Vegetarian of the Week: Red Vegetable Rice with Paneer

As a lot of Indian food is vegetarian and as we try to eat vegetarian at least once a week, I decided to do an Indian inspired meal.  This might seem a little complicated but its not that hard once you get started it's just a lot of ingridients.  Paneer is an Indian cheese it turned out to be like a mix between feta and haloumi sort of... I made my own paneer but I suppose you could try buy it or even a halloumi would work (if, how should I say this... you are lazy). Papadums is a thin crisp Indian bread.  I used red rice because i like the taste and the texture of it and its also healtier than white rice.

paneer

2 liter milk

1dl yougurt

1/2 lemon

salt & pepper

1 bunch of dill

3 papadums

2 eggs 

Bring the milk to a boil, let it boil for two minutes while stirring costantly.  Add the yogurt and squeeze in the lemon juice, add salt and pepper.  At this point the milk will now break and that is suppose to happen.  Take it off the heat and add the dill strain it threw a kitchen towel, letting all the liquid run off then put it in a baking form put another form over and then put some weigth on it (I used a packet of milk). The weight is to give a nice dense cheese as well to shape it.  Place it in the refridgerator for one hour. START HERE IF YOU BUY CHEESE: Fry the papadums in oil quick so they get crunchy, then crush them into small crumbs.  Cut up the paneer, first dip it in the eggs then the papadums, then sear them in oil on both sides.  Put aside.

the rice

3dl red rice

1/2 cauliflower

4 potatos

1 spring onion

1 bunch of cilantro

1yellow onion 

4 slices of red chili

1tblsp of fresh ginger

2tblsp of minced garlic

2tblsp of grounded coriander seeds

2tblsp of black mustard seeds

2tblsp of cumin

2tblsp of grinded chili

2tblsp of curry leafes

2tblsp of turmeric

3dl of chicken stock(veggie stock if your vegetarian)

Start by boiling the rice. Then slice up the potatos, yellow onion and the caluiflower. Warm up some oil in a pan add all the spices and the chili, ginger and garlic and let it all sweat in the pan for a minute then add the vegetables and let it sear for a while before adding the stock.  After the stock is added put on a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes then add the cooked rice and let it cook together for another couple of minutes.  At the last minute add the spring onion and the cilantro.  

Warm up the paneer in the oven and we're done.  I served this with a cucumber yogurt (just chop up some cucumbers and mix it with yogurt and squeeze in some lemon).  

Vegetarian of the week: Gnocchi

To make your own gnocchi might be a little complicated the first time but once you learn how the consistency of the dough should be then it is pretty easy.  It takes a bit of time  but it is so worth the effort. It is difficult to eat store bought after having eaten fresh made gnocchi, whether you make it or eat it at a restaurant.  I also think it is one of those meals that you will be proud of once you've made it.  Today I made arugula gnocchi but you can make plain or whatever herb or spice you'd like.  I served mine with eggplant parmesean but it could be served on it's own or with a fish or some kind of steak or whatever you are in the mood for and the eggplant is also something which can be it's own dinner if served with something else... Today we went all vegetarian.

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

Gnocchi

8-10 potatos

2 egg yolks

3 dl flour

1 glove garlic

1 bunch arugula

1/2 dl olive oil

salt n pepper

Gnocchi Sauce

1 shallot

2 gloves garlic

2 slices red chili

10 cherry tomatos

1 tbl butter

2 dl white wine

Eggplant Parm

2 small eggplants (aubergine)

3 eggs

1 dl shredded parmesean

1 bunch basil

1 tbl lemon zest

1 dl flour

1 dl water

salt n pepper

gnocchi ONE

gnocchi TWO

Start by peeling and then boiling the potatos.  Drain the water when the potatos are soft.  Mash them thoroughly.  Let them cool.

Meanwhile get started on the eggplant parmesean so begin by slicing the eggplant.  Whisk the three eggs with parmesean and flour, chopped basil, water and lemon zest.    Dip the eggplant slices into the egg/cheese mixture and fry them in olive oil until golden brown.  Approximately 2 minutes on each side.  Put the eggplant to the side while preparing the gnocchi and when you have approximately 10 minutes left then put them in the oven to reheat.

Back to the gnocchi.  Mix the arugula with the garlic and olive oil using a hand mixer or blender.  Place this mix into a food processor with the egg, potatos and the flour... if you don't have a food processor you can do it by hand but you need to be quick like an old Italian because if you work it too much it will get sticky.  Then when blended roll it out on a floured surface and proceed to make gnocchi as shown in images above which say "gnocchi ONE" and "gnocchi TWO".  Drop the gnocchi into boiling salted water.  When they pop up to the surface the are done.  Take them up and drain them.  Toss them in some olive oil.

To make the sauce, chop up the garlic, chili and shallot.  Slice the tomatos and put everything in a hot pan with olive oil, let it sear for one minute.  Add white wine, butter and then add the gnocchi.  Toss it with some parmesean, salt and pepper.  Done!

vegetarian of the week

Polenta breaded haloumi served with cous cous and eggplant creme

One night a week we try to eat a vegetarian dish.  More on that later...This dish has a lot of ingridients but it's fast to make.  When going vegetarian,  Haloumi is a good substitute for meat and it's easy to work with.  Today I breaded the haloumi in polenta to give it a crispy crust.  I use the big round  cous cous because i like the texture but you can use whatever cous cous you prefer.

COUS COUS MIX

4 dl cous cous

1/2 cauliflower

10 cherry tomatos

1 bunch baby spinach

1 bunch cilantro

3 scallions

1/2 pomegranite

1 pinch of red chili

1/2 red onion

HALOUMI

2 packages haloumi

1-2 dl polenta

EGGPLANT CREME

1 eggplant

5 gloves garlic

1 dl creme friache 

squeeze of lemon

1 pinc of grounded cumin

Start with the eggplant.  Place the whole eggplant and the garlic (with the skin on) on a tray in the oven, at 200 C for 25 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and soggy.  Skin the eggplant and then blend it with with the garlic lemon, cumin and creme fraiche, salt and pepper

Mean while, boil the cous cous and rinse in cold water, boil the cauliflower and rinse in cold water.  Chop the scallions, the cilantro, the spinach, the onion, the tomatos and the chili and place everything in a bowl.  Take out the pomegranite seeds and put them into the mix... an easy way to deseed a pomegranite is to cut the fruit in half, then hold one half in one hand while banging the closed end with a hard sppon as showed in the picture above.  Cut up the haloumi and bread it in the polenta (you can even use bread crumbs or panko or seasame seeds, etc.)  Sear in olive oil, takes about 1 minute on each side and then place in oven to keep warm.  Sear the cous cous mix in olive oil.  Done.