Posts from the ‘Grains.Rice,Pasta’ Category

Jan 8

Recipe Redux Bread From The Solitary Cook

Next Week it will be 4 years since I started the blog and I want to feature just a few recipes from my first week of blogging, this recipe was posted on January 22 of 2012, Rustic Italian Bread, the recipe comes from my friend Cynthia whose lovely blog The Solitary Cook has been around about as long as mine, we have known each other longer through Food52 which is where we met. I have linked the recipe and did not copy it into this post, Cynthia is a teacher, a chef and a real artisan, her recipe explains everything involved in making a loaf of bread, it’s a tutorial so click on the link above to see the recipe on her site. Before Cynthia, making bread scared me. Her gentle and comprehensive recipes helped me overcome my fear of failure when it came to yeast breads. Note: Here is the link for the preferment which will need to made before you make the actual bread dough.

I love this bread, it’s simple to make and the result is a lovely loaf with crisp crust and soft pillowy inside. It’s delicious!!

One of my favorite ways to enjoy a slice of this crusty delicious bread is so simple. Good butter, watermelon radishes, sea salt and honey. I get most of my produce which is sourced locally from Farmigo, I have talked about them before, it’s an a la carte CSA, love it!! The radishes and butter are from local farms and the honey was a gift from a friend it is sourced in Manhattan, Hells Kitchen, there is actually a bee keeper in a community garden there. The honey is amazing.

Love local food

Or for breakfast, fried bread, lightly buttered pan fried in olive oil, oven roasted gold tomatoes and a medium soft egg. Quick and easy and hey who doesn’t love fried bread.

Oct 7

69 Comments

Minestrone And Meatball Soup With Tortellini

Hearty soup

A few years ago I saw this recipe on Bourbon and Brown Sugar’s site. I immediately knew I had to make it. It’s a great recipe, simple to make, hearty and delicious. You can see the link above for the original recipe. I have adapted to my taste making a few alterations and substitutions but keeping with the basic premise of the original. The soup is a real meal, warm and filling and comforting. It is pretty much my favorite soup. I make this every year, many times over and it never fails, it’s a crowd pleaser and although I think it would freeze well I never seem to have any leftover at all. If you have never visited MB’s site and seen the gorgeous and delicious food she cooks up, do yourself a favor and check it out. I used to get notifications by email when she posted new recipes but it stopped so I just followed again. The photo’s are gorgeous and the recipes are delicious. Here is my adaptation of MB’s amazing Hearty Minestrone With Tortellin and Mini Meatballs:

Adapted from a recipe from Bourbon and Brown Sugar

Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1 heaping cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated cheese, parmigiano, romano or a mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup water

salt and pepper

Pre heat oven to 375 degree’s and line a sheet pan with parchment. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Spray a little oil on the parchment and start rolling small meatballs about the size of a quarter and line them up on the sheet pan. I used about half of the meat and froze the rest. It made 35 small meatballs. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until done and lightly browned.

Soup:

1 smallish yellow onion chopped

1 shallot chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

2 carrots chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 1/2 cup chopped (into bite size pieces) uncooked butternut squash

7-8 cups chicken broth

26 oz canned chopped or fresh tomatoes

a piece of rind from parmigiana cheese (always save the rind)

1 medium size zucchini washed and cut into bite size pieces

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1 15 oz can cannellini beans drained and rinsed

the cooked meatballs.

8 oz fresh tortellini

Heat some olive oil in a large dutch oven, add the onion, shallot, celery, carrot, garlic and butternut squash and cook until the vegetables become tender, it took about 15 minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomato and rind from the cheese. Bring to a boil and cook on medium heat for 30-45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the beans, zucchini, spinach and meatballs and let simmer for about 30-35 minutes. Soup will be quite thick with all the ingredients. Add the tortellini at the end simmering for about 10 minutes and serve with some grated cheese and warm bread and butter, a good glass of wine and a fresh salad make this an outstanding cold weather meal.

Aug 24

69 Comments

Mediterranean Cold Cous Cous Salad

Cous Cous salad

No recipe required here, all you need is some Israeli Cous Cous and whatever vegetables you might like to add, make as much or as little as you want and adjust to your own personal preference, I am sure you know that there are two kinds of cous cous readily available there is a finer grain semolina and the Israeli which is much larger and when cooked al dente is nicely toothsome, it is my favorite and I use it all the time. It actually reminds me of Pastene which is almost identical in size and texture. I did not add onion or garlic although I think it would be good. For a milder onion flavor I used some chives. NOTE: Don’t skip the toasted pine nuts, they add so much to this salad.

Israeli cous cous

I throw this salad together almost weekly, the ingredients vary depending on what I have that needs to be used. As shown, here is the list of ingredients:

Israeli Cous Cous

Fresh tomatoes

cucumber

Olives

Feta Cheese

Fresh herbs, basil, parsley and chives

dried mint

toasted pine nuts

lemon juice

olive oil

salt and pepper

Make the cous cous first, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil, add the cous cous and cook for 8-10 minutes. Remove from stove and pour into a strainer, run cold water over it to stop the cooking process, it’s ok if they are slightly hard. They will soften in the dressing and I recommend letting this sit for a few hours or even over night. I chop the tomatoes, add the herbs and olives and toss in the cous cous, toast the pine nuts and crumble the feta into the salad, squeeze some lemon and drizzle on the olive oil, do this according to however you like it. Season with salt and pepper. There is no right or wrong way to make this salad, really!!! Have fun with it.

Jun 29

43 Comments

Spaghetti With Fantasy Sauce

Linguine with fantasy sauce

I saw this recipe (see the recipe) on Food52 and found it intriguing, Fantasy Sauce, with a name like that I expect a lot. The recipe looked very easy and quick, thats important to me right now, the ingredient list is in most pantries and refrigerators, so I decided I have to give it a try. BTW, for my vegetarian friends this would be equally delicious without the bacon, you could probably even make this vegan with some substitutions.

I did not have spaghetti but I did have linguine so I used that, I had the bacon, spinach, leeks and onions, wine, butter and cream. A short list of ingredients done very quickly. First let me say I didn’t really pay close attention to nor measure everything, unless I am baking I tend not to measure. I did use 3 slices of bacon that I cut into bite size pieces, a small yellow onion and probably a cup of chopped leeks. The recipe comes together quickly, the recipe calls for a handful of spinach I added more than that and it kind of disappeared, next time I make it I will use more spinach. Posie tells you to get your spaghetti done first.. well mine was cooking while my sauce was and the timing was perfect.

The dish is very tasty, it is reminiscent of a carbonara in flavor and I love that. I think it could easily be adapted to other ingredients and can be an elegant dish at a dinner party or an easy weeknight pasta supper.

Apr 9

134 Comments

I’m A Finalist On Food 52- Pasta Piselli

pasta piselli

I am so happy and thrilled to be a finalist in the latest contest on Food52, the challenge “Your best recipe with 5 ingredients or fewer”. I submitted my recipe for Pasta Piselli. See below the Food 52 review and my introduction. This dish is so ridiculously easy and quick but very tasty. If you don’t mind voting for me if you are so inclined. I would really appreciate it if you are not already registered you will need to, I guarantee it’s painless, you will not get inundatd with junk at all, I have been a part of the community since 2011 click here to vote, thank you so much I really appreciate it.

Food52 Editors’ Comments: WHO: Sdebrango currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and comes from a large Italian family that loves to cook. WHAT: An easy-peasy Italian pasta for springtime. HOW: Cook peas and fresh pasta in chicken broth, then add in an egg and a hefty serving of Pecorino Romano cheese to bind it all together in a blanket of cheesy goodness. WHY WE LOVE IT: This soup’s depth of flavor belies its short ingredient list and quick cooking time to make it the perfect weeknight meal, courtesy of your pantry. The earthy peas compliment the full-flavored, velvety broth, brightened by a pinch (or two) of lemon zest—we just might make it again for dinner tonight.

I first had this when I lived in Italy. I was invited to a friend’s house for lunch and this soup was served as a first course. (Lunch is a big deal in Italy with multiple courses.) I watched my friend’s grandmother make this soup as it took her just a few minutes and a handful of ingredients: Chicken stock or broth, homemade (or dried) pasta, peas, egg, and grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Note: You can use Parmesan cheese instead of Romano, or mix them.

Pasta Piselli

Serves 2 to 4 depending on serving size

32 ounces (4 cups) chicken broth or stock
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 pound fresh pasta (I used linguine but capellini or spaghetti works just as well. If you don’t have fresh, dried works great, also.)
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus some to serve (Parmesan also works.)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of lemon zest (optional)

Directions:
If using fresh pasta, bring the broth or stock to a boil in a large saucepan, add the peas, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the fresh pasta and cook for about 3 minutes. If using dried pasta, add the pasta into the broth before the peas. Cook the pasta for 3 minutes, then add the peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, beat the egg then add the grated cheese and combine. Remove pot from the heat and pour the egg mixture in slowly, while continuing to stir the pasta to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of lemon zest if you like. Serve with more cheese grated on top.

Photo by Bobbi Lin for Food52

Mar 28

130 Comments

Pappardelle Con Funghi With Truffles For Fiesta Friday #61

Pappardelle Con Funghi

I had a dinner party last weekend and a very good friend brought me some truffle oil, good finishing olive oil and 2 black truffles. Quite a gift right, I am very grateful it is quite extravagent and wonderful. There is an Italian restaurant near me that I frequent and my favorite dish on the their menu is Fettucine con funghi. It’s rich and delicious and a staple whenever I eat there. I thought I would try to recreate this dish at home with some homemade (not by me) pappardelle, some shitake mushrooms from my CSA and finish with a grating of black truffles.

Truffle

Since Fiesta Friday is in it’s new home, a site dedicated only to this party, and a fine home it is, I thought I would break out the truffles and celebrate. So for Fiesta Friday #61 I am bringing Pappardelle Con Funghi with black truffles. Angie@The Novice Gardener has been working hard getting our new place ready and thank goodness she has help this week from the wonderful co hosts Selma @Selma’s Table and Margy @La Petite Casserole

I will make a confession, this is not really a recipe, I didn’t measure anything. For that reason I will list the ingredients and the approximate amounts. I have been cooking long enough that I can guesstimate. Honestly though, you really don’t need a recipe just eye ball the ingredients it will work out.

Waiting for the pasta

Pappardelle Con Funghi

Serves 3 generously 4 more modestly

1 small onion peeled and diced

mushrooms ( I used shiitake) approximate 2 cups of cleaned and sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic thinly sliced

white wine (approximately 1/3 cup)

Stock – I used homemade mushroom stock you can use whatever you have- approximately 1/2 cup

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

heavy cream approx 1/4 cup

1 tbs butter

splash of olive oil for the pan

salt and pepper to taste

parmigiano

black truffle (optional)

parsley to garnish

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the butter and the diced onion, saute until soft and transluscent. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the garlic softens. Add your mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are soft and lightly browned. Now add the wine, cook down for approximately 3-4 minutes and then add the stock and the thyme. Cook until reduced by about half, now add the cream and continue to cook until the sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning and keep on low/simmer.

Bring large pot of generously salted water to a boil when the water comes to a rolling (vigorous)boil cook the pasta. Turn up the heat on the mushroom sauce and add the al dente pasta, cook for about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl, garnish with parsley, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

YUM!

Feb 23

86 Comments

Crunchy Noodles, Pork Belly And Vegetables

Crunchy noodles, vegetables and pork belly

I step a bit outside my comfort zone here. I love Asian food especially anything involving noodles but I usually eat out and don’t make it myself at home. Food52 as you know has recipe contests and this time it’s your best recipe using noodles.

This recipe is really pretty simple and straightforward but the sum of all it’s parts is delicious. Crunchy noodles, marinated pork belly fried until crisp, oven roasted bok choy and steamed snow peas all nestled in a really flavorful broth. The pork belly marinade is so flavorful and the resulting meat is delicious. The noodles are deep fried and retain texture and crunch even in the broth. Now this is not a bowl of soup, there is broth but it’s not a lot of liquid, what I went for was intense flavor.
Marinade and roasting the pork belly:

2 garlic cloves smashed
1 spring onion cut into small pieces white and green part
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 pound pork belly ( I used berkshire 3 strips)
broth (chicken, vegetable,pork. beef your choice) enough to come to middle of the piece of pork (approximately 2 cups).
Mix all ingredients together, place pork belly in zip lock bag or container and pour the marinade on the pork. Squish it around until each piece is coated and refrigerate over night.
Pre heat oven to 325. Place pork belly in a baking dish, reserve the marinade. Cover the pork half way with broth (your choice, chicken, vegetable, beef or pork) Cover baking dish tightly and roast in the oven for 1 1/2 -2 hours. When done remove pork belly and wrap in foil or place in covered container and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight Pour the broth into a fat separator, if you don’t have one refrigerate the broth and skim off the fat, reserve the remaining broth you will use it for serving.

bok choy and snow peas

Vegetables, noodles and putting together:

4 baby bok choy
1/2 pound approximately snow peas
vegetable and toasted sesame oil
season with salt and pepper to taste only if desired NOTE: the broth is quite intense and has salt so bear that in mind when seasoning the vegetables
1-2 packets fresh chow mien or lo mein noodles
vegetable oil to deep fry the noodles
1/2 tsp minced ginger (for broth)
pork belly and reserved marinade
Pre heat oven to 375. Cut Bok Choy in half and place on baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Brush with vegetable oil, sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetable is slightly browned and soft. Remove from the oven and set aside. Steam your snow peas. (I steamed in the microwave for 55 seconds in a glass bowl with a splash of water) Set aside.

fresh noodles

I used fresh chow mien noodles that came in individual packets. One packet made two servings. Take out a packet of fresh noodles. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a pot to 375 degrees. Divide the noodles into portion size desired and drop noodles in one piece into the hot oil, let fry until golden brown, turn over and fry the other side. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Place reserved broth in a skillet add a little minced ginger and cook until reduced by about half, you want the broth to be slightly thickened and very rich. Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator and cut into slices. Heat a skillet with a little oil, dip the pork belly in the reserved (left over) marinade and fry on high heat until crisped and browned. Place fried noodles in a bowl, arrange, bok choy. snow pea’s and pork belly slices on top of the noodles. Pour some broth over it all, garnish with spring onions.

Jan 28

70 Comments

Uncle Steve’s Sauce, An Interview With Steve Schirripa And a Quick Delicious Meal

Uncle Steve’s Sauce

I received no monetary compensation for this, I did however get 3 bottles of sauce. I volunteered to do this article and the opinion is 100% my own.

I don’t know about you but I watched every single episode of the Soprano’s up until the very last one. I went through withdrawal after it ended, there was a hole in my Sunday evening TV lineup. If you have watched the show you probably recognize Steve Shirripa aka Bobby Baccalieri, he was married to Janice, Tony’s sister played by Aida Turturro on the show. A few weeks ago I was shopping at my local Whole Foods and had just gotten my salmon and was browsing and walking with my friend (also named Steve) and I had to do a double take, sitting there in the aisle was Steve Schirripa, he had a table set up with pots of his sauce and some of his entourage was there with him. When I saw him he told me to come over and taste the sauce, besides being star struck I was thrilled to have a taste. I will be honest, I don’t buy bottled sauce, I’m not a snob and I’m all for quick and easy but I really just don’t like the taste of the sauce I have tried. There is nothing wrong with it, really nothing wrong, it’s easy, and after a busy day at work opening a jar of sauce and having a bowl of pasta is a great thing, that is if you can find a jarred sauce you like. Up until that day I had not. I loved how they let you taste the sauce, dip a piece of Italian bread in, that was my favorite thing to do when I lived at home and my Mom made sauce. It immediately brought back very fond memories. Well, it is seriously good. There are three types, Tomato Basil, Marinara and Arrabiata. I bought a jar of the tomato basil which is the one I tasted, now one thing about me is that I am a little shy and become verklempt especially around celebrities so I just walked away thanking him and telling him I am a fan. My friend Steve went up to them and said that I had a blog, they called me over and I told them I would love to blog about his product, they also said Steve would be happy to do an interview and that I could contact them to set it up, I was thrilled. We exchanged cards and I was on my way. Fast forward, life got busy and I remembered I needed to email Steve’s team to set up the interview, I did and they immediately got back to me and asked if they could send me some sauce, the next day I got it. Look at how cute the packaging is and even a wooden spoon is included, you have to love that. Be sure to check out the website also for Uncle Steve’s products!!

So here is my interview with Steve Schirripa. I really wanted to know more about his company and why he chose to get into the food business. The interview was conducted over the phone, I hope you enjoy I know I did. I have to say I was a bit nervous, he put me at ease and is the nicest most genuine person and really believes in his product. It was such a pleasure talking to him.

1. I know you are a very busy actor and wondered if you could tell us why you decided to segue into the food business.
Steve: My partner Joe Scarppinito had the idea to make the sauce as a tribute to my Mom who had passed away. Joe is an entrepreneur and said to me Lets do sauce!! So we set out to make the best sauce possible, I’ll be honest I don’t eat jarred sauce and we wanted to make a sauce that tastes good. The sauce is so good my wife makes it for me at home.

2. There are many commercially prepared jarred sauces on the market, what sets your sauce apart from the rest.
Steve: Uncle Steve’s sauce is Organic, Gluten Free, Non GMO and it’s our goal to make the best sauce possible, it’s hard to find a good jarred sauce, with Uncle Steve’s what you see is what you get, you can see the list of ingredients everything is completely natural, no hidden stuff, it’s all good.

3. I heard that this is your Mother’s recipe, I am sure that her sauce is delicious but that’s a small batch for Sunday supper. How do you maintain the same distinctive and delicious flavor when preparing this for mass production.
Steve: Our sauce is made in small batches and we have good quality control, as a matter of fact we have thrown out an entire batch if it doesn’t meet our standards. We cook the sauce a long time and thats what gives it it’s distinct and authentic flavor.
When I was growing up Mom stayed home and cooked, now days Moms and Dads both work and our goal was not for you to stop making homemade sauce but when you are busy we provide you with the highest quality sauce that actually tastes really good and you can feel good about feeding this to your family.

4. People from all over the US and world follow my blog, tell us where we can buy your sauce, how many states is it available and what stores? I met you in Whole Foods Brooklyn and know it’s there, can my friend in Long Island get it at the Whole Foods near her?
Steve: We are in over 2000 stores and are growing every day. It’s amazing really because we have only been in business for a year. If you don’t see Uncle Steve’s sauce in the store go to the website here and put in your zip code we can tell you where to buy but we also have an online shop where you can buy sauce and other Italian specialty items. We are in Whole Foods in the New York area including Long Island and also New Jersey, we are heading to the West Coast, are in Florida, Oregon, Idaho, Rhode Island, Texas, Wisconsin and other states also.

5. I have to ask,do you stay in touch with fellow cast members from The Soprano’s? I never missed an episode and it’s still my favorite show of all time. Have they tried your sauce? Just curious.
Steve: Yes I stay in touch with fellow cast members, Michael Imperioli, I just had lunch with Lorraine Bracco, Tony Sirico. Michael loves my sauce, he is an incredible cook and actually won a celebrity Chopped.

6. I see you have an online shop on your site can you tell us about some of the products available online.
Steve: The online shop has the sauce, Gluten Free Pasta, vinegar and soon will have olive oil. You can also get gift baskets.

7. I know you have a Twitter account @unclestevesNY can you tell my followers if there are any other ways to find you on social media (FaceBook, Instagram etc…)
Steve: Yes you can follow on Twitter and Facebook but I am not big at keeping up on Social Media.

8. Do you come from a traditional Italian family where Sunday’s were always dinner at Grandma’s house? If so, what was your favorite Sunday Dish when you were growing up?
Steve: Yes and I remember the fried meatballs with pignoli and raisins, it was my favorite food and the smell was amazing I can still smell it. I remember we couldn’t eat them until we got home from Church.

Rigatoni With Eggplant And Uncle Steve’s Arrabiata Sauce:

I have been craving eggplant, I thought that it would go nicely with the Arrabiata sauce. I decided to make a quick and easy pasta dish using Uncle Steve’s Arrabbiata sauce, some eggplant and rigatoni, top it with a nice big dollop of ricotta and a generous grating of pecorino romano. Previously when I bought jarred sauce I had to doctor it, you know what I mean, add some basil, garlic, olive oil, why not just make it from scratch then right? Well this sauce does not need to be doctored, it’s great right out of the jar, I did add a pinch of salt but that doesn’t count really. The meal took less than 30 minutes to make, and was delicious. I cut the eggplant into bite size pieces and roasted in the oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper after the eggplant was done I added to the sauce that was heating on the stove. when your pasta is done add it to the sauce and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Thats it, a quick delicious meal in no time and this is a product you can feel good about feeding your family. Note: Uncle Steve’s Arrabbiata is spicy, they aren’t kidding, love it!!

The entire meal was done in 30 minutes. Here is what I did:

Wash and cut the eggplant into bite size pieces, pre heat oven to 425 degree’s line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread the eggplant on the parchment, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Ready for the oven

While the eggplant is roasting, put your water on for the pasta, salt generously and bring to a full boil. While the pasta is cooking check on the eggplant, remove when it’s lightly browned approximately 20 minutes.

Look at the ingredients, natural, simple and good

Get out your saute’ pan and add the sauce and eggplant and simmer for a few minutes. Remove the pasta from the water when al dente (I used a spider utensil) added directly to the sauce, let the pasta cook in the sauce approximately 2 -3 minutes. Serve with ricotta and grated cheese.

A bowl of goodness fresh, natural and delicious!

Jan 20

109 Comments

Chicken Kofta In A Korma Curry With Sonals Awesome Spice Mix

Kofta Korma

I received an email, from Sonal@SimplyVegetarian777, in case you don’t know who she is PLEASE check out her blog, Sonal very generously offered to send me some of her AMAZING spice mixes. I couldn’t type fast enough because I was so excited. I have mad respect for Sonal as a cook and a blogger and am mesmerized by not just her amazing Vegetarian recipes but by her gorgeous photography as well and she absolutely blew me away with her generosity, The other day I went to my mailbox and I didn’t even have to open it because I knew it was here, the aroma that came from my mailbox was intoxicating. She sent her curry mix, a tandoori marinade and Kasuri Methi. I agonized over what to make, perusing her recipes and then I remembered a recipe she actually chose for me to make, her vegetable korma, I love korma, as a matter of fact whenever I eat at an Indian restaurant it’s what I order every single time. Instead of making it with vegetables I thought I would make small chicken meatballs or kofta, kind of like an Indian version of Swedish meatballs. I am serving this with basmati rice but it can also be served with naan or flatbread. I put my own spin on Sonal’s delicious recipe, using what I had in my pantry and refrigerator, the changes were minor and the result was amazing. I attribute this to the expert blending of the spices, I also must add that this recipe is quick and easy to make and because I used a spice mix I didn’t have to measure lots of different spices, the work was done for me and the results could not have been more delicious.

Sonal’s Spice Mix

You MUST make note that Sonal’s awesome and delicious spice mixes will soon be available to all of us, yes she is marketing and selling her spice mixes, small batch hand mixed and utterly delicious. Keep watching her site for more information on how to order.

Kofta

Adapted from Sonal’s recipe for Kofta

1 lb ground chicken

1 egg

1 tbs greek yogurt

1 heaping tbs dried bread crumbs

1 tsp minced ginger

1/2 small onion minced

1 clove garlic minced

1 tbs kasuri methi

2 tbs cilantro chopped or parsley is fine too

1 tsp garam masala

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and form into small balls which you set on parchment lined baking sheet. Heat your fry pay or skillet with some oil. Add the kofta with space in between each and fry until nicely browned on all sides. Remove from oil and place back on parchment sheet and put in warm oven (170 degree’s) until you are ready to add to the korma.

Korma Paste:

2 tbs cashew nuts soaked for 10-15 minutes in 1/4 cup warm water

2 tbs unsweetened coconut flakes (I only had sweetened and it still turned out great, not sweet at all)

2 tbs milk powder or you can use(almond milk. coconut milk, milk, soy milk) (I used half and half)

1/2 onion chopped roughly

1 small tomato (I used 6 cherry tomatoes)

1 small piece ginger (I used the equivalent of 1 tsp)

garlic 2 small or 1 big clove

Place everything in the blender and process until it’s a thick smooth paste

Look at the gorgeous color

Making the Korma:

2 tbs ghee, butter or oil

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 1/2-2 tsp Sonal’s curry spice mix

1 1/2 cups water

Place ghee,butter or oil in a saucepan, heat on medium high until hot. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and heat for a couple of minutes, add the Korma paste and cook about 5-7 minutes on medium heat, don’t brown, you want it to retain it’s yellow color. Add the curry spice mix and continue to cook for another few minutes, add the kofta and water and cook on medium high heat for about 15 minutes uncovered. It will thicken nicely. Serve with rice or naan or flat bread and maybe some pickled vegetables.

Nov 17

44 Comments

Ginger Cilantro Spicy Tofu In Cabbage Leaves And Hearty Minestrone

Ginger Cilantro Spicy Tofu

This recipe is from one of my favorite bloggers Sonal@Simply Vegetarian777 and one that really inspires me to eat wholesome healthful food. This recipe is very special, you see Sonal dedicated it to me, I was touched and thrilled and had to make it, the recipe is Ginger Cilantro Spicy Tofu in Cabbage Leaves, long name yes and long on flavor. It’s fantastic, so simple to make but really really flavorful. I love the crisp tofu, another recipe that really defines umami, it’s healthful, so flavorful and lends itself to variations in serving. Sonali has you pile the spicy tofu in cabbage leaves (I used savoy cabbage) but you can scoop it up with warm flat bread, eat over rice or on it’s own. Anyway you serve it it’s wonderful, delicious and so good for you.

Delicious

I saw this recipe on the blog Bourbon and Brown Sugar for a Hearty Minestrone With Tortellini And Mini Meatballs there are some really fantastic recipes on her site but this soup spoke to me. It’s a meal in a bowl, there are meatballs, tortellini, loads and loads of vegetables and a delicious broth. It’s just perfect for a cold weather meal, it fills you up and warms you. It’s really simple to make, doesn’t take very long to cook and serves a crowd. I followed the recipe except for two things, used leeks instead of onion, only because I had a huge amount I needed to use and I added the rind of a piece of parmigiana the last 30 minutes of cooking time its an incredibly delicious soup.