The Food We Eat

Asian-spiced Roasted Delicata Squash

 

 

I have only recently been introduced to this wonderful winter squash called 'Delicata'. What drew me to this particular squash is not only its striking stripes, but the fact that the label said the skin was edible. I was intrigued and decided to try it. Once I came home with my striped beauties, I was on a search for a way to prepare them in a way that would make the squash the centerpiece of attention. So soups and stews were out, as there are too many more aggressive players in that game. I settled upon the idea of simply roasting it. I had some beef kebabs marinating in a soy-orange-garlic base (more on that later), so I decided to keep with the asian-inspired theme.

 

Why peanut oil, you ask? Well, I wanted a fat-base that had a lot of flavor. Butter is too mild, and olive oil with asian spices, not a marraige made in heaven, so I decided on some nutty peanut oil. And was I in for a treat! You won't believe the aroma coming from the oven. It was sensational. I can proclaim that the peanut oil was a hit! That said, I think sesame would work well too.

Verdict: The delicata squash was delicious! The crisp-chewy skin lent a fantastic structural contrast to the smoothness of the squash flesh. This squash really hold its integrity though.  Leftovers were great, but I didn't dig the skin as much on day two. The crunchiness was lost, and the skin felt a bit tough.

Anyway, if you're looking for a nice alternative to butternut or acorn squash, delicata is your answer. Or if you end up with some in your Winter CSA basket, now you know what to do with it.

Asian-spiced Roasted Delicata Squash

Serves 4

4 delicata squash (about 2 lbs)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp chinese five-spice

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp peanut oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Scrub the squash well. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half into 1/2 inch slices.

2. Toss the squash with the spices, salt, and peanut oil. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

3. Roast approx. 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.

Sichuan Green Beans

The regular CSA share season at the farm is over :-(, but the good news is that the Winter share season is already in swing. Well, it 's not quite the same. The regular Summer CSA features vegetables grown 100% at the farm, so you can't beat the freshness. It is as local as it gets. The Winter share relies on produce locally and sometimes from California, but oh well. The revenues from this keep the farm going. In any case, my loot today consisted of Kale, Spinach, Celery, Broccoli, Potatoes, Carrots, and Green Beans. Green Beans! Hello friends, I have so missed you!

I was flipping through the September issue of Cooking light (while watching CNN), and came upon the Sichuan Green Beans. A-ha! That's what would become of my green jewels. BTW, I must admit - I am so glad Obama won, but I am suffering from Election withdrawal syndrome. For the past month especially, like many other fellow Americans, I too have been consumed by the election coverage, and as you can see, the blog postings have been a bit bleak. I promise to be more regular now.

Back to the food! These green beans are absolutely delicious and unlike the greasy oily restaurant stuff, these are actually a healthy way to eat those beans. Give these a try! I will add some XO sauce to mine next time. Also, I did not have Chinese black vinegar on hand (need to fix that asap), so I used good balsamic. If you have the real stuff, I would use that.

 

 

Sichuan Green Beans

From Cooking Light Magazine

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 tbsp peanut oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1 tbsp chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Method:

1. Cook beans in boiling water for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain and pat dry completely.

2. Heat a 14-inch wok over high heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp of oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add green beans; stir fry 3 - 5 minutes until beans are well browned and blistered. Spoon green beans into a bowl.

3. Add remaining oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and red pepper. Stir fry 1 minute or so, until onions brown. Return green beans to wok. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and salt. Toss to combine. Serve immediately alongside rice and protein of your choice. 

Green Bean Salad

My CSA loot last week consisted of the freshest, most tender, and sweet green beans I have seen in a while. I really wanted to use them in a way that showed off their freshness. You see, growing up, in India, folks had a way of cooking the c--- out of green beans. What a crime! These green beans had absolutely no trace of the yummy crunchiness that green beans ought to have.

A had just come back from school and was particularly wiped out on Friday. We decided to snuggle up on the couch and 'chill' (that is A's favorite word this year). Then A says "Mom, can we watch a cooking show?" Atta boy! I love this kid. So we checked out what our dear friend TiVo had for us, and that's how we stumbled upon an episode of Jamie Oliver's show.

What you see here is his version of a Green Bean salad. I think I managed to remember how he made it, but I could've missed a couple things. Either way, I assure you, this is a delicious way to eat your green beans. I made this as a side and took it to our friends' place for dinner. We had the beans alongside some salmon and rice. I could just eat a ton of the beans for lunch, dinner, or a snack!

Green Bean Salad

(From Jamie Oliver)

Serves 6

2 lbs fresh green beans

3 tbsp shallots, diced very fine

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine

Method:

1. To prepare the beans, all I did was wash them. They were so fresh and tender that I didn't need to trim them or remove the side fiber. If you like, feel free to trim them.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

3. While the water boils, prepare the vinaigrette. Add shallots and dijon mustard in a large bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking as you go. You should end up with a nice emulsion.

3. Blanch the beans till crisp-tender, just about 2 - 4 minutes. Drain.

4. Add the beans (still nice and hot) to the bowl with the dressing. Toss well. Add the parsley. Toss again.

5. You could serve the beans immediately, but I think it is much better after sitting for about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spanish-style Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans

After a long break, I am happy to report that I am back in the kitchen. We returned from a fantastic, low-key, yet highly soul-soothing vacation to India a couple weeks back. I had grand plans of taking just a few days to tackle jet-lag, and then cooking up a storm (you see, I really did miss cooking while I was on vacation. I helped mom, but didn't really cook). But alas! A nasty viral bug chose to adopt my body as its favorite host (my guess is on the plane), and my well-laid plans of culinary rediscovery were thwarted. Unless you count chicken noodle soup from a can (organic, of course) and Ramen noodles as culinary achievements.

So anyway, all is better now. A is off to school (first grade, can you believe it?) and R is back in preschool. I am feeling a heck of a lot better, and I'm sure J is excited to have me back in the kitchen. The poor guy! Went from being presented with a veritable feast every meal for 5 weeks in India to chicken noodle soup with toast! What a nasty shock to the poor taste buds!

Okay - go on say it. I have let you down. I go on and on about coming back to the kitchen, and you are expecting some mind-blowingly complicated recipe, and I present you with a humble vegetarian dish?? Is that the best you can do, you ask? Well, my dear friends, don't dismiss this humble offering quite so fast. It is simple, yes, but that is what makes it so beautiful. The flavors are simply sublime. And what better way to use up a whole bunch of swiss chard from the farm?

So, let me plug in my locavore thing here. Dishes such as this are meant to show off nature's bounty. So the end result is only as good as the quality of the ingredients you put in it. Ever wonder why food in Italy, Spain, France (heck, most of Europe) tastes so damn good? Well, it is in large part due to the fantastic quality of the stuff they put in. So go ahead, please use good, organic, local stuff. I promise you, it is well worth the trouble.

My six year old, A, gobbled it up saying "Mom, could you drizzle some more olive oil on mine? I love my stew with extra oil on top". If you knew this kid when he was 2 and 3, you'd never believe me. A was the pickiest eater you've ever seen. Who woulda thunk it. This kids eats anything now. R reluctantly ate up his portion and then piped in "Yummy, with some fresh organic water". Makes no sense? You're not alone. Welcome to the  world of a 4-year old...

You can serve this dish with rice, couscous, or even a nice crusty loaf of bread. This version is an adaptation of Madhur Jaffrey's recipe for espinacas con garbanzos, a Spanish tapas dish served in tapas bars across Seville. I liked the slight bitterness that the swiss chard lends, and I think it works especially well when you serve this as a main course alongwith rice or couscous. That said, I really like the original recipe using spinach too.

We had some whole-wheat couscous in the pantry, so that is what I served. Couscous is extremely quick and ridiculously simple to prepare. I like to use a 1:1.5 ratio of dry couscous:water, or even better, use chicken broth instead of water. Bring the water or broth to a rolling boil, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Then add the couscous, stir, cover and take off the heat. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes (don't peek). Then take the cover off, and fluff lightly with a fork. That is it! Ta Da! I told you it was ridiculously simple.

To serve, spoon some couscous on a plate. Top with the stew. Drizzle some good quality olive oil on top. Scatter a few marcona almonds on top and Voila! A glass of red wine to accompany (I still have remnants of a cold, so sadly no wine for me) and here's to a good hearty meal.

Spanish-style swiss chard with garbanzo beans

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian

2 bunches swiss chard (about 20 leaves)

1 15oz can organic garbanzo beans, washed and drained

1/4 cup olive oil

5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp freshly ground cumin

1 tsp freshly ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp spanish paprika (Pimenton)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

Method:

1. Wash the swiss chard well. Remove the stalks from the leaves. Set aside. Cut the chard leaves into ribbon-like shreds. Finely chop the stalks.

2. Heat the oil and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute till garlic smells fragrant. Add the swiss chard stalks and saute for a few minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Saute a few minutes till spices smell fragrant. Add the swiss chard leaves and saute till the leaves wilt. Add the garbanzo beans, tomato sauce, and water. Stir well.

3. Cook on medium heat, uncovered, for approx. 30 minutes. Stir occassionally. Cook until there is just a bit of juice left at the bottom of the pan.

4. Serve hot or warm. I like to drizzle some olive oil on top just before serving. Garnish with marcona almonds for a nice crunch.

Sarson Ka Saag - Curried Mustard Greens

This dish is near and dear to my heart. My parents are from Southern India, but Dad was in the Indian Army, so we moved every 3 years and lived all over India. It so happens that I spent a good portion of my teenage years in Delhi, and was exposed to a lot of Punjabi food. There are many north Indian dishes I love, but I particularly have very fond memories of Sarson ka Saag. Our neighbor, Indu Aunty, made the yummiest Sarson ka Saag, and the smell....Oh! I can't begin to describe the smell. Earthy, spicy, just delicious. On cold winter evenings, we'd sit with steaming plates of saag and roti and watch some mindless movies.

Sarson ka Saag is Punjabi comfort food at its best. This dish originally hails from rural Punjab. It is traditionally served with Makki ki roti (Corn flour rotis). Ok, I know. This dish is not spectacular to look at, but dear friends the cliche' "looks can be deceiving" is really true here. The greens (Sarson is the hindi word for Mustard) are boiled well (No crunchy, barely wilted greens here) and tempered with onions, garlic, ginger and spices. The ingredients are simple, but the flavor of the finished saag is anything but. This is simple home cooking at its best. The next time you see Mustard Greens at your local market, grab some!

If you find the flavor of mustard greens too strong, feel free to use a half mustard- half spinach combo. Or you can use some turnip greens like I did below. I have not tried other substitutions, but I'm sure you could.

One more thing! Many of my non-Indian friends have asked me "What is this strange thing called Asafoetida? It reeks". Well, you know what? You are absolutely right. It does stink. Asafoetida is a powder made from the resinous sap of the Ferula plant. It is a very strange thing. Used correctly, it lends an absolutely irreplaceable aroma and flavor to curries. Used incorrectly, it renders a dish bitter and stinky. So my suggestion to you is to use it carefully and sparingly. When not sure, better to leave it out. That said, please do use it in the Saag. It plays a starring role here.

It was a busy day at our house. Little Gym for the kids, grown-up gym for J and me, a visit to my CSA farm, bike ride, phew. The kids and I harvested fresh Mustard Greens from the farm (also Swiss Chard, Collard greens and Vita Greens) and I had washed and bagged all that. I'm not making excuses, but there was no way I was making Makki ki roti tonight. So there you go. I'll make this saag again very soon, I am sure, so Makki ki Roti shall happen next time.

Sarson ka Saag (Curried Mustard Greens)

1 large bunch mustard greens

1 small bunch turnip greens

1 -2 serrano peppers, sliced lengthwise

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil (Mustard oil is great)

2 tbsp ghee

1-inch piece ginger, grated

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large onion, grated (or very finely chopped)

1 pinch asafoetida

1 tsp garam masala

1/4 tp 1/2 tsp red chili powder

2 tbsp maize flour (makki ka atta)

salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the greens thoroughly and chop. Cook the greens with water, turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt, and the serrano peppers for 45 minutes to 1 hour, till the greens are completely cooked. I like to use a pressure cooker to cook the greens. Takes about 10 - 15 minutes in a pressure cooker. Either way, make sure the greens are totally cooked. They should turn a dark olive green color. Coarsely puree the greens using an immersion stick or food processor.

2. Heat ghee and oil in a saute pan. Add cumin seeds. Fry for 30 seconds and add the asafoetida. Stir for 10 seconds and add grated onion, ginger, and garlic. Saute till golden brown. Add garam masala and chili powder.

3. Add greens to the onion mixture. You might need to add a little bit of water at this point. Sprinkle on the maize flour and cook 10 - 15 minutes longer till the saag thickens up a bit. You don't want to see any water that is separated from the saag. If your saag is too watery, cook on med-high, uncovered, till excess water evaporates.

4. Check the seasonings and add salt if needed. Serve with a dollop of butter or ghee. 

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.