Mushroom Spinach Pizza Topping

Very basic recipe for pizza topping.
Because, missing the woodcutter's pizza from our regular pizza delivery in this lock-down.
If not as topping, this can certainly be served as a side to any main course.

This was for 6 regular, ready- made pizza bread available in Indian grocery stores. We used home made pizza sauce. Will post that recipe another time.

4- 5 large garlic pods,  slivered
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bunch spinach. torn into medium size leaves, blanched
2 packets mushrooms, chopped
Grated cheese, as required. Any cheese of your choice. I have used Go Cheese Colby
2 tsp Olive oil

Heat oil in a pan and saute the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms and cook till the water it leaves dries out. Add a pinch of salt and cook further til it's totally dried out again. Bring thee pan off the heat and stir in the blanched spinach and onions. Topping ready for pizza. Add cheese as required. We made a vegan version without cheese for dad.

Fish in Lemon Almond Butter Sauce, with side of baby potatoes

Fish:

4 fillets of white fish
Salt and pepper for seasoning Olive Oil for pan frying


Sauce:
6-7 almonds, soaked overnight, skinned and cut in slivers
4-5 large garlic pods, cut in slivers
Juice of 2 lemons
100 gm butter, cut in 4 slabs
1 tsp parsley

Baby potatoes:
200 gm baby potatoes, boiled and peeled
3-4 large garlic pods, cut in slivers
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
Salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Potatoes:

Heat oil in a pan and saute the garlic for a minute. Toss in the potatoes with salt and mixed herbs and cook till well coated. Set aside.

Fish:
Season the fish with salt and pepper an hour before serving. Pan fry the fish on both the sides and set aside on a warm service plate.

Sauce:

Pour lemon and garlic on a hot pan on medium flame and bring it down to half. Incorporate the butter, one slab at a time to the lemon reduction till it's got a shiny glaze. Stir in the almonds and some parsley and cook further for a minute. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve with the potatoes.

Spaghetti in Mung (green gram) sauce

2 cups Mung, soaked overnight
3 small onions, chopped
3 tbsp crushed garlic
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup milk
2 bay leaves
100 gm cottage cheese (optional)
salt, pepper, mixed herbs, as per taste
Olive oil to cook
300 gm spaghetti, boiled

In a pressure cooker boil the mung with one onion, tsp garlic, and some salt till 4 whistles. Once cool, blend it into a paste.

Heat oil in a non- stick pan. Add the bay leaves, and rest of the garlic and onions. Saute till the onions turn white. Add in the tomatoes and cook till soft. Add salt, pepper, mixed herbs, followed by the mung paste.

Mixed in the crumbled cottage cheese. On a high flame, keep adding the milk (cream can also be used) till a smooth paste.
Mix in the pasta, serve with some olive oil and cheese.

Some hacks to modify the recipe.
1. Mushroom / boiled chicken strips can be cooked in garlic butter and tossed in the sauce before adding the spaghetti.
2. Any other pasta can also be used.
3. To make it spicy, chopped dry Kashmiri chili can be added in the seasoning.

Vegetable Cutlets

500 gm boiled potatoes
200 gm chopped onions
200 gm chopped beans
200 gm chopped carrots
Salt, mango powder, red chilly powder, crushed black pepper. As per taste.
5-6 coriander leaves stems, cleaned.

Saute onions on a low flame for about 5-7 minutes or till it turns white. Add in the carrots and beans with a little salt. Cook till the veggies are soft and the water has dried out.

Mash the boiled potatoes, add the cooked ingredients with the remaining masalas, and shape them in cylinders. Shallow fry on a heavy non-stick pan.
We had this as a side with eggs and sausages. But can be a great meal by itself with some soup to start with.

Mutton Masoor Pulao

1 kilo Onions, chopped
1/2 kilo Tomatoes, chopped
3 tsp Garlic, crushed
2-3 bay leaves
100 grams Masoor dal, washed and soaked for half an hour
1/2 kilo Rice, washed and soaked for half an hour
1 kilo Mutton, raan portion curry pieces
2 tsp Garam masala
Salt and paprika powder to taste
3 tbsp Vegetable oil


Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add bay leaves and garlic stir for a minute and add the chopped onions. Cook till the onions red. Add the mutton and cook till the water from the mutton dries out. Add salt and cook further till the excess water also dries out.

Add the tomatoes and cook further till soft. Add in the remaining dry masalas, stir for a couple of minutes. Add the masoor dal and rice, add water, cover and cook on a slow heat till the rice is cooked. (approximately 45 minutes to an hour, giving a light stir every 10 minutes.)
Serve hot with pickle or raita.

Air Fried Spiced Mushrooms in Spinach

Last post of the year. Had the time, the inspiration, some gadgets, and a smart phone. This recipe is special to me as some of the ingredients have come from friends and family. (Some all the way from Israel)
Also for me, it sums up for the year I had. Hearty.

5-6 garlic pods, crushed
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 bundle spinach
1 packet mushrooms, sliced
Half teaspoon each of garlic olive oil, rosemary olive oil, chilly olive oil
2 teaspoons of Turkish shawarma powder
2 teaspoons of dried basil
Salt and red chilly as per taste
2 teaspoons vegetable oil for cooking

Cook the spinach with a little salt in a pressure cooker on low heat for 10 minutes. Cool, blend and keep aside.
Mix the olive oils into the mushrooms. Pre-heat the Air-fryer for 2 minutes, 160 degrees (using the Phillips one). Fry the mushrooms in it for 5 minutes.
In another pan, cook the garlic and onions till brown. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft. Stir in the dried herbs and spices. Add the spinach and mushrooms and cook further till thick.
Best had with a baguette

Veg Kebab Curry

Another dish created with Philips Air Fryer

For the kebabs:

2, boiled potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup green peas, 1 carrot, 4- 5 beans, chopped and boiled together
50 grams cottage cheese
Salt, red chilly powder, coriander powder, as per taste
1 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander
1 slice bread
Vegetable oil for brushing

For the gravy:

2 tbsp garlic, ginger, chilly paste
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, blended into puree
1 bay leaf
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp grounded cashew nuts
2 tsp yogurt
Salt and red chilly powder, as per taste
3 tsp vegetable oil

Kebabs
Soak the slice bread in water and squeeze out the water. In a bowl mash all the ingredients, except for the oil. Make 6-8 kebabs, cylindrical in shape. Preheat the Air fryer at 180 degrees for 3 minutes. Brush the kebabs with oil and let it cook in the Air fryer for 5 minutes. (The cooking process can be done just after the gravy is made)

Gravy
Heat oil in a non stick pan. Stir in the bay leaf, followed by garlic, ginger, chilly paste, and the onions. Cook till the onions are brown. Add in the tomatoes and cashew, cook further for 10 mins, till this semi-dry. Season with the dry masalas, stir in the yogurt. Place the kebabs in a serving dish. Pour the gravy over and serve hot with rotis.