Easy Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
3 cloves minced garlic
1 package Philadelphia cream cheese (NOT LOW FAT!! OR ANY OTHER BRAND!!)
2 c whole milk (can replace with 2%, half and half, or cream, but not skim)
6 oz finely shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT KRAFT!!)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste

Directions:

1. NOTE: have pasta ready before making sauce
2. Heat butter on stove over medium heat.
3. Add garlic.
4. Add room temperature cream cheese. Whisk. Get it as smooth as you can.
5. Add warm milk. Whisk till smooth. DO NOT boil.
6. Add parmesan. DO NOT bring to boil or it WILL separate. Whisk till smooth.
7. Take off heat.
8. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
9. Sauce will get thicker as it cools.
10. Add sauce to pasta and enjoy!

Indian Raita Feast

Carrot Raita

1/2 c shredded carrot
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Banana Raita

1 banana, quartered lengthwise, cut into 1 cm pieces
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Radish Raita

1/2 c shredded carrot
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Onion Raita

1/2 c onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Boondi Raita

1/2 c boondi
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Mix Raita

1/4 c shredded carrot
1/2 diced tomato
1/2 banana, quartered and cut into 1 cm pieces
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Cucumber Raita

1 cucumber, shredded, water squeeze out by hand
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

NOTE: These taste great on their own as a savory snack, can also be enjoyed with poori, paratha, methi paratha, as a side with spicy curries, with naan, with rice, .. really, the options are endless.

Andhra Spinach

From Saveur and Madhur Jaffrey

SERVES 2-4

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1⁄4 tsp. fenugreek seeds (methi)
12 fresh or frozen curry leaves (limdo)
9 cloves garlic, 3 halved lengthwise, 6 minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. red chile powder, such as cayenne
1⁄2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 (2″) piece ginger, peeled and grated
Kosher salt, to taste
3 lb. baby spinach

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium-high.
2. Cook cumin seeds until they pop, 1–2 minutes.
3. Add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and halved garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add onion; cook until golden, 10–12 minutes.
5. Add minced garlic, the coriander, chile powder, turmeric, ginger, and salt; cook until garlic is golden, 2–3 minutes.
6. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted and slightly dry, 6–8 minutes.

NOTE: This was terrific. Even the spinach haters in my family loved it. Five stars!!

Salsa Roja

This is a boiled salsa. It is super easy and so yum. I bottled mine after boiling to enjoy at a later date.

Ingredients
6 pounds roma (plum) tomatoes
1/4 pound roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 red onion, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 pound jalapeno peppers, chopped [optional]
1/3 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Briefly place 6 pounds tomatoes into water to loosen skins and set color. Drain, peel and crush.
Mix chopped tomatoes, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper and cumin into the saucepan with crushed tomatoes. Whip to desired thickness. Bring to a boil. Mix in red onion, white onion, yellow onion, jalapeno peppers and cilantro. Continue boiling until vegetables are soft and mixture has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat. Refrigerate until serving.

Iyengar Karnataka Eggplant

Ingredients:

2 long eggplants, cut into 1 inch lengths (then I cut each 1 inch cylinder into six long pieces)

1/3 tsp tamarind paste diluted in 1/2 c warm water
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp coconut powder

Spice Powder

2 tbsp urad dal
2 tbsp chana dal
1/3 tsp paprika
3 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 ” cinnamon stick
1 clove

Tempering

enough oil to cover bottom of heavy bottomed wide pot (I use a sesame oil and peanut oil combination)(make sure you have a lid for this pot)

1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tbsp chana dal
4-5 curry leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine spice powder ingredients in pan on stove. Dry roast until fragrant. Dals will be golden. Taste the dals to make sure they are cooked. When done, let cool and then grind in grinder until fine powder. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in heavy pot over medium heat. Add tempering ingredients in order given. Add eggplant. Sautee. Add tamarind water. Add turmeric. Add salt. Mix well. Cover with lid. Let cook over medium low heat until eggplant is tender and liquid is absorbed.
3. Remove from heat. Add spice powder and coconut powder. Mix well.
4. Enjoy!

Recipe is adapted from Simply Southern by Chandra Padmanabhan. Buy this book, you won’t regret it. There are a lot of really great South Indian recipes in it, which you won’t get at any restaurant. And as far as spiciness is concerned — do what I did, and omit the red chilies and replace with a minute amount of paprika powder.

Quick Pickled Sweet Peppers

Ingredients:

2 c sliced sweet peppers (1 bag of those peppers they sell at Costco)(you can slice lengthwise or in circles)
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 c water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 tsp Diallo bottled minced garlic which they sell at Costco)

Directions:

1. Place peppers in a jar.
2. In saucepan over medium high heat, mix vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Let boil.
3. Remove from heat. Add garlic.
4. Pour over peppers in jar. Top off with more water if necessary.
5. Cover jar, refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
6. This will keep in the fridge for about a week.

H/T Simply Whisked

This tastes AMAZING on pizza, sandwiches, by themselves.

Lemon Pepper Paneer

Ingredients:

Paneer
Olive oil
Lemon Pepper
1 small onion (chopped into 1 in pieces)(optional)
1/2 small red pepper (chopped into 1 in pieces)(optional)

Directions:

1. Cut paneer into 3/4 in cubes.
2. Put into mixing bowl.
3. Drizzle with olive oil (about 1/3 c).
4. Sprinkle with lemon pepper (about 1/3 of the bottle).
5. Mix well.
6. Optional: Add onion and red pepper to bowl. Mix well.
7. Let sit for four hours to overnight to let the flavors soak in.
8. Preheat oven to 350F.
9. Spread cubes out onto nonstick cookie sheet.
10. Bake 10 min.
11. Take out of oven and mix.
12. Bake 10 min.
13. Take out of oven and mix.
14. Paneer should be nicely browned and crisp. If not bake another 3-5 min.
15. Take out of oven, put into serving bowl lined with paper towels.
16. Enjoy!

 

ABP Corn and Green Chili Bisque

Okay, the “original” copycat recipe is on the bottom of this post. This is similar to the soup at Au Bon Pain.

I am adding a recipe that is more mild, which is more to my family’s taste. If you like the spiciness of the original, scroll down 🙂

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 green pepper, minced (abt 1/4 c)
1/4 red pepper, minced (abt 1/4 c)
1/4 onion, minced (abt 1/4 c)
1 tsp minced garlic (I use the bottled version from Costco)
1 6 oz can tomato paste (I use the red and yellow Italian brand canned version)
1 7 oz can Herdez salsa verde
4 c water
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
2 ears of corn, boiled, cut from cob
1 tsp heavy cream powder (or more, to taste)
juice of 1/8 lime

Directions:

1. Add butter and olive oil to large pot over medium heat. Let warm.
2. Add green pepper, red pepper, onion. Sautee.
3. Add onion. Sautee.
4. Add tomato paste and salsa verde. Add 4 c water. Add sugar and cumin. Let come to boil.
5. Add corn. Let boil, then simmer over medium low heat.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Add a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice. Add heavy cream powder.
8. Mix well and enjoy! 🙂

Note: This recipe is AWESOME! 🙂 Everyone loved it, will make it again.

 

 

 

Corn and Green Chili Bisque (original copycat recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 2 Anaheim peppers, minced (or 1 4-oz. can green chilies)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, minced
• 1/4 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
• 2 tomatillos, diced (or 1 28-oz. can tomatillos)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced (or 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 8 cups (10 ears) of corn (or frozen)
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 32-oz. vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• 8 oz. cream
• juice of 1 lime

In a large soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Sauté the peppers and onions, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Add the tomatillos, tomatoes and sugar and sauté for about 3 minutes.

Add 6 cups of corn into the pot along with spices. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and cilantro. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.

After the flavors have married, puree with an immersion blender.

Stir in the cream. Stir in the lime juice. Add the remaining 2 cups of corn. Heat for about 5 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl and garnish with tortilla strips or a crushed tortilla chip and a cilantro leaf.

 

Lemon Yogurt Cake

There are a bunch of recipes on the internet for this. I’m going for a delicious, moist, AND healthy cake.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 c almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

GLAZE:

2 tbsp (approx) lemon juice
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp (approx) lemon zest

Mix well.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray your loaf pan with nonstick spray.  I used four mini loaf pans instead of one big loaf pan.
3. In first bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, and salt.
4. In second bowl, mix sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
5. Add yogurt, oil, eggs and extract to second bowl.
6. Fold first bowl mixture into second bowl mixture.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top.
8. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.
9. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
10. Invert onto rack; let cool completely.
11. Add glaze topping.
12. Enjoy!

NOTE: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Freezes well also (take finished cake, wrap in wax paper, then aluminum foil and then cling wrap – all this is to make sure the freeze smell does not get absorbed into your cake).

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you don’t have almond flour, use all purpose flour. If you don’t have lemon, use lime, or orange, or any citrus for the juice and extract. If you don’t have oil, use melted butter. If you don’t have yogurt, use sour cream or ricotta cheese.

VARIATIONS: Can add 1/2 c of fresh fruit to finished batter (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, bananas). Can also fold in some dried fruit or nuts (walnuts, almonds, dried cherries, dried cranberries). Can also change the extract used from almond to vanilla to lemon to orange to really anything you like the flavor of.

NOTE2: With substitutions and variations, bake time will have to be adjusted. So just check on the cake every so often.

NOTE3: This batter does not make good muffins, because it does not rise.

NOTE4: The glaze is optional but tastes really good 🙂

NOTE5: With the mini loaf pans (animals, traditional, Fall), you can make multiple flavors – just divide up the main batter, and to one add lime or orange flavoring, to the other add fresh strawberries, blueberries or blackberries, the other banana walnut, and the last dried cherries and almonds. The sky is the limit!

Egg Free Ranch Dressing

Note: This recipe has dairy, but no eggs. It actually comes out BETTER than Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, though.

Ingredients:

1/4 c Just Mayo
1/4 c yogurt (not the whey, just the solid part)
fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
2.5 tsp Hidden Valley Ranch mix
1 tbsp whipping cream
1 tsp cholula
1/4-1/2 tsp Ploughman’s mustard

Directions:

Mix well and enjoy!

Tastes great with salad, as a pizza dip, or a vegetable dip.

NOTE: You can add fresh chopped dill, fresh chopped spinach, and the giardiniera mix from Potbelly’s sandwich shop for a phenomenal dip. It IS a bit spicy, though, so watch it with the Potbelly mix if you can’t tolerate spicy food.