Cranberry Sauce with pineapple and orange

Ingredients:
2 cups Cranberry ( fresh would be best for this one)
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 can of crushed pineapple in its own juice
1/8 tsp of vanilla extract
Toasted walnuts
1/8 tsp Salt

Method:
In a medium saucepan put the fresh cranberries in along with a 1/2 cup of water. Cook the berry on medium, until the fruit starts popping. Make sure you don't turn the stove on high. Add the sugar  and let the mixture cook further, until the mixture looks like a saucy compote. Then add the orange zest, orange juice, pineapple along with its juice and the vanilla extract and the salt. Cook for another 2 minutes if need be. Garnish with toasted walnuts as much as you want. You could also garnish with anything else you think would fit. But I wouldn't change the orange juice and pineapple.

       -- I've added crushed pineapple because I want to people to get the flavor without actually biting into a                 piece  of the fruit. But if you prefer feel free to add pineapple pieces. 

       -- The tiny pinch of salt is required to balance the flavors of the sweet and tart from the cranberry, pineapple and orange. 

Mixed Greens Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Feels good to be back after a brief  hiatus. So am making an equally feel good salad as part of dinner tonight. It's clean and fresh and can be a complement to any main course.
I like the Mixed Greens in this salad, and since you can get it all in one bag I decided to use it. My mixed greens is a combination of Romaine, Radicchio, Red Leaf Lettuce, Spinach. But if all you have is red leaf or Romaine, go ahead and use that. Don't let that stop you from trying this awesome recipe!!

Ingredients:

A bag of Mixed Greens 

¼ cup Cannelloni Beans  (white beans that look like kidney beans)

½ Onion Thinly sliced

¼ cup dried cranberries

2 Ripe tomatoes, seeded and either quartered or sliced

¼ cup toasted and chopped walnuts 

Some Parmesan cheese either grated or small peels to garnish

Dressing:

¼ cup Strawberries

1Tbsp white wine vinegar

½ tsp honey

¼ cup Olive Oil

Method:

Blend all the dressing ingredients in a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile get all the salad ingredients altogether in a salad bowl, and drizzle the salad dressing on top of it. Toss the salad well to make sure the dressing gets into the nook and cranny of the lettuce. Serve immediately.

If you’re not serving the salad immediately, then keep the salad and dressing in separate bowls and toss them together before you serve. You could also put the dressing at the bottom of the salad bowl, and then throw the salad ingredients on top of it. Don’t mix it until you’re ready to serve.

• I use white wine vinegar, but you could use red wine vinegar or any other vinegar you may have in your pantry. I wouldn’t use any herb flavored vinegar (like Tarragon vinegar)
• To toast walnuts, simply put them in a small saucepan without any fat or grease for maybe 1 minute or two. Chop them after you toast them, coz otherwise they wont roast evenly.
• Store your nuts in the freezer. The nuts have a lot of fat/oils in them and they can go rancid pretty quick. 

Cilantro Hummus

Hummus is considered to be the healthier version of butter. I like it simply because its yummy. Its simple to make, stores well and can be used in so many ways. But plain hummus demands a variation every once in a while. That’s where the cilantro steps in. A simple addition of an herb brings such a different flavor that you think you’re eating an entirely new dish!

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Garbanzo beans (Channa)

2 Tbsp Tahini Paste

2 cloves garlic

3 Tbsp of Olive Oil

½ cup chopped Cilantro

* Toasted Pine Nuts (optional)

¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper/ Chili powder

                                                      Salt

                                                      Pepper

Method:

If you’re using canned beans, then drain the brine out and rinse the beans. If using dry beans, then soak them overnight and cook them in water for about 45 minutes to an hour until the garbanzo beans seem softened.

The next time is very simple. Just grind all the ingredients except the Pine Nuts and 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil in a food processor. I wouldn’t coarse grind for this dish just because there is raw garlic in it. You don’t want pieces of raw garlic in your hummus. So grind until the mixture is smooth.

Season to taste. Mix the cayenne Pepper in the ground mixture. Then drizzle the remaining Tbsp of oil as a garnish, while also sprinkling the toasted Pine Nuts.

Now enjoy it as a healthy dip for parties, or on a pita sandwich. It particularly pairs well with Parmesan or Feta cheese.

§         Tahini paste is sesame seed paste that you can get in any Mediterranean aisle of the grocery store. Stir it well before using it, as it tends to settle.

§         * To toast Nuts, just add the nuts to a dry pan and toast on the medium high until it starts turning brown. You can also add cashews or chopped toasted walnuts if you don’t prefer Pine Nuts. FYI…. Pine Nuts can also be found as Pignoli.

§         Not a fan of Cilantro…. try this recipe with mint or rosemary.

Something summery

They say spring has set in, and I thought this would be a great time to make a fresh, very spring like, but has “gotta to be delicious” dish. Soups are normally thought of during wintertime, to make you feel all warm inside. That may be true, but spring and summer beckon their own version of soup. This one is light, and very easy to prepare. Try it on a day that’s not too cold, combine it with a sandwich and you’ve got a great meal for either lunch or dinner. I know carrot and orange sounds like an unusual pairing, but the ingredients don’t overpower each other, and it’s very delicious. Wouldn’t you want delicious in your meal?

 Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Leeks chopped (White and light green parts)
1 shallot

Mint (few leaves to cook and few to garnish)

3 cups chopped carrots

6 cups vegetable stock or water

Rind and juice of 2 oranges

¾ cup low fat yogurt

2 tsp Cornstarch (Cornflour)

Salt

                                                      Pepper 

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the shallots, leeks and cook for a couple of minutes. Add a small pinch of salt at this point, will bring out the juices of the vegetables and help cook in its own juice. Once the leeks and shallots have turned translucent, add the carrots. Cook for about 5- 10 minutes until the carrots seem softened. Now pour in the stock, orange rind and juice, a few mint leaves, nutmeg and pepper. Let the vegetables cook for about 30 – 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt and cornstarch in a separate bowl and set aside.

 Let the cooked carrots and vegetable mixture cool and then blend them all in a blender or food processor. Return the mixture back to a pan, stir in the yogurt-cornstarch mixture. Season it. You could reheat it if you wanted to, but do so very gently. If you reheat on high the yogurt might curdle on you. Serve hot garnished with few mint leaves, preferably with a warm Panini. 

§         You could buy the vegetable stock, or make your own at home. If you do buy it make sure it’s the low sodium one. So that way, you can control the salt in the soup

§         Would be really nice if the orange juice is fresh.

§         Shallots are the small onions that you can find in the onion/potato aisle

Okra with a twist

Okra alias Ladies finger is very common in traditional Indian Cooking. It’s normally sautéed until crisp or deep-fried all the way. The recipe today is okra with a slight twist, in that it has yogurt in it. I skeptically tried it once and ever since couldn't let go. I make this so very often for dinner now. This recipe is simple, requires not much time, and best of all turns out delicious. It’s also easy on the waistline, since it requires no deep- frying at all.

Ingredients:

1 pound of okra (Ladies finger)

1 tsp chopped ginger

1 cup chopped tomatoes

½ cup yogurt

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 chili powder

2 tsp coriander powder

2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp dry methi leaves( Kasuri methi)

1 tbsp Fennel seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp fenugreek seeds ( methi seeds)

Pinch of Asafoetida

Salt

Pepper

  

Method:

Pat dry the ladies finger and sauté the vegetable in Tbsp of oil or even better with a no stick spray.

Meanwhile, heat the 2 Tbsp of oil and add the dry methi leaves, Fennel, mustard, fenugreek, Asafoetida. Once they crackle in the oil, add the ginger and tomatoes. At this point salt it a bit. In the meanwhile, mix the yogurt, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and the salt (bearing in mind you’ve already salted the tomato mixture in the pan) in a bowl. When the ginger and tomatoes have sautéed enough (you will know this, if the tomato separates from the oil or if the tomatoes look mushy and cooked), add the yogurt mixture, and cook for a couple of minutes.

Remember to never keep the pot screaming hot. The yogurt will curdle on you. Add the sautéed ladies finger in the yogurt mixture and simmer on low for about 2 minutes. Serve hot with some Indian rotis or biriyani.

• Throughout the cooking of this recipe, keep the stove on medium high or below that. Never cook on high in this recipe, as the yogurt will curdle.
• You could use fresh or frozen ladies finger. If using the frozen one, buy the already chopped one and let it thaw before you cook it.

Chinese take out? Not anymore!!

Chinese food is synonymous with take out. Its heartwarming to know that after a hectic day, a simple call could bring you dinner right to your door. All we need to do is eat it………and pay of course.

Albeit very convenient to pick up the phone and simply order what you want, nobody talks of the grease and the calories that come along with it. Try cooking Chinese food and you’ll be surprised at how easy it is!!

Chinese food is very flavorful, and contrary to popular belief has a lot of vegetarian options.  The Chinese noodles recipe that follows is a simple, easy and a delicious meal that’ll save you the calories, the phone calls and not to mention the money.

It might look like a lot of ingredients, but these are things you could find in your regular grocery store. Don’t go out and buy Chinese noodles, just use the Italian spaghetti. Nobody will ever know, and I certainly won’t tell………

  

Ingredients:

1-pound whole wheat Spaghetti

1 Medium Onion

Ginger minced

2 cloves Garlic minced

2 Bell Peppers Cut into thin Strips (Julienne)

1 cup Shredded Cabbage

1 cup chopped marinated firm or medium Tofu (recipe follows)

2 Carrots cut into thin strips

¼ cup bean sprouts

2 tsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Chili Oil (recipe given in the notes below)

A couple of dashes of rice vinegar

1 tsp chili sauce (optional)

¼ cup roasted peanuts

¼ cup cilantro

¼ cup Spring Onions

Salt

Pepper

Ingredients to Marinate the Tofu:

1 tsp Honey

1 tsp Chili Sauce

2 tsp Soy Sauce

1 clove Garlic minced

Salt / Pepper

Method:

Pat dry the tofu and chop it into large cubes. Use medium or firm for this recipe. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl and then slowly put the tofu in the marinade.

Let it rest for about 10 minutes (or even until you finish cutting the vegetables)

Meanwhile cook the spaghetti according to instructions. Also, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Once the Tofu has marinated, spray a cookie sheet with a no stick spray (or brush it with oil), put the tofu in the cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, broiling it on high for another minute.

In a wok, heat the chili oil on high and drop the Onion, garlic and ginger, Bell Pepper, and Carrots in it. Stir fry for a couple of minutes and then stir in the cabbage and the bean sprouts.
Continue on medium high and when the cabbage has wilted, add the vinegar and soy sauce, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Be aware that the soy sauce is quite salty in itself and you may not require as much salt as you normally do. Cook for a few minutes and then add the spaghetti and slowly add in the Tofu. Using a pair of tongs, mix the noodles and vegetables in the wok making sure you don’t break the Tofu or vegetables.

Now add the peanuts, and then garnish with cilantro and spring onions. Serve hot.

§         Chili oil is simply crushed dry red chilies in warm oil. I wouldn’t use olive oil for this one. Use light colored oil. Put in a small container and close it. It’ll stay for a long time. Use 2 tsp of crushed chilies for every ¼ cup of oil.

§         If you do not have an oven, just brown the Tofu like you would potatoes or paneer on the stove top.

Appetizers anyone?

Appetizers has got to be the most elusive from any cook’s repertoire. The reason is simple. Why serve anything else when you can have chips and salsa? When entertaining a crowd, cooking the entrée can be quite a task in itself. Who has the time and the energy to cook the appetizers too?? Well, this recipe is easy, and delicious. The original recipe is from a famous cook I adore. I made a few changes to it to suit my palette. I particularly like this recipe coz you get many servings at a time. Oh… and the hardware required are simply a rolling pin and a cookie sheet.

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry (thawed overnight or for at least 6 hours.)

-         You get Puff Pastry in the freezer aisle of the grocery store.

-         Packet has two sheets. Depending on the no. of guests, you can use either one or both. The ingredients I’m listing are for one sheet. Simply double it and use it on the other one. Freeze the sheet you don't use.

½ Cup Basil Pesto (you can use the store bought one, else look at my blog on March 7^th)

¼ cup Sun Dried Tomatoes finely chopped

¼ cup chopped Walnuts/Pistachios/ Pine Nuts (You get the drift…. You can use any nut you want)

8 oz crumbled Goat Cheese (The Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges work too)

¼ cup chopped black Olives
Salt & Pepper

Method: 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Take the thawed Puff Pastry from the refrigerator, lay it on the counter and roll it out gently using the rolling pin. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and the rolling pin so the puff pastry does not stick. No point in making something if you cannot get it out!!! Try and keep it in its original rectangular shape.

Next spread the pesto on the puff pastry as if you were spreading jam on bread. Now sprinkle the chopped sun dried tomatoes, Nuts, Olives. Crumble the goat Cheese on top of the pesto.Season it. Make a single fold lengthwise on either side of the Puff Pastry towards the middle of the Pastry. Then make the fold again towards the middle. At this point the two folds from either sides are almost touching each other.

 Now finally fold one over the other. So now it’s like a log.
Take a sharp knife, cut of the edges and start slicing it in ¼ inch slices. Place it on the cookie sheet face up. Bake it for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Can be served by itself or with a soup.

 - You dont have to use the exact measurements form this recipe.Just eyeball the ingredients.You can make any changes they want. Don't increase the pesto though, coz it can ooze out when it bakes if you overdo it. 

 - Change any of the stuffing inside as you like. Its quite a fun recipe to play around with. 

 - Try fresh mozzarella too. Just cut it into small cubes. 

Not Boring Anymore!!

Quiz: Its one of the easiest vegetables to cook but is also fairly bland. What is it?

 Ans: Zucchini.

Such an understated squash, that people mostly use it as a salad vegetable. I confess there was a time when I couldn’t have agreed more. When my in-laws introduced me to zucchini, I thought it was the worst I had tasted. Not now though. Turns out my father-in-law was right. It’s a flavorful veggie that all it needs is the recipe it deserves, and soon you’d be making it a routine.

I use it on everything…from salads to vegetable stock/soup to roasted in pasta to muffins and pancakes.

I actually do have a few recipes up my sleeve. But today I’m going to do zucchini soup. The good news about this soup is it can be served hot or cold.

Ingredients:

3 Leeks chopped (use the green part too, but not the top tough portion)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

2 medium size potatoes chopped (You could either peel it or not)

2 tsp dried Thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 pound of zucchini peeled & chopped

5 cups vegetable stock (or water if you don’t have the stock)

½ cup cream/half & half (use either one- and yes you could use the fat free version)

2 cloves garlic

½ tsp ground nutmeg

salt

pepper

Method:

Clean the leeks really well. There can be dirt hiding between the leek layers. Heat the olive oil and butter on medium heat and sauté the leeks in it, until they turn a bit translucent.  Salting it a little at this point will help to sweat the leeks so they can cook in the oil and in their own juice, which is released when you salt it. Put the garlic in and sauté for another minute without turning the garlic brown. Now add the potatoes, thyme and oregano. Add a little bit of salt at this stage. Now add the zucchini and enough stock/water to cover the vegetables. Cook the zucchini mixture for almost 20 minutes until everything has cooked through. If you have an immersion blender (the stick blender that lets you blend in the cooking pot), blend the zucchini and the rest of the vegetables until they’re creamy. If you don’t have one, use the blender or food processor. Once the mixture is smooth return it to the pot in which you were cooking the zucchini, and add the cream, nutmeg, and pepper. Taste the soup for salt, and add more only if you need it.

Enjoy it with a bread roll/baguette and you’ll see zucchini in a whole new light now.

-         Meat eaters could use chicken stock if you please.

-         Rub the dried herbs on your palm before you add it. That releases the flavor of the herb.

-         If you’re serving this to kids and they want cheese on it, please add it after you reheat it, if you plan on reheating it at all. My suggestion for a cheese in this is Parmesan. Don’t use the Swiss, or the blue cheeses. Way too strong for this recipe.

-         I’m not a wine connoisseur by any means, but I’ve tried this with a fruity white wine and my guests loved it! Just a suggestion……….

Sneak in the Greens.........

Know anyone who hates spinach? Or are you one of them?? Well,you’re not alone!!!

Adults and kids alike seem to hate spinach…..I believe the phrases used are “boring”, “flavorless”, “dull”, “goat food”, and as many similar adjectives as the vocabulary allows.

Popeye may have eaten spinach right out of a can, but you don’t have to.

Try this Basil Pesto with Spinach recipe and there’s no looking back.

Ingredients:

1 cup Basil

½ cup Spinach

2 cloves garlic

¼ cup Walnuts

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

¼ cup + 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

a tsp of Lemon Juice

Salt

Pepper

Method:

Put everything except the Parmesan cheese and the Tbsp of Olive Oil in a blender and grind until smooth. How smooth totally depends on you. I prefer that it not become baby food, but that’s me. You should grind it way you like it or you think your kids are going to like it.

Transfer the mixture from the blender to a bowl you can store it in, mix the Parmesan cheese & lemon juice. Check for seasonings.

If you’re going to store it, drizzle the Tbsp of Olive Oil on top of the pesto like a layer, to keep it fresh. That’s it!! You’ll never know its spinach and neither will your kids!!!

The pesto is ready to use on

SANDWICHES

-         Spread it like jam and make a toasted sandwich with cheese and tomato

PASTA

-         Simply pour over cooked pasta

-         If you want the pesto to be a little more thin to pour on pasta, just dilute it with the pasta water.

-         Make a cream sauce and add the pesto to it. Kids find it delicious!!

-     The oil on top  might solidify if you keep it in the refrigerator. Just microwave it for 10 seconds or allow it to settle at room temperature for the oil to thin out.

French not Fried.........

Love French fries but hate the grease? Bake ‘em!!! 

They come out as crispy and more delicious coz now you add any other flavor you want.You don't have to keep it plain and boring. One of my favorites………with garlic.

Ingredients:

2 Russet or any Baking potato (yup, the giant ones)

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 tsp Chilli Powder (I know some may want more)

Salt & Pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the potato lengthwise and then further into 4ths. As you cut the potato, put them in a microwave safe bowl of water. Now cook the potato steaks in the microwave on high for 4-5 minutes. Its perfectly fine even if it does not cook all the way through, since it’s going to continue cooking in the oven. Meanwhile in a separate bowl mix the oil, garlic, chilli powder, salt and pepper.

Once the potato is out of the microwave, drain the water and pat them dry. Mix it with the oil mixture; making sure every potato steak is coated with the oil mixture. Lay them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and put them in the oven for about 15 minutes, turning them once. After about 15 minutes, turn the broil on HI for about a minute or two.

If the potato had already turned crisp and brown during the baking process, you can omit the broil. The broil simply helps to turn it crispy as if you had fried it.

But make sure you don’t move away from the oven, since the broil process only takes a couple of minutes. 

Enjoy it hot. 

- Reheat in a preheated oven at 275 degrees. Reheating it in the microwave can make is soggy. 

- If you cannot find baking potatoes,use the regular white or red potatoes. But cook them in the microwave for only about a couple of minutes. 

Daub your buns!!

Want to make an interesting sandwich or a burger at home? Well, you could make your own patty or buy any from the array of burger patties available at the store. Look for it in the frozen section. You could do the usual tomato ketchup, mustard on two buns with some onions and lettuce. Else, you could completely turn up the volume by slathering this mayo on the sandwich or burger and your family will love it!

It’s a simple recipe; it takes no time and best of all no cooking at all.

Ingredients:

Mayonnaise( Low fat or Fat free works perfectly here)

Mint Chutney/ Mint Jelly( Use the one at your local grocery or the Indian Store)

Method:

For every Tbsp of Mayo, add 1 tsp of the mint chutney or jelly. You could do slightly more of either one, depending on your taste. If you’re adding Mint Jelly I recommend adding ¼ tsp of black pepper, since the mint jelly can be a little sweet. A Tbsp pf Mayo mixed with the chutney would serve two. 

Now smear the buns/bread with this chutney just like you would jam on bread. and continue with how you normally make your sandwich or burger…only this time you’ve transformed an otherwise regular burger into something really delicious.  

C’mon it doesn’t get easier than this!!!

-   For anyone who cannot find Mint Chutney or Mint Jelly, go ahead and add fresh mint leaves to the mayonnaise. As much as you feel like. I would add a little black pepper though.

-   This can be done on both vegetarian and meat patties. 

-  My recommendation is ditch the ketchup if you do the mayo in your burger.

cook something you'll enjoy

Its one of those times when I'm thinking " I could've done this earlier!!". Anyone who's met me, knows by now that I'm  fond of cooking.I like it coz I find it therapeutic , fun and enjoyable. But for anyone who does not believe in therapy, I have just one word " Economical!!"  I love eating out....the variety in cuisines, no limit on the quantity I can stuff into my mouth, the no cleaning of the dishes, and best of all keeping the kitchen as I left it........whats not to love? But I gotta say, cooking is instant gratification.....to me and not to mention my  wallet.  To see that you created the concoction on that plate, is well.........an achievement on its own. Gone were the days when people had to travel 20 miles to a specialty store to buy ingredients. Its all available right at our local grocery store. Here's a recipe to try. You probably have these ingredients right in your pantry. 

Now, I'm no world renowned chef spewing technical culinary terms with hard to pronounce processes. I've tried it at home for dinner and its good. 

Pasta in a vegetable cream sauce.

Ingredients: (Serves 3-4)

3 Cups dry pasta

3 Tbsp Oil (I prefer Olive Oil in this)

2 Cloves Garlic chopped

2 Carrots grated

1 Bell pepper chopped

¼ cup broccoli florets

2 Tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

1 Tbsp black olives

1 Cup milk

1 cup reserved pasta water (i.e water in which the pasta has cooked)

3 Tbsp All purpose Flour

2 Tbsp Dried Italian Seasoning

2 Tbsp fresh Basil

¼ tsp Cayenne pepper (optional)

Cheese as desired

Salt

Pepper

2 raw Tomatoes chopped for garnishing

2 spring onions chopped for garnishing 

Method:

Cook the pasta to the box’s directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan heat 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil to medium high and drop the bell pepper in it. When that’s cooking put the garlic in and allow sautéing without the garlic turning brown. Now add the grated carrots, broccoli and the corn. Add a pinch of salt to let the vegetables sweat and not brown. Add 1 Tbsp of the Italian Seasoning.

At this point add the remaining Tbsp of oil. Dump the flour in the sautéing vegetable mixture and stir vigorously until the flour does not look raw anymore. Keep mixing and add the pasta water. As the mixture starts thickening add the milk and continue stirring. Stir in the black olives and the sun dried tomatoes. Now add the remaining Dried Italian Seasoning, Fresh Basil, Cayenne Pepper, salt, and Pepper.

Turn off the stove and mix in the cooked pasta and as much cheese as you want.

Serve hot garnished with raw tomatoes and spring onions.

-         Don’t bother if you don’t have fresh basil, the dried seasoning works just fine.

-         If it becomes cold, simply reheat with milk or water, whichever you prefer.

-    Meat lovers could dice up roasted boneless skinless chicken breast and add it right before the pasta.