Quinoa Salad with Apples and Pecans

I haven't yet managed to create my own recipes. Got this recipe from a friend's son, and am noting down just so that I don't forget.

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 tbls olive oil
1 tsp garlic paste
3/4 cup chopped onion
1.5 apples chopped fine
1 bunch parsley - chopped fine
1/4 toasted Pecans (optional)
2-3 tsp Lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Rinse the quinoa and let it cook 2 cups of water. Once the water comes to a boil, lower the heat, put a lid on the pot and cook for about 10-15 mins or till the water evaporates.
2. Meanwhile chop the onion, apples, and parsley.
3. In another pot add the olive oil and garlic. After about a minute or so, add the chopped onion. Stir till it is cooked a bit, it should not get brown.
4. Add the chopped apple and stir for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the finely chopped parsley, stir it and turn the heat off.
6. Add quinoa and toasted pecans. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add some lemon juice and serve.

Invention IV- Asian Avtar of Potato Salad

Ingredients-

Baked potatoes

Raw but finely cut onions

Cilantro

Toasted Sesame seeds

Parsley

Fennel powder

Fresh lemon juice to taste

Salt and Sugar to taste

For the dressing - 

Plum sauce(found in 'ethnic food' aisle or Asian Markets)

Toasted Sesame seed oil

How to-

After potatoes are baked in microwave, peel, dice and add to a mixing bowl. Add all the dry ingredients except for the sesame seeds. Add in the dressing and mix the salad with bare hands in order to crush the potatoes and make the herbs stick to the potatoes evenly. Add sesame seeds last which keeps them crunchy at the time of serving. Serve hot or cold. I preferred it hot.

Onions can be dropped, but they lend a extra zing to this dish in the inventor's opinion.

Tapas style party, 2007

Close friends of ours are moving to India. Another couple just had a daughter and we hadn't had a chance to have them over. Our new gift, a book - Asian Tapas - was calling out to be used.
Menu-

• Chai with Vada pav - batata vada, tamarind chutney and garlic chutney, ciabatta bread. This is typical roadside eatery dish.
  
• Surali chya vadya/ Khandvi. Not quite roadside but a snack nevertheless.
  
• Yakitori beef with eggplant. (From the book, Asian Tapas)
  
• Dim sum- 3 kinds
  
• Kashmiri Shrimp kababs (From the book, Asian Tapas)
• For dessert, fruit cake topped with ice-cream. (From Safeway!)
  

Drinks-

• Saki
• White wine
• Juice

Preparations-

1. Yakitori beef with eggplant -
   

Ingredients-

• Kobe beef. We replaced it with US Choice Grade (Sirloin Steak). Cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
• Asian Eggplant cut into 3/4 inch pieces.
• Sesame oil.
• Olive oil:Butter :: 1:1
  

Marinade-

• Light soy sauce
• Dark soy sauce
• Ponzu sauce
• Sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Mix all above ingredients in 3:2:1:1 proportion + 1 tsp of pepper.

How to-
Marinate the beef for 4 hours minimum. Pan fry eggplant for 30 seconds on each side in sesame oil. Arrange alternate eggplant and beef pieces on a steel skewer(we used bamboo). Heat olive oil and butter mixture in a skillet over high heat. Place skewers in skillet and let sear for 10 seconds each side for rare and longer for medium rare. Serve while hot.



2. Vada pav(spicy potato poppers in a sandwich)-

Ingredients-

• Baked potatoes
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Salt
• Turmeric powder
• Lemon juice
• Cummin seeds
• Chili Pepper powder.
  

How to-
For aboutFor about 4-5 medium sized baked potatoes, use 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cummin seeds, 1 tsp garlic and 1 tsp ginger. 2 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of lemon juice. Salt and sugar to taste. Mix crushed baked potatoes and above ingredients together. Divide into 15 parts and make flat round patties out of them. For the shell, mix 5 tbsp of garbanzo flour(besan) with water slowly, turmeric powder and paprika and salt. Coat patties with the 'besan' mix by immersing in the wet flour potion and then frying them on high heat in a deep utensil. Remove and place on tissues to absorb the extract the extra oil.

For the vada-pav(sandwich combination) - use fresh ciabatta bread, slice open, add garlic chutney on 1 side and tamarind chutney on the other. Insert vada in between, close the bread and chomp!

I practically had this for breakfast for all of my undergrad years!

Photos for tamarind chutney and garlic chutney follow. I will put these recipes up if there is any interest.





3. Surali chya vadya - Spicy Khandvi rolls
A recipe touted by both the Maharashtrians and the Gujratis to be theirs originally.






4. Shaomai- Credit for this go to our close friends.

Salad: Spinach/Avacado/Apple

Ingredients-

- Olive oil
- Green olives, pitted
- Apple cider vinegar
- Sugar
- Apple/Mango
- Avacado
- Walnuts/any other earthy tasting nut like pecan/almonds
- Bacon bits/Chicken sausage sauteed if need meat in salad.
- Salt/Pepper to taste

Mix dressing and spinach. Serve. Eat. Be happy.

I've found that if you'd like to add cheese, only a flavorful
cheese does justice. I suggest Gruyere. A glass of smooth red also
helps.