Tatale

Savory and sweet, with a little bit of heat, I should have tried these a long time ago.  As soon as I purchased this cookbook several years ago, this was one of the first recipes that caught my attention. Meanwhile, this is one of my favorite cookbooks and have made several things from this book and I FINALLY got around to making these delicious, easy sweet plantain fritters from Ghana.  For another delicious recipe from this cookbook, see here when I made Kuku, which demonstrates the Indian influenced cuisine of Kenya.

These tatale are just so delicious and is going to be a go-to snack for me, whenever I have some ripe plantains I need to use up.

Tatale
2 very ripe plantains, peeled
2 chiles, finely chopped
2 scallions, chopped (original recipe used onions, but I didn't have any, so I substituted)
salt, to taste
1 egg
1/2 cup self-rising flour.
1 teaspoon olive oil (original recipe used palm oil, but I didn't have any)
Vegetable or Canola Oil, for frying

Ghanians really know how to utilize sweet plantains in delicious ways.  This and Kelewele are two delicious ways to utilize ripe plantain in savory snacks.
In a bowl, mash plantains.  Add chiles, scallions, egg and oil.  Stir to combine.

Add flour and salt. Stir to combine.

Heat oil.  Using a mini ice-cream scoop, place scoops of batter into the hot oil, pressing down a little bit on top, to flatten fritter.
Fry a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Perfect for appetizers at a dinner party, this recipe is also a unique after school snack for kids, that will appease their desire for sugar, with the natural sweetness of the plantain. These are very mild, however, if your child does not like any kind of spice, simply omit the chiles.  Tested on my friend's kids, I think yours will love them too!

I have recently really been utilizing my cookbook collection..yeah...finally getting their money's worth!

Sending this recipe to Srivalli's Kid's Delight, hosted by Rujata.

Please don't forget to contribute your recipes to my Coconut Event at my other blog - From Adai to Dhebra

Chef Mireille
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Farro Risotto with Kale and Peas

This is the last day of the Blogging Marathon and with this final day, comes an announcement of an exciting new venture of mine.  As much as I am a personal chef, I am also a food blogger and I learn so much from my fellow food bloggers.  I think the best chefs continue to learn and hone their craft and broaden their knowledge of cuisines, making lots of mistakes along their way.  I believe we learn more from failures than our successes  As much knowledge and culinary skills I possess, there is even more I don't know.

Participating in the Blogging Marathon the last couple of months has taught me so much, especially about Indian food.  I thought I was quite knowledgeable in Indian food, but now I realize how little I know (especially after my first Dosa attempt - more details here).

I really want to learn and master this cuisine, however, I do not want to change the global focus of this blog, so I have decided to launch a new space, where you can all laugh at my attempts at creating authentic, Indian cuisine.  I think one of the hardest things to master are their large variety of breads...with this thought in mind, I have named the new space...From Adai to Dhebra.  To launch this exciting new venture, I am kicking off the space with my very first blogging event.  I hope my fellow bloggers will join me and submit your recipes.

And now to an Italian inspired whole grain recipe...

Although Risotto is traditionally made with short grain Arborio rice, this is a whole grain alternative to still enjoy the buttery, cheesy goodness that is Risotto.  Farro is high in both protein and fiber and is making a comeback in the restaurant scene.  Many high end restaurants are now featuring farro dishes on their menu.  It is a healthier alternative to rice or pasta.

Farro Risotto
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup farro
2/3 cup green split peas
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped (I prefer this variety of kale to curly kale, which is more bitter)
2 vegetable bouillon cubes dissolved in 3 cups water (or 3 cups chicken stock)
2 cups white wine (if you prefer not to use alcohol, just use more of the broth/stock)
1 small handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 stalk rosemary leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
    * Please use the fresh cheese and not the powdered stuff that comes in the jar.  The powdered cheese has fillers like flour in it and it really is no comparison to the freshly grated cheese.  I know it is more expensive than the powdered cheese, but the flavor difference is worth it (if you can).  If you live in NY, I suggest going to East Village Cheese - their prices are amazing!


Soak split peas overnight.  Discard water and add fresh water to cover and 3 cloves of crushed garlic.
Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender.  Drain.
In a skillet, heat oil.  Add 2 teaspoons chopped garlic and saute for 1 minutes.  Add kale and saute until wilted. about 3-4 minutes.

In a large pot, heat oil and saute onions until translucent.  Add farro and toast for a few minutes.

Add 1 cup of white wine and cook, stirring frequently, until wine is almost completely absorbed.

Add second cup of white wine, stirring frequently until wine is almost absorbed.  Add stock, one cup at a time, stirring frequently, until all is absorbed.  With the last cup, stir in the cooked split peas and kale.

Once farro is tender and liquid is absorbed, turn off heat and stir in butter and cheeses.  Stir until melted.

Add herbs and salt, as needed.  Stir to combine.  Garnish with more herbs and cheese.

I was so busy this week, learning to cook with spelt and rye berries, as well as farro that I did not even include my favorite whole grain in the week's lineup of Whole Grain Recipes.  So if you love oats and are craving a twist on the classic breakfast cereal, don't forget to see this unique version with pears and pomegranates here.

...and please don't forget to Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#14


This recipe is such a balanced meal I am able to contribute it to lots of blogging events:
 Let's Cook Greens

Chef Al Dente's Gimme Green

Spicy Treats' Fiber Rich event

Vidhya's Love Lock Series at Zesty Palette

and Say Cheese

Chef Mireille
http://www.globaltasteinc.com
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Contact me at chefmireille@globaltasteinc.com for personal chef and cooking class services!

Paneer Tikka Cornbread with Golden Beet Raita

Originally, I tried to create a Pomegranate Rice dish for today's Blogging Marathon post, cooking the brown Basmati rice in a combination of pomegranate juice and coconut milk.  OMG...not all ideas in the head translate the same when on the tongue.  What a disaster!  It tasted awful!  That's what I get for going overboard in the creativity department.  You'd think I would go for something simple to replace it...No! It's just not in my nature. Thank God, this creation tasted way better!!!
I had planned on plating the pomegranate rice with paneer tikka and this golden beetroot raita.  So I needed something else to go with the raita I had already created, which was delicious.  It also needed to be whole grain, since that's my BM theme....so here is what I came up with

Raita is a quick, easy way to utilize vegetables and go well with lots of things; not just Indian food.  I am thinking of tossing this raita with some pasta to see how it tastes.  Combining the flavors of Indian Paneer Tikka with American style cornbread creates a Fusion style cornbread to utilize the raita I created.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Golden Beet Raita
8 oz. golden beets, peeled
zest of 1 orange
1 cup yogurt
8 curry leaves
2 chiles, split
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon urad dal
a small handful cilantro
salt, to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon

Boil beets until tender.
While beets are cooking, heat oil.  Add urad dal, cumin seeds, fennel seed and chiles.  Fry for about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add curry leaves and fry for another minute.  Let cool for a few minutes.
In a food processor, combine all ingredients

and process until smooth.

Golden Beet Raita

Paneer Tikka Sweet & Savory Cornbread
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 oz. paneer, grated
1/4 cup yogurt
2 teaspoons paneer tikka masala spice mix
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
extra oil or non-stick spray, for greasing skillet

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a large bowl, combine all wet ingredients.  Mix together.  Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Fold in grated paneer.
Grease a cast iron skillet.  Pour batter into skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy Cornbread with Raita!

Both of these are both sweet and savory, so they complement each other well.  The cornbread is sweet, but with a kick as it is going down because of the spice in the masala mix. The raita is spicy, but with the natural sweetness that comes from the golden beets.

This is a perfect snack to enjoy between meals!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#14

Recipe sent to Fiber Rich Event, Zesty Palette's Bake Fest, hosted by Sizzling Tastebuds and  Say Cheese

Chef Mireille
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Contact me at chefmireille@globaltasteinc.com for personal chef and cooking class services!

Soy-Cauliflower Curry with Spelt

This Blogging Marathon entry has two new ingredients for me. I have never before cooked with either spelt or soy/soya chunks.

After soaking the spelt, I just boiled them for 20 minutes, which is the quick method.  However, spelt absorbs a lot of liquid, so this is a great grain to use as a replacement for rice, and even risotto.  It can also be cooked in the same way you would steam rice, using a 2:1 ratio of water to spelt.  It is not as firm as the rye berries, so is a great alternative if you like fluffy rice, but looking for a whole grain alternative.

I had originally planned to incorporate the spelt into the curry, however, after cooking it (my first time), I decided it was better to just use it as the starch of the meal, as you would rice.

4 teaspoons oil
6 oz. soy chunks, soaked in boiling water and 1 tablespoon turmeric for 10 minutes

3 green onions, chopped (I only used green onions because I had run out of regular onions.  You can certainly just use regular onion.)
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tomato, chopped
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets (I like to leave the cauliflower in large pieces, so it will remain crisp when the curry is cooked, but you can chop the cauliflower smaller, if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seed (methi)
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon urad dal
4 chiles, split
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
12 curry leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon jaggery, grated
1 cup spelt berries, soaked overnight

In a pot, place soaked spelt berries and add water to cover  Bring to the boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until fork tender.  Add salt, to taste
Heat oil.  Saute onions, garlic and ginger.

Add reconstituted soy chunks, cauliflower and tomato.

Cook on high heat for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet.  Add urad dal and stir fry for 1 minute.  Add fenugreek, cumin seed, coriander seed and fennel and cook for 2 minutes, until spices are fragrant.  Add chiles and fry for another minute.  Let cool.

Grind the roasted spices and chiles and stir into soy and vegetables with jaggery and salt.

Heat another teaspoon of oil in pan you roasted the spices in and fry curry leaves for 2 minutes.
Add cilantro and  cook for another 5 minutes.

Add curry leaves and adjust salt, if necessary. Stir to combine and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve curry, with spelt on the side.  Garnish with green onions and cilantro leaves.

This is a mild, dry curry that even kids should love!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#14

Submitting recipe to Spicy Treats' Fiber Rich event

and

Anu's Fenugreek Event at Zesty Palette

Chef Mireille
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Still celebrating Holi in NYC...Carrots with Mint & Rye

I originally had another recipe scheduled to post for today's Blogging Marathon entry, but as I was celebrating Holi in NYC today, I realized I needed a colorful recipe to celebrate the Festival of Colors, so I am posting this recipe, which was originally scheduled for tomorrow and you will just have to wait another day for the Soy-Cauliflower Curry.

Holi festivities ended about 2 weeks ago in India, Trinidad, Malaysia, Guyana and other countries where it is celebrated.  However, it still continued in NY until today.  Today, at Dag Plaza, Holi was in full effect with Bhangra, Henna and Colors!  Holi, the Festival of Colors was enjoyed by Indians, in addition to all the other races and peoples that populate NYC.
Bhangra was on the stage and to educate the non-initiated, each session the leader pulled someone from the audience (Caucasion, Indian, African American - whoever was willing to come on stage) and showed the basics of Bhangra.  These were not just Bhangra performers, but Bhangra teachers - it really was a high energy, fun-filled afternoon.  A few food stalls, your requisite booth selling bangles and henna artists were on stand-by!

Here are some pics from the event:

To continue the colorful holiday, I changed my original plan and am posting this colorful carrot recipe!

The inspiration for this recipe came from one of Madhur Jaffrey's recipes that I have been making for several years.  Today, we have Holi festivals and many other things that celebrate the Indian culture in NYC.  However, Madhur Jaffrey can be credited with introducing Indian culture, and especially its cuisine, to Americans in 1975, when her first cookbook was published, adapting Indian cuisine to American kitchens and available products.

Still in print...I took this photo when I was browsing in the bookstore this week!

More than 30 years later and more than a dozen cookbooks later, she is still educating Americans on the foods of India and beyond.  Personally, I own two of her cookbooks, World Vegetarian and Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking.  In addition, before blogging and the Internet, I used to go to the library and borrow her cookbooks and make copies of the recipes I wanted to try.  All of these recipes have now been entered into my Mastercook database.  Before I was a food writer, I was only collecting these recipes for my own interest and was not thinking of accreditation, so I did not think to note which cookbook it is from, so you just have to take my word that this recipe is from one of her cookbooks.

Adjusting the seasonings slightly and adding the rye berries make this a fiber-rich delicious dish!

Pudina Gajar with Rye
2 teaspoons oil
1 cup rye berries
1 lb. carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ajwain seeds
1/2 teaspoon urad dal
1 onion, chopped
3 chiles, chopped
6 tablespoons golden raisins
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup mint leaves, finely chopped

Place rye berries in a saucepan and cover with water.  Soak overnight.
Exchange water and bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a skillet.  Add urad dal and ajwain and fry for 2 minutes.  Add onion and chiles and cook, until onions are translucent.

Add carrots, raisins, water, sugar and salt.

Cook for about 5 minutes, until carrots are tender.
Add mint leaves and rye berries and stir to combine.

Enjoy this simple, Indian colorful meal...as the festivities of Holi disappear...until next year!

Don't forget to check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#14

...sending recipe to Spicy Treats' Fiber Rich event and Cooking Concepts Spring Seasonal Food

Chef Mireille
http://www.globaltasteinc.com
Like me on FACEBOOK!
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Contact me at chefmireille@globaltasteinc.com for personal chef and cooking class services!