Mushroom and Arugula Garlic-bread Toasts

Tonight at dinner while Karl and I were savoring these mushroom-arugula-garlic bread toasts, we started talking about our favorite ingredients. These are the things you can’t live without, or just things you never think about, but you cook with over and over again. For me, garlic, onions, and olive oil are my top contenders.  My top 5 would be:  

1. Garlic
2. Onions
3. Mushrooms
4. Bell peppers
5. Olive oil

What are yours?

I felt inspired to make these mushroom toasts after I had tried a similar style dish (Nico, I will ask you to elaborate on what it was?) in Brussels while my in-laws were visiting. It was day-old toasted bread smothered with steaming hot sauteed mushrooms, parsley, and tomatoes. It was ridiculously delicious and simple.

Serves 4
For garlic bread:
3 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped oregano (dried is fine)
8 large slices whole grain country-style bread
Preheat oven to 350 F

1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 shallots, chopped or ½ cup red onion chopped
2 cups mushrooms, quartered (cremini mushrooms, or any variety of mushroom will work)
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar (more or less, you decide)
4 eggs, or substitute 1 14 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained)
2-3 cups arugula, washed and set aside

Directions:
1. Put the butter, chopped garlic, chopped parsley and oregano in a small bowl. Mash everything together until you have nice garlic butter.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  Preheat oven.
2. Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in shallots or onions and saute until fragrant (2 minutes). Add in mushrooms and continue to cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile butter the bread with the garlic butter and place the toasts in the oven.
3. Turn heat down to medium and continue cooking the mushrooms until reduced or the edges begin to turn golden. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the white wine vinegar on top and cook another minute. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set them in a bowl. Add a dash of olive oil to the pan and crack the eggs one by one into the pan. Cook them sunny-side up until done. I like to flip my eggs overs and get the yolks cooked.  You could use any kind of beans instead (or add beans along with eggs, why not) just heat them up.
4. Once the eggs are cooked, add the mushrooms back to the pan and heat it all up.
5. Once the garlic bread is golden brown, pull them out and place 2 slices on a plate. Top with mushrooms, eggs, and arugula. Serve immediately.

A chilled dry white wine is delicious with this meal (I would recommend a sauvignon blanc or a palatte cleansing slightly rosier beaujolais).

Spinach Veggie Burgers

Quick update: the spinach veggie burgers were talked about for at least several days after the first batch, so they were made again. This makes it on the list of faves for future lists of weekly meals. Nico, this time around, I got some pics. 



Served alongside some garlic-chive mashed potatoes



Spinach Veggie Burgers



Patties ready to hit the frying pan. The extra oil helps the patties not stick to the pan.



Yum





Karl, the ever discerning food critic, made the following statements after a few bites of these spinach veggie burgers:

OMFG! These are ridiculous!

What is in these? Ice cream?!

These could win over a meat addict.

To me, these tasted like spanakopita veggie patties - all the yum of spanakopita, without all the work.  I was excited to try these when I saw them on Kate's Mainly Veggie blog.  I found myself nodding in agreement with her love for spinach and feta and how they were meant to be together.  I enjoyed these because they have everything that I would want in a veggie burger: texture that is more like vegetables and less like meat, a hearty patty that is packed with flavor, but doesn't dry out when cooked, a patty that can stand alone, or get served on a bun.
These turned out awesome.  Below, I have written out my version of the recipe with ingredients I had or could find easily here. I threw together some breadcrumbs to mimic stuffing, so I have incorporated the spices below.  I really liked the way the fresh spinach turned out.


Ingredients:
Yield: 4 large patties, or 6-8 medium ones. 
1 large bag fresh spinach (baby spinach is fine), washed and drained OR 1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed.
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
2 slices hearty whole-grain bread, cut into 1 cm chunks, plus
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (you can use 1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing instead) see note below
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp green zatar (optional)
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill
1 tsp oregano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
fresh pepper
1/4 cup flour (optional)
Note: the breadcrumbs plus Panko should total 1 and 1/2 cups


Directions:
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Place the bread crumbs plus Panko in an oven-safe pan. Mix in the salt, green zatar, onion flakes, garlic powder, dill and oregano.  Stir to combine and set under broiler until lightly toasted and dried out (about 5-10 minutes).  Watch carefully to avoid burning. 
3. Wash the spinach and set in a large colander to drain. 
4. Heat up a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in spinach (you may need to do this in batches). Cook the spinach until wilted, and most of the water has evaporated.
5. Remove the cooked spinach, allowing it to drain in a colander. Once cool, squeeze out extra water.
6. In a large mixing bowl, add in 1/4 cup olive oil, breadcrumbs, spinach, eggs, and feta. Top with fresh cracked black pepper.  Stir to combine everything. If the mixture is too dry, you can add in extra breadcrumbs. The right consistency is when you can make a patty without it falling apart.
7. Heat up the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
8. Carefully, place the patties in the pan and cook 3-5 minutes per side.


Serve immediately.

Beanie Jose's with Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts

These are meatless sloppy joe's with taco seasoning, so I present: Beanie Jose's
Tempeh provides a meaty texture and the red kidney beans help pull everything together. This recipe was adapted from Mark Bittman's Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes which was featured in the May 2010 Cooking Light magazine.  This recipe is meatless and delicious.  Everything comes together in about 30 minutes, making this an easy weeknight meal.

You can use a ready prepared taco mix, or you can make your own.  Serve the beanie jose's on top of toasted kaiser rolls and top with sliced red onion rings.  I served with a side of roasted brussels sprouts. Preheat the oven to 400 F, prep the brussels sprouts, then heat the water for the tempeh.

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

2 c water
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T minced garlic, about 2-3 medium cloves worth
1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh black pepper
3/4 cup tempeh, cut into 2" chunks (about 1/2 of a block of tempeh)
1/2 cup grated carrot (1/2 of a large carrot)
2 t taco seasoning (see below)
1 t brown sugar
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t crushed red chili flakes
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
4-6 kaiser rolls
1 medium red onion, sliced into rings

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, heat up 2 cups of water over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in tempeh and simmer for 10 minutes. Simmering the tempeh helps reduce the bitterness.
2. In a non-stick skillet heat up the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Crumble tempeh and add it into the pan. Continue breaking the tempeh apart until it resembles grounds. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add in carrots, taco seasoning, sugar, oregano, and red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in tomatoes and mix everything together.  Continue to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, add half the beans to the pan, and mash the other half in a small bowl. Add in the mashed beans and stir everything together until the beans are heated through.
7. Top the bottom half of each roll with 3/4-1 cup of the beanie jose's. Serve alongside some onion rings.

Taco seasoning:
1 T ancho chili powder (you could also use dried chipotle powder)
1-2 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t dried onion flakes
1/4 t smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 t salt
1/4 t fresh black pepper
1/4 t red chili powder
1 t oregano, dried

1. Mix all the spices and herbs together. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 3-4 T (depending on if you add/minus ingredients)

Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
1-1/2 c brussel sprouts, (measure them whole, then cut them in half, or quarter them depending on size)
1 T olive oil

For dressing:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 T water
1 T olive oil
1 tsp capers, rinsed
1/8 tsp coarse sea salt
fresh black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
1. Quarter or halve the brussels sprouts and toss them with 1 T of olive oil.
2. Place them in a pan and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring often.
3. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
4. Toss the dressing with the roasted brussels sprouts and serve immediately.

Week of Meals

I started off last week with food on the mind.  On Sunday, I put together a week of meals (five meals). 

It didn't take too much time, maybe an hour or so, and I was able to reward myself for the effort with a nice home brew. I tend to get sick of planning, but I was motivated this week, and so I'd like to share. First here's the list of meals, and I'll post recipes below. 

Day 1: Mixed beans with tomato bruschetta

Day 2: Spaghetti with zucchini and basil

Day 3: Taco salad

Day 4: Mushroom and wild rice soup with peach-bibb lettuce salad

Day 5: Quinoa stuffed tomatoes with Cajun oven potatoes

On Sunday evening, Allison and Nico, came over for some dinner. We had gone on a bike ride to Mechelen along the canal or Vaartkom just north of the city. It was warm and sunny and was a break from how cold it has been in August.  During dinner, Nico and Allison talked about their 25 favorite meals. It was pretty hilarious because I think they have a shared Google Doc to plan meals. Nico is a fabulous cook (see here).  I loved their idea of a fondue-TV-movie dinner night and was inspired by their list of favorites, especially fried brie.

Here are the recipes:

Meal 1: Mixed beans with tomato bruschetta on homemade bread (Karl baked the bread).  

The beans are a simple recipe from my Deborah Madison cookbook.  It's a good way to use the small quantities of leftover dried beans. 

For the beans:

1 cup mixed beans, soaked and drained (any variety of beans will do, I used adzuki, chickpeas, white beans, and kidney beans)
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
few sprigs parsley and thyme
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp olive oil

Directions
1. Bring the beans, water, oil and aromatics to a simmer. Cover the beans slightly and simmer for 1 hour or until tender.
2. Season with salt, and serve with shredded parmesan, black pepper and fresh chopped parsley or other herbs.

Meal 2:  Spaghetti with Zucchini and Basil

This also came out of my Deborah Madison cookbook. I've made it a few times because the zucchini just melts in your mouth and the fresh basil is very tasty.

Spaghetti with Zucchini and Basil 

2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise, then in bits across

1/3 cup olive oil (use much less on a non-stick skillet, 3 T is fine)

2 garlic cloves, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup milk or half and half (I used milk)

1 lb of spaghetti (or enough for 4-6 persons)

fresh parmesan

1/2 cup of basil, torn into chunks

1. Heat up olive oil  in a wide skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Start heating up the water for the pasta

3. When olive oil is hot, add in garlic. When garlic is fragrant add in zucchini. Cook over medium heat until the squash is soft and brown (about 20 minutes)

4. When pasta water is boiling, cook pasta.

5. When squash is done cooking, stir in milk, salt and pepper. Adjust for seasoning. 

6. Combine the spaghetti with the squash and top with basil and parmesan

Meal 3: Taco salad with chips

I substituted lentils for the smart grounds featured in the recipe.

Meal 4: Mushroom and wild rice soup with peach butter lettuce salad

The soup comes out of my Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals. It's a pretty good collection, although I found many recipes to be very meat heavy. 

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

1 T olive oil

2 cups mushrooms, sliced (any mix of mushrooms will do)

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped fine

1/2 cup red onion, chopped fine

1 package boil-in-the-bag wild rice blend

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 T basil

2 T parsley

1 tsp dried garlic

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups milk (I used 1 cup soymilk, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 cup milk)

1. In a soup stockpot heat olive oil and add bell pepper and onion.

2. In a separate sauce pan heat up 2 cups water. 

3. Mix together ricotta, dried garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside. 

4. Add mushrooms to soup stockpot and cook 7 minutes. 

5. When the saucepan full of water boils, add in a boil-in-the-bag wild rice blend, and cook according to package directions. 

6. When mushrooms have cooked down, stir in cheese and milk. Add more salt if needed. Bring to a boil until the soup thickens a bit. 

7. Stir in wild rice and heat through. 

For the salad (serves 2)

1-2 cups washed Bibb lettuce

1 peach, sliced

2 T pumpkin seeds

Dressing:

1.5 T fig or other flavored vinegar

1 T olive oil

1 T water

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together dressing and toss with the salad. 

Meal 5: Quinoa stuffed tomatoes and Cajun oven potatoes

I made this when Nico and Allison came over. It looks like a lot of work, but if you prep things in order everything comes together in about an hour.

For the potatoes:

8 small-medium waxy potatoes, washed and scrubbed

3 T olive oil

For the tomatoes:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 and 1/2 cups water

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1-2 cups chard, chopped

6 ripe medium-large Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and pulp removed in a bowl

1/2 cup ricotta

1/4 cup basil

1/4 cup parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp red chili powder

1/2 (or more) mixed beans (leftovers from earlier this week), omit if you don't have

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Quarter the potatoes in wedges and toss with 3 T olive oil. Set in a casserole dish and place in oven once hot. Ignore the potatoes while you prep everything else. These will take the longest to cook so get to them first. 

3. In a small sauce pan combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 and 1/2 cups water over medium-high heat.  Stir every 10 minutes. Quinoa will take 15-20 minutes to cook.  The quinoa is done when the water is evaporated and the quinoa looks light and fluffy. While the quinoa cooks you can prep the tomatoes and stuffing. 

4. In a wide skillet, heat up olive oil over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add in garlic and onion and saute for 3 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add in chard and continue to cook until chard is wilted. Turn off heat and set aside. 

5. In a greased oven casserole dish set tomato halves up.  Break apart the tomato pulp by chopping it up. You can mix it in with the stuffing or stir it with the chard-onion mixture

6. Mix ricotta, herbs, quinoa, salt and pepper and red chili powder together, stir in beans if you have them. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Fill the tomatoes with the mixture and then set them in the oven.  The tomatoes will cook for about 30 minutes.  Turn the potatoes to ensure they are getting nice and roasted. 

You can serve the roasted potatoes in any way, these are my 2 faves:

Rosemary with coarse salt and fresh pepper

Cajun seasoning

Just sprinkle over the potatoes once done and serve. 

Split Pea Soup with Fried Egg and Chard Open-Faced Sandwiches

It feels darn good to cook again especially when Karl is making fresh bread everyday! Here is a simple split pea soup I felt inspired to cook up (thanks Alyse!) and it's served alongside fried eggs and chard-tapenade open-faced sandwiches.

Serves: 4
Make this split-pea soup, and add 1 T of Thai green curry paste instead of the curry powder. It adds just a little bit of heat.

For the open-faced sandwiches:
1-2 cups chard, chopped (include stems if young using chard)
1 clove garlic
3-4 green onions (bulbs only)
1 tsp olive oil
4 eggs
4 T water
2 T shredded parmesan
pepper to taste
Prepared olive tapenade
4 slices bread

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, once hot add in chard, garlic and green onions. Cook until the chard is wilted and soft. Remove from pan and place in a bowl.
2. Crack eggs in pan to pan fry. If using large to medium eggs do 2 or 3 at a time. When halfway done cooking (whites will have set, yolks look uncooked) add 2-4 T of water and cover the pan. Let sit 2-3 minutes. When done, sprinkle with pepper. You may need to add more or less water
3. Meanwhile mix parmesan with chard mixture, and toast the bread slices.
4. Assemble the sandwich by spreading tapenade on bottom, then chard mixture on top, then top with egg.

Impressive bread, right?

Focaccia with Rosemary

Focaccia with rosemary:
This recipe has been adapted from two recipes (my Deborah Madison cookbook and a Cuisinart food processor recipe) to include whole grains and less oil.  This is a fairly easy bread to bake, as it is forgiving with the knead time, and is really difficult to screw up.

For proof, this pic is of the first time I baked it:



Ingredients:
1/4 cup warm water
1 package yeast
1/2 t sugar
1 cup warm water
3 T olive oil (plus about 2 T extra for topping and oiling the bowl)
2 1/2 - 3 cups flour such as a mixture of all-purpose and whole-grain (such as wheat) flour
1 teaspoon salt (plus a little extra for topping)
1-2 T rosemary, chopped or crushed

Directions:

1. Combine 1/4 cup warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl and set aside until foamy.
2. Meanwhile, combine flours, salt and rosemary, stir together well.
3. Add 1 cup warm water and olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
4. Add in yeast mixture to flour mixture and stir together until combined.
5. Turn out the dough (it should be crumbly) onto a floured countertop and knead until combined, adding extra flour as needed. Kneading should take 5-7 minutes.
6. Pour about 1 tsp of olive oil in the bottom of a large bowl and add dough, turn once or until coated.
7. Let rise until doubled in size about 1 hour.
8. Grease a jelly roll pan or other large pan (you could use a baking stone as well - see note at bottom). Turn the dough out onto the pan or stone and let rest about 10 minutes. Then shape the focaccia to fit the pan.  Let rise again for about 45 minutes (the oven is a nice place for it to rise, if left on countertop cover with a large towel so the top doesn't dry out - or just put it in the oven).
9. Take the risen focaccia out, and preheat the oven to 400 F.  Poke some nice dimples along it. Brush the remaining olive oil over the surface and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and rosemary.
10. Bake for 35-45 minutes. It's done when golden.

Note: When putting the focaccia on the pre-heated stone, you can shape it however you like; slash it a few times across the top and pull out the bread for a nice shape, and then sprinkle with oil, rosemary and salt. Reduce the cooking time so you check on the focaccia 20 minutes into its baking time, and then every 10 minutes after.

Bean Chili and Garlic Bread

A veggie bean chili that is an easy one-pot meal. The garlic bread is a must. This is the kind of garlic bread that Paresh mama would be proud of. Since the chili uses canned beans, make the chili powder first, and while the chili cooks on the stove, make the garlic butter for the garlic bread.

Bean chili
Yield: 4 servings

Ancho chili powder:
2 T cumin
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 1/2 T ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 T dried oregano
1 tsp salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

For the bean chili:

1 tsp olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 small onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 carrot, diced fine

2, 14 oz cans beans, rinsed and drained (I used white beans and kidney beans, but you can use whatever beans you like, such as pintos, black beans, and red kidney beans)

1 can diced tomatoes (no-salt added tomatoes)

chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish

Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:

1. In a stockpot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and once hot add the bay leaf. Once fragrant add in onions and garlic. When they take on some color, add in carrots.
2. Meanwhile mix together spices and herbs, cumin through black pepper, and add to the pot after the carrots look soft. 
3. Add in beans and the can of tomatoes. Add in a bit of extra water (about 1-2 cups) and stir to combine. I usually fill up the tomato can with water and add it, to get all the tomatoes out.
4. Cook over low-medium heat for an hour or so. Adjust heat as necessary for slow cooking. Once ready to serve, stir in lime juice and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

You could do this in a slow cooker - just dump this all in your cooker and set over low heat for the day, omitting the lime juice, cilantro and green onions, until just ready to serve. If using soaked beans, instead of canned, cook over high heat for the day (8 hours).

Garlic bread
1 loaf French bread or ciabattta
1/4 cup butter, softened, but not melted
2 T fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 large clove, shredded or minced very fine
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine butter, parsley, garlic and salt. Mix until well combined.
2. Once soft, cut loaf horizontally and coat bread. 
3. Heat in warm oven (whatever suits you)
4. Serve warm with the chili. 

 Serve with a nice dry white wine (Karl recommends a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc)

Torta & Refried Beans

Torta
For the love of all things Tex-Mex. A torta is like a refried bean sandwich. I'm not a Mexican food authority, but I did live in Houston for 8 years, and this is divine. The refried beans are toasted with or without cheese, and then topped with lettuce, salsa, avocados, onions, cilantro, and tomatoes.

Ingredients:
a few nice round french bread-ish rolls/bolillos (I used whole-wheat hamburger rolls)
a few pats butter
refried beans (1/2 cup should be good for 2-3 tortas)
lettuce, a few leaves, washed and dried
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 of a 1/2 of an avocado, into slices or dices. (I usually cut along the length of the avocado, and then make neat dices in the flesh, then push the skin inside itself to pop out the avocado.

Directions
1. Cut the roll in half. Butter the top side, and put about a 1/2" layer of refried beans on the bottom.
2. Cover the beany half with about 1 T of shredded mozzarella (I got out the box grater and gave it about 2 shreds)
3. Put in the toaster oven, to warm and brown.
4. Top with avocado slices, tomato slices and lettuce.

Some of the filling may spill out so get yourself some tortilla chips to get the rest. Canned refried beans are just fine, and perfect for a super-fast meal, but some homemade refried beans are worth the effort, so if you have time, make a vat, freeze the rest, and keep some on hand in the fridge for other meals (nachos, quesadillas, bean-queso dip, burritos, fajitas, etc.)

Refried Beans
1 cup dry pinto beans (I used 1/2 cup pinto, 1/2 cup kidney)
2-3 bay leaves (or epazote)
pinch asafoetida powder (skip if using epazote)
1 quart of water

First part:
Give the beans a good rinse, and soak in about 3-4 cups water for at least 6-8 hours. Either do this at night or in the morning. Once they have soaked, dump out the soaking water (like putting it in your garden, or that kind of thing) and rinse the beans. Soaked beans give off raffinose a complex carbohydrate that is harder for our guts to break down. Excess raffinose is gas causing, so this may make beans more digestible. Hence always rinse soaked beans with fresh water.

Next, the most common way for most people to cook beans is to cook them on the stove. This is a time-suck, but you can usually just put the beans on the stove with enough water, set over medium heat, and go about your business. Coming to check on them every so often. To cook the beans this way, add the beans to the pot, cover with 1 qt or so of water (you may want more or less) add in bay leaves, and asafoetida, and set over medium heat. Stir every so often. Test for doneness after 30-45 minutes. In this case, you want the beans to look as if they are falling apart. That takes about an hour on the stove.

Some lazier and smarter methods include:
1. cook them in a pressure cooker. Cover with enough water (fill to just below 2-3" of the top, set whistle for 3-4 whistles, over medium heat. This should take 20 minutes.
2. cook them in a crock pot and forget about them. Cover with enough water, and set on high heat and leave them be overnight or all day.

Either way. Reserve the excellent most precious broth. This is good, no superb broth for a soup base, can be re-used in cooking, whatever. Just save it. Put it in zip lock bags, throw in the freezer, and never be caught dead again, buying store bought broth. Ok I get (severely) carried away when it comes to cooking beans, but by golly, I'm a dietitian by training, so I must make you maximize the potential out of everything you eat.

Second part: once you cook the beans, and you've saved the broth, you are ready for re-fried beans.

finely dice 1 small onion
finely dice 1 clove garlic
optional: 1 jalapeno, deveined and deseeded, and finely chopped
2 T vegetable oil (now true refried bean aficionados will use lard, so if this is your thing, do it)
all of your beans and broth, with bay leaves discarded.

1. In a cast iron skillet, or other wide skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat, until shimmering. I like cast iron, because you can use a potato masher in the pot without worrying about scratching the bottom of the pan.
2. Add in onions and brown nicely. Next add garlic and jalapeno. Stir around until aromatic.
3. Add in 1/2 of the beans with 1/2 of the broth. Stir around, and begin mashing with a potato masher. It may appear as if the broth will never disappear, and you now have skillet soup, but it will thicken up, so keep on mashing.
4. Add the rest of the beans and broth and continue to mash. Add some salt and adjust for taste. Continue cooking until it thickens nicely without becoming too thick.

You now have some excellent, healthy, delicious refried beans. Next time, it will pain you to open a can of them, but now you know.

Pav Bhaji

I'm going to tell you about the best dish ever. But first, some reflection.




This dish, pav bhaji, takes me back to the day...
Growing up our family ate Gujarati food everyday. Of course Indian food wasn't cool back then, with all of our hand-eating and what not. We ate roti, that I had to constantly explain was like a tortilla, but not; then we had mixed vegetable dishes (shak-bhaji), rice (bath), and dhal (a rotating variety of about 3 kinds, tuver, mung, and channa), then we'd eat yogurt, which my sister and brother would substitute with Cool Whip (haha shak-bhaji with Cool Whip) oh a Seestah classic. We'd have a small salad consisting of radish, carrots, cucumbers and lime juice with cumin and red chili, then pickled mangoes, and sometimes pickled turmeric root that would stain your hands and teeth. And yeah we ate all of this with our hands. It was an embarrassing time to be the only brown kids in your neighborhood (and town). At every chance, my best friend neighborino Christie and I would sneak and trade dinners at least 3 nights a week. I hated the atrocious food my mom would force us to eat, and Christie loved it. While she could eat shak bhaji and roti, I would get her lovely turkey lasagna. She got chutney cucumber sandwiches, I got 3-bean pasta salad, she'd get kitchari, I'd get spaghetti. You'd have to get there early because it was sure to run out (with her 6 brothers and sisters). Oh Christie, you remember those days. Melissa, you too. At least 1 or 2 days out of the week, we'd have leftovers, and we kids would be forced to eat it. Oh. THE ATROCITIES! That was mom, cooking every meal, then re-serving them later in the week.

Then when I was 12, I spent an entire summer in India, eating only Indian foods (we tried pizza once, but the pizza had ketchup for sauce, and shredded Amul cheese on top). I didn't have an epiphany, I just got to experience why my parents loved it so much. Being there, every meal was cooked fresh, and came with 5-6 different dishes. And instead of complaining about the food, my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents just ate it. No big deal. It was like the best damn Indian buffet you had every gone to. I think this (and later living in Houston for 8 years) set me straight.

My parents now live 3000 miles away from me, and I don't ever get to eat their yummus food, but I do make sure and call to see what meals their eating and cooking and mostly to get mom to tell me how to make this or that. This last time she was making Pav Bhaji, I had to make it, and then write about it. It's really simple, and everything comes together, and the best part is you can host a lot of hungry people with this dish.

Getting her (or really any Indian auntie) to tell me how to prepare something goes somewhat like this: :

Neeli: Mom so how do I make the pav bhaji?
Mom: beta, it is so simple, just put cauliflower and few potatoes in cooker and set for only 1 whistle. Then save that water, you can use it to thicken it later. You've never made? I packed you the pav bhaji spice, it is so simple.
Neeli: OK, but my cooker is broken.
Mom: Oh. boil it!
Neeli: OK, then what?
Mom: Just put in mixed vegetable bag with some tomatoes and just 1-2 spoonfuls of pav bhaji and you can add whatever other spices by smelling and tasting it. Make sure you use enough potatoes.
Neeli: how important are the potatoes?
Mom: Very! you must have potatoes in this dish. So how many you have? Oh and remember to put masalu (this is code for the holy trinity, chili, ginger, garlic). You can add onion too.


They'll never tell you all the spices or all the steps. Pretty much every dish she has every told me goes a lot like that. Getting food to taste right means tasting it, looking at it, and smelling it. I've never gotten exact measurements, but when she explains it this way, something in me gets it, and the dishes that come out when I think of her, would amaze her. I hope you'll try this, and let me know how it turns out

Pav Bhaji or Indian-style veggie burgers

Ingredients:
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed (russets or baking potatoes are best because of their fancy starch content)
1 large head cauliflower, cut into big chunks
1 or 2 small bell peppers, diced fine
jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, chopped
garlic, smashed
ginger, grated or minced fine
tomatoes (1 can, diced)
carrot, diced fine
1-2 T pav bhaji masala mix
1-2 t salt
1/2 t turmeric
1 T cumin
2 limes or lemons. Squeeze one of them, and slice the other in wedges for garnish
2 medium sized onions, chopped fine. Set aside 1 cup for garnish
2-3 T butter (more or less)
water
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
good quality hearty hamburger buns, or some hearty crusty bread
butter for the bread

(Note: if you don't have bell peppers or carrots, just toss in a frozen bag of peas and carrots or mixed vegetables. You can buy the Pav Bhaji masala mix at a South Asian grocery store, just read the label to make sure it has no added salt)

Directions:

1. Option 1: put potatoes and cauliflower in a pressure cooker and set for 1 whistle.
   
2. Option 2: Heat a large stockpot with water, and boil potatoes and cauliflower together until soft enough to mash. Reserve the water from either method above. Mash when still warm - watch out for spurts, they'll burn.
3. In another stockpot, melt the butter, and add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno. Saute about 5 minutes. Next add in carrots and tomatoes. Add pav bhaji mix through cumin. Taste and adjust seasonings if you need more salt, or pav bhaji mix (if you want it spicier) It may taste bland at this point.
4. Add in mashed potato and cauliflower mixture, lime or lemon juice, and more water if the mixture is too dry. Bring to a simmer, continue cooking 10-15 minutes
5. Meanwhile, butter the bread rolls and assemble garnishes in bowls or on a platter. Bake the rolls until crispy and soft.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. You may want to stir in a little bit more butter, some lime juice, or salt. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve in bowls along with the bread, onions and lime.
7. They are best open-faced and topped with onions and squeeze of lime.
   

Potato Paratha

Paratha are a type of Indian flatbread that can either be stuffed with something (potatoes, radish, paneer) or kept at a minimum to reveal the flaky layers within. These are great for soaking up kala channa gravy and maybe rajma, or really anything.

Unstuffed potato paratha (above) with mom's kala channa, yogurt and Indian pickle. This is honest to good home-cooking. Mom you are my cooking hero!

A simple meal could be paratha served with plain yogurt, onions and lime, and some mango pickle or aachar. The first step in making a stuffed paratha is to prepare the stuffing. In this case, boil or microwave the potatoes, and then peel once cooled. You will be smashing the potatoes with cumin, ground ginger, garlic and jalapenos, salt and fresh lemon juice.


Regular unstuffed paratha can be mixed with the paratha ingredients. Stuffed parathas are very special. My favorite is a radish-stuffed paratha from Taj Imports in Richardson, TX, and a close near tie is my mom's potato one.


While the potatoes are cooking you can either prep the ingredients for the stuffing or make the paratha dough. It will need a few minutes to rest before rolling out. The paratha dough will be rolled out into 6 inch circles, filled with about 2-3 T of stuffing, covered with another 6 inch circle, sealed then rolled out into a 10 inch large paratha.


Potato parathas
For the potato stuffing:
2 baking potatoes, cooked and peeled
1/2 cup or more, reserved cooking liquid from the potatoes
1 T ginger, minced fine
1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 c cilantro, chopped


For the paratha dough:
2 cups chappati or atta flour, or substitute 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup all purpose flour
2-3 T vegetable oil, such as olive oil
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar (optional)


Directions for the stuffing:

1. Place potatoes in a large bowl and smash slightly.
2. Put the ginger through lemon in the bowl and pour in about 1/2 of the reserved cooking liquid. Continue mixing until creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may need less or more water. Set aside until ready to use.

Ready to mix up (above)

Preparing the dough:

1. Place the flour, salt, sugar and oils in a large mixing bowl. Make sure you set extra flour aside in case you need it and set some water next to you.
2. With your hands mix everything together. Gradually add in water and continue to mix until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms. You can roll out onto the counter and knead slightly. The dough is ready when there is any "raw" looking dough and it doesn't stick to your hands.
3. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, longer is fine too.
4. When ready, set a small dish with flour next to you, and start to roll the dough into about 12 equal balls. Set them aside.
5. To begin rolling, dust the ball in enough flour so that it will not stick to the surface. With a rolling pin roll out to about 6 inches. Set aside. You can roll them all at once, covering each one with wax paper or (that is wasteful isn't it?) just put the rolled pieces on the edge of plate, and make sure they don't touch.

6. You will be using 2 rolled out circles for 1 paratha.

7. Set one circle down, fill with 2-3 T of stuffing, and cover with the 2nd circle. Smoosh the potatoes around, and seal the edges so you can begin to roll the dough out.
8. Continue to roll into a 10-12 inch circle.
9. To cook the paratha, place them on an oiled cast-iron pan or skillet until golden brown on each side.
10. Serve hot, with some ghee or butter drizzled on top.

Naan

Recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone
Naan or Yogurt Flatbread

This was much harder than it seemed. Everything went according to plan except the final product was much more bread-like than naan flatbread like. It still tasted excellent in channa masala with some Indian-style salad. It was a visual treat to make.

Below: After the yeast has been proofed it is mixed in with yogurt, ghee and salt.

Below: Mixing in with flour. Trying to get it smooth, yet slightly tacky.

Below: pre-knead

Below: kneaded and ready for the rise.

Below: dough is patted out and slighly rolled out in a large circle. I attempted to make five or more short knife cuts resembling a sand dollar. I don't think I did very well.

Below: on a baking stone, and rising A LOT.

Below: Brushed with some butter and salt below.

Cheese Stuffed Pretzels

If bacon can be wrapped around shrimp and turkey can be stuffed with duck and chicken, why not cheese stuffed pretzels?
It's like a cross between cheese sticks and bread crust. If you remember Book-It clubs and personal pizzas from Pizza Hut, you probably also remember Stuffed-Crust pizza. A horribly awful artery clogging invention, but damn did it taste good in the 7th grade. If you crave cheese sticks with your beer...well you are all grown up.

This is made with ready made pizza crust, and then stuffed with shredded mozzarella.
Have on hand:
A pizza stone
Ready made pizza crust
some whole-wheat or all-purpose flour
Shredded mozzarella

Place pizza stone in oven, and preheat at 500. Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface to about 12" in length and about 2" wide. Place 3 T shredded mozzarella, more or less, in the inside and roll up, and shape like a pretzel.
Turn oven down to 425 and bake at 10-12 minutes. You can always make a pizza with the leftover crust.

Serve with heated marinara sauce.