Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan is a top favorite for the adults in the household, not the kids. Not yet. And, while Chicken Parmesan is enjoyed much by all but me, I do not make it often, mainly due to the labor involved.

This time, these easy Skillet Chicken Parmesan pleased the kids and the other adult taste-wise and suited me fine labor-wise.

Thinly sliced chicken breasts are breaded and pan cooked and then finished off in the same hot skillet, with oozing mozzarella for the stringy goodness.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, sliced thin, and cut in half if preferred, and marinated in red wine vinegar
Flour for dusting, egg white and Panko/breadcrumbs for coating
Tomato sauce
Parmesan, grated,
Mozzarella, thinly sliced
Olive oil as needed

Preparation

1. Drain and pat dry the marinated chicken, dust with flour, dip in egg whites and press into a plate of Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan for coating
2. Heat oil in a skillet, cook the chicken till crisp on both sides, remove and keep handy
3. In the same hot skillet, add the tomato sauce, layer with some grated Parmesan, add the chicken, place more mozzarella slices on top, cover and simmer till mozzarella melts
4. Finish off under the broiler if preferred to get the cheese browned and crispy

Four Delectable Wheat Meat Dishes

Gluten has strongly polarized the current generation of food-loving folks. Depending on who we talk to, either gluten is the root cause of all evil and ailment, to be censured and possibly banned from diets; or, gluten is quite an essential part of a nutritionally-balanced meal that includes optimal whole grains which provide a rich array of vitamins and minerals.

Celiac disease is very real. Research connecting diabetes and gluten is well published. And, many seem to have high sensitivity to gluten in their diet, even if not diagnosed with Celiac disease.

Over the past few years, after staying gluten-free months at a time, switching to quinoa, millet, amaranth, brown rice for weeks a stretch, it seems to make no significant difference to the folks at home. So, I've made peace with gluten for now, promising to revisit the issue in a year or so. 

I am not a nutritionist, but, I do believe in consuming as much natural, primarily-vegetarian foods as possible with minimal processing -- leaning towards fresher,  homemade options than conveniently packaged heavily processed foods. As to going grain-free? I am still researching and experimenting.

Anyway, all that is to segue into these 4 vegetarian recipes for using homemade wheat meat. 

Every once in a while, I make a batch of  wheat meat with variations in flavor and cooking methods just to see if this is still tolerated by our digestive systems. Since it stores well in the fridge and freezer, I can use a little at a time incorporating it in a variety of dishes.


I. Wheat Meat Bulgogi with pickled ginger

Nothing much to it. Instead of beef, which we don't eat, simply slice the wheat meat and toss with other ingredients like, pickled ginger strips, pickled carrots and beets, julienned summer squash and cucumbers, thinly sliced onions soaked in vinegar,



II. Wheat Meat Crumble Burritos

Cut up the wheat meat chunks into smaller pieces and run it in a food processor to make a coarse crumble. Saute some onions, bell peppers, tomatoes along with the crumble, add some Taco seasoning and there you have it.

III. Wheat Meat Fajitas

Similar principle as above, but just thinly cut them to strips along with peppers and onions.

Homemade corn tortillas fresh off the griddle makes this interesting.

IV. Wheat Meat Meatballs

Since wheat meat is already cooked and ready to go, simply crumble it in a blender, then add egg and wet slice of bread for binding. Either bake or pan cook till it has a crusty outside and firm enough that it can hold its shape well in the sauce.

Other wheat meat dishes shared earlier:

Wheat Meat Pot Roast

Wheat Meat Philly Cheesesteak

Sauteed Beet Greens with Farfalle Pasta

A nice bunch of beets sporting a lovely head of beet greens, along with some lacinato kale and chard came home with the CSA basket.

A handful of colorful mini peppers and some shallots were huddled together in the crisper, feeling ignored. Little did they know that they were being saved for some good stuff.

Chop up some garlic, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes. Also chop up the greens. 

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan and sauté the chopped veggies, adding balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and Braggs liquid Aminos to taste, cover and cook till done, but not mushy.

Meanwhile, cook some farfalle al dente, drain and keep handy. Per cup of sautéed veggies, I prefer no more than half a cup of cooked farfalle to be mixed in.

When greens are done, toss in the cooked farfalle pasta and stir well. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and serve warm. I like it chilled, preferably the next day, when flavors have melded and is a fantastic summer pasta salad.

Lumaconi with Roasted Beets, Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Chard

Large snail shell lumaconi is wonderful to stuff with favorite filling and serve warm or at room temperature. Sometimes, leftovers become the filling. This time, some pesto with Greek yogurt and sauteed chopped spinach came together to make the filling. Served with roasted sweet potatoes and beets, this was a sumptuous meal one weeknight.

Now that it is cold and rainy, the last of the kale and chard from the garden were waiting to be used up. Am told they'll manage winter fine and keep yielding, but they seem quite sparse now.

Saute some kale, chard, garlic in olive oil with a pinch of salt, then add a splash of lemon juice and set aside. Roast the sweet potatoes and beets. Meanwhile cook the lumaconi to preferred doneness, drain, coat lightly in favorite vinaigrette.

Simply toss the roasted beets, sweet potatoes, sauteed kale and chard, with lumaconi and serve warm.

Easy Home-made Garlic Herb Breadsticks

Wet Wintry Weekends strongly urge me to bake something if only to keep the oven on so the kitchen area where I hang out is warm, not to mention the hearty aroma that draws the kids to the dining area even if they are engaged in their own activities.

I had visions of clicking these shiny brown and dapper breadsticks, twirling and beckoning from a lean tall basket set among an earthen bowl of steaming Tomato Florentine soup and a rustic plate of crispy Romaine leaves, with some lush tomatoes and herbs strewn about an aged wooden cutting board, along with my unbleached muslin napkin...

Of course, in the rush to serve the kids, I usually end up using the same old blasé white dish that I always use for clicking my food pictures... No matter. Food Styling & Photography can wait, but eager little tummies don't have to.

It has become such a cliché at home about me photographing everything I cook that it didn't surprise me when the seven year old patiently explained to the 4 year old on her own birthday, "Not yet, Oggie, my cake is not ready yet. Mama has not taken a picture, see? It is in the nook, on her photo table. That means we have to wait till she has taken the pictures before we get to eat it."

Not that Guilt is in short-supply for my mind, but, this sort of sends me into self-chastising mode. And then I remind myself that someday when my little girl asks me how to make those amazing breadsticks I seem to whip up, I can send her right here to Delectable Victuals.

Top the breadsticks with favorite herbs/spices, or with cinnamon sugar for that breakfast/dessert dish, twist it as I did or roll it into the traditional cigar shape, braid it or lay it out in a spiral like cinnamon rolls... these breadsticks are a lot of fun to make.

Allow for plenty of time to rise in a warm place. I typically start breads and such right after breakfast on weekend mornings to have it ready for dinner. Some recipes, I let it rise overnight to bake it fresh on a  Sunday morning.

I typically add flaxmeal and nutritional yeast to my recipes, but can be omitted. Substitute these with flour as the recipe calls. And, although baking is an art and a science, requiring care and precision on the measurements, I tend to be a bit lax about it and be satisfied with what turns out.

Ingredients
¾ cup milk
1 Tblsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 Tblsp butter or shortening, softened

¼ cup warm water (about 110° F)
2¼ tsp active dry yeast

¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup flaxmeal
2 Tblsp Nutritional yeast
2½ cups sifted unbleached flour (more or less)

Oil for greasing

Topping: 1 egg white, coarse salt, minced garlic, dried parsley, sesame seeds

Preparation

Scald milk in a pan, off heat stir in sugar, salt and butter and cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water and sprinkle yeast, stir; allow to sit till bubbly.

Add the milk mixture and the flaxmeal, whole wheat flour and about 1 cup flour to the yeast mixture and beat at medium speed till smooth.

Add more flour, a little at a time, and knead till a smooth elastic dough forms.

Grease the large bowl, shape the dough into a ball, coat it with the oil and allow to rise in the greased bowl till doubled in volume.

Roll the risen dough into about ¾ inch thick rectangle; cut 1" strips about 6" or 8" long.

Twist or roll the strips and place them in a greased baking sheet and allow to rise again for about 20-25 minutes.

Top with the garlic herb egg wash for that shiny golden top.

Bake in a 400°F oven for about 8-10 minutes till done.

Tangy Tuscan Dressing

It goes in cycles - the craving for a certain type of dressing, I mean. Since salad is an every day affair,  a variety of dressing and vinaigrette makes it enticing for me.

And, depending on my mood and ingredients, some combination of ingredients I make-up manages to deliver the perfect dressing while others are just so-so, still good but not enough to become a temporary obsession.

This Tangy Tuscan Dressing, inspired by the typically Tuscan flavors of tomatoes, oregano, basil, red peppers and garlic, is a recent obsession favorite.

Of course, Fusion Cuisine being my signature, I do bring together flavors from other cuisines to personalize this dressing - especially Sambal Oelek, a prominent staple.

Adjust vinegar to oil ratio as preferred - the measurements below are just a start, an approximation. I usually taste the basic blend and then add a dash more of vinegar or salt or anything else as my taste directs. Add more water to make a thinner dressing; I prefer it thick and rich.

 A bed of fresh crisp Romaine hearts or even good old green leaf lettuce dotted with goat cheese and Tangy Tuscan Dressing has been a favorite meal starter for a couple of weeks now, urging me to record this concoction.

Ingredients
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (drain the oil)
¼ cup Pomegranate Red Wine Vinegar
2 to 3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 to 3 Tbsp Wheat Germ
6 to 8 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 to 2 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
¼ cup Kalamata Olives
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp Smoked Paprika powder
¼ tsp Cumin powder
4 Tbsp chopped roasted red bell peppers
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar (more, if preferred)
¼ cup water (more or less)

Simple Herb Focaccia

I've tried many different recipes for pizza and focaccia, sometimes taking epicurean license, sometimes to the letter. Baking is an art. I am still working on it, enjoying the explorations and learning a lot.

Most of the time, I simply throw together the dough for pizza - just keeping in mind the rough proportions.

Typically, for pizza, a ratio 3:1 of flour:water, with 1 pkt active dry yeast, works well. Since we buy active dry yeast in bulk rather than individual packets, I just keep in mind that 2½ tsp = 1 pkt active dry yeast, which is easy to remember after baking for a while :) The 3 parts flour can be a combination of whole wheat, soy, spelt, rye, all purpose, gluten, with flax meal and nutritional yeast added in - must adjust for the varying gluten content of the flours - just experimenting has given me good results.

And, Focaccia is very similar, except it is more yeasty, so, reduce the flour. The ratio of flour:water is typically 2:1 by volume, with 1 pkt (2½ tsp) active dry yeast. Can use a combination of flours, but, the simplest one here uses unbleached all purpose flour. Unlike for pizza which only needs one rising, Focaccia is better after 2 risings and a final short one before baking.

Most good bakers would advice that flours and other dry ingredients for baking should be measured by weight, not volume. And they are so right. I try to follow that as best as I can, especially when I make artisan breads.

Anything from sautéed onions to various fresh herbs can be added, or Focaccia can be baked plain, with nothing on except some salt to taste.

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water (105°F to 110°F)
2½ tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
a few Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary, chives, parsley, oregano or other favorite herbs
1 Tbsp coarse salt (optional) for topping

Preparation

1. Add the yeast to warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes
2. Add rest of the ingredients to this mixture, knead well, coat with olive oil and allow to rise in a warm place till doubled in volume, about 2 hours
   
3. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, stretch it into round cake pans, cover, and allow to rise another hour or so. If the dough doesn't stretch easily and wants to spring back, allow to sit for a little longer and try again
4. Pre-heat oven to 475°F; Dimple the dough in several places with fingertips, cover the pan and allow to rise for another 30 minutes
5. Bake in a 475°F oven for about 15 minutes (or till cooked through), remove immediately, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and serve warm

They make excellent quick sandwiches: slice the focaccia and load it with favorite fillings - feta, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, pepperoncini, spring onions or other favorites. Serve with warm soup for a filling meal.

Tomato Florentine Soup

This hearty Tomato Florentine Soup is one of the few soups the kids seem to enjoy, and along with grilled cheese sandwich, it makes a quick and easy weeknight meal on cold nights. And considering we were a bit under the weather, what with it being stormy and all for a few weeks now, this Tomato Florentine was begging to be made.

For a quick recipe, I use canned tomatoes, but, when in season, fresh tomatoes stewed and strained would be great, even if a bit elaborate and tedious.

Ingredients
1 can stewed diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves finely minced
1 small onion, finely minced
2 or 3 tsp dark brown sugar, adjust to taste
1 to 2 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup cooked pasta shells (or more if preferred)
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 to 2 tsp corn starch or arrow root powder for thickening

water as needed
salt and black pepper as needed

Italian Spices: basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, or any other favorite combination; about 2 tsp each or adjust to taste. I prefer more basil and marjoram, and not as much oregano and thyme, as kids find oregano overpowering.

Garnish: chives, spring onions

Preparation

1. If using canned stewed tomatoes, run in the blender briefly and strain to get a smoother soup, without chunky pulp
2. Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil, add the tomatoes, spices, spinach, some water, cover and allow to simmer
3. Adjust salt, brown sugar, and black pepper to taste, toss in the cooked pasta shells (or other favorite pasta), and simmer some more
4. Make a solution of corn starch and water, add to simmering soup, while stirring constantly, to thicken as needed
5. Garnish with whatever is handy; I like chopped chives and spring onions as they are readily available in the garden, as are the fresh spinach leaves :)

Home-made Pizza

Dough
Sauce
Cheese
Toppings

Just four basic building blocks to permute. Endless possibilities.

Pizza is well-relished at home. Especially since we get to load it with favorite toppings.

Typically, a medium pizza with olives, maybe some soy-pepperoni or soy-sausage, is the kids' special.

Anything from sauteed kale, sliced sauteed potatoes, brie, chunks of feta, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, zucchini, spinach, jalapeno, pineapple, capers, pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes, onions, spring onions, broccoli are all welcome in the large chewy crust for the grown-ups in the house.



I vary the pizza dough every once in a while, adding some buckwheat or whole wheat flour at times, changing the amount of flax meal and vital wheat gluten a bit, adjusting water as needed. This recipe here is the "standard" one, which I rely on for consistent results.

The longer the dough gets to rise, the better the crust will be. If we are just looking for a simple crust that hasn't developed any complex flavor, an hour to 3 hours of rising is fine as below. But as this article notes, allowing the dough to rise overnight is a wonderful secret to heavenly crusts.

Pizza Dough I:
2½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup gluten
1¾ tsp yeast
1 cup warm water, more or less
1 Tbsp olive oil
herbs, salt to taste

Combine all but water, sift/stir well; add a little water at a time and knead to a smooth elastic dough; place in an oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place while getting the pizza sauce and toppings ready. Or make ahead and let it rise an hour or so if possible.

Makes about 2 medium regular crust pizzas.

Pizza Dough II:
2¼ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup flax meal
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup gluten
2 Tbsp Italian Spice Mix
1 to 2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2¼ tsp yeast (1 pkt standard dry yeast)
1½ cup warm water
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

Same as above - combine all except water; add a little water at a time and knead to a smooth elastic dough. Allow to rise in a warm place for an hour or two if possible.

Makes about 2 large regular crust pizzas.


Quick Standard Pizza Sauce:
1 can tomato paste
1 Tbsp Pizza Spices Mix - oregano, parsley, rosemary, basil, marjoram, sage or any other combination
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced (optional)
salt to taste
½ cup water

Combine all but water in a saucepan over medium heat; add a little water at a time and stir till required consistency of pizza sauce - thick yet spreadable, not runny. Heat through and turn off heat.

We also love pesto instead of sauce. Either traditional Basil-Pinenut pesto, or even Mint-Fennel Pesto works well.


Cheeses:
Mozzarella
Colby Jack
Cheddar
Provolone
any good melting cheese

Different cheeses melt and cook differently, so, try a combination. I prefer a mixture of White Cheddar, Colby Jack and Mozzarella. We usually have large loaves of cheese, so, it is easy to grate the amount we need.


Pizza Stone:
While not mandatory, it is nice to have a pizza stone to cook the pizzas. We have nice aged one which serves well. If pizza stone is not handy, can use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Optional: Spread some corn meal to facilitate transferring unbaked pizza to oven.

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 430°F. If using a pizza stone, allow it to sit there longer to get very hot
2. Punch down the risen pizza dough, divide into two parts, and stretch each one to the size of pizza needed. Thinner crust cooks faster, naturally, so try to keep it uniformly thick
3. Preferably stretch them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper so it is easy to put it in the oven
4. Brush a thin layer of olive oil on the stretched dough crust, then spread the pizza sauce evenly
5. Sprinkle required amount of cheese. I don't like my pizza too cheesy, so, I have part of the pizza with very little cheese and the rest of it with more for D
6. Top with favorite toppings (drain well if using pineapple or other watery items) - I love mushrooms, but, since D can't stand them, I get to put them on my side of the pizza, the side with the lesser amount of cheese
7. Bake in a 430°F oven for about 10-12 minutes depending on the crust and size of the pizza, till done - the cheese will start burning if left for too long; (hotter the oven, faster the cooking time, naturally)

Home-made Pasta with vegetarian"meatball" sauce

Dry packaged pasta of all shapes and varieties is fairly inexpensive and readily available and I use them a lot. However, ever since we received a simple pasta maker as a present last year, we have started making home-made pasta on and off. I admit, it is a labor of love, something I reserve for a lazy Sunday afternoon when we are winding down the weekend, preparing for another hectic week ahead.

Now that my daughter is a willing sous chef (at times), we've made this a sort of once a month weekend ritual - to make home-made pasta. I get the dough ready right after lunch and let it rest in the fridge. After tea/snack time, we make the fresh pasta, with my daughter turning the handle as I pass the sheet through the slot to get it thinner and thinner and then finally pass it through the fine angel-hair slot and allow the strands to dry for 10-15 minutes and cook it for a short 2-6 minutes (depending on the size/shape of the pasta) and enjoy it for dinner with a sauce or two.



Pasta dough is usually made with fine durum wheat, semolina flour. However spelt flour and a combination of all-purpose and semolina flours seem to work well. Pasta dough can be made with eggs or without. I prefer the dough without the eggs.

Home-made Pasta Dough, without eggs
½ cup fine durum semolina flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp salt
3/4 to 1 cup water, as needed

Knead the dough well, adding a little water at a time to keep the dough dry but still comes together to roll into a ball. Knead some more till cut surface shows pores. Cover in a plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for an hour or so.

Then, follow the instructions for using the pasta-maker and shape the pasta as desired; allow to dry and cook briefly till al dente.


Broccoli Cream Sauce


Ingredients
2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
1 small boiled potato, if handy (optional)
½ cup cream or half-and-half
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated Mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated Colby Jack cheese
finely minced garlic
ground or dried oregano to taste
ground or dried sage to taste or any other favorite herbs
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
Heat the cream in a sauce pan with the garlic; mush part of the steamed broccoli and the potato if using, add it to the saucepan; when close to boil, stir in the cheeses, adjust spices to taste; off heat toss in the remaining steamed broccoli florets.


Vegetarian "Meatball" Sauce


Ingredients
1½ to 2 cups TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
1 to 3 slices of favorite bread, as needed
1½ to 2 cups boiling water, as needed
¼ to ½ cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp finely minced garlic
salt, paprika, chili powder to taste
oil for deep frying
1 can diced tomatoes, or favorite canned pasta sauce to be used as-is

Preparation

1. Place the TVP in a heat-safe bowl, add hot water - first just enough to immerse it, and when it is all absorbed and TVP still feels dry and hard, add a bit more - just enough to soften the TVP without making it watery; cover and let it stand for a few minutes till TVP still holds shape but is no longer hard
2. Heat the ready-made pasta sauce or the diced tomatoes in a sauce pan, on medium low, with the garlic and spices
3. Squeeze out the water from TVP, knead in one bread slice and ¼ cup all purpose flour first; if the dough is still wet and hard to form into balls keep adding more bread slices and a little of the flour at a time till the dough is just right to shape into small balls for deep frying
4. Deep fry in oil, drain and add to the boiling pasta sauce, allow to simmer together for a few minutes; turn off heat, garnish with fresh herbs if handy

Orzo in Creamy Kabocha Squash Sauce

The fresh harvest, the nippy weather, the pageantry of trees... it must be Autumn!

This Orzo in Creamy Kabocha Squash Sauce captures the mood of Autumn for me, for Autumn is not Autumn unless I indulge in the gourds and squashes and pumpkins.

Orzo is pasta, shaped like rice, only slightly bigger. Kabocha squash soup is a favorite fall meal at home. I wanted to add some body, pump it up a bit for the kids. This almost feels like pumpkin risotto in texture, very creamy, thick and wholesome.

Cook orzo per package directions. I take the short cut - I usually start it in the rice cooker in the morning, before I leave for work. So, when I get home, I just need to make the sauce and finish the dish.

Now, after a bit of trial and error, I have managed to cook macaroni, rotini, penne even spaghetti in rice cooker, al dente, with proper amount of water. This way, I am not waiting for pasta to get cooked in the tight weeknights when all I have energy for is to throw together something simple yet sumptuous for the kids.

Kabocha, a Japanese winter squash is chockful of nutrients - beta carotene, with iron, vitamin C, potassium - rich in fiber, low in fat... all the good stuff.

Ingredients
3-4 cups of peeled, diced kabocha squash
1 small yellow onion, diced
4-6 garlic cloves, crushed
salt to taste
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cups water or vegetable stock
1 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half

Spices for flavoring:
1 Tbsp dry basil
1 Tbsp dry marjoram
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry sage
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp turmeric powder

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, spices and sauté a bit; then add the kabocha squash, water/stock, cover and allow to simmer
2. When squash is cooked through, either mash with potato-masher or purée in a food processor, return to pan, add the cooked orzo and allow to simmer together
3. Stir in the evaporated milk, heavy cream or half-and-half, off heat
4. Garnish with chopped spring onions, fresh basil if handy and Serve warm

Easy Eggplant Bake

Eggplant Parmesan involves breading the eggplant slices and frying them before baking them. To make it a bit quicker and healthier without losing a lot of the flavors for a weeknight meal, I decided to skip the breading and frying/pan-frying the eggplant, and go light on the cheese.

This can be a meal in itself, or can be served along with a starter salad to round out the meal. I used home-made marinara sauce that I had canned from last summer's yield of tomatoes from our garden.

Large globe or black beauty eggplants work well for this recipe, but any favorite variety can be used. I like to cut them into discs as it makes it easy to layer them and overlap them for baking, but again, long slices is an option.

It is no secret that I love eggplant as quite a few of the recipes collected here seem to feature it :)

Ingredients
1-2 globe eggplant, cut into ¼ inch thick discs
2-3 cups of marinara sauce or any other favorite tomato sauce
2-3 cups freshly grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin
2-3 Tbsp olive oil, or any cooking spray
salt to taste
chopped fresh rosemary, oregano, spring onions for garnish

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 375°F;
2. Grease a roasting pan or casserole lightly with cooking spray (or brush with olive oil) and arrange a layer of eggplant slices at the bottom
3. Spread some sauce in a thin layer over the eggplant, sprinkle some some sliced garlic and some mozzarella
4. Add another layer of eggplant, sauce, garlic cheese and so on till all eggplant is used up, making sure to slightly overlap the eggplant in each layer, and top with some extra cheese if preferred
5. Bake in the 375°F oven for about 10-15 minutes, checking to make sure cheese doesn't burn; reduce the heat to 350°F and finish cooking till eggplant is done to your liking and the cheese is melted
6. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve warm

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

This Macaroni & Cheese recipe is one of the staples at home as it is really creamy without a lot of fat, it is super easy to make on a week night, and this is one of the short list of foods that Ana requests.

Rather than heavy cream and a lot of cheese, this recipe uses canned evaporated milk with a small amount of freshly grated creamy colby jack cheese.

My other mac and cheese recipe is a bit different and is sort of an 'adult' version whereas this is a more kid-friendly version :)

Ingredients
2 cups raw elbow macaroni
1-2 cups canned evaporated milk - use only as much as needed
1 cup grated Colby Jack cheese
1-2 chicken bullion cubes in 3 cups water -or- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
frozen peas and carrots
salt as needed

Preparation

1. cook the elbow macaroni in the chicken or vegetable broth, or just water, over medium heat, with just enough water, not a huge pot like pasta is usually cooked in - this way, there isn't too much water to drain away and lose all the wholesome broth - as the milk and cheese are simply stirred into the macaroni
2. when macaroni is cooked al dente, add the frozen vegetables, add the grated cheese, then add the canned evaporated milk a little at a time, stirring constantly to get thick creamy texture
3. add enough evaporated milk so the macaroni & cheese is still a little runny as it will congeal on cooling and get lumpy :)

Yellow Gazpacho

Summer garden has been yielding a steady amount of tomatoes this year. We have a few cherry tomatoes, small grape tomatoes, lots of yellow tomatoes, some beefcake meaty tomatoes and quite a few red Roma tomatoes.

I've been eating the sweet sun-gold cherry tomatoes and the grape tomatoes as-is, fresh from the garden. As Ana and D cannot stand raw tomatoes I roasted these for them. I stewed and canned some red Roma and beefcake tomatoes. I've liked the yellow tomatoes we've been growing in our garden the last few years as they seem to have a good flavor. This year, I made yellow gazpacho a few times.

Gazpacho is a chilled tomato soup that needs no cooking. But, since D doesn't like raw tomato flavor much, I ended up pressure cooking the tomatoes for this gazpacho. Simply throw in all the ingredients, pressure cook, then blend well, strain if needed (I didn't), and serve chilled.

Ingredients
yellow tomatoes, or any favorite tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
celery, yellow or green bell pepper, yellow onion, cucumber (optional), garlic
dried herbs: Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Lavender
a hint of olive oil
optional garnish: chopped chives, croutons, grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. For a traditional recipe, simply blend the ingredients, chill and serve
2. I pressure cooked the ingredients till mushy, blended them and served at a cool room temperature
3. Garnish with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese if preferred

Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups

Lasagnas are one of the easiest make-ahead dish - can be prepped and frozen till ready to be baked, or can be cooked/baked fully and stored for a day or two in the fridge. In fact, I prefer lasagna that has been aging for a day at least in the fridge.

I don't like it soggy, so, usually make the sauce fairly thick, and serve some extra sauce on the side.

Basic procedure for typical lasagna is simple: cook the strips of the pasta per package directions, drain and pat dry; prepare the stuffing mix: spinach, cheese, herbs, flavorings, and any other veggies; have some pasta sauce ready; layer a casserole dish with sauce, pasta, stuffing mix, in as many layers as preferred; perhaps even throw in some shredded mozzarella; top with some cheese and bake in a 350°F oven for about 30-45 minutes till done.

And to do the Lasagna Roll-ups, rather than layer the pasta and stuffing in the baking dish, simply spread some stuffing on each strip of pasta and roll it up, one at a time. Then, arrange the rolled up bundles in the baking dish, with extra cheese and sauce thrown in if preferred, and bake as usual.

As to the filling, anything goes, really. One of my favorite combination is: fresh spinach leaves from the home-garden when in season and some chopped broccoli florets sautéed together with some onions and garlic; chopped olives, sundried tomatoes, and some mozzarella + Feta + Colby Jack cheese.

Ingredients
1 package dry lasagna (or fresh lasagna)
1 jar (about 32 oz, or more) of favorite pasta sauce (I used home-made)
dry herbs: parsley, oregano, marjoram, crushed red pepper, rosemary
4-6 cloves of crushed garlic
optional: chopped olives, chopped onions, chopped broccoli florets
1 small tub low fat ricotta cheese (or as much as you prefer)
1-2 cups fresh grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated colby jack cheese
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, or fresh spinach leaves
salt to taste
olive oil

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta per package directions; drain, pat dry and lay out the strips on a towel while getting the stuffing ready
2. Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze dry with paper towel; sauté the spinach with broccoli and onions; off heat mix the herbs, spinach, cheeses together
3. Spoon the spinach + cheese stuffing onto each strip of pasta and roll them up
4. Cut each rolled up stuffed lasagna strips in half for a pretty presentation, if preferred
5. Pour some pasta sauce into the baking dish, some crushed garlic, arrange the rolled-up lasagna, cover with foil; poke some holes in the foil with a fork to let steam escape
6. Bake in a 375°F oven for 30-45 minutes or until done
7. Warm up some pasta sauce on the stove and serve on the side, if preferred

I like to let it cool, cover it, and leave it out overnight, or refrigerate it, and serve it for dinner the following night.

Pumpkin Risotto

I have been making my usual favorites like rasam, wholewheat pasta, injera, dosai, idlee and such but nothing new and exciting as Baby and I are just recovering from some sort of viral influenza thing... So, I casually started sifting through some old photos that I might have missed posting and found this pumpkin risotto one.

Risotto is a versatile rice dish open to variations - almost any combination of vegetables would work. This here is not quite the pumpkin risotto - Asian sweet potatoes and acorn squash stood in for pumpkin in this recipe.

Unless I use seafood/poultry explicitly (we don't care for red meat), my usual recipes are primarily vegetarian, and many of them actually turn out to be vegan. In that sense this pumpkin risotto can be classified as vegan, I guess...

For a non-vegan version, add some grated parmesan or pecorino-romano cheese, if preferred.

Ingredients
2 cups arboreo rice
6 cups vegetable stock (low sodium)
1 medium onion diced
4-5 garlic cloves crushed, minced or sliced
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 medium acorn (or butternut) squash, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 medium Asian sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
salt to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

spices/herbs:
2 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (reserve some for garnish)
2 Tbsp ground black pepper or cayenne pepper powder
1 Tbsp paprika powder
1 tsp nutmeg powder

Preparation

1. heat oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and ginger, sauté till onions turn translucent
2. add the squash and sweet potato chunks, rice, stock, some salt, cook over medium heat till all water is absorbed, stirring occasionally
3. i like the creamy consistency - not too thick, sort of like porridge - so, i smash some of the squash and sweet potatoes into the rice to give it some body
4. adjust salt to taste, stir in the spices and herbs

Spaghetti & Sauce

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Tomato and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce seemed too long and descriptive a title, so I settled for the blasé Spaghetti & Sauce

Not all meals need to be exotic and exciting, right? Take the good old spaghetti and sauce, or mac-and-cheese, or even just rice-and-sambar, they can be jazzed up no doubt with our creativity as the limit... or they can be presented without much ado, as-is, hearty and rustic. Ah, yes, "rustic", a term guaranteed to perk up D's interest. (not!)

Anyway, the other day, we had this whole-wheat spaghetti with some peas and green beans, some herbs, tossed with a tomato-roasted-bell-pepper sauce - just the regular array of ingredients handy in my kitchen on an average day. It was tasty and hearty is all I can say.

And since I managed to make it on a weekend daytime rather than a weeknight meal, the picture seems to have turned out half-way decent considering it was a gloomy day and I don't have any special props/lighting for my photos than the good old Ball of Fire in the sky... so, mustering up the courage, this goes out to CLICK: Noodles November 2007 event created by Jai and Bee of Jugalbandhi

Ingredients

Sauce: 1 small jar roasted red bell peppers packed in water (or roast the peppers over open flame or under the broiler) 1 can diced tomatoes 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced 1 medium onion, diced finely (optional) 1 Tbsp chopped fresh (or dried) rosemary 1 Tbsp dried marjoram 1 Tbsp dried oregano leaves ¼ cup chopped fresh basil 2 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder 1 Tbsp paprika salt to taste (or any of your favorite herbs and seasoning)

Noodles: Whole wheat spaghetti, or fettucini or penne or any favorite pasta 1 cup frozen peas 1 cup chopped green beans (any other vegetables handy) salt to taste water as needed 1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

1. Sauce: Blend the roasted peppers and tomatoes, bring to boil in a pan, toss in the other sauce ingredients including the herbs and seasonings to taste; optionally, I like to set aside a little of the diced canned tomatoes as I like the chunky texture it adds to the sauce
2. Noodles: boil the noodles in plenty of salted boiling water till al dente, throwing in the veggies if using
3. toss the noodles with sauce to desired sogginess, serve warm with favorite bread

Simple Manicotti

For the last decade or so since I read it, Manicotti has always reminded me of this little strip of Calvin & Hobbes

Picture Courtesy: http://www.s-anand.net/calvinandhobbes.html#19951116
S Anand has a very interesting collection, and no, I don't know him from Adam and he is not paying me to plug it :0

Anyway, since Ana is not quite the Calvin, and since D was in the mood for it, I made a small batch for dinner some time back.

The recipe is really simple, just like for any pasta recipe I try to do on a weeknight: simply cook the manicotti pasta per package directions, stuff the manicotti tubes with your favorite stuffing (usually ricotta+herbs), top with sauce, bake for about 25 minutes.

Ingredients

6-8 tubes manicotti, dry
favorite tomato/pasta sauce

stuffing:
part-skim ricotta cheese
fresh grated part-skim mozzarella
fresh grated parmesan
dried herbs - basil, rosemary, marjoram, oregano leaves
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Pasta: cook the pasta per package directions, drain, keep handy
2. heat the oven to 350°F, keep a baking dish handy
3. Stuffing: combine required amounts of the cheeses and herbs, with a pinch of salt - I prefer more ricotta and parmesan, a little less of mozzarella, but, the proportions can be varied to your taste; can even add cooked spinach, keeping it as dry as possible
4. Sauce: can use store-bought sauce or make your own
5. Assembly: stuff the manicotti tubes with the cheese mixture; layer some sauce in the baking dish, arrange the manicotti over the sauce in a single layer, top with more sauce
6. Bake: in 350°F oven for about 25-30 minutes till cheese and sauce are bubbly

zucchini eggplant parmesan

This is the "diet" version of my Eggplant Parmesan recipe. I like it because it is easy to throw together on a weeknight and is filling, yet not heavy.

Ingredients
¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan
2 cups bread crumbs with herbs and any other flavoring of choice
2 eggs well-beaten, handy in a shallow dish
few Tbsp canola oil as needed
1 medium globe eggplant
1 large zucchini
salt to taste
1 cup grated part-skim, low-fat mozzarella
store-bought or home-made tomato sauce
some grated Parmesan for garnish

Preparation

Slice the eggplant and zucchini, salt them and let them sit for about 5-8 minutes, then drain and pat dry really well.

Combine the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and keep handy in a shallow dish; keep the beaten eggs handy in another shallow dish

Heat a non-stick griddle or skillet to medium heat; heat oven to 350°F; lightly grease a casserole or oven-safe dish and keep handy

Dip the eggplant/zucchini slices in egg first and then in bread crumbs; press to coat well and place on the hot pan, in batches; cook both sides till golden brown and the vegetables are cooked through, add a few teaspoon of oil at a time as needed

When all eggplant and zucchini are pan-fried as above, in the prepared oven-safe dish assemble the layers: eggplant/zucchini slices, tomato sauce, cheese; bake in the 350°F oven for about 10-15 minutes till cheese melts, the sauce bubbles and the dish comes together

Serve warm with extra tomato sauce and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

mac and cheese

Mac and Cheese has never been my favorite until I tried the ATK's (America's Test Kitchen) version, with my own little modifications.

I had Mac and Cheese for the first time in my life only around my late teens, my mom never made it, and I didn't really care for it.

This is a nice & easy mid-week dinner as Baby and D love it. And, I like it as this is not out of a box with powdered processed cheese, and it does not have much cheese either. Besides, it takes about 15 minutes to put together (roughly the time it takes pasta to cook).

Ingredients: flour, oil, butter, herbs, salt, milk, low fat cheddar (use the freshly grated chunk of cheddar, the pre-grated ones from the store have additives to keep them from sticking)

Boil your favorite pasta, (i use macaroni or small shells), in salted water and drain, keep handy.

Make a simple roux of sorts with 1 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp flour: simply melt the butter a bit, add the oil and the flour and sauté till the flour loses the raw smell

Make the cheese sauce with the roux started above: add 1 cup freshly grated low fat cheddar, 1 cup milk, some salt and spices/herbs (I like fresh rosemary or chives from my garden, but, this is optional), bring it to a gentle simmer till cheese melts and the sauce thickens.

Add the cooked pasta a little at a time till the mac-and-cheese acquires the desired thickness. I like the cheese sauce flowing & silky, not runny, and not lumped tight either... picky, picky, I know ;-)

If preferred, pour the pasta-in-cheese-sauce made above into an over-proof dish, top with breadcrumbs and bake in a 350°F oven for about 8-10 minutes.

Serve warm.