Sultan's Kitchen

[Bajih 4]

Butternut Squash- Yum. I found this recipe in Family Fun magazine. My daughter and I rolled out the ravioli noodles. It was fun. I haven't tasted it yet- it went into the freezer as we made it late at night. Hope to have some this weekend. (trying to find sage)

Squash Ravioli with Herbed Butter Sauce

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/dinner-ent...ravioli-795775/

Something new!

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Mmm, squash. I picked up 2 new kinds of squash at the farmer's market yesterday. Haven't decided what to do with them yet. there's always the old fall back of roasting them with a little olive oil, or making soup, but we had an (awesome) butternut squash soup this last week, so I'm thinking AbuS will probably not want another squash based soup this weeked.

The two kinds are ambercup and carnival. I picked up a new vegetarian cookbook (the original "The Greens") a few weeks ago at a used book sale, and they have a ton of squash recipes, so I'll have to see if there's any for those. Otherwise it's off to consult chef google.

[RAKASA 0]

Try these tasty Lentil Quinoa Burgers I made.... hubby loved them too!

I made these last night and they were really awesome. As per my MO, I never follow a recipe exactly, so read all the way down for my notes from the original recipe. If you've never had quinoa, try it. It's one of the healthiest grains around, providing extra protein. You can use either red quinoa or regular. Regular quinoa is much easier to come by, but Whole Foods carries both. You can't get the red version in the bulk aisle (sux).

Red qunioa & red lentil veggie burgers

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup pepitas

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup cooked red lentils

2 cups cooked red quinoa (regular quinoa is fine too)

bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

oil for cooking

Combine garlic, pepitas, cilantro, onion and lentils in a food processor and pulse until they come together in a think puree. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and fold in quinoa, egg and breadcrumbs as needed to hold the mixture together. Form 4-6 patties depending on the size you want and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove patties from refrigerator.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil to the skillet and cook patties, turning over after about 4 minutes. Cook on the other side for another 4 minutes or until heated through. Serve as you would your favorite burger, on a whole grain bun with lettuce and tomato!

************my notes**************

I didn't have pepitas (pumpkin seeds) so I used sunflower seeds instead. I think the cilantro (lots of it) is a key ingredient here. I also thought flaxseed meal would be a healthier alternative to bread crumbs so I used 1/2-2/3 Cup and I also added maybe a scant 1/4 cup of whole flaxseeds. I thought 1/2 Cup of lentils wouldn't be enough IMO, so I used 1 cup uncooked (however much that came out to cooked).

Now, I tend to not follow directions (as I said) so, I cooked lentils & quinoa together (not a problem) and put them in a large bowl to cool a bit after cooking.

Then, I took garlic, onion, cilantro, and added seasoning (which there were none listed above!) - 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons of salt (I used less salt, it needed more) and I think next time I'll also add red pepper flakes or a little cayenne. Put all of this in a food processor and mix until chopped fine and blended together. Add this mixture to the lentil/quinoa mixture and combine. Add the beaten egg, flaxseed meal, & flaxseeds and fold it all in till you get a nice consistency for molding patties.

The above recipe says 4-6 burgers, I made 10! After chilling them for a bit, I pan "fried" them w/ a little olive oil cooking spray. We each had 2 w/ a side of olives and marinated/pickled veggies.

They will freeze well, so I wrapped them in wax paper & put them in ziplocs and put them in the freezer for a quick meal later.

These were really fantastic and I'll make them again & again. I hope you enjoy them too. Let me know if you make any changes that work well so I can try it too. Thanks!

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Ooo, I picked up some quinoa and haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet. I'll have to try this out, especially with your note on using only cooking spray and not oil - AbuS has decided that he wants NO butter or oil used in cooking. Um yeah, there goes everything I know how to cook Did manage to make some decent baked shrimp (cooked in veggie broth with chesapeke bay seasoning) and veggie lentil soup last night that had no butter or oil, but I'm sure they both would have been tastier with a little fat.

[sandinista! 1,816]

alcohol is commonly used in a lot of cooking sprays as a propellant.

why would someone demand their food not be cooked with butter or oil? i like to carefully measure out the amounts i use so i don't overdo it, but i can't wrap my head around eliminating it altogether.

[RAKASA 0]

Ooo, I picked up some quinoa and haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet. I'll have to try this out, especially with your note on using only cooking spray and not oil - AbuS has decided that he wants NO butter or oil used in cooking. Um yeah, there goes everything I know how to cook Did manage to make some decent baked shrimp (cooked in veggie broth with chesapeke bay seasoning) and veggie lentil soup last night that had no butter or oil, but I'm sure they both would have been tastier with a little fat.

I <3 quinoa! As for the oil, yeah, I don't get that either, but most sauteing can be done in a little water or broth.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Who said men are ever rational I think it's a knee jerk reaction to bad cholesterol and blood pressure tests, coupled with his mom having some bad diabetes related episodes as of late. So, we're baking more, and I'm cooking with less oil. In all fairness, the indian food I've been making in the last year has been swimming in oil, even when I cut down on what the recipes call for. It could have been worse though - I could be using ghee.

What's the name the alcohol/propellant goes under? I didn't notice anything in what I've purchased.

I made some great new recipes this weekend:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Curried-Honey...ken/Detail.aspx - made with just 1 T of butter instead of a 1/3 of a cup.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/11/pumpk...-corn-soup.html - made with regular milk instead of soy, so vegetarian instead of vegan, num num num!

Pumpkin pie wontons - very very tasty, although I'm sure it would taste better fried But, the wrappers got semi crisp and pie crust-ish

http://egyptian-cuisine-recipes.com/recipe...h-bechamel.html - i could not find a sugar pumpkin or any pumpkin at the grocery store, so I ended up using canned pumpkin. would probably be better made with fresh pumpkin. I'm trying to figure out how I can make this look pretty to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. I made it in just a pan lined with foil, which just doesn't look pretty. Maybe I'll make it in a pie pan.

Also made a very tasty vegetarian mediterranean bean salad from one of my madison area cookbooks. inshaAllah I'll type it out and post it when I get a chance.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Here's a recipe for Lima Bean Puree from the New Vegetarian Epicure that I made this weekend. Gets high marks from both myself and AbuS. It's kind of hummus-y in consistancy, and can be eaten like hummus - on chips, veggies, in salad, on a wrap or sandwich, or just warm straight from a bowl, mmm. AbuS says it's like some egyptian dish that he'll make for me now that he knows I like stuff like that (I'm not a huge fan of foul, so he must have thought I didn't like all pureed bean things), but I can't remember the name

1 lb dry lima beans

salt

1/3 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 tsp dry

pinch of red pepper flakes

1-2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

fresh ground black pepper to taste

garnishes - additional olive oil and chopped flat leaf parsley

Soak the lima beans over night with plenty of water. Drain them, rinse and put in a heavy bottomed pot with water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the beans for at least an hour, and perhaps longer, until they are perfectly tender.

Add more water, if necessary, to keep the beans just covered. Toward the end of the cooking time, add about a teaspoon or salt, or more to taste.

In a small skillet, combine 1 T of olive oil, about a third of the garlic, the chopped rosemary, and the pepper flakes. Warm the oil and herbs on medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.

Drain the cooked lima beans, reserving the liquid. Combine them in a food processor or blender with 1/2 cup of their cooking liquid and the warm oil with the herbs, and puree. Add the remaining minced garlic, the unheated olive oil, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to your taste, and process again until everything is thoroughly blended. Taste, and correct the seasoning with a touch more salt or lemon juice if you like. If the puree seems to thick, add a little more of the cooking liquid. It should be light, but hold a shape.

Allow the puree to cool. Spread it in a pretty, shallow bowl, drizzle some fruity olive oil on top, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

[sandinista! 1,816]

that sounds really yummy squeakster's mom. i like the idea of having that for dinner tonight, but need to soak the beans overnight... maybe tomorrow then.

afaik, alcohol isn't/doesn't have to be listed as an ingredient in cooking sprays because of the quantities it occurs in, but you have a higher standard re. alcohol than the fda does. i know that mazola and crisco cooking sprays say on their websites that theirs do not contain alcohol, but other brands, i don't know.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Thanks for the info re: cooking sprays. I have crisco original and no flour sprays at present. It only looks like the olive oil one specifically says no alcohol, so I guess I'll be calling them to see.

re: lima bean puree. It's a day late for yesterday's dinner, but a lot of the recipes I saw online used fresh or frozen beans instead of dried. I may try that next time I make it to see if it tastes any different.

Also, I have my end of the year bonus, and I thought I'd purchase a few more cookbooks (because 2 dozen aren't enough yet). Here's my wishlist. Anyone have any from there that they really like? I'm definietly getting the Curry Book and Love Soup, and probably Vegan Soul Kitchen. I'd like to get a bread book, and have 3 on my wishlist. Anyone know which one they'd get first?

We Called it Macaroni – an American Heritage of Southern Italian Cooking

The Curry Book

Easy Family Recipes from a Chinese-American Childhood

Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland

A Cook's Tour of Minnesota

Blue Corn and Chocolate

Biscuits, Spoonbread and Sweet Potato Pie

Dungeness Crabs And Blackberry Cobblers: The Northwest Heritage Cookbook

Love Soup

Vegan Soul Kitchen

Veganomics

Eat, Drink and Be Vegan

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients <

Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads

Momofuku

How to Cook Everything

I'd also like to get a good comprehensive Middle Eastern cookbook. Any suggestions? It could be MENA as well, so long as there's a good selection of levantine-esque recipes in it as well.

Edited December 16, 2009 by UmmSqueakster

[sandinista! 1,816]

the curry book sounds awesome! i looked up the dungeness crab and blackberry cobbler one on amazon and found this description that made me laugh.

The eighth in the Knopf Cooks American series, this volume proves that there is a lot more to Pacific Northwest cooking than Agent Cooper's cherry pie and coffee.

i liked the twin peaks reference. and it's got lots of northwest recipes, so i might have to check it out. i've heard really good things about that no-knead bread book too. good luck choosing, and i hope you enjoy them when you decide.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I had borrowed the curry book from the library and made probably half a dozen recipes from it that were fabulous. I made the curried butternut squash soup from it for thanksgiving and everyone loved it. Guess I'll just pick a few others from random and see how it all turns out. Looks like I"ll be needed to get a new bookshelf as well

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Alhamdulilah for half.com. Between there and Amazon, I've ordered these cookbooks:

The Minimalist Cooks Dinner : Mark Bittman

How to Cook Everything : Mark Bittman

The Curry Book : Nancie McDermott

In a Persian Kitchen : M. Mazda

Love Soup

Kneadlessly Simple

Is anyone else a cookbook fanatic? I actually enjoy sitting down, reading one from cover to cover and dreaming of everything I can make. I read through The Greens (I have the first edition that I found for $2 at a book sale. If there's one thing better than getting new books, it's gettingbooks for a good deal) yesterday and have grand plans to attempt to make my own stock this weekend.

[MrsAmera 41]

You totally inspired me to make a new wishlist and included several you had listed;

Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland

A Return to Cooking

Culinaria Spain

Modern Moroccan: Ancient Traditions, Contemporary Cooking

Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Traditions

From Mom with love...A Complete Guide to Indian Cooking and Entertaining

The Parthenon Cookbook: Great Mediterranean Recipes from the heart of Chicago's Greektown

Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking

French Feasts: 299 Traditional Recipes for Family Gatherings

Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Everyday

Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America

The Arab Table: Recipes and Culinary Traditions

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You

We Called It Macaroni: An American Heritage of Southern Italian Cooking--KCA Pbk (Knopf Cooks American Series)

Now to check half.com lol

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Ooo, some of those look good. I've been flipping through the Clean Food cookbook at B&N over my lunch hours for the past few weeks and debating getting it. It does look good, but even at 30% off, I don't know if I can justify spending $20 on a cookbook. Maybe I'll see if I can get it from the library and see how it is first.

Also, consider adding the Greenbush cookbooks to your list. They're full of very simple italian (wisconsin) american dishes. I think they're simpler than a lot of other cookbooks, because a lot of the recipes must have been modified during the depression era for simplicity and frugality. They're great for quick and easy dinners. http://www.greenbushcookbooks.com/

And finally, alas, my adventures in stock making weren't quite up to expectations. I guess I had hoped for some fabulous soup and it was just kind of meh. I made this basque pumpkin and white bean soup. I used a pie pumpkin, and it was kind of bland. I think if I tried to make it again, I'd use an acorn or butternut squash. The recipe also said the pumpkin would melt into a mush, but it didn't so I had to puree.