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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage

Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage
As unimaginative as Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage sounds, it represents a comfort meal at home. Since we don't eat out much, I like to present "dinner plates" with portioned out variety of menu items. Not only does it help me keep track of what I eat, it also provides a nice gauge for D and the kids, not to mention a nice presentation.

Food Court eateries aren't quite gourmet usually, but, certain menus there satisfy certain moods for me. One such pick I default to when I find myself in a Food Court at lunch time is this combination of Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage+Carrots, topped with some chili sauce. This almost always turns out greasier than I like, but very filling.

The recipe here is nothing exciting: cook the favorite beans and rice together with seasoning, pan-fry some par-boiled and sliced potatoes with onions, steam some green cabbage and julienned carrots. All this can be done in parallel, leading to a quick yet sumptuous meal.

I like black beans and basmati rice for this, but, kidney beans with long grain rice would be good too. Typically, over weekends, I steam some potatoes in the steamer that comes with the rice cooker and store it in the fridge/freezer for later use so it is handy.

For this presentation, I like the rice and beans to be fairly dry, not runny like I prefer the Red Beans and Rice dish. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.

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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Flaky Parathas


Paratha is an unleavened Indian flatbread made with wholewheat flour. It is usually pan-fried on the griddle and served hot with a few different sides - like curries, chutneys and raita.

To get the flaky layers, it can be rolled out, folded over on itself and rolled out four or five times before pan-frying, spreading a layer of ghee in between. Home-made Ghee is traditional, but, I like to use Smart Balance Omega™ Light.

Stuffed parathas used to be my favorite when I was young. Stuffing can be any leftover vegetables like potatoes, peas, carrots which incorporate well into the dough and can be rolled out without falling apart.

Served here is a South Indian side called Ellu Pachadi, made with home-garden butternut squash and zucchini.



Ingredients
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp Smart Balance Omega™ Light
1 cup warm water, more or less
1 tsp salt (more if preferred)
Oil for pan frying

Preparation
  1. Combine the flour, salt, and Smart Butter; add a little water at a time and knead till the dough comes together, not stiff but quite elastic; let it sit for 15-20 minutes
  2. Divide into balls and roll out one at a time, folding over a few times to create layers, not thicker than 4 or 5 millimeters (else it takes a lot longer to cook through)
  3. Pan fry on a medium-hot pan, with a touch of oil to crisp the sides, maybe a couple of minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the paratha and heat of the pan

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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Black Beans and Brown Rice Patties


Leftover black beans, brown rice, plus baked or steamed potatoes come together to make these delicious patties. Simply add favorite spices, mash them together, and pan-cook to desired crispness.

Serve as bean burgers in mini buns with favorite fixings, or enjoy as-is with favorite dipping sauce or ketchup.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked black beans, drained well
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 medium potato, cooked
a few slices of bread, preferably heels :)
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp sambal oelek or Tabasco™ sauce (or any favorite chili paste or sauce)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste

A few tablespoons of Olive oil for pan frying

Preparation
  1. Mash the ingredients together, adding just enough bread slices to make a dough that can be shaped easily; taste and adjust seasoning
  2. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pan, shape the patties and fry both sides till firm and done

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Thursday, October 14, 2010

Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich


Smothered in sautéed onions and bell peppers, dripping with melted cheese, on a whole-wheat hoagie roll, makes this mock Philly Cheese "Steak" sandwich an incredibly tasty and simple meal.

The wheat-meat recipe is the same as my usual one in principle, but, I vary the flavors/spices a bit here. While the Tandoori paste is a great marinade, I use it here for both color and flavor.

And usually, this is a great way to use up leftover wheat-meat pot roast: simply cut into strips, and sauté with onions and bell peppers, add preferred cheese.

Sloppy Joe: Another option is to grind the cooked wheat-meat strips, add some ketchup or tomato paste (I prefer tomato paste) while sautéing with onions and peppers, and serve as Slushburgers or Wimpies on toasted buns.

Ingredients
for wheat meat:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
¾ cup warm broth
spices:
1 tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, salt
1 Tbsp Patak's™ Tandoori masala paste
1 tsp brown sugar

onions and bell peppers, sliced thin - as much as preferred
1 Tbsp canola oil

optional: 1 or 2 drops Liquid Smoke (I use Wright's Hickory Seasoning)

for the simmering broth:
4 to 6 cups broth+water
1 cup carrots and cabbage, chopped coarsely
1 Tbsp crushed red peppers
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp allspice

Cheese:
1 cup low-fat part-skim Swiss cheese, shredded
1 cup low-fat part-skim Mozarella, Shredded

Preparation
  1. Start the simmering broth in a pot large enough to hold the loaf, reserving the liquid smoke to add at the end, if using
  2. Combine gluten and spices for the wheat meat, add warm broth and stir with a spoon right away till it comes together to form a dough. Knead a few times and shape into a flat, roughly 1-inch thick, rectangle
  3. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet or pan 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 for about 30 to 45 minutes
  4. Meanwhile, sauté the onions and bell peppers adding some of the same spices as used in wheat-meat or simmering broth
  5. When wheat-meat is done (or if using leftovers), cut into strips and add to the onions and bell peppers
  6. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top, turn off heat, cover and let it sit till cheese melts
  7. Scoop as much as desired into a toasted hoagie roll and enjoy!

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Monday, October 11, 2010

Lentil Barley Soup


Lentil Barley soup is quite a sumptuous weeknight meal, especially for the rainy autumn nights we've been having lately. Any combination of vegetables and spices will work, for that matter any type of lentils - red, brown, green, even yellow split peas, which is what I use here.

Rather than stove-top, I've come to like cooking barley and split peas in the rice cooker - roughly 1 part barley+split peas to 3 parts water. This way, I can set it and forget it, or even make ahead and store it in the fridge till I am ready to make the soup.

Thaw gently and add to the stock, along with other vegetables and spices. For a chunky stew, I add whatever winter squash is handy.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked split yellow peas
1 cup cooked barley
2 cups chopped turnip greens
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion sliced
6 cups stock or water
6 to 8 ripe sweet cherry tomatoes
salt to taste

spices:
1 Tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Madras curry paste (I use Patak's™)
1 Tablespoon canola oil or olive oil
chopped cilantro for garnish
1 cup evaporated milk (optional)

Preparation
  1. Heat the oil, sauté the onions, add the barley, split peas, turnip greens, stock, cover and simmer till green are almost done, and barley and split peas are soft
  2. Add the bell peppers and tomatoes, cook till as soft as preferred, garnish and serve warm
  3. For a creamier texture, stir in the evaporated milk

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Monday, October 04, 2010

Green Bean Salad with Marinated Feta and Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Green bean Salad with Marinated Feta and Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Crisply blanched green beans drizzled with my favorite Aka Miso and Blue Agave Nectar Dressing makes a wholesome side for a weeknight meal. When tossed with roasted red bell peppers and marinated feta, this becomes a meal in itself.

Feta can be used without marinating, but, I like to let it sit in a mixture of pomegranate red wine vinegar and olive oil for about 10 minutes while getting the green beans ready.

Store-bought roasted red bell peppers (packed in water) sautéed with some onions can be tossed in with the blanched green beans before drizzling the dressing.

Top with sliced almonds and serve at room temperature.

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