The Food We Eat

Indian-style Bread salad (Bread Upma)

 

This dish brings back waves of nostalgia. Growing up, bread upma was my favorite hot after-school snack. What's not to like - it has a perfect balance of sweet and salty, and just a bit of kick from the green chilis (which you can easily omit). You don't want to load this up with too many spices, or you'll completely lose the subtle flavor of the bread.

 

Growing up, mom used to make this dish to use up leftover bread, and all we had was white bread. To keep the bread from completely turning to mush, Mom used to use a healthy dose of oil (I'm sure Mom disagrees). No, I'm not complaining -- oil-fried bread? Yum! These days, I'm trying to eat a bit lighter, and I like bread with texture, so I have adapted this recipe a bit. I use day (or week) old Ciabatta bread. I love the way the bread thirstily soaks up the tomato mixture, and yet holds its integrity. Yes, leave the crust on!

As go other ingredients, I like red onions here, for color, and sweetness. Also, I think turmeric makes this dish. If you don't like it that much, use half the amount. I think skin-on spanish peanuts would be fabulous, but I didn't have any in the pantry, so I used regular split roasted, salted peanuts instead.

If you are stressed out about carbo-loading, then you can add in some more nuts. Also, a nice olive-oil fried egg on top would just be great! I hope we still have some leftovers; I know what I'll be having for breakfast.

For today, it was a perfect evening snack with a nice cup of strong Indian Chai.

Indian-style Bread salad (Bread Upma)

Serves 2 as a meal; 4 as a snack

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3 cups cubed day-old Ciabatta bread

1/2 red onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno (or serrano) chili, diced

1 roma tomato, diced (1 cup)

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 tsp turmeric

3/4 or 1 tsp kosher salt (depending on taste and salt-level in your bread)

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup peanuts

cilantro, for garnish, and to taste

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add cumin seeds. Fry 30 seconds. Add onion, garlic, chili, and salt. Saute 5 minutes till onions wilt and color slightly. Add turmeric. Saute 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and saute 2-3 minutes till they turn pulpy. Add sugar and green peas, cook a few more minutes.

2. Add bread cubes. Stir gently, but thoroughly to coat with the tomato-onion mixture. Saute a few minutes till bread absorbs some of the tomato pulp. Squeeze lime juice, add chopped cilantro and peanuts, stir well and serve. Pass extra lime slices on the side.

Phillipine-Style Chicken Adobo

 

Feel like something tangy for a cold winter day's supper? Feeling guilty about all the take-out chinese? The local teriyaki place wonders if you have a kitchen? Try this recipe. It can be easily adapted to feed a crowd, requires very little hands-on care, and tastes mighty delicious. Will satisfy even the pickiest eater, non-vegetarian of course. The marinade doubles as a finishing sauce too, so you are basically done once you have the chicken marinating. C'mon, tending to the oven and making rice does not count, does it?

The original recipe calls for chicken legs, but I am not a huge fan of dark meat, so I used bone-in chicken breasts instead. Thighs would be mighty fine too. And, as goes the truth with any marinade, feel free to add in or substitute flavors that you prefer. The little ones are not quite there on the spice factor, so I tamed the chili content. Left up to me, I'd add a few chopped serranos in there too.

I think white short grain sticky rice is the perfect accompaniment to this chicken. I like Calrose. Add in some vegetables too. We had ours with a very simple and healthy version of Sichuan Green beans (recipe here) that have become a staple in our home. Stir-fried Gai-lan (Chinese broccoli) or Broccoli would be great too.

Hmmmm...chicken wings in adobo sauce? Are you thinking what I am thinking? :-)

Phillipine Style Chicken Adobo

Adapted from Gourmet

Serves 4 - 6

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced ginger

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

4 bone-in, skin-on, chicken breasts, halved

Method:

1. Stir together vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, ginger, garlic, pepper, and red chili flakes in a large wide glass bowl (or use a 1 gallon ziploc bag).

2. Add chicken and coat thoroughly. Refrigerate chicken with marinade for 2 - 3 hours.

3. Let chicken stand at room temperature for 30 - 45 minutes.

4. Position rack in center of the oven. Preheat oven to 425F. Arrange chicken skin-side up in a baking pan and pour marinade all over it. Bake until cooked through, 25 - 30 minutes. Pour pan juices into a small saucepan.

5. Set oven to broil. Transfer chicken to a broiler pan and broil approx. 4 inches from heat, 2 - 3 minutes, until skin is crisp and crackling.

6. While chicken is broiling, skim any fat from the pan juices. Bring to a boil. Discard bay leaves. Serve sauce as an accompaniment to the chicken and rice.

Turkey Ricotta Meatballs

 

I apologize for being gone from the blog for 2 weeks. Just way too much happening in the kitchen and not enough time to post! I love the munchkins, but they have been home too much and I just can't seem to get much done. Snow, snow go away, come again maybe next year! Gee! Rain has never been more welcome in Seattle!

And what do I have for you today? Meatballs! No really! There are so many recipes out there for the perfect meatball, and at this point I have tried so many, I can't seem to categorize them. There are some I have really liked, some I thought were so-so, but haven't really come across any that were a goner. So, is this the perfect meatball recipe? Not by a far stretch. To begin with, IMHO, the perfect meatball has a mixture of meats - pork, lamb, and beef (I don't do veal). This one, is turkey! But wait! I promise it is very very good. Nope, does not taste like dried mashed cardboard. The key is to use lean (not extra lean) turkey, and the ricotta is very nice. These make a very tasty, and quite mild meatball. The kids absolutely love them, and I haven't seen any adults complain either :-)

So if you want a change from red meat, are trying to eat more poultry, or simply have some ground turkey to use up, give these a try.

As goes cooking methods, you can saute them in olive oil if you want, but I just usually bake them in the oven. Less messy and a prefect way to make a big batch and freeze for later use. A loves pasta and meatballs as a hot lunch to school, and it is oh-so easy when you have frozen meatballs and marinara sauce on hand. Also works great for nights when making dinner seems like an Olympic marathon. You get the drift.

Serve these with a nice homemade marinara sauce, a simple tomato sauce, or a good quality jarred one if you prefer. Me, I like spaghetti, but you could use whichever pasta you choose. I guess depends on how white your shirt is and how much slurping you're in the mood for :-) A glass of wine, a nice tossed salad, and perfect!

 

 

 

 

Turkey Ricotta Meatballs

Adapted from Nate Appleman and Simmer Till Done

Serves 4 - 6 (24 meatballs)

4 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed and cubed

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped spinach, fresh or frozen, cooked and pressed to remove excess water

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

1/2 tsp crushed fennel seeds

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Pulse bread in food processor a few times till you get fine breadcrumbs.

2. Add all the ingredients in a large glass bowl and toss lightly with your hands till well incorporated. Do not compact the mixture too much, or the meatballs will be tough and leathery.

3. Scoop small portions of the mixture and shape into 1 1/2 inch diameter balls.

4. Place meatballs on a lightly greased foil-lined jelly roll pan. Cook 25 to 30 minutes till well browned and cooked through.

5. Simmer in sauce for 10 - 15 minutes if you are serving immediately. Or cool down, wrap in foil or freezer-safe storage bag, and freeze for later use. To reheat, simply simmer frozen meatballs in sauce.

Cabbage and Potato Sabzi (Aloo Bandh Gobi)

 

 

I am drowning in produce. Let me confess -- I am so glad my CSA has the option of a Winter share to tide us through this lean growing season in the Pacific Northwest, but sometimes the pressure gets to me. What pressure you ask? The pressure of using up last week's produce before my next pick-up day. Hey, I know wah wah! Seriously, I am truly blessed. Given what is going on around us, if this is pressure, then I am one lucky and blessed girl.

Anyway, I opened the refrigerator this evening, and here is what stared back at me -- a head of green cabbage and a 5lb bag of yukon golds. We had some leftover dal from the other day, so a quick sabzi was in order. Why do I call this a sabzi instead of a curry? Well, let me explain this briefly. You don't want to get me started on my Andy Roooney-esque 'curry' rant. I call preparations with gravy a 'curry' and dry ones 'sabzi'. Yes, this is a dry "curry" if you will. It is imperative to have a dal or raita  to round out the meal when you are eating sabzi. Of course, you need a starch in the form of roti or rice.

What? You don't like cabbage except in the form of mayonnaise-drenched coleslaw? Give this a try. I have turned many a cabbage hater into a "hearter" :-) And, yes, this sabzi comes together in the magic 30-minutes and under mark. Great for a quick weeknight meal.

Cabbage and Potato Sabzi

Serves 4

1 head green cabbage, chopped

4 small yukon gold potatoes, quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices

1/2 large, or 1 small onion, sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

2 tsp tomato paste

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 tbsp canola oil

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1/4 cup water

Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Method:

1. Heat a saucepan and add 2 tbsp canola oil. Add cumin seeds and brown. Add onions and garlic.Saute a couple minutes till light brown. Add one more tbsp oil. Then add potatoes and saute until partially cooked through, approx. 5 minutes. Add turmeric, cumin powder, chili powder,sugar, and salt. Saute a few minutes till spices smell aromatic.

2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Cook a few minutes. Add cabbage and stir well to coat evenly. Cover, and cook on medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes or until potatoes are fully cooked. Add peas, stir them in and cook a few more minutes. Check seasonings. Add more salt if needed.

3. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

 

 

This year, for Thanksgiving Dinner, I decided to break away from the Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Apple Pie tradition and make something different, yet stick to the Pumpkin theme. I would say, that was a very good idea. Now, it's not that I don't like pie -- I actually *love* pies. It just seems to be a huge waste on thanksgiving as most folks are so stuffed from the day's gorging that they can do no justice to a wedge (or two, or three) of pie. Me included! So I decided to go with something that is a lot more amenable to little bites and yet, delivers big flavor and satisfaction. Tall order? Let's see...

I went in search of recipes that would be fun to make, sounded tasty, and would look nice enough to be worthy of a festive meal. I absolutely love brownies, and pumpkin brownies sounded divine. Except that most recipes I came across seemed to be basic brownies with a pumpkin-y layer. Didn't sound all that wow! I quickly realized that I needed a recipe where the pumpkin-y contribution would be just as intense and decadent as its chocolate-brownie counterpart. And boy, did I ever find one? This recipe is from Cara's Cravings, and it is a definite keeper. Hey, I think this might be on the regular brownie rotation in our house.

  

Oh, lest you think we skimped on dessert on T-day, we had some pumpkin cookies and a pumpkin roulade too. And we're still going to have the pies - just not on T-day. I told you, I love a good pie!

 

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Adapted from Cara's cravings

Brownie batter:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp table salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Pumpkin Cheesecake batter:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp vanilla exract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 8x8 square metal baking pan with foil. Leave an overhang, so you can use the foil as a sling to get the brownies out easily. Coat the foil lightly with butter or neutral oil.

2. Brownie batter - Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla till light and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. In a small bowl, whisk the dry ingredients till well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing just until incorporated. Set aside.

3. Cheesecake batter - Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix till creamy. Mix flour and spices in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix till creamy.

4. Spread 2/3 of chocolate brownie batter into the prepared pan. The batter is thick, so use a rubber spatula and make sure to cover the corners. Spoon the cheesecake batter on top of the brownie batter. Spread to cover evenly. Now dollop the remaining 1/3 of brownie batter on top of the cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together using a butter knife. Do not overmix. It might not look like much at this point, but don't worry. It's all good. Don't start pondering Plan B yet :-)

5. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the center is just set. It is ok if it feels a bit underdone.

6. Cool completely on a wire rack (leave brownies in the pan) and refrigerate, at least 6 hours, or better, overnight.

7. Use sling to get the brownies out. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut brownies. A good trick is to wet the knife in hot water before each cut. This ensures a nice, clean cut and finish.

Italian Sausage with Potatoes, Onions, and Peppers

 

 

So, the thanksgiving holiday has come and gone, and so has my resolution of hitting the gym this week. I have a bad cold - how's that for an excuse? Oh well, 'cest la vie. The good news is I think I am dessert-ed out. At least for a day or two :-) Just till I make a batch of cookies again :-) No seriously, I think I need a break from sweet things. How about something really nice and salty with just a little kick from hot sausage? Ok, so it's not quite "diet food", but who would eat it if it were? Not me, said I.

Ok, so here is my disclaimer. I don't know where this dish came from. It just sounded good and I had hot italian sausage and lots of potatoes that were begging to be eaten. These aren't any potatoes, they are grown in Washington, organic potatoes, that are scrumptious. I could just boil and eat them with a bit of sea salt and pepper....But I do know this -- potatoes, onions, and peppers are a very classic combination, and for all you know, some grandma in Italy is making this at home. If you have any information regarding the authenticity of this recipe, or the total blasphemy of it too, please let me know.

 

What I do know, is that what results is absolutely delicious! And, is a low prep, hand-off dinner you can make while you're busy doing other stuff. Oh! the smell. The house smells fantastic too - the onions, pepper, distinct fennel aroma from the sausage - yum! Ours was roasting in the oven while we were all hanging ornaments on the tree. We had this with a nice crisp green salad (yes, the CSA box still has salad in it) and a nice red wine. Cheers!

Now, let me talk a bit about the ingredients. You can use any sausage you want, but I would highly recommend Hot Italian Sausage (the raw, uncooked kind, preservative free). Warning -- this gets pretty spicy. If you don't handle heat well, then you might consider half hot Italian sausage, half sweet Italian sausage. Or, all sweet. Your call.

I used red onion, but you can use whichever you have in the pantry. As go potatoes, you want to use a waxy potato. Yukons and red bliss are my personal favorites. We had a 1lb bag of Russian fingerlings in the CSA box, so I used a combination of fingerlings and red bliss. And lastly, peppers. I personally love the flavor of green bell peppers, but I know many people don't feel as warmly towards them. If you want to use red, yellow, or orange ones, they would work mighty fine. Whatever finds your fancy. But here goes the recipe I used below.

 

Italian Sausage with Potatoes, Onions, and Peppers

Serves 6

4 links hot Italian sausage

2 large red onions, sliced

3 green bell peppers, sliced

1 pt sweet mini peppers

6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 lbs red potatoes, quartered

1 lbs russian fingerling potatoes

kosher salt

pepper

olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Parboil potatoes for 10 minutes in salted, boiling water. Drain well and blot excess water with a kitchen towel. Transfer to a foil lined jelly roll pan (or large baking dish). Drizzle 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper and toss well to coat. Top with rosemary sprigs.

2. In a large bowl, toss sliced onions, peppers, whole mini peppers, and peeled garlic with 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp olive oil.

3.Top the potatoes with the vegetables. Slice sausage (leave casings on) in 4 pieces on the bias. Lay on top of the potatoes and vegetables.

4. Roast 45 - 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, till potatoes are cooked through. Check seasonings. Add more salt, pepper as needed. Enjoy! Leftovers keep extremely well. I just ate the last of it for lunch today!

Pumpkin Roulade with Mascarpone filling

 

   

To the friends who shared thanksgiving dinner with us, thank you! Our life is sure richer with you all in it. Thank you for your long-standing friendship and for sharing your special day with us. And, as promised (even though I am tardy), here is the recipe for the Pumpkin Roulade. If I may say so myself, it was absolutely delicious. On Friday morning, A and R (and J too) were so excited to discover that there was some stashed away in the spare refrigerator (I know, it is my contribution to global warming, but I just can't part with it! I'd rather give up my car! Seriously!).

 

'Roulade' sounds fancy, but it is really a rolled cake with the icing on the inside. But, it is delicious! Good news is that it looks a lot more difficult than it is. The presentation is absolutely gorgeous and your guests will be impressed. But making it is really not that difficult at all. All you need is a good jelly roll pan, a clean dish towel, and lots of powdered sugar. It is delicious without being overly heavy and cloying as some desserts tend to be. One caution! It is quite addictive!

A crowd pleaser for kids and adults alike!

 

Pumpkin Roulade with Mascarpone filling

Adapted from Ina Garten

Serves 8 - 10 (or just myself)

For the Cake

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners sugar, plus more for dusting

For the filling

12 oz mascarpone cheese (please buy a good one)

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tbso heavy cream

1 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of kosher salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 13x8x1 inch jelly roll pan. Line the pan with parchment paper (not wax paper) and grease and flour the paper. Note: Do not skip the greasing steps. Don't say I didn't warn you.

2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

3. Add the eggs and granulated sugar to a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, beat on med-high speed for 3 minutes or until smooth, light yellow, and slightly thickened. Turn mixer to low, add the pumpkin and vanilla, mix just till combined. Now add the flour mixture in a few batches, and mix just until incorporated. Finish scraping the bowl and mixing the batter by hand using a rubber spatula.

4. Pour the batter onto the prepared pan. Spread evenly so the cake covers the whole pan in even thickness. While the cake is baking, lay out a clean, thin cotton (NOT terry) dish towel on the counter and sift the entire 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar evenly over it. This will prevent the hot cake from sticking to the dish towel. Bake  the cake 10 - 12 minutes until the top springs back when touched. You don't need color, so don't overbake.

5. As soon as the cake is out of the oven, loosen it around the edges using a sharp knife. Invert the cake (with parchment) onto the prepared dish towel. Peel the parchment paper. With a gentle touch, starting at the short end of the cake, roll the cake and the towel together (don't press). Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

6. Meanwhile make the filling. Beat together the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, confectioners sugar, salt, and ginger for 1-2 minutes, till mixture is light and fluffy.

7. To assemble the cake, carefully unroll the cake onto a board with the towel underneath. Spread the cake evenly with the mascarpone filling. Reroll the cake using the towel as a guide. Remove the towel and trim the ends to make a clean edge. 

8. Dust with confectioners sugar, slice, and serve. One tip: Use a serrated sharp bread knife to slice, and wash the knife in hot water between slices. This way, you won't drag the filling across the cake.If you want to make the cake ahead of time, wrap the filled cake well in saran wrap and refrigerate for 1 - 2 days. Dust with sugar just before serving.