Malai Burfi (Milk Fudge)

Most celebrations in India aren't complete without some kind of burfi or pedha. Both are different kinds of fudge, generally flavored with fruits, nuts, chocolate etc. - burfi in the form of cubes, while pedha as little balls. One of my favorites is malai burfi, especially the one we used to get from a store near our home called ‘Jagruti Sweets’. The fresh burfi used to be so soft that we couldn't cut it into pieces, and had to eat with a spoon….yummm. I've experimented a lot to get the same taste and texture using ricotta cheese and milk powder, but the best result I've got is using paneer! Paneer is a type of curd cheese very common in Indian cuisine. It is easily available at any Indian grocery store or can be made at home by curdling hot milk using lemon juice, yogurt or vinegar. Here's the quick and easy recipe for this delicious dessert.

Ingredients

~400g. sweetened condensed milk (1 can)

1/3 cup milk

250g. finely grated paneer (Fresh homemade paneer works best since its super soft, but I’ve used store bought frozen paneer as well and got good results)

1 tsp ghee or clarified butter (optional) – can be found in Indian grocery stores.

1 tsp cardamom powder

saffron strands, chopped almonds and pistachios for garnishing (optional)

1. Combine the sweetened condensed milk, grated paneer and milk in a non-stick pan. 

2. Bring to a boil while stirring continuously on medium-high heat.

3. Once the mixture starts to thicken (~10 minutes), add ghee (if using) along the sides of the pan.

4. Add cardamom powder, saffron strands and chopped nuts.

5. Keep stirring until the mixture starts to move as one mass.

6. Take the pan off the heat and transfer the mixture to a tray/container. Press lightly to flatten. Garnish with more saffron strands and nuts.

 

No refrigeration is required for the burfi to set, however let it cool for a half hour if you’re trying to cut a piece. I usually just dig in with a spoon :). If you have leftover burfi for the next day, store it in the refrigerator.

-Gayatri

Honey Whole-WHAT? Bread

Honey. Whole wheat. Yogurt. Wait, what? Well, we had some good yogurt that was going to go bad soon, and I didn’t want it to go to waste. I searched for interesting-looking baking recipes that used yogurt - cakes, muffins, pastries, anything was game. I came across this recipe for a honey bread that used yogurt for its liquid constituent, and it looked delicious. After some minor tweaks of my own, I ended up with a bread that was both sweet and tangy and relatively healthy to boot.

Ingredients:

1 cup fat-free plain yogurt

¼ cup honey

2 ¼ cup whole wheat flour (divide in half)

2 ¼ TSP yeast

pinch of salt

2 TBSP butter(unsalted) at room temperature

Pour the honey and yogurt together in a small bowl and microwave on high for about 30 seconds to soften. Stir together until the honey is well-mixed with the yogurt. In a large bowl, combine half the flour with the yeast and yogurt-honey mixture and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 20 minutes.

Add the remaining flour and knead until incorporated. Then add the salt and butter and continue kneading, adding additional flour (about a tablespoon at a time) until the dough no longer feels greasy. Sprinkle some flour on a baking sheet and place dough on it in the desired shape. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 2¼ to 2½ hours.

Heat oven to 325°F. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the crust has browned. Let cool, then slice and serve. It tastes great warm with fruit preserves, or simply on its own!

~Karla

Crépes and Crespelle

Lafayette, IN may not be the most exciting place, but there are some really good restaurants around. Bluefin Bistro in downtown Lafayette is one of our favorite places for lunch when we want to take a long(ish) lunch break. There’s only one vegetarian item on their menu, the mushroom and spinach crépes. I’m not complaining at all because I’d probably order the same thing every time even if they had other options. It is that good!! They top the crépes with a balsamic drizzle which gives it tanginess in every bite. I’ve made these at home a couple times, modifying the crépe batter every time, and I feel like I’ve gotten much better at making crépes :-). So this weekend I decided to try out another modification – crespelle. It is an Italian variant of crepes, in which crepes are used instead of pasta noodles to make Italian dishes like lasagna, cannelloni, manicotti etc. 

Ingredients:

Crépe filling

2 medium zucchinis, chopped

8 oz mushrooms, chopped

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp orange juice (or water)

1 cup gouda cheese (optional)

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

(Other vegetables like broccoli, spinach, carrots, corn etc. can also be used in the filling)

Béchamel sauce

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)

3 cups milk

ground nutmeg

salt and pepper

Whole wheat crépes (makes 8-10 crepes)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp melted butter

1.5 cups milk

2 eggs

salt to taste

Crépe filling: Heat oil and add the sliced onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are caramelized. Add zucchini and mushrooms. Season with salt and cook uncovered until all the moisture is evaporated. Deglaze the pan with orange juice.

Béchamel sauce: Melt butter on medium heat. Add flour and keep stirring for a couple minutes. Add hot milk slowly to avoid forming lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of nutmeg. Keep stirring frequently until the sauce thickens. If lumps are formed, use a whisk to dissolve them.

Crépes: Mix all the ingredients. Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat. Take the pan off the heat and pour about a quarter cup of the batter into the pan. Give the pan a quick swirl to coat it evenly with the batter. Return pan back to the stove and cook until the crépe is golden brown on the bottom. Flip it over and cook until golden brown on the other side.

Assemble the crépes by spreading a couple spoonfuls of the filling on half of the crépe. Drizzle with cheese.

Fold it in half and then again in half. Drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar and serve. (To make balsamic drizzle, heat balsamic vinegar over medium heat until it boils, turn down heat and let it cook for a couple minutes).

Crespelle (recipe source: http://www.manusmenu.com): Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the bottom of an oven proof dish with béchamel sauce. Arrange the folded crépes in the pan.
 

 

Pour the remaining béchamel sauce over the crépes. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top (optional). Bake for 20 minutes and broil on high for a minute or so until the top is golden brown.

~Gayatri

Miniature Über-berry Pies

The days are getting shorter and soon, instead of bemoaning how hot and humid it is, we'll be griping about the cold! As a final farewell to summer, here's a classic recipe for berry pie that's pretty simple but easily lends itself to personalization - like these cute little mini-pies!

 

Ingredients:

~6 cups berries - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, your choice!
~1.25 cups sugar (I used Splenda)
1/2 cup flour (I used finely ground whole wheat flour)

~1 tbsp lemon juice

3 pie crusts (for regular pie, use only 2 pie crusts)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Wash berries (slice if necessary, so they are roughly the same size) and mix them in a bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and flour. Combine the dry mixture with the berries.

4. Sprinkle lemon juice over the berry/flour mixture, let sit 10 minutes to let juices come out. Stir occasionally.

For regular pies
5. Place one pie crust in a 9-inch round pie pan and fill with the berry mixture.

6. For a double crust, lay the second pie crust on top and crimp the edges together, cutting away the excess. For a lattice crust, cut the second pie crust into ~1/2-inch strips. Lay one strip vertically in the center (dividing the pie in half), then one horizontally, also at the center. Working your way out, alternately lay strips horizontally and vertically in a lattice pattern until the strips are used up. Space the strips about 1/4 to 1/2 inch apart. Crimp edges together and cut away excess.

7. Slightly roll up the edges of the crust to help prevent berry juices from oozing over. As this doesn't always keep the juices in, line a cookie sheet with foil and put the pie pan on the cookie sheet to catch any rogue juice drippings.

8. Bake at 425°F for 10 minues, then reduce heat to 325°F and bake for another 50 minutes. Let cool.

For mini-pies:
5. Line a muffin pan with foil. Though it takes some work, lining each muffin cup separately will make it much easier to remove the mini-pies after baking. NOTE: It is best not to use muffin cup liners, as the crust will snag on the ridges and tear.

6. From each of the 3 pie crusts, cut circles about 3 inches in diameter with a cookie cutter, or some other circular object, like a huge mug :-) Save the rest of the crust.

7. Press the circular crust rounds into each muffin cup. The rounds should be large enough that some extra is able to fold out on the muffin pan. Spoon the berry mixture into each muffin cup.

8. Using the crust left over from cutting the small circular rounds, cut ~1/4-inch strips about 3-4 inches long. Arrange over the top of each muffin cup in a small lattice pattern (see step 6 for regular pies on how to do this). Crimp edges together and slightly roll them up to help prevent berry juices from spilling over.

9. Bake at 425°F for 10 minues, then reduce heat to 325°F and bake for another 10-20 minutes. Let cool.

Serve the pie à la mode for a sweet, anytime dessert!

~Karla

Note: Fresh berries work best, but if using frozen berries, make sure they are defrosted and discard excess liquid so that the pie doesn't get too soggy. 

Eggplant Parmigiana

Did you know eggplant is botanically classified as a berry?! We didn't either! We think that eggplant is typically under-appreciated as a food, but it can be super delicious - stuffed, baked, in a stir-fry or even chili. However, one of the most common eggplant dishes you'll see in a restaurant is eggplant parmigiana. We made this a few times for some dinner parties (and my parents!) with great success. Here's the recipe we used, adapted from Simply Recipes.

Ingredients:

2 lbs (about 2 large) eggplants
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes (or diced or crushed, whatever your preference)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (we used fine ground whole wheat flour)

1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs (we omitted these and replaced with flour)

4 large eggs, beaten (we used Egg Beaters)
1 1/2 lbs fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (or you can use shredded)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves (or ~1/2 cup loose dried basil)
olive oil (or canola oil)
salt, pepper

Pre-cooking steps

1. Cut eggplant into 1/4-inch slices (either rounds or lengthwise). In the bottom of a colander, arrange a layer and lightly sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant, salting between layers, until all the eggplant is in the colander. Weigh down the slices (a large stack of bowls worked for us) and let moisture drain for a couple hours. When we made this, we put paper towel between layers of eggplant to help absorb the moisture. NOTE: As an alternative, you can broil the slices for a few minutes per side instead of salting them.

2. While the eggplant is draining, make the tomato sauce by combining the tomatoes, garlic, and 1/3 cup oil and mix well. If you don't want tomato chunks, you can blend the mixture in a food processor to smooth it out. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. (Additionally, we added some garlic, and oregano would also add some extra flavor.)

Cooking steps

3. Preheat oven to 350°F.

4. After eggplant has drained, wipe off excess salt and wipe or pat down with paper towel to remove as much extra moisture as possible. In a large shallow bowl, combine flour and breadcrumbs (or just flour). Pour beaten eggs into another large shallow bowl. Heat some oil in a large skillet.

5. To cook the eggplant, dredge the slices in the flour mixture, then dip them in the egg. Lightly fry the slices until they are golden brown on both sides. It's not necessary to use a lot oil, but if you run out just add a little at a time to the skillet. NOTE: As an alternative to frying - after dredging the slices in flour and egg, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes on each side.

6. In a baking dish, spread a cup of tomato sauce, then layer with about 1/3 of the eggplant slices. On top of the eggplant, spread a layer of mozzarella (either slices or shredded) using about half the cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil. Repeat the process for a second layer, using the rest of the mozzarella. Put the remaining eggplant slices on top, then top with the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle and even layer of Parmesan cheese.

7. Bake about 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and the top is slightly brown. Let the dish cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

The finished eggplant parmigiana can be served on its own, or with pasta of your choice. Enjoy!

~Karla

Chocolate filled shortbread cookies

Shortbread cookies are very simple to make and can be easily flavored with chocolate or fruit jams. They do taste delicious without adding any of those flavors, but since it is not a very sweet cookie, I prefer some kind of filling to sweeten it up a little. I found a wonderful recipe for a chocolate filled shortbread in the book Crazy for Chocolate, which I’ve modified a little.


Ingredients:

Shortbread

125g (4oz) butter, chopped

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cornflour

1 tablespoon iced water

Filling

60g (2 oz) dark chocolate

60 g (2 oz) cream cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF. Grease a baking tray. Combine flour, baking powder, salt.

2. Beat butter and icing sugar until creamy. Add flour mixture and water. Process for few seconds until mixture comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

3. For the filling, melt dark chocolate. Beat cream cheese until soft, add cooled melted chocolate and half of the beaten egg, and mix well.

4. Roll out the shortbread mixture between two sheets of aluminum foil to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter. If you don’t have anything round to cut with, just cut out squares with a knife.

5. Place half the rounds on the prepared tray. Place 1/2 teaspoon of the filling in the centre of the rounds, brush edges with remaining beaten egg and place the remaining rounds over the filling. Press edges lightly to seal.

6. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire rack. Dust warm cookies with powdered sugar, or a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa….or just use Nesquik like I did :-)

Enjoy the cookies with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

~Gayatri

Peanut butter stir-fry

I like to make more elaborate meals on weekends when I have a lot of time, but try to keep my weeknight dinners simple. There is a variety of such speedy dishes like sandwiches, pasta, soups etc., but one of my favorite quick and easy dinners is a stir-fry. Not only are stir-frys simple to make, but they could also be made healthy by picking the right ingredients. Also, there is a lot of room to play with different flavors, colors and textures by choosing different combinations of vegetables as well as sauces, and you can use as many ingredients as you want! Heres a recipe for a vegetarian stir-fry with a peanut butter sauce. Along with vegetables, I’ve also used seitan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_gluten_(food)), which is basically wheat gluten, so it is a good source of protein. You can use any vegetables you like, as well as other proteins including meat, fish, tofu. For the sauce, I used peanut butter and soy sauce as the base, with other ingredients that help enhance the flavor. But the proportions of all these ingredients can be adjusted according to personal preference.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion, chopped (~1 inch pieces)

1 orange/green bell pepper, chopped (Try to keep the size of all the chopped vegetables approximately the same so that they cook evenly)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1.5 cups broccoli florets

1 cup seitan

5-6 basil leaves, chopped

1/4 cup roasted cashews

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped

3 Tbsp peanut butter

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 tsp honey

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tsp crushed red pepper

salt

water

Blanch the broccoli florets by dropping them in boiling water for about a minute and then immediately drain them under cold running water. If using other denser vegetables like cauliflower, carrots etc., blanch those as well.

To make the sauce, mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, 1 Tbsp water, paprika, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust any ingredients to your liking. Add more water if required.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl around.

Once oil is heated, add onions, chopped bell pepper and sauté for a minute. Add mushrooms, broccoli and seitan. Saute for another minute. Add roasted cashews and chopped basil.

Add the sauce and give a quick stir. Add salt according to taste (DO NOT add salt before the sauce since soy sauce is pretty salty).

If required, deglaze the pan (loosen and dissolve the bits of food stuck to the pan) with a little water. Remove from heat and serve hot. The stir-fry goes really well with rice, but is just as good by itself.

~Gayatri