Multicolored Salad

Notes: This will serve 4 easily as a main dish salad.

1 can black beans, drained, rinsed, and drained again
8 oz (about 1.5 c) frozen corn, no need to thaw
1 red/yellow/orange bell pepper, diced
1 med tomato, diced
1/4 red onion diced
1-2 serrano or jalapeno pepper
Cilantro, a handful, about 6-10 spigs, chopped
Juice from 1 lemon
0.5-1 teaspoons salt
Tabasco, optional

1. The bell pepper and tomato should be diced into pieces roughly the same size as the beans/corn.

2. Cut the serrano/jalpeno into quartes, length-wise, hold them together, and dice very finely.

3. The onion should be diced smaller than the bell peppers.

4. You can chop the cilantro stems and all. Just wash and drain them first.

5. Mix everything together, taste and adjust the seasonings.

Orange Curry

Notes: You can get 'Pav Bhaji Masala' in the store and follow the directions on the box. You won't need any of the spices, ginger, garlic, or cashew butter. You can skip the paneer too. Or substitute tofu. The mixed vegetables I get contains peas, carrots, beans and corn.

1 16-lb bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 large potato, diced into about 0.5 " cubes

6-8 oz paneer, cubed & baked

1 can tomato puree or sauce
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
0.25" piece of ginger
0.5-1 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon cashew butter
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
A few sprigs of cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Oil

1. Heat the oil, and add the onions, garlic, and ginger, stir-fry over med heat for a few minutes.

2. Add the chili, turmeric, cumin, and coriander powders and stir for about 10 secs.

3. Stir in the tomato puree or sauce.

4. Add the vegetables and potatoes. cover and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Stir in the salt and the cashew butter.

6. Stir in the garam masala and cilantro.

Appa's Tea

Notes: Yields 2 cups

4 pods of cardamom
1" cinnamon
4 cloves
1 cup milk
1 cup water
3 black tea bags
3 teaspoons sugar

1. Grind cardomom, cinnamon, and cloves in a spice/coffee grinder.

2. Boil 1 cup water in small saucepan while boiling 1 cup milk in microwave.

3. After water has come to a boil, add spices and sugar. Insert tea bags in water.

4. Boil 1 minute, then add hot milk. Let simmer on low heat for ~3 minutes or until desired strength.

5. Strain into two cups.

Chocolate Chip Poundcake

Notes: From Hershey's 1988 "Simply Chocolate". This recipe has been doubled from the original version. Yields about 20 servings.

1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups Hershey's Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate
Confectioners' sugar

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour either 2 9x5x3 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan.

2. Cut butter and cream cheese into 1-inch slices and place in bowl of food processor. Add sugar. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds.

3. Add eggs, vanilla, and orange peel; process until blended, about 10 seconds.

4. Add flour and baking powder; process until blended, about 10 seconds.

5. Stir in Mini Chips chocolate.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake 45-50 minutes or until cake pulls from sides of pan. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely. Dust top with confectioners' sugar.

Pesto Pasta Salad

Notes: From July/Aug 2006 Cook's Illustrated. This salad is best served the day it is made; if it's been refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before serving. The pesto can be made a day ahead - just cook the garlic cloves in a small saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute. Garnish with additional shaved or grated Parmesan

3/4 cup pine nuts
2 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
Table salt
1 pound farfalle (bow ties) pasta
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups packed fresh basil leaves (about 4 ounces)
1 cup packed baby spinach (about 1 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan chese, finely grated (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered, or grape tomatoes, halved (optional)

1. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in large pot. Toast pine nuts in small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking pan ocasionally, until just golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. When water is boiling, add garlic and let cook 1 minute. Remove garlic with slotted spoon and rinse under cold water to stop cooking; set aside to cool. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to water, stir to separate, and cook until tender (just past al dente). Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, drain pasta, toss with 1 tableespoon oil, spread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet, and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

3. When garlic is cool, peel and mince or press through garlic press. Place 1/4 cup nuts, garlic, basil, spinach, pepper, lemon juice, remaining 1/4 cup oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in bowl of food processor and process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Add cheese and mayonnaise and process until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture to large serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble salad.

4. When pasta is cool, toss with pesto, adding reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until pesto evenly coats pasta. Fold in remaining 1/2 cup nuts and tomatoes (if using); serve.

Abi's Buttermilk Pancakes

Notes: From Alton Brown's baking book. Substitute buttermilk powder for buttermilk according to package directions. Scatter ~6 frozen blueberries or chocolate chips after batter has been poured onto the griddle if desired. Serve with Grade B maple syrup.

The dry goods:

2 cups All-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar

The wet works:

2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & cooled

1. Stir the dry goods tobether in a large bowl.

2. Stir the wet works together in a bowl.

3. Add the wet stuff to the dry stuff and stir together briefly. Rest for 5 minutes.

4. Make pancakes, cooking the first side for about 3 minutes and the second side for about 2 minutes.

Masala Vada

1 cup channa dal
1/4 cup urad dal
4 dried red chilies
1/2 med onion
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 serrano peppers
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 cup loose packed cilantro, chopped

1. Wash and soak the dals separately for 4-6 hrs.

2. Break the dried chilies into two or three and add 1/3 c warm water and let it soak.

3. Mince the onions, you should have 1/2-3/4 cup. Mince the green chilies.

4. Drain the dals. Add the urad dal, soaked red chilies and about half the soaking water to a food proc and grind until the dal is pureed almost smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides a couple of times.

5. Add half the channa and grind somewhat coarsely. Empty it into a med bowl. Grind the rest of the dal and grind coarsely, and add it to the bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to bowl, and mix thouroughly. Scoop it into balls and fry.

Cranberry Chutney

1 bag cranberries, picked & washed
1" cinnamon
2 cloves
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt

1. Roughly chop the berries in food proc.

2. Heat oil at med heat; add cloves & cinnamon. after few secs, add ginger & chili, and saute for a minute.

3. Add berries, salt and sugar.

4. Turn up the heat to med hi and bring to simmer, and turn it down to just maintain the simmer.

5. Cook for about 20 mins. Adjust salt and sugar to taste. Cook additional 5 mins.

Appam

Notes: I have made the appams with and without the eggs and did not notice any big difference. Use the regular coconut milk.Once I tried it with light coconut milk from Trader Joes, and the appams ended up sticking to the pan.

3 cup rice
1 can (14-oz ?) coconut milk
1 ½ teaspoon yeast granules
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup warm water
3 eggs (optional)
½ cup warm water
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda

1. Soak the rice overnight (at least 6 hrs).

2. Wash and drain well.

3. Grind the rice with the coconut milk (I use the blender and do this in two batches), it should be fine with a little texture.

4. Meanwhile dissolve the sugar in the ¼ cup warm water and then sprinkle the yeast on top and let it stand until it becomes kind of frothy. Takes about 5 minutes I think.

5. Add the yeast mixture to the ground rice in a large bowl, mix well, cover and let it stand for 6 hours.

6. If you are not ready to make the appams now, put the batter in the fridge and take it out when you are ready to make them.

7. When you are ready to make the appams, beat the eggs lightly if you are using them and add to the batter.

8. Dissolve the sugar salt and baking soda in the warm water and add it the batter and mix well.

9. Make the appams as usual.

Mango Cheesecake

Crust:
½ cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup chopped cashews
¼ cup sugar

1. In a large frying pan over med heat melt the butter.

2. Add flour, cashews, and sugar and stir until the mixture turns a golden brown.

3. Pour the mixture into a 9” spring form pan and press evenly into the bottom of the pan. Put the pan in the fridge while you make the filling.

Filling:
1 envelope + ¼ t gelatin
1/3 cup orange juice
2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
8 oz plain yogurt
12 oz mango pulp
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1. Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water in a small dish and let it soften for a few mins. Microwave the mixture for a minute, or longer, until the gelatin gets dissolved.

2. Beat the cream cheese and sugar using a stand mixer or food processor until smooth.

3. Add the yogurt and lemon rind and beat until smooth.

4. Add the mango pulp in two batches and beat until smooth.

5. Add the gelatin mixture while the mixer or food processor is running and make sure it gets well incorporated.

6. Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate until set, it takes about 5-6 hrs to set well.

Vegetable - Three ways

Brussels Sprouts:

Preparation:

Clean, trim and wash Brussels sprouts.

Slice each sprout, length wise into 3 or 4 slices.

Doneness:

When the Brussels sprouts have a few browned spots, they are done.

Broccoli:

Preparation:

Clean, trim and wash Broccoli.

Separate into bite sized florets

Doneness:

When the florets are a slightly crunchy without tasting raw, they are done.

Sri Lankan

3/4 - 1 lb Brussels sprouts OR Broccoli

1 T Canola oil

1/2 t black mustard seeds

3 whole dried red chilies, broken into 2 or 3 pieces

1 sprig curry leaves

¼ onion, diced, about 1/3 cup

2 T dried grated coconut

1/2 t salt

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.

2. Add the mustard seeds, cover the pan with a lid and let them crackle.

3. Add the red chilies and stir for about 10 seconds.

4. Add the curry leaves and onions and sauté for about a minute.

5. Add the vegetable, salt and the coconut, and mix together.

6. Cover the pan and let cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until done, stirring occasionally.

7. Taste and add more salt if you need, and serve.

Italian

3/4 - 1 lb Brussels sprouts OR Broccoli

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced/crushed

1/4-1/2 t crushed dried red chilies

2 T pine nuts, lightly toasted, optional

1/2 t salt

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.

2. Add the garlic and red chilies and stir for a few seconds, without letting the garlic turn brown.

3. Add the vegetable and salt and mix together.

4. Cover the pan and let cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Stir in the pine nuts, adjust the salt if needed, and cook for an extra minute or two.

Chinese

3/4 - 1 lb Brussels sprouts OR Broccoli

1 T canola oil

1 t thin slivers of ginger

3 whole dried red chilies, broken into 2 or 3 pieces

1 T toasted sesame oil

1/2 t salt

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.

2. Add the ginger and red chilies and stir for a few seconds.

3. Add the vegetable and salt and gently stir.

4. Cover the pan and let cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Stir in the sesame oil, adjust the salt if needed, and cook for an extra minute or two.

Spinach Curry

1 lb packet frozen chopped spinach

1/2 onion

4 green chillies

1 tablespoon butter

salt

1. Thaw spinach in the microwave according to package directions. (It doesn't have to thaw completely).

2. Put the (partially) thawed spinach and the rest of the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on medium heat until done (~10 minutes), covered.

3. Take the chillies out and use a blender or stick blender to puree.

4. Add butter