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a spicy touch and chana wagharia

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I was very excited about the release of another “A Spicy Touch” cookbook. This is the food that I grew up with – Indian food with East African influences. Noorbanu Nimji’s books have been a staple in my house and of most people that I know. They are a great reference for even the most experienced home cook. I was especially excited for this new book since it was co-authored by my friend, Karen Anderson.

This book is beautiful with pictures of mouth-watering food. I especially like the pictures of the different spices and the step-by-step instructions. The pictures help make it easy to know what to look for in the grocery store. The book is hard cover and would make an excellent gift for any foodie!

I love how this fourth book incorporates stories and tips – it is definitely my favourite of the series! Check out the website for more info.

This recipe for Chana Wagharia was super easy to make and was a hit with all the boys. I was happy that I had most of the items in the pantry and took less than 30 minutes to make.

Chana Wagharia
From A Spicy Touch

1 TB olive oil
5 – 6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 Chinese eggplant, cut into bite-size cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Indian chili powder
1 19oz can chick peas
1 TB Ambli Ni Chutney or 1 TB lemon juice
1 TB finely cut coriander leaves

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat and add the curry leaves and mustard seeds. Cook covered until the seeds pop – about 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato, eggplant and salt and cook on medium-low heat – adding a little water if necessary – until eggplant is almost cooked, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the cumin, turmeric, coriander, sugar and chili powder and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more or until the eggplant cubes are cooked and tender when pierced with a fork.

Stir in the chickpeas, Ambli Ni Chutney or lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes. The gravy should cover the chickpeas and eggplant.

Stir in the coriander leaves just before serving.

jalapeno popper dip

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One of everyone’s favourite appetizers is a jalapeno popper. Jalapenos filled with cream cheese, coated in a bread crumb mixture and deep fried. Yummy! I thought that this combo would be great for a Superbowl party, but in dip form.  Every sports party has to have a great dip and this one fits the bill!

This warm dip is creamy and cheesy with the perfect amount of crunch from the panko topping and heat from the jalapenos. It is perfect for serving with crackers or crostini.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

1 block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
125mL can jalapenos
1 cup panko
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 TB olive oil

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, mozzarella and parmesan cheese until well combined. Add the jalapenos and mix well. Put into an oven safe dish. In a separate bowl, combine the panko, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes. Enjoy with crackers or bread.

green tropical smoothie

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We have been enjoying our daily smoothies and I have been having fun coming up with some tasty combinations. Today was a good one and I could not wait to share.

The spinach smoothies haven’t been a favourite for the boys…until today. Today, they wanted more! That is a huge win. The greens combined with the tropical flavours of pineapple, banana and coconut worked really well together. The pineapple added the sweetness and the banana and coconut milk the creaminess. The coconut milk also made it dairy free so even hubby could enjoy it.

This tropical concoction will allow you to escape to somewhere warm, even if just for a minute.

Green Tropical Smoothie

1/2 cup pineapple, cubed
1 banana
1/2 cup spinach
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
ice

Place all the ingredients and blend until smooth.

chocolate chip, coconut, pecan banana bread

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I have a new helper in the kitchen. The little guy is always eager to see what’s cooking and to help out in any way possible. Z is 21 months and lately, when he thinks I’ll be doing something in the stand mixer, he pulls the chair to the counter, ready with measuring cups so that he can pour things in.

This morning we made banana bread, using up ripe bananas that we wanted to put to good use. We loaded up the batter with pecans, chocolate chips and coconut. The resulting bread was moist and full of character. We cut into it while it was still hot, it was too hard to resist!

Chocolate Chip, Coconut, Pecan Banana Bread

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Cream margarine and sugar together.  Once combined, add eggs and vanilla.  Next, mix in the dry ingredients – flour and baking soda.  Add the mashed bananas, sour cream along with the chocolate chips, pecans and coconut.

Add the batter to a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

candied pecans

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At our house, we are nuts for nuts. Like all kinds of nuts. One of my favourites though is pecans. I was looking for a way to perk up my salad and thought candied pecans would be perfect.

The coating is light and crispy and I loved the addition of the cinnamon and salt. They provided the perfect crunch that I needed for my salad but they were also great for snacking on. These are so good and very addictive. You have been warned.

Candied Pecans

1 cup pecan halves
1 egg white
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Beat the egg white until frothy. Add the pecans, cinnamon and salt and mix until coated. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.

oven baked crispy chicken wings

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I’m a sucker for chicken wings. The crispier and saucier, the better. They are the perfect appetizer (no cutlery!), take very little prep time and a great vehicle for some tasty sauce.

For anyone who tries these crispy wings, they won’t even
know that they are baked! They are super easy to prepare, just throw a few things together and throw them in the oven. Place wings in a bowl, add some corn starch, salt and pepper until the wings are coated. Place on a greased cookie sheet and then spray with some cooking spray. Cook at 375 degrees until cooked. For about ten wings, I added a couple tablespoons of corn starch. The wings baked for approximately 45 minutes.

Once the wings are done, sprinkle some salt and eat as is or toss them in your favourite sauce. Gochujang are Q’s favourite so I tossed the wings in some bibimbap sauce – so so good!

berry banana smoothie

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With all the smoothies we have been experimenting with, one thing has been clear – Q’s not a fan of the green ones. They may taste great, but the colour to him is just off putting. Z on the other hand will drink anything, he’s more about the taste than the visual appeal.

This berry banana smoothie is a hit with everyone. The blackberries and strawberries along with the banana make a great combination. The banana along with some yogurt and milk make this drink super creamy and so delicious.

Berry Banana Smoothie

1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup milk
Ice

Blend until smooth.

cardamom shortbread

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Check out my guest post over at Spicy Eggplant for Cardamom Shortbread. I was excited to come up with something sweet and filled with spice. I love the addition of cardamom to these buttery cookies. The ground
spice is very aromatic and provides a distinct flavour, with the
pistachios providing the perfect match and garnish to the shortbread. Check out Ginni’s site for the recipe!

banana, strawberry and clementine smoothie

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Our smoothie kick continues! Q loves the combination of strawberries and bananas so that’s the flavours we went with today. I added a clementine for some citrus zing and added milk and yogurt to make this creamy concoction.

For some more smoothie inspiration, check out this board on Pinterest.

Banana, Strawberry and Clementine Smoothie

1 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
1 clementine
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup ice

Blend and enjoy!