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Mushroom Bacon ! Mushrooms , olive oil , grill seasoning. Air fryer 350 for 30 min
mushroom bacon
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masala dosa
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Masala Dosa – my way
Sunday brunch was always dosa at home while growing up. A decade later, my kid was weaned on idli at 6 months. Now my wonderful babysitter soaks the grains on Thursday and grinds them every Friday for 2 dosa meals a week. My dosa recipe is from a Tamilian friend and works well for both idli and dosa
Dosa
Soak 3 cups idli rice and 1 cup white urad dal and 1 tsp methi seeds separately (the methi seeds with the dal) with several cups of water for 24 hours
Strain the dal and rice and grind them separately. I use my table top granite grinder for this but a blender works too. The dal and methi should be ground very fine with a little water. The rice should be ground till it is the consistency of coarse sooji or grits. Mix the two, cover and let it ferment for 8-24 hours. This is very variable, it takes 24 hours for me in Nebraska in my oven on a proofing setting. The final dosa batter should smell sour and have fine bubbles all through the batter.
Alternatively – buy the batter from the Indian store
Spread batter on pan, cover with a lid till top is cooked and bottom is golden brown. Add a tsp of oil around the dosa while it’s cooking.
Masala:
Boil and peel 3 large russet potatoes and chop them into inch squares (about 1-2 cups). Slice half a large onion into long slivers (half a cup)
Heat 2 tbsp of oil, add half a tsp of mustard seeds, wait till they cackle and pop. Add half a tsp of cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, half a tsp of turmeric, 1 tbsp of whole urad dal and 8-9 finely chopped curry leaves. Wait till the urad dal turns golden
Add the onions and cook till pale brown. Add 1 tbsp of ginger , ¼ cup of chopped cashews- cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the potatoes and one large jalapeño chili (I slice it in half but go ahead and chop it fine if you wish), half a cup of water and 2-3 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro.
So far this recipe is very traditional. I then add a tbsp of finely chopped lime pickle. If it’s good enough for the Moroccans, it’s good enough for me. The lime pickle permeates the whole masala with a fantastic umami zing. Cook for 10 minutes more . Top with another 2-3 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro
I serve the masala on the side rather than stuffed into the dosa. I find that the dosa keeps its crunch better.
Many of these ingredients are very Indian specific. They are all available online but your neighborhood Indian store is a much better resource.
quick pantry sauce
Pantry pasta
Pantry Sauce
This is my favorite pantry sauce – you know the sauce you turn to when you have to rely only on the staples in your pantry
It’s incredibly simple- 1 tbsp capers, 5-6 olives, 2 tbsp butter and 3-4 minced cloves of garlic and ½ a preserved lemon finely chopped (lemon zest and a healthy squeeze of lemon works just as well) cooked on low -medium heat till the pasta cooks. You remembered the boil the water as soon as you entered the kitchen right ?
Cook the pasta about a minute less than the instructions specify. Add a ½ cup of pasta water and ¼ cup of grated Parmesan to the sauce. Add the pasta – swirl for a minute or two. The sauce should cling to the pasta.
Top with any protein. Today I used vegan Italian sausage, but I’ve also used tofu, edamame and/or broccoli. This will also work with chicken, shrimp – well you get the idea.
Excellent with some garlic bread
corn and bean enchiladas
Corn and Bean Enchiladas
Corn and Bean Enchiladas
It is tough to make beige foods like enchiladas look good in pictures but they definitely tasted good. Fantastic for summer when corn and tomatoes are in season. This is inspired from many different recipes and I change it around a little every time. This is a recipe in 4 parts (prep time 30 min)
Red sauce: Blitz one small can whole tomatoes, half a preserved lemon, 4 cloves of garlic and 2 soaked Arbol red chillies in the vitamix. Add 1 tsp of cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp salt and cook for 15 min. Add 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar
White sauce: While the red sauce is cooking- brown 1 tbsp all purpose flour in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat for 1-2 min. Whisk in 1 cup whole milk. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp cumin powder
Filling: Steam 3 corn cobs- cut off the kernels. Add to one can of vegetarian baked beans in tomato sauce. Add half the red sauce and half of a white onion finely chopped.
Salsa: chop 2-3 large heirloom tomatoes, ¼ onion, 1 jalapeño and lots of cilantro. Add salt
Assemble:
Brush your tortillas with a little oil. Wrap in 2 layers of wet paper towels and microwave for a minute (thanks America’s test kitchen)
Pour the red sauce in your casserole dish. Take a softened tortilla, add the filling and fold, place seam side down in the pan. Fill your pan up with stuffed tortillas. Pour white sauce over the tortillas. Top with some shredded cheese (I like Colby jack or pepper jack).
Bake at 350 F covered with foil for 30 min and uncovered for 10 min till light brown
Top with fresh pico de gallo.
Grab a beer, squeeze some lime in it and pretend you are in Mexico
Spinach and Tallegio Risotto
Spinach and Tallegio risotto
I love the funkiness and creaminess of tallegio – especially in grilled cheese so this recipe intrigued me immediately. It’s simply marvelous, the spinach, arborio rice and tallegio blend into a rich unctuous almost fondue like creaminess while still being fresh and green and summery
The recipe is modified from the Melissa Clark recipe linked below which is also modified from a River Cafe cookbook recipe.
Wilt 10 oz of spinach (one large container) in one tablespoon butter on the stove. Purée it with some salt and set it aside.
Use the same pan and sweat together 1 medium chopped onion, 3 cups celery, 3 cloves garlic with 5 tbsp of butter for around 10 min on medium heat. Don’t brown them and yes the quantities are correct and necessary.
Add 1.5 cups unrinsed arborio rice and roast till all the water is soaked up and the rice starts getting toasty pale brown (5 min)
Add ¾ cup of white wine (serve the rest of the bottle with the dish or drink it while cooking). Cook till the wine is all absorbed
You remembered to warm up a quart of vegetable stock right. The traditional method is to add a ladleful at a time as it’s absorbed while continuously stirring. I add the liquid all at once and stir every 3-5 minutes (serious eats did a blog post on this- the risotto is just as good). Add more hot stock if needed. Season with salt.
20 min later- the rice should be creamy and cooked. Add the spinach purée and 8 oz of tallegio (take the rind off with a knife and break the cheese into pieces – try not to eat all the cheese before it goes into the risotto) . Stir till cheese melted! This is a superlative recipe! It’s a keeper
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/13/dining/river-cafe-risotto-recipe.html
Kung Pao Tofu
When David Leibovitz recommends a recipe it’s generally fabulous. I followed the recipe pretty exactly except I used regular peppercorns in place of Sichuan peppercorns
It’s very good!!
https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2018/07/kung-pao-tofu-recipe.html
Here is the recipe
Kung Pao Tofu
author andrea nguyen
yield 4 servings
Ingredients
14 to 16 ounces extra-firm tofu
Rounded ½ teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoon canola oil, divided
2/3 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
Seasoning sauce 1
2 ½ teaspoons regular soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
Seasoning sauce 2
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Chinkiang vinegar, or 1 tablespoon balsamic and 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 ½ teaspoons regular soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, or ½ teaspoon regular soy sauce plus ½ teaspoon molasses
1 ¼ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
8 dried red chiles, stemmed, halved lengthwise with scissors, seeds discarded
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
Rounded 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Rounded 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
White part of 4 large green onions, cut to match size of peanuts
Green part of 1 large green onion, cut to match size of peanuts
Instructions
Cut the tofu into thumb nail-size cubes (each about ¾ inch). Sprinkle on the salt and gently toss to coat. Spread out on 2 layers of paper towel and let drain for 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high or high heat. When barely shimmering, add the tofu (work in batches, if needed), then cook for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing and stirring to sear and lightly brown the tofu. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
Reheat the wok or skillet over medium-high heat until bead of water evaporates in 2 to 3 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and the peanuts, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant; take care not to burn them. Use a slotted spoon to transfer peanuts to small plate, leaving excess oil behind.
Stir together the ingredients for each of the seasoning sauces, keeping them separate. Set near the stove with the remaining ingredients from dried red chiles down to the green onion.
Reheat the wok or skillet over high heat. Add the chiles and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir briskly for 20 seconds, until aromatic and crisp. Add the tofu, give things a stir, then splash in seasoning sauce 1. Let the tofu absorb the seasonings, then add the garlic, ginger and white scallion parts. Stir-fry for 1 minute more to cook through and become aromatic.
Give seasoning sauce 2 one last stir, then add to wok. When sauce is thick and coats things, about 30 seconds, return the peanuts and add cut green scallion parts. Stir, transfer to a plate, and serve.
courses main
cuisine chinese
Sesame crusted tofu with Chermoula
Exactly as the recipe specifies except I didn’t have couscous and used orzo and I skipped orange spice and used preserved lemon. Insanely good !! https://www.purplecarrot.com/plant-based-recipes/sesame-crusted-tofu-steaks-with-chermoula-sauce
Mango Palettas
It’s summer and the Mexican popsicle is a fabulous treat
1 bag of frozen mango (I used Trader Joe’s), 2 limes and enough simple sugar syrup (1 part sugar 1 part water – microwaved till sugar dissolves) to make the whole thing delicious – I needed half a cup
Blend and freeze!! Rinse and repeat
Vegetarian Steamed Baozi Buns
Even before I became a vegetarian- my severe shellfish allergy limited the Asian food I could eat which was depressing because it is my absolute favorite cuisine. A few years ago, I was in Hong Kong for the world glaucoma congress and had vegetarian steamed buns at a Buddhist monastery and they were a revelation. They are surprisingly easy to make – here is my own recipe which took me a while to develop.
Dough buns :
Dough ingredients :2 cups all-purpose flour,1 teaspoon instant yeast, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 4 tablespoons sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, ½ to ¾ cup lukewarm water
I use my kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook to get this dough together. After it comes together- knead on high for 5 more minutes. It’s a soft elastic dough
Rest in a warm place for 2-4 hours till doubled or more in volume
Bao filling:
1 small cabbage shredded and steamed for 5 minutes. Drain the cabbage to remove all the water.
Additions: corn, tofu, cooked mushrooms, anything really. I used corn today – they are in season and I steamed the cob and removed the kernels
2 tbsp oil (sesame or olive or a mix)- add 1 tbsp ginger and 1 tbsp garlic. Cook for a few minutes.
Add to the cabbage corn mixture with 1 tbsp of soy sauce
Divide raised dough into 16 equal parts. Treat the dough gently – like you would pizza dough – don’t beat the air out of it
Make the baos- be generous with the stuffing. The dough is easy to work with- the yeast and the kneading makes it very elastic.
Rest for 10 min- steam on parchment for 15. They really puff up- don’t crowd them.
Serve with your favorite sauce. Today I made a gochuang, soy and vinegar sauce and a hoisin and vinegar sauce.
Frozen ginger
It’s easy to preserve ginger – blend it to a paste with water (my vitamix makes it easy) and freeze into tablespoon measures. Remove ginger cubes and store in a ziploc bag. It lasts for months without any flavor change at all. This new ice cube tray makes a slightly bigger portion. Ginger is one of the few foods that taste exactly the same fresh or frozen. Tamarind works well with the same treatment
Delhi Girl Meets Food 