Saag Paneer Without the Paneer

A well-known North Indian curry, which combines chopped spinach and fried cubes of bland, homemade cheese (paneer). Tonight we made this great spinach dish a true hit- basically saag paneer with cubes of marinaded tofu substituted for the cheese.

About a month ago we froze small cubes of firm or extra firm tofu that was about to expire. Freezing tofu makes the texture more chicken-like, or a little tougher and porous, than fresh tofu so theoretically it should be a perfect substitute paneer, and it was! It was faster (in that we didn't have to make bland cheese the day before- you can never find paneer at the store), easier, and infinitely more flavorful. This recipe is a fail-safe, impressive staple for any Indian themed meal. Hazel ate two helpings and everyone loved it.

Something that looks like this better taste good for my kids to eat it.

Saag Pa-tofu a la Amy

Marinade frozen tofu in a covered glass bowl (or bag) before you start on the rest of your meal, shaking it up occasionally. Combine:

About 2/3 can light coconut milk (I add the extra milk to the accompanying curry or make virgin pina coladas)
1 lb. tub firm/extra firm tofu, drained, pressed a little, cut into small cubes, and frozen
1-2 Tbsp. lime juice (mine was from a bottle so I used 2 Tbsp.)
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
generous 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)

In small frying pan, fry the following until onion edges are nicely browned:

1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. thinly chopped onion (1 med.)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Then add:

1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. powered ginger

And set aside. Now, in large sauce pan combine the following and heat over medium heat for about 5 min:

1- 28 oz. bag frozen spinach, thawed with some water squeezed out*
1 can diced tomatoes, drained. Should be 1-2 cups total.
1 tsp. salt

Add the onion and tofu (including marinade) to the spinach and heat through another min. or so. Tomatoes and spinach should be soft and well-blended, but it shouldn't be soupy.

Finally add:

1/4-1/2 tsp. Garam Masala seasoning (a 1::1 mixture of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper)

Stir well and serve!

*For frozen spinach nothing beats the pre-frozen stuff however, sometimes we get a big package of fresh spinach and have a hard time finishing it off. I tried freezing it by just popping the package in the freezer and it worked perfectly. If you ever have this dilemma try freezing it for recipes with cooked spinach.

Whole Wheat Skillet Cookies

Been meaning to share this one for a while. I'm not sayin' that these are healthy, but they are better for you than the average cookie. And BOY they are good! Alex and I don't make a lot of things more than once, even if they are good, just because there are so many things to try out there, but I have probably made these at least a dozen times. Adapted from Heidi Swanson's similarly titled cookies (but better for you).

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 c. cornmeal
1/4 c. ground flax meal
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 1/4 t. salt
1 stick butter, room temp
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. white sugar
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
~8 oz chopped dark chocolate
~1 c. walnuts

Heat oven to 350. Butter a 10 inch 2 inch deep skillet. Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until well mixed. Add the applesauce, eggs, and vanilla and mix well. Add in the flour mixture and combine. Finally, add the chocolate and nuts. Bake 35-45 minutes. Enjoy!

Cinnamon can also be added. Once I added chocolate animal crackers and that was not bad either.

Calabrian Onion Soup

I came across this recipe again today and since it's a little chillier this morning than it's been the last few days, soup didn't sound too horrible even for June. Enjoy!

Calabrian Onion Soup

Adapted from Lidia Bastianich via Sydney Rombola

2-3 T Olive oil in thick-bottomed pot. Once oil is heated, lightly cook 2 sliced garlic cloves.
Once garlic is almost browned add 2-3 large onions, sliced not too thinly and halved.
Season w/ salt and a little crushed red pepper.
Once onions have sweated and wilted, add 1 large can whole peeled plum tomatoes squished in your hand, along with all the juice from the can. (You could also probably used canned crushed tomatoes, but the squishing whole ones in your fingers is more authentic).
Add a little more salt to taste.
Bring soup to a boil and add 1-2 C boiling water.
Stir and cover.
Simmer for 45-60 minutes.
When the liquid has decreased by almost half, place a piece of toasted bread in the bottom of each soup bowl. (We used multigrain baguette. Hard bread works best.)
Put a slice of cheese over it, then spoon the onion soup over that. We used fontina cheese which melted SO nicely. Delicious!