Chili Cilantro Chutney

There are many variations of your basic chutney, a spicy fresh condiment that we use as a dipping sauce for savory snacks such as samosas, pakoras and even crackers.

I like this zippy variation, among others and its uses range way beyond the condiment stage. I like to use it as a no cook sauce for fish or even chicken. I shall tell you about this soon.

Here is how I made it in class this evening.

Chili Cilantro Chutney

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Makes 1 cup chutney

Ingredients

1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
3 green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 inch peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup buttermilk

Method of preparation

1. Place the cilantro, chilies, salt, ginger in the food processor and add the buttermilk in small amounts to process the mixture into a gently textured sauce.

2. The results described is accomplished by a food process as opposed to a blender.

3. Use as desired.

Hunan Ritz at Thornwood

There are a few basics that you should be able to count on in your neighbourhood chinese restaurant - such as the colorful fish tank and the flashy bar and maybe staples like chicken with brocolli and mu shu pork. Now, if the restaurant is Hunan Ritz in Thornwood, you can count on some respectable sushi as well.

The restaurant was suprisingly empty this Saturday, when I made a quick stop to pick up food for all of us. They were very prompt and worked on my order of assorted Sushi while I watched the fish. I have tried a bunch of items on their menu and the food is predictably interesting, good but not great. However, they are very convienient and I have stopped their often.

Yes, I know, I know Sushi is not Chinese, but a lot of Chinese restaurant now have a Sushi chef around to cater to customers like me who are not terribly fussy when they are running late and need a quick pick up. They actually have a really interesting role (we love it in our household!) called the Thornwood roll a nice assortment of asparagus, avacado, crab and shrimp. Their orders came with salad and wonton soup. Now the wontons were a little dissapointing, in that they were rather doughy.

Sweet and Crunchy Eggplant

There is something interesting about playing around with everyday food, adding an ingredient or two. That is kind of what I did with this eggplant recipe that I made over the week. In essence, it is a nice and simple recipe full of the sweetness of plump raisins and addictive crunch of walnuts. I also added in some Feta cheese for good measure, and folded in some crisp garlic. All in all, it was a nice satisfying meatless dinner. I must be going through another degree of change. I am actually not missing meat when I do not cook it. I am not giving up meat or anything, I just think this is another step in appreciating the natural flavors of nature's bounty.

Anyhow, back to the eggplant.

Sweet and crunchy eggplant

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

1 medium sized eggplant
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
6-7 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 coarsely crushed walnuts
1 teaspoon powdered coriander
1 teaspoon red chili pepper
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup large raisins
1 tablespoon thinly sliced black olives (optional)
1-2 teaspoons roughly torn mint leaves

Method of Preparation

1. Place the eggplant on the open flame of a gas-stove and cook turning occasionally until the eggplant is soft and the outer skin is nicely charred. Now, if you do not have a gas stove, the eggplant can be first baked and then broiled for a few minutes till the outer skin is burnt. The second method is less fussy, but it does take longer and produces a less intense smoky flavor. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2. While the eggplant is cooking, in a cooking pan, place the oil and butter and cook till the butter is melted. Gently add in the sliced garlic and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until the garlic gently turns golden.

3. Stir in the walnuts and cook for 1-2 minutes until they turn toasty. Gently remove the crisp garlic and walnuts from the oil and set aside and turn of the heat.

4. Carefully peel the outer skin of the eggplant and place the soft flesh in a bowl.

5. Turn the heat on, and in the remaining oil add in the powdered coriander and sizzle for 20-30 seconds. Add in the chili pepper and the eggplant and mash the eggplant coarsely with the spoon.

6. Stir in the feta cheese and the raisins and cook for 2-3 minutes, mixing well.

7. Stir in the olives (if using), and the reserved garlic and walnuts. Place in a serving dish and serve garnished with the mint leaves.

Backyards, Concepts, Sheep Shearing and fun...

A few weeks back I was a little disappointed that I could not attend the press event launching the book - Over the Rainbeau, a lovely coffee table book about Rainbeau Ridge farm written by Lisa Schwartz, Judith Hausman and Karen Sabath, but I knew I was planning to go up to the farm for their annual sheep shearing event, so I figured I would be able to get the book at that time.

The sheep shearing event is a really fund day for the kids to see nature in action, all while the farm is in operation. Other than a very cold day, which did not make the outdoors very conducive, it was a fun thing to do on a Sunday. One of the sheep that the kids watched, decided to kick up a ruckus in the middle of his beauty regiment, this thrilled them to no end.



There were other crafts and fun things for them to do. The highlight of it for them of course, was to decorate a sheep cookie, which entailed licking loads of icing.

The farm is a simple concept that is quite a small social enterprise right in our backyard - a concept of a working farm, that supports itself and its operations. A concept that cannot help but appeal to a business minded, green loving foodie like myself. If you travel around the facility it feels just like you are in someone's backyard - a large, peaceful, lovely backyard, that inspires you to get closer to nature. If you have actually tried their cheese, this is not a difficult thing to do.

Over the Rainbeau is a lovely hardcover volume, that has a little bit of everything for the food lover, memoirs, seasonal ideas and a section of lovely recipes. I have not yet tried any of them, but a "goat goddess dressing" using goat milk and a quiche with sorrel leaves are rather intriguing and shall the first on my list to try.

The book begins with a lovely dedication to, re-discovering the pleasures in our own backyard, somthing that I cannot tout more myself. Vividly illustrated by the third author and Lisa's sister the book has a plethora of natural and stunning pictures. The book tells a lovely story, a story of success and following a dream, the story of the Rainbeau Ridge farm. It would make a lovely gift for the food or nature lover in your life.
The book is currently being offered at a 20% discount on the Rainbeau Ridge website. It is also worth checking out the impressive line-up of book talks and attending one of these.

Back to the kids and the farm today, they also saw the llama's and would like one as a pet. As if the cats are not enough for us. I shall just have to put my foot down on this one, since even if I knew where to get a llama, our backyard is not not quite the farm they would like to think it is.

Well-rooted medley

This recipe is something that I had actually cobbled together last fall. It is made up of turnips and potatoes sauteed together, with some freshly grated ginger, drizzled with a nice dusting of chopped dill and cilantro. It is a perfect example of how wonderfully flavorful a few good flavors can be.

Well Rooted Medley

Prep Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon, freshly grated ginger

4 small turnips, peeled and coarsely diced

3 potatoes, peeled and coarsely diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and add the ginger and saute lightly.

2. Add in the turnips and the potatoes and the salt and red chili powder.

3. Mix well and cover and cook on low for 10- 15 minutes, till the vegetables are soft and golden in spots.

4. Mix in the chopped dill and cilantro.

5. Enjoy!

Homey Satisfying Lentil Stew

So, there are so many variations and definations of good food, one could fill pages with the concepts.

Good food in my world changes and varies with my mood. It is fancy when I have more time and am cooking for several people, good food has a touch of fancy.

Most days however, good food for me is simple, nutritious and comforting. I always think that I am blessed in that I can get a lot of comfort from an everyday chore, something that I have do anyway - cook and feed my family..

Last night, was a friday after a long week, luckily for me I had some interesting fancy rice in the refridgerator, so I need something else to go with it, so here came this stew - yellow moong dal, brocolli, potatoes with a nice spiced drizzle of cumin and lemon.

Homey Satisfying Lentil Stew

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

3/4 cup yellow split moong lentils

3 cups water

2 thinly sliced coins of ginger (taking a ginger root and slicing two pieces)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 small potato, peeled and chopped

1 cup of brocolli florrets

1 tomato, chopped

1 -2 green chilies slit

1 teaspoon ghee

1 tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 lemon sliced

1-2 teaspoons chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Heat a cooking pan and dry roast the lentils for about 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the water, ginger, turmeric, salt, potato, brocolli and green chili and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are soft, almost mushy and thick.

3. Heat the ghee and the olive and grapeseed oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds and cook till the cumin browns nicely and smells smoky and toasty.

4. Pour over the lentils and mix in lightly.

5. Remove the seeds, and squeeze in the lemon juice into the lentils.

6. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with rice or bread.

Valhalla Crossing

In the past more than a decade, I have seen so many versions of a restaurant in the corner of the train station of my little village. It does look like Valhalla Crossing might be here to stay. I had not really checked out the place, until recently but I have to tell you, I definitely love it. Good comfort food, generous portions, warm atmosphere and friendly service.

I had been camera challenged this time when I went there, so unfortunately I could not photograph the food. However, I had ordered the fish and chips sandwich, which they actually let you switch some of the fries for the onion rings. There onion rings are just perfect, crisp and nicely coated and fried to a perfect crisp.

My husband was better than me and ordered a cobb salad, which was very nicely done, simple and fresh. They have a happy hour most days, have themed events around holidays and special occasions and of course a sunday brunch. So, it you are in the area please check it out.

Restaurant Details

Valhalla Crossing

2 Cleveland Street

Valhalla, NY 10595