Cumin Seeds Berbere Cauliflower

Over the years, I've come to realize that some of the ingredients in the traditional dishes were not just randomly included: it seems like the age-old recipes factored in the benefits of the required ingredients and made up a formula for the rest of us to follow.

One such ingredient which is a staple in most Indian recipes is cumin. Besides being a digestive aid, it has antifungal properties, and is rich in iron. Powdered cumin with castor oil used to be a standard home remedy my mom gave us when we were young, for its laxative properties.

Anyway, I am rambling here... what I was getting at is that, while I do experiment with fusion cuisine, I also try to incorporate ingredients that I grew up with and use it in a sensible way. Or atleast, in a way that seems sensible  to me.

I have been using Berbere spice mix often lately as I have a goodish batch of it handy. Cumin seeds (jeera) with roast cauliflower is a simple and popular side dish in Indian cuisine. This time, I simply steamed the cauliflower partially so it is still firm, then sauteed with berbere spice mix, a touch of brown sugar, salt, and cumin seeds, plus chopped cilantro; then finished off by roasting it in the oven.

Fire-roasted Eggplant Gothsu

Gothsu  (Gojju) is a fairly common tamarind-based fire-roasted eggplant dish in south India. As always, there is a general principle on what ingredients to be added in what proportion, but is always adjusted to each family's tastes. Some prefer a sprinkling of brown sugar to bring out the flavors  and add a mild sweetness, while others frown upon brown sugar in any of the spicy tamarind-based sambar and gothsu and other curries.

Fusion cuisine being my specialty, this dish did not confine itself to the bounds of traditional south Indian formula based on sambar powder.

Instead, Mekelesha and Mitmita spice powders from Ethiopia brought in that warmth and spiciness that gothsu is relished for.

It is rather fun to char the eggplant over open flame in my gas stove. For a blend of flavors, I went with fire-roasting some red and yellow bell peppers and pan-roasting cherry tomatoes for the recipe.

Ingredients
2 long Ichiban or Neon eggplant
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
10 cherry tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Mekelesha spice powder
1 tsp Mitmita spice powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Fire roast the eggplant, bell peppers, and roast the tomatoes in the oven or pan; allow to cool a little and dice finely
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, ginger, a pinch of salt, and turmeric powder; sauté
3. When onions are translucent, add the roasted veggies, tamarind, spice powders and brown sugar, stir to combine; add a splash of water as needed, cover, and allow to simmer till flavors meld
4. Taste and adjust flavors; garnish with scallions and cilantro
5. Serve warm with basmati rice or naan or roti

Parmesan Cheese-crusted Roasted Zucchini

Zucchini "Pizza", much like Cheesy Eggplant Pizza, is a quick and easy side, sometimes the main dish, for the adults, kids are not quite into it. Yet.

Some tender zucchini were at the market at a good price, although it feels too early for zucchini in these parts it looks like they are yielding fine elsewhere.

Slice them up, brush with oil and pan sear them first. Much like Charred Summer Squash with Pipián Rojo. Then, spread some sauce and top with Parmesan or Smoked Gouda or other favorite cheese and broil for a few minutes and serve warm

Roasted Kale and Colorful Bell Peppers Warm Salad

It almost feels wrong to enjoy colorful mini bell peppers around this time of the year, with snow all around, and my garden totally dead... but, I couldn't resist picking up a bag at the grocery store.

This is a simple recipe, almost didn't want to post it, but, it was so filling and hearty and perfect for the awfully cold weather here that I thought why not...

Toss rainbow kale, bell peppers, and onions, with olive oil, some salt, and a splash of apple cider vinegar, spread it evenly in a roasting pan and bake in a 450 °F oven for about 15-20 minutes, checking partway to make sure kale is not withering away, but a nice bit of crunch would be fine.

Topped with some hemp hearts, this warm salad seemed like a perfect meal for a cold snowy day a while back.

Roasted Squash, Arugula, Hemp Hearts Salad

Hemp hearts is a treasure, a fairly pricey treasure, which I indulge in small doses as a special treat. A jar of shelled hemp seeds usually waits in the fridge patiently until called to enhance salads, oatmeal, yogurt and anything else that could use a boost from this nutrient-rich garnish.

Roast squash is a quick addition to winter salads. When cut into thin slices and tossed with olive oil winter squashes like acorn squash roast up in no time at all - say, 10 to 15 minutes in a 400 ° F oven.

Hearty arugula forms the base layer for this salad, topped with roast acorn squash, caramelized red onions, feta, and hemp hearts. Raspberry+balsamic vinaigrette with a touch of agave nectar is what I prefer to drizzle on this salad, sparingly.

Spicy Pan-roasted Summer Squash, Corn kernels, and Roasted Tomatoes Salad

The title says it all, nothing much to this dish, except the crisp freshness of late summer vegetables.

Roast or grill the corn on the cob, brush with Cajun seasoning, shave the kernels and toss with some lemon juice, keep handy.

Home-garden summer squash and tomatoes came in handy for this quick and easy salad.

Sweet Cherry tomatoes and golden pear tomatoes are two of my favorites to munch on as snack.

Dice the summer squash and onions and pan roast them in a cast iron skillet, adding a pinch of Cajun seasoning and olive oil; and while the skillet is still very hot, add the cherry tomatoes and allow to plump and almost burst with juiciness.

Combine the corn, squash, onions, and tomatoes, garnish with herbs from the garden. I went with some fresh Oregano.

Serve at room temperature for a sweet and bright summer evening salad.

Pipián Rojo with Charred Summer Squash and Zucchini

Pipián sauce, be it verde or rojo, I imagine is delicious when done right by someone who knows it intimately from their experience and cultural influence.

Me, on the other hand, not being Hispanic, sort of wing it based on tasting it someplace and reading about it.

The combination of ingredients are interesting enough, and in a way familiar enough from my intimacy with Indian cuisine, that I am at peace with this version. Layering of flavors for Indian curries, starting with fresh paste of aromatics and herbs, and adding in spice mix and nuts that are roasted and ground just before use, is something I am used to. In that sense, the Pipián sauce seemed not very different since it involves a similar layering of flavors as well.

Home garden summer squash was bountiful. Roasting/Charring them and serving with the Pipián sauce seemed like a fun thing to do.

Of course, kids turn up their noses at roasted summer squash, and squash of any kind, but I've got to keep offering it to them so that someday it can become an acquired taste, much like I acquired an all-consuming passion for eggplant with repeated exposure from childhood after staunchly refusing it as a kid, thanks to my persistent mom.

Roasted squash and zucchini: Heat the broiler, brush the squash with olive oil and place under broiler till browned on the top and cooked on the inside.

Alternately, char it over open flame or grill. Or, heat the cast iron skillet to high and place the cut side down, brushed with oil, and allow to brown and develop flavors, flip and cook the skin-side.

Zucchini gets so tender and sweet when roasted, it hardly needs any accompaniment to enjoy it.

Pipián Rojo sauce

Ingredients
4 dried ancho-pasilla chilies
4 dry Japanese red chilies
1 small fresh white onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 large vine-ripened tomato, diced (optional)
4 cups stock or water
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
1 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste

for the powdered seeds+nuts:
¼ cup almonds
¼ cup sesame seeds
½ cup raw hulled green pumpkin seeds


Preparation

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan, saute the onion, garlic, tomatoes; add the chilies stock, spice powder, salt, cover and simmer till aromatic and cooked through
2. Meanwhile, dry toast the nuts+seeds and grind them to fine powder and keep handy
3. In a blender, pour in the coarse sauce from step 1 above and blend to a smooth consistency, then strain to remove chili skin and seeds and bits and pieces; return to pot and allow to simmer some more by adding stock as needed for desired consistency
4. Whisk in the nuts+seeds powder into the simmering sauce, over low heat, allow to cook some more
5. Taste and adjust salt and serve warm or at room temperature as a dip or sauce for chicken or veggies

Pan-fried Sunchokes aka Jerusalem Artichokes

Much like taro root, sunchokes might cause severe gas and bloating in some with its inulin content, especially when served raw. Of course, each person's tolerance varies but I enjoy these sunchokes (and taro) only occasionally and only in small doses, even though I love the flavor and texture when they are pan-fried or roasted.

With a texture like potatoes and taste like artichokes, this unique tuber lends itself to mashing, pureeing, baking, frying, roasting...

Par-cooking them and then roasting them in the oven cut into shoestring "fries" much like potatoes is a quick and easy way to serve this. But, my preferred way to cook is pan-frying with a touch of balsamic vinegar and spices to crisply caramelize the outsides and have a soft-cooked inside.

Simply peel and chop them into slices, and par-cook them in the microwave or steamer till slightly-tender but not mushy.

Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet and arrange the cooked slices in a single layer. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, and herbs if preferred (rosemary and oregano from the garden comes in handy sometimes).

Allow the bottom side to crisp and brown a bit and then flip them to cook the other side, adding a splash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of brown sugar, if preferred.

Garnish and serve warm with brown rice.

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.

Roasted Amber Cup Squash with Israeli Ptitim

Unlike its giant cousin moghrabiah, which I cook on and off, Ptitim or Israeli Couscous, as it is labeled in the markets here, has become a staple in my kitchen. Especially because of quick cooking time in rice cooker: just 1:1 ptitim:stock, with some olive oil, herbs, and spices in the rice cooker and it is ready to eat.

I was fascinated by the variety of squashes at the farm and picked up quite a few, ambitiously determined to cook them over the autumn weekends before they start decomposing.

A couple of squashes and Cloud 9 eggplant, some kale, tomatoes and peppers from my garden made weekend cooking a lot more fun over late summer and early fall.

Having grown squash in my garden and finding it heartbreaking to see only a handful get pollinated and bear fruit while the other flowers simply ended up boosting my summer salads, I have a weakness for these beauties.

The Buttercup squash from my garden, as well as Sweetmeat squash, barely bore a couple despite me waking up early and meddling with the flowers to try to get them going some days.

Anyway, Amber cup squash has thin-ish edible skin, with a golden orange flesh that is on the sweet side. This time, I partially peeled the skin and cubed them for roasting.

Along with Japanese eggplant, red onions, and green bell peppers, the Amber cup squash was tossed in olive oil and roasted in a 450°F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.

A splash of lemon juice and olive oil, a dash of salt, and a pinch of pepper tossed with the cooked ptitim, topped with roasted Amber cup squash and onions and eggplant and bell peppers, and maybe some feta, makes a sumptuous Fall dinner.

Roasted Kabocha Squash, Chard, Kale, Quinoa Salad

Winter squashes are here. With its relatively thin-ish edible skin and sweet and soft flesh, Kabocha squash is a favorite with me. It cooks up fast - roasted or steamed - and needs very little to enhance or boost its flavor.

Caribbean squash and Kabocha squash were handy, plus the weather dipped to the 70s so that turning on the oven was not as self-destructive as it can be on the 100 degree days.

Slice the Kabocha, toss in some olive oil, sprinkle some salt if preferred and roast  in a 425°F oven for about 12 minutes. (Thicker slices might take a little longer).

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa in stock (or water plus some salt) in a rice cooker. I prefer 1:1 quinoa:stock. When done, stir in some lemon juice and olive oil, if preferred.

A bunch of kale and chard from the home-garden came in handy to boost the salad. Simply saute them with a dash of salt and a splash of lemon juice.

When ready, toss the quinoa and chards+kale together, arrange roasted Kabocha on top and serve warm or at room temperature.

A simple salad for the sweet autumn days...

Roast Tomatoes Flavored with Home Garden Fennel and Basil

Sometimes, the simplicity and the earthiness is what makes a recipe special to me, not the long list of ingredients and complex steps to achieve the results. No doubt, traditional multi-tiered recipes have their merits, especially around holiday traditions and wintertime, but summers are for wholesome simplicity.

No one else in the household likes or appreciates tomatoes like I do. The youngest will quaff ketchup if I let him, the older child will turn up her dainty nose on all things tomato, and the other adult will accept adequate amounts of tomato sauce on pizza or pasta. Which leaves me as the sole consumer of copious amounts of  all varieties of fresh tomatoes in season in the family.

Although this summer's heat wave didn't excite me to turn on the oven, the lure of roast tomatoes overpowered my disinclination. 

Caramelized deeply thanks to balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of brown sugar plus olive oil, this plate of roast tomatoes with fresh mozzarella pearls and home garden fennel and basil was my special treat, for no reason except to celebrate the start of the tomato season, in my mind.

And, since no one else cares for fresh tomatoes from the home garden, I decided to grow my snack tomatoes in the Upside Down Hanging Contraption that was popular a few years ago. I have some Yellow Pear, Sweet Cherry, and Grape tomatoes in there, plus some tomatillos just for the fun of it. They are barely surviving, but, am hoping they'll give me plenty to munch on over the next few weeks.

Any old recipe would do for roasting tomatoes, the thickness of slices might affect the results. My preferred method for this batch was to cut the vine tomatoes into quarter-inch thick slices, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, sprinkle some minced garlic, salt and brown sugar, spray some olive oil and roast in a 460 ° F oven.

Italian basil is flowering and going to seed already in my garden. Between fresh homemade pesto and adding it to tomato sauce and other recipes, it has been a sweet companion throughout. Basil, Fennel, Oregano, Mint, Rosemary and Lemongrass are the only herbs I use frequently as they are readily available in my backyard. The one plant I've always wanted but haven't had success so far is Curry Leaves (Murraya Keonigii). Maybe someday...

Roasted Kalettes or Flower Sprouts

Kalettes (or Flower Sprouts) is a hybrid vegetable gaining popularity, so, naturally, I had to try it.  We love Kale as well as Brussels Sprouts at home, so, what's not to like about Kalettes which are a result of natural hybridization of the two.

I went with a simple roast kalette dish here. Toss the kalettes with a touch of olive oil, salt, black pepper, plus some sliced red onions. Roast in a 425°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Both the kids at home loved kalettes prepared this way, so I'll be making it often as a quick vegetable side.

Another way I like it is to saute some onions, garlic, tomatoes in olive oil, toss in the washed kalettes,  a splash of stock, a dash of Shawarma spice powder, cover and cook till wilted and a bit tender. Enjoy as is, or with naan or roti.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Bell Peppers, Red Onions

Roasted vegetables are the easiest and the most satisfying around this time of the year. A plateful of  these fresh-from-the-oven roasted vegetables is a meal in itself.

Toss the butternut squash, sweet potatoes, bell peppers and onions with some olive oil, herbs, grated Parmesan cheese, paprika and other spices and place in a single layer in a roasting pan and bake in a 425°F oven for about 25 to 30 minutes minutes.

Toss the chopped kale with some olive oil and spices and add it to the roasting pan and bake till kale is crispy and the other veggies are roasted, about another  8 to 10 minutes, making sure kale doesn't char.

Garnish with grated Parmesan and serve hot.

Roasted Golden Beets, Purple Radish, Scallop Squash

A very simple dish, but, a huge favorite. The fresh golden beets and colorful radish from the farm were too good to pass up.

Red onions, Beet greens' stems, Radish green's stems came together with chunky cut vegetables in a hot cast iron skillet with a bit of oil to create this magic.

A dash of balsamic vinegar and white vinegar, plus some salt and black pepper is all the flavoring involved here.

Eggplant Slices with Crunchy French Fried Onions

'Tis the season... for the crunchy french fried onions in casseroles and anything else I can think of.

A hot batch of Green Bean Casserole is a comfort food around this time, especially for my daughter and myself-- the others at home can take it or leave it. And, for us, the french fried onions is the main attraction.

This time, the love of eggplant and the love of french fried onions managed to come together for this delicious dish. Any eggplant would be fine of course, cooking time might vary based on size and thickness of slices...

Ingredients
2 Chinese or Japanese long eggplants, sliced to about ½ inch thick
2 to 3 tablespoons Sambal oelek
½ cup french fried onions
¼ to ½ cup grated cheddar or Colby jack
salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F
2. Salt the eggplant slices and allow to rest to draw out the water; drain on a paper towel
3. Brush some olive oil on both sides of the eggplant slices, arrange in a roasting pan and roast in a 425°F oven for about 15 minutes, flipping the slices over part-way
4. Spread some Sambal oelek, grated cheese and top with french fried onions on each of the roasted egggplant slices and put it back in the 425°F oven for another 4 minutes till cheese melts and the french fried onions are crispy
5. Serve warm as an accompaniment to a steaming bowl of soup for a cold winter meal.

Roasted Acorn Squash, Jewel Yams, Brussel Sprouts with Kasha

Now that the cold weather is taking over, the cobwebs are cleared out of the oven, and the broken safety thermostat is fixed. Quite a bit of baking and roasting has been going on-- casseroles, roasted vegetables, dampers and rolls and breads of all sorts.

One stormy afternoon, it felt like a roast vegetables kind of day. The jewel yams and acorn squash bought in a fit of Autumn frenzy were waiting to be cooked.

Brussel Sprouts seems to be the new Mac-n-cheese for the older child who used to snarf the said Mac-n-cheese by the potful not too long ago.

In they all went, with some olive oil, diced red onions, and whatever herbs and spices I could find. And, out came this aromatic, sizzling, delicious plate of goodness.

Kasha was cooked with some broth in the rice cooker while the vegetables were roasting.

Tamarind Flavored Crunchy Roasted Bitter Melon

Almond + Flax meal being a favorite alternative to bread crumbs, many dishes come into existence just because a thought popped into my head about combining a few favorites...

Bitter melon (Chinese Fu Gwa) is a cucumber-shaped fruit which has a lighter skin and thicker flesh than the Indian bitter gourd which is typically smaller, darker, more ridged and textured and quite intensely bitter.

I like bitter melon for some dishes and bitter gourd for some others.

To reduce the bitterness, salt the chopped bitter melon and leave them on a towel to drain for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the almond meal as in Almond + Flax meal encrusted chicken nuggets recipe.

I like the concentrated goodness of tamarind in this rich dark Tamicon™ tamarind paste and I use it in many Indian recipes. Alternately, for a milder tamarind flavor, try the Vietnamese Sour Soup Base sold in most Asian stores.

The sourness from tamarind and sweetness from agave nectar, combined with the crunchiness from the almond meal makes this a wonderful side for an Indian meal of brown rice and pippili rasam.

Ingredients
1 or 2 bitter melon, Chinese Fu Gwa
½ Tbsp Tamicon™ Tamarind paste
½ Tbsp Blue Agave nectar
salt to taste
1 Tbsp oil

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
2. Chop the bitter melon into rings (remove pulp and seeds) and sprinkle salt on them and lay them out in a single layer on a towel for 15 minutes; rinse and drain; then, toss them with tamarind and agave nectar and par cook them in the microwave - still firm, not mushy, but turns translucent
3. Press the par-cooked bitter melon rings into the almond+flax meal mixture
4. Lay them out on a greased pan in a single layer, drizzle or mist some oil on top
5. Bake in a 400°F oven for about 12-15 minutes, checking part-way and turning the pan if needed

Remove from oven and serve warm with a favorite dipping sauce. I love it as-is. Even got the kids to try it. 

Oven-roasted Kale

Kale koottu/dal, Kale soup, sautéed Kale (much like radish greens), marinated Kale salad, Kale pasta, Kale with Cannelloni beans (much like collard greens), Kale paruppusili, even as pizza topping, not to mention just tossing it in with other suitable recipes, this nutritious greens is a favorite, much like collard greens, spinach, mustard greens and chards.

This oven-roasted kale is quite easy to make and can be snacked on as-is, or served as a side. The spices can be adjusted to taste.

Ingredients
1 bunch kale, cleaned and chopped
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt (more if preferred)
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F
2. Toss the ingredients together, spread on a cookie sheet to a flat thin layer
3. Bake in the 350°F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, checking once or twice for crispness
4. Top with toasted sesame seeds, or popped mustard seeds (much like in tempering

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Fingerling potatoes are a heritage variety of potatoes that are usually small, oblong, about the size of a largish finger. And, when in season, they are aplenty and fairly inexpensive. Well, not inexpensive compared to sturdy old Idahos, but, reasonable enough , let's say :)

Fingerlings are not new potatoes which are just baby potatoes (like we dig up from our garden early winter), and are usually roundish. There are quite a few varieties of fingerling potatoes in the market and so far the ones I've tried have all been good - Ruby Crescent, French Fingerling, Russian Banana.

Some are best steamed, some are best roasted, usually cooked with the skin on. This is a simple recipe for roasted Ruby Crescent Fingerling potatoes (400°F oven, about 20 minutes), with herbs and light seasoning. Somehow, it seems like rosemary and potatoes are made for each other :)

Fresh rosemary from the garden, with a touch of olive oil and some salt makes this one of our favorite sides, and was especially good with Blood Orange, Beets and Black Plum salad.