Banana Cream Pie

I have been making this pie for a while now.  I wish I had the picture my Dad took at my first attempt to make it - when I somehow got whipped cream all over the kitchen.  Alas, I have become good at this pie and have no more disastrous anecdotes to share.

Too pretty to eat

But the first bite is sublime

Never leftovers

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup + 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter + 1 Tbsp non-melted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 medium bananas
• 1 lemon
• apple jelly

1. Preheat oven to 375degF.  In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs (to make: blend in a blender or place in a strong bag and rolled fine with a rolling pin), 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter.  With back of spoon, press into bottom and side of pie dish, making a small rim.
2. Bake 8 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
   
3. In 2-quart saucepan with spoon, mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and salt.  Stir in milk until smooth.  Over medium heat, cook mixture, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and begins to boil (about 10 minutes).  Boil 1 minute.  Remove immediately from heat and set aside.  ***
4. In cup with wire whisk, beat egg yolks with small amount of hot milk mixture.  Slowly pour egg mixture into saucepan, stirring rapidly to prevent lumping.  Over low heat, cook, stirring constantly until very thick (do not boil) and mixture mounds when dropped from spoon.
5. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla.  Pour into bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.
6. Peel and slice 3 bananas over bottom of piecrust.  Top with filling.  Chill until set, about 2 hours.
7. Whip the heavy cream and spread evenly on top of pie.
8. To garnish, grate peel of lemon; sprinkle around top edge of pie.  Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into bowl.  Into juice, peel and slice 1 banana; toss to coat; drain on paper towels.
9. Arrange banana slices in center of top of pie.  
10. In 1-quart saucepan over low heat, heat 1/3 cup apple jelly **** until just melted; brush over banana slices.  Chill.

***   If using Gluten-free all-purpose flour such as Bob's Red Mill brand, add 1 Tbsp psyllium husk powder at this point in the recipe.

****  Apricot jelly is lovely in place of apple jelly.  And microwaving is fine instead of heating over the stovetop.

This recipe is adapted from the 1989 Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook.  My first grown-up cookbook.  Previously, I used one illustrated with Disney characters.

Steamed Chinese Dumplings

These Chinese Dumplings are fantastic!  My regular foodie blog readers may have noticed that I went  a whole year without blogging.  Well, I made these Chinese Dumplings as a part of my Year-of-the-Horse Chinese New Year dinner party last year.

Steamed Chinese Dumplings

What's better than a dumpling?

'Think I'll make some now

It was fun and festive and delicious.  And then the attention of the Gods was on me and all my other horse friends and blogging has just been impossible.  Let me catch you up though!

Ingredients:

• One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/2 pound ground chicken or turkey
• 1 scallion, finely minced
• 2 tsp ginger, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or sherry
• 1 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce (or the regular kind - whatever)
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Squeeze out all excess liquid from thawed spinach.
2. In a bowl, mix together spinach, chicken, scallion, ginger, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper.  Stir well until mixture holds together firmly.  Refrigerate while preparing dumpling wrappers (wrappers recipe below).
3. Place a small spoonful (about 2 tsp) of dumpling filling in center of dumpling wrapper.  Bring wrapper end together over center of filling and pinch.  Pinch ends of wrapper together on one end.  Carefully pinch wrapper together to enclose filling.  Repeat on other side of wrapper.
4. Place round piece of parchment paper in Chinese steamer.  Lightly oil parchment paper and place dumplings on top of parchment paper, making sure dumplings do not touch each other (otherwise, they will stick together when cooked).
5. Bring water to a boil in bottom of Chinese steamer.  Place steamer pan with dumplings over boiling water, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and steam for 12-15 minutes until cooked through.
6. Eat immediately, or let cool, and freeze.  To freeze, line a plate with plastic wrap.  Gently place cooked dumplings on plate.  Cover dumplings with plastic wrap and place in freezer.  After dumplings are frozen, store them in a container or Ziplock bag, and keep in the freezer.  To reheat, steam until hot.

Chinese Dumpling Wrappers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tapioca starch
• 1 cup fine rice flour
• 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 Tbsp light olive oil
• 12-14 Tbsp cold water
• glutinous or sweet rice flour

1. Whisk together tapioca starch, rice flour and xanthin gum in a bowl.  Add oil and 12 Tbsp of water.  Mix well, adding a little bit of water at a time if necessary to form a firm, but not dry, dough.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap while preparing dumpling filling.
2. When ready to make the dumpling wrappers, sprinkle a cutting board or pastry sheet with glutinous rice flour.  Form dough into a long log.  Cut dough into 24 even pieces.
3. Flatten each piece into a small round on floured cutting board.  Using a rolling pin, roll each round into a 2 1/2" to 3" circle, flipping the dough over, and turning the circle as you roll it out.  The dough is fragile, so roll it out carefully, and be sure to keep both sides floured so it doesn't stick to the rolling pin or cutting board.  Cover rolled dumpling wrappers with plastic wrap until all the wrappers are made.

These dumplings are a bit of a pain to make - but they're definitely worth it!  Be very careful with the wrappers as they're delicate.  And be very careful that they don't touch in the steamer!  These dumplings are excellent with shrimp instead of the poultry.  Boil and peel the shrimp and mince.  Enjoy!

Recipe from Jeanette's Healthy Living.

Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

I have been making this recipe for years now, and every time, I'm so excited to sit down and eat it, I forget to take a picture and blog about it.  (Full disclosure - I've actually never made this recipe.  My husband has made it every single time and it is fabulous.)

Chicken Noodle Soup

Just as it was meant to be

And not from a can

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
• 4 celery ribs, sliced
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 4 tsp)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts
• 2 cups cooked egg noodles
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Melt butter in heavy pan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook until skin is deep golden brown, about 8 minutes.  Transfer thighs to crock pot.
2. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp fat from pan.  Add carrots, celery, and onions to now-empty pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic, thyme, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add 1 cup broth to pan and scrape up any browned bits with wooden spoon.  Transfer vegetable mixture, bay leaves, and remaining broth to crock pot.
3. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and wrap in foil (make a foil packet around each breast).  Place foil packets in crock pot.  Cover and cook on low until breasts are cooked through and thighs are tender, 4 - 4 1/2 hours.
4. Remove foil packet from crock pot.  Carefully open foil and transfer chicken breasts to plate.  Remove chicken thighs from crock pot and transfer to plate.  When cool enough to handle, shred meat into bite-size pieces, discarding skin, bones, and excess fat.
5. Stir shredded chicken, cooked noodles, peas, and parsley into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Discard bay leaves.  Serve.

Usually I refrain from adding the noodles to the soup.  I pack up a third of the soup and freeze it, and the rest we eat for lunch over a couple of days.  I have poured this soup over noodles, over rice, and even over mashed potatoes.  All possibilities if you don't cook and add the noodles to begin with.

I asked my husband if there were any other little changes that he makes and he said no.  The recipe is perfect.  Make it this autumn and let me know what you think!  It is well worth the planning.

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, Winter 2010.

Pumpkin Risotto

During this busy holiday season,  I haven't had the luxury of time or the sense of calm to cook creatively.  I've been relying on old stand-bys like vegetable souffles, lentil soup, poached beets, and cheese and crackers.

But the other night, I finally had the time, the space, the quiet, and the drive.  And it was delicious!  Pictured below is the pumpkin risotto served with seared sea scallops, a delicious, if bland looking combination!

 Pumpkin risotto

A meal to linger over

Easy, yet special

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 1/4 cup white wine
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Sautee the onion in olive oil over medium heat for three to five minutes, or until soft.  
2. Add the rice and allow to cook, stirring for a minute or two.  Slowly add the wine.
3. Start to add the vegetable broth, one 1/2 cup at a time.  Allow the moisture to cook off (at least 5 minutes) before adding the next 1/2 cup.  Stir constantly.
4. After about 20 minutes of this, the rice should be cooked through and you should have a thick, creamy consistency.  
5. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, cook a few minutes longer until heated through, and serve!

I really enjoy this risotto, which has a creamy subtle flavor, with seared sea scallops and a bit of Parmesan cheese grated on top.

You can make this with a fresh pumpkin, which was my intention, by scraping out the seeds (go ahead and roast them with salt to sprinkle over the sea scallops) and baking the pumpkin, in pieces, in the oven for 30 minutes or so.  I'll make it again and add more specific instructions.

Asparagus Cheese Souffle

Back to French Cooking.  Back to using recipes.  Back to spending an hour and a half at least on creating a beautiful meal that makes the evening feel special.  Tonight I made an asparagus souffle (asparagus season - yay!).

Light and fluffy, a souffle is satisfying, delicious, and makes the house smell wonderful.

Souffles are the best

To show off your kitchen skills

With a special dish

Ingredients

• oil
• 1 1/4 cups of milk
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
• 3/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) grated mild cheddar
• 1 1/2 cups asparagus tips
• 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
• 3 Tbsp fresh minced dill

1.  Chop the asparagus and start steaming.
2. Heat the milk in a saucepan or in the microwave to very hot but not yet boiling.  Remove it from the heat and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat.  Sprinkle in the flour and mustard, whisking constantly.  Turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook the resulting roux (a foundation sauce of fat and flour) for about a minute or two longer, stirring often.
4. Slowly drizzle in the hot milk, whisking steadily.  Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a whisk and then a wooden spoon as it thickens.  Remove from the heat, and transfer to a large bowl.
5. Beat the egg yolks with a fork just until they lose their shape and become runny, then drizzle them into the hot sauce, beating vigorously.  Add the salt, some black pepper, and cayenne to taste.
6. Beat the egg whites until they form peaks that don't fall over when the whisk or beaters are lifted, and just a little liquid is left in the bottom of the bowl.
7. Fold (or dump) the beaten whites into the sauce, sprinkling in the grated cheese as you fold, until the eggg whites are mostly incorporated.  Add the asparagus, tarragon and dill.  The mixture will not be uniform - there will be little puffs of "cloud" here and there (puffs of cloud may = clumps).  
8. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.
9. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, or until golden brown all over the puffy top surface.  Bring to the table and serve immediately.

I used a french herb blend that had a bit of tarragon in it instead of the straight tarragon.  It was fantastic.
Instead of the 3 Tbsp of fresh dill, if you must, you can use 1 Tbsp of dried minced dill.
I used Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose gluten-free flour.  It worked perfectly.
An electric blender makes souffle preparation quick and easy.  I've done it with a whisk.  It was just barely worth it.

Recipe from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe. 

Sake Beef Stew

You'd think that beef stew wouldn't be appropriate for the month of May, but we have average temperatures much lower than any that have been seen in the past 27 years in Chicago, so looking forward to a pot of beef stew is JUST RIGHT.

I'm no stranger to cooking with wine, so I thought I'd branch out a bit and give the hearty beef and onions a slightly sweeter taste by cooking them in sake.

Sake in Beef Stew

Traditional with a flair

ANY time of year!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs grass-fed chuck-eye roast cubed for stew
• 1 large onion
• 5 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 8 medium red potatoes
• Vegetable broth
• 8 oz frozen peas
• Water
• black pepper
• salt
• 1/2 cup sake
• 5 Tbsp flour or other thickener

1. Brown half of the onion (coarsely chopped) and beef in a skillet.  Drain the juices into a crockpot or stockpot.  Whisk flour into this juice and set aside.  Continue cooking and draining, until the beef and onion have created a crispy crust-like coating on the pan.  Dump the onion and beef in the pot and add a bit of water to the skillet to deglaze.  Scrape crust-like coating and water into the stockpot.  Add sake.
2. Cube the onion and potatoes.  Add potatoes, onion and carrots to the pot.  Cook, uncovered until juices are at the bottom of the pot.  Add vegetable broth and water to cover and cook, covered, on medium for 90 minutes.  If in a crockpot, cook on high.
3. 15 minutes before serving, add the frozen peas, salt, and pepper to taste.

Enjoy with bread and butter or over mashed potatoes or rice.

This dish can be made gluten-free by using a thickener besides wheat flour. 

Italian Lentil and Escarole Soup

The wind is blowing, the snow is coming down, and it is time to warm yourselves inside with a hearty, healthy, colorful soup.  One that goes well with a glass of wine is a plus!  And so..... a delicious lentil soup:  I love finding new ways to use lentils.  While soup isn't really a new way, this tasty soup makes eating lentils in the winter seem like a much fresher experience.  And the escarole in this soup was a stroke of genius!

I like escarole

I hate throwing away cheese

Perfect solution.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• a couple of carrots, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• a couple of celery ribs, diced
• 6 medium garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 8 oz french green lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Parmesan cheese rind (about 4x2 inches)
• 1 head escarole, chopped

1. Combine the oil, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, parsley, and 3/4 tsp of salt in a heavy-bottomed, large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are quite soft, dramatically reduced in volume, and very lightly browned, 17 to 20 minuts.
2. Increase heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, lentils, chicken broth, 3 cups water, bay leaves, and Parmesan rind; bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until lentils are soft, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Stir in the escarole and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately in warmed bowls, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

I had never thought about using a rind of cheese this way (make sure it is a nice dark one, and isn't a piave or another parmesan substitute), nor was I big on stirring lettuce into soups, but this worked really well.  And any chance to drizzle good olive oil over something has me in raptures.  This does take quite a while to make.  Including chopping and cooking the lentils, two hours start to finish.

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated, Soups and Stews, 2011.

Strawberry Mousse Parfait

Mmmmmmm. I think I have blogged about this before. Not here, and not including the recipe, so it is about time I shared it. I have been making this recipe for years. I cut it out of an issue of Gourmet magazine ages ago and find it so festive that I can't help myself sometimes and have been known to go to all the trouble (this was before I had an electric mixer and would whip the cream by hand) to make one serving of this just for me! Here though, is the recipe as I made it tonight to serve six. (To make one serving, cut all ingredients down to a quarter of what is required below and you'll have leftovers.)

Strawberries and Cream
A traditional delight
More complicated!

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of quartered strawberries
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 1/3 cups well-chilled heavy cream
• 1 cup coarsely crushed butter cookies

1. Mash 4 cups of quartered strawberries with lemon juice and sugar in a bowl. Dice the remaining strawberries and set aside.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small saucepan and let sit 1 minute to dissolve. Over low heat, stir the gelatin until completely dissolved. Stir gelatin and water into the mashed strawberries.
3. Place the bowl of mashed strawberries into a larger bowl filled with ice and water and let sit, stirring occasionally until gelatin mixture thickens and a spoonful holds its shape momentarily before returning to the rest of the bowl (about 10 minutes).
4. Whip the cream in another bowl until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold 2 cups of the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture. Fold in most of the remaining strawberries.
5. To build the parfait, in individual cups, or a bowl, as pictured here, layer mousse, cookie crumbs, mousse, cookie crumbs, mousse, remaining whipped cream, and garnish with strawberries.
6. Chill at least 30 minutes and serve!

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Deep Dish Pizza

Okay - I thought being able to make your own deep dish pizza was a myth. I had spent time away from Chicago craving it. I spent a fortune to send one to my husband for his birthday one year. But then..... THEN.... I came across a recipe from a trustworthy source and thought I'd try it out. It took four hours beginning to first bite, but I was on vacation and had all the time in the world. And let me tell you - it was worth it. I'd say it was closest in taste to Lou Malnati's pizza, though less greasy (which is a good thing, right?). [You do need a stand mixer with a dough hook to make this pizza though. For those of us who don't have room in our apartments for such a thing, it is probably because we live in Chicago, in which case, we can just order a deep dish pizza.]

Deep Dish Pizza Pie
Even at High Altitude
Is worth the Effort.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tsp table salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 1/4 cups water, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 Tbsp, softened
• 1 tsp plus 4 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup grated onion, from 1 medium onion
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• table salt
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or presed through garlic press (about 2 tsp)
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen is great)
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ground black pepper

Toppings:

• 1 pound mozzarella, shredded (about 4 cups) (shred it yourself, preshredded won't melt)
• 1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
• 3/4 pound ground spicy italian sausage, browned (for one sausage pizza)
• 1 cup spinach, steamed, squeezed out, and chopped (for one spinach pizza)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms, sauteed until they have lost much of their liquid (for a good pizza)

1. FOR THE DOUGH: Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add water and melted butter and mix on low speed until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. (Dough will only pull away from sides while mixer is on. When mixer is off, dough will fall back to sides.)
2. Using fingers, coat large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, rubbing excess oil from fingers onto blade of rubber spatula. Using oiled spatula, transfer dough to bowl, turning once to oil top; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.
3. TO LAMINATE THE DOUGH: Using rubber spatula, turn dough out onto dry work surface and roll into 15 by 12 inch rectangle. Using offset spatula, spread softened butter over surface of dough, leaving 1/2 inch border along edges. Starting at shot end, roll dough into tight cylinder. With seam side down, flatten cylinder into 18 by 4 inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Working with 1 half, fold into thirds like business letter; pinch seams together to form ball. Repeat with remaining half. Return balls to oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, 40 to 50 minutes.
4. FOR THE SAUCE: While dough rises, heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and oil, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Adjust oven rack to lower position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat 2 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. Transfer 1 dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into 13-inch disk about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to pan by rolling dough loosely around rolling pin and unrolling into pan. Lightly press dough into pan,
   
6. working into corners and 1 inch up sides. If dough resists stretching, let it relax 5 minutes before trying again. Repeat with remaining dough ball.
7. For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella evenly over surface of dough. Spread desired topping next (sausage, or spinach, or mushrooms, or all). Spread 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce over cheese and sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over sauce. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Delicious. Recipe from Cooks Illustrated, February 2010.
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Alu Roti

Not only is this tasty, but it is a LOT of fun to make! It is great for a snack or for a side item at a meal. Next time I make it, I'm going to stuff some veggies in there too for some extra nutrition and texture!

Warm, crispy pockets
Filled with anything you want
On hand in a pinch.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 6 Tbsp ghee (easy to buy at Whole Foods, or you can make your own)
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 medium potato, peeled and quartered
• 1/4 cup minced onions
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp fresh green chilies, minced
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• Juice of 1/4 of a lemon
• 1/4 cup ghee, melted
• Plain, drained yogurt

1. Combine flour and 4.5 Tbsp ghee with your hands in a large bowl until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and knead until it forms a firm, smooth dough. If dry, add more water, 1 Tbsp at a time, and knead again. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. While the dough rests, cook potatoes in a large pot of salted, boiling water until they're soft, about 20 minutes. Drain, mash, and set aside.
3. Heat 3 Tbsp ghee in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft (5 minutes). Add salt, cumin, garam masala, chilies, and potatoes. Stir until mixed well. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice.
4. Divide dough into 6 evenly sized balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into 4-inch circles.
5. Place 1/6 of the filling in the center of each circle. Carefully bring the edges of the dough up and pinch them together to enclose the filling.
6. 
7. Gently flatten each roti down into a 4-inch circle. Keep them covered with a damp cloth until you are done.
8. Cook roti in a dry heavy-bottom or nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Flip over and cook other side.
9. Brush the roti with a little melted ghee, and cook oiled side for 2 minutes. Then brush some melted ghee on top, flip, and cook for 2 minutes more, until lightly browned on both sides.
10. Serve with a dollop of plain, drained yogurt.

Recipe from Yoga Journal, March 2009.
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Russian-Style Aubergines

I got this recipe out of a Romanian cookbook that was given to me, and as usual, I was looking for a new way to cook what I already had in the house. In Romanian, this is called Mincare de Vinete Preparata Ruseste (with various accent-type marks that I don't know how to duplicate on Blogger).

Warm, mushy veggies
Satisfying and tasty
In these winter months

Ingredients:

• 3 aubergines (eggplant)
• salt
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 4 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 carrot
• 3 large potatoes
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 lb. tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Pepper

1. Cut the tops off the aubergines and slice them into circles 3/4 inches wide. Sprinkle the slices with salt and leave 1 hour.
2. Next, squeeze out all the water in the slices and dry them well with paper towels. Flour the slices on both sides.
3. Fry in oil over high heat, 3 minutes per side until golden. You will have to do this in stages - remove already fried eggplant slices to a plate while you continue frying the rest.
4. While the eggplant slices are being fried, thinly slice the potatoes, carrot and celery.
5. Remove the fried eggplant slices to a plate and with the remaining oil (I found that I had to use a little more than this recipe called for), cook the vegetables, over medium heat for 15 minutes, until all the vegetables soften.
6. While the vegetables are cooking, let the dog out, make some tea, and slice the tomatoes. Arrange, in a baking dish, a layer of sliced tomatoes. Top with a layer of eggplant and a bit of the garlic.
7. Once the vegetables are ready, top the eggplant-tomato dish with some of the vegetables. Continue layering in this way until you are out of eggplant and vegetables. Top with one last layer of tomatoes.
8. Mix the tomato sauce with the dill, parsley, sugar, more garlic, more salt, and pepper. Pour over the vegetables.
9. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes and serve hot.

I only had one eggplant, so I only used one potato. And a third of everything else that could be divided. I found this recipe took some time since the eggplant slices had to be fried in shifts. This would be delicious with a dollop of sour cream (or plain yogurt for the more health-conscious) or maybe some crumbled goat cheese on top.

Recipe from The Art of Romanian Cooking by Galia Sperber.
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Dal and Raita

A version of this meal was made for me the other night and two of my favorite things to eat in the winter are warm lentils and yogurt. So, I tried it out today - with the wrong kinds of lentils and without the exact ingredients. My recipe for these dishes might change as I learn how they're supposed to be made, but this is pretty tasty for now!


Ingredients:

• 10 oz bag of lentils (I used sprouted green lentils)
• 2 medium sized onions
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 3.5 tsp cumin
• 3.5 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• 6 oz or so of plain, greek-style yogurt
• 1/3 cucumber
• 1/3 fresh tomato
• Water
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 large chili pepper
  

1. Rinse the lentils and throw them in a pot. Cover with water and set to boil over medium-high heat.
2. Chop the onions finely and add all but 2 Tbsp to the pot. Add water to cover the lentils again and continue cooking.
3. Add the diced tomato and stir, covering with water again while the lentils continue cooking.
4. Add the dry spices (reserving 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds) and stir.
5. Finely chop the garlic, ginger and chili and add to the pot, stirring and covering with water.
6. Cover the pot mostly and turn down the heat to low. Stir every 15 minutes and add more water if necessary.
7. Meanwhile, finely chop the cucumber, tomato and a bit of the cilantro and stir into the yogurt. Add the remaining 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds and stir. Cover and refrigerate for later.
8. Continue cooking the lentil mixture over low heat, partially covered for an hour and a half. You will need to stir it every 15 minutes and add more water as it boils off and is absorbed by the lentils.
9. When it is finished cooking, stir in the butter and add the remaining cilantro, chopped.
10. Turn on a fan and open the windows, this hearty dish has a lingering aroma!
    
11. Serve with naan and the raita for a healthy and delicious meal.

When I first had this, it was served also with potatoes and a delicious rice, but I haven't figured out how to make this yet, so I can only recommend eating it the way I am going to eat it tonight!
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For an idea on how to use this as part of a meal, check out this Indian Food menu.
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Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps

This was a really delicious meal that I might make again - though I rarely eat pork, and the preparation actually took quite a while. Eating them was a little messy too!

Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps
When take-out's not an option
Exotic at home!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb organic fresh ground pork
• 2 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp white rice
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings
• 3 Tbsp juice from 2 limes
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, washed and dried, leaves separated and left whole

1. In a medium bowl, mix the ground pork with the fish sauce. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
2. Heat rice in small skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool 5 minutes. Grind in a mortar and pestle until it resembles a fine meal.
3. Bring broth to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently, until about half of the pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tsp rice powder over pork; continue to cook, stirring constantly until the remaining pork is no longer pink, 2 minutes longer. Transfer pork to a large bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.
4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce, remaining 2 tsp rice powder, shallots, lime juice, sugar, red pepper flakes, mint, and cilantro to the pork; toss to combine. Serve with lettuce leaves.

The original recipe calls for pork tenderloin and requires you to grind it yourself. (Do this by cutting it into chunks, freezing until firm (about 15 minutes) and then pulsing it in a food processor.) I thought the recipe would have been better with slightly less fish sauce and slightly less sugar. The former was quite salty and the latter too sweet. I liked the taste of the mind and cilantro to come through fresher. It is very important to use fresh limes since bottled lime juice has an unnaturally tangy flavor.

Recipe found in Cook's Illustrated, October 2009.

Ginger-Pear Mini-Muffins

As the weather turns cold - I find it is time for mini-muffins again!

Though these muffins aren't much to look at (they're kind of bland-looking, aren't they?), they are really tasty, and definitely are muffins I'll make again.

Mini Muffins are...
Reasons to use the oven,
Drink tea, and relax.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely chopped ripe pear
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup very finely minced crystallized ginger
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 to 3 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly spray mini muffin tray with nonstick spray.
2. Place the chopped pear in a shallow dish, drizzle with the lemon juice, and set aside.
3. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the minced crystallized ginger, then comb through the mixture with your fingers to seek out any larger pieces. Cut them into even smaller pieces with scissors. (This is far easier to do when they are coated with flour. Ideally, each bit of ginger should end up about the size of a rolled oat flake).
4. Measure the 1 cup buttermilk into a 2-cup liquid measure. Add the egg, fresh ginger, and vanilla, and beat gently with a fork or a small whisk until smooth.
5. Slowly pour this mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don't overmix; a few lumps are okay.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe taken from Mollie Katzen's Book Sunlight Cafe.

Datiles con Tocino

These little tidbits are delicious.  They are not quick to make, but I don't know anyone who doesn't like them!

Tasty tiny treats

Datiles con tocino

Worth all the effort!

Ingredients:

• 12 plump dates
• 6 strips of bacon
• 12 Marcona almonds
• Valdeon cheese (a spanish blue cheese)

1. Slice the dates in half an remove the pit.
2. Replace the pit in each date with an almond and a little bit of the cheese.
3. 
4. Close up each date and roll each one in half a slice of stretched bacon.
   
5. In a bit of olive oil or butter, fry the bacon wrapped dates, turning consistently (approx 2 minutes on each side).
6. Remove the dates from the pan to a plate covered in paper towels to soak off some of the grease.
7. Insert a toothpick into each date and serve after cooling a few minutes.

The dates are supposed to be deep fried for a more consistent cook.  Do as you please!

Recipe from Seamus Mullen, chef at Boqueria, NYC.

Paella

Paella is such a versatile dish and can be made to anybody's tastes.  This dish served four with leftovers and followed a table of tapas.

A family-style meal

Sparks lively conversation

Colorful; Hearty.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, cut in wedges
• 6 oz medium button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1/8 tsp saffron threads
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 4 fresh plum tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 can, or 6 thawed (from frozen) artichoke hearts, quartered
• 8 sea scallops
• 8 black mussels
• 8 shrimp

1. Steam the rice according to directions.  Set aside.
2. Add oil to a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and saute until onion is soft and mushrooms have given up most of their liquid, stirring often, 5 - 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Stir in saffron, paprika, cayenne, and bay leaf.  Stir in onion mixture, rice, tomatoes, zucchini, and artichoke hearts.  Return to a simmer, cover, reduce heat, and cook until rice has absorbed liquid, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, steam the mussels and the shrimp while pan-searing the scallops.
5. Add the scallops and shrimp to the rice mixture, cover and let sit 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.  Gently fluff with a fork to combine.
7. Serve topped with mussels and lemon wedges.

This dish can be altered by adding sausage or chicken, edamame, or serving it as a vegetarian dish of just vegetables!  Adding a red bell pepper to the onion mixture would also be delicious.  

Recipe adapted from Mariel's Kitchen.

Sunlight Souffle

Happy New Year! It is a little dismal in Chicago and I miss the sunshine. Here is a recipe that I'll probably make again in February, when the greyness really gets me down:

Sunlight Souffle, Mmmmmm!!!!
Ate it all in one sitting.
I had help - Thanks Tim!

Ingredients:

2 cups ricotta
6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract
6 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
2 medium-sized ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly spray a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish with non-stick spray.
2. Place the ricotta in a large bowl and add the egg yolks, extracts, flour, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Whisk together until fluffy and smooth.
3. Beat the egg whites until they form peaks that don't fall over when the whisk or beaters are lifted and just a little liquid is left in the bottom of the bowl. Don't overbeat, which is easy to do when using an electric mixer. *
4. Fold the beaten whites into the cheese mixture until they are mostly incorporated. The mixture will not be uniform - there will be little puffs of "cloud" here and there - and that is fine. (It's best not to overfold, as this will deflate the egg whites.) Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.
5. Toss together the peach slices and the lemon juice, then arrange the peaches in a design on top of the souffle.
6. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the souffle seems solid when you gently shake the dish. Serve immediately.

* Don't underbeat, which is easy to do when using a fork.

Recipe taken from Mollie Katzen's Book Sunlight Cafe, lent to me by Megan. Thanks!