Spinach & Potato Curry (Saag Aloo)

It's almost midnight and this post is determined to be up tomorrow morning. It's also Thanksgiving break this week and I am pretty excited to have some time off with minimum homework! We only have two more weeks of classes left but let's face it, preparing for final exams is stressful so the excitement doesn't kick in until that last exam is over. I don't really have anything exciting to report on lately. School is my full-time life right now and even though it keeps me extremely busy, it's pretty routine. So let's talk about my latest food love: Indian food!

This past summer we headed down to good old Texas for a few weeks and my husband took me out to dinner at an Indian restaurant (a first for me!) and I was head over heals in love before we were halfway through the meal. It's not just that the food was delicious, full of satisfying flavors and packed with aromatic spices to no end. This place was authentic and it didn't take much to know that. The naan was freshly made, charred perfectly, soft, yet chewy, and thin, yet sturdy enough to hold it's own under the weight of the fillings. The curries were steaming hot and deeply flavorful, even the rice was notable (why do other restaurants put peas and carrots into theirs? weird.) The papadam was light and crispy, unlike any that I've tried thus far. We finished our meal with samplings of desserts that included my favorite badamee kheer, also known as rice pudding. That night we experienced the best Indian food I've ever had. We took a chance and walked into what most would describe as a "hole-in-the-wall"; it was the best decision we've ever made when eating out.

Since that fateful, Sunday night, we've taken every opportunity to visit different Indian restaurants within our areas of travel and have been surprised at the some of the experiences. Not all of them serve what I would consider authentic Indian food, many have become Americanized. If you are ever in Lubbock, Texas, here is the link to the restaurant I so highly recommend.

Since my experience with Indian food, I have begun to cook numerous dishes at home. Trying out specific dishes at restaurants or elsewhere really makes a big difference in cooking. I mention this because awhile back I had posted a delicious recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala and while I enjoyed it at the time, I moved onto other recipes pretty quickly and it was left behind. Nowadays, not only do I make that recipe but I am sharing another favorite as well.

I like variety in my food in a meal. I do not like eating the main or similar component of a dish in more than one way. An example would be if chicken was served in both the soup and main course or if meat in general was in more than one dish. So in-between such mental analyzations while staring at the menu, I fell in love with Saag Aloo and decided to try making it myself. After doing some research to get an idea of how the dish comes together, I found that the methods and ingredients varied. One used an Insta-Pot (don't have one), a few called for pureeing everything but the potatoes (I wanted texture), others had more potatoes than spinach, while some didn't even use Indian spices (that's not saag aloo in my book). Well, the dish isn't complicated at all and it didn't take long before I had what I wanted (happened on the first try, really). Tangy, spicy, and flavorful, it has everything I love about Indian food. The "touch" of cream is not traditional but it pays homage to the version I had in Texas. 

Until next time!

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Spinach & Potato Curry (Saag Aloo)

Serves 4-6

The Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
• 1 serrano chili, deseeded and minced
• 1" fresh ginger root, minced
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp curry blend seasoning
• 1/4 whole nutmeg, grated
• 1 lb fresh tomatoes, roughly pureed OR
• 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 16 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 large russet potato, cut into small (1/4" to 1/2") cubes
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup heavy cream
• fresh ground black pepper

The Instructions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet until simmering. 
2. Add chopped onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in minced chili, ginger, and garlic. Stir and saute for about a minute until aromatic.
4. Meanwhile combine the spices in a small skillet: coriander, turmeric, garam masala, cumin and curry blend, and nutmeg until fragrant (2-3 min). Add the toasted spices to the onion mixture and combine. 
5. Add pureed tomatoes (do not use tomato sauce, it lends a cooked tomato taste to the dish that is not wanted) and bring to a simmer.
6. Add chopped spinach to skillet in four separate batches allowing it to cook and wilt before adding more.
7. Add in cubed potato along with the salt. You can add a couple tablespoons of water at this point if the mixture looks too dry for steaming the potatoes.
8. Cover skillet with a lid and cook for 20-30 minutes on a low heat until potatoes are fork tender.
9. Once potatoes have cooked, add in cream and bring to a simmer before transferring the curry off the heat. Season with fresh ground black pepper and additional salt if necessary.

A Pasta Making Day

Gazing out the window with a cup of tea in one hand and in the other - a peach so ripe that I need to tuck a napkin into the palm of my hand to prevent the juices from running down my arm, I am trying to wrap up this post while eyeing the latest copy of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street magazine laying next to me. We are still waiting on our baby's arrival, which could be any day so I've been trying to keep my mind off of the "delay" as I had hoped it would have happened by now. Back to the peach(es) though, I love them and await their arrival every year but like strawberries, after they are gone, you won't usually find me indulging in peach, strawberry or any other popular fruit flavored desserts because I like them in their simplicity - whole and fresh. 

Speaking of whole and fresh - I've been wanting to make my own pasta for what seems like ages now. I've eaten fresh pasta made by my mother, friends and at fabulous restaurants but I could never bring myself to do it for one simple reason. I have always wanted to use the cute, hand-cranked, pasta machine and everyone I knew who made pasta just did it completely by hand (which is just as tasty, but didn't seem to be as fun). During our visit the other week, my wonderful, quiche-sharing friend mentioned she had such a machine so I offered up to host a pasta making day if she would bring it with her and so it happened!

You might be thinking - how hard could it be to buy your own pasta machine and make pasta? Not hard at all and I might be over-thinking it but I wanted to be sure that this was something I enjoyed and would want to do often enough before investing into another piece of kitchen equipment.  I am a minimalist and hate the idea of putting money and effort into something that will be useless to me within a short time. Having said that, the happy verdict is that a sparkling new pasta machine is definitely joining my collection of kitchen tools in the near future!

The recipe I used came from Alice Waters' book The Art of Simple Food. We rolled out the dough to the thinest setting available and cut it into fettuccine to go with the bolognese sauce I had made. I highly encourage you to try out different thicknesses and cuts of pasta to see what you like best. As for the bolognese sauce, I also used Alice's recipe as a guide and it was scrumptious, but I have a few adjustments in mind before I can share it with you.

Until next time!

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Fresh Egg Pasta

Serves 4-6

The Instructions

1. Making the dough: add the flour into a large, shallow bowl and make a well in the center. Place the eggs and yolks into the well and using a fork, whisk them lightly without incorporating the flour into them just yet. Once the whites and yolks have been broken and combined somewhat, start slowly incorporating the flour from the sides into the eggs a little bit at a time. Continue to do this until the mixture starts to thicken and form a shaggy dough. 
2. At this point you may set the fork aside and continue mixing by hand. If you feel that the dough is dry and crumbly after most of the flour has been incorporated, add some ice water to the mixture using no more than a teaspoon at a time. At this point you can continue working the dough in the bowl or transfer the mixture onto a flat, floured surface. Knead until the dough comes together completely and is neither sticky nor dry but is smooth and taking on a shiny look. The kneading should only take a couple of minutes.
3. Rest the dough: roll the dough into a quick ball, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour at room temperature before beginning to roll it out.
4. Make pasta: if rolling out by hand, do so on a lightly floured surface to the desired thickness and then cut into desired form. If using a pasta machine, the basic first steps usually include lightly flouring and flattening the dough enough to fit through the widest setting on the the machine. Fold the dough into thirds after the first pass and repeat this two more times before decreasing the setting to your desired thickness. Cut into noodles or use as desired for making a filled pasta. 
5. Cooking the pasta: cooking fresh pasta is simple and faster then what you might be used to with store bought versions. While it may take about 3-6 minutes to cook it, keep in mind these tips to get the best results:
   • use lots of water when cooking pasta and salt it generously.
   • do not crowd the pasta as this will cause it to stick together.
   • bring water to a rolling boil before adding pasta, this helps prevent the pasta from settling down and sticking together. Make sure to stir it a couple of times afterwards.
   • There is no need to add oil to the water when cooking pasta, this will only interfere with any sauces you might want to add to it later.
   • Do not rinse in cold water unless you plan to use the pasta in a salad.  Simply toss with a bit of butter if you plan on serving  it plain.

The Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ice water

Cremini Mushroom & Arugula Quiche

Ah summer! Never have I looked forward to the warmer season as I have this year and for a reason. I did not enjoy my first Missouri winter, they say this last one proved to be a mild one and so it couldn't even compare to the winters I knew in Minnesota. On the other hand, I have been watching the warmth's arrival with spring showers and, to my delight, one bloom after another - daffodils in April, followed by tulips and now irises.

Among other news, we survived another semester of finals and juries though we are still wrapping our heads around the fact that there is no homework to do tonight. Fio and I celebrated our first year of married bliss last weekend - long distance style with him in Texas and I at home in Missouri. As for the baby, we are counting the days until its arrival in less than two weeks - why did I ever think nine months was a long time away?! Speaking of which, the pregnancy has been going well in every way and I have been munching away on veggies and fruits by the bag and box. Things like fresh salad greens, cucumbers by the handful, apples, sweet little tomatoes, spicy radishes and especially juicy, deep red strawberries, have been rotating through my kitchen non-stop. I am not usually a very good or dedicated eater of vegetables and so I think my efforts are due to the season's fresh arrivals and my efforts to eat better for the growing baby but the majority of this lies in our new endeavor to go "sugar-free".

We've taken to this new change in lifestyle quite literally and it's simple, really. As it implies, Fio and I have decided to rid our lives completely of all refined and natural sugars, except fresh fruit, for an indefinite amount of time. I had attempted to do this same plan with my sister about a year ago and we only lasted about three weeks. After talking about trying again for months now, Fio suggested we simply do it and so we jumped right into it as of the first of the month. There is a lot to be said on this topic and choice of lifestyle, all of which I am excited to talk about throughout my upcoming blog posts.

Going sugar free isn't completely out of this world or mind boggling; it still involves cooking perfectly 'normal" foods - such as quiches. I had started making the traditional quiche Lorraine for my family's visits in the last few weeks and it was a hit every single time. I loved how tasty and filling the dish was for breakfast and decided to try out my own version. I invited a friend of mine over just to help me eat it afterwards since Fio is out of town; we managed to eat half of it between just the two of us - it was that good! After browsing Julia Child's book with its numerous traditional versions, I decided that since spinach was a popular one and the mushroom one sounded like something my husband would appreciate more, I would make a combination. With a tender and flaky crust, the mushrooms and shallots create a delicious and savory base for this creamy dish which means it is a perfect brunch dish if preparing any part of this recipe ahead of time is not possible. I like to make and freeze the crust the night before though you could even blind bake it and store it tightly wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to use.

Until next time!

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Cremini Mushroom & Arugula Quiche

Serves 6-8

The Ingredients

The Dough:

• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 10 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cubed and chilled (preferably European)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream

The Filling:

• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 4 cups arugula (lightly packed)
• 2 1/2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

The Instructions

1. Make the dough: In a small saucepan or skillet, combine water and cornstarch and heat until the edges begin to simmer. Stir constantly until mixture begins to form a gel-like mass and is translucent in color. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and set into the freezer to cool for 5-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine flour and salt in a food processor with a couple of pulses. Add the chilled cornstarch mixture to the flour and incorporate into the flour with a few more pulses. Add the chilled butter and continue using pulses to incorporate the ingredients into the flour until the mixture takes on a sandy look. Add the sour cream and allow for the food processor to mix on high until the ingredients come together to form a ball of dough, 20-30 seconds. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for an hour.
3. Prepare the crust: roll out dough on a well-floured surface to fit your chosen pan for the quiche (a 9" or 10" round tart pan or pie plate is ideal). If using a tart pan, I like to make the walls a bit thicker that way I can push them a bit higher once I trim the dough. This helps with keeping the walls of the tart high even if the dough is to shrink a bit during baking. Chill the dough-lined pan in the freezer for 15 minutes.
4. Blind bake the crust: heat your oven to 375℉. Line the chilled crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dry beans to prevent the dough from rising. Bake for 25 minutes rotating halfway through. Remove the foil with weights and continue baking until the crust begins to color, 5-7 minutes. Allow for the crust to cool at least slightly before filling though it is ideal to cool completely before filling.
5. Make the filling: in a medium skillet, on medium heat, melt butter and add the chopped shallots. Cook until fragrant and golden, 2-3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their juices. Once the liquid begins to reduce, add the arugula, stirring until the greens have wilted and released their liquid as well. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated (3-5 minutes) though the ingredients should still be moist. Set aside until ready to fill the quiche.
6. Grate cheese and set aside if not already prepared. Whisk eggs and yolks to break them up and then combine with dairy salt, and spices. Set aside until ready to fill quiche.
7. Assemble and bake: sprinkle half of the grated cheese on the bottom of the baked crust, add the mushroom mixture, spreading evenly over the bottom, followed by the remaining cheese. Add the egg mixture to the filling in a drizzle so that the ingredients stay evenly distributed. Fill the crust just a 1/4"-1/2" from the edge. If using a tart pan, you might find that you have some egg mixture left over. Bake in a 375 oven for 30-35 minutes until starting to brown on top. The sides will be set, though the center should still be pretty soft because it will continue to set as it cools. Allow for the quiche to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

A few notes of credit: the custard base was adapted from America's Test Kitchen and the dough from Milk Street (a highly recommended recipe - it was a breeze to make!).

Chicken & Wild Mushroom Vol-au-vent

Can we say it's been awhile? I didn't plan to step away for an entire month, but life happens. July had plans of it's own and then August rolled in, school was back in full swing and all of a sudden I was studying for the music history seminars. My brain hasn't had a dull moment in ages, I am partially recovered from the hours I spent listening to J.S Bach (St Matthew Passion, anyone?) and now have to prepare for the next seminar this week. Meanwhile Il Divo is still at the top of my playlist along with new guy Harrison Craig, Mozart will have to take second place somewhere, music history or not. I can't say that music and food don't somehow go together, so we will collaborate the two.

One of my very highly favored and much loved bloggers, Mimi Thorisson, came out with an absolutely stunning cookbook last fall, A Kitchen in France (2014), which I cannot get enough of. Between her blog and book, I have a pretty long list of recipes I intend to make, and this happens to be one of them. Vol-au-vent is simply a puff pastry shell, the rest is up to our imaginations and boy is this one good! Straight out of Mimi's book, I had to adapt it a bit to fit the ingredients available within my grocery store and pantry.

The original recipe calls for veal sweetbreads, you guessed it; don't even try the grocery store. I am learning the hard way that the supermarkets simply don't have it all (nor do all butcher shops). In choosing my battles, I did go out foraging for mushrooms with my wonderful brother-in-law, who could fish and forage for mushrooms everyday if he could. I don't think I could have gotten out of that forest without him either. Replace the cream/sour cream mixture with creme fraiche if you have it, because I didn't and that was my method of substitution.

Chicken & Wild Mushroom Vol-au-vent

Serves 8 - 10 

The Ingredients

Vol-au-vent

• 2 lb frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Chicken & Wild Mushroom filling

• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 24 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
• salt & freshly gourd black pepper
• 1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 Tbsp Cognac
• 12 oz mixed mushrooms, freshly forged and seasonal, cleaned
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• fresh parsley for garnishing

The Instructions

1. For the pastry shells: heat your oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, unfold your thawed puff pastry and using a cookie cutter, cut out as many 3-inch round disks as will fit on a sheet (about 9 each).
2. Next, using a 2-inch cookie cutter, mark, do not cut thru completely, half of the disks in order to be able to cut out the centers once baked, to form the necessary shells.
3. Transfer the unmarked disks onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with beaten egg. Next place the marked disks on top of each of the unmarked one and brush again with the egg. 
4. Bake pastries until gold and well risen, about 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting out 2-inch caps and removing some of the pastry to make room for the filling. Set aside to cool completely.
5. For the filling: make sure your mushrooms are well cleaned and cut into smaller pieces if necessary. You can also boil them prior to use if you prefer. Simply fill a pot with water and mushroom, bring to a boil, drain and repeat, adding some salt for seasoning on the second round.
6. Melt 5 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet, add shallots and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle on the flour followed by thyme. Add the lemon juice, bring to a simmer and cook until chicken is done, about 10 minutes. Stir in cognac, take off heat and cover.
7. In another large skillet, melt remaining 5 Tbsp of butter, add the mushrooms and cook until softened (if you cooked the mushrooms prior, just cook drained mushrooms until heated through). Season with salt and pepper.
8. Combine sour cream and heavy cream in separate bowl and add to the mushrooms, remove from heat. Whether in a skillet or a separate bowl, combine cooked chicken with the mushroom sauce, reheat if necessary. 
9. Portion filling into the cooled pastry shells, garnish with the parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy!

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