Category Archives: Cooking

Cooking, indian, recipes

Homemade Saag Paneer

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Saag Paneer, an Indian spinach dish with fresh cow cheese, is one of my favorite foreign dishes. It’s creamy and spiceful (as opposed to spicy) and it’s got my favorite food — cheese!

My friend Mat loves to cook. Sometimes he lets me eat his delicious meals. Tonight we made this traditional Indian dish and it was fantastic. The cheese is surprisingly easy to make. I’ll provide the recipe. I’ll have to ask Mat to give me his recipe for the saag, but from what I watched him add, it seems pretty similar to this recipe by Tyler Florence, although Mat omitted butter and regretted it. :o( So below is a conglomeration of both paneer recipes.

Homemade Paneer 
Saag Paneer with Basmati Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients for the Paneer:
1 gallon of whole milk
3 Tbs. salt
juice of 1 lemon
up to 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
Cheesecloth

For the Saag:
2 tbs. butter
2 packages of frozen chopped spinach
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 cup cream
2 teaspoons garam masala, or curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt to taste
3 cups basmati rice

Directions:
Pour all of the milk into a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the salt. While the milk heats up, skim off any large amounts of foam (otherwise you won’t be able to tell if it starts boiling). Meanwhile, thaw out the spinach and squeeze out some of the liquid. Set aside. Place a large piece of cheesecloth in a colander.

When the milk starts coming to a simmer, turn down the heat and add the lemon, stirring constantly. If it doesn’t start to curdle in the next 30 seconds, add a swig of vinegar. Small curds should start developing rapidly. If the milk is still clear of curds, add another swig of vinegar. When you see lots of curds, it’s time to drain the milk into the cheesecloth. Let the liquid filter out and loosely gather up the edges of the cheesecloth so none of the curds escape. Do not squeeze the curds or the cheesecloth will stick to it and you won’t get as much cheese. Just let it rest for about 10 minutes. When it’s slightly cool, place the cheesecloth between two rimmed baking sheets and place a couple of cans of soup on top to weigh it down. Just leave it there till you’re ready to prepare the dish.

Prepare the rice according to the bag’s directions.

For the saag, heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute a couple of minutes, then add the ginger and garlic and cook till onions are translucent. Sprinkle in the garam masala and cinnamon and cook about one minute. Add the spinach and mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes then add the cream. Give it a good stir and transfer to a blender. Blend till blended. Ha!

Cube up the cheese and add it to the pan, browning slightly on all sides. Return the saag to the pan. Serve over basmati rice.

Cooking, Italian

Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza

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If you have an extra 90 minutes to spare before dinner time, then it’s totally worth your while to make your own pizza dough for many reasons. One, it’s cheaper than store-bought crust. Two, it’s tastier than store-bought crust. Three, it’s not full of any preservatives or weird ingredients. And four, it’s cheaper. I know I mentioned that already, but I thought I’d reiterate.

I find the best way to make pizza dough is in the bread maker. It kneads it for you so there’s no floury, sticky mess for you to clean up later when it’s all crusted over (I’m pretty lazy).

I found a delicious recipe for whole wheat dough at food.com. I don’t think I need to tell you how to make toppings for pizza, but I used my simple marinara sauce recipe and ended up buying a bag of pre-shredded italian blend cheese. I think it has mozzerella, asiago and a couple of other yummy cheeses in it.

The dough is enough for a pizza the size of a large baking sheet. Lunch for two days, hurray!

Dough Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. lukewarm water
2 Tbs. olive oil
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2.5 tsp. yeast

Directions:
Put ingredients, in order, into your bread machine and press the “dough” button. Let the machine run its cycle, about 90 minutes on my bread machine. During this time you could prepare your marinara sauce and toppings. When the dough is ready, roll it out on a floured table until its the size of a large baking sheet.

Flour a baking sheet and stretch the dough to fit it, trimming any excess. Brush the top side of the dough with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (I don’t know if refrigeration is necessary. I was waiting for a friend to come over before making the pizza. You’re probably fine not refrigerating). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Start prepping your pizza!

Coat pizza in sauce. Top lightly with cheese. Add toppings of your choice. Top with a little more cheese. Cheese goes a long way so you don’t really need to overdo it. Plus, it’s healthier if you go lighter on cheese anyway.

Bake pizza for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Cooking, recipes

Cheesy Broccoli and Quinoa

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What’s a girl to do when she’s craving mac & cheese but is out of mac and is already in her PJ’s and doesn’t feel like going to the grocery store? Why, rifle through the cupboards till she finds something resembling mac & cheese, of course!

I feel better though that I made quinoa instead of pasta because it’s healthier overall; but I guess the cheese part cancels that all out. But there’s broccoli in it!

Serves 3, or 1 with lunch for tomorrow and Tuesday

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 small broccoli crowns, cut up
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar
a couple of tablespoons of grated pecorino romano cheese
a couple of tablespoons of grated pizza cheese
1 tbs butter
1/3 cup milk
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbs Wondra flour
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package. I make mine in the rice cooker and overfill the water past the “1” line. Meanwhile, steam broccoli in a covered saucepan till bright green and tender, about 8 minutes?
In a serving bowl, combine the butter, milk and garlic. Microwave for 40 seconds or until butter is melted. Whisk in the flour and microwave another 30 seconds. If sauce is too thick, add more milk. If it’s too thin, add a bit more flour and microwave another 15 seconds. Add the cheeses, salt and pepper. Stir in cooked quinoa and broccoli. If sauce is too thick, add a bit more milk. Serve with a big glass of milk. I’m trying to use up my milk before tomorrow, can’t you tell?

breakfast, Cooking, recipes

Breakfast Skillet

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This is supposed to be a weekend breakfast skillet, but it’s so dang tasty and easy I’ve started making it during the week.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 eggs
6 Tbs. milk
2 slices of bread, cut into cubes
2 green onions, chopped
2-3 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
4 baby portobello or crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 Tbs. butter
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. In a small frying pan melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute till they are lightly browned on all sides. Set mushrooms aside. In an oven-proof medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat till crispy. Set aside the bacon and reserve about a tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan. Add bread cubes from only one slice of bread and brown on all sides. Set aside with the untoasted bread cubes. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and milk in a mixing bowl. Add the salt, pepper, green onions, bacon, mushrooms and cheese. Add the egg mixture to the now empty pan and stir around for about a minute, till eggs are just starting to set. Fold in all the bread cubes and pat everything down with a spatula. Place in oven and cook for 7 minutes.

Cooking, snacks

Homemade Granola

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My coworker Bryan gave me this easy recipe for homemade granola. Be sure to use rolled oats and not any kind of instant, quick cooking oatmeal. Also, I’d look for white chocolate that does not contain palm oil, as I’ve heard that stuff is really bad for you. I used Ghiradelli white chocolate in bar form, not the baking chips.

Be creative with this recipe. I used different kinds of nuts and dried fruits. Bryan originally had canned mandarin slices, which was really tasty.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup dried mixed fruit, chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup mixed nuts
1 4-oz. bar of white chocolate

Preheat oven to 220 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats and apple sauce. Add the fruit and nuts and mix thoroughly. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread out the granola on the pan. Bake in the oven for 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the chocolate finely. Place half of it in a mixing bowl. When granola is done baking, add it to the mixing bowl and top with the rest of the chopped chocolate. Mix thoroughly until chocolate is melted. Place in a gallon ziploc bag and store in fridge.

appetizers, Cooking

Boiled Artichokes with Creamy Garlic Dressing

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I have fond childhood memories of sitting down for dinner with a big bowl in the center of the table. I’d scrape a leaf of a boiled artichoke with my bottom teeth and toss the leaf into the bowl. My parents would do the same, which made dinnertime all the more fun.

Fresh artichokes are a small luxury if you live in Alaska. They aren’t cheap and often they don’t make it up here in great shape. Every once in a while the grocery store will have an artichoke special and that’s when I make a simple appetizer of boiled artichokes. Dip each leaf into melted butter or make a creamy dressing like this recipe. I’ve also included step-by-step instructions on how to eat an artichoke in case you’ve never had the opportunity.

Ingredients:
Fresh artichokes, one per person
equal parts low-fat mayonnaise and fat-free plain yogurt (about 1/4 cup of each)
1 clove of garlic, minced
freshly ground pepper to taste
pinch of salt
juice of 1/2 lemon or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

If your artichoke has lots of pokey spikes on the tips of the leaves, chop a few inches off the top of the bloom. It’s not necessary, but it makes the artichoke easier to handle.
Place your artichokes in a large stockpot and fill the pot with water. Your artichokes will probably float, but that’s ok. Place a tight-fitting lid on the pot and place over high heat. Once boiling, turn down the heat to medium-low and allow artichokes to boil for 45 minutes.

While artichokes boil, combine the other ingredients in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate till artichokes are done.

To test the doneness of your artichokes, tug at one of the inner leaves with some tongs. If the leaf pulls out easily, your artichoke is done. If you have to tug on it for a while before it comes out, it’s not ready. Boil another 5 or 10 minutes.

When your artichokes are done, transfer them to shallow bowls with a small sieve or slotted spoon. Let them cool for 5 minutes before eating. Allow the cooking water to cool to room temperature and use it to water your plants.

How to eat your artichoke:
1. Place a big empty bowl in the center of your table
2. Discard the very outer leaves, as they tend to be tough
3. Remove a leaf and scrape the lower inside half of it with your teeth (I prefer to use my lower teeth, but whatever seems right for you is good).
4. Discard the leaf in the bowl
5. Eat as many leaves as you can in this fashion, turning the artichoke as you go.
6. Eventually the leaves will be so tender you can’t really scrape them. These are ok to eat the entire ends of (I wouldn’t eat the tips)
7. When the leaves get too thin and tender, use a spoon to scrape them away. Beneath these leaves will be a layer of hairy bits. Scrape all the hairs away and you’ll reveal the heart of the artichoke. This is my favorite part. Dip the whole heart into your creamy sauce and eat all of it but the stem.

Cooking, recipes, side dishes

Asparagus with Cheese Sauce

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I don’t love asparagus. I don’t hate it either. So I thought I might like it more if I smother it in cheese sauce. Cheese sauce makes every vegetable super delicious and totally less healthy.
This recipe is based on one from Cooks Country Magazine April Edition. After starting the recipe, I realized I was lacking half of the ingredients, so I improvised. I really like what I came up with.

Serves Two

Ingredients:
1/2 pound asparagus
3/4 cup water
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chicken stock
pat of butter
1 tbs Wondra Flour
1/2 cup sharp cheddar
pepper

Trim about 2 inches off the ends of the asparagus. Reserve the trimmed ends. Boil the water in a saute pan and add the trimmed ends. Cover and boil for 5 minutes. Remove the trimmings with a slotted spoon and throw them away. Add the asparagus to the pan with a pinch of salt, recover and cook for 4 minutes. Set asparagus on some paper towels to drain and dry. Reserve the asparagus liquid in a measuring cup and add enough chicken stock to make 3/4 cups of liquid. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk over medium-low heat for about a minute. Add the liquid and whisk for another few minutes till thick. If it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Too thin, sprinkle in more flour while whisking vigorously (this may create lumps). Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese till melted. Add pepper to taste. Pour over asparagus. Yum!

appetizers, Cooking, recipes

Stuffed Baby Portobello Mushrooms

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I love Costco, but when there are only two members in your family, it’s difficult to use Costco quantities without everything spoiling. That’s why I buy carefully — I buy foods that last a long time, such as mini bell peppers, olive oil and chicken stock. But yesterday I just couldn’t resist the baby portobello mushrooms in the refrigerated produce room. Also too delectable to avoid — the Costco rotisserie chicken. Such heavenly flavor for only $5 and there’s so much you can do with the leftovers.
This recipe I threw together in about 20 minutes. It uses some chicken leftovers and makes good use of my perfect mushrooms. These make colorful appetizers, but I was craving them as my main meal. They were delish!

Ingredients:
3 mini bell peppers (red, yellow and orange) or 1/4 of a bell pepper
1/8 of an onion
1 clove of garlic (I was out, but I would normally add this with the onion)
about 12 mini portobello mushrooms (crimini or buttons would work too), stems removed and saved
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbs fresh chopped oregano
2 tbs bread crumbs
2 thick slices of roasted chicken breast
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Carefully remove the stems from each mushroom and with a melon baller, scoop out some of the flesh inside each mushroom so there’s room to stuff. Save what you scoop.

In a mini food processor, pulse the peppers, onion and mushroom stems and innards till finely chopped. In a small frying pan, heat up about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the peppers, onion, garlic, mushroom innards, oregano, salt and pepper. Saute till everything is softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the chicken.
Transfer the cooked ingredients to a bowl and combine the chicken, bread crumbs and half the cheese. In a small baking dish, fill each mushroom cap with the mixture so it mounds up on top. Top with shredded parmesan cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Cooking, snacks

Kale Krisps

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Kale is a beautiful plant. It’s ruffly and looks so healthy. But who cooks Kale? I know little about this vegetable. So today I decided to try something new: kale chips. It’s simple. Take a fresh bunch of kale and dry it as much as possible. Tear the thick stem away from the leaves. Break the leaves into bite-size pieces and toss lightly with olive oil. Transfer to a cookie sheet, making sure none of the leaves overlap. Lightly salt and place in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. What comes out are crispy and salty. You wouldn’t believe you’re eating something so rich in beta-ceratene and vitamins A and C!

Cooking, dessert

Mint Basil Granita

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A refreshing, icy dessert. Perfect for a hot day in Mexico.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil
juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
3 cups of water, divided
1 cup sugar

Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and one cup of water to a boil. Simmer, stirring constantly, for five minutes. Let this simple syrup cool in the fridge. Meanwhile, in a blender combine the mint, basil, lime/lemon and one cup water till well blended. Add another cup of water, blend well, then chill in the fridge. When both the simple syrup and basil/mint combo are cold, combine in a 6-quart Tupperware with a lid. Place in the freezer. Every couple of hours, stir the mixture and scrape the sides until it’s a yummy, crystallized dessert. Expect this process to take all day, but it’s totally worth it!