Thunvee

For breakfast! And afterwards, I read an article about the 7 foods that women should eat. Got yogurt and walnuts covered!

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Yesterday was Mother’s Day. Goooo Moms!

I had to make a dinner item for 5 Gujrati moms (none of which were my own) yesterday and had to do something in a pinch.  Normally, making an Indian dinner takes ALL day and involves a couple of vegetable curries, rice, a bread item, and something sweet….clearly something I didn’t have time for. 

I racked my brain for something vegetable-y, tasty, and interesting.  Something that was a change from the normal “Guju-ABCD-who-can’t-make-Indian-food-worth-a-crap-needs-to-try-and-impress-the-aunties” fare.  Lasagna?…blah.  Pizza?…please.  Tacos?…Uh…Cinco De Mayo was so, like, 4 days ago.

I was browsing my Cooking Light “saved recipes” and found one I’d made a few months ago: Curry Chicken Potpie.  It passed the Indian-ish filter, got two thumbs up on tastiness and won first prize for interesting.  However, I had to have a plan for it to get a passing grade on the vegetarian test.  I considered eliminating the chicken, but felt it needed something.  Paneer?!…yeah…

A couple of notes:

* I used pre-made pie crust instead of making the dough; I unfolded it, laid it on top and baked it for said time.  However, next time, I wouldn’t do this.  I would actually use puff pastry.  Not as heavy and tastier.

* Paneer can be persnickety and crumble if there’s too much fondling of it, so in the beginning, I heated the oil in the pan, added 1/2 of curry powder (1 tablespoon) and cooked all the veggies recommended.  I then removed the veggies, and added a little oil again, the rest of the curry powder (1 tablespoon) and the paneer.  Saute that for about 3 minutes and then remove the paneer.  I then add the previously curried-cooked vegetables back in and finished (almost) the entire recipe.  After adding the cornstarch and cream cheese (basically the last step before it goes in the oven) I add the curried paneer to the mix.  Worked pretty well.

* Firm tofu should substitute in for the paneer just fine.

* It’s not spicy really, so if you “like-eh the spice-eh“ I would add crushed or ground red pepper, to taste.

Good Luck!  And thanks to those who asked for this recipe-because of you…I blog.

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 I know this is not completely about cooking, but it sort of is.  I competed in the Danskin again this year (I say “competed”, but I mean participated, I guess).  I did better!  The swim was longer this year (compared to the 1/3 mile of last year).  I did it with some people from work and friends and family not from work, and EVERYONE did amazing.   Congratulations to all!

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Turkey Kefta with Sweet Onion and Raisin Sauce

Husbuddy makes the meatballs and I make the sauce.  It’s so good.  Every. Time.  I forget how good.  Only suggestion:  use the least fatty ground turkey you can find.  It helps to keep the sauce smooth.  I serve it with boxed couscous.  In the “boil” part of the couscous instructions,  I add chopped carrots and let them boil before adding the couscous itself.

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The “about-to-be-wife” sister  asked for some easy recipes to make at home to avoid eating out or at the work cafeteria all the time.  I figured this kind of information could come in handy for a lot of my friends and family, so it was worth posting my thoughts to this site.  Here are few I came up with.  I’ll add more as I think of them.  Please comment on this site if you try to make them and let me know what worked, what didn’t, and what you thought overall.

Southwestern Pork and Sweet Potatoes

Alabama Pulled Pork Sandwiches with White Barbecue Sauce

Braised Halibut with Bacon and Mushrooms

Bertolli Pasta with Sausage Meatballs:  This is a recipe I sort of pulled together from something I saw on food network and some things I had around the house for ‘quick meals’.  My husband tends to only do to the “easier” things when cooking for himself, and since he’s at home all day, I like to buy things that encourage his efforts.  Bertolli makes this new pasta sauce that actually comes in a bag.  The sauce can be heated by actually microwaving in the bag…so one less pot.  The sauces are good…and a little less processed tasting than the jarred ones.

Just go to the meat section at your favorite grocery store, and pick up some ground pork sausage, a pasta sauce of your choice, some shredded parmesan cheese and some pasta.  (When I made it, I used Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Angel Hair).  Heat a skillet with some olive oil at about medium-low heat.  When it is heated, using your hands, separate the pork into 1-inch balls (bite-sized) and drop them into the skillet.  Part of the charm of these “meatballs” is that they are not perfectly formed, so don’t worry about that.  Allow them to cook, turning every so often to prevent burning, then drain on a paper towel.  While they are cooking, boil and drain your pasta according to the package directions, and toss with the heated sauce.   Serve in a bowl, and top with some cheese and a few meatballs.  Voila!

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Wow.  I think I last posted a couple of months ago (yes, not days, weeks, but MONTHS)!  That’s pathetic.  There’s just too much going on with work, the wedding, my fitness goals for the year, etc.  Excuses, excuses, I know.  I wanted to paste a few successful recipes I’ve made over the past couple of weeks, along with some notes.  I’d recommend any of these, as they all turned out healthy, filling, and delicious. (Links to be inserted soon).

Potato Gratin with Baby Spinach, Turkey and White Cheddar was something that was made on the spur of the moment.  I had some ground turkey left and was trying to figure out what to do with it.  As you’ll notice, the recipe actually calls for deli-sliced turkey, but I cooked up the ground turkey I had and used it instead, and it was really good.  It also tasted great the next day.

I don’t know if I’d previously mentioned that Jason and I do “vegetarian day” once a week.  Jason picked Farfalle with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce for one of those wednesdays.  We couldn’t find an exotic mushroom mix, so we just used sliced button mushrooms, and it was great.  One thing that’s great for people who don’t like to have too many leftovers or are concerned with the quality of meals after freezing them.  Make the recipe as directed up to the part BEFORE you add the whipping cream, etc.  After I cooked and reduced the mushroom mixture with wine, I separated it in half and froze that half of the mushroom mixture.  I then added 1/2 of all the remaining ingredients and added to 1/2 the directed amount of pasta.  Next veggie day, I’ll thaw the mushroom mixture and carry on from there.  That way, it’s leftovers, but still fresh!

Gnocchi with Turkey, Peas and Mushrooms– Really, good, quick and filling.  Gnocchi can be hard to find.  I called around, and finally found it at Whole Foods, so check there.  I would recommend using fresh gnocchi, not the frozen kind.

I don’t know if I’ve had Alabama Pulled Pork Sandwiches with White Barbeque Sauce in Alabama ever, but damn was this recipe good.  Don’t, and I mean, DON’T even taste it without the white barbeque sauce!  I’ve often found in Cooking Light that when the recipe calls for a sauce as an accompaniment, it’s worth the time and effort to make it.

We actually made Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale tonight for dinner.  Still waiting to see how the leftovers will be tomorrow.  We only used 6 cups of kale.  Unless you love kale, or veggies with a leafy-consistency in your soups/stews, I would recommend actually cutting the kale down to 1/3 of what the recipe calls for.

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A friend of mine recently decided to take some time out of her busy life and eliminate a few complex things, to enjoy the simpler side.  With congratulations and best wishes in mind, I made her a celebratory Tiramisu.  I’ve made tiramisu once before, with less than desirable results, but this one turned out pretty good.  If I were to make it again, I would halve the sugar called for, but regardless, it was pretty good.  Of note, when you are at the store, looking for ladyfingers, keep in mind they are sold two ways.  They are usually in the bakery section, and there are crunchy cookie-like ones, and there are soft cake-like ones–which are the ones you want. 

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Spent the evening at my cousins’ place on Saturday night, cause my honey was off solving puzzles at Microsoft.   My cousin gets weekly deliveries from Full Circle Farm, and this week’s delivery consisted of a variety of things, including bok choy, apples, pears, and acorn squash.  We decided on the following for the night’s meal, which was eaten in the prescence of the movie, Knocked Up.  Of note, I was really excited to see this movie, and it was unrealistically unfunny.  The dinner was not super successful, either.  Well, the salad was pretty good, but the rest of the food required additions prior to enjoyable eating.

Crunchy Bok Choy Salad
Spicy Chicken and Pumpkin Stew
Blue Ribbon Apple Pie

Of note, this is acutally a very good apple pie recipe.  I made it a week ago for my niece’s birthday party, and it a huge hit.  Crusts are hard to make, and so I used a refridgerated Pillsbury Pie Crust, which turned out really well.   This time around we didn’t use enough firm apples and a couple of pears.  If you’re a crust enthusiast, make the crust, let me know how it is–I was too worried to try!   

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For you one or two avid readers of this site, I’m sorry I’ve been updating so poorly.   I was just busy–I don’t want to sound like I think I’m busier than anyone else on the planet, and so I preface the following with the explanation that they are reasons, not excuses for my lack of time.

On 8/19, I participated in the Danskin Triathalon for the first time, and the first triathalon of my life.  It was a really great experience.  I have been training since March of this year, and it wasn’t always fun, but I think my athletic ability improved to various degrees, and my swimming time really showed it.  I started off in March taking swimming lessons–I was THAT far removed from the lessons I took as a kid.  When I first started swimming my 1/2 mile, it took me about 1 hour.  Over the months, I was able to whittle that down, and I finished the swim at the triathalon in 21 minutes!  My overall time was about 2 hours and 27 min, and I’m hoping to do it under 2 hours the next time I do a triathalon.  When that will be, I’m not sure.

The following weekend, my fiance’s parents came into town.  We spent the weekend out and about taking pictures for various wedding-related events.  It was fun, but tiring.  On Friday, while I was at work, my soon-to-be in-laws thumbed through September’s issue of Cooking Light Magazine, found a dinner recipe they liked for that evening, Braised Halibut with Bacon and Mushrooms, and went grocery shopping for the ingredients.  It was a really tasty dish, and quite easy.   

Earlier this week, my cousins came over for dinner to celebrate an Indian holiday, and I made dinner for them.  This time, I chose a ceasar salad with a truly excellent dressing, and a recipe from a Weight Watchers italian cookbook.  When I get the time to type it up, I’ll post the recipes.

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This month in Cooking Light, they are featuring various types of burgers.  So far I have tried the Korean BBQ burgers and the Italian Meatball Burgers.  Yet to try: Sate Burgers.  I’m not the best burger cook.  I mean, I feel like the 2 burger recipes I’ve tried so far turn out sort of tough and dry.  To me, they taste okay, but a true burger connosieur would probably scoff not-so-politely.

On another note, to any of you who actually read this, I’m sorry I’ve been so bad about updating this blog.  I got engaged a couple of weeks ago, and all my free time has been enveloped in planning my impending wedding.

I’ve still been cooking, eating healthy and all, but just not having time to blog about it.

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