The Food We Eat

Pad Thai without a well-stocked fridge? Pretty decent...

I had a long day at work today. Actually its been a long short week if you know what I mean. TGIF! I picked up the kids from preschool and even though I was tired I decided to tend to some plants in the garden. You know, I just need to learn to listen to my body better. J has been trying to get me to learn to chill for the past 14 years (wow!), and I think I've gotten a bit better....

Anyway, at around 5pm the kids were starting to show signs of a meltdown, so I resorted to the rectangular babysitter (like most of you haven't :-)). R wanted to watch Dora the Explorer and A wanted to watch his now-favorite show, Discovery Channel's Man vs. Wild. Well, they watched both.

I rarely get this way, but I just did not feel like cooking. Take-out would be an option, but then the guilt set in. J and I are going out sans kids tomorrow night, so I didn't think it was right to eat out two nights in a row. I somehow never had this much conscience when I wasn't working out, but now that I'm busting my A-- in the gym, the brain is on overdrive. Oh well. Opened the pantry and saw a packet of dried rice noodles (from Central Market) looking fondly at me. A Ha! Pad Thai it will be! But wait, I haven't been to the grocery store all week, so lets see what we have on hand.

What you see below is a very loose interpretation of Cooks Illustrated's recipe for Pad Thai. I really missed the scallions, but otherwise it was quite good (and reasonably guilt-free).

P.S. Sorry for the singleton photo. I cooked in a real hurry, so did not get a chance to capture many pics. Secondly, I've categorized this as 'vegetarian' even though it has fish sauce. I reckon you eat it at the local Thai restaurant anyway, so why not here?

Pad Thai simplified

(Adapted from Cooks Illustrated, 2002)

4 tbsp tamarind paste

3/4 cup water

6 tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)

2 tbsp rice vinegar

6 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp ketchup

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4 tbsp canola oil

1 lb dried rice noodles

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

6 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts (didn't have plain roasted ones; so I used honey roasted ones. This was an even better substitute

3 cups bean sprouts

8 oz extra firm tofu, diced into 1/4 inch pieces

5 scallions, greens only, sliced thin (did not have any on hand :-()

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarse chopped

Lime wedges

Method:

1. Add tamarind paste, water, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, cayenne, and 2 tbsp oil into a bowl. Mix and set aside.

2. Cover rice noodles with hot water and soak in large bowl, approx. 20 minutes. Soak until pliable and limp but not fully tender. Drain noodles and set aside.

3. Beat eggs with 1/4 tsp salt in small bowl. Set aside

4. Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in a flat bottomed wok or large skillet. Add garlic and onion, cook over med high till light brown. Add eggs and stir vigorously until scrambled and barely moist, approx 30 sec. Add noodles, toss with 2 wooden spoons to combine. Add tofu, bean sprouts, and fish sauce mixture, increase heat to high and cook tossing constantly, till noodles are well coated.

5. Scatter peanuts and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges (squeeze just before eating).

Fear thy bread no more -- Naan

I consider myself quite fearless in the kitchen arena at least. I am quite competitive by nature, so "I can't" is a phrase that usually does not have any place in my mind. That said, I've been quite fearful of the much loved Indian leavened bread called Naan. A few months back I made an attempt to make Naan, and lets just say it was great, as long as you like eating shoe leather. Dear hubby J said it was pretty decent (which means it was terrible).

The kids' school just finished a unit on India (they have been studying different countries), so the teacher and I decided it would be fun if we had an Indian Feast at school. I planned on making Basmati rice pulao, Green beans sabji, Carrot halwa, Kheema peas curry, and some bread type thingie. Chapati or paratha would be just fine, but the nut that I am, I decided I was going to try my hand at Naan again. I figured, if it turned out to be a disaster, no one would know. I'd compost the whole thing and just go ahead and make chapatis or parathas.

Not sure why I decided to resort to U Tube for a lesson on Naan making, but I stumbled upon a how-to video stream by a nice Punjabi-looking lady called Manjula. Now she looked like someone who had done this many a time, so I figured I'd check out her recipe. Pretty decent - it had all the right stuff I know one needs for Naan, so I gave it a go.

Naan

(Adapted from Manjula's Kitchen)

This recipe makes 12 naan

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp instant dry yeast (I use SAF)

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 pinches baking soda

4 tbsp olive oil

5 tbsp plain yogurt

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup all purpose flour (for rolling out dough)

Butter or ghee (to dot on finished naan)

Method:

1. Dissolve yeast in water and let sit 5 - 10 minutes.

2. Add sugar, salt, and baking soda to flour and whisk to incorporate well. Add in oil and yogurt.

3. Add yeast/water mixture and knead gently to form a soft dough (note - dough will be quite sticky)

4. Cover the dough and leave to rest in warm place for 3-4 hours. Dough should double in volume.

5. Meanwhile preheat oven to 500 F with pizza stone for at least 30 minutes so that stone preheats well. Now turn oven to high broil.

6. Knead dough for 2-3 minutes and divide into 12 equal parts. Roll each piece into classic oval shape (approx 1/4 inch thick). Dough is sticky, so use flour generously when rolling.

7. Wet your hands, pat the rolled out naan gently between both hands before placing on the stone. (I managed to only do one at a time, since the oven was blazing hot. Also, the naan only takes about 2 minutes to cook, so this goes pretty fast).

8. Add a dab of butter or ghee to Naan when it is still hot. Keep in a towel lined basket, so they stay soft.

Verdict: The Naan was FABULOUS! If I may say so myself, it was delish - chewy, pillowy, crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, a generous dab of butter and it was pure heaven. I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I was. To some of you, this seems crazy, but I cannot describe the extent of joy and satisfaction I derive from culinary success. Oh! Only disaster was that I cracked my so-loved pizza stone. I have had this stone for a long time, and have cooked many a yummy pizza on it, so I was pretty bummed. Oh well. This time I'll just get some el-cheapo unglazed tile from Home Depot as Alton Brown suggests. I think the stone cracked as I had it under high-broil for over 30 minutes (sorry, but thats what the recipe called for). Only way to simulate a tandoor clay oven I guess. Anyway, small price to pay.

BTW, the 'Indian feast' was a success. It was really fun to see a group of 25 three to six year olds really enjoy the food. Simple pleasures!

'Tis the season to grill.....Chicken with Chinese BBQ sauce

Memorial day has come and gone. It was a fantastic weekend, but I didn't get to do the one thing that was at the top of my list -- inaugurate grilling season. Now for those of you who live in Sunny California, Arizona, etc this is not a big deal. But for those of us who live in the Northwest, and don't have a covered porch, the poor grill sits under a mildew-covered grill cover for a long winter period. Sure, you can take the cover off and grill, but its a pain. You take the cover off, grill, stick it back on, it rains, the cover is all wet, you get slime on you when you try and take it off again, blah, blah. I love dear hubby ever so much, but he's not the grill guy at our house. So thats one more chore for Muah to do. Great!

So, as a result, I grill indoors all winter and spring, and then every year, I commece outdoor grilling season over the Memorial day weekend. But not this time -- we were out having too much fun. So I decided that today would be the day. Had some chicken drummies in the fridge that needed to find a tummy.

Chinese BBQ style Chicken drumsticks

Brine: I highly highly recommend brining chicken (unless its Kosher, in which case its already brined). All you need is some plan-ahead time and a couple minutes to set up the brine. Here is what I did for 12 drumsticks. 1 gallon cold water, 1/2 cup table salt, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, handful of thyme from the garden, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp allspice. Mix, add drumsticks, cover well and park in the fridge 3-4 hours.

Chicken prep: Drain the brine. Pat the chicken thoroughly dry.

Grill: Preheat grill 10 - 15 mins. Grill chicken on high (cover closed) approx. 10 mins, so you get some good color. You'll now finish on indirect heat. I only had the 2 side burners on, middle ones were off. Temp. should be 350.  Baste chicken with marinade (I used Chinese BBQ sauce that was lying around in the pantry). Cook approx. 45 mins till drumsticks are cooked all the way through.

Verdict: I wish I had just taken the 10 extra minutes to make my own hoisin-bbQ sauce. There was a good reason the jar of marinade was sitting in the pantry for years....It wasn't a disaster, but was not too good and stuck onto the chicken like coal tar. Oh well! That teaches me to not trust my instincts. All said, wasn't too shabby for a weeknight dinner. The brine really helped though -- the drummies were moist and seasoned all the way down to the bone.

Our meal consisted of the chicken along with brown rice and a simple stir-fry of onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and cabbage. Casey (canine) was mucho happy as she got to feast on the same tonight :-)

Dinner tonight - Blackeyed Peas Curry (and Mushroom with Peas for the kiddos)

Hope you are all having a great Memorial day weekend. Ours has been busy, but in a fun, relaxing way. Today was catch-up on chores day. Hubby (god bless) is laundry man, and that my friends, is no ordinary feat, given the ridiculous amount of laundry this family of four creates. I have no idea why and how we manage to have this many soiled clothes in one week. Anyway, I just had to get around to our friendly neighborhood Home Depot to get some fix-it up stuff, some more paraphernalia for our garden, etc. Older kiddo decided to accompany me while dad and little one stayed home and bonded.

Anyway, all day went by, and then before you know it, dinner time coming up. J wanted Indian food, I didn't seem to have a preference, so Indian it was. No carnivorous Memorial day shindig this time -- instead, a humble vegetarian meal and a quiet night with a movie (God Bless you, Netflix).

I love blackeyed peas for many reasons, but the reason they got picked tonight was because these do not require an overnight soak, so are perfect for a spur-of-the-moment bean fix. How so, you ask? The key is my trusted Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker. I have no fear of these devices, in fact, no true Indian does. I grew up with the first generation pressure cookers. Yes, the jiggle top, ear-piercingly loud, burst and kill you ones. But pressure cooker technology has come a long way from grandma's times, and the ones now are slick. I could sing the virtues of these miraculous devices all day long, but seriously, if you're looking to add to your kitchen collection, give these a try! Money well spent.

The Mushroom with Peas curry is a kid-friendly take on the classic Indian Mattar (peas) -Mushroom curry. As with all East Indian curries, you can make it as easy or complex as you want. The complexity comes with the masala. As you can see below, I have kept  it very simple. The kids still haven't developed a palate for very strong masala flavors. Me, I just get extra heat from some spicy homemade pickle, or some serrano peppers on the side.

Blackeyed Peas curry

(Makes a generous amount with plenty of leftovers. This curry is even better the next day...and the day after)

2 cups blackeyed peas

6 cups water

1 large yellow onion, chopped coarse

6 cloves garlic

1 inch piece ginger, chopped coarse

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped coarse

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 black cardamon pods (bada elaichi)

1 tsp black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

10 cloves

1 roma tomato, chopped fine

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp salt (suit to taste)

1 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp cumin powder (home ground, preferable)

2 tbsp coriander powder (home ground, preferable)

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp Amchur (ground sour mango powder, optional)

Method:

1. Coarsely grind the onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno pepper together.

2. Add oil + ghee to pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cloves. Add onion mixture and brown well. Add turmeric, stir well. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and cook few more minutes.

3. Add washed, drained blackeyed peas and water. Add cumin + coriander powder, amchur (if using), salt and sugar.

4. Bring to boil, and pressure cook on high pressure level (15 psi) for approx. 15 minutes. If you are partient, wait for pressure to release naturally. If you're like me, release pressure. Check seasonings, add cilantro, and serve.

Mushrooms with Peas curry

1 lb white button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 onion, chopped very fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup frozen green peas

2 tbsp heavy cream

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Method:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onions and garlic. Brown well. Add mushrooms and cook till brown and mushrooms release all water and dry out.

2. Add cumin powder, turmeric, tomato paste. Stir well. Cook for a few minutes.

3. Add green peas. Add just enough water to make a thick curry (2 - 4 tbsp should do it). Cover and cook 10 - 15 minutes.

4. Turn heat to low. Add heavy cream. Just heat through. Turn off heat, add cilantro and serve.

Did someone say Brunch? Huevos Rancheros a la yummy

Spent most of the day yesterday at the Northwest Folklife festival at the Seattle Center. Thank goodness we missed the shooting incident (we were waiting for the Northgate Bus Shuttle at the time the shooting chaos happened). I'm so glad the kids did not have to witness that.

Anyway, had plans for some good friends to come over for Brunch on Sunday. A few of the guests are vegetarian (eggs ok thankfully), so I decided on Huevos Rancheros. Nice, easy, filling, yummy, healthy, 100% perfect!

I saw this recipe a few years back in one of the Cooking Light issues, and it made it quite faithful to the recipe. It was very good, but I remember thinking that the idea was good, but it needed some doctoring. So here goes:

Huevos Rancheros with Zucchini and Bell Pepper

(Loosely adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

4 medium zucchini, 1/4 inch dice

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes with green chili

1 can plain diced tomatoes

1 can red enchilada sauce

1 tsp sugar

Salt + Pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

Corn tortillas

Cilantro

Crema Agria (or sour cream will do)

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Queso Fresco

Vegetarian refried beans

Method:

1. Make a sofrito base. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy pan. Add onions, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Sweat but don't brown.

2. Add tomatoes and enchilada sauce. Bring to boil and simmer 10 minutes. Add sugar. Check salt abd add salt and pepper to taste. Add in zucchini. Cover and cook approx. 15 minutes. Zucchini should be tender but not mushy.

3. Huevos: Make 1 or 2 fried eggs per serving. I like my fried eggs a bit runny for huevos but some of our friends wanted theirs well done. I strongly recommend a bit runny.

4. Heat corn tortillas in microwave (in a tortilla steamer). Reheat the refried beans.

5. To Assemble: Stack 2 - 3 tortillas on a plate. Spread with ~ 3tbsp refried beans. Place fried eggs on top and spoon a few generous ladles of sauce on top. Garnish with cheeses, crema agria and cilantro. Enjoy!

Little man turns 6 - Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting

Older Little man, A, turns 6 today. I think he has been ready for this ever since the day he turned 5. His montessori preschool goes from ages 3 to 6, so I think he's been dreaming about being the older honcho. Today is the 'family birthday'. I asked A what kind of cake he wanted and he said "Cupcakes please, mom". Sure I said. But what kind? A really wanted Orange cupcakes. He does not like chocolate (I attribute that to the vacuum suction they applied to his head during birthing) and he thought Vanilla was boring, so orange cupcakes it was to be.

I asked A what color he'd like the frosting to be. He says "Its orange buttercream, so of course Orange". Sassy fellow. I wonder where he gets that from :-) We made the frosting, and after adding a few drops of red + yellow food coloring, it was hmmmmm peachy. I asked A what he thought of the color, and he says "Cute". I was worried that he'd think it was too girly, but nope. He was fine with it. I love that about this kid. He's not yet into all that action-figure tough-boy stuff. I hope he stays that way.

Here goes the recipes.

For the cupcakes, I used the recipe for Orange Cupcakes published at Leite's Culinaria (Judith Sutton's recipe).

I really wanted to make buttercream frosting, since its really a rare indulgence at our house, and what the heck? A little bit of butter can't hurt, can it? I decided to use the recipe from Cooks Illustrated.

Orange Buttercream frosting

(Note: This makes enough for 12 cupcakes, about 1 1/2 cups)

10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

3/4 tsp grated orange zest

1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar (5 oz)

Pinch of table salt

2 tsp orange juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp heavy cream

Method:

1. In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at med-high speed until smooth, about 20 sec.

2. Add orange zest and beat mixture at med-high to combine. Add confectioner's sugar and salt; beat at med-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 sec. Scrape down bowl at beat at med. speed until mixture is fully combined.

3. Scrape bowl. Add orange juice, vanilla, and heavy cream. Best at med. speed unitl incorporated, about 10 sec. Then increase speed to med-high and beat until frosting turns light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make sure to stop and scrape bowl down once or twice.

Note: The frosting can be made ahead and refrigerated. However, if so, make sure to let stand at room temp. to soften before use. Also, if you store teh frosted cupcakes in the fridge, make sure to let stand at room temo before eating. Cold buttercream is yucky!

Weekday chinese fix - Chicken and Asparagus with Black Bean Sauce

Martin Yan of 'Yan Can Cook' fame would be proud of me. This is a dish I make often in our house, especially at this time of the year, when local asparagus is abundant. Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables and makes it into my market bag every week, sometimes twice a week.

Tonight was A's soccer class. Hubby takes A to soccer class. Its the father-son bonding thing. Nowadays, R wants to tag along too, so Dad takes both boys with him. Which means I have an hour and a half to myself. Cool! I was pondering as to what dinner would be today. Chinese sounded good. 

This is an extremely simple yet very satisfying dish. Here is a list of store-bought helpers you will need.

If you would like to give it a try here goes:

1. I used 2 large boneless skinless organic chicken breasts. Slice thin against the grain. Add to a glass bowl and mix with 1tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 heaping tbsp corn starch. Set aside.

2. Trim 2 lbs asparagus stalks and break into 2 inch (approx) pieces. As you can see aesthetics deserted me today. I was gazing out at the lovely rhododendron blooms in the backyard while my fingers were busy snapping the asparagus. Oh well! That was worth it.

3. Slice 1/2 an onion, 2 stalks celery and chop 3 cloves garlic (If not for the kids, I'd certainly use some sliced jalapeno peppers too). Heat a wok over high heat with 1 tsp canola oil. Add the onion and celery. Stir fry till brown spots appear. Add garlic, stir and add in chicken. Stir quickly till chicken is no longer pink on the outside. Add the asparagus, stir fry a few minutes.

4. Add in 3 tbsp black bean sauce along with 1/2 cup water. Cover the wok and cook about 3 - 5 minutes more. Asparagus should be crisp-tender and chicken should be cooked through. The cornstarch on the chicken should be sufficient to thicken the sauce. If too thin, add some more cornstarch slurry (cornstarch + cold water); if too thick add some water.

5. Serve over brown rice. Bon Appetit!

The search is finally over - Honey Yogurt

I love yogurt as a post-workout energy-regaining protein snack. I enjoy it way more than eating a piece of cheese, deli meat (yuck!), a glass of milk, etc. Smoothies are awesome, but the way I like mine, its too many calories. I worked damn hard burning those damn calories at the gym, so putting them back in is a no no.

Yogurt is ubiquitous.... except there is always some or the other issue with store-bought stuff. Too sweet, too gelatiny, too creamy, blah blah. So I figured, I make plain yogurt at home anyway, why not experiment and figure out a perfect sweet yogurt with just the right balance - rich, sweet but just so, tart but not sour, etc. I spent a few weeks experimenting and made quite a few batches -- some  were a total disaster in the taste department. But my friends, I have finally done it! IMHO, this is the best damn yogurt in a cup. Any mighty good for you to boot!

What makes it stand out? Fresh Orange and Lemon zest. Its perfect! Fresh, honey sweetened, perfectly tart, 1% yogurt.

I use the EuroCuisine yogurt maker (purchased a few years back from Cooking.com). I bought this one mainly because it came with 6 oz. glass jars, instead of plastic. In my experience, additive-free yogurt sets up much better in glass. Also, I don't like the idea of milk 'cooking' in plastic. I also have a set of 8 extra jars, so I always have plenty on hand.

Here's the process:

1. Add zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon to 1.5 quarts of organic 1% milk. Use good milk -- its makes a world of difference in the final product. I use milk from a local dairy called Fresh Breeze Organic. I highly recommend this dairy.

2. Heat milk till temp. reaches 160C and remove from heat (boiling milk to 200C results in a thicker set yogurt, but I buy milk that is vat pasteurized at a low temp of 145C, so why boil the crap out of it and kill all the good stuff to make yogurt?). That said, if you like thicker yogurt, feel free to boil to 200C.

 

3. In the meantime squirt approx 1 tsp honey into each yogurt jar.

4. Let milk cool down to 110C. Stir so zest is well distributed, and pour into jars with honey. Do so gently so as to not displace honey too much.

5. Now for the culture. You can use any yogurt starter (I like YoGourmet) or you can use a fresh bactch of yogurt you already have. I used some plain yogurt I made a week ago.

6. Add 1/2 tsp of yogurt to each jar and stir VERY gently. Incubate for 6 - 8 hours depending on how tart you like your yogurt (longer makes it more tart). Now be patient. Gently transfer cups to refrigerator and leave for 12 hours or overnight to set.

7. When you are ready to eat, simply stir and enjoy! I had mine with pears (peeled for the kids' lunchbox) and a sprinkle of almond maple granola we made last week. Muy delicioso!

Comfort Food

This weekend was the much awaited University District Street Fair in Seattle. We decided to go on Sunday, partly because it was the cooler of the two days, but more importantly because we were celebrating A's 6th Bithday party at the Seattle Bug Safari down in Pike Place. It was fun!

The street fair was awesome. The kids really wanted to ride the bus to the University district and we were quite happy to oblige. Little one R was very happy as he got a huge bag of his favorite stuff right as we got near the fair. Yup, its Kettle Korn.

We bought some cool stuff for the home and garden, noshed on some always-delicious street fair food, and headed home around 4 pm. It was nice and cool at home, so I took a nice nap and was then woken up by the kids at 5:30pm. Next question - "What's for dinner, Mom?" The kids wanted pasta but I was craving some down-home fuss-free Indian food. You know, there is something to be said for our roots. I grew up in India and moved to the US in 1991. I do love all kinds of food, but Indian food is what I seek out and crave when I just want to feel comfy. Not to mention, I can cook Indian in my sleep! Anyway, the kids were ok with Indian (thank you, boys). I wantedt something quick, easy and healthy (need to offset all that Kettle Korn and ice-cream), and no meat, please. Just wasn't in the mood for meat.

So, this is what we had for dinner. Tandoori roti, basmati rice, saag (palak) paneer, mixed vegetable sabji, homemade plain yogurt, and some green chili pickle.

Saag (palak) Paneer

Disclaimer. This preparation is a quick, healthy, home-cooked version of the much-loved Indian restaurant favorite. This is not the elaborate, fat and spice laden stuff you get when you eat out. This is everyday fare. Yes, I know this does not taste like the luscious creamy version you are accustomed to, but try it. Its a lot healthier and to my taste buds, just as good.

2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil (I use canola)

1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds

1 medium onion, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 inch piece ginger, grated

1 tsp Indian red-chili powder (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder (home ground preferable)

1 tsp coriander powder (home ground preferable)

1 roma tomato, chopped fine

1 lb package, organic chopped spinach (frozen)

1 tbsp kosher salt (more/less to taste)

1/2 lb Paneer, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I used Appel farms brand)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wide saucepan. I used my 3 Qt. All-Clad saucier. Add cumin seeds, wait till they slightly brown. Then add onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute till light brown. Then add chili powder, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder.

2. Add tomatoes. Leave on medium heat till tomatoes cook down. Add spinach and salt to taste. Add approx. 1/4 cup water, increase heat to high for a few minutes. Lower heat and simmer, covered, till spinach is cooked well, 15 to 20 minutes. You want the spinach to wilt completely and lose its bright green color.

3. Puree the mixture. I use my handy Braun immersion blend stick and do this directly in the saucepan. You can puree in a blender or food processor. Just be careful to use the "pulse" option. You are looking for a chunky puree, not smooth spinach babyfood slop. As Alton Brown says, "that is not good eats".

4. Return spinach puree to saucepan (if it had been taken out). Add paneer. Simmer on low 10 -15 minutes, or just until paneer heats through and softens up.

Mixed Vegetable Sabji

Sabji literally means vegetable in India. This is a true 'kitchen sink" dish in my home. Great way to use up vegetable odds and ends in the fridge.

1 lb frozen organic green beans

2 carrots, 1/4 inch dice

2 new red potatoes (yukon is ok too), sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 lb panner, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp salt (more/less to taste)

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped fine

Method:

1. Heat oil in shallow saucepan. Add cumin seeds, let brown. Add onion and garlic. Saute till light brown. Add potatoes and turmeric. Stir gently till potatoes are coated with onion mixture.

2. Add all the other ingredients (except cilantro). Stir gently but thoroughly. Cook for a few minutes on med-high heat. Add a few tablespoons water, cover, and simmer on med to med-low 15 to 20 minutes. Vegetables should be tender, yet not mushy.

3. Take cover off. Cook 5 - 10 minutes on med-high till any remaining water evaporates. Check seasonings. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Brownies - Lean and Delicious? No way......

My trusted friend, TiVO (which is the only way I watch TV as I hate commercials) caught on to my obsession with all things food and decided to 'suggest' I watch 'America's Test Kitchen' on PBS. So, as I was browsing my TiVo menu, I saw there was an episode recorded. Now, I am a devoted fan of Christopher Kimball and his team at Cooks Illustrated and have been a subscriber to the magazine for over 5 years. I was quite excited to find this on TiVO. However the episode recorded was on Reduced-fat treats. What!! Cooks goes reduced fat? I admit I was very skeptical. I have utmost faith in the culinary abilities of this team, but I have yet to come across a low-fat brownie that tastes even half way decent. I mean, a brownie should be a decadent treat. A dry, crumbly, cakey concoction does not a brownie make.

Anyway, I decided that if any one could pull this off, the Cooks folks could. So, even though I promised hubby that I would not set foot in the kitchen on Mother's Day, I broke the rules (what do you expect?) and decided to give these brownies a go. Mind you, none of the boys really complained too loud.

Well, they smelled heavenly while baking, but then again, all brownies smell good! Even the boxed ones. So, I'm sure you're waiting with bated breath on the verdict. Well guess what - they were DELICIOUS. Intensely chocolatey, fudgy, chewy, yummm! The only thing missing was the grease. I asked my kids what they thought - I heard a few mumblings, but then again their mouths were full. Lets sum it up by what my soon-to-be 6 year old said "Mom, thank you for making normal brownies. I thought you were making lowfat ones". Awesome! Passed the kiddie and adult taste test!

I urge you to give these a try when you feel like having brownies but don't want to pack in extra fat. These are indeed very good. Now the big question is - do they freeze well (for future lunchbox treats)? Stay tuned and I'll report back.

Hope you all mamas out there had a great Mother's Day! I sure did.

Reduced-Fat Brownies

(From America's Test Kitchen on PBS)

3/4 cup All-purpose flour

1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp table salt

1 large egg, yolk + white

1  large egg, white only

2 tbsp sour cream (light is fine)

2 tbsp butter, unsalted

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped*

1 cup cane sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp chocolate syrup

*Chocolate chips may be used, but these tend to produce a drier brownie. Given this is a light brownie, we need as much moisture as we can, so slab chocolate is highly recommended.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare an 8-inch square pan by making a foil sling (this will greatly aid in brownie removal) and spraying lightly with non-stick spray.

2. Combine dry ingredients (first four listed above) in a dry mixing bowl. Whisk to incorporate well.

3. Add butter and chocolate to a heat-safe bowl or double boiler. Melt till no lumps remain and chocolate is smooth and satiny. Set aside to cool slightly. Add sour cream, vanilla and sugar and mix well with a rubber spatula.

4. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Add 1 tbsp of chocolate syrup (this adds to the fudginess). 

5. Spread the batter uniformly in the prepared pan. The batter is very thick and you'll really need to spread the batter to cover the whole pan. Do not despair. All is well.

6. Bake 20 - 22 min till toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs on it. Do not overbake.

7. Resist temptation to dig in. Let the brownies cool in the pan (approx 1 hour). Take them out using the sling and cut into 16 squares. Enjoy!