Jamaican Style Curried Kale and White Bean ‘Patties’

Posted on March 12, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

jamaican patties

Just as I was prepping to make these yummy savory pastries, we heard a little ‘thud’ outside. S and I went out to the deck to see what was going on. It was a little red bird lying motionless and belly up on the deck. Little red feathers were floating down. We quickly realized what had happened. The poor bird had crashed into our living room window mid-flight. Apparently 100 million birds die each year, crashing into transparent windows.

S was going to sweep up the bird after dinner. And I returned to making the Jamaican patties, which incidentally were so incredibly super fabulously good that I can’t stop thinking about them. Next time I will have to make a few million of these and freeze them. Anyways, I digress. So when I opened the oven door to take out the freshly baked, heavenly smelling patties, I head another sound outside. I peeped out the window.

The dead bird was waking up and about to fly away!
The dead bird smelled my wonderful Jamaican patties and came back alive!!
Or that’s what I’d like to believe.

I later read online that many birds that hit windows are just passed out, not dead. Good we didn’t bury the poor fella when we found him. But I still think the bird woke up because it smelled the Jamaican patties.

Jamaican Style Curried Kale and White Bean ‘Patties’
makes 8 muffin sized ‘patties’

This is my interpretation of a Jamaican patty, so its not exactly authentic, but very tasty nevertheless. A traditional Jamaican patty or pattie is half moon shaped and generally filled with meat. The flaky outer crust is made with flour and butter or shortening, and the crust is yellow from the addition of turmeric. As a short cut, I used store bought puff pastry with turmeric sprinkled on top. I baked these in a muffin pan. You don’t have to use a muffin pan, you could bake them like you would a turnover.

1 sheet puff pastry
1 can Cannellini Beans
1 bunch Kale
¼ tsp chopped green chili, or scotch bonnet (this is a very hot pepper), or a few pinches of crushed red pepper
1 tsp minced or grated garlic
1 tsp minced or grated ginger
1 tbsp curry powder (my curry powder is very mild so I used 1 tbsp. start with half, taste, and then add more if needed)
¼ tsp + 1/8 tsp turmeric
1 tsp vinegar
Salt
½ tbsp milk for brushing
½ tbsp vegetable oil

Thaw the puff pastry for 45 minutes. While the puff pastry is thawing, work on the filling.

In a large pot, bring plenty of water to a boil. Add some salt and the vinegar to the water. The vinegar will help retain the color of the kale. Remove and discard the tough stems from the kale. Roughly chop the kale. When the water comes to a boil, drop the chopped kale in the water. Blanch for 1 minute. Then drain the kale. Wash it with cold water to stop the cooking process. Squeeze out all the water from the kale and set aside.

Drain and wash the cannellini beans. Heat oil in a skillet and add the garlic, ginger and chopped chilies, (or scotch bonnet peppers or crushed pepper). Cook, stirring on medium heat for about 30 seconds. Then add 1/8th tsp turmeric and the curry powder. Cook another 20-30 seconds. Make sure the curry powder doesn’t burn.

Now add the cannellini beans and blanched kale to the skillet. Turn off heat. Add salt and stir the mixture until everything is well combined.

Pre heat oven to 400F.

Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non stick baking spray. You can skip this step if you are using a non stick pan.

Lay out the thawed puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry sheet a little. Then using your hands, lift and gently stretch the pastry sheet to make it thinner.

Sprinkle 1/4th tsp turmeric all over the pastry sheet. Spread the turmeric as evenly as you can using your fingers. Now take a fork and prick all over the pastry sheet. This will ensure it doesn’t puff up on the oven.

Cut one third of the pastry sheet and set side. Cut the remaining pastry sheet into 8 equal squares. Gently stretch each piece out so that it lines a muffin cup. Place each square of pastry sheet into each cup of the muffin pan. The side with turmeric should be touching the pan. The side without turmeric should be touching the filling. If the corners of the pastry sheet are sticking out, cut them and use them to patch up other parts of the lining.

Once you’ve lined all the muffin pan cups, fill them with the kale-white bean mixture. Take the reserved one third pastry sheet and cut it into 8 pieces. Gently stretch the pieces so they fit over the muffin pan cups. Place them over each cup, fold over the corners and lightly pinch the edges together.

Brush the tops with milk. Bake for 20 minutes or till the ‘patties’ are golden.

This goes to the monthly mingle event over at Meeta’s lovely What’s For Lunch Honey? blog.

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt with Lychees

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

lychee and black berry

We had fabulous weather over the weekend. It was almost like summer! So I decided to do a summery frozen yogurt and pair it with one of my favorite fruits – lychees (or litchis). I made the frozen yogurt with blackberries and piped it into the lychees. So you could also call this lychees stuffed with frozen yogurt.

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt with Lychees
makes about 2 servings. you will have left over frozen yogurt.

2 cups plain yogurt, I used low fat.
1 ½ cups blackberries either fresh or thawed from frozen
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice, optional
a 20 oz can of lychees in syrup

Drain the lychees and gently pat them dry. Place the drained lychees in the fridge till you are ready to use them.

Place a sieve or strainer over a vessel. Place a double layer of cheese cloth over the strainer. Put the yogurt in the cheese cloth. Gather and tie the ends of the cheese cloth to form a bundle. Put the yogurt bundle with the strainer and vessel in the fridge. We want most the liquid from the yogurt to drain. This will take about 2 hours.

In the meanwhile, puree the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Push the blackberry mixture through a sieve or strainer. Discard the seeds in the strainer.

When the yogurt has drained, return it to the blender along with the strained blackberry mixture. Blend till everything is combined well. Taste the mixture and adjust sugar if needed.

If you have an ice cream maker, process the yogurt blackberry mixture according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For creamy frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker:
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still make creamy frozen yogurt. Pour the blackberry yogurt mixture into a shallow dish, cover the dish, and place in the freezer. Freeze for about 2 hours until the yogurt is half frozen.

Now Scrape the yogurt and put it back in the blender. Blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the dish, cover, and freeze again. Let the yogurt freeze another 2 hours. Scrape up the yogurt and blend again. Repeat the freeze-blend-freeze process 3 times. This will result in creamy frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker!

To serve, fill a serving dish with ice cubes. Remove the drained lychees from the fridge. Arrange the lychees, hole-side up, over the ice. Place the frozen yogurt in a zip lock bag, and snip the end of the bag. Pipe the yogurt into the lychees. Serve immediately.

Notes
If your lychees aren’t firm enough to stand up straight or hold the frozen yogurt, freeze the lychees for about 30 minutes. This will make them firm enough to hold their shape and easier for you to pipe in the yogurt.

If you decide to place the lychees on a bed of ice, make sure you serve the dish immediately. Otherwise the ice will melt and your lychees will drown.

An easier method – simply chop up the lychees and top the frozen yogurt with the chopped lychees.

Cajun Brown Rice with Veggies and Red Beans

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

cajun brown rice

This is a hearty one pot meal for a cold night. You can put it together with minimal fuss, so this is also a great dish to make on a busy work day. This is a flexible recipe – use any kind of rice, veggies and beans you like. I used a blend of brown rice, red rice, barley and rye. My vegetable of choice was broccoli. You could use mushrooms, peas, cauliflower, roasted eggplant or roasted winter squash. Many Cajun dishes like gumbo and jambalaya get their smokey flavor from smoked Andouille sausage. I used liquid smoke and some smokehouse almonds to get that wonderful smokey flavor; the crunch from the almonds is a definite bonus.

Cajun Brown Rice with Veggies and Red Beans
makes 4-6 servings

1 large onion
2 ribs celery
1 red or green pepper
4 cloves garlic or 1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 ½ tsp dried thyme
2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke, optional
2 cups Brown rice
4 cups stock or water (you might need more or less depending on the type of rice you use)
2 cups Broccoli florets
1, 16 oz can of Red kidney beans
1, 16 oz can of Sweet corn
½ cup Smokehouse almonds
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Finely chop the onion, celery and pepper. Mince the garlic. Drain the sweet corn. Drain and rinse the red kidney beans. Chop the almonds into small bits.

Heat oil in a large deep pot. Add the onion, celery and red or green pepper. Saute on medium heat till the onion is translucent. Now add the garlic, paprika, thyme, Tabasco and liquid smoke. Saute 30 seconds.

Add the rice to the pot, stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the salt, pepper and stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, place a lid on the pot and let the rice cook on a low simmer. Cooking time for the rice will depend on the type of rice you are using. Read the instructions on the rice package for cooking times. Mine took about 45 minutes.

In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the rice, stir and put the lid back on. Let the broccoli florets steam for about 5 minutes.

Then check rice for doneness – rice must be completely cooked but not mushy and all the liquid should be absorbed. Once rice is cooked, stir in the beans, sweet corn and almonds. Mix well and turn off heat. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Chocolate Cup Cake Baked in a Cup

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

chocolate cake in a cup

I just may have created the world’s most expensive cupcakes. Thanks to UPS. Let me explain…

My sister moves a lot for her job. And every time she moves, it’s become somewhat of a tradition for me to send her something homemade and chocolaty. She is moving this week and I sent her mini chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting.

Did I mention my sister lives in England?? It cost me nearly a week’s worth of groceries to send these cupcakes to England! But I suppose you can’t put a price on these things. Besides, the Ina Garten recipe I used for these cupcakes was just perfect. This is a chocolate cake recipe and worked very well for making cup cakes.I didn’t use the butter cream frosting that came with the cake recipe. Instead I made a simple chocolate ganache (recipe below).

I had some left over batter, so I poured the batter into a big oven proof coffee mug and baked it right in the mug….this one is very literally a cup cake. It’s a lot of fun to eat out of the mug.

How to bake cup cakes in a coffee mug or cup

Make a batch of your favorite cake batter. I recommend Ina Garten’s chocolate cake recipe.

Start with clean coffee mugs. Make very sure that the coffee mugs are oven proof. Butter the inside of the mugs and lightly dust with flour. Alternatively, spray the inside of the mugs with non stick spray.

Pour the cake batter only half way up the mug.

Bake in a 350F oven.

Baking times will vary depending on the size of the mug you use. When the cake is done, the batter would have risen, and your kitchen will smell like cake. At this point insert a tooth pick into the cup cake. If its done, the tooth pick will come out clean. Make sure you dont over bake and dry out your cup cake. I used a fairly large mug and it took 25 minutes.

To serve, dust some powdered sugar on top or top the cake with chocolate ganache (recipe below). Serve with fresh berries of your choice.

Notes: Use the best cocoa powder you can afford. Try adding some kahlua or rum to the cake batter for a more intense flavor.

Microwave Method

I attempted a batch in the microwave. I used the same method above and microwaved the batter in the mug for about 3 minutes. It works. But the oven method tastes better and has better texture.

Chocolate Ganache
Makes enough to frost 2, 8 inch round cakes or about 60 mini cupcakes1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream

Bring the cream to a simmer in a pan on low heat. Add the chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Turn off heat. Spread immediately on top of the cooled cake.

Rose Pomegranate Fizz

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

a Turkish themed Valentine’s day dinner

rose pomegranate fizz

Rose flavoring is used mainly in Turkish sweets and desserts. I also had some really nice rose flavored tea in Istanbul. This drink is inspired by all the rose flavor I encountered in Turkey.

Rose Pomegranate Fizz
makes 2 cups

4 tbsp Sugar (more, if you like it sweeter)
3 tbsp Water
2 tbsp Pomegranate molasses*
¼ tsp rose water
2 cups chilled club soda or seltzer
A few rose petals

Microwave the sugar and water just until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool. Then mix all ingredients together except rose petals. Stir well to combine.

To serve, pour into glasses and float a few rose petals on top.

Notes
Make sure you use roses that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides. Rinse the rose petals in cold water before using.

*If you dont have pomegranate molasses, use pomegranate juice. You may have to experiment with the pomegranante juice and club soda ratio (start with equal amounts of each).

This recipe yields a slightly sweet drink. Thats how we like it. If you want your drink to be sweeter, just use more sugar.

How to make your own rose water

I found rose water in my local grocery store. It will also be available in middle eastern stores. If you cant find rose water, here is a link to make your own on www.tipnut.com. See the section titled ‘homemade rosewater’. The recipe calls for steeping 1 cup of rose petals in 2 cups boiling water. Then cool, strain and use.

Open-Faced Spinach and Feta Borek

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

a Turkish themed Valentine’s day dinner

borek

If there was one thing I loved eating the most in Turkey, it was spinach borek. These spinach and feta filled pastries were everywhere. Street vendors sold them on carts outside the blue mosque in Istanbul, in the grand bazaar, by the gorgeously lit bosphorous at night….boreks were ubiquitous.

Traditional borek (or burek) is similar to spanakopita – spinach encased in phyllo dough. This recipe is my take on borek. I made an open-faced pie. This way, you get more of the spinach filling and its quicker than wrapping the filling in the pastry dough. Once you thaw the puff pastry sheet, this is a really quick and easy dish to make.

Open faced Spinach and Feta Borek
makes 2 generous servings

1 sheet Puff pastry
a 10 oz box of frozen spinach
1 tsp cumin powder
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or oregano
A pinch nutmeg
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (use more if you wish)
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Thaw the puff pastry and the frozen spinach. Once the spinach is thawed, squeeze out all the water from it and set aside.

Pre heat oven to 400F

Unfold the puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Using the rolling pin, flatten and roll out the pastry a little. Then, leaving a small border all around the puff pastry sheet, prick the inside of the sheet with a fork. Pricking the pastry sheet will ensure it doesn’t puff up during baking. We only want the unpricked border to puff up.

Heat a pan with the oil. Add the garlic. When it sizzles, add the cumin powder to the oil and turn off heat immediately. Now add the nutmeg, parsley or oregano and spinach to the pan. Add salt and pepper (keeping in mind that the feta cheese is salty). Using your fingers, mix the ingredients together.

Spread the spinach mixture onto the pastry sheet. Make sure you don’t go over the pricked border. Crumble feta cheese over the spinach.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Muhammara – Walnut Pomegranate Dip

Posted on February 17, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

a Turkish themed Valentine’s day dinner

muhammara

Why a Turkish theme for valentine’s day dinner you ask?

When we visited Turkey, we discovered that in the touristy areas, almost every edible thing for sale was marked as either an aphrodisiac or a viagara substitute. No matter what a vendor was selling, he claimed it was good for your love life. Apricots, nuts, sweets, spices, tea…every thing came with the promise of…err…better procreative ability.

Talk about marketing technique! Sweets at the grand bazaar in Istanbul and a dried fruit stall in Cappadocia.

I’ve traveled enough to know that this aphrodisiac thing is a scam. But somehow during the Turkey trip, my brain made a connection between Turkish food and aphrodisiac. So when I was thinking of what to make for Valentines day, Turkish food was the first thing that came to mind

We started dinner with Muhammara – an incredibly delicious and easy Turkish dish to whip up. This dip is also called Acuka in Turkey and is also eaten in other parts of the middle east. It is slightly tart and sweet from the pomegranate and buttery from the walnuts. Muhammara is great as a dip, but it will also make a fantastic sandwich spread. There are several variations of this dish, but the main ingredients are always walnuts, roasted red peppers and pomegranate molasses. You can get pomegranate molasses in any middle eastern grocery store.

Muhammara – Turkish Walnut Pomegranate Dip
makes about 2 cups

1 cup walnuts
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 large roasted red peppers (see below for how to roast peppers)
1 clove garlic
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup dried bread crumbs
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp ketchup
½ tsp salt

Toast the walnuts in a skillet on medium heat, till they are slightly browned.

Put the toasted walnuts and all other ingredients in a blender and blend into a smooth dip. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add a few tablespoons of water to the blender. Serve with warm pita bread or vegetables.

How to roast peppers

Place red peppers over a direct flame – either on your stove or in an outdoor grill. Roast the red peppers on a high flame till they are completely charred on all sides. Place the charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the peppers steam this way for atleast 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, wipe off all the charred skin of the red peppers. Chop the peppers, discarding the seeds and membrane inside.

Roasted Parsnip Soup with Fresh Herb and Caper Chimichurri

Posted on February 10, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

parsnip soup

Raw parsnips are quite carrot like. They smell like carrots and taste a little like carrots. But when you roast parsnips, they take on a completely different character – they get intense and sweet. When I lived in England, roasted parsnips were as common as roasted potatoes in my college cafeteria.

In this soup, I roast the parsnips first and then blend them into a soup with vegetable stock, leeks and celery. This is not the best looking soup in the world, so I add a pinch of turmeric for color; you can leave it out if you dont mind a tasty but grey soup. I picked up some seeded multigrain bread at Trader Joes which goes perfectly with this thick, sweet soup.

I serve the soup with a flavorful fresh herb and caper chimichurri. A popular Argentine sauce, chimichurri is made with parsley and olive oil. I added capers for their yummy saltiness. Spoon the chimichurri over the soup or stir it in.

Roasted Parsnip Soup
serves about 4

2 parsnips chopped, about 2 cups
2 celery ribs roughly chopped
1 leek stalk cleaned and roughly chopped
½ a bay leaf
3 cloves Garlic
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
A splash of white wine
½ tsp Turmeric for color, optional
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups low fat milk
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Olive oil

Pre heat oven to 400F

Scrub the parsnips clean. Chop off the ends. Chop the parsnips into cubes. Toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven till the parsnips are golden. I cut the parsnips pretty small, and it took me 20 minutes.

While the parsnips are roasting, heat a large, deep pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped celery, leeks, garlic and bay leaf. Cook on medium-high heat till the celery has softened a little – about 3 minutes. Now add the oregano and wine and cook another 1 minute till the wine bubbles and evaporates. Add the turmeric, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Then lower heat and Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Fish out the bay leaf and discard it.

Add the roasted parsnips and milk to the stock. Place in a blender and puree into a soup – as smooth or chunky as you like.

Return the soup to the pot, and warm through before serving. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper. Remember, the stock has salt and the chimichurri is salty.

Fresh herb and Caper Chimichurri
makes about 1/4 cup

1 cup fresh Parsley leaves roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh Oregano
Capers – 1 ½ tbsp plus 1 tbsp of the brine (use pitted green or kalamata olives instead)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp wine (I used white, cooking wine)
1 tbsp stock or water
1 garlic clove
A pinch of Crushed red pepper, more if you like it hot
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend into a coarse paste.