Stir-fried Portobello Mushrooms

A simple stir fry with some custom-made marinade/sauce. Snap peas, peppers and onions add body and flavor to the meaty texture of the portobello mushrooms.

Ingredients for marinade/stir-fry sauce:
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp coconut sugar (or agave nectar)
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp water

Stir together the marinade/sauce ingredients and pour over the veggies, allow to marinate for 10 minutes or so. Then, heat a cast iron skillet or wok to high heat, add a tablespoon of sesame oil, then add in the marinated veggies with all the marinade; stir on and off till crisp-tender.

Serve on a bed of arugula, or with brown basmati rice.

Herb-Walnut Encrusted Wild Alaskan Ling Cod with Kale Pesto

Ling cod is mild and buttery, perfect for fish-and-chips or broiling with a crusty topping. We had a hunk of it caught in Alaska by the other adult last summer that I wanted to use up.

Herb-Walnut crust that crisps under the broiler, with a layer of Parmesan cheese forming a crunchy topping, seemed like the way to go. Typically, butter is used for the crust, but I went with olive oil in this recipe.

Paired with Kale Pesto made with sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, this was a nutty, seedy treat one winter night.

I did leave the fish a tad longer in the broiler than I intended... that seems to happen a lot when I ignore the oven timer and focus on something the kids have drawn me into... but, it was still all good. It helps to keep an eye and check often when broiling.


Kale Pesto:
1½ cups chopped kale
½ cup roasted salted sunflower seeds
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Pulse the ingredients till desired coarseness/smoothness for the pesto.

Herb-Walnut Crusting:
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil or freeze dried basil
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste


Ling cod cut into portioned chunks
1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil (or any oil)
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
3 to 4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese,grated, to use as topping

Preparation

1. Start the Crisp Julienned Veggie Salad as below, and allow it to marinate while the fish is getting ready
2. Pulse the Herb-Walnut crust ingredients and keep handy
3. Preheat the oven to Broil at about 370 °F
4. Rub the fish with some salt and smoked paprika, if using
5. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet, place the fish gently, allow to brown a bit, then flip and brown the other side, on medium low heat, till mostly cooked through on the inside
6. Turn off the stove, apply a layer of the Herb-Walnut crust on the fish and place the skillet with the fish under the broiler and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes till the crust turns brown and crunchy
7. Sprinkle a layer of grated Parmesan and continue to broil for a few minutes more till crisp on top
8. Remove from the oven, serve on a bed of Kale Pesto, accompanied by Crisp Julienned Veggies salad.

Crisp Julienned Veggie Salad:
Julienne some beets, colorful bell peppers, yellow sumer squash, purple onions, carrots, ginger
Toss with some lemon juice, salt, and apple cider vinegar
Serve as a side salad to add a cleansing freshness to the palate

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.

Cabbage Papaya Peppers Slaw with Hemp Hearts and Bits of Dates

I just have a few basic kitchen tools, no fancy stand mixer or avocado slicer or Vitamix blender (which I have been eyeing on and off). So, when I suddenly get an electric grater/slicer aka Salad Shooter, I get too excited. After the initial skepticism wears off, that is. (The Am sure it just can't do what I want it to do feeling)

This cabbage slaw was the guinea pig of sorts for this Salad Shooter. I prefer slicing cabbage thinly with my trusty knife, but, I decided to shred it at the push of a button. And it came out all right. So, I sliced some peppers, shredded some broccoli stems, and julienned some barely-ripe firm papaya (in my finicky Mandoline slicer) to make a quick slaw/salad.

Squeeze the cabbage to press all the excess water out, so the slaw is not too soggy, before adding the dressing.

Topped with hemp hearts and sunflower seeds, and sprinkled with bits of dates, this Cabbage Papaya Peppers Slaw was a perfect quick meal.

Dressing and Vinaigrette are always fun. This time, it is a simple mix of the following. Simply stir well and adjust to taste.

Slaw Dressing:
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce
1 tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp apricot preserves/jam

Breaded Halibut with Poblano Peppers and Colorful Sweet Peppers

Another hunk of halibut fillet was thawed and ready in the fridge, part of a 10-pounder that the other half caught in Alaska last summer.

Breading and pan-frying is the easiest, but it can get boring if just using plain old bread crumbs or Panko all the time. So, in an effort to use up the soon-to-go-stale Triscuit™ crackers, I went with a fun breading made out of roasted almonds, parsley, and the said Triscuit. Simply crumble them in a blender.

Poblano peppers when sauteed give out this delicious flavor and aroma, which when combined with red onions and sweet peppers can be heavenly. This formed the veggie accompaniment to the breaded halibut, which was pan-cooked. Rather than dip in egg whites before the crumb coating, I dipped in buttermilk and pressed into the breading mix, on both sides.

Heat some oil in a cast-iron skillet that is moderately hot, place the breaded halibut fillet and press down, leave it undisturbed in medium heat till browned and firmed on one side. Carefully flip and cook the other side as well. If the flipping is not done with caution, the breading will peel off. Cook till fish is done, about 150° F in the thickest part.

Tri-color Mini Peppers, Onions, Black Nightshade Berries (Manathakkali) Kaara Kuzhambu

Chettinad Kaara Kuzhambu is absolutely mouth-watering. I've only had it in restaurants in India, so, I am not sure if that was authentic or not. But, I memorized the taste. Or rather, the taste imprinted itself in my memory, making me salivate if I consciously think about this particular dish.

My recipe here is arrived at by trial-and-error, based on the recipe my mom sent across and other recipes sampled around the web. As my mom jokingly says, much like there are only a handful of plots but infinite number of stories, there are a handful of recipes with infinite styles of cooking the same. So, the recipe here is just what suits my tastes at this time, not authentic Chettinad cuisine.

Sometimes, I find packaged dried manathakkali aka Black Nightshade or Sunberry (Solanum nigrum) at Indian stores and I stock up. These packaged berries are usually soaked in brine and buttermilk and then dried so they have a mild salty spicy flavor infused. I love the way they taste once reconstituted in sauces like kuzhambu. This is certainly an optional ingredient, but, sometimes, this is the sole ingredient I add to this kuzhambu.

Ingredients
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
½ medium red onion, diced or sliced
¼ cup chopped broccoli stems
¼ cup celery, chopped
A small wedge of red cabbage, chopped
4 to 6 tricolor mini peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp dried Black Nightshade berries aka Manathakkali
6 to 10 curry leaves (Murraya Koenigii)
5 cups water

Spices:
2 Tbsp Sambar Powder - either homemade or storebought (I like MTR™ brand)
1 tsp red chili powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp nước me chua Tamarind cooking sauce (aka Sour Soup Mix)
salt to taste

Tempering:
1 tsp ghee or gingelly oil
¼ tsp black mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp urad dal

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pot, add the garlic and onions and sautee till aromatic; then add the curry leaves and Black Nightshade berries and stir well; then add the rest of the veggies
2. Stir in all the spices, add 5 cups of water, cover and allow to simmer at medium low heat till flavors develop and veggies are cooked; turn off heat and add the tempering
3. In a small pan, do the tempering: hear the oil, when shimmering, add the urad dal, when it turns brown add the cumin seeds and the mustard seeds; when mustard seeds pop remove from heat and garnish the kuzhambu with the tempering
4. Serve warm with basmati rice

Colorful Mini Peppers, Red Cabbage, Kidney Beans Warm Salad

Served as a warm salad, or a side for roti and naan, or along with fluffy jasmine rice, this versatile dish is a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy. The rich colors, the balance of texture and flavors, plus the ease of cooking makes it a favorite weeknight dish.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked kidney beans
2 cups chunky-chopped red cabbage
2 cups colorful mini pepper, chopped

1 lemon cut into wedges for serving
chopped spring onions for garnish
greek yogurt or sour cream for serving on the side

flavoring:
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp coconut oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the veggies and beans, a pinch of salt and turmeric, saute
2. Add the flavoring ingredients, stir well,  cover and allow to sweat a bit at medium heat
3. Remove the lid, splash water if needed to finish cooking the veggies to desired crunch
4. Garnish with spring onions and serve with some lemon wedges and sliced green chilies and a dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt

Red Onion and Purple Cabbage in Roasted Gram, Almond, Curry Leaves Curry

Sometimes, the simplest of combinations brings about the greatest satisfaction.

I don't generally use much of roasted gram (aka Pottu Kadalai) mainly because it is not readily available. Every once in a while, I get it from the Indian store and use it in some dishes that feel like comfort food. Served with warm basmati rice, this curry or kozhambu is quite filling.

Ingredients
For the curry paste:
2 Tbsp roasted gram
⅓ cup almonds
1 jalapeño
20 curry leaves (double if preferred)
4 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp grated ginger

Veggies: anything is fine
red/purple cabbage
red onion

1 Tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste
water as needed

Tempering: mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, 1 tsp coconut oil

Preparation

1. Grind the curry paste ingredients into a fine paste, keep handy
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the curry paste, saute a bit, then add the veggies, salt and enough water, cover and simmer over low heat, stirring often
3. roasted gram acts as a thickener, so, check for water often; when veggies are cooked through and the curry is at a desired thickness, remove from heat and add the tempering
4. Tempering: heat oil in a small pan, add urad dal; when it turns brown, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds; when mustard seeds pop, turn off heat and add it to the curry.
5. Stir well before serving with hot brown basmati rice

Baby Bok Choy Bell Pepper Chicken

Half a bag of baby bok choy and  a quarter bag of mini peppers were the last of the veggies in the fridge one weeknight and so they came together with an impromptu combination of spices for a simple meal served with warm brown basmati rice and cool Cucumber Raita: grate cucumbers and stir in some crushed mint leaves, plain yogurt and salt to taste.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
6 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1 Tablespoon canola oil
2 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 Tablespoon canola oil
baby bok choy leaves, cleaned
mini bell peppers, chopped into chunks
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Toast the nigella, caraway, and black cumin seeds, combine with the rest of the spices and blend to a fine paste
2. Heat a teaspoon of canola oil in a cast iron skillet, add the chopped chunks of chicken, sprinkle some salt, allow to sear for a bit and flip to sear the other side, and par-cook chicken
3. Add the bok choy and mini bell peppers to the skillet, a pinch of salt, the spice paste, cover and cook till chicken and veggies are done, adding a splash water if too dry
4. Serve warm with rice or roti

Cucumber, Cherries, Tri-color Mini Peppers, Tomato Salad

The fresh, crisp vegetables and fruits with a light citrus dressing makes this a perfect summer salad. Accompanied by a tall glass of Watermelon Smoothie, this cucumber-cherry-pepper-tomato salad can be a sumptuous summer mid-day meal. Add in a small hunk of Pugliese bread to mop up the dressing and it turns into a feast-of-sorts.

But that is not all. Stir in some plain non-fat beaten yogurt and it turns into a peerless raita to accompany spicy Chicken Paella or Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani.

Cilantro, mint, tomatoes, and sweet walla walla onions were from the home garden.

Ingredients
cucumber
mini tri-color peppers
pitted fresh cherries
shallot or small walla-walla sweet onion
yellow fresh tomato
cherry or grape red tomatoes
½ serrano chili (de-seeded, if preferred)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger (optional)

roasted sunflower seeds or peanuts for garnish

Asian Light Citrus Dressing:
4 mint leaves, chopped finely
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp sesame oil
a pinch of salt as needed
a dash of ground black pepper to taste

Roasted Tri-Color Peppers and Green Apple Salsa

The bright colorful mini peppers were irresistible. After using a few for the Coconut Cream Tri-Color Peppers and Cremini Mushroom Soup, I had enough left for making this delicious salsa.

Simply pan-roast the peppers, allow to cool, remove skin, chop, toss with red onions and green apples, add some spices to taste and a splash of balsamic vinegar and there you have it! A wonderful salsa to top chicken breasts or scoop up with chips.

Incidentally, my favorite "chips" is the quick toasted kind: Cut up some Flat-Out™ Multigrain flat bread, spray with some cooking oil and toast it in the toaster oven till crispy.

Ingredients
Mini Tri-color Peppers
Green apple
Red onion
Pickled Jalapeño rings
Balsamic vinegar
Cumin powder
Smoke Paprika powder
A drop of Liquid Smoke (Wright's Hickory Seasoning) - optional
Olive oil
salt to taste
cilantro

Coconut Cream Soup with Colorful Peppers and Cremini Mushrooms

Simple, rich and colorful, this Coconut Milk-based Cremini and tri-color Peppers soup can be enjoyed hot from the stove or at room temperature. Make it a bit thicker and it can be a curry served with delicious nutty brown rice. Adjust the flavors for a Thai-style or Indian-style curry.

Ingredients
14 oz. light coconut milk
5 or 6 Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
12 to 16 red, orange, yellow peppers, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 Tbsp Madras Curry Powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder (optional)
salt to taste
water or stock as needed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Spring onions, chives, cilantro, roasted peanuts for garnish

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and mushrooms and a pinch of salt, sautee
2. Add the peppers, spices, coconut milk, stock/water, adjust salt to taste; cover and simmer till peppers are cooked but not mushy
3. Garnish and preferred and serve warm