Marinated Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus with Olives

Of all the "little foods" of the eastern Mediterranean "meze" tradition, hummus has always been a favorite choice of mine not only for entertaining friends but also for simple and convenient light meal solutions. The simple background of ground chickpeas lends itself to adaptation to many varieties of spices and flavorings, making it one of the most versatile of foods in the vegetarian kitchen. So for me, it's another opportunity to make use of my favorite marinated sun-dried tomato recipe, which I've already put to good use in this delicious vinaigrette and in this rich and wonderful pasta sauce. And how could I resist including olives?

Arborio Rice Pudding

Milk, rice and honey — and only just the littlest bit of time and attention — are almost all you need to make one of the great comfort foods, warm rice pudding. Delicious at any time of year, rice pudding is gentle on the stomach with plenty of easy-to-digest nutrition, so it is also good choice to serve to those under the weather.

Thick and plump, unwashed arborio rice has a higher starch content than ordinary rice and creates an especially rich and creamy pudding. If you don't have arborio rice, other short-grained white rices will work as well.

Wild Mushroom and Paneer Pilaf with Urad Dal

Modern Spice by Monica Bhide is quickly becoming a favored cookbook in my kitchen. And best of all, Ms. Bhide includes lots of recipes for paneer cheese! I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while now, but better late than never. The first time I made it, the pictures turned out muddy, so I was loath to share until I could properly capture this pretty dish.

I served this delightful dish with Indian-style beet salad with a yogurt dressing, also inspired by Modern Spice.

Wild Mushroom and Paneer Pilaf with Urad Dal

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen Cuisine: Indian Published on September 9, 2010 An extraordinary and colorful spiced wild mushroom and rice pilaf served with golden brown fried paneer cheese — a modern-style Indian classic Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 oz (14 grams) dried wild mushrooms 1 cup white basmati rice 1/2 cup urad dal without skins 2 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 small clove garlic, minced or crushed 3 cups fresh wild mushrooms (portobello, oyster, cremini or shiitake), sliced 2 fresh green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or crushed dried red chilies 1 teaspoon ground coriander 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil 14 oz (400 grams) paneer cheese, cubed handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped Instructions: In a small bowl, soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, chop the mushrooms, and set aside. Rinse the rice and urad dal and soak in 2 1/2 cups of water as well as the mushroom soaking water for 20 minutes. Heat the oil or butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and garlic and stir and fry for 5 minutes. Increase the heat slightly and add the dried mushrooms and fresh mushrooms to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid and the liquid evaporates. Reduce the heat to medium and add the green chilies, turmeric, cayenne, chili powder, coriander and fenugreek. Stir in the rice and urad dal with their soaking liquid, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the paneer cheese and fry, stirring often, until the paneer is golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon. Fluff the rice and mushrooms with a fork. Transfer to serving plates, top with the fried paneer cheese, and garnish with parsley or cilantro. Makes 4 - 6 servings

Other recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you will be sure to enjoy:
Paneer Mushroom Masala
Shredded Paneer with Tomatoes, Chilies, Mushrooms and Chickpeas
Chickpea Vindaloo

On the top of the reading stack: Great Masters: Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian

Audio Accompaniment: Laughing Stock by Talk Talk

An Interview

I was recently contacted by Kira who runs Pasta Recipes by Italians. If you enjoy pasta, this is the site to go to. Lots of recipes and information about pasta in general. She requested an interview with me and I was more than happy to take part. Thanks to Kira for this opportunity to talk about my blog and cooking.

Staple Corner: How to Make Your Own Chat Masala Powder ( Chaat Masala )

Chat (or chaat) masala is a very popular spice blend in northern India where it is often tossed with fruit or chickpeas to make simple "chat" snacks sold by street vendors. While there are dozens if not hundreds of recipes for chat masala, dried mango or amchoor powder and black salt are essential ingredients — these are combined with various seeds and spices to create a wonderfully hot, sour and salty mixture that is absolutely delicious with cool or tangy foods. Chat masala is a favorite of mine when sprinkled on fresh tomatoes or hard-boiled eggs, or incorporated into summer salad dressings. If you haven't tried chat masala already, you will be in for a treat.