Flavor and spice booster for your mixed drinks – Stolichnaya with a kick!

This simple recipe will add bold flavor to your Margaritas, Mojitos and other mixed drinks:

A handful of Thai dragon Chilli peppers (or similar hot peppers) washed and chopped coarsely

CAUTION – these are very hot peppers and you should take care handling them, wash all utensils, chopping board and hands very carefully after you are done.

Stolichnaya or similar vodka.

Add the peppers to the vodka and let infuse for a few days. Store the bottle in the fridge and add a tablespoon of spicy Stolichnaya to your Bloody Mary, Margarita or Mojito! No need for that Worcestershire sauce in the Bloody Mary.

Some shortcuts that save me tons of time!

Indian cooking involves lots of spices and fresh ingredients that are not always on hand or a chore to prepare each time. Here are some shortcuts from my mother that are really helpful!

Ginger and garlic cubes: I use fresh young ginger that is not very fibrous. Usually local stores (like Indian or Asian grocery stores) have the best ginger. After peeling the ginger I chop it roughly into big pieces. Then I take about an equal weight of fresh garlic and peel the garlic cloves. Getting cloves separated, putting in a metal mixing bowl inverting another bowl over the first one and shaking really hard will peel the garlic! Try it, it is magic 🙂 Next blend together ginger and garlic in a blender. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze overnight. Pop out the cubes and store in freezer in a jar or zipped bag. Next time you cook a curry pop in one or two cubes of this mix while frying the spices to get the fresh ginger garlic taste. The stuff can be stored for a long period of time. You can also blend and freeze them separately if you usually do not use both together. The ginger cubes are great for making ginger tea.

Fresh tomatoes are a must in many curries, but very expensive in the winter time. When tomato plants are booming the summer, chop and freeze in usable quantities in ziplock bags, and then use a frozen portion to fry with the spices. I get a farm basket every week and all summer there are way more tomatoes and tomatillos than I can eat, so I always have frozen portions stashed away in my freezer. The same goes for onions, chop and freeze a big batch for use whenever needed. If you get a big bag of hot chilli peppers, you can chop and store them frozen for future use.

Specialty juices, like cherry or pomegranate, can be frozen in ice cube trays before their use by date, and then added into mixed blended drinks, like margaritas.

Vege/Vegan culinary heaven – Roy’s!

Admit it, if you are a vegetarian it is hard to find suitable food that tastes good too! So often I feel like a wet blanket when the first words out of my mouth are “Will they have vegetarian food?” when friends suggest a restaurant. And if you are a Vegan then life is very tough indeed. Sometimes it is helpful to do some research online, and sometimes you just have to ask at the restaurant if they have food that suits your dietary preferences. In Waikiki we chanced upon Roy’s, well known for its Asian inspired fusion cuisine, and online reviews said excellent things about the place. So we decided to go in and try the food out. However, except for one vegan sushi dish, most of the dishes praised online in vegetarian forums were not even on the menu. So we asked and boy were we delighted! Roy’s has an entire vegan menu, and they are extremely flexible with substitutions on those items.

Roy’s Vegan Menu

The place is pricey but the food is so scrumptious that of our three nights in Honolulu, two dinners were at Roy’s. The pride of place no doubt is the vegan sushi on the main menu. Containing all the usual sushi ingredients, it jumps to the top of the heap with its garbanzo based “fish substitute”. It is unique, flavorful and a meal in itself. Also on the vegan menu is a “poke” dish, made of fresh watermelon and bursting with flavor it is quite amazing.

Vegan sushi rolls, and “poke”

In addition, the vegan menu has a hearts of palm ravioli that is is a visual and taste treat. The portion is small, and may not work as a stand alone dish to make a meal, but add the sushi to it and you have a great dinner.

Hearts of palm ravioli

The Cauliflower quinoa risotto is an interesting take on risotto, nicely balancing the carbs with some protein. It comes with asparagus and mushrooms, but you can easily substitute any one of these for the other. Both are wonderful accompaniments to the risotto.

Cauliflower risotto

By the time you are done with all this and groaning with over-indulgence there is still a desert to be had. The raspberries and almond tart with soy “gelato” is passable, but really not a star of this menu. However, on take two the staff happily substituted the vegan sushi for the dessert and we were all very happy with that! I know Roy’s can be found on every island in Hawaii, but also in other states – so find one and try it! You will love it.

This post focused on the vege/vegan menu items, but others in the party who had the real sushi, the duck and the rosted chicken were smacking their lips too and happily went back the second day. If you can keep the omnivores, vegetarians and vegans happy then what else does one need – so well done Roy’s!!!

Hotness overload – Thai Dragon Chilli Jam and Fiery Hot sauce

In Spring I bought some seedlings for my planter boxes. In the mix were three Thai Dragon Chilli seedlings and a Habanero seedling. The Habanero has decided to sulk big time and make no flowers, but the Thai Dragon Chilly plants went crazy and made so many fruit that I knew I had to concoct a plan for using them. A colleague who loves to ca stuff suggested Thai Dragon chilli jam and I was instantly on board. The canning paraphernalia was hers (though I am very tempted to go out and get my own set of equipment) and today we set to work. On the cards was a Chilli Jam, a Hot Sauce and some Hot Chilli oil. The final results are fantastic, and the jam is super hot and super addictive. I ate a bunch of it with walnut bread and cheese, and loved it.

Recipes follow:

Red Hot Sauce (from the Ball Blue Book)

2 quarts chopped tomatoes

1.5 cups chopped Thai Dragon peppers

1 quart vinegar

2 cans tomato sauce

1 cube garlic paste

1 cup sugar

1 Tbs salt

2 Tbs pickling spices

Combine tomatoes and peppers and 2 cups vinegar in a pot and cook until soft. Process through a food mill and discard skins and seeds. Add sugar, salt, spices in a muslin bag, tomato sauce, and garlic. Add 2 cups vinegar. Cook for 30 minutes. Ladled into jars that were boiled for 10 minutes, process for 15 minutes with lids on. Yields 4 half pints.

Thai pepper jam:

12 oz peppers

2 cups cider vinegar

2 red bell peppers

6 cups sugar

2 pouches liquid pectin

Prepare jars by boiling for 10 minutes. In a blender add Thai dragon peppers, and 1 cup vinegar and process until smooth. Strain into a saucepan. Reserve the skins, and seeds for making Hot Chilli Oil. Puree the bell peppers in half cup vinegar. Combine Chilli and pepper puree, add rest of vinegar and sugar and boil over high heat stirring constantly for 10 minutes. Stir in pectin, boil hard, stirring for 1 minute. Remove from hear, and skim foam if any. Fill jars, 1/4 in head space. Process for 10 minutes with lids on.

Hot Chilli Oil:

2 cups oil – Canols or other ( I used a Grapeseed, Canola and Olive oil blend)

Chilli chopped or remaining after straining from Jam recipe.

Heat oil, add chillies and cook for 5 minutes until oil takes on red hue. Ladle into jars with the chilli residue. Use to season pasta, pizza, or to lightly pan fry tortillas in a few drops of chilli oil on each side.

And then we christened the products and feasted on them!

Califlower and paneer curry with walnuts

Today we were inspired to use walnut in our curry. After looking up recipes for fesunjoon (the Persian walnut curry) and finding out that it uses pomegranates also which were not on hand, this variation was concocted!

Easy baked tofu and veggies – a healthy low carb meal!

Tofu Bake

Two packs of extra firm tofu cut into 2 inch by i inch by 1 inch pieces, you can set these between paper towels to drain

What a vegetarian ate at Magnolias, Charleston!

I went with a large group that was on the hunt for oysters and other seafood, and had resigned myself to a liquid diet of cocktails and some vegetarian sides. The evening started out well with an East Side Mojito, a nicely refreshing one with tangy lemon, tea and mint, consumed at the bar as we waited for a table.

When life gives you persimmons, make persimmon cake!

Life has given me persimmons, a whole load of persimmons! Every fall the persimmon tree in my backyard flashes and glows orange when everything around it is pretty much dormant or dead.

Fall harvest veggie bake with paneer

Every week I get a huge basket of seasonal veggies from the student organic farm. The arrival of the basket is an event, and the disposal of the veggies a lot of hard work. Sadly enough sometimes the disposal is into the trash bin after I forget about them in my fridge. This week I attacked the basket as soon as it arrived. The plan was to make a huge pan of roasted veggies that I could eat for a few days.

Greens, vegetables and mustard – Chadchadi!!!

Just in time for Halloween: Garbanzo beans with pumpkin curry

Fall’s bounty – vegetable medley with paneer

I get a veggie basket every week and it is sometimes challenging to find time for cooking. Today was a good day. I came home with my basket and set to work immediately! Ended up with a great tasting vegetable medley that used up almost all the veggies in the basket.

Summer bounty – stuffed zucchini

When the garden throws zucchini at you relentlessly and you start running out of things to do with it, try this one.

Two large zucchini
One large onion
Two large potatoes
Two medium sized tomatoes chopped (or a tomato and a tomatillo)
Half cup walnuts
Shredded cheddar cheese (or any other cheese you have handy)
Two tablespoon of canola oil
A tablespoon of cornstarch
Salt and pepper

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a melon baller, or other device scoop out the insides until about half a centimeter of skin and flesh remains on each half. prick lightly with a fork, dust with some salt and pepper, brush with oil and set to bake in an over (350 degrees).

Cut the potatoes into inch size cubes, and microwave in a covered pan to cook almost to completion. Chop the scooped out zucchini into tiny bits, chop onion finely. Put the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and saute until they turn golden in color, the add chopped zucchini, tomatoes and cook until almost done. The add potatoes, salt and pepper and continue to cook. If the mixture is runny, add some cornstarch and cook to bind it. Then added the shredded cheese, chopped walnuts. Take out the baking shells, add the mixture into each and return to oven to cook for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and tops are golden brown.

As a variation, you can added cooked soy protein or more nuts.

Savory veggie pancakes – quick meal in a pan!

Looking for a quick meal to fix? Something that requires a few ingredients and not too many pots and pans? Look no further. This one is made with a base of garbanzo bean flour (proteins), corn meal, and cream of wheat for crispness, and has lots of veggie goodness.

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour (sold as besan flour in desi stores)
1/4 cup cornmeal (can be omitted or replaced with besan for more protein)
1 packet cream of wheat (the breakfast packs kind – or substitute with 1/4 cup semolina or sooji)
1 cup water (or more)
salt to taste
red chilli powder (if you are fond of heat

Mix these ingredient and whisk to get a smooth flowing (though not runny) mix. Add more water if needed. Set aside.

one large tomato
1/2 frozen peas
1 small onion
2 tomatillos (or substitute with 1/2 tomato and a few drops of lemon juice)
1 jalapeno (if you like the heat)

Blend all the ingredients without any added water until you have a crude mix.

Add the veggies into the flour mix and whisk thoroughly to mix all ingredients. Heat a non-stick pan on high heat and wipe down with a paper towel soaked in cold water. Take one ladle of the mix, pour on the heated pan and spread with the ladle into a smooth round pancake. Add a tablespoon of canola oil all around the edge of the pancake and let it cook until the top looks solid and the bottom is a golden brown. Using a large spatula flip the pancake over and add a bit more oil to cook the other side. Serve with a garnish of chopped tomato and jalapeno. If in a hurry to eat, you can mix 3/4 tomato ketchup with 1/4 Sriracha sauce and use as a dipping sauce. This pancake should go well with yogurt mixed with chopped cucumber too. Makes about 6 small sized or four large pancakes.

Poha with quinoa – the magic “grain”

Quinoa is touted as the magic “grain” = gluten free, high in protein and low in carbohydrates. A quarter cup of quinoa has more than 6 grams of protein, a good way to get protein into a vegetarian diet. My first attempt to cook with quinoa was to make poha.