Sweet and sour pork with rhubarb

In the United States and Europe, rhubarb is known as the pie plant and in fact we tend to use it in sweet dishes. However, in Asia, it is more used in savory dishes. Today, I’m presenting a savory dish that was inspired by a blog. The rhubarb gives the sour taste that is balanced out nicely with the sweet and hot Chinese sauce and the bitter bamboo shoots. I chose broccoli as the main vegetable for the dish. If you prefer a vegetarian alternative, please check out my previous recipe that is a similarly made with tofu.

Rhubarb is everywhere here in the Midwest right now. It is almost ready in my garden but it has been available for a few weeks at the farmers’ market for sure. It is actually a healthy plant. Rhubarb has favorable health effects in the spring and the summer as it is cooling and detoxifying to the liver.

So what’s up with the ketchup? Is it Chinese? … I think of American cooking when I hear the word ketchup but in fact it originated from China. It is basically a sweet and tangy sauce made with tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and spices. It actually means fish sauce as they traditionally added fermented fish sauce to it. For this recipe, we just need the basic ketchup so go ahead and just use store-bought ketchup – unless of course you want to make it yourself.

This is a very tasty dish! I really wanted to make a dinner with rhubarb and I found this recipe. I made a few changes to suit my taste. I cut the pork into long strips instead of squares. I replaced the green peppers with broccoli or you can use both. Also, I wanted to bring in more of the bitter flavor so I added bamboo shoots to offset the sourness of the rhubarb. For garnishing, I also added peanuts to get a bit of crunchiness. I think this is a fabulous recipe with an interesting twist to the usual sweet and sour pork dish that is served in restaurants with pineapples.

RECIPE

Ingredients

300 g pork fillet, cut into thin long stripes or 1 inch cubes
About 3 medium stems of rhubarb (200 g) cut into 1 inch batons – please use a scale
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 large onion, peeled, halved and cut into thin slivers
2 heads broccoli
1 thumb of ginger, peeled and chopped (1 Tbsp)
sesame oils
1 small can of bamboo shoots
rice or rice noodles

Marinade

1 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 Tbsp grated ginger, peeled
1 Tbsp corn starch

Sauce

2 Tbsp tomato ketchup
4 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Garnish

1 spring onion, finely sliced
1 red chili pepper, finely chopped (optional)
cilantro
handful of chopped peanuts
soy sauce

Instructions

twinctiesherbs.com — twincitiesherbs.com

Prepare rice according to its instructions. I used rice noodle last time.
Cut the pork pieces into longer (2 inches) thin (half inch) stripes. You can do squares too but the Chinese do long stripes traditionally.
Whisk together the marinade ingredients, add the pork, cover well and set aside for at least a half an hour or up to a couple of hours.
In another bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Cover and put aside.
Heat oil in a large frying pan and add the rhubarb batons in a single layer. Cook for about a minute and a half and keeping them moving. Add a heaped tablespoon of soft light brown sugar, toss and cook for about minute more. You want them to have tenderized but still to have some bite. If they start breaking up, you’ve gone too far. Whip them off the heat immediately. Scoop into a bowl and set aside.
Take the pork out of the refrigerator, pour off the marinade and dry with a towel.
Put a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok and stir-fry the pork on a medium-high heat for three or four minutes, until golden brown. Remove and keep to one side.
Make sure you’ve prepped all the vegetables before you start cooking the main event, because they will cook fast.
Saute the sliced onion until translucent. Add the ginger and the broccoli. Continue sauteing for about 5 minutes on medium high heat. Cook until it is crunchy. Give the sauce (from above) a quick whisk, then pour it into the pan. Add the rhubarb and the bamboo shoots and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for three or four minutes until thick. Add the pork and toss and coat well until the pork is warm.
Add soy sauce and chili pepper if needed.
Serve over rice, garnished with the sliced spring onion , cilantro, nuts.

enjoy!

Pictures and text by Twincitiesherbs.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/35104325/posts/55143

Photo and text by twincitiesherbs.com.

Hot and sour tofu with rhubarb

In the United States and Europe, rhubarb is known as the pie plant and in fact we tend to use it in sweet dishes. However, in Asia, it is more used in savory dishes. Today, I’m presenting a savory dish that was inspired by the following blogs: ( blog 1 and blog 2). The rhubarb gives the sour taste that is balanced out nicely with the sweet and hot Chinese sauce and the bitter bamboo shoots. I chose broccoli as the main vegetable for the dish. Traditionally, pork is used but is replaced here with the tofu. In the original recipe, the raw rhubarb is blended in the sauce but I made it more traditionally sautéed like the rest of the vegetables.

For the meat version of this dish, please, see this recipe.

Recipe

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

500 g tofu
2 tsp + 3 Tbsp honey (or replace with agaste sauce for a vegan option)
1/4 tsp five spice
chili flakes to taste
Sesame oil
3 Tbsp sake
3 Tbsp rice wine
3 Tbsp graded ginger
3 Tbsp soy sauce
5 large cloves garlic
200 g of rhubarb stalks (about 3 smaller or 2 bigger stalks)
2 large heads of broccoli
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 can (8 oz / 225 g) of bamboo shoots, drained
handful of peanuts, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
lime
cilantro
rice or rice noodles

Ingredients listed as used in groups

Rice or rice noodles

Marinade/tofu: 2 tsp honey, 1/4 tsp five spice powder, 1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes (optional), 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 3 Tbsp rice vinegar, 3 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 500 g tofu.

The sauce: 5 cloves garlic, 3 Tbsp honey, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp ginger, 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (or to taste).

Vegetables: 200 g (3 medium sized) rhubarb stalks, 1 large onion, 2 heads of broccoli, 1 can of bamboo shoots.

Toppings: handful of chopped peanuts, 4 scallions, small handful coriander, soy sauce and limes.

Directions

The rice. Make the rice of your choice. I used sushi rice.
Cut up the tofu so it is about 1 cm / 1/2 inch thick. I made triangular shapes but rectangular or square shapes are fine too.
Mix the ingredients of the marinade in a small bowl and pour it all over the tofu. Cover and put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Make the sauce. Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix to get a nice sauce. Set aside.
Take tofu/marinade out of the fridge and strain off marinade. Pat dry tofu with a towel. Sauté tofu slices in small amount of oil for about 5 minutes on each side. Cover and set aside.
Cut up the vegetables. Thinly slice the onions, cut up the broccoli flowers. Cut rhubarb diagonally in 2-3 inches length. If stalks are bigger, cut them in half first.
In a larger pan or wok, heat sesame oil, add rhubarb batons in a single layer and cook for about 1-2 minutes while stirring to make sure all sides cook well. Make sure you don’t over cook rhubarb, they should be firm and not mushy. Add 1 Tbsp sugar and cook for 1 minute. Take off heat and set aside.
On medium high heat, sauté the sliced onion for about 10 minutes until translucent. Add the broccoli and continue sautéing on medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until it is soft but still crunchy. Add the sauce made earlier. (Quickly whisk, then pour it into the pan). Add the rhubarb (that was set aside from earlier step) and the bamboo shoots and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for three or four minutes. Add the tofu and toss and coat well and cook until the tofu is warm.
Serve on rice with chopped cashew nuts, chopped scallions, cilantro, lime wedges and soy sauce.

enjoy!

Sources

http://www.mostlyeating.com/ tofu with hot and sour sauce

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/35104325/posts/55143

Photo, recipe and text by twincitiesherbs.com.

Cupcakes with candied violets

The beautiful violets are springing up everywhere in the Midwest, in the meadows, on the forest floor and if you are lucky in your back yard. They are not just beautiful but are edible too. Violets are a great source of food for butterflies and people as well. There are so many things you can make with these flowers. Today, I will make crystallized violets that can be used to decorate our cupcakes.

You will need violet flowers for this recipe. Violets can be found in many places. If you can’t find them outside, you can get potted ones at stores, just make sure they had not been sprayed. You can make about 80 flowers with the one egg white. I picked about 15 – 20 violets at a time because it is better to work with the freshly picked plant material. The flowers do not need to be washed, just make sure you pick them from a clean place free of pesticides. When I pick the flowers, I like to leave a 1″ green stem so I can handle the flowers easier while working with them. You can remove the stems at the end.

If you plan on eating the candid violets, you have to use fresh eggs. You can do the fresh egg test to see if your egg is fresh. Immerse the egg in a pot of cold water and see if it stays flat on the bottom of the pot. It any of the sides move up or the egg moves to the surface of the water, the egg will not be suitable for eating. You can still use that egg just don’t eat it. Only use fresh eggs that will stay flat on the bottom of a pot when immersed in water if you plan on eating the violets.

Recipe for the candied violets

INGREDIENTS

about 80 organic violet flowers with 1″ stem if possible
1 egg white
1-2 tsp water
about 1 cup of fine white sugar (you can use regular white sugar and grind it quickly in a blender. Just a few pulses before it becomes powder).

DIRECTION

Separate the egg white and put it into a small bowl. Add the water to make it more workable. Lightly beat.
Measure out the sugar. 1/4 cup is enough for the first round. Use more for the additional violets.
Go and pick the violet flowers, about 15-20 at a time. I like to leave a 1″ stems on so the flowers can be handled easily later.
Using a paint brush, ‘paint’ the egg whites on the flowers. I like to put the egg white on the back first and sprinkle with sugar and do the same on the front side. Just make sure you cover the flower material well with the egg white and the sugar on both sides.
Place the prepared flowers on a sheet of wax paper and let it dry for about 6 hours. I like to occasionally move the flowers to prevent them from sticking.
You can cut off or just pinch the stems off the flowers any time.
After they are dry, put them in the fridge in an air-tight container. Refrigerated flowers are edible for 1 week and can be stored for 1 month.

Recipe for the cupcakes

Source for cup cakes: Natasha’s Kitchen, Source for frosting: Natasha’s Kitchen

Ingredients for the cupcakes

1 1/4 cup of cake flour or check out source on how to make cake flour (how to make cake flour)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2-3/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of buttermilk or plain kefir at room temperature

Ingredients for the icing

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1-1 1/2 cup of cold heavy whipping cream
1-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions for making the cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Butter a cupcake/muffin pan or line with cupcake liners.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat the eggs for 15-20 minutes. You can use an electrical mixer on medium high speed.
Add the sugar slowly and continue to beat for another 30 minutes on medium high speed.
Add the vanilla and the oil and beat for 1 minute on medium speed.
Add half the flour mixture from the earlier step and beat on slow medium speed until incorporated. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Beat shortly until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed. The batter should be thin.
Pour batter into muffin pan. Divide evenly.
Bake for 12-14 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
When cooled and are at room temperature, you can pipe on the frosting. See the frosting recipe below, please.

Directions for making the frosting

Whip the cream on high speed until thick, fluffy and spreadable (1-2 minutes).
In a different bowl, beat the cream cheese and the powdered sugar together starting at a low speed. When mix together, add the vanilla extract.
Fold the whipped cream gently into this mixture. Store in the refrigerator if not ready to use.

Text, photo and recipe for candied violets by twincitiesherbs.com

Source for the cupcake recipe

http://www.natashaskitchen.com/perfect-vanilla-cupcake recipe/

Italian spinach/mushroom lasagna (vegetarian)

I have been making lasagna recently quite a bit. It is not too hot outside yet so I can turn the oven on but we want something on the lighter side too … so this dish seems to fit the bill. Of course, you can make it any time of the year. Lasagna is an Italian specialty. Traditionally, it is made with layers of tomato sauce based ragu, cheese and béchamel sauce. In this dish, I replaced the meat with spinach, mushrooms and cheese. I served it with red wine that seemed to compliment it very nicely.

Spinach is a great vegetable for the spring, it is hardy and nourishing for the liver.

Of course, an important part of the lasagna is the pasta. The best is if it is home made but good, high quality packaged pasta will do too.

Also, the cheese is also important. Try to get the best quality you can afford. Honestly, when I was in Italy, the first thing that I noticed was how tasty the cheese was in their dishes. I like to use a mixture of cheeses, here I used fresh mozzarella cheese balls, feta cheese and Parmesan cheese.

I make my own Italian seasoning but of course any store bought mix would work too. I think this is a nicely balanced mixture of spices grown in Italy. They are carefully selected herbs so one herb will not overpower the other. Also, they all are carminative therefore will help with digestion. Historically, we can thank the ancient Greek doctors who added these herbs to dishes so people can get their benefits all year along.

The warming, aromatic oregano is the key ingredient in pasta dishes. I like to use it because it gives a nice, distinctive flavor to Italian dishes. The sweet fennel seeds are acrid and compliment the strong aromatic oregano in the dish. The delicate basil is probably the most loved and popular spice used in Italian cooking. If you can, try to use the fresh plant instead of the dried. Its aromatic flavor is a nice addition to any Italian dish. The pungent chili pepper is not a big part of the Italian cuisine but Italians enjoy adding a little to their pasta dishes. The oregano and the fennel seeds both can offset the heat of some stronger spices.

Italian seasoning

2 TBSP (6 tsp) dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil or handful of fresh basil

2 tsp ground fennel seeds

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/4-1/2 tsp hot red pepper or to taste (optional)

RECIPE

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

lasagna pasta (I used 10 strips)
16 oz spinach (frozen is fine too)
4-8 oz chopped up mushrooms
olive oil
2 slices of bacon, sautéed (optional)
1 cup of tomato sauce – divided
8 oz of Parmesan cheese, divided
16 oz fresh mozzarella balls
8 oz (200 g) of feta cheese
1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning plus more for the top
handful of fresh basil leaves (if you have them)
3 cloves of garlic
1 egg, lightly beaten

Bachamel sauce ingredients

5 Tbsp of butter
1/2 cup of flour
2 cups of milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg

Rosso Piceno wine. Bottled by Saladini Pilastri 2018 (optional) It is the best and not expensive!
parsley leaves (chopped)

Directions

Start boiling the water for the pasta (omit if your pasta does not need to be boiled).

Preheat the oven to 400 F and have the rack in the middle of the oven.

Start boiling the water for the pasta. Prepare according to instructions.

Making the filling: In a pan, sauté bacon (optional) and mushrooms in a little oil for 5- 10 minutes. Transfer into a larger bowl. Meanwhile wash and take stems off the spinach. (If using frozen spinach of course no need to do it). Sauté in a little oil and water. Remove and try to drain off water. Chop spinach well and transfer into the bowl. Add mashed feta cheese, mushrooms, 1 egg, garlic, 1 Tbsp of the Italian seasoning (see recipe above). Add sautéd bacon if used. Mix. set aside.

Preparing the béchamel sauce. It is not too hard, just follow these steps. I used a whisk. Use a double boiler. In the top pot, warm up 5 Tbsp of butter on low heat, when melted increase the heat to medium high and add the flour slowly, stirring continuously. Then start adding the milk very slowly, stirring after each addition and wait for a minute to let the flour mixture soak up the milk. When you start seeing bubbles, it is done. Remove it from the heat. Grate some nutmeg, add 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1 egg. Mix well.

Assembling the lasagna: Put half the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 3 Qt size baking dish. Place 1 layer of the pasta strips on the bottom of the pan. Put the filling on top of the pasta, followed by the fresh mozzarella balls (cut up if using the larger balls), pour the béchamel sauce and top it all with another layer of the pasta. Spread some pasta sauce and the shredded Parmesan cheese on the top.

Turn the oven heat down to 375 F and put the dish in the oven. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown.

Serve hot with a little grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley on the top. I really enjoyed a glass of red wine with the dish. It felt like I was in Italy! I would recommend a bottle of red wine if you are looking for one to try (please see details above in Ingredients).

enjoy!

Source

Matthew Wood: Earthwise
Paul Pitchford: Healing with Whole Foods

Photo, recipe, text by twincitiesherbs.com.

Turnip salad

In the Mid-West of the US, early April is the time when it gets really hard to eat local vegetables. There is nothing out there growing yet. But wait there are some crops from last fall like turnips … in fact raw turnips make a great spring salad. Past few weeks, I have been adding grated raw turnips to all my dishes. I have to admit it felt great to eat something raw. Try this simple salad, you can add a little olive oil, black pepper and carrots but honestly I often eat it just as it is, nothing added.

Turnip (Brassica rapa var) is a member of the mustard family that grows in temperate climate around the world. It has a neutral thermal energy and is slightly sweet, bitter and pungent … just what we need right now in the spring. It is especially high in fiber, nourishes digestive tracts and helps detoxify the body. It is considered to be high in many essential nutrients and minerals. Sounds like a super food to me …

RECIPE

Ingredients

1 lb of turnips, medium or larger size
carrots, strips (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil (optional)
freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp of lemon juice (optional)

Directions

Clean, peel and grade the turnips. For grating, I use the largest hole of my cheese grater.
Cut up carrots into thin trips.
Add into a bowl. Serve with olive oil and black pepper if you wish.

enjoy!

Text, photo and recipe by twincitiesherbs.com.

Source

Paul Pitchford: Healing with Whole Foods

Coronavirus truffles

Honestly, this is just too cute to pass … It is not a cure for the corona virus but might help your kids, the young ones and the older ones alike, get through the quarantine time. Oh and the oreo cookies should be still available in the grocery stores. Recipe is from Rozina’s kitc hen.

RECIPE

makes 11 truffles

INGREDIENTS

24 Oreo cookies
113 gram cream cheese
handful of goji berries or cranberries

METHODS

Have cream cheese at room temperature.
Grind the Oreo cookies into a fine powder consistency. You can use a food processor or a rolling pin.
Work the cream cheese in with the Oreos.
Form smaller, 2″ balls with your hands.
Stick goji berries into the truffles.
We refrigerated the balls for a half hour before serving.

Enjoy and stay well!

Source

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/136488425/posts/31232

Hungarian egg-drop soup (tojásleves)

Hello, I’m writing this post from voluntary quarantine. My recipe may be helpful for getting through these difficult times although I normally make it quite often. It is very simple, tasty and nourishing as the main ingredients are eggs, caraway seeds and broth. It is the Hungarian version of the hot and sour soup. It can be served with semolina croutons or any bread croutons that you can buy in stores.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

4 cup broth (vegetarian or chicken) or water
oil (vegetable or lard)
1 smaller onion, finally chopped
1 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp vinegar
about 1 cup of semolina flour + 2 eggs or bread croutons
dehydrated vegetable seasoning (optional)
parsley, chopped
Hot pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS FOR THE SOUP

Have 1/4 cup of cold water ready
Sauté the onion in a medium sized pot until translucent.
Add 1 Tbsp flour to make the roux. Stir for 3 minute or until it turns a beautiful orange color.
Add 1 tsp paprika and stir for 1 minute.
Add the water that was set aside from the first step, stir well.
Add stock, bay leaves, and caraway seeds. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes covered.
Turn off the heat.
Separate 2 eggs. In a small bowl, lightly beat the yolks. Add a small amount of liquid from the soup, mix. Slowly add to the soup while stirring the soup in a circular motion. You can use the egg white for something else.
Add vinegar and dehydrated vegetable seasoning (optional)
Season with salt, black pepper and hot red pepper to taste.
Serve hot with semolina croutons or bread croutons.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE SEMOLINA CROUTONS (optional)

Lightly beat 2 eggs. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp oil.
Add about 1 cup of semolina flour or as much what the eggs takes up. You should get a dough that is dry enough so you can pick it it up and make it into a circular shape. Make sure you don’t add too much because it will be too dry.
If possible let it sit for 1 hour.
Pan fry this dough in a lightly oiled frying pan on both sides until golden brown.
Take out of frying pan and cut up into small squares.

Enjoy!

SOURCE

Paul Pitchford: Healing with Whole Foods
http://www.healthyhildegard.com/caraway-seeds

Recipe, text and photo by twincitiesherbs.com.

Chana masala (Indian chickpea dish)

Chana masala is a delicious Indian dish that would be great for the spring. I still vividly remember the first time I had chana masala at a friend’s house. He had us over for dinner when his parents came to visit from India like 25 years ago. I did not even recognize the chickpeas … I actually thought they were chestnuts. I never got the recipe but his mother gave me some tips. (Thanks to the internet I found this recipe on line and I think it is very close to what we had that night).

Chana means garbanzo beans and is the main ingredient in the dish. The secrete to this dish is to prepare these beans properly. I remember our friend’s mother told me to cook the beans for a long time. They should be cooked for 3 hours or you can use a pressure cooker according to its instructions, of course. Cooking for this long will soften the beans and let the flavors come out. So if time is not an issue, I would recommend home cooked chickpeas instead of using the canned ones. The canned beans will not have the same results for sure.

Garam masala is the main spice in the dish. It is not just one spice but is actually a cleverly chosen mixture of a few spices: fennel seeds, star anise, mace, black cardamom. It is nicely balanced so one flavor will not overwhelm the dish. You can blend it yourself or you can just buy it. (I ended up buying it at the store).

This is a common dish that people in India make on a regular basis for lunch or dinner. It has an interesting flavor, taste and texture. It can be made less spicy, if you don’t like spicy dishes, just leave out the green chili. So chana masala is basically a chickpea curry cooked in an onion tomato sauce with the spices. I always wonder how poor people in India get by on very little money and still eat well. This dish might be one of their secrets …

RECIPE

-I doubled the recipe

serves 3-4 people

1 cup of dried chickpeas or 1 (15oz) can
3 cups of water

Ingredients for the tomato sauce

2 Tbsp vegetable oil/ghee
2 large onions, finally chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch ginger piece, finally chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2-3/4 TBSP of red chili powder (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

Ingredients for the chana masala gravy

1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon stick (If you double up the recipe, you will not need to add another cinnamon stick)
2-3 clove pieces
3 green cardamom pods without the shells.
1 green chili pepper, chopped (optional)
1-1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 pinch mango powder (amchur) (optional)
fenugreek leaves (optional)
coriander leaves

Directions

Clean and soak the chickpeas for at least 8 hours. Pour off soaking liquid. Add fresh cold water and cook for 3 hours. Less for pressure cooker. Save cooking liquid. Omit if using canned beans.

Directions for the tomato sauce

Sauté the onions in oil or ghee until golden. Add the chopped ginger for 1 minute, stir.
Add red chili powder and turmeric. Stir for 1 minute. Add garlic quickly, stir.
Quickly add chopped tomatoes and little salt, stir. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until there is a nice sauce. The onions should not taste raw.
Let this mixture cool. Add 1 tbsp liquid from the beans. Make a thick gravy with a blender. Set aside.

Directions for the Chana masala gravy

Dry heat the spices (cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cardamom, clove) in a pot for 1 minute until you can smell the aroma of the spices. Stir. I grind the cardamom as some people don’t like them in their foods whole.
Pour the blended tomato sauce mixture from the previous step back into the pot, the chopped green chili pepper, coriander and garam masala powders and the spices.
Mix and cook for a few minutes until ingredients are mixed nicely.
Add the cooked chickpeas and the cooking water. You might have to add more water.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Taste the mixture and see if you need more garam masala. Boil and simmer for 2 more minutes if spices were added.
Take out the larger spices like bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves.
I also added salt here.
Keep it covered until served.
Serve hot with cilantro, yogurt, lemon, rice, vegetables and roti.

enjoy!

Source

https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/chana-masala/

Tiramisu

If you love coffee and desserts, you are going to love Tiramisu! It is an Italian coffee flavored dessert made with layers of lady fingers dipped in coffee and the egg/mascarpone mixture topped with chocolate. This is a simple dessert that you can whip up easily. Really wow your family, guests and they will think you are the most amazing chef…

You will need Italian lady fingers. I believe it is a must and you can buy it fairly easily. I got mine at Whole Foods but you can even get it on Amazon or make it yourself.

Traditionally, raw eggs are used to make tiramisu. I use fresh, local eggs but you can use heavy whipping cream as a substitute so you do not need to worry about raw egg issue. Of course, the cream will make it heavier and richer. In Europe, eggs are not a problem but in the US, eggs are processed differently and might not be fresh.

If you decide to use eggs, here is the egg test. When you immerse your egg in a pot of cold water, it should lie flat on the bottom. If it goes to the top or even one side starts moving up, do not use the egg. You can only use eggs that are fresh here. I will have instructions for both versions, the raw egg version and the alternative version using cream and cooked egg yolk.

What kitchen equipment do you need?

Medium sized dish for whipping the whites or the cream
larger, medium sized dish for the egg yolk/mascarpone
2 Qt sized deep dish for the tiramisu
Double boiler if cooking the egg yolk. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a metal bowl that fits on the top of the bottom pot securely but does not touch the bottom of the pot.
whisk
plastic scraper
sieve

Optional but nice if you already have them:

coffee maker
handheld mixer or food processor
Plastic wrap for refrigeration

Eggs. Eggs are easier to separate when cold but once they’re separated they need to be at room temperature. Separating the egg white from the yolk can be a bit tricky if you are new to baking. When cracking the egg, tap the egg on a flat surface. Also, I like to put the egg white individually into a separate smaller bowl first to make sure the egg is not addled and no yolk is mixed in. Then you can pour it into a bigger dish that is suitable for whipping the whites and collect the rest of the eggs whites. Of course, the egg yolk can go into a medium sized bowl that will be used to mix egg yolk and mascarpone.

Another key ingredient is mascarpone. It should be cold but make sure you can mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Yes it is expensive! … but it is the main ingredient and is worth it! So what is mascarpone anyway? It is like cream cheese but is creamier and has a higher fat content as it is obtained from cream and not from milk; cream cheese has 35% while mascarpone has 70% fat.

The recipe uses alcohol. I used dark rum. In my opinion, it suits this rich dessert better but the light rum is fine as well. Amaretto works well too. If you don’t want to use alcohol, simply use vanilla or almond extract instead.

Coffee gives tiramisu the distinctive, interesting flavor, so yes you will need a good strong Italian espresso. The lady fingers are dipped in the espresso so make sure you make a good strong brew. 1 1/2 cup of espresso should be enough for dipping. (If you have left overs, you can drink it or pour it on your plants). For 1 1/2 cups of water, I used 1/3 cup of coffee beans that is 2 1/2 Tbsp ground coffee. If you don’t have a coffee grinder, purchase the coffee already ground. If you have an espresso machine, great! If you don’t, no worries! We have a simple Italian Moka pot (Bialetti). Also, another tip is you can get your espresso coffee at Star bucks. My daughter works at Star Bucks and she told us one time a customer got her espresso for tiramisu.

You can use different size dishes to assemble the tiramisu. If you want to put it all in one big dish, you can use a deeper dish that is 2 Qt in size (I used a rectangular dish that is 11.5 x 8 x 2 inches). But you can use anything even circular dishes. Sometimes I use ice cream serving dishes and make tiramisu individually. Just make sure that lady fingers are tightly laid down.

This dish is definitely a make ahead dessert. It needs to be refrigerated for at least 24 hours … but honestly, I think it tastes the best after 2 days … although that might be too long to wait … Otherwise, it should be consumed within a week.

RECIPE

Please read the above text before making the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups of strong espresso at room temperature (1/3 cup of coffee beans or 2 1/2 Tbsp ground coffee)
28 lady fingers, maybe need more
3 Tbsp of rum/amoretto/vanilla extract
6 eggs (separated)
16 oz cold mascarpone
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
coco powder
shaved chocolate for decoration, optional
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream (if not using egg whites)

METHODS

Directions for the raw eggs version (If you can’t use raw eggs please use directions below).

Take the eggs out of the refrigerator. Separate the yolk from the whites while they are cold. Once you separate the eggs, just leave them on the counter. They need to be at room temperature when you start working with them.
Make the espresso. Pour it into a shallow dish with a flat bottom. Coffee needs to be at room temperature.
Immerse the lady fingers in the coffee quickly one at a time for one second. Lay the dipped lady finger in a dish nice and snug. You do this quickly so the lady fingers don’t get soggy.

Making the tiramisu sauce.

In a double boiler, add 1/2 cup of sugar to the yolk with a pinch of salt and cook for 6-10 minute while stirring or until you get a nice creamy consistency. Keep checking, do not over-beat. You want to get a nice creamy, pudding like consistency. Here we are adding air to the yolks to increase volume. Take off heat and let cool to room temperature.

Add the 3 Tbsp of rum and mascarpone to the egg yolk. Beat until just combined and smooth.
Whip up the egg whites until the whites are solid for about 2-3 minutes. When you turn the bowl upside down, it should not fall out of the bowl. Do not over beat. Keep checking.
Add the egg whites to the egg/mascarpone mixture. Don’t mix but gently fold it in. You just need to incorporate it into the yolk mixture keeping its fluffiness.
Pour half of this mixture on the lady fingers that are already in the dish.
Put another layer of the coffee dipped lady fingers on top of this mixture.
Pour the other half of the tiramisu mixture on the lady fingers.
Gently sprinkle some coco powder on the top through a sieve.
Cover the dish with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or 2 full days.
Serve with shaved chocolate, or coco (optional).

Direction for the cream and cooked egg yolks version

Take the eggs out of the refrigerator. They need to be at room temperature.
Mascarpone and cream need to be cold. Keep them in the fridge until you are ready to use them.
Make the coffee. Pour it into a shallow dish with a flat bottom along with 3 Tbsp of rum. Coffee needs to be at room temperature.
Dip the lady fingers in the coffee quickly one at a time for a few seconds. Lay the dipped lady finger in a dish nice and snug.
Making the tiramisu sauce. Separate the eggs.
Prepare the double boiler by bringing some water to a simmer in the bottom pot.
Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the yolk with a pinch of salt in a pot or metal bowl. Ensure the pot fits the bottom pot. Mix with a whisker over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Continue until you get a nice creamy custard consistency. Keep stirring continuously. Here we are adding air to the yolks to increase volume.
Add the 3 Tbsp of rum and the mascarpone to the egg yolks. Beat until just combined and smooth.
Whip the chilled cream for about 2-3 minutes or until it is solid. When you turn the bowl upside down, it should not fall out of the bowl. You can use a food processor, electric mixer or you can do it by hand. Do not over-beat.
Add the cream to the egg/mascarpone mixture. Don’t mix but gently fold it in with a plastic spatula.
Pour half of this mixture on the lady fingers that are already in the dish.
Put another layer of the coffee dipped lady fingers on top of this mixture.
Pour the other half of the tiramisu mixture on the lady fingers.
Gently sprinkle some coco powder through a sieve on the top.
Cover the dish with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or 2 days.
Serve with shaved chocolate, optional.

enjoy!

Text and photos by twincitiesherbs.

Gourmet kitchari (moong dal)

I don’t know if the ground hog’s prediction is right or wrong but it is still cold here. So let’s go to a more exotic place like India and get a popular dish called kitchari. No worries, no exotic foods will be used. You should be able to find all the ingredients here in the US. If your grocery store does not have them, you can try any Indian or Asian store but really all these ingredients are common in the US. I serve the dish with whatever vegetables I can get in the store, spinach, kale, cauliflower etc.

Kitchari is a traditional nourishing soup from India that is made with mung beans and rice infused with some amazing Indian spices. It is great when you want something grounding and warming. It is often consumed during Ayurvedic cleanses or as a light meal to support digestion and overall well-being.

This dish is more of a gourmet version of the simple kitchari with the addition of mustard seed, cinnamon, cardamom and chili pepper to suit our winter needs. You can also add your favorite vegetarian dishes to make it more complete and fun. I used spinach, paneer, fried mushrooms and rice.

RECIPE

Ingredients

1 onion
1 cup of uncooked mung beans
oil (I used home made ghee. )
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
10 – 15 pieces mustard seeds
seeds of 3 green cardamom pods (discard green shell)
1 tomato, chopped (canned is fine)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 cloves of garlic
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup stock or water (more if you want a soup)
salt and black pepper to taste
yogurt
cilantro
lime or lemon

Direction

Clean and soak mung beans overnight but at least for 2 hours. Remove soaking liquid, discard. Set aside the beans.
Making the gravy. Saute the onion on medium high heat for 5- 10 minutes. When you smell the nice aroma of the onion, add the ginger, cardamom seeds, mustard seeds and cumin seeds, Stir for about 5 minutes.
Add the powders (turmeric, cumin, coriander) and garlic, stir for 1 minute. Add cold stock, stir.
Add 1 chopped tomato and cook for about 5-10 minutes until tomato becomes saucy.
Add mung beans prepared earlier. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and cook for 30 minutes.
Add cinnamon stick in the last 10 minutes.
When done, add chili pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm with rice, yogurt, cilantro and lemon.
I also used paneer with spinach stew and fried mushrooms.

enjoy!

chopped chili pepper

Recipe, photo and text by twincitiesherbs.com.