Palak Paneer

I love Indian food.  One of my new favorites is Palak Paneer - a rich green sauce with delicate cheese cubes.  I've never made cheese before, but it's always intrigued me.  The 1960's era Time Life book on Indian cooking my mother assured me it was simple.  It actually was.

The palak curry recipe is adapted from this one.that I found on Google.  It has great pictures of each step, and it actually tastes like the restaurant version.  I think the blanching of the spinach is really important to keep the color bright and appealing.  We all know how overcooked spinach can look.  My family loved this!  I can see making it at least once a month if not more frequently.  Even my picky 12 year old wiped his plate with his bread.  I didn't have naan, so i used flour tortillas quick toasted over the gas flame.

Ingredients
For the paneer
1 half gallon whole or 2% milk
1/2 c plain yogurt
2 T fresh lemon juice

For the Palak curry
9 oz fresh spinach - one large bag
1 long green hot chili
2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 T oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 small fresh tomatoes or 1 8-oz can diced tomatoes
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 bay leaf
2 T heavy cream
salt

Make  the paneer 
Line a medium strainer with a tea towel and place over an 8 cup measure or other large bowl.  Pour milk into 3 quart saucepan and bring to boil over high heat.  When foam begins to rise, remove pan from heat and stir in yogurt and lemon juice.  It will look awful, but it's okay.  Dump the mixture into the strainer and let it drain and cool a bit.  When the curds are cool enough to handle, gather up the tea towel and squeeze as much liquid out as you can  Place a bath towel on the counter, and put a chopping board on top.  Place the curds, still wrapped in the tea towel, on a chopping board.  Cover with another board or a heavy pot.  Pile as many heavy things on top as you can.  The goal is to flatten the curds (paneer) into a flat disk about 1/2 - 1 inch thick.  Leave it to sit a few hours.  You can do this up to two days ahead.  Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes and set aside.



For the Palak Curry
Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. In a large pot, bring one quart of water to boil. Drop the spinach into the pot and turn it off.  Let it stand for 2 minutes, drain, and dump spinach into a bowl of ice water.  Drain, and place spinach into a blender.  Add the chopped garlic, hot pepper, and ginger, and blend until smooth.  It will smell heavenly.

In a large deep skillet, heat the oil to almost smoking, and add the cumin seeds.  They should fry and toast in the oil.  Add the bay leaf and onions, and cook until lightly golden.  Add the garlic and cook a minute more.  Add the tomatoes and cook another minute or so.  Add the turmeric and chili powder, stirring well.  Pour in the spinach and ginger mixture.  Add 1/4 -1/2 cup water to the blender to get every bit of that spinach, and add to the pan.  Reduce heat and cook about 5 minutes.  Add the paneer cubes and cook another 3 minutes.  Stir in the cream, and season with salt to taste.

Serve with Basmati rice or Naan or both!  Yum.

Summer Pasta

This quick and easy pasta is the perfect use for all those wonderful summer tomatoes you have hanging around.  

4 fresh ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 shallot, minced

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c fresh basil sliced thinly (chiffonade, for you, Elizabeth)

8 oz fresh mozzarella diced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon

salt and pepper to taste 

Grated Parmesan is optional 

1 lb pasta - I like gemilli, but penne works well too

Bring large pot of water to boil and add 2 T salt. Add pasta and cook till almost al dente.  While pasta is cooking, place garlic and olive oil in a heavy 6 quart pan, over low heat, and toast garlic very gently. Raise heat and add red pepper flakes and shallots and cook a minute or two.  Add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper.  When pasta almost al dente, drain, reserving 1 c cooking liquid.  Add pasta to pan with tomatoes and cook until al dente.  Fold in basil, lemon juice and mozzarella.  Serve immediately.  Season with fresh ground pepper.  Add Parmesan if you like. 

The best thing I ever baked

Cinnamon buns from this King Arthur Flour recipe.  Used the icing from this recipe.

Pecan Pie

I have never had a lot of success with pecan pie - too hard, too runny, too stiff.  Is it cooking too long? Not long enough?  Good lord.  Pecan pie is nothing more than a custard pie with corn syrup instead of cream.  How hard can this be?  If you want a sturdier quiche or a thicker crème brulée you add more eggs.  So, more eggs must be an important piece of the equation.  But which recipe to start with?  I decided to start with this one from King Arthur Flour.

I'm just trying to figure out the custard part here, so no fancy crust efforts.  Simple pre-made pie crust from Pillsbury is just fine for now. Pre-baking the shell for a pie that bakes 40+ minutes is new to me, but in the spirit of experimentation, I did it.

Lined with non-stick foil

And after the baking.  It's not actually done, but it looks pretty sturdy

 

For the custard
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/2 c dark corn syrup
1 stick butter, melted
3 eggs - Using Jumbo this time, just to see
1 tsp vanilla

 

This recipe calls for half a cup of chopped pecans sprinkled with salt and toasted lightly in the oven.  

Les voila. 

 After baking for just 40 of the recommended 45 minutes, the pie looked puffed and golden.  See that little place on the side where the custard is done?  I thought that was a good sign.

Recipe says the pie will fall slightly as it cools.  Roger that.

The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating.  Well, actually, for me, it's in the cutting.  Would this be a soupy mess like so many before, or would it be a triumph?   The recipe specifically said that the pie cut well when it was completely cool, so I am going to resist the temptation to cut it while it's still warm. 

And...voilà - my first ever absolutely perfect pecan pie.  The filling is soft but firm - not eggy, but not too sweet.  It's a winner.
 

Frogmore Stew

This looks fun to try - Corn, Shrimp, New Potatoes and sausage - cook it up and eat it with your hands!

Here's Bobby Flay's recipe:

• 3 quarts water
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 2 bags frozen corn kernels
• 1 head celery, 1-inch dice
• 1 large onion, 1-inch dice
• 7 pounds red potatoes, quartered
• 2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined

Blueberry happiness

Blueberry Coffee Cake 

Source: Cook's Illustrated

Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 8 to 10

Streusel

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool

Cake

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( 7 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened but still cool
2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs , room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces), picked over

For the streusel: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray round; dust pan with flour and knock out excess. 

In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together then set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just about incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish stirring - the batter will be very thick.  Gently fold in the blueberries. 

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan; spread in an even layer.  To top with the streusel - pick up a handful of streusel and squeeze to form a clump.  Break this large clump into smaller pieces and sprinkle over the batter.  Continue until you've used all of the streusel.  Bake for about 55 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 15-20 minutes.  Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake then invert it onto the rack.  Remove the parchment then turn the cake streusel side up and let cool on the wire rack.

Texas Caviar

A new favorite from Southern Living, courtesy of my friend, Kathleen.  Thanks for the recipe and for a great week at your beach house, Kath!

1 15-oz can yellow hominy - drained

1 15-oz can black-eyed peas - drained

3 green onions, finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large tomato, diced

1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced

1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced (I used pickled)

1/3 c chopped fresh parsley

1/4 c chopped onions

1/2 c Italian salad dressing

Toss everything together in a bowl and chill.  Serve with tortilla chips.  This gets better and better the longer it marinates.  

Notes 

For some reason, there is only white hominy in Southern Maryland, but it's just as good

I used Good Season's Italian dressing mix and made it up with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

You could add a can of black beans to make it go further.