Spinach & Portobello Enchilada's

Here's what I came up with after buying some Portobello mushrooms... My daughter ate them up, not even knowing there was mushrooms in them! After I told her, she freaked out :D I made some homemade tortillas for these, and I tried the Mrs. Dash's Steak Seasoning since I like it on steak so much... and it did just as good for the mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounce enchilada sauce (any kind you like)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 8 ounce Portobello mushrooms, chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 10 ounce frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
• 1/2 bell pepper, any variety, sliced into long strips
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• Mrs. Dash's Steak seasoning, to taste
  
• 1 1/4 cup shredded jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded colby/jack cheese
  
• Cilantro, for garnish

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 13 x 9 inch pan with oil. Spread small amount of enchilada sauce on bottom.

Fry onion, garlic, and chili's until softened. Add mushrooms and bell peppers, along with Mrs. Dash's and cumin. Fry until mushrooms are tender. Add spinach, jack cheese, and 1 cup of colby/jack cheese and heat until cheese is melted. Spoon a small amount onto tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in pan. Repeat until pan is full, squeezing them in if necessary. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce, and then with remaining cheese.

Spray a piece of tin foil with oil and place oil side down, sealing baking dish. Bake 30 - 40 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with Cilantro and serve.

~ "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind." - Albert Einstein ~

Vindee's Rogan Josh, Okra, & MeMe

One of my favorite dishes is Rogan Josh, and whenever there is something that I like so much, I always try different variations of it. When I saw Vindee (Passionate About Baking) had a recipe, I decided to make it... as any time I try a dish of hers, it never dissapoints! As I expected, It was awesome! I made this along with an okra dish I found in Neelam Batra's 1,000 Indian Recipes. It has all the spices, like coriander, cumin, cayenne, ginger/garlic & some chaat masala... but the interesting thing was the way it was made. Instead of pan cooking, It was coated with spices and oil, and broiled then baked in the oven till golden. The chaat was added at the end before serving.

Sujatha (Khazana of my favorite recipes) has tagged me for a meme :)

1. Last movie u saw in a theater?
Juno

2. What book are u reading?
None right now :(

3. Favorite board game?
Yahtzee (More of a dice game I suppose)

4. Favorite magazine?
National Geographic

5. Favorite smells?
Green Cardamom, anything grilled over charcoal, vanilla & my bf's cologne

6. Favorite sounds?
Quiet noise of a fan running, and nothing else!

7. Worst feeling in the world?
Anxiety

8. What is the first thing you think of when u wake?
:(( NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

9. Favorite fast food place?
Subway

10. Future child's name?
Future Child???

11. Finish this statement—'If I had a lot of money I’d....’
Try and remember what It's like to barely have enough to get by and enjoy the freedom!

12. Do u drive fast?
Sometimes, but I try not to.

13. Do u sleep with a stuffed animal?
No

14. Storms–cool or scary?
Awesome, I love them!

15. What was your first car?
Mercury Sable

16. Favorite drink?
Water

17. Finish this statement - If I had the time I would…
Relax and take a looooong trip to Chicago.

18. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
Yeah

19. If you could dye your hair any other color, what would be your choice?
I like my hair color because I haven't seen anyone with my hair color before :)

20. Name all the different cities/towns u have lived in?
Kalamazoo, MI (yup, I'm that boring)

21. Favorite sports to watch?
I use to watch basketball, now I don't watch anything but I don't mind seeing tennis if someone else watches it. Anything really fast paced is ok.

22. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
Sujatha has a great blog I was happy to find and she was sweet enough to think of me for this meme :)

23. Whats under your bed?
Nothing

24. Would u like to be born as yourself again?
Yes, and knowing everything I know now, too!

25. Morning person or night owl?
Neither, I like the mid-day.

26. Over easy or sunny side up?
Over easy.

27. Favorite place to relax?
My quiet apartment, while no one is home!

28. Favorite pie?
Pumpkin

29. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate Almond

30. Of all the people u have tagged, who is the most likely to respond first?
I don't know, as I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, but anyone who wants to do it... You're IT!!! ... And thanks Sujatha for the tag! :)

Pistachio-and-Cardamom Pound Cake with Lemon Icing

I got this recipe from Suvir Saran's American Masala.

Ingredients For Cake:

• 1 cup raw, shelled pistachios
• 1 stick, plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Ingredients For Icing:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon heavy cream or milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and browned, about 5 minutes. Cool and then pulse in a food processor until they become very fine (don't over process) and set aside. Reduce oven temp. to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 - inch loaf pan with 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Place a long strip of parchment paper in the pan bottom. Grease the top of the parchment with 1/2 tablespoon of butter, set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, whisk in vanilla, and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the remaining stick and a half of butter and sugar until they are light and airy. Drizzle in the eggs, a little at a time, beating between additions to incorporate and scraping the bowl as necessary. Alternate adding the flour and the milk, starting and ending with the flour and mixing until the batter is just nearly combined between additions, scraping the bowl as necessary. Fold the pistachios into the batter by hand, then transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake the cake until a cake tester inserted in the cake's center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack and turn it so it's top faces up. Let the cake cool completely.

While the cake cools, make the icing: Sift the confectioners' sugar and cardamom into a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice and cream or milk. Spread the icing over the cake, letting it drip over the sides. Once the icing has set, slice and serve.

Medhu Vadai's (Rice Croquettes with Cashews)

I got the recipe for these from Neelam Batra's 1,000 Indian Recipes. I like it, but I don't think I added enough salt, and next time I will try adding some black salt and see how I like it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long-grain white rice, sorted and washed in 3 -4 changes of water
• 1/2 cup dried white urad beans, sorted and washed in 3 - 4 changes of water
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
• 1 tbs. peanut oil (or any vegetable oil)
• 1 tsp. black mustard seeds
• 2 tbs. dried channa dal
• 1 tsp. coarsely ground fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp. ground asafoetida
• 2 tbs. minced fresh curry leaves
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped cashews
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying (or any vegetable oil)

Method:

1. Setting aside 2 tbs. of the rice, soak rice and dal in water to cover by 2 inches, about 4 hours. Drain and transfer to food processor and process, adding hot water as needed to make a fluffy, semi-thick batter that can be shaped. Add the baking soda ande salt, and process again. Remove to a bowl.

2. Heat 1 tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the mustard seed. Cover the pan and lower heat until sputtering subsides. Quickly add the 2 tbs. of rice, channa dal, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, and cashews, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Mix into the batter. Cover and let rest in a warm, draft-free place about 2 hours.

3. Heat the oil for frying in a large wok or skillet until a pinch of batter dropped into oil bubbles and immediately rises to the top.

4. Take about 1 tbs. of batter at a time, and with wet hands, shape into doughnuts and drop into hot oil. Deep fry, adding 3 - 4 croquettes at a time, until golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve hot.

My daughter loves these!

Spiced Mocha Mix

I got this recipe from the Southern Living Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup instant milk powder
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup powdered nondairy coffee creamer
• 1/3 cup instant coffee granules
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container. To serve, spoon 3 heaping teaspoons into a mug. Add 1 cup hot milk, stirring until dissolved.

Makes 2 3/4 cups mix.

~ I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying - Woody Allen ~