Chole

I found some decent curry at Carrefour, and decided to attempt Chole, adapted from this recipe. It came out decent, however it was missing something...cinnamon? The curry powder didn't have a list of ingredients, so it's hard to say.

Chole

Ingredients:

1. Chana (Kabuli chana) – 3/4 cup
2. Onion, 1 small
3. Tomato – 1/4th cup chopped
4. Ginger – 2tsp
5. Garlic – 1 large clove
6. Cumin Powder – 2tsp
7. Curry Powder – 2 pinchs
8. Aji picante – 1, finely chopped, without seeds
9. Salt – To taste
10. Oil – 3tsp

Soak chana in water about 6-8hrs.
Cook the chana.
Heat oil. Add onion and cumin and fry it on medium flame.

After one minute, add garlic and hot pepper. Cook.
Put Ginger, and curry powder and fry till it begin to golden colour on medium flame.
Add tomato and fry it, now put boiled chana ,1 cup water, and salt and boil it for 5-8 minutes.

Bowtie Pasta with Yellow Squash and Tomatoes Recipe (No Meat Athelete)

I made this for dinner. I halved the recipe, however it seemed too heavy on noodles and lacking veggies. The basil was unnoticeable, so next time I'd double it (at least) as well as the squash. I think some sun dried tomatoes in addition (or instead of) the cherry tomatoes would help out, as well as some garbanzos for protein. Cheese was essential.

Bowtie Pasta with Yellow Squash and Tomatoes Recipe (No Meat Athelete)

Ingredients (for 4 huge servings):

1 lb whole wheat bowtie pasta (I used Barilla Plus)

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

3-4 small yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into half-inch chunks

1 large clove garlic, minced (I used the elephant garlic I got from the farmers market)

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

kosher salt

3 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

grated parmesan cheese, optional

Toss the squash with a tablespoon of kosher salt, then set in a colander over a large bowl for 30 minutes so that some water will be released into the bowl. Once the time is up, dry the squash with paper towels and brush off excess salt.

Boil water for the pasta, add salt until it tastes like sea water. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's shimmering, add the squash and saute for about 5 minutes. The goal is to get some nice color on the squash, so just move it around often enough to keep it from burning. Move the squash to a large plate.

Add another 1 Tbsp of oil to the pan, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for a few seconds, until aromatic. Don't let it burn! Add the squash back in and stir it in with the garlic and red pepper over medium-low heat to keep it warm while the pasta finishes.

Drain the pasta, combine with the squash mixture, balsamic vinegar, remaining 1 Tbsp oil, tomatoes, and basil. Mix well, adjust seasoning, and serve topped with cheese.

Butternut Squash Soup

This is one of my favorite recipes at home, and I made it for the special occasion of splurging on cream cheese. However, it just didn't turn out the same. I subbed rosemary for marjoram and hot pepper flakes for cayenne, however, I think the bigger problem was my lack of a blender. I used a submersion tool that just didn't do it. I'll try blending the leftovers a bit more, and see if it improves with time and further blending.

Butternut Squash Soup (adapted from AllRecipes)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small chopped onion
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 3 cups water
• 4 cups bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 4 oz cream cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, saute onions in margarine until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
2. Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

I made these brussels sprouts from 101 Cookbooks a couple times...they're rich with the cheese, but yummy.

Use brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed. You can finish these with many different types of cheese but I tend to go for Parmesan when the weather is good. I trade that in for heavier cheeses like gruyere or Gouda in colder weather. I finished them off with some toasted hazelnuts the other night - delicious!

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves.

Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

I just made this tasty dish but without the chives...definitely up for a repeat!

Ingredients

5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.

Baingan Bharta

I made Baingan Bharta the other night, as I recently got a cheap packet of curry powder. Unfortunately, I should have sprung for the $3 can as opposed to the $0.50 packet. This was disappointing. I also forgot to get a pepper, and used Sriracha instead...

I've made it at home and it was better. I'll give it another try with better ingredients, as it'd be a great dish to break up the monotony here...

Syrian Lentil and Chard Soup--Adas bi Haamud

I modified this with an aji picante (hot pepper)...although the spice was nice, it overwhelmed the lemon after the second day. (The first day it just tasted weird.) Still, it was a good soup.

1 1/2 cups of lentils

3 T olive oil

1 large bunch chard, any kind is fine

1 large onion, chopped

1 rib celery

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 t flour

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the lentils in plenty of water (more than enough to cover) until done, approximately 40 minutes. Add chard leaves which have been chopped and one cup water, reserve the stems. Meanwhile saute the onions, chopped chard stems and celery in the olive oil. Crush garlic with salt and add to onions, continue to saute until vegetables are softened and golden. Add with the vegetables to the chard and lentil mixture. Stir. Add lemon juice mixed with one teaspoon flour to flavor the soup. Let simmer until it thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

(Best of Craigslist)

Tulio's Pizza, La Plata

6 y 49

I had good memories of this place, from when we first arrived in La Plata and ate here. Unfortunately, on the second go-round, nearly 11 months later, it wasn't as impressive.

We did share a salad that was tasty--made up of beets, hard-boiled egg, shredded carrots, and corn.

I tried three of the pizzas--spinach, roquefort, and the mozzarella with cheese. All were okay. Still sticking with Vizio's.

ASIAN BROCCOLI

Adapted from A Veggie Venture

1 pound broccoli
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Few turns of salt and pepper

Add 1/2 inch water to a pan with a cover. Add broccoli, cover and boil until broccoli is nearly cooked. While broccoli cooks, assemble remaining ingredients. Pour over the broccoli, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

Simple, Nutritious and Delicious! Fried egg with swiss chard

http://munchmonster.com/main/recipe/recipe-fried-egg-boiled-swiss-chard.html

Garbanzo Bean Soup

I made this recipe, from AllRecipes. Despite the positive reviews, I found it bland and uninteresting. I used a clove of garlic (blended with the garbanzos), dried rosemary, and omitted the pasta as I didn’t have anything appropriate on hand. I don’t think any of these changes made an important difference. I’ll probably use the rest as a pasta sauce, maybe adding some olives, or something to give it a stronger flavor.


INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans garbanzo beans
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 cup acini di pepe pasta

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the tomatoes, olive oil and 1 1/2 cans of the beans in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Puree the remaining 1/2 can of garbanzo beans using a blender or food processor, and stir into the saucepan. Place the sprigs of rosemary into the pan without breaking off the leaves. The sprigs will be removed before serving.
2. Add acini de pepe pasta and simmer until pasta is soft, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Remove rosemary, and season with salt and pepper.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Ugh, disaster!  Cecilia assured me it was a simple process, so I went about it in a simple way.  I thought I was following the following recipe, more or less, but after reading it through more carefully, I realize I hadn’t read it through once to begin with.

I roasted the squash, and let it cool, but failed to drain it.  I then had to add a lot of flour to get it to a workable consistency, and in the process kneaded the dough for a long time.  I also forgot salt.  The resulting gnocchi was very tough and chewy.  It also made a lot, for the small amount of squash I started with.  I’m not sure if I’ll be making this again any time soon, due to the quantity, and being uncertain how it will turn out, if I decide to make it for guests.  Another good reference site I found (after the fact) is here.

 

I N G R E D I E N T S

·         1 butternut squash (about 1-1/2pounds)

·         2 large eggs, lightly beaten

·         1 1/4 teaspoons salt

·         1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

 

I N S T R U C T I O N S 

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 F.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, through the stem end, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Roast until tender, about 35 minutes.
3. When cool enough to handle, scoop out and discard the seeds. Remove squash flesh (pulp) and place in a sieve. Set the sieve over a bowl to catch liquid and allow squash to drain in a refrigerator overnight.
4. The next day, puree the squash in a food processor. Transfer puree to a bowl and add the eggs and salt, stirring to combine. Add the flour and blend thoroughly.  The dough should feel sticky and soft.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a teaspoon, form walnut-sized pieces of dough and push them off the spoon and into the water with your fingers.  Alternately, use a pastry bag and a small knife.
6. Cook the gnocchi in small batches, 10 to 15 pieces. Once the gnocchi have risen to the surface, poach for exactly 2 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Repeat until all the dough is used up.

Bambu, La Plata

6 y 49

I always tell myself I need to come here more often, but the combination of it being just enough out-of-the-way, having awkward hours (it closes at 8p.m.), and being closed on Saturday make it an option I rarely enjoy.

Still, they have wonderful Asian (Chinese) dishes, ranging from spring rolls and empanada type snacks to stir fries and hot plates. Everything is to-go and vegetarian. Unsuspectingly elicious.

Grilled cheese sandwich with Butternut Squash

I just had to mention this creation, as it was surprisingly good. The squash was roasted/baked in the oven, and I cut it into slices about ½” thick, which I put on bread with mustard and cheese. All of it was grilled and warm and filling.

What I'm drinking

"Miniature" soft pretzels

Well, these weren't mini by any definition I've seen, although I guess if you make them half-size, they'd be cute.  I made the mistake of following Martha's recipe for the first half, and Smitten Kitchen definitely made some improvements.  

Soft Pretzels (Smitten Kitchen)

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes 16 full-sized or 32 miniature

2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F)
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1. Pour warm water into bowl of electric mixer fitted with a dough hook*. In a small bowl, combine water and 1 tablespoon sugar, and stir to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy. 

2. Add 1 cup flour to yeast, and mix on low until combined. Add salt and 4 cups flour, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium-low until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour, and knead on low 1 minute more. If dough is still wet and sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured board, and knead about ten times, or until smooth.

3. Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

4. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray (parchment paper, ungreased, also works). Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each) or 32 if making miniature pretzels, and wrap in plastic.

5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. [I find the pretzels much easier to roll on an unfloured board, oddly enough, but see what works for you.] Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet (you may need a third sheet if making miniatures). Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, fill large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda (and step back, it foams up quickly) and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Reduce to a simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute on each side. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.

7. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, but will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for two days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.

* These days, I mix all of my bread doughs by hand, with a wooden spoon. I find it a fantastically easy process, and not very hard to stir by hand. No need to mix for several minutes, just a minute or so after it looks combined. To save even more dishes, I rinse out the bowl, oil it and use it for proofing the dough. And you thought making bread wasn’t simple!

The only change is that the salt needs to be adjusted for Argentina.

Kemp's Black Beans

I made this epicurious recipe for black beans.  I had the beans cooked, and couldn't find sherry at the downstairs grocery, so I subbed port.  I had to reduce the liquid, as my 3 cups water to one cup beans was too much.  Here's what I did...

• 1 cup dried black beans
• 3 cups water
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup port
• 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Soak the beans overnight.
2. Cook in soaking water for 45 minutes-1 hour.
3. Saute the onion in olive oil.  Add beans and salt when the onion is soft.  Add port, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar, to taste.  Simmer, uncovered, about five minutes.

The beans were tastier the next day, as reviewers had noted.  They weren't spectacular, however they were nice, and a good healthy meal for myself.

Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Cake

I made this cake to try and get the most bang for a small amount of cannabutter I had. Unfortunately, the cannabutter failed to come through (i.e. it wasn’t strong enough for the two servings we divided the half cake into), however the cake was chocolately, rich goodness, a bit like a giant brownie. As I only made a half-recipe, it ended up a bit burnt—or maybe that was due to the lack of a temperature gauge on the oven? Either way, I’d probably stop the half recipe after 15 minutes next time.

- 200g (2 sticks minus 1 Tbsp) butter
- 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate
- 200g (1 C) sugar
- 4 eggs
- a rounded tablespoon of flour

Note: like all dark chocolate cakes, this cake is best made a day ahead (or at least in the morning if you serve it for dinner).

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper (no need to if you're using a non-stick pan).

Melt together the butter with the chocolate (in a double-boiler or in the microwave slowly and for just a few seconds at a time, blending with a spoon between each pass). Transfer into a medium mixing-bowl. Add in the sugar, stir with a wooden spoon and let cool a little. Add in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Finally, add in the flour and mix well.

Pour the dough into the pan, and put into the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off but leave the cake inside for another ten minutes, then put the pan on a cooling rack on the counter to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and take it out about an hour before serving.

Update 4/24/09:  I made this again, exactly as specified.  I'm not sure if it was my memory that betrayed me, or the changes, but while it was delicious, it wasn't quite as addictive as the last time.  I think part of this was due to leaving it in the fridge overnight, it was very cold, as opposed to straight-from-the-oven melty.

Burrito Night! Rice and beans

On Saturday we had a burrito party at Jen’s, and I made black beans and rice for the event. Both turned out well, the black beans went like crazy (or perhaps a double recipe wasn’t enough for 15 people). I had to sub a crazy kick-ass southwestern blend of spices for the chili powder, but otherwise it was great. (I didn’t use the chiles, as they weren’t on-hand.) The rice also turned out well, adapted from a recipe on All Recipes. It was a bit wetter than I like the first day—next time I’ll use tomato paste, or reduce the broth a bit, however everything had absorbed by the time I got to the leftovers the next day, and it was good. Also could have benefited from the addition of chiles/picante.

Mexican-style Black Beans

• 1 T oil
• ½ onion (about 4 ounces), finely chopped (should yield about ½ cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ t. ground cumin
• ½ T chili powder
• ½ t. dried oregano
• 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
• ½ cup vegetable stock/water/bean cooking liquid/14.5 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
• salt and pepper (1/2 t and ¼ t)
• oz. can of chopped, green chiles (optional)

Heat 2 Tbs. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring often until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute longer. Stir in the cumin and chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans, the liquid/tomatoes, and chiles, if using cover, and cook until the beans are very soft and the flavors have blended, about 5 minutes. Use a fork or potato masher to coarsely mash the beans. Season with salt and pepper. You should have about 4 cups.

Mexican Rice

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ t. salt
• ½ t. ground cumin
• ¼ c. chopped onion
• ½ c. tomato sauce
• 2 c. broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic. Add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin. Stir in tomato sauce and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Helados Ferruccio Soppelsa (Mendoza)

Various locations throughout the city.

Of course, what would a trip in Argentina be, without sampling the local ice cream craze? Ferruccio Soppelsa was the place here. They had a special Syrah gelato, which Dresden tried and let me sample--an odd taste combination, but she said it grew on you, and she loved it after a minute. I had a chocolate with brownie chunks and lemon ice cream. The lemon was great and VERY lemony, not what I was thinking, but still, they did it well. The chocolate was fabulous, as only chocolate can be. Two thumbs up.