Chard Eggplant Baked Croquettes

Jokes about its color and shape notwithstanding, these croquettes were consumed hot off the oven without much coaxing by the other adult in the family. Kids could take it or leave it. Rather than deep frying, these are baked and can get dry if left in the oven for too long.

Ingredients
1½ cups finely diced eggplant
2 cups chiffonade chard
1 small onion, finely diced
1 Serrano chili, finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
¼ cup chopped mint and fennel leaves
1 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
2 dried ancho pasilla chilies, reconstituted in water
1 cup cooked chick peas
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp oil

For coating:
2 Tbsp chickpea flour
4-6 Tbsp breadcrumbs

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
2. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté all the ingredients, except chickpea, chickpea flour and breadcrumbs
3. Combine the sautéed ingredients with cooked chickpeas to make a thick dough to shape into croquettes
4. Add a bit of chickpea flour as needed if the dough is too sticky or loose
5. Coat with breadcrumbs and bake in a 400°F oven for about 20 mninutes, checking half way
6. If the inside is not fully cooked leave on for another 5 minutes or until done
7. Remove from oven and serve with favorite dipping sauces

Rhubarb Banana Bread

Rhubarb from the garden is always an inspiration - the few months that it grows wild, it is fun to be able to incorporate it in simple dishes. I do freeze some of the rhubarb towards the end of the season, but, nothing like using the fresh just-picked rhubarb.

Much like Blueberry Banana Bread or Apple Walnut Bread, this is a mildly sweet loaf enjoyed at tea time or as a dessert... and maybe at breakfast too...  the flax meal and wheat germ plus the absence of butter makes it all the more attractive.

Ingredients
2 bananas, mashed
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup flax meal
½ cup diced fresh rhubarb
1 egg, beaten
½ cup canola oil
½ cup dark brown sugar
1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F
2. Combine the ingredients and stir well 
3. Pour into a greased 9"x5" standard loaf pan
4. Bake in 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, checking every 15 minutes and turning the pan if desired
5. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean, it is done
6. Allow to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before removing;  cool on a wire rack before slicing

Soy Beans Dosai and Idlee

I grew up on a steady diet of Idlee and Dosai. Along with the fallback "tiffin" of Upma,  the meals were mostly Sambar, Rasam, Rice, Yogurt and an array of vegetable sides. An amazing array.

Anyway, possibly as a result of the intimate connection with Idlee and Dosai during my childhood, my affinity for them has increased exponentially since the kids arrived.

Plus, I greatly appreciate what an easy yet healthy meal option it is for the kids: good protein, low fat, plus the goodness of wild fermentation; and for the cook: a batch of batter lasts several days if stored in the fridge; and as it ages it can become onion oothappam, or diluted with some roasted cream of wheat to make rava dosai, and if indulgent, hot fried appam can come about as well.

Not many South Indian kitchens are without an Appa Karal which is a traditional apparatus resembling the pancake puffs maker that was the rage a few years ago.

Dollops of gracefully aged idlee batter - with some chopped chilies, coconut, onions, maybe some soaked and softened chana dal - typically fried crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside when made in the appa karal - a great tea time snack during monsoon season.

The traditional idlee and dosai get made often, as do brown rice dosai and idlee; but every once in a  while I change things up a bit in the spirit of experimentation and just for the fun of it.

That's how these protein-packed Soy Bean Dosai (and Idlee) came about. Between the soy beans, urad dal, moong dal and chana dal, there is plenty of protein.

And with the wild fermentation, we get the pleasantly sour flavor, with nutrients intact. As Sandor Ellix Katz describes in his book, "Fermentation not only preserves nutrients, it breaks them down into more easily digestible forms. Soybeans are a good example. This extraordinarily protein-rich food is largely indigestible without fermentation. Fermentation breaks down the soybeans’ complex protein into readily digestible amino acids,..."

I am not a nutritionist or a dietician, but, am always conscious of what we consume - at least what I feed my kids. And Idlee and Dosai have certainly earned a permanent place in their diet and what's more, they relish it.

Ingredients
½ cup split white urad dal (skin removed)
½ cup dry soy beans
¼ cup chana dal
1 cup whole green moong dal aka mung beans

1½ cup idlee rice (or brown rice)

Combine the ingredients, wash well, soak overnight or up to 12 hours.

Drain the water and grind to a fine batter, almost as thick as pancake batter.

The batter will not be smooth and silky as with flour batter - it will be a bit gritty and coarse-textured.

Leave the batter in a warm place covered with a cheese cloth or any breathable cloth overnight, for about 12-16 hours, to ferment naturally; even up to 18 - 24 hours. In a cold place like mine, I warm the oven to a low temperature, turn off the oven and leave the batter in there to ferment.

A pleasantly sour smelling batter that develops frothy bubbles when stirred indicates that it is ready for consumption. On cold days, I leave the batter out, but on warmer days I refrigerate it at this point for later use.

Chop up or mash any vegetables as desired and add to the batter before steaming the idlee or making the  Crêpe-like dosai. Serve it with a few chutneys and potato masaal or cabbage and potato alicha for a fusion Ethiopian.

I prefer to start with the basic thick fermented batter for idlee - but dilute it a bit for the dosai as needed to make thin crisp 'paper roast'. Serve it as breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner - it is a versatile meal.

Jackfruit Seed, Rhubarb, Radish Greens Koottu

When the perennial rhubarb comes up every spring, I feel an urge to use it in as many dishes as I can. So, when I get past the usual rhubarb scones, rhubarb-strawberry cobbler, rhubarb chutney/relish, rhubarb sambar, I check the garden for what else can be paired with rhubarb for a wholesome dish.

The last of the radish greens were waiting in the garden. Fresh jackfruit seeds and fresh coconut were handy. And so this Jackfruit seed + rhubarb + radish greens koottu popped into existence.

Ingredients
¼ cup finely diced fresh coconut
1 Serrano or Jalapeño chili (or a milder variety if preferred)

½ yellow onion, diced finely
½ cup cooked jackfruit seeds
½ cup diced rhubarb
radish greens (about 2 cups chopped and loosely packed)
½ cup yellow split moong dal
3 to 4 cups water
½ tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

For tempering: 1 Tbsp gingelly oil / sesame oil, ½ tsp mustard seeds


Preparation

1. Combine the green chili and coconut and grind to a fine paste
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and wait till they pop; add the onions, turmeric, and a pinch of salt, sauté for a few minutes
3. Add the rhubarb, radish greens, jackfruit seeds, and moong dal, 3 cups water, cover and simmer on medium low heat till moong dal is cooked; (check as add more water as needed)
4. Off heat stir in the coconut-chili paste and serve warm with hot basmati rice or roti  or naan

Smoked Eggplant Relish: Baingan Bartha

With texture similar to Baba Ghanouj, smokiness close to Chutta Kathrikkai Pachadi, and flavor that is rich and deep, Baingan (eggpant) Bartha is a side dish that takes center stage every time I make it.

The recipe here is tweaked to suit my taste: the masala paste can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Use it to make chicken curry or my favotire cauliflower korma.

Ingredients
2 long eggplant, roasted, finely chopped or mashed
¼ tsp Tamicon® tamarind paste
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Masala paste:
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp grated ginger
½ tsp poppy seeds (khus-khus from Indian stores)
1-inch piece Indian cinnamon bark
2 -3 dry red chilies
1 tsp coriander powder
1/3 cup stewed tomatoes
½ medium yellow onions, chopped

optional: tempering with cumin and mustard seeds

Preparation

1. Combine the ingredients for masala paste and blend to a fine smooth paste
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the masala paste, tamarind, mashed roasted eggplant, a pinch of salt, cover and allow to simmer over medium low heat
3. Add a few tablespoon of water as needed to continue simmering till flavors meld, about 20 minutes
4. Serve warm with naan or roti or basmati rice

Jackfruit Seed Hummus

Recently, and rather unexpectedly, I found a huge 10+ pound Jackfruit on my kitchen counter.

Rather than speculate on whether it is still raw and green, in which case I can savor the green jackfruit delicacies, or ripe and ready, in which case I can relish the sweet flesh and make jam, I decided to cut it open. More precisely, have it cut open by the handy sous-chef, the other adult in the household.

The jackfruit we were beholding seemed a giant next to a large avocado. Amid discussions of how many avocados will it take to make a jackfruit that size vs. how many avocados will it take to weigh the same as that jackfruit, I thought a picture of their relative sizes was in order.

Right from the first bit of it I had probably when I was 5-ish, I've loved jackfruit - everything about it: the heady aroma, the way it hangs in the tree, the size it can get up to, the hard thorny-looking exterior, the precious yellow flesh covering the seed, and not the least of all, the meaty chestnut-like seeds! Yes, the jackfruit seeds are amazingly tasty when cooked especially in savory dishes, like my mom's specialty Chakka Kottai Molagoottal.

Having sung the virtues of Jackfruit a few years ago, I'll try to refrain from waxing eloquent on it again.

Ignoring the pleas of Please don't hurt the porcupine egg from the youngest, the jackfruit was cut into chunks. The earnest task of extracting the best edible parts had just begun.

With meticulous work, the juicy ripe yellow fruit sections/bulbs/pods were cut out discarding the fibrous innards. And then, the jackfruit seeds inside this flesh was pried out, again with practised ease (on my part) and much joy.

I remember spreading newspapers on the floor and, as a family, doing the exact same extraction procedure when I was young. Each jackfruit season. When, of course, there were fruit vendors who had already done the hard work and were lined up at the market to sell just the clean yellow flesh for a nominal price. I think my mom relished in making us work for it. And I thank her for it - now.

After making a small batch of Chakka Varatti, and some Elai Adai, it was time to focus on the seeds.

The seeds were pressure cooked till they were just done, not mushy. The harder greyish outer skin were  removed from the seeds as needed. One batch got dutifully frozen. Another batch created a new combination for Koottu that sort of came together that day as I was gathering a few things from the garden.

The last batch got made into hummus. Well, chutney/dip, if hummus purists feel strongly about it. But, hummus it shall remain for me. One of the best hummus born in my kitchen.

Jackfruit Seed Hummus

1 Tbsp Tahini
12 cooked jackfruit seeds
½ Tbsp sambal oelek
1 tsp red wine vinegar
 2 Tbsp olive oil
2 to 3 Tbsp water
1 small garlic clove, squeezed through a garlic press

Combine all the ingredients in  a food processor and blend to a paste.

Zucchini Eggplant Kofta in Spicy Beet Sauce

Koftas are fried (or baked) vegetable balls that are usually served in a rich curry. Fusion cuisine being my signature, I love to pair a variety of koftas with non-traditional curries, with flavors borrowed from ingredients around the world - or, at least the ones I can find in my local markets.

Rather than the traditional balls, I went with patties this time, and rather than frying, just baked the 'koftas' before dunking them in a pot of gently simmering beet sauce. The cooked patties (not dunked in sauce) can be saved in the fridge for a couple of days or can be frozen for up to a week.

Zucchini is full of water, as is eggplant, so, I try to squeeze hard to get as much liquid out of grated vegetables before adding in the flours and other ingredients, which gives better control over the dough for shaping.

Any of the other sauces from the kofta collection here would be fine with these, especially the creamy chard sauce. The koftas do tend to get soggy and disintegrate if left for too long in the sauce.


Zucchini Eggplant Koftas

Ingredients
For the Koftas:
½ cup finely grated zucchini, squeezed dry
½ cup finely chopped eggplant
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup chickpea flour
⅓ cup rice flour
1 Tbsp flax meal
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground smoked paprika
1 tsp salt (less if preferred, adjust to taste)

1 to 2 Tbsp oil for greasing the pan

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 420° F
2. Squeeze out as much of the water from the vegetables as possible, and combine them with the rest of the ingredients to make a reasonably cohesive dough that can be shaped into small 2 inch diameter patties not more than half an inch thick; add a few drops of water at a time if needed
3. Place the patties in a greased roasting pan and drizzle some oil on top
4. Bake in the 420°F oven for about 20-25 minutes till the patties seem firm and done, meanwhile mak the sauce
5. Remove from oven, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes; slide them into the simmering sauce just before serving

Spicy Beet Sauce
The beet sauce can be mild or spicy - adjust the amount of sambal used. Also, can be made creamy by stirring in some evaporated milk at the end; or even creamier if sour cream is stirred in, off heat, just before serving.

If not using evaporated milk or sour cream (I usually don't), the sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for a couple of days. Bring to a gentle simmer for the koftas. I've used this sauce to smother the turkey meatballs, or even served it as a dipping sauce for turkey croquettes.


Ingredients:
For the Spicy Beet Sauce:
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 cups shredded raw beets, peeled
¼ medium yellow onion, finely diced
½ cup tomato sauce
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
½ cup vegetable or chicken stock
½ tsp brown sugar

Combine the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend to a fine sauce consistency. Pour it into a sauce pan and bring it to a gentle simmer, adding water if needed for the desired sauce thickness.

Mushroom and Paneer in Tamarind Curry

Mushrooms and Paneer. Two of my favorites. No one else in the house likes these. So, I don't get to make it often. But, when I do, I relish it and am grateful for each bite.

While I do make Paneer on and off with milk and lemon juice, more often than not I go for the store-bought Paneer blocks, just like Tofu blocks. They are firm and solid and hold up well in cooking.

The curry gravy part is made-up, as usual. Which is the most compelling reason to share it here.

Ingredients
5 or 6 Cremini mushrooms, chopped into chunks
10 to 12 Paneer cubes, pan-fried much like pan-fried tofu
½ cup red, green bell peppers, chopped
¼ large red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste
½ tsp brown sugar (optional)

For the curry paste:
½ tsp Tamicon® tamarind paste
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 green chilies. chopped
¼ large red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp minced garlic
¼ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup stewed tomatoes
1 Tbsp coriander powder
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro


Preparation

1. Combine the curry paste ingredients in a food processor and blend to a fine paste
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the curry paste, chopped onions, and a pinch of salt cook over medium heat till the rawness of onion fades and oil separates, about 5 minutes
3. Add the bell peppers, mushrooms and paneer cubes, water as needed, cover and simmer till vegetables are just cooked, not mushy
4. Stir in the brown sugar, if using, adjust salt to taste and serve warm with fragrant jasmine or basmati rice, or home-made naan or paratha or simple roti.

Stuffed Mini Pepper Bites

I seem unable to resist picking up a bag of colorful mini peppers whenever I see it at the store- especially when it is on sale. There are recipe ideas on the bag, which I adapt to suit my tastes. This recipe here was inspired by a recipe on the bag of mini peppers I bought a while back.

The filling can be anything from a combination of cheeses to Indian style tamarind-and-mint or even potatoes-and-peas.

I went with a combination of goat cheese and feta this time: 3 parts goat cheese to 1 part feta. I made 3 kinds of fillings based on what I added to the goat cheese + feta mixture:
1. Habanero salsa (drain out the liquid) or any favorite salsa
2. Cilantro pesto (make it fairly thick)
3. German-style mustard with home-made sauerkraut (drained)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F
2. Cut the peppers in half with the stem on, and seed them if preferred
3.  Spoon some filling, place them in a single layer in a roasting pan, drizzle some olive oil
4. Bake in 350°F oven for about 10 minutes

Fresh from the oven, warm and flavorful, a plateful of these stuffed peppers are hard to refuse.

Collard Greens Masiyal/Saag

Keerai Masiyal (mashed cooked spinach) with spices and tempering was one of the staples I grew up with. Creamy mashed cooked spinach in North Indian style, known as Saag, as well as Spinach masiyal can be bland or spicy as they lend themselves well to combining flavors. Most greens can be made into masiyal, not just spinach- Swiss Chard Masiyal is another favorite in my kitchen.

I had a few wonderful leaves of collard greens left over after making some Collard Greens Dolma, much like Swiss Chard Dolma. Collard greens need to be cooked longer in boiling water to get tender enough to be appealing as dolmades.

I love the pressure cooker and use it often for cooking beans and lentils and dals and anything else that needs to be soft and mushy. Collard Greens Masiyal comes out perfectly in a pressure cooker.

Ingredients
2 to 3 green chilies, chopped
3 cups chopped collard greens, washed
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped ginger (more, if preferred)
⅓ cup cooked green lentils, mashed
½ tsp Tamicon® tamarind paste
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cup sauteed paneer cubes
2 Tbsp freshly grated coconut (or frozen grated coconut)
½ cup evaporated milk (optional)
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Combine the collard greens, onions, chilies, ginger with just enough water in a pressure cooker and cook till collard greens are mushy
2. When ready, open the pressure cooker lid, add the cooked green lentils, tamarind paste, brown sugar and salt to taste and allow to simmer till thickened to a saag/sauce consistency
3. Stir in evaporated milk, if using, for extra creaminess; add the sauteed paneer cubes, garnish with grated coconut and curry leaves and serve warm with rice or naan

Spargel with Cheese Sauce

I had these dreamy white spears for the first time about 6 years ago during a visit to Germany where they enjoy an exalted status. It was boiled in water and served with a simple cheese sauce. It was best when eaten steaming warm and fresh off the stove, tender enough to cut with a fork, and not at all chewy and woody.

Asparagus, a favorite, often just roasted and eaten right away, is usually green when grown above ground thanks to photosynthesis. White asparagus (Spargel) is cultivated underground/covered to prevent the green coloration. They tend to be less woody when mature than their green cousins.

Every once in a while we come across white asparagus here in the local markets and can't resist buying them. This time, I boiled it for a good 20-25 minutes in salted water to get it fork tender. (Gently peel the skin before boiling.) And served it with a quick cheese sauce, sprinkled with parsley and ground black pepper.

For the cheese sauce:  (recipe from BBC)
flour
butter
milk
cheese

I usually don't measure precisely for this type of sauce. Sometimes, I make a roux of sorts by heating butter in the pan and adding the flour and cooking to make a paste; then, slowly add in some milk while stirring constantly. Then, add in grated cheese - like Colby Jack, Cheddar, even a bit of Parmesan mixed in...

Arugula Quinoa Citrus-y Salad

I tend to sound like a broken record at times here - but, I do love the rice cooker. I use it a lot and not just for cooking rice. Anything from cous cous to polenta, millet, kasha, steamed veggies, kichdi, and quinoa, I trust my rice cooker to help out. Of course, the first few tries of any new item is experimental, until I figure out the amount of liquid needed and whether one regular cycle is enough etc.

Quinoa comes out perfectly in the rice cooker. I buy quinoa in bulk. Per cup of dry quinoa, I use 1 cup of liquid - either stock or water. Typically, I soak the quinoa in warm water for about 5 minutes and drain the stuff that floats to the top. Rinse and repeat washing a couple of times. And then I am ready to measure out the water and cook it in the regular cycle of the rice cooker. And to keep the grains from getting clumped and sticky, I like to add a small amount of olive oil (or any favorite oil). Rice cooker is particularly helpful for making flavorful brown rice and pilaf (pulao/pulav), of course.

The Berry Sweet Citrus Dressing is something I came up with for this salad as I was in the mood for it. This recipe here yields about half a cup of this delicious dressing. I tend to dress the salad on the conservative side for serving; however, I also serve extra dressing on the side.

Berry Sweet Citrus Dressing:
2 Tbsp Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar (I use Pompeian™)
1 tsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp black raspberry jam
1 tsp sambal oelek (less if preferred)
½ tsp Italian seasoning herbs
⅛ tsp salt (optional)
⅛ tsp smoked paprika powder
½ tsp freshly grated ginger
4 Tbsp Olive Oil

Simply whisk all the ingredients together, taste and adjust as preferred.

For the salad:
¼ medium red onion, sliced thin
¼ medium red pepper, sliced thin
1 or 2 sweet mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
¼ cup julienned cooked beets
2.5 oz Arugula, cleaned and ready to use
1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled to room temperature
Slivered almonds (optional)

Toss the salad ingredients together, reserving the beets, almonds, and the orange slices as topping.

Tamarind Flavored Crunchy Roasted Bitter Melon

Almond + Flax meal being a favorite alternative to bread crumbs, many dishes come into existence just because a thought popped into my head about combining a few favorites...

Bitter melon (Chinese Fu Gwa) is a cucumber-shaped fruit which has a lighter skin and thicker flesh than the Indian bitter gourd which is typically smaller, darker, more ridged and textured and quite intensely bitter.

I like bitter melon for some dishes and bitter gourd for some others.

To reduce the bitterness, salt the chopped bitter melon and leave them on a towel to drain for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the almond meal as in Almond + Flax meal encrusted chicken nuggets recipe.

I like the concentrated goodness of tamarind in this rich dark Tamicon™ tamarind paste and I use it in many Indian recipes. Alternately, for a milder tamarind flavor, try the Vietnamese Sour Soup Base sold in most Asian stores.

The sourness from tamarind and sweetness from agave nectar, combined with the crunchiness from the almond meal makes this a wonderful side for an Indian meal of brown rice and pippili rasam.

Ingredients
1 or 2 bitter melon, Chinese Fu Gwa
½ Tbsp Tamicon™ Tamarind paste
½ Tbsp Blue Agave nectar
salt to taste
1 Tbsp oil

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
2. Chop the bitter melon into rings (remove pulp and seeds) and sprinkle salt on them and lay them out in a single payer on a towel for 15 minutes; rinse and drain; then, toss them with tamarind and agave nectar and par cook them in the microwave - still firm, not mushy, but turns translucent
3. Press the par-cooked bitter melon rings into the almond+flax meal mixture
4. Lay them out on a greased pan in a single layer, drizzle or mist some oil on top
5. Bake in a 400°F oven for about 12-15 minutes, checking part-way and turning the pan if needed

Remove from oven and serve warm with a favorite dipping sauce. I love it as-is. Even got the kids to try it. 

Turkey and Soy Bean Meatloaf

Mostly turkey, chicken, fish. Probably once a week. No beef or pork or other dark meat. So, not much meat consumption. Yet, there are some standard favorites. And this turkey meatloaf is one of them.

Of course, lot of beans, lentils and vegetables, with quinoa and brown rice, plus delicious salads do make it easy to present a good variety as the 500+ recipes I've shared here so far reminds me...

For texture and flavor that it brings, I prefer adding the cooked soy beans. I buy dry soy beans in bulk, soak and cook them and freeze them in small portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge and use as needed.

This is a make-ahead dish that lasts almost a week especially if I just serve a slice each every other night or so.

Ingredients
20 oz ground turkey
½ cup cooked soy beans
1 cup finely minced/chopped vegetables - red cabbage, bell pepper, onions
2 Tbsp Chipotle Pesto
2 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 Tbsp Bragg™ Liquid Aminos
1 tsp Wright's™ Hickory Liquid Smoke
½ Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp paprika powder
1 egg
1 tsp oil
¼ cup Steak sauce

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F; Grease a loaf pan and keep it handy
2. Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the vegetables
3. Coarsely grind the cooked soy beans into thick paste
4. Combine all the ingredients except the steak sauce and mix well
5. Pack it into the greased loaf pan, brush the top with the steak sauce
6. Cook in a 375°F oven for about 35-40 minutes, checking once or twice, till firm and cooked through
7. Brush on more steak sauce mid-way, if preferred
8. When internal temperature is 170°F, remove from the oven, allow to rest for a few minutes

Ruby Chard, Green Chickpeas, Eggplant and Tofu

Swiss Chard, Ruby Chard, Rainbow Chard... they have good flavor and go well with other vegetables.

I had about half a long Chinese eggplant, a bunch of chard, some cooked green chickpeas and some marinated baked tofu. They came together to make a wonderful chunky and colorful dish that is just juicy enough, rather like a stew.

The dish is flavored it lightly with some garlic cloves, coriander powder, paprika, sautéed in olive oil.

Add the chard, green chickpeas, and eggplant chunks, some salt and water/stock. Cover and simmer till vegetables are done to your liking. Top with marinated pan-fried tofu chunks and serve warm.

Baked Mushrooms with Chipotle Walnut Pesto

Being the sole mushroom-lover in the family, I don't get to eat it often. And when I do, it is an indulgence, taking the trouble to make it just for me.

My favorite is Portabella mushrooms; and the Baby Bella/Cremini as well. Just a touch of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper baked in a 425°F oven for about 10 minutes makes it perfect, depending on the size of the baby bella.

This Chipotle Pesto is quite versatile - stir in a little into ground turkey to make baked meatballs or croquettes, use it as a spread for falafel pita pockets, or as an interesting alternative 'pizza sauce', or even just a humble sandwich or bagel spread....

Chipotle Walnut Pesto
2 chipotle chilies  (canned in adobo sauce) + 1 Tbsp adobo sauce
2 Tbsp chopped sundried tomates packed in oil
½ Tbsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp canola oil or olive oil
¼ cup chopped celery leaves, tender stalk
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
salt to taste

Combine the ingredients and blend to paste - as smooth or as coarse as preferred. If it is too thick, add a bit more of oil as needed.

The Chipotle Pesto can be stored in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Shahi Paneer Korma

Paneer is the only cheese I had during childhood. It is a simple bag cheese made by curdling warm milk with some lemon juice. It is more common in North Indian cuisine so I didn't get to try it much in the typical South Indian meal my mom cooked.

Shahi ("Royal") Paneer Korma is rich and creamy and fragrant and flavorful, befitting its name, or should I say, hence its name...

It is rather easy to make if paneer is readily available. Else, plan ahead to make the paneer first. It is fairly easy but takes time.

As always, fusion cuisine being my signature, this is not an 'authentic' recipe. When I open a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce I find ways to incorporate it in other recipes. And that's how it found its way into this Shahi Paneer Korma recipe, adding a wonderfully interesting flavor.

Ingredients
For the Korma:
¼ cup raw almonds, soaked in water for ½ hour and peeled
1 small red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp grated ginger
4-6 garlic cloves, crushed
2" Indian cinnamon bark
3 cardamom pods
2 Tbsp coriander powder
3 chipotle chilies in 1 Tbsp adobo sauce
½ cup stewed tomatoes
salt to taste

Paneer cubes
1-2 Tbsp oil

Optional: heavy cream or evaporated milk

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan and pan-fry the paneer cubes till browned on all sides but not crisped
2. Combine the korma ingredients and blend into a fine smooth paste
3. Stir in the korma blended sauce with the pan-fried paneer and simmer at medium low heat till the rawness of the onions and garlic are gone; add up to a ¼ cup water at a time if the korma looks too dry
4. Add salt to taste and allow to simmer till flavors meld, about 20-25 minutes
5. Stir in heavy cream for extra richness, or some evaporated milk; I usually leave it out
6. Serve warm with home-made naan or paratha or plain brown basmati rice

Turkey-Stuffed Red Pepper

Stuffed peppers are easy and sumptuous. I prefer the red or the orange peppers for their mild sweetness, rather than the green peppers. And the stuffing depends on the mood and what's available.

Purple peppers were the rage for a while if I could find it at the farmer's market. (Incidentally, Lesson Learnt: not wise to rely on free sites to host my pictures. Most of my food photos from the infancy of this blog are lost; and, I don't have a copy as I never did regular back-ups back then and my old laptop died... well, a series of unfortunate events, as they say, but quite propitious as I get to take fresh pictures when I make them again these days!)

The usual cranberry-pine-nut-rice stuffing like for dolma would be good for the peppers as well. But, to satisfy the protein cravings of the nicer half, these red peppers are stuffed with ground turkey.

Ground Turkey Stuffing:

1. Finely chop some red onions, red cabbage, carrots, celery, flat-leaf parsley, garlic 
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the ground turkey, a sprinkling of salt, taco seasoning, and paprika and cook till done
3. Stir in the finely chopped veggies, cover and cook a few more minutes till veggies are tender yet crisp

Stuffed Peppers:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F
2. Cut the bell peppers in half, brush with olive oil, sprinkle some salt and bake in the 425°F oven for about 5 minutes; turn down the oven to 375°F
3. Remove pepper halves from the oven, stuff with the prepared stuffing, cover the stuffing portion of the peppers with a small piece of aluminum foil
4. Return the stuffed peppers to the 375°F oven and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes till peppers are tender

Top with toasted pine nuts, chopped scallions and parsley or cilantro, and serve warm.

Chimichurri Sauce with Baked Chicken

Chutneys were ubiquitous during my childhood. There were so many variations to the basic formula. Either coconut-based chutneys with toasted lentils, or tomato-based chutneys with ginger and red chilies, or purely herb-based chutneys of which my favorite was this cilantro-mint-chutney with tamarind and green chilies... the possibilities were endless. Despite almost-same ingredients, I am quite amazed at how many different flavorful chutneys came about in my mom's kitchen.

Anyway, as a result of this chutney-immersion, I've always been partial to coming up with sauces, dressing, dips, not to mention chutneys.

This South American-inspired Chimichurri sauce is so much like my favorite "green chutney" - full of fresh green ingredients.

Served with Dosai or Adai or Dokla or even Idlee, the chimichurri sauce adds pep and bite to bland dishes, especially when I get generous with Serrano peppers. The spring onions and oregano came from my garden, plus some cilantro and parsley and green chilies is all it takes to make this sauce, roughly in the proportion the picture indicates.

Almond-meal-Flax-meal encrusted marinated chicken breast tenders served with Chimichurri sauce and a large greek salad turned out to be a sumptuous weekend dinner.

Of course, most of the meat dishes here are much relished by the rest of the family while I top my roasted vegetables with the same sauces and dips and chutneys.

A recent favorite combination of roast vegetables for me is: red cabbage wedges, asparagus, broccoli stems (no florets), baby bella mushrooms, red onions and eggplant. Sounds like an odd combination, but, as I lay them out in a single layer on the roasting pan-- separate, not tossed together, I can almost taste the individual flavors as they come out of the oven in batches.

Ingredients
For the Chimichurri sauce:
a large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
cilantro
green chilies
scallions
oregano
olive oil
salt to taste, a splash of lemon juice or red wine vingar

Grind the ingredients together into smooth sauce, adding olive oil a little at a time.

I don't have exact measurements for the ingredients, but the rough proportion of mostly parsley and just a little bit of oregano with enough cilantro and scallions works for me. 

Collard Greens and White Bean Casserole

Greens. What's not to like about them, right? Packed with important nutrients and readily available, greens seem like the obvious choice for daily consumption. Of course, the tough part is learning which greens to eat, how best to cook them, or should we cook them at all, and is it true that eating greens raw is always better...

Mature collard and kale and mustard greens and radish tops and such are so much tastier after steaming or light sautéing, and I'd rather not eat the woody stems. But, tender dandelion leaves, arugula, and baby spinach are wonderful raw, especially in salads.

Radish tops, Beet tops, Pea shoots, Turnip tops, Sorrel, even small Dandelion leaves- I relish them all as much as the usual Chard, Kale, Collard, Mustard, Spinach greens plus the everyday varieties of lettuces and cabbages.

Anyway, enough expounding on the virtues of the greens... This Collard greens casserole recipe is quite simple and lends itself to many possibilities. If I feel indulgent, I cook it much like the traditional Green Bean Casserole recipe with the French fried onions adding the crunch. Sometimes the sauce is creamy and cheesy, and at other times it is full of flavorful herbs in a tomato base. Sometimes it is layered and baked much like Eggplant Parmesan or Lasagna; and sometimes, collard greens are thrown together with other vegetables and finished off with a layer of melted cheese on top.

I don't have exact measures for this recipe - that's the nice thing about casseroles, it is hard to get them wrong.

Ingredients
Chopped collard greens, steamed till a bit tender
Cooked white beans or black-eyed peas or Mayo Coba beans
Andouille chicken sausage (optional), cooked, diced
small red and orange bell peppers, diced
Onion, chopped
Garlic minced
1 Tbsp oil
Tomato sauce
salt to taste

herbs/spices: lemon pepper, paprika, cumin, parsley

Cheese for topping: Colby Jack, Mozzarella, freshly grated

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F
2. Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onions, garlic, bell peppers; add the tomato sauce, cook for a few minutes
3. Combine all the ingredients in a casserole dish, and stir in some of the grated cheese, reserving the rest for topping
4. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 20 minutes, checking once or twice
5. Top with the rest of the grated cheese and cook for another 5 minutes or so till the cheese melts

Baked Chipotle Turkey Croquettes in Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Dip

Fried vegetable croquettes are a favorite once-in-a-while weekend snack. Any combination of finely chopped or grated vegetables and meat can be shaped into small 'fingers' and breaded and deep fried and presented as fancy croquettes with various dips and sauces.

Rather than deep frying, these Spicy Chipotle Turkey Zucchini Ginger croquettes are baked. And, rather than the usual bread crumbs these turkey croquettes are 'breaded' in seasoned almond meal.

The chipotle chilies in adobo sauce is a favorite flavoring for stews and beans. I wanted to use it for the turkey croquettes, but also carried it into the sauce/dip.

Ready within 20 minutes including preparation time, this dish can be a quick snack or a light meal, especially when wrapped in crisp lettuce leaf.

Ingredients
10 oz ground turkey
1 tsp Bragg™'s Liquid Aminos
½ medium zucchini, grated finely and squeezed to remove water
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 pimento cherry pepper chopped finely (optional)
2 Tbsp finely chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (less if preferred)

Almond meal: combine about 1/3rd cup of raw almonds, 2 Tbsp parsley (finely chopped fresh, or dried), 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and grind to crumbs for breading

Oil Mister/Sprayer/Spritzer: Table top oil spritzer is handy- not just for cutting back on oil usage but also for eliminating the use-and-throw store-bought cooking oil spray cans.

Spicy Chipotle Sesame Sauce/Dip:
1 or 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 Tbsp sundried tomatoes packed in oil
1 Tbsp Tahini
1 Tbsp Olive oil
½ Tbsp Pomegranate Red Wine Vinegar
water as needed

Combine the ingredients and blend to a smooth dip consistency adding a little water at a time as needed.

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
2. Have the almond meal ready for coating
3. Knead the turkey and the rest of the ingredients and shape into long thin cylinders
4. Coat with the seasoned almond meal
5. Arrange in a roasting pan and spray some cooking oil
6. Bake in 425°F oven for about 15 minutes, till internal temperature is 170°F

Wrap each croquette in a crisp piece of lettuce - I prefer Romaine, but the bland Iceberg work well for the kids. Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and/or cilantro. Serve with any other favorite dip or sauce or dressing.

Cabbage & Zucchini Slaw with Spicy Citrus Dressing

Until a few years ago, when I stared this food blog, I hadn't bother to ponder on the origins of some of the culinary terms, especially the names of some of the common dishes enjoyed today. One of the first ones that stuck in my head is this: colis → koolsalade → koolsla → cold slaw → cole slaw, nicely summed up in See The Globe.

Cabbage salad, cabbage borscht, home-made sauerkraut, home-made baechu kimchi, cabbage paruppusili, cabbage arachu vitta sambar, cabbage koottu, cabbage molagoottal, cabbage coconut-chili poduthuval... this antioxidant-rich, nutrients-packed, fiber-filled vegetable is consumed in many forms in our house.

As I was debating posting yet another cabbage salad recipe, it occurred to me that this Spicy Citrus dressing thrown together on a whim yearns to be shared. Especially with its crisp and crunchy freshness and zesty orange flavor, the salad definitely has earned its own post.

Ingredients
1 cup julienned or shredded zucchini and carrots, combined
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 jalapeno, seeded and julienned or slivered thin (optional)
1 tsp orange zest for garnish (optional)

Spicy Orange-Citrus Dressing:
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
½ Tbsp orange zest
½ Tbsp blue Agave syrup/nectar
½ Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (less if preferred)
½ Tbsp all-natural creamy peanut butter
½ Tbsp pomegranate red wine vinegar
½ Tbsp distilled white vinegar
½ Tbsp Bragg™ Liquid Aminos
½ Tbsp pure Chinese-style sesame seed oil

Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk to a thick consistency. Pour over the veggies. Marinate for at least 15 minutes before serving, longer the better. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Sweet Potatoes & Green Bell Peppers with Long Pepper (Pippali) and Vinegar

Bell peppers, especially green bell peppers, seem to pair so well with mushrooms, eggplant, and summer squashes that I have come to take them for granted. Green bell peppers go well with sweet potatoes as I've come to appreciate in the last few years, especially in this dish which is quick to put together and can be served warm or cold.

Chunky-diced red onions, green bell peppers, and sweet potatoes come together for this mildly flavored side-dish which can be served as a warm salad. Or chilled and served over a bed of lettuce as a salad-meal.

To save time, I cook the peeled and diced sweet potatoes in the microwave - a few tablespoons of water, covered, and cooked till done - firm but not mushy - takes about 4 minutes on high power in mine.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions and green bell peppers (I also used some jalapenos, seeded) in some olive oil with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.

Stir in the cooked sweet potatoes, stir well over high heat, allowing a few belle peppers to get that deep brown charred flavor. Then, splash a bit of Bragg™ Liquid Aminos (or, apple cider vinegar), sprinkle some freshly ground long pepper, and serve warm.

Ingredients
Bragg™ Liquid Aminos or Apple cider wine vinegar
1 tsp crushed or ground long pepper (pippali) (or, black/green pepper, or red pepper flakes)
½ tsp urmeric powder
salt to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 each of jalapeño, green bell pepper, sweet potato, plus about half a small red onion, all diced

Red Cabbage Salad with Peanut Chicken

Red cabbage with its antioxidants and crunch makes a great salad on its own or in combination with crisp lettuce and carrots. Here, Red Cabbage is the main item, topped with peanutty chicken for a filling meal. Prepare the red cabbage salad a day ahead and let it develop flavor before enjoying.

The dressing is what makes this salad interesting for me - easy to remember because it is just a teaspoon of each; and even though it looks like there are a lot of ingredients, it comes together easily. Plus, of course, a well-stocked set of staple condiments and herbs and spices and oils and vinegars come in handy...

Sweet-Spicy Chili Dressing:
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sambal oelek
1 tsp stone-ground brown mustard
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp blue agave nectar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp crushed dry red chilies (optional)

Combine the dressing ingredients and toss with shredded red cabbage. About half medium red cabbage, approximately about 3 packed cups of shredded cabbage, drenched with the dressing yield from the above makes it perfect for me. As always, use as much or as little dressing as preferred.

Peanut chicken is a favorite salad topper, much like curried chicken or grilled lemon chicken. Simply pan cook a couple of marinated chicken tenders, cut them up, and toss with peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce:
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sambal oelek (less if preferred)

2 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp light low-sodium soy sauce
water as needed to make the sauce to desired consistency

Fenugreek Capers Yogurt Sauce with Baked Turkey Meatballs

Dips and Sauces sometimes make the dish - they add that unique flavor to take an everyday wholesome food from good-and-healthy to mouth-watering-and-exciting .

In my kitchen, I come up with sauces and dips on-the-fly frequently. And many of these sauces and dips come about without much forethought. Which means, I don't get to write down the exact measurements as I am not paying attention to that aspect.

I usually have a pack of Methi leaves (dried fenugreek leaves) handy. It is readily available at most Indian stores. I use it in Rotis and Naan and Pita bread.

This Spicy Fenugreek Capers Yogurt sauce (dip) just happened one day when I was looking to serve the plain old meatballs with something that can double as a dip and dressing. And, since it was quite delicious, I immediately wrote down the things I added, from memory. Short-term memory served me well, I think, as I tried this recipe again a week later and the sauce turned out just as delicious. So here it is...

For the Fenugreek-Capers-Yogurt Sauce:
¼ cup plain thick non-fat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp Oilive oil
1 Tbsp dried Fenugreek leaves (Methi)
1 Tbsp Capers
1 tsp stone-ground spicy mustard
1 tsp red wine vinegar
4 pickled jalapeño rings
salt to taste

Combine the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth and creamy.

For the Baked Turkey Meatballs:
The almond meal plus flaxseed meal combination is one of the favorites. I had saved some that I had made for the Almond-Flax Encrusted Baked Chicken Nuggets (before use), which I decided to use up for this meatball.

Ingredients
10 to 12 oz lean ground turkey
¼ to 1/3rd cup seasoned almond+flaxseed meal mixture
Cooking spray

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F
2. Add the seasoned Almond-Flaxseed meal a little at a time to the ground turkey and knead well; shape into firm balls
3. Place the balls in a roasting pan, spray with some cooking spray, turn the balls over and spray all around
4. Bake in a 425°F oven for about 15 minutes, checking part-way
5. When the internal temperature is close to 170°F remove from the oven and allow to rest
6. Serve warm in a bed of lettuce topped with marinated red onions and peppers, with the Fenugreek Capers Yogurt sauce that doubles as a salad dressing