I've been craving palak paneer but want to make it a bit healthier. I found this recipe using tofu in place of paneer cheese.

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 lb Firm tofu, drained, cubed
1/4 c Soy sauce
Oil for deep-frying
2 tb Ghee
2 1/2 lb Frozen, chopped spinach
6 c Fresh tomatoes, cubed
2 tb Ghee
2 ts Curry powder
2 ts Asafetida
1 1/2 ts Ground cumin
1 t Ground coriander
3/4 ts Cayenne pepper
1/2 ts Black pepper
1/2 ts Cinnamon
1/4 ts Allspice
1/4 ts Cloves
2 tb Soy sauce

Soak first 2 ingredients together while heating the oil to 350
degrees. Remove cubes from soy sauce and drain a few seconds in a
strainer to remove excess soy sauce. Drop tofu cubes in heated oil
all at once (or in a couple of separate batches if you desire) and
cook till browned and a little crisp on the outside. Remove from oil
and drain on plate covered with 2 to 3 thicknesses of paper towels.
Leftover soy sauce can be kept and used later.

As the tofu cubes are cooking (or before you start frying them),
combine the next 3 ingredients together in a skillet. Cover and put
on medium flame to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove lid and mix well
(the frozen spinach should be thawed and mixable by now).

Leave uncovered over medium flame to allow some of the juices to cook
off as you make the chaunce. This is done by heating the ghee or oil
in a butter-warming pot and adding all the spices listed. Toast in
oil till the fragrance of the spices fills the kitchen and the spices
appear to be browned. Pour into cooking vegetables immediately, add
soy sauce and mix thoroughly till tomatoes break up.

Turn off heat, add cooked tofu cubes, and cover for a few minutes
before serving. Makes 8 entree-sized servings or twice as many side
dish sized servings.

Posted by Maggie at 01:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had a bunch of mint I didn't want to waste and I found this recipe. It was great over quick pan fried fish.

1/4 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup lightly toasted shelled unsalted natural pistachios
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
Coarse kosher salt

Blend mint leaves, pistachios, olive oil, and garlic in processor until coarse puree forms. Season with coarse salt. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring pesto to room temperature and stir before using.

Posted by Maggie at 01:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I thought I'd try something a little different and this was excellent. I love the flavor and saltiness of fish sauce. I made this a bit healthier by using chicken breast and running it through the cuisinart after I chopped it into cubes.

Mix together in bowl:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (I ran mine through the food processor after cubing)
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (Or vegetarian fish sauce, or regular soy sauce if vegetarian)
1 Tbsp. regular soy sauce + 2 tsp. dark soy sauce
1 heaping Tbsp. arrowroot or cornstarch powder
1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger), peeled and grated
1/3 cup sherry or white wine (regular or cooking versions)

Other ingredients to add should equal the mass of the protein portion and can include:
2 shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chilli, sliced (and de-seeded, unless you like a lot of spice)
1/2 cup cabbage, thinly sliced or grated
4-5 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
Bamboo Shoots, Brocolli, Carrots, Peppers...

1 pkg. fresh wonton or gyoza wrappers
place 1-2 tsp filling into a wrapper, wet the outer edge, and pinch it shut into a half moon or any other shape.

Posted by Maggie at 01:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I saw this in NYTimes and would like to try...

Recipe: The Best Spinach Dip With Chipotle and Lime
2 10-ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
8 ounces cream cheese (about 1 cup), softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream (see note)
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle in adobo sauce, or more to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Tortilla chips, for dipping.

1. Bundle spinach in a clean dishtowel and squeeze very tightly to remove all excess moisture.

2. In a food processor, blend together all ingredients except spinach until very smooth, about 90 seconds. Pulse in spinach until just combined. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve with tortilla chips.

Yield: About 3 cups.

Note: You can omit the sour cream and increase mayonnaise to 1 cup.

Posted by Maggie at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

1 cup flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups rhubarb, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, margarine and cinnamon until crumbly: Press half of this mixture into a 9" greased pan.
Cover with chopped rhubarb.
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and water.
Cook until thick and clear in a small saucepan.
Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Pour over rhubarb.Top with remaining crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Posted by Maggie at 08:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This version of dolmas received the best review so far. Melik said it was pretty close to his mom's!

Ingredients
A jar of Grape Leaves,
1 cup long grain rice,
liberal pinch of salt,
1-2 large onions,finely chopped,
1-2 tomatoes, finely chopped,
2 cloves of garlic,crushed,
2 Tbs each finely chopped parsley, dill, and mint
pinch of ground allspice,
pinch of ground black pepper,
3 Tbs of olive oil,
1 pound of ground beef - I use lean sirloin
juice of 1 to 2 lemons,
2 cups water
1 Tbs tomato paste

Cut the stems of the grape leaves.Place them in a large bowl,cover with boiling water and soak for 10-15 minutes and rinse with cold water.
Soak the rice in salted hot water for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile saute the chopped onions,tomato, garlic,herbs and seasoning in the oil.
Remove from heat, add the drained rice and the meat,mixing everything together very well.
Place a grape leave on a work surface, shiny side down, place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture near the stem end,then fold in the end and sides and roll up neatly.
Repeat this process untill all the leaves are stuffed.
Line the bottom of a large,heavy based pot with several grape leaves, then pour enough tomato paste mixed with water to cover the grape leaves.
Place a heat proof dish on the top to keep the rolls pressed down.
Cover with a lid and simmer slowly for 1 to 2 hours, or untill the leaves are tender.
Serve the "dolma" lukewarm, with yogurt mixed with herbs for dipping.

Posted by Maggie at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I roasted some trout and had some leftover so I made these fishcakes and a cilantro sauce to accompany. I didn't follow the recipe below exacly... I used vidalia onion and jarred red pepper

About a pound of cooked fish
2 eggs
1 cup green onions, minced
Half a red bell pepper, minced (or a whole one–half is all I had)
Zest and juice of a lemon
1/3 cup bread crumbs, plus more for coating
2 tablespoons Creole mustard (or mayonnaise)
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Shred the fish with a fork, and add it, along with everything else to the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Form into small balls, and then flatten (you’ll flatten them further with your spatula during the cooking, so leave them a bit round for now). Spread more bread crumbs on a plate, and coat both sides of the cakes. At this point, they can be refrigerated until ready to cook. When you’re all ready, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the cakes until very brown and crunchy on the outsides, turning once, about 4-5 minutes per side. Serve on salad greens and drizzle with equal parts lemon juice and olive oil.

Spicy Cilantro Sauce:
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 jalapeno chile, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Stir together cilantro, vegetable oil, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and chile. Season with salt and pepper.

Posted by Maggie at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)