I bought this box of twelve pieces of freshly made spinach ravioli with artichoke and ricotta filling from the farmer’s market. I already knew I was going to pair this with a balsamic browned butter sauce. Beurre noisette [bur nwoi-ZET] or brown butter, refers to butter which has been cooked till the milk solids turn brown and this lends a nutty aromatic scent to the butter. Browned butter sauce teams well with pasta, fish, vegetables, and even mashed potatoes. Once the sauce is finished, it can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
The addition of balsamic vinegar, adds acidity, sweetness, but it should be added only after the butter cools a littlee, so that the butter does not splatter.
I checked this recipe and made some adjustments:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/ravioli-with-balsamic-brown-butter-recipe/index.html
4 tbspn butter
2 tbspn balsamic vinegar
1 tspn Dijon mustard Black pepper
1 Tspn dark brown sugar or honey
Salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
12 pieces of ravioli
Parmesan Cheese
1. Add the ravioli to boiling water. Fish out the ravioli when it floats to the top as this indicates that the ravioli is cooked. Drain.
2. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Toast walnuts for around 8 minutes. Keep an eye on this step. Every oven has a different time and you want the walnuts toasted, not burnt.
3. In a heavy bottom saucepan add the butter on medium heat. The butter should start turning golden brown in around 4 minutes. I keep shaking the pan. The butter should emit a nutty aroma at this stage. According to Michael Ruhlman, the trick with making a brown butter sauce is to recognize the right color and aroma, then to stop the cooking by adding the acid which cools the hot butter fat.
4. Turn off the heat and add the balsamic, followed by sugar, and mustard. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Add the ravioli to the pan and coat it with the sauce so that it absorbs the butter.
6. Add the walnuts.
7. Serve with some grated parmesan on the top.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Another Omelette Recipe
So it all started with my partner giving his version of his favorite omelette. “A filling of sausage preferable Louisiana hot links, chunks of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and tomatoes,”
Louisiana hot links are spicy and used in New Orleans Gumbo. But since I did not have any, I used a morning sausage in the fridge, and just heated one small link. Omit, if this is a vegetarian version.
• Grated ¼ cup of Vermont maple smoked cheese.
• Chopped 4 cherry tomatoes.
• A small slab of cream cheese and cut it into large cubes.
• 1 tablespoon of mozzarella
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of black pepper
Mix all of the above. The hot sausage should help he cheese melt a little. All the ingredients should be at room temperatures. Remember, the cream cheese should not mix in, but should be in large cubes, so that you get a mouthful of cream cheese. Try to cut in the same size as the pieces of sausage.
Break 3 eggs at room temperature. Season with salt. Take 1/2tbspn butter in a 10” pan. When the butter heats a little, add the egg mixture. When the eggs are slightly set at the bottom, scramble it once, and run the egg mixture around to fill the gaps. Keep scooping the omelette at the edges, and shake the pan, so the liquids run to the sides. When the omelette is almost set on the top, add the mixture, and fold. Slide on a hot plate.
Louisiana hot links are spicy and used in New Orleans Gumbo. But since I did not have any, I used a morning sausage in the fridge, and just heated one small link. Omit, if this is a vegetarian version.
• Grated ¼ cup of Vermont maple smoked cheese.
• Chopped 4 cherry tomatoes.
• A small slab of cream cheese and cut it into large cubes.
• 1 tablespoon of mozzarella
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of black pepper
Mix all of the above. The hot sausage should help he cheese melt a little. All the ingredients should be at room temperatures. Remember, the cream cheese should not mix in, but should be in large cubes, so that you get a mouthful of cream cheese. Try to cut in the same size as the pieces of sausage.
Break 3 eggs at room temperature. Season with salt. Take 1/2tbspn butter in a 10” pan. When the butter heats a little, add the egg mixture. When the eggs are slightly set at the bottom, scramble it once, and run the egg mixture around to fill the gaps. Keep scooping the omelette at the edges, and shake the pan, so the liquids run to the sides. When the omelette is almost set on the top, add the mixture, and fold. Slide on a hot plate.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Pindi Chana
The weather is such an important component of any inane conversation in this country. Any meeting with my boss starts with a ten minute monologue about the weather interspersed with tentative interjections from the rest of us. Yes, I know its raining, you know it’s raining, and is an admission of the same going to change anything?
Anyhow, so it has been raining and with not much to do during this weekend, it might be a great time to make something hearty and spicy. Here is a recipe of Pindi Chana which I made a while ago. I like it with a rich bread like puri or naan. I personally like my Pindi Chana without onion, tomato, and garlic – and a dash of ghee at the end. I like to use dried pomegranate seeds and dried mango to flavor the Chana. I like to use whole spices and I use ginger. What I love about this dish is the taste of ghee and spices, with no garlic and onion to obliterate this taste. It is rich and tastes like something you would find at a sweet shop and not a restaurant. Not to imply that the dish is sweet, the flavors are mild and the absence of onion and garlic imparts a very clean flavor.
1 ½ cup Kabuli Chana- soak overnight and pressure cook with a tea bag.
2 green chilies - slit
1” inch ginger piece julienned
1 Tbsp ghee
Pinch of asfoetida
Whole Masala
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 tspn cumin seeds
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
Powder Masala
• Coriander powder
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Red chilly powder
• Dried Mango powder
• Dried Pomegranate seeds
1. Take some ghee in a pan. Add the asfoetida and whole maslala. Wait till it splutters.
2. Mix the powder in some water. Add to the mixture. Roast for a while.
3. Add the chana, ginger, and green chilies.
4. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, adjusting some water to prevent burning.
5. When done garnish with chopped coriander and 1 tbsp ghee.
I like to garnish it with fresh mint leaves as well. You could substitute the dried mango powder with tamarind if you like; this will also give the dish a sweet edge.You can also add boiled potatoes to the mix.
Anyhow, so it has been raining and with not much to do during this weekend, it might be a great time to make something hearty and spicy. Here is a recipe of Pindi Chana which I made a while ago. I like it with a rich bread like puri or naan. I personally like my Pindi Chana without onion, tomato, and garlic – and a dash of ghee at the end. I like to use dried pomegranate seeds and dried mango to flavor the Chana. I like to use whole spices and I use ginger. What I love about this dish is the taste of ghee and spices, with no garlic and onion to obliterate this taste. It is rich and tastes like something you would find at a sweet shop and not a restaurant. Not to imply that the dish is sweet, the flavors are mild and the absence of onion and garlic imparts a very clean flavor.
1 ½ cup Kabuli Chana- soak overnight and pressure cook with a tea bag.
2 green chilies - slit
1” inch ginger piece julienned
1 Tbsp ghee
Pinch of asfoetida
Whole Masala
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 tspn cumin seeds
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
Powder Masala
• Coriander powder
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Red chilly powder
• Dried Mango powder
• Dried Pomegranate seeds
1. Take some ghee in a pan. Add the asfoetida and whole maslala. Wait till it splutters.
2. Mix the powder in some water. Add to the mixture. Roast for a while.
3. Add the chana, ginger, and green chilies.
4. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, adjusting some water to prevent burning.
5. When done garnish with chopped coriander and 1 tbsp ghee.
I like to garnish it with fresh mint leaves as well. You could substitute the dried mango powder with tamarind if you like; this will also give the dish a sweet edge.You can also add boiled potatoes to the mix.
Bengal Gram Curry
And India won today at cricket on 24the March. We beat the Australians, ending their world cup hegemony. I was so pleased that I told my partner to try me as nothing would upset me, although, he was also reminded not to push his luck. I am looking forward to the semi-final, the India Pakistan game, or the third world war. I was in high spirits and I decided to end the day with some nice spicy lentil curry. My pantry always has dried beans, and as long as you have tomatoes and spices, you can always whip up something hearty. Chickpeas are very versatile legumes. You have the Bengal gram which I refer to as “Kala Channa,” garbanzo beans which I refer to as “Kabuli Chana,” and the yellow split legume known as “Chana dal,” It is easy to find garbanzo beans in a tinned or dry form; however, the other two are only available at Indian grocery stores. Garbanzo beans can be made in various ways; the two most popular versions being “Cholay”or “Chana Masala,” with gravy, and “Pindi Chana,” which is dry and does not include the ubiquitous combination of onions and tomatoes. Bengal Gram or Kala Chana can also be made dry and goes well with “Puris.” However, this recipe is spicy and has gravy, and works well with rice and yoghurt. I personally like the beans with heavy spices; the beans are quite robust on their own the meatiness of the beans contrasts very well with a spicy gravy or dry spices. I made this curry yesterday, and I quite liked the balance of flavors as compared to my previous efforts.
! ½ cup of Bengal Gram soaked over night
2 cloves garlic
1” piece ginger
2 green chilies
2 tspn Chana masala
1 tspn coriander
½ tspn turmeric
1 large onion
Cumin seeds
Two tomatoes
salt
1.
2. Blend the following - tomatoes, green chilies, ginger, and garlic.
3. Chop the onions finely. Heat the oil, add the cumin seeds, when they splutter add the onions. Fry the onions till they are brown. This is important for the color and depth of the dish.
4. Add the tomato blend. Keep sautéing. When the mixture is almost a paste add the spices.
5. Now add some water and the Bengal Gram.
6. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust water and salt.
! ½ cup of Bengal Gram soaked over night
2 cloves garlic
1” piece ginger
2 green chilies
2 tspn Chana masala
1 tspn coriander
½ tspn turmeric
1 large onion
Cumin seeds
Two tomatoes
salt
1.
2. Blend the following - tomatoes, green chilies, ginger, and garlic.
3. Chop the onions finely. Heat the oil, add the cumin seeds, when they splutter add the onions. Fry the onions till they are brown. This is important for the color and depth of the dish.
4. Add the tomato blend. Keep sautéing. When the mixture is almost a paste add the spices.
5. Now add some water and the Bengal Gram.
6. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust water and salt.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
My partner got back from Thailand, pretty sick. Cooking anything almost seemed like a waste. I can eat anything and he could eat nothing. I felt sad for him and just wanted to make something he could eat irrespective of nutritional content. After the fondue party, there was so much stuff in my refrigerator and pantry – blanched broccoli, chicken sausage, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, pineapple, strawberries, marshmallow, wafers, croutons, loaves of bread, opened white wine. I had tons of pasta in my pantry and some pre grated cheese (gasp, horrors of horrors). This was looking like mac and cheese, albeit a version closer to the blue box than Martha Stewart’s version. I knew I could definitely use the cherry tomatoes; I was iffy about the broccoli. At this stage it was like – Just eat anything so you don’t get sicker, greens be damned! I couldn’t argue with a sick fussy eater about broccoli.
I think you could populate a whole book with various versions of mac and cheese. My earlier version is a baked version, which s therefore a little drier, with a panko bread topping. This version is a quick easy version, no cheese to grate, no ovens to pre heat, no bread topping. This is simpler, quicker, and creamier. I had some sausages leftover from the fondue party, so I just threw them in the mix. And I am proud to say that it gives great competition to the blue box.
1 onion finely chopped
1 tspn Dijon mustard
Less than ¼ cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups pre grated Italian cheese blend
¼ cup grated parmesan (optional)
½ pound macaroni
½ tspn cayenne pepper
Black pepper
10 cherry tomatoes – halved
2 tbspn butter
Olive oil
Nutmeg
1. Heat the milk.
2. Boil pasta water with salt. I like to salt the water till it is “as salty as the sea” as the Italians say. The pasta should be boiled for 7 minutes.
3. Heat the butter. I add some olive oil so that the butter does not melt.
4. Sauté the onions till they are translucent.
5. Add the flour and sauté till it turns blonde.
6. Add mustard and cayenne pepper.
7. Add milk, little at a time, till it is fully incorporated.
8. When the sauce looks and smells perfect, add the cheese.
9. Turn off the flame. Add the pasta and cherry tomatoes. Add black pepper and nutmeg.
10. I added sausages.
I think you could populate a whole book with various versions of mac and cheese. My earlier version is a baked version, which s therefore a little drier, with a panko bread topping. This version is a quick easy version, no cheese to grate, no ovens to pre heat, no bread topping. This is simpler, quicker, and creamier. I had some sausages leftover from the fondue party, so I just threw them in the mix. And I am proud to say that it gives great competition to the blue box.
1 onion finely chopped
1 tspn Dijon mustard
Less than ¼ cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups pre grated Italian cheese blend
¼ cup grated parmesan (optional)
½ pound macaroni
½ tspn cayenne pepper
Black pepper
10 cherry tomatoes – halved
2 tbspn butter
Olive oil
Nutmeg
1. Heat the milk.
2. Boil pasta water with salt. I like to salt the water till it is “as salty as the sea” as the Italians say. The pasta should be boiled for 7 minutes.
3. Heat the butter. I add some olive oil so that the butter does not melt.
4. Sauté the onions till they are translucent.
5. Add the flour and sauté till it turns blonde.
6. Add mustard and cayenne pepper.
7. Add milk, little at a time, till it is fully incorporated.
8. When the sauce looks and smells perfect, add the cheese.
9. Turn off the flame. Add the pasta and cherry tomatoes. Add black pepper and nutmeg.
10. I added sausages.
Swiss Fondue
I love communal meals. The idea of just sitting around a table, feasting and laughing, is absolute perfection to me. Wrapping spicy Ethiopian vegetables with chunks of shared injera bread or dipping croutons in a warm gooey fondue, are perfect examples of a blissful evening. Many people are squeamish and may not enjoy sharing food from a plate, so this is definitely not for everyone. I had some divine fondue in Switzerland last Thanksgiving. I think I ordered a moitié-moitié (or half 'n half): Gruyère and Fribourg Vacherin which is a soft fatty cheese. There were places in Switzerland which had over a hundred varieties of fondue but I was over cheese by that time. I came back home and did not touch cheese for a whole month. However, after a while I find fondue bland and boring, which explains the absolute love I had for this version of Masala Fondue, I found in a great restaurant in Pali hill, Mumbai. So, I had a fondue party a few days ago. My friend brought over his fondue pot. My partner wasn’t feeling great but he pulled it off.
We started off with a cheese hunt at the local grocery. The idea was to mix emmenthal, gruyere, and brie together. Emmental is a Swiss yellow, medium-hard cheese with large holes. It is fruity, sweet, creamy, and nutty with almost no acidity and melts exceedingly well. We could not find any Emmental at the local grocer so we substituted it with Jarlsberg. Jarlsberg is a mild Norwegian cheese with similar holes. Jarlsberg has the consistency texture and hole-formation of Swiss Emmental but its flavor is more nut-like and sweeter. We also easily found the Gruyère medium-hard, sweet but slightly salty, with a flavor that varies widely with age. I use Gruyere for mac and cheese; it has a saltiness to it which balances the sweetness of the Jarlsberg. Gruyere has some close imitations - Beaufort and Comte from France, and Appenzell from Switzerland, and there are versions made in the US. We also added some Brie, which is a soft cheese. I don’t think we would add Brie again; it does not melt well and interferes with the smooth consistency of the fondue. We used half a pound of each cheese which was more than enough for four hungry people.
And as for the dippings, we included croutons made from Italian bread, chicken sausages, blanched broccoli, boiled potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and granny smith apples. We also did a chocolate fondue, which frankly I don’t care for – I ate my dippings, which included pineapple, marshmallow, strawberries, and wafers, without the chocolate. But I digress, coming back to the cheese fondue dinner, we definitely had to do a lot of cutting and chopping so it is always great to have company over whenever you plan one. My friend had an electric fondue pot and you want a temperature of around 200 Fahrenheit; the idea is to get the perfect temperature since cheese gets stringy at a higher temperature. You may allow the fondue to bubble, but never boil.
You also need cornstarch, around 2-3 tbspns. The best way to do this is to coat the grated cheese with the cornstarch. The cornstarch will thicken the sauce and keep it from separating. You also need a cup of white wine. The addition of alcohol to fondues lowers the boiling point so that cheese proteins will not curdle, but take care not to boil it. The idea is to cook it slowly, and whisk the cheese to avoid lumps. For fondue that is too thick, increase the heat, add a little wine, and stir vigorously. For fondue that is too thin, combine 1/2 teaspoon of flour or cornstarch with an equal amount of wine. Stir into fondue until thickened. We added 1 tbspn of lemon juice to the fondue as well which serves the same purpose as the wine. We also added cayenne pepper for taste, ad rubbed a clove of garlic on the pot.
Fondue
½ pound gruyere
½ pound jarlsberg
½ tspn cayenne pepper
1 cup wine
2 tbspn cornstarch
1 tbspn lemon juice
1 clove garlic
a pinch of nutmeg
1. Rub the fondue pan with a clove of garlic. Set the temperature at 200 degrees.
2. Cut the cheeses into small cubes or grate them. Coat with cornstarch.
3. Heat the wine and lemon juice in the pot on low heat. When it starts to simmer, start adding the cheese.
4. Keep adding the cheese, handful at a time till it melts. Let it simmer. Never boil.
5. Keep whisking the pot with either a whisk or a wooden spoon.
6. Add cayenne pepper and nutmeg.
Dippings
1. Make croutons with the crusts for a loaf of French or Italian country bread. Cut the bread in pieces and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
2. Heat the sausages and cut into bite size pieces.
3. Slice a granny smith apple.
4. Either boil some potatoes, or cut them in bite sized pieces and cook them with some olive oil, salt and black pepper.
5. Blanch broccoli or asparagus for a minute in boiling water and then shock with cold water.
6. You can also use pearl onions which have been pickled in vinegar.
7. Cherry tomatoes and carrots work too.
We started off with a cheese hunt at the local grocery. The idea was to mix emmenthal, gruyere, and brie together. Emmental is a Swiss yellow, medium-hard cheese with large holes. It is fruity, sweet, creamy, and nutty with almost no acidity and melts exceedingly well. We could not find any Emmental at the local grocer so we substituted it with Jarlsberg. Jarlsberg is a mild Norwegian cheese with similar holes. Jarlsberg has the consistency texture and hole-formation of Swiss Emmental but its flavor is more nut-like and sweeter. We also easily found the Gruyère medium-hard, sweet but slightly salty, with a flavor that varies widely with age. I use Gruyere for mac and cheese; it has a saltiness to it which balances the sweetness of the Jarlsberg. Gruyere has some close imitations - Beaufort and Comte from France, and Appenzell from Switzerland, and there are versions made in the US. We also added some Brie, which is a soft cheese. I don’t think we would add Brie again; it does not melt well and interferes with the smooth consistency of the fondue. We used half a pound of each cheese which was more than enough for four hungry people.
And as for the dippings, we included croutons made from Italian bread, chicken sausages, blanched broccoli, boiled potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and granny smith apples. We also did a chocolate fondue, which frankly I don’t care for – I ate my dippings, which included pineapple, marshmallow, strawberries, and wafers, without the chocolate. But I digress, coming back to the cheese fondue dinner, we definitely had to do a lot of cutting and chopping so it is always great to have company over whenever you plan one. My friend had an electric fondue pot and you want a temperature of around 200 Fahrenheit; the idea is to get the perfect temperature since cheese gets stringy at a higher temperature. You may allow the fondue to bubble, but never boil.
You also need cornstarch, around 2-3 tbspns. The best way to do this is to coat the grated cheese with the cornstarch. The cornstarch will thicken the sauce and keep it from separating. You also need a cup of white wine. The addition of alcohol to fondues lowers the boiling point so that cheese proteins will not curdle, but take care not to boil it. The idea is to cook it slowly, and whisk the cheese to avoid lumps. For fondue that is too thick, increase the heat, add a little wine, and stir vigorously. For fondue that is too thin, combine 1/2 teaspoon of flour or cornstarch with an equal amount of wine. Stir into fondue until thickened. We added 1 tbspn of lemon juice to the fondue as well which serves the same purpose as the wine. We also added cayenne pepper for taste, ad rubbed a clove of garlic on the pot.
Fondue
½ pound gruyere
½ pound jarlsberg
½ tspn cayenne pepper
1 cup wine
2 tbspn cornstarch
1 tbspn lemon juice
1 clove garlic
a pinch of nutmeg
1. Rub the fondue pan with a clove of garlic. Set the temperature at 200 degrees.
2. Cut the cheeses into small cubes or grate them. Coat with cornstarch.
3. Heat the wine and lemon juice in the pot on low heat. When it starts to simmer, start adding the cheese.
4. Keep adding the cheese, handful at a time till it melts. Let it simmer. Never boil.
5. Keep whisking the pot with either a whisk or a wooden spoon.
6. Add cayenne pepper and nutmeg.
Dippings
1. Make croutons with the crusts for a loaf of French or Italian country bread. Cut the bread in pieces and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
2. Heat the sausages and cut into bite size pieces.
3. Slice a granny smith apple.
4. Either boil some potatoes, or cut them in bite sized pieces and cook them with some olive oil, salt and black pepper.
5. Blanch broccoli or asparagus for a minute in boiling water and then shock with cold water.
6. You can also use pearl onions which have been pickled in vinegar.
7. Cherry tomatoes and carrots work too.
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