Glass Noodles

Well, it’s been forever and a day since we’ve posted a recipe! We are both now working at Cummins Inc., in the same group, with the same boss. While we don’t live together anymore (a point of continued negotiation), we still get together to have dinner and frivolously shop and, yes, cook and bake.

My husband (I got married!) and I recently bought a new house (with plenty of basement space for a roommate =P) close to my work, and so I wanted to make something special the first time I used our new kitchen. One of my family traditions is to have a Filipino noodle dish called “pancit” (pronounced pahn-seat) for special occasions and holidays (New Year’s, birthdays, etc) for good luck and longevity, so I thought it fitting to have pancit be the first thing I cooked in our new house.

This recipe is only slightly different than how my mom prepares it. It turns out a bit similar to a lo mein style dish, though the noodles are quite different. We use something we like to call “glass noodles” – they are actually made out of bean thread and you can find them at an Asian specialty store, or sometimes even at a Walmart. The brand I like best comes in a pink mesh bag (other brands are available, but the prep is more involved):

Ingredients:
"Glass" (bean thread) noodles
~1 lb chicken breast (for a vegetarian option, you can use extra firm tofu or a wheat protein called seitan)
1 bag cole slaw mix
Chopped onion (I usually use dried)
Pepper
Garlic powder
Ginger
Soy sauce
Lemon juice
Canola oil

First, soak about half the package of glass noodles in water. While the noodles are soaking, cook the chicken in a pan or skillet over med-hi heat for roughly 7-10 minutes on each side. When the chicken is just done, pull it apart with a fork so you have shredded chicken. Place the chicken back in the pan and season with onion, pepper, garlic, ginger, and a little soy sauce. Let it simmer.

In a larger pot, use canola oil to stir-fry the cole slaw mix for maybe 10-15 minutes – it really depends on how crunchy you want your vegetables! When it’s just about done, season with pepper, garlic, ginger, and maybe ¼ - ½ cup soy sauce. Add a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Add the chicken to the mix and stir it all up.

At this point, the noodles should be ready (the package will direct you to soak for 10 minutes before use, so I just stick them in water before starting on the chicken). Drain the water, and mix the noodles into the chicken and vegetables a handful at a time.

Once everything is mixed up, you can season it further with more soy sauce, lemon juice, pepper, garlic, and ginger to taste. Usually I add ingredients until it smells just noticeably soy-sauce-y but the garlic and pepper also come through. Then, dish up and enjoy!

~Karla

Mini Whoopie Pies

The past few months have gone by really fast. Karla and I finished grad school…Yay! We had so much fun being roommates for three years. Lots of baking, shopping and traveling :) …. and since we will be working together in a few months, hopefully we’ll get to do more of that!!

After defending my dissertation this spring, I spent a couple months in California, where I had another baking buddy! My sister and I baked some goodies for her baby shower. Since we had to make a lot of food, I chose mini whoopie pies as one of the desserts since it bakes and cools down very fast, and is super easy to assemble.

Ingredients: (Recipe source: http://www.projectwedding.com/blog/)

2 cups flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/4 cup oil (I used canola oil)

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

1/2 cup butter/margarine
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 cup Marshmallow Fluff
1 tsp vanilla extract

Food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat egg, oil and sugar. Add vanilla extract. Mix flour and baking soda in another bowl. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately to the egg, oil and sugar mixture.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop teaspoonfuls of dough on the sheet, leaving about 2 inches between drops.

Bake 6-7 minutes (times may vary for different ovens, the original recipe says 5 minutes). Gently touch the top of the cakes to check. If baked well, the top should spring back. Let the cakes cool completely before spreading the filling.

To make the filling, mix all ingredients and beat well. Spread the filling on the flat side of one cake and top it with another cake. We used a couple drops of red food coloring to make the pink filling and added colorful sprinkles to pretty up the whoopie pies for the party!

~Gayatri

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