Mushroom Pate`

Mushroom Pate`

A lovely choice for any party or a crowd. It is delightful as mushrooms and cheese make a yummy combination. Serve it up with seaweed crackers, plain toast, or even garlic bread. 
It is all divine.

A biscuit and mushroom pate` makes a delicious starter

The texture of the pate`

Even Mushrooms can look elegant!

Serves 15 to 20 people

4 tbsp unsalted butter

6 finely chopped green onions with the stalks 

650 g/ 1.5 lb of mixed mushrooms-washed, trimmed, and roughly chopped chanterelle, shitaki, Portobello, brown, and white cap

Salt and freshly ground pepper to season.

1/3 cup of  dry sherry

250g/ 8 oz room temperature cream cheese

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander

125 g/ 4 oz chopped toasted walnuts

65 g/ 2 oz chopped toasted pecans

A few drops  of Tabasco

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

In a pan, melt the butter and green onions together. Give it a stir and add the mushrooms. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook until tender and all the liquid is gone, stirring it every few minutes. It may take about 15 minutes. Now add the sherry and continue cooking till it has evaporated.

Cool. 

In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese with the parsley or coriander, chopped nuts, and season it with Tabasco and lemon juice. Taking a handful of mushrooms to garnish the top, combine the rest of the mushroom mixture into it and place it in three serving moulds to chill overnight. Keep it covered. 

Tips

Mixing the warm mushrooms into the cream cheese mixture makes it easier to stir them in. Just avoid it being hot or the cheese will melt and spoil the texture.

A couple of drops of Tabasco and a tsp of lemon juice are enough to season.

Rum, port, gin, or vodka are all good substitutes for sherry. 

Use your favourite herb if you prefer. Both basil and chives work well with mushrooms. 

Leave 3 tbsp of cooked mushrooms aside to top the cup, as it is a great way to plate and serve up the pate`.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Photo courtesy Niloufer Mavalvala

Cauliflower Cheesecups

Cauliflower Cheese-cups

Cauliflower Cheese-cups

Healthy enough to eat and pretty enough to serve. Just a whizz in the food processor of raw cauliflower, some spicy cheese, or not, if you prefer, and egg to bind it together.  
Fill it with more cheese and a sharp chutney or jam and you have an elegant side.
I would recommend a tamota-adu-limbu ni jam or a mango chutney with this. Both recipes are in The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders.

Alternatively, fill them up with caramelised onion or a wild mushroom ragout.  

Serves 6

 Makes 12 Cheese-cups

1 medium to small head of cauliflower
1 cup grated jalapeno cheese + 1/2 cup for filling
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 190 °C | 375 °F. Cut cauliflower into chunks. Place cauliflower chunks and grated jalapeño cheese into a large food processor and pulse until pieces resemble little pebbles. With the food processor still running, add the eggs until well-combined.

Grease a muffin pan with butter or oil. Spoon cauliflower and cheese mixture into each cup and press mixture to sides with a spoon to resemble a small cup.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for one to two minutes before loosening edges with a dull butter knife. Place on a serving platter and spoon remaining ½ cup of cheese into each cup. Top each with a small dollop of Tomato or Mango chutney of choice. Serve immediately.

Tips

Make sure not to over-process the cauliflower and cheese in the food processor. It should be soft enough to spoon but not completely smooth.

Be sure all edges of the cups are even when pressing them down with a spoon. The most common mistake at this step is to press the sides too much and the bottom not enough. This will result in overbrowning of the sides and an undercooked bottom. However, be sure to keep the bottom thick enough that you can easily remove the cups from the pan after baking.

Any cheddar cheese works well. Adding a teaspoon of paprika or finely chopped jalapenos to plain cheese is an option. This recipe does not need salt because most cheese is salty. Add salt only if desired.

TIP

Make sure not to over-process the cauliflower and cheese in the food processor. It should be soft enough to spoon but not completely smooth.

Be sure all edges of the cups are even when pressing them down with a spoon. The most common mistake at this step is to press the sides too much and the bottom not enough. This will result in overbrowning of the sides and an undercooked bottom. However, be sure to keep the bottom thick enough that you can easily remove the cups from the pan after baking.

A tomato ginger, lime jam recipe is part of my 3 award winning cookbook The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders.

Use a tsp of paprika if you do not have jalapeno cheese.

Make it with pizza fillings; adding saute`d wild mushrooms, caramelised onions and some more cheese would be delicious. 
This recipe does not need salt because most cheese is salty. Add salt only if desired.

If you wish to eat it as a "toast" instead of bread simply spread the mixture into two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Remember to mark the diamond or square shapes prior to baking. Cook until golden brown and allow to dry slightly.
Using a ''drier'' cheese will help to emit less oils and avoid it from being greasy.
Store in a covered container and heat as needed on a skillet over the stove top or in the oven for a minute or two.

Pieces of cauliflower toasts!

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Pretty cheesy cauli ~ flowers

Akuri na Patties

Akuri Na Patties

Smashed potatoes stuffed with akuri, dipped in egg and pan fried. It is a yummy side dish of the yester-years. Make the akuri  a tad spicy to add to the full flavour of this Parsi version of a scotch egg. 

Akuri

2 tbsps oil

1 large  finely diced onion

12 green chillies, finely chopped

2 cups fresh coriander, finely chopped

2 large skinned tomatoes, finely chopped

pinch of salt

Heat oil in a pan and fry onions till golden brown. Add in the chillies and tomatoes. Sprinkle this with salt. Saute for 7 minutes and cover. Lower the heat and allow to cook for 20 minutes until it all comes together and the liquid is evaporated.

In a bowl beat together 8 eggs

Add a pinch of salt and a dash of milk.

Pour in the eggs over the cooked vegetables and keep cooking it stirring it constantly on a low flame till it resembles scrambled eggs.

The Potato Mash

1 ½ kg potatoes, boiled peeled, salted and mashed

To Fry

4 eggs beaten

Fine dry bread crumbs or semolina as required

Oil for shallow frying

Wet your hands take a spoonful of the mashed potatoes, flatten and put 2 tsp of akuri in the center. Fold over the edges of the potato over the akuri and shape into a ball.

Flatten and shape into a round patti. Repeat with the remaining akuri and potatoes.

Heat the oil in a skillet and dip each of the patti in beaten egg and then into the breadcrumbs pressing them on. Shallow fry each one turning over only once cooking just until they are beautifully golden brown.

Tips

Add 2 or more eggs if you want the akuri less spicy.

The eggs must be at room temperature to cook evenly.

You can make use  of leftover Akuri if you have any to make this dish.

Prepare and refrigerate for up to a day. Pan fry them when you are ready to serve.

For more delicious recipes from the Parsi Cuisine click

Niloufer's Kitchen : Quick and Easy

Ratatouille

The aubergine, red and yellow peppers, zucchini topped with crumble goat cheese and puff pastry triangles.

Ratatouille 

Originating from Nice in Provence, Ratatouille is a layered melange of roasted vegetables with grated cheese liberally sprinkled all over and baked to perfection. Served as a casserole with pasta or crusty bread. 
My version is a modern Ratatouille; 21st Century!

Similar vegetable dishes can be found in Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Italy; a variation on the original French Ratatouille Provencal, which is pronounced Raa-taa-tu-ee.

I like to serve this up with goat cheese and triangles of freshly baked puff pastry.

Or simply serve them in vol au vents?

Makes  enough for 30 large Vol au vents 

1 tbsp olive oil
1 zucchini
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 small eggplant or aubergine 
1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp safflower oil
1 large golden onion
2 cups skinless chopped diced tomatoes
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black peppercorn
1 cup water
1 tsp dried herbes de provence 
1/2 cup goat cheese, diced or crumbled

Cut the vegetables into equal sized squares, toss them with olive oil sprinkle this with salt and roast in the oven until just soft. Do not overcook them. 

In a pan, heat a tbsp of oil and add one very finely chopped large onion, Saute until it is soft and catches a light colour. Now add 2 cups of chopped tomatoes, brown sugar, salt and pepper, herbs de provence and water. 
Cook it until it is thick and sticky. 
Toss the roasted vegetables into this sauce. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes prior to serving. 

To serve 
Place the ratatouille in a large shallow bowl and crumble all the feta over it. Sprinkle with a choice of green herbs for colour; watercress, mint, parsley, or coriander all work well. 
Top it with the puff pastry triangles to finish. 

Tips
Serve it in a vol-au-vent. Ensure that most of the liquid has evaporated; otherwise it will get soggy. Fill it just before you want to serve it up and heat it for 3 minutes before serving to melt the cheese. 
If you have fresh herbs, use oregano and thyme to substitute herbs de provence.


To read about an ancient cuisine you can purchase my cookbooks called The World of Parsi Cooking; Food Across Borders and The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine. 

 
For more wonderful recipes click on

Niloufer's Kitchen: French Bistro
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J2KMB4C
And
Niloufer's Kitchen: Moroccan Cuisine
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GP0CSBI

Party bon-bons

Cheese Pesto Bon-bons!

These do remind me of little sweet parcels but filled with savoury cheese. Perfect for a cocktail party or to enjoy as appetisers.
Make your own filling of choice?

Ingredients

36 Wonton wrappers
1 cup Paneer or ricotta; at room temperature
2 finely chopped fresh green chillies
1 tbsp finely chopped corriander
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 full cream
Salt to taste

Mix it all well. should be soft to touch but dry enough to fill.
Using wonton wrappers. fill 1 tsp of the mixture, roll like a cigar, pinch the sides with your thumb and chill. 
When ready to eat, heat a pan with oil and deep fry for 2 minutes until crispy golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and serve it with tamarind chutney.

Tips

This recipe can be adjusted according to taste.
Salt must be added to the paneer for flavour.
Other options to add to this are a touch of garlic, crushed fried onions, freshly cracked pepper, paprika or ancho chili powder.

You can freeze these bon-bons before frying for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge overnight before using. 
Wonton wrappers are available at all markets. You can use filo pastry to do the same or samosa wraps. Wrap them like cigars or samosas if you prefer.


For more good ideas and recipes click on
Niloufer's Kitchen: Moroccan Cuisine
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GP0CSBI

Melange of Mushrooms and Spinach topped withEggs.

 Melange of  mushrooms and spinach topped with eggs/Champignons aux épinards  melange et œufs



Something festive yet easy to make for your family this weekend.
This recipe is for 8 persons.

Cooked Mushrooms and spinach with eggs 

Cover the pot with a lid to allow the eggs to poach in the steam.

In a skillet melt 3 oz /45 gm of salted butter + 1 tbsp olive oil. 
Add 2 cups of thickly sliced mushrooms. Use a melange of them; mixing it up gives different flavours, textures and colours. 

Cook this for 5-7 minutes until it softens and add 1 clove of freshly grated garlic.
Add 4 cups of spinach leaves. Use soft young kale, baby spinach, arugula, mix of any kind of green leaves you enjoy eating. season it with salt and pepper; substitute nutmeg for pepper if you prefer. 

Add a pinch of sugar to all this and then finally add 3 drops/dashes of truffle oil; use this sparingly it is terribly pungent! 

When ready to eat, break 8 eggs; at room temperature on a hot skillet of vegetables, cover and cook for 5 minutes until the eggs are set just right.

Optional ingredient: Add 3 oz full cream to make this richer if you like. This brings the mushroom and spinach together and looks more attractive too if you are entertaining.
Eat warm with crusty bread.

Tips: Truffle oil has a strong smell and flavour of mushrooms. It is available in dark and light form.  You may substitute truffle oil for easily available Worcestershire Sauce. But again use sparingly. 
Dried ground porcini mushrooms can be sprinkled in it if you like.
These are some choices. Use any or all as your family prefers.
Or again make it individually in ramekins for a sit down dinner. Ramekins need to go into the oven over a baine marie (simply put, water bath!). Bake for approximately 15 minutes in a preheated oven of 350F/180C.  To make this perfect,the vegetables should be hot, the water should be boiling and the eggs at room temperature. Do not cover the ramekins.

To make it more festive add a tbsp of rum or sherry initially when the mushrooms are cooking. It adds a delicious sweetness to the finished dish.

For more recipes with eggs click on
Niloufer's Kitchen: Quick and Easy
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HBSBLI4

For more interesting recipes click on 
Niloufer's Kitchen: Winter
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G2US0EK
or
Niloufer's Kitchen; French Bistro
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J2KMB4C

Quinoa Kichri

Quinoa Khichri 

Khichri, Khichdi, and Khichuri are derived from a Sanskrit word simply meaning "rice and lentil". 

It has many variations and is popularly referred to as a comfort food. The texture is generally wet rather than dry, similar to a risotto. It is often seasoned with clarified butter or pure ghee. From the Greeks to the Persians, it was a favourite of the Mughal Emperor Akbar! 

The Egyptians and their neighbours add vegetables to it, while the Indian sub-continent likes to serve it with yoghurt or other forms of curry. The people of Maharashtra living on the Arabian Sea, however, tend to add shrimp to their Khichri. 

It is generally the simplest and healthiest form of solid food introduced to babies. It is affordable as a self-contained complete meal, making it the food of the masses. Many cultures dedicate a meal of khichri during their week of wedding festivities.

A serving of a simple Quinoa Khichri

Gluten-free people will appreciate the quinoa khichri. It has lots of nutrients and digests easily. 

In  a pot measure
1 cup quinoa
1 cup red split masoor lentils, washed and drained
1 cinnamon stick

salt to taste 

Add 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth and bring this to a boil. Lower the flame and allow this to cook until the liquid is reduced and you can see the top of the grains.

Simmer for 30 minutes, covered. 
Fluff with a fork and serve.

Tips
Soaking them overnight before cooking takes away the tad of bitterness the outer shell of this ancient grain can sometimes have. If you do not have the time, soak them for a few hours and drain. 

The stock may have enough salt already, but add a little first. 

If desired, season with black peppercorns, cloves, bay leaf, and crushed fried onions, just as you would for khichri. 

If you want to eat this as a side to a grilled piece of chicken or fish, add a touch of lemon zest, orange zest, finely chopped parsley or any favourite fresh herb for flavour. 

Alternately, add chopped black or green olives, mushrooms, nuts; the choices are endless.

Eat this with a yogurt based kudhee if you wish or other foods like Patio and Sas.
Healthy eating!!

For more on Parsi Food recipes and its origin read my cookbooks
The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine and The World of Parsi Cooking Food Across Borders.

Try a Prawn Qunioa Salad 
Read more about the grain Qunioa





Comment from Tamizan Esmail on fb....

btw, i made the quinoa kichdi and it was fantastic! Even better than regular! thanks Niloufer

Roasted Garlic

Garlic in all its forms is on the chart for good health. It builds immunity and prevents disease, keeping our pipes clean and clear. Many don't like the strong pungent aroma it can leave behind, but are unaware that the basis of most foods always has some form of garlic. 
Roasted garlic is a transformation of the pod. It can actually be sweet in taste as the sugars from this ancient root are released, slowly caramelising the individual pod to a buttery softness. It can be pickled, stored in jars, and added to soups, sauces, and main courses. Add it to a salad dressing and use it as a spread on toast. Consider topping that with some hard cheese and grilling it before relishing it. 

I have used this in purees and dips like hummus, baba ganoush, and cheese dips. My leek and potato soup is not the same without these small, delicious morsels. 

To roast, simply remove only the very first layer of the whole garlic pod. Brush it with some olive oil. Place it on a baking tray. Roast for 45 minutes at 170 C | 350 F in a preheated oven. When cool, peel each pod as and when you want to use it. It can be left in the fridge for a week or two, covered. 

Tips
If you use a wet hand to pick and clean the pod of roasted garlic, it will get mouldy very quickly and will not store well. 

To pickle them in a jar for a month, peel all of them once roasted and place them in a sterilised jar with olive oil and a tsp of salt. Cover and refrigerate. Always use a dry clean spoon to remove it from the jar to avoid mould. 

In Canada, most good grocery stores sell it ready to use in their deli bars.

For recipes from the Parsi Food repertoire and its history and origin read my cookbooks
The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine.
The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders.

Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup

Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup

 

As a teenager, I went on a family holiday across Europe, where I visited the beautiful Austrian city of Salzburg. On a tight budget, we followed the Frommers guide. We were told to visit a restaurant in the crypt of one of the main churches in a town square. Here, the menu was changed on a daily basis, and fresh local produce was cooked and served. We were offered a roasted cauliflower soup and a roasted garlic soup. I tried both out of curiosity and thoroughly enjoyed this new flavour. Years later, I prepared this soup in combination and am sharing it with you. Isn't food the greatest mnemonic? And decades later, this week, I had the same, just as delightful, with the added beauty of basil oil and a few slices of pickled jalapeno.

Serves 10

3 tbsp olive Oil

4 oz butter

One head of cauliflower

One pod of garlic; unpeeled

1 tsp salt

Salt and mixed pepper for seasoning

1 cup whole milk

8 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

One onion

1 tsp brown sugar

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 170 C or 350 F. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Toss two tablespoons of oil all over, sprinkle with salt, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Also, rub the pod of unpeeled garlic with oil and roast it on the same tray for 45 minutes.

Once the garlic has cooled, remove the skin.

 

Step 2 

In your soup pot, melt 125 g/4 oz of butter and sauté the chopped onion till soft. Add a teaspoon of brown sugar, the roasted cauliflower, and garlic. Add the 8 cups of vegetable or chicken stock, bring it to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 1 hour. Add a cup of milk and 1/2 cup of Gruyere cheese.

 

Step 3

Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Mix well, taste for seasoning, and serve warm with a drizzle of basil oil,or cream and a few slices of pickled jalapeno, and garlic croutons.

Tips

The soup will be thick and creamy. You may add more milk to thin it down if needed.

Alternate basil and jalapeno and add 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg.

Some cheese melted on croutons will taste wonderful, especially a nice sharp cheddar or fresh Parmesan.

Trivia 
A teaspoon of balsamic vinegar will bring any soup to life if you feel it is bland.

Mixed peppercorns are a bag of red, rose-pink, white, black, and grey peppercorns. The French love this variety. White peppers are the spiciest and are generally added to most soups.

It is now the right time to help bring this inexpensive and highly nutritious vegetable back to its former glory in our home kitchens. Let us start by putting its reputation for being bland and tasteless behind us and reforming our ways to make this humble, frowned-upon floret into everything delicious.

Mnemonic: Imagery and Visualization: Our brains remember images much more easily than words or sounds, so translating things you want to remember into mental images can be a great mnemonic device. Food memories can be referred to as mnemonic devices when one can taste the food in one's memory bank.

For more soups click Niloufer's Kitchen: Soups

For Parsi recipes click The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine. and The World of Parsi Cooking Food Across Borders.