labneh lemon tart

i know, i know, i know my new profile pic is probably creepin you out. so i was messin' with my new phone's camera capabilities and ended up sorta liking this one. anonymous, but you get a glimpse. looking back through all my blog entries, i realize that i've probably already said too much, revealed even more. do you guys ever think you've exposed a little too much about yourselves? not that i mind, but it is nice to be somewhat mysterious at times.

so what has all that to do with my lemon tarts? oh, nothing. anyways, i had bought some labneh this past weekend when i was at the fabulous new Phoenicia. i planned to use it as cream cheese to spread on my whole grain bagels because i like the way it tastes and it's way better for you... oh, it's not? well, i never got around to getting the bagels, so the poor labneh just sat in the fridge. had i seen michael's post earlier i would've made this. but since my sewing machine got in the way of my blog hopping, i just saw it today.

so i had these beautiful meyer lemons and i decided to make an instant lemony cheesecake tart.
you can mess around with the recipe and try different flavor combinations. it's pretty much limitless. and it's sort of embarrassing to use these processed products which i normally don't have around but this was the easiest and fastest way i could make these yellow beauties. they only take 10 minutes to make and a few hours to chill. they're actually perfect for tea parties or special dinners. and no matter what anyone tells you, everyone loves their own dessert! why do you think cupcakes are so popular? everyone wants to have their own cake and eat it too, that's why!

labneh lemon tarts
serves 10-12
prep time: 10 min, plus 3-4 hours chilling time

vip's:

• 10-12 tart shells, baked and cooled completely
• a packet of 3.2 oz any flavor instant pudding (i used vanilla; cheesecake would be good too)
• 1 cup labneh
• 1 tub fat free whipped topping
• lemon zest & juice of one lemon

the play:

• cream the labneh until smooth and creamy
• stir in the pudding, lemon zest and lemon juice
• fold in the whipped topping
• chill mixture covered for a few hours up to a few days
• fill the tarts right before serving
• garnish with zest, lemon balm or mint

Listening to: a recommendation by my dear friend A - War's 'Four Cornered Room' from the album, The World is a Ghetto (1972)... love it A, thanks!!

Batata poha

i know i haven't been blogging like i should be, but in my defense, i've been busy with a new hobby - a brand new sewing machine. i've been sewing like crazy. mind you i've only made 1 wearable top so far. my first project was a non-wearable skirt and the other was a non-wearable blouse. i'm really enjoying it and sort of put the blog on the back burner for awhile.

so, like i was saying before, this blog is turning into a breakfast one. so, i present you batata poha minus the batata (potatoes). i know everyone has their own version, but mine is made without potatoes. i really don't care for them all that much so i just leave them out.

i'm not going to give you guys a measured recipe, there are so many blogs who have wonderful exact recipes, but i'll provide the basic method...

• wash the thin poha in cold water and let sit for about 15 min
• heat some oil, add mustard seeds and let pop
• add cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves
• add a chopped red onion and green chillies and cook until transparent
• add the poha, some turmeric and salt - let cook, stirring occasionally for 5 min
• sqeeze some lemon over the top and add chopped cilantro
• serve hot

Here are some beautiful spring flowers from my container garden.

walnut and orange buckwheat pancakes (eggless)

the more i blog, the more i say to myself, 'this is turning into a breakfast blog by the minute'. while i do love dinner, i don't necessarily enjoy lunch. but well, who really likes to eat by themselves in a giant cube maze? i mean, you can't even crunch a potato chip or a carrot stick without people snickering and asking 'what you munchin' on?' .

if you go out, everybody and their mother wants to place an order like you're their personal admin and then not give you enough money to cover their bill on top of that. then you might say, well get your ass over to the cafeteria. then i would tell you there is no cafeteria. what there is, is a dark and damp storage room that houses a microwave and a dirty fridge and of course the favorite water cooler. but i won't even get into that now. the gross fridge is a post all of its own. and so is the water cooler. and so is the storage room come to think of it. do you know how many times rude people just leave the water bottle empty for the next person? that is so not cool.

well, you must know by now that i loves me a hot cup of tea in the mornings and something warm and toasty on the weekends. isn't there something nostalgic about being able to lazily take the time to actually crush the ginger into the water and letting it steep instead of making it half assed like on the weekdays? i love mornings, i really do, but having to go to work really messes it up for me. so on the weekends, i purposely take my sweet time and actually think before i make something instead of just grabbing the first thing thats dunkable for my tea.

usually i do prefer savory over sweet in the mornings, but sometimes you just want pancakes. i like to make my own because they're so easy, it's quite silly really and they just taste so much better because you can make so many combinations. i have made pineapple, dried cherries & pecans pancakes when i was craving a pineapple upside down cake one time. that was pretty awesome. another time i made one with banana and cocoa nibs - that was pretty awesome. sometimes i just keep it simple and grate some lemon zest and add blueberries. that's always good. i've even added grated carrots and walnuts in order to satiate a carrot cake craving. too bad i didn't have cream cheese frosting! oh man, that would've been killer.

so it's pretty straightforward and simple - make your favorite buckwheat pancake batter (use a box mix if you're not so keen on making your own) but substitute half the amount of milk with fresh orange juice. then add some grated orange zest and chopped pecans. and fold into the batter. no need to whip it and beat it up. this is a batter, be delicate or it will be tough chewin' for you.

Notes: i don't use eggs in my baking, so depending on what i'm preparing, i will substitute using Ener-G egg replacer which is basically potato starch (so don't use this if you're cooking for strict Jains). sometimes i just use applesauce. other times i use sour cream, which works really well but adds unnecessary calories. sometimes, i don't use anything and just add more liquid. you know, just wing it like i do.

super spicy mushroom curry

we never ate mushrooms growing up. my mom never bought them and i'd never tasted one till i was in my twenties. never having tasted them, i thought they were horrible, nasty, mushy brownish gray things to top pizzas with. i had no idea i was just eating them prepared all wrong.

then after all those wasted years, i had my first portabella burger and that was all she wrote. it was mushroom love after that. i still prefer them lightly sauteed or fresh. more recently however, i had a mushroom curry at an indian wedding and it was outstanding. here is my re-creation of that dish.

spicy mushroom curry

serves 2-3

prep time: 10 min

cook time: 15 min

vips:

• 1 pint. cleaned and quartered button mushrooms
• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1/2 cup yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2" ginger minced
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander-cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons oil
• handful of chopped cilantro
• salt to taste

the play:

• heat oil in nonstick pan
• add onions and saute few minutes until transparent
• add the garlic, ginger and all the spices, saute for a couple more minutes
• add the tomatoes and salt and fry until mushy - about 5 min
• add mushrooms, fry for another 5 min
• stir in yogurt or buttermilk or sourcream until it comes to a simmer
• garnish with cilantro and serve with roti, toasted naan, lavash or steamed rice

Methi na thepla

Methi na theplas are one of the breakfasts we look forward to on the weekends. i've never been much of a person who craves donuts and pastries for breakfast, i'd much rather have something hot and spicy. methi na thepla are like whole wheat tortillas made with fresh fenugreek leaves.

i usually make enough to last for the next few days worth of breakfasts. it is best to store them in a ziploc and reheat them for 15 sec in the microwave.

i am giving a basic method, if you don't have access to fenugreek leaves fresh or frozen, just use any grated squash such as dudhi (opo squash) or zucchini. you could even use grated carrots and cabbage. use what you got, this is all about your own family's preference.

methi na thepla

serves 6

prep time: 10 min

cook time: 30 min

vips:

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour mix together with:
• 3 tablespoons oil
• salt
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ajwain (caraway seeds)

then add to the flour:

• 1 cup fenugreek leaves, washed & chopped, or if frozen, thaw first
• 3 tablespoons yogurt
• crush together: 3 green chilis, an inch of ginger, 2-3 garlic cloves (optional)
• add enough water to make a soft pliable dough and let rest for at least 30 min

the play:

• after the dough has rested for 30 min, make into 12 small round balls and keep covered
• take one ball of dough and roll out to about 6-8 inches, use extra flour for dusting
• heat a tawa or a flat pan and on medium heat, cook the thepla on one side for a minute or two
• flip thepla over and brush with oil and cook for 1-2 more minutes
• flip again and brush other side with oil
• cook until brown spots appear on both sides and is cooked through (approx 2 min on each side)

Listening to: soft groovy sounds of Stan Getz, 'I'm late, i'm late' off his album, Focus (1997, original recording, 1961).

kathiawadi bhakri and tea

if you know anything about the kathiawad region of gujarat, you will know this rustic peasant flatbread called bhakri. it is made from the most humblest of ingredients - flour, water, salt and ghee or oil. it is made on a round shaped clay pan. when it is cooked on clay, you will notice the texture and taste is very different than when cooked in a nonstick pan. it is slightly blackened in spots and has a nice slightly smoky flavor to it. it is generally served at breakfast with chai.

the method is simple enough - you just mix whole wheat flour with salt, rub in the ghee or oil until it's a little crumbly and mix enough water just to barely bind it together. this should be a firm, crumbly dough.

form into rounds the size of golf balls (about 1/2 cup) and roll into 6-8" rounds and prick with a fork. place on a heated nonstick flat pan on low until brown spots appear approximately for 2 minutes. flip and do the same, making sure the bhakri is cooked through completely. top with ghee or butter and serve.

tea time

i was at central market the other day and stumbled right smack into these. i had to have them. i just had to. i coveted them for some reason.

i don't know about you, but when i see teas, i am just mesmerized. i want every flavor, every brand. oh, and God help me if it's loose tea. i am so onto that. currently, i have over 17 different teas in the house. i don't know why, it's not as if i drink them all at once, but like the rest of america, i'm a sucker for packaging and whimsy and the freedom of choice.

luckily, i do drink about 6-7 cups of tea daily. one cup of chai every morning and 4 cups of green tea at work, a cup of lychee tea when i get home and start cooking and then a final cup of ginger tea after dinner. needless to say, i spend half the day in the loo. for real. i wonder if my boss notices.

anyways, i picked up the tea in the pink canister because i've never seen rooibos packaged in tea bag form. i've always bought it loose in bulk. and the green one i bought, because i didn't want the pink one to be lonely in my pantry. no, i really bought it because i wanted to see how the "natural stevia leaf" was going to taste in my tea.

these are both grown completely organically and are fair trade to boot.

which i'm just reminded that i saw a stevia plant for sale at my local nursery. that is so awesome! i wonder how many leaves it will take to sweeten my tea? i didn't get it, and now i'm kind of pissed at myself for not buying it at the time. maybe i'll still go back and get it. have any of you ever used it before in it's plant form? i'm so psyched.