Chickpea and Artichoke Masala

I made a recipe from Aarti Party tonight with a bit of Na an on the side. Purely vegetarian with the exception of 1/4 cup of yogurt.

1 large red onion chopped
1 clove of garlic
1/2 inch piece of ginger grated
3 Roma tomatoes chopped
2 T canola oil
1 t cumin seeds
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t garam masala
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t turmeric
1/4 c yogurt
1 T lime juice
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) chickpeas
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) artichoke hearts drained and rinsed
1/2 c water
salt
Chopped fresh cilantro

optional 1 serrano pepper split

Process the onion, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes in a food processor and process till smooth.

Meanwhile warm the oil and once shimmering, add the cumin seeds. (I added a serrano and let it cook in the oil too for a little bite) Once they are done popping, add the onion tomato mixture and saute till the color darkens and it thickens about 10 minutes.

Add the spices and cook 30 seconds then add the yogurt slowly. Stir in the lime juice and water, chickpeas and artichokes. Salt to taste. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Check seasoning then garnish with cilantro.

Man, this was a great recipe. Tasty and filling. The side of hot off the griddle Na an really made it but you could serve it over rice also. Yum.

Stuffed Poblanos

Stuffed Poblanos with Chipotle Cream Sauce and shrimps. I could not find any banana peppers so I subbed poblanos and made the stuffing like I posted previously. I used the leftover Alfredo Sauce I had and mixed a package of Wagner's Chipotle Cream sauce with it. Baked the whole thing with a top layer of Pepperjack cheese and served with a side of Roasted Shrimps. Yummy.

Hot Stuffed Sweet Banana Peppers

Hot Stuffed Sweet Banana Peppers

12 to 14 sweet banana peppers
1 med. yellow onion
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
Lg. tbsp. mayonnaise
1 1/2 c. French bread crumbs moistened with 2 tbsp. milk
1 c. chopped shrimp
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. parsley flakes
2 tbsp. butter
2 ribs celery
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon
Melt butter, add bouillon cube or dry mix. Saute all vegetables (finely chopped) until soft. Add seasonings and bread crumbs and shrimp. Mix well. Add mayonnaise and mix well. Split peppers down one side.
Clean out seeds and membrane. Stuff with mixture. (If the mix is too dry I added cream to moisten it a bit.) Dot with one tablespoon Pace Picante Sauce or tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Canadian Italian seasoned bread crumbs. (instead of that,  I usually make a nice bechamel sauce with cheese and bake the peppers in this.)
Place in buttered baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. (Skip this next part if you decide to use the sauce)  Just before done, place strips of grated Monterey Jack cheese on top of each pepper and cook until cheese is bubbly.

Tomato and cheese pie

Unfortunately, like my good friend Deb, we do not have a glut of tomatoes this year but I am making this pie none the less. Sliced beefsteaks with cheddar in a pie crust. What could be better?











Ingredients:

• 4 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 9 inch pie shell
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (1/2 cup was plenty)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (skipped it)
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• I also added 2 t sugar and 2 T cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and let stand 10 minutes; drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle pie crust with 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Layer tomatoes and green onion over cheese. In medium bowl, combine mayonnaise with cornstarch, Cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, basil, and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
Gently place dollops of the mayonnaise mixture over the tomatoes and spread to cover as much as possible. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until pie crust is golden brown and mayonnaise mixture starts to brown.

Did not have to worry about this one. The pie cut beautifully after it cooled for 30 minutes and was so good!

Corn Cakes and tomato salsa

Odd but tasy little meatless meal. We served it up with a bit of sour cream and guacamole since I had no fresh avocados. Kinda yummy. I would eat this again.

Summer Corn Cakes with Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa

Adapted from “Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen”
Makes about 12 large cakes; serves 6 to 8

• 3 ears corn, shucked
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal (If you can only find cornmeal mix, skip the baking powder.)
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Canola oil, for frying
• Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag.
2. Cut the corn from the cobs into a large bowl, and scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife (or a spoon) to release the juices into the bowl.
3. Place 2 cups of the corn kernels into a food processor, and pulse several times, until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape into the bowl with the remaining corn kernels.
4. Add flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper to the corn. Stir to mix.
5. Add the eggs, buttermilk and butter, and stir just to combine. (Do not overmix.)
6. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough canola oil to barely cover the bottom, and heat until sizzling hot.
7. One heaping tablespoon at a time, scoop the batter into the skillet. Cooking in batches of 4 to 5 to avoid overcrowding, fry the cakes 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
8. Drain on the lined baking sheet, and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining corn cakes. Serve warm topped with a heap of Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa.

Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

• 1 large tomato, cored and chopped
• 1 scallion, trimmed and minced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1. Place all of the ingredients (except the avocado) in a bowl, and stir to mix. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve, for up to 2 days.
2. Just before serving, add the avocado, and mix gently.

This was posted by http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/

Spinach gnocchi

The recipe I posted a few days ago I decided against. This time I used some riccota with the spinach and a few eggs. A smattering of flour pulled it into a nice dough. Some rapid boiling water cooked these tender little pillows. Then a final saute in butter to give them a little brown jacket. Served topped with parmesean.

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole milk ricotta, drained to remove excess moisture
• 10 ounces finely chopped spinach, excess moisture removed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Just so you know, I only used one package of frozen spinach and 3/4 8oz carton of ricotta.

Directions

Combine ricotta, spinach, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Add 1 1/4 cups of the flour to the bowl and mix. The remaining 1/4 cup of flour should only be used if the dough is too sticky.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface.

Divide the dough into workable pieces.

With your hands, roll the pieces of dough into long cylinders approximately 3/4 of an inch in diameter.

Cut the cylinders into 1-inch pieces. Make a depression in each gnocchi to shape.

In a large pot with 6 to 8 quarts of salted boiling water, add gnocchi and carefully stir to prevent sticking.

As gnocchi start to cook they will float to the surface. Cook approximately 1 minute more.

Remove gnocchi with slotted spoon or strainer. Add a saute pan with your favorite sauce or butter. Saute briefly. Add your choice of grated cheese and serve.

Spinach Gnocchi

Spinach Gnocchi make about 10 -12 gnocchi * Be sure to use freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese - pre-grated cheese in the grocery store will not work as well. 10 ounces of fresh spinach 1/3 cup flour 1 egg, beaten lightly 1/4 teaspoon sea salt a few grindings of pepper 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese or Grana Padano 1/2 cup freshly grated bread crumbs * Thoroughly wash the fresh spinach and place in a steamer basket.  Steam until wilted.  Remove and place in clean towels and wring out as much liquid as you can.  Chop finely. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Shape the mixture into balls and place on a cookie sheet or any prep pan.  The mixture will be very wet.  Flour your hands or roll the gnocchi in a little flour to shape them into balls a little smaller than the size of a walnut.  At this point, you can put them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them later. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  With a slotted spoon or a handled strainer, place a few gnocchi at a time in the simmering water and cook for about 2 minutes.  Remove with the slotted spoon to a serving dish and keep warm by tenting with a piece of foil.  Repeat with remaining gnocchi. You can dress these gnocchi with just some olive oil, sea salt and some more grated cheese.  This is my favorite way to eat them. *  Make your own fresh bread crumbs for this.  Just take any bread and grind it in your food processor.  Fresh bread crumbs!  It makes a difference.  The Italian Dish http://theitaliandishblog.com

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

for the bechamel:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
some grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 chicken bouillion cube (amount that you would dissolve in 1 cup water)
note: if you are using Knorr bouillion cubes, remember they are for 2 cups of water - just cut them in half)

Vegetables to roast (you can use anything you like)
I used a combination of zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, 3 garlic cloves and some chopped up fresh spinach

Lasagna noodles for one 13x9 inch baking pan
I don't recommend "no boil" noodles for this lasagna.

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the bechamel:
In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour and cook for just a minute or so.  Slowly add the milk and keep whisking.  Add the nutmeg, white pepper and bouillion cube and whisk.  Cook for a few minutes, whisking, until the bechamel has thickened slightly.  Set aside to cool.  Stir it once in a while so a skin doesn't form.

For the vegetables:
Chop vegetables uniformly.  Mince garlic.  Combine half the mixed vegetables on a baking sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for several minutes at 400 degrees.  Stir.  Roast for several minutes more until vegetables are soft.  You can roast a little longer, if you like them to be slightly carmelized.  Repeat with remaining vegetables.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Cook lasagna noodles for 5 minutes, until soft.  Shock in a bowl of ice water, lay on towels to dry.

Spray a 13x9 baking pan with a little cooking spray.  Spoon some bechamel thinly on the bottom of the pan.  Start with a layer of noodles, a layer of bechamel, some vegetables, and then a layer of a little parmesan and mozzarella.  Repeat layers until you have 6 layers of noodles.  On top of the last layer, don't use any vegetables, just some bechamel and the remaining cheeses.  Cover tightly with foil.

 At this point, you can refrigerate this for a day if you want.  When you are ready to bake, bring to room temperature for an hour and then bake for 50 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Remove foil.  Bake for a little longer until top is slightly golden.  Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing.

I made this with a few modifications. I made a ricotta layer and only used noodles on the bottom and top. I think it came out really loose. Probably too much water from the veggies and the layer of zucchini slices I used for a noodle layer. It was really tasty but runny. What would I do differently? Probably dry the riccotta out a bit, and mix the roasted veggies with a few tbls of flour to tighten everything up. Perhaps if more noodle layers were added it would absorbed some of the liquid but we are low carb eaters so that's not an option. I also used two egg yolks and some cheese in the bechamel since that is how I learned to make it.

Stopped at Trader Joe's again to pick up more Mahi for the freezer. I also picked up a bag of Ciopino for a quick supper...maybe for Pre Sanctified Wednesday's?

Chickpea, Garlic and Spinach Soup

Meatless Wednesday. I have been wanting to make something with the cans of chickpeas in the pantry so tonight I made a soup. I have to admit I was not sure how this was going to play out but I am very pleasantly surprised.

1 can of chickpeas, drained
1 med onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 T olive oil
2 t cumin
2 t coriander
1 carton of good Vegetable broth
2 med potatoes 1/2 inch dice (I used yukon golds and did not peel them)
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/2 to 3/4 c cream
pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper

I sauteed the onion and garlic till fragrant. Dumped in the spices and toasted them a bit then added the potatoes, beans and broth. Brought to a boil and simmered till the potatoes were tender.

I gave it a quick buzz with the hand held blender but left it pretty chunky. Added the spinach and heated till wilted then added the cream. Check the seasoning.

Great stuff!