what happens when a blogger browses 10+ blogs a day?

You get hooked, or at least I do. Hooked on the feeling to read more, learn more and cook more. This morning I came to the realization that I am very thankful for the birth of internet, especially blogging. Since I sat down on the PC this morning until just a few minutes ago, I've read 5 familiar blogs and 6 new ones. The familiar ones are on my favorite lists as I stop in and read their updates and the new ones are a discovery. It happens everyday. I find more new blogs daily that I am fascinated by and have the desire to visit regularly. For instance, I found this exceptionally written blog by Cookiecrumb and this one about Quick Indian Cooking. Until I started reading the latter, I didn't think such a thing was possible. Indian cooking fast? No way... However after reading that particular blog, I can imagine it can work. If I get all my ducks in a row, prepare all my ingredients beforehand, I can cook Indian food in a short time.

I am appreciative to those discovered and waiting to be discovered for the insight on such great things.

Notably, these familiar and newly discovered blogs inspire me to try cooking a variety of dishes. I've made gnocchi, lasagna, and fig & goat cheese tapenade in the last few days (pictures, recipes and success rate will soon to be posted), all because the blogs that I've stumbled upon have made me want to try my hand at gnocchi, for the first time, or make an old time favorite, lasagna.

Familiar or not, some recipes and pictures have really made my mouth water. I’ve made a list of recipes I want to try in the upcoming weeks. To name a few, I am planning to make scalloped potatoes, spaghetti and meatballs, and khaman.

The pictures on this blog even made me want to visit Morocco as soon as possible. Though the travel may not happen now, I can certainly dream. And most importantly I can continue to cook and cherish great foods, tastes and cultures of the world which is at my fingertips.

Jihva for Tomatoes, or Tomatillos

Tomatoes, tomater, taameta, tomate; whatever word you use to call these fruits, you know when I say they're the most delightful things for any kind of cooking. They're so versatile, they can be added to any recipe for an enhanced taste. When I read that RP was hosting JFI blogging event and tomatoes were her pick for the month; I jumped at the opportunity to make a tomato-based dish. I went to a favorite grocer that sells a variety of vegetables and fruits including bittermelon, Indian eggplant, Japanese eggplant, lemongrass, fresh okra, plantains and a billion types of hot sauces. Products that would otherwise be oust from a typical store because they're international. boohoo. I bought fresh tomatillos to make a mexican favorite, enchilada verde. I made enchilada sauce using tomatillo salsa and the filling with spinach, black bean and cheese.
I came across a filling recipe by Sher at What did you eat She made a delicious spinach & kale enchilada filling that inspired me to try my hand at vegetarian enchiladas. I used black beans in place of mushrooms and kale and it still turned out great. Next time I'll even go as far as making the tequila sauce, if time permits.

Enchilada Verde

For the sauce:
4 tomatillos
2 garlic cloves
2 serrano peppers (2 made it spicy, just the way I like it; add according to your taste)
1 medium onion
teaspoon of cumin seeds
water

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Roast the vegetables and whole cumin in a baking dish for 14 minutes. When finished, let cool. Add some water to the blender along with the roasted ingredients and blend into a smooth sauce. Add salt and blend again.

For the filling:
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 16 oz can of black beans, washed and drained
16 oz frozen spinach (defrosted and squeezed dry) or 1.5 lbs of fresh spinach, washed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teapsoon of red chile powder
1 tablespoon of flour
1/2 cup milk1 cup Cheese- Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar, Queso Fresco (anything that tickles your fancy
Salt & Pepper

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add garlic and onions and saute until onions are translucent and garlic is cooked. Sprinkle some salt & pepper. Add black beans and cook for 4-6 minutes. Then add spinach and cook until wilted. Add ground cumin, coriander, red chile powder and more salt & pepper to flavor the beans and the greens. Add flour and stir until thoroughly mixed. Cook the flour for 3- 5 minutes or until it starts to smell nutty. Whisk in the milk slowly to keep from lumping. Add 1/4 cup of tomatillo salsa and cook until liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat, add the cheese, and stir. Let the filling cool.

To make the Enchiladas:
8 corn, flour or wheat tortillas
Spinach and Black bean filling
Tomatillo salsa
Cheese
Fill each tortilla with the filling, roll and lay in a rectangular baking dish. Repeat this with the other 7 tortillas.

Pour tomatillo salsa over the enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Sprinkle rest of the cheese over the enchiladas and bake for 5 more minutes. When ready, the cheese should be bubbling on top.

The tomatillo salsa was unusual from the typical red enchilada sauce and added great flavor to the enchiladas. I made this when MG & EB were over for dinner; it was a big hit with the vegetarian guest. I'll certainly make it again.

Harira, my way

The inspiration to last night's dish was chickpeas. For me cooking is about using ingredients that are in the kitchen and/or pantry and preparing a divine dish from that. The husband soaked 1.5 cups of dry garbanzo beans the previous night intending to make chole. If you've soaked dried beans, you know that they expand; the next morning we had double the garbanzo beans and no interest in making chole. I had a change of heart because I attempted to make bhature last week and failed miserably so I didn't want to relive that, again.

What to do, what to do... decisions, decisions..

Then it dawned on me to make hummus with half of the beans. I gave some of it to friends EB & MG. And AM was coming over to celebrate my birthday, offer decorating advice for the house (since I lack in that department) and to eat dinner. Guests over for dinner is a perfect time to make a fancy dish, therefore the other half of the beans were used to make my version of Harira, Moroccan stew, eaten after breaking fast on Ramadan. It is made on the stove in a watched pot but because it was harira my way I changed the recipe and cooked it in the slow cooker.

Harira

3 garlic cloves minced
1 medium onion chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
a good pinch of saffron threads
1 cinammon stick
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoon ground cumin, divided
2 tablespoon ground coriander, divided
2 teaspoons cayenne powder, divided
salt & pepper
2 cups soaked chickpeas, or one 16 oz. can
2 lbs chicken thighs, about 6 thighs
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
almonds for topping
green onions for topping
Sprinkle salt & pepper, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon ground coriander and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper on both sides of the chicken.

To the crockpot add garlic, onions, turmeric, saffron, cinammon stick, chili powder, rest of ground cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper. Drain the chickpeas from the overnight soaking liquid and add to the slow cooker and stir. Place the seasoned chicken on top of the chickpeas and add broth or water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Though it's tempting, don't stir during the cooking or the chicken will break into pieces. When serving, chicken should be in individual pieces. In the last hour of the cooking, add lemon juice.

Harira can be eaten with rice or couscous. Top it with green onions and almonds and serve with your choice of side.

After we finished dinner I realized I didn't take any pictures. We were all too hungry to think about pictures, obviously. My guests always jump at the opportunity to take pictures for MY blog prior to dinner, don't yours? No? Your friends are odd.

The recipe was a success and pictures might have been a great addition but they wouldn't convey the marvelous smell and taste of the dish when it's made. You have to try it to believe it.

side note: you can add golden raisins and tomatoes to the recipe but since someone in the family isn't a fan of both of those in this recipe, I omitted them.

This is my submission to Arabian Nights Mingle hosted by Meeta at What's for Lunch Honey check it out and try some great food.

but what about the comments?

test two because my comments link is missing for the last post. dangit! I should just sit at home, cook, learn html, eat, make my blog pretty and cook some more.

cold drink for a hot day

I wish I could drink one of these on a beautiful hot day like today. Falooda is an Indian drink made with milk, basil seeds, rose syrup, vermicelli noodles and ice cream. Because of the hot weather 8 months out of the year in the region, people found alternative ways like this to stay cool. One of the foods the husband and I were both very pleased to have while in India. It was delicious.

When I was young, all the cousins in the family would drive to the falooda shop (yes they're so popular in India, they have shops just for faloodas) and had these for evening snack. They are filling. The baby cousin was, of course, the most demanding; only sharing with cousins that would allow him to eat or drink as he pleased. I vividly remember our last outing to the falooda shop with the cousins before we packed our bags and came to America. He was 6 years old and wanted his own glass of falooda. Mind you, they generally come in a tall beer glass and for a 6 year old, this is more than enough. He demanded his own and indeed got his own. He also had some tricks up his sleeve that were about to unravel. Everyone ordered theirs, and in the first round he ate the ice cream and the vermicelli noodles. The milk and basil seeds were passed off to the rest of us to finish; like he was too good for it. When the rest of us were busy talking, he walked up to the counter and ordered another glass for himself. As for the 3rd round, we learned our lesson and before he ordered thirds we tried to get him to finish the first two. He made faces, got angry and threw a fit for having to finish the milk and basil seeds and declined the offer. He got his way and surely enough he ordered a third glass. Good for us, because some of us rose to the opportunity to have 2nds and 3rds. Our outings were opportunities that would bring us all together to enjoy a good conversation and a tall glass of falooda.

Not only does Falooda remind me of cooling down in hot weather but it also reminds me of home and my cousins. While having it on our last trip to India, it brought back wonderful memories. It would have been lovely to go to the falooda shop with the cousins but unfortunately everyone is dispersed. maybe next time…