Mughlai Channe (Chickpeas Cooked in Mughal Style)

5 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 bay leaves
2 small cinnamon sticks
6 whole cardamom pods
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated to a pulp
3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed to a pulp
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 cup plain yogurt
5 tablespoons pureed tomatoes (not paste)
3 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 cups vegetable stock
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons amchur powder
1 tablespoon ground roasted cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  When hot, put in the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods.  Stir a few times and add the onions.  Stir and fry for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the onions are just browning around the edges.  Put in the ginger and garlic and stir for about 1 minute.  Add the cumin and coriander, stir for a few seconds, then stir in 1 tablespoon of the yogurt.  Stir and fry until it becomes one with the onions.  Add a second tablespoon of yogurt and stir until it, too, incorporates with the sauce.  Continue adding yogurt a tablespoon at a time until the full 1/2 cup has been incorporated.

Stir in the pureed tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.  Now add the chickpeas, vegetable stock, salt, garam masala, amchur, ground roasted cumin, and cayenne.  Stir to mix and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Add most of the cilantro and stir it in, leaving just a little for a final garnish.

Serves 6.

From World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey, with minor changes


Note:  To make with dried chickpeas, soak 2 1/2 cups dried chickpeas overnight in water that covers them by several inches.  Drain, discarding the soaking liquid.  Put the chickpeas in a pressure cooker with 5 cups of water.  Cover and bring up to pressure.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Allow the pressure to drop by itself, uncover, and set aside.  (Alternatively, if you don't have a pressure cooker, cook the soaked drained chickpeas with 8 cups of water for 1 1/2 to 3 hours until tender.)  Allow the chickpeas to cool in the cooking liquid.  Use the cooking liquid in place of the vegetable stock in the recipe, adding another cup or two of stock if additional liquid is needed.)

Meyer Lemon and Blueberry Bundt Cake

For cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 teaspoon for blueberries and zest

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (grate zest before juicing the lemons)

1 cup sour cream

2 cups blueberries

2 tablespoons grated Meyer lemon zest

For glaze:

1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice

2 cups confectioner’s sugar (or add more for thicker glaze)

Make cake:

Heat oven to 350° F.  Thoroughly grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

In a bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated after each. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of sour cream.

In a bowl, toss blueberries and zest with remaining teaspoon flour; gently fold into batter. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake cake on bottom rack of oven until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes. Invert onto a rack; cool completely, top side up.

Make glaze:

While cake is cooling, whisk lemon juice and confectioner sugar to create glaze. Mix until all the sugar has dissolved and there are no longer lumps. When the cake has completely cooled, drizzle glaze over the cake.

Makes one 12-inch Bundt cake.

From The Culinary Chronicles website, adapted from Martha Stewart

Zucchini Fritters

1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini

1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt, plus extra to taste

2 scallions, split lengthwise and sliced thin

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Olive or another oil of your choice, for frying

To serve (optional):

1 cup sour cream or plain, full-fat yogurt

1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

Pinches of salt

Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Have a baking sheet ready.

Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater or preferably, if you have one, using the shredding blade of a food processor. 

In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Wring out the zucchini in one of the following ways: pressing it against the holes of a colander with a wooden spoon to extract the water, squeezing out small handfuls at a time, or wrapping it up in a clean dishtowel or piece of cheese cloth and wringing away. 

Return deflated mass of zucchini shreds to bowl. Taste and, if you think it could benefit from more salt (most rinses down the drain), add a little bit more, around 1/4 teaspoon more.. Stir in scallions, egg, and some freshly ground black pepper. In a small dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the flour mixture into the zucchini batter.

In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet (only a few at a time so they don’t become crowded) and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of a spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If this is happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat process, keeping the pan well-oiled, with remaining batter. Fritters should have at least 10 minutes in the oven to finish setting and getting extra crisp.

Sour Cream Topping:

For the topping, if using, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice, zest, and salt, and adjust the flavors to your taste. Dollop on each fritter before serving. 

(These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for the better part of a week and or frozen in a well-sealed package for months. To use, simply spread them out on a tray in a 325 F oven until they’re hot and crisp again.)

Makes about 8 to 10 2-1/2 inch fritters

From Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Simply Recipes, with minor changes

Squash and Red Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons ghee

2 sweet onions, chopped

2 jalapenos, chopped

1 acorn or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 cup red lentils

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

6 cups water

Salt to taste (start with 1 teaspoon)

In the pan of pressure cooker, melt ghee over medium heat.  Add onions, jalapenos, and squash. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until just slightly browned.  Add lentils and spices.  Cook, stirring, for another minute or so, until the spices are fragrant and well-distributed.  Add water and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Place the cover on the pressure cooker, bring up to pressure, and cook for about 10 minutes.  Place the pressure cooker under cold running water until pressure is reduced.  Puree the soup using a hand blender.  Add more water as needed to adjust consistency, and add salt to taste.

Serves 4.

Recipe by me!

White Bean Soup with Bacon and Herbs

4-6 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely diced

2 celery ribs, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 fresh bay leaf

2 teaspoons chopped thyme

2 teaspoons chopped rosemary

1 pound Great Northern beans, soaked overnight and drained

10 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large soup pot, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving the fat and bacon separately.

Heat the olive oil in the soup pot. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon each of the chopped thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the drained beans, stock and 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and bring to a boil.

Simmer the soup over moderately low heat until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Discard the bay leaf and stir in the remaining thyme and rosemary. Season the soup with salt and pepper and transfer to shallow bowls. Garnish the soup with the bacon and serve.

Serves 8.

From Food & Wine

Wild Mushroom Tart

For the crust:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 grams) all­purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 grams) yellow cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, chilled and diced, plus additional to grease foil

1 large egg

For the filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 pound (225 grams) cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 pound (455 grams) assorted wild mushrooms (such as shiitake or oyster), thinly sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/4 cup (60 grams) mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

1/2 cup (55 grams) grated fontina cheese

1/4 cup (25 grams) finely grated Parmesan cheese

Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan.

Make the crust:

Combine the flour, cornmeal and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Add the butter, and pulse machine on and off until the butter is in very tiny bits.  Add the egg, and run the machine until the dough starts to clump together.

Spread a sheet of plastic wrap; put the dough on it, and top with another sheet of plastic wrap.  Roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle, pulling out the wrinkles as necessary to keep it smooth.  Once the dough has been rolled to the correct size, carefully peel back the top sheet of plastic and invert the dough and bottom piece of plastic wrap over the buttered tart pan.  Press it into place and remove the remaining piece of plastic wrap.  Transfer tart shell to the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375° F.

Once the crust is firm and cold to the touch, lightly butter one side of a square of aluminum foil.  Press the foil, butter side down, firmly against the base and sides of the crust.  Bake with foil for 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the foil and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the crust is firm and lightly golden at the edges.  Cool on a rack until needed.  Reduce oven temperature to 350° F.

Make the filling:

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add the oil and butter together.  Add the shallots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.  Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the mushrooms and thyme.  Saute the mushrooms until they are tender and the liquid they release has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes.  Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Transfer to a plate to cool.

Scoop the mascarpone into a medium bowl.  Drizzle in the milk, whisking until the milk and cheese combine smoothly.  Whisk in the eggs.  Stir in the cheeses, and then the mushroom mixture.

Pour the mixture into the tart shell and bake for 35 minutes, or until it is puffed and golden on top, and the tip of a knife inserted into the center and turned releases no wet custard.  Let the tart cool for 10 minutes on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6 to 8.

From The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Chicken Zoodle Soup

8 cups chicken stock
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced paper thin
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, sliced into long, thin noodle-like strips
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Green onions, finely sliced
Sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce for garnish

Bring chicken stock to boil in a large saucepan.  Add chicken and boil for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove chicken pieces from stock and set aside to cool.  Shred the chicken when it is cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring often, until they are golden and crispy.  Lower the heat as needed to make sure that they do not burn.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and ginger from the oil, reserving them for later.

Add celery, carrots, and onion to the oil in the soup pot.  Stir and saute over medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, until onion is translucent and vegetables are softened and golden.  Add the chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer and add the shredded chicken and zucchini noodles.  Cook until zucchini is softened.  Season to taste with kosher salt.

Serve the soup, topped with cilantro, green onions, and fried ginger and garlic slices.  Drizzle with a bit of sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Add soy sauce to taste.

Serves 4 to 6.

From HeatherChristo.com