Saag Paneer

Saag Paneer

*Adapted from https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/saag-paneer-spinach-with-indian-cheese-recipe-1927603

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cayenne

Kosher Salt

3 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tbsp oil *we used canola

12 oz paneer cut into cubes *recipe called for 1 inch cubes, but we made the cubes dice-sized so there would be "more." Highly recommend that.

(Paneer=Indian cheese, either store bought of made from recipe below)

16 oz package fresh spinach (can use frozen, see below)

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

About 1 tbsp minced ginger (about 1 1-inch-thumb ginger if fresh) *we have a jar of minced ginger and love the convenience of that

4 cloves garlice, minced *Come on. Do at least 6. Don't be an idiot.

1 large green serrano chile, finely chopped, seeds removed to cut spice *We did VERY LITTLE chile, maybe less than 1/4 of it. Up to you.

1/2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp ground coriander *we didn't have this and weren't sad about it

1 tsp ground cumin

OPTIONAL:

(1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred until smooth) *we did NOT do this

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 tsp salt, and 3 tbsp oil. Gently drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss (if you made your own paneer, take care not to break the cubes). Let the cubes marinate as you do the next step.

2. Take your spinach and mash it up in a food processor, get it pretty smooth/into very small bits. If you don't have a food processor, just get to chopping! Very fine, please. If you are using frozen spinach, thaw it in the microwave 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth.

3. Heat a large nonstick pan/skillet over medium heat, add paneer, let sit for a couple minutes, then toss. Point being to get some nice brown color on as many sides the paneer as you can. When you have achieved a good coloring all around, take the paneer out and set aside on a plate.

4. Add 1 1/2 tbsp oil to the pan. Add onions, ginger, garlic, chile. SUPER IMPORTANT: saute this mix until it is evenly toffee-colored. DO NOT SKIP THIS OR SKIMP ON THIS! It is the FOUNDATION of the dish! Be patient, should take around 15 minutes. And if you see it getting dry, add water or chicken/veggie stock as you go.

5. Add the garam masala, coriander, and cumin. Sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it smells more "melodious," about 3-5 minutes. 

6. Add the spinach, stir well. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water or stock, stir, cook about another 5 minutes with the lid off.

7. Add the paneer and mix. ADD BUTTER FOR A LITTLE ADDED CREAMINESS. Cover and cook for a few minutes until everything is warmed through. *We didn't cover it and warm everything back up because we were too hungry and it smelled too good. It didn't make a difference to us. But if you wanna be thorough, go for it.

7. OPTIONAL: Turn the heat off and add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes

8. Serve over rice! Maybe with some homemade naan...maybe we a mango lassi with rum...follow your bliss!

NOTES:

The spices in this dish are so lively and the paneer, which soaks up all that spiced oil, is just delicious. We found that we did not miss the creaminess that the yogurt would bring--the spinach is just so bright and lush. We did throw in some butter when we were mixing everything together, I would recommend that. Why not! 

Basically, this is a super easy dish that tastes complex. SO good.

You may want to make a double batch...we had no leftovers.

If you want to MAKE YOUR OWN PANEER:

INGREDIENTS:

cheesecloth

8 cups whole milk

1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

-Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth and set it in your sink

-In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium hear, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom. Be patient!

-Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!

-Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor.

-Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow it to drain for 5 minutes.

-Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (to ensure the cheese is smooth) and set another plate on top. Weigh the 2nd plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the fridge and let sit about 20 minutes.

NOTE FROM DAN:

We did a vegan version of this with tofu instead of paneer and coconut milk instead of yogurt (and some sambal for more heat!). Combo with this recipe:

https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-saag-paneer/

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

This one came out of trying to healthy-ify some favorites:

Recipe
Sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sambal (chili paste)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp sesame oil

Tofu
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sambal
3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp water
12 oz extra firm tofu, pressed and diced

Pad thai
1 medium spaghetti squash, halved and de-seeded
4 tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped into strips
other stir fry veggies (e.g. mushrooms, broccoli) if you want!
4 scallions, cut into 1-2 in pieces
3 tbsp chopped peanuts
lime wedges, cilantro, purple cabbage

• Preheat the oven to 400, and roast the squash cut side down, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk together the sauce.
• Whisk together the tofu sauce, and coat the tofu pieces.  Stir fry in a wok with a little oil until golden brown.
• Saute the red bell pepper (and other veggies if needed) once the tofu's done.
• Once the squash is done, shred with a fork to make noodles.  Add it to the skillet, then add the sauce.
• Serve topped with the tofu, scallions, peanuts, lime, cilantro, cabbage

Notes
Must have been too busy digging in to take a picture.  It's a new favorite though!  Just make sure you start the squash early if you're hungry...

Cauliflower Miso Soup

Tried to do something light and healthy that could use up some of the extra miso paste from the last recipe, and found this...

Recipe

head of cauliflower, floret-ed
2 shallots, peeled and cut into quarters
4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tbsp red miso
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 c unsweetened almond milk
2-4 c vegetable stock or water
1/4 c walnuts

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the cauliflower, shallots, and thyme with some olive oil, salt & pepper.  Roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 20-25 minutes until starting to brown.
• Set aside a few florets for a fancy garnish.
• Blend the roasted veggies with the miso, vinegar, soy sauce, almond milk, and 1 c of the stock.  Add more stock and keep blending until you like the texture.
• Heat the mixture in a pot.
• Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil and toast the walnuts with more thyme, salt & pepper.
• Serve the soup topped with cauliflower, walnuts, and extra oil if you want!

Notes

Might not have had super high expectations for this one, but it was really, really good!  Roasted cauliflower is pretty good on its own, and everything combined had a nice, rich, nutty taste.  Also classy.  Yum!

Zha Jiang Mian

Another ATK IG recipe: Beijing-style meat sauce...

Recipe

8 oz ground pork (we replaced with vegan crumbles)
1/8 tsp baking soda (I guess ignore for vegan crumbles)
5 tbsp red miso paste
5 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp molasses
8 scallions - white & light green in 1/2 inch pieces, dark green sliced thin
2 garlic cloves
1/2 in ginger, peeled and sliced
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 lb lo mein noodles
1/2 english cucumber, cut into matchsticks
6 oz bean sprouts

• Toss the pork with 2 tsp water and the baking soda, and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Whisk together 1/2 c water and the miso paste, soy sauce, hoisin, and molasses.
• Pulse the white and light green scallion parts, garlic, and ginger until coarsely chopped, then add mushrooms and make an awesome-smelling finely-chopped mixture.
• Heat pork mixture with some vegetable oil in a large saucepan for a minute, then add the mushroom mixture.  Cook 5-7 minutes.
• Add the miso mixture and cook 8-10 minutes while noodles cook.
• Combine sauce and cooked noodles, top with cucumbers, sprouts, and scallions, and eat!

Meatless Mushroom & Chickpea Pasta Sauce

Alright, here's another faux-meat sauce, this one courtesy of the America's Test Kitchen IG:

Recipe

10 oz cremini mushrooms*
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced*
1 1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes*
1/4 c tomato paste
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c vegetable broth
15 oz chickpeas, rinsed
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
*feel free to add more as desired!

• Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until in little (1/8-1/4 in) pieces.  Heat 5 tbsp of oil in a dutch oven over medium high and cook mushrooms (and a little salt) until browned.
• In the meantime, pulse the onion similarly (don't need to clean out the processor between all these ingredients).  Add to the dutch oven until soft.
• Mix the extra tbsp of oil plus the garlic, oregano, and red pepper in a bowl.
• Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook a minute or 2.  Reduce heat to medium and clear space in the middle for the garlic mixture; add it and cook and mix in until fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer about 5 minutes.
• Pulse the chickpeas similarly, and rinse in a strainer until the water runs through clear.  Add to the pot and simmer about 15 minutes.
• Stir in basil and salt & pepper, and serve over pasta!

Notes

This is a bit more complicated, but comes out really, really good!  Great to make a big batch and get a few meals out of it.  Might even be jefe-friendly?

Tofu Bolognese

Alright, now getting into the vegan phase - thanks Anne ;)  First up...

Recipe

2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 block extra firm tofu
3 c tomato sauce
1 lb spaghetti or other pasta

Preheat oven to 350, and oil or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Mix the seasonings and stuff into a brown paste, and crumble in the tofu.  Mix it in real good, spread on the baking sheet, and cook for 35-45 minutes.  Toward the end, cook up the tomato sauce, then add the tofu, and serve over pasta (cook that in there toward the end too).

Quinoa & Spinach Patties

In my phase of looking for good vegetarian (not yet vegan...) recipes - ones that are filling, delicious (obv.), and as a bonus good for leftovers - found this one!

Recipe

1 c quinoa, cooked
4 eggs, whisked
1/3 c parmesan cheese, grated
3 scallions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c spinach, chopped & steamed (frozen OK)
1 c breadcrumbs

Basically, once you've done the above to each ingredient, mix them all in a bowl.  Let sit to absorb some moisture, and make patties.  Heat some oil in a skillet and cook in batches, 8-10 minutes per side until golden and a little crisp.