Tomato Tart

The other day on a train ride to San Francisco, a lady who sat next to me was eating her lunch in a container. It looks delicious, and I asked her what is it. She told me it tomato tart that her mother made for her, whenever she go home to visit her. This is the recipe from her. Thanks Brenda for sharing!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Quinoa and Beet Salad

This summer,we have been eating a lot of salad lately. Perhaps it's my excuse for being tired after the long drive home from work. I am glad that John is not a picky eater and he enjoyed most of what I cooked. This is mostly how it goes the minute I got home from work: feed the cat, check on the chicken for eggs, picked some greens or whatever is available from the garden. Then it's back to the kitchen to whip up something simple for dinner. Here's one of my version of a summer salad using leftovers from the fridge.

Quinoa Maki Rolls with Orange Ginger Sauce

Lately I've been using Quinoa as an alternative to rice in my meals. Quinoa are the seeds from a flowering plant that is grown primarily for it's edible seeds. When cooked it has a light fluffy texture with a mild nutty flavor. I've been using it on salad for a light and satisfying meal.

I found some seasoned seaweed in the pantry--and an idea came to mind! I could use some of my leftover quinoa instead of rice when I make sushi. I thought to myself, what a genius idea, until I Googled and found tons of sushi roll using quinoa as a substitue for rice. Oh well, I am not going to be disheartened by the fact that I wasn't the first to think of it, what is it they say, "great minds think alike." Most importantly is that this is my version and I love it.

Indian Flatbread with Potato/Aloo Naan

Naan is a popular leavened flat bread that is served by itself or with any curry sauce. The word, "Aloo" is potato and Aloo Naan is basically bread stuffed with potatoes and spices. It is easy to make at home and you can freeze them for up to a month.
Ingredients:
(Adapted by manjulaskitchen.com)
Potato Filling:
3 medium potatoes, peeled
1 chopped green pepper, seeds removed
1 tsp. cumin powder
½ tsp. mango powder (amchur)
1 tsp. garam masala
½ tsp. chili powder
½ cup cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2½ Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. plain yogurt
¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ cups lukewarm water
Others
¼ cup flour for rolling and dusting
2 tsp. ghee or clarified butter
some oil
a baking or pizza stone for baking
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 500°F with the baking stone on the middle shelf.
2. Add two tablespoon of lukewarm water into a small bowl and sprinkle dry yeast on top. Let it sit undisturbed for about two minutes, then stir to dissolve the yeast. Set aside until the mixture becomes frothy. Note: If it does not bubble after five minutes, the yeast is no good as the water is either too hot or too cold. Discard and do it again.
3. In a mixing bowl add sugar, salt, and baking soda to the flour and stir to mix well. Add oil and yogurt and mix to a crumbly dough (the mixture tends to be sticky). Add in the prepared yeast and water (only as needed to form the dough)
4. Knead the dough with your fingers until smooth in texture. Cover with a warm towel and keep in a warm place for 3-4 hours. The dough should double in size and volume.
5. Cut potatoes in halves and steamed them until they are tender and cooked. Remove and let it cool in a bowl. Once potatoes have cooled down, mash it to a fine texture without lumps. Add the rest of the fillings ingredients and season to taste.
6. Gently dust the rolling pin and counter top. Knead the dough for about two minutes and divide the dough into six portions. Divide the fillings into six smaller portions.
7. Roll the dough into a circle and place the potato filling ball in the center. Pull the edges of the dough to wrap the potato filling, pinching the edges to seal. Do the same to the rest of the dough and fillings. Set aside for about 3-4 minutes. Lightly dust one ball and roll it flat to a 5-inch circle. Do the same for the rest of the balls.
8. Turn oven to a high broil. Before putting the bread into the oven, oil the palms of your hands and flip naan between your palms to oil both sides of the bread. Place naan on the baking stone (2-3 at a time depending on the size of the baking stone) Bake for 2-3 minutes until the naan is puffy and golden in color. Remove and brush with ghee or clarified butter. Let the oven heat for another 3 minutes before baking the rest of the bread.
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Cook's Note: Be sure to check the expiration date on the yeast packet as dead yeast will not activate or bubble. The temperature of the water is also important for the yeast to activate. It should be lukewarm (between 110°-115°F), when tested with a thermometer. The water should be just warm to touch, like the temperature you would prepare a baby bottle.

Samosas

A samosa is a deep fried conical shaped turnover filled with potatoes, (peas) and spices. It is a Northern India specialty and is popular as an apertizer or an afternoon snack. Samosas are typically served with freshly made mint sauce and a sweet tamarind-date sauce. It really brings out the full flavor of this wonderful snack. Enjoy!
Ingredients: (Makes about 12)
Adapted and inspired by Manjula'skitchen)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. soji or semolina flour
2 Tbsp. oil
pinch of salt
½ cup lukewarm water
Oil for deep frying (about 48 fl. oz)
Fillings:
4 medium sized red potatoes
½ red onion, minced
½ cup peas
3 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. mustard seeds
½ tsp. red chili powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
2 tsp. garam masala
2 tsp. Amchur powder (dehydrated mango powder)
2 green chilies, chopped and seeds removed
Method:
1. Peel and pre-cooked potatoes until just tender but firm. Chop into small pieces.
2. In a mixing bowl, add flour, soji, oil and salt and mix well until it resembles fine crumbs. Add in water and knead to form a smooth dough for about 8-10 minutes. Leave in bowl to sit for about 20 minutes.
3. Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. sauté onion and chilies until soft for about 2 minutes, followed by the rest of the spices. Fry until fragrant, add peas and potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

4. Roll dough into a log and divide into six equal portions. Take a portion of the dough and roll into a 5-inch round and cut into half. Take a piece of the half circle and gently moisten with some water around the edges. Take the two corners and shape into a cone. Use your fingers to pinch to seal the edges. Hold the cone between your thumb and fingers (like holding an ice cream cone) and stuff the inside with samosa filling. Pinch and seal the top openings to close the edges and make sure no fillings is poking through the dough. Do the same to the rest of the dough.

5. Heat oil in deep frying pan on high until bubbling, reduce to medium heat. Using a ladle slowly drop 2-3 samosas into the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with sauce.Tips: The oil is hot enough when you insert a dry chopstick and it is bubbling at the chopstick tip. It should register between 350 and 375 F. Always add enough oil to submerge the food to be deep-fried, making sure there is enough space at the top of the pot or wok for the oil level to rise when the food is dropped in.

Cook's note: You can freeze uncooked samosas for at least a week. Simply heat oil and fry them.

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Couscous with Spinach & Sundried Tomatoes

Couscous is pasta made from semolina (the hard part of wheat) and shape into pellets that resembles tiny grains of pasta. There are a few variety of couscous: Moroccan, Israeli and Lebanese. The former is the most common and cooks quickly, while the latter two are larger in size and take longer to cook. To complement and enhance the flavor you can add an endless selection of ingredients. One of my favorites is chopped nuts, cheese and dried fruits to give it an exotic flair. Here’s my recipe for this Mediterranean-inspired dish. You can also serve this as a side dish with your meat dishes. Enjoy!

Israeli couscous

Ingredients:
1 cup Israeli couscous or Moroccan couscous
1 ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 bunch baby spinach
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ cup dried tomatoes, chopped
½ cup raisins
½ cup toasted pine nuts or almonds
1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 tsp. garlic, chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
a pinch of salt
dash of paprika
crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Method:
1. In a saucepan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté couscous over medium heat until it is light browned about 5 minutes. Slowly add in the vegetable or chicken broth (if used) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for about 10-12 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and keep warm while you prepared the rest of the ingredients. Note: If using Moroccan couscous, bring water or broth to a boil and add couscous. Cover and remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a skillet, sauté onions and garlic in some oil until tender. Stir in dried spices, tomatoes, and raisins. Fry until well mixed and fragrant. Add in spinach to cook until slightly wilted, then add in the pine nuts.
3. Using a fork to fluff the cooked couscous and mix it with the spinach mixture. Season to taste and sprinkle lemon zest or feta cheese (if used) on top. You can serve this as a side dish for those of you who love
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