Tag Archives: Foodie

FOOD

Delicious blackberry cake

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I read a recipe for a Strawberry- Raspberry Cake in the latest issue of Food and Wine magazine. It is a delicious cake that is served in the Friuli region of Italy. It sounded so good, except given the time we are living in, I did not have the required ingredients at hand. So here is my version, a delicious blackberry cake inspired by the original. It is sooooooo delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp packed orange zest
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 heaped cup fresh blackberries
  • Confectioners sugar for dusting
  • Baking spray to prepare baking tins

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray the bottom and sides liberally with baking spray.

2. Wash and dry the blackberries. Take a few of them and slice in half. Leave the rest whole.

2. Fit the paddle blade to the stand mixer and combine the sugar, butter, and salt at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Add in the vanilla extract and orange zest and give it a whirl.

5. Add both the flours and beat a few times till the mixture is smooth.

6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and even it out.

7. Arrange the blackberries all over the top.

8. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or till the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

9. Cool the cake completely. Sprinkle with a dusting of confectioners sugar. Slice into 12 pieces and serve with a cup of coffee.

 

FOOD

Indulging in samosa cravings with a pie

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Of course it had to hit when there was no easy way to fix it. I’m talking about the intense craving I had yesterday for samosas. All I wanted was the crisp crust and the melt in your mouth filling ASAP. But, I did not have the patience to order takeout or to make samosas from scratch. Staring at my freezer to see if I had any frozen samosas, I discovered a solitary roll of puff pastry waiting to be used. I also found half a cauliflower in my vegetable drawer. On went the oven and in less than an hour, I had a delicious fix that looked nothing like a samosa, but delighted the taste buds with mimicking the flavors.

Ingredients:

  • One sheet of frozen puff pastry roll, left on the counter to thaw for 40 minutes (I used one roll from a two pack of 17.3 oz dough from Pepperidge Farm)
  • One large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 green chilis, finely chopped
  • 2 cups small cauliflower florets (about half a cauliflower for me)
  • 1 small potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 2 tbsps oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • .5 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1.5 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing (optional)
  • 1 green chili, finely chopped, for garnishing (optional)
  • 1 small cube of paneer, finely chopped, for garnishing (optional)
  • 1 springform pan (I used a 9 inch one) or a tray for baking the samosa
  • Parchment paper to prevent the base from sticking when baking

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the onions and green chilis and sauté, stirring occasionally till the onions start turning brown. This took about ten minutes.

3. Add the cauliflower, potato, salt, and turmeric powder to the onions, give the mixture a good toss and cook covered (give it a stir once or twice) till the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked and dry. The veggies should not turn mushy. This took about ten minutes for me on a medium flame.

4. Add the garam masala, mix well and set the mixture aside to cool a bit. It should feel warm to the touch.

5. Grease the springform pan or tray and line it with parchment paper.

6.Unroll the puff pastry dough and plop it on the pan or tray.

7. Mound the filling at the centre of the dough, and bring the dough from each side towards the centre leaving the filling exposed (see picture). It is okay to not have perfection here. All you want is the samosa filling to be encased partially in some yummy puff pastry filling.

8. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for about 30-40 minutes, till the puff pastry is a golden brown. Mine took 30 minutes.

9. Wait for ten minutes (this is the hardest part). Remove the base from the springform pan if using. Sprinkle the chili, cilantro, paneer, garnishing (if using) on the samosa pie. Slice into wedges and enjoy!

FOOD

Three kinds of chickpeas pulao

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One reason Trader Joe’s is my happy shopping space is that they always have something new in the aisles to try, This time it was a rice made with chickpeas and lentils (in the pasta aisle) that caught my attention. It could go in dishes as rice or as a pasta like orzo. I got a pack and then got thinking about what I could make and that’s when I spotted the can of chickpeas and some crisp chickpeas in my pantry. And that’s how the idea of a three kinds of chickpeas pulao was born. Of course, you could make the same dish with regular rice and it will taste just as yum.

The list of ingredients is a bit long, but once you get everything together, it is very easy to make and the result is a delicious one pot, hearty meal.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp cooking oil or you can use a mix of ghee and oil (I used vegetable oil and ghee)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cardamoms, open pods and use seeds only
  • 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 inch piece ginger, finely grated
  • 1 garlic glove, finely grated
  • 2 moderate green chilis finely chopped
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped into moderate pieces
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • A 15 ounce can of cooked chick peas, washed and drained
  • 1 cup Trader Joes chick pea/lentil rice (or you can use an equal amount of basmati rice – just wash and drain the regular rice)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp crisp chickpeas
  • 1 tbsp mint leaves finely chopped

How to:

1. Heat two tbsps of oil (or the oil/ghee combo) in a pan. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise.

2. When the whole spices sizzle, add the chopped onions and sauté for 5-6 minutes till they turn slightly brown.

3. Now add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute. Add the green chilis and mix well.

4. Next add the tomato, salt, turmeric powder, and garam masala and toss this well with the onion mixture.

5. Now add the drained chickpeas, the chickpea/lentil rice (or regular basmati rice) and two cups water and mix all the ingredients well.

6. Cook uncovered for 12 minutes (check and stir once or twice)

7. Turn off stove, top with the crunchy chickpeas and mint. Leave covered for a few minutes and then serve with yogurt.

Hint: If you don’t have crispy chickpeas handy, just save a tbsp of washed and drained chickpeas from the can and fry in a pan with a tbsp of oil till it crisps up.