It's gone to the dog!

A few months after our wedding, Mike and I decided to add a new member to our growing menagerie of animals. We knew we wanted a boxer because of their energy, loyalty, unconditional love and boxer wiggles. Most importantly, we had previous experience with a wonderful boxer name Moe. We filled out applications to a boxer rescue, went through multiple interviews and were finally matched with a two year old brindle boxer named General MacArthur. Lol. "Mac" for short.  Armed with tons of doggy toys, a new bed and various books on bringing a new dog home, we were ready to pick Mac up from his foster parents 340 miles away!


Boy, were we wrong. We were spectacularly unprepared for the literal and metaphorical journey. After 12 hours of driving, 2 flat tires and an incredibly anxious dog, we exhaustedly made it back home.  Suddenly, bringing a dog home was no longer the joyous event we were hoping for. Instead, we came home to a dog that was so fearful that he destroyed our home and more importantly, self injured. We'd always prided ourselves on being the kind of people who never gave up and rose to meet any tough situation. But less than a week after bringing Mac home, we found ourselves having a frank discussion about taking him back to rescue. During the course of our hour long talk, something changed: we came to the realization that we couldn't give up on Mac. He's a lovely dog that just needed a second chance and, at that moment, we knew we'd try our best to give that chance to Mac. That was five months ago.


Now, Mac is flourishing under our love, care and consideration. With the help of some much needed medication to soothe his anxiety and continued behavioral trainng, he is beginning to calm down. Although we're not completely there yet, we are happy to report that Mac no longer hurts himself. His confidence is growing and much to our happiness, his goofy and protective boxer traits are finally surfacing. In five short months, Mac has reminded us that everyone deserves a second chance and that we have the patience and love to help someone that is just hurting. In five short months, Mac has also become a certified therapy dog and will pass along his happiness to others. Not bad for a little guy who was abandoned.


In celebration of all the hard work that Mac's done to get to where he is now, I thought it would be nice to treat him to some home made cookies. Not only are they better quality than the store bought version, but they are also a kinder alternative to using cookies with animal products. <<side note: please check with your vet regarding any food allergies before you give these or any other food to your pets>>


I hope your babies enjoy it as much as Mac does.


Peanut butter doggy cookies
adapted from ehow.com
                     
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup of peanut butter, chunky or smooth
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 cups of flour, sifted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large glass bowl, whisk water, peanut butter and vegetable oil.

Gently mix in 1 cup of flour at a time to the wet ingredients until you have a non-sticky dough. If the dough is still sticky after 3 cups of flour, mix in 1/4 cup of flour and check again.

Flour a work surface and roll out the dough until it is a 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes.

<<side note: Before you use a cookie cutter, be sure to lighly dust it with flour.It'll help prevent the cutter from sticking to the dough>>

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the bottom of the cookie is golden brown. Cool thoroughly and serve to your favorite fur ball.

 

<<side note: Know a pet lover? Just pile a dozen cookies in tissue paper and tie it off with a nice ribbon and present them as gifts! >>

Till next time, To Life!

It's raining cookies in here!

I spent this past Saturday making batches of delicious Italian cookies with my lovely and multi-talented sister-in-law, Michelle and my adorable mom. For a few glorious hours, I left the stress of dissertation writing behind and just relaxed.

As the cookies baked away, we spent the afternoon sitting around the kitchen table, drinking coffee, chatting and watching gorgeous juncos, cardinals and chickadees put on a show for us in the backyard. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon-eating, laughing, sharing and enjoying the holiday season.

I hope you'll love baking and eating the cookies with your family as much as we did. Be sure to bake extra, because if you're anything like me, you'll snack on a couple or ten cookies along the way. :)

Italian Cookies

This recipe was passed down to Michelle from her grandmother, and now to me and all of you.

A few things I learned from Michelle:

1. The dough is ready when it doesn't stick to your fingers. If it is still a bit sticky, add a quarter cup of flour and check again.

2. In general, it's somewhat difficult to tell when cookies are fully baked. An easy technique? Check the bottom of the cookie. It it's a nice, golden brown, then it's cooked through. If not, bake for a few extra minutes and re-check.

Ingredients

5 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 cup sugar

7 eggs

2 ½ sticks melted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Beat eggs; add sugar, melted butter, vanilla and salt.

Add dry ingredients

Form dough into rounds, knots and ribbons.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes

Top with icing made from confectioner’s sugar, water and desired food coloring

    

 Enjoy!

Till next time, To Life!

Everyday Exotic

During a recent trip to the local supermarket, I was amazed at the variety of authentic Indian spices available. I no longer have to trek to a desi market to find Indian turmeric or chili powder. These once exotic spices are becoming more accessible and non-Indians are willing to try making home made Indian food.

If this is your first time making Indian food, check out my "International Pantry Essentials" section. It gives you a list of items you'll need to start your Indian pantry.

Curried chickpeas with rice

 A few things I've learned along the way:
1. When you cook with Indian spices, low heat is the name of the game. Take your time and allow the spices to cook thoroughly to give your dish a complex yet unified taste.
2. Don't be afraid to experiment! The recipe below or any  of the other savory dishes that I've featured aren't written in stone. The liberating aspect of cooking (vs. baking) is that you can use a basic recipe (such as below) and modify it in countless ways to showcase your creativity.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1-15 ounce can of chick peas, drained and washed
2 whole tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1 cup of fresh or frozen peas, thawed if frozen
2 green chili, diced
1/2 teaspoon of tamarind paste
1/2-1 teaspoon of garam masala, according to taste
1 pinch of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder
2 cups of basmati rice
1/2 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions
Rice:
Cook rice according to package directions.

While the rice is cooking, let's prepare the chickpea curry.

Chickpea:
In a sautee pan, heat up one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the grated garlic and onions and sautee on low heat. 5 minutes. In the mean time, add the turmeric, chili, coriander and garam masala powder to a mortar and pestle. Add the diced green chili and grind until a thick paste is formed. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the paste to thin it out.

Add the thinned out mixture to the sauteed garlic and onions. On low heat, cook the spices thoroughly. 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add the chickpeas, green peas and a handful of cilantro. Coat well with the spices and tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Stir occasionally.
<<side note: at this point, you may substitute chickpeas with cleaned fish, shrimp or chicken. Keep in mind that your cooking time may increase or decrease depending on the meat you use>>

Meanwhile, in a small container, add the tamarind paste to a cup of warm water. Stir to dissolve. Add this mixture to the pan and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Ladle the curried chickpeas on a mound of rice, sprinkle some cilantro and enjoy!

Till next time, To Life!

Me and my manicotti

One of my all time favorite Italian dish is the delicious gooey, cheesy manicotti. Yumm. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! When I first made it a few years ago, I stuck to the basic, no-frills recipe. Over the last few years, it's gone through quite a few transformations and has evolved into what I like to think of as the ultimate cheese fest. So, if you're not a fan of cheese (yes, there are a few out there), then this recipe is most certainly not for you. But, if you're like me, and you've never met a cheese you didn't love, well then prepare yourself for the ultimate in cheesy heaven.

Three cheese manicotti

Some things I've learned along the way:
1. Always add a teaspoon or so of salt to the pasta cooking water. It flavors the pasta itself.
2. In the same vein, always cook pasta in a BIG pot. Cooking in a too-small pot will cause the pasta to clump together. The recommendation is that you need about 1.5 gallons of water for a pound of pasta.  If you're not sure how much water to use, always err on the side of caution.
3. Buy a chunk of parmesan instead of the already shredded version. Fresh parmesan is definitely a bit more expensive but it lasts longer and the taste difference is worth the extra few dollars.
4. Cilantro is incredibly sandy. Be sure to thoroughly wash it under cold, running water.

Ingredients
1 box of manicotti shells
Home made pasta sauce, recipe here
1 (15 ounce) container of whole milk ricotta cheese
2 cups of shredded, mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese, remember to use your microplane grater!
10-12 baby portabella mushrooms, diced
1 (10 ounce) packet of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
Salt and pepper, to taste 
1/4 cup of basil, chopped
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Pasta
Fill a big pot with plenty of water. Add a tablespoon of salt, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Add the manicotti shells to the boiling water. Stir well and cook the pasta according to directions. <<side note: because the pasta is going to bake in the oven for a few minutes, cook it for a few minutes less on stove top so that it remains al dente.>>

Three cheese stuffing
While the pasta is cooking, let's prepare the manicotti stuffing.

In a large glass bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir in some freshly ground black pepper to taste and set aside while we prepare the spinach and mushroom for the stuffing.

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil on medium heat in a sautee pan. Add the diced mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until the mushroom starts to wilt down a bit. Mix in a pinch of chopped basil and cilantro and transfer the mushroom to the ricotta mixture. In the same sautee pan, add a teaspoon of olive oil and add the thawed chopped spinach. The spinach is already cooked so you just want to heat it through for 5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the spinach from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Transfer the spinach to the ricotta and mushroom mixture. Mix all the ingredients well and, if needed, add a pinch of salt. Set it aside to allow the ingredients to blend together.

Using a small spoon, scoop in the cheese, spinach and mushroom stuffing into the manicotti shells. Coat the bottom of a baking dish with some pasta sauce and line the stuffed manicotti on top. Once they're all lined up in the baking dish, pour the remaining pasta sauce on the pasta and cover with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Sprinkle with some  fresh basil and cilantro. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Enjoy!


Till next time, To Life!

Pasta sauce the way grandma didn't make it.

When I know I'm going to have an exceptionally hectic week, I make a HUGE pot of pasta sauce over the weekend so that I can make quick dinners all week long.

I was a staunch pasta sauce-out-of-a-can kind of gal until one day a few years ago, I was craving pasta but was out of the usual store bought sauce. Since I always have a stash of canned tomatoes, I decided to give the almost fresh pasta sauce a whirl. A short google search later, I headed to the kitchen with a recipe in hand. The result was delicious.

I've made various versions of the below basic recipe--from adding loads of veggies for a hearty sauce or a touch of cayenne for some kick (sorry, Mom, but I've never added curry powder). But, its the following simple, tasty version that I make most frequently. The sauce can be used in a variety of pasta dishes.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and feel free to share your own time perfected recipe!

Simple, homemade pasta sauce
  

Some things I've learned along the way:

1. There is indeed a difference among the innumerable types of canned tomatoes. I've learned that when I don't have all day to slow cook a pot of pasta sauce, the stewed tomatoes (cut or whole) are a great addition. They give almost a sweet taste to the pasta sauce while infusing the sauce with a slow cooked taste. Use it and everyone will think you spent hours preparing the sauce!
2. Tomato paste is highly concentrated and used most often to add an additional layer of flavor. Use it conservatively. If you've never used it before, start off with one tablespoon of tomato paste and then add according to taste.

Ingredients

4-6 cloves of garlic, grated
1/2 spanish onion, diced 
2 cups of baby portabella mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 (14.5 ounces) of stewed tomatoes
Vegetable stock, as and if needed
1/4 cup of fresh basil, roughly chopped

 Directions

On low flame, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pot. Sautee the garlic and onions until softened. Add the diced mushrooms and cook for five minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the tomato paste begins to cook, add the stewed tomatoes. Turn the heat up to high and boil the sauce for 20-30 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down. Stir frequently. If there isn't enough liquid, add vegetable stock as needed. Add in fresh basil and stir.

Lower the heat to medium low, cover and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.

It's ready to be enjoyed with your choice of pasta.

Till next time, To Life!

Whisk up some bisque

I look forward to the weekend because it's my time to try out recipes.  One such recipe is Ina Garten's shrimp bisque. After a quick look at her list of ingredients and realizing that I didn't have many of them, and being too lazy to make a grocery run, I decided to modify her recipe.

I hope you enjoy my take on Ms. Garten's recipe. I know Mike did. I was lucky to be able to take the below pictures before he devoured the entire pot of bisque!

Shrimp and crab bisque













Some things I've learned along the way:
1. Use a roux (fancy word for a cooked mixture of fat and flour) to help thicken up soups, chowder, bisque etc.
2. Be sure to cook the flour thoroughly to avoid the raw flour taste. It takes about five minutes to cook a couple of tablespoons of flour. Also, cook the flour and whatever fat you decide to use (butter, oil etc) on low heat.
3. Crab meat can be purchased as "lump crab meat" or "claw crab meat." Although the two grades are nutritionally similar, they vary in their taste. Lump crab meat has a more subtle taste whereas the claw meat is more robust.  <<To learn more about the various types of crab meat, visit: http://www.thenibble.com/REVIEWS/main/fish/seafood/crab-types2.asp>>

Ingredients:
1 lb of shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1/4 lb of lump crab meat (I used claw meat as it was cheaper)
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, unsalted
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, unsalted and softened
2 tablespoons of canned tomato paste
4 cups of canned stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup of seafood stock
1/2 onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, grated
1 garlic bulb, roasted (directions below)
1 cup of heavy cream
Salt & pepper, to taste
Parsley, handful, roughly chopped
1 french baguette, sliced and toasted

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the top off the garlic bulb and discard. Lightly oil the remaining portion of the garlic bulb, place it on a cookie sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes. Your nose will tell you when the garlic is done.

<<side note: why roast the garlic? Unlike sauteing, roasting brings out the garlic's sweetness. Try it, the results are fabulous.>>

While the garlic is roasting, let's make the bisque.

Bisque:
In a large pot, add 2 tablespoons of butter and melt on low heat. Once the butter is melted, add garlic and onions and sautee till they are fragrant and translucent. Add the flour and cook thoroughly.

Add the tomato paste and evenly coat the flour mixture with the paste. Let it cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Add the stewed tomatoes and turn up the heat to medium high. Mix well and allow the sauce to boil for 10 minutes. Stir often. Add seafood stock. Boil for an additional 5 minutes.

Lower the heat to low. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and let the flavors combine for 5-10 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree for 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth. While it is pureeing, prepare and cook the shrimp. Once cooked, cut the shrimp into smaller pieces.

Transfer the pureed mixture back into the pot and add the shrimp and crab meat. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

Bread and butter:
Take the roasted garlic bulb out of the oven and squeeze out the deliciously roasted garlic cloves.  Combine the roasted garlic, chopped cilantro with 2 tablespoons of softened butter or margarine. Spread the garlic butter on sliced, toasted baguette.

Ladle the bisque into a soup bowl, top off with a drizzle of heavy cream and a couple of slices of the jazzed up baguette and enjoy!

 

Till next time, To Life!

Color me.....shrimp!

I love cooking shrimp. It's easy, cooks in minutes, is always delicious and can withstand a wide variety of cooking techniques--grilling, baking, sauteing etc. I use it often in pasta, gratins and various curries. The one thing I have not done nor will ever do is make shrimp ice cream (umm....iron chef, anyone??)

I've made the below recipe a hundred times for my husband who devours it in record time. You can change it up in various ways by adding different seafood items. This dish is particularly great with scallops and/or mussels. I left them out in this version because I only had shrimp on hand. If you do decide to add other seafood items, be sure to increase the number of tomatoes so that you get a good amount of sauce.

Shrimp with mushroom and cilantro couscous

Some things I've learned along the way:
1. Shrimp cooks really, really fast. That's a good and a bad thing.  Here's how to cook it: Put the shrimp on an oiled grill, in a sautee pan etc., on medium flame and leave it alone for 3-5 minutes. Then, turn it over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. That's it, it's done. Overcooking the shrimp makes it really tough and rubbery. But, if you're like my husband, and you like your shrimp a little tough and chewy, then by all means cook it longer. :)
2. Sautee garlic and onions on low flame. Cooking on low flame releases their aroma gently. This way, you prevent either from getting burnt and the result is delicious.

Ingredients:
10-15 shrimp, peeled and deveined (de-pooped, perhaps?)
20-30 cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, julienned
1 filet of oil packed anchovie
Capers (add quantity according to taste)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper; canned version is fine too if you prefer a milder kick
1/4 vegetable broth, if needed
2 cups of couscous
2 cups of baby portabella mushroom, sliced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Directions:
Shrimp
On low to medium flame, heat up 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a big, open mouthed skillet. Grate the garlic cloves and add to the olive oil and let the garlic cook on low, even flame for 3 to 5 minutes. Add onions and cook for another few minutes. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, drizzle some olive oil and add an anchovie filet and cook till the fish melts. If there isn't enough oil to melt the fish, add another tablespoon. Don't be alarmed by the strong fishy flavor it gives off initially as the smell will dissipate in a few minutes and it gives the dish a wonderful depth of flavor. But if you are not a fan of fish, by all means omit it.

<<side note: the best grater that I've ever come across is the Microplane Grater-Zester. I received one a few months ago and it’s been my constant cooking companion. It grates the garlic into a fine paste so that you don't end up with chunks of garlic in your food. It’s a great stocking stuffer for a cook. You can purchase one at http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/prep-utensils/microplane-grater-zester/s360417. >>

Add the cherry tomatoes and coat evenly with the melted fish and cook on low to medium heat for a few minutes. Then, crank up the heat to high. Yes, high. After a few minutes, you'll get gorgeous char marks on the tomatoes and they'll start to burst. Be sure to stir the tomatoes to get an even char.

Once all the tomatoes have burst, lower the heat to low.  Add the jalapeno pepper, and add back the onions and the garlic mixture you set aside earlier. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes minutes, stirring occasionally. If there isn't enough sauce, add a 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Don't have any broth? Just substitute with water.

It's time to cook the shrimp. First, you need to prepare the shrimp. Once the shrimp is peeled and deveined, wash it under cold water. Add some salt and pepper and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil.

Turn the stove top grill (or a regular pan) on medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and let the oil heat up. Add the shrimp. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes. Turn it over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. When it turns pink and feels springy to the touch, it is done.

Add the shrimp to the tomato sauce. Stir to coat the shrimp, add the remaining chopped cilantro and a handful of capers. Keep in mind that the capers are salty, so if you’re watching your salt intake, just give them a good rinse to remove excess salt. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Set aside while we cook the couscous.

Couscous
Cook couscous according to directions on the packet.

<<side note: I prefer buying the plain couscous. It's not only cheaper but I can control the ingredients that go into it>>

While the couscous is cooking, slice the mushrooms and cook them in an oiled skillet under medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes until they are tender. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Add mushrooms and the remaining roughly chopped cilantro into the couscous. Fluff the couscous with a fork to mix all the ingredients.

Ladle a generous portion of the shrimp on a bed of couscous and enjoy!

Till next time, To Life!

Oh Coconut, How I Love Thee...

In the Malayalee (see here) kitchen, the coconut is the undisputed king. This delicious fruit is infused into a wide variety of dishes, from breakfast chutneys to forming the base of spicy fish curries to decadent rice pudding. It even serves as an offering to the gods.

So, it is only fitting that my culinary journey begin at home, with an ode to the coconut. Of course, since I am also nursing a sweet tooth, the coconut offering will be in the form of a cupcake.

I hope you enjoy it!

 Coconut cupcakes












A few things I've learned along the way:
1. Always bring the butter, eggs and other ingredients to room temperature before working with them.
2. Always add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Do it the other way and you end up with dough and not really batter.
3. Be sure to sift. I know, I'm not a huge fan of this either but the lumpless cakes are reinforcement enough to keep on sifting.
4. Sample your delicious food along the way. It's the cook's prerogative!

Ingredients
-3 cups of flour, sifted
-2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
-2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
-2 eggs
-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
-1 1/4 cup milk (I prefer to use whole milk, but 1 or 2% works fine too. Try to avoid the non-fat version)
-4 cups of sweetened, shredded coconut flakes; 1/2 cup for toasting
-4 packets of cream cheese, at room temperature
-1 cup of confectioner's sugar or to your preference
-1/2 cup of heavy cream

Directions
The cupcake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Start by combining the flour, baking powder and salt and sifting it. Set aside.

Meanwhile, using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. In small batches, add the sugar into the creamed butter. Allow the ingredients to combine well before continuing. Be sure to scrape down the sides...you don't want to miss any of the delicious goodness! Once the ingredients are well combined, add the eggs one at a time and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla.

<<side note: For special occasions, you might want to use pretty cupcake wrappers. Click here for choices of elegant to whimsical cupcake wrappers. Yup, they're expensive..which is why I only use it on really special occasions>>


Allow the cupcakes to rest while you prepare the frosting.

The Frosting:
Before you start, make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature.

Using a mixer, mix the cream cheese until its soft and pillowy. Slowly add in the cream until it is well incorporated into the cream cheese. Add the remaining vanilla extract and mix well. Finally, slowly add in the powdered sugar to your desired level of sweetness. I prefer very sweet frosting, so I usually add a 1 1

<<side note: At this point, you can also divide the frosting up into smaller batches and add different food coloring to them. It makes for a festive presentation>>

Take 1/2 cup of sweetened coconut flakes and, on low heat, toast them on the stove until they begin to turn a light brown. Remove from heat.

Take a generous spoonful of the cream cheese frosting and liberally slather each cupcake. Top each cupcake with a couple of pinches of the toasted coconut.

You're all done and ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Till next time, To life!