Slow Cooker Bombay Potatoes

I was inspired to make these because of a ready-made package I bought last week and microwaved. As would be expected, even more delicious when made from scratch. And very easy, to boot. It involves garam masala, which is just a combination of spices. Interestingly, this is something that may vary according to region or personal taste and may even include wet ingredients. I include this basic combination of spices that worked for me:

1 Tbsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. ground cardamon (another call for cardamon, yea!)
1 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Now for the potato recipe itself:

1 medium onion, chopped
3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed (or not peeled, if you're like me. I used small, Yukon Gold
  potatoes, whose skins were very thin).
1 can diced tomatoes (Scottish translation = 1 tin of diced tomaities) or 3 fresh, chopped.
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp dried chili flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 tsp kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. 

As soon as they begin to pop, add the onion and cook until translucent. 

Add spice mix and cook for another 3 minutes to get the flavors going. 

Throw in chopped potatoes and stir until all are covered in spice.  

Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Put in slow cooker on high for about 3 hours.

You can sprinkle with chopped parsley or coriander but, come on, we're Nanners and not into the fancy, just the delicious, which this is.

Nonfat Lemon Raspberry Muffins

A pre-NCC hit that I made for Lauren's Symposium. These were included in the welcome bag for Meredith & Company (along with the Toonce Activity Books).

Photo Credit: The Frozen Fix

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup nonfat lemon yogurt
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups raspberries
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients --- except the raspberries and lemon zest --- and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed. 
4. GENTLY fold in the raspberries and the zest. (Over-stirring may cause them to bleed and turn blue.)
5. Pour the batter into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin tins and bake 22 to 28 minutes.

Source: I can't track down the original recipe...I had to dig this out of my inbox.

Greg Bread

Surveying her 'hood. Photo Credit: E.Evans

This recipe was shared with us by our friend Greg in Baltimore who had been in pursuit of a recipe that would approximate the bread he enjoyed in San Francisco (good crust with a chewy inside). Apparently the key is the dutch oven, which simulates the moisture control of professional baker ovens.

As Greg said, it really is the best and easiest bread recipe ever!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon yeast
• 1.5 cups warm water (not too hot)
• Cornmeal or ground grits

DIRECTIONS

1. THE NIGHT BEFORE: Mix it all up in a bowl just until all the dry flour is soaked up (do not knead). Let it rise for about 12 hours.
2. Preheat the oven with the dutch oven in it to 400.   
3. Lay out a towel with a bunch of cornmeal on it.  Dump the dough onto the towel (it will be super wet and messy) and fold the dough into the center at all four corners (like closing a box). Use the towel to cover the dough in cornmeal and put it in the dutch oven with the folded part facing up.
4. Bake for 30-32 min with lid on and then 15-18 min with the lid off.
5. Then take it out and enjoy :-)

Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

 
Skinnytaste.com does it again! I was leary of this one but decided to try it anyway. I, like most parents, am constantly trying to find new ways to get my kids eating vegetables... screw it, like most people I am trying to find new ways to get myself eating more vegetables. This time I made it with all cauliflower but in the future I may play around with the proportions and do half cauliflower/half rice to make it slightly more filling. This recipe is now a combination of the original recipe and our traditional fried rice list of suggestions.

• 1 medium head (about 24 oz) cauliflower, rinsed (or 1/2 a head if using rice also)
• Rice (I usually do white although just made it with brown to increase the nutritional value)
• Veggies, all chopped to bite sized (whatever you have works, although I always try to have mushrooms and some kind of onion... green, white, whatever... frozen peas and carrots reduce the chopping time)
• Soy Sauce
• Fish Sauce (apparently it is the key ingredient)
• Sesame Oil
• Eggs
• Protein, if desired, anything works... chicken, beef, shrimp, scallops

Tips

1. Remove the core and let the cauliflower dry completely. Coarsely chop into florets, then place small batches of the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is small and has the texture of rice or couscous – don't over process or it will get mushy. Set aside and repeat with the remaining cauliflower.
2. If using it, make the rice the day before, let it cool, then put it in the fridge overnight. This prevents the really sticky rice.
3. Fry up everything by itself. First the protein, then the egg, then the vegetables (I do mushrooms and white onions first because they need more time, then peas and carrots and red pepper separate) then the cauliflower and finally the rice. Once it's cooked it can all go in the same bowl, but saute separate, adding a little sesame oil before each batch of stuff and a little soy sauce in each one.
4. If you're using green onions add the white/light green portion in with the white onions and mushrooms but set aside the green portion.
5. Add the cauliflower "rice" to the saute pan along with soy sauce and fish sauce. Mix, cover and cook approximately 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is slightly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.
6. When frying the rice, if you let it cool overnight it will be clumpy. Dump it in your wok or frying pan and break it up with a wooden spoon. Drizzle soy and fish sauce over the rice while you are breaking it up and stir.  Then spread the rice out as much as you can on the bottom of your pan or up the sides of the wok. DO NOT STIR IT. Let it sit there and fry for a few minutes. Flip it (or stir it) and do that again. Then add everything back in: your veggies, protein, and egg and stir to combine it all together adding soy sauce until your palate is satisfied.
7. Remove from heat and add the greens of the green onions. Not cooking these at all gives a really nice bite to this dish.

 

Photo and original recipe from skinnytaste.com