Madhu Knits and Cooks

Recipe, knitting, and sewing project notes

  • A Chia Pudding I Like! Overnight Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

    With a largely unconsumed bag of chia seeds taunting me with each opening of the pantry doors, I decided to give chia seed pudding another go after a disappointing experience a few years ago.

    I chose a Minimalist Baker recipe that fit the critical (only) requirement of adapting to ingredients I had at home.  The recipe included unsweetened cocoa, the bitterness of which I found particularly suited to the chia pudding texture.  No sure why, but it worked!

    Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

    I made a few modifications to their recipe:

    • Increased amount milk by 1/4 cup to 1.75 cups of unsweetened almond milk for 1/2 cup of chia seeds
    • No vanilla or cinnamon because I used vanilla maple syrup as the sweetener
    • I reduced the maple syrup to 2 tbsp
    • I stirred the mixture after 15 minutes before putting it in the fridge

    My husband found the bitter flavor to be akin to Mexican hot chocolate, so we are thinking about adding cinnamon or chile powder in the future to complete that flavor profile.

    Bag of chia seeds – you will be consumed!  

  • Shockingly Good Bean, Cilantro + Dill Soup

    I'm not sure I have much to add to the title of this post.  The Milk Street version of Iranian Ash Reshteh is shockingly good.  In fact, I'd say this lighter version may be more suited to my tastes than the more authentic variations I've had from excellent Persian restaurants.  

    Cilantro Dill Soup in Pot

    What I also love about this recipe is that it's seemingly flexible to prepare with what you have on hand, as long as there are some beans, noodles, cilantro, and dill involved. 

    My modifications included no chickpeas, unsalted butter, a handful of filetti noodles instead of linguini, ~4 tbsp. of a vegetarian Better than Bouillon instead of chicken broth, and adding some leftover julienned baby spinach.  I also used pre-cooked Camellia kidney beans (approx. 1/3 cup dry) that I made in the Instant Pot the day before (17 minutes high pressure, natural release).  

    Cilantro Dill Bean Soup Served

    The soup feels lighter than what you'd expect from a bean soup because of the copious amounts of fresh herbs and masoor dal, which is a thinner lentil.  The dill adds wonderful flavor complexity to the otherwise stodgier kidney beans and lentils.  The soup also features great textural complexity from the thin noodles, thicker beans, and thin lentil broth. 

    And with precooked or canned beans, this is a weeknight, quick preparation soup that can be served within an hour of starting prep!

  • Loaf Cakes Continue – Moist and Sweet Banana Bread with Crispy Topping

    Once the baking dam had been broken, it was fully broken!  The day after my loaf cake, I threw myself back into the oven with a new banana bread recipe, courtesy of the New York Times.  

    I decided to try this recipe instead of some of my old favorites for the simple reason that it called for exactly the same number of bananas that I had in my freezer.  

    NYT Banana Bread Full

    The result was fantastic – moist, yet not studgy, and great textural contrasts from the sugar / cinnamon topping that crisped up the crust of the bread (which let's be honest, is more like a cake).  

    I made a few modifications to the recipe – I added maybe 1/2 tsp. of Vietnamese cinnamon, a few shakes of nutmeg, and a splash of vanilla to the dough.  I omitted the nuts because of my allergy.  For me, a baking time of 60 minutes was perfect to get an evenly baked loaf.  I will make this recipe again!

    NYT Banana Bread Side

  • Easy Yogurt Loaf Cake – Breaking Out of a Long Baking Hiatus

    I hadn't baked in more than 2 full seasons, if not almost a year, when I finally was spurred out of this inadvertent baking hiatus by a simple yogurt loaf cake from Milk Street.  

     

    Lemon Ginger Loaf Cake

    I had been eyeing the recipe for months, but needed the excuse of visiting some friends to finally bring out the mixing bowls and loaf pan.  Classically, I made some modifications to fit the ingredients I had on hand, but the result was still outstanding. 

    Mildly sweet and tart from the citrus, moist on inside with a pleasing light exterior crust, and no need for the citrus glaze, though a fresh fruit and/or whipped cream accompaniment would make it a proper post-meal dessert for guests.

    The modifications I made were:

    • Using a Siggi's 4 oz. / 113 gram lemon skyr cup instead of plain yogurt, with 3 tbsp. of water mixed in
    • 1 tsp. of ground ginger
    • Zest of maybe 3/4 of a lemon
    • Baked for an additional 7-8 minutes, which still resulted in a slightly underbaked center and slightly overbaked exterior.  However, this may have been an oven issue
    • No glaze

  • First (Failed) Attempt to Recreate a Restaurant Favorite – Little Beet’s Quinoa Oatmeal

    Many years ago, I loved treating myself to the Little Beet's breakfast quinoa oatmeal.  A location (maybe their first?) opened in the midtown Manhattan building I worked in, and I quickly discovered that not only were their vegetable lunch options a delight, but also their breakfast contained a lot of surprises.  

    The breakfast quinoa in particular was outstanding – vegan, creamy, full of spices like cardamon, and filling.  One portion could often be two breakfasts or serve as both breakfast and lunch on a busy day.  

    Unfortunately though, with the passage of time, I both no longer live near any Little Beet locations, nor does the Little Beet appear to offer a breakfast menu anymore.  After many attempts to find a recipe or clues on the ingredients used, I recently decided to improvise my own breakfast quinoa oatmeal.  I drew some inspiration from other online recipes for breakfast quinoa, though none seemed to be based on, or that close to, the Little Beet version.

    NYT Breakfast Quinoa

    Here is what I did:

    • Combined 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa with 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/16 tsp. each of ground cloves and nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. each of ground Vietnamese cinnamon and ground ginger, and 2 pods of cardamon
    • Cooked above mixture in the Instant Pot for 1 minute under high pressure, and then did a natural release
    • Added 1/2 tsp. of vanilla maple syrup to the finished quinoa

    Here is what I found about this approach:

    • There was far too much clove in the recipe, and I should have rinsed the quinoa for longer to get rid of more of its bitterness.
    • In addition, I probably should have cooked the quinoa for longer – maybe 2 or 3 minutes to get more of a creamy oatmeal type texture versus just cooked quinoa.  Also, it might make sense to do a longer cook time on the stovetop instead of a pressure cook.
    • I think more sweetness would have helped – which also could have come from some fresh fruit (maybe bananas) and more agave or maple syrup on top, a la a photo I could find of the Little Beet version.  

    I'll report back if I get closer to my memory of this fantastic breakfast!

  • Pasta Alla Norma – I Can (Almost) Prepare Pasta without a Tomato Sauce

    Desiring a weeknight pasta that didn't require a tomato sauce (homemade or a jar), I turned to the NYTimes Cooking Pasta Alla Norma recipe to complement some leftover dried spaghetti.

    NYT Pasta Alla Norma

    While the recipe was weeknight appropriate – especially by following the first recipe comment to roast the eggplant instead of saute it in copious amounts of oil – the result was good, not great.  The very light sauce was spicy and flavorful, but eggplant proved to continue to confound me with its consistency.  

    I roasted 1/2-inch cubed eggplant at 400 degrees for 15 minutes with salt and pepper, but realized in hindsight that I should have tossed it in olive oil OR used parchment paper because the dried eggplant initially stuck to the tin foil I used to cover the pan.  I continued to roast the eggplant for 30 minutes, which resulted in largely, but not completely, softened eggplant.  Darn you, eggplant!

    I then added the eggplant to a sauce of olive oil, one roma tomato diced, some oregano, red chili flake, and garlic powder.  I then added the pasta, which was approx. ~5-6 oz. of dried spaghetti, cooked al dente. 

    Threw some grated parmesan on top, and an ok dinner was served!  I don't know if I'll make this recipe again, but I am glad I tried it for something new!

  • Simple Miso Corn Chowder with Interesting Enough Flavors for Several Days

    The title of the post says it all – this Milk Street Corn Chowder with Miso and Scallions is not only a perfect weeknight meal, but also has enough complex flavors to make for great leftovers for days.  

    Miso Corn Potato Soup
    I made a few edits to this recipe.  I partially blended the soup with an immersion blender instead of placing a portion into a stand blender.  I substituted russet for the gold potatoes because of grocery store availability, and used unsalted butter in place of salted.  And because I made this in the spring, I used frozen corn instead of fresh. 

    I look forward to making this salty, subtly sweet, and herby soup again and again!

  • Simple Miso and Corn Side Dish – Salty, Sweet, and Tangy

    Ah, the leftover tub of miso issue.  How it pops up every few years.  But as today's recipe review shows, the leftover tub issue can lead to some surprising new cooking staples.

    Milk Street's Sautéed Corn with Miso, Butter, and Scallions was a weeknight delight to prepare and consume.  About 10-15 minutes of total prep and cook time, and makes use of items we almost always have on hand.  

    Miso Corn Scallions

    I used a half bag of frozen corn, and as a result halved the recipe as well.  The corn was not fully thawed and dried – out of the freezer for approx. 1.5 hours – but it worked totally fine during the cooking process.  I also substituted 1 tbsp. of mirin and 1 tbsp. of shaoxing vinegar for the sake, which worked well.

    Salty, slightly sweet, and a nice flavor and textural contrast from the long-cut scallions, I will be making this side dish over and over with many Asian-inspired meals.

  • Quick and Satisfying Tofu, Spinach, and Sesame Stir-Fry

    Just as I question if my online cooking subscriptions are worth it, I'm reminded that not only can I make great recipe-based dishes from online sources, but also get inspiration for new standard cooking approaches moving forward. 

    The latest such dish was NYT Cooking's Spinach, Tofu, and Sesame Stir-Fry, which taught me a great, adaptable sesame and vegetable base for stir-fry meals moving forward.

    Tofu Spinach Sesame Seeds

    The final dish was nicely spiced and sharp from the toasted sesame oil garnish and red pepper flakes, and with both spinach and tofu, it was a complete meal with some rice. 

    A few modifications that I made (see, the recipe is adaptable!):

    • I probably didn't fully toast the sesame seeds because I was afraid to burn them
    • Used 1 block of tofu, cut and drained in paper towels for 1.5 hours
    • I doubled the recipe ginger and garlic amounts
    • I added some Shaoxing vinegar with the soy sauce for more diversity of flavor

  • Restorative and Light Celery and Potato Soup – Great for a Luncheon

    My winter soup posts continue with a light and refreshing celery and potato soup, which really is a year-round soup. 

    This soup had a lightweight, almost broth-like consistency and was simply flavored by celery, potato, and chives.  I think it could be a great addition to a simple luncheon – served with salad, bread, maybe an egg dish, and dessert.  

    Celery Potato Soup

    I didn't strain the soup and used an immersion blender, and neither seemed to have an effect on the soup's smooth consistency.  Other modifications I made:

    • 2 tsp. of Better than Bouillon 
    • 5.5 cups of water
    • No walnut oil (allergic)
    • Chopped chives for garnish
    • I didn't reserve any celery for the garnish, just used it all in the soup itself
    • I didn't make a formal bouquet garni, and just took the bay leaf, parsley, and thyme out on its own

    The only other modification I might make is to add more vegetables, perhaps some cauliflower, to make it more substantive as a stand-alone meal.