Hash Browned Golden Beets and Yams

Hash browns are a favourite weekend breakfast staple for many people across North America, but there's no reason just to use potatoes — beets, sweet potatoes, yams and squash are delicious hashed and browned as well. Because of the high sugar content of sweet potatoes, yams or squash, they must be stirred constantly to avoid burning and and they don't crisp up as well as potatoes. But used side by side with potatoes or beets in a hash, they provide a wonderful contrast in not only flavour but texture as well.

My favourite variation is hash browned golden beets and yams — the beets, cooked lightly ahead of time, are firm, crisp and browned while appearing to nestle in a bed of mashed and browned yams. Red beets work just as well as golden beets, of course, but their colour tends to bleed through all the other ingredients. Because of the comparatively strong flavours of beets and yams, I don't like to mix them with too many spices or other flavourings like you might with potatoes — a little onion, garlic, salt and pepper are all I find that should be added.

Hash browned golden beets and yams

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large golden beet, cooked only just through, peeled and diced
1 yam, cooked, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. When hot, pour in the olive oil, wait a few seconds, then swirl around the pan. Toss in the onions right away and fry, stirring frequently, for a few minutes or until they start to turn brown. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.

Add the diced beet, stirring pretty much constantly, for about 10 minutes until they are well-browned on all sides. Add the diced yam and continue to fry, stirring constantly and to the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking, for about 5 minutes to let the yam start browning.

Just before serving, stir in the salt and grind black pepper to taste over the hash. Serves 2.

Crispy goat’s cheese, tomato and basil salad

Another recipe by Donna Hay – from her magazine, issue #35, to be more specific.

I’m a huge fan of hers and those of you who have been around my blog for a while already know that – Joey and I go hand in hand in our love for Donna’s recipes! :)

I tried goat’s cheese for the first time while on vacation last September and can’t imagine how I had lived without it till then. I tried it on salads

Butter Paneer Masala

Fans of paneer cheese are sure to love this North Indian recipe for Butter Paneer Masala that I found at Sailu's Kitchen. As Sailu notes, this is a very popular dish to serve in Indian restaurants and if I don't order matar paneer - my absolute favorite - my next choice is a paneer masala. I've made a few minor modifications on the recipe, but essentially followed Sailu's instructions. Prior to starting up this blog, I rarely took the time to browse through food blogs and now I know what I was missing. I look forward to many tasty meals in future inspired by food bloggers.

Butter Paneer Masala

250 - 300 grams of paneer, cubed and sauted in ghee or oil until browned (If you are pressed for time, you may use pre-fried paneer cubes.)

2 tablespoons of butter
2 large onions, blanched for 10 minutes and then pureed
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 inch piece of ginger, shredded
2 teaspoons of chili powder
3 large tomatoes, blanched, de-skinned and pureed
3 tablespoons of cashew nut paste
1 teaspoon of coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder
1 teaspoon of kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1 teaspoon of garam masala powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 - 3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
parsley or coriander for garnishing

To make cashew paste, soak the cashews in water for 30 minutes. Drain and process with a few tablespoons of water to get a paste-like consistency.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan or wok or medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion paste and saute until brown. While the onions are cooking, make a paste of the ginger and garlic. Add to the pan once the onions are browned to your liking. Saute for another 3 minutes. Next add the chili powder, stir and then add the cashew paste and stir to combine.

Now add the tomato puree, kasuri methi, coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, garam masala and salt. Stir well and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the paneer and simmer for another 5 minutes. Depending on your desired consistency, a small quantity of water can be added at this point. Simmer for another 10 minutes or longer to thicken. Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining butter and cream.

Let the curry sit for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or any Indian flat bread.

Serves 4-6.

Jalapeno Cornbread Wedges

In the interest of variety and spiciness, I prepared a different cornbread recipe than the one I usually make. I certainly wasn't disappointed with the result and it was very easy to prepare besides. I used a large jalapeno for the extra kick, but if you can't take the heat, use a small one instead. This cornbread makes for a nice light lunch or snack but could also be served with dinner. Makes one 9-inch pie, or 8 wedges.

Jalapeno Cornbread

6 tablespoons of butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup of cornmeal
1 cup of unbleached white flour
1/3 cup of sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of buttermilk
1 large egg
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch glass pie plate.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside to cook for a few minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg with a fork until just blended. Pour the buttermilk mixture and butter over the dry ingredients and add the jalapeno. Stir with a rubber spatula until just blended.

Transfer the batter to the pie plate and spread evenly. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate pots de crème

Peabody has recently moved to a beautiful new house and to celebrate that she’s throwing a Housewarming Party, pot luck style.
She’s such a lovely person, so talented and generous, and one of my all-time favorite cooks/bakers - I had to take part in her event!

I thought of many dishes to “bring” to her party and decided that dessert would be a good choice - we rarely have dessert at home. Also

Azuki Beans Cooked with Garlic and Ginger

I was delighted to find a few Indian recipes calling for azuki beans in my newly acquired copy of Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking, including this one. Azuki beans were cultivated in Asia where they continue to be very popular, usually served sweetened. Though I own a few shelves of cookbooks, I don't have many azuki bean recipes that are more suitable to serve as a dinner dish. I sometimes use them in recipes calling for mung beans, so if you don't have azuki beans on hand, whole mung beans would be a very good alternative.

On the menu with:
Beet and Tomato Soup
Rice with Paneer and Peas

Azuki Beans Cooked with Garlic and Ginger

Recipe by Lisa Turner From Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking Cuisine: Indian Published on November 26, 2007 A simple but robust and savory azuki bean dal curry flavored with ginger and garlic Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried azuki beans 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped 2 whole dried red chilies juice from 1 lime or 1/2 lemon 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/3 teaspoon garam masala 1/2 cup cream or yogurt Tempering: 3 tablespoons ghee or a mixture of butter and oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced 1/2 teaspoon cayenne Instructions: Rinse the beans and soak for 6 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse. Transfer to a large saucepan and cover with 4 1/2 cups of fresh water. Add the garlic, ginger and dried chilies, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for simmer for 40 to 60 minutes or until the beans are tender. Transfer the garlic, ginger, and some of the beans (about 1/2 cup) along with some of the cooking liquid to a blender. Purée until smooth and return to the pan. Stir in the lime or lemon juice, salt, garam masala and cream or yogurt, and discard the dried red chilies if desired. Leave the pan uncovered with the heat set to low. Heat the ghee or butter and oil in a small saucepan or frying pan. When hot, add the minced garlic and ginger. Stir for a minute or so or until the garlic is slightly browned. Add the cayenne, quickly stir, and then pour the contents into the beans. Cover immediately, turn the heat off, and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 - 6 servings

Butternut squash compote – doce de abóbora

One more recipe I cooked especially for Joao - one of his crazy out of the blue requests. :)I had never made butternut squash compote before – we call it doce de abóbora and it’s such a traditional dessert here (not to mention easy to find) I guess I just took it for granted.Luckily Google was there for me. I found many, many different recipes online but the minute I saw one of my dear friend

Mushroom and Jalapeño Breakfast Hash

This is my favourite fast-and-easy breakfast hash for weekend mornings when I'm getting up later than I had meant to. Flash-fried mushrooms and jalapeño peppers complement the traditional potato-and-onion hash beautifully and add very little extra time to the preparation and cooking, especially if the potato has been cooked and cooled the night before. The secret to good browned hash is to maximize the vegetables' contact with very hot olive oil — and it's important to use olive oil instead of other vegetable oils because, when hot enough, the vegetables will absorb very little of it.

This hash makes a perfect amount for two people. If you're cooking for more people, just multiply the recipe by the desired number but cook the potato part in portions to avoid layering the potato in the pan.

Mushroom and Jalapeño Breakfast Hash

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on November 25, 2007 Flash-fried mushrooms and jalapeño peppers combined with a traditional potato-and-onion hash for a quick and tasty breakfast — the secret to good browned hash is to maximize the vegetables' contact with very hot olive oil Print this recipe Ingredients: 4 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 lb. white mushrooms, chopped 1 large onion, sliced 1 large potato, cooked and cut into 1/2 inch cubes 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper to taste Instructions: Heat a frying pan large enough to hold the cubed cooked potato in a single layer over high heat. When hot, pour in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, wait a few seconds, then swirl around the pan. Toss in the mushrooms right away and fry, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until they're nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towel for draining and set aside. Add the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil, wait a few seconds for the oil to heat up without smoking, then add the onion and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they brown. Toss in the cooked potatoes and continue to stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add the jalapeños and cook, stirring, for another 3-5 minutes. The potatoes should be well-browned on all sides. Before serving, stir in the salt, add the mushrooms and grind black pepper to taste over the hash. Makes 2 servings

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

One of my favorite treats is homemade roasted pumpkin seeds. The store bought variety simply do not compare, so I took the time to separate the seeds from the pumpkin I bought to make pumpkin pie. This recipe can easily be increased if you have more seeds on hand.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 1/3 cups of water
3 tablespoons of sea salt
1 2/3 cups of pumpkin seeds

Bring the water and salt to a boil, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Pour the water over the seeds. Cover the seeds and leave to stand for 12 - 24 hours.

Drain the water from the seeds, spread them evenly on a ungreased baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 - 35 minutes or until the seeds are dry and puffy. Stir the seeds frequently - approximately every 10 minutes or so.

When the seeds are done, leave them to cool on the baking sheets, and stir occasionally. Store in an air-tight container.

Nic’s Lime Sugar Cookies

Isn’t it curious how much our taste for things changes over the years?I was thinking about it the other day, while watching “Friends”. I used to love that sitcom, wouldn’t miss it for the world. Now, I don’t find it funny anymore. I watched two episodes, one right after the other – not a single laugh.As a kid, my favorite flavor was chocolate. I loved chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, chocolate

Beet and Tomato Soup

My photograph doesn't begin to capture the unique elegance of this Beet and Tomato Soup, adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking. Combining the typically strong flavors of beet and tomato results in a perfect balance of flavors and a surprisingly subtle soup that can only be tasted to be appreciated. This is an ideal soup to be served as a first course.

Beet and Tomato Soup

1/2 pound of fresh beets (approximately 3 medium beets)
1 teaspoon of butter or oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
3/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup of cream (optional)

Peel the beets and chop. Put the beets in a food processor or blender, along with 1 1/2 cups of water and blend for about a minute. Transfer the blended beets to a fine sieve and collect as much of the juice from the beets as possible.

Heat the oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon. Stir for a few seconds and then put in the tomatoes. Stir for another 30 seconds or so and then add the beet juice, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the cloves and the cinnamon stick, stir in the cream and gently simmer on low for another few minutes. Serves 4.

Lemon Pasta

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post – you sure do know how to put a smile on a girl’s face!

There were two different holidays here in Sao Paulo and I didn’t go to work for 6 days in a row – how great is that? :)

I had a wonderful time at home, friends over for dinner, my sister spent a day with me (we played Super Mario Bros. a hundred times). I took care of my herbs and

Rice with Paneer and Peas

I've been terribly busy of late meaning I currently have less time to experiment in the kitchen but today I worked a shorter shift and took advantage of the extra time to explore my newly acquired copy of Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking. As I am a huge fan of green peas and paneer cheese, I decided to make a slightly modified version of Ms. Jaffrey's Rice with Paneer and Peas. This easy to prepare dish would serve as a fine compliment to any Indian meal. I used pre-fried paneer cubes due to my present time constraints, but you can easily substitute fresh paneer. Simply cut the paneer into 1/2 - 1 inch cubes, fry it up ahead of time in oil and set aside until its time to add it to the rice.

Rice with Paneer and Peas

1 cup of basmati rice
1 cup of fried paneer cubes
3 tablespoons of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 large bay leaf
1 inch piece of cinnamon
3 whole black cardamom pods
2/3 cup of peas (fresh or defrosted frozen peas)
2 hot green chilies or jalapenos, cut into fine half rings
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

Wash the rice well and drain. Soak the rice in five cups of water and leave to saok for at least 30 minutes. Drain and leave to dry for another 10 - 20 minutes or so.

Heat the oil in a medium sized heavy pot over medium heat. When it is hot, add the bay leaf, cinnamon, and cardamom. Stir for a few seconds, and then add the drained rice, peas, salt, green chilies and cumin seeds. Stir and fry for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil Cover, turn the heat to very low and cook for 15 minutes, or until the water is mostly evaporated. Take off the lid and quickly put in the paneer. Cover, and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit, covered and undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamom and gently fluff with a fork. Serves 4.

Indian Mushroom and Scallion Scrambled Eggs

Here is another Indian scrambled egg breakfast that is much less piquant than the Punjabi-style scrambled eggs I made last week, but has the warm, earthy fragrance of fried mushrooms and scallions that makes it a nourishing, delicious and colourful plate on a cold autumn morning, wonderful with buttered toast and some fresh fruit. Like many of the simple dishes that I like to make, this recipe — called khumbi wala khichri unda — is taken with only minor modifications from Madhur Jaffrey's wonderful book World Vegetarian.

Indian mushroom and scallion scrambled eggs

3 tablespoons sesame oil
4 large white mushrooms, diced
1 small firm tomato, seeded and diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced, both green and white parts
8 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
fresh ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large wok over high heat. As soon as it is hot, toss in the mushrooms and stir-fry for a few minutes until they appear silken. Add the tomato, jalapeño and the white parts of the scallions, turn the heat down to medium, and stir-fry for another few minutes until the tomato is softened.

With a fork, lightly beat the eggs together with the salt. Pour in the pan along with the green parts of the scallion and the cilantro. Stir the eggs gently with a wooden spoon for 10-15 minutes, depending on the intensity of the heat, until the eggs have been cooked into firm and fairly dry curds.

Serve hot right out of the pan and grind black pepper to taste over the servings. Serves 2-4.

My blog turns 1!

Today is this blog’s birthday and I’m glad for having had the time to prepare a cake to celebrate!It has been a great thing in my life to be able to share my passion for food with so many others who love cooking and baking like I do – and I want to thank you all for being constant inspiration and for supporting my blog. You really mean the world to me!Technicolor Kitchen cakewhite cake recipe

Five-Dal Spinach Soup

It was a gift of Yamuna Devi's Lord Krishna's Cuisine years ago that got me started on Indian cuisine, and it's still by far the finest Indian vegetarian cookbook I've ever come across. One of my favourite sections is her dal soups, which are always so simple to prepare, easily digestible, and exotically fragrant and delicious. This panch dal shorba made with five different dals and spinach is an especially lovely and nutritious soup for a light lunch or dinner served with rice and a green salad with a mango dressing. And despite the quantity of spices, this soup is more aromatic than hot — the piquancy of the cumin, chillies and cayenne linger pleasantly rather than painfully on the tongue, although the chillies and cayenne can be reduced slightly for sensitive palettes.

All of these dals are always available at Indian grocers, along with the pungent asafoetida powder that is essential to these aromatic Indian lentil soups.

Five-dal spinach soup

3 tablespoons split mung dal
3 tablespoons split urad dal
3 tablespoons split toor dal
3 tablespoons split green peas
3 tablespoons split chana dal
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, shredded or minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons ghee or a mixture of butter and olive oil
4 ounces fresh baby spinach, or 6 ounces spinach or chard stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
4-5 hot green chillies, or to taste, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/3 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons sea salt
small handful of fresh parsley or coriander, chopped

Rinse the dals well under cold running water in a fine strainer. Cover with hot water in a bowl and soak for 2-3 hours. Drain.

Combine the dals, ginger, turmeric, ground coriander, and 1 tablespoon of the ghee or butter and olive oil mixture with 7 cups of cold water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to moderately low and cover, cooking gently until the dals are fully cooked and soft, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the intensity of the heat.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and blend the dals with a hand-blender or wire whisk until the soup is creamy. Put the soup back on the stove, add the spinach and continue to cook gently for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining ghee or butter and olive oil mixture in a frying pan over moderately high heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds and chillies and fry until the seeds turn brown, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the cayenne, asafoetida and bay leaf, wait 15 seconds, then pour the fried spices into the soup. Swirl a few tablespoons of water in the emptied frying pan to gather the rest of the flavours and add to the soup as well. Sprinkle in the garam masala and cover for a few minutes to let the seasonings blend into the soup.

Just before serving, stir in the salt and chopped parsley or coriander. Serves 6 to 8.

Chickpeas and Bechamel Sauce

This is an especially good recipe to make if you are rushed for time. There is very little preparation to do, all of which can be done while the chickpeas are cooking. For a satisfying and balanced meal, serve over a bed of basmati rice. If you prefer, substitute mint for the dill.

Chickpeas and Bechamel Sauce

1 cup of dried chickpeas
1 - 2 tablespoons of oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of whole-wheat flour
1 heaping tablespoon of tahini
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 3/4 cup of water or reserved cooking liquid from the chickpeas
4 - 5 mushrooms, roughly chopped (optional)
2 - 3 tablespoons of fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons of dried)

Soak the chickpeas overnight in enough water to cover the beans. Bring the beans to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until beans are buttery soft, about 1 - 2 hours. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Toss in the onions and saute until the onions begin to soften up, about 5 - 10 minutes. While the onion is cooking, combine the flour, tahini and salt with 1 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid or water. Once the onion is soft, add the liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked chickpeas, mushrooms and dill and gently cook for another 5 minutes. Serves 4 - 6.

The Power of Food

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first written review of Lisa's Kitchen since I went live back in March. My efforts are truly rewarded when I find out that fellow cooks are inspired by my food offerings.

I'm too lazy to write a review, but I recommend Whirled Soup for some nourishing and tasty soup recipes.

Simple Chana Dal and Dill Khichri

I've made such good use over the years of recipes from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian Cookbook that I was delighted to finally obtain a copy of her older book, World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking. Both are filled with astonishingly fast and simple recipes for delicious and exotic dishes of all varieties.

My first opportunity to try something from the book came on a very busy day with little time for cooking, so I settled on a khichri. Also known sometimes by its anglicized spelling kidgeree, khichris are traditional Indian pots of rice and split beans cooked together with spices, herbs or vegetables for quick, simple and nourishing lunches or suppers. And this khili hui khichri with chana dal and fresh dill is about as quick and simple as they get, and also delightfully light, warm and sweet.

Chana dal, the split bean of a very small variety of chickpeas, has a delicately warm flavour that is enhanced with the addition of other light flavours. I've adopted this recipe to increase the presence of the dal and reduce the rice. Chana dal is easily available at any Indian grocer, but if you can't find any, yellow split peas can be substituted.

Simple chana dal and dill khichri

1/2 cup chana dal
1 1/3 cups basmati rice
3 tablespoons ghee, or a mixture of butter and olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
6 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sea salt

Rinse the chana dal and soak overnight or for at least six hours in room temperature water. Before cooking, rinse the rice as well and drain the chana dal.

Heat the ghee, or butter and oil, over medium heat in a large saucepan. When hot, pour in the rice and dal and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, making sure that every grain and dal is coated. Stir in the garam masala and dill, and fry for another minute.

Add the vegetable stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to very low, stir in the salt, and cover. Simmer for 25 minutes until the water has been absorbed by the grains and dal.

Serve hot or warm with a clear, spicy soup and a vegetable dish or green salad. Serves 6.

Spinach, cheese and walnut baked risotto

I have seen so many delicious recipes with spinach around lately that I felt like cooking with it, too.

This time, I got the recipe from Donna Hay Magazine #33 but I changed it quite a bit. It was my second baked risotto and what an easy dish to put together! Not to mention that while it’s in the oven you can sit on the couch and watch TV – like I did, watching my newest addiction.



This is

Pumpkin Pie

I'm not particularly fond of Fall because it means Winter is soon to descend upon the region. I am however a huge fan of many of the vegetables that are in in season right now and that includes pumpkins. Though I have yet to try my friend Holler's creative Pumpkin Fondue, I did make a few pumpkin pies from scratch. Canned pumpkin simply does not compare to the taste of fresh pumpkin. An additional advantage to using fresh pumpkin are the seeds which you can save and later roast in the oven.

Even a small pumpkin yields more pumpkin than you will need to make one or two pies, but pumpkin freezes well, so long as it is cooked. Boil or steam the pumpkin until tender and then mash. I suggest freezing it in one cup portions for future use.

As usual, I have prepared my own pie crust, but you can also purchase an unbaked single pie shell for this recipe.

Pumpkin pie

Filling:

1 1/8 cups pumpkin, cooked
1 large egg
1/3 to 1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup milk powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup milk

To make the filling, mix together the pumpkin and egg, then stir in the honey. In a separate bowl, slowly add 1/4 cup of the milk to the milk powder and spices, being careful to remove all lumps. Then add the rest of the milk and blend thoroughly.

Combine the milk mixture with the pumpkin and egg mixture, and pour into a pie shell.

In a preheated 375 degree oven, bake for 50 minutes or until set.

I used two different pastry recipes for the pies that I made. The flaky pie crust made with butter was richer but lighter than the whole wheat crust and thus a better a accompaniment to the dense filling.

Flaky Butter Pie Crust

1 cup of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of cold butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 - 4 tablespoons of ice water

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry cutter until the butter is reduced to very small pieces. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ice water over the dough and combine with a fork. The dough is ready for rolling once it holds together when you squeeze it. If the dough is too dry, add more of the ice water.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a flat circle shape with a floured rolling pin. Gently fold the rolled dough in half and transfer to the pie plate. Trim the dough and fold to make the crust edge. Crimp the edges.

Cooks tip, courtesy of Cook's Illustrated: If your dough is too dry to roll, add a few tablespoons of vodka. Too much water leads to more gluten formation, which results in a tougher crust. But more liquid makes the dough easier to roll, so adding vodka, which consists of 40 percent ethanol, makes for an easy to roll, tender crust because gluten does not form in ethanol.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

1 cup of whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of cold water

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly add the oil and water and stir to mix. Form into a ball and roll out as thinly as possible on floured wax paper.

I've submitted this recipe to Columbus Foodie who will be hosting Homegrown Gourmet #3. The theme this month is pies and tarts.

Staple Corner: Quinoa-Oat Croquettes

Cooking quinoa and oats together combines the best of both of these astonishingly healthy foods for a high-protein, high-fat meal rich in calcium, iron, B-vitamins, vitamin E, phosphorus for nerve tissues, and silicon for bones and connective tissues. And frying the cooled porridge really brings out the unbeatable nutty flavour and crunchy texture of quinoa in little croquettes that are deliciously satisfying and wholesome just on their own or with a dash of tamari sauce added. But they're also so simple to make that you'll have time to cook up some Best-ever Mushroom Sauce to pour over them for one of my all-time favourite combinations of flavours.

Quinoa-oat croquettes

1 cup quinoa
1 cup rolled or steel-cut oats
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
sesame seeds

Scrub the quinoa with your hands in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water for a minute or two to rinse the bitter saponin from its surface. Soak overnight with the oats overnight in a medium stainless-steel or pyrex saucepan in 3 cups of water.

Stir in the sea salt and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent the oats from sticking to the bottom. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, still stirring frequently, until it has the consistency of a thick porridge.

Pour the cooked quinoa and oats into a square 9x9 baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer to let the mixture cool, then cut into slices.

Lightly oil a frying pan over medium heat and fry the slices on both sides until golden-brown and crispy.

Serves 4.

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Mixed Mushrooms

If you are looking for an entree perfect for esteemed dinner guests, I would highly recommend this fairly easy to prepare baked pasta dish that I have adapted from Lucy's Kitchen. It's similar to my famous Pasta and Feta Cheese Casserole, only creamier and earthier and also very rich and filling.

On the menu with:
Rosemary Parmesan Biscuits
Creamy Beet Borscht
Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Mixed Mushrooms

1 ounce (30 grams) of dried porcini mushrooms (or a mixture of shiitake, portabello, porcini and oyster)
1 pound (500 grams) of tube shaped pasta (I used rigatoni)

1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup of unbleached white flour
2 cups of milk
2 cups of soft goat cheese
salt and freshly cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of chopped onion
1 pound 9500 grams) of fresh mixed mushrooms, sliced
2 - 3 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried)
1 tablespoon of finely minced garlic
1/4 - 1/2 cup of olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
juice from one lemon
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the soaking liquid. Squeeze excess liquid from soaked mushrooms and roughly chop.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain well and return to the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Pour in the milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for to thicken - approximately 5 minutes. Stir in the goat cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the pan and stir and fry for 3 - 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the fresh mushrooms, jalapeno peppers and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes or until mushrooms begin to release their liquid.

Next, add the garlic, dried mushrooms and the soaking liquid used for the dried mushrooms to the wok. Bring to a boil and cook for about one minute. Stir in the olives, parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir the cheese sauce, and mushroom mixture into the cooked noodles along with 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a large oiled baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until heated throughout and lightly browned.

Serves 6 - 8.

I've submitted this recipe to Ruth who hosts Presto Pasta Night every Friday.

Fabulous five-minute fudge

One of my Brazilian blogger friends – a very witty and smart one, by the way – wrote a post a couple of months ago about how much her mother likes to prepare homemade gifts – food, to be more specific. There’s a kind of pie she makes for her friends and coworkers that is so famous I wish I lived nearby so she could bake one for me, too. :DI like to made food gifts for my friends, and I’m sure

Pasta al pesto (and another gift)

Yep, I’m a lucky blogger. You guys have spoiled me so much!I have received many gifts from different parts of the world and that is so amazing.The beautiful place mat you see on the photo is a present from a very dear Brazilian friend, Luna – thank you for making my table more beautiful, sweetie!Some people are so versatile. Take Mark Ruffalo, (one of my favorites) for instance: he can be cute,

Best-Ever Mushroom Sauce

I've been making this best-ever mushroom sauce for years now and I'd never get sick of it even if I had to eat it everyday. It's a absolutely delicious dressing to put on mashed potatoes, lightly-steamed vegetables, or any grain, just as long as you can stop yourself from eating it right out of the pan, but my favorite way to eat it is as a topping for quinoa-oat croquettes.

Best-Ever Mushroom Sauce

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on November 7, 2007 As advertised, this is the best ever mushroom sauce — creamy, tangy and loaded with plump cooked mushrooms, this is a great sauce for mashed potatoes, vegetables or grains Print this recipe Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 medium onions, chopped 1 pound white mushrooms, or with some creminis, sliced 1 cup plain yogurt juice of 2 lemons 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (optional) fresh ground black pepper to taste Instructions: Melt the butter in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8 minutes or until they are soft and translucent. Stir in the mushrooms, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are reduced but still slightly plump. Remove the lid and stir in the yogurt, lemon juice, parsley, mustard and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce without boiling, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes — or longer if you want a thicker sauce. If you want to speed up the process, stir in a tablespoon of unbleached all-purpose flour a few minutes after adding the yogurt and other ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Before serving, add fresh ground black pepper to taste and stir. Makes 3 cups

Rosemary Parmesan Drop Biscuits

Visitors to Lisa's Kitchen will know that I am a great fan of quick and easy savory biscuits. Not only do they fill out a meal, they are a tasty treat in their own right. Though I have no shortage of biscuit recipes on hand, I can never resist new ideas. I found this recipe in the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated.

Rosemary Parmesan Drop Biscuits

2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of sugar
3/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon of fresh rosemary
1 cup of cold buttermilk
8 tablespoons of melted butter, cooled for about 5 minutes

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, Parmesan and rosemary. In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk and slightly cooled melted butter, stirring until butter forms small clumps.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just incorporated and butter pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Using a greased 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop a level amount of batter and drop onto greased or parchment paper lined baking sheets. Leave 1 1/2 inches between batter.

Bake until crisp and golden, about 12 - 14 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Make 8 - 10 biscuits.

Creamy Beet Borscht

Borscht is a vegetable soup from Eastern Europe that is now enjoyed throughout the world. Any variety of vegetables can be used, but beets are essential. My friend Mike has been requesting a homemade borscht soup for a long time now. It was an especially good time to fulfill his wish, as beets are currently in season, and also one of my current favorites. I've come across a few recipes that I liked but this Creamy Beet Borscht, modified from James McNair's Soups, seemed to have the perfect balance of flavours. It turned out to be a success. I served it hot, but it can also be chilled and served cold if desired.

For best results, make the soup the day before and add bits of chopped mushrooms to the pot just before reheating it at a low temperature.

Creamy Beet Borscht

2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter
1 cup of chopped onion
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
3 - 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 pounds of beets (about 6 medium-sized), peeled and chopped
2 cups of seeded tomatoes, chopped
1 small turnip, chopped
1 cup of potato, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 bay leaves
juice from one lemon
6 - 7 cups of vegetable stock
sea salt and black pepper to taste

1/3 cup of minced fresh dill
1/2 - 3/4 cups of sour cream
fresh dill for garnishing

In a large soup pot, heat the oil or butter over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and saute until soft - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and vinegar and cook until most of the vinegar evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables, bay leaves, stock, salt and pepper, and half of the lemon juice. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low and cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender - about 30 - 40 minutes. Add the remaining lemon juice.

While the soup is cooking, combine the minced dill and cream in a small bowl; set aside.

Once the soup has cooled down a bit, process in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and gently heat over low heat. Test for seasonings. Serve in bowls, with a dollop of the sour cream dill mixture and garnish with a bit of minced dill.

This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging to be hosted by The Expatriate's Kitchen.

Punjabi-Style Scrambled Eggs

There are countless ways of preparing fried or scrambled breakfast eggs in India, but one thing they almost all have in common is cooking the eggs well until they are almost hard. These eggs, scrambled with a Punjabi-style infusion of ginger, hot pepper and Indian spice flavours, go deliciously with buttered toast and fruit for a fast and tasty breakfast. They also make for a delightful dinner.

Punjabi-style scrambled eggs

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large onion, chopped
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
2 large jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
8 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Heat the oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds, let them sizzle for a few seconds, then stir in the onions and fry for a few minutes until they start to turn brown at the edges. Add the ginger, stir once, then stir in the tomato and jalapeños.

With a fork, lightly beat the eggs together with the cayenne, turmeric, salt and garam masala. Pour in the pan and stir the eggs, spices and vegetables gently with a wooden spoon for 10-15 minutes, depending on the intensity of the heat, until the eggs have been cooked into firm and fairly dry curds.

Serve hot right out of the pan. Serves 2-4.

Chocolate coated cookies. And a gift

I have met so many wonderful people through blogging that if I start listing them it will take me days!

One of these friends I’ve made is a talented and gifted young lady, who happens to be not only a great cook but also an artist – Hannah, of the beautiful BitterSweet.

We always write to each other and I’m really glad we’ve met.

The lovely duckling is a gift she sent me by mail – isn’t it

Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

Two of my favorite foods are cornmeal and mushrooms, so when I came across a recipe combining the two, I of course couldn't resist making it. The mushroom ragout, which is essentially a thick sauce or gravy, would also go nicely with rice or any other grain of your choosing, including pasta.

Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 pounds of mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon each of sea salt and pepper
1/2 cup of white wine or 1/4 cup of vermouth combined with 1/4 cup of water
1 - 2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of vegetable stock or water
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley

For the Polenta:

3 cups of milk
1 cup of water
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of cornmeal
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, saute the mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper until all of the liquid is evaporated - about 8 - 10 minutes.

Next, add the wine or vermouth and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Add the flour, stirring to coat the mushrooms and then add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley before serving.

To make the polenta, bring the milk, water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk in the cornmeal and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring, until thickened - about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.

Spoon the ragout over the polenta and serve.