May 31, 2009

Tandoori Tempeh Veggies

A Tandoor is basically a huge clay oven that can reach temperatures >600 F. I do not have a tandoor - but I have always loved the spices utilized in the foods that go in the tandoor. I suppose you could grill or broil as an acceptable substitute. This is my take on some tandoori vegetables (because you've probably noticed the lack of fish, fowl, and other land animals that I inevitably do not cook here on khavanu).

Half of my kitchen space is taken up by spices, so if you don't have some or all, just substitute what you do have. I often rely on the smell of foods to season or salt. I think spices are for the most part something that every kitchen should have (i say this b/c well spices are a great investment in your cooking future).
(from the red clockwise: red chili powder, black mustard seeds, ajwan seeds, channa dhal or split yellow peas, cumin seeds, udad dhal and fenugreek seed mixture, and turmeric)

(From top to bottom, left to right: kosher salt, Sriracha sauce, coriander, garam masala, cumin, paprika, cinnamon)

I think you could use any combination of vegetables that you have on hand. To increase the protein in this dish, I also used tempeh which holds up well to marinating. Extra-firm tofu would work well. If you were using meat, I would marinate separately. Serve with some cumin pilaf or raitu (recipes below).


Tandoori marinade:
1-1/2 cups yogurt
1 tsp salt
2 T paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 T coriander, ground
1-2 T ground cumin
2 T ginger, minced fine
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 scallions, chopped fine
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 T sriracha sauce
1 T sugar
1-2 T garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric
(adjust seasonings more or less to taste)

1. Place yogurt in a small mixing bowl and stir in seasonings. Set aside.



Tempeh and Veggies:
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2" coins
1 package cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed and cut in half
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 package tempeh, cubed into 1" dice

1. Place cut up veggies and tempeh in a large mixing bowl, and stir in the marinade, coating well. Adjust for taste and seasoning. Cover bowl and set in fridge until ready to use. I would recommend marinating atleast 1 hour, but what the heck, if you can't wait...
2. Heat oven to 400 F. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and coat with non-stick spray. Cook 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
3. While preheating or baking, you could prepare some raitu (a yogurt sauce like a chutney) and some cumin rice (jeera pulao)



Raitu:
1/2 - 1 cup yogurt
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin or chat masala
1/4 tsp paprika
2-3 T shredded cucumber or carrot (or mixture of both)
1. Mix all together well, and set aside. This is like the ubiquitous yogurt "sauce" that gets served at Indian restaurants to offset the heat of foods.

Cumin rice:
1 T olive oil or butter
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained
2 - 2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1/2 of 1 cinnamon stick

1. Heat olive oil in a wide shallow pan. Place cumin seeds and cook until they are aromatic.
2. Add in rice and wait until the sizzling goes away. Add in 2 cups water, and if needed add in extra water if the water level looks low. Sorry I've never learned how to cook rice by directions it has always been a look at the water deal. i said sorry.
3. Stir in bay leaf, cinnamon stick and some salt and pepper to taste
4. Cook uncovered, 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Stir twice in 15 minutes. Once the rice begins to look porous and most of the water is gone, cover rice, switch to low heat, and leave there 5-10 minutes

Serve tandoori vegetables alongside some cumin rice and raitu. Skewering these would make them look even more awesome.

May 24, 2009

Stuffed Shells


This stuff shelled dish has been streamlined from most of the cheese-laden dishes to a healthier tastier one. Spinach, mustard greens, and onions replace over half the cheese that is used in regular cheesey stuffed shell recipes. The stuffing can easily be used in lasagna or manicotti as well. Assemble ahead of time, and pop in the oven for a quick weeknight meal. While it cooks you can prepare a salad or other side dish. Serves 4. If preparing the entire box of shells, double the ingredient amounts below.

Stuffed Shells Recipe
1/2 of a package large shells
1 bottle marinara sauce (you'll use maybe 1-2 cups, I use the Trader Joe's low-salt marinara). If using regular marinara omit salt below, but adjust as needed.

The cheese mixture:
8 oz ricotta cheese
3/4 - 1 cup shredded cheese (Italian pre-shredded mix)
1-2 T shredded parmesan
1 egg
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 tsp dried basil (opt for fresh herbs if you have them)
salt and pepper to taste
pinch cayenne or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 carrot, shredded (set aside - it'll be one of the last things you'll do)

The veggies:
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped or diced fine.
10 oz frozen spinach
8 oz chopped mustard greens (8 oz frozen, or 1-2 cups fresh)
1-2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

Directions:
1. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add in garlic through mustard greens. Stir often, until cooked through.
2. While the veggies are cooking, combine the ricotta and egg, and gradually add in shredded cheeses, spices, and herbs. Adjust for salt and pepper and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, top with the shredded carrot and crushed fennel and mix into the ricotta.
3. Bring a 4 quart-sized pot to boil, and once the water is boiling, add in shells. Cook until halfway through. If you cook them to al dente, they tend to break apart when stuffing. I add in a little oil to the pot while everything is boiling. I also only bring it to a gentle boil. When done, drain and rinse with cool water. Reserve some of the water in the same pot with the shells so they don't stick to each other and break.
4. If cooking, preheat oven to 350. Oil a nonstick oven proof casserole dish and place 1/2 to 1 cup of the marinara at the bottom.
5. One by one, stuff shells with spoonfuls of the ricotta veggie mixture and place in the pan.

When finished, top the shells with a generous portion of marinara and garnish with some shredded parmesan and Italian cheese blend mix.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. The foil keeps the marinara sauce from evaporating.

Note: If preparing to serve later in the week wrap casserole in airtight plastic wrap, and set in fridge until ready to use. Save your garnishes (marinara and cheese) for right before you put in the oven.

I hope you enjoy!

May 16, 2009

Creamy Feta Quinoa

Creamy Feta Quinoa


This is one of those lazy cooking recipes that is suited for spring or summer days, even though you could readily make this anytime of the year. Quinoa is quick-cooking grain and is packed full of good nutrients including calcium, protein, iron and fiber. The rest of the salad ingredients kick up the nutrition in this dish. Use whichever salad vegetables you have around that need to get used up.

For salad
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1-2 cups water
1/2 cucumber, quartered
1-2 cups mixed salad greens (spinach, mesclun, & arugula)
1 cup green or red cabbage, finely chopped to give consistency of shredded cabbage
1 tomato, diced.
1/2 cup black beans, drained
1/2 cup feta cheese
2 T parmesan cheese or other hard grated salty cheese

For dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, or 1 large clove, minced fine
1 spring onion (green onion), chopped fine or shallot if you have that instead
1 tsp oregano, or any dried or fresh herbs (if fresh 1 T)
1-2 tsp dijon mustard
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place quinoa in a bowl and cover with water to remove the saponins and then make the dressing so it has time to marinade while you prep the other items. The saponins are found on the outside of the quinoa and can be removed by rinsing. They aren't particularly harmful although the quinoa (I've never noticed) may taste bitter if you skip this step.
2. In a small mixing bowl, place lemon juice through salt and pepper, and mix well. Set aside.
3. Drain quinoa and place in a saucepan and cover with 1.5 cups water. Cook over medium heat and add more water if needed. The quinoa should take between 10-15 minutes to cook.
4. Prep and cut up vegetables. Place cabbage, mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, black beans and cheeses in a bowl. Check on quinoa. If it looks light and fluffy, it is done. Set aside the cooked quinoa and turn out into a bowl to cool. It doesn't have to be cold, just not steaming.
5. Gently, mix in the quinoa with the rest of the ingredients. The warmth of the fresh-cooked quinoa will melt the feta and parmesan cheese into a creamy coating.
6. Mix up the salad dressing before pouring into the feta-quinoa-salad mixture. Gently toss and mix everything together and turn out into salad bowls or plates to serve.

Stores nicely in the fridge (good weekday meals) although I think it tastes best when just mixed and served.

Today in the garden


Summer plantings are up. The raised bed has been placed in the backyard (4 ft x 4 ft x 12 in). I added 6 bags of topsoil and 6 bags of good compost. Lined the bottom with newspaper and flattened paper grocery bags. I'm aware of the proximity to the A/C but the bed is on a slight incline, so the water drains towards the grass instead of towards the A/C or the apartment.


This year, I went ahead and staked and caged the tomatoes so that I could prevent any root disturbance from staking later. I also put parsley and nasturtiums between the plantings as I've read from other online sites, and suggestions from the seed packets. The spring garden vegetables keep growing, but they are slowing down with the rising temperatures. Carrots and beets are growing painfully slow. The mesclun, radishes, lettuce, spinach and chard have done exceptionally well in containers. From a broken pot last year, I painted the remains into plant name tags. These have been placed in the garden along with the plantings.




Here is what went into the raised bed:
  • Tomatoes (roma cherries & better bush)
  • Black beauty zucchini
  • Crookneck squash
  • Swiss chard (found these growing in a waste pile so I just put them into the bed, I had weeded and dumped out a bunch of pots earlier in the spring and the swiss chard survived.)
  • Marjoram
  • Basil
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Nasturtiums
  • Marigolds

Here is the work-in-progress garden. The squash and chard are looking a little sad.

Potted wood barrel with jalapeno peppers and tomatoes. Basil seedlings are at bottom of photograph here. Nasturtiums are finally popping up.

Eggplant with marigolds below:

May 4, 2009

Summer Garden Plantings

The latest new additions to the patio backyard garden pretty much max out the available space so that the area surrounding the walk out space is entirely committed to growing food and plants or composting them for plant and vegetable food.

The spring veggies have been producing for almost 3 weeks. Lots of lettuce, spinach, and radishes. Cilantro finally took off, and beets, carrots, and spring onions have all gone slow. There was a heat wave in late April and I think it slowed down the growth of many items. Anyone out there have luck with arugula? My neighbor and I have been comparing our veggies, and we both have found arugula to grow painfully slow. Next time, I'll start the spring seeds indoors in early February, and set them out early to mid-March.

Enough babble. On to the new stuff:
  • A newly constructed raised bed
  • A donated wood barrel
  • Summer veggalies including Texas A&M jalapeno peppers, yellow pear tomatoes, ichiban eggplant, better bush tomatoes, black beauty zucchini, and crookneck summer squash (all starters from a mega giant store and one local gardening store).
  • Flowers including zinnias, marigolds, nasturtiums, and aster (all from seed)
  • Herbs including Genovese basil, red basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme (all from seed).
Last year, I tried growing squashes in containers, and they grew amazingly all through the first month only to become weighted down and die. Sad face. Maybe they will do much better in the raised beds. There are so many online resources for how I learned about raised beds and container gardening. Texas A&M University's Cooperative Extension site helped me figure out how to put in raised bed. Other sites that were equally helpful include:
The WikiHow page
This Texas A&M Container Gardening site &
This Colorado State one

See now you have all the resources for a raised bed and container gardening!

This is the site for the raised bed:
these are the walls:

these are the joints to connect them, they were screwed in on each side


Finalized product: a 4x4 raised bed


Here is some new stuff in pots and the wooden barrel:

tomatoes, jalapenos, basil & nasturtiums


Eggplant & marigolds