Acorn Squash stuffed with Saag Paneer and Quinoa

I recently stuffed acorn squash with mushrooms and quinoa and I wanted something similar but different for dinner. I also had a truckload of greens to work through and a hankering for curry.
 These make a great one dish meal, but not a great picture...

Saag Paneer meet Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa. Now go forth and multiply....

 Acorn Squash stuffed with Saag Paneer and Quinoa 

 2 small acorn squash, cut in half, seeds scooped out
1 onion, minced
2 chili peppers, chopped
1 tsp garlic pureed
1 tsp ginger, pureed
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 bunches greens (I used rapini), finely chopped
3/4 cup quinoa
3 cups water
1/2 lb paneer. cut into small cubes (tofu would work okay, but wouldn't be the same)
turmeric and salt for dusting.

 Preheat oven to 350F
 Place squash cut side down on a bake sheet and roast until almost tender.

 Sweat the onion, garlic and ginger in cooking fat of your choice (I used a little grapeseed oil - ghee would be more authentic). Soft and sweet is the desired result. Add spices and greens stems, cook for a minute or two, then stir in tomato paste, finely chopped greens and quinoa. Make sure everything is well combine, add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil turn down the heat and let it simmer covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
 Meanwhile, dust the cubed paneer with a little turmeric and salt and sear in a hot pan with a little oil to firm a crisp golden brown crust.
 Once stuffing is finished cooking, check seasoning and fold in paneer cubes. Spoon into cooked squash halves and bake, covered with foil for 15 minutes. Uncover, pop back in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve.

I had a little yogurt on the side to help cool the spiciness down and it was perfect.

Kale with Peanuts, Coconut and Cilantro

What I know about Indian food would fit on the head of a pin. I know I love the flavours but when it comes to classic dishes I am at a loss.
Kale is one of my favorite greens and as a bonus, it's insanely good for you. Kale is loaded with fiber, calcium, iron and Vitamin C to name just a few of its magical properties.

This dish was inspired by peanut coconut chutney recipes that I found. My guest and my husband deemed it delicious. It was served with a Spicy Eggplant Curry, rice, roti and raita.

Kale with Peanuts, Coconut and Cilantro
Serves 6-8
1 cup toasted peanuts
1 cup young coconut*
1 bunch cilantro
1 green chili
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
6 cups chopped kale leaves

Purée peanuts, coconut, cilantro, salt and chili until smooth. Add water as needed.
Steam kale leaves until just cooked- I use a large non stick wok with a little splash of water and a lid. Once the kale is cooked, stir in the peanut sauce and any water needed to reach a good saucy consistency. Simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
* I found young coconut in the freezer at a local grocery store but I have successfully substituted regular coconut soaked in hot water for 15 minutes.

Peppers stuffed with quinoa, black beans and kale

A friend of mine shared this recipe recently. The original is from Vegetarian Times. I adapted a few things and my 14-month old nephew went crazy for the filling. I am always looking for new and interesting ways to use quinoa, and I will be making this one again! Someone also suggested stuffing portobello mushrooms - I would be happy to eat it as is.

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

Serves 8

This dish freezes well for future meals. Quinoa provides whole-grain goodness and a serving of protein.

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (½ cup)
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 2 bunches of kale, stripped from stems and finely chopped
• 2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• ¾ cup quinoa
• 3 large carrots, grated (1 ½ cups)
• 4 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in kale, sauté 2 minutes. Add drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and the reserved tomato juice plus enough water to equal 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour a small amount of liquid in bottom of baking dish.

4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with cheese as desired. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes.

Saag Paneer

Ok, this is Saag Paneer only in the literal sense: saag (greens) and paneer (cheese) in one dish.
I was on Commercial Drive this morning and came home with greens, tomatoes, chili peppers and some premade roti paratha. I sat myself down and proceeded to research potential dishes. I was inspired by this post on Quick Indian Cooking, and educated (and inspired) by this post on Monsoon Spice. I decided I wasn't ready to try the authentic version of these recipes - I was missing ingredients here and there, so I jumped into concocting in my kitchen. I didn't think I would puree the greens, the thought made me a little queasy, but I did and the result was delicious.





Linda's (Not Quite) Saag Paneer

1 onion, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
2 chili peppers, chopped
1 tsp garlic pureed
1 tsp ginger, pureed
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp round coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp turmeric
2 bunches kale, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 lb paneer (tofu would work okay, but wouldn't be the same)
turmeric and salt for dusting.

Sweat the onion, garlic and ginger in cooking fat of your choice (I used a little grapeseed oil - ghee would be more authentic). Soft and sweet is the desired result. Add spices and peppers, cook for  a minute or two, then stir in tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile, wash and  remove the stems from the kale. Finely chop it, then stir in to the simmering pot. Continue to cook for 20-25 minutes, longer if you want a creamier result -  I like a little texture to my veggies. Pulse in food processor with mint and cilantro. Return to pot.
I cut the paneer in thin triangles, dusted it with a little salt and turmeric and then quickly seared it both sides. Once the paneer is seared, pop it into the greens curry and simmer for 5 minutes or so. Adjust consistency as desired (I needed to add a little water to mine).

Serve with paratha or rice or whatever you like! My non-vegetarian husband actually loved this dish.

Savoury Orange Roasted Tofu

 

I served this over glass noodles. And I wish I had more sauce!!

Savory Orange-Roasted Tofu & Asparagus
From Eating Well
Makes 4 servings, scant 1 cup each

Ingredients

1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, rinsed
2 tablespoons red miso (see Ingredient Note), divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
¼ cup orange juice
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Pat tofu dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Whisk 1 tablespoon miso, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a large bowl until smooth. Add the tofu; gently toss to coat. Spread the tofu in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Gently toss asparagus with the tofu. Return to the oven and roast until the tofu is golden brown and the asparagus is tender, 8 to 10 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon miso, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons oil, basil, orange zest and juice, and salt in the large bowl until smooth. Toss the roasted tofu and asparagus with the sauce and serve.

Sunchokes

 

Sunchokes, or Jerusalem artichokes, are one of my favourite little tubers. I know they have been done to death, but I just love the way they taste and I picked some up at the Farmer's Market. Last night, I was not feeling the cooking vibe, but I did it anyway, preparing garlicky lamb chops with a red wine sauce, green beans and a sunchoke and yam gratin. Rob raved about it and, very sweetly, thanked me a million times over for making him dinner every night at such an "ungodly hour" (he gets off work at 9 pm. I get off at two.)

Please bear with me, the recipe is in rough development, but here it is.

Sunchoke and Yam Gratin

1 small yam, peeled, sliced thin
Sunchokes, enough to yield 2 cups, thinly sliced.
1 cup cream
bay leaf
salt
peppercorns
pinch of lavender

Simmer cream with salt, pepper, bay leaves and lavender for 10 minutes. Strain off herbs and pour over yams and sunchokes. Layer in a small ovenproof pot, than bake for 20-25 minutes.
Serves 4 (Or two if one of them is my boyfriend).

Vegetarian Lasagna

 

Last night's dinner was a lasagna with wild mushrooms, caramelised onions and arugula. Tasty goodness ~ so much for all that healthy eating I had planned. And hey, I am blowing off the gym right now to write this.

On the plus side, my friend at Barbara Jo's showed me a new cookbook that was very inspiring ~ Charlie Trotter's Spa Cuisine. Once you get past the million photos, the recipes are totally accessible and look very clean and simple. I am craving miso soup with mushrooms and poached egg... too bad we are having shepherds pie for dinner.
Recipe for Lasagna to follow... still working on it.