madtasty twenty minute meal

So, I've been having far too many Rachel Ray evenings lately, where I can barely bring myself to cook.  This meal is for me a step up from "my version" of the quick fix that Alana made.  The key is relying on exceptionally tasty (probably very high sodium, I'm afraid to look at the back of the box) rice-in-a-box:

For accents and some protein, I'm all about the crisp green goodness of shoots.  In this case, pea shoots:

 Since everything I make turns into a curry regardless of whatever I'd hoped to make at the start, this time I actually made on on purpose.  Have a look at some of our curry recipes to learn how.  I focused on cauliflower, carrots, white beans and corn in this one.

 The rice takes an exact twenty minutes to simmer, which gives you just enough time to chop vegetables, throw on a medium high heat and get to currying.  And I can't get over how great the pea shoots look when you're plating things.  They look good even if you just use one or two for garnish.  And they last forever in the fridge. 

  But there you go.  Twenty-five minutes from start to finish.  Rachel Ray can go climb a tree.

Tempeh Masala with Coconut Rice

Indian cuisine may be my favorite type of food. Ever. While I haven't yet mastered making complex Indian sauces from scratch, I did find an excellent tool to enjoy delicious Indian food at home anytime. Jyoti Indian Cuisine does come in a can, but don't let that deter you. All of their varieties are delicious; every single one I have tried has been great. Here I used their basic Masala sauce and added sauteed vegetables and marinated tempeh cubes. When paired with mildly sweet coconut rice, this is a fabulous and healthy meal.

Ingredients:

Tempeh Masala:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small-medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves minced garlic (1 tablespoon)
• 1 package lemon flavored tempeh-tations (unmarinated tempeh would work as well)
• 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (about 15-20 tomatoes)
• 1 cup frozen chopped kale (or spinach)
• 1 can Jyoti Masala sauce

Coconut rice:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water

To begin this meal, bring brown rice, coconut milk, and water to boil in a sauce pan. Once boiling, cover and turn heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to steam this way while you prepare the masala dish, about 40 minutes.

In a saute pan, heat the oil on low and add the onion. Allow to cook on low for about five minutes before adding the garlic to the pan. Stir and continue to cook on low for another five minutes. Veggies should now just be slightly translucent and soft. Turn heat up to medium-high and add the tempeh. Brown on both sides, about three minutes each side. Add mushrooms, tomatoes and kale to the pan. Stir and allow everything in the pan to cook on medium high for another five minutes, stirring occasionally. If the kale is still frozen when added to the pan, it will melt and add enough liquid to prevent anything from burning in the pan. Add masala sauce to the pan, stir and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and allow the mixture to simmer until everything is heated through and the sauce has reduced slightly, about 5-10 minutes.

Check on rice, it should be just done at this point. When finished it will be tender enough to eat but still slightly nutty with a thick sauciness coating the grains. Serve in a bowl half filled with rice and half filled with the tempeh masala. The spice and tang of the masala mixture will pair well will the mild sweetness of the rice. Enjoy!

Saag Paneer

(Sorry that there’s no picture. I’m getting really discouraged by my inability to photograph food. Here is an approximation of what the saag paneer will look like.)

Oh, man, this is good. When I lived in London for a month, I took an Indian “cookery” class. The instructor emailed me a list of dishes, from which I had to choose three. I chose saag paneer because my favorite thing at Indian restaurants is “chicken saag” (that’s what I always called it, anyway), and because I didn’t see chicken saag on the list, I assumed that saag paneer would be the closest thing to it. See, I didn’t know what paneer was.

Paneer, in the unlikely event that I was not the last person to figure this out, is described at Indian restaurants in New York as solid cottage cheese. I think it’s more akin to a firm mozzarella, one that doesn’t melt—it keeps its shape when cooked. It’s mild, pretty flavorless actually, and kind of dry, but it has the intoxicating texture and structure of cheese, and do I ever love cheese. I’ve always had to head to the Indian grocery district to buy it (in NY, this is around 28th street and Lexington in Manhattan), which is one of my favorite field trips.

This should be served with some fragrant rice and/or flatbreads and, if you’re game for making a day of it, it’s a nice thing to accompany other Indian dishes. But also, this is just comfort food. Think, mac and cheese-type comfort, except with complex flavors and abundant Popeye greens.

If you omit the paneer, this is a base for many other good dishes. I added chickpeas to it last night to nice results. You could also probably use lentils and potatoes. It would also be a good braising medium for chicken that has marinated overnight in yogurt, some green chilies-ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, cumin, and salt (ie, "chicken saag"). You might also make it work with firm tofu.

And here’s the recipe I’ve arrived at after tinkering with the one from the class. It’s a little bit of work, but so worth it.

Saag Paneer

3 T canola oil
18 oz paneer, cubed or sliced however you’d like
2 Indian green chilies, seeds in or out, depending on you personal heat threshold, chopped coarsely (buy them at the Indian grocer; I can’t find them anywhere else; this is what they look like)
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1 medium onion, chopped coarsely
1 t cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 big bag spinach
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup plain yogurt (low- or nonfat is fine)
1 t salt
squeeze lemon juice
1 t garam marsala
cilantro for garnish

In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil. Over medium-high heat, fry the paneer in batches until browed evenly on all sides.

In a blender or food processor, blitz the green chilies, garlic, and onion; add water by the tablespoon if it doesn’t want to emulsify. Into the frying pan where the paneer was, with the heat on medium, add the cumin seeds and bay leaf, cooking for about 10 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion mixture and fry for 5 to 10 minutes, until it reduces and shows signs of browning. You’ll want to stir constantly in order to avoid sticking. Then add the spinach, turning with tongs, cooking until completely wilted. Tip this mixture into the food processor and puree.

Put the spinach mixture back into the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir in the cream and yogurt, and then the salt, sugar, lemon juice, and garam marsala. Adjust seasonings. Add the paneer and cook until heated through.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot, with rice and/or flatbreads.

Chana Masala

Chana Masala

This North Indian/Pakistani dish was passed to me from my Norwegian roommate in Ireland (go figure). It has been a staple for me in my travels, since chickpeas are relatively easy to find in most places. If you are using dried chickpeas, be sure to soak them overnight, drain and soak again until you're ready to cook.

Ingredients:

Chickpeas (one/two cans, drained; or half a pack of dried, soaked as above)
Onion (halved and sliced)
Ginger (a good chunk, chopped or grated)
Garlic (to taste; 2-4 cloves)
Vegetable stock (about 2 pints)
Coriander seeds (2 tsp)
Cumin (2 tblsp)
Garam masala powder (same)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh coriander, to garnish
Fresh yoghurt, to garnish

Sautee the onion, half the ginger, garlic, and coriander seeds together in a dollop of extra virgin olive oil until onions are translucent, about 5-10 mins. Add the chickpeas, stir around for 3-5 mins. with salt and pepper, then add the stock. Season with the cumin & garam masala. Cook on a medium heat to reduce the liquid. You may have to add 1-2 pints of water as the dish cooks down. The chana is ready when the chickpeas 'burst' and are slightly mushy, split along the back, and the liquid is reduced. Garnish with fresh coriander and yoghurt. Suggested as an accompianment with short grain brown rice.