Indian Italian Fusion
by Marilyn Michael

We all need an activity that takes our brains away from the minutia of everyday life; that stimulates the creative side of our brains and that relaxes us. It was a Saturday with a lot to do, but I realized the need to fuel my soul. For me, that now means cooking something I love (often Indian cuisine) and maybe chatting about cooking. I set about concocting a favorite dish that I could section up and have for lunch or dinner during the busy week giving me a bit of time to curl up with an engaging detective novel.

To begin, I made a batch of polenta (you can simplify by using layers made of slices of pre-made polenta roles but my recipe is 6 cups of boiling water, 1 2/3 cup polenta, and 2 teaspoons salt stirred almost continuously with a whisk boiling on medium for around 15 minutes until thick then made rich with 2 tablespoons of butter.) I let the polenta cool down just a bit at room temperature then poured it in bright yellow layers into a 2-quart casserole, each layer about one-half inch and topped with plastic wrap, separating them and keeping them smooth, and popped them in the refrigerator. (After cooling my stack of polenta layers, I cut up some into serving portions and froze. Later I can top some with butter for breakfast or with a red sauce for dinner. I retained three layers, though, for making my Indian-Italian Fusion casserole which I offer below.

The Pleasure of Indian Cuisine

I love Indian cuisine and thank myself for volunteering at my Dad’s senior center where I met a very special woman, Mina, from Goa, India. She became my mentor teaching me, hands-on, how to make delicious Indian dishes. They were something so different from the American dishes I’d grown up with. I once wrote in a small cookbook I’d created to share with friends, “I had never thought of my American food experience as a cuisine. Mina, though, would smile because these delectable pulaos, curries and dahls were the pot roasts and tuna casseroles of her world.”

Simple and Fun

I’ve taken it upon myself to get creative with Indian dishes (thus my Indian-Italian Fusion). My favorite haunts for the required spices are a natural food coop that sells spices in bulk or Whole Foods.  They provide everything I need. Exploring an Indian food shop is fun but not necessary for the ingredients in the dishes I create (and spices are available online). I also enjoy simplifying them; making them easier for my friends and acquaintances for whom I created little cookbooks of favorite recipes. It’s fun sharing the dishes, as well. I don’t entertain much, but I haunt Goodwill for interesting dishes to use for gifting.  When a thank you or congratulations or a remembrance is due, I love arriving with exotically aromatic food in an attractive serving dish gifting both. My Indian dishes are popular at potlucks and “bring an hors d oeuvre” gatherings.

Indian Italian Fusion

Ah, but I go on and probably will in future submissions. Let’s get to my Indian Italian Fusion Casserole. You’ll need three polenta layers (created in the casserole dish you’ll use for making the casserole, mine is 2 quarts and round.). If you don’t want to make polenta (but it’s soooo easy) you can buy one of those little rolls and place slices down as the layers. You’ll also need about 3 cups grated cheddar cheese to layer between the Vegetable Dahl and the polenta and to top the casserole.

The vegetable portion is a delicious East Indian-inspired vegetable stew called a dahl.  (The term dahl refers to a dish that includes dried peas, beans or lentils.) I swear I never ate zucchini before discovering this recipe, but can’t stop eating this dish. It freezes well; consider doubling and sharing with friends or freezing in small freezer zipping bags. If serving as a main dish, serve over Basmati rice, or turn it into my Indian-Italian Fusion by layering it with polenta and cheddar cheese.

A Simple and Delicious Dahl (South Asian Vegetable Stew)

Serves around 8 over rice

Vegetable Dahl

Here’s the trick for easy preparation:

While the dried yellow peas are simmering, chop the vegetables, putting in separate dishes. Also and put the spices in separate dishes (explained below) – this will make it go together easily and really fast.

Ingredients

The Boiled Peas

1 cup yellow split peas (available at Whole Foods or natural food coops)

1 - 14 oz. can chicken stock, with half a can or more of water as needed. (You can use vegetable stock or just water for a vegan version of the dish.)

½ medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

Salt to season the simmering split peas

The Vegetables and Spices

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds (available at Whole Foods or natural food stores.)

1 Tablespoon chopped ginger or ginger paste (to simplify I use pre-chopped or tubes of paste available in produce sections.)

1 Tablespoon crushed garlic (I use paste or pre-chopped from the produce section)

1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped in 1” chunks

1 jalapeno seeds and all, chopped fine (If you like a dish spicy add another jalapeno.)

1 teaspoon turmeric (available in most spice sections)

2 teaspoons garam masala (a mixture of spices available at Whole Foods, natural food markets or in many supermarket spice sections)

3 small (6”) zucchini scraped leaving a bit of green and sliced into 1/4” or thinner rounds. (I use a zester on the skin attractively leaving lines of green).

1 – 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes. (I use petite diced)

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoon water

Salt and some pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash the split peas and place them in a saucepan with the stock and salt. Let it come to a boil while you coarsely chop the ½ onion for the peas. Add the onion, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the peas are soft but still whole. Add water as needed to not let them boil dry. When the peas are soft, but still whole, drain and set them aside.

While the peas are cooking, chop the whole onion, green pepper and jalapeno putting them together in a bowl. Slice the zucchini put it into a separate bowl. Put the crushed or chopped garlic and ginger into a dish. Put the brown mustard seeds in a dish. Put the garam masala and turmeric together in another dish. Heating the pan to medium, add the cooking oil, when oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Cover and fry briefly until they start popping (don’t let them burn).

Quickly add the whole chopped onion, green pepper and jalapeno, frying gently stirring periodically for around 10 minutes until the vegetables soften, adding the ginger and garlic toward the end of cooking.

Stir in the turmeric and garam masala into the vegetables blending well and cook for 1 minute. Turn to medium low heat and stir in the zucchini, tomatoes, lemon juice and water. Simmer a bit adding salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer until the zucchini has softened. Turn off heat and carefully fold the split peas into the vegetables.

Indian-Italian Fusion Casserole

For the Indian Italian Fusion casserole, spoon some of the vegetables onto a layer of polenta and top it with cheddar cheese, place another layer of polenta, another layer of vegetables, and a layer of cheddar. Finally add a third layer of polenta and top it with cheddar cheese. I bake at 400 degrees until the casserole is heated through and bubbling.

If your neighbors haven’t already shown up at your kitchen window drawn by the amazing aromas, be prepared to be very popular, even among the vegetable-challenged, when you arrive with this dish at some event.

 

Midsummer Harvest 

by Terri Wilson Godfrey

In mid-July the humidity has established itself in our warm summer days here in the Northeast.  Vegetables are ripening and we are picking beans, zucchini and summer squashes, cucumbers, Swiss chard, corn and early tomatoes.  Herbs are full and lush, blooming and filling the air with their marvelous scents; lavender, lemon balm, bergamot, chives, dill, rosemary, mints, fennel and all that we’ve cultivated to flavor our meals and add to our table bouquets.   

In times gone by I would place abundant baskets of organic tomatoes, cukes, squashes, herbs and bouquets of herbs and flowers at the bottom of the driveway, lined up on the railroad ties.  My Thyme in the Garden farm stand was complete with an on-your-honor payment system in a cigar box.   Tomatoes 25 cents or 5 for a $1.00.  (One year we stopped counting after picking 1000 tomatoes).  Bouquets for $5.00 complete with the glass jar.  Herbs $2.00 per bunch.  My informal vegetable stand would prompt many a traveler to stop and pick up something to serve with dinner or a fresh bouquet for the table.  

Here is one of my all-time favorite recipes to make during the harvest months.  Packed with nutrition.   Serves 4 – 5.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Garden Harvest Bake

1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil

1 medium Vidalia or sweet onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves pressed thru garlic press

3 medium zucchini or summer squash sliced into rounds

1 sweet red pepper cut into strips (2 if you’d rather)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves OR 2 Tablespoons dried basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (more if you desire)

2 large ripe garden tomatoes, thinly sliced

Fresh ground pepper

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers or Italian bread crumbs

Heat oil in large skillet.  Add garlic and onion.  Cook approx. 10 minutes until tender.   Add squashes and sweet red pepper, simmering until almost tender, about 8 minutes.  Stir in salt, half of the basil and parmesan cheese and all of the parsley.  Transfer mixture into a 9 x 12 baking pan and top with sliced tomatoes, remaining basil and parmesan.   Grind fresh pepper across the top.  Spread Ritz crackers (or crumbs) over top along with remaining cheese, drizzle with olive oil.   Bake 22 minutes at 400 degrees.   Let set for 10 minutes before serving. 

Pass the JUICE, Harry - and I Don’t Mean Tequila 

By Terri Wilson Godfrey

THE FRESHER THE BETTER!

We see a variety of books, programs and info-mercials these days about juicing and what it does for our health. Good things!  No, really, GREAT things!  Food heals.

There are expensive juicers. I have a fabulous, expensive machine that took a hefty amount of dollars out of my pocketbook a few years ago and it now sits on the shelf collecting thoughts and dust.  I could have had a facial, a massage and 10 pedicures for the price of that baby. It has a multitude of parts to take apart, scrub clean and reassemble. 

It is too much work and it separates the pulp from the juice instead of making the “whole” food available for consumption and enjoyment.  That whole food is what feeds the body, brain, genes and energy.   Instead of taking a vitamin pill we can ingest liquid vitamins with an immediate energy boost for the day.  We are truly feeding our cells.  Those over-50 cells will thank you, be healthier every day, and pay you back into old age.

Smaller, more powerful and efficient juicers have come on the market in recent years. They save time, are simple to use and wash, PLUS the cost is reasonable.  My current juicer of choice is a Nutri-Bullet which pulverizes the foods down to a liquid.  The cost is now well under $100 and if you have a coupon, even better.

Juicing allows us to feed our bodies with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, etc. that taking vitamins can’t provide. Nature is infinitely smarter in the natural way it provides nutrients to our bodies in actual foods (vitamins are a man-made product. As an aside here I once read an article about how the portable potty companies when washing down their portable toilets found tons of undigested vitamin pills in the waste. What a “waste” of money. I found that vitamin pills either gave me a headache or caused heart palpitations.) Without too many details I will say that juicing has helped to improve my thyroid function so I’m taking much less medication and I’m on no heart medication after A-fib and cardiac ablation surgery. That’s in conjunction with living a basic Paleo lifestyle for more than 15 years.

Juicing is easy.  Use what you have on hand or shop for the flavor and color rainbow. Go organic if you can afford it.  Wash the fruits and veggies. The darker the color of the vegetable or fruit the better it is for you. Human bodies need chlorophyll for health and vitality.  It can be as simple as a carrot, an apple, a few leaves of dark lettuce or as robust and full bodied as you can make it. Even if you can only juice a couple times a week, then do that.  You will notice a difference in your energy, vitality, skin, hair, nails, brain power, sleep patterns and stamina. Here are some frequent recipes that I use. Vary your own amounts according to what you desire.  Make a cocktail that pleases YOU. If you must keep your blood sugar in check, keep to low glycemic fruits, less fruit, more vegetables, eliminate sweeteners or use a dash of stevia. Don’t be afraid to use herbs or spices, lemon, lime, tabasco. Add a variety of nuts for added nutrition.  Make it fresh and interesting!

1. Fresh strawberries, almond milk or water, ice cubes, peeled orange, arugula, dash of honey, agave or stevia.
2. Fresh blueberries, watercress, ice cubes, cashew milk or water, fresh mint, red lettuce leaves, cinnamon and raw honey.  
3. Peeled grapefruit, peeled orange, carrots, any kind of greens, cucumber, water, ice cubes and chopped candied ginger.
4. Fresh pineapple, unsweetened coconut milk, banana, handful of mint, agave, raw honey or stevia (if desired).  Your own Pina colada packed with nutrients!
5. Fresh tomato, green pepper, greens, sweet potato, celery, mushrooms, green onions, water, ice cubes.   Mama’s own V-8.    Add tabasco for a hot one!

For simplicity and make ahead prep, take an hour, put the ingredients for one whole juice smoothie into a freezer bag.  Make 14 bags, toss into the freezer. When needed put the bag contents and your chosen liquid into the juicer and whirl it! Five minutes gives you cell food and energy for the day.

Have fun! Get creative! Keep it simple! Don’t give up.

DISCLAIMER: Juicing has not turned me into Christie Brinkley or Cindy Crawford and no one has called to offer a TV contract but I like to imagine that I could be a work in progress. In old age one can dream. Humor me.