Red lentils with kale

Ingredients:
For Dal:
2 c split red lentils, rinsed
3 c water
1 t salt

For vegetables:
4 T oil and butter
2 t cumin seeds
4 t black mustard seeds

2 hot red chilis or red pepper flakes to taste
2 t ginger paste
2 t garlic paste
1 t turmeric
1 t ground coriander (optional)
1/2 t ground cumin (optional)

1 onion, diced (optional - it's good even without)
1 large bunch kale, washed and chopped
1 tomato, diced (optional)
1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped (optional)
salt to taste

1. Simmer dal, salt, and water for roughly 10 minutes, on low once it comes to a boil. Skim off foam near beginning

2. While this simmers, in a nonstick pan, fry butter, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds till they begin to pop. Add chilis through turmeric for a few seconds till aromatic.

3. Add onion and cook till soft.

4. Add kale and tomato and cook till reduced.

5. Once dal is cooked, combine spinach mixture, garnish with cilantro and serve over rice.

Source: amalgam of a Madhur Jaffrey, Cook's Illustrated, and an eCurry recipe.

Egg pasta with stand mixer

Ingredients: 

• 4C flour
• 3/4 t salt
• 2 t olive oil
• 3 large eggs
• ? water

Directions: 

1. In a measuring cup, combine salt, olive oil and eggs. 
2. Add water until total amount of liquid measures 1.3 C. This measurement is accurate for a standard North Carolina day. The actual correct amount of liquid will need to be adjusted up or down depending upon humidity (subtract 1T for a humid day, 2T or 3T if it is raining, etc). 
3. Add flour to stand mixer and attach the mixing / batter attachment (not a dough hook). 
4. Set the mixer to low speed, and slowly add the egg mixture in a steady stream. 
5. Allow the ingredients to fully combine (a minute or two). 
6. Stop the mixer, replace the batter attachment with a dough hook, and allow the dough hook to knead for at least 15 minutes. Observe the consistency of the dough and add additional water or flour in (at maximum) 1T increments. Allow each increment to fully incorporate before reevaluating. 
7. When dough has reached correct consistency, remove from mixer, divide evenly into two pieces, shape each piece into a ball and wrap dough balls tightly in plastic wrap. 
8. Place dough in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days, or in freezer for up to 3 weeks.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

• 2T Butter
• 2C Onion Paste (about two or three blended)
• 2T Ginger Paste (about 1.5in blended)
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 2t Whole Cumin seeds
• 2t Whole Coriander seeds
• 2 Whole red chilies
• 2in Whole cinnamon (1t ground)
• 2t Turmeric (ground)
• 1/4t Cayenne Pepper (ground)
• 2t Garam Masala (ground)
• 1t Salt
• 15oz Diced Tomatoes (canned)
• 1lb Spinach 
• 4-6T Yogurt or Sour Cream
• 1t Lemon Juice
• 16oz Panner (cut into 1/2in cubes)

Directions:

1. In parallel:
   • Blend onions, ginger, garlic into a paste. 
   • Very finely blend spinach into not-quite-paste. 
   • Grind whole spices and set aside.
   • Cut panner into chunks.
2. Heat butter and cook paste mixture until soft (about 10 minutes)
3. Add add all spices. 
4. Add tomatoes and panner. Simmer 10 minutes. 
5. Add spinach, sour cream, and lemon juice. Cook for additional 5 to 10 minutes. 
6. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or bread. Add salt and lemon juice to taste. 

Savory Polenta

4 Servings
1hr

Ingredients

• 2 T olive oil
• 3/4 cup diced red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 quart chicken broth (or slightly less)
• 1 cup coarse ground cornmeal (white will make for a prettier final color)
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 ounces Parmesan, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In an oven-safe dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and salt and sweat until the onions begin to turn translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic, and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. In a bowl, whisk the cornmeal in 1-2 cups of the chicken stock until smooth
4. Turn the heat up to high, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once you have added all of the cornmeal, cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes to prevent lumps.
5. Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add the butter and pepper. Once they are incorporated, gradually add the Parmesan.

Source: based on an Alton Brown recipe

Okra with Onions (Sel Bhindi)

Serves 3 to 4 as side dish, serves 2 as light main dish with rice.

Ingredients:
Blend in spice grinder:
2 t whole coriander seeds
1 whole hot dried red chili, seeds removed (will be too spicy with seeds)

3 T vegetable oil
12 oz fresh okra, topped and tailed, then sliced in half lengthwise
1 small onion, sliced into fine half-rings
3/4 t salt
1/2 t ground turmeric
2 T chopped cilantro (optional garnish)

Directions:
1. heat oil in large dutch oven (or nonstick pan) over medium heat
2. stir fry okra for 10 min or until lightly browned on all sides
3. add the onions. stir and cook for another 5 minutes and onions begin to brown
4. add the coriander-chili mix, salt, and turmeric. reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes.
5. add garnish and serve with rice.

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's "From Curries to Kebabs."
2.

Steamed Chinese Ribs in Black Bean Sauce.

2 lbs pork ribs (country style)

Group 1 (combine)

1 T cooking wine

4 T soy sauce

1 T sugar

1 T cornstarch

dash of seseme oil

Group 2 (combine)

3 T fermented black beans

1 T chopped garlic

1 T chopped ginger root

5 green onions, diced

5 dried chili peppers, crushed

-Cut ribs into small pieces ~ 1 inch on one of the sides. (They can be wide and long, but thin is better)

-Add combination of group 1 and mix well.

-Add combination of group 2 and mix well.

- Put meat/sauce mixture into a steamer and steam for 20 minutes.

Notes:

- The smaller pieces seemed to work better with the sauce

- There seemed to be a lot of fat, I am not sure if it actually affected the cooking at all. Try cleaning more of the fat away next time

Pureed Broccoli Soup

SERVES 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1medium leek (white and light green parts only), chopped
• 2tablespoons dry sherry
• 2   crushed garlic cloves
• 2pounds broccoli, stalks discarded and florets cut into bite-size pieces (about 5 cups)
• 2cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
•      ground white pepper
• 3/4cup whole milk
• 2tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat butter or oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic.  Add sherry and broccoli; stir until sherry evaporates, about 30 seconds.
2. 2. Add broth and pepper to taste to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes.
3. 3. Add 1/2 cup milk; blend until very smooth with immersion blender. Cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional milk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings. (Soup can be refrigerated for 3 days and reheated just before serving.)
4. Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.