Veggie Kofta Curry "Meatballs" & Spaghetti

This is based on the Paneer Kofta Curry recipe from Archana's Kitchen. In place of the paneer (Indian cheese), I used (firm?) tofu, to make the veggie kofta meatballs. The package of tofu made so many, that after baking them, I put some away for another time. The rest were further cooked for a few minutes in an easy-to-make tomato curry sauce. It's not too spicy (unless you want it to be!), but is very satisfying.

I decided that this curry sauce would be very good on pasta. This got me to thinking about spaghetti and meatballs. I made spaghetti, and after draining it, added some of the curry sauce, cooking them together for a few minutes. 

If the sauce were thick enough, this dish could make a good meatball sandwich filling. If you break up the koftas into smaller pieces, it could even work as chili or sloppy Joes. A very versatile and delicious recipe!

Archana's Kitchen Website, Paneer Kofta Curry Recipe

Archana's Kitchen Facebook

Rizogalo (Greek Rice Pudding)

This is from a recipe by Kouzouna's Kitchen. The original recipe contained coconut milk, but as I had some regular milk opened, I used that, instead. I noticed that the website's other rice pudding recipe called for a cornstarch-milk mixture to thicken it; I decided to use that idea to thicken this pudding, as I didn't have quite enough rice. The pudding smelled heavenly, with the cinnamon stick cooked in it and the vanilla added at the end. Later, after it was cold, I tried some. This pudding was very thick and creamy, sweet but not too sweet. Awesome recipe!

Kouzouna's Kitchen Website, Rizogalo: Greek Rice Pudding

Kouzouna's Kitchen Facebook

Boondi Raita 

(Yogurt with Crunchy Chickpea Puffs)

The other day, at the Indian grocery store, I got some boondi for the very first time. They are crunchy little fried puffs of chickpea flour, and these were spiced. I wondered what I could do with them, and found recipes for this kind of raita. I made the simplest version: Put some yogurt in a bowl, and stir until smooth; add some boondi and mix in; scatter some boondi on top, and sprinkle on a bit ground cumin. As I was eating this with leftover cheelas from yesterday, I didn't think it needed any salt or additional seasoning. (For more information on the cheelas, you can see my recent post, if you like .) I really enjoyed this raita with my meal. I put some leftovers in the fridge, and I also liked it later in the day. Very simple and tasty! 

Besan Aur Pyaz Ka Cheela 

(North Indian Crepe-like Griddlecakes, 

of Chickpea Flour & Onion)

This recipe, from Archana's Kitchen, includes chickpea/garbanzo bean flour, chopped onions and green bell peppers (capsicum), fennel seeds, salt, water, and cilantro. I sometimes find Besan Ka Cheela to be heavy, so after I mixed the flour with water, I left the batter on the counter for 3 hours to ferment (before mixing in the other ingredients). That did seem to lighten the batter.

As I didn't have any green chutney to accompany this, I used leftover Healthy Greek Spinach & Kale Dip instead. (You can see the post for that from a couple days ago, if you like.) After both sides of the cheela were cooked, I spread some dip on the one side, and then folded it over. Normally, I prefer my onions and peppers very well cooked, but here, I found that I liked the stronger flavor, mixed with the fennel seeds. I'm glad I tried this! 

Archana's Kitchen Website, Besan Aur Pyaz Ka Cheela Recipe

Archana's Kitchen Facebook

Tahini Carrot Appetizer

This is from a recipe of Heghineh's Kitchen. I peeled a 1-lb bag of carrots, cut them into chunks, and mixed them with some olive oil and coarse salt. (Maybe I didn't need the salt? I'm new to roasting veggies like this.) I roasted them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a preheated 425 F oven, for 15 minutes; after stirring around the carrots, I put them back for another 10-15 minutes. I took them out, mixed them with Heghineh's tahini sauce, and then put them back in for another few minutes. After that, they were definitely done, and I tried them. Yummy! I really like all the different flavors that came together with the carrot. 

Heghineh Cooking Show Website, Tahini Carrot Appetizer

Heghineh Cooking Show Facebook

Heghineh's Kitchen Facebook

Healthy Greek Spinach & Kale Dip 

This is from a recipe by Kouzouna's Kitchen. I started out by slowly cooking 2 chopped onions in some olive oil. Next, in stages, I added to it, the 16 oz of fresh spinach and kale leaves from the box at the store. It took a while to get them all in, as I first had to wait for one batch to wilt before adding another. After it had cooled a little, I processed it in my mini-Cuisinart. I took half, and stashed it away in small containers for another time. The rest of the mixture became the dip. 

As I have to be careful what I eat (which is why I process leafy greens like spinach), I did have to make some substitutions. I left out the Parmesan cheese, used creamy whole-milk yogurt instead of Greek yogurt, and used some leftover paneer (Indian cheese) instead of cream cheese. I put it away, and heated it in the oven the next day. Spectacular! It was so warm and comforting, whether with homemade pita chips or with the breadsticks from earlier.

Kouzouna's Kitchen Website, Healthy Greek Spinach & Kale Dip

Kouzouna's Kitchen Facebook

Homemade Breadsticks 

These are based on BrownEyedBaker's recipe for Copycat Pizza Hut Breadsticks. (I made these to go along with some homemade spinach-kale dip.) Now, as I had to modify the recipe -- I can't have dry-milk powder, instant yeast, or butter -- the breadsticks don't look like they're from Pizza Hut. However, as I didn't expect them to look exactly like that, I wasn't disappointed. 

These breadsticks are fine, for me, as they resemble focaccia, which I enjoy munching on. If you can make the recipe as-is, with all the suggested ingredients, then I'm sure that would be delicious, too! Now at least I know a good method for making breadsticks, and can experiment with different doughs as well as trying this one again. Thanks, BrownEyedBaker!

BrownEyedBaker Website, Copycat Pizza Hut Breadsticks

BrownEyedBaker Facebook

Strawberry Shortcake Coffee Cake

This cake is from a recipe of Laura in the Kitchen. It smells just like strawberries. The cake, and the strawberries in it, just melt in your mouth. I never made strawberry cake before, and am glad I tried this one! 

As I can't have butter (too rich), I used instead a combination of coconut and corn oils for the cake, and coconut oil in the topping. In place of sour cream (also too rich for me), I used thick, creamy, whole-milk yogurt. I made the cake in an 8-inch glass baking dish, and when I thought the dish had enough batter, the rest went into a smaller glass container for baking. That's why this cake looks different, height-wise, than the original.

Laura in the Kitchen Website, Strawberry Shortcake Coffee Cake 

Laura in the Kitchen YouTube, Strawberry Shortcake Coffee Cake

Laura in the Kitchen Facebook

 Apple Strudel

Throwback to: this Apple Strudel from last Dec. 6th. At that time, I put an extra strudel in the freezer. A couple days ago, I took out that strudel, brushed it with egg wash, and baked it at the same temperature as before, but for a bit longer. Even after being in the freezer, it was still so delicious! It put a smile on my face, and reminded me of my grandma and her mom.

Fresh Strawberries 

(sprinkled with sugar and cornstarch)

These are leftovers from a strawberry cake I made yesterday afternoon. However, I decided the cake would not be cool enough to eat, before nightfall. I thought it would look nicer, photographed in the daylight. Hence, these strawberries are here for today. I know what I'd like to make with them, and if it works out, I'll share a photo here soon. Yay, strawberries! 

Sooji/Suji/Rava Cheela

(Indian Savory Cream of Wheat Griddlecake)

This is based on a recipe from Priya Vantalu on YouTube.  A cheela is an Indian griddlecake, sort of like a crepe. The photo shows how I topped it with some leftover Baingan Bharta (Indian mashed roasted eggplant and tomato). Quite yummy. 

This version contains sooji/rava (like Cream of Wheat), plain yogurt, fresh ginger, dried cilantro, salt, and baking soda, as well as the last of the leftover bhaji veggies from the other day (tomato, onion, and green bell pepper). I mixed the sooji, yogurt, and water together, and left it for two hours (longer than in the recipe), as I hoped that would make a lighter batter. I then added all the other ingredients, and cooked it with as little oil as I could get away with. (I still wanted it to be tasty and somewhat crispy; I just can't eat too much rich food.)

Priya Vantalu YouTube, Sooji Cheela Recipe

Dalia 

(Cream of Rice Porridge 

with Dried Apricots)

This is based on a breakfast porridge from the Northwest Frontier area, now in Pakistan. The recipe is from Julie Sahni in Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking. She says that the dish is usually made with an untreated cracked wheat, and suggests a substitute of bulger cracked wheat (which also cooks more quickly). As I can't have either, I used Cream of Rice, instead. The other ingredients I used are: coconut oil (instead of butter), milk, water, dried apricots, brown sugar (instead of jaggery), and ground almonds. I drizzled some honey on the dish in the photo, as well as sprinkled on a little cardamom. Sahni refers to its "lovely milk-fudge aroma," while I noticed the milk-fudge-y flavor. Yum! Good any time of the day, for a sweet and satisfying meal. 

Matzah Upma (South Indian Savory Porridge)

Upma is a South Indian savory dish made with sooji (like Cream of Wheat), or you can make it with sevai (noodles). I have also made it with Cream of Rice, and seen recipes for bread upma. This time, I thought I'd experiment with a matzah version. Aside from matzah, it includes oil, mustard seeds, a little each of channa dal and urad dal, salt, onion, green bell pepper, tomato, and green peas; served with a squeeze of lemon juice. I was glad to find that it tasted just like upma! 

Mumbai Masala Matzah/Matzah Bhaji 

(Indian Snack Sandwich with Spiced Veggies)

This recipe is based on Rekha Kakkar's Mumbai Masala Pav [Pav Bhaji] recipe, as seen in her recent Instagram post. This was a very quick and simple way to prepare the veggies, with matzah used here as a substitute for the pav (roll). I did have to use oil instead of butter (too rich) to cook the veggies, but ventured to try a little coconut oil for the actual "sandwich" with the matzah. I liked the results, and hope to try this again soon, either with pav rolls, or with any other kind of bread which I have handy. 

@rekhakakkar Instagram, Mumbai Masala Pav video

Rekha Kakkar Photography Facebook

Potato-Zucchini Pancakes

Flashback to : Potato-Zucchini Pancakes, made from shredded zucchini and potato, egg, rice flour, onion powder, and salt. These are what my grandma would call "cold-potato pancakes," as raw potatoes are added to the batter. If you don't have oodles of time or energy, you can use (thawed) frozen hash browns. 

Masala Matzah Brei (Savory Matzah "French Toast")

This was inspired by numerous recipes and videos online for Masala French Toast. Matzah Brei is like French Toast, except with matzah rather than leavened bread. I learned how to make the savory (salty) version of Matzah Brei, myself, and thats how I always make it -- so, this isn't too much of a stretch. 

This Masala version includes, in addition to soaked and drained matzah, egg, and salt, also chopped onions, tomatoes, and green bell peppers, and some ground coriander and pav bhaji masala. All of this is mixed together well, and then fried in a frying pan in oil. I wasn't sure how it would turn out. However, once I first tasted it, I was happy to have it for breakfast. 

Oven-roasted Cauliflower

I partly defrosted frozen cauliflower, just enough to unfreeze them. I then tossed them with some oil and salt, and roasted them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, until they seemed "done." They were very yummy right afterwards, when I ate them with my meal. I didn't like them so much, plain, the next day, though. When I'd make them again, I'd make sure to add them to a soup, sauce, or stir-fry the next day. 

Vanilla Dinette Cake,

with Melted Chocolate Chips

I made this cake with almond milk in place of regular milk. I like to sprinkle chocolate chips on cake like this, and then melt the chocolate in the microwave. In this case, I also added just a little coconut oil to the chips before I melted them. I liked the effect! 

Chocolate Chip Scones

This recipe is from James Villas' Biscuit Bliss. I decided to try almond milk instead of regular milk this time, as well as my usual use of oil instead of butter. Very nice!