Ginger Chutney

2" piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 dried red chili, seeded
2 tsp oil
salt to taste
1 Tb. tamarind paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
handful cilantro
1/4c. shredded coconut

Sautee red chili, ginger, and tamarind in oil. When ginger is cooked (light brown), remove from pan. Sautee tomato and coriander leaves together for a few minutes. Add ginger mixture and tomato mixture together in a food processor, add coconut. Add salt and blend until smooth, adding water as needed.

Enjoy with dosa or iddly.

Tofu with Oyster Mushrooms and Spinach

Recipe

I bought oyster mushrooms from the farmer's market this weekend, and I found this great recipe while I was browsing my fave food site, Tastespotting. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but I did cook the mushrooms in butter instead of oil. I also cooked the tofu longer than called for, until it was turning dark brown and a little crunchy. The stir-fry was fabulous. The flavors were just amazing, and I could have eaten seconds....and thirds! I served it with brown rice instead of white.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

1 pint strawberries with stems/leaves, washed and dried
4 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (If you don't have a double boiler, see tip below) Hold each strawberry by the stem, and swirl in melted chocolate until bottom half of strawberry is coated. After swirling, set strawberry on its side on waxed paper and allow chocolate to set (about 30-60mins). Enjoy!

Tips: I don't have a double boiler, so I took a small pot and found a bowl that would fit on top of it. I filled the bottom 2" of the pot with water, and brought it to a boil. Then I turned off the heat and set the bowl (with chocolate in it) on top of the pot. The heat from the steam slowly melted the chocolate.

I think these will only keep for about a day in the fridge. Between three of us, we had no problem finishing them in a day! I'm already craving more!

Migas

This recipe is my favorite Tex-Mex version of an omelet or scrambler. The key ingredient is crispy, fried corn tortilla strips. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

2 corn tortillas, cut thin strips
5 eggs
2 tb. milk
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 ripe avocado
handful pepper jack cheese (shredded)
handful cilantro
salsa
olive oil
salt and pepper

In a skillet, heat 2 Tb. olive oil over med-hi heat and stir in tortilla strips. Add a pinch of salt and fry tortillas until they become slightly crispy. Remove from skillet. In hot skillet combine olive oil, jalapenos, and onion. Fry until onion is translucent and fully cooked. Beat eggs and milk together and add to skillet, stirring frequently. When eggs are still cooking, but almost ready, stir in the tortillas and cook another minute or so, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove from skillet and serve garnished with pepper jack cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, and salsa.

My husband became addicted to migas the first time we had them at a brunch in Austin. He has been looking for them in restaurants everywhere we go, and usually ends up disappointed that the migas in Wisconsin are nothing like the migas we had in Austin. I tried to recreate that wonderful meal in Austin and my husband finally gave me the "oooh, these are soooo good" look (It took three different attempts to get it right!). Well, this is my celebration of Cinco de Mayo....Tex-Mex style.

Spinach Lentil Salad

2 c. green or brown lentils, soaked for a few hours
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tb. capers
3 c. raw spinach
1 Tb. chopped scallion or red onion
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
cilantro garnish (optional)
asiago or parmesan cheese to crumble on top

Cook lentils in water (about 1" above lentils in pot), add a few dashes salt and the garlic. Cook lentils approx 25 mins until tender. Drain. While lentils are cooking, wash spinach and cook in microwave with a dash of salt until wilted (about 2 mins). After lentils have finished cooking, combine them with the tomatoes, capers, spinach, scallion in a large mixing bowl. Add a few glugs of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. When serving, grate or crumble cheese over the top. I used asiago, but parmesan would be delicious too.

I try to incorporate lots of lentils and beans into my diet since I don't eat meat. This salad was quick to prepare (as long as you soak the lentils ahead of time) and tasty. It serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower Curry

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
olive oil (a few glugs)
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/4 tsp. hot chili powder
1/4 tsp. curry powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower florets in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour a few glugs of olive oil (a few tablespoons) over the cauliflower and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle cumin seeds, sea salt, chili powder, and curry powder over cauliflower and toss again to coat cauliflower with spices. Roast at 400 degrees for approximately 40 mins, stirring once to prevent burning. The vegetables will start to stick to the bottom of the pan at some point (unless you use a whole bottle of olive oil!). Although it might not look very pretty, it will taste amazing!

I bought a jar of bell pepper and herb sea salt, and I've been using it on all of my roasted veggies in place of coarse sea salt. If you can find it, herb sea salt adds a lot of flavor. You can also add potato (cubed) and onion (cut into strips). I love any roasted vegetables, but cauliflower is definitely my favorite. I could eat this every day and never get tired of it. I am looking forward to roasting spring vegetables and posting a recipe, but it's still to cold in Wisconsin. The asparagus hasn't even made an appearance yet! Maybe next month...

Tangy Lemon Bars

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. white sugar
2 c. flour
1 (10 oz) jar lemon curd
1/2 c. shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter, sugar, and flour until mixture is crumbly. Press 2/3 of mixture into bottom of 9x13" baking pan. Bake for 10 mins. Remove bars and reduce oven temperature to 350. Once bars are cool, spread lemon curd over bars. Mix coconut with remaining 1/3 of crumbs and then sprinkle mixture to cover lemon curd. Bake another 25 mins at 350 degrees until top crust begins to turn golden. Allow bars to cool before cutting into pieces.

These lemon bars are a bit tangier than traditional lemon bars. That's why I love this recipe. Warning: they are addicting. My husband ate two bars last night and was practically begging for a third! I hate to admit it but I ate one for breakfast this morning. Yum!