Double Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe, this is absolutely DIVINE! I used to buy store bought brownies all the time, but after I tried this recipe I prefer making them at home. An ice-cold glass of milk served with this chocolate treat is one of the most delectable combinations in dessert history. It is easy to make. Keep this kid-favorite recipe handy. 
This Recipe will make 9 large squares.

  Ingredients: 

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
• 6 ounces coarsely chopped good-quality semisweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing 2 inches to hang over sides. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside. 
3. Put butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until butter and chocolate are melted. Let cool slightly.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; set aside.
5. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until pale, about 4 minutes.
6. Add chocolate mixture; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownie (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 35 minutes.
8. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out brownies; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares

You can keep the brownies for 3 days at room temp.

Tomato Rice

I learned a lot of different ways to cook rice after I moved to the neighborhood I live in. My neighbor, who is from the southern part of India whom I always call a RICE QUEEN, cooks the best rice dishes. I do a lot of recipe exchange with her and this recipe is a total inspiration from her tomato rice recipe. Although I was not able to develop the same flavors as hers, I was quite happy with the outcome of this dish.

A good tomato rice almost doesn’t have any water added to it during the cooking process. The juice of the tomatoes is reasonably enough to cook the rice, but I added a little water to allow the rice to become fluffy and a little sticky to be able to crust the bottom layer. To me, that's the best part of the dish. I’m always scraping up the delicious crust!

This Recipe serves 2-3 people.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 6 curry leaves
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 3-4 cloves garlic, diced
• 4 medium tomatoes (1lb) chopped fine (about 2 cups when chopped)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika 
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder (adjust according to taste)
• 1/2 tsp sugar, optional
• 2 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water (use more if needed)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust according to taste)

Method:

1. Use a 10 inch non-stick skillet that's about 1 1/2 inches deep and has a lid.
2. Heat oil in the skillet, and add mustard seeds, when they pop, add cumin seeds and let sizzle for a few seconds.
3. Then add curry leaves and chopped onion. Cook on medium heat till the onion is lightly brown.
4. Add garlic to the oil, and stir for about a minute. Don't let the garlic brown.
5. Now add chopped tomatoes, turmeric and chili powders to the skillet. Add sugar if using slightly unripe tomatoes (I like to use a little sugar if the tomatoes are too sour).
6. Cook on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, till most of the liquid is gone, the tomatoes have broken down, and the sauce reduces to about half its original volume. This will take 10-15 minutes. You will end up with just over one cup of tomato-onion sauce.
7. To the reduced sauce, add rice, and salt. Stir on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes.
8. Add water to the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cover the skillet and simmer for about 15 minutes, or till the rice is cooked and fluffy. Start checking the rice after 12 minutes to ensure it doesn't over cook.
9. When the rice is done, increase the heat to high. Let the rice sit on high heat for about one minute. This will form a tasty rice crust on the bottom, much like in a paella.

Serve tomato rice with raita.

*Optional garnishes for tomato rice: roasted cashews, roasted peanuts, crispy fried onions, or chopped cilantro.

Grilled stuffed mini bell peppers

My husband loves these peppers.  I usually used them in dishes, substituting for regular bell peppers, but I wanted to make the peppers the focus of a dish.  I went to a Mexican restaurant and saw chile rellenos on the menu which sparked a thought of stuffing these mini peppers.  Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 12 Mini Bell Peppers
• 2 tbsp lemon Juice
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  
  Stuffing:

• 4-5 Boiled potatoes, coarsely mashed
• 2-3 tbsp Chili, ginger, & garlic paste 
• 1/4 cup coriander, finely chopped
• 1 Cup (adjust to taste) finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Red chilli powder to taste
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp clove powder
•  1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
•  1-2 tsp chaat masala
•  lemon juice to taste
•  Salt to taste
•  2 tsp sugar (optional)
  

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing together and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Set aside. 
2. Wash the peppers & cut off the tops and take the seeds and membrane out.
3. Brush the inside of the peppers with lemon juice and oil.
4. Stuff the peppers with the stuffing and sprinkle some more Parmesan cheese on top to give the peppers a golden brown crust.
5. Take an oven safe pan, grease it well with oil and arrange the stuffed peppers in a row leaving a little gap between each. Brush some oil on them & keep ready.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F.
7. Bake the stuffed mini sweet peppers for 15-20 minutes till the outer skin turns light, crispy and starts to shrink.

• Enjoy this Stuffed Sweet Peppers as a starter.

Stuffed Mushrooms

My husband loves Mushrooms. I had never tried them before I met him! This was mainly because I didn't like the way they looked and the texture after they are cooked. Since he likes them so much I learned different ways to incorporate them into different dishes, like curries, stir fry's, even paninis and sandwiches. One of my friends mentioned that she tried these stuff mushrooms at a local restaurant they always go to. She tried making them at home and they came out good so she shared her recipe - below is a slightly modified version. Not only do they look good, they are delicious!

Ingredients:

• 12 Portabella Mushrooms
• 1 cup combination of Mozzarella & Cheddar Cheese
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Grated Onion 
• 2 tbsp Grated Ginger, Garlic and Green Chilies (according to your taste)
• 2-3 Finely chopped Tomatoes
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Clove powder
• 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
• 1-2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• Cilantro for garnish

 

Method:

1. In a deep frying pan, heat up some olive oil and saute the grated onions with ginger, garlic and green chilies.
2. Once the onions become translucent add all the seasoning and add tomatoes to the mixture and let cook.
3. Add lemon juice and Brown sugar at the very end and mix it all well.
4. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems.
5. Lay them on a baking tray and fill them with the stuffing. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
6. Bake the mushrooms at 350° for 25-30 minutes.
7. Sprinkle some cilantro before serving

Fusilli w/Pecorino-Romano & Black Pepper

Like many kids, mine love pasta! It is on our menu once a week, and I try to make it with different sauces and cheese. One day, while watching food network I came across this recipe which turned out to be super delicious. It has a lot of spinach in it and my kids won't even notice it as it blends in well with the pasta. I use Mascarpone cheese quite a bit because it helps make any sauce creamy adding just the perfect amount of texture to all the sauce to stick to the pasta. The best part of this dish is that you can serve this pasta hot or at a room temperature, so it can act as a pasta salad as well.

This Recipe serves 2-3 people.

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound Fusilli pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed chopped
• 5 cups fresh baby spinach leaves 
• 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese 
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tsps each of salt and pepper

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite -about 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned - about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the spinach and 2 teaspoons pepper, and cook until the spinach has wilted - about 1 minute.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the pasta. Add the Pecorino Romano cheese and 2 teaspoons each salt and pepper, and toss until coated.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the reserved cooking liquid and the mascarpone cheese until smooth. Pour over the pasta and toss until coated. Season with salt. 

Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf

I always use to see this ingredient at the local grocery store and thought that it must be too complicated to make, till one of our friends mentioned that they make it all the time and it is super easy to prepare.
Quinoa seeds contain essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. The seeds are in general cooked the same way as rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes.
I made a Pilaf, essentially substituting quinoa for the rice.  It is a different texture for those who are used to rice.

This Recipe Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked Quinoa (follow cooking instructions on package)
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 1 small red and green pepper, diced
• 1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 medium potato, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1-2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• Mint to garnish

Spices & Seasoning:

• Salt & black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 2 bay leaf
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• Pinch of saffron threads

 Method:

• In a pan, heat up some oil and cook all the veggies, seasoning and spices till the potatoes and carrots are tender.
• Cook the Quinoa per the instruction on the package.
• Add the cooked Quinoa to the veggies and mix well.
• Garnish with fresh mint.
• Serve hot!

Alternative: You can also put the cooked quinoa along with the cooked veggies in a casserole dish, top with thinly sliced tomatoes and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over that.  Broil for 5 minutes - till the cheese is melted.  This prep is perfect for a pot luck.

Rava Uttapam with Coconut & Tomato Chutney

My Neighbor makes the best South Indian food and I learned a few things from her like these chutneys (chutneys may be either wet or dry, ranging in texture, from coarse to fine). This recipe is easy to make and hits the spot right on. Generally, Uttapam batter is made of a 1:3 ratio of urad dal and rice; the rice should be a combination of a boiled variety and a variety such as basmati. The dal and rice are subsequently ground and fermented.
^{I used Rava (Semolina) instead to make the Uttapam as it cooks up instant and it is also fluffier without fermentation.}

This Recipe makes 6-8 Uttapam

 Ingredients for Uttapam:

• 1 cup semolina (rava)
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 cup yogurt (dahi)
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped green chillies
• salt to taste
• oil for cooking

Method:

• Heat a pan and roast the rava for 2 minutes.
• Combine the roasted semolina, ginger and yogurt in a bowl and mix well, adding water if required.
• Cover and keep aside to ferment for 40-60 minutes.
• Add the salt and mix gently.
• Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, pour a ladle full of batter and spread it in a circular motion to make a thin uttapam.
• Top it with some onions, tomatoes and green chilies. (add cheddar cheese to make it kids friendly instead of green chilies)
• Cook on one side, using a little oil, turn over and cook on the other side.

Ingredients for Tomato Chutney:

• 2 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram) 
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 3 to 4 curry leaves (kadi patta) 
• 2 red chillies 
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi) 
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing) 
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped 
• 1 tsp oil 
• salt to taste

For the tempering:

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai / sarson) 
• 2 red chillies 
• 1 tbsp oil

Method:

• Wash the dal and keep aside. 
• Heat the oil in a pan, add the washed dal and stir till it becomes golden brown. 
• Add the onion, curry leaves, red chilies, turmeric powder and asafoetida and fry for a minutes. 
• Then add the chopped tomatoes and fry for about 5 minutes to soften them. 
• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 
• Put the tomato mixture in a blender, add salt and a little water and grind to a coarse paste. 
• Prepare the tempering by heating the oil in a small bowl and adding the mustard seeds and red chilies and frying the mixture until the mustard seeds crackle. 
• Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well. 

Ingredients for Coconut Chutney:

• 1 cup fresh grated coconut or 1 cup desiccated coconut (coconut powder)
• 2 tbsp roasted chana dal (bhuna chana)
• 1 green chili
• 1/2 inch ginger
• salt

For the tempering:

• 1 tsp urad dal (split, skinned black gram)
• 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 3/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• a pinch of asafoetida (Hing)
• 1 red chili
• 1 tbsp oil

Method :

• Grind together all the ingredients, with a little water, to a smooth consistency.
• Heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cumin seeds and urad dal. Fry till the urad dal becomes brown.
• Then add the curry leaves, red chili and asafoetida. Fry for a minute. Immediately pour the tempering on the coconut chutney. 
• Note:
• If you want a little sourness in the chutney, you could add the following ingredients:
• Tamarind: Take about 1/2 tbsp of tamarind and grind it with the rest of the ingredients.
• Curd/Yoghurt: When the chutney mixture is ready, mix it with 1/2 or 3/4 cup of curd. This has to be done before you temper the coconut chutney.

Samusa Soup

The moment I first tasted Samusa Soup at Burma Superstar, I couldn't wait to try making it at home. It’s a complex lentil-based soup, with cabbage and bean sprouts. Chunks of samosa and falafel provide added texture. So searching on the net I came across this recipe which, with some modifications, is as close to the one from Burma Superstar.
I’m sure this recipe would be better with homemade falafel and samosa but I decided to use store bought ones to cut down on prep time.

This recipe serves 4 -5 People

Ingredients:

• 1 cup toor dal, washed until water runs clear
• 4 cups water
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1-2 dried red chilies, broken in halves*
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tsp ancho chile (I used ancho chile in adobo sauce)*
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp Indian ground hot red chiles (Kashmiri diggi mirch)*
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 6 cups vegetable broth 
• 1 tsp tamarind concentrate
• 1 tsp garam masala
• salt to taste
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts, washed
• 4 mini samosas, store-bought (I used frozen Deep brand)
• 8 falafels (I used some from a local restaurant)
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish
• Chopped spring onions, for garnish
• Lemon wedges

*You can reduce the amount of spice by adjusting how much chilies you use.

Method:

• Bring the washed toor dal to boil with the four cups of water; cover partially and simmer until toor dal is cooked; about 35-45 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Roast the coriander, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns in a dry skillet, over medium-low heat until just fragrant, let it cool, then grind in a spice grinder, and set aside.
• Fry the onion, jalapenos, and chilies in ghee over low heat until onions just begin to brown.
• Add the ground dry-roasted coriander, cumin and pepper mix.
• Add the turmeric, ancho chile, and Indian red pepper.
• Raise heat to medium and fry together for a few minutes, then add the shredded cabbage. Stir and fry until cabbage loses its raw look - around five minutes.
• Add four cups of vegetable stock, the tamarind concentrate, and the cooked dal with its liquid. Adjust consistency with additional vegetable stock depending on how thick or thin you like your soup. Cover and simmer over low heat for half an hour.
• Add garam masala, and salt to taste.
• Warm the mini samosas in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minute, then add the falafel for another 5 minutes or until all are heated through.
• In four soup bowls, place 1-2 samosas, cut into halves.
• Place two falafel balls in each bowl, cut into quarters.
• Add the beansprouts, a quarter of the vegetable broth, garnish with the cilantro and spring onions.  
• Place lemon wedges for everyone to season their bowls to taste.