Global Tastes & Travels

Ode to Paneer

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:10:00 +0000

After a full week of paneer recipes, I felt it was appropriate to compose a poem to the ubiquitous paneer. I'm not a poet, as is self evident, so no sarcastic comments on my poetry writing skills :)
Ode to Paneer (copywrited, trademarked, etc. - Don't try to steal my poem!
Paneer..savory or sweet
You're always a treat
A vegetarian's muse you are
As versatile you are
Tofu or paneer
I'll always choose paneer

Thank you, thank you so much for the applause. It took a lot of hard work to come up with this rhyme!

Now to my final Blogging Marathon paneer recipe, I am doing a variation of a Trini classic. The most popular street food on the Caribbean island of Trinidad is Doubles. A double is basically a chickpea sandwich. A curry is made with chickpeas, called channa and is eaten between two pieces of fried bread, called bara. For some interesting info on the history of the the Doubles invention, see here. Condiments like tamarind or mango chutney and hot sauce is usually added. I have added crumbled paneer to the curried channa to made a Paneer-Channa Double. Enjoy!

I haven't done a travel post in a while, so this is a combo food-travel post. For a little on Trinidad, Trinidad is one of the most diverse islands in the Caribbean, with large populations of Indian, Chinese, African and Syrian/Lebanese. If you don't know where to go on your next vacation, consider the diversity that is Trinidad. I had the opportunity to visit Trinidad a few years ago and with the diversity of its people, its cuisine is just as diverse. Here (in the photo below) is one of the most popular places on the island, Richard's Bake and Shark stand. The line is always long, where the place next door that sells the same thing is always empty, so you know Richard's is the best. Fried Shark in between fried bread and the largest selection of condiments available anywhere - everything from ketchup, hot sauce and 3 different types of chutney to fresh vegetables and the ubiquitous kuchela (served on everything in Trinidad). Kuchela is basically a green mango pickle.

Located on beautiful Maracas beach, even though I did not bring my bathing suit on the day we went, I couldn't resist wading in the cool waters, on a hot day.

An 85-foot Hanuman - I believe it is the largest in the world!

and the Temple by the Sea represents the Indian heritage, present on Trinidad.

Paneer is not something really eaten in the Caribbean. I can't say it's even available. I have been to many islands (Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, Jamaica, Dominica, St. Lucia) and I have never encountered paneer. Unless you are a pandit, the quantity of vegetarians (even amongst the religious Hindu population) are very small. People will fast prior to weddings and pujas or other religious events, but otherwise, most are meat eaters (at least chicken and fish). A Channa-Paneer double is something you would NEVER see in Trinidad, but I can make it in New York!

Indian curries in the Caribbean are made differently, than those from India. Indian curries generally roast the whole spices. They are then ground and added to the already cooked dal or vegetables. Caribbeans generally purchase store bought curry powder and this is how the spices are added. Each island has their own brand and is a slightly different mix of spices. The ones from the French Caribbean have more sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. The English speaking Caribbean curry powders usually include more cumin and coriander. Here in NY, I usually buy the Chief brand because it is easily accessible.
Doubles Recipe

Channa and Paneer Curry
1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight (or you can use canned)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon roasted jeera powder (cumin)
2 tablespoons curry powder
salt, to taste
3 ounces paneer, grated
1 teaspoon oil

Heat oil. Add onion and sweat onions and garlic, until they are soft. Add curry powder and jeera and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Add channa and water, to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until peas are tender, adding more water, if necessary. Add paneer and salt to taste. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Bara

(since I had never made this before, I had to look up a recipe. This is the one recipe I have ever researched, that no matter where I looked the recipe was exactly the same, with no variation. I am giving credit here to every Caribbean website and cookbook for this bara recipe)
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon roasted jeera (cumin) powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon yeast

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup water plus 2/3 cup water

Combine flour, turmeric, jeera and salt in a bowl.

In a smaller bowl, combine yeast, sugar and 1/3 cup warm water and let rest for 10 minutes.
Add yeast mixture to flour mixture. Add additional water until a dough is formed, approximately 2/3 cup water. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.
Heat enough oil in a pan to deep fry the bara.
Before I continue, this was another first for me, but I got better as it progressed, so don't let the unusual shapes scare you away. Think of it as a challenge and I am sure with a little practice, we will all get better.
Here in this photo, from left to right, you can see the first one I attempted and how they got better as I went along. They should be slightly puffy in texture, but not as thick and puffy as the 1st one was.

Take a tablespoon of the dough and flatten to a round, about 4-5" in diameter in your hand. You will need to wet your hands so that the dough does not stick to your hands.

Slide the dough in the hot oil and fry on both sides, until golden brown.

To make the bara, select two that are roughly the same size and place some channa curry on one.
Add kuchela, mango chutney and a little hot sauce.

Cover with another bara.
Serve and enjoy your double!

Thank you Valli, for hosting another Blogging Marathon and challenging me to try some new techniques. I've had a fun week!

NEW BLOG ANNOUNCEMENT

...this post seamlessly leads into my next venture....a blog devoted to street foods from around the globe. This new blog is going to be a platform for all food bloggers and cooks to share their favorite street food recipes. If you love cooking street food at home, please join the community at http://everywherestreetfoods.wordpress.com/join-the-street-food-community/ and send me your blog postings! Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12

Chef Mireille
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easy schmeezy Tandoori Paneer

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:33:00 +0000

I have a fabulous post to end the blogging marathon tomorrow, but I was paneered out of ideas. I didn't want to do something classic, eventhough it's one of my faves, like Muttar Paneer. There are, I am sure, hundreds of this recipe you can find online and I always strive to bring new and interesting recipes and cuisines to you.

I have not yet met a person who did not like Tandoori. Even people who say they don't usually like Indian food usually like Tandoori, even kids. I took my friend from Dominican Republic a few months ago to Jackson Heights' Little India a few months ago. She and her kids had never had Indian food before, eventhough her daughter's name is Anjali. She is the biggest Dominican Bollywood fan I have ever met. (Her daughter is named after Kajal's character in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) I think the main reason we are friends is because I know where to take her to get Bollywood movies and she can borrow from my Bollywood library :) just kidding! Even her 4 year old son loved the Tandoori chicken. Of course, that was only until his picky 6 year old sister decided she did not like it. Then he followed her and decided he did not like it. I know him well and if she wasn't there, he would have eaten the whole plate and asked for more!!

As long as your kid isn't super picky and isn't following their older sibling, Tandoori is a great way to introduce them to Indian cuisine.

As much as you may love Indian food, the thought of buying all those spices, roasting them, grinding them and then there's all the dishes to do afterwards may be more than you can contemplate. Thankfully, there are so many ready made products in the market that can help make the task a little easier.

I LOVE this Bombay sandwich spread, which is a mix of mint and coriander, with a bit of spice. I discovered it a few years ago and now always have it. It goes great with the Salmon Burgers I get from Costco.

Exhausted after almost a week of making paneer curries and the like, I was ready for something simple, so here is a delicious, simple sandwich to quench your appetite for Tandoori.

(continuing to apologize for the photos...still using cellphone camera until I get battery for my digital)

Tandoori Paneer Sandwich
(for 2 sandwiches)

4 slices bread, toasted

4 slices paneer

2 teaspoons Tandoori Masala

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil

4 teaspoons Bombay Spread

4 teaspoons Mango Chutney

a few slices of tomato or bell pepper

Sprinkle paneer liberally with Tandoori Spice and salt.
Heat a skillet with the oil. Add paneer slices and fry until browned on both sides.

To assemble sandwich, spread Bombay Spread on one slice of toast of each sandwich and mango chutney on the other side of toast.

Place 2 slices of fried paneer on one slice.

Top with a few slices of tomato or bell pepper.

Cover with another slice of bread and enjoy your sandwich that marries the sweetness of the chutney, the slight spice of the Bombay Spread, freshness of tomato/bell pepper and the delish taste of Tandoori!

Check out the Blogging> Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12

Chef Mireille

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Paneer in Coconut Tamarind Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:43:00 +0000

This is my version of a South Indian style curry - with the flavors of tamarind, curry leaves and coconut. Hope you enjoy it!

12 ounces Paneer, diced
1/4 cup Tamarind Water
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ghee, seperated
1 tablespoon Jaggery, grated
1 cup Coconut Milk
1 tablespoon ginger paste, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
2 Tomatoes, chopped
3 Chiles
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
salt, to taste
12 curry leaves, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon coconut powder (or grated coconut), for garnish

To make tamarind water, place 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp in 1/2 cup boiling water and let rest for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve water.
Sprinkle paneer with a little salt. Heat ghee and brown paneer on all sides. Remove from pan.

Saute onion and ginger paste, until a little browned.

Add tomatoes, tamarind water, jaggery and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Add paneer, reduce flame and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, roast chiles, cumin and coriander until golden brown.

Cool. Grind. Add to paneer.

Add salt, as desired. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off fire.
Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in same skillet and fry curry leaves for a few minutes.

Stir into paneer with cilantro and let rest for 5 minutes.
Garnish with curry leaves and coconut powder. Serve.

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Chef Mireille
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Paneer Rose Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:18:00 +0000

Since I like cooking foods from all over the world, my home pantry is well stocked with a variety of ingredients. I hate when I want to cook something and then I realize I don't have one of the ingredients. Depending what the ingredient is, the store that carries it may be up to an hour away from where I live. I have had some agar agar powder in my pantry for quite a while because I remember seeing it in some recipes, so when I saw it, I grabbed it.

This paneer pudding recipe I created many years ago, before I was blogging and I used gelatin in the original recipe. However, upon starting this recipe, there was no gelatin in my pantry. I remember I had used agar agar threads to thicken custard when I made a Chinese mango custard once, so when I came across the agar agar powder during my search for the gelatin, I thought it would be a good substitute.

I went online to research the quantity I should use and then I discovered what gelatin is actually made from. I think agar agar is going to permanently replace gelatin in my recipes. Gelatin is animal bones, skin, cartilage, ligaments etc. and it's all boiled down to a gooey mass. I'm not vegetarian, but even I find this yucky, compared to agar agar, which is made from compressed seaweed.

7 ounces paneer, diced
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon rose paste (can be purchased at Indian, Middle Eastern and Asian markets)

1 pinch saffron
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons agar agar powder
3 eggs
3/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
strawberries or cherries, for garnish

In a bowl, combine coconut milk, rose paste, cardamom and saffron.

Stir to combine. Add paneer pieces and marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray. Remove paneer pieces from marinade and place in casserole.
Put marinade in a saucepan with milk and heat.
While milk is heating, beat eggs and sugar, until light in color, about 5 minutes.
Add agar agar to heated milk and simmer for a few minutes until agar agar dissolves, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
Slowly add a little of the hot milk to the egg, to temper the egg mixture. Add egg mixture back to hot milk, slowly, stirring constantly. This must be done very slowly, otherwise the egg will scramble.
Pour over paneer in casserole dish. Sprinkle the almonds on top.

Place casserole in a water bath and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from water bath and let cool.

It needs to cool to completely set, otherwise, the bottom will appear a bit watery.
Garnish with colorful fruit like strawberries or cherries. Serve at room temperature.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12

Also sending to to Edible Entertainment's Kid's Delight

Chef Mireille
http://www.globaltasteinc.com
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Bhindi aur Paneer

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000

Bhindi is the Hindi word for okra. While okra is commonly eaten in India, it is a vegetable that is underused in the American diet, except in the South. Due to my Caribbean parents, I grew up eating okra on a weekly basis. Haitian calalloo is okra stewed with meat and was one of my favorite dishes, as a child.

Whenever I eat at vegetarian Indian restaurants, my go-to dish is Bhindi Masala with Aloo Paratha. This is a version I made with paneer, to add to my Blogging Marathon theme. I created a spinach paratha recipe to go with it.

Spinach Paratha
3 cups Chapatti Flour
2 teaspoons ghee
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups water (This will vary, depending on humidity and other variables. Add a little water at a time, until the dough comes together.)

To put together the dough, combine flour, ghee and salt.

Add water a little at a time, until the dough comes together.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

Filling:
2 teaspoons ghee or oil
4 cups spinach leaves, thinly sliced

1 onion, chopped
4 chiles, finely chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Extra ghee, for frying
Extra flour, for frying.

Make sure you wash spinach thoroughly. Spinach and basil are the two vegetables that I hate to wash. They are usually filled with so much dirt, it is necessary to wash it several times. The last thing you want is gritty tasting paratha!
Heat ghee in a skillet. Add onion and chili and saute, until onions are translucent. Add garam masala and turmeric.

Add spinach and cook until wilted.

Add herbs. Stir to combine and let rest for 10 minutes.

The dough should have rested enough by now. Divide dough into 14 portions, rolling each portion into a ball.

Now the stuffing and the rolling of the parathas is the most difficult part of this recipe. Eventhough I have been making Caribbean style rotis for a long time (see recipe here), stuffing parathas was a new experience. I tried a few procedures (two ended up in the garbage) until I found one that worked.
Using your palm and your fist, press dough on one of the balls of a dough until you have a circle. Place on a lightly floured surface. Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle and spread on the circle a little bit.

Then place another flattened circle of dough on top.

Using a rolling pin, roll as thin as you can without breaking.

This was my first time making stuffed parathas, so I have not yet mastered the skill of making perfectly round shaped parathas. Too bad, I don't have an Indian mausi to teach me this technique. This is something I am just going to have to practice, but it still all tastes good!!

We use a roti iron in the Caribbean and in India, they use a tawa. Whatever flat instrument you have can be used to fry these flatbreads. If you have a double sided griddle, use the flat side.

Coat tawa or whatever you are using with a little ghee. Place rolled paratha and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Bhindi Masala with Paneer
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon mustard oil
1 teaspoon dhana-jeera powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (cayenne)
7 ounces paneer, cubed
14 ounces okra
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 teaspoon asoefetida
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 black cardamom pods
1/4 teaspoon green cardamom seeds
salt, to taste
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Sprinkle turmeric, dhana-jeera powder, chili and salt over paneer cubes and toss.

Heat 2 teaspoons of mustard oil and brown paneer on all sides. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

In a large skiller, heat 1 tablespoon of mustard oil. Add mustard seeds. As soon as mustard seeds start to pop, add ginger and garlic. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.
Add okra, tomatoes, black pepper, asoefetida and cardamom.

Submitted to Susan's Black and White Wednesdays

Cook for about 15 minutes, until okra is cooked through.
Add cilantro, cooked paneer and salt, to taste.

Stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with Spinach Paratha and a cold refreshing Indian ale. I also had some leftover dahl from when I made the Indo-Mex tacos, which completed this Indian meal.

If you want to really create an authentic, Indian experience at home. Go to an Indian market and get a thali, which is a traditional round plate, where food is usually served on in South India and places like Nepal and Tibet. The individual food components are served in small bowls on the thali. In the NY area, you can get these at Patel Brothers supermarket or Bhutala Emporium (2 locations - one on 74th Street in the heart of Jackson Heights' Little India across the street from Patel Brothers. The other location is on 28th Street, right off of Park Avenue in Manhattan).

Many assume all Indian food is spicy and are afraid to try it, however, not all Indian food is loaded with chile. India has many states and these states vary in their regional cuisines. There are tea or coffee drinking states and rice or paratha eating states. Similarly, not all Indian food is loaded with chile. Indian food can have the complex flavors of mustard, cardamom, coriander and others, without being loaded with chile, so that it can be enjoyed by those with lower pepper tolerance. This meal I created is a great marriage of the flavors of Indian cuisine, however the chile is kept to a minimum, so that it can be enjoyed by anyone.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12

Chef Mireille
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Indo-Mex Tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:26:00 +0000

Indian cuisine and Latin cuisine use many common flavors and are able to seamlessly merge, as demonstrated by the popularity of Maneet Chauhan's cuisine at Vermilion. With the least expensive entree on the menu at $22, I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Vermilion. I am going to try to go during Restaurant Week, so I can experience her fusion cuisine. Inspired by this concept, I created a recipe for Indo-Mex tacos.

I am continuing my global theme in the Blogging Marathon, with this fusion cuisine recipe, that would not be possible if I lived in another city where I could not get paneer and Mexican tortillas. A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for Mexican Pork and Black Bean Tacos. The tortillas come in packages of 100, so I had a bunch of leftover tacos, so I decided to do a twist on the Mexican classic and created these vegetarian Indo-Mex tacos.

Intead of black beans as used in the Mexican tacos, I used stewed lentils:
1 cup Masoor Dal (red lentils)
3 cups water
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon Panch Puran (more info on this spice blend here)
1 teaspoon mustard oil
2 chiles, split
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
Salt, to taste

In a saucepan, bring dal, water, turmeric, ginger paste and garlic paste to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally..
While the dal is cooking, heat a small skillet. Heat the mustard oil and add the Panch Puran and the chiles and cook for about 5 minutes, until spices are roasted and golden brown. Let cool.

Using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder, grind roasted spices and chile.
Add to cooked dal and salt, to taste.

Add cilantro and stir to combine.

Let rest for 10 minutes, before serving. This is a semi-dry dahl. You do not want it to be too wet, otherwise, it will be leaking through the tacos.

Instead of queso fresco, I used paneer:
1 tablespoon mustard oil
7 ounces paneer, chopped into very small pieces
1 teaspoon Dhana-Jeera powder (available at Indian/Middle Eastern markets or you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin + 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander)

1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Sprinkle Dhana-Jeera powder, turmeric and cayenne on paneer cubes and toss.

In a skillet, heat oil and brown paneer on all sides.

Drain on paper towels.

To make tacos, you will need:
Corn tortillas
Cooked Dal
Cooked Paneer
Chopped Lettuce and Tomatoes
Pickle aka Achar (use a sweet pickle, either sweet mango or sweet lime). I used sweet mango:

chopped cilantro (garnish)

Heat corn tortillas over open fire on stove, as indicated in my Mexican Tacos recipe.
Place a little or a lot of pickle on the tortilla, according to your preference. Add some dahl.

Add paneer.

Add lettuce and tomatoes. Add a little cilantro and garnish plate with more chopped cilantro.
Serve with mango juice and a delicious weeknight dinner. The prep can be done on the weekend and all you need to do is put together the tacos.

This is a great way to introduce Indian flavors to people who have never experienced this cuisine before. It is flavorful with the spices, but not too spicy. The achar (pickle) mixed with the other ingredients makes a great balance between sweet, savory, spicy and cool (with the lettuce and tomatoes).
Hope you enjoy the fusion!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12

Chef Mireille
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Celebrate the Year of the Dragon...with a recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:16:00 +0000

Happy Chinese New Year!!

I consider myself blessed to live in the most global city in the world. For someone who loves global flavors, it's a culinary paradise. I can read a cookbook from any country in the world and although it may take me a little time to find where to buy it, I can get all the ingredients and make any recipe. Everything can be found within the 5 borough of New York - you just have to know where! I even found delicious Malaysian nutmeg candies...which has become one of my addictions!

I remember when I was going to school in New Mexico, I hadn't had any plantain for months and I was craving some fried plantain. This was not something available ever, in our dining hall. I went to the supermarket with my roommate, who was from New Orleans and used to varied foods, growing up in that culinary city. She had a car and we went to every supermarket we could find, in search of plantain. A week later, we finally found some in an International Market and they were outrageously priced at 1.99/lb. when I was used to buying them at 8/$1. Needless to say, on a student's budget, even when we finally found them, this is not something we could afford to buy often.

I may never have been to India, Ghana or Indonesia - but I can still find fresh curry leaves and paneer, Palm Wine and gari & Kecap Manis and shrimp paste to make authentic recipes. I haven't yet had the chance to get to Ireland, China or Thailand, but I can still get authentic bangers, dried tiger lillies and galangal.

Every country's independence is celebrated in New York, from India to Columbia to Greece. Everybody gets a parade. Today, we will be celebrating the Chinese New Year. Chinatown will be vibrant with lanterns everywhere. Children are happy to eat their New Year candy. I am celebrating the start of the Year of the Dragon, by participating in another Blogging Marathon. This is Day 1 of 7 days of paneer recipes!

While I hate tofu, I love paneer, which is an Indian unaged cheese that is used widely in India, which has a large vegetarian population. You can find paneer in Indian markets or gourmet supermarkets. This is my favorite brand. Some of the others are a bit too dry.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year in my global city, I created this delicious Chinese recipe, using paneer. Although in China, they would probably use tofu, I live in New York where everything is available, so I get to use the deliciousness that is paneer! For all of you fellow tofu haters and I know you're out there, paneer is a delicious substitute to put in your favorite Chinese recipe!

(by the way, my camera saga continues as no store seems to have the right camera battery in stock, so please bear with me...and imagine the food looking 10x better than it does) looks like I'm going to have to order it from Amazon!)

Chinese Paneer
(I hope you can find these ingredients in your city)
6 oz. paneer, cut into large dice
1 teaspoon five spice powder
6 dried mushrooms
3 dried chiles
1/3 cup dried scallops
1 tablespoon oil
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
2 scallions, sliced
1 tablespoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine
1 tablespoon rice cooking wine
2 teaspoons honey

In a large bowl, combine dried scallops, dried mushrooms and dried chiles.

Cover with boiling water and let sit for 20 minutes. Remove from water. Remove stems from mushrooms and chop mushrooms and chiles. (You can reserve mushroom stems to use in soups). Shred scallops by hand.

Sprinkle paneer with 5 spice powder.

In a seperate bowl, combine soy sauce, both cooking wines and honey. Stir to combine.
In a skillet, heat oil and brown paneer pieces. Remove from pan.

Add peppers, mushrooms, chiles and scallion and saute 3-4 minutes, until vegetables are softened. (you may have to add additional oil)

Add scallops and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add fried paneer pieces and soy sauce mix. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12

Chef Mireille
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Chickpea Shortbreads

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:41:00 +0000

Hello fans of Global Tastes & Travels,
First, I need to apologize in advance for the poor quality of the photos in this posting. Unfortunately, the battery to my camera went kaput, so I had to resort to my cellphone for the pics. Sorry :(

Now to the posting - I haven't posted a Cookbook Recipe in a long time. I once had the good intention of running this series once a month. I just couldn't keep to that schedule. To remind my old time readers and inform my new readers what this is, it's when I follow a recipe from the plethora of cookbooks I own and test them to find out how delicious...or not they are and how well the recipe is written...or not!

This recipe is for chickpea shortbread cookies, called Nan-e Nokhodchi from a cookbook I have called The Legendary Cuisine of Persia by Margaret Shaida. I have tried a few of the savory dishes from this book and they were all good. This is the first sweet recipe I tried from the book.

Her original recipe is:
Chickpea Shortbreads
1 cup chickpea flour (available at Middle Eastern markets or Indian markets under the name besan)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
pistacchios, for garnish

Here is the instructions, with a few changes by me (my changes are in Italics).
In a bowl, sift flour, sugar and cardamom. Place the butter in the center and carefully knead the flour until the mixture holds together. (This is a very short mixture but it will eventually hold together after some kneading. An egg yolk may be used to help bind the mixture but the shortbread will be softer without.)

I tried to follow the recipe with just the butter, incorporating it much the way you would when making fresh pasta. However, the more I kneaded the more crumbly the dough became.

It was not binding, so I followed her suggestion and added the egg yolk, but it still would not bind. So I added the white and then the dough came together perfectly, so my suggestion when you follow this recipe is to use 1 egg, in addition to the original recipe.

In her recipe, she rolls out the dough first and then refrigerates it. I have always found it is much easier to roll out the dough if it is refrigerated first. I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerated dough for 30 minutes and then I rolled out the dough.
On a floured cutting board (using the chickpea flour), roll out dough to 1/4" thickness and cut into shapes (using cookie cutters) and place on a cookie sheet, lined with waxed or parchment paper. Keep on rolling dough back together and cut more shapes until all of the dough is used.

While the original recipe said to garnish with pistacchios after baking, I decided to do it beforehand so they would be baked into the cookie. Press 1 pistacchio in center of each cookie.

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cookies are set and lightly browned at the edges. Cool. Remove and eat!

While the cookies tasted delicious, I feel her recipes are not written for the amateur cook. If I did not know how to adjust accordingly, I don't think the recipe would have been successful. I found this to be also true of previous savory recipes I did. If you are an experienced cook, I would recommend her cookbook. Otherwise, you may find it difficult.

These cookies are not very sweet. This is certainly NOT going to replace your child's favorite chocolate chip cookies, but they are perfect with fruit and a cup of tea. Not to mention you get a protein filled snack, with the nut and the chickpeas!

Enjoy!

Chef Mireille
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Almond-Cornmeal Porridge

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:24:00 +0000

Although oatmeal is the most commonly eaten hot breakfast cereal here in America and second to that is Cream of Wheat, I also grew up eating cornmeal porridge. This is a common breakfast in the Caribbean. Cornmeal is simmered down with evaporated milk and water and spiced with cinnamon, star anise and topped with freshly grated nutmeg and then sweetened with sugar.

I recently discovered an Indian recipe called Badaam ka Hareera which is an almond based porridge, however, the cooking method is slightly different. Their porridge basically starts with a roux made with ghee and flour. I merged the two recipes and came up with this delicious protein rich breakfast cereal. It's creamy, sweet and delicious, but with a strong almond flavor - if you go ga-ga for almonds, you'll love this!

13.5 ounces coconut milk
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup almond flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
dried fruit, for garnish

In a saucepan, bring water and coconut milk with cinnamon stick to a low boil. Reduce flame to medium and slowly add cornmeal and almond flour, while stirring constantly. This must be done slowly,otherwise the cornmeal and flour will get lumpy in the hot liquid.
Reduce flame to low and simmer for 10 minutes, until you have the consistency of a thick porridge. Stir in sugar.
Serve in a bowl, topped with nutmeg and dried fruit.

Chef Mireille
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Bok Choy and Mushroom Wontons

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 01:04:00 +0000

Here is a delicious appetizer for an Asian themed party. These are much healthier than the wontons you get in most Chinese restaurants, which have a very thick doughy skin. With these, you don't get bites of dough, but intead you get the delicious filling in every bite.

1 package wonton skins
2 pounds bok choy, chopped very small
12 dried mushrooms
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro (aka Chinese parlsey), chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ounce ginger, chopped
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus extra for frying
dumpling sauce (available at Asian markets)

In a bowl, place the mushrooms and add boiling water.

Let sit for 1 hour, until the mushrooms are reconstituted. Chop mushrooms into small pieces.
In a large pan, heat the tablespoon of peanut oil. Saute garlic and ginger.

Add mushroom and bok choy and cook for a few minutes, until cooked through - about 5 minutes.
Add chives, cilantro and oyster sauce. Stir to combine and cook for another 1 minute. Let cool.

To assemble wontons, have a little bowl of water nearby. Place about 2 teaspoons of the filling on each wonton.

Fold over one point to meet the other point, diagonally. You should now have a triangle.

Then fold over diagonally again. Seal the edges with water.

In a large pot, heat a few inches of peanut oil. Once the oil is hot, add the wontons and deep fry for a few minutes, until golden brown. Place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Serve with dumpling sauce.

Chef Mireille
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Mexican Night

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:24:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone is starting the New Year with committment to their resolutions. I am an Anderson Cooper addict. I always respected his unbiased reporting on CNN, but now I really enjoy the human side of him that is visible on his talk show. Watching his show always puts me in a good mood. Most of his guests are people that have had to overcome amazing challenges, but end on a positive note. Anyway, he has been promoting Sunday Night dinners. No matter how busy are lives are, it is important to spend time with your family and no what is going on in their lives. I support this and I think it is a wonderful initiative. Even if you cook quick meals during the week, I think this is a great excuse to all of you who love to cook out there, to spend a little extra time and make some amazing meals for your family. I think nothing tastes better than food prepared with love.

Here is a delicious Mexican meal that you can have ready for Sunday night dinner, if you start off by doing a little prep on Saturday night. I have even included a Vegetarian variation, so anybody can make this meal!

Saturday Night
We are going to start by making the salsa. This is a very chunky, very hot salsa. The reason I make it so intense is that I use it as a base for other dishes. I will later thin it out with water or chicken broth, depending what the use is., or use as is, if applicable.

Ingredients:
4 poblano peppers
8 serrano peppers
3 jalapenos
1 large red bell pepper
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
1/4 pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 11 oz. can of corn
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

The first step is to roast all of the peppers. I remove the grate from my stove and place the peppers directly over the open flame, until the skin of the peppers are charred on all sides.

Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rest for 20 minutes. Peel off charred skin, under running water.

Remove stems from peppers and place in a food processor with pineapple, onion and garlic. Cut the poblanos and jalapenos into a few pieces.

Process until pureed. Place in a saucepan and add corn, lime juice, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, lower flame and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cilantro and let cool. Refrigerate.

Also, to be done the day before is to prepare the pork.
1 pork tenderloin (to make vegetarian, you can do this with soya chunks)
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped garlic

Place all ingredients in a ziploc bag and marinate overnight.

To prepare the beans that will be cooked on Sunday, soak 16 ounces of black beans overnight in cold water.

Sunday
Now it's Sunday and time to finish prepare the meal. First, let's get the beans cooking.

Ingredients:
16 ounces soaked black beans
2 tablespoons epazote, chopped finely
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt, to taste
water

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, until beans are tender. You may have to add more water,if water dries up. Check beans periodically, but cooking time should be about 30-40 minutes, depending on how long the beans were soaked.

Now to cook the pork. Since I used pork tenderloin, which can dry out quickly, we need to add a little fat and cook slowly, so that the meat will be moist. Here are the ingredients for the braised pork tenderloin:
1 marinated pork tenderloin
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon ground cumin
5 tablespoons chunky salsa

In a pot, start to cook bacon. Do not add any oil. The bacon will give off the fat. Once the fat has started to come out from the bacon, add the scallion.
Fry until the bacon is about 50% cooked.

Add tenderloin to pan and sear on both sides. By the time the meat is seared, the bacon will be cooked.

Add chicken broth and cumin.

Bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to boil, reduce to a low simmer and cook slowly for 1 hour.

Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred meat with your fingers. It will absorb the leftover liquid in the pot.

Add salsa and salt, if necessary.

VARIATION: To make vegetarian, cook soya chunks in same way, however, to get the smoky flavor that the bacon gives, use about 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika.

You've done all the prep now to make delicious Pork and Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients:
Shredded Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Pepper Salsa and/or cooked Soya
Cooked Black Beans
Queso Fresco (Mexican fresh cheese)
Corn Tortillas
Chopped Cilantro

Heat tortillas over open flame on stove.

Place a little bit of pork in tortilla

Add black beans and then queso fresco.

Garnish with additional queso fresco and chopped cilantro.

If you would like a fresh salad to go with this, using ingredients you will already have on hand like the black beans and extra pineapple, this is a delicious one from Vardhini's Zesty Palette blog.

Chef Mireille
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Spicy Pesto Pasta with White Clam Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:52:00 +0000

Whenever most people see clam sauce, they automatically think of the traditional Linguine in Clam Sauce, however, there is no need to stick to the original.
I created this recipe, using white clam sauce and adding flavors that I like, such as spicy chile & pesto. This is a wonderful fusion Italian meal, with a complex marriage of flavors.

1 pound whole wheat rotini
2 chiles, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 jar white clam sauce
3 cups baby spinach leaves
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons pesto (see my recipe here)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 handful basil, finely chopped
1 handful mint, finely chopped

Cook pasta, according to package instructions and drain.

In a large skillet, pour 1 tablespoon of the oil that will be on the top of the clam sauce jar, when you open it.

Heat for 1-2 minutes until warm. Saute onion, bell pepper, chile and mushrooms, until onions become translucent and mushrooms are softened.

Add tomatoes, pesto and clam sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add spinach and cook until leaves are just wilted. Add basil and mint. Stir to combine.

Add Parmesan and salt, to taste & toss to combine. Remove from heat.
Heat a small pan, preferably cast iron, and place the pine nuts in the dry pan. Cook for a few minutes, tossing constantly until golden brown.

Serve immediately and garnish with the toasted pine nuts.

Chef Mireille
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Kelewele

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:08:00 +0000

It's the final day of the Blogging Marathon. It's been fun connecting with all the other participants and I hope you have enjoyed my recipes. I am ending it with a simple recipe that you can enjoy, anytime, not just for holidays. Fried Plantain is something that is always made for holidays, special occassions, etc., as well as everyday meals, in Caribbean homes. While many Caribbean people eat this daily, I only had it on holidays. It is quick and easy to prepare. Simply slice the ripe plantain and fry until golden brown on all sides.

As much as I like this, I found a variation on the original a few years ago and ever since, it has become a holiday special at my home. This recipe originates from Ghana and is called Kelewele.

3 ripe, yellow plantains
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 chiles, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
Oil, for frying

Slice the plantains into 1/2" slices.
In a bowl, combine the tablespoon of oil, with the ginger, onion, salt and chile. Add plantain slices and toss to coat. Let marinate for a few hours or even overnight.
Heat about 1" of oil in a skillet. Once the oil is hot, fry the plantain slices and cook on both sides until golden brown.
Serve immediately.

Chef Mireille
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Pumpkin Panlevi

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:46:00 +0000

Although I have never had panlevi before, my cousin who grew up in Curacoa (a place I only visited on vacation) likes them and told me about them. They are not very sweet so a perfect cookie to have on a holiday morning for breakfast, with some fruit and tea, after staying up late the night before. Try these for something new, on New Year's Day!

I got a recipe for these little fluffy cookies and found out, I was not a fan. I am not vegetarian by any meaning of the word and eat eggs all the time, but these were just too eggy. The taste of the egg was almost nauseating. I eat omelettes and quiche, but could not stomach the panlevi. So I decided to make my own variation. Although mine don't have quite the same height without the eggs, I think mine taste better and they still have the same fluffy texture as the original!

Original Recipe

Since my version has no eggs and no butter, it is a low fat sweet - added bonus - low calorie but high flavor!

Pumpkin Panlevi
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
2/3 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin (if you have extra pumpkin when you make it, here is another delicious recipe to try)
2/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray 2 cookie sheets with non-stick spray.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and mace in a large bowl.

Add sugar and pumpkin and stir to combine. Set aside.

Beat heavy cream until frothy, about 5 minutes. Fold cream into pumpkin and flour until just combined.

Using a scoop or a tablespoon, drop cookies on cookie sheet, leaving space between.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Don't forget to check out the other Blogging Marathon blogs and their delicious recipes!

Chef Mireille

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Black Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:28:00 +0000

...and another holiday recipe with the Blogging Marathon. Black Cake is an intense rum cake, popular in the Caribbean. No holiday season occurs on any island, without black cake being present in any home. Black Cake recipes are guarded more than the President. While I won't give away all of my secrets, here is the foundation that will make you a delicious black cake. This is a rich, moist cake - almost like a pudding.
WARNING: DO NOT CONSUME IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE
This is not a cake where the rum is simply used to slightly enhance the flavor. Having a slice is akin to having a cocktail.

1 cup currants
1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried candied fruit peel
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups rum
2 cups cherry brandy
1 pound butter
2 cups sugar
10 eggs
Zest of 2 limes
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups flour
3/4 cup browning (see more information about browning here)
Combine additional 1/2 cup rum with 1/2 cup cherry brandy

At least a week in advance, combine the fruits and nice and place in a bottle with the rum and the brandy. This can be done up to a year in advance. The longer the fruit soaks, the better.

Line 2 10" cake pans or 3 8" inch cake pans with waxed paper. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter ans sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add zest and vanilla. Add flour until thoroughly combined.

Add 2 cups of fruit mixture and browning and mix until thoroughly combined. (reserve the extra fruit for the next time you make the cake). At this time, the dough will be very dense, similar to bread dough.

Add the fruit and the browning. The dough will now become very moist.

Divide the dough into the two cake pans and cook for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

This cake must be cooked very slow, otherwise you will have a burnt top but the inside will not be cooked.

Prick the top of the cake with a toothpick.

Pour a little of the brandy-rum combination over the cake. The cake will absorb the liquid. Once the cake absorbs the liquid, add a little more. Do this about every 1/2 hour for about 2 hours. Once the cake has absorbed the liquid, remove from cake pan (simply flip the cake over onto a plate and the waxed paper should just peel off) and I usually serve simply garnished, with a few glace cherries.

Store leftover cake, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil.

This is a moist, rich alcohol-laden cake, that is addictive - having just one slice is near impossible!

Chef Mireille
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Spice Cake...2 times

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:57:00 +0000

Today, you are getting a 2 in 1 recipe for my Blogging Marathon post. One, is my Mom's spice cake, which I ate at every birthday and holiday, growing up. The second recipe is in honor of my Blogging Marathon cohorts - it's a vegetarian version that's done without eggs.

For years, people have been asking my Mom for a recipe for her cake and her answer always is, "I don't know. Just watch me when I bake it." As if you can duplicate what she does when she says things like, "You know you have added enough milk when it looks right." FINALLY, I cornered her down and forced her to measure as she went along and now have her recipe for eternity.

It is an all purpose Caribbean spice cake. We usually only frost or ice cakes for big events like weddings, so it is meant to be eaten as is, straight out of the oven. This cake is a slightly dense cake, that is perfect with tea or a glass of milk. Haitians, like my dad, like to eat it, dunking it in a glass of liqueur, along the lines of Grand Marnier. I guarantee you, once you make this cake, it will be often requested.

This recipe makes 2 cakes, as my Dad and I shared the same birthday so there were always two birthday cakes at our house. (see photo below)

blowing out candles on my 6th birthday

Mom's Version:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)
3 tablespoons rum
6 eggs
2 sticks butter, softened, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two cake pans.
Sift flours and baking powder, with cinnamon and nutmeg. Add sugar and raisins and mix thoroughly. Mixing the raisins with the dry ingredients ensures that the fruit does not sink to the bottom.
Combine milks, vanilla and rum.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until very creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, being sure the egg is entirely incorporated, before adding the next egg.

Add half the flour, then half the milk. Add the remaining flour and then the remaining milk. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

Divide the batter between the two cake pans.

Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from cake pans and enjoy with a cup of milk.

My Vegetarian Version:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground mace

1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon almond extract
3 tablespoons rum
2 sticks butter, softened, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sour cream
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two cake pans.

Sift flours and baking powder, with cinnamon, mace, clove and nutmeg.

Add raisins and mix thoroughly. Mixing the raisins with the dry ingredients ensures that the fruit does not sink to the bottom.
In a seperate bowl, combine milks, rum, almond extract and sour cream.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add milk combination and mix until combined thoroughly.

Add flour, one cup at a time, until thoroughly combined.

Divide batter into two cake pans.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes and serve immediately.

This version is a moister, lighter cake because of the sour cream. In both of these cakes, since the raisins get beaten up into the batter, they kind of melt into the cake, which I love.
I think they are both delicious; just a little different. I can't decide which I like best.

Chef Mireille
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Fish Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:35:00 +0000

Merry Christmas,

and the blogging marathon continues with my recipe for Caribbean fishcakes. My grandmother was not the greatest cook in the world, but there were two things she made that I loved - bakes and fishcakes. I created my own recipe and I think, if she were still alive, she would definitely say these were delicious.

This is something that is eaten throughout the Caribbean. Different islands have slightly different variations of this recipe - some used mashed potato, instead of flour. This is the version I grew up eating.

Fish Cakes
1 1/4 pounds dried, salted fish (cod or hake)
1 Scotch Bonnet chile, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup milk
Oil, for frying

Place the dried fish in a pot of water and let it soak overnight, to draw out the salt. Drain the fish and add fresh water to the pot. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, until fish is cooked and flakes easily. Using your fingers, shred the fish.

In a large bowl, add pepper, scallions, parsley and thyme to fish and mix thoroughly.

In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In a seperate small bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add eggs and milk to flour to make a thick batter. Add fish to batter and mix, until thoroughly combined.

In a large skillet, heat oil about 1 inch deep. Using a tablespoon, place 1 tablespoon in the hot oil, for each cake.

Fry 2-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Chef Mireille
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Breadfruit Puffs...updated

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:09:00 +0000

Here's Day 2 of Holiday Recipes for Blogging Marathon: - ENJOY!!!

This blog entry is more of an updated, more dynamic version of a previous post. Back when I was new to the blogging world, most of my entries did not include photos, unless they were informational photos only I had taken from the Internet.

I wanted to give you some photos to go along with my recipe for Breadfruit Puffs. This is a recipe from the Caribbean island of Dominica, where my grandmother is from. It is one of the appetizers that I like to make during the holidays. This and fishcakes (usually provided by my cousin) are two of my favorite dishes to eat during the holidays. My fishcake recipe is coming tomorrow.

Here are the photos to give you a better idea of what it should look like, during the cooking process. I have also improved and revised the recipe a bit in the last few years, so here is an updated, more delicious version of:
Breadfruit Puffs

1 small breadfruit, approximately 2 pounds

1 tablespoon grated onion

1/2 Scotch Bonnet pepper, minced (or Habanero, the spiciest chile available wherever you are)

1/4 cup chives (or scallion), chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

1 pinch nutmeg

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

breadcrumbs, for coating

Oil, for frying

Cook breadruit in boiling water until fork tender, about 40 minutes.
Once it is fork tender, peel and remove the skin and core the breadfruit.

Mash it. It is important to do this when the breadfruit is still hot. Combine breadfruit with seasonings.

Whisk egg and milk. Add to breadfruit mix and stir to combine. Form tablespoon size portions into balls and roll in breadcrumbs. (I use the Italian seasoning flavored breadcrumbs)

In a large skillet, heat oil, about an inch deep. Once the oil is hot, fry the balls, until golden brown on all sides.

Chef Mireille
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Holiday Recipes with the Blogging Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Today is the first day of my participation in Blogging Marathon, a weeklong marathon of a group of food bloggers, who commit to blogging on a particular topic every day, for a solid week! Most of my blogging marathon partners are vegetarian or vegan, so I am starting off the marathon with a recipe that is easily adaptable to a vegan.

I will be blogging about Holiday Recipes for the week. Since I come from such a diverse family, my holiday recipes have origins in several countries, depending which family I am spending the holidays with. It could include Nasi Goreng and Satay or Fishcakes and Macaroni Pie.

I've decided to kick off the Blog Marathon with a recipe from my grandfather's birthplace, Suriname. Suriname is one of the most diverse countries on the planet, with large populations of Indonesians, Indians, Chinese and Africans; not to mention descendants of the Dutch colonizers, who are still there. One of the recipes we received from the African slaves who came to Suriname is Peanut Soup. Many African countries, as well as countries they were brought to, like the southern United States and the Caribbean, have versions of this soup.

In Suriname, peanut soup is always eaten with tom tom (little green plantain balls).

Although this recipe includes chicken, it is easily adaptable to vegetarians by replacing the chicken broth with water and replacing the chicken with vegetables like carrots and potatoes.

This is a homestyle type of soup, where people pick up the chicken pieces and eat the meat straight from the bones. If you want to make this soup for a formal event, I would still cook the soup with the bones – that’s where the flavor is! Once the soup is finished cooking, remove the meat from the bones before serving.

1 ½ pounds chicken pieces, including bones

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 tablespoons oil

16 ounces natural creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, halved (or Habanero)

2 quarts chicken broth or water (if using water, dissolve 1 bouillon cube in the water)

2 green plantains, cut in half, skins left on

1 tablespoon roasted peanuts (optional)

Put a large pot of water to boil, to cook the plantains. While you are waiting for the water to come to a boil, start the soup. Once the water boils, add the plantains and cook for 30 minutes, until plantains are cooked through.

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add onions and celery and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from pot. Add 2 tablespoons oil and cook chicken, until light golden brown, about 5-8 minutes.

Put cooked vegetables back into pot. Add tomato paste, allspice, peanut butter, 2 cups broth or water and stir to combine.

Add the rest of the water and the Scotch Bonnet pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30-40 minutes, until flavors have developed and chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, drain the cooked plantain as soon as it is cooked. While still warm, remove the skin. Using tongs, they should come right off. Mash the green plantain.

It is important to do this while the plantain is still hot. To make the Tom Tom, take about 2 tablespoons of the green plantain into your hands. Your hands must be wet. You will need to wet your hands after making each one. The moisture is needed for the plantain to stick together. Using your wet hands, form balls.

To serve, place a few of the tom tom in a bowl.

Spoon the soup over it. Garnish with a little roasted peanuts, if desired.

Chef Mireille
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Hanco's...3rd location

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:06:00 +0000

Last year, when I went on a mission to find the best Bahn Mi in NY, I found the best one to be Hanco's on Bergen. At the time, Hanco's only had 2 locations in Brooklyn. Now, they have opened a new location on one of the trendiest streets in Brooklyn, Montague Street in the most expensive neighborhood in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights.

I had jury duty recently and was trying to figure out what to have for lunch in expensive Brooklyn Heights, where the courthouses are located. I whipped out my smartphone and using my Yelp application, I found out that Hanco's had a new location just two blocks away. Perfect..I hadn't had a Bahn Mi in over a year!

Off I went to the new Hanco's. The atmosphere is definitely a great improvement over the cramped, Bergen street location. Two floor of seating. Light colored wood paneling and a large window make for a bright, cheerful setting.

There is additional seating outside in the front that can be used, during the summertime.

Although they have a full menu, everyone pretty much orders one of two things - Bahn Mi or Pho. As far as the Bahn Mi itself goes, I found it a little surprising that I did not enjoy the classic Bahn Mi as I had in the past. Maybe I am just over the Bahn Mi, after eating so many of them last year, when I was on my Bahn Mi kick. I found the meat to be not as flavorful - I came in right before the lunchtime rush, so they were not yet super busy. I felt the meat could have been browned a little more. My favorite part of the sandwich this time was the pickled vegetables. If I remember correctly, it was, when I went to the other Hanco's last year. When I was leaving, the lunchtime rush was in full swing, with the line about 15 people deep. Perhaps this busier location just isn't paying attentin to the details.

Maybe they were rushing, preparing for the busy period or maybe my penchant for the Bahn Mi has changed. I'm going to have to go back to the other location to compare.

Chef Mireille
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Online Baby Shower..with a a Vegan recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:01:00 +0000

Recently, I have become associated with a wonderful group of food bloggers (Indian and Indian inspired vegetarians), through my upcoming participation in Blogging Marathon, which I will be starting on Friday. Two week long events (I am only participating in Week 2), where we blog daily on a particular theme. I have chosen the theme of Holiday Recipes, so stay tuned...

We have decided to do an online baby shower for one of the group, who is expecting. PJ's blog is full of lots of delicious recipes, as is all the fellow food bloggers. Great resources for delicious authentic Indian, as well as fusion cuisine vegetarian and vegan recipes. We all did one of her delicious recipes from her blog.

I decided to do her recipe for Purple Cabbage Rice. This is a delicious recipe for people, especially little ones, to get to eat cabbage. It's colorful and the cabbage flavor is very mild, due to the spices used. Thanks PJ for a delicious recipe and good luck with your upcoming birth.

This is her original recipe, but I made a few changes due to ingredients I had on hand. Changes are indicated also.

Cooked rice -2 cups

Purple cabbage,grated-1 cup[Increase / decrease to suit your taste] ( I used about 2 cups)

Onion-1,sliced (I chopped them fine, do to my personal preference)

Mustard Seed -1 teaspoon

Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Cinnamon-a small piece

Curry leaves-a few (I used dried curry leaves, rehydrated in hot water)

Asafoetida powder- a pinch

Red chillies-3 (I used 1 long hot Italian pepper, cut into a few pieces)

Salt to taste

Oil-2 teaspoons

1. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard,fennel seeds,cinnamon,curry leaves,asafetida powder and red chilllies

2. When the mustard crackles put in the onion and sauté till soft.

3. Put in the purple cabbage and stir on high heat for a minute. Don’t be tempted to add water as the color will turn blue!!!

4. Add the cooked rice and salt and mix well on medium heat.

5. Cover and cook for another minute.

6. Remove from heat and serve hot as such /with a raita /crispies.

Cilantro is one of those things you either love or hate. I belong to the first group. Because I love cilantro/coriander/dhania so much, expecially with Indian food, I added a few tablespoons as the end, but just is my preference. The recipe is still delicious without it.

Chef Mireille
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Ginger Pear Scones

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 01:32:00 +0000

Muffins and Cookies are made everywhere, by many people. Scones and biscuits, however, are avoided like the plague by many. I think it is the step of cutting the butter into the flour that intimidates some people. It's not that difficult once you conquer it and these are delicious items that cook quickly and are perfect for breakfast, any day of the week. There is nothing like scones with preserves and lemon or lime curd with a steaming cup of hot chocolate or tea on a cold winter morning.

Here is a delicious scone with the peppery flavor of fresh ginger to add some kick to it. If you don't have any pear or ginger in the house, run to the supermarket and surprise your family for breakfast tomorrow.

Pear-Ginger Scones
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
1 stick cold butter
1 egg, lightly whisked
1/2 cup buttermilk, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pear grated
1 tablespoon ginger, grated

In a large bowl, sift flours and 1/3 cup sugar. Add cardamom.

Cut butter into about 8 pieces. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the cold butter into the flour, until the butter is the size of small peas.

Add egg and 1/2 cup buttermilk, pear and ginger.

Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix until thoroughly combined and dough comes together.

If you have a scone pan, there is no excuse not to do this recipe.

Simply spray the pan well with non-stick spray and with floured hands, press the dough into the scone pan. (If you do not have the scone pan, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut scones out with a biscuit cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet.)

Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with the additional buttermilk and sprinkle with the additional sugar.
Bake in a 400 oven for about 20 minutes until scones are set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Serve with preserves and lemon or lime curd. It is traditional to also serve with clotted cream, however, this is a little more work to make.

Chef Mireille
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Cranberry Sauce...not just for Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:28:00 +0000

Cranberry sauce and fresh cranberries are nowhere to be found for most of the year and then suddenly, the week before Thanksgiving, they are everywhere. Grocery stores and farmer's markets have mountains and mountains of cranberries available. Then, about now, they start to disappear again, until next November.

Eventhough I grew up in America, I did not grow up with cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. My parents being of Caribbean/Indian decent, my Thanksgiving was usually curry chicken and we were lucky when my parents sometimes made turkey wings, so we could kind of feel like our friends talking about leftover turkey (but not really) :)

My first experience with cranberry sauce was this jellied mass that came swooshing out of a can, when I spent Thanksgiving with a friend, while I was going to school at the University of New Mexico. It did not look appetizing, but I was willing to try it. Once bite was more than enough and I decided then and there, that I did not like cranberry sauce and I refused to try it again for many years. Years later, I was on a mission to create a traditional Thanksgiving dinner (I had missed it my entire childhood) and I decided there had to be a better version than the canned stuff. I found a recipe for homemade cranberry sauce and it was pretty good. Throughout the years, I have altered that original recipe to create a few delicious versions. Homemade cranberry sauce is delicious, easy and fast to make. Why people eat the jellied stuff (and some people swear by it) is beyond me.

Here is a recipe for one of my versions of Cranberry Sauce (I have several) and guess what, cranberry sauce tastes great with things other than turkey.

Braised Lamb Chops with Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce:
1 pound cranberries
1 cup quince jam
1 1/3 brown sugar
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick
3 allspice berries
2 cups water.

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Brint to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until berries are soft and some have burst. Let rest for at least 30 minutes, before serving. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Braised Lamb Chops:
4 lamb chops, 1 pound each
3 allspice berries
5 cloves garlic
5 chiles, split
2 tablespoons gound coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 cups red wine

Sprinkle lamb chops on both side with dried herbs. Combine all otheringredients in a large dish and place chops in marinade for at least 2 hours. The longer you marinate, the more tender the chops will be.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, Brown lamb chops on both side. Add wine from marinade. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until lamb is cooked through and tender.

Serve with cranberry sauce, roasted potatoes and sauteed green beans.

So buy some cranberries, if you can still find them and take advantage of this wonderful fruit...for as long as they are available for weekly meals. You don't have to wait for a holiday!

Chef Mireille
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Gen Mai Cha - the Popcorn Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:20:00 +0000

Good Afternoon,

I hope everyone is having a great day. Dr. Oz came up with a 28 day plan to renew your body, mind and soul. It is a list of different things to start adding to your life, one day at a time and after 28 days, you will have made strides to achieving a healthier, happier life.

One of the things on the list was to drink green tea. I generally become a tea fanatic once the weather goes below 40 degrees. Nothing beats a warm cup of tea on a cold, wintry night. One of my favorite green teas to drink is Gen Mai Cha. When you look at the tea leaves for the first time, you will probably do a double take, as I did the first time. Is that popcorn mixed in with the tea leaves?

I used to work at a tea house. We served British high tea, complete with scones and clotted cream. It was working here where I became a tea afficionado and had lots of opportunities to try the 100+ varieties of tea we sold. Many customers would order this tea with popcorn and roasted rice and I just could not imagine this would be anything pleasant to drink. Then one day, curiosity got the better of me and I tried it and I have been hooked ever since. It's a very mild flavored tea, with just a little hint of natural sweetness and I love it. So now you may wonder who in the heck came up with this combination?

It was during World War II, when tea was scarce. The Japanese came up with this concoction to stretch the tea leaves to make them last longer, as tea was becoming hard to come by. Sencha tea leaves were mixed with roasted rice and popped corn and Gen Mai Cha was born., literally translated it means Brown Rice Tea.

I have now turned most of my friends and relatives on to this delicious wonder. The last time my cousin was visiting from Holland I made her a cup, she looked at it and wondered what the heck kind of tea I was giving her with popcorn and rice. She tasted it and she was hooked and we had to run to Chinatown to get her a huge box before her flight back to Amsterdam.

As with all green teas, drinking a cup of Gen Mai Cha daily, may lower your risk for some cancers, lower bad cholesterol, promote weight loss and raise your intake of antioxidants.

Enjoy a cup of Gen Mai Cha today to kickstart your plan to eat/drink better. There is no reason to wait until January to start this resolution, which I know is on a lot of your New Year lists!

Chef Mireille
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Irish Quiche

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Mireille) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:08:00 +0000

Quiche is one of the classic French dishes that has permeated many cultures and is available in many countries. What makes quiche so versatile and adaptable to so many cultures, is that once you vary the ingredients and the cheeses, you can create unique quiches that represent almost any culture.

Here is a quiche with an Irish twist, by using Dubliner cheese. Although gruyere is the cheese commonly used in quiche, I like replacing it with Dubliner. Dubliner has a similar nutty taste to Gruyere, however it is less assertive, since it is aged a shorter period of time. I balanced it with a little Asiago. The sweetness of the Asiago plays off the nutty, salty Dubliner well.

This takes a little work, but once you make it, you have a delicious meal that you can use for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Pair it with a salad for lunch or roasted vegetables for dinner and this can serve to complete several meals during the week. Although you can buy a ready made pie crust, the homemade crust is so much better and the sense of accomplishment will impress your family. Anybody can put together a quiche filling, but not everybody can make a delicious quiche, with a fresh, flaky crust.

Pie Crust
(this recipe will make about 3 crusts. I like to make a large quantity and then just freeze the rest for later use. When ready to use, defrost for about 30 minutes and then it is ready to use.)
4 cups all purpose flour
8 ounces cold butter, cut into cubes
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon salt
8-12 ounces cold water

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.

Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter and shortening into the flour, until the fat is the size of small peas.

Slowly, add the water a little at the time, until the dough can be formed into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. If you have a scale, each portion should weigh 12 ounces.

Wrap all 3 in plastic wrap. Freeze 2 of the portions for later use. Refrigerate 1 portion for 30-60 minutes. If you try to roll out the dough immediately, it will be very sticky and break.

After dough has chilled, place on a lightly floured surface and roll out into as close to a circle shape as you can get, a little larger than the quiche pan. Lift up dough and place in quiche pan. Press into bottom and sides of pan. DO NOT CUT excess dough. When baked the crust will shrink. We will take off the excess later.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper in the pie shell. Add raw, uncooked beans into pan until parchment paper is pressed into pan. Place quiche pan on cookie sheet.

Bake pie crust for about 20-30 minutes, until crust is light golden brown. This is called blind baking the crust. It is important to do this step, so that you don't have a quiche with a soggy crust.

Remove beans and parchment paper. Your pie crust is now ready to fill.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche
6 slices bacon, sliced into lardons
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cups baby spinach leaves
4 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Dubliner cheese
1/2 cup Asiago cheese

In a saute pan, render bacon. Cook, until crispy. Discard half the bacon fat. Leave some fat in the pan and add the onion and saute, until onion is translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add spinach leaves and cook, until just wilted.

In a bowl, whisk eggs and heavy cream until thoroughly combined. Add a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Because of the salt in the bacon and the salt in the cheese, very little extra salt is needed.

Place spinach and bacon quiche in pre-baked pie shell. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Add egg-cream combination a little at a time. Using your fingers, work the liquid into the bottom of the pan, so it does not sit on top of the cheese. You want it to be thoroughly incorporated in between all the ingredients. Fill to the top. (you will have some extra at the end). Don't worry about it overflowing. It will just spill onto the cookie sheet. If you want to diminish clean up, place a pieceof aluminum foil on the cookie sheet, under the quiche.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until quiche is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

After it has cooled, hit the top of the crust, using the back of a spoon and the excess dough will just crack off.

This is a decadently cheesey quiche, so I like to balance it with a simple green salad with some colorful bell peppers and a few berries for dessert, for a light weeknight dinner.

Chef Mireille
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