I’m not sure if there’s a rule against re-posting old recipes. But I decided that in service of sharing delicious things to eat with you, I should repost my recipe for Skillet Potatoes in Mojo De Ajo (Garlic Oil) from 2009.

Mojo De Ajo means Garlic Oil but it also translates into Garlicky Tangy Oil That You Will Want to Lick From Your Fingers.

In case it’s still unclear, the magic of this recipe is in the Mojo De Ajo. Essentially, you cook a few cloves of minced garlic just until soft – not browned – in a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Then stir in lime juice and salt.

Then, you drizzle it on everything. Potatoes are a great start but broccoli works just as well. I could see putting it on tofu or even serving up some extra (This is crazy. There’s not going to be any extra. That is the whole point.) with a loaf of crusty bread to dip into it.

Find a vehicle for it. I have faith in you.

Skip straight to the recipe

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:32]

When I first bought the Instapot, I thought it would be magical. Like the Wardrobe in Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It’s not exactly as magical as that wardrobe but it is excellent for one pot cooking and speeding up cooking times on foods that normally take a long time to cook like rice, lentils and beans and soups. And as I just discovered – eggs.

Eggs are such an easy base for any breakfast dish, and these little frittatas make for a great weekday morning breakfast. If you don’t believe it’s that simple, watch my little video below.

Cherry tomato, avocado and cheddar cheese are a favorite combination for us but you can put anything in these frittatas. Try out little chunks of boiled potatoes, corn, asparagus and veggie sausage. You can also play around with other cheese like feta cheese which gives the eggs a little salty kick.

The sizing of these ramekins makes it perfect for little hands and small tummies.

Frittatas stretch those mornings a little longer. Fast to make. Ready to take on whatever’s in the refrigerator. Delicious to eat. A great way to find an extra fifteen minutes to laze over the weekend paper…which I just started getting in paper format.

That’s right. A PAPER newspaper. Novel right? Eliminating one of many digital elements has been another great way to stretch time. Reading the news in paper format seems to slow things done to a pace of days gone. Unfortunately recent news from Tulsa and Charlotte are creating a real dent in the pleasure of reading a paper newspaper. Hopefully November will deliver us with change that can move us forward towards a more positive future with gun control and decreased racial and ethnic tension.

But on to lighter topics like this fluffy frittata below…

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:18]

Lentils, tender green peas and rice with tempered spices tucked into a mason jar. The jar appears precious and hipster but is actually totally practical – a perfect fit for a woman’s work bag.

Eggs Dash of milk Healthy shake of salt and pepper Aleppo pepper Green chilies –> Peppery french toast.

We had friends over brunch recently and one asked if I could make huevos rancheros.  It was hard to say no.  She said my huevos rancheros was really good.  I was a victim of flattery.  I knew that with Surya underfoot, I would never be able to make and plate huevos rancheros for all.  Plus, I no longer eat eggs so was planning to also make nutella ricotta pancakes in addition, which I needed time for as well.

I thought “Why not throw it into a frittata that could go into the oven without much fuss?”  What the heck.  I figured I would give it a try.  Since I’m off of eggs, I didn’t actually taste the frittata.  But considering I was barely able to snap one photo of the frittata (which was only being shared by three people), I think it’s a sign that it’s a winner.

Huevos Rancheros Frittata

Frittatas are great for brunch because you can do most of the prep work ahead of time.  Cook the bean-tomato mixture ahead of time and mix with the eggs and bake when your guests arrive.  By the time you finish catching up with them, the frittata is ready to serve – nice and hot.

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 28 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 handfuls of cilantro, washed and chopped
About 1/4 cup feta cheese or queso fresco, crumbled
1 packet Mexican taco/fajita/chili seasoning (they are all pretty much the same)
8-9 eggs
2 teaspoons milk
Salt to taste
Salsa

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a wide skillet.  Add the onion and cook for about 8-10 minutes until glassy.  Add the garlic and pepper and cook for a few more minutes until the garlic is soft but not golden.

2. Add the beans and tomatoes.  Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat until the liquid from the tomatoes has mostly evaporated.  Stir in the Mexican seasoning and salt (about 2 teaspoons).  Stir in most of the cilantro (keep a little pinch for garnishing the top of the frittata).

3. Crack 8-9 eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk until yolks and whites are mixed.  Stir in the bean-tomato mixture, milk and the feta cheese (keep a little feta cheese for garnishing on top of the frittata).

4. Oil a pie dish.  Place the dish on a cookie tray and then pour the egg-bean-tomatoe mixture in.  This will make it easier to clean up and egg spills.

5. Bake on 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until the eggs look set.  Sprinkle remaining cheese and cilantro on top and bake for a few more minutes (or turn the oven off and just close the door for a few minutes).

Slice the frittata like a pie and serve hot with salsa and tabasco sauce. 

Also, a little shout out here to Brooklyn Salsa Company.  A friend invited us over to taste these a few months ago.  I was immediately moved by the fact that they have a curry flavored salsa (interestly called The Bronx and not The Queens).  Their salsas are locally sourced, fresh and delicious.  My favorite is The Staten Island, Golden Tomatillo Verde.

A little something sweet to start your week off.  Yes, even we stop with the spicy and savory for the occasional sweet treat.  Moist whole wheat muffins studded with sweet cinnamon spiced apples and crunchy nuggets of pecans topped with brown sugar.  The perfect treat with a cup of chai on a cold, rainy day.

I made a batch of a dozen last night using this recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  The only change I made was to use half of the butter Deb called for (I used 1/2 a stick), and I added one-fourth a cup of chopped pecans for texture.  Also, I used Siggi’s Strained Vanilla Non-fat Yogurt.  It’s an easy to follow, no stand mixer required recipe that even a non-baker like me can make!

Cinnamon Apple Pecan Muffins (from Smitten Kitchen)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 and 1/2 cups strained yogurt
2 apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In a larger mixing bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy then add the egg and mix well. Mix in the yogurt.  Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks and pecans.

Drop muffin cups into a muffin tin.  Divide the batter evenly among the cups.  The muffins will not rise much so fill the cups to the top.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top of the muffins.  Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until golden, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Wait 5 minutes then turn the muffins out onto a plate or a wire rack to cool.

My mom has had me on a strict “baby friendly” diet ever since Surya arrived.  There’s a whole laundry list of foods that should apparently be avoided while nursing.  The list is in part derived from the internet and by way of word of mouth from my aunties in India.  I’m just thankful to have my mom cooking for me so I haven’t really complained much.  Plus, Rajat and I are a big fan of whatever might help keep Surya calm during the night.

Potatoes sadly made their way onto her list of no-no’s.  So please, for me, have these skillet potatoes with mojo de ajo this weekend.

For the last few months, I’ve been doing two new things. One, I’ve been eating breakfast at home.  <Baby, you’re welcome.>  Two, I’ve been reading cookbooks and cooking magazines while I eat breakfast.  An odd way to start off the day?  Maybe.  For some.  But I love it.  It helps me brainstorm ideas for dinner.  Although I’ve been told that it’s abnormal to think about dinner before 10 am.  I find this hard to believe.  What time do ‘normal’ people start thinking about dinner?  I am almost always thinking about dinner.  Or lunch.

Martha Stewart Living from June 2009 kept finding its way into my breakfast reading rotation.  And I kept going off to work salivating over Martha’s description of mojo de ajo, a garlic oil sauce with lime juice and hot pepper.  Martha’s recipe is for making mojo de ajo to top off chicken fajitas.  I contemplated concocting vegetarian fajitas with mojo de ajo but honestly I’m too lazy for fajitas.  The at-the-table-self-assembly process is too much for me.

So, I made a batch of mojo de ajo and drizzled a generous amount over potatoes that had been cooked until they were melt-in-your-mouth soft with green bellpeppers and onions for an earthy balance.  Be forewarned – mojo de ajo’s garlicky-lime-chili pepper kick is addictive.

Cracked.  Wheat.  Porridge.  Nothing about that sounds good to me.  Cracked wheat porridge with vegetables.  Melt in your mouth potatoes.  Sweet peas and carrots.  And spices.  And creamy yogurt.  Served piping hot.  It starts to sound better, no?  Cracked wheat is made by cracking whole raw wheat berries.  This means that it’s high in fiber and a whole host of other nutrients in addition to having a mild, nutty and comforting flavor.

Dalia is a common Indian breakfast dish of cracked wheat usually made with peas, carrots and potatoes.  Its healthy, savoury and hearty.  Mixed in with a cup of low fat yogurt it even becomes creamy.  What’s better than something wickedly healthy sounding that packs loads of good taste (yes, I said wicked…I know, since when did I become Canadian?  This cracked wheat just has me that excited.)?

I think dalia seems like it would taste great with couscous or corn grits as well. If you give either of those a try, let me know how it turns out.  Rajat wasn’t up for the adventure this time around, but next time around I think I’ll give it a shot.

Yesterday on Everyday Food Radio, host Sandy Gluck was talking about sweet versus savoury french toast.  I shared with her listeners a recipe for Rajat’s Desi Style French Toast, a spicy, savoury french toast served with ketchup and chutney (no syrup here folks).  Of course, I was a bit of a bad wife because I entirely forgot to mention that the recipe I was sharing was actually Rajat’s!  Fortunately, he’s a nice husband without much pride of cookery-ship and has agreed to accept rajma for Sunday night dinner in return for my omission.  Which I guess brings truth to the old cliche that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

I had raved back then in that post about Aloo Chaat Style (Breakfast) Potatoes.  Somehow though I never got around to sharing this simple recipe.  If you google Aloo Chaat, you will likely land on this wikipedia entry, which is not what “Aloo Chaat Style” refers to.  Aloo Chaat is a popular Indian snack usually made with potatoes, chaat masala, chutneys and sometimes tomatoes and onions.  This recipe draws on the tangy meets starch combo taste that makes aloo chaat so popular for simple breakfast potatoes.  

If a spice can bring to mind a season, Chaat Masala makes me think of spring.  It’s light and tart with tang, crisp and flavorful.  It smacks your mouth and tongue with a sour punch.  Two other Indian spices that pack a similar flavor are amchur powder (dried mango powder) and kala namak (black salt).  Chaat Masala is a mix of both of these plus alot of other sour and heat packed spices like cumin, black pepper, pomegranite seeds, coriander, mint leaves, ginger, chili and cloves.  All combined together and then highlighted with a splash of lime juice, they deliver a taste that brings to mind Lik-m-Aid Fun Dip (remember those?!) or sour gum balls.  You can find Chaat Masala at any Indian grocery store, and MDH and Badshah are reliable brands.

We sprinkle chaat masala on oranges and other fruits for a quick, salty-sweet snack and also mix in a teaspoon with whisked yogurt for raita. What are your chaat masala favorites?