another reason to make paneer!
Tofu everyday may increase the risk of developing dementia. Make your own cheese and swap it for your tofu recipes!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Saag paneer
I told my friend Edgy that I was making my own cheese. Her first response was "What!? Do you have a cow???"
I don't. But I would love to see her mental picture for making cheese! (I'm picturing shaking a cow, maybe. She must have been thinking of milkshakes!)
I first had saag paneer at Shalimar here in Ann Arbor. It was so good and I really wanted to try it at home.
Paneer is a simple indian cheese, that rather reminds me of tofu.
You don't really need a recipe for this. Just take a half gallon of whole milk and heat it until it's just about to boil. It'll get kind of frothy on top.
Next, add something acidic. I use lemon juice (~4 tablespoons) but other citrus juices like lime juice or even vinegar should have the same effect. This causes the milk to form curds.
It should look kind of like this. If it doesn't work, add more lemon juice. I'm pretty sure this is impossible to ruin because the first time I made this I accidently left it on the heat multiple times.
Then pour this through a cheesecloth.
Squeeze it and let it trip for a bit. Chill for a few hours.
and cheese! Slice this into cubes and it's ready to be added to the saag part of the recipe.
Saag is also easy.
In a saucepan, heat some olive oil and add about a tablespoon of mustard seeds. (I think the seeds are used are mustard seeds. They are from an Indian friends spice collection and don't have labels. Maybe they are fennel seeds?) Heat over medium-high heat until the seeds start to make popping noises. Add minced garlic (I like a lot, probably 2-3 tablespoons) and other spices, like garam masala and ginger, cumin and coriander if you have them. I don't measure this, but it's somewhere between a 1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons for each. It's more exciting to have it different every time. You could probably mince an onion and put it in there too.
Then, add a 1 pound bag of frozen spinach. I am all about fresh everything but frozen is definitely better here. Stir a bit, cover and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cubed cheese and keep on heat until it's all warm.
Serve with rice and naan.
This feeds me for about 4 lunches... so servings: 4.
While I love cooking and usually cook something everyday, a sad side effect of cooking just for myself means that I make something... and then eat it all week. I will be eating this for the next three days. It's real motivation to make it really delicious, though.
I don't. But I would love to see her mental picture for making cheese! (I'm picturing shaking a cow, maybe. She must have been thinking of milkshakes!)
I first had saag paneer at Shalimar here in Ann Arbor. It was so good and I really wanted to try it at home.
Paneer is a simple indian cheese, that rather reminds me of tofu.
You don't really need a recipe for this. Just take a half gallon of whole milk and heat it until it's just about to boil. It'll get kind of frothy on top.
Next, add something acidic. I use lemon juice (~4 tablespoons) but other citrus juices like lime juice or even vinegar should have the same effect. This causes the milk to form curds.
It should look kind of like this. If it doesn't work, add more lemon juice. I'm pretty sure this is impossible to ruin because the first time I made this I accidently left it on the heat multiple times.
Then pour this through a cheesecloth.
Squeeze it and let it trip for a bit. Chill for a few hours.
and cheese! Slice this into cubes and it's ready to be added to the saag part of the recipe.
Saag is also easy.
In a saucepan, heat some olive oil and add about a tablespoon of mustard seeds. (I think the seeds are used are mustard seeds. They are from an Indian friends spice collection and don't have labels. Maybe they are fennel seeds?) Heat over medium-high heat until the seeds start to make popping noises. Add minced garlic (I like a lot, probably 2-3 tablespoons) and other spices, like garam masala and ginger, cumin and coriander if you have them. I don't measure this, but it's somewhere between a 1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons for each. It's more exciting to have it different every time. You could probably mince an onion and put it in there too.
Then, add a 1 pound bag of frozen spinach. I am all about fresh everything but frozen is definitely better here. Stir a bit, cover and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cubed cheese and keep on heat until it's all warm.
Serve with rice and naan.
This feeds me for about 4 lunches... so servings: 4.
While I love cooking and usually cook something everyday, a sad side effect of cooking just for myself means that I make something... and then eat it all week. I will be eating this for the next three days. It's real motivation to make it really delicious, though.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
THE cookies
I love Trader Joe's. I REALLY love Trader Joe's mini peanut butter cups. not much bigger than a chocolate chip, they are great for snacking but just begged to be baked into something.
I knew I needed a chocolate cookie. And it had to be soft. The wafer I make for oreos are good, but I know that the frosting around which they are sandwiched is the real reason for there delicious softness. and they aren't quite sweet enough for what I imagined. Looking around on the internet and my trusy "How to Cook Everything" didn't find me the recipe I wanted.
So, I did some math and some hard thinking about what altering each ingredient in a cookie recipe would mean... and I took the plunge and baked my own creation.
And it was PERFECT. soft and almost with a cake-like texture, they are chocolate-ly and sweet and the perfect vehicle for my mini pb cups. These prictures are lousy (I was too busy eating them for pictures!) but they passed the finicky-boyfriend test.
my notes are scribbled-upon and chocolate-stained, but I'm SO glad I kept them.
Chocolate Cookies w/ Mini PB cups
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teas baking powder
1 stick plue 2 tablespoons softened butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teas. vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup Saco cocoa (it's a blend of traditional and dutch-processed cocoa... and I order it by the case.)
1 1/2 cups pb cups
1. preheat the oven to 375.
2. beat together butter and sugar, add vanilla and egg.
3. stir in dry ingredients
4. mix in pb cups
5. put in rounded balls on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 9 minutes, turning once.
yield: 3 1/2 dozen.
enjoy!
I still need a recipe for THE chocolate chip cookie. The New York Times recently posted an article about that very quest and I'm looking forward to trying out their recipe.
Leaving the cocoa out of this recipe and swapping in some chocolate chips might do it for me, though.
I knew I needed a chocolate cookie. And it had to be soft. The wafer I make for oreos are good, but I know that the frosting around which they are sandwiched is the real reason for there delicious softness. and they aren't quite sweet enough for what I imagined. Looking around on the internet and my trusy "How to Cook Everything" didn't find me the recipe I wanted.
So, I did some math and some hard thinking about what altering each ingredient in a cookie recipe would mean... and I took the plunge and baked my own creation.
And it was PERFECT. soft and almost with a cake-like texture, they are chocolate-ly and sweet and the perfect vehicle for my mini pb cups. These prictures are lousy (I was too busy eating them for pictures!) but they passed the finicky-boyfriend test.
my notes are scribbled-upon and chocolate-stained, but I'm SO glad I kept them.
Chocolate Cookies w/ Mini PB cups
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teas baking powder
1 stick plue 2 tablespoons softened butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teas. vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup Saco cocoa (it's a blend of traditional and dutch-processed cocoa... and I order it by the case.)
1 1/2 cups pb cups
1. preheat the oven to 375.
2. beat together butter and sugar, add vanilla and egg.
3. stir in dry ingredients
4. mix in pb cups
5. put in rounded balls on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 9 minutes, turning once.
yield: 3 1/2 dozen.
enjoy!
I still need a recipe for THE chocolate chip cookie. The New York Times recently posted an article about that very quest and I'm looking forward to trying out their recipe.
Leaving the cocoa out of this recipe and swapping in some chocolate chips might do it for me, though.
Coconuts 'n lime
Mark Bittman never fails me. For a recent dinner party, I provided the entree, Patti brought dessert, Katie brought veggies, and Raluca brought her famous romanian salad. and soup!
This is so easy and has a nice thai flair.
BROILED OR GRILLED CHICKEN WITH COCONUT AND LIME
Time: 20 minutes
2 limes
1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 4 pieces
1/2 cup canned or fresh coconut milk
Salt and ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon nam pla, fish sauce (optional)
4 minced scallions
1/4 cup minced cilantro.
1. Remove the zest from the limes, with either a zester or a vegetable peeler (if you use a peeler, scrape off the white inside of the zest with a paring knife). Mince the zest, and juice the limes. Marinate chicken in half the lime juice while heating broiler; adjust rack to about 4 inches from heat source. (Or grill the chicken if you prefer.)
2. Warm the coconut milk over low heat; season it with salt (hold off on this if you are using nam pla) and a pinch of cayenne. Add the lime zest.
3. Put chicken, smooth side up, on ungreased baking sheet lined with foil, and place the sheet in broiler. Add about half the remaining lime juice to coconut milk mixture.
4. When the chicken is nicely browned on top, in about 6 minutes more, it is done (if you want to be sure, make a small cut in the thickest part and peek inside). Transfer chicken to a warm platter. Add the nam pla, if you are using it, to the coconut milk; taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Spoon a little of the sauce over and around the breasts; then, garnish with the scallions and cilantro, and sprinkle with the remaining lime juice. Serve with white rice, passing the remaining sauce.
Yield: 4 servings.
The poor lighting in which I took these pictures is pretty obvious. and I'm pretty sure no one wants to see pictures of raw chicken! sigh.
This is so easy and has a nice thai flair.
BROILED OR GRILLED CHICKEN WITH COCONUT AND LIME
Time: 20 minutes
2 limes
1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 4 pieces
1/2 cup canned or fresh coconut milk
Salt and ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon nam pla, fish sauce (optional)
4 minced scallions
1/4 cup minced cilantro.
1. Remove the zest from the limes, with either a zester or a vegetable peeler (if you use a peeler, scrape off the white inside of the zest with a paring knife). Mince the zest, and juice the limes. Marinate chicken in half the lime juice while heating broiler; adjust rack to about 4 inches from heat source. (Or grill the chicken if you prefer.)
2. Warm the coconut milk over low heat; season it with salt (hold off on this if you are using nam pla) and a pinch of cayenne. Add the lime zest.
3. Put chicken, smooth side up, on ungreased baking sheet lined with foil, and place the sheet in broiler. Add about half the remaining lime juice to coconut milk mixture.
4. When the chicken is nicely browned on top, in about 6 minutes more, it is done (if you want to be sure, make a small cut in the thickest part and peek inside). Transfer chicken to a warm platter. Add the nam pla, if you are using it, to the coconut milk; taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Spoon a little of the sauce over and around the breasts; then, garnish with the scallions and cilantro, and sprinkle with the remaining lime juice. Serve with white rice, passing the remaining sauce.
Yield: 4 servings.
The poor lighting in which I took these pictures is pretty obvious. and I'm pretty sure no one wants to see pictures of raw chicken! sigh.
not rabbit food.
I am not very good at this food blogging thing. I usually cook or bake after dark (or cook non-exciting lunches during the day) and so I have trouble with photos. and during cooking, I'm always all covered in too much yummy goodness to touch my camera safely.
but! here is a cake I made for my mom. She is awesome. It was her 51st birthday.
You can tell I love her because I grated 3 cups of carrots by hand.
I am a delicate flower. My arm almost fell off. After this, I grated the zest off of 2 limes. Torture, pure torture.
I am not an artist. And I generally have the handwriting of a 3rd grader. But I know my mom will always give me an A for effort. Also it was sooo delicious, a not-too-sweet cake balanced nicely with the sweeter cream cheese frosting.
Carrot Cake (adapted from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
all the leftover walnuts I had from making nut burgers that I smashed with a soup can.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Split and frost.
For the frosting, I think I used a package of cream cheese and 2 sticks of butter and 3 cups of powdered sugar. and maybe some vanilla. I'm really not sure because I was putting things away after and I found more cream cheese on the counter. it turned out delish though.
but! here is a cake I made for my mom. She is awesome. It was her 51st birthday.
You can tell I love her because I grated 3 cups of carrots by hand.
I am a delicate flower. My arm almost fell off. After this, I grated the zest off of 2 limes. Torture, pure torture.
I am not an artist. And I generally have the handwriting of a 3rd grader. But I know my mom will always give me an A for effort. Also it was sooo delicious, a not-too-sweet cake balanced nicely with the sweeter cream cheese frosting.
Carrot Cake (adapted from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
all the leftover walnuts I had from making nut burgers that I smashed with a soup can.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Split and frost.
For the frosting, I think I used a package of cream cheese and 2 sticks of butter and 3 cups of powdered sugar. and maybe some vanilla. I'm really not sure because I was putting things away after and I found more cream cheese on the counter. it turned out delish though.
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