Raw Tacos

Raw Tacos

About two weeks ago, I stumbled across this recipe for raw tacos on a cooking blog I follow.  The recipe was intriguing and the photos looked delicious.  Unfortunately, I had started a "detox" program and was not allowed to have soy, one of the ingredients used in the recipe, so I wasn't able to try it.  But I couldn't get the thought of raw tacos out of my mind and since the program I'm following allowed me to add soy back in this week, I decided to give them a try.  Oh my!  They were every bit as good as Sarah said they would be!  The recipe comes from her blog, My New Roots.  If you head over to her blog, you should wander around a bit.  She has so many delicious things to make!

Since this recipe was so unusual and new to me, I didn't change much of anything.  I spiced up the walnut mixture a bit with some Indian chili powder and I substituted Liquid Aminos for the nama shoyu (raw soy sauce) since soy sauce has gluten in it and I'm currently off gluten.  If you aren't a pure raw foodist and you don't mind gluten, feel free to substitute regular soy sauce.  So then, here is how I made these delicious tacos.

Salsa
1 cup chopped cherry or grape tomatoes (I used grape)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
4 green onions, minced
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 t honey
1 T extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt

1.  Whisk the garlic, lime juice, honey, olive oil, and salt in a medium bowl.
2.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Let sit for about 1/2 hour to blend flavors.

While the salsa is "melding" make the following:


Walnut Mixture
1 c. walnuts
1 T Liquid Aminos
1/2 t Indian chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t extra virgin olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined and crumbly.  Be careful not to over-process or you'll end up with paste.

Cashew Sour Cream
1/2 c raw cashews (you can get these at a health food shop.  In Fort Wayne, you can get them at the Three Rivers Food Co-op)
juice of 1/2 small lemon
1 t apple cider vinegar
6 T water

Put all ingredients except water in a blender.  Blend on the highest speed until well blended.  Add the water one tablespoon at a time until creamy.  If you want a thinner sauce, add more water.

Other Taco Ingredients
romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, or cabbage leaves (I used romaine and they were tasty but a bit small)
avocado
lime wedges
chopped cilantro

To assemble the tacos, take a lettuce leaf and lay it flat.  Place a couple tablespoons of walnut mixture down the middle.  Top with cashew cream, avocado, salsa and cilantro.  Squeeze a bit of lime.  Eat.  Repeat.

Yum-O!!

Tacos with walnut mix and cashew cream

Still cooking with Pomegranates

spinach salad with quinoa, feta, almonds, and pomegranate seeds

I can't seem to stop buying pomegranates.  Aren't they beautiful?  Last week, I made several batches of pomegranate molasses (a common ingredient in dishes from the middle east, but difficult to find here in Fort Wayne) and it turned out pretty good.  Today, I used the pomegranate molasses to make a tangy dressing for this spinach salad.  I also added a few tablespoons to a spread I made using eggplant.

eggplant dip with cilantro and pomegranate seeds

Have you ever eaten pomegranate seeds?  Some people do not like the crunch of the seed and are annoyed by their very presence in a dish.  They can be a bit of a surprise.  But the sweet, juicy burst of flavor from the surrounding flesh is worth the annoyance!  My daughter shared a funny story with me today.  She said her housemate recently told her about a friend who can't stand to eat pomegranate seeds because of all the work involved in removing the tiny seed from the ruby-red jewels.  Can you imagine trying to eat the juicy red part while leaving the itsy bitsy seed behind?

I think the salad looks very Christmas-y, with the bright green spinach leaves, the glistening red pomegranate seeds, and the snow white feta.  I also tossed in some black quinoa, toasted almond slices, and slivered red onions.

Here's how I made my dressing;

Ingredients:
2 T pomegranate molasses
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
6 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t madras curry powder

Method
Measure all ingredients into a small jar.  Put the lid on and shake it up!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Cooking with Pomegranates

Lentil kofte with Pomegranate and cilantro salad

I suppose they've been selling pomegranates in my neighborhood stores for quite some time, but I just never paid them much attention.  They seemed like too much work.  But while reading the book Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, I became enamored with this enchanting fruit and began reading more about them, their history and significance in the ancient world right up to the present time. I'm embarrassed that it has taken me so long to appreciate their importance and their charming contribution to the world of culinary delights!

The pomegranate has a rich history, stretching all the way back into the ancient world, that is heavy with tradition and superstition.  The leathery globe filled with ruby-red seeds is believed to have originated in Persia and is mentioned in many sacred texts.  It plays a significant role in mythology and in many of the world's religions. 

As I began experimenting with recipes that call for pomegranates, I became very excited about a recipe I found in 660 Curries (a book I've mentioned several times before.)  The recipe was simple to make but involved a lot of steps in order to prepare all the different elements.

Layers of spicy potato, tart date sauce, hot chili sauce, pomegranate seeds and peanuts on flatbread

The original recipe called for all the various elements to be sandwiched between two toasted bun halves, but I thought it sounded way to pretty to cover up with a sandwich bun, so I layered everything on a square of flatbread.  It turned out delicious, with each mouthful delivering a spicy, salty, sweet, tart, soft and crunchy dance.  I decided it's way too involved to post here but if you want to give it a try, it's the recipe for spiced potato and pomegranate sandwiches on page 105.

Today, I made a much simpler recipe that I found in a book called Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, a collection of recipes from the eastern Mediterranean.  This recipe for red lentil kofte with pomegranate and cilantro salad was very tasty and quick to make!

Pomegranate seeds and lemon come together in a bright tasting salad

Ingredients for the kofte:
2 T olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 T cumin
1 T Za'atar
1 t sweet paprika
1/2 c red lentils (toor dal)
1 T Pomegranate molasses
2/3 c finely ground bulgur
1 T finely chopped cilantro
1 T tomato paste

Method:
1.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat and saute onion till soft.  Stir in cumin, za'atar, and paprika and cook for 2 more minutes.

2.  Stir in the lentils, pomegranate molasses and 1 1/2 c water.  Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer on low for about 8 minutes or until lentils are soft.

3.  Stir in the bulgur.  Combine well, remove from heat and let cool.

4.  Stir in cilantro and tomato paste.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the salad


Ingredients for salad:
seeds from 1 pomegranate
1/2 c finely chopped cilantro
grated zest and juice from one small lemon
3 T olive oil

Method:
Combine all ingredients together and mix well.

To Serve:
Remove lentil mixture from refrigerator and form into small patties, pressing a dent into the center of each.  Arrange on a plate and spoon some salad into the center of each.

Lentil koftes with Pomegranate salad

Japchae - Korean noodle dish

I miss the days when my best friend was a young mother from Korea.   She was a flutist and her two young daughters took piano lessons from me.  In addition to music, we quickly found that we had another passion in common:  FOOD!  Maria was an amazing cook!  Our families would get together often for potluck meals and fellowship.  Maria was skilled in the kitchen and introduced my family to bibimbop, dumplings, and other delicious Korean dishes.  Since Maria and her family moved away, I've missed her friendship and her cooking  with a longing that is almost palpable.

I hope to try my hand at bibimbop some day soon.  Although it doesn't seem hard, it involves a lot of individual steps that appear to be very time consuming.  In the meantime, I decided to dip my toe in the pool with this much easier recipe for Japchae, a dish made with starchy sweet potato noodles.  The noodles are readily available in any Asian market carrying Korean ingredients as this is a very popular dish in Korea.  I love the chewy texture of these noodles!


Ingredients:
1 lb Dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles)
1 T canola oil
5 dried shiitake mushrooms - soaked in hot water until soft, then squeezed dry and sliced thin
3 carrots, julienned
8 oz spinach
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced in medium-thin slices
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 green onions, chopped in one inch pieces
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 T sugar
1 T sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds, toasted


Method:
1.  Soak noodles in very hot water for about 15 minutes.  Drain.  Cut into 3 inch pieces and set aside.

2.  Place spinach in large bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let wilt then drain and squeeze dry.

3.  Mix soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.

4.  Heat oil in large wok over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, and green onions.  Stir-fry for about three minutes.

5.  Add noodles and soy sauce mixture.  Continue stir-frying, adding more oil if noodles stick to pan.

6.  Mix in the spinach and sesame seeds.

Note:  I like things spicy so I tossed in some red pepper flakes before adding the vegetables.  Many recipes also call for an egg, fried as an omelet and then sliced thin for garnish.

Curried Squash and Red Lentil Bisque with Quinoa

A fellow foodie and good friend of mine recently emailed me a recipe for soup.  It read something like this:

Saute some onions and curry spices in oil.  Add squash and cover with vegetable broth.  Cook until squash is almost done then add some red lentils.  Let cook about 15 minutes and then mash it up.  Add a can of coconut milk and a handful of quinoa and cook until quinoa "blooms."

I had everything I needed to give this a try, so try it I did and it was AMAZING!  Here is what I did, in a bit more detail.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T Madras curry powder (I make my own and it's delicious.  I'll give the recipe for that another day.)
1/2 T Indian chili powder (or to taste.  or leave out completely if the curry powder is enough heat for you)
2 T canola oil
1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces (about 8 cups)
1 cup red lentils (called masoor dal in Indian grocery stores)
4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
1/2 cup quinoa (I used tri-color quinoa because it's so pretty!)
1 can coconut milk
1 T lime juice
chopped cilantro for garnish

METHOD:
1.  Saute onion, garlic, and curry powder in oil until soft and beginning to carmalize

2.  Stir in squash and broth.  Bring to a boil.   Cover and simmer until squash is tender, but not too soft.

3.  Stir in red lentils and continue cooking until lentils are soft (about 15 minutes)

4.  Use an immersion blender (or any other method) to puree the soup.

5.  Stir in coconut milk and quinoa.  Cook until quinoa is soft, but still has a slight bite.

6.  Stir in lime juice and adjust seasonings as needed (salt, pepper, curry powder)

7.  If the soup is too thick, add water or broth to achieve the consistency you prefer.

8.  Garnish with cilantro

My niece LOVES quinoa, so I'm posting this recipe especially for her.  I hope she tries it!

red lentils (masoor dal) and tri-color quinoa

Sabudana Vada (potato, peanut, and tapioca fritters) with coconut-sesame dipping sauce

Sabudana vada with coconut-sesame dipping sauce

Lately, I have been so busy cooking that I haven't had time to post!  This ridiculous flurry of activity started several weeks ago when I decided I wanted Ethiopian food.  I spent a weekend making a batch of niter kibbeh and another of berbere.  That same weekend I also made a huge jar of ginger/garlic paste, a jar of coconut chutney, and a wet spice blend for making green curry.

The next week, I found myself up to my eyebrows in Indian adventures.  I made a batch of paneer and a batch of milk solids.  I roasted and mixed up a variety of spice blends, including Madras curry powder, sambhar masala and a Punjabi garam masala.

Some things turned out quite undesirable, like the injera I made to go with my Ethiopian wats.  Ugh!  Not sure where I went wrong with such a simple recipe, but something was very not right!  But other things turned out amazingly good, like the tapioca, potato, and peanut fritters with coconut-sesame dipping sauce.

I more or less followed Ragahavan Iyer's recipe in his wonderful book, 660 Curries.  Here's what he says to do, with just a few changes:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup pearl tapioca (rinsed, soaked for 20 minutes, drained)
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro
10 (or more!) hot chilies (such as Thai or cayenne)
6 large cloves garlic
2 thick slices fresh ginger (1/2 inch)
1 pound russet potatoes, boiled and coarsely mashed (I mashed mine by squishing them through my fingers!)
1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt (depending on whether or not your peanuts are already salted)
Canola oil for frying


Method:
1.  Grind peanuts in food processor by pulsing until coarsely chopped.  Dump in large mixing bowl.

2.  Combine cilantro, chilies, garlic, and ginger in processor and mince.  Add to peanuts.

3.  Add drained tapioca and mashed potatoes to mixing bowl and mix well.  This will look and feel doughy.  You can knead it like you would bread until the ingredients are well blended.

4.  Grease or wet your palms and pull off about 2 T dough.  Roll into a ball and then flatten into a disc.  Continue until all the dough is used up.

5.  Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil over medium-high heat and fry fritters until golden and crispy on both sides.

6.  Drain on paper towels.


Ingredients for the sauce:
1 T Canola oil
1/4 c shredded, unsweetened flaked coconut
1 T white sesame seeds
1/2 c dry-roasted peanuts
2 T chopped cilantro
1 t kosher salt
1 medium tomato, cored and coarsely chopped
4 hot green chilies (more or less to taste)

Method:
1.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add coconut and sesame seeds and fry, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden.

2.  Transfer to a blender and add 1 c water plus all the remaining ingredients.  Puree until smooth and blended, scraping down sides of blender when necessary.

3.  Transfer sauce to a small pot and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer gently for a minute or so.

To serve, you can place a couple of fritters on a plate and spoon some sauce over.  Or you can place the sauce in a small bowl and dip the fritters.  The sauce is got warm or at room temperature.

Chilies, cilantro, garlic, and ginger

Minced herb and spices

Tapioca, peanut and herb mince, mashed potatoes

The dough

The patties before frying

Fritters with dipping sauce

Pesto Pizza

oh-so-easy pesto

I love this time of year!  Ripe, juicy tomatoes bursting off the vine, sweeter-than-candy sweet corn being sold on the honor system from yard-stands sprinkled throughout the countryside, endless varieties of eggplant and peppers and an over-abundance of fresh herbs.  Like basil!  I recently came home from a trip to a friend's house with bags and bags of basil.  She had given me sweet Italian basil, Thai basil, pepper basil, and Ruben basil.  What to do with all that basil?

Of course, the obvious answer is make pesto.  Which I did.  I made a big batch and tossed it with bow tie pasta and spicy Italian sausage.  It was yummy!  The next day I made another patch and slathered it on top of individual pizzas.  Oh!  So good!  Today, I'm going to use up all the rest of the basil and make pesto for the freezer so I can continue enjoying the taste of summer even when the winter snow is on the ground!

My idea for the pizzas was inspired by a bottle of Carmen's Habitual Habanero that I always have sitting on the counter next to the stove.  This stuff is soooo good!  Of course, you can make this pizza without the Carmen's oil, but you will have no idea what you are missing!!!  You can read about the company and order a bottle for yourself by clicking here.

For my pizza, I started out by spreading a generous layer of pesto on top of a bread square.

Next, I sprinkled on a layer of sliced red onions, covered that with thin slices of fresh, juicy tomatoes, then drizzled on the Carmen's Habitual Habanero.  (This stuff packs a wallop and will leave your lips tingling happily!)

I sprinkled the tomatoes with torn chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese.

After baking at 425 for 10 minutes, my pizza came out of the oven looking like this:

Here is my simple recipe for pesto.

Ingredients:


1/4 cup pine nuts
2 large cloves garlic
2 cups tightly packed basil
2/3 cups EVOO (olive oil)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese

Method:


1.  Throw the pine nuts, garlic, and basil into the bowl of a small food processor (I used a hand blender) and process until finely chopped.

2.  Blend in the olive oil and then the cheese.

3.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Indian Spiced Green Beans

Green Beans with Stewed split peas and potatoes and collard paratha

My sister planted a ginormous garden this year and I'm reaping the wonderful benefits.  Last week she gave me several bags of produce from her garden and today I turned them into an Indian vegetarian meal.

Flaky Collard Paratha

  The collards I blanched and processed
   into a dough I used to make paratha.

Raiti with fresh cucumber and tomato

The sweet, juicy tomato and crisp cucumber got chopped up and added to a tangy raita.












The green beans I fried in ghee with cumin and mustard seeds and then stewed them in a bit of water.  This recipe is so simple and quick that it qualifies as an Emmi.

This recipe comes from Yamuna Devi.  She has written one of the most comprehensive cookbooks on Indian Vegetarian Cuisine that I've ever seen!  The book is called Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking and no collection on Indian cooking can be considered complete without it.  If you don't own it, what are you waiting for?

Ingredients:

• 1 lb green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 4 T ghee or light oil
• 2 t black mustard seeds
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 1/4 t crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 c water
• 1 t corriander
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1 t sugar

Method:

1. Heat the ghee or oil over medium high heat.  Toss in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and red pepper.  The cumin seeds will turn dark reddish brown and the mustard seeds will turn gray and pop.  
2. When the mustard seeds are done popping, add in the green beans and fry for about 3 minutes, stirring to coat with the seasoned ghee
3. Add the water.  Lower heat to medium low.  Cover and cook until crisp tender (about 10 - 12 minutes.)
4. Uncover and stir in corriander, salt, and sugar.  Raise heat and cook until water evaporates.

Indian Spiced Green Beans

To finish out my meal, I made stewed split peas and potatoes.  If you are interested in that recipe, click here.

Grilled Eggplant Pizza

I'm wondering why in the world it has taken me so long to try pizza on the grill?  I love to use my grill and I love pizza (if it's done right!)  Flipping through magazines yesterday morning, I came across a recipe for grilled eggplant pizza.  The recipe seemed pretty simple, calling for just pizza dough, sauce, grilled eggplant, and cheese.  I might have made things a bit more complicated by making my own dough and sauce and adding caramelized onions, but the results were amazing!  It got rave reviews from both my husband and son.  Now that I've seen how easy this is, I'll surely be making it more often!

Since my son doesn't like eggplant, I left it off the first pizza.  I used pre-sliced, fresh mozzarella cheese and found that the slices were a bit too thick to melt nicely by the time the crust was done.  So on the second pizza, I tore the mozzarella into smaller chunks and it worked out much better.  I'm thinking the next time I make this, I might try goat cheese.

A quick word about grilling the pizzas.  I found that it works best if you let the grill get very hot, but then turn the flame down under the pizza when you put it on.  My grill has four burners.  I turned all four up on high and closed the lid.  I let the grill heat up to about 300 degrees.  Then, I turned the left two burners all the way down to the lowest setting, leaving the right two burners on high, and grilled my pizza on the left side.  This method worked out great.  You will probably have to experiment with your own grill to see what works for you.

Here is my recipe for grilled eggplant pizza, with recipes for the dough and sauce given below.  Happy eating!!


Ingredients:

Pizza dough (recipe below, or use your own)
2 cups pizza sauce (recipe below, or use your own)
1 large eggplant
1/2 cup (more or less) of olive oil
kosher salt
1 cup caramelized onions
handful of fresh basil leaves
mozzarella cheese (fresh or grated)
olive oil (for brushing the dough)

Method:

1.  Wash the eggplant and then slice it into rounds, about 3/4 inch thick.  Toss with olive oil sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

2.  Grill eggplant on hot grill just until soft and buttery, turning once.

3.  Stretch or roll pizza dough into two large oval disks.  Place each disk on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly oiled.

4.  Brush olive oil onto one side of the dough and place on grill (see above).  The dough will begin to puff almost immediately.  Close the lid and cook for a few minutes, until the underside begins to speckle with dark brown.

5.  Remove disk to baking sheet, uncooked side up.  Brush new side with olive oil.  Turn disk over and arrange sauce, caramelized onions, torn basil leaves, grilled eggplant, and cheese on pizza.

6.  Return pizza to grill.  Close lid and cook until cheese melts and underside is cooked and speckled with dark brown spots.

7.  Repeat with other disk.

Eggplant slices grilling (I also made a grilled salad - recipe another day!)

Pizza dough, ready for the grill

Pizza on the grill!

Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients:

1 package active dry years
1 cup warm water
pinch white sugar
2 t kosher salt
1 T olive oil
3 cups (or slightly more) all-purpose flour

Method:

1.  In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and sprinkle in sugar.  Let proof for 10 -15 minutes, or until frothy.

2.  Mix in salt, olive oil and flour.  Mix until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.  Add more flour if too sticky.

3.  Remove dough and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes)

4.  Return dough to well oiled bowl.  Cover with damp towel and let rise until doubled in volume (about one hour.)

5.  Punch dough down.  Cover and let rise again until doubled in volume (about one hour.)

Dough is now ready to be shaped!


Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pounds Roma tomatoes
olive oil (about 4 T total)
kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T fresh oregano leaves
1 T tomato paste
splash of red wine (optional)

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Cut tomatoes in half and toss with about 2 T olive oil.  Place, cut side up, on a large baking sheet (I lined my sheet with parchment paper to make clean up easy.)    Sprinkle with oregano and kosher salt.

3.  Roast tomatoes until wilted and browned in spots (about 50 minutes.)

4.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Then, puree in a food processor.

5.  Heat remaining 2 T olive oil in pan.  Add garlic and cook until beginning to color.  Add sauce and tomato paste.  Swirl a pour of wine around in the processor bowl to remove all the sauce and dump into the pan.  Stir and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Adjust to taste with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar, if needed.
 


 

Chickpeas with fenugreek greens



Methi Chana
(chickpeas with fenugreek leaves)

It's been a while since I've posted a new recipe but I have a good excuse for that;  I've been out of the country and only returned a few days ago.  I made a trip to Haiti to meet with some children I'd been asked to help find adoptive families for.  If you're interested in that project, check out the web site I put together at www.adoptingfromhaiti.weebly.com.

I was only gone for two weeks, but I've got to tell you.....  I couldn't stop dreaming about the things I was going to cook the second I got home!  I was really craving Indian food with all it's variety and spicy deliciousness.  As I wandered through my cookbooks the other night, I kept seeing this ingredient called "methi."  (Methi is the Hindi name for fenugreek leaves.)  I have never tasted it (that I know of) and was curious to give it a try.  So, yesterday I drove out to Taj Mahal Grocery and sure enough, they had fresh methi.  I bought a bunch of fresh and a bag of frozen and scuttled home to start cooking.



Methi (fenugreek) leaves

 I was in the mood for something healthy and tasty with a nice hit of heat to it so I decided to try methi chana, or chickpea gravy with fenugreek greens.  It was just exactly what I was in the mood for!  Turns out, methi has a slightly sour tang to it and the dish was bright, spicy, and delicious.

Ingredients:
1/2 t fenugreek seeds
1 t cumin seeds
2 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 T canola oil
2 bird or Thai chilies, chopped
1 t black mustard seeds
3 or 4 canned tomatoes, chopped
one bunch fresh methi, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 t garam masala
1/4 t asafoetida
1/4 t turmeric
1 t amchur (dry mango powder)
1 T chopped cilantro

Method:

1.  Dry roast the fenugreek seeds, cumin seed, cloves, and cinnamon until fragrant.  Let cool in pan and then grind or pound to a powder.

2.  Heat oil in pan over medium heat.  Add the mustard seeds and green chilies.  Once the mustard seeds have stopped popping (they will turn grey and pop, like popcorn) add in the chopped tomatoes.  Cook until tomatoes break down and soften, no more than a couple of minutes.

3.  Stir in the methi and the powdered spice blend.  Stir in 1/2 cup water and simmer gently until methi is cooked, about two or three minutes.

4.  Add in the chickpeas, amchur, turmeric, asafoetida, and garam masala.  Mix well and stir in 1 1/2 cups water.  Simmer until gravy comes together, about 5 minutes.

5.  Crush some of the chickpeas with a potato masher to thicken the sauce.  Add salt to taste and simmer about 5 more minutes.

6.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

I know most of my readers won't try this because the ingredient list seems daunting and unfamiliar.  But if you live in Fort Wayne, a trip to Taj Mahal Grocery will get you everything you need.  If you don't live in Fort Wayne, perhaps your town has its own Indian grocery store?  Check it out because this is a simple, healthy, delicious, and inexpensive dish to make!

fenugreek seeds

stirring the methi into the pan

crushing the chickpeas

Eggplant and roasted garlic tart

I love eggplant!  It is so versatile and delicious; it can be baked into casseroles, mashed into purees and dips, grilled for salads, sliced and fried as an appetizer, pureed into soups, and even baked into pies like the one pictured above.

I have this fantastic cookbook called Fields of Greens by Annie Somerville.  It is a collection of vegetarian recipes from her restaurant, Greens Restaurant, in San Francisco.  I've tried several recipes from this book and have yet to run across something that doesn't turn out delicious!

With the abundance of locally grown eggplant (in all its many varieties) available around town from farmer's markets and roadside stands, I decided to give her recipe for eggplant and roasted garlic tart a try.  It turned out fantastic!

roasted garlic, eggplant, and sun-dried tomatoes in a tart shell



all ready for the oven with imported provolone, eggs and half-and-half poured over top

slice and serve with garden fresh tomatoes......YUM!

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe tart dough

1 head of garlic

2 T olive oil

1/2 Japanese eggplant, sliced 3/4 inch thick on the diagonal

3/4 T chopped fresh oregano

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup half-n-half

2 ounces imported provolone cheese, grated

2 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and thinly sliced

METHOD:

1.  line a tart pan with the dough

2.  preheat oven to 375.  Brush the garlic head with olive oil and roast on a pan until soft (about 30 minutes)  Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of their skins.  Reserve half and mash the remaining half into a paste.

3.  Brush eggplant slices with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a large baking sheet.  Roast in the same oven until soft, about 15 minutes.  Remove and when cool, slice each into 2 or 3 strips.

4.  Beat the eggs in a bowl and whisk in the mased garlic, the half-and--half, 1/2 t salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Spread the grated cheese on the bottom of the tart shell.  Lay the eggplant slices on the cheese, followed by the roasted garlic cloves and the sun-dried tomatoes.  Pour the custard over all and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden and the custard is set.

A Delicious and Easy Sambhar

I am waiting for the day when the Internet has a smell option.   If it were possible for you to smell the vadaa sambhar pictured above, I could probably get rich offering to sell you the recipe.  The day I made this sambhar,  my whole house had a warm, spicy smell that made my nose tingle and my stomach rumble!

A local bookstore is, unfortunately, going out of business and all their books are currently 50% off.  I picked up a cookbook titled 660 Curries  by Raghavan Iyer.  The same day I purchased the book, I came home, randomly opened it up and made the first two recipes that caught my eye.  This sambhar was one of them.  (Yes, my sister will ridicule me, but I had all the needed ingredients in my superbly stocked kitchen and didn't have to run out for anything!)

I will admit that Indian cooking can be a bit intimidating for the uninitiated.  They do such creative things with their food!  Especially the vegetarian cuisines.   But if you take the time to read the recipe through and understand the steps, you will see that it really isn't as hard as it would seem at first glance.  Some procedures are time consuming; such as making your own cheese or yogurt or making dumplings out of lentils.  But again, these procedures are lengthy, but EASY since most of the time required is sitting time where the cook is not active; such as soaking or fermenting.

If you want to try a delicious recipe that is almost as simple as boiling water, follow this link to my Examiner article on the Taj Mahal Grocery and Gift store and try the recipe for stewed potatoes with yellow split peas.  It is amazingly simple and amazingly delicious!  If you are feeling just a bit more adventurous, try this recipe for vadaa sambhar (lentil dumplings in a vegetable stew.) 

For the Dumplings

ingredients:

1 cup skinned split black lentils (urad dal)

1 1/2 t sea salt

Canola oil for deep frying

method:

1.  Place the dal in a medium-sized bowl.  Rinse in several changes of water until water is no longer cloudy.  Cover the dal by several inches with clean, fresh water and let soak from 1 to 4 hours.

2.  Drain the dal.  Place 1/2 cup water in a blender.  Add dal and puree, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until a paste is formed.  Dump paste back into medium-sized bowl.  Add 1/4 c water to blender and swirl around.  Add this water to the paste and stir it in.

3.  Pour about three inches of oil into a wok or medium-sized pan.  Heat until a drop of water dances across the surface (350 degrees on a thermometer.)  Drop the batter into the oil by large tablespoons and fry, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown all over.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Do this in several batches being careful not to crowd the pan. 

4.  When all the batter has been fried, set the dumplings aside and make the stew.

For the Stew

ingredients:

1/4 c. oily toor or toovar dal (skinned split yellow pigeon peas)

1 T tamarind paste or concentrate

1 T sambhar masala

1 1/2 t coarse kosher or sea salt

1/2 t asafetida

1 medium-size red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

20 fresh curry leaves

1 T canola oil

1 t black mustard seeds

2 T finely chopped cilantro

method:

1.  Place the dal in a small saucepan and rinse in several changes of water until the water is no longer cloudy.  Drain.  Add 3 cups fresh water to the pan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, whisk the tamarind paste with 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan.  Add the masala, salt, asafetida, bell pepper, onion and curry leaves.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer until vegetables are fork-tender (about 15 minutes.)

3.  When the dal is done cooking, pour it into a blender and blend well.  Pour this thin broth into the stew pan with the vegetables.

4.  Heat a small skillet over high heat.  Add the oil and sprinkle in the mustard seeds.  They will pop, much like popcorn (you might want to cover the pan during this process.)  When the popping stops, scrape the seeds into the stew along with the cilantro.

To Serve

Place a couple of dumplings in a bowl and ladle some of the hot stew over.  Eat and enjoy!