 My family loves Paneer... me not so much. This dish works for the whole family, greens for me and paneer for them. Easy to make and full of flavor. This recipe yields 3 to 4 servings. Ingredients:
For Paneer– 8oz of cubed paneer 1 tbsp veg oil( I used grape seed oil) ¼ tsp of ground cumin, salt, turmeric, garam masala 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper For Saag– 2 tbsp of Veg oil 2/3 cup onions, diced ½ tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp ginger paste 1/2 tsp garlic paste 5 oz baby spinach(approx. 4 large handfuls) 4 stems of swiss chard(remove stems and finely chop, julienne the leaves and set aside with spinach) ½ tsp of turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala ¼ tsp cayenne 1/4 cup water Salt to taste Directions: Heat a large thick bottom pan. Coat the paneer with all the spices and the oil. Place the paneer in the heated pan. Cook the paneer until lightly brown(be gentle with it while turning over). Remove the paneer and set aside. Add 2 tbsps of oil to the pan, add onions and cumin seeds. Season with salt. Once the onions start to soften, add chopped stems of swiss chard, sauté for 2 min on medium heat. Add ginger and all the spices. When the onions become translucent, add the water, spinach and julienned swiss chard leaves. Stir and let cook until soft and wilted. Using a handheld blender(stick blender), blend the greens until pureed but still have some texture. Add the paneer back to the pan, cover and simmer over low heat until warmed through. Squeeze lemon on before serving(optional). Serve with naan bread/roti or rice.
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 What started as clean out fridge soup, has become our family favorite. It's healthy, hearty and full of flavor. Serve it with some crusty sour dough and enjoy! Ingredients - 8 cups Vegetable Stock 2 cups Water, if needed 2 tbsp Oil, I use grapeseed oil 1 ¼ Cup Celery, peeled and diced 1 ¼ Cup Carrots, peeled and diced 1 ¼ Cup Sweet Onion, diced 1 tbsp Tomato paste 1 tsp dry thyme 1 tsp dry oregano 2 Cups Potatoes, Yukon or Idaho diced 2 Cups Sweet potatoes, I use Indian variety, they have a firm texture and are not as sweet 2 leeks Thinly sliced and rinsed, white and light green parts only 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced 3 cups Shaved Brussels sprouts 1 bunch Kale, washed and torn into pieces 2 cups Cooked beans, I use Cannellini beans 1 14.5 oz can Roasted diced tomatoes 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves ¼ to ½ tsp cayenne pepper 2 tbsp Lemon juice Salt and black pepper to taste Directions – On medium heat, add oil, celery, carrots and onions to a large pot. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add 1 tsp of salt, minced garlic and leeks. Cook until leeks are soft. Stir the vegetables around every so often to keep them from burning. Add paste, stir until incorporated. Add dry thyme, oregano and the potatoes. Stir the vegetables around, add the stock at this time. Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, kale, beans, tomatoes, fresh thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper. If needed, add water and salt to taste. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, Finally, add the lemon juice. Cover and let sit for a few hours I find that the soup tastes even better the next day. If I can't plan ahead, I try to make it at least 5 hours prior to serving. Serve with shaved Parmesan and some crusty bread.  This is a variation of Chole - a north Indian chickpea dish that is available in most restaurants. This recipe serves 8. Ingredients:
Directions: Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add onions, cumin seeds and a pinch of salt. Stir until onions start to soften and cumin seeds start to slightly darken. Add garlic, ground, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and cayenne. Stir until fragrant. Add chickpeas, a little water and salt. Mix well to ensure that the chickpeas are coated with the spices. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and a little more water to ensure that the spices aren’t sticking to the bottom. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk, stir and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Taste, if more salt needed, this is a good time to add it. Stir in ½ the cilantro and simmer for 2 more minutes. Add the rest of the cilantro right before serving. I served it on top of Jasmine rice. Enjoy!  This recipe has chicken and bacon, which can be left out for a vegetarian. This recipe can serve up to 8 people. The pic above is the vegetarian version which contains spinach. Ingredients:
1 lb pasta (such as cavatappi/cellentani, Lumaconi) 4 strips of bacon 2 cups panko bread crumbs 4 chicken thighs ½ tsp Adobo 1/3 cup water 1 tbsp BBQ sauce (I used my homemade bourbon bbq sauce) 2 tbsp oil 1 cup poblano pepper, chopped 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup vadalia onion, chopped 2 green onions, sliced 1 clove garlic, minced ½ tsp cumin 2 tsp chili lime spice blend 1 tsp Cajun or creole seasoning 3 tbsp butter 1/3 cup flour 3 cups milk 1/3 cup, plus 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 2 ½ cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend Salt and pepper Directions: In a large pot, cook the pasta in salted water until 2/3 of the way cooked. While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon in a pan until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside until cooled. Add the bread crumbs and toast them on low in the bacon grease. Once bacon is cooled, break it up in to little pieces. Remove the bread crumbs and toss them with the bacon . Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add water, adobo , bbq sauce and chicken to pan, cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked thru, turning once, shred and set aside. Drain the pasta and put it in a baking dish. Using the same pot, add, oil, peppers, onions and garlic. Cook until just soft and add the remaining spices. Stir and cook for 2 min. Add butter and flour to make a roux, slowly whisk in 3 cups of milk and simmer gently until it’s slightly thickened. Add salt and black pepper to taste. At this point, stir in 1/3 cup cilantro and pour the thickened milk over the pasta. Mix in the shredded chicken and 2 cups of the cheese. Top with the remaining half cup of cheese, 2 tbsp cilantro and breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 min.  This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings. Ingredients :
3 lbs of tomatoes, (mix of cherry, plum, grape, vine ripened, etc*) 4 large cloves of garlic (3 whole, 1 minced) 3 large shallots, cut in quarters 3 small celery sticks, peeled and chopped(a little more than a cup) 2 small carrots, peeled and copped(a little more than a cup) ½ large onion chopped 6 sprigs of thyme 2 bay leaves 32 oz of good vegetable stock, unsalted(home made or my preferred brand is Kitchen Basics) 3 cups water 1/3 cup heavy cream ¼ tsp crushed Aleppo pepper* Salt Pepper Olive Oil Directions : Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut larger tomatoes in half or ¼ depending on the size. Leave grapes and cherries whole. Spread tomatoes, 3 garlic cloves, shallots and thyme on a baking tray. Drizzle 3 tbsp of oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast for 30 min or until the tomatoes and shallots start to lightly caramelize. While the tomatoes are roasting, in a large pot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil, minced garlic, chopped onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves. Season with salt and black pepper and stir Cook until softened. Add the liquid(stock and water) to the pot. Let gently simmer for 10 min. Once the tomatoes are done, remove tray from oven, remove the thyme stems, just use the leaves. Add the contents of the tray to the pot and bring to a simmer Cook for 10 more minutes. Turn off heat and remove the bay leaves from the pot. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add cream and the Aleppo pepper. Adjust the seasoning by adding more salt if needed. You most likely will need to add more salt. Garnish with a few drops of cream and a pinch of Aleppo pepper. *Note - for this recipe, I used yellow and red grapes, plum and sweet vine ripened tomatoes. You can use Cayenne as a substitute for Aleppo pepper, but reduce the amount of cayenne as it is spicier than the Aleppo. |
AuthorHome cook who loves to entertain and play with recipes Archives
April 2018
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