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.
Friday, March 25, 2011
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.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Molten Chocolate cakes – how to get it wrong and right
I followed the recipe to a tee and I got it wrong. I was alone with my partner away in Asia and I was missing him, staring at the wilted Valentines Day roses which I couldn't bring myself to throw away. Maybe that had something to do with this culinary disaster.
The Oscars were on and I was bored as I am during any award season. I was hoping it was Monday so I could watch the “Bachelor.” I was looking at Food and Wine Magazine till I stumbled on this recipe.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/molten-chocolate-cake
I am always looking for ways to make quick desserts when I have company. I also will not try a new recipe if that is the case so I thought this was the perfect time to make something quick and fast, like a practice run, and distract myself from the blues. So, molten cakes are supposed to be soft with a gooey filling. Mine had no filling, they were spongy throughout. The shape was…., wait, there was no shape. The flavor was actually nice, but hey, this was no molten cake.
The recipe was for four cakes, but since I was testing, halved it.
½ stick of butter
1/8 cup of flour or 2 Tbspn
3 ounces dark Ghirardelli chocolate
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 ½ large eggs
¼ cup white sugar
Some butter and cocoa powder to dust the ramekins
1. I preheated the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a mixer, I beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla till I get a light airy batter.
3. I melted the chocolate in the microwave for around 40 seconds.
4. I cooled the chocolate and add a little bit of batter so the batter would not scramble. I gradually added the chocolate to the batter and ran it in the mixer.
5. I added the flour.
6. Poured the cake batter in the ramekins and baked it for 16 minutes according to the recipe.
I think 16 minutes' baking time was too much. Also, the batter was thick, so less flour would have been better. I should have used deeper ramekins with lesser surface area on the top. Let’s see, it could turn out right next time.
Looking at this recipe confirms my doubts.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/molten-chocolate-cake%20comments_page=1&#conversation-container%0A
or
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/molten-chocolate-magic/
Martha Stewart’s recipe requires a six muffin-tin, a temperature of 400 degrees, and only 8 minutes' baking time. I need two slabs of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate and three eggs to make six cakes. This recipe uses less butter. The New York Times features Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s individual warm, soft chocolate cakes. This recipe requires 1 tspn flour, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbspn sugar, 4 tbspn butter, and 2 ounces, or half a slab, of bittersweet chocolate for each cake. It would be easy to test one cake. The oven should be at 450 degrees and the cakes should be baked for 6-7 minutes. So here is the correct way, tried and tested.
The other good thing about molten cakes is that you can make the batter in advance and refrigerate it. The batter does not have baking powder so you are not worried about air escaping the batter. Just before you bake the cakes, you need to bring the batter to room temperature. If the batter is cold, the baking time will increase and I am not sure by how much. The best thing to do is to pour the batter in ready ramekins and pop in the oven around 15 minutes before you want to serve.
Makes 2
½ cup unsalted butter or 1 stick butter
4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate or 1 bar of Ghirardelli semi sweet
2 teaspoons of flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tspn vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
Cocoa powder for dusting the ramekins
Butter for coating the ramekins
1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat the butter and chocolate in a double broiler. Or just heat the butter and add the chocolate after breaking it into small pieces. You do not want to burn chocolate so be very careful. The mixture should be warm and not hot.
3. Beat the sugar and the eggs and egg yolk in a blender.
4. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate slowly. Add a little and whisk as you do not want the egg to curdle. Keep repeating till you mix the two together.
5. Now add the flour.
6. Rub the ramekins with cold butter and dust the ramekins with cocoa powder.
7. Add the cake mixture to the ramekins and bake for 7 minutes. The sides will be soft but the cake will have a molten center.
8. To unmold, take the ramekin out of the oven and invert on a plate and tap very lightly. You should run a knife on the side of the dish to separate the cake out a little before you do so. Let the cake rest for 5 minutes before you serve.
The Oscars were on and I was bored as I am during any award season. I was hoping it was Monday so I could watch the “Bachelor.” I was looking at Food and Wine Magazine till I stumbled on this recipe.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/molten-chocolate-cake
I am always looking for ways to make quick desserts when I have company. I also will not try a new recipe if that is the case so I thought this was the perfect time to make something quick and fast, like a practice run, and distract myself from the blues. So, molten cakes are supposed to be soft with a gooey filling. Mine had no filling, they were spongy throughout. The shape was…., wait, there was no shape. The flavor was actually nice, but hey, this was no molten cake.
The recipe was for four cakes, but since I was testing, halved it.
½ stick of butter
1/8 cup of flour or 2 Tbspn
3 ounces dark Ghirardelli chocolate
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 ½ large eggs
¼ cup white sugar
Some butter and cocoa powder to dust the ramekins
1. I preheated the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a mixer, I beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla till I get a light airy batter.
3. I melted the chocolate in the microwave for around 40 seconds.
4. I cooled the chocolate and add a little bit of batter so the batter would not scramble. I gradually added the chocolate to the batter and ran it in the mixer.
5. I added the flour.
6. Poured the cake batter in the ramekins and baked it for 16 minutes according to the recipe.
I think 16 minutes' baking time was too much. Also, the batter was thick, so less flour would have been better. I should have used deeper ramekins with lesser surface area on the top. Let’s see, it could turn out right next time.
Looking at this recipe confirms my doubts.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/molten-chocolate-cake%20comments_page=1&#conversation-container%0A
or
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/molten-chocolate-magic/
Martha Stewart’s recipe requires a six muffin-tin, a temperature of 400 degrees, and only 8 minutes' baking time. I need two slabs of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate and three eggs to make six cakes. This recipe uses less butter. The New York Times features Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s individual warm, soft chocolate cakes. This recipe requires 1 tspn flour, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbspn sugar, 4 tbspn butter, and 2 ounces, or half a slab, of bittersweet chocolate for each cake. It would be easy to test one cake. The oven should be at 450 degrees and the cakes should be baked for 6-7 minutes. So here is the correct way, tried and tested.
The other good thing about molten cakes is that you can make the batter in advance and refrigerate it. The batter does not have baking powder so you are not worried about air escaping the batter. Just before you bake the cakes, you need to bring the batter to room temperature. If the batter is cold, the baking time will increase and I am not sure by how much. The best thing to do is to pour the batter in ready ramekins and pop in the oven around 15 minutes before you want to serve.
Makes 2
½ cup unsalted butter or 1 stick butter
4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate or 1 bar of Ghirardelli semi sweet
2 teaspoons of flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tspn vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
Cocoa powder for dusting the ramekins
Butter for coating the ramekins
1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat the butter and chocolate in a double broiler. Or just heat the butter and add the chocolate after breaking it into small pieces. You do not want to burn chocolate so be very careful. The mixture should be warm and not hot.
3. Beat the sugar and the eggs and egg yolk in a blender.
4. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate slowly. Add a little and whisk as you do not want the egg to curdle. Keep repeating till you mix the two together.
5. Now add the flour.
6. Rub the ramekins with cold butter and dust the ramekins with cocoa powder.
7. Add the cake mixture to the ramekins and bake for 7 minutes. The sides will be soft but the cake will have a molten center.
8. To unmold, take the ramekin out of the oven and invert on a plate and tap very lightly. You should run a knife on the side of the dish to separate the cake out a little before you do so. Let the cake rest for 5 minutes before you serve.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Lemon Cheesecake Pancakes
I love making breakfast on Saturday mornings. Unfortunately, and this has nothing to do with me, the day starts at 1pm. So it becomes more of a brunch, or lunch.
I wouldn’t say I have a very extensive repertoire. I am constrained, seriously constrained, by the peculiarities of fussy eaters.
"Eggs should be mixed – the yellow part and the white part should not stand out separately. That rules out poached eggs, baked eggs, fried eggs, and boiled eggs."
"Onions, mushrooms, spinach and greens are “groddy.” Oatmeal is out of question. "
"Indian breakfast food is not “real breakfast food.” "
And occasionally , my preferences kick in too, I don’t like bagels or sweet baked pastries in the morning.
It basically boils down to acceptable variations of omelets, scrambles, and frittatas. Or variations of French toast and pancake. So, I am always looking for ways to make pancakes witha twist. I personally hate blueberries in pancake; they taste too jam-like to me. I made these pancakes yesterday and served them with plain maple syrup. They seriously tasted like lemon cheesecake and elicited the rare growl of approval.
2 cups of bisquick pancake mix
½ pack of cream cheese- add to the batter in the form of thick crumbles
Juice of ½ lemon
Lemon zest – one small lemon
2 eggs
1 ½ to 2 cups of milk
Stir the above to get rid of lumps.
In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tspn butter or vegetable oil. Add less than ¼ cup of batter or more if you want thicker pancakes. I made four thick fluffy pancakes. Remember, that you want to add pieces of cream cheese, and not mix the cream cheese, in your batter.
I wouldn’t say I have a very extensive repertoire. I am constrained, seriously constrained, by the peculiarities of fussy eaters.
"Eggs should be mixed – the yellow part and the white part should not stand out separately. That rules out poached eggs, baked eggs, fried eggs, and boiled eggs."
"Onions, mushrooms, spinach and greens are “groddy.” Oatmeal is out of question. "
"Indian breakfast food is not “real breakfast food.” "
And occasionally , my preferences kick in too, I don’t like bagels or sweet baked pastries in the morning.
It basically boils down to acceptable variations of omelets, scrambles, and frittatas. Or variations of French toast and pancake. So, I am always looking for ways to make pancakes witha twist. I personally hate blueberries in pancake; they taste too jam-like to me. I made these pancakes yesterday and served them with plain maple syrup. They seriously tasted like lemon cheesecake and elicited the rare growl of approval.
2 cups of bisquick pancake mix
½ pack of cream cheese- add to the batter in the form of thick crumbles
Juice of ½ lemon
Lemon zest – one small lemon
2 eggs
1 ½ to 2 cups of milk
Stir the above to get rid of lumps.
In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tspn butter or vegetable oil. Add less than ¼ cup of batter or more if you want thicker pancakes. I made four thick fluffy pancakes. Remember, that you want to add pieces of cream cheese, and not mix the cream cheese, in your batter.
Eggplant, Swiss chard and tomatoes
I love Japanese eggplants for the very meaty flavor and a lack of seeds. They go very well with tomatoes. I had a bunch of Swiss chard and just threw everything into the pot. Basically, this is a very easy recipe and does not require many fancy spices. All that is needed is some coriander powder and garam masala, which is added with the tomatoes and not later. And it is just for me. Cooking is a very unselfish act for me, I cook to please. But basically in the world I currently live in, that would entail divorcing mushrooms, eggplants, greens, onions, cauliflower etc. Basically, subsisting on potatoes, beans, carrots, tomatoes, and corn.
Actually, this is close to the recipe I posted before.
http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/10/eggplant-sabzi.html
This version has Swiss chard. I was just trying to use all the vegetables in my fridge. I had this rainbow Swiss chard from the farmer’s market, it kind of adds to the redness of tomatoes.
2 Japanese eggplants cut in semi circles
2 large tomatoes finely chopped
1 large onion chopped finely
½ “piece of ginger chopped finely
Salt
Coriander powder
Garam masala
2 green chills finely chopped
1 bunch of Swiss chard chopped finely
Cumin seeds
1. To some oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, and after they splutter add the onions. Add a little sugar and caramelize the onions till they are brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and ginger. Cook till pulpy. Add green chilies.
3. Add the spices. Sauté for a minute.
4. Add the eggplant and Swiss chard.
5. Cover and cook. Keep adding a little water till you get a pulpy consistency. The vegetables should be kind of mashed.
Actually, this is close to the recipe I posted before.
http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/10/eggplant-sabzi.html
This version has Swiss chard. I was just trying to use all the vegetables in my fridge. I had this rainbow Swiss chard from the farmer’s market, it kind of adds to the redness of tomatoes.
2 Japanese eggplants cut in semi circles
2 large tomatoes finely chopped
1 large onion chopped finely
½ “piece of ginger chopped finely
Salt
Coriander powder
Garam masala
2 green chills finely chopped
1 bunch of Swiss chard chopped finely
Cumin seeds
1. To some oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, and after they splutter add the onions. Add a little sugar and caramelize the onions till they are brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and ginger. Cook till pulpy. Add green chilies.
3. Add the spices. Sauté for a minute.
4. Add the eggplant and Swiss chard.
5. Cover and cook. Keep adding a little water till you get a pulpy consistency. The vegetables should be kind of mashed.
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