Cranberry Chutney

What I had:

• 1 ½ cup mango cubes, thawed if frozen
• 1 ½ cup fresh cranberries (half the amount if using dried cranberries)
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 2 inches
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

What I did:

• In a saucepan on a medium low flame, cook all the ingredients for the chutney for 7-10 minutes.
• Once it reaches a jelly-like chutney consistency, turn off the flame. Keep in mind that chutney thickens further upon cooling.
• Discard the cinnamon stick prior to serving.

 

Mac and cheese muffins

Or cupcakes, as Oli called them.

What I had:

• Ronzoni small elbow macaroni, entire box cooked al dente
• 3 oz shredded gruyere cheese
• 3 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 16 oz cut spinach (I used frozen, defrosted and drained)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1 egg + 1 egg white
• Salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder

What I did:

• Melted the butter over medium heat in a medium sauce pan
• Added the flour and whisked it fast to avoid clumping
• Poured the milk and garlic in, continuously whisking
• Brought it to a boil and added both cheeses, mixing till its a creamy cheese sauce
• Mixed the pasta, spinach and cheese sauce in a large bowl till everything is covered in cheese
• Poured heaping spoonfuls into a greased muffin pan
• Baked at 400 for 15 minutes
• Let sit for 5 minutes before taking the muffins out

Next time, I would add more cheese. I think I used more pasta than the original recipe did here.

Vegetable Tian

What I had:

• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow squash, sliced thin
• 1 zucchini. sliced thin
• 2 medium white potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 large tomato, sliced thin
• variety of spices, I used salt, paprika, garlic, parsley
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• olive oil

What I did:

• Cooked garlic and onions in olive oil till soft
• Sprayed an 8X8 glass baking pan
• Layered garlic and onions on the bottom
• Created rows of sliced vegetables, alternating them for beauty
• Sprinkled spices over the vegetables
• Covered with aluminum foil and cooked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes
• Removed the foil, sprinkled cheese over everything and cooked for another 15 minutes

It was delicious! One note, for next time, I would put spices on all vegetables before lining them up in the pan to more evenly distribute the flavor.

Slow cooker Indian chick peas and spinach

I have been looking for easy slow cooker recipes for Indian food. I want to make more of it for Oli but don't have time to spend hours in front of the stove for one dish. I read some in The Indian Slow Cooker book, and looked at a few online. I didn't like any in their entirety so I decided to take the plunge and make my own!!!

What I had:

• 2 cups dry chick peas, rinsed and drained
• 8 oz fresh spinach
• 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 russet potatoes diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped finely
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• 2 cups water

What I did:

• Put the chick peas in the slow cooker
• Added the potatoes and tomatoes
• Added the garlic and ginger
• Added all the spices
• Put the spinach on top
• Added 1 cup water
• Started the slow cooker at high for 8 hrs
• After 3 hours, I checked and the spinach seemed to be getting dry on top so I mixed it all up and added another cup of water
• I checked at 5 hrs into cooking and it was done!

You can swerve this with naan, over rice or even over bread slices.

Quinoa fried rice

What I had:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

What I did:

• Cook the eggs in 1 tbsp olive oil, scramble them and put aside
• Cook the quinoa according to directions on package and put aside
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, broccoli and zucchini. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 6-8 minutes. 
• Add corn, carrots and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
• Add eggs and soy sauce, and gently toss to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
• Serve with Sriracha!

Vegetarian rosti

What I had:

• bag of frozen hashbrowns
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 jalapenos, diced
• 1 pint mushrooms, sliced
• olive oil, 2 tbsp
• salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
• shredded cheese (I used Mexican style mix)

What I did:

• sauteed the onions, peppers and jalapenos in a little bit of olive oil till soft, add mushrooms and spices and cook for another minute. Set aside
• browned the hashbrowns in a 12 inch pan till they are well done (or crispy to your liking)(they should cover the bottom of the pan)
• layered the vegetable mix over the potatoes
• whisked the eggs and poured over the vegetable mix
• sprinkle shredded cheese over eggs
• covered and cooked till eggs were cooked through

Enjoy!