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Tag: homemade

Channa Masala and Spinach Fried Rice Bowls

I love making noodle and rice bowls and so I thought why couldn’t I make one with Indian ingredients.. that is how this bowl came about. If you want to leave it completely vegetarian and more vegan, eliminate the egg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked for at least 2 to 3 hours
  • 1 14 ounces can fire roasted tomatoes with chili
  • 1 small onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 black tea bag
  • 3 cups water
  • Salt
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala

Transfer the tomatoes, onion, garlic and ginger to a blender. Blend well till everything is well combined and formed into a sauce. Keep aside. Heat a pressure cooker to a large saucepan with the butter. Add the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Saute for 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the drained chickpeas, tea bag, salt and water. Bring to a boil and follow directions for the pressure cooker and cook under pressure for 2 hours. If using a regular saucepan, cook for 2 to 3 hours or more depending on how long the chickpeas were soaked. Keep adding more water as needed. Once the chickpeas are soft and tender, bring to a boil and cook till a thick soup consistency if formed. Check for seasonings and garnish with garam masala.

Spinach Brown Rice with Mustard Seeds Fried Rice

  • 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups water

Heat a medium saucepan with the butter. Add the rice and salt and sauté for a minute. Add the water and bring to a boil. Partially cover the saucepan with lid and cook on medium low heat till most of the water is cooked away, about 15 minutes. Cover with lid and lower the heat to low and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes or till the rice is cooked through. Fluff rice with fork and let cool.

  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 4 to 5 curry leaves
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 pounds baby spinach, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • Salt

Heat a wok like pan with the coconut oil. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the spinach and let it wilt, add the cool rice and soy sauce. Cook on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt if needed.

Tomato and Cucumber Relish

  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup cucumbers, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Juice of one lemon

Mix everything together and keep aside.

Assemble bowls with the spinach rice, channa masala and relish. Top with fried eggs if desired and garnish with some chili sauce.

 

Sausage Mushroom Calzone

3 to 4 links sausage of choice, casings off and crumbled

1 tablespoon olive oil

 

Heat a frying pan with the oil and add the crumbled sausage. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes till the sausage is golden brown. Turn heat of and keep aside.

 

10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

 

Heat a frying pan with the oil and add the mushrooms and cook on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add salt and continue cooking till mushrooms have wilted and golden brown. Keep aside.

 

½ cup fresh ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1 garlic clove, grated

 

Mix all the ingredients and keep aside.

 

1½ – 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1 egg, beaten

2 balls of store bought or homemade pizza dough, each divided into 4 parts

2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

 

Roll each quarter into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Place 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture on one half of the circle and spread with knife. Add 1 tablespoon of sausage mixture and mushroom mixture. Top with couple tablespoons of cheese and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and create a slit in the middle with a knife for the hot air to escape. Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes till golden brown.  Serve with tomato sauce.

Gochujang Tofu Stir Fry

We love, love Korean cuisine- this one is a play on the Korean flavors…

4 tablespoons Gochujang

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons Mirin

1 teaspoon salt

 

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

 

1 18 ounces firm tofu package, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup peanut oil

 

Transfer the tofu into a medium bowl, add the corn starch and salt. Mix  well till all cubes are coated properly. Heat a frying pan with the peanut oil and brown the tofu on medium heat till all sides are golden brown. Drain on some paper towel and keep aside.  Save the peanut oil for stir frying the veggies.

 

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cups Cremini or any mushroom of choice, slices

1 large red bell pepper, sliced

4 cups Chinese broccoli, or bok choy or spinach

3 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 teaspoons black sesame seeds

 

Heat a wok like pan with 2 tablespoons of the saved peanut oil. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the greens and let them wilt and add the browned tofu and the gochujang sauce. Mix well and bring to a boil. Check for seasonings. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with jasmine rice.

 

 

 

Banana Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins

I make these for my daughter for breakfast. The recipe makes a big batch, I freeze half and keep the other half in the fridge- great, healthy breakfast.

3 small or 2 large bananas, mashed

2 eggs

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup honey

½ cup turbinado sugar

2 ½ cups white whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup dark chocolate, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard size muffin tins.

 

In an electric mixer, add the butter, honey and sugar. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes and add the eggs one at a time, beating in between. Add the mashed bananas, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Beat for a minute. On the side, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon to a medium bowl. Whisk well and gradually add to the egg mixture while beating slowly. Beat for a minute or two. Add the dark chocolate and mix with a spatula and transfer to the muffin tins using a ¼ cup scoop. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Let cool and serve.

Pork and Kale Chili

In spite of this dish having kale, this was a big, big hit. A great dish to make in this chilly weather.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound good quality ground pork
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ancho chili
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 14 ounces can chopped fire roasted tomatoes with chili
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 14 ounces can of any kind of beans (I used black and pinto), washed and drained
  • Salt
  • 10 ounces baby kale, chopped

Heat a heavy large pan with olive oil. Add the ground pork and cook on medium heat, separating the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the ground cumin, ancho chili and oregano and continue cooking and browning for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and a teaspoon of salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and beans and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to stir. Take lid off and add the kale and bring to a boil. Simmer for another 10 minutes until the kale is wilted and cooked through. Check for seasonings and garnish with cheese and serve.

Crispy Tofu with Sugar Snap Peas

Celebrating Chinese New Year!

This is a great recipe to make for Meatless Mondays… I love making tofu dishes- we all love it. Recently I have been getting my inspiration from the New York Times cooking site – it has lots of really really good ideas. This recipe is from there.. I tweaked it a bit but it is still quite similar. Try this one, it is a winner!

  • 1 14 ounces package extra firm tofu
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/3 cup corn starch

Sauce

  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 large jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • Juice of 2 medium limes
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons honey

Transfer all the ingredients to small bowl, mix well and set aside.

  • Peanut oil
  • 2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Drain tofu and wrap it with several layers of paper towel and place on a plate. Top with a heavy can and let the tofu drain for 30 minutes. Unwrap the tofu and into four parts and then diagonally. Dry with more paper towels and keep aside.

Transfer the cornstarch and salt into a wide bowl. Dredge the tofu and set aside. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons peanut oil and start browning the tofu on each side for 2 to 3 minutes. Take out of the pan, add more peanut oil and add the sugar snap peas and scallions. Stir fry until soften- 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the tofu and garnish with cilantro, basil and sesame seeds. Serve with brown rice.

 

Manchego Smoked Paprika Mashed Potatoes

  • 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small squares
  • Salt
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • ¾ to 1 cup half and half
  • 2 cups shredded Manchego cheese, grated
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Pepper
  • ½ cup green onion, chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Add the cut potatoes to a deep pot and cover with water. Add at least 2 tablespoons salt and the garlic cloves. Place a lid on the potatoes and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and garlic and put them through a food mill and add back to the hot pot. Add butter, half and half and smoked paprika. Check for seasonings, add pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool all the way. Add the grated cheese and mix well. At this point, the potatoes can be refrigerated and made at least a day in advance. Once ready to bake, take out of fridge at least 30 minutes in advance.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or till heated through. Garnish with green onions and cilantro.

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