Starbucks Pumpkin Bread (egg free if you choose) and Trader Joe's Cookie Butter

Wow, I haven't blogged anything in a VERY long time and that may be because most of what I've been doing is making other people's recipes but that shouldn't stop me from sharing. If I find something incredible, I should share it :) 

Here's a recipe for a copy cat of Starbucks Pumpkin Bread that I made and fell in love with. I did change one little thing. I replaced the eggs with Chia Seeds. This bread will be a regular now and may replace Banana Bread in my life...  Head over to CopyKat Recipes for the recipe and to Trader Joe's for their amazing Speculoos Cookie Butter! 

Anu's Adraki "Aloo" Palak

Of course, I knew before I made this Adraki Aloo Palak that it was going to turn out perfect, I consider Mriganayani a no-fail recipe source :)

The only changes I made was to use turnips instead of potatoes and I simply fried them with the onions and ginger until softened.

I added the spinach mixture and as usual to my style, I added about 1/2 tsp. sugar at the end. It was sooooooo good, really easy and everybody loved it :)

~"Told my family I never want to live in a vegetative state dependant on machines & fluids. They unplugged my computer & poured out all my coffee."~

Aloo Biryani w/ Raita

The biryani recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking, I change very few things here and there...

Ingredients for potato dumplings:

• 3 medium (1 pound) potatoes, peeled and cooked
• 1/2 cup besan
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• handfull fresh cilantro, chopped
• vegetable oil, to deep fry

Ingredients for rice:

• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed till water runs clear
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup whole, raw cashews
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 6 inches of cinnamon stick
• 6 cardamom pods, split open
• 2 medium onions, halved and sliced
• 2 1/2 cups water
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

To assemble potato dumplings:

Mash potatoes in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except the vegetable oil. Divide into approximately 10 - 12 pieces. Shape each into a ball and flatten slightly. Set aside.

Heat oil in medium frying pan and drop dumplings into hot oil, frying, turning once, until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

To make rice:

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cashews, fry 10 - 20 seconds till golden. Remove with slotted spoon, drain and set aside. Add raisins to pan, fry 20 - 30 seconds until raisins plump up. Remove with slotted spoon, drain and set aside. Add cumin seed, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods to hot oil and sizzle 15 - 30 seconds. Mix in onions; stir-fry 3 - 4 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Add rice, stir gently, and add 2 1/2 cups cold water and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring once; reduce heat to medium-high. Cook uncovered, 5 - 6 minutes, until almost all the water has evaporated. Remove from heat. Divide partially cooked rice in half. Mix paprika into one half and turmeric into another. Set aside.

To assemble:

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray a large casserole with cooking spray. Spread turmeric rice evenly in casserole. Arrange dumplings as second layer. Top with paprika rice as third layer. Sprinkle in a bi of water, cover, and bake 40 - 45 minutes until rice has finished cooking. Serve with roasted cashews and raisins.

For raita I combined fat-free yogurt with a few grated radishes (my new favorite addition,) some spring onions, cilantro, tomatos, salt, pepper, and water for the right consistency. I fry a bit of mustard seeds in oil and add that to finish.

And no recipe for the vanilla jamun's... Just a picture ;)

Cabbage Fry

Usually Sri is the one to make Cabbage fry but I decided to do it this time... and yeah, it tasted better than his, but he won't admit it :p

For Cabbage Fry:

• 1 head cabbage, chopped
• 2 carrots, grated
• vegetable oil
• mustard seeds
• cumin seeds
• ajwain seeds
• turmeric powder
• paprika powder
• salt
• bit of sugar
• onions, quite a bit, chopped
  
• frozen peas

Heat oil in a large frying pan and throw in some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ajwain seeds turmeric powder, paprika powder and salt, wait for seeds to pop. Add onions and sugar and fry until onions caramelize. Add cabbage, little by little, and combine. Cook with a lid, stirring often, until cabbage starts to char. Add in some frozen peas and carrots cook a few more minutes until peas and carrots are hot.

Bell Pepper Masoor Dal w/ Bhel Puri Supreme

This is an easy and super delicious dal that we enjoyed for two days in a row... The recipes is adapted from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries. I tend to change the methods a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup masoor dal, washed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 - 4 fresh, green chilies, stems removed and thinly sliced
• 1 medium tomato, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• handful cilantro leaves, chopped

Method:

Put washed dal along with 3 cups water in medium saucepan and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. Skim off and discard any foam that forms on the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dal is tender.

While dal is cooking, heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat and add bell pepper and chilies and fry until bell pepper begins to brown , about 10 - 12 minutes. Stir in the tomato, salt and turmeric and scrape the bottom of skillet to deglaze it. Pour in 2 cups water and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomato is softened and turnes slightly pulpy, 5 - 8 minutes.

Once the dal is tender, poor the bell pepper sauce into the pan. Raise the heat to medium and continue to simmer the dal, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the flavors mingle and the sauce thickens slightly, 5 - 8 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and serve!

I followed the previous tried recipe for Bhel Puri I found here but instead of peanuts I used cashews and walnuts, I added cucumber, grated carrots, and a few other things that I forgot because I didn't write it down, grrrr... but the point is, this stuff is awesome simple or "supreme!"

~"Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is!" - Benjamin Franklin~

Super Easy No-Bake Nachos

Try this for some really easy, super tasty, semi-homemade nachos...

You'll need:

• corn/tortilla chips (I used yellow and black corn)
• ground beef/chicken/or boca (recipe below)
• cheese sauce (recipe below)
• guacamole (make it easy, use a powder mix and add it to mashed avocados, tastes great!)
• salsa (again, make it easy and use a powder mix added to chopped tomatoes)
• sliced jalapenos
  
• lettuce, chopped

For ground beef/chicken/or boca:

You can use a pack of taco seasoning mix or you can add salt, pepper, chilli powder and cumin powder to taste. I like to cook a pound of ground beef or boca with 1/2 cup water to make it the right texture. Try different seasonings and spices to find a taste you like.

For cheese sauce:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup milk
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon paprika

Melt butter and whisk in cornstarch. Add milk and cream cheese until cream cheese melts. Add cheddar cheese until melted. Whisk in paprika and hot sauce until creamy.

Lay chips out evenly onto plates. Cover each chip with a jalapeno. Spoon some meat/boca mixture onto each chip. Next, pour some cheese over the chips. Repeat this process to get two or three layers on the plate. Top this with the salsa and lettuce, and serve guacamole on the side.

~ "Dense, unenlightened people are notoriously confident that they have the monopoly on truth." - Joshua Loth Liebman ~

Channa Masala with Masala Poori's

Here's my latest version of Channa Masala which is definitely my favorite so far...

Ingredients:

• vegetable oil, as needed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon gingerroot, chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chaat masala ( I used Shan, which I love)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
• salt, to taste
• about 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
• 2 cans (about 15 ounce each) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup water, more as needed
  
• handful chopped fresh cilantro
• lime, for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in a large skillet and sizzle cumin seed, about 30 seconds. Add onion, gingerroot and garlic; fry until onion becomes golden brown. Add in chaat, coriander, cumin, salt, cayenne and cardamom and fry a few minuts, adding water if needed to keep from burning. Add in tomatoes, lower heat and continue frying until mixture reduces and oil separates, again adding bits of water as needed to keep from burning. Stir in garbanzo beans and water. Simmer until sauce thickens, and at this point, add in a bit more water with sugar and continued cooking again until thickened. Sprinkle with cilantro and squeeze a little lime juice over the top. Enjoy!

I also made some Masala Poori's I adapted from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking... I don't know why, but any time I try to make masala poori's they don't puff up like the plain ones. I don't know if it is because of the addition of spices, onions and such or if it's the oil I add in to the flour mixture before adding water... Either way, they still taste great!

Ingredients for Masala Poori:

• 2 cups duram atta flour
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• about 1/3 cup warm water
• vegetable oil, for deep frying

Method:

Mix all ingredients except the 2 tablespoons of oil and water in medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Rub flour mixture and oil between palms and fingers about 1 minute or until mixture looks like course bread crumbs. Stir in warm water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until dough leaves the side of bowl and forms a ball. The dough should not be sticky or dry.

Knead dough in bowl for 2 - 3 minutes or until dough becomes smooth and pliable. Brush with oil and wrap with plastic wrap. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a small deep frying pan until a drop of dough sizzles and rises to top. Divide dough into 10 equal pieces and keep covered.

Roll each piece of dough into 3 - 4 inch circle on lightly floured surface (or dip the ball in flour and keep adding bit by bit to keep from sticking.) Place the dough in hot oil and with the back of a slotted spoon, gently submerge dough in oil until it puffs up. Turn once and fry about 30 seconds until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat and enjoy!

A pic Chelsea snapped of me while making dinner.

Palak Murgh & Okra Fry Courtesy of my Fellow Bloggers

Originally found on Easycooking's blog, she had found it on Show Me The Curry... The bag of frozen spinach in the freezer was waiting for me to try some Palak Paneer, and since I'm not a big fan of paneer, I chose to make it with some chicken! This was my first time pureeing my spinach and I did enjoy the texture. I followed the recipe for the most part, except that I added the powdered spices in with the tomato puree instead of waiting to add it in with the spinach. I did miss out on making the Butter Naan but I love the simplicity of the recipe and that It's made on the stove top, so I plan to try it next time. I served it with an okra recipe (Vendakka Mezhukkupuratty) I found over at Kaipunyam. I liked it a lot because the okra turned out super crispy and not soggy at all! I used a bag of frozen okra that I thawed in the refrigerator overnight. Also, I was out of onions (used the rest in my spinach) so I had to use leeks which worked out well. All in all, both recipes are keepers and I learned I like pureeing my spinach!

Murgh Jalfrezie & Baingan Aloo

When I first tried the recipe for Murgh Jalfrezie from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking I really enjoyed it... But looking at the peppers in my crisper made me want to try it again... So I dabbled with the recipe a bit and came up with this slightly different version...

For Murgh Jalfrezie:

• few tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  
• 1 onion chopped fine
• about a tablespoon chopped ginger root
  
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, ground
• 1 heaping tablespoon coriander/cumin powder
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 tomato, cut into large chunks
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Heat oil in a large skillet and fry mustard and cumin seeds until they pop and smoke. Add the finely chopped onion, ginger and garlic and fry until deep golden, stirring often.

Stir in ground tomato, coriander/cumin powder, turmeric, chili powder and salt and fry until oil separates. Stir in chicken and cook until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.

Add in green bell pepper, large onion chunks, tomato and water. Cover and simmer until vegetables become soft.

Whisk in yogurt and cream and heat through. Enjoy with rice or bread... or both :)

***************************

The recipe for Baingan Aloo was adapted from Neelam Batra's 1,000 Indian Recipes and turned out excellent. Sri said it was how his mom use to make it, and It's a really simple one, too!

For Baingan Aloo:

• few tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• salt, to taste
• 2 Japanese eggplants, halved and sliced into half moons
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 green chilies, halved and sliced
• 1 teaspoon mango powder
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add cumin seeds. After they sizzle a few seconds, add the coriander, turmeric and salt. Quickly add the eggplant, potatoes and green chilies. Cover the pan and cook over high heat, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the eggplant is very soft, 20 - 25 minutes. Stir every 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the mango powder and cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve!

Spanakopita & Minestrone "Stew"

I came up with this recipe for Spanakopita when I was much younger and still unable to handle the phyllo dough properly. My Spanakopita would always come out looking a little rough, but I had found the taste I really enjoyed. Now I can finally handle the phyllo dough. Since Chelsea wasn't excited about this for dinner, I made some Minestrone for her. This version of the soup is much chunkier with a bit less broth than a recipe would usually call for, but feel free to increase the broth, decrease the vegetables or pasta, or substitute vegetables of your own choosing.

For the Spanakopita:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small - medium bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 18 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• salt to taste
• 1/2 box (1 roll) phyllo dough, thawed
• 1/2 - 1 stick melted butter

Heat oven to 375 º F. Grease or spray sides and bottom of 8 x 8 square baking dish. Heat oil in a medium skillet and cook onion, bell pepper and garlic until onions turn translucent. Stir in spinach, feta, dill and salt and taste. Stir in egg.

Unroll phyllo flat and cover with damp paper towel to keep from drying out. Take the first sheet and lay it into the bottom of the baking dish and brush with melted butter. Take another sheet and lay it the opposite direction and brush again with melted butter. Do this until you have about 1/3 of the package used, brushing each layer with melted butter. Next, spread the spinach mixture into the baking dish and and begin covering, layer by layer, with the remaining phyllo dough, brushing each layer with butter, until there are no sheets remaining. Next, take a sharp knife and cut away the extra dough hanging over the baking dish and brush the sides with butter to seal edges. Cut through the top phyllo layers before baking, into 4 or 6 pieces. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

For Minestrone Stew:

• 5 cups vegetable stock (I used Better Than Bouillon)
• 30 ounce can stewed tomatoes
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 1 leek, sliced
• 6 - 8 ounce baby carrots
• 1 small zucchini, halved and sliced
• 2 teaspoons greek seasoning
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  
• 1 can (15 ounce) cannellini beans
• 1 can (15 ounce) corn
• 1 bunch spinach, washed, stems removed, and sliced
• 1 - 2 cups shell pasta
• salt and pepper, to taste

Combine vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, potato, leak, baby carrots, zucchini, beans, corn, and seasonings and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft. Mix in spinach and pasta and cook until pasta is done.

I served this with french bread brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with Za'atar, warmed in the oven.

Zaiqa's Baghare Baingan & Sri's Cabbage Fry

I have a new favorite recipe for Baghare Baingan from Zaiqa... She had suggested I try it awhile ago and I'm more than happy I finally did! There were some perfect baby eggplants in the market, which is usually hard for me to find. Along with the baingan, Sri made his Cabbage Fry and it was awesome! Here's how he did it, without measurements, of course :)

For Cabbage Fry:

• 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
• vegetable oil
• mustard seeds
• turmeric powder
• chili powder
• salt
• onions, quite a bit, chopped
  
• frozen peas

Put the cut up cabbage on a plate and sprinkle with a bit of water and microwave for 3 -4 minutes. Heat oil in a large frying pan and throw in some mustard seeds, turmeric powder, chili powder and salt, wait for seeds to pop. Add onions and fry until onions caramelize. Add cabbage, little by little, and combine. Cook with a lid, stirring often, until cabbage starts to char. Add in some frozen peas and cook a few more minutes until peas are hot.

Palak Channa: Spinach & Chickpeas

I finally purchased Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries and I've been waiting to get this book for a long time! Actually, my mom gave me the money to buy whatever I wanted for my birthday and this is what I chose :) I really love his recipes as I already have one of his other books. I decided to make this recipe for Palak Hara Chana, though I did some variations as I didn't have all of the ingredients.

Oh, and pardon the picture... I almost forgot to take one and had already started eating, so I quickly snapped a pic!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans chickpeas, or 1 cup dry soaked overnight and cooked
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ajwain
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (or jaggery, crumbled)
• salt, to taste
• 8 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped or 1 package (8 - 10 ounces) frozen spinach
• 2 teaspoons cumin/coriander powder
• 1 medium lime, juiced (or 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate)

Method:

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until seeds stop popping. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds and ajwain and cook until they sizzle and turn reddish brown, 5 to 10 seconds.

Add the onion and fry until it is light brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground chili powders and turmeric and cook without burning, about 5 to 10 seconds. Pour in 2 cups water and stir in sugar and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until half the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the spinach and coriander/cumin powder. Cook until the spinach is warmed through and has turned olive green, about 5 minutes.

Add in cooked chickpeas and simmer over medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas absorb the flavors, 20 - 25 minutes. If the sauce is too thin and you prefer it thicker, mash some of the chickpeas and simmer about 5 more minutes.

Add the lime juice (or tamarind) and stir. Serve and enjoy!

He was going crazy to try this and couldn't get enough! But he won't eat the meat from McDonald's ;)

Pav Bhaji

I followed Sailu's procedure for making this Pav Bhaji and it was excellent! Unfortunately, I didn't have any beetroot and I imagine that's what gave Sailu's It's deep color. I will make sure to pick some up for the next time I try this. I used some store bought potato rolls for the Pav's... makes it simple :P Thanks, Sailu, for sharing :)

Oh, and thank you Mom for the hand blender which made making this oh so simple!!!

~"You know me, if there's one thing I like more than a refreshing beverage It's serotonin" - Sheldon (Big Bang Theory) ~

Bagara Baingan - Thank Goodness for Farmer's Markets!

I've been waiting all winter to get my hands on some good, baby eggplants... and I finally succeeded! One of the vendors at the local farmers market always has good, baby eggplants and I wait all winter so I can make Bagara Baingan. This time I tried Collaborative Curry's ... Do try it, It's a good one :)

~ "Science and law can both help us forecast the consequences of our actions, but neither can tell us how we ought to act in a moral sense" - Dalai Lama ~

~ "You know me, if there's one thing I like more than a refreshing beverage, It's Serotonin" - Sheldon (Big Bang Theory) ~

Uma's Capsicum Besan Curry

I really didn't expect when I bookmarked Uma's Capsicum Besan Curry to go so crazy for it, but this is one of the best recipes I have ever tried, EVER! The taste completely belied the simplicity of this recipe! It is a must try for sure and something I will go back to on a regular basis! Thanks, Uma for sharing :)

Garlic Eggplant & Honey Glazed Chilli Potatoes

I am so excited... Saturday was the opening day for the farmer's market here in Kalamazoo and it was super busy, the weather was great and the day was perfect! I think that alone will get me excited to cook again :)

Here's a recipe I cooked up for Garlic Eggplant after having it in a restaurant and wanting to recreate the taste... It turned out as good as I was hoping for!

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, sliced in half, sliced again, and cut into half moons
• 1 onion, halved and chopped into big pieces
• 1 green pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
• couple tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Method:

Put cornstarch in a bowl and add soy sauce. Whisk until smooth, then add the sugar, vinegar and garlic... set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet and fry onion and green pepper for a very short time, making sure they are still crisp. Add in eggplant with 1/2 cup water, cover, and steam the eggplant for about 5 minutes, making sure the eggplant doesn't stick to the pan. When eggplant is soft, add in sauce and white pepper powder and and cook until sauce is hot. Enjoy!

I served this along with Authentic Food Delights Honey Chilli Potatoes which were excellent :) I didn't have any green onions so I used a regular onion, which was fine... but next time I'll use green onions :)

Aloo Mutter... with Broccoli

Aloo Mutter seems to be extremely simple to make off the top of my head... Any variation and it still tastes good... This time I added some broccoli. I avoid boiling my potatoes before adding them... I prefer to cook them in the sauce itself.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• vegetable oil, as needed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon kalonji seeds
• 2 tablespoons cumin/coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon kitchen king masala
• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1- 15 ounce can tomatoes, ground
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/4 head of broccoli florets
  
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup water

Method:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan until hot and sizzle cumin and kalonji seeds a few seconds. Add in potatoes, broccoli and green chilies. Fry a few minutes until potatoes start to soften. Add tomato sauce, cumin/coriander powder, salt, paprika and water. Simmer until potatoes are soft, adding water as necessary. When potatoes are done, add in kitchen king masala, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, sugar, and frozen peas and simmer until sauce thickens.

And if you love homemade pottery or kitchen utensils and dishes check out this link http://www.etsy.com/shop/vesselsandwares ... I fell in love with all the amazing and beautiful pottery for the kitchen!

Preety's Channa Masala

Nope, I don't have my groove back :( but I still had to cook... So I made Preety's Channa Masala and decided to share it here because we all really liked it!

~ "There is no such thing as a man in shining armour now days its more like a prick wrapped in clingfilm!!!" - Unknown ~

Not Too Cheesy Cheesy Potatoes

Here's my version of cheesy potatoes... I have reduced the dairy and cheese from other recipes and I think it tastes much better :)
Ingredients:

• 1 pound frozen southern-style hash brown potatoes
• 1 can cream of broccoli soup (feel free to try a different flavor cream soup)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 8 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (use any cheese you would like)
• salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

Combine soup and sour cream until well blended. Stir in shredded cheese. Combine this with frozen potatoes and pour into a medium casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees F., uncovered, for 45 - 50 minutes. Put under broiler for last few minutes to brown top slightly. Enjoy!

Kicked-Up Double Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Here's my version of a favorite appetizer :) I haven't tried making this with cream cheese yet, but I really want to try... If you have, let me know how you like it!

Ingredients:

• 10 ounce box frozen spinach, squeezed & drained (you may use half if you want less spinach)
  
• 1 - 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
• 3/4 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded (mozzarella may also be used, but then It's not kicked-up ;)
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

Combine all ingredients until well incorporated. Pour into a casserole dish and bake at 375 degrees F., uncovered, for about 20 - 25 minutes. Put under a broiler for the last couple minutes to brown edges a bit. Enjoy with chips, bread, whatever you'd like!