Herb and Almond Encrusted Pan Seared Halibut Fingers

I said, "Holy Bagumba!" emulating Flora, from Flora & Ulysses by Kate Dicamillo, when I came to know about the humongous halibut that the nicer half caught in Alaska. Yes, even accounting for the fact that fishermen tend to exaggerate, the proof was in front of my eyes, I couldn't discount it.

Not being a big fish and seafood fan, the catch-o'-the-day stories don't excite me much personally. But, knowing the health benefits of pristine fish, and knowing how much the rest of the family loves to eat the recent Alaskan catch, and, especially knowing how expensive halibut can be, I am grateful that I get to cook it up for them in as many interesting ways as possible.

These pan-cooked halibut fingers are encrusted with my favorite herb+almond coating. Served in a bed of crisp Romaine hearts, they are perfect as snack; or can be served as a major part of a balanced dinner along with veggies and buckwheat bhaturas.

Some home-garden mint, fennel, oregano plus raw almonds and one Serrano chili got pulsed coarsely, with a dash of salt, to make the crusty coating.

This time, I dredged the halibut in seasoned Pride of the West™ batter mix, then, dipped in lightly beaten eggs, then, pressed onto the herb-almond crumbs to make a firm coating. Then, pan fried in a cast-iron skillet till done.

A simple dish that comes together quickly and is immensely satisfying for the folks at home.

Salmon en Papillote

The nicer adult in the family brought back lovely, pristine Chinook Salmon from his fishing trip in Alaska. Plus, humongous halibut, lean cod, and some yelloweye.

As I was exploring ways to cook the salmon, the ever-popular en papillote appealed to me to be the quick and easy thing.

I would've preferred to slather on some South Indian spices and wrap it in banana leaf and bake it. Maybe next time...

Since this was good-sized skin-on fillet, it was easy to sear the skin first and then cut to portioned pieces for baking.

Although sauce is optional and Salmon-purists may frown upon added flavors, this time the dish was asking for my favorite fresh herbal chimichurri sauce using the fennel, mint, and oregano from the garden. A generous layer of this chimichurri sauce was spread on the salmon.

Some flame-blistered chilies, sliced lemons, fresh fennel leaves, mini red bell peppers, and slivered garlic went into the packet as well.

Parchment paper packets were not fancy, just a rectangular piece that wraps tight and seals, with just enough room to puff up in cooking.

Bake in a 450° F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. I went with longer baking time and the parchment paper browned a bit, but it's all good.

Crock-pot Chicken Stew

I am a big fan of Electrical Slow Cooker and Crock Pots. It makes winter night meals a breeze if planned ahead and started early. Warm, hearty stews and soups, vegetables, casseroles, and even fall-apart chicken breasts come out just fine, given a little time, requiring minimal effort.

Marinated chicken breasts were started on the crock pot one Friday night, and allowed to slow cook for about 12 hours; then, in the morning, when the chicken breasts were fully cooked, I added some chopped onions, bell peppers, kale, carrots, tomato sauce, spices/seasoning and continued to cook through the day Saturday, possibly another 4 or 5 hours.

By dinner time Saturday night, aromatic chicken and vegetable stew with flaky, juicy, fall-apart chicken was ready. Served with some home-made biscuits, it was a wholesome winter night meal.

Of course, I don't care much for chicken, so this batch was consumed by the rest of the family. For myself, I like to omit the chicken and double the vegetables, adding cauliflower, chick peas, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, winter squash, edamame and marinated tofu to make a There-Can't-Be-Too-Many-Veggies stew.

Gold Beets and Chard with Toasted Walnuts and Pine Nuts

The flavor of golden beets is milder yet robust compared to the strong earthy sweetness of the red beets. I love the bright yellow of it, almost as if it was steeped in turmeric powder which is a staple in my kitchen.

I usually cut them into wedges and cook them in the microwave till done - firm, not mushy. Then, heat oil in a cast iron skillet and pan roast them till golden brown. Toss some into lettuce salads, or use these roasted golden beets to make the beet-feta salad.

Here, I simply add chopped rainbow chard to the same cast iron skillet where golden beets are roasted; when chard wilts enough, season to taste; serve warm topped with toasted walnuts and pine nuts.

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. 

Turkey-Stuffed Red Pepper

Stuffed peppers are easy and sumptuous. I prefer the red or the orange peppers for their mild sweetness, rather than the green peppers. And the stuffing depends on the mood and what's available.

Purple peppers were the rage for a while if I could find it at the farmer's market. (Incidentally, Lesson Learnt: not wise to rely on free sites to host my pictures. Most of my food photos from the infancy of this blog are lost; and, I don't have a copy as I never did regular back-ups back then and my old laptop died... well, a series of unfortunate events, as they say, but quite propitious as I get to take fresh pictures when I make them again these days!)

The usual cranberry-pine-nut-rice stuffing like for dolma would be good for the peppers as well. But, to satisfy the protein cravings of the nicer half, these red peppers are stuffed with ground turkey.

Ground Turkey Stuffing:

1. Finely chop some red onions, red cabbage, carrots, celery, flat-leaf parsley, garlic 
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the ground turkey, a sprinkling of salt, taco seasoning, and paprika and cook till done
3. Stir in the finely chopped veggies, cover and cook a few more minutes till veggies are tender yet crisp

Stuffed Peppers:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F
2. Cut the bell peppers in half, brush with olive oil, sprinkle some salt and bake in the 425°F oven for about 5 minutes; turn down the oven to 375°F
3. Remove pepper halves from the oven, stuff with the prepared stuffing, cover the stuffing portion of the peppers with a small piece of aluminum foil
4. Return the stuffed peppers to the 375°F oven and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes till peppers are tender

Top with toasted pine nuts, chopped scallions and parsley or cilantro, and serve warm.

Chimichurri Sauce with Baked Chicken

Chutneys were ubiquitous during my childhood. There were so many variations to the basic formula. Either coconut-based chutneys with toasted lentils, or tomato-based chutneys with ginger and red chilies, or purely herb-based chutneys of which my favorite was this cilantro-mint-chutney with tamarind and green chilies... the possibilities were endless. Despite almost-same ingredients, I am quite amazed at how many different flavorful chutneys came about in my mom's kitchen.

Anyway, as a result of this chutney-immersion, I've always been partial to coming up with sauces, dressing, dips, not to mention chutneys.

This South American-inspired Chimichurri sauce is so much like my favorite "green chutney" - full of fresh green ingredients.

Served with Dosai or Adai or Dokla or even Idlee, the chimichurri sauce adds pep and bite to bland dishes, especially when I get generous with Serrano peppers. The spring onions and oregano came from my garden, plus some cilantro and parsley and green chilies is all it takes to make this sauce, roughly in the proportion the picture indicates.

Almond-meal-Flax-meal encrusted marinated chicken breast tenders served with Chimichurri sauce and a large greek salad turned out to be a sumptuous weekend dinner.

Of course, most of the meat dishes here are much relished by the rest of the family while I top my roasted vegetables with the same sauces and dips and chutneys.

A recent favorite combination of roast vegetables for me is: red cabbage wedges, asparagus, broccoli stems (no florets), baby bella mushrooms, red onions and eggplant. Sounds like an odd combination, but, as I lay them out in a single layer on the roasting pan-- separate, not tossed together, I can almost taste the individual flavors as they come out of the oven in batches.

Ingredients
For the Chimichurri sauce:
a large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
cilantro
green chilies
scallions
oregano
olive oil
salt to taste, a splash of lemon juice or red wine vingar

Grind the ingredients together into smooth sauce, adding olive oil a little at a time.

I don't have exact measurements for the ingredients, but the rough proportion of mostly parsley and just a little bit of oregano with enough cilantro and scallions works for me. 

Collard Greens and White Bean Casserole

Greens. What's not to like about them, right? Packed with important nutrients and readily available, greens seem like the obvious choice for daily consumption. Of course, the tough part is learning which greens to eat, how best to cook them, or should we cook them at all, and is it true that eating greens raw is always better...

Mature collard and kale and mustard greens and radish tops and such are so much tastier after steaming or light sautéing, and I'd rather not eat the woody stems. But, tender dandelion leaves, arugula, and baby spinach are wonderful raw, especially in salads.

Radish tops, Beet tops, Pea shoots, Turnip tops, Sorrel, even small Dandelion leaves- I relish them all as much as the usual Chard, Kale, Collard, Mustard, Spinach greens plus the everyday varieties of lettuces and cabbages.

Anyway, enough expounding on the virtues of the greens... This Collard greens casserole recipe is quite simple and lends itself to many possibilities. If I feel indulgent, I cook it much like the traditional Green Bean Casserole recipe with the French fried onions adding the crunch. Sometimes the sauce is creamy and cheesy, and at other times it is full of flavorful herbs in a tomato base. Sometimes it is layered and baked much like Eggplant Parmesan or Lasagna; and sometimes, collard greens are thrown together with other vegetables and finished off with a layer of melted cheese on top.

I don't have exact measures for this recipe - that's the nice thing about casseroles, it is hard to get them wrong.

Ingredients
Chopped collard greens, steamed till a bit tender
Cooked white beans or black-eyed peas or Mayo Coba beans
Andouille chicken sausage (optional), cooked, diced
small red and orange bell peppers, diced
Onion, chopped
Garlic minced
1 Tbsp oil
Tomato sauce
salt to taste

herbs/spices: lemon pepper, paprika, cumin, parsley

Cheese for topping: Colby Jack, Mozzarella, freshly grated

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F
2. Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onions, garlic, bell peppers; add the tomato sauce, cook for a few minutes
3. Combine all the ingredients in a casserole dish, and stir in some of the grated cheese, reserving the rest for topping
4. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 20 minutes, checking once or twice
5. Top with the rest of the grated cheese and cook for another 5 minutes or so till the cheese melts

Baked Chipotle Turkey Croquettes in Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Dip

Fried vegetable croquettes are a favorite once-in-a-while weekend snack. Any combination of finely chopped or grated vegetables and meat can be shaped into small 'fingers' and breaded and deep fried and presented as fancy croquettes with various dips and sauces.

Rather than deep frying, these Spicy Chipotle Turkey Zucchini Ginger croquettes are baked. And, rather than the usual bread crumbs these turkey croquettes are 'breaded' in seasoned almond meal.

The chipotle chilies in adobo sauce is a favorite flavoring for stews and beans. I wanted to use it for the turkey croquettes, but also carried it into the sauce/dip.

Ready within 20 minutes including preparation time, this dish can be a quick snack or a light meal, especially when wrapped in crisp lettuce leaf.

Ingredients
10 oz ground turkey
1 tsp Bragg™'s Liquid Aminos
½ medium zucchini, grated finely and squeezed to remove water
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 pimento cherry pepper chopped finely (optional)
2 Tbsp finely chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (less if preferred)

Almond meal: combine about 1/3rd cup of raw almonds, 2 Tbsp parsley (finely chopped fresh, or dried), 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and grind to crumbs for breading

Oil Mister/Sprayer/Spritzer: Table top oil spritzer is handy- not just for cutting back on oil usage but also for eliminating the use-and-throw store-bought cooking oil spray cans.

Spicy Chipotle Sesame Sauce/Dip:
1 or 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 Tbsp sundried tomatoes packed in oil
1 Tbsp Tahini
1 Tbsp Olive oil
½ Tbsp Pomegranate Red Wine Vinegar
water as needed

Combine the ingredients and blend to a smooth dip consistency adding a little water at a time as needed.

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
2. Have the almond meal ready for coating
3. Knead the turkey and the rest of the ingredients and shape into long thin cylinders
4. Coat with the seasoned almond meal
5. Arrange in a roasting pan and spray some cooking oil
6. Bake in 425°F oven for about 15 minutes, till internal temperature is 170°F

Wrap each croquette in a crisp piece of lettuce - I prefer Romaine, but the bland Iceberg work well for the kids. Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and/or cilantro. Serve with any other favorite dip or sauce or dressing.

Fenugreek Capers Yogurt Sauce with Baked Turkey Meatballs

Dips and Sauces sometimes make the dish - they add that unique flavor to take an everyday wholesome food from good-and-healthy to mouth-watering-and-exciting .

In my kitchen, I come up with sauces and dips on-the-fly frequently. And many of these sauces and dips come about without much forethought. Which means, I don't get to write down the exact measurements as I am not paying attention to that aspect.

I usually have a pack of Methi leaves (dried fenugreek leaves) handy. It is readily available at most Indian stores. I use it in Rotis and Naan and Pita bread.

This Spicy Fenugreek Capers Yogurt sauce (dip) just happened one day when I was looking to serve the plain old meatballs with something that can double as a dip and dressing. And, since it was quite delicious, I immediately wrote down the things I added, from memory. Short-term memory served me well, I think, as I tried this recipe again a week later and the sauce turned out just as delicious. So here it is...

For the Fenugreek-Capers-Yogurt Sauce:
¼ cup plain thick non-fat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp Oilive oil
1 Tbsp dried Fenugreek leaves (Methi)
1 Tbsp Capers
1 tsp stone-ground spicy mustard
1 tsp red wine vinegar
4 pickled jalapeño rings
salt to taste

Combine the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth and creamy.

For the Baked Turkey Meatballs:
The almond meal plus flaxseed meal combination is one of the favorites. I had saved some that I had made for the Almond-Flax Encrusted Baked Chicken Nuggets (before use), which I decided to use up for this meatball.

Ingredients
10 to 12 oz lean ground turkey
¼ to 1/3rd cup seasoned almond+flaxseed meal mixture
Cooking spray

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F
2. Add the seasoned Almond-Flaxseed meal a little at a time to the ground turkey and knead well; shape into firm balls
3. Place the balls in a roasting pan, spray with some cooking spray, turn the balls over and spray all around
4. Bake in a 425°F oven for about 15 minutes, checking part-way
5. When the internal temperature is close to 170°F remove from the oven and allow to rest
6. Serve warm in a bed of lettuce topped with marinated red onions and peppers, with the Fenugreek Capers Yogurt sauce that doubles as a salad dressing

Long Green Beans with Spicy Nut Meal

Steamed or sautéed green beans are great as-is. But, at times, I like a bit of crunchy texture mingled with the crisp-tender beans. My favorite paruppusili is always welcome, but, this recipe here adds quick texture and boost for a weeknight dish.

And, rather than the usual ubiquitous green beans, I like the long green beans or snake beans that I grew up with. They taste a little different from the regular green beans, and don't really have a strong flavor.

Combine quarter cup of dry roasted unsalted peanuts and almonds, about 4 pickled jalapeno rings and grind them coarsely in  a blender or food processor. Keep handy.

Chop the long green beans into 1 or 2 inch pieces, place in a microwave safe container, add 3 to 4 Tbsp water and a sprinkling of salt, cover and microwave on high for about 6 to 8 minutes till the beans are cooked but firm. Drain as needed.

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan, add the cooked long green beans, sauté,stir in the spicy almond+peanut mixture. Remove from heat. Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle with a simple olive oil+lemon juice vinaigrette before serving.

Almond-Flax Encrusted Baked Chicken Nuggets

Instead of the usual breading and shallow frying, this recipe for Chicken Nuggets uses seasoned Almond meal and Flax meal coating on marinated chicken pieces, baked tender and served hot.

We tend to have a small bag of flax meal in the fridge handy, to sprinkle on yogurt or curries to add some fiber. Some raw almonds are also handy for a quick snack. Raw almonds with dried cherries is quite heavenly. Just grind up some raw almonds to make the almond meal. Season with some dried parsley, paprika, salt, or any other favorite seasoning.

Any favorite marinade works. I used soy sauce, Tabasco® hot sauce, a bit of canola oil, Italian seasoning. Marinate overnight if possible, or marinate in the morning and refrigerate it to be cooked for dinner that evening.

This is one of the easiest recipes, ready in 15 minutes or so, and thankfully, one of the dishes that kids absolutely relish. It is quite uplifting to hear, "Can I have more of this, Mama?"

A quick dip I like is equal parts ketchup and Sambal oelek - a nice sweet-hot sauce. Another is some Light Cesar dressing with spicy stone ground brown mustard.

Ingredients
Breading:
Almond meal, flax meal, paprika powder, dried parsley, salt as needed

Chicken nuggets:
Marinate the chicken breast in a favorite marinade overnight; drain and cut into strips  of fairly uniform size

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F
2. Press the chicken pieces in the breading mixture and lay them out in a single layer in a roasting pan, spray some cooking spray if desired
3. Bake at 425°F for about 15 minutes, checking half-way through and turning the pan as needed, till chicken is done
4. Serve warm with favorite dips

Garlic Chicken with Roasted Asparagus

Roasted asparagus is an indulgence for me - I could have a plateful of it for lunch and be satisfied and grateful for a sumptuous meal. And it is so easy to make: trim the woody stems, toss with some olive oil and salt+pepper, lay out in a single layer in a roasting pan, cook in a 425°F oven for about 15 minutes and it is ready!

Garlic chicken breasts are easy to make as well - since I was using a 425°F oven for the asparagus, I baked the chicken breasts in the oven right after. But they can be pan-cooked or grilled. 

Preferably pound the chicken with a mallet to a uniform thickness - I tend to miss this simple step sometimes and end up with a rubbery dry thinner part of the breast while the thicker one is just perfectly done. 

Marinade: soy sauce, minced garlic or garlic powder, vegetable oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, hot sauce (I like Tapatío™ Hot Sauce for this).

Save some marinade to baste while cooking, and to drizzle some over the cooked chicken before serving.

Simply slit the chicken breast and marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Stuff a clove of garlic in each slit and bake in a 425°F oven for about 20 minutes. Check part way and give it a half turn if preferred. Remove when done - when the internal temperature is 165°F in the thickest part. Allow to rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving.

On an aside, I love the dedication of some of my fellow food bloggers for taking step by step pictures and giving detailed instructions! I don't think I have that patience or dedication. But am happy to share the successes in my kitchen and what gives me joy to cook and present for my family.

Tamarind Sesame Flavored Tofu with Vegetables

I had about quarter cup of the Ellu Molagu Podi (Sesame Black Pepper Spice Mix) saved in the fridge from the last batch that needed to be used up before the flavors started deteriorating. And that's how this tasty tofu dish came about for a quick meal.

I grew up with tamarind - it was ubiquitous in South Indian cuisine and my mom was liberal about using it in the staples like Sambar, Rasam, Pachadi and such. Of course, in those days it was in the form of Idicha Puli (Compacted Tamarind) which my mom used with care, and also loose clumps of tamarind - seed and all -simply soak it in hot water and extract the tamarind juice as thick or as thin as needed. Oftentimes, the thick first extract is reserved for sambar and the thinner second extract from the same batch of tamarind is used for rasam.

Well, enough with reminiscing... For this recipe, I used store-bought packaged Vietnamese Tamarind Cooking Sauce which is not the same as Tamarind Concentrate/Paste that is thicker and darker and sourer. This tamarind cooking sauce is lighter and is sometimes sold as Sour Soup Base Mix in Asian stores.

Ingredients
14 oz. Extra Firm Tofu

For the marinade:
4 Tbsp nước me chua Tamarind cooking sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp salt (more if preferred; or use 1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil or sesame oil

For the seasoning/flavoring:
2 Tbsp Sesame Black Pepper Spice Mix
salt to taste
water as needed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Vegetables:
Italian green beans
Baby Lima beans
Zucchini
Carrots
Or any other favorite combination

Preparation

1. Drain and pat dry the tofu to remove excess water; slice into 1-inch thick pieces and marinate for about 10-15 minutes while getting the vegetables ready
2. Heat a pan as if for stir-frying, add the diced marinated tofu in a single layer (marinade and all), and pan-cook till browned to your liking, turning as often as needed to get even browning on all sides; remove from pan
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil and saute the vegetables with the spice mix and salt as needed; add water, cover and cook till vegetables are cooked yet crunchy
4. Top the vegetables with the tofu, garnish with cilantro, scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and serve warm

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

Thai Zucchini, Bell Pepper Soup

When I think of "Thai Soup", I usually think of the distinctive combination of spicy, salty, tangy, sweet flavors that come from certain ingredients extensively used in Thai cuisine, like galangal & lemongrass, sambal or nam prik pow for spiciness, tamarind for sourness, and a bit of brown sugar for sweetness. Many Thai soups use coconut milk to get the rich creamy texture. Depending on my "diet", I leave out the coconut milk.

This soup is much like my vegetarian Tom Yum Goong in that it is not quite traditional as I substitute some ingredients I have handy, rather than hunt for specific ingredients which provide the authentic taste. While I try to stock up on dried galangal, Kaffir Lime Leaves seem harder to come by - sure, it is available, but the frequency of use doesn't justify the expense in my budget, so, I tend to leave it out.

Tom Kha Gai, a wonderful Thai Chicken Soup, is a favorite at home. This soup recipe can be adjusted to make Tom Kha Gai as well - simply add chicken pieces, and coconut milk if preferred.

Ingredients
½ large home-garden zucchini, diced
carrots, cauliflower, celery, onions, bell peppers - diced (use as much as needed for the quantity of soup)
6 to 8 cups water or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp sesame or peanut oil

soup base:
1 (or 2) 1-inch piece of dry galangal, reconstituted in water
1 Tbsp lime peel, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 medium lemongrass stalk, crushed/pounded a bit -OR- 1 tbsp lemongrass powder
2 Tbsp sambal oelek, if handy, else chopped Thai bird chilies or serrano or other chilies of your choice
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp tamarind paste
½ tsp turmeric powder (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine the soup base ingredients and coarsely grind in a blender or crush it well in a mortal and pestle, keep handy
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the soup base ingredients and onions, sauté till aromatic, add the veggies, stock/water, cover and allow to simmer till veggies are cooked through but not mushy
3. Taste and adjust flavors; if using coconut milk, stir it in at the end and simmer on medium-low gently for a few minutes
4. Garnish with spring onions and cilantro

Curried Quinoa with Vegetables

Quinoa salads, quinoa as rice substitute, quinoa stew are just a few of the simple ways to incorporate this nutritional powerhouse into daily diet. If buying in bulk, and it is not pre-rinsed, then, soaking and rinsing a couple of times removes the bitter-tasting saponins. Sometimes, I don't mind the bitter flavor, so, I don't rinse as much and just cook it as usual.

Quinoa makes a great substitute for rice for me, as I love to eat rice. Plain hot basmati rice. A lot of it. Between wild rice, barley, quinoa, bulgur, brown rice and cous-cous, I have learnt not to miss plain white rice as much anymore.

Much like rice, quinoa can be cooked on stove top with 2 parts water/stock for one part quinoa. When water is all absorbed and gone, simply fluff and serve.

This recipe of Curried Quinoa with Vegetables is just one possibility: add favorite vegetables and cook them together with quinoa. Or simply cook the plain quinoa, allow to cool a bit, toss with raw salad ingredients; or add to stir-fried or sautéed vegetables.

In this recipe, I cook the veggies and quinoa together, adding a bit more water to account for cooking the veggies.

The Adzuki beans & asparagus salad recipe can be modified to replace bulgur with quinoa. Or, for that matter, the Barley Salad recipe can be adapted to use quinoa instead of barley, leaving all other ingredients the same.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, soaked and rinsed
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
2-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 medium onion diced finely
favorite vegetables: red cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip greens, chards (or greens of any kind)
other additions: cooked adzuki beans or lima beans or chick peas or any other favorite kind of beans
3 cups water or vegetable stock (more or less, adjust to added ingredients)
1 Tbsp Madras curry powder
salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice (more or less)

Garnish: chives, spring onions, toasted nuts

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, ginger and garlic, sauté a bit
2. Add in the veggies, quinoa, water, stir well, cover and cook over medium heat till quinoa is done
3. Stir in the lemon juice and garnish with favorite herbs and toasted nuts if preferred

Easy Spinach Casserole

This is an easy, no-fuss mid-week dinner, hot and fresh from the oven, that can be enjoyed on its own, or served with some breads - maybe olive ciabatta or French bread, or even naan or roti.

Ingredients
1 pkg (about 14oz-16oz) frozen cut spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp garam masala paste

cooking oil spray
salt to taste

Optional: roasted red peppers, marinated onions and ginger

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F
2. Combine the cream of celery, vinegar, red pepper flakes and garam masala paste, stir well, then add the spinach and mix well
3. Spray an oven-proof casserole dish or a pan with some cooking spray, pour the mixture into it and bake in 375°F oven for about 25-30 minutes, till bubbly and spinach is cooked to your liking, checking to make sure the top doesn't get too dry

Sautéed Mustard Greens

Juicy, flavorful, peppery and wholesome, these Sautéed Mustard Greens are a delicious side, or even a meal in itself.

If preferred, caramelize the onions first, set aside; cook the greens separately and top with the caramelized onions.

Ingredients
6 cups loosely packed mustard greens, chopped & cleaned
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ medium red onion, sliced into rings
1 Tbsp canola oil
flavoring:
¼ cup vegetable stock or water
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the garlic and layer the onions, sprinkle some salt
2. Add the greens and the flavoring ingredients, cover and cook on medium low heat for about 15-20 minutes, checking to make sure there is enough liquid, until greens are cooked to your liking
3. Serve warm with plain basmati rice, or roti or naan or even with a pan-cooked crispy chicken breast

Eggplant Loaf

This Eggplant Loaf is very much like the Chicken loaf recipe... it came about because I am not terribly fond of chicken, but, am unnaturally fond of eggplant :)

Simply layer a greased loaf pan with eggplant slices, fill with favorite veggies,  layer the top with eggplant slices as well, (much like assembling lasagna or eggplant Parmesan) and bake till done, finish off under the broiler for a charred top.

Ingredients
1 globe or black beauty eggplant, sliced, salted, drained and patted dry
salt to taste
cooking spray

herbs and seasoning can be varied to taste:
1 teaspoon vindaloo curry paste,
1 teaspoon cumin powder,
1 Tablespoon coriander powder,
½ tsp brown sugar
all mixed together

Filling: curried collard greens, with optional paneer or pan-fried tofu; but any other filling can be used - say roasted red pepper, onions, feta, sun-dried tomatoes like in the chicken loaf recipe.

Preparation

1. Slice the eggplant, sprinkle salt, allow to sweat
2. Filling: Cook the collard greens as preferred - I like them with onions, salt, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and curry powder; set aside
3. Pat the eggplant slices dry, rub some of the seasoning/herb mixture on both sides of the slices; pre-heat the oven to 375°F
4. Spray some cooking oil in a loaf pan and arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer, slightly overlapping along the bottom and the sides
5. Pack down the filling and fold down the sides and cover the top with eggplant slices
6. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 20-25 minutes, periodically draining liquids that ooze out, if preferred
7. When eggplant is almost done, place under the broiler for 5-8 minutes to char the top, if desired
8. Remove from oven and invert it onto a serving plate, garnish, cut into slices and serve warm

This eggplant loaf is fairly soft and not crisped all around, so, slice with care for serving else it will fall apart :)