Carrie's Birthday Dinner

Well hey. A year and a half later--after shift changes, job changes, and going back to school--I've found myself cooking a lot again. And I thought to myself "Hey. I used to do a blog for that." So here we are again.

Carrie's birthday was last week, and this was my birthday present to her: a homemade Indian dinner and a clean house.

PALAK DAL
(recipe from about.com)

Ingredients
1 cup chana dal (yellow lentils)
5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste
1 package frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces) or 1 bunch spinach chopped.
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped or 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chopped green chili
4 tablespoons lemon juice (I left this out, as I didn't have any on hand.)
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
cilantro to garnish

Method
1. Cook the dal in the 5 cups of water with turmeric and salt for 30 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach is tender and mixed with the lentils--about 35-50 minutes.
2. In a separate pan heat the oil, add the cumin seeds and as they pop add the onions. Brown the onions.
3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, green chili, coriander, garam masala, red chili powder, stir 2 minutes.
4. Add the daal and spinach and lemon juice, stir and heat through.
5. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with pita or chapati or basmati rice.


KIRTI'S MOM'S ALOO GOBI*
(Recipe handed down to me from a friend of a friend.)

Ingredients
2 medium cauliflower heads (cubed)
4 medium potatoes (cubed)
13 cloves garlic
4 green chilies (Serrano or jalapeno) cut small
2 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp tumeric
1 tbsp red chili powder
1 tbsp cumin seeds
3 small ginger root pieces

Method
1. Start with cold pan. Fry potatoes in a few tablespoons of oil until browned, stirring regularly, add cumin.
2. Grate ginger and garlic in to pan with potatoes.
3. Combine spices in to small bowl and add to potatoes.
4. Add cauliflower--stir until coated. Add more oil, if needed.
5. Cook covered on medium-high for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Turn to high, stir, cover, cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add chilies, cook uncovered for 15 to 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Once dry, cook on lowest setting for 5 minutes. Serve warm.


VEGAN ORANGE CAKE
(recipe from earthvegan.blogspot.com)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup minus 2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp Cointreau liqueur (I used Grand Mariner, as that's the orange liqueur I had on hand.)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Method
1. Mix together the wet ingredients and add to the dry. Stir until smooth.
2. Pour into a greased and floured 9 inch square cake pan.
3. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then slide a thin knife around the edges.
5. Gently remove the cake from the pan and continue cooling on a rack.

NOTES:
*I made HALF this recipe for dinner that night. Although Indian food refrigerates well and will last for a good week or so before getting weird, I wasn't sure that we needed quite that much food between three people. In the end, apparently, I probably could have made the full recipe.

VERDICT:
I was a little nervous about the palak dal, as it's actually not a dish I'd had before. But we had yellow lentils on hand and, more importantly, a bunch of spinach that needed to be used that day. It turned out really well, though, despite my lack of lemon juice. I ate it for three meals.

The aloo gobi was also a hit, as potatoes and cauliflower are among Carrie's favorite vegetables, and she'd never had it before. It was gone by the end of the next day.

The cake was amazing. I served it with frosting (store-bought whipped vanilla).

Will definitely make all of these dishes again.

Artichoke Heart and Quinoa Salad + Spicy Carrot and Potato Soup

(Catching up on some unposted meals. Sorry about the laziness!)

ARTICHOKE HEART AND QUINOA SALAD

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa*
2 1/2 cups water
2 heads Belgian endive leaves, separated and rinsed (I couldn't find endive, so I just served on a bed of Romaine.)
2 cups artichoke hearts, chopped roughly
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
2 shallots, thinly sliced
dressing of choice (I used olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.)

Method:
Combine quinoa with water in large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking grains, stirring occasionally, until tender, for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, layer dinner plates with endive leaves. In separate mixing bowl, combine artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes and sliced shallots. When quinoa is cool, stir grain and vegetables together, and dress as desired, tossing to combine. Arrange mixture on endive leaves and serve.

SPICY CARROT AND POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
150g/5oz potato, chopped
400ml/14fl oz vegetable stock
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 vine tomato, de-seeded and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1. Place the carrot, potato, stock and chilli flakes in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 7-8 minutes, then drain the vegetables, reserving the stock.
2. Heat the olive oil in the saucepan and fry the vegetables, along with the chopped garlic, for 3-4 minutes, or until tender.
3. Pour the stock back into the pan with the vegetables, stir in the tomatoes and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using a hand blender, process the soup until smooth.

NOTES:
If you've never tried quinoa, you really ought to. Like cous cous, which has a similar but distinctly different texture and flavor, you can prepare it almost any way you like--Carrie frequently makes it with broccoli and cheese, and I've played around with vegetables and Bragg's soy sauce. Plus, unlike cous cous, it's gluten-free.

*I STRONGLY recommend Ancient Harvest brand quinoa, as it's already rinsed. Unless you enjoy spending a full ten minutes sifting through tiny grains.

VERDICT:
We both loved the quinoa salad, and actually prepared it again a week later when we had guests over. It makes a fantastic appetizer, side-dish, or light meal.

I enjoyed the soup, although it was very literally 'carrot' and 'potato' and I'd forgotten that Carrie really doesn't like the flavor of cooked carrots. Oops. If you enjoy both of those flavors, though, it would be a really great cool-weather soup.

Beef and Celery with Rice

I found this idea in the Austin American when they were talking about Chinese culture. I couldn't find the recipe there, in the two minutes I looked for it, but this one came out nicely.

Recipe: beef and celery

Beef and Celery--

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups thinly sliced celery
• 8 oz MorningStar Farms Meal starters, beef strips
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Method:

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Slowly cook and stir onions and celery until golden brown; remove from heat and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Place beef slices in the skillet and heat until well browned. Stir in salt, pepper, soy sauce and water.
3. Add the celery and onion mix. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch. Pour the mixture into skillet. Stirring constantly, heat until thickened. Takes about 5 minutes.
   

Verdict:
This is how I should have done it. I didn't do the beef tips serperately, and they were too mushy. I think that doing it the way I was supposed to do it would give a nice crisp to the strips and give it a better texture.

I would make this again. It was easy, good, and a nice change to beef and broccoli.

Feta Potatoes + Garlic Quorn

POTATOES WITH FETA
Ingredients:
5 medium baking potatoes
10 pimento-stuffed olives, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup half and half
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt

Preperation:
Cook potatoes in boiling salted water for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and cool. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Combine potatoes and next 6 ingredients; gently toss. Spoon into lightly greased 10x6x2 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.


GARLIC QUORN
Ingredients:
1 box (4 peices) Quorn cutlets
4-6 Tablespoons butter
1 large clove garlic (minced or crushed)
handful chopped herbs (I usually use rosemary, but basil would also be great in this)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Lemon rounds for garnish

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat medium baking dish with spray oil. In medium bowl, mash butter with a spoon until smooth. Add garlic, herbs, and seasonings. Make several slashes on the top of each piece of Quorn and fill cuts with butter mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with lemon garnish.

NOTES:
Feta Potatoes are a staple at my parents' house, and are a wonderful accompaniment to most meals. If you eat meat, we often used to serve it with steak or other beef dishes, which it compliments nicely.

VERDICT:
As always, I quite enjoyed this comfort food and will certainly make it again. Perhaps Carrie is better equipped to answer this one.

Homemade Pasta and Pesto

Recipe: pasta

Homemade Pasta-


Ingredients:

4 c. flour
4 tbsp. olive oil
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt

Method:

Make mound with the flour on your work surface and scoop out a well in the middle. Pour the eggs into the hole, add the salt, and work the eggs and the flour together till you have a smooth dough, adding just a drop of water if necessary, and no more. Knead the dough for ten to fifteen minutes, until it is smooth, firm, and quite elastic. Don't skimp on the kneading or the dough will tear while you're rolling it out.

You are now ready for the hard part: separate the dough into two pieces. Flour your work surface (the marble counter tops in Italian kitchens are ideal for this, though wood or Formica work as well -- a pastry cloth gets in the way) and start to roll out the dough, rolling from the middle, flipping it occasionally, and flouring it as necessary to keep it from sticking. To keep the sheet from breaking, once it has reached a certain size, roll it up around the rolling pin and then invert the rolling pin; you can, as you are unrolling the sheet, gently stretch it by holding the unrolled part firm and pulling gently away with the rolling pin. Keep on flipping and rolling till you have a sheet that's almost transparent -- as thin as a dime, or thinner, if you can manage it (the pasta will almost double in thickness while cooking). The Emilians, acknowledged masters of home-made pasta, say your backside should work up a sweat as you're rolling out the sheet.

Pesto--

Ingredients:

1 c Basil, chopped well
2 c spinach, chopped roughly
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
5-10 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4-6 cherry tomatoes, chopped to quarters
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

So, I wasn't really sure how much of everything I put in, I just made a guess. If you have it, put more basil than spinach. I use the spinach to create more volume when I don't have enough basil.

1.In a pan, heat oil. Add garlic on low heat and simmer until the garlic starts to become translucent. Add basil, and sautee for about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook until soft and limp.

2. Pour into a bowl and use hand mixer to blend. I like mine still with chunks, so I don't blend very well. Also, you can skip this step, but it allows for a finer sauce to more evenly coat the pasta.

3. Put sauce back in the pan. Add the butter and the tomatoes, cook until soft.

Verdict:
I didn't spend enough time kneading or rolling out the pasta, so it was a little crumbly and too thick. I also remembered why I really need a pasta machine. It's hard work. And I hate kneading things, and pasta has to be kneaded for at least 15 minutes, more like 20. It's backbreaking and our cabinets are too high so I can't get all my weight on it. Other wise, there is nothing better in the world than fresh pasta! And the sauce was nice and light and perfect for a hot day! I sprinkled it with fresh parmesan cheese and we had a nice Chardonnay that didn't quite match, but was still good.

Lentil, Potato, and Chorizo Soup--Vegitarian Style!

Recipe: http://www.cookthink.com/recipe/4012/Lentil_Soup_With_Chorizo_And_Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 package Smart Bacon from Lifelight
6 cups water
2 Vegetarian chorizo (can't remember what the brand was called, and it is hard to find)
2 small russet potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked through
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the carrot, onion, garlic, thyme and pancetta. Season them with a light sprinkling of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 5-7 minutes.

2. Add the water, chorizo and potato. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce immediately to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potato cubes are barely tender, 15-20 minutes. Add the lentils and cook until they're tender, 5-10 more minutes.

3. Stir in the lemon juice and add more salt and pepper to taste.


Verdict:

The soy-rizo ends up crumbling alot when you put it in, but it adds a nice thickness to the soup and you don't lose any flavor. I added a little yogurt and dipped buttered bread in the soup and found it very delicious. I'd definitely make it again, but save it for a colder day :) Texas in July isn't condusive to hot soups, but I had been cold all day. The house I was working in is kept at 68 degrees and it was only in the mid-eighties outside and I was freezing by the time I got back to my real work and then home and just wanted hot, heavy soup. This fit the bill.

Also, this soup has very little prep time. Once you get the first step in the pot, you have time to prep for the next steps as the other things are cooking, which made it an easy meal. I'd like it a little spicier next time, but it's so hard to even find the soy-rizo that I think I'll have to add the spice with old fashioned pepper.

Seven's Vegetarian Pot Pie

Well, we've been on hiatus for a while (blogging, not cooking) due to vacations and moving house. But now we're back! In theory someday we'll go back and post the recipes we've tried over the last few weeks. However, for today...

Ingredients:

Crust.
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
pinch salt

Filling.
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Quorn cutlets, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium potato, cubed
2 carrots, sliced in rounds
1/3 large onion, diced
1 cup vegetarian broth
handful frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen broccoli and cauliflower
1 can condensed broccoli cheese soup
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine all crust ingredients in bowl. Mix with fork until blended thorougly. Roll in to ball and then roll out until approximately 9x9 inches square.
2. Heat oil in frying pan. Add Quorn, garlic, potato, carrots, and onion to pan. Fry until vegetables begin to soften. Before they begin to brown, add broth to pan. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. In large bowl, combine peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and condensed soup. Add Quorn mixture to bowl and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper, as desired.
4. Grease a 9x9 glass baking dish. Add filling. Cover with crust, making sure to poke holes in the center.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

NOTES:
The crust is a fairly basic biscuit dough that I snurched from the internet. The rest of the dish was cobbled together based on what I had in my cupboard and a couple of different chicken pot pie recipes.

VERDICT:
Despite the fact that (in my impatience to get this cooked) I ended up with a few slightly crunchy bits of potato, I was really impressed with how this dish came out. It's comfort food that's still chock full of vegetables. I'll definitely make this again.

Asparagus Risotto with Quorn

Recipe: risotto


Asparagus Risotto--

Ingredients:

2-1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed, tips cut off and reserved
Salt
8 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-1/2 cups arborio rice (1 pound)
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3 ounces)
Freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Cook the asparagus tips in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tips to a colander and rinse in cold water; drain well.
2. Break the asparagus stalks in half. Add them to the boiling water and cook until very tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking water, then drain the stalks. Puree the stalks with the reserved cooking water in a food processor. Using a rubber spatula, work the puree through a coarse sieve; you should have about 2 cups.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the shallots are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir over moderate heat to coat the grains with the oil. Pour in the wine and continue stirring until the wine is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.
4. Add 1 cup of the hot stock and stir constantly until almost absorbed. Continue adding the stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until it is absorbed before adding more. When the rice is almost tender, after about 15 minutes, add the asparagus puree. Continue to cook, stirring, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite, about 4 minutes. Add the asparagus tips and stir for 1 minute to heat through.
5. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and let stand for 2 minutes, then spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and serve.

Quorn
I just sauteed the Quorn with some oil and rosemary. Feel free to prepare as you wish.

Verdict:

I loved loved loved this risotto. This is my first time ever making risotto in general, and I have to say, it is a lot of work. And hot. But this recipe doesn't have cream or very much cheese, so it is a little healthier. Also, the asparagus puree is amazing. I don't even love asparagus, though I doubt you could tell from the recipes I post. It's in season and I know that you can cook cool things with it, which is why I keep trying new things.


Short story--go make this now. It'll feed alot of people (4-8) so cut the recipe if you don't want leftovers out the wazoo.

Thai Noodle Soup and Rice Cake

THAI NOODLE SOUP

Ingredients:
2 tsp sunflower or other vegetable oil
1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 lemongrass stalks
2 kaffir lime leaves - or strip of pared lime rind (I couldn't find the leaves, so I used rind.)
1.2 litres/2 pint veggie stock
75g/3oz dried medium egg noodles
1 lime, juice only (about 2 tsp)
½ medium-hot red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
2.5ml/½ tsp sugar
50g/2oz fresh spinach or pak choi, cut into 2.5cm/1in wide strips
a handful fresh coriander/cilantro leaves

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
2. Add the garlic and fry gently over a medium heat for 1 minute.
3. Meanwhile, lightly crush the lemon grass stalks with a rolling pin or the blade of a large knife.
4. To make the soup add the lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and stock to the pan, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. To refine the soup, strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, return to the pan and add lime juice, red chilli and sugar. Simmer for 3 minutes. (I just picked out the lemongrass and lime rind, because I am lazy.)
6. Meanwhile , drop the noodles into a pan of boiling water, remove from the heat and leave to soak for 4 minutes, before draining. (Or just toss the noodles in to the broth and cook them that way, which is what I did because I didn't feel like pulling out another pot and waiting for the water to boil.)
7. Add the egg noodles and spinach, or pak choi and simmer for a further 30 seconds.
8.Finally, ladle into bowls, dividing the noodles equally between them and scatter over the coriander leaves.


RICE CAKE

Ingredients:
150g/5¼oz cooked Thai fragrant rice (I used plain basmati, because I had no idea where to find this.)
1 free-range egg, beaten
2 spring onions, finely chopped
½ red pepper, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
drizzle soy sauce
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
2. Place the cooked rice into a large bowl. Stir in the beaten egg along with the spring onions, pepper, salt and freshly ground black pepper and soy sauce.
3. Heat the oil in a small to medium non-stick frying pan. Spoon the rice mixture into the pan and press down. Fry for about two minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for a further 10-12 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Turn the cake out and cut into wedges to serve.


NOTES
The soup could easily be made vegan by the substitution of regular noodles for egg noodles, and the rice cake if you felt like playing around with non-egg binders.

I believe the entire meal is gluten-free, although of course you'd want to double-check your broth and noodles.


VERDICT
The soup was fine. Not the most delicious thing I've ever tasted in my life, but it was good and had a nice balance of spice/savory/sour as Thai food should. I might make it again, although I think it would be better as an appetizer than part of the main course.

The rice cake was a little odd, just because it was rice and egg all baked together. Certainly edible, but probably not something I'd cook for myself again.

Aloo Tikki with Chhole

Recipe: aloo tikki

Another dish I've had at a restaurant and have tried to reproduce at home. The chhole isn't what I had in the restaurant. I had sev sar over it, but apparently the internet doesn't know what sev sar is...oh well. They were still good separately.


Aloo Tikki

Ingredients:
1/4 kg potatoes boiled and grated
1/4 cup of boiled and mashed green peas
2 slices white bread toasted a bit and made into a coarse powder (bread crumbs)
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
1" ginger grated
3 tbsps of chopped fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
salt to taste
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chaat masala (optional)
1 tsp roasted cumin pwd
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
ghee/oil for shallow frying

Method:
Boil potatoes and cool them before grating them.Add the rest of the ingredients except the ghee and mix well.Roll into lemon sized balls and flatten them and shape into cutlets or round burger shaped patties and flatten them a bit.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee on a griddle and add 3 to 4 tikkis at a time and let them cook on slow fire till a crisp golden color crust is formed on both the sides.Remove on absorbent paper and serve with chole & a squeeze of lemon.


CHHOLE-

Ingredients:
2 cans Garbanzo beans also called Chick Peas
2 large Onions, chopped finely
4 large Tomatoes, chopped finely OR 1 cup of canned tomatoes can be used instead
2 teaspoons Ginger paste
2 teaspoons Garlic paste
2 Bay leaves
1 Star anise
2" long Cinnamon stick
2 to 3 teaspoons Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Garam masala
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons Oil
3 table spoons fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
1/4th cup cilantro or coriander leaves, chopped finely

Method:
Heat the oil; add the bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick and the ginger and garlic paste. Sauté for a few minutes till light brown.

Add the onions and fry till brown. Add the tomatoes and sauté till the oil starts to separate.

Add the cumin powder, garam masala salt, sugar and mint leaves. Mix well.

Add the garbanzo beans. Add 1/2 cup of hot water and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Serve over Aloo tikkis with some finely chopped red onion, cilantro leaves & a squeeze of lemon.


Verdict:
So, I ended up serving the aloo with yogurt and eating the chhole separately. I loved the aloo, but then again, it's potatoes and yogurt, two of the best ingredients ever. The chhole was good, too, but I think I should have used fresh tomatoes to make it more fresh and creamy.

This could be gluten free if you substituted the breadcrumbs with corn meal or something. There are other recipes that use corn meal, if you search.

Cheese Fondue

(Recipe from FondueRecipes.org)

Ingredients:
8 oz of shredded chedder cheese.
8 oz shredded emmental chesse.
1 garlic clove.
1 can of beer.*
2 tablespoons of flour.
1 teaspoon of Salt.
Pinch of pepper.

Method:
Mix together all of the ingredients. Melt the mixture and place into a fondue pot.

NOTES
*I used Shiner Bock, a central-Texas specialty and just really good middle-of-the-road beer. (Also so I could toss around words like 'local specialty' and 'you probably can't find it in your area'.) Any medium to dark beer would probably work fine.

Serve with cubes of French bread, cubes of fried potato, steamed broccoli, steamed cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, cubes of apple, and/or whatever else you have lying around that seems like it could be good with cheese. Go wild!

Do not be fooled by the simplicity of the 'Method'. "Just melt the cheese and put it in the fondue pot!" Apparently you have to be very careful when melting the cheese and not cook it at too hot or cool a temperature lest it become a MASS OF DISGUSTING GLOOP in beer. Incidentally.

VERDICT
Well, I really only wanted to try my hand at fondue because I had discovered a brand new fondue set at Goodwill for only $5 several months earlier and had bought it. Despite the somewhat off-putting texture of the concoction I ended up with, it tasted good, and with all of the dipping items it actually made for a pretty well-balanced and filling meal. I'm not sure how soon I'll be attempting cheese fondue again, but I think I'd like to try some of the oil and dessert varieties, at least.

Upitta and Ravioli

Recipes: Sage cream ravioli

This week has been crazy. So, due to different engagements every night, I have cooked two meals partly from scratch. Enjoy!

Upitta--

Ingredients:
Cream of Wheat
potatoes
peas
onions
spices
oil

Method:

1. Peel and boil potatoes. Toast Cream of Wheat.
2. Saute onions and spices.
3. Add potatoes.
4. Add Cream of Wheat and follow box's directions.



Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce--

Ingredients:
1 8- to 9-ounce package refrigerated vegetable-filled ravioli

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dried sage leaves
3/4 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup whipping cream

Parmesan cheese shavings

Method:
Cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add pecans and stir until slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pecans to small bowl. Add shallots and sage to same skillet. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cream. Increase heat and boil until sauce is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.

Add ravioli to sauce; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls. Sprinkle with pecans and Parmesan.

Cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add pecans and stir until slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pecans to small bowl. Add shallots and sage to same skillet. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cream. Increase heat and boil until sauce is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.

Add ravioli to sauce; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls. Sprinkle with pecans and Parmesan.

Verdict:

Well, I still can't make Upitta, but now that I can spell it, I have found some recipes that I can try. One day, Sharad will teach us how to do it. He's made it alot and it always comes out to this consistency that I just can't get. And I messed up the spices this time. So, I'm sorry if that recipe sucks. I'll share the winner when I can find it!

I used spinach and cheese ravioli, from the *gasp* frozen aisle. The sauce was nice. It needed a little more butter to mellow it out, and I was using a fruity wine that wasn't quite right. I also would have strained out most of the 'stuff' that ends up in the sauce at the end, just to make for a more pleasant eating experience. You could even use some of it as a garnish.

I served the ravioli with a radicchio and carrot salad that was okay. I also forgot to bring the bread (we had a picnic), so it wasn't as filling as it could be.

Mild Coconut Curry

(Original recipe from BBC Food.)

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, chopped
1 lemongrass stalk
4 tbsp Puy lentils (I had no idea what these were or where to find them, so I used red lentils. Because that's what we had at home.)
1 tbsp coconut oil (Couldn't find it at the grocery store, so used vegetable oil.)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
125g/4oz green beans
1 [courgette/zucchini], chopped
250g/8oz frozen sweetcorn
300ml/½ pint can coconut milk
1 lime, juice only
1 tbsp chopped [coriander/cilantro] leaves

Method:
1. Put the potatoes, lemongrass and lentils into a medium saucepan and add enough boiling water to just cover the tops of the potatoes. Return to the boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, garlic, turmeric and cumin until the onion is soft. Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the coriander, and stir well.
3. Remove the lemongrass from the lentil pan, then add the lentil mixture to the onion mixture.
4. Simmer everything for about 10 minutes, or until the lentils are soft, then add the chopped [coriander/cilantro].

NOTES
I served this over rice and with an onion naan on the side that I picked up frozen from my local supermarket.

This recipe makes a LOT of curry. Carrie and I both ate until we were stuffed and there were still a good two servings left.

VERDICT
I'd tasted this sort of Thai-ish curry before, but had never actually tried to make it myself, so I had no idea how it would turn out. I might have preferred it slightly more flavorful (it is very mild) but it was still delicious and surprisingly filling for what was essentially a plate of vegetables and starch. A great warm-weather meal.

Eastern Europe

Recipes: Spaetzle, Sausages


Spaetzle--

Ingredients:
6 eggs, beaten frothy
3 cups sifted flour
1 cup milk
3 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)

Method:
1. Mix wet ingredients first. Then, with a power mixer, slowly add flour until it's all combined.
2. Boil a pot of water. Have a lid, large slotted spoon, colander, and pot holder nearby.
3. I don't have a spaetzle hex, so I did it the 'fun' way. You could also just use a spoon and plop globs in the water, though this makes them more like dumplings than a pasta.
4. Ladle two spoonfuls of batter into a colander. Use the back of the ladle to push the batter through the holes in the boiling water. Once there is a layer in the pot, cover and allow the spaetzle to puff up. It takes about two minutes. They will expand and get puffy.
5. Use the slotted spoon to move them into another colander, or a paper-towel. Repeat until you have no more batter.


Bacon Sauce--

Ingredients:
One package Smart Bacon, chopped well
4 tbsp butter
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method:
1. Throw it all in a pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until the bacon gets limp.
2. Drizzle over spaetzle, then sprinkle with the cheese.



Polish Sausages with Cabbage--

Ingredients:
2 lbs polish sausages
1 large onion
1 head cabbage, cored and quartered
1/2 cup white wine or vegetable broth
2 tbsp butter
Italian herbs
salt to taste

Method:
1. In a frying pan, brown your onions in the butter along with your sausages. (We used 6 Johnsonville Bratwursts and a box of Morning Star Breakfast links. I think that Boca or MS makes veg. brats, but I couldn't find them at our stores this week. If you are going to make this recipe, I recommend waiting until you can find the veg. bratwursts, you'll have a better flavor in the end) Also--if using precooked or vegetarian, do your onions first, then throw in the sausages for long enough to get browned.
2. Once cooked, add the cabbage, broth/wine, and herbs. We only had oregano for whatever reason, but it worked well.
3. Cover and reduce to low heat. Cook for 15 minutes. I like my cabbage softer, so I added about 7 minutes.


I love spaetzle. I grew up with it and just recently discovered it in the stringy-pasta form. We always made larger dumplings at home, which are still good, just different. At home, we usually serve with butter and parmesan cheese. I decided to try the bacon sauce and it was a nice change.

The sausages were okay. When I was in Dusseldorf a few years ago, the family we were staying with made an amazing sausage and cabbage dish that I just can't seem to duplicate. I would have made this with vinegar instead of wine, because I prefer that flavor with my cabbage. But I can see how, if we had used polish sausages instead of brats, it would be nice with the wine. Also--do they make vegetarian polish sausages?!

Verdict--I need a spaetzle hex because this method was brutal on my arms and the kitchen.

Savory Tarte Tatin with Carrot and Coriander Soup

(Both recipes from BBC Food.)

SAVORY TARTE TATIN

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz unsalted butter
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 circle ready-made puff pastry (cut to slightly larger than a small frying pan)
100g/3½oz Brie, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 shelled walnuts, halved

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Place the olive oil and butter into a small ovenproof frying pan.
3. When the butter has melted, add the onions, celery, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Fry for about five minutes, until well softened.
4. Place the pastry on top and tuck in the edges.
5. Place in the preheated oven and bake for ten minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and carefully turn the pastry out onto a baking sheet.
7. Sprinkle the cheese over, before putting the tart back into the oven, pastry-side down. Bake for a further three minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Serve on a plate, with the walnuts sprinkled over.

CARROT AND CORIANDER* SOUP

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, chopped
400g/14oz baby carrots, roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander/cilantro*
400ml/1 pint vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
double cream as garnish (if desired)

Method:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy pan. Add the onion and carrots and sauté over a high heat for 3-4 minutes.
2. Roughly chop the coriander/cilantro* stalks and add to the pan, along with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes or until the carrots are tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend with a hand blender until smooth.
3. Serve in a soup bowl. Garnish with the coriander leaves and drizzle with cream and remaining oil.

NOTES
*If you're in America, the leaves of the plant are called CILANTRO and the seeds are called coriander. For heaven's sake don't put coriander seed in instead of cilantro. I can't speak from personal experience, here, but I'm pretty sure the result would be far less appetizing.

Leave the cream out of the soup, the brie off the tarte, double-check your puff pastry, use margerine or oil instead of butter, and you've got a completely vegan meal.

VERDICT
I became a huge fan of carrot and coriander soup when I lived in England--there was a soup and smoothie stand at Paddington that I'd often stop at on my way home from the couple of classes I had in London. I was excited to discover just how ridiculously easy it is to make. Mine wasn't quite as good as I remember theirs being, but even given that it was my first attempt and I got a little over-zealous with the salt, it was delicious.

The tarte was okay. Not my favorite ever, and didn't make great leftovers, but it complimented the soup well for that meal.

Dosas with Miscellaneous

Recipes: dosa, tomato chutney, cilantro chutney, red onion chutney

Dosa--

Ingredients:
1/2 kg raw rice
300 g black gram
salt as req'd

Method:
1. Wash and soak rice and black gram for at least 8 hours
2. In a blender, blend a little of each with enough water to get a pancake-batter consistency. Pour into a second bowl as needed so you are only dealing with about 2 cups at a time in the blender.
3. Set aside for 6-8 hours.
4. Lightly oil a flat griddle. If desired, rub a raw onion on the pan between each dosa.
5. Heat griddle with high heat. I'd give it about 5-7 minutes to get hot.
6. Turn down heat. With a ladle, add one ladle-ful of dosa batter to the middle of the pan. Pressing down, go in a spiral from the middle, pushing the batter out into a circle. You want the dosa thin so it cooks best so don't be afraid to really spread it out--but using circular motions. Think crepe thinness.
7. Turn heat back to high. With a spoon, drizzle oil around the edge of the dosa.
8. Wait about one-two minutes, right as the edges start to curl and the thin parts look brown, then flip it. Add a little more oil around the edges if you feel it is necessary.
9. Once golden and almost crispy, remove and repeat.
10. I seriously recommend eating a dosa at a restaurant or experienced friend's house before you try this. If you don't really know what a dosa is, it is hard to make. Once you know, it is as easy as pancakes.

Tomato Chutney--

Ingredients:

3 pounds of plum tomatoes, peeled and diced. (Unpeeled tomatoes will end up losing their peel in the mix, which is fine but affects the texture)--> just use two or three cans of peeled tomatoes, it will save you so much time though it won't taste as fresh

3 ounces of fresh ginger, finely grated
1 1/4 c sugar
1 red onion, diced very small
10 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 c apple-cider vinegar
3/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 tsp salt
1/3 c golden raisins (or dried apricots if you prefer)

Method:

Simmer everything but the raisins into a heavy saucepan over low heat.
Cook, stirring frequently over low heat, until you get syrup, about 45 minutes.
Add the raisins and cook 5 to 10 minutes to make them plump.
If the sauce seems runny while warm, it will thicken as it cools.

Cilantro Chutney--

Ingredients:
1 cup coriander leaves
1 tablespoon oil or Ghee
3 small green chilies, minced
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp sugar
salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the green chilies and ginger for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and add garlic paste. Remove from the heat and add coriander leaves and mix completely. Place the mixture together with, salt and sugar in a food processor or grinder and mix until well blended.


Red Onion Chutney--

Ingredients:
object2=">2 cups finely chopped red onion
object2=">1/2 cup red wine vinegar
object2=">1/3 cup packed brown sugar
object2=">1 teaspoon mustard seeds
object2=">1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
object2=">1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
object2=">1/4 teaspoon salt
object2=">1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Method:
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.


Potato Curry--(Carrie's recipe)

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 large onion, chopped well
1 tsp tumeric powder
2-3 tsp curry powder
1/2 green chili, finely chopped
some chopped cilantro
salt

Method:
1. Really, I know what's it's supposed to taste like, and all the recipes online are too ocmplicated or I'm missing ingredients, or I feel like they are. So, just spice to taste.
2. Peel and boil the potatoes.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds. They will start to pop. Add onion and saute to golden brown.
4. Add spices and potatoes. Let simmer for a bit. Taste and re-spice as necessary.


I hadn't really eaten a dosa until this past year, and even then, I ate it with the usual restaurant-provided potato curry (what you get when you order Masala Dosa). So I set out to find alternative dips for the dosa. In the end, I loved the tomato chutney. The red onion was nice, but bland next to the tomato. The cilantro was, eh, something I wouldn't do again. And the potato curry was fabulous, as always.

I also cheated here because Grandpa (the father of my boss) made the dosa mix for me the day before. I have seen him do it five or six times, but never done it myself. I would suggest, because the chutneys and potatoes are a handful on their own, to just buy pre-made dosa batter at a local Indian store. It needs to ferment for at least 6 hours, so be sure to find out when it was made to make sure it will be ready when you cook.

In all, it was a delicious Indian-nosh kind of night.

Kare-Raisu with Cucumber Salad and Edamame

KARE-RAISU (Japanese Curry with Rice)

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes, cubed
1 large carrot (or equivalent in baby carrots), chopped roughly
1/4 head cauliflower, chopped roughly
1/3 onion, chopped roughly
1 package Golden Curry brand Japanese Curry*
vegetable oil for frying
1 cup rice, steamed

Method:
Chop all vegetables. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add potatos and onions, frying until they begin to brown and soften. Add carrots and cauliflower and enough water to cover the potatos. Break Golden Curry into mixture and simmer, for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft and curry sauce is of desired consistancy. Serve hot over steamed rice.

CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

Method:
Peel cucumber. Cut in half and then in to long, thin spears. Place in shallow glass bowl. In a small saucepan, boil water, vinegar, and sugar to a boil until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers and add salt. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally.

EDAMAME
You can find edamame (soybean pods) in the frozen vegetable and/or frozen ethnic foods section of most grocery stores. Simply boil or steam until thawed. May be served plain, or (as Carrie preferrs) drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and black pepper.

NOTES
*You can absolutely make your own curry, if you've got the time and inclination. A quick Google search offers up plenty of recipes. However, pre-packaged curry is quick, easy, vegetarian, and guaranteed to give you the right blend of spices every time.

VERDICT
Although it took a while to chop and cook all of the vegetables, this meal was quite easy and turned out really well, I thought. There was more than enough for both of us at dinner, and it all tasted just as good for lunch the second day. As you'd expect from a whole bunch of vegetables on a plate, it doesn't necessarily stick with you for hours, but it's a tasty and filling light meal.

Polenta and Asparagus

Recipes: polenta, asparagus



Polenta--

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 sprig rosemary
1/2 cup polenta corn meal
Salt
Oil for frying

Method:
1. Combine the milk, cream, garlic and rosemary in a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for a minute or two and then remove the rosemary and garlic from the milk. Slowly add the corn meal, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until it’s all in.
2. Reduce heat to low, and add a touch of salt. Keep stirring with a whisk or fork until the polenta thickens. Continue stirring for a bit longer. It will get really thick, and start to pull away from the pot.
3. Remove heat and spread the polenta out in a casserole dish, to between 1/2-inch or 1/4-inch thick. Cover and let cool. You can keep it refrigerated like this for up to two days.
4. Once chilled, use a cookie cutter to cut out rounds, or simply slice into triangles, and carefully separate.
5. Heat enough oil to just cover the bottom of a griddle or frying pan on medium-high heat. Just before the smoking point, add the polenta pieces. Fry on each side for about 1 minute to brown. Carefully remove, and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the pieces.


Asparagus Gratin--

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus (1-2 pounds)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely grated Fontina
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and put the rack in the middle position.
2. After rinsing the asparagus, snap off and discard the tough bottom ends of the asparagus spears. (They will naturally break at the right spot.) In a small bowl, toss together the bread crumbs, oil, Fontina and pepper. Set aside.
3. Arrange the asparagus in a casserole dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the heavy cream and chicken stock over the mixture. Cover with foil and bake until tender, 14-18 minutes. Remove the asparagus from the oven and preheat the broiler.
4. Uncover the asparagus spears and sprinkle the bread crumb and cheese mixture over them. Broil, watching closely, until the mixture is brown and bubbly, 3-5 minutes.



I would recommend that you make the polenta before hand, then fry it up as you throw the asparagus in the oven. I also needed to cook the asparagus for about 20 minutes to get it as soft as I would like.

Looking back, it was a heavy meal. I think next time, I would grill the asparagus with olive oil and black pepper, then broil with the breadcrumbs and cheese to get the crust. I would make a cream and broth sauce and pour it over in the end. That would be lighter and then the sauce could also be used over the polenta.

Because I wasn't sure about the gratin sauce, I sauteed shallots and butter and added a touch of cream to pour over the polenta. It was good, but the method I described above would tie the whole meal together more compeletly, I think.

But, onto the meal--it was delicious. In my head I don't like asparagus, but I do like it. Even better with cheese! The polenta was pretty amazing, though I would add a few chili pepper flakes in the beginning to give it a little more...substance? Body? A bit of a kick. That would also help offset the creaminess (which I love, but in moderation).

I drank a few shandy lagers with it and it was the perfect meal for a night of Lost and the Office. I think it would make a great outside dinner party meal and I really want to try it again with my new ideas.

This could be gluten free, if you found glueten-free bread crumbs, were careful about the corn meal you picked out, and watched your broth.

Also, I love polenta.

Enchiladas Two Different Ways

(Recipes by Seven.)

SPINACH ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:*
-4 flour tortillas
-1/3 cup onion, minced
-1 1/2 cups spinach**
-1/4 cup sour cream
-handful of Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
-salsa verde/green enchilada sauce
-salt and black pepper
-vegetable oil for frying (not olive oil!)

Method:
1. Fry onion, stirring regularly, until it becomes soft and semi-translucent.
2. Add spinach. If using fresh, just cook until it wilts. If frozen, until it's completely thawed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Assemble enchiladas by putting some of the spinach and a generous dollop of sour cream in each tortilla.
4. Roll up and place side-by-side in glass casserole dish. Cover liberally with cheese and salsa verde.
5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese has fully melted.


CHEESE AND BLACK OLIVE ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:***
-4 flour OR corn tortillas (I used flour, just for convenience's sake)
-1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
-1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
-about 10 large black olives, pitted and sliced
-1/2 tomato, chopped
-red enchilada sauce (not chunky salsa!)

Method:
1. Assemble enchiladas: add a generous helping of cheddar, several slices of black olive, a few chunks of tomato, and a bit of Monterrey Jack to each tortilla.
2. Roll and place side-by-side in a glass casserole dish. Cover liberally with enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes or until cheese melts.

Notes:
*I actually did not measure any of my ingredients at all, because I'm one of those ridiculous people who cooks by eye if it's something I've made before or know how it's supposed to turn out. So these measurements are a rough estimate at best. Just a warning.

**You can use fresh spinach, of course. I find that whenever I buy it fresh, the majority of it goes bad before I can use it. Frozen tastes just as good and lasts forever. Buy it in bags, though, and not bricks or you run in to the same problem of having a whole lot of un-thawed spinach on your hands and nothing to do with it.

***Seriously, making the numbers up. That's the great thing about cooking things like this, though. Just add stuff until it looks right! You can't really go wrong here!

Serving suggestion: I served them with refried beans and slices of fresh avocado on the side, which I thought complimented the dish well. A fancy lime-and-agave-flavored beer made it just about perfect.

Verdict:

I love enchiladas but had never actually made them before, so I was really pleased with how well these came out. I don't think Carrie was thrilled by the spinach version, but I liked them both quite a lot. Ridiculously easy, not terribly labor-intensive, potentially modifiable in any number of ways...I'll definitely be making these again.

Carrie Says:

They were good. It seemed easy for Seven to make them all by herself and I enojoyed them. Seven--I did like the spinch ones, but maybe we could use ricotta instead of sour cream, or more of a mix? I don't know. Anyway, it was a good meal. Not fantastic, but good.

Greek Feast

(Recipes: hummus, tzatziki, Greek Quorn)

Hummus-

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed well
1/2 cup tahini
salt and cumin to taste
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
extra water to soften if needed

Method:
Throw it all in a blender, add more water if needed. Also, start with this recipe, then add more lemon juice, salt, or garlic to taste. I would also recommend chili powder, cumin, chopped olives, rosemary, or oregano if you want to change it up. (But not all at once, please)


Tzatziki-

Ingredients:
1 pound (1 pint) plain yogurt (whole milk or low fat)
1 cucumber
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1. Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth or paper towel-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. Grate the cucumber and toss it with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt; place it in another sieve, and set it over another bowl. Place both bowls in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt and cucumber can drain.
2.Transfer the thickened yogurt to a large bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumber as you can and add the cucumber to the yogurt. Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. You can serve it immediately, but I prefer to allow the tzatziki to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend. Serve chilled or at room temperature.


Greek Quorn-

Ingredients:
2 Quorn cutlets
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 med. onion - minced
1 clove garlic - minced
14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes - undrained
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper - to taste
1/2 cup Greek olives - halved, pitted
1 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Method:
1. Brown the Quorn slightly in olive oil (for looks and a crispy 'skin'). Set aside.
2. Saute onions and garlic. Add Quorn back in once done. Keep on low temperature. Cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Mix tomatoes, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper together in another bowl, then add to the pan.
4. Add olives. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
5. Add lemon juice and parsley. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.


All I wanted tonight was Greek food. I wanted to make the pita bread fresh, but realized that it was a yeast-recipe and it was only two hours until dinner time.

This hummus recipe is amazingly simple and perfect. I really wouldn't add any of the other flavors. It's creamy and great with cucumbers or toasted pita bread. Tip--always serve your pita bread warm, with just a slight crisp to the outside. It makes everything taste better.

I cheated on the tzatziki, because I didn't let everything drain overnight, but it still came out good, just a little wet. This recipe was easy, and grating the cucumber saved about ten minutes and I couldn't tell the difference in the final product. The recipe asked for it to be un-peeled and de-seeded. I took off the peel but left the seeds. Call me a rebel.

The Greek Quorn was good. I'll make it again, but it wasn't fantastic or anything. But, I think if you make everything but the Quorn, throw it on some bread with cheese and panini it, you would have a fantastic sandwhich. I just served it over rice. But next time!

Seven says:

The hummus was amazing! I'd never had home-made hummus that was as good as what you get in a Mediterranean restaurant/deli, but this absolutely was. My mind always boggles a little at how many people have never had hummus before. If you fall in to that category, you are missing out on life and should go make some immediately! Using this recipe!

The tzatziki was also delicious, of course. But I'm a sucker for Greek yoghurt.
Again, if you've never had real yoghurt, go buy a little container of Greek and put it on EVERYTHING. Put a dollop of jam or honey in it for breakfast, use it instead of milk when cooking boxed macaroni and cheese, throw it on salads or vegetables. It is truly a god of foods.

The quorn dish was not as olivey as I had hoped it would be, but decent. And like Carrie said, would be great with cheese in a panini.

Because I have to: the hummus is vegan, the tzatziki and quorn dish are obviously not.