Potatoes & Eggplant Chat Indian Style

This is a very easy recipe and it lends itself to any kind of chutney. I like mint chutney and
tamarind chutney to go along side this.

You can also have a cooling raita if you like. This takes only a few minutes to whip up. You will have to go to an indian grocery to get chat masala and fenugreek seeds.


This dish is best eaten with puri. A deep fried whole wheat bread. If you are more heath conscious about fat, then by all means whole wheat flat bread is great too!

4 or 5 small Japanese eggplants sliced into 1 inch cubes
1 pound of small white potatoes sliced into 1 inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
5 teaspoons of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of chipotle chile pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon of chat masala
chopped fresh mint for garnish
lemon wedges for garnish

Toss the eggplant & potatoes with the ground spices. Heat a heavy dutch oven with about 3 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the fenugreek seeds. Toast for a few minutes. Now add the potatoes and eggplant. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pot with the lid in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and place back into the oven for 8 minutes more.

Avocado, Potato, Chicken Quesadillas

This is the best use of leftovers !
It is spicy and easy to make.

3 slices of apple wood smoked bacon
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 clove of garlic minced
1 Fresno chili diced
freshly grated extra sharp white cheddar cheese
1 Yukon Gold Potato
(left over from night before that was roasted)
1 avocado diced with a little lime juice
2 cups of left over diced roasted chicken

Green Salsa Verde for dipping
Chopped Tomato for garnish
Sliced Cilantro for garnish


In a frying pan brown the bacon and then set aside. Drain most of the fat and add the onions, garlic, sliced potato, Fresno Chilli and brown. Now set aside. To make the Quesadillas set one flour tortillas in a frying pan. Add grated cheese, bacon, onion, potato, avocado and top with a second tortillas. Fry the Quesadillas until it is golden brown on both sides. Serve with chopped tomato, sour cream, cilantro and salsa.

Four & Twenty Blackbird's Rhuby Razy Square Pie

I regularly scan the best seller cook book lists. The Four & Twenty Blackbird's Pie Book has been on
these lists for some time. This got me wondering. I picked up the book at a local book store and started thumbing through it. Thinking that I know every kind of pie out there, I was pleasantly surprised. This book is about South Dakota and I mean rural South Dakota. We are talking Hecla.

It is written by two sisters and their mom, that run a local restaurant in town. Their grandma made all the pies for the restaurant. Since then, they have been named the "Artisans of the Year". I have tried a couple of their recipes and this one is really amazing.

 Now step up and come to the black hills of the Dakota's, because this is really worth the effort to make!

https://www.facebook.com/birdsblack.

For the double crust:

2 1/2 cups of AP Flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 sticks of very cold unsalted butter
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup ice

In a food processor add all the ingredients, with the exception of the liquids. Pulse until the mixture looks like pea sized clumps.

Now mix the water, vinegar and ice together. Now add this to the dry ingredients by the tablespoon until the mixture just comes together.

Shape into two squares and refrigerate for at least one hour.

For the filling:

1 pound of fresh rhubarb that you have cleaned, chopped and froze the night before
(According to their grandma this is a very important step)

2 cups fresh raspberries

2/3 cup of sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons of arrowroot

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt

Dash of Angostura bitters

1 egg beaten for the egg wash

Combine all the above mentioned ingredients together, except for the egg. Roll out two pieces of pie dough for a 8 x 8 x 2 pan. Line one of the pieces of dough in the pan for the bottom crust. Add the filling to the pan. Now with the other dough, slice it into strips about 1/2 inch wide. You will now lattice this on top of the filling.

Make sure your oven has been preheating at 425 degrees. Now brush the lattice top with the egg. Sprinkle the top with sanding sugar. Now bake for 25 minutes in the lowest rack of your oven. Then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and bake for thirty five minutes longer.

Involtini

This is a fun five minute meal that is great for summer. I like the veal rolls grilled, but they are great fried too. I just make a simple salad and top the dish with the involtini. The secret to this dish is using the best quality pecorino romano.

In a food processor place 1 cup of grated pecorino romano, 1/4 cup of fresh bread crumbs, 1/2 of a cup of fresh Italian parsley, a half a clove of garlic and pulse. You will pulse until the mixture is a fine crumb. Now add 1/4 cup of lightly toasted pine nuts and 1/4 cup of dried currants to the mixture. This is your stuffing.

Now you will need  8 slices of veal top round. Using a mallet you will pound each slice until 1/10 of  inch. You can also just buy it already done at your butchers. Now lay the veal roll down on your board. Spread out the stuffing and roll up your veal. Secure the rolls with tooth picks. Season lightly with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil.

Now heat a grill or a sauce pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Serve with a garnish of salad and lemon dressing.