"EVERYDAY" SALSA: SALSA CASERA

Salsa casera (or ranchera) mean house salsa (or ranch salsa) in Spanish. This is the beloved day-to-day homestyle salsa that is so easy to make and tastes great with everything. There are as many varieties of salsa casera as there are Mexican households... everyone makes it ever so slightly differently, depending on personal taste, tradition, chiles available, etc. It's sometimes made with a mix of tomatillos and tomatoes, or with roasted fresh chiles serrano/jalapeño/de arbol/cayenne instead of dried. Sometimes with chiles pequin added to take the heat up a notch, sometimes without cilantro, sometimes with Mexican oregano. However you make it, you can't go wrong with this salsa. It's quite basic, fresh, and herb-y.

Salsa Casera

makes: ~1-1/2 cups

- 1 lb. ripe tomatoes

- 4 cloves garlic

- 5 - 8 chiles de arbol (or cayenne, commonly used in India)

- 1/2 white onion, unpeeled

- 1 large handful cilantro, leaves and tender stems

- 2 tbsp. distilled vinegar

- 1 tbsp. salt

1. Put the onion cut side down and the unpeeled garlic in a pan. Dry-roast on medium until the garlic is softened somewhat, charred in places, and the cut side of the onion is mostly charred. Peel the garlic and onion and place in a food processor jar.
2. Boil water in a pan large enough to hold the tomatoes. Cut a cross on the top (stem side) of the tomatoes and put into the water. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Allow to cool and peel the tomatoes. Transfer to the food processor.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse into a salsa - don't blend into a soup! Adjust salt and lime to taste.
4. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a week.

BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

This compote is almost too easy to make. But the flavours are so spectacular and it's so great with a huge variety of food, that you'll want to have this in your fridge all the time. The alcohol cooks off of course, and leaves behind the flavours, so children, teetotalers, and anyone else can have this safely.

It's amazing with my basil-gin ice cream, but also with waffles, pancakes, pound cake, angel food cake, panna cotta, blancmange, vanilla mousse, and other ice cream flavours (see below for other ice cream serving suggestions).

Blueberry Compote
makes: approximately 1-1/2 cups

- 1 pint blueberries (use really ripe ones)
- 1 tbsp. demerara or turbinado sugar (use 2 tbsp. sugar if the blueberries aren't very ripe)
- 2-3 lemon peels (yellow part only, not the bitter white pith)
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 tbsp. gin or vermouth

1. In a saucepan, heat all the ingredients together. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, then cook on medium-low heat for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Cool to room temperature and remove the lemon peels and bay leaf. The compote will thicken a bit as it cools.
3. Chill and serve with basil-gin ice cream, or any other complementary ice cream like vanilla, blueberry, mixed berry, sweet cream, mint... etc.

PICKLED FRESH CHICKPEAS AND CARROTS: LEELA CHANA-GAJAR NU ATHAANU

This is a fresh pickled relish flavoured with fresh green garbanzo beans, carrots, and mustard, quite typical to Gujarat - home for me! Although this is Gujarati in flavours, it's neutral enough to be great with Indian food from any region. 

As I've mentioned before, I have a pickle affliction. And while I almost always relegate dried garbanzo beans to hummus, I simply love fresh garbanzos. They're a bit of work because of the shelling they require but they're totally worth it. I've never made Indian pickles before because I assumed they need things I can't be bothered to go find. But this recipe couldn't be simpler! If fresh garbanzos are out of season, make it with carrots alone.

I find dried garbanzos to be quite heavy so I seldom have them whole, but these fresh ones are mild, light, and easy to eat even raw with a bit of lemon, salt, and cilantro.

Adapted from Gujarati Chatko.

Leela Chana-Gajar nu Athaanu
Makes: 1 - 2 cups

- 1 cup fresh chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 4 small carrots, cut into 1 in. pieces
- 1/4 cup black mustard seeds, coarsely powdered in a blender (not in a food processor)
- 2 tbsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. chile powder
- 1/2 cup safflower or other neutral oil
- 1 lemon, juiced

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the carrots and boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and remove the carrots from the water with a slotted spoon. Spread out the carrots on a dry kitchen towel to dry completely.
2. Bring the water to a boil again and add the chickpeas. Boil for 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat, and strain the chickpeas.
3. Spread out the chickpeas on another dry kitchen towel to dry completely.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, powdered mustard, salt, chile powder, lemon juice, and stir to combine. Add the carrots and chickpeas and mix everything well. Taste and adjust the salt and add more chile powder if you want more heat. Keep in mind that the vegetables will reduce in volume a bit as they pickle so it's best not to overdo the salt and chile.
5. Transfer to a clean, dry glass jar and close the lid. Leave the jar in a very sunny spot for 3 - 5 days.
6. Refrigerate and enjoy with any kind of Indian food!

EATING SPRING: MUSHROOM AND ASPARAGUS RICE WITH TOASTED BLACK PEPPER

This is an easy and refreshing sattvic spring recipe that's so great on its own, with roasted vegetables like zucchini and carrots, or a salad of romaine lettuce and sliced cucumbers dressed with lemon juice and salt.

It won't be sattvic meal any more, but this rice would also be a terrific side with salmon, sea bass, barramundi (Asian seabass, bhetki in Bengali), or cod.

Ghee and black pepper are the big flavours in this dish, so if you use olive oil, the flavour will be very different. Butter will certainly work very well if you don't have ghee but it's heavier than ghee and not really a sattvic food.

Mushroom and Asparagus Rice with Toasted Black Pepper
Makes: approximately 4 servings (1-1/2 cups per serving)

- 1 cup basmati rice, soaked (at least 30 min, up to 24 hours)
- 3/4 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 in. pieces
- 8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 3/4 - 1 tbsp. toasted black peppercorns, coarsely ground
- 1 tbsp. spiced ghee, regular ghee, or butter
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 4 tbsp. finely chopped parsley (i.e. finely chop enough parsley to make 4 tbsp.)

1. In a large pan on medium-high, heat the ghee. Lower the heat to medium and add the toasted peppercorns.
2. Add the mushrooms, then minced garlic and saute (turn the heat down to medium-low if needed until the mushrooms release water, then turn it back up to medium to evaporate the water and finish sauteing the mushrooms.)
3. Drain the rice well and set aside - you want minimal water on the rice.
4. When the mushrooms are sauteed, keep the heat on medium and add the asparagus and drained rice and saute for 3-5 minutes or until the rice is opaque and looks mostly dry.
5. Add the 1-1/2 cups water to the rice and vegetables and turn the heat up to high. Let the water come to a boil, add salt and stir.
6. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the water is almost all absorbed. Then lower the heat to low, cover the pan and cook the rice until you can't see any water.
7. Take the lid off and serve garnished with 1 tbsp. parsley per serving.

Notes:

1. It's really not necessary to laboriously wipe the dirt off each mushroom. Give the mushrooms a quick wash and dry them thoroughly with paper or cotton dish towels before slicing.
2. Trim off the dried bit of each mushroom stem, and keep the rest of the stem on, or remove and slice separately if it's easier to handle the mushrooms that way. If you must discard the stems from mushrooms for a recipe, save them and use to make mushroom stock, or use in a recipe where you can use sliced or diced mushrooms.

ROASTED RADISHES

Roasting radishes brings out a mild sweetness that's quite irresistible. When radishes are in season, I like to get a mixed bunch so I can have a few different shapes and colours. Who said you can't play with your food?!

You can definitely roast a bigger batch of these and keep them for a couple of days. They're great warm from the oven but also keep well in the fridge to toss in a salad the next day or to have as a side with a meal. Or on bread with butter. Or on their own with a bit of feta and pepper on top.

Roasted Radishes

Makes: 1-2 servings

- 1 bunch (6-7) radishes
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 180 C.
2. Wash and trim the radishes.
3. Cut each radish into half. If you have some long varieties like torpedo radishes, cut them length-wise into half.
4. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. Put on a baking tray or other oven-safe pan and roast for 15 - 20 minutes, or until fork-tender - 5 or so more minutes.
6. Serve as a snack, or a side, or on a salad.

HERBED HONEY LIME SALAD DRESSING, GRILLED CORN CHOPPED SALAD

This is easily the best salad dressing I have ever made! And I've always made salad dressing myself, I never buy it. This dressing truly dresses up a salad, with clean ingredients and bright flavours! Best of all, it's quite a forgiving recipe so you can vary the quantities of ingredients however you prefer.

Although, I wouldn't do anything insane like adding parsley instead of mint or - heaven forbid - herbs like rosemary, sage, tarragon and all that. That would be nothing short of a travesty of this dressing!

If you're making the salad too: roasted corn is important in the salad. It rounds everything out with its smokiness. In corn season I buy a bunch of corn, roast it on my gas burner stove top, shave off the kernels, and freeze for use later. That is of course better than frozen store-bought roasted corn, but really, Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn is quite up to par. So definitely use that if you want or have to.

Herbed Honey-Lime Salad Dressing

Makes: approximately 12 oz.

- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/8 cup fresh juice from navel, tangerine, or mandarin oranges

- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly torn and including tender stems
- 1 cup fresh mint, roughly torn and including tender stems
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper

- 1 garlic clove, peeled

- 1 tsp good quality salt

- 1/4 cup or more water as needed to blend to a smooth, easily pourable, liquid consistency

1. Put everything in a blender or smoothie mixer and blend to a smooth consistency.

2. While still in the blender, taste the dressing and adjust flavours to your taste. Blend again to make sure it's all smooth.

3. Enjoy over salad leaves, roasted vegetables, raw vegetables, rice and raw vegetable salad, or a mixed chopped salad like below...

Grilled Corn Chopped Salad

Makes: a lot, or approximately 10 cups

1. Mix in a bowl small-medium sized dice of:

- 1 cup yellow or red onion

- 1 cup jicama

- 3 Persian cucumbers

- 1 cup capsicum of any colour

- 1 cup carrots

2. Add

- 1 cup celery, sliced not diced

- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

- 1 cup kernels from grilled corn (or use Trader Joe's frozen grilled corn)

3. Toss with three quarters of the salad dressing, adding more if required.

4. Enjoy on its own or as a salsa with tortilla chips! Or stuffed in a pita, as a soft taco with corn tortillas, with a bit of rice on the side, or filled in endive spears.

CHICKPEA, MINT, AND CITRUS DIP (WITH TOASTED PEPPERCORNS)

I seldom write effusive blog posts, but sometimes things just fall into place. Sometimes you have exactly the amount of things you need to fall into place. Or into your blender! Like this delicious dip that will take an unexpected turn in your mouth thanks to the smoky toasted peppercorns and fresh grapefruit.

I pulled a shoulder muscle and was in pain all day at work but I reeeeally wanted to workout like I normally do in the evening. It's the thing I look forward to every single day, because it's fun! And lively. Well anyway a workout was just a preposterous idea because my "trial" moves in the work bathroom left me unable to move much for a good 15 minutes. So I took the hint and came home, certainly not up to cooking or eating.

But - I had cooked chickpeas, a beautiful bunch of fresh mint, which is one of my favourite herbs, and over half a bunch of equally beautiful fresh parsley. And an aging grapefruit.

And - I absolutely hate wasting food and always feel dreadful about having to throw away food, especially if it's because of my own neglectfulness. 

So - I decided that the chickpeas would have to become my usual hummus that I could take to work as a snack, and the herbs would become a persillade but with mint and parsley. And the grapefruit - especially great with toasted pepper and a light sprinkle of salt - would be a snack. That, I reckoned, was the way to dispense with things expeditiously so I could mope about having to stay in all evening.

But as I was laying everything out, the smell of the torn mint and parsley leaves, the lemon, peppercorns, and grapefruit halves was just so heady together that I figured I'd have a go at putting it all together in a dip. And it turned out to be phenomenal - gorgeous light green, with a garlic-ey, herbal scent and the smokiness of toasted peppercorns. Love it!

Chickpea, Mint, and Citrus Dip (with Toasted Peppercorns)

Makes: approximately 1-3/4 cups

- 1-1/2 cups chickpeas, cooked

- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

- 1/8 cup parsley

- 1/2 cup grapefruit juice (from 1 medium grapefruit)

- 1 Meyer lemon or a regular lemon, juiced

- 2 large cloves garlic

- 1 tsp minced ginger

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 2 tsp freshly ground toasted black pepper, or regular black pepper

- 1 tsp salt, or to taste

1. Blend everything until it is smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste - add more lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste.

2. Garnish with minced parsley or a drizzle of olive oil, or both.

3. Let it sit for a few hours/overnight to let the flavours meld and let the dip thicken a bit as the chickpeas absorb some of the liquid before serving. Or, serve immediately as an appetizer with bread/pita, pita chips, crostini, lavash, roasted vegetables, crudites, or as a main with roasted salmon.

"SKINNY" FRIES: BEST OVEN-ROASTED POTATOES!

Use starchy potatoes for this, not waxy. Waxy potatoes don't have enough starch to turn into sugar during roasting and won't get the beautiful brown caramel tones from the Maillard reaction. Soaking the cut potatoes draws out the starch to the surface, which turns into simple sugar at high heat during roasting. The surface sugar browns to the warm caramel colour at high heat. Thank heavens for the Maillard reaction!

Starchy potatoes: Russet (Idaho), Atlantic, Kennebec, Sebago, Spunta, purple potatoes, Bintje

Waxy potatoes: Red potatoes, Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes, new potatoes, Nicola, Patrone

"Skinny" Fries: Best Oven-Roasted Potatoes!

Servings: 2, if you decide to share

- 2 large russet (Idaho) or other starchy potatoes

- a large pot of cold tap water

- 2-3 tbsp. peanut oil or coconut oil - olive oil will do if you don't have any other oil

- 2 tsp. salt

- dried herbs and seasonings to taste: freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika, any other paprika, powdered chipotle peppers, thyme, rubbed sage, curry powder, or lots of salt and malt vinegar (just before eating otherwise the fries will become soggy)

- 2 kitchen towels or paper towels

Variations:

- Garlic Fries: 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsp. salt

- Truffle Parmesan Fries: 2 tbsp. finely grated good quality Parmigiano Reggiano, 1 tsp. truffle oil or truffle butter, 1-2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, salt to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 F/230 C.

2. Fill a large pot with cold tap water.

3. Peel (or not) and cut the potatoes into approximately 1/4" sticks (no thicker than the width of penne pasta, not rigatoni).

4. Put the cut potatoes in the water and let them soak for 1-8 hours. Minimum 1 hour, maximum 8 hours, anywhere in between.

5. Strain the potatoes and dry: lay a towel on the countertop, put the strained potatoes on the towel in a single layer, put the other towel on top, gently press to soak up water.

6. Put the potatoes in a bowl and toss with oil.

7. Bake at 450 F/230 C for 20-25 minutes, checking periodically starting at 20 minutes.

8. Take fries out and let them cool for a minute or so.

9. In the meantime, mix the salt and all the seasonings and toss with the fries in a bowl.

10. Serve with... well, just eat them however you want!

Variations:

- Garlic Fries: mix the minced garlic and 2 tsp. salt, toss with the fries.

- Truffle Parmesan Fries: mix the Parmigiano Reggiano, truffle oil or truffle butter, black pepper, salt, toss with fries.

Notes:

1.  I use pink Himalayan salt or black salt for everything since those are the only salts I buy and have on hand.

PAGACH: SLOVAK CABBAGE-STUFFED BREAD

Part of the Abbecedario Culinario - Slovakia in February!

Pagach: Slovak Cabbage-stuffed Bread

makes: 2 loaves (7 inch x 10 inch)

Dough:

- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour (not whole wheat; please get your fibre from fruits and vegetables!)

- 1-1/2 tsp. yeast

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. sugar

- 1-1/2 to 2 cups (or more as needed) lukewarm water (not hot or the yeast will die and the dough won't rise)

1. Mix 1 cup warm water, 1 cup flour, and the yeast. Set aside for 20 min. to 1 hr. It should be frothy.
2. Add the remaining flour and mix. Add water 1/4 cup at a time and mix until the dough comes together without being sticky. If the dough is too sticky add flour 1 tbsp. at a time and incorporate into the dough until the dough stops sticking to your fingers. Knead into a smooth, pliable dough and put in a large bowl.
3. Put the bowl in a draft-free place (usually in an unheated oven or a cabinet). Allow the dough to rise for 1 hr. our until doubled in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180C.
5. Take the bowl of dough out of its resting place and push the dough down till it deflates. Divide the dough into 4 parts.
6. Generously dust 2 baking trays with flour and using your fingers, push the dough into an approximately 1/4 in. thick rectangle. The size of the rectangle will vary depending on the amount of dough and how well you shape it, but the thickness should be no less than 1/4 in. or the bread will stick to the tray during baking because of the wet filling.
7. Spread the filling (recipe below) within 1/2 in. to 3/4 in. of the edge of the rectangle.
8. Using a second piece of dough, in the other baking tray, make another rectangle large enough to fit on top of the rectangle with filling. Press the edges to seal (since the dough is fresh there's no need to wet the edges to seal). If desired, top with caraway seeds, onion (nigella) seeds, or any other topping of choice.
9. Bake at 350 F/180 C for 20 - 30 minutes or until the bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
10. Remove from the oven, let it sit for 15 minutes, then cut and serve.
11. Repeat with the other 2 portions of dough.

Cabbage Filling:

- 1/2 head of a medium cabbage, cored and shredded
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 green or red capsicum, diced
- 1 tsp. caraway seeds
- 2-3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbps. crushed red pepper (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a pan until hot but not smoking.
2. Add caraway seeds and turn heat to medium. After the caraway seeds sizzle, add the onion and capsicum and sauté until the onion starts to soften. Add cabbage, stir to mix, and allow to cook for 2-3 min.
3. Add the 1/4 cup water to the pan and stir so the vegetables don't stick to the pan. Let the cabbage cook - it will reduce in volume and you will have approximately 1-1/2 to 2 cups filling. Season with salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper if using.
4. Let the mixture cool completely before spreading it on the dough (as described above).

Notes:

1. If your yeast is old or you're not sure whether it is alive, proof it before mixing the flour to make the dough. Proofing yeast - even the regular non-Rapid Rise kind - is only done to prove that the yeast is alive before preparing a recipe. Proofing is not imperative in baking.

2. To proof 1-1/2 tsp. yeast: heat 1/2 cup water to 80 F/26 C, sprinkle yeast on the surface, let it sit for 10 minutes. If it is frothy, your yeast is alive. If the yeast does not react, it is dead and cannot be used for baking.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PINE NUT AND POMEGRANATE SALAD

Adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. Without this book, your life has one less simple pleasure! The photos are splendid, the recipes are fantastic, and the book is quite an education on the Jewish and Muslim cuisines of Jerusalem.

Roasted Cauliflower Pine Nut and Pomegranate Salad

makes: 2-3 servings (as a side)

- 1 head cauliflower, broken into medium (2 in.) florets (1 lb or 1/2 kg total)
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large celery stalks, cut on the bias into 1/2 in. slices

- 1 medium white or red onion, cut into 1/4 in. sliced
- 5 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
- 1/3 cup small flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from about 1/2 medium pomegranate)
- generous 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- generous 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1-1/2 tbsp. balsamic or sherry vinegar
- 1-1/2 tsp maple syrup or honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- a squeeze of lemon at the end

1. Preheat oven to 425 F/215 C.

2. Mix the cauliflower and sliced onions with 3 tbsp. of the olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and some black pepper.

3. Spread out in a roasting pan and roast on the middle oven rack for 20 - 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is semi-crisp and parts of it have turned golden brown.

4. The onions will be done in this time, regardless of how they look. Transfer the cauliflower and onions to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

5. Put the pine nuts in a cast iron or steel pan and toast until they start to turn light brown. Turn off the heat and shake them in the pan - the hot pan will continue to toast them. Remove as soon as they smell fragrant and are a slightly darker brown. The only time pine nuts are evenly brown is when they're burnt... don't wait for this to happen! 

6. After the nuts are cooled a bit, mix with the roasted vegetables and the remaining oil and the rest of the ingredients. Stir and season with salt, pepper, and a bit of lemon juice to taste.

7. Serve at room temperature.

Notes:
1. I had a sprouted white onion and the greens looked beautiful. They are edible, so I cut off the part with the greens before slicing and roasting the rest of the onion.
2. I chopped the greens like chives and added to the salad with the rest of the ingredients.

GRAPEFRUIT AND RAW KALE SALAD WITH PUMPKIN SEEDS

Grapefruit and Raw Kale Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

makes: 2 servings

- 1 head of kale, torn or cut into strips/pieces, thick parts of stems discarded

- 1 large (2 medium) grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

- juice and zest of 1 lemon

- 1 tbsp. honey 

- 1 tbsp. olive oil

- freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- salt, to taste

- 2 tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds (or sesame/sunflower seeds)

1. In a large bowl make the salad dressing: mix/whisk lemon juice and zest, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

2. Adjust seasonings to taste.

3. Add kale. 

4. Massage/rub the dressing into the kale for 2 minutes or until the kale feels softer. (It will.)

5. Let the massaged kale stand for 10 minutes at room temperature.

6. Add the grapefruit sections and mix in/toss lightly.

7. Top with pumpkin seeds and fresh pepper.

NOTES:

1. I use curly green or red/purple kale, not lacinato/dinosaur kale.

2. I peel and section grapefruit by hand because I really enjoy doing it but you could peel the grapefruit and cut sections out with a knife.

3. Use oranges instead of grapefruit, or a mix of orange and grapefruit sections.

4. I use raw honey for everything, never processed "liquid" honey.