saag paneer

We have had a rainy Hallows today.  Part of me just wishes to curl up with a book and a cup of tea.  But I got a lot of working with fiber done.  The work that is not photogenic but has to be done.  As my Dad is so fond to point out, the making of the sweater or crocheted article is the least amount of work.  I am cleaning fiber, carding it, and spinning it currently for three different projects.  Not photogenic.  Very repetitive.  But work that has to be done.

Work that has to be done has to be fueled.  I made a large batch of saag paneer earlier this week after being disappointed going out.  I have now ruined us when it comes Indian food out because that is how good my saag paneer came out.  I am writing the recipe down because of it.

If you have paneer in the house, this is a rather quick recipe.  The longest bit is the carmelization of the vegetables so you get a deep flavor.  It is key.

saag paneer

Note:  I used mostly a recipe from the Food Network but I read about a dozen to see how it all went together.  I also did a bit of adjusting because I did not wish to go to the store.

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

5 tablespoons olive oil

12 ounces paneer

1/2 large onion, peeled and finely chopped.  The recipe calls for a white and I had a purple onion.  I used the purple.

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 serrano chile, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons ground coriander

16 ounce (1 pound) frozen spinach or other greens

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

In a medium size bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, the turmeric, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Cut the paneer into chunks, gently put in the bowl with the cayenne mixture.  Toss.  Let marinate while the rest is cooking.

Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and chile.  Slowly caramelize.  If the mixture appears to become dry or start burning add a couple tablespoons of water.  When toffee color, add the ginger and garam masala.  A bit of water may need to be added.

Add the spinach and a 1/2 cup water.  Mix well.  Add the paneer mixture.  Mix through.  Add a 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream.  Bring back to hot but not to a boil.  Taste to see if you need more salt.

Serve with dal, rice, and naan.  Do not go out to a restaurant for saag paneer again.  Yes, I did this to myself.

If you have leftovers, it does freeze well.  I reheated in a completely different dish but add a bit of water and heat until hot in a skillet.

paneer

I got taken out to Meatless Monday at our favorite Indian restaurant because my Beloved wished to eat saag paneer.  It is usually the only night of the week they have it.  They had a different saag that was good but now what was being craved.  

My first thought was "I have seen that in the freezer department at Whole Food."  Guess was not there.  And not on their hot bar anymore.  My next idea was of course I could make it.  I went to the cheese department.  There was not any paneer in the store due to a recall.  I am starting to worry about food security.  I become forced to make more and more from scratch.  Not a huge big deal but a big deal.  Part of what I do is just make more of what we eat at home.  

I made the a paneer.  A fairly process but patience is needed and strong hands.  I used a basic recipe, and after reading a few, most are the same.  To make enough paneer for one pound of greens, use a half gallon of milk.  

paneer

1/2 gallon whole milk (I used organic)

1/4 cup lemon juice

Special tools:  a colander and muslin or cheese cloth

In a large pot, pour the milk.  Over medium heat, bring the milk to a boil.  Stir almost constantly so the milk does not burn.  This will take a bit of time.  Line the colander with cheese cloth.

When the milk has come to a boil, remove from heat and add the lemon juice.  The milk should curdle almost immediately.

Pour into the muslin lined colander.  Let the liquid drain.  Rinse with cool water.  It will be hot so rinse a lot or fluff with a spoon before trying to lift the bottom with your hands.

Gather the top of the muslin together.  Squeeze as much water out as you possibly can.  Let hang from a faucet over a drain for about ten minutes to let more water drain out.  I did not have much water.

Take off the faucet.  Twist the top of the muslin together.  Lay on a plate with the excess muslin to the side.  Put another plate on top.  Weight.  Put in the refrigerator for at least twenty minutes.  

Remove the weight.  Remove the muslin and store in an airtight container.  I think I would have needed something with sides to get a more compacted cheese that was easier to cut.  But I will say that when I used the paneer in saag paneer it did hold its shape well for marinating and some of it held its shape well in the saag.

This was really lovely.  The biggest thing is it just takes time.

country loaf

It is supposed to be stormy and dark outside right now.  It is not.  When I planned dinner, I planned for that weather.  Oh well.  Dinner was a country loaf and smoke salmon chowder.  Very simple.  After I have been trying to find fancy baked good recipes, I made simple bread.

Life is very good.

What can I tell you about a country loaf?  Simple ingredients.  Long slow rise.  Good proof.  I like a crust that does not cut my mouth so it will never have the crusty French loaf look.  It is what I like.  It is what the boyos like.  If I want that crisp, I toast.  Boyos like warm bread.

Bread goes fabulously with soup by the way.

country loaf

sourdough starter

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup water

1 cup water

2 teaspoons salt

3  to 4 cups all purpose flour

In a large bowl, mix the starter, 3/4 cup water, and whole wheat flour together.  Cover and let sit overnight.  You want bubbly.

Take a bit out for next time.

Mix in the water, salt, and one cup of flour.  Mix in two more cups of flour until you have a thick wet dough.  Depending on how dry  your flour is, you may wish to knead in a half a cup of flour now or put that half a cup of flour on a counter.  Turn out the dough and knead for ten minutes.  Do not add any more then a cup of flour.  If it feels too sticky, wet your hands to knead.

Put in a clean bowl, cover, and let rise until double.  Or, put in a ziploc and let rise 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

When risen, sprinkle the counter lightly and shape into a long oval shape.  Put on a parchment covered baking sheet.  Let rise until almost double.

Turn oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put in the bread.  Bake 40 to 60 minutes, dependent on the shape of the loaf.  The bread should be golden and sound hollow when the bottom is thunked.

It is lovely with soup.  And as toast with butter and homemade jam.

There are some fancy thoughts and tweaking of recipes being thought about for this weekend.  I am still not feeling very creative but I am still doing simple.  Obviously.

a simpler english muffin (or how did you get that muffin to look right?)

Oh what to say?  Yesterday was about friends and watching the Great British Baking Show.  I could not believe it was only Tuesday with the angst that is going on at work.  More layoffs will happen but those who have been garunteed jobs for the next little bit do not know what they are doing.  A lot of chaos.  A lot of angst.  People show their true colors and sometimes they are not very pretty.

I have been finding my baking has been much simpler during this process.  I have mentioned before I love English muffins and I have posted a lovely recipe.  But the recipe is fiddly.  Especially when you have to wash all the rings or some of the dough slides out the bottom during the bake.  I follow a lot of bakers on instagram and one was posting English muffins inspired by Tartine bakery.  

I decided to give it a try.  Lovely.  Less washing.  Slower proof.  Just a yumminess, especially with melted butter and homemade strawberry jam.  The Tartine English muffin is their baquette dough made into an English muffin.  I used their porportions but I do not use their very fussy technique and I baked instead of cooking on a griddle.  I am simple.

I eat these at work and when I told someone they were homemade I got ask how I got the big holy crumb.  She could not tell they were not store bought except I made squares.  Remember simple.

simpler english muffin

Note:  This is based on the Tartine bakery baguette dough and then all my own twists.

sourdough starter

1 cup flour

3/4 cup water

1 cup (250 ml) water

2 teaspoons salt

3 - 4 cups flour

Mix the starter, 1 cup flour, and 3/4 cup water in a bowl.  Cover and let become bubbly.  8 to 12 hours.

Take about two tablespoons out for next time.

Mix in 1 cup water and 2 teaspoons salt.  Mix in 3 cups flour.  At this point I usually mix in 1/2 cup more flour and then knead with the rest but  I used some whole wheat flour recently that was very dry (already modifying!) and did not need to do that.

Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead until smooth.  Put in a gallon ziploc and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.  Pull out the dough and shape into a rectangle.  I make a rectangle about 16 inches by 6 inches because I cut it into eight squares.  I separate them and let them warm and rise until about double or the spring back just a tatch at a touch.

Put them in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes.  Notice, I did not preheat.  The top should just start to brown.  Turn over.  Bake another ten minutes.

Serve with butter and homemade jam.

Now, Paul of the The Great British Baking Show would like the outside browner but no one in my family really likes toast except me.  I leave them paler because they do not cut their mouths on them that way.  Boyos!

I toast.  I take them to work.  I get envious comments.  Life is good and simple.

amaranth, bean, and cheese taquitos

On the way back from Indianapolis, we stopped at Rosa's Mexican restaurant in Arkedelphia, Arkansas.  I wrote about it.  I am still amazed at how many vegetarian dishes were on their menu.  I tried the spinach taquitos and decided I had to recreate them at home.

Now, I hemmed and hawed a bit but when I found the sopapilla recipe I wrote about yesterday, I knew I could make these.  I have now actually made them multiple times and they are a requested dinner item.  That is a hit in my book.

They get served around here with homemade guacamole and salsa.  Sometimes a salad.  They are very filling though.

amaranth, bean, and cheese taquitos

1 recipe sopapillas

      (I found this works best if the dough is refrigerated)

a large handful or double handful of amaranth or spinach, well washed, stems removed, and chopped

1/4 onion, peeled and chopped fine

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 to 1 cup cooked beans of your choice

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon ancho chile pepper

1/8 teaspoon chipolte chile pepper

1/2 teaspoon smokey paprika

1 cup very sharp white cheddar, grated

flour for rolling out the dough

oil for frying

Put the oil for frying in a deep pan.  I use a cast iron chicken fryer.  Heat over medium high heat slowly.

In a skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until start getting golden.  Add in the spinach.  This takes a bit to cook down.  Cook until it starts to wilt.  Add the beans.  Add the seasonings.  Let cook a few minutes more and stir well.  Get all the flavors mixed through.

Dust a surface with flour.  Roll out a golf ball size of dough into a round.  Put a couple tablespoons of the amaranth mixture down the center.  Sprinkle with the sharp cheddar.  Bring the long ends toward the center.  Roll up and press the ends into the other dough.  I found that this fashion works best for folding.

Put into the frying oil one at a time.  Cook until golden all over.  The oil needs to be hot but not too hot so all the sopapilla dough cooks.

Drain.

These taquitos are really hot even after a sit to drain so please be careful.  They are so yummy you may not wait long enough to really eat them well.