Blog Bites 9: The Holiday Buffet

Towards the end of last year, in a moment of temporary insanity, I declared that I would try 40 new recipes in 40 days and post about each one until the new year. It was a crazy and exhilarating experience. This year, I have better control over my impulsive behavior. Still, I am keen on making the best of what's left of 2010 and cooking and baking to my heart's content.

The rest of the year is packed with holidays so I expect most food bloggers will be churning out festive meals. And our last Blog Bites potluck was so much fun that I decided a good way to celebrate would be to host another potluck buffet.

I took a screenshot of the recipes bookmarked on my computer yesterday and this is what it looks like: there are about 55 recipes in here, and I'm dying to try each one. More are being added to this list on a daily basis, I might add.

Perhaps you too have recipes bookmarked from other blogs that are sitting around waiting to be made. This is your chance to try any recipe from another blog and bring it to the holiday buffet. You have almost 2 months to send in entries (yes, this is a double edition) and depending on how many entries arrive, I might do a string of round-ups or one massive holiday buffet.

The Rules

1. From now until December 25, try ANY recipe from another blog. 
2. The recipe has to come from another blog; that is the whole premise of Blog Bites, so please turn to other blogs for inspiration.
3. Write a post telling us about the recipe you tried, with the following (a) A link to the recipe on the inspiring blog (b) A link to this post (the event announcement).
4. Please write a post specifically for this event.
5. Please do NOT copy a recipe word for word from another blog- that would be both illegal and unethical. Let's all give credit where credit is due.
6. Please make sure your entry meets all the rules above. Then, send me the link (URL) of your entry at the following e-mail address: OneHotStove AT gmail DOT com
7. You can send in as many entries as you like.

I will kick things off with my very first entry to BB9: butternut curry soup inspired by this recipe from Not Eating Out in New York. This blog has a nice feature- it rates recipes by cost, health factor and environmental impact. If you live in or around NYC, you might be interested in the local food event listing in the left side-bar.

Coming to the recipe: For the last three weeks, ever since winter squash made an appearance at the local market, I have been buying one medium butternut squash every week. Each is large enough that I can cut it and cook it, and use it in two different dishes that week. So far, one butternut squash was made into soup and quesadillas, another went into chili and dal and so on- it is simply a wonderful versatile vegetable with a sweet buttery taste.

A whole butternut squash can look formidable- you look at it and wonder, how on earth am I going to cut this thing without an axe and without losing a digit or two? These two tutorials were very helpful, and now I've combined some of the tips to come up with a method that works for me, as follows:

1. Cut off slivers at the top and bottom. 
2. Stand the squash upright and carefully cut it down the middle into two halves. 
3. Scoop out seeds and innards and discard (you can save the seeds and toast them).
4. To cook, either use the microwave or oven. I use the former because it takes only minutes.
5. Place the halves in a dish that will fit in your microwave. Pour in some water, to create steam. 
6. Microwave for 8-12 minutes, a few minutes at a time until the squash is fairly tender. 
7. Cool and store in the fridge until use. To use, peel (much easier now that it is cooked) and cut into cubes. 

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

1. Heat 2 tsp. oil and saute a large minced onion with salt and pepper.

2. Add the following and saute for 2 minutes:

• 1 chopped tomato
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. Sri Lankan curry powder (or your favorite masala)
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. red chili powder (optional, but the heat contrasts well with sweet squash)

3. Add cubed butternut squash (4 cups or so, half of a medium squash) and saute for 2 minutes.

4. Add 1 cup thick coconut milk and 2 to 3 cups water or vegetable stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. 

5. Blend the soup using an immersion blender. Garnish if fresh herbs if desired and serve. 

For something so simple, this soup has incredible flavor- you must give it a try. I served it with egg pulao. 

I'm looking forward to eating down my bookmarks by the end of the year, and here's hoping you will join me for this special edition of Blog Bites.

Warm up with One Dish Meals

October's Blog Bites challenge was to look through your favorite blogs and try a recipe for a one dish meal. Here it is, a big dose of tasty comfort in six different categories. Please click through and read the entries and their sources of inspiration- you might find some terrific new blogs to follow.

The goodness of grains and beans can be the base for so many hearty one pot meals.

Anu makes Hawaiian-style chickpeas with harvest grain blend, a sweet-spicy combination so tasty that she swears they "could not get enough". And go and see for yourself if this is not the easiest recipe ever: marinate everything overnight, then fry in a wok and you have dinner.

Janet wants to feed us booger salad, with barbecued worms and muddy caterpillar hotdogs, but luckily ends up giving us a gorgeous bowl of bulgur and grape salad with nuts and cranberries instead. They say you eat with your eyes first, and this picture just filled me up.

Sharan declares that "we need to chaat" (yes, we absolutely do) and proceeds to assemble leftover sundal (dressed up lentils) with herbs, chutneys, onions, tomatoes and crunchy sev into an irresistible bowl of chaat.

Mimi's Mommy combines rice and sprouts and lots of fried onions to make mujadarah, and praises this Middle-Eastern dish saying, "I don’t know if I should praise the aroma of the ingredients more than the outcome or if I should praise how quick the dish is to make or how tasty and filling it is."

Rice is very nice, indeed, the grain that immediately comes to my mind when I think of comfort food. Plain rice can be dressed up with a infinite variety of spices and vegetables. Priya makes two mixed rice recipes, pepper rice and radish rice.

Boil water and cook up some pasta- add some vegetables and dress with a sauce or some cheese, and you have a one dish meal that can hold all the major food groups and then some.

Megha beats the heat and humidity of Mumbai by making a batch of summer vegetable pasta with pesto, with a tangy and rich almond sauce, vegetables and short pasta. 

Satya loves tiny shell pasta because it cooks up in no time and is perfect for kids. She uses plenty of vegetables to make a colorful platter of mini shell pasta with tomato basil sauce.

Suparna says that her family is not really a pasta-eating one, but she tries stuffed pasta for the first time in agnolotti with roasted red pepper sauce and is very happy with the results. 

A pot of stew bubbling away on the stove is a picture of domestic bliss and home-cooked love. 

Amruta packs in "proteins from the beans; carbs, vitamins and fibers from veggies and whole grain bread/pasta" and shares a recipe for one pot vegetable stew.

There is the dramatic moment when a heavy casserole is lifted out of the oven, when savory vapors envelope the kitchen and you just can't wait to dig in. Casseroles are a great way to use up ingredients and minimize waste by being forgiving in terms of what can go into them.

As Shobana says, she started with an inspiring recipe, and then "halved, changed, added, deleted, all at once" to make a rice and mixed vegetable bake studded with colorful cubes of vegetables and topped with a tempting layer of melted cheese.

Tanvi combines the comfort of an American classic with the complex flavors of Thai cuisine with a tiny bit of cheating as she calls it, using store-bought pie crust to make a beautiful red curry chicken pot pie.

Corina bakes Greek lemon chicken, with potatoes baked in the casserole to soak up the complex flavors of oregano, lemon and garlic. She says it is absolutely delicious, and a keeper.

The Cooker finds a recipe for a samosa casserole, confesses that it had her at "samosa" and makes her own version of Bengali-ishtyle potato-cauliflower samosa casserole which was gobbled up in a single sitting.

Bala used literally one pan, a marvel of technology that goes from microwave to stove to oven to table, to make brussels sprouts au gratin with unusual (to me) vegetables like parsnips and chestnuts and lots of creamy cheese. 

Johanna finds that inclement weather makes grocery shopping difficult, but she manages to use what she has at home, "forgotten vegetarian sausage I found at the back of the fridge, some leftover sundried tomato pasta sauce that had not been a hit, wilted spring onions, a heel of parmesan cheese that was drying out", to make a wonderful spinach rice gratin.

Sometimes life calls for mix and match to make something unique to fit your needs. 

SS reveals her complicated inner monologue about foods that are and aren't appropriate for lunch boxes (e.g. too-green stuff and too-brown stuff is a no-no) and discovers a new dabba candidate in parotta salad, with a torn-up paratha, fresh crunchy veggies, protein patty and a sauce to bring it all together.

Supriya goes blog-hopping and borrows components from different blogs- Mexican rice from one place and fajita vegetables from another, then layers them in a crisp shell to make an impressive taco salad in tortilla bowl.

Just because it is a one dish meal does not mean it cannot also be an elaborate masterpiece.

Satya puts layers of love and care, even making tortillas from scratch, and comes up with a multilayered quesadilla- beans, vegetables and cheese nestled in layers of fresh tortillas.

Miri's description ("not too cloyingly thick, not too sweet, not bland at all - a perfect blend of flavours which pleases the palate") brings alive a wonderful Burmese dish, and then she put a lot of TLC into making a spread of noodles, creamy curry and an array of delightful toppings to make her version of Burmese Khow Suey.

Jayasri battles a migraine and makes it to the one-dish party with a beautiful platter of Hyderabadi vegetable biryani, a labor of love involving a dozen warm spices, plenty of vegetables and several tasty ingredients including cashews, raisins, fried onions and herbs.

Finally, JK says that much as she appreciates the routine of roti-subzi-dal-chawal, sometimes she needs a break and turns to one dish meals instead. She posts three one-dish meals, including handvo, a savory vegetable cake, methi theplas and pan pizza.

A huge thank you to all the participants for playing along. As you might have noticed, time slipped past me and I did not get around to participating in my own event- oh well, there's always a next time. 

Please check back on Thursday for the next theme (clue: there won't be much of a theme per se) and for a bonus soup recipe in that same post. 

The Radish as Comfort Food

It's a sambar...it's a rasam...it's a dal with features of both; a totally inauthentic recipe but so tasty that you should try it anyway.

I owe a great debt to food bloggers- really I do. It is very nice to learn how to make impressive desserts and elaborate dishes for special occasions. But the coolest thing is when blogs teach me fresh new ideas for everyday meals and different ways to cook the same ol' vegetables that end up in my crisper week after week.

Radishes were mainly a salad vegetable in my life until a few years ago when I noticed wonderful ways to cook them into a main dish here on Mahanandi and here on Aayi's recipes. Over the years, this radish dal has evolved in my kitchen based on those recipes and remains one of the greatest hits on the dinner rotation.

The trick here is to work quickly and not let the dal simmer for too long. You will be rewarded with radishes that are cooked long enough to soak up all the delicious flavors but that remain juicy enough to make every bite a treat.

Radish Dal 

1. Cook ¹⁄₂ cup toor dal and set it aside.

2. Start with the tempering

• 2 tsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 pinch asafetida
• 1 sprig fresh curry leaves

3. Add 1 large bunch red radishes, sliced into coins or half moons. If the radish greens are attached to the bunch and if they look fresh, chop up the greens and add them too. White radish (daikon) will work perfectly well here too.

4. Add the spices:

• ¹⁄₂ tsp. turmeric
• ¹⁄₂ tsp. red chilli powder
• 1-2 tsp. of your favorite rasam or sambar powder
• 1 tbsp. tamarind paste
• Salt to taste

5. Stir for a minute, then add 1 cup water and let the radishes cook for 3-4 minutes.

6. Add the cooked toor dal and more water if needed and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Taste and make sure the balance of salt, spice and tangy flavors is just right. Let the dal sit for at least 20 minutes before serving and serve over freshly steamed rice.

I finally got around to making ghee at home, and a dollop of this home made ghee transforms dal-rice into something even more special. The picture shows what little was left after V and I finished eating.

Please check back on Monday night for the round up of Blog Bites 8, where it is all about one dish meals. Entries will be welcomed all weekend. I'll include my own entry in that post.

Have a great weekend, all!

Self-Saucing Cabbage Curry

I love low-maintenance recipes. The ones where I don't need to hover over the pan watching like a hawk, or stir the pot constantly until my arms muscles quiver in protest. Where I can put the ingredients in, say "see ya later" and come back to something good and tasty. This is one such recipe.

It uses cabbage, the inexpensive and unassuming vegetable that can be dressed up in a hundred different ways. The idea for a no-hassle way to coat the cabbage in a tasty sauce comes from this recipe that I found via Priya, when she sent it as an entry for Blog Bites.

Dry coconut powder and sesame seeds are blitzed to a powder (this could be made in a batch and stored as a pantry basic). This powder magically turns a basic stir-fry bhaaji into a luscious curry, by combining with juices released from the vegetables and creating a wonderful sauce.

I don't bother roasting the coconut and sesame before making the powder, instead stir-frying the powder for a couple of minutes. I don't add any extra water either, because salt draws out plenty of water from the vegetables. This recipe would certainly work with other vegetables too.

Self-Saucing Cabbage Curry

Adapted from this recipe from Healthfood Desivideshi, serves 4 to 5

1. Grind 3 tbsp. dry coconut flakes/powder and 1 tbsp. sesame seeds into a fine powder and set aside. 
2. In a pan, heat 2 tsp. oil.
3. Temper it with 1 tsp. mustard seeds and 1 tsp. cumin seeds.
4. Add 1 medium onion (sliced), 5 to 6 cups cabbage strips (about half a large head), 1 bell pepper (sliced) and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
5. Add 1 tsp. red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp. turmeric, 2 tsp. cumin-coriander powder and the coconut-sesame powder. Stir fry for a couple of minutes. 
6. Add 1 chopped tomato, salt to taste and 1/2 tsp. jaggery/sugar (optional; do this if you like your savory curries to have a barely perceptible hint of sweetness).  
7. Don't add water or cover the pan (but others have noted that the vegetables started to burn at the bottom so please take your own stove/cookware into account and adjust the method accordingly). Just let it cook unattended on medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes. 

Serve with rotis or yogurt-rice or dal-rice and some pickle on the side for an utterly satisfying meal.

Enjoy your Sunday and have a wonderful week ahead.

Summer's Last Hurrah

One of the happiest things that happened to me this summer was the direct result of a policy at my workplace. Every Thursday (this started in August and will continue into November), local farmers were invited to set up tents and tables and sell their fresh produce right in the courtyard, in the shadow of offices, hospitals and research buildings, in an urban setting where thousands of employees congregate.

At lunchtime once a week without fail, I am able to stroll down and get my pick of the season's finest fruits and vegetables, grown in nearby farms in Missouri and Illinois. This unprecedented access allowed me to enjoy the bounty of summer more than ever. Last week's market was the turning point- on the tables, you could see the last of the summer crops, squash, peppers, eggplant and tomato, sharing space with the first of the winter crops, cabbages, cauliflowers and greens.

Coming home with this mixed-seasonal assortment, I found myself with a tub of pesto and a container of cooked kidney beans (extras from the rajma I made a couple of days earlier) in the fridge and a scant cup of whole-wheat couscous in the pantry. It all came together in this quick salad that heralded the change of seasons in my kitchen.

On a side note, the cauliflower from the market was something to behold. For starters, it was not swaddled in plastic. The florets were shapely and looser than the turgid florets of the supermarket variety. The florets has light pink-purple striations on the stems. And the tasty was ever so cauliflowery!

Pesto Couscous Salad

(my own impromptu creation)

1. Grain: Place 1 scant cup couscous in a bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water. Cover and let it stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the grains with a fork.
2. Vegetables: Meanwhile, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy pan. Saute cauliflower florets, zucchini and summer squash coins and pepper strips until seared and tender, seasoning with salt and pepper. I find that fairly high heat is required to get vegetables that are juicy but with tasty brown flecks.
3. Make the salad: In a large bowl, toss together the couscous, vegetables, a cup or so of cooked kidney beans. Dress with pesto, a hefty pinch of red pepper flakes, more olive oil and salt, pepper if required. 
4. Taste the salad and add some lemon juice or balsamic vinegar if needed to brighten the flavors. 

That's it- a quick supper that exudes wholesomeness. It happens to be vegan too. And a one-dish meal, no less. Of course, other grains like bulgur wheat or barley or quinoa would be a perfect substitute for the couscous.

The other happy (or disastrous, depending on whether you look at it from the point of view of the taste buds or the thighs) discovery of this summer was the jarred refrigerated ranch dressing from Whole Foods. It goes with everything (ask us how we know), including as a sauce atop this salad.

I have butternut squash soup bubbling away on the stove as I sit here and type this, so watch for Fall flavors and heartier dishes on One Hot Stove as we roll into the colder months.

Dale's Tales

A day in the life of a busy dog...

9 AM: Nap in the sun

Noon: Nap in the sun 

2 PM: Congratulate yourself on a hard day's work.

Cheesecake Brownies

Has it really been a couple of weeks since I posted anything new on this blog? Time sure flies when you are having fun- and I've been busy knitting myself a sweater, reading some interesting books (more on this at the end of the post), teaching and learning fun new things and generally taking a short unplanned break from blogging. Which can be ever so refreshing and an antidote to blogger's block.

Anyway. It seems quite logical that one might pick out a fabulous recipe, go shopping for the ingredients and then cook or bake. My method is often less romantic and more pragmatic. Food wastage makes me feel wretched, so I poke around the fridge and look for ingredients that must be used before I go hunting for recipes.

Several weeks ago, I stocked the fridge with Everything Possible for my guests and found myself with leftover cream cheese and sour cream. Yesterday came the opportunity to dispatch the cream cheese by making quick and easy cheesecake brownies- a little treat to celebrate a happy event: Neighbor Girl getting the job of her dreams.

Two bowls, pantry ingredients + cream cheese, 5 minutes of mixing and 30-40 minutes in the oven, and you have yourself a pan of swirly brownies.

Cheesecake Brownies

(adapted from this recipe from delish)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment and grease lightly.

2. This is the cream cheese portion. In a medium bowl, beat together

• 6 oz. cream cheese (3/4 of a standard slab), softened
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

The cream cheese and the butter can be softened by setting them on the counter, or by microwaving them for a few seconds.

3. This is the brownie portion. In a large bowl, beat together

• 7 tbsp. melted butter (the rest of the stick after removing a tbsp. for the cream cheese portion)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

4. Layer most of the brownie portion in the prepared pan. Pour the cream cheese portion on it. Dollop on the rest of the brownie portion. Run a knife tip through the dollops to create pretty swirls.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until a tester comes clean (with only some crumbs attached). Cool for an hour, then slice into 16 squares. Stand back and let your family and friends fight over how to divide up the squares.


The sour cream and a partial bag of frozen blueberries went into this quick bread from King Arthur. I can't seem to make enough quick breads, they are very popular around here.

On The Bookshelf

When I mention books in this space, it is because I enjoyed them and want to recommend them. But here is a book that I really looked forward to reading, where I loved the premise of the novel but was utterly disappointed with the book when I was done reading it.

They say to not judge a book by its cover, but look at that inviting slice of cake- I had to read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. The concept of the book is a young girl who can taste the emotions of the person who has prepared the food she is eating. For instance, her mother is outwardly cheerful but a taste of her chocolate-frosted lemon cake fills the girl's mouth with the horrid taste of sadness and dissatisfaction. She finds herself having to eat packaged snacks made in gigantic factories, untouched by human hands, because everything else is brimming with the darkest emotions and secrets of the person who made it. In the end, the story fizzled out and made no sense to me and the book left me with a deep sense of dissatisfaction, probably tainting the dinner I made that evening ;)

On some level, I believe that the emotions of the cook certainly have an effect on the food. "Made with love" is more than a tired cliche. Mostly because I am in a good mood, I am more likely to focus on the process (whether cooking or something else), take my time and produce higher quality results. This is why I am utterly mortified when I see chefs in food-oriented TV reality shows shouting expletives, throwing things around and arguing violently in the kitchen- the food they make feels toxic to me, in spite of the high end ingredients and fancy presentation. Give me some rice and beans that have been cooked with love and respect instead, chefs. Hold the drama, please.

Have a lovely weekend; I'll be back early next week with a post brimming with vegetables and grains and other good things, plus the latest tales of one Mr. Dale.

Iron Chef-Bloggers BB7 Round-Up and on to BB8

The challenge last month was to pretend we were Iron Chefs and use one ingredient in two different ways, both inspired by recipes on other blogs. Here are the ingredients, from A to Z and the innovative ways in which they were used...


Anchovies~ Tiny saltwater fish with a pungent and savory flavor. From what I have heard, you either love 'em or hate 'em. At Stephfood, Steph uses them in a colorful orecchiette pasta dish and a creamy green goddess dressing.

Bananas~ Get your dose of potassium with this ubiquitous tropical fruit. Most of us eat them as a snack but the ripening process often happens in the blink of an eye. At SS Blogs Here, SS uses over-ripe bananas in two sweet snacks, chocolate banana bread and cookie-like banana bites.

Beets~ Dressed in opulent shades of purple or red, beets are so much more than just a salad vegetable. At Veg Junction, Veena discovers two new ways of cooking beets, with spicy beetroot kootu and sweet little beet cupcakes.

Bell Peppers~Also called capsicum, the colors of bell peppers- orange, red, yellow, green- entice us in summer. At Pieces of Paper, Squiggly Lines, Lavanya cooks up dishes representing South India with red bell pepper chutney and North India with kadhai paneer.

Bread~ A staple food in so many cultures and often left over from the days before. "Waste not, want not", it is said.
     At Seduce Your Tastebuds, PJ recycles left over bread into two tasty snacks, vegetable toast and eggless masala toast.
     At The Budding Cook, TBC made two snacks too, crisp batter-dipped malai toast and fritters with stale bread and eggs.

Carrots~ The bright orange root vegetable. Carrots are usually inexpensive and available year-round. At Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes, Priya cooks carrots to make a one-pot meal, carrot rice, and a snack, carrot vadas.

Cauliflower~A cruciferous vegetable with notable health benefits and a staple of my vegetable crisper.
     At Tamalapaku, Harini bought a huge cauliflower and used it up in two delicious dishes, a cauliflower kasoori methi curry and cauliflower adai.
     At A Tote Full of Veggies, Sharan made two interesting recipes, cauliflower posto and a cauliflower crust pizza.

Chickpeas~ These beans seem to have it all- a rich nutty taste and plenty of protein and fiber. At Everybunny Loves Food, Sana explores chickpeas in two different cuisines, the Middle Eastern crispy-fluffy falafel and Italian farinata.

Corn~ Sweet corn floods the markets in summer; unlike the processed products made from it, real corn is a nutritious treat. At Super Yummy Recipes, Satya tries something off-beat by using corn to make corn halwa and corn fritters.

Eggplant~A purple beauty of a vegetable, there are hundreds of home-styles ways to cook it. At Enjoy Indian Food, Meera cooked eggplants in two different Indian regional styles, the Konkani way and the Bengali way.

Eggs~ These are a fridge staple for many of us, good for everything from breakfasts to quick dinners to baked goods. At Sinfully Spicy, Tanvi uses eggs in two egg-sotic ways- in Bengali egg rolls (classic street food) and a simple egg stir fry (a side dish for any Indian meal).

Green Beans~ Also called French beans, this tasty vegetable is another summer staple. At Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes, Priya uses green beans to make a curry and a stir-fry.

Horsegram~ Not a very well-known legume, but worth befriending for its earthy taste and rich iron content. At Oh Taste N See, Denny remembers that her grandmother considered horsegram (kollu) to be a cure for the common cold, and battles her own cold with kollu kadayal and kollu rasam.

Kidney Beans~A popular bean in many cuisines. At Our Cherished World, Swetha uses rajma in a time-honored Punjabi rajma masala and a tasty rajma salad.

Mango~A tropical fruit that evokes deep passions in many of us who grew up in the Indian subcontinent. At Palate Corner, Sonu enjoys mango in two sweet ways, thick mango lassi and sticky, fudgy coconut mango burfi.

Mustard~ A pungent spice and popular condiment, used in the form of tiny seeds or a paste. At Peppermill, Miri uses it in an adaptation of a Bengali dish of mixed vegetables and grilled mustard chicken.

Oats~ A great way to eat whole grains for breakfast. At The Taste Space, they are used in two ways, both sweet and delightful, as a whipped banana oatmeal and peach blueberry raspberry crumble.

Paneer~ The milky fresh cheese that is so popular in India.
     At Mimi's Mommy, the blogger learned two ways of using it, both pretty challenging I must say, and produces piping hot paneer parathas and luscious chilled rasmalai.
    At Super Yummy Recipes, Satya confesses that she has a "big crush on paneer" and uses it in two innovative ways, to make paneer kachori and paneer stuffed okra.

Rice Flour~ Rice milled to a fine white powder, a staple in many Indian kitchens. At Live to Eat, Megha uses it in two festive recipes with contrasting, sweet modaks and savory pearl modaks.

Sabudana~The starchy pearls that have a chewy, unique texture. At Queen of my Kitchen, Supriya uses sago pearls in sweet and savory ways, in sabudana thalipeeth and sabudana kheer.

Spinach~ A green leafy vegetable, something that many of us are trying to eat more of. At Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes, Priya uses it in two off-beat ways, in a versatile spinach chutney and in gorgeous green deep-fried pooris.

Tomatoes~ The savory bright red fruits of summer.
     Over at Daily Musings, Indosungod uses them in two different types of preserves, a rich and flavorful tomato pickle and sweet-spicy tomato jelly.
     Here at One Hot Stove, I used them in two quick dinners, for a no-cook pizza sauce and refried kidney beans.

Zucchini~Come summer, many cooks are wringing their hands trying to use up summer squash faster than it shows up at their doorstep. At The Cooker, a zucchini of extraordinary proportions is used in a number of innovative ways, including a zucchini cake and savory zucchini pancakes.

Thanks to these wonderful iron chef-bloggers for playing along!

* * * 

The theme for Blog Bites 8 was suggested by the last participant listed above- The Cooker said she could use some fresh new ideas for one dish meals, and I agreed, I could use them too.

Pavani of Cook's Hideout hosted a Monthly Blog Patrol with the theme One Pot Wonders in April 2008 but since over two years have passed since that event, it might be fun to have the same theme again. A single dish that contains all the major food groups, that is filling and satisfying and tasty- these are the kinds of recipes many of us want to include in our repertoire for the daily dinner rotation.

When we think of one-dish meals, many rice dishes like pulaos and khichdis come to mind. I love these, and you are certainly welcome to make them as your entries, but let's also challenge ourselves to make one dish meals beyond rice-based ones, like casseroles, over-stuffed wraps, stews and pasta dishes.

If you are looking for inspiration for the kinds of dishes to make, this post has great suggestions for a variety of one dish meals. If you are a George Clooney fan, then you might get distracted from the aforementioned great suggestions though. For even more ideas, check out these other events featuring one dish meals: a monthly mingle and another one dish event.

The Rules

1. From now until October 25, look through your favorite blogs and try a recipe for a one dish meal. A one dish meal is where the grain/carbs, vegetables and protein are included in a single dish.
2. The recipe has to come from another blog; that is the whole premise of Blog Bites, so please turn to other blogs for inspiration. 
3. Write a post telling us about the one dish meal you made, with the following: (a) A link to the recipes on the inspiring blog, (b) A link to this post (the event announcement), (c) Picture of your dishes.
4. Please write a post specifically for this event. 
5. Please do NOT copy a recipe word for word from another blog- that would be both illegal and unethical. Either re-write the recipe in your own words if you have made substantial changes, or simply add a link to the recipe. One of the reasons I am hosting this event is to remind ourselves that when we use recipes from other blogs, we must be fair and honest in giving them due credit. 
6. Please make sure your entry meets all the rules above. Then, send me the link (URL) of your entry at the following e-mail address: OneHotStove AT gmail DOT com
7. You can send in as many entries as you like.

Have a great week, everyone!

You Say Tomato

This month's Blog Bites challenge was to pick an ingredient and use it in two different ways. One ingredient that sneaks into way too many dishes that I make is the tomato. Tangy-sweet with a happy red color, I use tomatoes year round but other than the few summer months, they tend to be of the canned variety.

Here is what I made with tomatoes in the past week. Lately, the focus has been more on cooking and eating and less on food photography so I must warn you that the pictures on this post are quite wretched.

The first is a simple pizza sauce. My usual recipe is from my mom, but this particular evening I was looking for a quick no-cook recipe and found this one from Dine & Dish. It calls for some fresh basil (which is on hand during summer), a few canned tomatoes and some other pantry ingredients, simply stirred together. Perfect!

Here's how I made the 2-minute no cook pizza sauce.

In a bowl, mix together

• 7-8 whole canned tomatoes, chopped finely
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Few turns of freshly ground pepper
• Salt to taste

This quick and rich tomato sauce was spread on a thin whole wheat pizza crust, topped with dollops of pesto and thinly sliced summer vegetables- peppers, onions, eggplant, zucchini- and some mozzarella and parmesan, and baked to perfection in a very hot oven. Throw in some good beer and you have the perfect summer meal.

The second tomato recipe is also a keeper. I love Punjabi rajma, with the rich flavor of tomatoes and kidney beans and little else. This refried beans recipe from Kitchen Parade, adapted from a recipe by Diana Kennedy, was very reminiscent of rajma with a different cultural spin.

Here is how I used fresh local tomatoes to make Refried (ish) Kidney Beans

1. Soak 1 cup dried kidney beans for 24 hours and rinse them thoroughly. Cook them with a little salt in the pressure cooker until tender. 
2. Puree the kidney beans with 4 medium chopped fresh tomatoes in the food processor. I left the puree quite chunky. 
3. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil. Saute 1 finely minced onion, 1 finely minced red pepper and 2 tsp. minced garlic. 
4. Add 1 tsp. cumin powder, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. paprika and 2 tsp. red chilli powder (or more or less depending on your desired level of heat). Add salt to taste. 
5. Stir in the bean-tomato puree and cook for several minutes. 

This simple bean puree was a surprise hit- tasty and comforting. It keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. Once you have the bean puree on hand, you can cook it with eggs for breakfast as in the original recipe. I made burritos with the bean puree, sauteed vegetables, cilantro and cheese. 

But this was my favorite way to use it: smear half a whole wheat tortilla with tomato pickle (mine is store bought). Then spread the bean puree generously. Top with some pepper jack cheese, fold the tortilla and microwave for 20-40 seconds. This is what I packed into my lunch 3 days in a row. So good. There was a small container of bean puree left over and I would have taken lunch for a 4th day, but Neighbor Girl discovered it and ate it up before I could protest.

Meanwhile, I am thoroughly enjoying the sneak peek into the kitchens of some of my fellow bloggers, linked in my last post. If you would like to play along, I've extended the deadline for a few days, and the link tool will be open until September 30.

Please check back tomorrow evening for the round up of BB7 and the theme for the next round (today is the deadline for entries). Happy Saturday!

Kitchens Revealed: a Link Party

On my last post, Sangeetha mentioned that she would like a sneak peek into my little kitchen. Well, this weekend started with a lovely and relaxed morning so I thought it was as good a time as any to snap some pictures and share them here.

I've had fun putting together my new kitchen in the last month, trying to make it as organized and functional as I can. Much as I love to cook and bake, rummaging for tools and working in clutter can take the joy right out it. So I made some rules for myself and gave myself a stern warning to stick to them (yes, I frequently feel the need to lecture myself inwardly):

1. Leave two countertops absolutely clear and empty. This workspace is used only while I am actively cooking. Nothing is ever stored there permanently. 
2. Put all the tools and equipment in plain sight and where I can easily reach it. I know from experience that anything that is hidden away never gets used. In fact, I forget that I even own it.
3. Throw away (rather, donate) anything I haven't used in a few months. Unused stuff eats up precious kitchen real estate and gets in the away. I am very ruthless and unsentimental about getting rid of unnecessary stuff. 
4. A place for everything and everything in its place. Life is too short to go rummaging for things. 

My kitchen is a long, narrow rectangle. This is one of the long sides, with counters (2 of them empty, one with the microwave oven), sink, stove/oven, dishwasher.

All the overhead cabinets are way above my reach (I am very short on the petite side) so they are more or less useless.

Instead, all my storage is on the long wall opposite this one. I placed two Baker's Racks and they contain all my appliances, baking dishes, and all kinds of tools.

I bought these Baker's Racks separately (2 years apart, in fact) used (read super-cheap) from Craigslist, the online classifieds. But they match well. There is a power strip hidden behind into which all of these appliances can be plugged in. A few cheap S-shaped hooks made it easy to hang up all kinds of little things like measuring spoons, tongs and pot holders.

With my other tools, I stuck them in vases and put them on the windowsill next to the counter. It makes it so easy to just pluck out what I need.

The third wall is a narrow one and has a pantry (a simple cupboard with shelves, not the walk-in kind) and the fridge. Instead of hanging bags on the pantry door, I put my favorite dishcloth (a very sweet gift from my friend Bek, a fellow knitter) on a hanger as a little decorative touch.

My very favorite thing about this kitchen is the fact that the fourth wall opens into the back porch and backyard, so I can look out of the window as I am cooking and see the trees-

Now it is your turn. I would love to see your kitchens too. Kitchens can be big or small or downright tiny, tidy or messy, old or new, but they are the place where all the magic happens. Here's a blog event of sorts where you don't have to find a recipe or cook anything.

Instead of the traditional way of making round-ups, I am doing a link party. The round up will be right here as participants add their posts. I've been looking at link parties on craft blogs, like this one, and thought it might be fun to host one just as an experiment to see how well it works.

To participate:

1. Just snap a few pictures of your kitchen and write a post on your blog about your kitchen: what you love about it, how you have organized it, whatever you want to share.
2. Link to this post so your readers can come and check out all the participants.
3. Click on "Click here to enter". Add your post's link/URL. And a little caption or title, saying whose kitchen this is. You can add a picture that will show up as a thumbnail.
4. You can participate anytime until the end of the month, September 30.

Have a lovely weekend!

Cold Coffee for a Tea Party

Are you one of those people who loves sucking down pricey grande glasses of cream-topped something-cchinos from the corner cafe, you know the one with the little green signage with a mermaid on it? I'm not one for coffee drinks, but V loves them on occasion and so do many of my friends. If you are one of the coffee drink devotees, you might be interested in this cheap, simple way to fix your cravings right at home.

I often make cold coffee in summer, and until recently, I used one of two methods. One is to mix up instant coffee, cold milk and sugar and then do an energetic shake-shake-shake (anyone remember the ad?), the other is to brew hot coffee in a coffee-maker, chill it and then mix in milk and sugar. Both were fairly satisfactory.

Then, early this summer, I came across this post on Tiny Choices, a blog about environmental issues and the small changes we can make for the better. This was the first I heard of this method of cold brewing, and what a great method it is. Let's see- it needs no fancy appliances, requires no use of the stove, needs 30 seconds of hands-on time and makes "just like Starbucks" cold coffee for a tiny fraction of the cost.

This is what I do to make the iced coffee concentrate:
1. Use a clean glass jar.
2. Add 2 cups filtered water and 1/2 cup coffee grounds (we always buy the fair trade coffee from Trader Joe's; you can use your favorite brand).
3. Swish the water around so all the coffee grounds are submerged.
4. Put the lid on the jar and place it at room temperature away from direct sunlight.
5. After 8 hours or so, the coffee has steeped. Filter the coffee using a very fine mesh filter/strainer and your coffee concentrate is ready!

Mix the concentrate with chilled milk (soymilk or almond milk are wonderful too) and your favorite sweetener and serve over ice- oh so refreshing. I love mixing the concentrate with sweetened condensed milk to make something like the Thai iced teas you get in restaurants. The possibilities are endless. Top it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or a dash of cinnamon to create your own fancy coffee drink.

I know people expect a strong cup of aromatic chai at a tea party, but right around tea-time on a hot summer day, a tall glass of iced coffee is just the thing. So this is my contribution to Anita's mad tea party- the deadline was 15th September. It is well into 16th September in her time zone but it is still the 15th in mine, so I hope my entry is in, right under the wire!

Anita recently wrote a very thought-provoking post and I would call it required reading for food bloggers. We food bloggers enjoy reading each other's blogs, trying recipes and exchanging tips, and posting recipes on our blog that are inspired by others, but along with those rights and freedoms come responsibilities, the need to be gracious and honest in acknowledging the ideas that come from others.

You lose absolutely nothing by crediting an idea or a recipe to someone else. After all, human progress is based on people taking what others have done and building on it, adding their own creative touches and creating variations and improvements. On the other hand, when we fail to give credit, we risk losing our reputation, trust and respect, and the loss of any of these is very hard to repair. So Anita's post was a timely reminder to me to try to be a high-quality blogger every time I sit down and type a post and I applaud her decision to take a stance and say something out loud in favor of doing the right thing.

* * * 

This was a treat we enjoyed last week, a gift from my friends: frutta martozana or marzipan fruits, a specialty of Sicily. They are very realistic and almost life-size.

Roasted Tomato Chutney

This recipe started when I bought a couple dozen beautiful tomatoes at the Farmers Market last Thursday. Then I kept the oven at a slow and steady 200F for a whole 12 hours on Friday and roasted the tomatoes with garlic and herbs, transforming the already tasty tomatoes into something more like candy.

That night, I put together the pasta salad that was my Big Discovery of last summer. A year later, I am still surprised at how much everyone loves it. 

A few leftover roasted tomatoes were stashed in a small container. What followed was a weekend of such rare and spectacular perfection that it makes me worry about the future. By the law of averages the rest of the year will have ghastly weather. But I digress. Luxurious weekends are just the thing for the dosa ritual- soaking, grinding, fermenting- and the resulting dosa deserves a tasty chutney to accompany it. 

Chutneys are so remarkably versatile. The traditional formulations are wonderful, but you can always invent a new one based on the unique contents of your fridge. I usually use a sauteed vegetable (tomatoes, onions, zucchini) or an herb (parsley, cilantro) with some coconut (frozen, defrosted)and some roasted gram (called phutane in Marathi and dalia in Hindi) to thicken the mixture and help the grinding process. The chutney gets some heat from fresh green chillies or red chilli powder, and of course some salt and some fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors. A sizzling tempering of mustard seeds, asafetida and curry leaves provides the final savory touch to bring it all together. 

Roasted Tomato Chutney

1. Grind together to a thick paste, using some warm water as required (all quantities are flexible):
1 cup roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh (or defrosted frozen) coconut
1/4 cup roasted gram dal
Red chilli powder to taste
Salt to taste

2. Make a tempering, pour it on the chutney and stir together:
2 tsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
pinch of asafetida

I love trying dosa recipes from different blogs, and this week I made Vaishali's brown rice dosa. I love her idea of microwaving the rice for just a few minutes to soften it up and make grinding easier. Dosa is the perfect vehicle for brown rice and I have now switched entirely to using brown rice in all dosa recipes.

Wait a second...Dale is saying something.

Dale's Tales

Dale is the self-appointed sheriff of the backyard. He watches over his little kingdom from his vantage point on the porch. If he sees any threats to law and order, such as squirrels squabbling in the high branches or kitties walking along the fence, he leaves his sunny spot and makes a mad dash to bark sharply at them.

For now, the yard is quiet and peaceful and all is well with the world.

Cocoa Brownies

The US is looking forward to Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end to summer, and in my home, we are sure to have a busy and exciting time. Our dear Italian friend arrives this weekend with her husband, baby and sister and they will stay with us for a week. The guest room is ready, sheets and towels are freshly washed and the fridge and pantry are stocked up with enough food for a small army.

To welcome them with a sweet treat, I baked a batch of all-American dark fudgy brownies studded with walnuts. The recipe comes from one of the superstars in the world of desserts, Alice Medrich. I found the recipe here on Smitten Kitchen.

The recipe is unusual in many respects- for instance, you use cold eggs (straight from the fridge) where almost all baking recipes require you to use ingredients at room temperature. Also, after stirring in the flour, the directions ask you to beat the batter dozens of times, where most recipes want you to fold the ingredients in ever so gently avoid developing the gluten when you want a tender result. But it all works just perfectly. What's more, the recipe calls for ingredients that I always have on hand.

I followed the recipe closely with these minor modifications:
1. I reduced the sugar to a cup.
2. I used a microwave to make the butter, sugar, salt and cocoa mixture. This made brownie-batter-making a one bowl deal with very minimal clean-up.

Alice Medrich's Cocoa Brownies

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick + 2 tbsp.)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, cold
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

1.  Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. 
2.  Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
3.  Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a glass bowl and microwave in short spurts until melted but not hot. It might look gritty- that's ok. This can be done in a double boiler too. 
4.  Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. 
5.  When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.
6.  Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
7.  Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 30 minutes.
8.  Cool and refrigerate to be able to cut with clean lines. Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

You can add sprinkles before baking for a festive touch.

These are dense fudgy brownies with a rich chocolate flavor- truly a treat. It is my second time making this recipe. The first time I sent a batch with my friend Neighbor Girl when she went to visit her grandma a couple of states over. Neighbor Girl reported that her grandma who normally picks at her food and barely eats anything ate several brownies with gusto. That just made me so happy, especially since I live too far away from my own grandma to ever bake or cook anything for her.

Fresh off the Hooks

My hexagon afghan is done- whew! And it makes me happy just looking at these colorful flowers. It definitely has a retro look though.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.