the region of punjab and are cooked with squashes.
A note on the carom seeds, like a lot of core spices does have a strong taste which some people tend to find a bit much. It is considered to be good for the stomach and this recipe takes less than 15 minutes to put together and tastes quite amazing.
Ingredients
Instructions
I am sending this out to Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn, now co-ordinated by Haalo and is at Ann’s blog, The Food Lovers Journey.
It has been a surreal sort of weekend, bleeding into a now crazy week. We had our first snow of the season, except that it was still fall?! I really did not think this was serious, I started out in the morning and went my way, the usual, groceries, shopping, farmers market. Well, as with everything it really is the one who grows who watches the weather.
Well, the night before, I think Thursday and Friday night, there was a major wind down effort! Loads of bell peppers, habaneros, cayennes, green and red tomatoes essentially translating to an official garden almost close down. Well, there are still some beets and carrots underground but I think we have a few more weeks to wind down all that we have and then go through the freezer.
If you want a detailed low down of what we picked please stop by the facebook page. Well, once the snow came down, I was actually pleased, I thought to myself, here is a weekend that I can spend indoors and cook and be cosy. Actually, it turned out to be a weekend that I spend indoors feeling rather cold, shelled shocked and without electricity. So, now I have decided it does not matter how ungreen people think I am, I love the joys of high heat and electricity. I did spend some time cooking, and turned out some interesting dishes, but I shall tell you first about the brocolli and how we put it to good use.
We had a somewhat quiet halloween, with the neighborhood still recovering. The kids were sorry that some of their favorite houses were not very prepared this time round, but all in all they were happy. My son was thrilled that I made a quick effort to spruce up my appearance a little to mark the holiday. We do recycle most of the candy, but they get to keep just a little. This time round they saved their M&M’s and their kit kats.
So, onto the brocolli, I cooked the brocolli with a typically bengali base of poppy seeds or posto. Brocolli is not a native to Indian cooking, but I was told of this dish by someone who is fairly traditional in her cooking so I felt that if she like it, it probably would work and it sure did.
B
Brocolli Posto – Brocolli with a Poppy Seed Paste
Prep Time: 2-3 hours (for soaking the poppy seed paste)
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the poppy seed paste
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup poppy seeds (posto)
1 inch piece peeled ginger
4-6 almonds blanched
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Broccoli
3 tablespoon oil (preferably mustard)
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Bengali 5-spice (panch phoron)
2 cups of broccoli chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 green chilies, slit lengthwise
1/3 cup water
Method of Preparation
1. Soak the poppy seeds and ginger in the warm water for about 3 hours. Place in a blender and grind into a smooth paste with the almonds and salt.
2. Heat the oil on medium heat for about 1 minute and add in the panch phoron and wait till it begins to crackle. This should take less than a minute.
3. Add in the onion and saute lightly for about 2 minutes and add in the broccoli with the salt and cook for about six to seven minutes, until the brocolli is begining to turn golden at spots.
4. Add in the green chilies and the water and begin to simmer until the water is absorbed and the brocolli is tender crisp. Add in the poppy seed paste and cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture is fairly dry. Check for seasonings and serve hot.
When do you say goodbye and really feel the loss? It is difficult, for someone who is prone to keeping herself busy to the point of no return to camouflage emotion, it still creeps through.
I have to confess that at most times, I have a bunch of recipes waiting to be considered for blogging. The supply is usually more than the pace that I can write them at. The past two days have been different, I have not really been able to function properly at the kitchen, unable to eat much. The semblance of trying to stay together and manage the loss is on the surface working, but it is less than skin deep. I am not really able to do much, I fuss and fidget, I stare at the pictures and thoughts I want to organize but it does not work well. It is however, in the solitude of my car, that the sense of loss takes over, in that quiet space where I cannot pretend to be busy anymore. It will get there, maybe it will pass and not feel so raw, it is however too soon to even begin to really conceptualize the loss, understand the pain.
I had made this recipe a couple of weeks back, to celebrate the infusion of pepers we still have in the garden, purple, green, yellow, white and red onion. I love their smell and colors. This recipe is actually a very simple recipe mostly about stir fried bell peppers and a simple and thick sauce and the creamy richness of paneer. This recipe was made on a peaceful sunny early fall morning. I want to believe that these mornings will come again. We shall learn to appreciate the simple beauty of life again.
Kadai Paneer – Creamy Paneer tossed in a Light Ginger Cashew Nut Sauce
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
2 fresh ripe tomatoes
1 inch piece of fresh peeled ginger
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1/2 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3-4 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cups of store bought paneer (cut into 1 inch pieces)
2 bell pepper, cut into pieces (preferably two different colors)
1 red onion, cut into eights and halved, layers separated
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Method of Preparation
1. Place the tomatoes, ginger, cashew nuts, yogurt, salt and sugar in a blender and blend into a paste.
2. Place the oil in a heavy bottomed wok and heat on medium heat for about a minute. Add the cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle.
3. Add in the tomato cashew paste and bring the mixture to a soft simmer and cook for about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add in the paneer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Mix in the bell peppers and the onions and stir in the gravy and cook for another 5 minutes. The onions should be transluscent and the bell peppers should be slightly soft.
6. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
This recipe turned out surprisingly good. It was with some assistance from the pressure cooker a thirty minute meal, right from the scratch beans and all.
I was loaded with tomatoes, hot peppers and loads of fresh herbs from the farmer’s market. With all the natural problems this year, the farmers have been impacted, so I would make a request to anyone who buys fresh produce to pay a visit to their local market especially in the New York area.
I have generally had camera debates for a while, I need a camera that can tolerate rough love and have been loathe to carry my SLR around. However, then I get disappointed when I feel that pictures could be better with the camera. But out side of the rough love, there is the weight issue, I need something with me that is not terribly conspicuous since, I often take pictures when people do not expect it. Well, some friends at work are shopping for an used SLR for me, shall let you know if that transpires.
Take this flower, that I spotted at a friends place, they were surprised that I took its picture, but as they say, beauty lies at the eyes of the beholder.
Well, onto the dish it was simple pure flavors and this was the first time I had cooked pasta with beans and loved the effects. This recipe was my second attempt with pasta this week and both worked well.
Comfort Shells in a Tomato, Cheese and Fresh Herb Sauce
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients
1/4 cup dried red kidney beans
3 cups boiling water plus water for cooking the pasta
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pod of pressed garlic
1 red onion, very finely chopped
4 red large tomatoes, finely chopped in a food processor
10 oz dried medium sized shells
1/2 cup low fat evaporated milk
1/2 cup low fat cheese of your choice
1 tablespoon green chili pepper, minced
1/3 cup minced fresh herbs ( I used a mixture of cilantro, basil and oregan0)
10 oz dried medium sized shells
Method of Preparation
1. Place the kidney beans, hot water and 1 teaspoon salt in a pressure cooker, bring to a pressure and cook for 25 minutes.
2. While the beans are cooking, heat the oil and add in the garlic and the onion and cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes until the onion turns translucent and the garlic is nice and fragrant.
3. Add in the tomatoes and cook the mixture on medium heat stirring frequently until a soft pale red bubbly sauce is formed. This takes about 15 minutes.
4. While this is cooking bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta till al dente according to the manufacturer’s directions. (I tend to use Barrila, and this took 7 minutes)
5. Add in the green chili pepper, the minced herbs, salt and the evaporated milk and let the mixture continue simmering.
6. Drain the pasta and add to the tomato sauce.
7. Remove the beans and drain throughly and toss in the hot beans and mix well.
8. Lastly, add in the cheese and toss well.
Serve this recipe, with your favorite wine, while I tend to be partial to reds I think that this will work well with both red and white wines.
With all the herbs in this recipe, I am sending this over to WHB an event started at Kalyn’s Kitchen and housed by Haalo and being hosted this week by Grazianna at Cooking with Herbs or Erbe in Cucina.
Although I have actually not blogged any zucchini recipes, this year we did have a prolific amount of zucchini’s and we put them to good use to the point I was ready to throw up the towel, we I were was just soo fed up of these green creatures.
Anyhow, these flatbreads are probably the swansong recipe for this season, since nature does have its own way of fixing things and balancing demand and supply. While we had secured a lot of the plants for the storm, the zucchini plant was too delicate to survive the windy gales. I am sorry to see it go, actually mostly very sorry to see the flowers go. What started out to be an amazing year, reached its down peak in August, ending this long weekend with two small sick kids kids. I am however glad to have some time this weekend to catch up and finish a lot writing although there is other work I have to catch up this weekend too. September promises to be a busy month, however I do hope that this fall lovers prayer is granted and we have a beautiful fall. I did get some interesting pictures in Kolkata and have two eating experiences that I shall share, maybe even this weekend.
Anyhow, back to these parathas, I made them with a minimum amount of fuss, the fun thing about zucchini is that it add moisture to the dough along with flavor and nutriets. Naturally why it is a good addition to any bread. Typically a lot vegetable breads entail stuffing the bread, I have simplified the process by actually kneading in the ground vegetables into the dough it works perfectly with zucchini. The only thing that is a little tricky with these flatbreads is that, I do a double kneading process, what I mean by this is that I add in a generous amount of flour about two hours later, since by then the zucchini has leached a generous amount of water. I have seasoned this bread generously with lemon thyme, which offers it a flavor close to ajowain or carom seeds with a melding of lime.
So here is how I did it,
Ingredients
Instructions
If I had read the title of this post, I would be skeptical too, but read on, remember Green Eggs and Ham. I mean, carrots in Guacomole?
Yes, you might have guessed that we have loads of carrots in the garden, but we have loads of chili peppers too, so you shall be seeing an assortment of palate tickling spicy creations comming your way the next few days and maybe even weeks.
This creation is extremely simple and actually in real life rather colorful, will remind you of the colors of the Indian flag. This recipe is a great way to add some veggies and crunch into your daily diet. My children love this, in fact, the displayed version is very proudly made by my daughter.
She has been wanting to help me in the kitchen for the longest time, although still very hesitant. I think as with all things it is important to have the will and the rest will follow. Her constant question to me is when I started in the kitchen, this is tricky because although I probably did not start any semblance of cooking for a while, I sometimes feel that I have grown up in the kitchen with Ma and Dida.
Papri Chaat ions essentially a creation that is well loved in the street food universe of Indian cuisine. It is essentially Indian crackers called Papri served with an assortment condiments and yogurt.
Papri Chat is often served with sliced potatoes and called Alu Papri Chat. Well, in the spirit of when it rains it pours, as if the journey to Kolkata followed by returning home and getting sick was not bad enough. We had the storm accompanied by no lights for a day, now followed by the kids being rather sick and in turn disappointed since it has put a damper on their break week.
Well, to cheer all of us and of course to use up the beetroots we have been getting in the garden, I have devised this adaptation of the classic potato recipe, the recipe takes a little planning and there are a few steps to put together, but I promise you that the effort is well worth it. Plan on serving this for your next party, I am sure you will find the colors and flavors quite intoxicating.
I actually did make the papri or crackers at home and my kids loved them as is, promptly calling them Indian Nachos. I actually added this extra step mostly because I love the lightness of the homemade crackers.
So here is what I did.
Colorful Beet Papri Chaat
Prep Time: 1 and 1/2 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
For the Beets
4 beets
1 lime
1 teaspoon black salt
For the Papri
1 and 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup semolina
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup cold water
Oil for Frying
For the Chaat
Method of Preparation
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the beetroots in foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the beetroots.
2. Peel the beetroots and slice them. Sprinkle with the lime juice and the salt and set them aside for at least 30 minutes.
3. While the beetroots are cooking add the flour and semolina and salt to a mixing bowl. Add in the oil and mix well with your fingertips to form an even mixture.
4. Gradually add the cold water and mix in to form a firm and pliable dough. Set the dough aside for 30 minutes.
5. Roll out the dough to a thin (about 1/4 inch) circle. Cut the dough into circles using a round 2 inch sized cutter. Prick the circle well.
6. Heat the oil in a wok for about 3 minutes and add about 2 to 3 of the dough circles and fry until nice and golden but not too brown. These fried dough circles are called papri.
7. Remove with a slotted spoon and set them aside to cool completely.
8. To assemble place the papris in a single layer. Top them with about 2 thin slices of the marinated beetroot.
9. Add some of the green chutney, tamarind chutney and the yogurt. Add in the chopped onions and the crispy sev and enjoy!
Rain and gardening make strange bedfellows. I constantly hear the gardener fussing about either too little or too much rain. This past bout with rain was no different, the pepper was really a red pepper pulled before its prime and loads of spinach and tomatoes. I decided to take the plunge and make something different. My adapted version of an enchilada.
The peacefulness of everyday life is something I do not take for granted, but I appreciate it more when the tranquil is broken. As I sit in the quiet Kolkata morning, watching people complete the minsterings to my ailing father I long and appreciate the peace and rejuvinating freshness of my garden, the routing and most of all my beautiful children.
The recipe is long, by my cooking standards, but worth the effort. It is the second variation of fresh tomato sauce that I have made this summer. I shall post the baseline recipe when I get a chance. I have broken the recipe as I did it in basic steps and will assure you that it is worth the effort, even if I do say so myself. I had generally delighted houseguests and I am always pleased when something turns out the way I would like and is a satisfying balance of nutrition and indulgence which this creamy lycopene and mineral dish does not fail to deliver. All the ingredients in this recipe, with the exception of the red onions which I procured from the farmers market and the cheese which actually is about as generic as it gets were literally straight from the backyard, harvest less than a half hour before I began cooking.
Palak Paneer Enchiladas
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes (largely unattended)
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Red Pepper Tomato Enchilada Sauce
1 large bell pepper, diced
4 large tomatoes, cut into a dice
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 green chilies, thinly sliced
For the Spinach and Indian Cheese Filling
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 pods of pressed garlic
3 cups of finely chopped fresh spinach (I used new zealand spinach though the food processor)
3/4 cup store bought grated paneer
1/3 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Several Grinds of freshly ground black pepper
For the enchilada
8 whole wheat small tortillas
1/2 cup store bought mexican blend cheese
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Sour cream and salsa to serve
Method of Preparation
1. Spread the tomatoes and peppers on a flat baking dish and scatter with olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt and the green chiles.
2. Place in a 375 degrees oven (does not need to be pre-heated) and bake for 40 minutes.
3. In the meantime place a cooking pan on medium heat and heat the oil and add in the garlic and cook about a minutes.
4. Add in the spinach and the salt and the paneer and ricotta cheese. Cook the spinach down until most of the liquid has evaporated) and set this aside to cool.
5. Cool the tomatoes and pepper mixture slightly and place in a blender and process to a smooth puree.
6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Grease a large baking dish.
8. Open a flour tortilla and fill with some of the spinach filling generously into the center and roll the tortilla neatly and place on the baking dish seam side down.
9. Continue this process with the remaining tortillas.
10. Spread generously with the prepared tomato sauce.
11. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for about 25-30 minutes until the cheese has melted and mixture is bubbly.
This recipe is perfect for a rainy night or quite middle of the week dinner maybe with a good glass of your favorite rose. The vivid colors are festive and cheery.
I am sending this out to Monsoon Medley hosted bv Saffron Streaks and Simple and In Season by Fabulicious Food.
Garden colors help me celebrate and find solace in any season, what works for you?
To pack for this unexpected somber sojourn, I was traveling with a suitcase that was so light that it surprised almost anyone who lifted it, and to keep me company a whole bunch of camera SD cards. I have more little memory gizmos than most people, it really is for the most part a way to keep track of different pictures. Work being rather busy, I packed a few things to work on. I was amazed and grateful to everyone at work for their support and unconditional acceptance of the situation. I am also grateful that I can try to keep myself fulfilled through the process of things that are tedious but allow me to stay distracted especially when times are not so good.
I had embarked on this trip kicking and screaming and frankly feeling very unsure and strangled, it is not always easy to want to come and see a parent who is so ailing, or even watch them through the unpleasant transition, I felt particularly lost without the safety of my little ones. It is amazing how therapeutic the presence of your children can be. The interesting and amazing part of life is that we have an amazing resilience and inertia to get used to most situations and things.
This recipe was a surprisingly comforting creation, that I had concocted in early fall last year. It actually is a good rainy treat as well, it borders along the line of a good kichri, that is a rice and lentil medley, the trick dimension here is there is a generous amount of spinach and some small wild caught scallops folded in. It is a part of a series of scallop recipes that I developed to deal with my joy when I realized that my 8-year liked the scallops.
Lentil and Bay Scallop Pilaf
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small onion, cut into a small dice
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
4 green cardamoms
1 large stick cinnamon, broken
1/3 cup split yellow moong lentils
½ cup buttermilk
¾ cup basmati rice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
4 cups of water
½ pound of bay scallops, rinsed and patter thoroughly dry
1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Method of Preparation
1. Heat the oil on medium heat and add the cumin seeds and wait for about 30 seconds for the seeds to darken and turn very aromatic
2. Add in the onion and ginger and stir for about a minute.
3.Add in the cardamom and the cinnamon and stir well.
4.Add in the buttermilk and the lentils and bring to a simmer.
5.Cover and cook for about 6-7 minutes, until the buttermilk is absorbed and the lentils are still separate.
6.Add in the rice, salt and turmeric and mix well.
7.Add in the water and bring to a simmer.
8.Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the grains are soft but not mushy and the rice is almost cooked.
9.Remove the cover and add in the scallops, spinach and the ghee and mix well with a light hand.
10. Turn off the heat and cover tightly and let this rest for about 15 minutes.
11.Remove the cover and fluff and garnish with the cilantro before serving.
Simple and sustainable cooking from my kitchen, by way of introduction, I am a soccer mama, who loves numbers, spices, kids, flowers and my camera. A financial strategist by profession, … [Read More...]
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