Let's cook. And eat.

This one was quick and easy. Followed the recipe as is.  https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/swirled-garlic-herb-bread/ The only thing I did was replaced some of the flour-milk with my sourdough starter because I was trying to use some up.  A hit with the family. And baby Yoda approves it too. 

The idea came from Reena Di. She suggested making halwa with quinoa. I was intrigued to no end so decided to make it. After all it was Ganesha’s birthday and he loves sweets.  Start off with dry grinding 1 cup of quinoa. Roast it in 4-5 tbsp of ghee. Meanwhile boil 1 cup of water or milk with 1 cup of sugar. Go less on the sugar if you like it less sweet. Add a tsp of cardamom powder and some saffron threads. I actually ended up using coconut sugar. Once the quinoa is roasted add the boiling liquid into the pan and stir quickly. Roast/stir for a couple of more minutes. Add some slivered almonds. Done. 

The inspiration and recipe came from a friend in the neighborhood who made these on Mother’s Day and promptly left a sample for each of us.  https://www.cookwithkushi.com/nankhatai/ And the effort came from Master S, who has been being really handy in the kitchen these days. I just had to babysit these when they were in the oven.  Delish! 

This particular dish got me really excited  Start with a cast iron skillet and 2-3 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, place the trimmed and halved brussel sprouts, cut face down in the pan. Let them cook for about 8 minutes undisturbed. The cut faces should now have a nice char. Add garlic salt and pepper and move the sprouts around and let the other sides brown too.  Switch off the heat. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice, some sliced almonds. Let the almonds roast in the hot pan. Top with shaved Parmesan.  Enjoy while it’s hot.   

This just went into the oven.  https://www.thewholesomedish.com/the-best-classic-zucchini-bread/ Did not have applesauce on hand so used puréed peaches instead.  The best part about this recipe was that there was really no heavy lifting- just throw the ingredients together and you are good to go.  I did have to bake longer than 50 minutes. I think I almost went to 65-70 minutes. Wondering if my oven heats up to the right temperature... 

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)

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

One of my favorite things to do with left over pizza dough is to make pizza rolls.  You break up the dough into small balls of flour, roll it out. Put some filling, pinch back together and then bake. And then eat it with some marinara.  For filling this time I modified an Ottolenghi recipe - a little bit of sour cream, a small piece of Brie, some chopped basil, a couple of semi dried tomatoes and topped with a Parmesan.  (Semi dried tomatoes - take cut grape or cherry tomatoes, toss them in oil and salt, and bake them cut side up at 375 F for about 45-50 minutes) Put the balls seam side down in an oil sprayed  pie dish. And brush them with butter infused with garlic salt. Bake at 425 F for about 20 minutes. 

Kanda means onion, bhaji means pakoras or fritters. The beauty of this recipe is how easily it comes together. It was shared by my friend, and I was drooling just looking at the pictures. Shredded potatoes (2), shredded carrots(1-2), shredded bell peppers (1) - squeeze in a piece of cloth to drain our water. Add thinly sliced onions (1-2), besan 1 cup(chick pea flour), salt, cumin powder, chaat masala, turmeric, red pepper - basically any dry masalas to your taste. Make round flat tikkis or patties and heat them in oil on medium heat till dark golden brown.  For the chutney, take hung yoghurt 1 cup with some cilantro and mint - half cup each. Run in a blender. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Remember I said I love food that is colorful. These biscotti were up there when it comes to delicious and colorful food. The recipe followed was simple:  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10638/cranberry-pistachio-biscotti/ Followed it as is. But the Indian in me did get me to add a little cardamom essence. Cardamom pairs well with pistachios - every Indian knows that. You can take the girl out of India but not India out of the girl!