Monthly Mingle | Honey Cream Cake with Honey-Saffron-Cardamom Brittle

I have been trying my hand at baking and frosting a cake from scratch, in preparation for Ina’s birthday cake for later this Fall.  So we’ve been having cupcakes with and without frosting crop up every now and then.  The aim is to be able to make a homemade cake with no artificial coloring/ flavoring.  Too much of food coloring in the kiddie birthday cakes, sort of turns me off.  I cannot seem to resist the urge to spoon out all of that color loaded cream and give Ina just the cake, when we are birthday parties.  Somehow, the blues and greens on the cake transforms me into this panic stricken mom!  The last time we had a large gathering for Ina’s birthday I made sure we had a white cake with whipped frosting without any major bells and whistles.  Yes, that’s true - the multi colored- food dye  loaded buttered frosting adorning a cake, especially a birthday cake, is truly one of my pet peeves!

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Daring Bakers Challenge | My adaptation of the Armenian Nutmeg Cake

A few of my friends asked me when I was going to get back from France (smile), while I was sitting right beside them.  At first, I had this puzzled look on my face, not quite understanding their question. Took me a while to figure out that they were hinting at the ladle – yes, the one that wanders (smile).

The experience of a culture is either through food or art, predominantly, irrespective of whether or not you have physically visited the region.  Wandering Ladle started with a purpose of exploring the world through food and photography and thus far, the culinary expedition couldn’t have been better.

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Spinach and Gruyere Quiche

After a long tiring day, I need truckloads of motivation to get into the kitchen and cook. On such days, my mind goes completely blank and all I can do is gaze at the pantry finding it extremely difficult to figure out what exactly I could make with minimal muscle movement. This time it was a little different. We had an extensive but overall a very productive day as we got a lot of things scored off from our long list of “to-do’s”. Each of us had a few chores assigned and we were able to get all that done. What started out on the emotional scale as ‘being overwhelmed’ just got turned into ‘relief’ and of course, a sigh!
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Assorted Macarons

Growing up, a ‘macaroon’ was either a chunk of a cookie loaded with coconut or a tough sugary meringue cookie with bits of cashew nuts and almonds. Either ways it was always a ‘cookie’.

Well, all that changed when I was introduced to the world of French Macarons (pronounced mah-kah-RONES) by a friend. Much lighter and delicate, these are like little pastry sandwiches and not exactly cookies, like they get referred to as at times. The filling can range anywhere from being really simple with a sweetened mascarpone creame or even the very tropical passion fruit-mango-coconut cream. More than just treats these are like a bite sized symphony (of flavors) in your mouth.

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Lemon Cream and Saffron Petits Fours

As a child, I often wondered why the queen of hearts spent the summer’s day making tarts and why the knave of hearts stole them and got beaten for that. “Are they like little pies? Are they that good? Are they sweet or sour or somewhere in between?” I would adore these little colorful fruit tarts lined up like little cups filled with jewels, at the bakery in the grocery store. The bright red strawberries, the juicy and plump blueberries and those little pieces of kiwi fruit that would peek from beneath trying to get up on top and compete with the reds and blues, and not to miss the peaches and oranges. “How pretty! Do they even eat it?” I would think to myself. Continue reading...

Dutch Crunch Bread

If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.
- Robert Browning

You know, when at times, how you get super excited about stuff and sign up for things you believe you can do? That’s when that little voice inside feels stronger and tells you to believe in yourself and resonates with enthusiasm! Well, that’s exactly what happened to me when I read about the Daring Bakers blog and community, for the first time. Read More @ Wandering Ladle....

Quinoa Chickpea Pilaf

I’d always wanted to try a recipe using Quinoa, but wasn’t quite sure where to begin. Honestly, it took me a while to even get the pronunciation right. I never tasted or used Quinoa previously but had always read so much about how quick and easy it is to cook. I knew I wanted to start somewhere and decided to experiment cooking to taste it just itself and see if this was something I and my family would enjoy. 

My journey to cook Quinoa started out at a local store that carries organic products and produce from the farmers market. The reason I chose this store in specific is because they have individual bins for nuts, dried fruits, millets, grains and different kinds of flours giving me the flexibility to buy just the quantity I needed. My thoughts at the time - “What if I hate the taste or even the sight of the cooked stuff?” 

Once home, I looked up methods to cook quinoa and meticulously followed every word of anything that read “the best way to cook quinoa”. What I found is that most recipes that use this ingredient more or less call for the same method – “Bring the water to a boil and stir in the quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.” 

 I didn’t have to do anything much different. I was thrilled! 

With the cooking process completed, the real test was that of the taste. Both the texture and flavor was nuttier than I expected it to be. It was difficult to eat without any salt, though. So, I added a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a dash of salt. Now, that tasted a lot better and it was surely a lot more appetizing. 

So, my first experiment with quinoa was much less disastrous than I expected it to be. In fact, it motivated me to try out different recipes using it as a key ingredient. 

 I am big fan of bulgur and love all the Greek and Indian recipes that use bulgur. I was keen to see how a recipe that calls for bulgur would turn out with quinoa instead, so tried a few – loved some and completely detested the others. Some recipes test better with bulgur and I have learnt to keep it that ways. That said, of the list of things I‘ve experimented with thus far there’s certainly one that stands out for me. Quinoa blends in so well with the other ingredients that I have begun to completely replace bulgur with quinoa in the recipe, more often now. 

Quinoa and Chick Pea Pilaf 

¼ cup quinoa seeds 

1 cup water for cooking quinoa

½ cup cooked chick peas or ½ cup canned chick peas, rinsed and drained 

1 bay leaf 

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

 ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley 

Salt to taste 

Strained juice of half a lemon 

Method 

Soak quinoa in cold water for 5-7 minutes. Stir using hand and drain off water using a strainer. 

Place quinoa and bay leaf in a pot, add 1 cup of water and bring to boil. Make sure the pot has a tight fitting lid. Turn the heat down to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes with the lid on.  Fluff gently with a fork and set aside. ** 

In a bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, chick-peas, garlic, red pepper flakes and parsley. Add the olive oil. Season to taste using salt and lemon juice. 

Serve either warm or at room temperature.

Serves : 3 

(This recipe is an adaptation of 'Pligouropilafo me Revithia' from The Greek Vegetarian by Diane Kochilas ) 

** You can also cook quinoa according to directions on the package.

Goat Cheese Spread (Dip) with Spinach-Basil Pesto

I realized there haven’t been so many recipes that I have tried using pesto. I like the traditional recipe, but find it a little too strong for my taste. I have been looking at different ingredients to blend in for balancing the flavors of basil. My trials, however, haven’t been that very pleasing, expect for one.

 I customized this recipe for pesto by playing with the key ingredients. I use fresh basil and spinach leaves in a 1:1 ratio and this sort of avoids the intensity that you would get by just adding basil or replacing it entirely with spinach. Another twist is instead of pine nuts I use walnuts and blanched almonds in equal amounts- again, because I like these over pine nuts.

 To make a dip and a spread using this pesto recipe I added in goat cheese. Unlike cheeses made form cow’s milk, Goat cheese has a natural tart that blends in and adds a more creamy and acidic flavor to the pesto. The good part about Goat cheese is that it complements the pesto rather than neutralizing it completely.



  I’ve tried this recipe quite a few times and find this to be one of the simplest and easiest appetizers to put together both as a dip and a spread with some water crackers.

 For the Pesto – 
       Ingredients 
       2 cups fresh basil leaves
       2 cups fresh spinach leaves
       1 cup pitted green olives
       ¼ cup walnuts
       ¼ cup almonds (blanched)
       2 garlic cloves
       1 tablespoon lemon juice

       Method:
       Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.
       Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve.
       ( I avoid adding salt to the pesto, as the Goat cheese in the dip has the added salt.)




For the Spread -
        Ingredients
        ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
        ¼ cup pesto ( using recipe above)
        ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
        ½ cup cooked, shredded/minced chicken (optional)

      

       Method
       In a bowl, beat the goat cheese, pesto until smooth.
      Add in chicken and mix well Serve warm or chilled.

 I like to warm the goat cheese a little and then combine the pesto by adding a teaspoon at a time, that way its easier control the amount of the goat cheese and pesto that goes into the dip.

 For the Dip -
          Ingredients
         ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
         ¼ cup pesto ( using recipe above)
         ½ cup greek style yogurt
         ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
         ½ cup cooked, shredded/minced chicken (optional)
       

         Method
        Whisk yogurt separately, until smooth and set aside.
         In a bowl, beat the goat cheese, pesto until smooth.
         Add the yogurt, chicken and mix well. Serve warm.


I like serving this with grape tomatoes, grapes or fresh cut figs and of course a glass of good red wine. This recipe also works well as a topping for pasta, pizza or couscous. The preparation time is under 30 minutes for the pesto and  the dip (or the spread). The recipe yields about 2 cups (dip /spread).

Strawberry and Yogurt Parfait

Yogurt has always remained one of my favorite ingredients. What I love is the versatility in the ways you could use it. All by itself or with a few ingredients you can turn it into a dip, a soup, a base for a curry or simply a fun dessert and so much beyond. What more when its good for the body?

I enjoy adding yogurt into everything I cook. So, in our household its a constant on the list of ‘staples’ on the weekly grocery list. With so many different kinds and brands available its tough at times to select 'a' specific kind. I use store bought and make it at home, when I can. Of the store bought ones I like the Greek style the most. Its much creamier and easy to work with.

Yogurt with honey and fruit is a fun way to enjoy as a dessert or a simple snack with no fuss or additional cooking. It truly is one of those yum things you can make in less than 5 minutes ! I found some beautiful strawberries at the local farmers market and thought those would go perfect with yogurt for an evening snack.

On any given day I would dice the strawberries and throw in a cup of yogurt, but this time I just wanted to make something different…different from the usual. So I whipped up some cream and yogurt along with the strawberries and decided to pair it with graham crackers….a parfait so simple yet so delicious!

Ingredients

½ cup plain Yogurt (Home made and strained for approx. 30 minutes)

½ cup Cream (whipping)

1 cup chopped Strawberries

1 cup crushed Graham crackers

Method

Whip the yogurt and cream together on medium till soft peaks form. I used cream for sweetness and to balance the tart from the strawberry.

Add in the strawberries and whip till evenly blended. To a serving cup or glass, add crushed graham crackers and press down with a spoon. Add a layer of the strawberry whipped mixture, followed by a layer of strawberries. Repeat for many layers as you like. Serve immediately or refrigerate till serving. I wanted to keep it very simple so preferred keeping it nut free. That said, some honey roasted almonds in the layers would certainly contribute added flavor.

Enjoy!

This recipe is a contribution to the Berries: Strawberry Event hosted by Zesty Palette

Triple Chocolate Spicy Delights

I love everything chocolate! What’s there not to love about chocolate, right?… I agree. I haven’t found a good reason, as of yet, why I shouldn't . Chocolate as an ingredient is simply so awesome to work with…with just a little bit of spice thrown in, chocolate can taste spicy and sweet all the same time. And that’s something I truly enjoy…that little bit of kick that enhances the flavor of chocolate and makes it so magically good!

I have tried truffles and cakes with chocolate and chipotle chili, a few times and have shared it with friends and family. The response has always been surprising….because its unimaginable how many people I know love “spicy chocolate”.

Here's one such treat that been a hit......a twist to the regular double dark chocolate cookie recipe ( I got from a friend’s mom). I call it my Triple Chocolate Spicy Delight…it has a spoonful of white chocolate topping, is loaded with bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chunks …and a dash of cayenne.

Ingredients

For the cookie

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

¼ cup oil (the recipe I follow calls for Canola Oil)

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup packed granulated sugar

1 egg

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all -purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking powder

A pinch of salt

½ cup bittersweet chocolate chunks

½ cup semisweet chocolate chunks

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cloves, powdered

For the topping

1 ½ cups white chocolate chunks

½ cup Sprinkles of your choice

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

For the Sugar mixture – In a large bowl, add butter and beat until smooth (I use a hand held electric mixer for this). Add in in oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined (I beat everything on medium to combine). Next, add in the egg and vanilla and beat well till combined.

To another bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt (I use a sieve at times, but most times whisk these ingredients together). Add this to the Sugar mixture. Add in powdered cloves, nutmeg and cayenne pepper powders. Mix all the ingredients well until combined (Set the mixer on medium).

When well incorporated, add the chocolate chunks and mix briefly for about 5 seconds (I use a spatula to mix instead of the mixer for the chocolate chunks).

Refrigerate the dough for about 10-15 minutes. Make balls of the dough and set 2 inches apart onto the lined cookie sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool.

I usually remove the cookies from the oven when they are still a little underdone and slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a cooling rack. I then allow them to cool before removing from parchment .

I make jumbo cookies of out this recipe, so if you make medium sized cookies, this should yield around 28-30 medium sized cookies.

For the Topping

Make sure the cookies have completely cooled. I usually work on the topping at least an hour after they are done.

Melt chocolate chunks either using a microwave or a double boiler.

There are two simple ways the coating can be done – either dip the cookie upside down into the melted chocolate or use a spoonful and spread on top. Add sprinkles and refrigerate for 6-8 minutes for the chocolate to set.

Enjoy!

P.S : These taste best when the white chocolate is warm and all melted...yum!

This is my contribution to the Srivalli's Chocolate Mela , Zesty Palette Series #4 - Sweet Luv and Let’s Cook #12 ~ Sweet Somethings

Hurried Mushrooms

Its like I almost disappeared from the face of the world ....thank you for checking on me now and then. Being away for a few months has made it feel like decades!

Thank you for all those little notes most of you would keep sending my way to see why I haven't been blogging and wondering if all has been well. Though I didn't get around to responding to each one of you, (my sincere apologies) I truly appreciate all those emails and the thoughts you kept sending my way.

They say motherhood changes everything...for the good. I'm no different and its been one of the best joys of life...its been great but I would be lying if I said it isn't very demanding and does come with its own set of challenges. Overall, its been a beautiful journey and hope it continues to be..

With my little one spending a large part of the day in pre-school I am sorta-kinda getting some time and making an earnest attempt to get back to the kitchen and try out simple recipes. I expect to devote some time each the week to the blog and hopefully, I can keep up with the resolution.

On the whole, I am super excited about getting back to blogging…but....I know this may sound really weird... it has been tough or rather quite a challenge to know what that perfect starting point is…..it feels like I am re-learning everything there is about blogging and as a matter of fact, food as well. It sounds bizarre yet very true.

Here's one recipe that's been sitting in the drafts for a while now…thought this would just be the one that’ll help me re-start. I have always believed that the best dishes , sometimes, come from the simplest of ingredients....and this has been one such for me.

Ingredients

2 cups of mushrooms diced (fresh procini or regular white)

½ cup Red Onions, chopped in length

1-2 Jalapenos, finely chopped

4-5 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

½ inch piece of Ginger

¼ cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

2 teaspoon Cumin powder

1 teaspoon Coriander powder

½ teaspoon Turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon Paprika powder

2 teaspoon extra virgin Olive Oli

Salt

Method

Clean the mushrooms well to make sure there is no residual dirt. I brush each mushroom till all of the dirt has gone and then wipe each one down with a damp cloth. Dice them and set aside.

Grind the jalapenos, garlic, ginger to a paste, adding very little water. Heat oil in a sauce pan and sauté this paste for roughly a minute. Add onions, and cook on medium-low till the onions just turn transparent. Now, add the powders and salt to the onion mixture in the sauce pan.

Introduce the diced mushrooms, mix well and cooked covered for 4-5 minutes. Let it cook uncovered on medium till all of the water has completely reduced and the mushroom has been coated well. This dish is not very wet, if you’d like it wet then you may want to avoid the reduction and stop cooking, once the mushrooms are done.

Garnish with fresh cilantro. I served mine with cooked brown rice as the nutty flavor just pairs well with the mushrooms. Enjoy with white or brown rice.

If you are wondering why this weird name when the ingredients are more or less very basic...then here's why..... I had just 45 minutes to cook dinner between when I got back from work and when I had to rush to pick my little one up from daycare. I knew I had mushrooms sitting in the refrigerator, so, I threw in these everyday ingredients along with the mushrooms to turn out something like a ‘quick fix’. Quite surprisingly this recipe produced the most delectable mushrooms ever! So why not the give the ‘rush’ to cook these mushrooms that evening a little credit!

Creamy Tomato and Basil Soup

It’s great to be back after a break! While I wasn’t blogging, I’ve been travelling, working and exploring good eats. It’s been an amazing experience spending time in nature, hiking trails, visiting farmer’s markets and checking out local produce and restaurants.

Now that I’m back home I’ve been trying to recreate the flavors and various recipes I came across on my travels. One of them is this creamy Tomato Basil soup that I had in this little French restaurant. I just fell in love all over again with French cuisine with this soup. It’s rich, comforting and perfect after a long day on a chilly evening.

Ingredients

2 cups organic tomatoes, diced and cored

1 cup organic Tomato juice, low sodium

1 cup organic Vegetable broth, low sodium

¼ cup organic, low fat Cream

½ cup organic fat free Milk

(To reduce the amount of cream I used milk for this recipe)

½ cup organic Basil, fresh and finely chopped

1 teaspoon cooking Oil (Olive or Canola)

Salt to taste

Fresh ground black pepper

Method

Mix together tomato juice and vegetable stock and set aside.

In a sauce pan, heat oil, add tomatoes, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add in the juice-broth mixture. Cook covered on medium-low flame for 15-20 minutes.

Add basil leaves; cook uncovered for 1-2 minutes. Remove from flame and allow cooling for 5-6 minutes.

Using a hand held blender, puree the mixture to a thick pulp, in the saucepan. Add in cream and milk, slowly stirring throughout.

Add salt and stir continuously for 7-8 minutes on medium –low flame. Add fresh ground black pepper, remove from flame.

Serve hot with baguette.

A note of thanks........to My Comfort Food for the Butterfly Award.

It was a pleasant surprise!


I’d like to pass this on to Ramya,Maya ,Suganya and Srivalli.

Banana ‘Wholesome’ Bread

Banana bread is one of my favorites. I altered the traditional recipe to accommodate healthier ingredients – some of my favorites like milled flax seeds, cranberries, millets or lightly toasted oats. Also to keep it very natural, I opted for cardamom to replace vanilla extract. The outcome - a dairy free, eggless version, that is simple, easy to make and healthy. This is one of our favorite weekday breakfasts and it pairs very well with regular coffee or milk (soy and regular).

Ingredients

1 cup organic Whole Wheat flour

½ cup organic Oats (regular and lightly toasted)

1 ½ cups ripe organic Bananas, mashed

1 ½ cups organic Soy or Rice milk

3 tablespoons organic Flax seed, milled

1-2 teaspoons green Cardamom, finely powdered

1 ½ teaspoons Baking powder

½ teaspoon Baking soda

½ teaspoon Salt

Light cooking spray

Method

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Sieve together wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. To this add flax seed, half the quantity of oats, cardamom powder and mix well.

Add in soymilk slowly to the dry mixture. Stir well till a thick batter forms.

Add the mashed bananas to this batter and slowly mix to evenly combine all ingredients.

Pour the batter into the previously prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining half of the oats on top of the batter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

This bread can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. However, microwave the slices of this bread for 15-20 seconds before consuming /serving. It’s advisable to refrigerate the cake as room temperature can cause it to go awry due to the natural ingredients used.

This recipe goes out to JFI- Whole grains hosted by Suganya .

Gingered Watermelon Punch

With the mercury reaching 100 and beyond each day of the week, we have been opting for fresh fruit juices over the packaged ones, more often than before. We love watermelons and no trip to the farmer’s market is complete without getting a ripe watermelon- when in season. This year was no different and as always half the watermelon went in to the blender with a dash of salt and fresh ground black pepper and some ice – till I came across this recipe that called for ginger – in The Essential Asian Cookbook. The book provides a collection of dishes, both vegetarian and otherwise, from across Asia.

The aroma and the flavor of fresh ginger just gave the juice the pizzazz it needed! I also added a teaspoon of lemon juice to give it that additional burst of tartness and make it the perfect punch for a hot Texas summer day.

Ingredients

3 cups of Watermelon, seedless and skin removed, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon Ginger, freshly grated

1 teaspoon Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground

A few ice cubes

Salt

Method

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes till an even suspension is seen. Serve chilled.

This recipe serves 2-3. I use ice cubes, even if the watermelon is chilled. This punch pairs well even with alcohol. For an alcoholic punch, add ½ cup of Vodka or to give it a Margarita twist, add ¼- ½ cup Tequila and add more ice for a frozen drink. Before pouring the punch, dip the rim of the glass in lemon juice and dab in salt to give that Margarita touch.

A Stuffed Green Bell Pepper Meal

(Picture: A Well done stuffed bell pepper just fresh from the oven. You can still see the droplets from steam on its surface)

I picked up a couple three bell peppers from the farmer’s market while shopping for my weekly veggies. I avoid storing bell peppers for long in the refrigerator and don’t buy them unless and until I plan to cook them that very day or the next day. Since I shopped for veggies mid-week, I hadn’t planned to have bell peppers on my list. But,once I saw these fresh, crisp and bright green bell peppers I just couldn’t get my eyes off them. I knew I had to buy at least one of them that evening and eventually landed up buying more than just one.

On my way back home, I was thinking of ways to incorporate these bell peppers into something easy and close to being a one pot meal, but could hardly think of any except for stuffing them. To make it very simple and be a quick fix weekday dinner, I decided to use rice to stuff these bell peppers, instead of a long list of ingredients. I had made a batch of paneer using organic milk at home earlier that weekend, and realized that there was sufficient left to add to the stuffing.

Though this recipe is something I put together on the go, the outcome was more appeasing that what I had expected it to be. I used less of the paneer and more of the rice for the stuffing, so in essence it was more like having pulao with sabzi in a bell pepper shell. What more when its like an entire meal by itself? These stuffed bell peppers pair very well when served with a light soup or in a pool of dal.

Ingredients

For the rice stuffing



½ cup Rice, white, pre-cooked and at room temperature
¼ cup Green peas, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon Shahi Jeera
2 teaspoons Kasuri Methi, crushed
1½ teaspoon Oil
Salt

For the Paneer stuffing



¼ cup Paneer, crumbled
¼ cup Onions, diced
½ Tomato, diced
½ teaspoon Red Chili powder
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Oil
Salt

For the shell:

2 Green Bell Peppers, cleaned, pith and top removed.
Cooking oil spray
Salt - optional

Method

Preheat oven at 300F. Prepare a cookie sheet with foil and set aside.

For Rice stuffing:

- Heat oil in a skillet; add jeera, peas and salt. Sauté for 3-4 mins. Add pre-cooked rice, kasuri methi and mix well. Cook covered for 5-6 mins, occasionally mixing all the ingredients. Add more salt if required, based on taste.
- Remove from flame. Set aside to cool.

For the Paneer stuffing

- Heat oil in a skillet; add chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Sauté for 2-3 mins. Add in crumbled paneer and onions; mix well, sauté for 3-4 mins. Add in diced tomatoes and mix well. Cook covered for 1-2 mins.
- Remove from flame and set aside.

For the shell

- Wipe the green bell pepper dry. Set it on the prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart from each other. Spray cooking oil (lightly) on the outer side of the bell pepper and sprinkle salt lightly if required.
- Fill the green bell pepper with the rice stuffing, well till the top. Using a spoon press the stuffing down, just a little. This is done to flatten the rice and provide a bed for the paneer stuffing.
- Now scoop a spoonful of the paneer stuffing on the top of the rice bed. Garnish with a chopped cilantro (optional)
- Cook at 300F for 20-22 minutes. Serve hot as is or with any light soup /dal.

Note:
****To make paneer at home I use the following recipe:
2 cups Organic milk, 2% reduced fat (For rich paneer use Whole milk)
Juice from 1 Lemon

Add fresh squeezed lemon juice to milk. Warm milk on medium-low flame, keep stirring. The whey and the cheese will separate out in about 6-8 mins. Strain the cheese using a cheese cloth. Hang it for 2-4 hours, to drain off any excess liquid. Store the paneer in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freezer for 6-8 days.****

Instead of paneer, diced potatoes or even poultry could be used. Since I had paneer I went ahead to use it. Again this is entirely optional and you could use the best of your imagination to put together the stuffing.

Green Chick Peas Sautéed with Onions

I was surprised to spot fresh green chick peas in a local farmer’s market. I had presumed that these were available fresh only in the “Bhaaji Galis” (street side produce markets) of Mumbai. If you are familiar with Mumbai (Bombay), in summers along the Marine Drive, you’d for sure see the “channa waalahs” make spicy green chick pea salads with fresh onions, tomatoes, red chili powder and a dash of lime.

Crisp, tender and mildly sweet these chick peas were simply irresistible. I bought a pound of these chick peas (on the pod) along with farm fresh onions, lemons and cilantro. I sun dried them for a week in the scorching Texas sun and tried recreating this Marine Drive “finger” food with the ingredients I could list from memory. Though the original recipe used fresh chick peas, I gave it a slight twist with these sun dried chick peas and sautéed onions.

This recipe could be modified by replacing the fresh green chick peas with sprouted green chick peas. It’s a quick fix spicy salad and is refreshing when served with cold yoghurt in summer.

Ingredients

2 cups Green chick peas fresh or sundried

½ cup diced onions

2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder

½ teaspoon Red Chili powder

½ teaspoon cilantro, finely chopped

Oil

Salt

Method

To a skillet add lemon juice and onions. Sauté for 3-4 mins, on medium heat, till the onions turn lightly transparent.

Add salt, turmeric powder, chili powder and cilantro. Mix well. Throw in the chick peas, sauté for 4-5 mins.

Serve hot or at room temperature with cold yoghurt.

The sun dried chick peas were slightly harder. Though they were in close resemblence to the dried packaged version, they required no pressure cooking and had a flavor very different from the completely dried and fresh ones. The dark color and the semi-dryness gave these chick peas a unique taste. If using fresh chick peas, its best to use them as is than sautéing to enhance its true flavors.

Meeting a Farmer & Moolik

I’ve been on and off on the blog for a while now ...a self imposed break... to realign my approach towards choosing foods. It all started one Saturday morning with a visit to the local farmer’s & organic market. What started as a thought has now become a weekend ritual to visit these markets, interact with the local growers and buy produce that is chemical free and locally grown.

In pursuit of this I have been able to interact with farmers and taste a whole variety of farm fresh produce and foods in various places in India and here in Texas. It’s been a healthy and refreshing change from a plastic bag loaded with chemically induced produce from the regular grocery stores. The one-on-one interaction with the famers is what has made this experience unique.

As an initiative to promote organic farming and the local produce A Bon Vivant Chow Chronicles has decided to go organic and local with all produce and ingredients - wherever possible- used for recipes mentioned here. Any exceptions from this will be mentioned. The earth tones of the Chow Chronicles are in alignment to promote earth friendly farming and local farmers.

My journey started in Mangalore, India. In search of local produce, I had to travel just 5 miles from the city to meet a local farmer who has been growing coconuts and jackfruits for 30 years and has been selling produce to my grandmother’s family. With no fertilizers and just manure, his simple farming was the closest I could get to organic, in the region. Mangalore has bloomed into a city from the small town it was half a decade ago. With high rises on every street, bustling traffic, malls and a huge growing population, I was overcome with mixed feelings seeing a town so close to my heart change so rapidly.

At the farm, I got to know about two different varieties of jackfruit- a harder milder variety and a softer sweeter one. On tasting a sample of each, I decided to buy the softer sweeter variety. After a short walk through this farm of 200 coconut trees and 15 huge jackfruit trees, I was treated to a cup of coffee made with jaggery.

Though a little too sweet for my taste buds, it had this strong earthy flavor to it that got me curious to know how it was prepared. That’s when I came to know that the farmer used for fresh cane juice for this recipe of home-made jaggery. Prepared without any additives or chemicals, it had this outstanding rich unrefined texture and color to it. To go with the coffee I was also offered pieces of crushed jaggery with coconut as a snack. You could say I had a double- double of jaggery! In all my purchase didn’t stop just at the jackfruit; I also purchased a small bag of the home-made jaggery and a few coconuts.

Once I got home, I knew just exactly I wanted to do using the jackfruit and the jaggery. My grandmother (on my mother’s side) is an awesome cook. She has been the inspiration behind my love for Konkani cuisine. In spite of the tiredness from frequent bouts of wheezing, she was eager to make some “Moolik” (fried jackfruit dumplings with coconut and jaggery) for me as much as I was eager to eat them. Though there may be many different recipes to this Moolik, this is my favorite more so because this has a special ingredient – my grandmother’s love- and it has been something I’ve looked forward to in summers ever since I was little.

At the end of a fun vacation in Mangalore, I was sad to leave and amongst all the other things I wished and hoped for is that this small farm remains intact without being engulfed into the realms of concrete world around it.

Now for the recipe......

Moolik

Ingredients

2 cups Jackfruit (pulp) de-seeded and chopped (Caution: Jackfruit as a whole has a tough exterior and a sticky interior. Oil hands before cutting the fruit to prevent the gum from sticking to your hands and get remove the pulp from the sheath)

½ cup Rice, soaked over night

1 cup Coconut, freshly grated

1 cup Jaggery, crushed

2 teaspoons Cardamom, crushed

½ teaspoon Sea Salt

Water

Oil

Method

Drain excess water from rice. Grind rice, jackfruit, jaggery, cardamom and coconut into a coarse thick semi-dry batter. Avoid adding water in excess to prevent batter from turning watery. Make sure the rice is coarse/grainy and not completely ground.

Add salt, mix well.

Heat oil till warm and add in spoonfuls of batter, one at a time, into the oil. Cook on medium-low flame till golden brown.

Drain off excess oil using absorbent paper. Serve warm.

Indian Ivy Gourd Sautéed with Garlic

Indian Ivy Gourd (Tendli or Tendley in Konkani) is an integral part of the Konkani cuisine. It is widely cooked on occasions when the food is “Saatwik” (Vegetarian food completely devoid of any onion and garlic). However, this vegetable hasn’t been restricted to just that and is cooked with onions and garlic on a day to day basis in most households.

Traditionally, stir fry recipes are termed as “Upkari”. The vegetable is cut lengthwise or in rounds/cubes (depending upon the vegetable) and sautéed in oil with roasted red chilies, salt, mustard seeds and coconut. Second in line come the recipes known as “Talasani” or “Thalasan” where the basic ingredients are oil, roasted red chilies and salt. For Talasani a fourth ingredient – garlic or in some cases mustard seeds- is added again depending on the vegetable used and the household’s palette.

“Tendley Talasani” as the name implies is Ivy gourd cooked with the base ingredients along with garlic. The Ivy gourd is flattened out using a pestle, smeared with salt and allowed to sit for a while before it is actually cooked (The pestle is used just to mash the gourd enough so that it flattens and not squish it into a mass). This is done to ensure that salt is evenly distributed. Cutting off the ends for this recipe is purely optional and not mandatory. That said, I never cut off the ends of the gourd for this recipe and have not experienced any difference in taste with and without the ends.

Ingredients

3 cups unripe Ivy Gourd (The gourd must be not ripe and red. Only green ones are to be used for this recipe)

1½ tablespoons Oil (Any vegetable or canola oil. Olive oil is strong and masks the flavor of the recipe.)

3-4 roasted Red Chilies

1 cup finely diced Garlic

Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash Ivy gourd and pat dry with a soft cloth.

2. Using a pestle flatten each gourd without breaking it apart, on a chopping board. When all gourds are flattened, add a teaspoon of salt and mix thoroughly and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. Heat oil in a skillet, add red chilies and garlic. Sauté well till garlic turns completely brown. This may take anywhere between 5-6 minutes.

4. Squeeze dry the gourd to strain all water and add it into the sautéed garlic. Make sure you turn the flame to low to avoid any splash. It’s best to throw in a handful of squeeze dried gourd at a time.

5. Mix well. Cook on medium-low flame, uncovered for 12-15 mins or till completely done. Stir occasionally to toss or turn any uncooked gourds.

6. Cooking is done when the Ivy gourds turn brown. Serve hot with dal and rice.

The reason I like this recipe is the aroma of sautéed garlic. To sauté the garlic completely I use finely diced garlic though the original recipe calls for halved garlic or partly mashed garlic. This is something I learnt from my Mom. I also use garlic in a larger quantity than what is generally used. The amount of oil used for the recipe varies and is purely a personal preference. I favor using less oil and increasing the cooking time to ensure that Ivy Gourd is evenly cooked and well done. I also go easy on the salt. So the only time I add salt is in Step 2. That said, additional salt can be added 5 minutes after the gourds are sautéed in the skillet. The time limit is to ensure that salt does not soften the gourds before sautéing.

Chipotle Chocolate & Walnut Cake

Jalapenos are great in beans or salsa, ever tried to bake a cake with it? Weird! Nope not at all! You have to taste it to believe how wonderful it is!

I used chipotles for this cake because I love their color and flavor. Chipotles or smoke dried jalapenos are coffee colored and have a rich smoky flavor. Though grown widely in Mexico, these chilies are available in regular and specialty stores as is or canned in seasoned Adobo sauces.

Ingredients

¼ cup sifted unbleached organic white flour

¼ cup sifted organic whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons milled flax seed powder

1-1 ½ cup organic soy or rice milk (Could be substituted with water instead)

3 teaspoons dried chipotle chili paste (Grind 3-5 chilies using very little water, to a fine paste)

¼ cup crushed walnuts or pecans

¼ teaspoon salt (I use sea salt)

Method

- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a cookie sheet and set aside.

- Mix white flour, whole wheat pastry flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder. Add milled flax seed powder, mix well.

- Add in the soy milk and chipotle chili paste. Mix well to a consistency of a thick batter. Set aside for 5 mins.

- Pour the batter into the previously prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle crushed walnuts on top and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake’s center comes out clean.

The fusion of the flavors from the chocolate, chipotle and walnuts came together so perfect ...it couldn’t have been any better. It was a true feast to the palate. The flax seed made the cake really moist and chili paste added the right amount of spice to balance the bitterness from the chocolate. What best its totally egg, milk and oil free! I have tried this cake with honey and agave nectar to add some sweetness; however the sugarless one is my favorite.

An entry for Click: AU NATUREL

My contribution to Bee & Jai's April theme for Click -- Au Naturel.

A bowl of grapes.