Chicken Enchilada Soup with Naan Panino

Chicken Enchilada Soup is a hearty flavorful meal in itself, but for a little something extra on cold nights, a grilled panino rounds it out well.

Panini, fresh from the grill, are quite an appetizing version of my kids' favorite grilled cheese sandwich. For the adults in the household, I make the panini with marinated eggplant, red onions, bell peppers and cheese, much like the marinated eggplant sandwich, only I just marinated it for the 30-40 minutes it takes soup to get ready.

Any bread roll or flat bread would do, but here, I use Kale-and-Cilantro Naan I had leftover from a previous meal. Kale-and-Cilantro Naan is made very much like my other naans, just had kale handy and wanted to use it up.

Fusion cuisine being my personal slant, for a bright color and rich flavor, I like to marinate the chicken pieces in Patak's™ Tandoori Masala Paste, then cook it in a combination of typical Mexican and Indian spices.

Instead of Tandoori paste, can substitute Achiote seeds (Annatto) which is traditionally used as seasoning in Yucatan and Central American dishes, and makes a nice marinade when combined with a few other spices to make a rub. The rich red color and a mild earthy flavor are its main attraction for me, much like in this Achiote Potatoes and Black-Eyed Peas recipe.

Optionally, add peas and carrots for the kids, but for an adult version, can leave it out. If preferred, mellow it out with some sour cream or yogurt when serving this spicy soup for the kids.

Ingredients
2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 medium onion, sliced thin, or chopped fine
6-8 cloves of garlic, finely minced
optional cooked veggies: peas, carrots, black beans, corn kernels
2 Tbsp Patak's™ Tandoori Masala Paste (less if preferred)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste

for garnish:
chopped cilantro
crisp tortilla strips

spices for the chicken enchilada soup:
1 tsp oregano powder or1 Tbsp crushed dried oregano leaves
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp McCormick's™ Original Taco Seasoning (optional)
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Preparation

1. Combine the spice mix and keep it handy
2. Cut a tortilla into strips, spray some oil and broil in the toaster oven till crisp and keep it handy
   
3. Heat the canola oil in a pot, add the onions, garlic, some salt and stir till onions are translucent; then, add the tomato paste and sauté till it turns rich red and is aromatic
4. Add the chicken pieces, spices, enough water, cover and cook till chicken is done
5. Stir in the cooked veggies, adjust flavors if needed, garnish and serve warm

Jackfruit Pit: Chakka Kottai Molagoottal

Jackfruit... evokes memories of idyllic childhood, gorging and groaning, waiting for the various forms in which this unique fruit can be consumed thanks to a mom who is a superb cook... it has always been one of my favorite fruits.

Savoring the local seasonal fruits was such a sweet childhood experience for me: Mango season, Jackfruit season, Seethapazham (Custard Apple) season, Chikku/Sapota season, Nagapazham season, Vilambazham season... had to get our fill else we have to wait a whole year before the season comes around and the fruit becomes available in plenty again.

Anyway, D had never beheld a whole jackfruit (chakkai) in its full glory, so, he bought one recently, and went through the process of cleaning it up and extracting the yellow-fleshed sweet fruit sections.

These delicious fruits have a hard pit (kottai), which are edible when cooked, and have a nutty flavor and a meaty potato-like texture that I have a weakness for. [Chakkai Kottai = Jackfruit Pit]. Because of its nutty flavor it is sometimes referred to as Jackfruit Nut or Jack Nut

Molagoottal is a rather mild south Indian dish which can be made with any seasonal vegetable and is a favorite alternative to the spicy curries, sambar and kozhambu. Molagoottal doesn't use any tamarind or spice powders like sambar, and has a delicate base of coconut, peppercorn and cumin. Vaazha Thandu (banana plant stem), white pumpkin or ash gourd, snake gourd, cabbage and carrots, as well as chakkai kottai all lend themselves to a delicious molagoottal which was my mom's specialty.

Molagoottal is usually served with rice and a pachadi. My preferred combination is chakkai kottai molagoottal with chutta kathrikkai pachadi (roasted/charred eggplant pachadi). I had harvested the last of the eggplants from our home-garden... skewered them and roasted them over open flame on my gas stove then followed the recipe as before.

Ingredients
Jackfruit Pits - as many as in picture, maybe more if available
½ cup carrots, chopped
1 cup cooked lentils (I use moong dal)
salt to taste

for the molagoottal base:
4 Tbsp dry grated coconut
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
3-6 dry red chilies (optional)
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorn

tempering:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds

garnish: curry leaves, cilantro

Preparation

1. Pressure cook the jackfruit pits (jackfruit nut, or jack nut) or cook on stovetop till tender but not mushy, like steamed or baked potato; remove the thick jacket/skin from the pits which easily come off when cooked well enough - this layer almost feels like plastic and is not quite edible - it is the pearly white layer seen in the jackfruit pits/nuts picture; the inner thin skin is a beautiful brown and the flesh is almost ivory white
2. Combine the molagoottal base ingredients in a blender and grind to a smooth fine paste, adding water as needed
3. In a pot, combine the carrots, cooked lentils and jack nut, molagoottal base paste, some water, salt, cover and simmer till flavors meld
4. Tempering: heat the oil in a small pan, when close to smoking add the mustard seeds and let them pop, turn off heat so as not to burn them
5. Top the molagoottal with these popped mustard seeds and garnish with curry leaves or cilantro

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Until I came across Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) a decade ago, home-made chili was plain old pinto beans cooked in spicy broth and thickened a bit by mushing some of the cooked beans in the pot,

Since that first time I made a five-alarm chili with cornbread for D's birthday, Chile and Cornbread have become a favorite at home, an inseparable pair in my kitchen. Not the five-alarm kind for me or the kids, though.

Beans and lentils, packed with nutrition, are easy to incorporate in daily diet. This chili can be cooked overnight in a slow cooker. On working days, this used to be my preferred method.

Soak and pressure cook the beans and save them in the freezer (measured into smaller portions so I don't have to thaw the whole batch) during the weekend or whenever I can work it in. Throw the beans, onions, tomatoes, spices, TVP or minced Wheat Meat, together with enough water into the slow cooker and allow to simmer overnight; or start it in the morning before heading off to work and have it ready by dinner time that evening.

There are wonderful cornbread recipes on the web. But here I add my signature flax meal and nutritional yeast. For a quicker version of chili, I sometimes use McCormick™'s Original Taco Seasoning Mix and canned pinto beans with TVP. Otherwise a blend of ground spices work well to adjust the flavors to taste.

Ingredients
For the chili:
½ cup TVP
2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 medium onion, minced
2 or 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
chopped cilantro for garnish
spices:
2 to 3 Tbsp McCormick's Original Taco Seasoning Mix
-OR-
1 tsp each of : chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin powder, coriander powder, onion powder, garlic powder (adjust to taste)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the canola oil in a pot, sauté the onions, garlic, add the spices and tomatoes and stir till spices bloom a bit, throw in the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer on medium-low for about 45 minutes, stirring on and off and checking that there is enough water.

For the Cornbread
¼ cup flax meal
¼ cup fine cornmeal
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 Tbsp Smart Balance Omega™ Butter Light
¼ cup milk (plus a few tablespoons more as needed)

[The quantity makes about 6 regular size muffins or a dozen mini muffins]

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375° F and spray or brush some oil in the muffin pan and keep handy
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, stir to mix well; cut in the butter till incorporated; then add the milk a little at a time while stirring/whisking to make a thick yet flowing pancake-like batter
3. Pour the batter into the muffin cups about 2/3rds full and bake in 375° F oven for about 15-20 minutes; check half-way and turn the pan around; it is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean

No Meat Pot Roast

Wheat Meat is a nice alternative to soy-based meatless products and I've enjoyed making mock meat dishes with it for the last eight years or so. This "Pot Roast" is prepared much like the Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Potatoes recipe, with slight variations in flavoring and shaping.

There are a few brands of vegan bullion available in the market that imitate the flavor of beef and chicken. Never having tasted beef, I can't tell how close it gets to the real thing. If preferred, can simply use vegetable broth instead of beef or chicken flavored broth, which is my choice usually - vegetable bullion cubes dissolved in water (1 cube in 2 cups water).

These make good leftovers. Squeeze to remove excess moisture, shred or mince to make mock ground beef. If dry enough, it can be breaded lightly and baked or pan-fried to make a nice protein packed filler for kids' lunch.

The directions look like a bit much, but, it is really an easy dish to make ahead. Can double the quantity if desired.

Ingredients
for the pot roast "meat":
1 cup vital wheat gluten
¾ cup warm broth
spices: 1 tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder, taco seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt

1 Tbsp canola oil

for the simmering broth:
3 to 4 cups broth+water
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 or 2 drops Liquid Smoke (I use Wright's Hickory Seasoning)
spices: celery seeds, sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, parsley (or any preferred/handy combination)
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
1 medium onion sliced
3-5 cloves of garlic

Preparation

1. Combine the dry ingredients for the pot roast, add warm broth and stir with a spoon right away till it comes together to form a dough. Knead a few time and shape into a rectangular loaf/log (or any preferred shape). [When simmered, the shape doesn't hold tight and looks bloated]
2. Start the simmering broth in a pot large enough to hold the loaf, reserving the liquid smoke to add at the end, and also reserving part of the onions for sautéeing
3. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet large enough to hold the loaf, sear the sides of the shaped pot roast, remove from pan and add to the simmering broth, cover and allow to simmer
4. In the same hot pan, sauté the reserved onions, off heat and keep handy
5. Simmer on low heat rather than full boil, 30  minutes; then, turn the loaf over in the pot and simmer another 30 to 40 minutes till it feels tender and can be cut with the edge of a regular spatula
6. Remove the loaf, purée the simmering broth in a blender for a smooth sauce; I simply mashed with a potato masher for a coarse chunky texture, reserving some carrot chunks for presentation; return to pot and simmer till the sauce thickens to desired consistency
7. Slice the pot roast, drizzle some sauce, top with sautéed onions, and serve warm

Roasted Eggplant Salad

It is no secret here in my little kitchen that I love eggplant - have always loved them since childhood when my mom made quite a few of my favorites that to this day get me excited - particularly the South Indian delicacies like Ennai Kathrikkai, Sauteed Eggplant, Kathrikkai Rasavangi, Chutta Kathrikkai Pachadi, Vangi Baath, and Stuffed Baby Eggplant.

We harvested the last of the eggplants and onions, along with a ton of Roma tomatoes (to be canned and put away for later use) from our garden this year,  I wanted to make a simple salad that uses the main ingredients fresh from the garden.

The eggplant can be cut into cubes or long slices for this salad to make for an interesting presentation. I went with round discs here. Simply marinate in a balsamic vinaigrette for an hour or so before serving.

Ingredients
eggplant, tomatoes, onions - diced or sliced as preferred
4 to 6 pickled Jalapeño rings, (or as many as needed )
garnish: cilantro, chopped

Vinaigrette:
1 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 to 4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 or 2 cloves of garlic minced or grated finely
salt to taste
optional: paprika, red sumac powders, to taste

Preparation

1. Pan-fry or pan-roast, or oven-roast, or grill, or if we can indulge a bit, deep fry the eggplant, remove, drain, sprinkle with some salt if preferred
2. Combine the eggplant with the rest of the ingredients, dress as desired, cover and allow to rest in the fridge or at room temperature so it marinates and flavors meld
3. Garnish with cilantro, chives, spring onions

Rajma with Opo Squash-Bok Choy Naan

Rajma (raaj-maa) is a North Indian dish, which along with the Punjabi Cholay used to be my favorite side to eat with rotis and naans when I was young. Rajma is a wholesome yet simple kidney beans dish full of flavor.

Here I serve Rajma with Opo Squash and Bok Choy Naan. Now, this naan might sound a bit off-beat, but, the mild flavors of these two vegetables, with a generous portion of cilantro and mint leaves makes these quite delicious.

Opo Squash, Zucchini, and Pumpkin in a light sauce

There is something about the combination of delicate almost watery Opo Squash with meaty semi-sweet pumpkin that I find irresistible. This probably stems from consuming a lot of Olan, a South Indian delicacy that is my mom's specialty.

We had harvested some zucchini and pumpkin from our home-garden and the combination of these reminded me of my mom's Olan very much, especially along with Opo Squash.

The kids don't enjoy it much - they'll take a bite to satisfy me and because we made it a rule to try the dish, grimaces and nose-wrinkling notwithstanding, every time I put something in front of them.

It is the simplicity of this dish that I find reflects the inherent qualities of the vegetables - no rich curry, no strong spices, just simple flavors. Of course, feel free to experiment and adjust/add flavors to taste, as always. Instead of pumpkin, can use any mildly sweet winter squash like butternut or acorn squash.

While similar to my Olan recipes, this recipe can me made into a thin soup with vegetables chopped up tinier, and using chicken stock instead of vegetable, if preferred. [Incidentally, looking back at my very old recipes, gosh! what terrible pictures! I must update them with better ones soon :)]

Ingredients
½ Opo Squash, peeled, cored, and diced
1 medium zucchini,  cored and diced
As much pumpkin  or winter squash as preferred, diced or cut into chunks
Additional vegetables: cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese long green beans (optional)
vegetable stock, enough to cook the veggies
¼ to ½ cup plain low-fat milk (for a richer, slightly different flavor, can use light coconut-milk)
spices: freshly ground black pepper, turmeric
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or any other preferred oil)

Preparation

1. Heat the coconut oil in a pan, add the turmeric, then vegetables and stock, cover and simmer till vegetables are cooked but not mushy; I like the smell and flavor of coconut oil in this dish as I use milk instead of coconut-milk to finish
2. When water is all but absorbed and veggies are cooked, turn off heat,  stir in ground black pepper and milk, adjust flavors. The amount of milk depends on how runny we want the finished dish to be. For a soupy consistency, add more, naturally.
3. Garnish with cilantro and spring onions if preferred and serve warm with brown basmati rice, or plain cooked quinoa, or roti; or enjoy it as-is.