Saturday, September 27, 2008

Navratan Korma missing two ingredients...



So, I got home from work the other day and I was so hungry I could hardly wait to get dinner ready.

I made this really tasty Navratan Korma but alas, I was so hungry I completely forgot to add the peas and the nuts at the end *LOL*.

Anyways, it tasted great still but next time I will add all the ingredients. And for the record, this dish is so good it will definitely go into my regular file.

This is an Indian vegetable korma with nuts, paneer cheese, and an adjustable list of vegetables. It is in a tomato-cream sauce as opposed to the usual yogurt based sauce.
I didn't find paneer cheese so I substituted it with regular cottage cheese.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil,
divided
1/3 cup nuts, chopped (you can mix cashews,
pistachios, almonds)
1 medium onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
1 (8 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 cup water
1 T raisins
1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup chopped potatoes
4 ounces paneer, cubed (Or use cottage cheese)
3/4 cup coconut milk
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir onion into the skillet, and cook until tender. Mix in garlic paste and ginger paste, and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Pour in water, and mix in raisins, carrots, cauliflower and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
2. Heat remaining oil in a separate skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the paneer on both sides, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place in a bowl with enough hot water to cover for about 2 minutes to soften, then stir into the skillet with the vegetables.
3. If you don't have paneer cheese, add cottage cheese straight to the skillet.
Stir coconut milk into the skillet with the vegetables. Add frozen peas. Bring to a boil, and continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Sprinkle nuts on top and serve with rice, salad and naan bread.

Friday, September 5, 2008

100 vegetarian foods that everyone should eat at least once.

I'm not a vegetarian by any means, but I am definitely a listmanian.
Here's my score:

1. Real macaroni and cheese, made from scratch and baked
2. Tabouleh
3. Freshly baked bread, straight from the oven (preferably with homemade strawberry jam)
4. Fresh figs
5. Fresh pomegranate
6. Indian dal of any sort

7. Imam bayildi
8. Pressed spiced Chinese tofu
9. Freshly made hummus
10. Tahini
11. Kimchi
12. Miso
13. Falafel
14. Potato and pea filled samosas
15. Homemade yogurt

16. Muhammara
17. Brie en croute
18. Spanikopita
19. Fresh, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes
20. Insalata caprese
21. Stir-fried greens (gai lan, bok choi, pea shoots, kale, chard or collards)
22. Freshly made salsa
23. Freshly made guacamole
24. Creme brulee
25. Fava beans
26. Chinese cold sesame peanut noodles
27. Fattoush
28. New potatoes
29. Coleslaw
30. Ratatouille
31. Baba ganoush
32. Winter squash
33. Roasted beets
34. Baked sweet potatoes

35. Plantains
36. Chocolate truffles
37. Garlic mashed potatoes
38. Fresh water chestnuts
39. Steel cut oats
40. Quinoa
41. Grilled portabello mushrooms
42. Chipotle en adobo
43. Stone ground whole grain cornmeal

44. Freshly made corn or wheat tortillas
45. Frittata
46. Basil pesto
47. Roasted garlic
48. Raita of any type
49. Mango lassi
50. Jasmine rice (white or brown)
51. Thai vegetarian coconut milk curry
52. Pumpkin in any form other than pie

53. Fresh apple pear or plum gallette
54. Quince in any form
55. Escarole, endive or arugula
56. Sprouts other than mung bean

57. Naturally brewed soy sauce
58. Dried shiitake mushrooms
59. Unusually colored vegetables (purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, chocolate bell peppers…)
60. Fresh peach ice cream
61. Chevre
62. Medjool dates

63. Kheer
64. Flourless chocolate cake
65. Grilled corn on the cob
66. Black bean (or any other bean) vegetarian chili

67. Tempeh
68. Seitan or wheat gluten
69. Gorgonzola or any other blue veined cheese
70. Sweet potato fries
71. Homemade au gratin potatoes
72. Cream of asparagus soup
73. Artichoke-Parmesan dip
74. Mushroom risotto

75. Fermented black beans
76. Garlic scapes
77. Fresh new baby peas
78. Kalamata olives

79. Preserved lemons
80. Fried green tomatoes
81. Chinese scallion pancakes
82. Cheese souffle
83. Fried apples
84. Homemade frijoles refritos
85. Pasta fagiole
86. Macadamia nuts in any form
87. Paw paw in any form
88. Grilled cheese sandwich of any kind
89. Paneer cheese

90. Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian style–no pork!)
91. Fresh pasta in any form
92. Grilled leeks, scallions or ramps

93. Green papaya salad
94. Baked grain and vegetable stuffed tomatoes
95. Pickled ginger

96. Methi greens
97. Aloo paratha
98. Kedgeree (the original Indian version without the smoked fish, not the British version with fish)
99. Okra
100. Roasted brussels sprouts

Read more here: http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2008/09/04/the-vegetarian-hundred/

Monday, September 1, 2008

Stale bread with tomatoes....or Panzanella if you want.



The Italians have an amazing way of making the most boring food taste like it was made to please your palate. Take stale bread, for instance. Most of us will throw away the last slices of three days old bread. Not in Italy. Not only do they transfer it into something new, they even dare to call it a salad. Or Panzanella, if you want.
I love this dish but make sure you use day old bread and the best tomatoes you can buy. It makes all the difference!

4 slives of stale bread, cut into cubes
1 T garlig oil
4 T canola oil

1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
1 lb tomatoes, cubed*
1/2 cucubmer, cubed
fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
4 T canola oil
1 T balsamic vinegar

Preheat ove to 300F.
Place cubes bread in an oven proof dish.
Mix 4T canola oil and 1T garlic oil in a small cup. Sprinkle oil over bread and toss gently afterwards. Let the bread dry in the oven for about an hour. Let cool.

Mixt the ingredients for the dressing in a cup.
Then mix tomatoes, cucubmer and onion in a large bowl. Add the dried bread cubes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle the dressing over the bread and vegetables. Sprinkle basil leaves ontop and toss lightly.