Double Coriander Eggplant Tagine

Making this one definitely felt like an experiment. I adapted it from my favorite Vegetarian magazine:- Vegetarian Times, but there were no images to guide me. I looked at the recipe and it seemed very familiar to a dish that my mom/grandma would make when I was a child, so in my mind, I was working with that visual.

It is a Moroccan dish, but to me it tasted very Indian, probably because of the cumin and coriander that I also use in my Indian dishes. Speaking of coriander, I want to give major kudos to my husband, who spent about an hour in WalMart, hunting down ground coriander for me. It seemed that no-one had a clue what he was asking for, and he came home with THAT expression on his face, and said,"If you knew what I went through to get your coriander". To which I said, "What if I told you that I already had a bottle in the pantry but did not know it". Hmm...if looks could have killed!!! Ofcourse, I was just teasing him and was VERY appreciative for his efforts. I think that we are even now, considering that he had 3 plates of this dish. It is so good that I had friends over and not only did they thoroughly enjoy it but the kids did as well. I thought that I would have leftovers for tomorrow, but I did not even have leftovers for dinner. I love to cook for an appreciative audience.

So, here's the recipe, and if you don't usually like eggplant (or melongene as we say in Trinidad), I encourage you to give this recipe a try.

Serves 4 30 mins or less

EGGPLANT TAGINE
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
12 baby eggplants, halved lengthwise (or just regular eggplant works as well)
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. honey (oops, I just realized that I forgot this today)
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (if you want it to be Kid-Approved, leave out the pepper)
1 28-oz. can chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

CILANTRO-MINT YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup low-fat Greek-style yogurt
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint (I did not have this in stock today, so don't let it be a deal breaker for making this)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar


1. To make Eggplant Tagine: Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add eggplants, coriander, cumin, honey, and red pepper flakes. Sauté 5 minutes, or until eggplants are softened. Add tomatoes, cover,and simmer 20 minutes, or until sauce is thickened and eggplant is tender. Stir in cilantro, and season with salt and pepper.

2. To make Cilantro-Mint Yogurt Sauce: Purée all ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Serve tagine warm over steamed couscous or bulgur (or brown rice if avoiding gluten), topped with Cilantro-Mint Yogurt Sauce.

Trinidadian (Tropical) Fruits & Veggies

Most of you might know that I have just returned from my brother's graduation in NY. I did not have very much internet access, so I do have some catching up to do with sharing all of the delicious Trini foods that I had. Today, I am going to show you some of the fruits and veggies that I miss so much, and very rarely get. My grandmother lives in Queens, NY, in an area that is predominantly habitated with Trinidadian and Guyanese immigrants. It is a very cultural place, that I have fond feelings of. When I initially migrated to America, I lived there for about 3 years.

On Mother's Day, I went for a walk with my brother, and I thoroughly enjoyed and missed the open markets that can be found on just about every corner. They are filled with fresh fruits and veggies. I love the variety of colors. I love that it is not frozen or preserved. Some of them go by different names, even in Queens, but if you're Trini, you'd quickly recognize it. Here are some of my favorites.

There is bodi, which looks like "long green beans" but it is not the same. I also love eggplant, though we call it melongene. Did you notice the 2 types? The peppers make great natural flavourings for your meals. They have various degrees of spiciness

Who needs vitamin supplements when all you have to do is eat these? I am craving the one in the upper right corner of the pic:- mangoes. Over here, I tend to see just one kind of mango, but in Trinidad there are so many different kinds that you can have your pick from. Almost everyone has a mango tree in their back yard.

"Ground Provisions" which is a title of one of my previous posts. They tend to be starchy, but you know what, they are great energy boosters and very filling.

Otherwise known as "Cassava". I love it boiled or fried.

Commonly known as "Pawpaw" in Trinidad. It is high in antioxidants and Vit. C. As a child, I was grossed out by it, because of the numerous black, slimy seeds inside.

Ohh, breadfruit. I love it. Breadfruit Oil-Down is a recipe that I will have to share soon. It is creamy and buttery, and so delicious. Breadfruit is very starchy. It is an energy booster, that is high in fiber, helps to lower cholesterol and has a good amount of omega-fatty acids.

I have never called this "Jack-fruit", but have always known it as "Chataigne". My Indian grandmother always curries it. The inside is fleshy and has a high fiber content. I had a tree in my backyard, as a child, and it was always messy because when it fell to the ground, it would just splatter. Cleaning it is also a messy affair,but eating it, is worth all of the hassle. It also has seeds which can be included in the curry. I also like just boiling the seeds in salt water and afterwards breaking open the shell to eat the insides.

Out in TX, I sometimes find eddoes at Central Market. This is good for soups or for that Good Friday meal with other ground provisions.

I am holding a coconut in my hand and the sticks that you see are "Sugarcane". Sugarcane is so fiberous that I know people who have used it as a toothbrush. It is naturally sweet. You can peal the outside with a knife if you want to be fancy, or you can just use your teeth and enjoy it even more. In Trinidad, coconuts are regularly sold on the streets, and makes a delicious dessert/drink. The jelly on the inside is divine, and who needs a spoon when you can use a piece of the coconut itself as a spoon.

If I ever take you to my home in Trinidad, you'd find the backyard filled with dasheen bush. This grows easily and plentifully. As a child, when you're eating foods like "bhagi" and "callalloo", you don't even realize how much you are devouring your greens.

okay, all I am going to say for this one, is that it is one of the key ingredients to my grandmother's amazing pepper sauce which is so good, that she has been shipping it to me for the past couple of years. There is another excellent pepper called "bird pepper" which I don't see unless I visit Trinidad. I also grew up with this tree in my yard.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

8 outer leaves of cabbage
2 eggs
1 tsp. mixed seasonings
1/2 cup tomato sauce
4 cups soaked vita burger chunks/veggie crumbles (veggie ground beef)
2 oz grated cheese
rice (optional)
salt to taste

Select good size cabbage leaves, drop in boiling water and soften for 2-3 minutes, let cool.

Mix chunks, eggs, cheese and seasoning.

Stuff cabbage leaves, roll up neatly. Put into casserole, pour tomato sauce over, bake covered for 35 minutes in moderate oven.

Garden Salad- onions, tomatoes, pecans, cubed cheese, lettuce and a dash of lemon juice

This is what Dev did to his salad. He added Fat Free Cottage Cheese.

I also made this with roasted veggies (red potatoes, sweet onions, protein links (soy sausage), asparagus, green peppers) and sliced avocado on the side.
The meal was absolutely delicious. Both Dev and I had seconds. Yummy and healthy!

Banana-Peanut Punch (Shake)

Growing up in Trinidad, my dad would make lots of different kinds of punch (no sugar needed), including pumpkin punch. I realize that in the United States, "punch" may not be a familiar word in reference to the drink that I am talking about, so I figured that it is basically a Shake.

Last Sunday morning, I had a banana, but then later on, Layla asked for one too, so I gave her 1/2, only to have her take 2 nibbles and not want anymore of it. I hate wasting food, and I did not want to eat a 2nd banana, so in less than 3 minutes, I whipped up a shake (and refrigerated for a mid-afternoon "pick-me-up")using:-
1 banana
2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
some honey
grounded nutmeg
almond milk
1 or 2 ice-blocks

I blended that, and Bham! I had my shake. I smelt it, and instantly, it took me back to my childhood, with drinking punches. My favorite was peanut punch with crushed up ice.

A Vegan lunch and yet another use for Garlic.

Garlic really never ceases to amaze me. A close friend of mine invited me over to her friend's house for lunch after church yesterday. I went and it was very nice, getting to hang out with like-minded people and also watching Layla have an energetic, fun time, with the other 3 kids that were there, all of whom were around her age. I am always fascinated when I observe her around a group of kids. She seems so much more grown, more cognitive, more independent. wow!

Anyway, my friends are vegan, and so for lunch we had a delicious, colorful Garden Salad, penne pasta mixed with veggies like zucchini & mushrooms, tossed in a tomato sauce, green beans with toasted almonds, and corn. For dessert, we had home-made coconut/vanilla ice-cream with fresh fruit (strawberries & black berries). Everything was delicious, and I especially liked the dessert, which was passed down from his grandmother in Jamaica.

I'd really like to start making my own ice-cream. It took just about 15 minutes. We've come a long way, in terms of ice-cream makers.

While we were there, I noticed that my friend was chopping up raw garlic and popping it into her mouth. Yeah! When I asked her about it, she said that whenever her throat gets really scratchy, she just has to do that and in a few minutes it feels better. HUH!!! Some of you might know that I am a huge fan of garlic (except for the garlic breath part), so finding yet another benefit/use for garlic, makes me happy. It is a POWERFUL natural antibiotic. Bacteria in our body, do not evolve resistance to garlic like they would to other prescribed antibiotics. Interestingly, some people can be allergic to garlic. Yes, so be aware of that. Like almost everything in life, moderation is the key.

Vegetarian Osso Buco with Asparagus-Mushroom Orzotto

Wow, this recipe is such a rich blend of delicious flavors. I felt as if it was an expensive meal that I had ordered at a fancy restaurant. This is definitely one of my new favorites. I originally found this recipe, in Vegetarian Times and slightly modified it. I did not include butter in mine, and for the soy meat I used Veggie Protein Links and also Veggie Patties, in case my hubby wants more of a meaty feel to the meal. I am mesmerized by this dish and hope that you enjoy it too.

OSSO BUCO
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onion
3 Bay Leaves
1 Tbs. Thyme
1 Tbs. Oregano
1 Tbs. Parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 13-oz. pkg. chicken-style soy meat substitute, such as Veat
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup white or red wine
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

ASPARAGUS-MUSHROOM ORZOTTO
2 Tbs. olive oil
½ cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
10 asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced on bias into thirds
6 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup orzo
3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, warmed
¼; cup chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp. Thyme
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional


To make Osso Buco:
1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and parsley, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add garlic, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook 5 minutes. Add meat substitute, broth, wine, and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, or until sauce thickens and meat substitute is heated through.

To make Asparagus-Mushroom Orzotto:
2. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 10 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Add asparagus and mushrooms, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until mushrooms start to release their juices. Add 1/2 cup orzo and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add remaining orzo, and cook 3 minutes more, or until all pasta bits are browned. Stir in 1/2 cup vegetable broth, parsley, and thyme, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, or until orzo has absorbed all liquid, stirring often. Continue adding broth to orzo 1/2 cup at a time until all liquid is absorbed and orzo is al dente. Remove from heat, and stir in Parmesan, if desired. Serve with Osso Buco.

p.s. I also included spinach on the side, just seasoned with Sea Salt. Did you notice that this recipe does not call for salt or pepper? That's because it really does not need it, not with all of those flavorful herbs.

Cheese chile relleno and vegetable enchilada.

About a month ago, Dev and I celebrated our anniversary. We started off the day, by getting something to eat. haha I say it like that, because, eating has always been a major part of our relationship. We are both major foodies. He would experiment with anything new. I, on the other hand, tend to be more sceptical, because, I want to make sure that I will enjoy my meal.

Anyway, so we found ourselves in the Montgomery Plaza area of Fort Worth, and discovered a Mexican restaurant called Chuy's. I had not heard of it before. The location was great, right across from Trinity Park and it was child-friendly. Layla had a great time, sitting outdoors. The service was excellent, especially when it came to Layla, they tried to anticipate our needs and were very warm.

The menu came, and I was happy to see that I had several vegetarian options:-
- Quesadillas (no meat)- Cheese, green chiles, and onion. Served with guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo
- Bean and Cheese Burrito- Served with rice and your choice of sauce, stuffed with beans and cheese
- Taco and Enchilada- Crispy taco and cheese Tex-Mex enchilada.
- Relleno and Enchilada- Your choice of chile relleno and enchilada
- Vegetarian Combo- Cheese chile relleno and vegetable enchilada
- Chuy's Lite Plate- Crispy taco, guacamole, and chile con queso
- Custom Enchiladas- Ground sirloin, chicken or cheese, with your choice of sauce
- Classic Tex-Mex Enchiladas- Cheese and onion with Tex-Mex sauce. Served with rice and your choice of beans.
- Veggie Enchiladas- Spinach, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, serranos, roasted green chiles, corn & cheese in blue corn tortillas with ranchero sauce. Served with rice and your choice of beans
- Large Dinner Salad- Tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers.
- Tex-Mex Salad Combos- Large dinner salad with your choice of enchilada, deluxe quesadillas, tortilla soup or mini burrito
- Soft Tacos- Served with lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole. Your choice of chicken, guacamole or ground sirloin

If I did not like any of the vegetarian options, I could have also selected pretty much, any of the other items on the menu, and substitute the meat with Portabella mushrooms.

So, guess which one I chose? The vegetarian combo ofcourse-Cheese chile relleno and vegetable enchilada. It was absolutely delicious. I was so taken by it, that I barely even noticed that there were people around me. I checked out the recipe online, and wanted to share it with you. I haven't gotten around to making myself as yet.

CHEESE CHILE RELLENO
Serves 6 Prep Time- 30 mins Cook Time-20 mins
Ingredients
12 Anaheim chile peppers, charred and peeled
1 pound Cheddar cheese, cut into strips
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour for coating

Directions
1. Remove seeds and membranes from peppers. Stuff each pepper with a strip of cheese.
2. In a small bowl combine milk, the 1 cup flour, egg, baking powder, baking soda, salt and canola oil; mix well to make a batter.
3. Pour enough oil in heavy frying pan to reach 1 inch in depth and heat over medium-high heat. Roll each pepper in the remaining flour and dip in the batter. Fry until lightly browned on both sides

VEGETABLE ENCHILADA
Serves 8. Prep Time-30 mins. Total Time- 55mins
Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking dishes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups grated pepper Jack cheese (12 ounces)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
16 corn tortillas (6-inch)

Directions

1. Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, flour, and tomato paste; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. Make filling: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups cheese, beans, spinach, corn, scallion whites, and remaining 1 teaspoon cumin; season with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil two 8-inch square baking dishes; set aside. Stack tortillas, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute. Or stack and wrap in aluminum foil, and heat in oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Top each tortilla with a heaping 1/3 cup of filling; roll up tightly and arrange, seam side down, in prepared baking dishes.
4. Dividing evenly, sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1 cup cheese, and top with sauce. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; serve garnished with scallion greens