odds, ends

Last week, I decided to attempt a "lazy stuffed shells" recipe -- toss cooked pasta with marinara sauce, then gently fold in a mixture of ricotta, herbs, and grated mozzarella. Top with marinara sauce and bake. I did all this, but I think next time, I'll do it a little differently -- the ricotta mixture doesn't hold together, so I'll try making it a layer between the two halves of the tossed pasta. Still, it was good.

Then we ate fairly recent leftovers for two nights, threw a bunch of older food out, and we still have leftovers, though fewer. I think on the second leftover night, we also made easy quesadillas and guacamole.

For a major potluck on Saturday, I made tamale pie, (chili polenta crust and topping, stuffed with sauteed beans, onions, mushrooms, red pepper, black olives, and tossed with cheese, then baked) and tofu chocolate pie (silk tofu, melted chocolate, vanilla, in a graham crust). Mr. P made a second tofu pie. At the pot luck, there was not a crumb left. Someone even washed our glass dish for us.

Last night, I made another tamale pie for a potluck today. Mr. P made dinner -- one of my favorties -- Ma Po Tofu, which is basically tofu in a thick hot chili sauce. I think he added carrots, peas, and corn and lots of ginger and special Chinese pepper. Very good, and it was nice to have a night off.

good ol' new mexican food

Today I roasted some squash and sauteed onions, mushrooms, and pigeon peas (the latter from a raid on an Indian food store). I made up a chili sauce -- nice and thick, not too hot, but still with a good little kick. And I made a layered dish out of whole wheat tortillas, chili sauce, cheese, and veggies in a big round dish. I put it back in the oven for a while and then cut it into wedges to serve. The sweetness of the squash, the heat of the sauce, and the creaminess of the cheese made a great combination.

I also started on a dish for tomorrow -- the part I prepared today consists of roasted potatoes and cauliflower, tossed with lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. You douse it in two cups of water, stir occasionally, and cook until the water is gone. Tomorrow, I'll heat it up again and serve it with chopped feta and parsley. This is a variation on a recipe from a friend -- my additions are the lemon zest and cauliflower. I'll probably serve it with a side of leftover roasted squash and steamed broccoli.

many meals

. Steamed some previously frozen stuffed shells (except that I ran out of shells, so ended up using anything stuffable -- in this case, lasagna noodles and cabbage leaves), then topped with a homemade tomato sauce, with a little extra cumin and cayenne for zip.

. Broccoli tossed with pesto (from last summer) and served over gnocchi.

. Whole-grain Pizza topped with leftover tomato sauce, sauteed mushrooms and onions, black olives, and goat cheese. A little leftover broccoli on the side.

. And last night, an Indian curry -- spices, onions, paneer, and a little canned tomato sauce, with tiny green chick peas (found frozen in an Indian grocery -- looked too weird to pass up), then ginger and garlic added at the last minute. We served it with Indian bread and these weird jalapeno/cheese/potato samosas I found in the same grocery store.

Tonight? Likely leftovers.

comfort food

Yesterday, because of the ice storm, Mr. P worked from home while I went into the office. I came home in rain -- no windshield to clean off, but the temperatures were starting to fall -- and slushed my way into the driveway. Just as I was starting to prepare dinner, Mr. P asked if he might make uppama.

It's our Indian comfort food, consisting mostly of cream of wheat (yeah hot cereal!), but also Indian spices, (I think it has fried mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, hot peppers, and curry leaves, the latter two of which we keep in the freezer as staples). There are also two kinds of lentils -- split yellow and pale white. And then we add in some green vegetables (edamame last night - no more peas in the house) and corn and toasted cashew nuts. We serve it with mango chutney.

This is a recipe that comes from the marvelously named Spice Box, but we've altered it over the years, so its page is heavily annotated.

aloo ghobi mattar paneer

I made a favorite curry tonight -- a combination of cauliflower and potatoes (aloo ghobi) and peas and cheese (mattar paneer). It goes together rather quickly. I used the microwave to steam the cauliflower and then the potatoes and set them aside. Then I made a tarka (fried mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, and cayenne), which I quickly cooled down by adding onions and cooking for a bit. In went the frozen peas, the paneer, then the cooked veggies, and at the end, chopped ginger and garlic. We served it all over rice. It was good -- flavorful, not too hot.

southwestern soup

Last night, we were invited to a party and our hostess asked us to bring a dish. Mr. P made his famous guacamole. It's swoon-worthy stuff. I reprised my roasted chick pea dish. People kept nibbling them and telling me they were great. There were about two spoonfuls left when I went to take the dish home. I was so proud.

Tonight, I made soup. I sauteed onions, stirred in some mushrooms and poodle (savoy) cabbage, then added broth that I made and froze last summer (it had tomatoes, potatoes, green peppers, and likely some other random veggies). I also added some water, a can of black beans, and a small corner of that hot sauce I made and froze last week. Oh, and some frozen corn and some soy sauce. Then I let it cook and simmer for a while. It definitely had a kick, but it was just about perfectly seasoned. We served it with a little light sour cream on top. Just perfect for winter.

stocking up for a long winter

Today, I went through the freezer and found (I think I found) all the hot peppers and all the chopped green peppers from the farm that I stored away over the course of the summer. I threw them on some parchment paper and roasted the whole lot for quite a while. When I decided they were done, that is, when the house smelled irresistably good, I let them cool a bit, then removed all the stems and seeds. I soaked the sticky mess in hot water until cool again, then food-processed the peppers and juice with some salt and cumin (I had roasted and pulverized the seeds).

The result was a rich, thick, brown, and very hot paste that I scooped into a quart freezer bag. It's now back in the freezer. I'm thinking about soups, perhaps some sauces, or parts of sauces that we'll work on for the rest of the winter and possibly into the spring. Perhaps I could mix a little with some tahini and toss it with vegetables. Or put a little into the next batch of enchiladas I make. Or mix it with fresh tomatoes for a very interesting salsa.

We'll definitely work something out. I know there's a lot of experimenting I'll be able to do with this spicey ambrosia.

quick snack

I knew I was going to be hungry later, so I made up a pot of rice. While it was cooking, I rinsed and dried a can of chickpeas, tossed them with salt, NM chili powder, roughly chopped garlic, and a little olive oil, then roasted the beans. When done, I ate beans and rice with just a little bit of soy sauce on top. Oh yum.

(The title refers to the easy prep, not to the waiting time. Start this dish before you get hungry or the wait will seem quite a bit longer.)