Monthly Archives: December 2020

Chena Masala

I’m a midwestern farm girl, so this recipe is far from authentic. I just really like it. The full recipe makes about a gallon.

small head of cauliflower, chopped to bite sized pieces
large onion, chopped
head of garlic, pressed
3 T. minced ginger
1 minced jalapeno
2 T. minced fresh cilantro
2 carrots, chopped
2 cans chickpeas
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 sm can tomato sauce
3 T. masala (use your favorite, or see my blend at the end)
1 T. lemon juice
cream / yogurt to taste
salt to taste

Sauté the vegetables in oil or butter. I like this order of operations: cauliflower, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, jalapeno. Then add the masala and cilantro and toast for a moment before dumping in the cans of beans and tomato. When all the vegges are good and cooked, remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Allow it to cool slightly before adding the dairy or it will curdle. You can hurry the process along by tempering it by adding the dairy to a little bit of the veggies to slowly heat up the dairy.

Serve with rice, roasted chicken, and fresh cheese if you like.

FRESH CHEESE:
gallon whole milk
lemon juice
cheese cloth
semolina (optional)

Bring the milk to a boil. Slowly add lemon juice until the milk begins to curdle. Keep the heat on low for a while longer while string until it completely separates into curds and Whey. Line a colander with cheese cloth and pour the mixture through. Careful, it is hot! Take the corners of the cheese cloth and tie it up on your faucet. Let it drip for an hour or two until cooler and minimally wet. Throw the curds into a stand mixer and beat until it stops being crumbly and starts being cohesive. Include a 1/4 c. semolina to assist in the cohesiveness if you’d like.

MASALA:
2 T. coriander
2 T. ginger
2 T. turmeric
2 t. fenugreek
1 t. paprika
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cumin
1 t. cardamom

Corn Spoon Bread

2 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 c. milk + 1/4 c. milk
1 c. water
1 t. salt
1 c. cornmeal
2 T. butter
3 eggs
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/4 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9×9 square pan. Lightly puree corn with 1/4 c. milk in blender, about 5 seconds. In a saucepan, heat 1c. milk & 1 c. water to a boil. Set heat to medium-low and whisk in the corn meal. Continue to cook and stir until it gets thick. Remove from heat and add corn & butter. Let it cool a bit before adding eggs, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Pour into pan and bake 30-45 minutes or until the top starts to brown. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Russian Tea Cake

I was this years old when I realized how incredibly easy these cookies are to make.

1 c. butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 1/4 c. flour
1 c. finely chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, and/or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar. add the vanilla then the flour. mix in the nuts. Roll into balls and lightly press the balls to flatten with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms start to brown. While they are still warm, toss in more powdered sugar. Cool on a wire rack