Fourth recipe for the weekend (rather my week beginning- while the whole world wakes up too a lazy Sunday breakfast, we head to office). Perfect for a light lunch or dinner.
Ingredients (Serves 1):
- Barley: 2 tbsp
- Buckwheat: 2 tbsp
- Lentils: 2 tbsp
- Baby Spinach: 100 gm, chopped
- Lime juice: 2 tsp
- Salt to taste
Preparation (20 mins):
Microwave at high with 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt for 15 mins. Cool, add chopped spinach with a squeeze of lime. Toss. Lunch is ready.
This one's from a friend who suggested a healthy sweet and savory lunch. The best thing about this, takes less than five mins to make. So a quick and healthy tasty lunch.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
- Fresh Spinach: 4 cups
- Pine Seeds: 2 tbsp
- Raisins: 2 tbsp
- Pepper: 1 tsp whole (optional)
- Cumin: 1/2 tsp (optional)
- Butter: 1 tbsp for cooking
- Salt: To taste
Preparation (5 mins):
Heat butter on a low flame, add pepper corns. Once butter becomes hot, throw in pine seeds and raisins. Fry on medium heat till pine seeds start turning golden brown.
Shred spinach into mix. Stir till spinach starts to wilt. Remove from flame and plate. The raisins and pine nuts add sweet and nutty contrasts to the buttery spinach providing the 'chew' in the dish.
Tips:
- Think this goes with steamed rice. Else serve with a bread roll and cream cheese.
Ok, Let's call this as how it's called back home in India- "Palak Paneer". But I kinda liked the new name- more exotic. Palak (spinach) was seasonal, before the advent of hypermarkets and frozen veggies. Winter meant new potatoes, carrots, beets, raddish, turnips, spinach, mustard, and new rice. And 'Palak Paneer' was a seasonal treat. Here's a quick recipe that evolved while trying to conjure a part of that wintry evening magic for a guest of mine.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
- Cottage Cheese (Paneer)- 200 gm cut into 1 inch sticks.If you are unable to locate paneer, you could try with whatever local option's available. Maybe a haloumi?
- Spinach- 500 gm
- Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped
- Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
- Red Chilli's- 2 large
- Ghee (clarified butter)- 3 tbsp
- Salt- To taste
Preparation (45 mins):
Wash and puree the spinach. 
On low heat fry the paneer pieces, taking care that they do not break, till one side is golden brown. Remove the paneer from the pan and add the onions. Saute till translucent, add red chillis and turn up heat. In a minute or so add garam masala and stir.
Add the blended spinach, paneer. Cover and let simmer for 10 mins.
Serve hot with rice or roti
Tips:
- If you prefer a mellower rather than a spinachy flavour, you could cook for another ten minutes or so, but mind you, you will be loosing all the vitamin boost that comes from fresh veggies. ;)
- For a creamier taste stir in a couple of spoonfuls of fresh cream just before taking it off the stove.
- If you are adventurous, you could substitute the spinach with mustard leaves for a drier, pungent dish- a recipe common to North Indian Punjabi kitchens in winter.
What to do with a odd piece of salmon. too small to grill for a standalone meal, and too large to throw away without a pang of guilty conscious. And what about cleaning out the fridge before going on long holiday.
Perforce tonight's dinner options were scrambled eggs (eggs and milk leftover), cereals with milk, bread and cream cheese, pancakes (leftover mix from yesterday's brunch), salmon something, honey with (strawberries, papaya, watermelon) and boiled spinach. And as it goes after an inventory of perishables and long and deep soul searching came this delight.
Ingredients (For 4 Blinchiki's ):
- Enough batter- I had half a bottle leftover from yesterday.
- Enough salmon- OK, I had about 100 gm salmon marinated since last evening)
- Enough Spinach- I had to finish the better part of a 400 gm bag
- Cream cheese- 2 tbsp (Alas, this could not be finished)
Preparation (30 mins or less):
Ok, I had the salmon ready (rebel without a cause). Had marinated the diced salmon with 1 tsp olive oil, salt, 2 tsp malt vinegar, and a pinch each of thyme, rosemary and coarse black pepper last night. Though I would stir fry and eat with bread and cream cheese. Discovering half finished (very expensive) pancake butter and 1/2 pack of spinach (equally expensive), tried this recipe.
Stir fry the salmon with as little oil as possible.
Microwave spinach at medium for 90 secs. Make pancake.
Fill with cheese, spinach and salmon.
Dinner's ready.
Tips:
- Not to forget the half a bowl of leftover strawberries. With a drop of lime they made wonderful 'postres'
