Rinku Bhattacharya's Blog, page 70

Bengali Tomato Chutney and Borrowed Time

  Today’s crazy week tapered off into a very nice and interesting program at Mamaroneck Public Library.

I ended up reaching a little harried, and out of sorts but settled down nicely and enjoyed a great hour with a very engaged audience. Lots of good questions and always great to come back without books…

In the meantime, we have a Spice Chronicles channel, I am not sure where and how it will work out, but we have gotten started and I hope that you will join the fun and today’s installment, video and all is Bengali Tomato Chutney.

The tomato chutney is almost a natural on Bengali tables, right alongside pineapple and other dried fruit chutneys, however, the tomato is a late comer to the Bengali table and possibly found it’s way with the chili and other adapted items and techniques such as making the Indian cheese called channa, a cornerstone ingredient in Bengali dessert making.

Well, I need to be up early tomorrow morning as the daughter is doing one of her community service assignments for the Girls Scouts, but she need to be fed and lord knows if I do not clock in the requisite eight hours of shut eye on the weekend nights, I shall very much be a pumpkin.

Well, with these video posts, the good news is that I can save myself the trouble of writing too much of the process as you can actually see the how to in the recipe. I would love to be able to do this for more and more of my posts and so I have a training team at home who are practicing hard with shaky little hands on how to record my cooking in 5 minutes bites so that you can see what is going on.

This chutney is somewhat sweet and savory, so it is a toned down version of a traditional Bengali chutney, and so it works quite well as a chunky spicy condiment, give it a try and tell me what you think and if you like the video by all means take a minute to subscribe.

PrintSweet and Spicy Bengali Tomato Chutney

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: Makes about 1 cup of chutney

A sweet and savory Bengali tomato chutney, a perfect way to use up to late fall tomatoes.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon mustard oil
1.5 teaspoon panchphoron (Bengali Five Spice Blend)
11/2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
3 to 4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water (optional)
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

Instructions

Heat the oil until almost smoking and add in the panch-phoron and when the seeds begin to crackle add in the ginger and saute lightly.
Cook the ginger for about a minute.
Add in the tomatoes and stir lightly until soft and pulpy and add in the salt, sugar and the water.
Simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens considerably.
Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes and let the mixture cool before using.3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/bengali-tomato-chutney-and-borrowed-time/

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Stone Fruit in Spiced Yogurt and Honey and a Giveaway!

 Today’s recipe is a very simple and nuanced recipe for Stone Fruit in Spiced Yogurt, a recipe that I have adapted from Amy Riolo’s lovely new cookbook, The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, a copy of which I will be giving away as well.

Amy assures us that her cookbook will change our eating habits, one delicious dish at a time and if you pick up a copy of this very user-friendly, well illustrated cookbook you will possibly agree.

It is refreshing to find a cookbook, that combines culture, ease of preparation and delicious cooking in one concise package without necessary fuss and fanfare.

I have been using the cookbook, almost instantly right from the moment I received it, a sign that the ingredients needed for the recipes are available in most well stocked pantries.

Her collection of recipes are curated from 25 countries and are organized by the key ingredients that form the Mediterranean diet, so you will see sections such as nuts and legumes, dairy, fruits rather than an arrangement by meal type.

The recipe that I share with you today, is a close adaptation of her recipe for Apricots in Spiced Yogurt, possibly one of the more indulgent recipes in the book. I have adapted this by using fresh stone fruit instead of dried apricots and adding some orange blossom water to finish the recipe. I love dried apricots and have plenty in my pantry, but this time of the year with all the fresh fruit around I thought it would be a shame not to use them.

While the recipe does have some sugar and honey, and uses full fat Greek yogurt, it overall still packs a lot of good nutrition and would be a lovely after school treat and I plan on eating some for breakfast tomorrow. And, before we move on I am also excited to tell you that I am giving away a copy of this lovely cookbook.

To enter, you would make me really happy if you subscribed to my new youtube channel and possibly also follow me on instagram, but most importantly please do leave a comment at the bottom of this post letting me know you are interested.

PrintStone Fruit in Spiced Yogurt and Honey

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

A delicate and indulgent recipe adapted from, The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet.

Ingredients

2 cups of full fat plain Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon ground pure cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 fresh peaches, stoned and diced (original recipe uses 1 cup dried apricots)
1/3 cup sugar
Juice and zest of 1 orange
4 teaspoons sliced almonds
2 teaspoon honey
Optional pomegranate seeds and chopped pecans to garnish (my addition)

Instructions

Beat the yogurt and cinnamon and set aside.
In a medium sized skillet melt the butter and add in the fruit and stir gently to coat, add in the sugar and orange juice and gently poach until the juice is almost completely absorbed.
Place the yogurt in a large bowl and gently mix in the fruit and place on serving bowls. Drizzle with almonds, honey and pomegranate seeds and pecans.
Serve immediately. 3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/stone-fruit-in-spiced-yogurt-and-honey-and-a-giveaway/

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Cracked Wheat (Bulgur) Pilaf with Mint and Pistachios or Almonds

This simple and reasonably healthy at a Pink Bulgur Pilaf, is the result of my visits to Shiraz Grocery. 

It is our local Persian grocery and every time I visit, I end up picking up stuff, all sorts of stuff – pistachios, saffrons, dried fruit, tea and chatting with the shopkeeper in the process.

Yes, Mr Shiraz man and I are now good buddies, he always offers me Persian recipe tips and in turn I tell him how to Indianize things so we have a happy relationship. He was even concerned about my coping with the cold weather given than we do not have such cold weather in India, and now sent me home with Bulgur or cracked wheat which he insists is great for the chills. Now, that is concern about a customer!

I revisited this dish, after a while, which is made with traditional coarse bulgur, it gets its pink hue from beets and finely chopped beet greens that are a staple in my garden and kitchen this time of the year. My love for beet greens is well known, I love the way they gently tinge the food that they are cooked with. I have used them with potatoes, and of course solo and in this dish they work with beets and carrots to give us a rather lovely fall to winter dish.

I first encountered cracked wheat when when I visited my in-laws in Delhi. The cracked wheat used in North India is coarse just like the variety used in this dish and is called Dahlia and is used in an assortment of dishes, ranging from milk based morning pudding to savory lentil and wheat porridge, indulgent desserts called lapsi. And then if you venture along the Central Asian lines, you will end up with dishes not unlike the one that I am sharing here.

I think that this makes a really good rice substitute. I made a cracked wheat pilaf in class last Sunday, with carrots (frozen from our garden), pistachios, red onions and mint and cilantro. Quick to make, very satisfying and healthy. We actually had a lot left over so, we had some for dinner last night. At home, since my son does not eat pistachios I make this with almonds but either of these nuts work just fine.

The postscript on this is that well, about a year and a half later, this simple pilaf is now much the household favorite. I reworked this recipe again today, hoping to feel better looking at its hues. I just have not been feeling myself since the past week, with everything going on I hope I can get back into the swing of things soon.

PrintCracked Wheat Pilaf with Mint and Pistachios

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A healthy pink bulgur pilaf with mint and almonds or pistachios.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small red onion, finely diced
3/4 cup finely diced carrots
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 cup coarse cracked wheat (bulgur)
4 cups water
1/2 cup beet greens or finely chopped kale
1 small beet peeled and diced
1/3 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup shelled pistachios or sliced almonds
1 lemon, halved and seeded

Instructions

Heat the oil and add in the cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle.
Add in the red onion and saute for about 3 to 4 minutes until soft and wilted.
Add in the carrots and bell peppers and stir well.
Mix in the salt and red chili powder and the cracked wheat and stir well.
Add in the water and bring to a boil.
Cover and cook the mixture for 10 minutes at this point, the water should be simmering and the bulgur should be partially cooked.
Add in the greens and mix well and scatter the beets over the bulgur and cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid, at this point there should still be some liquid and the beets should have released some of their color. Stir very lightly to tinge some of the bulger and add in the peas.
Turn of the heat and let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
Garnish with the mint and chopped almond.
Squeeze in the lemon juice and enjoy
3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/cracked-wheat-or-bulgur-pilaf-with-mint-and-pistachios/

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Wuji in Scarsdale – Chinese Done Right

  I love Chinese food, and MSG aside can almost pass it off as healthy. I know, I said almost…

So, when I can actually take the almost of the equation, get the same comfort flavors with the assurance of not feeling super sleepy after the fact, and be persuaded that people really know where some of the ingredients are coming from, I am a happy girl!

The source of my current happiness is Wuji in Scarsdale, NY. A new sleek and contemporary restaurant that brings you “farm to wok” cuisine right in the heart of Westchester.

 

The first encounter, featured an intimate dinner with the owner Jodi Pennette, a seasoned veteran of the restaurant industry who packs a wealth of knowledge, sophistication and experience into a delicious package that symbolizes the hallmarks of the dining experience at Wuji. Regaling us with donkey eating tales of his dinner experiences in China to his hand motion communication with the Cantonese speaking Chef at Wuji, encountering him might make for a series of laughs.

Drinks

Chinese restaurants have their share of cocktails and Wuji keeps it down to 4 or 5 fun variations from the pretty peach Bellini to a Singapore Sling with a Rum Swizzler thrown in somewhere in between, these drinks are smooth and not cloyingly sweet. They have a broad wine menu and a well stocked bar with beautiful marble tabletops allowing you the option to drink at the bar if you so choose.

Dim Sum and Appetizers

The restaurant features a well thought out menu, the Dim Sum section (my absolute favorite) in any Chinese restaurant, features an extensive and innovative selection,

Crab Rangoons, fried to perfection as you can see from the golden crust, a classic that will put most Chinese Food lovers at home as they move to the more contemplative fare.

To contrast that crunchy creamy goodness, was a lovely offering of chicken with cashew nuts served with fresh baby hydroponic lettuce wraps. Every crisp and well seasoned note was nuanced and delicate in this offering.

A fork tender Char Siu pork offering was moist and offered over wedges of cucumber, not too sweet and cloying exactly the way I would like it.

The Bao Bao buns were just a tad on the drier side, well, folks not everything can be perfect… These were still pretty good.

 Rice and Noodles

Both their fried rice dishes were seasoned to perfection and came topped with eggs, the vegetable fried rice was soft, well seasoned and not at all greasy. Their spicy fried rice was a vivid green color and served with a sunny side egg.

The lo mein noodles included, a Shanghai Style pork version and the cold sesame variety.

Entrees – Vegetarian

The first of their three vegetarian options was the spicy green beans, fairly common, but I found the flavors here nice and balanced. The other two dishes was a garlic eggplant and a lovely light and colorful Chinatown Stirfry.

Entrees – Non-Vegetarian

They are are comfortably using spices as needed, featured here was the tangerine beef that packed a flavorful spicy punch,

An interesting take on General Tso’s was the fish, again not cloyingly sweet as can be found in a lot of places, just done right.

Dragon Chicken as the name suggests was spicy, essentially fried chicken nuggets smothered in a spicy sauce.

To complete the experience were the Momofuku Milk Bar cookies, rich, indulgent and not too sweet.

If you like what you see, head over to,

Wuji Chinese

2 Chase Road

Scarsdale, NY

And if you live in a 2 mile radius, you can always order delivery which will come your way in these adorable cute delivery carriages.

 

 

 

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A Day in Nashville, TN – A travelogue

  I am always intrigued and fascinated by the South of the country! There possibly an unusual confession from someone who now calls herself a New Yorker, albeit a suburban one…

The food of the south has more character, and there seems to be more history and intrigue in the alleys and valleys of the South. We went to Mamamoth Cave National Park, but en-route had a day in Nashville, as the husband knew that was my kind of thing. For a city that possibly could fit in three more days of activity, a day seemed short. Well, first out we did the Grayline bus tour.

I will tell you that it is a great value and a good way to get your bearings! You can actually do this over two days and cover a lot of the fun spots.

You should actually try and get an early start, they do not lie about the Southern summer sun, it is bright and pretty formidable.

Old architecture and just so much detail in the small train station, this is what I mean, it feels and looks different…

Well, along with the sun you do get the beautiful sky and very clear and pretty vistas. I guess like everything else in life it is a trade off.

Once downtown, it is difficult to miss this impressive blue and white building, that is an At&T building also called the batman building.

In my salad days, I have enjoyed country music and as you walk around Nashville, it is easy to see why it is called the music city.

An interesting bit of trivia was that Tennessee was divided during the civil war, so part union and part confederacy, possibly still part liberal and part traditional, think Al Gore.

Right opposite the Centennial Park is the Nashville Farmer’s Market and International Mall. Of course, I had to visit.

I have seen better tomatoes, but this is what they had. Maybe all the fancy tomato business, is a figment of our farmer’s markets.

Life’s best moments are simple, happiness sometimes is a perfect peach.

And those peppers!

Can you tell I have chilli envy!

Was not very sure about these beans, I am sure there is a story that I will find out about someday!

And there was plenty of Okra, then young and tender variety. Inside, it was fun to see recipes such as brown butter okra with red pepper flakes.

They certainly do ice tea right, but I do stay away from the sugar in mine.

Well, ultimately I settled for cajun food, the kids for dosas (yes, they had both an Indian stall and a spice store in the mall).

As for this tomato, what can I say?

Baby tomatoes

Mommy and Daddy tomatoes

A glimpse of their capitol building.

Possibly my biggest regret and that which will bring me back to the city again, is not being able to visit the Parthenon properly.

In the arms of Elvis…

Time for the girl!

Loved the black and white in this picture.

They had fun in the water, and we headed to German town for dinner, I have to say that I liked our meal so much I do have to share that in a separate post.

 

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Shakshouka and a long overdue shout out…

  This morning we planned some major grape picking and to fortify the troops, I made them shakshouka, a hearty dish of tomatoes, peppers, spices and of course, eggs…

Shakshsouka or Shakshuka is the Arabic word for scramble and is a modification of a cooked tomato based salad called Matbukha, a fact a I picked up from Levana’s beautiful book The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen, a large (almost coffee table) hard cover book brimming with facts and recipes. This particular recipe is my own, but over the past year of owning the book I have have learned so much about Moroccan cuisine and cooking in general. In fact, as I made this dish in the morning I pulled out the book to explain the deal to my kids. Well, that is the magic of this book it is so much more than just a cookbook.

If you are thinking that I should have told you all about the book a long time back, you are right! Now, I am slow about mentioning cookbooks on the site, because it take a little time for me to make the cookbook a part of my system, but once that happens I feel compelled to tell you all about it. It is an absolutely gorgeous book that is filled with beautiful clean healthy recipes that fit into any kitchen not just a kosher one. If you are looking for a gift or an addition to your kitchen, especially when cooking for the holidays.

Well, now that was my good deed for the day, and we can move on to Shakshouka, a dish that people associate with Israel and was supposed to have originated in India. I pretty much made and seasoned this dish by instinct as we are still doing very well with all the lovely tomatoes and peppers that the garden is offering us. Few things give me more joy than a peaceful weekend breakfast with the brood we usually tend to lean towards a frittata but today it was time for Skakshouka. The meds aka antibiotics have been kicking in enough for me to feel pretty decent being up and about. Now, a note on the eggs, I like my eggs well done although purists suggest cooking until just set so you can decide where in the spectrum you want to end up in.

PrintShakshouka and a long overdue shout out…

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Shakshouka,- a beautiful colorful dish popularly found in the mid-eastern tables making for a beautiful breakfast or light dinner.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 large onion (I use a red onion) diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 large tomatoes, diced
1 medium sized bell pepper
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
4 eggs
Chopped cilantro, paprika and freshly ground pepper to finish

Instructions

Heat the oil and add in the whole cumin seeds and when they sizzle add in the onions and the minced garlic and saute until the onions are soft, wilted and beginning to turn pale golden.
Add in the tomatoes and bell pepper and mix well.
Stir in the cumin, cayenne and the salt. Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes, stirring the tomatoes and mixing in until the sauce is thick and fairly soft.
Add in 1/2 cup of water and mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
Break in the eggs, spreading them out in the four corners. Reduce the temperature to low and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the eggs are set and fairly well cooked.
Turn off the heat, sprinkle with cilantro and paprika. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper and serve.3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/shakshouka-and-a-long-overdue-shout-out/

 

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Zucchini Bread with Garam Masala and Molasses

  I have tried my hand zucchini bread a few times, varying and tweaking the recipe but, I have to say none of these recipes were worth saving for a rainy day. Last weekend, I broke all the rules and created a fall like zucchini bread and it was winner. From breakfast to school lunch boxes, it has been the one. It is, drumroll please a – Zucchini Bread with Garam Masala and Molasses. It is great for anyone, and folks if you are looking for one more sweet recipe for your Rosh Hashanah table, well here it is.

It is moist, well spiced and has a fun component from the cranberries that I have added to the mix. The well spiced flavor is the wild card, it comes from using garam masala to notch things up just a bit.

Just a note on garam masala, there are many brands in the market, I use the recipe from the Spices and Seasons Cookbook, which offers the right balance of fragrant spices tempered with a touch of cumin. Now, I do not say this to suggest that you need to buy the book for my garam recipes, although that would be nice, I say this to emphasize that make sure your garam masala is balanced if using it for a recipe like this. While you do not see it here, there is a lot of zucchini action in this loaf, it is what keeps it nice and moist. I have learned (thank you mom!) that draining and squeezing the zucchini gets rid of a lot of the nutrients and flavor, so in this case I kept it in and to good measure.

If you look at the uncooked batter you can see all the zucchini peeking out of the pan. I hid it with the molasses, but what a worthwhile camouflage. Yes, another Southern ingredient that I cannot do without, I love molasses, in fact, I have paired it with garam masala before.

Last weekend, was extremely productive in terms of cooking, it seems I cobbled up a lot of great recipes, but then I got sick with strep and well, the recipes they remained on the wayside… But, gradually here they are slowly surfacing as we move along.

Just as a note of acknowledgment, the various trial and errors of the zucchini bread recipe, as been inspired by one of my favorite go to blogs, Simply Recipes, and her description calling a zucchini bread –  Grated zucchini, mixed into the batter, brings moisture and tender texture to what is essentially a spice cake.

PrintBanana Bread with Garam Masala and Molasses

Ingredients

11/2 cups all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons fresh garam masala
1 cup of almond meal
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons black strap molasses
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups of freshly grated zucchini (about 3 medium sized zucchini)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional, and I skipped for the displayed version)

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl sift in the flour, baking soda and garam masala. Stir in the almond meal.
Make a well in the center and add the sugar, molasses, lemon juice and grated zucchini and the butter.
Using a heaving mixing spoon or a low speed mixed gradually mix in the batter until well mixed. It should be a fairly moist batter. Stir in the cranberries and the walnuts if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until the loaf is cooked through. Turn off the oven and remove the loaf in five minutes.
Cool and serve the next day, I have found that the flavors mature considerably with keeping.3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/zucchini-bread-with-garam-masala-and-molasses/

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Green Beans Tossed with Sunflower Seed Pesto

  This post on Green Beans with Pebbled Sunflower Seed Pesto, is all about the sheer happiness of a spontaneous creation that all the kids, yes, not just my offspring loved.

Back in the day, I use to pride myself on being that mom that could get all the kids to eat their veggies, these days I am just happy that both my offspring seem to have learned to love their veggies way before me. Yes, there was a time I did not eat my veggies, let alone rhapsodize about them and take their pictures.

As for the children, with my daughter now officially reaching middle school status, I realize that most of their friends have minds of their own and a lot of them do eat surprisingly healthy. I have actually noticed an increasing trend of vegetarianism amid the kids as well, irrespective of their reasons (some health and some others compassion) it is never a bad thing to lean more towards plant based foods. There are still times, when I see children excited about a random dish I make and I have a woo hoo moment, and, I realize dear reader, at this point you probably feel that I seriously need a life, but hey, life is about the simple things. It is these little triumphs that make me happy.

I had first heard about a sunflower seed pesto, while chancing upon this site, and while what I created is very different, I loved the idea of replacing sunflower seeds with nuts as it takes care of a lot of allergy issues when it comes to kid friendly food. Since, in this dish I keep the texture grainy, we have the concept of a pebbled pesto. I will at sometime update the pictures but these are done with my second try at the dish, and I did not want to loose the recipe like so many others before it.

If you are still on a the lookout for an unusual labor day recipe or something for that back to school potluck, this might just be the one.

PrintGreen Beans Tossed with Sunflower Seed Pesto

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

A simple and nutritious take on string beans, that is very easy and very flavorful.

Ingredients

1.5 teaspoon salt
1 pound of string beans (a combination of green and yellow works well)
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon red cayenne pepper
2 pods of minced garlic
1.5 cups of coarsely chopped sweet basil leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
¾ cup unsalted and UN-roasted sunflower seeds
10 to 15 cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Heat a large pot of water until boiling and add in about ½ teaspoon of salt. While this is happening, prepare a large bowl with lots of ice cubes.
Once the water begins to boil add in the green beans and cook for about 4 minutes, until the beans the tender crisp. Drain the beans in a colander and place quickly over the ice cubes.
Place the olive oil, remaining salt, cayenne pepper, minced garlic, basil leaves, vinegar, sugar, sunflower seeds in the bowl of a food process and process for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is well mixed but still grainy.
Place the beans in a mixing bowl and add in the prepared pesto and toss well.
Quarter the cherry tomatoes and mix in with the red onions. Serve immediately or alternately keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3.1http://www.spicechronicles.com/green-beans-with-sunflower-seed-pesto/

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Red Wine and Tomato Pork Stew Over Polenta

  Despite all my writing resolves, we actually were disconnected with the world over the short break that we took. That was actually good for the mind, body and soul. However bouncing back to school and being sick today pretty much has almost evened out the score.

Well, luckily despite being a very busy month September is also peppered with long weekends, Labor Day and Rosh Hashanah and thereby makes for an interesting balance of intense days and a few kick off days, which I have filled with some demos and book events.

This also is a busy prolific month on the harvest front, and this stew is actually a lovely way to use all the wonderful tomatoes that are still so prolific. In fact, September and October are amazing months, filled with so much beauty and bounty.

As for back to school, we survived the first three days, without much drama, I did not do much, by way of preparation and have to confess even my son who hates anything new managed to survive after his first day and told me that his teacher had changed by day two, and was actually rather nice. Thank god for small mercies!

Can you believe we harvested our first batch of potatoes? If you are Bengali like me, some of these get happily made in Bengali mashed potatoes, well what do you expect? I do have other glamorous stuff that I made and will make with the rest, and yes, I did add a few tiny ones into the stew along with the fresh carrots that are still going strong. So, well, this year I have a bonafide excuse for indulging in my favorite carb before winter! Whoppee!

Despite it’s sophisticated appearance and flavors, the ingredients are simple, and the stew needs little other than a nice deep pot that allows the stew to gently simmer along, while I do not have an identical vegetarian version, I do have something that is a nice and hearty vegetarian stew made with broken bow stout.

And, like all stews this keeps beautifully over time, and freezes reasonably well. I say reasonably because the carrots seemed to fare better than the potatoes and everything else pretty good!

The first day, I served this with an assortment of bread to sop it up, which worked and the second day, I served it over polenta, well, day two won hands down. And, actually, despite my weakness for polenta, I realized that I have actually never posted a recipe for this comfort staple making this post a little unique in that I actually will offer two recipes rather than one.

PrintRed Wine and Tomato Pork Stew Over Polenta

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

A hearty dish that allows you to make the perfect transition to fall, and is actually a wonderful meal on school nights.

Ingredients

2 pounds of pork shoulder cubed (with some fat on)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
11/2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons of oil
2 large white onions, or 1 pound of chippolini onions (about 2 cups, chopped)
2 to 3 pods, minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 bay leaves
4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
11/2 cups of red wine such as a cabernet
2 medium carrots cut into wedges
2 to 3 red potatoes cut into quarters
11/2 tablespoons chopped chives

For the polenta

¾ cup of corn grits
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup of grated parmesan cheese (optional)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Several generous grinds of black pepper
Chopped Cilantro

Instructions

Cut the pork into cubes and smear well with the mustard and ½ the salt and set aside for 20 minutes (note this can be done several hours ahead if desired).
Heat the oil on a large flat skillet, and add the meat single side down and sear for 3 to 4 minutes and turn and cook on the second side. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon.
Add the onions and garlic to the same pan and sauté for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally until the onion softens and begins to turn pale golden. You do not caramelize the onions for this recipe.
Add in the black pepper, bay leaves and the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften.
Add in the seared pork and mix well. Add in the red wine and bring to a simmer adding in the rest of the salt and the sugar and the carrots and red potatoes.
Add in about ¾ cup of water and continue simmering with the pot covered for about 1 hour. Remove the lid and check for seasonings and add more water if needed. You want fork tender meat and a thick sauce that is not too abundant.
While the stew is cooking, you can make the polenta, soaking the grains before you begin the stew.
Soak the grits for about 1 hour or longer.
Place 3 cups of water in a cooking pot add in the salt and bring to a boil. Add in the soaked grits and stir to mix evenly. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally allowing the polenta to thicken.
Turn off the heat when the polenta thickens, but is still fairly soupy (it thickens further in minutes) and stir in the butter and the cheese if using.
Check for seasonings, add in the lime juice and mix well. Serve with freshly ground black pepper and cilantro and enjoy.
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Creamy Tomato Fish Curry with Cilantro, Basil and Summer Squash

I do not like to make proclamations on my blog, because I can rarely stick to any promises I make, sure I still post Meatless Monday recipes, I just did that this Monday with my dosa recipe, but we all know that I certainly do not keep to what I say, well, not because I do not mean to, but life happens… Maybe a project at work, a life event, a kid’s event and sometimes just moving on to the next best dish. Having said this, I want to try and clear my back log of all the wonderful tomato recipes that I have created, reworked and redone, so the proclamation is I shall post only tomato recipes through the end of August starting with the lovely fish curry that pairs tomatoes, coconut, with cilantro, basil and summer squash. A while back, when my friend Marc posted about the Spices and Seasons cookbook, I got a lot people asking me about substitutes for curry leaves.

The truth that not everything can have a substitute, and yes, that category does include curry leaves. Having said that I worked with what I had around – tomatoes, coconut milk, lime and hot chili peppers to create a fish curry that did offer some of that delicious citrus based coconut goodness that you can find in the curries of coastal India, here I used lime juice instead of tamarind to create that nice deep tartness, in fact, in this recipe the marriage of lime juice and ripe summer tomatoes results in a happy balanced equation.

As summer is winding down, there are all things seem to be flowering, offering us a nice selection of edible flowers. My favorite is the broccoli blossom, its pretty yellow notes complements all the tomato goodness that I have been cooking up, I used a few to garnish the curry. It does not really offer a much by way of flavor, but adds a quick and easy festivity to the dish. We leave for a few days out and about tomorrow, much needed vacation although I have to confess, I am carrying loads of little things including a volunteer blog project for my daughter’s robotics team. Well, when you are the mom who cannot make these shuttling assignments you get stuck with administrative projects like this.

And then its back to school, something I am trying to pretend does not phase me. I have tried this dish over rice and polenta and they both work just fine.

PrintCreamy Tomato Fish Curry with Cilantro, Basil and Summer Squash

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

A delightful herb and citrus fish stew with a richness from coconut milk. This recipe is a great use of summer herbs and tomatoes.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 medium sized onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 or 2 fresh cayenne pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon powdered coriander seeds
Salt to taste
1 lime
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
11/4 pound of hallibut fillet (or any other firm fleshed white fish of your choice)
1 summer squash or zucchini, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Optional edible flowers to garnish

Instructions

Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and wait until they begin to crackle. Add in the onion and ginger and saute for about 5 minutes until the mixture softens and wilts and begins to gently turn golden.
Add in the tomatoes, red cayenne pepper, salt, coriander powder and mix well. Cook for about 10 minutes.
While the mixture is cooking zest the lime and add in the lime zest, squeeze the juice and set aside.
Cool the mixture slightly and place in a blender and add coconut milk and water and blend into a smooth sauce. Note, that this sauce can be saved at this point for later use, hence yes a great thing to do ahead.
Return the sauce to the pan, check for seasonings and add in the fish and the squash poach until the fish is cooked through and the squash is tender. Stir in the lime juice.
Add the cilantro and basil and garnish with the edible flowers if using and serve.

Notes

If you want a vegan version just add more squash or add in eggplant with the squash.

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