Saag Paneer Enchiladas

I forgot to tell you that I am a bad singer.  I don't necessarily sing all that often.  Especially not seriously.  But I have noticed that if I am singing along to a song in the car, I feel like I am pretty good.  Then I turn off the music and continue singing and it is no different than the rest of the America who tries out for American Idol.

I guess the good news is that I have really good hearing.  This allows me to be very aware of how incapable I am of maintaining the intended note.  I have reason to believe that if I learned how to sing, I might have a more promising future.  Promising in the sense that I could sing "Happy Birthday to you" with my chin up.

Oh yeah.  And I am also lyrically challenged.

Also, am I the only one who hates edible arrangements?  Come on.  Like, that idea makes no sense, right?

This is a fun twist on the Saag Paneer, a common dish served at Indian restaurants.  Saag is for a yummy spinach sauce and Paneer is for a fresh cheese.  These enchiladas are stuffed with something similar to Saag Paneer and then topped with a punchy sauce full of cilantro and mint.  I was terrified of this mint sauce, but I did it.  And it was delicious.  If you want to try something fun and different, this is wonderful.

PS:  Scot made this paneer from scratch!  He used this recipe.  We couldn't find it at Whole Foods OR at our Indian grocer (which is weird, I am not convinced it is not there).  It is pretty easy.

Saag Paneer Enchiladas

adapted from Jalapeños and Smita Chandra’s From Bengal to Punjab via homesick texan

for the filling:

1 medium yellow onion


2 cloves garlic


1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated


2 tablespoons vegetable oil


2 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach, thawed


1 teaspoon ground cumin


1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1/8 teaspoon ground cloves


1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream


1/4 cup buttermilk


1/2 cup half and half


1/2 pound paneer cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes



for the sauce:


2 cups cilantro, leaves and stems


1/4 cup mint leaves


1 jalapeño, seeds and stems removed, chopped


1 clove garlic


1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated


1/2 teaspoon ground cumin


1 tablespoon lemon juice


1/4 cup buttermilk


1 1/2 cups plain yogurt or sour cream


Salt to taste



for the enchiladas:


8-10 flour tortillas or roti


Chopped cilantro for garnish



In a blender or food processor, grind the onion, garlic and ginger. In a skillet, heat up the vegetable oil on medium-low heat and add the onion mixture and cook while stirring for 5 minutes. Add to the skillet the spinach, cumin, cinnamon, clove, cayenne, yogurt and buttermilk. Turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the half and half and paneer cheese and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings and add salt.



Meanwhile, to make the sauce, in a blender, puree the cilantro, mint, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, cumin, lemon juice and buttermilk until smooth (you will probably have to press down the sides of the blender with a spoon a couple of times to make sure all the herbs are pureed.). Stir the cilantro puree into the yogurt. Add salt to taste.



Preheat the oven to 350. Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes while the oven is preheating.



Grease a baking dish. Remove the tortillas from the oven and open the foil (be careful as there may be hot steam). Take a tortilla and spoon 1/4 cup of the filling down the center. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Cover the tortillas with cilantro-mint sauce and bake uncovered for 5 minutes.



Serve topped with cilantro.

(Servings:  4-6, Prep time: 1 hr, Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty:  Easy)


Printable Version


foodforscot Ratings:


Shanon (taste):  7/10
Scot (taste):  7/10
Effort:  3/5
Dishwashing Effort:  4/5

Lebanese Sfeeha Tostadas

This was a great and easy dinner.  It is a baked whole wheat tortilla, topped with a creamy bean mixture (garbanzo and pinto) and a spoonful of fresh cucumber and tomato salad.

Also, can emphasize something?  I do not eat to survive.  And I mean that in many ways.  First, I don't eat because I have to.  Second, I don't eat to get by.  I don't try to spend as little money as possible on food.  I don't only eat organic.  I don't only eat local.  I eat meat.  I eat healthy.  I eat donuts.  I don't starve myself.  I don't stuff myself.

Let's just all calm down for a second.

I say this because, I am sometimes afraid that food is too intimidating.  And I felt like it was important to emphasize that I don't eat food that I don't enjoy eating.  So if you see some healthy looking dish full of kale, whole grains, beans or other notorious "health" foods and you think that it will be too painful to eat, I am here to tell you that you should have no fear.  I don't like "health" food either.  I don't gnaw on rice cakes.

I want to promise you that everything I post on here is something I enjoyed eating.  I have tried lots of recipes over the past several years which called for "whole wheat tortillas".  And for the longest time, I always just got regular tortillas because whole wheat tortillas seemed like a bad idea.  Well turns out, they are actually pretty good.  I have had them several times over the past year and actually enjoy them.  The same goes for beans.  10 years ago, I would never choose to eat beans.  Now we eat them almost daily.  There are so many kinds!  And they are all delicious and easy to make!  Possibly the most useful food ever.  And when I first discovered kale when I was living in Boulder, I thought it was only for hippies and other crazy health nuts.  Now I buy it every week because I crave it.

PS:  I am fired up because I just saw a Tyson chicken nugget commercial targeting children.  It makes me so angry.  Don't let Tyson brainwash you.  Let me do it instead because I don't get any money for what I say, so you can trust me.   

Lebanese Sfeeha Tostadas

adapted from Cara’s Cravings

olive oil

½ of a medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced


1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup of water or chicken stock

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)


½ tsp of coriander

½ tsp of cumin

¼ tsp of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley


1/2 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses



2 heaping tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt


4 whole wheat tortillas

3/4 cup (4 oz) grape tomatoes, quartered


3/4 cup chopped, peeled cucumber


1/4 cup chopped parsley


1/4 cup chopped scallions


1 tablespoon olive oil


1 tablespoon lemon juice


Preheat oven to 375ºF. 

In a medium skillet, heat some olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until they have softened.  Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.  Add beans, water (or chicken stock), salt, coriander, cumin, and cayenne.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until all the liquid evaporates off.  Taste beans to see if the texture is good (I like mine really soft).  Add more liquid and repeat process, if desired.  Mash beans with the back of a spoon.  Add parsley, pomegranate molasses and yogurt and combine.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad by combining the grape tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, scallions, olive oil, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a metal cooling rack on top of it. Place the tortillas on the rack. Drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tortillas are lightly browned and crispy.

To serve, top the hot tostadas with bean mixture and a generous scoop of the salad mixture.

(Servings:  4, Prep time:  10 min., Cook time:  40 min., Difficulty:  Easy)


Printable Version


foodforscot Ratings


Shanon (taste):  8/10
Scot (taste):  8/10
Effort:  2/5
Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Hard-Boiled Eggs Masala

Sorry.

I have been away.  But now I am back.  I have learned a lot.

1.   Most places need more electrical outlets.
2.  Copper has no reason to believe that he deserves anything less than the best.
3.  Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana take a really long time to drive through.
4.  Hotels think that putting crappy coffee + a crappy coffee maker in your room is an amenity.  Still.
5.  Wave 9 skiers aren't so good at (a) going down hills (b) going up hills (c) stopping (d) not crashing (e) skiing.  Myself included.
6.  People literally think the plane might take off without them.
7.  I got honked at three separate times when I was driving in State College.  Sorry Pennsylvanians!  I will work on my skills.

Remember how I told you how I was cooking non-stop Indian?  Well, I never posted any of the recipes.  Here is one!  I loved the idea of this hard-boiled masala.  And this was so delicious.

Hard-Boiled Eggs Masala

by Madhur Jaffrey

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¾ teaspoon salt

fresh ground black pepper , to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon cumin seed

5 tablespoons onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger , finely chopped

1 cup canned tomato, chopped

¼ teaspoon sugar

3 -4 tablespoons fresh cilantro

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into halves lengthwise

Combine turmeric, cayenne, ground cumin, coriander. lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl. Mix.  Put oil in medium-sized, nonstick pan and set over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, put in cumin seeds. 10 seconds later, add onion and ginger.  Stir and fry till onion turns medium brown.   Add spice paste.  Stir and cook for 15 seconds.   Add tomatoes and sugar and bring to a simmer.  Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.   Add cilantro and combine.  Lay the cut eggs into the sauce and spoon more sauce over them. Cover and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.

(Servings:  2-3, Prep time:  20 min., Cook time:  20 min., Difficulty:  Easy) 


Printable Version


foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10
Scot (taste):  7/10
Effort:  2/5
Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Butternut Squash and Chorizo Tostadas

I have made like 85 tostadas in the past 6 months. Which is a lot considering I had very few before then. I mean, who came up with that concept? And is it supposed to be impossible to eat? Should you pick it up and take a bite? Or are you supposed to be able to cut into it...because that is impossible.

I actually brought these leftovers to work. I packed the whole enchilada. Is that a saying? Does it mean like the whole package? Why? Enchiladas don't have that many components.

So, I packed the crunchy tortilla, the black bean mash, the roasted butternut squash, the sautéed chorizo AND the rest of the fixings: queso fresco, finely minced red onion and chopped cilantro. I packed them more or less separately and assembled on the desk. After I put together the "whole enchilada" I lifted up the tostada ready to take a huge bite and the secretary came in to deliver something. I literally had my mouth open and was milliseconds before biting down. Tostadas...not an office friendly meal. Not first date food. Not clean shirt food.

After some research, it appears tostadas were invented to use up stale tortillas. Alright. Whatever.

It may appear as though I don't like tostadas. But I actually really do. I just want to be alone when I am eating them.

PS: At some point over the past month I decided to cover the spot where I take my photos with a yellow and blue towel (e.g. in the above photo). It wasn't an artistic move. It didn't really have much thought behind it other than the fact that the current wood block is super ugly. I guess that is the definition of cosmetic. And now, a series of about 10 posts will have that towel in it. It is still there tonight. Consistent.

Butternut Squash and Chorizo Tostadas
slightly modified from Closet Cooking

4 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 pound chorizo, casings removed, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (19 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
* water (optional)
12 small corn tortillas
1/4 cup red onions, diced
1/4 cup queso fresco (or feta), crumbled
1/4 cup cilantro

Toss the squash in the oil, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and salt, spread the mixture out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F oven until the squash tender and just starts to caramelize on the edges, about 30- 40 minutes.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo, cook until browned, about 10 minutes and set aside retaining a tablespoon of leftover oil/grease in the pan.

Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans, chili powder and cumin and cook until warm. Mash the beans until you get them to the consistency that you want. It helps to add water and simmer until it evaporates.

Brush the tortillas lightly in oil and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Spread the refried beans over the top of the tortillas, sprinkle on the roast squash, chorizo, red onion, queso fresco and cilantro.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 1 hr., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10
Scot (taste): 10/10
Effort: 3/5
Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Pork Vindaloo

One thing I know about dogs is that they definitely wish they could hug. Imagine if you couldn't hug. What would you do when you are greeted by your mother, who you haven't seen for a few months? How would you comfort your friend who is crying because she is overwhelmed by life? Or...how would YOU apologize for getting really distracted and not obeying the recall command?

Being a dog is a constant struggle. (© DG)

The answer to those above questions is obviously: stretch, yawn and lick. Ever since I have had the pleasure of being in Copper's life, I have been fascinated by the concept of dogs feeling awkward or embarrassed. Scot insists that dogs do not have that emotion. But I am sure they do. Any time Copper is excited, he stretches. But I know that if he could hug, he would just hug instead. And stretching is his way of getting through those awkward moments of being so excited he doesn't know what to do with himself. Stretching is often accompanied by a yawn. And then if the face is in the ideal location, licking is also possible. But he is a minimal licker. He is very classy and sophisticated. He saves licks for only special occasions.


After the wonderful suggestions I got from a friend, I have fully immersed myself into the Indian cuisine. I got two of Madhur Jaffrey's cookbooks. Scot got me two Indian spice boxes for my birthday. I have been to the Indian grocer several times. And I have been cooking non-stop Indian. I often do this where I get on kicks and make a lot of one type of thing for a while. But I have to say, I am particularly fascinated by Indian food. And Madhur is guiding me in the best possible way. After making 5 of her recipes so far (and I just got these books 1 week ago!), I have been thinking about food in a new way. For one, it sure makes it seem like all other foods are highly under spiced. Not that spices need to be in every dish...but these Indian dishes have it all figured out in my book. Also, some of my favorite spices appear all over the book including coriander, cumin, chile powder, mustard, etc.


BTW, thank god someone finally made some better use of the mustard seed. Mustard is my favorite condiment of all time. I don't do ketchup. But mustard is highly underused in my life. I am now equipped with yellow and black mustard seeds and have been enjoying them in several Indian dishes. This particular recipe calls for a grainy mustard in the place of soaking the mustard seeds in vinegar. Look for the chunkiest, grainiest mustard available. Mine just looks like a bunch of mustard seeds sharing a jar. I decided to share this recipe first because it was amazing. But also because all the ingredients are easy to find (besides the extra grainy mustard, I always have the rest).


My friend had an intervention with me this past Monday (and by intervention, I mean she was the only one there). She told me, as she does bi-annually, to stop posting recipes that require a visit to the Asian, Indian or any other specialty food market. I told her I just posted a recipe for Rice Pilaf and it contained basically two ingredients: butter and rice. She wants me to post a recipe for mac and cheese with bacon and broccoli in it. So, there you go! Another dinner option!


BTW, in the above photo, a side dish of cauliflower is also pictured in the bowl. It was mega good.


BTW^2, I have learned that Naan has 250 calories per loaf. It's deliciousness all makes sense now.


BTW^3, these pork cubes are deliciously tender if you let them simmer away long enough. And it is a great use of a cheap cut of meat. 

Pork Vindaloo
by Madhur Jaffrey, Quick and Easy Indian Cooking

1 1/2 tablespoons grain mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and cut into fine half rings
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed to a pulp
1 1/4 lbs boned shoulder of pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
2/3 cup canned coconut milk, well stirred

Combine the mustard, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, salt and vinegar in a cup. Mix well.

Put the oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the onion. Stir and fry until it is medium brown. Put in the garlic. Stir and fry for 30 seconds. Put in the spice paste. Stir and fry for a minute. Put in the meat. Stir and fry for about 3 minutes. Then add the coconut milk and 2/3 cup water if you are cooking continuously in a pressure cooker, or 1 cup water if you are to cook in the frying pan. (Transfer to a pressure cooker at this stage if that is your intention.) Cover and either bring up to pressure, or bring to a boil if you are using the frying pan. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes in the pressure cooker and 60-70 minutes in the frying pan.

(Serving: 3-4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 70 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 10/10

Scot (taste): 9/10
Effort: 2/5
Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Vegetarian Posole (Hominy Stew)

I think it is time to talk about Scot's sense of humor.  For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of witnessing it first hand, I thought I would give you a taste of some of his jokes, specifically relating to food:

1.  Tastes chocolate frosting, "Ganache that's good."

2.  Whenever I make couscous, "I need to get to school early tomorrow, couscous I have to print something before class."  In general, replaces "because" with "couscous" for about a week.

3.  Any dish with thyme, some reference to time, usually, "How much thyme does this take?"

4.  "Avocado"="Have a cow doe"

And while I was making this soup, I had the empty can of hominy sitting in the sink and there was a small piece of hominy sitting next to it on the countertop.  And he made some joke about the piece of hominy relating it to the phrase..."Peace and Harmony".  It was such a bad joke, that neither of us can even remember what it was.  

Every once and while, he comes up with something that is enough of a stretch that it is actually really funny to me.  But usually, it is so bad that I am just glad no one has to witness it and force a courtesy laugh.  


Speaking of Scot, he declared this soup a 10 after the first bite.  I feel obligated to tell you that sometimes I think Scot is an emotional rater of food.  And he ate this after coming off a "curling win high".  Not that I disagree with his rating, this is a delicious soup.  What makes it special is the smoked paprika and ancho chile powder, spices that really can't be replaced.  The smoked paprika, especially, gives the soup a smokey flavor and makes it taste like bacon.  It is also full of veggies like hominy, black beans, and butternut squash.  I actually left out the butternut squash (not by choice) but I have no doubt that its presence would make this soup EVEN better.

Vegetarian Posole (Hominy Stew)

from Sandy Gluck, cohost of “Everyday Food” via The Radio Blog

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 cups peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks butternut or other winter squash

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced

11/4 teaspoons ancho chile powder

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 cans (15 ounces each) hominy, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned plum tomatoes in puree

Coarse salt

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into wedges

1 lime, cut into wedges

In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-low. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender, about 7 minutes.

Add the squash, bell pepper, jalapeno, chile powder, oregano, and paprika and stir to combine. Add the hominy, black beans, broth, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt.

Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended, about 25 minutes minimum, but the longer the better. Top with cilantro and avocado and serve with lime wedges.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 45 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  10/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Stroganoff Meatballs

Listen.  I grew up eating Beef Stroganoff.  

(BTW, everyone on the East Coast starts important conversations with the command, "Listen".  Not only is it scary, it also causes me to not listen.  Because I am struggling inside with the fact that they told me to listen, implying that they were under the assumption that I wasn't actually intending to listen in the first place.  This all causes a lot of anxiety inside my Midwest soul and makes me doubt all things about my existence.)

For those of you who did not grow up eating Beef Stroganoff, it is basically mushrooms and beef cooked in a beef gravy made with sour cream.  Usually served over egg noodles.  This meatball recipe tastes exactly like the classic Beef Stroganoff dish, but I have to say I like it in meatball form better!

To make a long story short, my sister, Jen, told me I had to get this meatball recipe from my Aunt Linda.  See, Jen is a vegetarian and does not eat meatballs anymore.  So, she likes to live vicariously through me.  We were talking once and she was like, "do you remember those meatballs Aunt Linda used to make at all the parties at her house?  You HAVE to make them."  My Aunt Linda is a wonderful cook (and entertainer) and I always enjoyed anything she made.  I got the recipe from her in the summer, so it has taken me a while to get around to making them.  And man, they are SO good.  

This is also my first time baking the meatballs before letting them simmer in the sauce.  And I was pleasantly surprised by how incredibly tender they were.  It was no different from frying them in some oil.  And much easier.  Thanks so much Aunt Linda for a great recipe!

Stroganoff Meatballs

adapted from Aunt Linda and Uncle Dick

for the meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (85/15)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup milk

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp salt

dash pepper

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

bread crumbs, as needed

for the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp butter

1 8-ounce package of cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

a couple of handfuls of more exciting mushrooms, cleaned and chopped (I used shiitake)

salt and pepper

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1/2 cup of red wine

2 cups of chicken stock

a few spoonfuls of sour cream

4 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Make meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine all ingredients for the meatballs except for the bread crumbs. Once mixed together, add in a handful or two of bread crumbs in order to form the meatballs easily. You want to add as little of the bread crumbs as possible.

Form meat mixture into approximately 24 meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

While meatballs are baking, make the sauce. In a large, deep skillet, melt together 1 tbsp of olive oil with 3 tbsp of butter. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 1 more tbsp of butter and the flour. Cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the red wine and deglaze the pan. Cook and reduce down for another couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook for another 5-10 minutes.

After 15 minutes in the oven, remove the meatballs and when the sauce is ready, submerge the meatballs in the sauce. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes, but the longer the better. Add sour cream and keep warm on the stove or transfer to a crockpot until ready to serve. Serve over buttered egg noodles, on their own as an appetizer, with bread, mashed potatoes, or a baked potato. Top with green onions.

(Servings: 6-12, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 1 hr., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  9/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5