Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 package (1 ounce) freeze-dried strawberries, processed in food processor until powdery

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar and strawberry powder, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

Makes about 2 cups.

From MarthaStewart.com with change

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

Makes about 2 cups.

From MarthaStewart.com

Chilli Paneer

For the sauce:

50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) plain flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons canola oil

300 grams (10 1/2 ounces) paneer, cut into flat slices

For the paneer:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 small green chillies, finely chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon chilli sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon tamarind-date chutney

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

To prepare the paneer, put the flour and salt into a bowl and gradually stir in the measured water to make a smooth batter.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Line a plate with some kitchen paper.  Dip the cheese pieces in the batter, transfer them to the pan, and fry for about 1 minute on each side, until golden brown.  Remove the cooked paneer pieces with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper-lined plate to drain excess oil.

To make the sauce, add the additional 1 tablespoon oil to the same frying pan in which you cooked the paneer and heat over medium heat.  Add the onion and green chillies and fry for about 5 minutes, until the onion is light golden.  Add the soy sauce, chilli sauce, ketchup, tamarind-date chutney, salt and pepper and mix well.

Transfer the battered paneer to the frying pan, mix the pieces into the sauce well, then take the pan off the heat, transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and serve hot.

Serves 4.

From Chai, Chaat & Chutney by Chetna Makan with minor change

Chilled Oranges in Orange Flower-Caramel Syrup

8 good eating oranges, preferably organic or unsprayed, or more clementines/tangerines
2 teaspoons orange flower water
1 cup sugar

Zest 2 of the oranges, using a zester or microplane to make fine shreds.

Use a sharp knife to remove the skin and all of the white membrane from the oranges.  Cut the oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, removing any seeds.  If using clementines or small tangerines, just remove as much white membrane as possible without trying to remove the skin.

Arrange orange pieces in a shallow serving dish, sprinkle with zest and orange flower water, and set aside.

To make the caramel, spread the sugar in a dry skillet or medium or large saucepan.  Set the pan over medium-high heat and heat, without stirring, until the sugar begins to melt into a clear syrup around the edges.  Turn the heat down to medium and continue melting the sugar without stirring - shake the pan to redistribute it - for as long as the syrup remains clear.  When the syrup begins to color, stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, mixing and spreading the syrup and sugar together, until all the sugar is melted and beginning to color evenly.  If some of the syrup starts to color too quickly before the rest, turn the heat down or take the pan off the heat for a few minutes,and continue to stir.  When the syrup is reddish-amber, or the color of medium-dark honey, remove from heat.

Immediately pour the hot caramel over the orange slices.  The oranges may be kept, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 2 days.  If you serve the oranges after a brief chilling, some of the caramel will have hardened into a thin, brittle layer on top of the oranges.  Lengthier chilling will melt the caramel completely.

Serves 8.

From Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich, with very minor changes

Note: This is delicious served with Labneh Tart.

Homemade Labneh

2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt  

Arrange a double layer of cheesecloth in a strainer (or, alternatively, line a strainer with coffee filters).  Spoon yogurt into strainer, and place strainer over a bowl so that it rests a few inches above the bottom of the bowl.  Lightly cover strainer with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate 12-24 hours.  After 12 hours, the yogurt mixture will have thickened into standard labneh; after 24 hours, it will have thickened further, into extra-stiff labneh.

Remove strainer from bowl; discard whey. Spoon labneh into a bowl and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 1 1/4 cups.

From Cooking Light

Labneh (Lebni) Tart

For the crust:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (4.5 ounces) all-purpose flour

For the filling:

3 large eggs

1/4 cup (plus optional 2 tablespoons) sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) labneh (yogurt cheese) (Note: if making labneh from recipe at link, increase amount of yogurt to 3 cups and let stand for 12 hours for standard labneh)
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt

9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom

To make the crust, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, combine the butter with the sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Add the flour and mix just util well-blended.  If the dough seems too soft and gooey, let it stand for a few minutes to firm up.

Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan to make a thin, very even, layer.  This takes a little patience, as there is just enough dough; to avoid ending up with extra-thick edges, press the dough squarely into the corners of the pan.  Place the pan on a cookie sheet.

Bake until the crust is a deep, golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, checking after about 15 minutes or so to see if the dough has puffed up from the bottom of the pan.  If it has, lift and gently slam the cookie sheet down to settle the dough, or press the dough down with the back of a fork and prick it a few times with the tines.

Meanwhile, make the filling.  Somewhat surprisingly, the order in which the ingredients are mixed makes a big difference in the smoothness of the tart, so proceed without deviation.  In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, salt, and vanilla.  Whisk in the yogurt cheese.

When the crust is ready, remove it from the oven and turn the temperature down to 300 F.  Brush the bottom of the crust with a thin layer of the beaten egg yolk to moisture-proof it.  Return the crust to the oven for 1 minute to set the yolk.

Pour the filling into the hot crust and spread it evenly.  Return the tart to the oven and bake until the filling is set around the edges but, when the pan is nudged, quivers like very soft Jell-O in the center, around 15 to 20 minutes.  Check often in the last few minutes, as over-baking will destroy the silky-smooth texture of the filling.  Cool the tart completely on a rack.  Refrigerate if not serving within 3 hours.

Serves 8.

From Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich

Note: This is delicious served with Chilled Oranges in Orange Flower-Caramel Syrup.

Brussels Sprouts Hash

1 pound (454 grams) Brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon split urad dal
1 tablespoon split chana dal
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced green chilies
Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves
Kosher salt
5 tablespoons water

Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts, using a mandoline or knife; you should have about 8 cups.

Place a large saute pan over low heat and add the oil and dals.  Heat until the dals just begin to color and smell toasty, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the mustard seeds, increase the heat to medium, and cook until the seeds pop, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the shallot, ginger, chilies, and curry leaves.  Season with salt and cook until the shallots are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the water and simmer until the liquid is almost completely gone and the lentils soften slightly (they should still be a little crunchy but not hard), 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan, increase the heat to high, and stir-fry until the sprouts are slightly tender but with some crunch, about 2 minutes.

Season with salt to taste and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

From Flavorwalla by Floyd Cardoz