Cauliflower Jeera (Cumin) Rice

Cauliflower rice is a nice grain alternative to sop up delicious curries. This vegetable can be easily turned into fried rice with a bit of a crunch or a melt-in-your-mouth risotto. However, these preparations take some time and need several ingredients. On the other hand, plain cauliflower rice can be extremely bland. Jeera (cumin) fried cauliflower rice is a wonderful solution to these problems - it tastes good and can be whipped up in a few minutes without much prep! This flavorful “rice” is inspired by the traditional jeera fried rice recipe from India and goes very well with curries.

Ingredients: (3-4 servings)

1 medium-large head of cauliflower

2 tsp ghee (ghee or clarified butter gives it a beautiful aroma, but can use oil if you don’t have any ghee)

1.5 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Cilantro to garnish (optional)

 

“Rice” the cauliflower by using a coarse grater or pulsing florets in a food processor for a few seconds.

 

Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and fry them until they sizzle and turn slightly darker, releasing a lovely aroma. Add the riced cauliflower and sauté for 3-5 minutes until it’s cooked to your liking. I like to keep it somewhat raw.

 

Take off the heat and season with salt. It’s best not to add salt while cooking as the cauliflower would release water.

 

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm with your favorite curry!

~Gayatri


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Mango Relish

Growing up in India, summer was synonymous with playing in the sun, coming home with parched throats to drink cool water from earthen pots, and most importantly - mangoes! I literally can’t stress enough the excitement over Alphanso mangoes. Ripe Alphanso mangoes are beautifully bright yellow, have a tender texture that’s not as fibrous as a lot of other varieties, and the taste is really what rightfully gives them the title of ‘king of mangoes’.

 

Out here in the US, you can buy really expensive Alphonso mangoes, but I typically settle with other varieties that are more easily available, and honestly - fairly delicious! A ripe, sweet mango is particularly suited for making a sweet and sour relish. This quick and  simple recipe uses ripe mangoes for sweetness, lemon juice for tartness and cilantro & ginger to bring out the freshness of all the ingredients. My favorite way of eating this is with avocado toast, but it makes a wonderful dip for chips and crackers, or can be used as a relish for topping grilled chicken, fish, or tofu.

Ingredients: (Makes ~ 1 cup)

½ cup chopped ripe mango

¼ cup chopped onion

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

⅛ tsp grated ginger

½ tsp lemon juice (or to taste)

1 small Roma tomato - deseeded and chopped

1 small pinch of red pepper flakes (or to taste)

 

Mix all ingredients. Adjust red pepper and lemon juice to your liking. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers. For sweet and sour mango-avocado toast, spread mashed avocado on toasted multigrain bread. Top it with mango relish and enjoy!

~Gayatri

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Chai Oatmeal

My weekday breakfast typically involves something quick like oatmeal, fruits or smoothies, while the weekends call for more elaborate preparations such as pancakes, stuffed omelettes, fresh squeezed orange juice etc. However, once in a while oatmeal sneaks back into weekend breakfasts with some delicious flavors such as carrot cake oatmeal, or this chai flavored oatmeal. I have seen several recipes for chai spice oatmeal, but they seldom are made with chai, which really means tea. This recipe has very little spice (just cardamom), but is made with fresh brewed black tea and milk, just like Indian chai. If you’re a chai lover, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this!

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

½ cup freshly brewed black tea (unsweetened)

1 cup skim milk

¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 tsp cardamom powder

1-2 tsp brown sugar - optional

Chopped fruit - optional (I used apples)

Chopped nuts - optional (I used walnuts)

Mix tea and milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add oats, cardamom powder, sugar and cook stirring occasionally for ~6-8 minutes until the oats are cooked. Remove from heat and serve warm topped with chopped fresh fruits and nuts.

~Gayatri

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Roasted Tomatillo and Apple Salsa

Tomatillos, often confused with unripe green tomatoes, have a completely unique personality of their own. Both are technically berries, but unlike tomatoes, tomatillos are covered with a thin paper-like husk, and the fruit has a sticky coating underneath the husks. Raw tomatillos can be extremely tart, but cooking them helps mellow the acidity as well as soften the skin, making them perfect for a sauce.

I always like sweetness accompanying any tart flavor, so after some internet research, I decided to use apple as the complementing flavor for tomatillo salsa. This ended up being the perfect amount of sweet, sour, and spicy for me, but feel free to play with the quantities to skew the taste one way or another!

Ingredients: (Makes ~1.5-2 cups)

4 medium tomatillos - remove husks and rinse

1 medium apple (I used the Golden Delicious variety)

4-5 cloves of garlic - minced

1 small onion - roughly chopped (~⅓- ½ cup)

1 small jalapeno pepper - cored and roughly chopped (add more if you prefer a spicier salsa)

1 cup loosely packed cilantro (I used both leaves and stems)

Salt, black pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet/ baking pan with Aluminum foil.

Chop the tomatillos into quarters. Slice the apple into thick wedges. Place both on the lined baking pan in a single layer and bake in preheated oven for ~20 minutes until slightly browned.

While the tomatillos and apples are baking, prepare remaining ingredients by sauteeing the onions, garlic and jalapeno in olive oil over medium-high heat. Let them cook until you get a good char on the jalapeno and onions.

Add the onion mixture, the cooked tomatillos and apples, cilantro to a food processor and blend to your preferred consistency. Season with salt and pepper. To keep it chunky, you could reserve a couple tablespoons of finely chopped apple.

Store in the refrigerator. Serve with tortilla chips or use in your favorite Mexican recipe!

~Gayatri

Other recipes you might like:

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Sour Cream Tomatillo Sauce

Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

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Goat Cheese, Tomato and Arugula Crepes

As winter is coming to an end, so is the indoor winter farmers’ market in town. I picked up some lovely fresh greens at the last market for this season on Saturday. Crisp arugula leaves - perfect for a salad! But there was enough to use in another recipe as well. So I decided to add some arugula to my brunch crepes along with goat cheese and tomatoes. It’s mild bitterness worked perfectly with the sweetness of tomatoes and the tartness of the balsamic drizzle. Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you - this is a really simple crepe recipe which can be easily customized per the ingredients you have at hand. This version is especially quick since the filling doesn’t have to be cooked, but if you’re in the mood for more elaborate crepes, try our crepes with caramelized onion and mushroom filling and Bechamel sauce.

Ingredients:

Crepes (~4-5 crepes)

½ cup flour (whole wheat or all purpose)

1 egg - beaten

½-¾ cup milk (adjust to get a thin consistency)

1 tsp melted butter (optional)

1 Tbsp chopped spring onions (optional)

½ tsp minced garlic or garlic powder (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil or butter to grease the pan

 

Filling

~2-3 Tbsp soft goat cheese

2 tomatoes -sliced

Freshly cracked pepper

Fresh arugula leaves (~6-7 per crepe)

 

Balsamic reduction

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

Mix all the crepe ingredients and adjust the amount of milk to get a thin batter consistency such that it can spread and coat the pan as you twirl it.

 

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a little bit of oil/butter to grease the pan. Add ¼-⅓ cup batter in the middle of the pan. Twirl the pan gently for batter to spread. Cover and cook until bottom is slightly browned. Flip the crepe over and cook uncovered until golden brown on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter.

 

While the crepes are cooking, make the balsamic reduction by heating the vinegar and honey on medium-high. Let it come to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for another minute before taking off the heat. It will get thicker as it cools. If it is still too thin heat a bit more; if it’s too thick, add some water and reheat to combine.

 

Spread goat cheese on half of a crepe. Top it with tomato slices, cracked pepper and arugula leaves. Drizzle some balsamic reduction. Fold over the other half of the crepe. Drizzle more balsamic reduction (optional) and serve warm.

~Gayatri

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One Pot Macaroni With Creamy Spinach Sauce

Pasta might not be considered the healthiest of foods, but a nice weekend workout deserves some warm, comforting pasta with a delicious creamy sauce. Especially so, if you are able to sneak in a lot of nutrition in the pasta meal! Here’s one way of doing that - this creamy one pot pasta is cooked in the sauce itself. The starch from the pasta helps thicken the sauce without having to add any cheese or cream. Pureed spinach adds a good dose of vitamins and a bright pop of color to the meal. I used broccoli and corn, but any other vegetables can be added to the pasta. To complete the meal with protein, serve it with boiled eggs or grilled chicken.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

2 tsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic - minced

1 cup chopped broccoli

¼ cup corn

4 oz elbow macaroni - uncooked

1 cup water

1 cup packed spinach

½ cup skimmed milk

Salt, ground black pepper, chili flakes (to taste)

2 boiled eggs (optional)

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Lemon juice (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the veggies and garlic, saute for a couple minutes to let the garlic cook. Add the uncooked pasta, and saute for a minute. Add 1 cup of water, deglaze the pan, add salt, pepper and/or chili flakes and cook covered for 2-3 minutes. While pasta is cooking, add the spinach and milk to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the pureed mixture to the pasta, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked. Add more water or milk if required.

Serve hot topped with boiled eggs. Sprinkle fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

~Gayatri

Note: 
Other one pot pastas you might like -
Spaghetti in a tomato based sauce with spinach and mushrooms
Pasta with creamy garlic sauce

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Candied Pecans

I often get mid-afternoon snack cravings - especially if I’m working at my desk and not doing something more interactive. Although I feast on an occasional muffin or chocolate (or pie if it's Pi(e) day at work!), I try to keep these snacks on the healthier side. Nuts are perfect to curb these cravings - rich in protein and the fibre is filling. Raw or toasted nuts are probably the best, but it’s fun to have flavored nuts once in a while. However, the store bought ones typically use a lot of oil for roasting - be it sweet or savory. In addition, the savory ones can have a lot of sodium and the sweet candied ones can often be way too sweet. Not ideal for a workday snack unless you want to risk a sugar crash!

The solution - make your own candied nuts at home with reduced sugar, without any added fats (the nuts provide enough healthy fats), and at a much lower price. The best part is how quick and easy this is. You’d go from plain old pecans to super delicious candied pecans in 5 minutes flat!

Ingredients

1 cup pecan halves

¾ - 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1-2 tsp water (enough to dissolve the sugar and make a thick concoction)

A small pinch of salt (optional)

½ tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Mix the sugar, water, salt, vanilla in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

In a nonstick pan over medium heat, toast the nuts for ~3 minutes stirring continuously until you get a nice nutty aroma. 

Take the pan off the heat and add the liquid mixture. It will start to evaporate immediately, so stir quickly to coat the nuts. Put the pan back on the stove and keep stirring for another minute or so until the liquid has evaporated and the sugar just begins to crystalize.

Take the pan off the heat and spread the nuts on a plate/cookie tray. Let them cool down completely before storing in an airtight container.

 

 ~Gayatri

 

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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Monday, March 14, 2016

Dill and Honey Mustard Baby Potatoes

Potatoes seem to be universally liked. Hence, if you’re entertaining guests, a potato side dish is generally a safe bet - they are easily available, cook fairly quickly, and are extremely versatile. Go with baby potatoes, and even the presentation will be a win!

 

This recipe makes flavorful baby potatoes that are tender yet crispy. The honey mustard adds a subtle tang to the dish, while dill helps brighten it up.

Ingredients:

~½ lb baby potatoes (could use regular potatoes cut up in cubes)

2 tsp honey mustard

1 tsp chopped dill (I used dried dill)

1 tsp olive oil

Salt & black pepper to taste

 

Wash and parboil the potatoes until tender but not mushy. Drain, and cut them in half lengthwise.

Mix the mustard, oil, dill, salt and pepper in a small bowl and add it to the potatoes. Toss to coat the potatoes evenly.

In a nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the potatoes for ~8-10 min until they are cooked through and have a golden brown crust. It’s best to leave them alone for a minute or two at a time before stirring. Serve warm as a side topped with a dollop of sour cream.

 

~Gayatri

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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Friday, March 11, 2016

Baklava Ice Cream

A few months ago, Karla and I hosted an elaborate 3 course meal with mini spinach pies as appetizers and sliced/stuffed eggplant beautifully fanned out for the main course. As the menu started coming together over the weeks leading up to the dinner, we realized that the flavors we were putting together kind of had a Mediterranean flair. So, that’s the direction we decided to go with for the dessert course as well. The obvious choice was Baklava, but we wanted something quicker and easier. What could be quicker/easier than a tub of store bought ice cream!? Well, being the control freaks that we are (we are both Controls Engineers by the way), we couldn’t go with a dish that we had no control over. So we decided to start with the pre-made ice cream and then tweak it to fit the menu.

Baklava is incredibly delicious - crispy, sweet and nutty! Add to it the creaminess of ice cream, and you have the perfect dessert! Using frozen Phyllo sheets and pre-made ice cream, this beautiful dessert can be put together very quickly, and is most certainly a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

Vanilla ice cream

Phyllo sheets (use 5 sheets to make 6 cups)

Melted butter

Pistachios and/or any other nuts you like - crushed.

Honey

Heat oven to 350F.

Lay down one phyllo dough sheet on a cookie sheet. Brush the sheet with melted butter, and carefully place another sheet on top. Repeat until you have stacked 5 sheets. Cut into 6 squares. Repeat the process if you’d like to make more cups.

 

Grease a muffin pan, and place one phyllo sheet square in each cup, pressing down with your hands to form a pastry cup. Bake for ~10-15 until the phyllo cups are golden brown. Let the cups cool completely before serving.

 

While the cups are baking, place another sheet of phyllo dough on a cookie sheet and bake it in the oven until golden brown and crispy. Once cooled, crush the baked phyllo sheet and mix it with the crushed pistachios.

Take one scoop of vanilla ice cream, and roll it in the crushed mixture of nuts and crispy pastry. Place it on a plate or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you have enough scoops of ice cream, and place the coated ice cream balls in the freezer until ready to serve.

Place a phyllo cup on a plate, add a prepared scoop of ice cream, drizzle some honey on top, and dig in!

~Gayatri

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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Saturday, March 5, 2016