Greek Stewed Green Peas 

with Angelhair Pasta

These are the same veggies from 2 posts ago, and they are from the recipe of Mia Kouppa. When I have leftovers, I often like to mix them with pasta. Or make sandwiches with them. In this case, pasta won! 

Mia Kouppa Website, Stewed Green Peas

Ebelskiver 

(Danish Pancakes)

After several months of using my ebelskiver pan to make other things, I decided to make ... actual Ebelskiver! (The recipe is from House of Nash Eats.)These are traditional Danish pancakes, which are round and puffy. They can be filled with something sweet, so I tried to fill them with strawberry jam, but it kept running out and burning onto the pan. Oops! (Pic #2 above shows some of this batch, with whole-milk yogurt.) After that, I didn't attempt to fill them, but instead served them with jam on the side. Either way was yummy, but not stuffing them was much easier. I'm glad I finally tried this! 

House of Nash Eats, Aebleskiver | Danish Pancakes

Greek Stewed Green Peas

This was from the recipe of Mia Kouppa. Recently, I made a version based on this recipe, using every shortcut that could make it easy (as I was pretty tired) ... which made it less like the recipe. However, it was so easy, and so tasty, that it made me feel better.

I decided to make it again, this time "by the book," and stuck pretty close to the recipe. Well, half a recipe. I found that when I defrosted a bag of frozen peas in the microwave, all the ice/water seemed to have evaporated, and so they didn't need to be drained. That bag was equal to about a half-recipe.

As you can see here from pics 1 and 2, I enjoyed them with rice. They were also good with pasta. I liked it with an omelette on the side. I think it might also be good mixed into some egg as part of an omelette, or as a frittata if you also mixed in spaghetti or other similar noodles with the egg and veggies. Well, however you serve it, I found it warm and comforting.

Mia Kouppa Website, Stewed Green Peas

Upma 

(Savory South Indian 

Cream of Wheat)

This is a savory South Indian breakfast dish. I remember my friend's mom making it for us (but I can never get it just like hers), which is how I was introduced to it. The ingredients here are basically rava/sooji/cream of wheat, oil, mustard seeds, urad dal (legumes, to add flavor), onion powder, and green peas. Sometimes, I want something fairly quick and easy. This is also very warm and comforting. It fits both descriptions. Win-win! 

Pizza with Homemade Dough, 

& Store-bought Toppings: 

Pizza Sauce & Fresh Mozzarella

Baking Day: Pizza! I had some fresh mozzarella cheese that needed to be used, and what better way, than on a pizza? I realized it had been a while since I'd made any, so it was definitely time. Pizza dough seems very "forgiving" of any mistakes, especially as it doesn't need to rise very much, and doesn't require much kneading. That makes it fun to bake and to try different toppings. This was the first time for fresh mozzarella, and it was a success. 

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

(Onion Fritters in Buttermilk Sauce)

These were from the recipe of Veg Recipes of India. I made Kadhi (sauce) with Pakora (fritters) once, long, long ago, when I was first learning to cook Indian cuisine ... but not since! I was inspired to make it now, as a way to use up the liquid (whey) left over from making Paneer/Chenna (Indian cheese).

I've read that this liquid can be used in any recipe in place of buttermilk, and indeed I've used it with success in muffins and such. So, why not Kadhi, too? The base of several Punjabi Kadhi recipes I've seen, was either yogurt or buttermilk, so I hope this isn't too outlandish. And while I was experimenting, why not make the Pakoras in an ebelskiver pan, rather than deep-frying? (The recipe says you can also bake them.)

The results? I found the Kadhi with this liquid to be too acidic (which isn't so good for me), so next time, I'll use yogurt according to the recipe. Otherwise, I liked it! The Pakoras weren't crisp, but then, I can never get anything I fry (except sometimes bread) to become crispy. The recipe called for mixing sliced onions with the batter ingredients (except water), and setting aside for 30 minutes first. I think this contributed to the onions just melting into the fritters, with a sweet taste. Yummy.

Sometimes I find chickpea flour (used in the Pakoras) to be too heavy, so I added a bit of baking soda to the batter (not in the recipe). Oops, I realized that turmeric + baking soda = red, too late. 😉 The Pakoras looked so good, that I tried them anyway, and I'm still here ... though I think they were a bit too acidic. However, this was my own error. Next time, I hope I'll remember not to add the baking soda! The verdict? I'll make this Kadhi Pakora again, but according to the recipe this time! 

Veg Recipes of India Website, Punjabi Kadhi Recipe

Shakshouka-style: 

Egg Poached in Tomatoes & Zucchini

I thought something bright and cheerful was in order here, after a gloomy few days of weather. 

I seem to remember my grandma used to make me a simple dish of just tomatoes and zucchini, cooked together with some oil. That's the kind of delicious dishes she used to make for me: nothing fancy, but full of flavor and love.

I had zucchini, and a can of diced tomatoes, and olive oil. I put them all in a pan, and cooked them together on medium/medium-low, stirring every so often, for about 30-40 minutes. I had other things to do in the kitchen at the same time, so this was not a problem.

When the sauce was "done" to my liking, I cracked an egg into it, covered the pan, and cooked it on medium-low/low for about 10 minutes. I know that many recipes for Shakshouka call for the egg to cook less; it's personal preference here. (Shakshouka is a North African dish of tomatoes and peppers cooked together, as a base for poaching eggs in this manner.) You can use any leftover sauce for pasta, if you like.

Vanilla Ice Cream 

with Haroset 

(Date Syrup & Ground Almonds)

This was the last of some homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, topped with leftover Haroset. Different kinds of Haroset are part of the Passover Seder, to symbolize and commemorate the mortar used by the Biblical slaves in ancient Egypt.

There are many different kinds of Haroset made, depending on the family and community. Unfortunately, I don't have a specific family recipe. So, I decided to find a simple recipe that would use ingredients I already have at home.

I found several versions online of Iraqi Haroset, using Date Syrup (Dibs al-Tamar/Silan) and ground nuts. Most of these versions used walnut or pecans, but some contained pistachios, and a couple used ground almonds. I was very pleased with this version, and just like plain Date Syrup, leftovers go well with ice cream.

Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste) 

Cookies

These cookies conain tahini (sesame seed paste), sugar, egg, vanilla, salt, rice flour, and baking powder. The recipe is from Lil' Cookie, and calls for cornstarch or a gluten-free flour. I decided to use rice flour, but it would be interesting to make it another time with cornstarch, to see if there's any difference.

I read the recipe thoroughly, but didn't look enough at the photo. I guess that's why these cookies look bigger and thicker than the original. The main problem this caused, was they took longer to bake. I wanted to make sure they didn't get overdone, as I tend to like cookies which are softer. However, luckily for me they came out great!

These reminded me of peanut butter cookies. They actually tasted best when one was eaten just by itself (not after something else), slowly. Yummy!

Lil' Cookie Website, Gluten Free Tahini Cookies

Aloo Gobhi 

(Potatoes & Cauliflower)

This popular North Indian dish is from a recipe of Madhu Gadia in New Indian Home Cooking. It contains a whole bag of frozen cauliflower, 3-4 potatoes, onion, fresh ginger, spices, and lemon juice. (I like to only add the lemon juice when I'm actually eating it; then, I add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to that portion.) Here, it's featured with basmati rice. Very yummy. 

This cookbook is good because the recipes are designed (by a dietician) to be quick and easy. Many call for frozen veggies. One of my favorite tips from here: use ready-made tortillas for samosas, if you don't have time to make the pastry.

Passover Mina/Pastel con Gomo de Espinaca 

(Sefardi Passover Matzah Spinach Pie)

The recipe is from Olive Trees & Honey, by Gil Marks. This Sefardi Jewish pie is often referred to online as a kind of lasagna. However, instead of a pastry crust or pasta, it is 2 layers of matzah (the cracker-like unleavened "bread" of Passover) which contain the filling. The top is brushed with an eggwash, and then it's all baked until golden.

One of the fillings the book recommends contains spinach, and that reminded me of the leftover Saag Paneer in the freezer. Saag Paneer is an Indian dish that here contains spinach, onion, and tofu (in place of Indian cheese), so I thought it would make a reasonable shortcut for the first time making this Mina.

I really enjoyed this Mina. Now that I'm more familiar with the technique, maybe some time I can make it again with more traditional fillings.

 Baked Falafel (Mini-)Burgers

These were from the recipe of Proportional Plate. I mostly followed the recipe, but managed to add too much salt! Even so, I'm sure I'll make it again, as that's what I'd call "operator error" (= my fault 😄). The technique was easy, especially since it called for canned chickpeas. The instructions for baking also worked well. I noticed that the end result was a bit fragile and easily crumbled, but once I realized that, I just handled them with care. I'm not sure if they're meant to be that way, or I did something wrong. They were tasty, anyway! I enjoyed the Falafel with rice, as well as with veggies and yogurt (not shown; added after pic was taken).

Proportional Plate Website, Baked Falafel Burgers