Madhu Knits and Cooks

Recipe, knitting, and sewing project notes

  • “Grown Up” (Low-fat) Mac and Cheese with Swiss Chard — Really Fantastic for the Winter Months

    Last year, I made my first mac and cheese.  It was also my first attempt at preparing a bechamel, and this low-fat milk-based bechamel helped ensure that this mac and cheese dish has far fewer calories than the standard mac and cheese.  I recently gave this Vegetarian Times recipe another go, but this time tried to change around some of the directions by:

    • substituting a bunch of swiss chard (coarsely chopped) for the spinach leaves
    • sauteeing the swiss chard with two cloves of garlic until the swiss chard wilted (approx. 5 minutes)
    • using both 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan and 3/4 cup of shredded edam cheese
    • substituting 1/8 cup olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter for the 1/4 cup olive oil (I ran out of olive oil, shockingly, that day)
    • using two different types of pasta (just to use up leftovers; neither was whole wheat)

    The result was really out of this world — creamy, very flavorful, and particularly fantastic when I added some Sriracha to it while serving the dish.  I will definitely be making this recipe again in the coming weeks, and am happy to have rediscovered (and reworked it) a bit to fit the seasonal greens at the farmers market!

    Grown Up Mac and Cheese v2

  • My Aunt’s Vegetable Korma — A Hearty and Flavorful Indian Vegan Meal

    Ok, so this post is not what I wanted it to be.  I had two paragraphs of background on korma typed, edited, and proofread, and I had the recipe instructions meticulously copied down from my handwritten notes.  But then, my typepad editor froze and I lost the entire post.  And now, I have presumably learned to save my posts periodically while working on them, but somehow I feel like I won't actually do that.  In any case…

    I am not a lifelong fan of vegetable korma — it's only the past few years where I have tried to seek it out.  One of those occasions was at my aunt Chinna's house, where I had the best korma I have ever had.  Thankfully, she sent me the recipe and it appears with my minor modifications below.  The korma is really flavorful, and this version does not contain any cream or butter, which often appear in North Indian restaurant kormas.  The only issue I had with my recreation of my aunt's korma was that there was one spice that seemed a bit too strong in the dish (and thus resembled the other kormas I have had in the past that I haven't liked that much) — no one else who tried my version of the dish had this complaint though.  And for some reason, upon reheating, whatever that spice inconsistency was disappeared.  One potential solution — which Andy came up with — could be making a spice bouquet of sorts with the whole spices and removing them before the dish is complete.  I'll post an update if I try that approach and it makes a difference.

    Vegetable Korma

    Chinna Pedhi's Vegetable Korma

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tbsps. sliced almonds (optional)
    • 4 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
    • 1 tbsps. white poppy seeds (available in an Indian grocery store)
    • 1 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
    • 3 cloves (whole)
    • 2 cardamon pods (whole)
    • 2 dried bay leaves
    • 3/4 tsp. cumin seeds
    • 1/2 tsp. turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp. garam masala
    • 3 cups chopped onion
    • 1.5 tbsps. ginger-garlic paste (available at an Indian grocery store, or blend equal parts ginger and garlic to a paste at home)
    • 3 medium potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch pieces and soaked in salt water for at least 15 minutes
    • 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 1 cup carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces, or substitute baby carrots
    • 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
    • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
    • 4 – 5 green chilies (to taste)
    • 1/2 cup green peas
    • vegetable oil
    • water
    • salt

     Directions:

    • Dry roast white poppy seeds in pan on stovetop until they become light brown in color – approximately 5 minutes.  Blend the poppy seeds to a fine powder, and set aside.
    • Blend the almonds and coconut into a fine paste.  Then blend 1 tbsp. of the roasted poppy seeds with 4 – 5 tbsps. of the almond/coconut paste.  Add approx. 1/4 cup of water to make a more wet paste.
    • In a large pot, heat approx. 3 tbsps. of vegetable oil on medium-high heat.  When hot, add the cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, bay leaves, and cumin.  Saute for approx. one minute or until fragrant.
    • Add the chopped onion to the pot, stirring to coat the onion with the spices.  Cover and cook until the onion is translucent.
    • Then mix in the green chilies, turmeric and ginger-garlic paste, and cook until the ginger-garlic paste is fragrant.
    • Add the potatoes, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp. salt, and cook with the spices for 5 – 7 minutes or until the potatoes are partially cooked (can be partially pierced easily with a knife).  
    • Mix in the green beans and carrots, an additional 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water (to retain a curry-like consistency to the dish, an additional 1/2 tsp. salt, and cook for five minutes or until vegetables are approx. 3/4 cooked.
    • Mix in the green peas, the blended poppy seed/almond/coconut paste, and the tomato.  Bring the mixture to a boil, adding up to 1/4 cup of water to ensure the dish retains a soupy consistency.
    • Finally, stir in the cilantro, up to 1/2 tsp. of garam masala if desired, additional salt to taste, and cook until the vegetables are cooked to your taste.  If you would like an additional creaminess to the dish, you can stir in a bit of plain yogurt.
    • Serve with rice or Indian breads.

  • Cook’s Illustrated Gingersnaps — Really, Really Wonderful Cookies for the Holidays

    Not enough people in this world (or at least in my social circle) like crispy cookies.  I love my cookies to be completely baked, have no ounce of mushiness, and have a nice crisp or crunch to them.  The key element though must be to firm – not overly dry, but certainly not soft.  

    For those of you who are hesitant about the superior nature of well-done cookies, I encourage you to check out the Gingersnaps recipe from a recent Cook's Illustrated issue.  The result isn't too dry or lack chewiness, but it is a wonderful crispy-type cookie.  The recipe is a bit labor intensive though — one must grate 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger — but the cookies have a great flavor that is perfect for the holiday season.  And one can freeze the dough as well, making it perfect for any on-the-fly entertaining you may have to do as guests circle in and out over the next few weeks.  Please post a comment if you try them!

    Gingersnap Cookies

  • Breakfast Baked Apples — Good for Leftover Apples, But Not Necessarily a Go-To Recipe

    Fall has of course brought an abundance of apples to the local farmers markets, and I have had little success in resisting my overally tendency to overconsume.  (Just wait until the clementines really start coming in — my apartment will undoubtedably be filled with boxes and boxes.)  Although I had hoped to make an apple tart to both use up my remaining apples as well as finally use the tart pan I bought last year, I ended up settling on a far simpler recipe from Cooks Illustrated — breakfast baked apples.  The recipe had the benefit of including ingredients that I had easily on hand at home, and would require far less work than constructing a tart.  

    I increased the baking time to fully cook all of the apples, but otherwise the recipe was pretty straightforward.  The result was definitely better when I reheated the apples later in the day because when I ate the first one out of the oven, the vanilla flavor was a bit too powerful.  Generally though, I think the baked apples were a bit "meh" and I don't know if I will actively seek out opportunities to make this recipe again.  Instead, I think it'll be a second (or maybe third) choice the next time I have some leftover apples that I need to use up.

    Breakfast Baked Apples

  • Chinni’s Brussel Sprouts — A Surprising Seasonal Delight

    I admit that I have retained my childhood fear/dislike of brussel sprouts well into adulthood.  But just as I have been trying to accomplish with other food groups (a post on that topic is forthcoming), I recently bought some brussel sprouts at the farmer's market to try to finally enjoy these healthy vegetables.  Initially, I thought I would make use of my new CooksIllustrated.com online membership, but instead I happened to bring up brussel sprouts when I saw my cousin Chinni.  She and her husband swore by a roasting recipe that she had tested to perfection (the analogy to the resulting roasted brussel sprouts was popcorn), and so I decided to try this approach. 

    The recipe turned out really well — the brussel sprouts were both caramelized and crisp.  I think the next time I make this recipe, I will try to cut the pieces more uniformly in size so they roast more evenly (some of the larger pieces weren't as tasty as the smaller halves) and also tinker with the baking time a bit (not sure if that means more or less time yet!).  I will probably also season the sprouts more generously because I think I was a little too hesitant to do so during this first go-round.  The details on my brussel sprouts attempt follows the picture of the roasted sprouts.

    Chinni's Brussel Sprouts
    Chinni's Roasted Brussel Sprouts

    Ingredients:

    • Approx. 3 cups brussel sprouts, washed and halved
    • 2 tbsps. olive oil
    • 1 clove garlic, chopped
    • sea salt to taste
    • Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, finely shredded or grated (optional)

    Directions:

    • Heat oven to 450 degrees, and line large roasting pan with foil.
    • Place the halved brussel sprouts in a medium-size mixing bowl, and pour the olive oil over the sprouts.  Sprinkle with the chopped garlic and sea salt, perhaps 1 tsp. to start.  
    • Place the seasoned brussel sprouts on the pan in a single layer with the cut sides down.
    • Bake for 17 minutes or until browned, and flip the sprouts over.  I baked the sprouts cut size up for approx. 3 – 5 minutes before then sprinkling grated Pecorino lightly over each of the tops.
    • Bake for another 3 – 5 minutes, or until uniformly browned.  
    • Remove from oven, add additional salt as necessary and serve! 

  • Another Attempt at Palak Makai (Indian Spinach with Corn)

    Earlier this year, I tried my hand at an internet-based recipe for Palak Makai, or Indian-spiced Spinach with Corn.  Unfortunately, as I described in my post about that effort, it was a bit of a disaster — bland and unhealthy, a fairly unappealing combination.  As the crop of summer corn was winding down several weeks back, I decided to give this dish another try, but this time by utilizing some fresh spinach from the farmers' market and improvising the spices used based on what I use in Mutter Paneer/Mutter Tofu.  The spinach dish turned out far better than the initial attempt — however, I think I ended up with the opposite issue, which was the dish was a little too spiced!  I think I will make it again, but this time by halving the spice amounts used in the recipe directions below.

    Palak Makai Second Round
    Palak Makai (v.2)

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
    • 1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
    • 1/2 tsp. paprika
    • 1/2 tsp. cayenne
    • 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
    • 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
    • 2 tsp. ginger garlic paste
    • 1 1/4 tsp. chopped jalapeno
    • 1/2 cup chopped onion
    • 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
    • 2 3/4 cup fresh spinach leaves, washed
    • 1 1/4 cups cooked corn kernels (from approx. 2 cobs or use frozen kernels)
    • 1 1/2 tbsp. sour cream
    • salt
    • water
    • vegetable oil

    Directions:

    • Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large saucepan.
    • Add cardamon and let cook for 15 – 30 seconds or until fragrant, and then add ginger-garlic paste and fenugreek leaves.  Saute for 1 minute.
    • Mix in chopped onion and jalapeno and cook until the onion is translucent.
    • Then add paprika, cayenne, cumin, and coriander.  Saute for 10 – 15 seconds, coating the onion with the spices, and then add 1/4 cup water and cilantro.  
    • After mixture starts to simmer (just a few minutes), add the spinach leaves and cook the pan covered until spinach is wilted.
    • Remove pan from heat, and place mixture in a blender.  Blend until mixture is smooth.
    • Place spinach mixture back in saucepan, and increase heat to medium.  Add the sour cream, and salt to taste, and bring the mixture to a boil, while stirring constantly.
    • Add the cooked corn to the pan, cover and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, adding additional salt as necessary.
    • Remove from heat and serve!

  • Best Butternut Squash Soup Ever — Not Surprisingly, from Cook’s Illustrated (and Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds)

    The ongoing issue of what to do with leftover leeks continues to inspire new recipe experimentation.  The latest in the series of efforts to use up remaining leeks is the Cook's Illustrated Sept. 2011 Butternut Squash Soup recipe.  The soup is easily the best butternut squash soup I have ever had — unsurprising given its source.  Very simple to prepare, rich and extremely deep flavor, and incredibly healthy.  The key to developing the flavor appears to be pre-cooking the squash in the microwave, and developing a brown fond while further cooking down the squash on the stovetop.  And to add even more rich flavor – and an interesting contrasting texture to the soup — I followed the recipe's recommendation to pair the soup with some fried leeks as a garnish.  Additional modifications follow the picture of the prepared soup.

    Butternut Squash Soup - Cooks Illustrated
    I used slightly less squash than called for in the original recipe — 5 cups instead of 7 cups, and correspondingly decreased the amount of liquid in the soup to 4 cups of water with 2 vegan bouillon cubes (instead of vegetable broth).  I used slightly more chopped leeks — perhaps 2 cups — and used the remaining chopped leeks for the fried leeks, to use in total, just under one leek total for the recipe.  The only modification I would make the next time I prepare the soup is to either add more plain water as called for by the original recipe, or reduce the amount of bouillon used because the soup was a bit salty, despite using only one bouillon cube with sea salt (the other had no salt added).

    In addition, instead of throwing away the butternut squash seeds, I ended up washing them, patting them dry, and roasting them in the oven.  I haven't roasted winter squash seeds in years, and ended up following a recipe from AllRecipes.com, though of course, I used far fewer seeds because I only prepared one squash for the soup.  Roasting the seeds was a good reminder to me to be more wary of throwing away the "leftover" parts of vegetables — every part can have a role!

    Butternut Squash Seeds

  • Kale Chips — Amazingly Good! And Not Just a Qualified Kale-Good, Rather Standalone Good!

    I have recently discovered homemade kale chips, and they have completely changed my eating routine this fall!  I have to admit that I previously found eating kale to be a bit of a chore.  No matter the kale type, the strong flavor and tough texture just overwhelms any positives of the dish.  This experience shifted when I decided to forgo making a kale pappu — which did feel like a chore — and instead try a NYTimes.com recipe for Crispy Kale Chips with Chili and Lime.  Except, I didn't really use the NYTimes.com embellishments on the standard kale chip, and just consulted the recipe, as well as others on the internet, to guide the preparation of this snack, which can be prepared while the oven is heating up.  I have made this recipe a few different times, with both curly and dinosaur kale, kosher salt and sea salt, and different oven temperatures, and it is surprisingly flexible.  

    Basically, take the amount of kale you have, rip it into 1-inch pieces, wash the pieces in a bath of cold water, and spin dry in a salad spinner or pat dry.  Even when I use my salad spinner, there is still some remaining water, so I usually just do a quick pat dry with a clean dishcloth, even though I can never get the kale fully dry.  That lingering water hasn't made a noticeable difference yet with the baking process.

    Finally, toss the kale pieces with a small pour of olive oil, kosher or sea salt, and lay the pieces in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.  I have baked the chips at temperatures ranging from 275 – 350, and the cooking time has varied from 10 – 20 minutes.  Remove the kale from the oven when it is just crisp.  Even if the chips are browned, I find they still have a good flavor, but folks on the internet seem more squeamish than me on this point.  You can serve immediately or let the kale cool.  

    It's SO easy.  Pick up some kale next time you are at the farmer's market — I promise eating healthy will not feel like a chore!  And don't just take my word for it — when I first made them, Andy remarked that we never need to eat potato chips again!

    Kale Chips

     

  • The (Relatively Large) Haul from Rhinebeck — NY Sheep and Wool Festival 2011

    Although it's taken me over two weeks to put this post up, and as a result some of you may have doubted its continued existence, the New York Sheep and Wool Festival did happen this year.  And it was amazing. Really, really amazing – great weather, great people and it capped a perfect weekend of New England exploring and leaf-peeping.  

    Perhaps the greatest indication of how great the Festival was this year was the relatively large amount of yarn I purchased.  In years past, I have exercised much stronger restraint, and limited myself to anywhere from a handful to ten skeins, let's say.  This year, despite not planning to purchase yarn for specific projects (with one exception, Noah's pumpkin hat), I really went to town.  And I think that each skein of yarn I purchased was special and unique, and really showcases some regional gems.  A summary of my new yarn follows a picture of the Rhinebeck 2011 haul.

    Rhinebeck 2011

    From the top left, going clockwise:

    – Alpacas of Staghorn Valley (NY) — three skeins of 3-ply alpaca 

    – Still River Mill (CT) – Two Step Sock Yarn, one skein in grey.  I have been eyeing yarn from the Still River booth for at least a year!

    – Still River Mill (CT) – Cameloo, two skeins in beige.  Incredibly soft yarn — I cannot wait to start knitting with it, and fear I may be selfish and just make something for myself from this beautiful yarn 🙂

    – Long Ridge Farm (NH) – Superwash Merino in Rain Forest (dark brown), one four-ounce skein 

    - Buckwheat Bridge Angoras (NY) – 50/50 blend of kid mohair and cormo, one skein in orange and the other in dark green

    – Persimmon Tree Farm (PA) – Piggy Toes SW, one four-ounce skein in maroon/vibrant red

    – Good Karma Farm (ME) — 60/40 blend of wool and alpaca, two skeins with blue hues and another with more yellow colors wool

    Hopefully these new additions to my stash will keep me going for at least a few more weeks 🙂

  • Duo of Hats for Baby Noah

    Baby Noah has arrived!  And with his arrival, my knitting to-do list has probably tripled in size.  I have tried two new hat patterns so far, and I expect that I'll not only being making several new hats for him this coming winter, but also a whole range of baby clothes as well.  I almost pity him for how much wool he will forced to wear come January and February 🙂

    The first hat I made for Noah was the newborn Hat from Louisa Harding's Natural Knits for Babies and Moms.  I used some stash yarn for the project, and was really happy with the result, particularly because it fit Noah when he was born (I was afraid it might be way too big or way too small — it's so hard to guess baby measurements!).  The second hat I made for baby Noah was a beautiful pumpkin hat from Sonnentaler.  I purchased yarn specifically for this project at the recent New York Sheep and Wool Festival (more to come on the festival soon!), and the colors are really, really perfect to evoke the intended pumpkin image.  Project details follow pictures of the completed hats.

    Noah Pumpkin Hat

    Noah's Pumpkin Hat

    Pattern:  Kurbis Hat from Sonnentaler

    Yarn:  70% Kid Mohair/30% Cormo Wool from Buckwheat Bridge Angoras, approx. 1/4 of an orange skein and extremely small amount (a few yards) from a dark green skein

    Needles:  Four US2 dpns for the rolled brim of the hat, and four US3 dpns for the body of the hat

    Post-Blocking Measurements:  Ok, so I didn't actually measure the hat when I was done, but I will soon and update this post!

    Modifications:  I cast on 7o stitches to get a 12-inch circumference for the hat.  I knit 6 rows with the smaller needles for the rolled brim, and then knit 3 inches in stockinette (not the ribbing called for in the pattern) with the US3 needles.  I then started the decreases, though modified them to reduce the number of plain rows between the decrease rows.  I also made the pumpkin top significantly shorter so that I didn't need to fold it over and sew it to the base of the hat.

    Noah Green Hat

    Noah's Newborn Hat

    Pattern:  Hat from Louisa Harding's Natural Knits and Babies and Moms

    Yarn:  Approx. 0.1 – .2 skein of Shelridge Farm Soft Touch DKW in Spring Green

    Needles:  Two US size 4 circulars for the first four rows, and two US size 6 circulars for the body of the hat

    Post-Blocking Measurements:  12 1/2-inch circumference at the widest point, and 3 3/4 inches tall.  The hat grew only slightly after wet blocking.