Let's cook. And eat.

This recipe is a keeper. Master S was happy I made it and repeatedly thankful- it made my day. Unfortunately we devoured it so quickly that there is no picture to share.  https://www.recipetineats.com/garlic-chicken-thighs-recipe/

So remember Mr. M. He and his boys made a meat lasagna for Thanksgiving. And that inspired me to make a spinach and mushroom lasagna.  Went looking for a recipe on the web, and found this one that pretty much worked for the most part.  https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/vegetarian_spinach_and_mushroom_lasagna/ I did end up making just a couple of changes.  First I used fresh rolled pasta sheets. And so I did not have to boil the pasta. Just used it as is.  I used Rao's marinara instead of the tomato paste and can of tomatoes. And I did add 2 eggs to my ricotta mixture along with some black pepper and salt.  The coolest part was dry sauteing the mushrooms. I did not even know that was a thing till I saw the recipe above. New skill learned.  But the funnest part was definitely cooking with my little man. Master S has been really handy in the kitchen this year ever since we went into quarantine. Small silver linings. 

This one was quick and easy.  Sautéed one finely chopped onion and 2-3 cloves of garlic. Added 4-5 tbsps of Peri peri garlic sauce.  In a baking dish, add chicken thighs. Slash them so the sauce seeps through. Top with the onion- peri peri sauce. Bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes. Take out and top with green onions. Best eaten with rice. 

This recipe has been sitting in the draft box because I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. But I need to post it so it enters my recipe box.  The recipe itself is a mish mash of what I already knew and some of the tips came from my friendly neighbor- Mr. M. He once made the most awesome Kadhi and shared some.  2 cups of room temperature yoghurt whisked with 6-7 cups of water and about 2 heaping spoons of besan. Add turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder along with ginger-garlic paste and whisk.  Dry roast 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 2-3 dry red chilies. Add ghee, 1/4 tsp Asafoetida, thinly sliced onions (1 medium), a few curry leaves, 1/4 tsp methi daana. Sauté for a few till the onions are a bit translucent.  Add the yoghurt mixture and simmer for 30-50 minutes. Salt to taste. Add pakodis and cilantro. Simmer for another couple of minutes.  For the pakodis, use sliced onions with besan, carom seeds, salt, coriander powder. Fry like sma...

This is another great recipe by Lady S.  Her instructions were simple:  Cook orzo according to direction but use broth instead of water Olive oil, red pepper flakes, frozen spinach , salt, garlic powder, black pepper. Mix orzo with spinach. Taste On top I added some Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes. Came together in no time and definitely a winner. 

Everyone in the family loves focaccia. And with a sourdough starter at hand, it was not long before I got tempted to make a focaccia using the starter.  The recipe for focaccia was:  https://foodgeek.dk/en/sourdough-focaccia-recipe/ I would say it was pretty reliable but you can use any basic focaccia recipe. And then just go crazy with any colorful veggies you like to create your gardenscape.  (Tip: I played with the design and veggies on a flat baking sheet and then transferred it to the dough quickly once I had dimpled it with the fingers)

It’s a simple-quick recipe.  https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/asparagus-soup-with-lemon-and-parmesan.html I did not have stock/broth so I used water. And I added cashews for some creaminess. Master S lapped this one up with gusto. 

What I really liked about this recipe was how quickly the paneer tikkas that go into the roll came about. There was no marination required - hence no planning beforehand. Added bonus was Master S and I enjoyed grilling the skewered kebabs on the flame stove. This one is definitely a winner. We used store bought methi theplas to make the rolls.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKF1F6XfgrY

Risotto is a complex dish. Though it may seem easy to make, to get a good risotto requires some skill (and a good recipe). But when done right, its a flavorful dish - not too heavy, with vegetables that still have the crunch a bit, the rice is al dente and there is a sprinkling of parmesan on top. So trust me (and save yourself some heartbreak) when I say this is a winner recipe. Its by a dear friend - we will call her Lady S. What you see below is an exact copy-paste of the recipe she shared. And true to her wonderful self, right after sharing the recipe she made a fresh pot for us for a weeknight dinner. Lady S is really something! I have known her for almost 18 years now. And every time I meet her I learn something new - She taught me how to peel garlic easily and I have never peeled it any other way since. Here is her recipe: Set IP (Instant Pot) on sauté and add: - 1 Tbsp olive oil - Red pepper flakes to taste - 1/2 shallot diced - 2 cloves garlic minced - Sauté for 30 ...

The natural bitterness of fenugreek pairs well with the creaminess of paneer and cream. Methi malai paneer is a definite hit in our household. The recipe I generally follow resembles this one very closely - https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/methi-malai-paneer-recipe/ I skip the cashews. And instead of water I used milk in the gravy.  There is another simpler but equally delicious version of this paneer that my mom makes. Her version skips most of the masalas and the tomatoes. You start with sauteing onions and garlic in some oil along with some cumin and turmeric, and when the onion is translucent you add some cream, the paneer, some coriander powder and kasoori methi. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Her recipe comes together quickly and is equally delicious - the flavors are simple but oh so good!

Polenta is a big hit in our family. And this particular dish comes together with minimal effort. Open polenta in a tube. Cut it into rounds about 1cm thick. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle some garlic salt. In it goes into the oven at about 425F for about 30 minutes.  Next in a pan sauté some onions and mushrooms in olive oil along with some garlic salt till the mushrooms are cooked and all the liquid has dried up.  To assemble the dish, lay the baked polenta rounds in a dish. Later with the sautéed mushrooms and onions and then top with some chopped green onions and shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.  Master S says it is the most awesomely awesome food in the galaxy - clearly he liked it. 

Had to put that first harvest to use, so I decided to make aloo methi. I love the bitterness of the methi leaves paired with the crispness of sauteed potatoes. At home, whenever mom made aloo methi, we would eat it for lunch/dinner and then the following day snack on the leftovers with matthi (crisp indian snack bread). I like to keep the flavors of aloo methi simple and I typically follow the same steps that I saw my mom make with. For posting here though, I decided to go look for a recipe that's similar (since I am lazy to write measurements and most people prefer having some proportions to cook with). This one came pretty darn close. https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/aloo-methi-recipe-dry-aloo-methi-recipe/ Sometimes I add a bit of garlic - its totally skippable. And if I sprinkle the leaves with salt beforehand to remove the bitterness, I also add some turmeric to it (just a sprinkling, about 1/4 teaspoon). Enjoy!

I did not even know the name of the dish when my friend Ms. A posted a picture of the dish to our WhatsApp group. And tempted I was - Luckily I had all the ingredients at home. And so the very next day I decided to try it out. According to Wikipedia, it is is a noodle soup made of egg noodles and curried beef or chicken with coconut milk, served with a variety of contrasting condiments.  My friend had shared the vegetarian recipe for the dish and so that is what I tried.  I will be honest - the prep was a bit extensive for the condiments that go with the dish. But the dish itself came together easily and fast. Pretty much followed the recipe she shared to the tee -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGVae1DsHX0 The changes made were: Added canned coconut milk instead of fresh. Used red peppers, carrots, peas and corn. Used regular basil instead of thai basil. This one was a hit with the family.