RECIPE: Foxtail Millet, Leek and Walnut Patties

This recipe is from Wendy Cook's book, Foodwise, meant to be served on Wednesday, a MILLET day, with beetroot-arugula salad and stewed fruit for dessert.  It was written for regular millet, not foxtail millet, and I had to make some adjustments to the recipe after a somewhat disastrous first attempt.  Foxtail millet is higher in fiber than the other millet types and is beneficial for blood sugar management.  As such, these patties make a wonderful replacement for potatoes, which are awful for blood sugar!

The original recipe is from a book, so there is no original link to share.  Wendy didn't offer a recipe for the beet arugula salad so I made one up using halloumi from the farm store.  The beet-arugula-halloumi salad recipe is HERE.

Foxtail Millet, Leek and Walnut Patties with 

tamari-ginger-scallion sauce 

Foxtail Millet patties with tamari-ginger-scallion sauce and beet-arugula-halloumi salad.

Makes 8-10 patties, serving 3-4 as the main meal

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup foxtail millet (or 2/3 cup regular millet)
• 3.5 cups vegetable stock, hot
• 1/4 cup walnuts, cashews or macadamia nuts (I use macadamia nuts)
• 2 T. foxtail millet flakes 
• 8 oz cleaned and finely sliced young leeks
• 2-4 T. quark or cream cheese*
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1/2 cup ghee, divided
• OPTIONAL**: 2-4 t. berbere, curry, chipotle, or any other seasoning
• himalayan pink salt and freshly ground pepper 
• additional foxtail millet flakes to coat the patties, about 1 cup
  
• Tamari, ginger, green onion sauce (recipe below)
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Wash and pick over the millet carefully.  I place it in a fine mesh strainer and run water over it, then place it in a bowl of water so I can swish it around with my hands and easily remove it from the water.  Allow to dry.  (I leave it to dry in the strainer over a bowl and a muddy-colored liquid drains out - you do need to wash thoroughly and drain thoroughly!)

Melt 2 T ghee in a heavy bottom pot (the grain will double in size so choose an appropriate size pot) and saute the millet for 2-3 minutes until the grains are coated (this keeps them from clogging together too much).

Pour on the hot vegetable stock.  Allow to come to a boil, then turn down the heat to low.  Cover the pot and do not stir during cooking.  After 30 minutes the stock should be absorbed and the grains plump and fluffy.  Taste them.  If they are still crunchy, add a little hot water and steam another 10 minutes

Transfer to a large bowl, add raw millet flakes (for binding), and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.  

While the millet is cooking, lightly roast the nuts in a dry frying pan, then grind them in a food processor, but not too finely - leave some texture.  (I use a hand held rotary cheese grinder.)

Heat 2 T. ghee on medium heat in a medium saute pan, add the leeks and stir to combine.  Cut a parchment round the same size as the pan, and lay it on top of the leeks. Cook until softened, but keep the emerald green color.

Add the leeks, nuts, quark, and egg to the millet.  Taste and adjust seasoning - if there is no salt in your stock you will need to add 1-2 teaspoons.  The mixture now should be easy to form into firm 2.5-3" patties.  Make 8-10.  

Place some millet flakes on a salad plate and coat the patties with the flakes.  Let the patties rest 10 minutes on a rack.  They should be cold now.  (I didn't let them rest, I put them directly into the hot pan.)

Fry in the remaining ghee for approximately 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. (I have a large 13" frying pan and was able to fry 8-10 patties at one time.  If you use a smaller pan, wipe it out between each batch so the millet flakes which inevitably fall off do not burn.  I also found it helpful to use a double sided clamp spatula to flip them.)

Serve with tamari, ginger, green onion sauce, recipe below, and beet-arugula-halloumi salad recipe which is HERE.

*I used 4 T. quark in my first attempt because the mixture seemed too dry.  The patties were soft and didn't hold together well, but my husband loved the flavor.  My subsequent attempts, made with 2 T. quark, were firmer and easier to form into patties and to fry.  If you use 4 T. quark, make smaller patties and let the patties rest before frying.  The photo above is the patties made with 4 T. quark, the one below is patties made with 2 T. quark.  

**My first two attempts were without additional seasoning, and the patties were delicious.  My husband used them like bread, covering them with ham and cheese before reheating.  But ... seasoned with berbere  they were amazing!    

Tamari, Ginger, Green Onion Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 2.5 cups vegetable stock
• 2 t. finely grated fresh ginger root
• 1 T. tamari soy sauce, more if necessary
• bunch of finely sliced green onions
• 1.5 T. arrowroot mixed to a past with a little cold water, no lumps

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat stock until nearly boiling.  Add ginger and tamari.

Carefully add the arrowroot mixture, stirring briskly.  The sauce should thicken to pouring consistency.

Add the shredded green onions and serve.

NOTE: The patties reheat beautifully in a toaster oven.  The sauce was OK the following day but the green onions wilt and you will need to augment them with fresh.  If you serve it with the salad, the halloumi croutons also reheat beautifully in a toaster oven.

Reheated foxtail millet patties made with 2 T. quark (leftover beet halloumi salad on the side).

RECIPE: Roased Beet Salad with halloumi Croutons and Orange-Mint Dressing

Roasted Beet Salad with Halloumi Croutons and Orange Mint Dressing

Serves 2-4

The original recipe was presented to me by AI, and appeared to be a compilation of several beet and halloumi salad recipes.  It wasn't quite what I was after so I made some adjustments and was happy with the results.

My husband doesn't like beets, so I only put them on half the salad in case he wanted to avoid them; but, not only did he eat them, he had seconds!  We added the dressing on our plates.  Surprisingly, leftover halloumi croutons reheat beautifully in a toaster oven.

Ingredients

• Beets: 3-4 medium beets (red or gold)
• Halloumi: 1/2 pound, sliced into 1/2" cubes
  
• Greens: 2-4 cups baby arugula, or arugula sprouts
  
• Optional: 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Oil: 1/2 cup avocado oil for drizzling and frying 

Orange-Mint Vinaigrette

• 6 T. olive oil
• 6 mandarin oranges, zested, 4 juiced, 2 peeled
  
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar
• 2 t. honey
• 2 T. fresh mint, julienned
• Salt and black pepper to taste 

Instructions

1. Roast the Beets: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Wrap beets in foil, drizzle with avocado oil, and roast for 45-60 minutes until tender. Let cool, peel, and cut into wedges or cubes.
2. Make the Dressing:
1. Add the honey and 1/2 t. salt to the apple cider vinegar
2. Add the orange zest to the olive oil
3. Juice 4 of the mandarins
4. Whisk all of the above together
   
5. Peel the remaining 2 mandarins and add them to the dressing
6. Right before serving stir in the julienned mint
3. Fry the Halloumi: Heat 1/2 cup avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Fry the halloumi slices for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
   
4. Assemble: Arrange the greens on a platter, top with beets, red onions, and orange segments.
5. Serve: Drizzle the dressing over the entire salad. Add the warm fried halloumi on top and serve immediately.  Offer freshly ground pepper.

NOTE: The oil can be strained and reused once, if you serve this two days in a row.

Beet and arugula salad with halloumi croutons

 
 
 

RECIPE: Green Harissa Chicken

Last fall, in addition to red harissa paste, I also made green harissa, using green chilies instead of red (I used jalapeno, banana, and green bell peppers).  I used it in a beef recipe recently, and we really liked it, so I developed this recipe to use it with chicken.  True pasture raised chicken can be tough, and breasts can be dry, so I decided to brine these as an experiment.  They were so good - moist and tender.

Green Harissa Chicken

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 chicken breasts, about 2 pounds
• 1 T. himalayan pink salt
• water
• 3 T. green harissa (you can also use red harissa if that's all you have)
  
• 2 T. ghee, melted, or EVOO

INSTRUCTIONS:

If the breasts are very thick at the wide end, cut them in half horizontally.  Cut the chicken breasts into bite size pieces (about 1" square) and place them in a bowl.  

Sprinkle the pieces with the salt, then cover them with water - I used about 2 cups.  Massage the breasts to distribute the salt and water so that each piece is engulfed in the brine.  Let the chicken soak in the brine for one hour. 

Preheat the oven to 425 (I used our toaster oven).

Remove the chicken from the brine and let it rest in a sieve or strainer so that all the water drips away.  Pat them dry with paper towels and also dry the bowl they were in.

Return the chicken to the bowl and add the harissa.  Massage the harissa into the chicken.  Add the ghee or EVOO and massage that into the chicken, too.

Transfer to a sheet pan and roast until cooked through, about 10 minutes.  

I served them with a green bell pepper cream sauce, and petite peas.  To make the cream sauce I heated some heavy cream in a small saucepan, then stirred in some dried green bell pepper powder, which I had made last summer, a pinch of cumin and a little salt.  If you want the cream sauce to be spicy (I didn't) you can stir some of the harissa into it.

RECIPE: Homemade Simple Cream Cheese

I stumbled on this recipe while looking for something else, and decided to try it, because I often have a half-gallon jar of milk in the fridge that needs to be used. 

It's made just like paneer, but isn't pressed into a slab.  It took me about 45 minutes start to finish.

Original recipe: How To Make Cream Cheese

Homemade Simple Cream Cheese

Makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups whole milk (one half gallon, approximately 2 quarts)
• 3 T. bottled lemon juice
• 1/2 - 1 t. salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a 4-6 quart heavy-bottom saucepan or stock pot, heat the milk on medium high.  Stir the milk constantly until it comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium.

Add the lemon juice 1 T at a time with a minute in-between each addition. 

Continue to cook and stir until it curdles, 4-5 minutes.  There should be fluffy white curds floating in whey, a light greenish-yellow liquid. 

Place a strainer over a large bowl and lay a piece of cheesecloth into the strainer.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cheese curds into the cheese cloth.  Discard the whey in the pot.  

Curds and whey in pot, curds removed from whey into cheesecloth-lined strainer.

 

After 10 minutes, all the whey still in the curds should have drained away.  Transfer the curds to a food processor or blender, (I used a food processor) add the salt and blend until smooth and creamy.

It took me one minute.  The cheese is very dense.  To use it as a dip I will need to add liquid, so I saved some of the whey from the bowl under the strainer.  To make it dip consistency, I added 3 T to one cup of cheese.

It does not taste like "cream cheese" because it's just milk.  If you want that cream cheese flavor, you will need to add a starter and allow it to culture.

Holiday menus 2025

In case you are wondering about all the unusual recipes I posted during this "holiday season" ... For me ... this was one of the BEST HOLIDAY SEASONS EVER!  It was unusual, low stress, and full of friendship.

I have recently become disillusioned with the intense commercialization of all holidays, especially those celebrated in winter: the lies we've been told about the US government's treatment of Native Americans and their participation in our "first Thanksgiving", the pressure to conform ("traditional" menus), and the pressure to decorate.   This year, I decided not to participate. 

At the end of November, we did not celebrate Thanksgiving, we celebrated FRIENDSGIVING, and we didn't serve turkey, ham or any of the foods associated with the traditional holiday, we served RACLETTE.  For appetizers, we served three unusual dips with a selection of vegetable dippers:

• Vadouvan Carrot Raita
• Pea Guacamole
• Coddled Leek, Garlic, and Fennel Dip

and we ended the meal with a yule log (which we will be calling a "cloud log" from now on because it's like eating a cloud! 

For dinner on December 24th, we served INDIAN food, from all over the Indian subcontinent:

• North Indian Baked Fenugreek Crackers (Mathri)
  
• North Indian Tamarind chutney and cream cheese dip
• Pakistani Curried Beef Brisket
• Keralan Masoor Dal cooked in Coconut Milk
• Bangalorean Curried Cabbage
• (Afghan) Sela Basmati Rice
• North Indian Coriander Chutney
• Punjabi Spiced Mango Lassi

We didn't serve dessert because we're trying to cut down on our sugar consumption.  

For me ... it's much easier to pull together a big dinner when the rest of the country is NOT also trying to pull together a big dinner!   

RECIPE: Queso Fundito with Chorizo and Roasted Peppers

Queso fundito is one of my favorite things to order in a Mexican restaurant, but now that I know the dangers of the high amounts of omega-6 in pork fat, I'm reluctant to order pork in any restaurant.  Using chorizo made from low PUFA meat, I can make this treat at home!  

 

It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, though.  Sourcing the right cheese - chihuahua - proved to be a problem, and the alternatives suggested  - monterey jack, manchego, and Oaxaca - didn't seem like they would melt properly.  In my first attempt I used three small containers and cooked each variety of cheese separately to see how they react.  None of them was perfect: oaxaca didn't have much flavor, manchego didn't melt well, and jack cheese was too rubbery, but I suspected that combining them might give me the results I wanted.

Three different cheese experiment

My second attempt was successful - combining all three mimicked the recommended chihuahua cheese perfectly.

Queso Fundito with Chorizo and Peppers   

Serves 2-3

You can make this with onions, peppers, chorizo or a combination.   I like to put the peppers and chorizo in the cheese, and use the onions as a garnish.  If you prefer, you can saute the onions with the chorizo.

During the summer, when peppers are abundant, I roast them, peel them, and then freeze them.  I do this with red bell peppers, red pimiento peppers, and poblano peppers.  Having them in the freezer makes this meal easy to prepare.

I also pressure can chorizo in pint jars, another way to make the meal easy to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

• For the fundito:
• 1 cup grated manchego cheese
• 1 cup grated oaxaca cheese
• 1 cup grated monterey jack, or pepper jack cheese
• 3/4 cup chorizo
• 1/4 cup roasted peppers, either poblano or bell
• Garnish:
• 1/2 cup minced red or green onion
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 cup guacamole (I used pea guacamole) or sliced avocado 
• 1 small jalapeno, minced 
• flour tortillas 
• optional: 1/4 cup roasted peppers 
• optional: sour cream
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

For this recipe, you will need an 8" ovenproof skillet, or a regular skillet and an 8" cazuela or ovenproof baking dish.

Preheat the oven (I used the toaster oven) to 250F.  Wrap the tortillas in parchment, then in foil, and place them on the bottom rack to warm them.  Place the other rack close to the broiler.

If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, and will be using a cazuela or another ovenproof baking dish, put it in the oven with the tortillas to warm up.

Heat a small 8" ovenproof skillet over medium-high (I used cast iron).  When it's hot, add the chorizo and saute until browned and bubbling.  Some people remove the fat, I prefer to leave it in as it has a lot of flavor.

Turn the heat off, distribute the peppers on top of the chorizo, then sprinkle the cheese on top of the peppers.  (If you didn't use an ovenproof skillet, transfer the chorizo to the cazuela then top with peppers and cheese.)  Some people reserve a little of the chorizo to garnish the dish when it comes out of the oven.

Put the skillet/cazuela in the oven and BROIL for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is slightly brown.  The heat from the chorizo will melt the cheese from the bottom.  Don't overcook or it will become chewy.

Serve immediately with warm tortillas, guacamole, cilantro, minced onion, and jalapeno.

You can also serve it as a dip, with corn chips, but we prefer soft flour tortillas. 

NOTE: in the photo above, I made a double recipe and transferred half the chorizo to a cazuela, leaving the other half in the cast iron.  I loaded both vessels with peppers and cheese, broiled the cazuela, then broiled the cast iron while we ate from the cazuela.  You could also make this in individual cazuelas and let each diner chose what to put in their cheese.  My husband likes more peppers than I do, so I serve extra on the side.

When we finished the cazuela, we were full, so once the cast iron skillet was cool, I covered it and put it in the fridge.  The next day, I heated it on medium-low, without stirring, until the cheese was bubbling.  It was just as good this way, as it was the day before! 

To eat: I put the fundito onto a tortilla and eat it with a knife and fork.  My husband scoops bite size pieces onto the tortilla and eats with his hands.  I think in the past, I would tear small pieces of tortilla, scoop the fundito onto them, and then pop them in my mouth.  It's messy no matter how you chose to eat it!  

Queso fundito, pea guacamole, minced red onion

Garnish for queso fundito: roasted poblanos, cilantro, red onion

 

RECIPE: Spiced Mango Lassi Yogurt Drink

I've been making sweet lassi yogurt drinks for decades. The easiest way is to use fresh or frozen champagne mangoes, and add the flesh to the blender when you make the sweet lassi.  When neither is available, I use organic mango puree from Pure Indian Foods.  For this recipe, I decided to add spices!

The idea is based on a mango jam I made decades ago using a recipe from Yamuna Devi's incredible cookbook, The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking.  I used the same spice combination for this lassi.

Spiced Mango Lassi Yogurt Drink

     

Makes 3 cups.  

INGREDIENTS:

• For infused syrup:
• 1 cup water
  
• 2 t. whole cloves
• 2 t. whole cumin
• 2 t. black peppercorns
• 2 t. cardamom seeds
  
• 2x3" pieces of cinnamon
• 2" piece of fresh ginger sliced thin
• 1/2 cup mango puree (I get ours from Pure Indian Foods)
• 1.5 cups yogurt
• 2-4 T honey depending on the sweetness of your mango puree 

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup water with all the spices until it comes to a boil.  When you smell the spices in the fumes, in about 1 minute, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.  (Don't let it boil too long or all the flavor will evaporate!) Strain the spices out and transfer the seasoned water to a blender.  

NOTE: If you're in a hurry, you can use 3/4 cup water, instead of 1 cup, and then add 1/4 c ice cubes to rapidly cool the infusion.

Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend to combine.  Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.  You should taste the sweetness but it should not be overwhelming.

If you want a cold drink, serve it over ice, but know the ice will dilute it. If you plan ahead, you can make the seasoned water ahead of time, freeze it in ice cube trays, and use that to make the drink. 

NOTE: I will make the spice infusion and keep it in the fridge.  To make one drink, I use my Nutribullet: I use1/2 c spice infusion, 1/4 c mango puree, and 3/4 c yogurt, and 1 T. honey. 

 

RECIPE: Afghan Long Grain Rice

This is another recipe from The Best of Afghan Cooking by Zarghuna S. Adel. I've made it multiple times now and the resultant grains are longer than any other rice I've prepared.  Zarghuna recommends Baghlan brand, which is a sela (parboiled) basmati grown in Pakistan.  

According to AI, in the past, Pakistani sela basmati often had fewer pesticide residues than Indian sela basmati, but that has changed recently with Indian rice having fewer pesticide residues; so...I buy ORGANIC Aahu Barah Sela Basmati from Kalamala in CA.  In 2025 Pakistan banned many of the chemicals used to grow rice so their rice should be cleaner going forward.  Parboiling (sela) does not remove pesticide residue.

Afghan Long Grain Rice 

Serves 4 

The cooking process is long, but not difficult.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups Basmati long grain rice (Zarghuna recommends Baghlan brand, which is sela basmati)
• 2 t. himalayan pink salt
• 2 t. cumin seeds (optional, Afghan cumin is available here and here)
• 1/2 t. ground cardamom (optional) 
• 1/4 c. oil (I used ghee*)

This is the brand Zarghuna recommends.  The brown bag is "creamy golden" grains, which is more flavorful.  There is another variety in a white bag which is whiter grains but less flavorful.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Rinse the rice under running water, rubbing it together to remove extra starch, until the water runs clear.  I use a large fine mesh stainless sieve.  I used a colander once and the holes were too big!  

Soak the rice for about 4 hours (I leave the rice in the sieve but position it over a bowl and fill the bowl with clean water.)   I have soaked it overnight and it was fine.

In a 4-quart pot bring 6 cups of water to rapid boil over high heat (I have used a 3-quart pot successfully).  Drain the rice (lift the sieve out of the water) and slide it gently into the boiling water.  Stir and wait for a re-boil.  Reduce the heat slightly and boil uncovered for 3-5 minutes or until the rice grain is tender to the bite.  I cook ours for 5 minutes.  Four minutes was too al-dente for us.

While the rice is cooking, dissolve the salt in 1 cup water. 

Drain the rice in a sieve (I use the same sieve, which is heatproof) then rinse lightly with cool water to remove excess starch.  (Admission: I always forget to rinse it!)

Return the empty pot to the cooktop and add the ghee.     

Transfer the rice back to the pot and stir to coat with ghee.  Optional: sprinkle with the cumin and cardamom.  

Pour the salt water evenly around the top of the rice. Mix well.  Pile the rice up in the middle of the pot to form a dome.  With a skewer make a few holes through to the bottom of the rice (I use the handle of my wooden spoon).  

Place two layers of cloth towels over the pot and secure with the lid, then fold the towels up over the lid.  If you have a gas or coil cooktop, secure the ends well!  You don't want them to catch fire.

Wrap the pot lid in dishtowels.  Secure ends well to prevent fire!

 

Steam on high for about 5 minutes until steam escapes through the towels, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. (If you have a 360 Cookware pot - you won't need the towels.  Steam for 5 minutes, spin the lid to create a seal, then cut the heat and wait 20 minutes.)  Stir and serve.  

 

NOTE: The original recipe has you adding the fat, but not stirring it into the rice, so it pools in the bottom of the pan.  We prefer it spread it throughout.  

*Ghee is not typically used in Afghanistan, but the oil that is used, sunflower oil, is not healthy, so please don't use it. Ghee makes it not technically Afghan, but for TRULY authentic, you would use broad-fat-tail-sheep fat which isn't available here.  

I do not always use the spices.  Sometimes I serve the rice plain.  In the photo below, I added cumin and black mustard seeds, and served it over Dal, with coriander chutney:

 

 

RECIPE: Baked Methi Mathri (Fenugreek Crackers)

I don't know how I stumbled on this recipe but it's fantastic!  And easy!  The original recipe made a larger cracker, eaten with a cup of chai.  I made mine smaller and used them as dippers for Tamarind Chutney Quark Dip.  It was a match made in heaven!

Original Recipe: Baked Methi Mathri

Baked Fenugreek Crackers

Makes 40-80 small crackers

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 cups atta flour
• 1/2 cup chana dal flour or chickpea flour (I used chickpea)
  
• 2 T. dried fenugreek leaves slightly crushed
• 1/4 t. red chile powder or to taste
• 1/8 t. turmeric
• 1/4 t. ajwain seeds
• 1 t. sesame seeds
• 1 t. salt (see notes in recipe*)
• 1/4 t. baking powder (use yogurt instead?)
  
• 1/3 cup oil or ghee (I used ghee)
• about 1/2 c. water
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Sift the flour before measuring.  In a large bowl, combine the atta and dal flours.  Add all the seasonings and mix to combine.

Add the fat and rub it into the flour.  It should be well incorporated and turn the mixture crumbly.

Start adding the water, little by little, to knead the dough.

Once the dough comes together, knead it for 5 minutes (I used my food processor for this).  Cover and rest for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

After the dough has rested, divide it into smaller pieces, roll each one out 1/4" thick, and cut into cracker shapes using a knife or pizza cutter.  (I rolled mine out very thin - 1/8" - and cut them with a knife.  Some I cut into 1" squares, others into elongated diamond shapes.  Because mine were so small, I got over 80 crackers!)

*If you like a salty cracker, sprinkle the crackers with additional salt and roll the salt into them.

Using a fork, poke holes in each cracker to prevent puffing.  I used a cocktail fork.

Fenugreek crackers about to go into the oven

Place the crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-22 minutes, flipping them once half-way.  I baked mine in our toaster oven, which preheats faster than the big oven.  Because mine were so thin, they were done in 15 minutes and I didn't need to flip them.

Let cool and store in an airtight container.

RECIPE: Tamarind Chutney and Quark Dip

Many years ago, in 2018 to be exact, I made some Tamarind Chutney.  It sat unused in our fridge until last month when I stirred some into quark to make a dip for Fenugreek Crackers.  

The dip was delicious!  But, I can't find the recipe I used for the Tamarind Chutney, so I bought some organic Tamarind Chutney from Pure Indian Foods, and it's just as good.

Tamarind Chutney and Quark Dip 

The recipe is a simple un-recipe: 

1. Start with 1 T. chutney and 2 cups quark, both at room temperature.
2. In a small bowl, stir the chutney into the quark and taste it.  
3. Continue stirring either chutney or quark into the bowl until it tastes good to you.  Sometimes I like more, sometimes less.

You're welcome!  

NOTE: Quark is German cream cheese.  Use farmer cheese or cream cheese if you can't get quark.  OR ... Make your own cream cheese using milk, lemon juice, and salt!

 

RECIPE: Masoor Dal Cooked With Coconut Milk

This recipe originates in Kerala, in the southern part of India.  I found it searching for recipes using MASOOR DAL, my favorite dal, and it sounded delicious!  Thankfully, it was as good as I thought it would be, so I am sharing it here.  The original recipe was written for 1 cup of dal and meant to serve 4.  Although there were only 3 of us, I doubled the recipe and was glad I did - there was precious little left! My recipe is written for 2 cups of dal and will serve 6-8.

Masoor dal is a reddish-orange split lentil.  I buy 24 Mantra Organic Masoor Dal  

The dal is cooked first in water and coconut milk, then spices are fried in fat and stirred in before serving.  The fried spices stirred in at the end are called TADKA or TARKA.

Original recipe:Keralan Masoor Dhal with Coconut Milk

Masoor Dal Cooked With Coconut Milk

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups masoor dal, rinsed until the water runs clear (I used a sieve)
• 10-12 fresh curry leaf STEMS, if you have them
  
• 1 t. turmeric
• 2-4 t. Kashmiri chili powder (optional, depending on your tolerance, I used 2 t. above)
• 1 can thick coconut milk (I use Native Forest SIMPLE Unsweetened Coconut Milk)
• For the Tadka/Tarka:
• 4 T. coconut oil or ghee (I've made it both ways)
• 2 t. black mustard seeds
• 2 t. cumin seeds
• 20 fresh curry leaves (or all the leaves from the stems above)
• 3 dried Kashmiri chilies, broken into pieces (optional)
• 1 medium red onion, minced (about 1 cupful)
• 5-10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (10 cloves is very garlicky!)
• 3 fresh green chilies (I used jalapeno)
• For Serving:
• Salt to taste
• 6 T. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse the masoor lentils until the water runs clear, drain them, then transfer to a sauce pan and cover with fresh water.  Add the curry leaf stems if you have them.
   
2. Cook uncovered, over medium-high heat, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, and skimming any foam that rises to the surface (if you didn't rinse well enough, there will be phytate in the foam).
3. Add the turmeric, chili powder and coconut milk and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender, another 10 minutes.  
4. While the dal is cooking, make the tadka: heat the coconut oil/ghee in a small saute pan on medium high.  When visibly hot, add the mustard seeds.  When they begin to pop, stir in the cumin seeds, curry leaves, and dried Kashmiri chili pieces.  Allow this to sizzle for 30 seconds then stir in the onion.  
5. Fry the onion until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic and green chilies.  Cook until the garlic is softened, but be careful not to burn it!  
6. When the dal is cooked, pour the tadka mixture, including all the fat, onto the dal and stir it in. Season to taste with salt and serve with chopped coriander.

TARKA, sizzling in a small fry pan

NOTE: we enjoyed this so much I made it again two days later!  It keeps well, but the author recommends storing the tadka separately and adding it just before serving. (I don't do that, I stir it in and refrigerate whatever we don't eat.  We reheat it in the small toaster oven.)

Here's a photo of my third attempt using 4 t. Kashmiri chili which gave it a wonderful rich color.  I kept the tadka separate this time.  The photo below is when I reheated it - you can see the grains disintegrate when it's reheated, but you can see the elements of the tadka much better.

Reheated masoor dal with tadka, basmati, and broccoli.

Recipe: Curried Cabbage Bangalore Style

Another recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Yamuna Devi's, The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, I served this with Keralan masoor dal, Pakistani Old Clothes Beef Brisket, and Basmati Rice.  

The recipe is normally made with a small portion of green mung beans, but because I also served dal, I left out the beans.  I forgot to take a photo so I will add one the next time I make this.  Here's a photo of the original recipe instead!

Curried Cabbage Bangalore Style

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cups whole green mung beans, sorted, cleaned and cooked
• 1 t. cumin seeds
• 1 t. black mustard seeds
• 2 hot green chilies,  seeded and minced
  
• 1" piece fresh ginger root, scraped and sliced into thin julienne
• 5 T. ghee or mustard oil 
• 1/4 t. Cobra brand asafetida (other brands reduce by three-fourths*)
• 10 fresh curry leaves or 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound green cabbage, trimmed, cored and finely shredded
• 1 t. turmeric
• 1 T. ground coriander
• 1 t. salt
• 2 t. lemon juice
• 1 t. honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

*I use Pure Indian Foods Best Hing Ever and used 1/8 t. 

Combine the cumin, black mustard, green chilies and ginger in a small dish. Heat the ghee or mustard oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat (mustard oil must reach the smoking point).  

When hot, drop in the spice-seed mixture and fry until the mustard seeds start to pop.  

Immediately drop in the asafetida, curry leaves or bay leaf, cabbage, turmeric and coriander and cook, stirring frequently, for 10-20 minutes or until the cabbage is wilted, brown and crisp, or quite tender.  The cooking time will depend on the size of your pan, the quantity of cabbage, the heat intensity and the preferred degree of doneness.

In the last few minutes, add the beans, salt, lemon juice and honey.

Serve piping hot or at room temperature.

RECIPE: Pakistani "Old Clothes" Beef Brisket Curry - Pressure Cooker Version

Several years ago, I saved a recipe for Pakistani "Old Clothes" Curry made with beef brisket.  The recipe originated in The Indian Slow Cooker cookbook.  A few weeks ago, someone posted a photo of the recipe on Reddit, and everyone who responded, loved it.  

We don't have a slow cooker, so I modified the recipe to use a pressure cooker.  

I made two other changes:  I toasted the fennel seeds before grinding them, because I don't like raw fennel seeds, and I used tallow (beef fat) instead of vegetable oil. 

When the beef came out of the pressure cooker, the gravy was quite thin.  After shredding the meat we mixed it with some, but not all, of the gravy.  My husband LOVED it that way!  It was subtly spiced and went well with all the other dishes we served.

I did NOT like it that way!  I thought it had very little flavor and tasted too 'meaty'.  The next day, I reduced the remaining gravy until it was thick and rich, stirred in half the remaining meat, and we compared it with the original version.  I loved it!  My husband thought it was too thick and saucy, and it was harder to pair with the other highly seasoned foods.  The photo below, is the thick and saucy version. 

Original recipe: Pakistani "Old Clothes" Curry  

Pakistani "Old Clothes" Beef Brisket Curry

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled, cut in half, sliced
• 2 lbs beef brisket, trimmed of fat
• 1 2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and cut into chunks
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 heaping teaspoon powdered ginger
• 4 green or white cardamom pods (I used green)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 4-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 T. garam masala (I used Pure Indian Foods brand)
• 2 T. ground fennel (I toasted it first, and then ground it)
• 1 T. ground chili pepper  (I used Kashmiri Chili)
• 2 pinches ground nutmeg
• 1 t. turmeric
• 1 t. kosher salt
• i t. black salt (or substitute kosher salt) - I used black salt
• 1/2 cup tallow, melted
  
• 1 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the onions in 4-5 quart pressure cooker (mine was 8 quart)

Set the meat on top.

In a food processor, grind the garlic and ginger to a paste, and spread it on top of the meat.

Add the remaining ingredients and drizzle the tallow over everything.  Close and secure the lid.

Left to right: onions and garlic-ginger paste, spices, tallow

Following the instructions for your pressure cooker, bring the pressure up to "high", reduce the heat to maintain that pressure, and cook for 90 minutes.  

Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to reduce naturally.

Remove the meat to a bowl, cut it AGAINST THE GRAIN into 2-inch pieces, then use two forks to shred the meat.  

You now have two options:

• Return it to the pressure cooker and combine it with the sauce.
• Reduce the sauce until it's thick, then combine it with the shredded meat.   

We served this with basmati rice, Keralan Masoor Dal, and Bangalorean Curried Cabbage.  In the photo below, the leftovers were served with arugula sprouts.

RECIPE: Sweet Pea Guacamole

You recoiled, didn't you, when you read Pea Guacamole?  Well, you're not alone!  I did, too, but everyone who tasted this loved it, and so will you.  It's a way to have "guacamole" when avocados aren't available.  Another benefit is that it won't turn brown while it sits!

The first time I made this, I didn't want to add 2 T. of olive oil (high in omega-6) to the recipe, so I left it out, and it tasted terrible!  I added some fresh avocado and rescued the recipe.  In retrospect, avocados are high in fat (healthy omega-3) so I now use avocado oil instead of olive oil and I no longer need to use fresh avocados.  I'm getting the same healthy fat without buying avocados in winter.  (Winter avocados, grown in Mexico, fund Mexican drug cartels.  Summer avocados, grown in California, don't.)

I use Chosen Foods Organic Avocado Oil because LeadSafeMama recommends it.

Original recipe: Sweet Pea Guacamole

Sweet Pea Guacamole

Makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of frozen peas, preferably small ones, defrosted 
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1.25 t. Himalayan pink salt
  
• 2 t. cumin seeds, toasted and ground (or 1.5 t. ground)
• 1 small jalapeno*, seeded and minced (use 1/4 green pepper if you can't handle heat) 
• 2-4 T. avocado oil or 2-4 T. EVOO or 1 avocado
  
• Juice from 1 lime, about 2 T.
• Optional: 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves or microgreens 
• Optional: 2 T. minced red onion
• Optional: 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, white centers removed and then chopped.

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a mortal and pestle, pound the garlic with the salt until a paste forms.  Add the lime juice. 

Mash the peas, add the cumin, jalapeno, 2 T. avocado oil, and the garlic-salt-lime paste.

Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more avocado oil if it isn't as rich as avocado guacamole.

Stir in the tomatoes, onions and cilantro and serve as you would guacamole.    

*If you want to bother, you can roast and peel the jalapeno first.

 

 

RECIPE: Coddled Leek, Garlic, and Fennel Dip with fried leek garnish

I have been making, and LOVING, Ottolenghi's Coddled Leeks with Beans for several years now, and every time I make them I'm amazed by how soft the leeks become.  For Friendsgiving this year, I decided to add them to one of my favorite dip recipes, Roasted Fennel and Garlic Dip.  I made this up so there's no original.  Every time I make this, I forget to take a photo!  

This dip is great with carrots, but the photo below was taken after we had eaten all the carrots so I used cassava chips.  It's good with them too.

Coddled Leek, Garlic, and Fennel Dip

with fried leek garnish

 

Makes 3 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large leeks
• 2 large heads of fennel
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup ghee, divided
• 1 t. roasted ground fennel seeds
• OPTIONAL: 1/4 t. wild fennel pollen
  
• 2 lemons
• Himalayan Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook the fennel*

1. Remove the stalks and any discolored and/or tough outer leaves, if present, from the fennel bulbs, then slice the bulb into 1/2" wide strips.
2. Wash the strips thoroughly and transfer the fennel to a medium saute pan.  Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the water has evaporated and fennel is soft.  
3. Add 2 T. ghee to the pan and saute the fennel until lightly browned.  Cool and reserve. 

Coddle the leeks

1. While the fennel is cooking, remove the dark green leaves from the leeks, wash well, and then slice into 1/8" strips.  Dry them well and set them aside.
2. Clean the white and light green part of the leeks and slice into 1" pieces.  
3. Preheat oven to 350F.  Melt the 1/4 cup ghee in an 8" x 12" baking dish while the oven is preheating. (I made this in our toaster oven, which was exactly the right size,)
4. Once the ghee is melted, arrange the 1" leek pieces cut side up in the preheated baking dish and nestle the garlic between them.  Baste the tops with some of the melted ghee.  
5. Cover the top of the pan with a piece of parchment paper, then cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  (The parchment prevents the foil from touching the food.)
6. Remove the dish from the oven, remove the foil, and gently turn the leeks over using 2 forks or a pair of tongs.  Replace the foil cover and bake for another 30 minutes, until the leeks are completely soft.  (Yes, this is a pain, but I've tried cooking the leeks whole, lying on their side, and they become tough!) Cool.

Fry the leek tops

1. While the leeks are cooking, cover a medium plate with several layers of paper towels.  
2. Heat 2 T. ghee in a small saute pan over medium heat and add the sliced leek tops.  
3. Watch carefully and remove them the second they start to brown!  Drain them on the paper towels. I cook them in batches, and use a slotted spoon to remove them.  When they're all cooked, pour the pan contents through a fine mesh strainer collecting the ghee in a small bowl.  The leek flavored ghee can be spread on toast or otherwise used as a flavoring agent.
   

Make the dip

1. Combine the cooked fennel, coddled leeks and garlic, ground fennel, fennel pollen and 1 t. salt in a high powered blender.  
2. Zest the lemons, mince the zest, and add to the blender.  Puree.  
3. Juice the lemons and add lemon juice 2 T at a time until it tastes lemony but does not overpower the leeks and fennel.  Some lemons are bigger/tarter than others so proceed carefully.  
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve sprinkled with the fried leek tops.  Add them at the last minute so they don't get soggy.**

I love this dip with carrot dippers, especially if the dip is lemony. 

*I cook the fennel during the summer, when it's in season, and then freeze it, which greatly facilitates making this dip in the fall and winter.  I use one cup of frozen fennel for this recipe.

**Whenever I cook leeks, rather than throw out the dark green leaves, I fry them!  I roll the fried leeks in paper towels and store them in glass jars to use a garnish all year.