Home on my Range

Strawberry Mini Pies

2026-03-15T18:32:00.000-04:00

I crave some pie on Pi day even though I am no math nerd. There is something so wholesome, so comforting about pie. In my book, making some is as easy as pie. It is that pie in the sky. I can’t wait to get my piece of the pie. I could go on...... And that should be the end of the corny jokes. On to something more meaningful.

Strawberry pie is my springtime favorite. The crust is made with flour, butter, sugar and cream cheese. The filling is a thick, gooey mess of crushed strawberries, lemon juice and gelatin. A pleasure to make and eat as well. It is berry berry good!

STRAWBERRY MINI PIES

Makes 6 mini pies

Crust

3/4 cup AP Flour

1 tablespoon Sugar

Pinch of Kosher Salt

4 tablespoons Butter

1 oz Cream Cheese

1/4 cup Water

Filling

1 cup Strawberries

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Gelatin powder

1 teaspoon Water

1/3 cup Sugar

2 Strawberries

Start with the filling. Mix lemon juice, water and gelatin in a small bowl.

Trim strawberries and cut them into very small pieces. You could use a chopper or masher. Place them in a saucepan and heat over a medium flame.

When strawberries begin to bubble add half the sugar and cook the berries till thick and jammy, 15-20 minutes.

Add gelatin mix to berries and cook over low flame for 3 minutes. Take it off the flame and cool. The beriies will thicken as they cool.

Heat oven to 350F/180C.

Start the crust by pulsing butter and cream cheese till smooth in a food processor.

Add flour, sugar and salt to bowl. Pulse a few times.

Add water and pulse till dough comes together in a ball.

Divide dough into 6 portions.

Place each portion in a muffin tin.

Gently press the dough to form a mini pie.

Use a fork to prick the base of the pies.

Bake for 35 minutes.

Take pies out of the oven and cool.

Cut strawberries into thick pieces.

Place a piece in each pie. Dot each berry with a little sugar.

Cover the piece with dollops of filling.

Allow mini pies to set for an hour.

Enjoy the pies.

Fig Prosciutto Boursin Sandwich

2025-09-06T19:29:00.000-04:00

This has been the summer of a thousand figs. Warm temperatures, little rain and few squirrels give me a bumper crop. I have eaten plump ones to my heart's content. Allowed family to fill as many containers as they want. Made several jars of jam. Given boxes to the neighbors. Let the starlings eat as many figs as they can peck. Ruefully I say that not much of a dent has been made. They still keep coming!

Today is a fig-centric sandwich experiment. I caramelize figs in olive oil. Bread is slathered with truffle flavored Boursin cheese. Topped with prosciutto and two types of basil, these sandwiches are a gooey, but irresistible. I could've trimmed the crusts, but the sandwich looks so enticing I take a huge bite as soon as I assemble them. Warm, melty, salty and fresh, I'll be making these beauties again very soon!

FIG PROSCIUTTO BOURSIN SANDWICH

Serves 2

12-15 Figs

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

8 slices of Sandwich Bread (white or brown)

Butter

Truffle Flavored Boursin Cheese

Prosciutto Slices

Fresh ground Black Pepper

Thai Basil

Italian Basil

Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan.

Halve figs and place them cut side down in oil.

Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes till the edges have caramelized.

Butter bread slices.

Slather one bread slice with a generous layer of Boursin. Use as much as or as little as you like!

Cover the boursin with prosciutto slices.

Arrange figs over prosciutto.

Scatter Thai basil and Italian basil over figs.

Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Cover with the other slice.

Press down slightly.

Cut into triangles with sharp knife and enjoy!

Shortcut Panchamrut

2025-09-02T15:08:00.000-04:00

Panchamrut was a staple condiment with meals on religious days in our family. My memory of it goes back almost fifty years, to my grandmother's small flat in Matunga. The L-shaped kitchen was a busy hive where forth came the special foods that graced the altar and table. That food was first offered up to the gods for their blessings after which we sat down a once-a-year repast. Gleaming silver thalis were plated in a certain fashion. Salt, green chutney and panchamrut were placed on the left. They were followed by a raita. At the bottom of the thali, was a mound of rice, blanketed in toor dal varan and ghee. The top of the thali had silver vatis filled with sambare and shrikhand or some kind of sweet. The right side of the thali had two or three types of spiced vegetables. Fried bhajias and pooris were piled in the center. This was a ceremonial meal in so many respects. The idea of extended family dining together, the excitement of enjoying this special blessed meal and the sharing of our food heritage has stayed with me over the years. My grandparents and parents are no more. Their gift to me are the enduring memories of our Pathare Prabhu culture and the seminal traditions that bind us together.

Panchamrut literally means five blessed fruits. Tamarind juice and jaggery are boiled together with spices and dry fruits like cashews and almonds. In keeping with my children's allergies, I substitute only dates and raisins. The shortcut comes from the sweet chutney I always have in my fridge. A few spices, a short boil and this sweet and sour gem enhances any meal you have.

I serve this as part of our Ganesh Chaturthi thali. Watching the family scrape the panchamrut down to the dregs brings tears and joy. A tradition lives on for the next generation to relish.

PANCHAMRUT

Serves 6

3/4 cup Tamarind Chutney (store bought or homemade)

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

2 dried Red Chiles

1 tablespoon toasted Sesame Seeds

6-8 Dates

1/3 cup Golden Raisins

A pinch of Kosher Salt.

Chop dates into small chunks.

Pound sesame seeds roughly.

Heat oil in a deep saucepan.

Add red chile to hot oil.

Add dates and raisins to oil.

Pour the chutney into oil and stir well.

Add sesame seeds as well.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of water to loosen the chutney.

Season with a pinch of salt.

Place the saucepan on top of a simmer plate so the bottom doesn't scorch.

Cook over low heat till chutney thickens. It should not be rummy, but thick enough to spoon onto a plate.

Cool and keep aside.

Use at room temperature.

It will keep refrigerated for a week.

Ground Beef Pide

2025-08-21T15:55:00.001-04:00

It has been a few months, yet my taste buds still yearn for the foods we ate in Turkey. To indulge myself I try this innovative pide recipe. Pide are boat shaped bread receptacles filled with spicy ground meat. My beef filling is liberally infused with baharat, a fragrant Turkish spice mix. We found some in this tiny spice shop in Antalya. This nondescript shop had the best selection of fresh spices. Much much better than anything from Istanbul's Spice Market.

The dough is soft and yeasty. There is a technique to making these pide. Small discs of dough are filled with some spicy beef. The edges are crimped together into a half-moon shape. Dipped in molasses water and toasted sesame seeds, the parcels are flipped over. You then take a sharp knife and make a vertical slit. The edges are pressed outward into an oval shape. Sounds hard, but it really is pretty simple. A fast bake in a hot oven and you some delicious pide.

GROUND BEEF PIDE

Adapted from Chef Burcinarda

Serves 2-4

DOUGH

2 cups AP Flour

3/4 cup Warm Water

2 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon soft Butter

1/2 teaspoon active dry Yeast

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

FILLING

1/2-pound Ground Beef

2 tablespoons Baharat powder

1 teaspoon Chili Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3 tablespoons toasted Sesame Seeds

1 tablespoon Molasses

1/2 cup Water

Parsley leaves

Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and keep aside.

Place flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl of a stand mixed.

Make a hole in the center and add warm water to the bowl.

Cover bowl and leave for 5 minutes.

Uncover and add oil and butter.

Use a dough blade and knead dough on low for 3-5 minutes.

Dust a counter with a little flour.

Place dough on counter and knead till smooth.

You should have a soft dough.

Divide dough into 6 equal parts.

Roll each part into a neat round. Place on a baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Dust the counter with a little flour.

Place one ball on to the flour.

Flatten with your hands into a 4-5 inch disc.

Divide the meat filling into 6 portions.

Take one portion and place it in the center of the disc.

Bring the two ends of the disc together and pinch to close to form a crescent shape.

Repeat with other discs.

Dissolve molasses and water in a bowl.

Place sesame seeds in a plate.

Heat oven to 400F/200C.

Line a sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Dip one crescent into the molasses and then into the sesame seeds.

Place on the prepared sheet pan, the seeded side facing up.

Repeat with other crescents.

Take a sharp knife and make a vertical slit.

With your fingers press the dough outwards to form an oval shape. Spread the meat filling all the way to the edges of the dough.

Repeat with other crescents.

Bake for 20-25 minutes till breads are golden brown.

Garnish with parsley and enjoy.

Peach Tomato Radish Salad Bowl

2025-08-12T18:51:00.000-04:00

I’m not much a salad-for-lunch person. Give me something heartier. And yes it can be paired with a salad! Summer peaches, garden grown cherry tomatoes and a huge basil plant have me making this salad often. There are no precise amounts. If you love peaches, add as many as you want. If sweet cherry tomatoes are your Achilles heel, use those in abundance. Thinly sliced radishes, goat cheese, basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil and a thin stream of pomegranate molasses enhance the salad. For me, this salad is on repeat mode.

PEACH TOMATO RADISH SALAD BOWL

Serves 2

2-3 ripe Peaches

6-10 Cherry Tomatoes

3-4 red Radishes

1/2 cup Goat Cheese crumbles

1/2 cup Basil Leaves

Kosher Salt

Fresh ground Black Pepper

Extra virgin Olive Oil

Pomegranate Molasses

Wash and dry peaches. Slice them thinly.

Cut cherry tomatoes in half.

Trim radishes and slice them very thin.

Arrange peaches, cherry tomatoes and radishes in a bowl.

Scatter goat cheese crumbles and basil leaves over the fruit.

Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle olive oil and pomegranate molasses over salad.

Toss and eat.

Not Quite Golden Diner Pancakes

2025-08-06T19:25:00.001-04:00

The NYT article claims the lines are out the door at the Golden Diner for this breakfast treat. Since I have no intention of standing in line for them, I attempt a homemade version.

Many steps need to be worked through. Not my kind of morning rigor, but I endeavor. After reading the recipe a few times I am taken aback by the copious amounts of maple syrup and butter. This calls for some simplification. Not small in size, they really turn out delicious, with a robust yeasty aroma and are immensely satisfying. Give them a whisk.

NOT QUITE GOLDEN DINER PANCAKES

Adapted from NYT Cooking

Serves 4

PANCAKES

2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 packet active dry Yeast

2 cups all purpose Flour

1 1/2 cups Buttermilk

1/4 cup Water

2 tablespoons Sugar

3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 Eggs

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

SYRUP

2 tablespoons Butter

1/3 cup Honey

1/4 cup Maple Syrup

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

Strawberries

Blueberries

Start the pancakes an hour before you want to eat them.

In a large bowl whisk yeast with 1 cup flour.

Heat buttermilk and water over low heat till lukewarm.

Pour buttermilk into the flour and whisk till smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour to ferment.

Make the syrup by combining butter, honey, maple syrup and soy sauce in saucepan.

Heat syrup for 3 -5 minutes till butter has melted. Stir often.

Heat oven to 350F/180C.

Mix remaining 1 cup flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, break eggs and whisk.

Add oil to eggs and whisk well.

Pour eggs into the fermented flour mix.

Add remaining flour mix in as well.

Use a spatula to mix everything till there are no specks of flour to be seen. The batter will be lumpy.

Heat a 7inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. You will not be using any oil or butter so it is essential to use a nonstick skillet.

When it is hot pour 1/3 cup batter into the pan.

Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Check the underside. It should be golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes.

Take it off the pan and place on a baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the oven.

Repeat with the remaining batter, placing the pancakes on the baking sheet in the oven to keep them warm.

Serve 2 pancakes stacked on top of each other, bathed in the warm maple syrup with strawberries and blueberries.

Hariyali Paneer and Peas

2025-07-26T10:12:00.002-04:00

My son has a penchant for paneer in spite of being lactose intolerant. I make some. He swallows a tablet and relishes it.

I try something different. I have a bushel of mint leaves in my garden. A bunch of these leaves, a handful of cilantro, some fresh fenugreek leaves, green chiles and ginger garlic paste makes a zesty base for my subji. The end result is a verdant green accompaniment for dinner.

HARIYALI PANEER AND PEAS

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups Paneer cubes

15-20 Mint leaves

1/2 cup Cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons fresh Fenugreek leaves OR 1 teaspoon Kasuri Methi

2 Green Chiles

1 teaspoon Ginger Paste

1 teaspoon Garlic Paste

3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder

1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 cup Peas

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Blend mint, cilantro, fenugreek, ginger and garlic paste with water till you have a smooth sauce. The sauce can be runny.

Heat oil in a saucepan.

When it shimmers, add cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander and garam masala to oil. Saute for 30 seconds.

Pour the green sauce into the saucepan. Stir and cook sauce for a minute.

Drop paneer cubes and peas into sauce.

Season with salt.

Add a little water to the saucepan.

Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes.

If you are going to make the paneer earlier, add a little water to the saucepan as you reheat the subji. This lets the paneer soften up.

Enjoy it hot with rice or roti.

Bulgogi Beef Fry

2025-07-13T18:11:00.000-04:00

Korean style grilled beef is delicious. When the urge hits and you are far from your favorite restaurant, it is time to come up with an alternative.

Beef filet makes a good stir fry. I slice them thinly and marinate them for a short bit. The marinade is a blend of spring onions, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. A cast iron pan gives the meat a good sear. Steamed rice goes well with the charred meat. All in all, this recipe is a delicious substitute for the original.

BULGOGI BEEF FRY

Serves 3-4

2 8oz Beef Tenderloins

4 Spring Onions

6 Garlic cloves

2 teaspoons light Soy Sauce

2 teaspoon Sugar

2 tablespoons Water

1 teaspoon Sriracha

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

2 teaspoons toasted Sesame seeds

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

Cilantro Leaves

Slice the tenderloins thinly and place them in a nonreactive bowl.

Blend spring onions, garlic, soy sauce, sugar water, Sriracha, sesame oil and seeds to a fairly smooth paste.

Pour paste over beef and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat a cast iron pan till screaming hot.

Pour oil into the pan and add the meat. Let meat sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. It will splatter and splutter.

Stir fry meat till all the liquid has evaporated and the meat starts turning brown.

Spoon meat onto a plate and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve with hot steamed rice.

Lemon Blueberry Loaf

2025-07-06T12:24:00.000-04:00

Gifting food is hard. But when you have a friend who will eat anything I give her, it is easy. Rosa appreciates and loves all kinds of food. So, when her birthday comes around, I don't have to go far...just to my kitchen!

My sis encourages me to bake a favorite lemon cake she makes. I turn it into a loaf. The yogurt-based loaf has an intense lemon flavor with both zest and lemon juice. I add fresh blueberries to her recipe.

My gift is baked with love!

LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAF

Serves 3-4

1/2 cup Yogurt

1 scant cup sugar

3 Eggs

2 Lemons

1 1/2 cups AP Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 cup fresh Blueberries

3/4 cup Confectioner's Sugar

Heat oven to 350F/175C.

Mix yogurt, sugar and eggs in a wide bowl.

Zest the lemons into the bowl. Keep lemons aside for syrup.

Add flour, baking powder and salt to bowl. Fold flour into the mix using a spatula.

Add oil to bowl. The oil will get incorporated into the batter as you lift and fold.

Add blueberries into batter, mixing them in gently.

Scrape batter into a buttered or oil sprayed loaf pan.

Thump the loaf pan a few times and bake for 55-65 minutes. Poke the center of the cake with a skewer. It should come out clean.

Invert loaf onto a wire rack. Cool for a few minutes.

Put confectioner's sugar into a bowl.

Juice the lemons into the sugar. Mix well.

Spoon all the syrup onto warm loaf.

Let the loaf cool for a few minutes before you cut into it.

Enjoy!

Akuri on Chutney Toast

2025-06-23T13:58:00.001-04:00

When your sis sends you a reel, she knows I will give it a go. Which I do. Akuri on toast is common enough. But akuri on a chutney slathered sourdough toast is heaven. Top the egg with grated Amul cheese which melts into the nooks and crannies, and you have a sure- fire winner. Thanks Prassy!

AKURI ON CHUTNEY TOAST

Serves 2

5 Eggs

2 tablespoons Butter

1-2 Green Chiles

1/2 cup Cilantro Leaves

1/2 cup Onion Birista or Fried Onions

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Sourdough Bread

Green Chutney

Amul Cheese

Slice green chiles finely.

Give cilantro leaves a rough chop.

Heat butter in a saucepan.

Break eggs in a bowl and whisk them well.

Season with salt.

Add eggs to butter. Cook on a low flame.

Drop chiles, cilantro and fried onions into eggs. Stir gently and cook over a low flame till eggs are set.

Grill sourdough bread over an open flame. Or toast the bread.

Cover the slices liberally with chutney.

Pile the warm akuri on to the toast.

Grate Amul cheese over the eggs and watch it melt. It has to be Amul cheese for an authentic Indian taste and also because of how it melts.

Feast with your eyes and eat with your taste buds!

Grilled Beef Rolls (Bo La Lot)

2025-06-18T16:25:00.000-04:00

We sampled and relished these small grilled beef parcels in Hoi An, in Vietnam. The restaurant specialized in grilled foods, the hot smoky atmosphere adding to the exotic ambience of the Far East. How do you go about recreating that food memory? I find perilla leaves at H-Mart so I give it a try.

Perilla or sesame leaves are blanched in hot water, cooled in ice water and then patted dry. Minced onion and garlic are sauteed till light brown, cooled and added to ground beef. Five spice powder, fish sauce, turmeric powder and palm sugar enhance the beef. A tablespoon of beef is rolled tightly in the perilla leaf. Skewered on bamboo sticks, the rolls are grilled stovetop and served warm. All they need is a squirt of Sriracha and you have an exotic beef roll!

GRILLED BEEF ROLLS (BO LO LOT)

Serves 2

1/2 lb Ground Beef

2 tablespoons minced Onion

1 Garlic clove, minced fine

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

3 teaspoons Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon Five Spice Powder

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 teaspoon Palm Sugar OR Jaggery OR Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Lemon Zest

A Pinch of Kosher Salt

12-15 Perilla or Sesame Leaves

Bamboo Skewers

Oil Spray

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. When oil sizzles add onion and garlic and saute till light brown. Cool.

Place ground beef in a bowl.

Add fish sauce, five spice powder, turmeric, palm sugar and cooled onion to beef. Mix well. Add a pinch of salt.

Heat water in a saucepan.

Keep another bowl of ice cold water nearby.

Dunk one perilla leaf in hot water for 30 seconds and then drop it in the cold water. Do the same for all the leaves.

Spread a kitchen towel on the counter.

Shake off as much water as you can and place the leaves on the towel. Pat them dry.

Take a leaf and put one tablespoon of ground beef in the lower part of leaf.

Fold lower part over beef.

Fold the sides over the beef and make it into a log. Roll as tightly as you can.

Repeat with the same process with all the leaves.

Place two logs together.

Use 2 skewers to hold them together.

Heat a grill pan.

Spray pan with oil spray.

Place the skewers in the pan. Spray logs with oil spray.

Grill for 7-10 minutes over medium flame, turning the skewers a couple of times till meat is cooked and rolls have grill marks.

Serve warm.

Butternut Squash and Corn in a Green Sauce

2025-06-10T20:55:00.001-04:00

My sister gives me a cookbook filled with delicious vegetarian recipes. I find a butternut squash recipe which intrigues me. The sauce is a verdant green mix of cilantro, chiles, ginger garlic, spices and coconut milk. I give it whirl!

Thin slices of butternut squash are pan fried till golden brown. I add corn kernels as well as a smattering of mustard seeds. As the squash browns, I make a blend of cilantro, green chiles, ginger garlic paste, cumin, cinnamon, lemon juice and coconut milk. This gets poured over the sauteed vegetables. Topped with crisp fried onions, this excellent side is both crunchy and soft, full of fresh flavor.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CORN IN A GREEN SAUCE

Loosely adapted from Meera Sodha's Fresh India

Serves 2

1 cup Butternut Squash, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup Corn Kernels, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds

1/2 cup Cilantro leaves and stems

2 Green chiles

1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder

1/2 cup Coconut Milk

1/4 cup Water

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper Powder

1 /2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3 tablespoons Fried Onions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick saucepan.

Lay the squash in a single layer in the pan. Cook over medium heat till one side has browned. Flip the pieces and brown the other side.

Make sauce by blending cilantro, chiles, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, coconut milk and water.

Add one more tablespoon of oil to the pan.

Splutter mustard seeds in oil.

Add corn to the pan and saute on high for 2-3 minutes.

Pour green sauce over veggies.

Garnish with fried onion and serve as a side.

Fish in Crazy Water

2025-04-05T13:14:00.000-04:00

Crazy water? Let that not deter you. Thats the way Italian translates in this recipe. This is a simple, super easy fish stew that comes together really fast. I saw this first on America's Test Kitchen and immediately went about recreating it. This time I've made a few changes, and it still is one our favorites.

Diced onion, sliced garlic, chopped Campari tomatoes, white wine, parsley, seasonings and fish poach in an aromatic water-based broth. The tomatoes add both color and flavor. I use Campari tomatoes as they have a concentrated taste. Use cherry or grape tomatoes if you can't find these beauties. I found mine at Costco.

The simple flavors astound. Paired with hot rice, this fish stew shines bright.

FISH IN CRAZY WATER

Inspired by ATK

Serves 2

4-5 Catfish Filets or any firm white fleshed fish - Cod, Tilapia, Flounder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Several grinds Black Pepper

2 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 white Onion, diced finely

3-4 Garlic cloves, sliced thinly

1/2 teaspoon Urfa Biber chile powder or any coarse Chili Powder

1 cup Campari Tomatoes or Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved

5-6 Parsley stems and leaves

1/4 cup White Wine

1 cup Water

1 teaspoon Lemon Olive Oil (optional)

hot cooked Rice

Cut fish into thin filets. Wash well and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a saucepan.

Add garlic slices and let it color slightly.

Add chopped onions and chili powder. Saute for 3-4 minutes.

Drop tomatoes into saucepan and saute for 2-3 minutes till tomatoes soften a little bit.

Pour in white wine and cook for 30 seconds.

Add water and parsley stems.

Nestle the fish in the sauce.

Add parsley leaves.

Bring it to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Uncover and drizzle lemon oil over fish.

Serve with hot cooked rice.

Spicy Thai Pork Stir Fry

2025-04-01T17:23:00.000-04:00

I'm in the mood for Thai. I search for something spicy with ground pork. I love how fast the pork cooks, making dinner a snap. The addition of garlic, chiles and cilantro is a fresh tasting base. Oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and chicken stock flavor the pork. Throw some Thai basil leaves in, and you have an easy stir fry. Spoon some over rice and its Thai tonight!

SPICY THAI PORK STIR FRY

Serves 4

1 pound ground Pork

3-4 Green Chiles

3 Garlic cloves

1/2 cup Coriander Stems and Leaves

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce

2 tablespoons Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon Sugar

1/2 cup Chicken Stock

1/2 cup Thai Basil Leaves

Hot Cooked Rice

Pound garlic, green chiles and coriander stems till you have a rough paste. Use a mortar and pestle for best results.

Heat oil in a wok.

Scrape garlic paste into oil and saute for 2 minutes.

Tip pork into the pan and stir fry till pork is crumbly and cooked. Do not let the pork crumbles brown.

Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and chicken stock to pork. bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Scatter basil leaves over pork. Stir leaves in and serve with rice.

Ricotta Apple Toasts

2025-03-30T12:25:00.000-04:00

In my book a birthday goes hand in hand with the celebrant's favorite foods. My son in law Frank will probably eat anything I put on the table, but he does have his preferences. I decide to indulge him.

On a trip to Long Island wine country, we had lunched at Jamesport Vineyards. Their ricotta apple toast was relished by Frank. That is what I try to recreate. Putting a few choice items together results in food magic. Fresh ricotta, apple slices and balsamic glaze sit atop ciabatta. This is a really easy literal pick-me-up appetizer. One I know Frank will appreciate.

RICOTTA APPLE TOASTS

Serves 3-4

1 small Ciabatta loaf

1 cup fresh Ricotta cheese

1 Apple, cut into slices

Balsamic Glaze, storebought or home made

Place a paper towel over a strainer. Scrape the ricotta onto the paper. Let the cheese sit for 10 minutes so most of the liquid drains off.

Slice ciabatta into 1/2" thick slices.

Spread heaping teaspoons of ricotta on bread.

Top with apple slices.

Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Arrange on a plate and enjoy.

Cauliflower Fritters

2025-03-07T12:49:00.002-05:00

Cauliflower is beloved in our house. The thought of making a shallow fried fritter with the star performer got me thinking. This is not a spice laden treat, but a mouthful of gentle flavors. Cauliflower makes a stand.

Boiled cauliflower is mashed. Onion, parsley, dill, garlic, egg and flour bring the batter together. Shallow-fried in a little oil the fritters turn golden brown and crunchy. A simple yogurt sauce enhances the fritter.

CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS

Serves 4-6

3 cups Cauliflower florets

1/2 cup Red Onion, minced finely

2 tablespoons chopped Parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped Dill fronds

1 teaspoon Garlic powder

1 large Egg, beaten well

1 cup AP Flour

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Canola Oil

Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup Yogurt

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Dill Fronds, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons Lemon Juice

Pinch of Salt

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Add cauliflower florets and boil for 3-4 minutes.

Drain florets well and place them in a bowl.

Mash florets till you have very small chunks.

Add minced onion, parsley, dill, garlic powder, flour, beaten egg and seasonings to florets. Mix well so you have a thick batter.

Heat a little canola oil in a nonstick saucepan.

When oil shimmers, add heaping tablespoons of batter to the pan. Flatten the dropped batter slightly. Cook till undersides are golden brown, then flip and cook the other side.

Keep fritters in an oven at 250F while you finish the rest of the batter.

Make the sauce by whisking yogurt, garlic powder, dill, salt and lemon juice.

Serve fritters warm with a dollop of yogurt sauce.

Lamb Chops with Ezme Salad

2025-02-19T11:08:00.002-05:00

How do we celebrate occasions? As always with good wishes and intentions, capped with delectable meals. Valentine's Day comes with the bold declaration of love. Red reminds us of warmth, of passion, of the beating heart...so I try to add some of that intense color to dinner.

So much of my inspiration comes from Ottolenghi. I take his creation to heart but walk an easier path. Lamb chops are marinated in lemon and garlic. The Turkish salad is a quick sauté of garlic, onions and cherry tomatoes. Seasoned with tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and seasonings, it is the perfect foil for the grilled chops. Lying on a bed of yogurt, the chops are topped with the Ezme salad and a spice mix. Food is very much the music of love. So, I play on!

LAMB CHOPS WITH EZME SALAD

Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 2

8 Lamb Chops

1 Lemon, juiced

3+3 Garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

2 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes

1 small Red Onion

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Tomato Paste

2 tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses

1 teaspoon Dried Mint leaves

1/4 cup Parsley leaves

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3/4 cup plain Yogurt

1 teaspoon roasted Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Sumac

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Trim fat from lamb chops. Place the chops in a bowl.

Pour lemon juice over chops.

Grate 3 garlic cloves and massage them into the chops.

Season with salt and olive oil.

Marinate chops for a few hours.

Peel and cut red onion into large chunks.

Peel 3 garlic cloves.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a nonstick saucepan.

When oil shimmers add cherry tomatoes, onion and garlic. Toss the veggies over a high flame till you see char marks on all of them. The garlic and tomatoes will have softened a little.

Take it off the flame and scrape into a bowl.

Pick garlic cloves out of the bowl and smash them with a spoon or fork. Add them back to the bowl.

Add tomato paste, molasses, mint, parsley and seasonings to salad. Mix well. Keep aside.

Cook lamb chops on a gas grill or stove top grill, 3 minutes per side for medium rare.

Whisk yogurt well and spoon it onto a plate.

Arrange lamb chops over yogurt.

Spoon Ezme salad over lamb chops.

Mix roasted cumin powder, sumac and salt in a small bowl.

Sprinkle this seasoning over the chops and salad.

Serve warm.

Tangdi Kabab

2025-02-11T18:06:00.002-05:00

Finger foods make great snacks, especially when family comes over. I think about tangdi kababs often. These smoky, grilled chicken legs are good pick- me-up finger food. The snow-covered grill makes it impossible to grill then, but my sister sends me an Insta Reel with a great alternative!

Small chicken legs are marinated overnight in yogurt, roasted besan, cilantro, dried mint, spices and mustard oil. Roasted in the oven, the legs are brushed with ghee and grilled over an open flame. Prassy, your idea was perfect. Gently charred chicken and a squirt of lime is fine finger food.

TANGDI KABAB

Serves 4

10 small skinless Chicken Legs

1 Lime

2 tablespoons Besan or Chickpea Flour

1/2 cup Yogurt

1/2 cup Cilantro Leaves

1 heaping tablespoon dried Mint leaves

2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon Chile powder

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon Coriander powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 teaspoon Black Salt

1 teaspoon Fennel Powder

1/2 teaspoon Chaat Masala

2 teaspoons Mustard Oil

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Ghee

Limes

Put chicken legs in a bowl.

Cut the lime and squeeze juice over chicken.

Dry roast besan in small saucepan over low heat.

Blend yogurt, cilantro, mint and ginger garlic paste till smooth. Pour it over chicken.

Add roasted besan, chile, turmeric, coriander and garam masala powders, black salt, fennel powder, chaat masala, mustard oil and salt to chicken.

Blend well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bring chicken to room temperature for 1 hour before you cook it.

Heat your oven to 375F/190C.

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with nonstick spray or brush the foil with oil.

Arrange chicken in the sheet pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes till chicken is done.

You could serve the chicken at this point.

Or you could grill it over an open flame. I used a small handheld steel mesh.

Brush the legs with little melted ghee and grill the chicken turning it so all sides get a sear. Finish all the legs in this manner and then reheat in a hot oven for 10 minutes.

Squeeze a little lime juice over grilled legs and dig in.

Bun Dosa

2025-02-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

Let me not knock Reels cause that's where I found this gem. An intriguing trend, the dosa hadn't really appealed to me...till it did! I am a convert and a fan. What do I love about it. It's easy to assemble. You almost always have the ingredients. It can be paired with chutney, sambar, chicken curry or whatever suits your fancy.

Semolina or sooji is blended with yogurt and water. A quick sauté of mustard seeds, onion, chiles, curry leaves and cilantro are added along with seasonings. You should use a small frying pan for best results. I have a small one egg fry pan which works the best. Make them and relish your bun dosa.

BUN DOSA

Adapted from Kunal Kapoor

Makes 10 dosas

1 cup Semolina

1/2 cup Yogurt

1 cup Water

1 tablespoon Canola Oil plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

A pinch of Asafetida or Hing

1 small Red Onion, chopped fine

2 Green Chiles, chopped fine

6-8 Curry leaves, sliced thinly

1/4 cup Cilantro leaves

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Blend semolina, yogurt and water till smooth. Pour into a bowl.

Heat oil in a saucepan.

When it shimmers add mustard seeds and asafetida.

When seeds splutter add onion, chiles and curry leaves. Saute for 2 minutes.

Take it off the flame and add cilantro. Mix well.

Scrape the onion mix into the dosa batter.

Add salt and baking soda. Mix well.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a small nonstick saucepan.

Drop 1/8 cup batter into the pan. It's hard to say how much batter as it depends on your pan. I used two small ladlefuls of batter, about 4 tablespoons.

Allow bun dosa to cook. The edges will turn brown, and the center will develop holes, about 2-3 minutes. That tells you it is time to flip the dosa.

Cook the underside for 1 minutes and take it out of the pan.

Repeat process and finish the batter.

Eat them fresh or refrigerate and enjoy over the next few days.

These dosas are different and delicious. And I love them!

Easy Lachmacun

2025-01-20T12:42:00.000-05:00

Lacmacun is a revelation in flavor. I love its thin crust, the spiced meat and fresh toppings. So much so that I bring some back in my suitcase after a girls trip to Nashville. That lachmacun was devoured long ago, and I'm left with delicious memories and a craving. The meat filling is easy enough, but how do I replicate that wafer-thin crust? The internet has plenty to choose from, complicated and long recipes. The craving is immediate so I improvise.

Ground meat is mixed with cumin, chile powder, sumac, onion, garlic, cilantro and salt. I apply a thin layer of meat onto tortillas. The tortilla is then placed meat side down and cooked till the meat browns. The torilla is then flipped and crisped. Topped with cilantro, sliced onion, tomatoes and a squeeze of lemon, the lachmacun slides into my hand, my cravings assuaged!

EASY LACHMACUN

Serves 2

1/2 pound Ground Beef

3 Garlic cloves

1/2 white Onion

1/2 cup Cilantro

1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon Sumac

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Pomegranate Molasses

4 Flour Tortillas

Olive Oil

Red Onion, thinly sliced

Grape Tomatoes, halved

Cilantro or Parsley

Lemon wedges

Chop onion, garlic and cilantro finely.

Mix ground beef, chopped onion, garlic and cilantro, spices, salt and pomegranate molasses till it is paste like.

Divide meat into 4 portions.

Take one portion and smoosh it over the torilla going all the the way till the outer edges, forming a thin layer of meat. Repeat with the rest of the meat and torillas.

Heat a little oil in a nonstick skillet.

When it sizzles, place one tortilla meat side down. Let it cook undisturbed till it browns, 3-5 minutes. Then flip the tortilla and brown the otherside.

Finish the other tortillas the same way. I managed to fit three in one skillet! It all depends on the size of your skillet.

Top lachmacun with sliced onion, tomatoes, cilantro or parsley. Squeeze lemon over the meat and enjoy!

The original is perfection. This is a close second...

Milk Cakes with Fruit Preserves

2025-01-10T14:44:00.000-05:00

So many Ottolenghi recipes pass through my kitchen. Some are one time wonders, others live for a few occaisions and some remain entrenched in my memory. This particular one evokes a host of forgotten childhood treats. It is simpleness personified with kitchen staples like eggs, flour, sugar and butter. That quartet sings in pancakes, waffles, cakes and a myriad other sweet concoctions. This song is undoubtedly special.

MILK CAKES WITH FRUIT PRESERVES

Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 4-6

6 plus 2 tablespoons Butter

1 1/2 cups Milk

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2/3 cup AP Flour

1 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

Semolina

Pinch of Kosher Salt

Pistachio powder (optional)

Cut 6 tablespoons of butter into small cubes.

Melt the reamining 2 tablespoons of butter.

Place butter, milk and vanilla in a saucepan and let it simmer over low heat till butter has melted.

Whisk flour, sugar, eggs and salt in a bowl. It will be thick and lumpy.

Add the warm milk to batter slowly, whisking thoroughly till smooth.

Keep batter aside for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 425F or 220C.

Brush a 12 cup muffin pan with melted butter.

Scatter 1/2 teaspoon semolina into each muffin hole.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin holes.

Place the muffin pan on to a baking sheet and bake for 22 minutes, till edges of cakes are brown.

The cakes will come out of the oven puffed up. Once they rest on the counter they will subside forming a small depression in the center, the perfect spot for the preserves.

Pry cakes out of the pan with a knife.

Drop a spoonful of fruit preserve in the center of cake.

Dust with pistachio powder and serve warm.

Plantains stuffed with Methi

2025-01-04T15:18:00.000-05:00

Doomscrolling on Insta is a hard habit to break. Often when you find a gem of a recipe, you hit that 'save' button. Which I do. Of course, the end game is finding that saved recipe. Luck favors me this time, as I have become a little more adept at that venture.

Ripe plantains stuffed with masala methi leaves. Why havent I eaten that before? Better still, why havent I thought of it before? Chopped methi, cilantro, coriander powder, salt, turmeric and chile powder is mixed and stuffed into sliced plantains. Shallow fried in a tarka of cumin and mustard seeds, the plantains turn golden and delectable. I salute you not.a.chef for this simple but flavorful recipe.

PLANTAINS STUFFED WITH METHI

Adapted from not.a.chef

Serves 2

1 large ripe Plantain

1 cup Methi leaves

1/2 cup Cilantro leaves and stems

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

1/4 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

Pinch of Asefotida

Pinch of Kosher Salt

Trim ends of the plantain. Cut into 2" pieces. Slit each piece vertically halfway.

Wash methi leaves well. Pat dry and chop finely.

Chop cilantro finely.

Place methi, cilantro, turmeric, chile powder, cilantro powder and salt in bowl. Mix well.

Stuff the methi mix into the plantain slits. Use up as much of the stuffing as you can.

Heat oil in a nonstick saucepan.

When it shimmers, add asefotida, mustard and cumin seeds. Let them splutter.

Arrange plantains in oil and cook over medium heat turning plantain often. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add a little water to the pan, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Uncover and cook plantains till golden.

Enjoy!

Noodles with Mushroom Sauce

2024-12-30T11:27:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since my last post. Life has a way of demanding my time. So I return with renewed enthusiasm. What more could I ask for then a new and easy Ottolenghi recipe. His book Comfort, rings my bell, whets my appetite and propels me headlong into the kitchen.

Mushrooms are pulsed and sauteed. Finely minced ginger and garlic are sauteed till crisp. Asian flavors like soy, fish sauce and rice wine add umami. Noodles bathe in this flavor bursting sauce. Ottolenghi comes through yet again!

NOODLES WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

Adapted from Comfort by Ottolenghi

Serves 4

1 lb Mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

3 Lo Mein Noodle nests OR 1/2 lb Chinese Noodles OR 2 Ramen packets

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

1 tablespoon minced Ginger

1 tablespoon minced Garlic

2 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Shaoxing Wine

1 teaspoon Chile Powder

1 tablespoon Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon Black Pepper Powder

1 teaspoon Honey

1/2 cup Water or Chicken Stock

2 Scallions, finely sliced

1 Lime

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Add noodles and cook till done. Cooking time depends on the type of noodle you use. Drain and rinse in cold water. Keep aside.

Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Ten pulses should do the trick.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a nonstick pan.

Add mushrooms and saute till all the moisture has evaporated.

Push mushrooms to one side and add remaining oil to pan.

Saute minced ginger and garlic in this oil till crispy.

Add chile powder to ginger garlic and mix well with mushrooms.

Spoon in soy sauce , Shaoxing wine, fish sauce, honey and black pepper.

Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add water to thin out the sauce.

Mix noodles into the sauce.

Squeeze juice of lime over noodles.

Garnish with scallions and serve hot.

A forkful of mushroom coated noodles is immensely satisfying. Ottolenghi fills my kitchen with flavor once more!

Fish with Green Mango Sauce

2024-09-26T12:05:00.000-04:00

My son's friend Andrew is an avid fisherman. On occasion we are treated to his catch. Sea bass, tender clams and the most recent... delicious sheepshead fish. An ugly looking fish with the sweetest of flesh!

Thoughtfully cleaned and fileted by Andrew, the fish has a delicate taste, making it the perfect foil for a spicy, sour coconut sauce. Seasoned fish is lightly floured and shallow fried. Onions, green mango pieces, ginger, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, and a green curry sauce make a base for the fish. A base of hot cooked rice gives the dish a good balance. Sheer bliss!

FISH WITH GREEN MANGO SAUCE

Serves 2-3

5-6 Fish Filets

Kosher salt

White Pepper Powder

AP Flour

Canola Oil

1/2 Onion, sliced thinly

1/2 cup Green Mango pieces

2 tablespoons minced Garlic

2 tablespoons minced Ginger

3-4 Makrut Lime Leaves

1 teaspoon Green Curry Paste

1/2 cup Coconut Milk

Cilantro

Hot cooked Rice

Rinse filets and pat dry.

Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a little oil in a nonstick saucepan.

Lightly coat filets in flour.

Fry filets till golden brown on both sides.

Keep aside.

Add onion, ginger garlic, mango and makrut lime leaves to oil. Saute for 3-4 minutes.

Add green curry paste and coconut milk to onions. Bring to a simmer. Add a little water if neccessary. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Plate some rice. Pour ladlefuls of sauce on rice. Top with fish. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Thank you Andrew! The fruits of your labor are delicious, delicate morsels we enjoy!

Fig Clafoutis

2024-09-08T20:52:00.000-04:00

I am still drowning in figs! We've sampled them in so many delectable ways from procuitto and goat cheese wrapped figs, hot honey figs, a gamut of salads, several bottles of jam and now its time for dessert.

Clafoutis it is! Easy to whip up, it is a fast bake in a hot oven. A batter of eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, flour and baking powder is poured over halved figs and baked. The clafoutis is both cake-like and custardy and this French confection neber fails to please.

FIG CLAFOUTIS

Serves 4-6

12 small Figs

Butter

3 Eggs

3/4 cup Milk

3/4 cup Cream

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 cup AP Flour

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

Confectioner's Sugar

Heat oven to 350F/180C.

Grease a 9'x9' baking dish with butter. I used a 10 inch oval.

Cut figs in half and place in buttered dish, cut side up.

Whisk eggs, milk, cream and vanilla.

Place flour sugar and baking powder in another bowl.

Add egg mix to flour stirring till there are no lumps.

Pour the batter carefully into baking dish. The figs might sink into the batter , but they will rise as it bakes.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve warm.

Ooooh la la...perfection!