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Indian Cauliflower Chickpea Curry Stew

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 0 comments
We love chickpeas and curry. Andy would like this with meat, but I really enjoyed it as is, topped with coconut. Found at



Ingredients:

1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup(s) brown rice
1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon(s) curry powder
Salt
2 1/2 cup(s) vegetable broth
1 medium (2-pound) head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 can(s) (15 to 19 ounces each) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup(s) loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup(s) plain low-fat yogurt plus additional for serving

Directions:

In 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Add carrots and onion, and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, prepare rice as label directs; keep warm.
Stir ginger, curry, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into carrot mixture; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth; cover and heat to boiling on high. Stir in cauliflower and garbanzo beans; cover and cook on medium 15 to 20 minutes longer, gently stirring every 5 minutes until cauliflower is tender.
To serve, stir chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup yogurt into cauliflower stew. Spoon rice into serving bowls; top with stew. Serve cauliflower stew with additional yogurt to dollop on top if you like. Makes about 8 cups.

Bobotie

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Here is a traditional South African dish (from recipesource.com). Kind of like South African meatloaf...Good with my maple-dill carrots on the side.



Ingredients:

3 slices day old bread
1 1/2 c. milk
2 med. onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. raisins
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs

Makes 6 servings.

Directions:

Soak bread in milk. Squeeze milk from bread, reserving milk.
Combine all ingredients, except milk and 1 egg. Press mixture into
an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Add enough milk to reserve milk to make
3/4 cup. Beat together milk and remaining egg. Pour over meat
mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden
brown and firm to the touch.

French Boule - Simple Artisan Bread

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 0 comments


I finally found a bread recipe (NOT using a bread machine) that actually worked for me! I found this lovely book called, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, (check it out here) that makes baking so simple. Here is the master recipe they present in the beginning of the book. They suggest to make the dough and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks. You can make four 1-pound loaves from that dough. I tried it today and it was great, and so easy to make. I made the dough yesterday as they suggested, and baked one loaf today. However, the loaf is small and yummy, so I may bake 2 at a time next so that I have more bread.


Ingredients (for four 1-pound loaves):

3 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 T yeast
1 1/2 T salt
6 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose white flour
Cornmeal or whole wheat flour for pizza peel

Directions:

Warm the water slightly. Add yeast and salt to the water in a large bowl. Mix in the flour (no kneading required). Mix with wooden spoon or using dough hook on mixer. Cover bowl with a lid (not airtight) that fits well to the container you are using. Allow mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, approximately 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).



You can use a portion of the dough after this period and refrigerate the rest. Fully refrigerated dough is best to work with (overnight or at least 3 hours).

To bake:
Sprinkle surface of dough with flour. Pull up and cut off 1-pound (grapefruit size) piece. Hold mass of dough in hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
Rest the loaf and let it rise on a pizza peel (I didn't have one so I used a plate), dusted with cornmeal or whole wheat flour. Let dough rest for 40 minutes, uncovered.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 F, with a baking stone placed on middle rack and empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread (I put mine below the shelf the bread would be on).
Dust top of loaf liberally with flour and slash a tic tac toe pattern (or other pattern as desired) on top of loaf with bread knife.
Slide loaf onto preheated baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour about 1 c of hot tap water into broiler tray and close oven door to trap steam. Bake about 30 minutes, or till crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.
Allow to cool completely.

Store baked loaf cut side down on a plate or clean counter, not in a bag.

Vegetable Pasta Saute

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 0 comments

This is a dish my mom invented a few years ago. We went through a phase where we ate it almost every day. Now Andy and I make it from time to time as well. I craved this dish specifically when I came home from a month in Russia a few years ago. When I came home I requested this meal - probably because I went to Russia at a time when very few fresh vegetables were available. You can customize this dish with any kind of pasta or vegetables or spices you want.

Ingredients:

Butter/olive oil to saute
Pasta (spaghetti or fettucine)
Vegetables such as yellow squash, red peppers, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and spinach
Spices such as oregano, basil, and chicken spices (we have a Mediterranean spice mix with a hint of cloves)
White cheddar cheese, shredded (Vermont)

Directions:

Prepare pasta as directed. Meanwhile saute garlic and vegetables in olive oil/butter and with spices, except spinach in saucepan. Add spinach when other vegetables are fully cooked, stir in spinach till wilted. Mix vegetables with pasta, and serve topped with cheddar cheese.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread (Bread Machine)

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This is one of my new favorite breads! This recipe is for a medium (1 1/2 lb) loaf.

Ingredients:

1 c warm water
1/4 c butter
1 egg
2 T sugar
2 t salt
2 c bread flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c oats
(1/4 c wheat germ - I didn't have so I left it out)
1/4 c nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 t yeast

Directions:

Combine ingredients in bread machine pan, set on whole wheat setting.