Matar Saag Paneer : Indian Cheese with Spinach and Peas

Saag and matar are two of my favorite Indian dishes, spinach and peas respectively cooked in a fragrant tomato sauce. I especially like them combined and served with fried paneer, which is a form of Indian cheese. For recipes and ideas, such as this curry, I generally turn to Julie Sahni's book Classic Indian Cooking. A few weeks ago, I decided to make homemade paneer, which was surprisingly easy and satisfying and became the inspiration for and main ingredient in this dish, based on recipes in Classic Indian Cooking.

Paneer may be found at specialty grocery stores or paneer from scratch. Meat such as chicken or lamb may be used instead of paneer.

2 c paneer, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 c cooked spinach

1 c peas, fresh or frozen

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped

1 c tomatoes, fresh or canned, finely chopped

1 ½ c hot water

6 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil

1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp black pepper

½ tsp paprika

1 tsp flour

1 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

salt

1. Spread paneer on a clean dish towel and allow cubes to dry slightly, about 30 minutes. Dust paneer in flour. Heat 3 tbsp ghee or oil in a medium over medium heat. Working in small batches, add paneer to skillet and fry, turning evenly until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a large heavy pan or Dutch oven, heat ghee or oil used for frying and remaining ghee or oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until slightly brown, stirring constantly. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add coriander, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, sauté for about 10 seconds and add tomatoes. Cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

3. Add 1 ¼ c water and spinach and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and cool slightly before puréeing sauce with an immersion blender or other food processor.

4. Return sauce to the large pan over medium heat and add peas, fried paneer and ¼ c water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until peas are cooked. Remove from heat, season to taste with salt, cover and allow dish to rest at least 1 hour before serving.

5. Reheat, adding garam masala and cilantro and gently combine before serving. Serve over basmati rice or with Indian bread.

Serves 3-4

Arugula Pecan Pesto

Pesto originated in Genoa, Italy and means to crush or pound in Genoese. Traditionally made with basil, hard cheese, pine nuts and olive oil, I like to make both traditional pesto and variations. Arugula makes a nice substitute for basil because of its spicy nutty flavor. Roasted garlic is delicious on its and as an ingredient because it add a smooth and mild garlic flavor. I generally make enough pesto to freeze as an easy option for future dishes. Arugula pesto is delicious over gnocchi and makes a great pizza sauce.

Other hard Italian cheeses may be used instead or in addition to Parmesan. Walnuts or pine nuts may be used instead of pecans.

3 c fresh arugula

½ c parmesan

¼ c pecans, toasted

2 cloves roasted garlic

2 tbsp parsley, stemmed

½ c olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add arugula and cook for 1 minute. Place arugula under cold water to stop cooking process and blanch. Once cooled, squeeze water from arugula, tightly wrap in a clean dish towel and set aside.

2. Next, place pecans, parsley, garlic and parmesan into food processor or blender. Blend ingredients until well combined. Add drained arugula to food processor and blend until thoroughly combined. Slowly add olive oil while processing and continue blending into a smooth paste.

3. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Serve as desired. Pesto may be frozen for up to 1 year.

To roast garlic: preheat oven to 400 degrees, sprinkle olive oil on a head of garlic, wrap in tinfoil, place in oven and bake until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Use or refrigerate for up to one week.

Makes about 2 cups

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Slivered Garlic

A few nights ago I made fettuccine with Alfredo sauce and wanted a colorful and flavorful relish to accompany such a pale and creamy entrée. Cherry tomatoes were developed by Israeli scientists in 1973, and now their are a number of different varieties ranging in color, size and flavor. Roasting cherry tomatoes mellows and sweetens their flavor and seems to make their color more vivid as well. I like to use them in side dishes or relishes because they are generally slightly more acidic than larger tomatoes and so add a lot of flavor in small portions. Roasted cherry tomatoes are really good along side polenta, rice fritters or socca and also make a great pizza topping.

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tbsp parsley, stems removed

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes in ½ tbsp olive oil and spread out in 9" x 9" baking dish. Roast tomatoes until skin starts to wrinkle and juices are released, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and parsley, stir to combine and remove from heat.

3. Combine parsley, garlic and tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Serve tomatoes warm or room temperature.

Makes about 1 cup of relish