What I Did During the DC Snowpocalypse: Molasses Cookies and Oatmeal-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

The East Coast is getting pounded by a massive snowstorm today - near my house in Arlington, VA the snow measured 17 inches deep at 3:45 pm and it is still going strong now that night has fallen. Most of the region is shut down (even the malls!), the Metro is running only underground, my car has morphed into a snowdrift (see picture at right), but I spent the day indoors in my PJs, watching Anne of Green Gables and baking cookies. Although I doubt anyone will show up for the party I'm hosting this evening, I'm sure that the cookies will still go to good use at the office and for Christmas celebrations in the coming days. In the meantime, I have a great DVD collection, hot cocoa, eggnog, and 9 or 10 dozen cookies to sustain me through the remainder of the storm.

Molasses Cookies (~4-5 dozen)
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
granulated sugar or colored sugar [since it is Christmas-time, I used a mixture of red and green decorating sugar]

1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar together. Continue to mix at low speed, adding egg then molasses.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add to wet ingredients in several stages, mixing after each.

3. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for an hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Shape dough into balls about 1 or 1 1/2 inch in diameter, roll in granulated sugar, and place on a greased cookie sheet or cookie sheet with a silicone liner. If desired, press lightly with a fork to flatten slightly and form a grid pattern on each cookie.

5. Bake at 350F for 9-10 minutes, until edges of cookies begin to set. Remove from oven, allow to cool on pan for a few minutes, then move cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies (~ 4-5 dozen)
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and peanut butter until blended, about 30 seconds.

2. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda and beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add flour in a few batches, mixing well after each. You may need to switch to mixing by hand as the dough thickens.

3. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet or cookie sheet with a silicone liner.

5. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven, allow to cool on pan for a few minutes, then move cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Carrot Cake (in a Bundt pan)

My favorite cake of all time is my grandmother's aeblekage (Danish apple cake). However, aeblekage isn't a "cake" in the sense that most people think of cake (it's more wet than dry, since the primary ingredient is applesauce), so when it comes to more traditional cakes, my favorites are carrot and spice.* I've had many good versions of these cakes (even some that have come out of a box - such as quick caramel apple cake), but I've had just as many that have been dry and forgettable. When a really great one comes along - moist, carroty, raisiny, with a cream cheese icing that is delicious without being overpowering - well, that makes me sit up and take notice. I'd like to think that this cake fits that bill - but I'll let you decide for yourself.

* For those who are wondering, chocolate cake is at the bottom of my list - in general, I would to go dessert-less than spend my calories on chocolate cake. However, there are two chocolate cakes that I have had that I think are worth repeating - one is the recipe my roommate uses as the base for her peanut butter-filled cupcakes, the other is the base that Curbside Cupcakes uses for their chocolate cupcake creations (I've tried their peanut butter cup and peppermint varieties so far - both were good).

Carrot Cake (in a Bundt pan)
Cake
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 tsp. orange zest (if desired)
boiling water (enough to cover raisins)
3 cups finely shredded carrots (use a food processor for best results)
4 eggs
1 cup applesauce
2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup white, 1 cup brown)
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup walnuts (if desired)

Glaze Icing
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 oz. cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese
1 T. light corn syrup

1. Place raisins and orange zest in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand while shredding carrots and preparing wet and dry ingredients so that raisins become plump, about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray or cooking spray with flour.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, and sugar. In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

3. Drain raisins and add to dry ingredients, along with carrots and walnuts. Fold in wet ingredients and stir until batter is well mixed. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes; test with a toothpick to determine if the cake is done. Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn cake out of pan and allow cake to continue cooling (at least 30 minutes).

5. While cake is cooling, prepare the glaze icing. Combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cream cheese, and corn syrup using a hand mixer at low speed, mixing until icing is smooth.

6. Spread icing over the cake while it is still slightly warm. Allow cake to cool completely, then slice and serve.

Chicken Curry Meatballs

With the holiday season upon us, it is time to think about whipping up fancy dishes for parties and potlucks. Here is an Indian twist on a party-standby: meatballs. Since these are made with chicken instead of beef and require some additional ingredients as a part of the meat mixture, you can't skimp on time and use frozen - but I was able to whip up a batch in about half an hour and then turn the cooking duties over to the crock pot for a few hours of simmering.

The secret to easy preparation is using an already-made simmer or cooking sauce as the base for the sauce. I used Patak's Mild Curry Cooking Sauce, although there are many options available in the international aisle of your grocery store. Select a sauce and adjust the amount of curry powder below based on your own (or your guests') tolerance for curry and spiciness. The version I made came out fairly mild - acceptable to those who aren't big fans of curry or spicy foods, but with enough flavor to stimulate the taste buds of those who are.

If you aren't serving these up on toothpicks for a party, try ladling a few meatballs and some sauce over rice (I used Lotus Foods Bhutanese Red Rice, a whole grain rice with a lovely reddish tint and good texture). I also included green beans and rose sharbat for my meal.

Chicken Curry Meatballs (~ 30-35 meatballs)
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (~ 3/4 cup)
3 medium gloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp. curry powder [or more, depending on taste]
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. ground chicken
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 jar (12 - 15 oz.) curry simmer sauce [select mild, medium, or hot to suit your taste]
1 can (14 oz.) light or low-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes, until onion is soft and lightly colored. Add garlic, curry powder, salt, and pepper, cook about 30 seconds (until curry is fragrant). Remove from heat (pour into a small bowl, if desired) and allow to cool for a few minutes.

2. Position an oven rack so that it is 4-6 inches from the broiling unit in your oven and preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Combine the ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, cilantro, and onion mixture in a large bowl and mix well (use your hands if necessary - they are going to get dirty in just a minute anyway). Form the mixture into 30-35 walnut-sized meatballs (I used the tablespoon from my silverware drawer to scoop out just about the right amount of mixture for a meatball) and place these on the baking sheet.

4. Broil about 7 minutes. The meatballs will be more solid - but not cooked through.

5. In a large saucepan [or a crock pot], stir together the simmer sauce, coconut milk, and stock. Add the meatballs and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and cook gently for 30 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. [If using a crock pot, simmer four hours on low heat.]

काला चना मसाला (Kala Chana Masala - Black Chickpea Masala)

While white chickpeas are fairly easy to find here in the United States, the black chickpeas used in this dish are harder to find - unless you go into an Indian grocery. काला चना (black chana) tends to be a bit firmer and nuttier than the white variety and I was very happy with how this dish turned out. This recipe requires the use of a pressure cooker - if you don't have one, change the cooking time in step 1 to approximately 2 hours.

काला चना मसाला (black chickpea masala)
1 1/2 cups dried black chickpeas, washed in 3-4 changes of water
5 cups water
3-4 T. chana masala spice mix
3/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
4 scallions (white parts only), finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro (including stems), finely chopped
2 T. peanut oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 T. fresh ginger, minced (or paste)
1-3 fresh green chile peppers (e.g., serrano), split lengthwise or minced
1 T. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground paprika

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight (or at least 6 hours) in enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Drain and place in pressure cooker with 4 1/2 cups water and salt. Secure lid and cook over high heat until high pressure is reached, then cook 1 minute more. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook another 3 minutes. Remove from from heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own (approx. 15 minutes). Open the lid and check to see if beans are soft. [If beans are not soft, add additional water, cover, and bring to high pressure and cook another 1 minutes - or cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.]

2. Transfer chickpeas and remaining water to a deep-sided saute pan and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking (stirring occasionally) until all of the water evaporates, about 40 minutes.

3. Mix in half of the chana masala spice mix, then add tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle remaining spice mix over the top.

4. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the cumin seeds. Quickly add the ginger and green chile peppers and cook 1 minutes. Mix in coriander and paprika and immediately pour over chickpea mixture in serving dish. Stir lightly and serve.

कद्दू बर्फी - Pumpkin Barfi

After having decent success with the pistachio barfi and coconut barfi I posted about a few weeks ago, I decided to branch out to other flavors. Inspired by the current fall season, I thought that pumpkin might be a good start. However, I couldn't find a recipe that I was happy with, so I did a bit of experimenting and came up with my own. This came out fairly soft - so you might want to extend the cooking times a bit and allow the mixture to get quite thick before removing from heat and pouring out - but even if yo stick with the times listed below, you should come out with a soft, sweet treat!

Pumpkin Burfi (~ 48 pieces)
6 T. unsalted butter
2 lbs. part-skim ricotta cheese
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp. spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.)

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add the ricotta cheese and lower the heat to medium. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until liquid evaporates - about 20-25 minutes.

2. Add the sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin and continue cooking and stirring until the mixture begins to thicken and pull away from the sides of the pan - about 10 minutes. Add the spices and continue cooking until all liquid is evaporated - about 5 minutes.

3. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 pan and use a spatula to spread into a smooth, even layer.

4. Refrigerate until completely cooled. Cut into square or diamond-shaped pieces and serve or store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one month (use wax paper to separate the layers of cut barfi).

बर्फी (Barfi) - Pistachio Barfi and Coconut Barfi

Last Saturday was दिवाली (Diwali), or festival of lights, celebrated in India and around the world. My friend Nidhi hosted a large party at her house and instructed my friend Emera and I to bring बर्फी (barfi), a fudge-like Indian sweet made with milk, sugar, and a variety of flavorings. While Emera and I both enjoy barfi, neither of us had actually made it previously, so we weren't sure how our attempt would turn out. For our first barfi, we decided to try pistachio barfi.

While the ingredients for barfi are simple - milk, sugar, butter, and pistachios - there is quite a lot of time involved in cooking it down from milk to fudge. Luckily, Emera and I were able to switch off and at times her husband even came in to relieve us. Although the finished product came out a bit gooeier than barfis we'd had in India and here in the States (one person described it as more of a halwa - a thick pudding), it was delicious! In the future, we might try grinding the pistachios even finer or perhaps cooking down the mixture a bit longer. However, even if you aren't able to get a firm, dryish barfi, this recipe yields a tasty treat.

This week, I tried a different recipe for barfi - this one using ricotta cheese and sweetened condensed milk in place of the milk and sugar and coconut instead of pistachios. In addition, the recipe calls for layering two different colors of barfi together. This time around, the barfi came out firmer - although still not quite as dry as what I've had in the past. However, it did cut well, hold its shape, and tasted very nice. More experiementation and repetition is needed, but both recipes yielded positive results. You can store barfi in tightly-sealed containers in the refrigerator for at least a month - use wax paper to separate the layers of cut pieces.

Pistachio Barfi (~ 20-30 pieces)
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups shelled roasted pistachios (unsalted), processed into a fine powder
2 T. ghee or unsalted butter
2-3 drops केवड़ा (kewda or kevra) water [iris water]
1-2 drops green food coloring, if desired

1. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square dish and set aside.

2. Combine milk and sugar in large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Continue heating and stirring until mixture is much thickened and reduced to ~ 1/2 cup.

3. Reduce heat to medium, add pistachios and ghee. Continue heating and stirring until mixture begins to form a ball and pull away from the sides of the pan.

4. Stir in iris water and food coloring. Press mixture into buttered dish and refrigerate until completely cooled. Cut into square or diamond-shaped pieces.

Coconut Burfi (~ 48 pieces)
6 T. unsalted butter
2 lbs. part-skim ricotta cheese
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut + additional coconut for topping
2-3 drops red food coloring

1. Process the coconut in a food processor until very fine; set aside.

2. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add the ricotta cheese and lower the heat to medium. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until liquid evaporates - about 20-25 minutes.

3. Add the sweetened condensed milk and continue cooking and stirring until the mixture begins to thicken and pull away from the sides of the pan - about 10 minutes. Add the 1/2 cup processed coconut and continue cooking until all liquid is evaporated - about 5 minutes.

4. Pour about half of the mixture into a 9 x 13 pan and use a spatula to spread into a smooth, even layer. Add food coloring to the remaining mixture and stir thoroughly, until the remaining mixture is pink. Pour the pink layer over the white layer and use the spatula to spread it into a smooth, even layer.

5. Sprinkle additional coconut on top and refrigerate until completely cooled. Cut into square or diamond-shaped pieces.

Tomato - Basil Soup

Today I went out to Larriland Farms in Woodbine, MD to take advantage of some of their fall bounty (you may remember Larriland as the inspiration for July's berry spectacular). This time around, I got apples (stayman, jonamac, braeburn, cameo, fuji, and ida red), yellow raspberries, and tomatoes. The apples will have to wait their turn, but I immediately harvested some basil from the windowsill and whipped up a batch of tomato-basil soup. While that simmered, I fashioned the golden raspberries into a crisp (using a halved version of my recipe for peach-ginger crisp). This soup is a great finish to a fall day spent at the farm with friends - and I'll freeze some of the leftovers for deep winter, when I need a bit of sunshine.

Tomato - Basil Soup (enough for a meal and for freezing)
6 -7 lbs. fresh tomatoes, sliced (and peeled and seeded, if you prefer)
1 cup fresh basil
1-2 tsp. black pepper, or to taste
1-2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 T. olive oil
1 small rind of parmiggiano-reggiano cheese
1 cup milk or cream

1. Use a food processor to puree the tomatoes and basil. For a smoother soup, strain the liquid and reprocess the remaining mash before proceeding.

2. Stir together tomato/basil puree, pepper, salt, olive oil, and cheese rind in a large stockpot. Bring to low boil over medium heat, reduce to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add milk and continue to simmer (do not boil) for 10 more minutes. Remove any remaining cheese rind.

4. Ladle into bowls and serve! This soup goes well with grilled cheese (of course!), a crust bread, or tortilla chips. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freeze for the bleak midwinter.

Crabapple Butter

While visiting Syracuse this past weekend, I stopped by the Central New York Regional Market (one of the best farmers' markets I've had the chance to attend regularly - and something that I really miss now that I live down in DC). The market was in full swing and amongst the early fall produce I found some crabapples that looked absolutely beautiful. The fact that I'd never cooked anything with crabapples before didn't stop me - so I bought a small basket and brought them back home with me (along with a larger basket of jonamac apples that have been making my lunch tote very happy). After a bit of scouting about for ideas of what I might actually do with my batch of crabapples (chutney, jelly, preserves, and spiced whole apples all sounded tempting), I settled on crabapple butter. This recipe yields about a pint of ruby-colored crabapple butter that you can use as a spread for toast, quick breads, or just eating by the spoonful.

Crabapple Butter (~ 1 pint)
2 lbs. crabapples, stems removed and quartered (do not peel or core)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar (adjust if necessary to achieve desired sweetness/tartness)

1. Place crabapples and water in a large pot, spreading apples into a single layer if possible. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until apples are soft (~ 15 minutes). Crush using a potato masher then strain through a sieve, pushing through as much of the pulp as possible. Discard remaining skins, seeds, etc.

2. Combine pulp, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, stirring regularly, about 20-30 minutes.

3. Spoon into clean dry canning jar(s) and cover. Cool and refrigerate.

Julia Child, baked cucumbers, and Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Over the Labor Day weekend I headed out to the movies to see Julie & Julia, which combines the stories from Julia Child's My Life in France with Julie Powell's blog (and later book) about her journey through Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (actually written by Child and Simone Beck, with some contributions from Louisette Bertholle). I'd picked up Powell's book and leafed through it at the bookstore when it first came out a few years ago, but didn't go any further. However, when the movie came out - well, who can resist Meryl Streep - especially Meryl Streep playing the very unique Julia Child? I'd seen some stories about the rapid rise in popularity of the hefty cooking tome generated by the movie - but before going into the theatre I thought "nah - I'm not soooo interested in French cooking that I'd plunk down big bucks for Child's cookbook." Then there was the scene in the movie in which Powell has a dinner party and serves baked cucumbers.

Baked cucumbers. Who'd have thought that cukes - so delicious when freshly sliced and served with a touch of salt, or blended into a chilled soup (cucumber green tea and gazpacho come to mind) - who'd have thought that these members of the melon family could be baked into anything that didn't resemble a dish of watery mush? Julia Child, that's who. And with that short bit of film I was suddenly hooked. Fast-forward through a few days of contemplation, an emailed coupon for 15% off any book, and a trip to my local Barnes & Noble, and I had my very own copy of Mastering. And on page 499, I found the introduction to a short section on how to bake cucumbers (concombres).

Child helpfully notes that the moisture in cucumbers must be reduced before baking - but blanching removes water as well as taste. Instead, the book suggests "a preliminary sojourn in salt draws out the water...yet leaves the flavor, which a little vinegar and a pinch of sugar accentuates." And indeed this does the trick precisely - combining the newly dewatered cucumbers with a bit of butter, dill, onion, and pepper, then baking for an hour yields a dish that tastes delicious, retains just a slight bit of crispness, and adds a bit of variety to the normal vegetable rotation (okay, technically cukes are a fruit - but like squashes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, they are still "vegetables" to most people).


Stay tuned for more adventures with Mastering the Art of French Cooking - although I don't intend to cook my way through the entire collection of 500+ recipes (aspics, live lobsters, and deboning ducks just aren't my style) - I did spot some recipes in the film and in my perusal of the book since that I am looking forward to testing myself.

Spicy Red Lentils

My first foray into full-on Indian cooking this past spring was dal - and as you may recall, it turned out favorably. I've decided to return to dal, this time trying a recipe using red lentils (dhulli masoor dal) that is quite a bit spicier than what I've tried in the past. In fact, because the store was out of green chiles, I ended up substituting half a habenero - and consequently this came out very spicy. If you prefer your food to be more mild, you can use a sweeter pepper (e.g., Anaheim or jalapeño) or use only some of the chile. Also, be sure to serve this with naan, chapatis, or rice to help keep the heat under control.

Spicy Red Lentils (~ 4 - 6 servings)
1 T. garlic-ginger paste or 1 T. ginger paste + 1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. Bengali five spices (panch-phoran)*
1 cup red lentils, sorted and washed
4 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp. ground tumeric
3/4 tsp. salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 fresh green chile pepper, minced with seeds
1 T. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground paprika or cayenne pepper
1-2 tsp. sugar
2 T. peanut oil
4-6 whole dried red chile peppers

1. Combine lentils, water, tumeric, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to make sure that the pot doesn't boil over.

2. Add onion, garlic-ginger paste, green chile, coriander, cumin, paprika, and sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes, until dal is soft and creamy. Remove from heat and place in serving dish, covering to keep warm.

3. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add red chiles and cook about 30 seconds (stand back in case the peppers pop). Add panch-phoran and immediately remove from heat and pour over dal. Lightly swirl oil mixture into dal and serve.

* If you can't find panch-phoran at your local supermarket or Indian grocery, you can make your own by mixing equal parts cumin, fennel, black mustard, kalonji, and fenugreek seeds.

Quick Caramel Apple Cake

It's fall! If you are looking for a fairly simple (but very delicious) dessert, try sprucing up a regular box o' cake mix and tub o' frosting to make a caramel apple Bundt cake with these simple substitutions...

What you'll need:
1 box of spice-flavored cake mix
1 tub of caramel-flavored frosting
Eggs (as called for by the cake recipe)
Apple juice or apple cider (equivalent to amount of water called for in the recipe - or you can do half apple juice / half water, depending on taste)
Applesauce (equivalent to amount of oil called for in the recipe)

What to do:
1. Prepare cake mix as directed (substituting apple juice and applesauce as explained above) and pour into a greased Bundt cake pan.

2. Bake according to directions on the box for Bundt cakes.

3. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool completely. Turn out onto a plate.

4. Heat 1 cup frosting in microwave-safe bowl, 10 seconds at a time and stirring after each cycle, until very soft and pourable (~ 30 seconds total). Pour or ladle frosting over top of cooled cake, allowing frosting to run down sides.

5. Let cake sit until frosting sets, then slice and serve.

Broiled Portobello Mushroom Caps

While visiting some friends in Syracuse a couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to partake of food from one of my favorite Syracuse restaurants - Dinosaur BBQ. While Dinosaur has lots of delicious meat options, what really caught my tastebuds this time was their grilled portobello caps. So over the Labor Day holiday, I decided to try my own version. Since I didn't have a grill handy, I had to settle for broiling - but if you have a grill, you can certainly throw these on the barbie instead of under the broiler!

Once the mushroom caps are ready, you can serve them as a main dish, put them on a bun with a tomato and other condiments and serve as portobello burgers, or slice and use as a side dish. If you have leftovers, slice and warm in the microwave or on the stove, then serve over pasta or a creamy risotto.

Broiled Portobello Mushroom Caps (4 servings)
4 large portobello mushroom caps
1/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. chopped sweet onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. dried cilantro
grated parmesan cheese (to taste)

1. Set portobello caps gill side up on a broiling pan.

2. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Drizzle over mushroom caps and allow to sit for at least 1 hour.

3. Heat oven to broil and broil mushrooms for 7-8 minutes.

4. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over each mushroom cap and broil an additonal 6-7 minutes.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Cold Lentil Salad

The other half of my cool lunches for the week is this cold lentil salad, also adapted from Moosewood. It combines lentils, veggies, and a tangy mango-yogurt dressing.

Cold Lentil Salad (6-8 servings)
1 1/2 cups lentils
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped red onion

Mango Yogurt Dressing
1 cup plain yogurt
3 T. mango chutney
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 T. lime juice

1. Combine lentils, onion, garlic, and water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes, until lentils are soft but not mushy.

2. Combine bell pepper, celery, and red onion in a large bowl.

3. Drain lentil mixture and immediately transfer to bowl of veggie mixture. Stir and set aside at least 15 minutes.

4. Combine all ingredients for dressing in a food processor and process until smooth. Stir into lentil mixture [or reserve until just before serving].

5. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

Chilled Beet Soup

With summer in full swing and a week full of 90+ degree forecasts staring at me, I want to make sure that I have lots of cool foods for lunch. So for starters, I made this creamy beet soup (adapted from a recipe in one of the Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks). It was easy to prepare and comes out a lovely shade of dark pink.

Chilled Beet Soup (4-6 servings)
4 cups cooked beets, coarsely chopped (4 or 5 fresh beets [~ 1 1/2 lbs] or 2 15 oz. cans, drained)
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 cups lowfat or fat-free buttermilk
1 T. fresh dill
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor (in batches, if necessary) and process until smooth. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Pesto Hommous

I was in a pesto mood today [see my earlier post about pesto and pesto - vegetable lasagna], so for my next experiment in hommous-making, I tested out a hommous - pesto combination. Here's what I came up with...

Pesto Hommous (~ 2 cups)
1 cup loosely-packed basil leaves
2 T. pine nuts
1 T. grated parmesan cheese
2 T. tahini
2 cloves garlic
1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas, drained
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable juice

Combine all ingredients and process in a food processor until smooth (in batches, if necessary). Garnish with diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, paprika, or pine nuts. Serve as a dip for pita or vegetables, or spread on a sandwich.

Pesto & Pesto-Vegetable Lasagna

My birthday is coming up tomorrow, and for an early birthday present I got a 10 cup food processor and a pressure cooker. I've yet to break out the pressure cooker (although I can hear lentils, beans, and other foods calling), but I've already put the food processor to good use in making two kinds of hummous, white bean dip, gazpacho, and pesto.

This pesto recipe will make enough sauce for about a pound of pasta. If you'd like to use it in a vegetable lasagna (as I did tonight), make sure you have enough ingredients to make a double batch and follow the recipe further down in this post (modified from this vegetable lasagna recipe).

Pesto Sauce (enough for 1 lb. of pasta)
2 cups moderately-packed basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 medium garlic cloves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
up to 1/3 cup olive oil

Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese in a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are evenly chopped and mixed. With processor running, pour olive oil in slowly until desired consistency is reached. Toss with 1 lb. of pasta.

Pesto - Vegetable Lasagna (12 servings)
2 cups diced zucchini (do not peel)
1 cup diced bell peppers
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
4 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. spinach
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 batches pesto sauce
1 9 oz. package no-boil lasagna noodles

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Combine zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and salt in a deep frying pan or saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

3. Cook spinach (+ up to 1 tsp. water, if needed) in a large pot at high heat for 3 minutes, until just wilted (still bright green). Drain and chop coarsely, combine with cottage or ricotta cheese.

4. Assemble the following layers in a 9 x 13 x 3 in. baking dish (listed in order from bottom to top - thus start with the vegetable mixture and end with the cheese):
1/4 vegetable mixture
4 lasagna noodles (overlap slightly)
1/3 spinach - cheese mixture
1/4 vegetable mixture
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/3 pesto sauce
4 lasagna noodles (overlap slightly)
1/3 spinach - cheese mixture
1/4 vegetable mixture
4 lasagna noodles (overlap slightly)
1/3 spinach - cheese mixture
1/4 vegetable mixture
1/3 pesto sauce
4 lasagna noodles (overlap slightly)
1/3 pesto sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese

5. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350F until noodles are tender, 50-60 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

6. Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Black Raspberry Freezer Jam

And finally the berries come to an end...late Sunday afternoon, I put several bags of blueberries, raspberries, and black raspberries into the freezer for later berry exploits. But before I did that, I tried my hand at freezer jam. After letting the jam sit for the requite 24 hours needed for set, I had some tonight for dinner (on a PB&J sandwich) and found the jam to be quite thick and very mild in flavor - delicious!

This recipe comes from inside the Sure-Jell pectin package and uses less sugar than traditional jam recipes - if you make it, be sure to get the "pink box" of Sure-Jell (for less and no sugar needed recipes), not the regular "yellow box." The recipe calls for red raspberries, but based on my trial with black raspberries, it works just as well for those!

Black Raspberry Freezer Jam (~ 6-8 cups)
4 cups crushed black raspberries (about 3 pints before mashing)
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 box Sure-Jell for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes Fruit Pectin
1 cup water
clean plastic or freezer-safe glass containers with tight-fitting lids

1. Crush raspberries using a potato masher, about 1 cup at a time, until amount of crushed berries measures 4 cups. Do not puree berries - there should still be some chunks of fruit.

2. Combine sugar and pectin in a large saucepan and stir until thoroughly combined.

3. Add water to sugar and pectin and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute and remove immediately from heat.

4. Quickly stir crushed berries into hot sugar and pectin mixture until thoroughly mixed.

5. Pour jam into prepared containers, leaving about 1/2 inch space at top for expansion during freezing. Cover containers.

6. Let containers stand at room temperature for 24 hours, until jam is set. Refrigerate for up to three weeks or freeze for up to one year (thaw in refrigerator).

Raspberry-White Chocolate Scones

Berry bonanza continues with this post - in which I attempt to recreate a raspberry-white chocolate scone from Longbottom Coffee and Tea in Hillsboro, OR. I can't be certain that I've replicated that particular scone, but these did come out quite good! If you happen to be in the Portland area and have a chance to swing by Longbottom, be sure to try their scones - the marionberry are also delicious.

Raspberry - White Chocolate Scones (~12 large or ~24 small scones)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1 T. vanilla extract
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
raw or granulated sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line 2 cookie sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk, yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract.

3. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir until just combined and moist.

4. Stir in raspberries and white chocolate chips.

5. Drop batter by scoops onto prepared cookie sheets. For large scones, use about 1/3 cup better per scone. For small scones, use about 3 T. batter per scone. If desired, sprinkle with raw or granulated sugar.

6. Bake 25-30 minutes at 375F, until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Remove cookie sheets from oven and cool for about 5 minutes, then remove scones to wire rack to finish cooling.

Blueberry Muffins

Still working through the berries from Friday's picking expedition - this time, making fresh blueberry muffins for Sunday morning breakfast. These came out moist and slightly dense, chock full of juicy berries, and perfect either on their own or with just a small bit of butter. They are delicious served warm right out of the oven and hold up well for serving the following day, too.

Blueberry Muffins (~18 muffins)
3 cups flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
10 T. butter, softened (1 1/4 sticks)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 375F and grease (or line with baking cups) approximately 18 muffin cups.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a separate large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each until mixture if fluffy.

4. Add half of dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture, then add a third of the yogurt, stirring after each addition only until just mixed. Continue by adding half of remaining dry ingredients, a third of the yogurt, the remaining dry ingredients, and the remaining yogurt.

5. Fold in blueberries and stir until just mixed.

6. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full. If any muffin cups are not filled with batter, fill about halfway with water (this will even out baking).

7. Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Remove muffin tins from oven and cool for about 10 minutes, then remove muffins to eat or to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Spinach Hommous

Last week I traveled out to Oregon to visit my friend Melissa. The trip provided plenty of inspiration on the food front: reminding me how much I like fresh berries (see recent posts about some of the treats I've been whipping up after going berry picking upon my return) and finding some delicious spinach hommous at the grocery store that prompted me to whip up a batch of my own. Enjoy this spread with pita or spread it on a hearty whole wheat bread and top it with cheese and sliced veggies (cucumbers and tomatoes, for starters) for a yummy sandwich. Just don't take it to the beach, where you might find that the wind tries to add its own touch - a bit of gritty sand!

Spinach Hommous (~ 1 1/2 - 2 cups)
1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas, drained
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil

Combine all ingredients and process in a food processor until smooth (in batches, if necessary). If the hommous is too thick, add some vegetable juice, about 1 T. at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.

Raspberry-Peach Smoothie

The berry parade continues with this quick and easy berry and yogurt smoothie. If you don't happen to have raspberries or peaches on hand, you can use blueberries, blackberries, mango, or whatever other fruits you do have. You can also spruce it up with a variety of mix-ins, depending on how sweet you'd like it (e.g., honey), if you want a boost of protein and vitamins (e.g., wheat germ), or some extra spicy kick (e.g., ginger).

Raspberry - Peach Smoothie (~ 4 servings)
1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
1 cup fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1 cup fresh raspberries
ice (if desired)
mix-ins (if desired)

Combine yogurt, peaches, and raspberries (and any ice and desired mix-ins) in a blender and blend until smooth (about 30 seconds). Pour into a glass and enjoy! Left-over smoothie can be stored in the refrigerator (covered) for a day or so.

Fresh Berries - Raspberry Lemonade and Berry Topping

Since 4th of July falls on a Saturday this year, Friday was a holiday for most folks around here. And for once, the weather in the DC area was gorgeous - temperatures hovered in the 70s or just at 80 for most of the day, the humidity was low, and the sun was shining. Which means it was perfect weather for going berry picking. This time around, I decided to try a new farm, Larriland Farm in Woodbine, MD. Larriland uses integrated pest management, so their fruits generally have much less pesticide burden than other farms. In addition, Larriland has a large selection of fruits and veggies for people to pick. I didn't get around to everything that was in season yesterday, but I did get about 15 pounds of berries - blueberries and three varieties of raspberries (black, purple, and red).

I'll be posting a number of berry recipes resulting from this haul in the coming day. [UPDATE: Recipes are now posted for raspberry-peach smoothie, blueberry muffins, raspberry-white chocolate scones, and black raspberry freezer jam.]

For starters, here are two fairly easy recipes that I'll be bringing to this evening's Fourth of July celebration.

Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade
I can't claim all the credit, since I found this recipe in the July issue of Martha Stewart Living. However, I have switched the proportions around a bit. Also, Martha suggests spiking with vodka, if that's your style.

Raspberry Simple Syrup
4 cups water
2 cups fresh raspberries (I used a mixture of black, purple, and red raspberries)
1 3/4 cups sugar

Sparkling Lemonade
2 quarts lemonade (homemade or storebought)
1 liter sparkling water
Raspberries and mint for garnish

1. Bring water, raspberries, and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently mashing berries as you stir.

2. Strain mixture into a storage container and cool syrup. [Save the mashed berries to eat with yogurt or ice cream.]

3. In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine raspberry syrup, lemonade, and sparking water. Serve over ice, garnish with fresh raspberries and mint.

Berry Topping (for angel food cake, pound cake, or ice cream)
4 cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice

Lightly toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve berry topping over cake or ice cream and top with whipped cream.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Pie

A few weeks ago one of my friends down in South Carolina posted pictures of strawberry picking with her girls - and gosh those berries looked delicious! Well, strawberries are finally in season here in the DC area, and last weekend I went strawberry picking at Homestead Farm in Poolesville, MD and stocked up on fresh strawberries.* I used most of my berries (about 12 cups worth) for two strawberry pies - the remainder (about 4 cups worth) I froze. Two notes about this pie recipe: (1) the chocolate is completely optional - if you don't want a chocolate layer in the pie, it will come out delicious with just the fruit; (2) because the berries aren't cooked, the pies will be quite juicy - so be sure to eat within a day or two of making!

*Homestead has a great selection of fruit throughout the summer - check out some of my blackberry and peach (another peach) recipes from last year's haul.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Pie (~ 8 servings)
1 pie crust
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
6 cups strawberries, hulled
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 c. chocolate chips (I prefer dark chocolate - but white, milk, or dark will all work)

1. Prepare and bake a single pie crust, cool. I suggest using a store-bought frozen crust that is already formed into a pie plate for ease of preparation, but if you like to make your own crust, follow your favorite recipe.

2. Puree two cups of berries. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and water. Stir in berry puree, lemon juice, and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly (up to one hour).

3. Melt chocolate chips. [There are many ways to do this. One of the easiest is to fill a large pyrex measuring cup with boiling water and set a small bowl with chocolate chips on top of measuring cup. As chocolate softens, stir until smooth and liquid.] Pour chocolate over bottom of pie crust, forming a thin layer - use a spoon to spread if necessary.

4. Add 2 cups of berries to pie crust and pour half of puree mixture over berries. Add remaining berries and puree mixture. Refrigerate until cooled throughout, at least 4 hours.

5. Slice and serve. Top with whipped cream or ice cream!

Masala Hommous

With the heat of summer coming on, I like to trade in the warm soups of fall and winter for something cool in my lunch bag. Last week, I kicked off the season with gazpacho (see last year's recipe). This week, I've decided to bring in fresh vegetables (grape tomatoes, baby cucumbers, and baby carrots), mini pitas, and hommous. The varieties of hommous available at the grocery store appear to be endless, but I decided to try making my own this time around - and to add some Indian spice in the process. I also cut down on the oil and tahini, which add a lot of fat to hommous; in order to restore the moisture needed to achieve a creamy texture, I used low sodium vegetable juice.

Masala Hommous (~ 2 cups)
1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
1/4 cup tahini
1 T. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. garam masala
dash cayenne pepper
up to 1/4 cup vegetable juice

1. Combine all ingredients except vegetable juice in a large bowl and lightly mash together.

2. Process in batches in a food processor. Add vegetable juice as needed to achive desired texture. [I found that processing in three batches, adding about 1 T. of vegetable juice to each batch, worked well. Experiment and see what works for you.]

3. Garnish with diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, paprika, or pine nuts. Serve as a dip for pita or vegetables, or spread on a sandwich.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Ginger Scones

When I'm running late in the morning or just want a little extra treat, I'll sometimes swing by Breadline to pick up a cherry-ginger scone on my way into the office. These scones are light and delicious and packed with moist cherries and tangy ginger. Since they are among my favorite scones, I decided to try my own variation for my first foray into scone-baking. While they didn't come out the same as Breadline's - a slightly different consistency, and of course my addition of dark chocolate to the mix - judging by the reaction at work today, I'd have to say that they were a success.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Ginger Scones (8 scones)
1/2 cup dried cherries (+ 1/4 c. water or amaretto)
2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 T. cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 T. sugar
1/4 cup crystallized ginger
1/4 cup dark chocolate pieces
1/2 cup light cream
1 egg

1. Place cherries and water or amaretto in a small saucepan, cover, and cook over low heat until cherries begin to plump. Drain.

2. Preheat oven to 425F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add butter and use fingers to mix with dry ingredients until crumbly.

4. Add cherries, sugar, ginger, and chocolate pieces to batter. Stir a few times to distribute throughout batter.

5. Mix egg and cream in a small bowl. Add cream mixture to batter and stir until the batter is just moistened and mixed.

6. Form batter into a large ball and transfer to baking sheet. Pat into a circle or square of 1 inch thickness, cut into 8 pieces and slightly separate.

7. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, until scones are golden. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Sangria for a Party

Today, a guest post from my parents:

From Tennessee - August 2008

This is one of their favorite sangria recipes - but my mom warns that you should only make this if you are going to have a PARTY - this recipe is not for the small, intimate gathering!* Most recently, they whipped up a batch of this sangria for the "deck christening party" thrown by their neighbors.

* If you're looking for a sangria recipe that serves fewer - say, 4-6 people, try the recipe I posted last summer.

Sangria for a party

1.5 L Brandy (red - fruit flavored - Blackberry is good)

1.5 L Triple Sec

3.0 L Burgundy Wine

1.5 L Simple Syrup**

2.0 L Sprite or 7-Up

Orange/Lemon/Lime Slices to garnish

Mix in a VERY LARGE bowl.

** Simple Syrup: fill one of the empty 1.5 L. bottles with 1/2 sugar and 1/2 water. Shake until sugar is dissolved

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Rhubarb is one of those foods that defies classification - although cooked in pies and made into sauces like a fruit, it is actually a vegetable (leaf stalks, or petioles, to be exact). It's also the kind of food that, according to Garrison Keillor, isn't grown anywhere else except for here (here being wherever you happen to be) and which, when baked into a pie, can really revive a guy. My mom always kept a patch of rhubarb in the backyard while I was growing up, and back then the flow of rhubarb seemed endless. Then I moved out into the real world, and my rhubarb supply dried up. Occasionally, I'd find frozen rhubarb at the grocery store, or a stand at the farmers' market might have some. Grocery stores occasionally have it in the fresh produce section, but usually at exorbitant prices ($3.50 - $4 / pound). Then yesterday I found some really nice stalks in the corner of the grocery store - and on sale, too! As it happened, I also had about a half carton of strawberries in my refrigerator that really needed to be used up - and voila! I had the makings for an early summer strawberry-rhubarb pie.

The nice thing about strawberry-rhubarb pie is that you can adjust the ratio of strawberries to rhubarb and the amount of sugar / sweetener you put in, depending on how much of each you have available and how sweet you like your pie. For the pie I made last night, I used 2 cups of strawberries to 4 cups of rhubarb. If you prefer your rhubarb unadulterated, you can cut the strawberries out entirely - although you might want to up the sugar content a bit to offset the rhubarb's sharp taste.

Strawberry - Rhubarb Pie (8 servings)
2 pie crusts (store-bought or homemade)
1/2 cup sugar (or 12 packets no-calorie sweetener + 1/4 cup sugar)
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg
6 cups sliced strawberries + rhubarb (2 cups strawberries + 4 cups rhubarb is a good place to start)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.

2. Line a 9 inch pie plate with one of the crusts and trim to edge of pie plate.

3. Stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add strawberries and rhubarb and toss until well-coated.

4. Pour strawberry - rhubarb mixture into pie plate, place second crust, fold edges under bottom crust and seal edge of pie. Cut vents in top crust.

5. Bake 50 minutes. If desired, place foil around edge of pie to protect crust during the first 25 minutes of baking. Cool pie on a wire rack after removing from oven.

6. Slice and serve pie - top with vanilla ice cream if desired!

Curried Egg Salad with Yogurt

One of my favorite sandwiches is egg salad - but fat, cholesterol, and calories can add up pretty quickly depending on how you make it. This recipe cuts out mayo and some of the egg yolks and uses yogurt and curry to kick up the taste. Warning - this isn't your grandmother's egg salad! (p.s. You might also try replacing the egg with broiled or grilled chicken breast.)

Curried Egg Salad with Yogurt (~4 servings)
6 boiled eggs (remove yolks from 4 eggs or to taste), diced
1 1/2 tsp. curry
3 T. plain nonfat yogurt (more or less, to taste)

One or more of the following (to add crunch and flavor):
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 T. cilantro, chopped
1 T. green onion or chives, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well-mixed.

2. Make sandwiches using toasted whole wheat bread, wrap in lettuce leaves, or just eat with a fork!

Kheer (Rice Pudding)

To finish off the Indian dinner party, we had kheer, a milky rice pudding flavored with saffron, cardamom, and almonds. If you'd like to make a lighter version, substitute lowfat milk for whole milk and nonfat sweetened condensed milk for the full fat version. Admittedly, it won't be as a creamy as what you would find in a restuarant, but it will still be very tasty.

Kheer (~6-8 servings)
Dessert Masala
1/4 tsp. saffron threads
1/3 cup shelled raw pistachios
1/4 cup shelled raw almonds, coarsely broken
a few cashews, coarsely broken
1 tsp. ground cardamom

Kheer
1/4 tsp. saffron threads
1/2 gallon milk
1/2 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup slivered raw almonds
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
2 drops rose essence or 1 tsp. rose water

1. Prepare dessert masala: Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are coarsely chopped and blended. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, soak saffron threads in 1/4 cup milk.

3. Place remaining milk and rice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer (stirring and scraping bottom and sides of saucepan often to ensure that milk and rice do not scorch) until rice is very soft and milk is reduced by about half, approximately 35 minutes.

4. Mix in almonds, condensed milk, cardamom, and half of dessert masala. Continue to cook and stir about 5-7 minutes. Add the rose essence and saffron/saffron-infused milk. Transfer to a serving dish and cool, top with remaining dessert masala. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, serve chilled.

Mango Lassi (Aam Ki Lassi)

When I dine out at Indian restaurants, I often enjoy starting out with a mango lassi instead of an appetizer. These are remarkably easy to make at home, too - and are a great starter to serve as guests arrive for a dinner party.

Mango Lassi (Aam Ki Lassi) (2 servings)
2 cups plain yogurt (I used non-fat)
1 cup fresh or canned mango
1/2 cup crushed ice
up to 1 T sugar (depending on taste)

1. Combine yogurt, mango, ice, and sugar in blender. Puree until smooth.

2. Pour into glasses, with additional ice cubes if desired.

Spinach with Sliced Almonds (Badaam vaali Palak)

The feast of India continues in this post (catch up with the main dish here and here) with our vegetable dish. One of my favorite foods is spinach (which explains why one of my favorite Indian dishes of all-time is palak paneer [aka saag paneer], a creamy spinach dish with cubes of paneer cheese), so for my Indian dinner party, I wanted to make sure that I had a spinach dish included on the menu. For that role, I found this spinach, almond, and red bell pepper dish.

Spinach with Sliced Almonds (Badaam vaali Palak) (~4-6 servings)
2 T. sliced almonds
1 T. olive oil
1 T. Bengali 5 spices (panch-phoran)*
1 T. ginger paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1-3 fresh green chili peppers, minced
1/8 tsp. ground asafoetida
1 lb. fresh spinach, coasely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. garam masala

1. Dry roast the almonds in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until golden. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the panch-phoran, ginger, garlic, and green chili peppers and cook about 30 seconds.

3. Add asafoetida and spinach, stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Uncover the pan, increase to high heat, and allow juices to boil off. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.

4. Using the same pan, roast red pepper for about 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Scatter over spinach, along with almonds and garam masala. Serve!

* Mixture of cumin, fennel, mustard, fenugreek, and kalonji seeds - if you don't have all of these, substitute with what you do have on hand out of the five.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Continuing on with recipes from the Indian feast of a few nights ago, here's the recipe for the chicken tikka masala that we made using the mint chicken tikka kabaabs I described earlier. Since you'll only need about half or three-quarters of the tikkas, you can save the extra tikkas for another meal, or give them to someone who needs a little extra meat with their dinner. If you aren't a fan of chicken, try substituting cooked vegetables, paneer cheese, lamb, or fish (if using fish, add it just before serving so that it does not disintegrate in the sauce).

Chicken Tikka Masala (~ 4-6 servings)
1/2 - 3/4 recipe Mint Chicken Tikka Kabaabs, removed from skewers

Fried Onion Paste
1 cup melted ghee or vegetable oil
2 T. ginger paste
4 cloves garlic, peeled (or minced)
1 large onion, sliced into thin half rings
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Masala Sauce
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped (or 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (leaves + stems)
1 T. dried cilantro
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. garam masala
1 cup water
1/2 cup light cream

1. Prepare fried onion paste: Warm ghee over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic (if using minced garlic, do not add) and fry for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove onions and garlic to a paper towel to allow excess ghee to drain off, reserve ghee for masala sauce. Place onions, garlic, and ginger in food processor and process until well minced. Add yogurt and process again until smooth. Set fried onion paste aside.

2. Add tomatoes and cilantro to food processor and process until pureed.

3. In a large pan combine fried onion paste, 1 T. of the reserved ghee, and tomato-cilantro puree. Cook over medium-high heat until juices evaporate, about 7 minutes.

4. Add dried cilantro leaves, cumin, paprika, and garam masala, stir and cook about 1 minute. Add water and chicken pieces, cook about 5 minutes.

5. Add cream and continue to simmer about 5 minutes, until all flavors are well-blended. Serve with a garnish of fresh cilantro.

Mint Chicken Tikka Kabaabs

After returning from India last year, I vowed to learn at least basic Indian cooking skills so that I wouldn't have to always get my Indian food fix at the restaurant down the street. Never one to just dip my toe in the water, I jumped into the deep end and got Neelam Batra's 1,000 Indian Recipes. After trying out a few of the easier recipes and reading through much of the cookbook to get an idea of what is involved in the cooking, this evening I invited several friends over for an evening of adventures in Indian cooking. Our main course was chicken tikka masala (which is, technically, a British invention if you believe the stories), made with grilled chicken tikkas (chunks of boneless breast meat). I'll post the recipe for the masala portion of the dish in a subsequent entry - for starters, here is the mint marinade that I made for the tikkas. These also make a great entree on their own, if you aren't up for the extra steps needed to make tikka masala.

Mint Chicken Tikka Kabaabs
Marinade
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 small green chili peppers, stems removed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 T. ginger paste
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. garam masala

Tikkas
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. boneless / skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
8 - 10 bamboo or metal skewers (if using bamboo, soak in water for at least 30 minutes prior to use)

Finishing Glaze
1-2 T. melted butter or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves or dried cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chaat masala

1. Combine onion, bell pepper, chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and mint in a food processor and process until well minced and mixed.

2. Add yogurt, lime juice, and garam masala and process until everything is well blended and smooth. [Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to use a blender for this step.]

3. Pour marinade into a large bowl, reserving 1/4-1/2 cup for basting, and add chicken chunks. Stir to make sure that all pieces are coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours.

4. When ready to cook, prepare finishing glaze by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. Place chicken chunks on skewers, about 5-6 pieces per skewer. Discard used marinade.

5. Grill skewers, basting occasionally, until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Alternatively, broil for about 5-10 minutes, baste skewers, cover with foil, and cook at 450F for about 25 minutes.

6. Just before removing tikkas from grill, baste with finishing glaze and cook for about 1 minute longer.

Potato - Kale Soup (including a sausage option)

With half a bag of potatoes to use up and a craving for green leafy vegetables (prompted by a delicious cup of wild nettle soup at the Mitsitam Cafe at the National Museum of the American Indian), this morning I decided to make potato-kale soup for this week's lunch rotation. Depending on your taste and status as vegetarian or not, you can make the the soup completely vegetarian, use a chicken stock base, or add sausage (about 1 lb., sauteed along with the onion - this will make a soup similar to the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden).

Potato - Kale Soup (6-8 servings)
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
8-10 cups liquid (I used 4 cups chicken broth, 1 cup vegetable juice, 1 cup white wine, and 2 cups water)
small piece of rind (~ 2 in. x 2 in.) from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4-5 stalks celery
2-3 cloves garlic
1-2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lb kale, stems removed and leaves cut or torn
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried basil or Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1. Combine potatoes, liquid, and cheese rind in a large stock pot. Cook over medium heat about 10-15 minutes (until potatoes begin to soften), stirring occasionally.

2. While potatoes cook, heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute until onions and celery begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

3. Add onion mixture, kale, pepper, basil, and cumin to stock pot (don't worry - the kale WILL boil down and shrink!). Reduce heat to medium-low (slow boil) and continue to cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired / necessary, add additional water to soup while cooking to achieve desired ratio of vegetables to broth.

4. Remove any remaining cheese rind and serve!

Dal

Ever since traveling to India last year, I've been working up the nerve to try my hand at Indian cooking. For my first foray into Indian main dish cooking (that is, without a pre-made simmer sauce), I decided to try dal, a lentil stew that can be made in many ways with many types of lentils. This recipe provides a dish that is fairly mild - if you like something hotter, just up the amount of spices in the recipe, substitute cayenne pepper for black pepper, or add a fresh chile pepper. Also, this recipe calls for a full pound of lentils - but can easily be halved if you don't want to have A LOT of dal on your hands.

Dal (8-12 servings)
1 lb. (~ 3 cups) lentils
8 cups hot water
1 stick (2 1/2 inches) cinnamon
1/2 tsp. black or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground paprika
1 T. curry powder
1-2 T. olive oil or butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 T. fresh chopped ginger (or ginger paste)

1. Combine lentils, hot water, cinnamon, pepper, salt, cumin, paprika, and curry in a large stock pot. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a low boil and continue cooking untils lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.

2. While lentils are cooking, heat oil in a frying pan and saute onion, garlic, and ginger until onion is clear.

3. When lentils are ready, stir in onion mixture.

4. Serve over rice, with naan, or along side other dishes.

Sweet & Spicy Carrot - Ginger Soup (with Orange and Curry!)

In the past few weeks, DC has swung from a crippling snowstorm to 70 degree temperatures to flurries. With that sort of range in weather, what's a girl to make for a week's worth of lunches? I settled on a carrot - ginger soup that is both spicy (curry) and sweet (orange). This is a very easy recipe to put together and can easily be altered to fit your own tastes - more or less ginger, curry, and orange juice, depending on how sweet and spicy you prefer. Be forewarned, though - carrots can take a while to soften, so leave plenty of time for this soup to simmer before you puree!

Sweet & Spicy Carrot - Ginger Soup (4-8 servings)
1 lb carrots, sliced thinly
2 T. fresh-chopped ginger or ginger paste
1 T. curry powder
6 cups liquid (I used 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup range juice concentrate, and 3 cups water)

1. Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Cover and cook on medium (easy boil), stirring often, until carrots are softened (at least 30 minutes).

2. Puree in batches in a food processor or blender. Return to heat and cook and additional 5-10 minutes, stirring often, to make sure that soup is well blended. Adjust sweetness and spiciness by adding additional water or spices as necessary.

3. Serve piping hot, perhaps with a sprig of parsley for garnish!

Cheesy Macaroni with Spinach and Artichoke

Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite dishes, despite the fact that it is loaded with things that aren't very good for you. I also really like spinach-artichoke dip, but for many of the same reasons it isn't a great choice for regular meal rotation. However, I think that I've managed to come up with a dish that combines these two favorites AND is somewhat healthier than either of the traditional versions. This recipe uses whole wheat pasta, low fat dairy products, and veggies - to reduce sodium from the canned vegetables, rinse with clean water after draining.

Cheesy Macaroni with Spinach and Artichoke (~8 servings)
1 lb whole wheat pasta (macaroni, penne, etc.)
1 cup skim milk
2 cups lowfat (2%) shredded cheddar cheese
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 14 oz. can spinach, drained
1 tsp. ground black pepper (or to taste)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

2. While the pasta is cooking, combine milk, cheese, artichokes, spinach, and pepper in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until cheese is melted.

3. Stir together pasta and sauce. Serve!

Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

With all of the news about peanut butter recalls, I've been reluctant to post this recipe - but the truth is, I love peanut butter and find it hard to go without. So in spite of the recalls (which I am hoping will all be sorted out soon), I'm sharing this great bar cookie! I brought these into the office a while back and they disappeared pretty quickly.

Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars (enough for a crowd)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.

2. Stir butter and peanut butter together in a large bowl. Add sugar and brown sugar and stir until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until well blended. Stir in peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

4. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Slice into bars (about 36) and serve.

Vegetable Pasties (PAH-steez)

One of the delicacies of Michigan - really, of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - is the pasty. Legend has it that the miners of Cornwall brought these meat and vegetable pastry pockets "across the pond" when they came to work in the copper and iron mines of Michigan. Since then, the pasty has gained popularity in both peninsulas and pasty aficionados can find a variety of pasties at any number of drive-through and take-home pasty shops.

For those brave enough to make their own pasties, or those unlucky enough to live far away from a pasty shop (like me), here's my recipe for vegetable pasties. My recipe uses store-bought pre-made pie crusts - but if you're interested in making your own crust, you'll find plenty of opinions on how to best make pasty crust by googling "pasty recipe." If you'd like a more "traditional" Cornish pasty, add 1-2 lbs. cubed steak or ground beef in place of the sweet potato and mushrooms.

Vegetable Pasties (~ 12-16 half-sized pasties or 6-8 full-sized pasties)
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled
1 rutabaga, peeled
1 turnip, peeled
1 parsnip, peeled
10-15 baby carrots
1 medium onion, peeled
4-5 celery ribs
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 sweet potato, peeled
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6-8 refrigerated pie crusts (3-4 boxes)

1. Dice (~ 1/4 - 1/2" cubes) or thinly slice all vegetables and mix together in a large bowl.

2. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet(s) with foil.

3. Unroll a prepared pie crust. (If making your own crust, roll out a 9" round, about 1/4" thick.) For full-size pasty, place about 1 - 1.5 cups of filling + 1/4 cup cheese on one half of crust. For half-sized pasties, cut crust in half and place about 2/3 - 3/4 cup filling + 2 T. cheese on one half of each piece.


4. Fold crust over filling and pinch edges together, then fold or roll edges to make a double-thick seam (see photo below). Cut a few small vents into top of pastry pocket. Place on foil-lined baking sheet.


5. Bake at 350F for 60 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and vegetables are soft.

6. Serve hot with plenty of ketchup on the side!


7. Leftover pasties can be refrigerated and reheated later. Heat at 350F for 15 minutes. If you freeze the pasties, reheat at 350F for 45 minutes or until heated through.