Braided Pizza Dough Bread with Curried Chicken Filling

The aroma of fresh brewed coffee filled the empty house. She was peering out the window, staring at the sun making its way out through the gloomy clouds. If the sunlight managed to pierce the thick cloud cover, her day would be better. Her happiness seemed fixed on the sun's warmth - it was as if a single ray of sunlight could warm her up, make her feel alive again.

The coffee was cold, just like her. The sunlight never broke through the clouds. And the day continued, gray, overcast, and heavy, like the thoughts that engulfed her. 

And, so the cycle repeated itself, every single day. She waited, patiently, for five days - when the sun melted away all the darkness and rose, as strong as ever, coloring everything in shades of orange and yellow. 

She cupped the warm cup of coffee and smiled. It was time to live life.

Braided Pizza Dough Bread with Curried Chicken Filling

Make the filling using curried chicken from this pie. I used 1/2 of this, including the crust from leftover pie. Break the crust into smaller pieces using a fork.

For the pizza dough -

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats, not quick cooking

1/2 tbsp flax seeds or flax seed meal

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

1.5 tbsp sugar

1 1/4 tbsp active dry yeast

1 cup water

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

1 egg

To make the pizza dough, warm 1 cup water in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Dissolve sugar in the warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. 

Sift flours, oats, flax seed, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and combine to make a soft, sticky dough. If you find the need to add more water, add only a tablespoon at a time.

Let the dough rise in a warm spot till doubled in size. 

When you're ready to shape the bread, preheat oven to 375F.

On a floured surface, roll out the proofed dough into a rough circle. It should not be more than a centimeter thick. It'll make a fairly large circle. To place the chicken stuffing and make the braid, follow directions here. 

Whisk the egg in a small bowl and brush liberally on the prepared braid. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top. Carefully transfer the braid on to a greased baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, till the top appears golden brown. After taking the bread out of the oven, immediately sprinkle cheese on top and let cool in the baking sheet for 10 minutes and transfer on to a wire rack.

Serve warm.

Curried Chicken Pie with a Low Fat Crust

There is some comfort in the suffocating balminess of the weather. It reminds me of home - of tired bodies clung to each other in the subway, of an endless stream of people living their own separate lives. So connected, yet disconnected.

And yet, when the weather changes, rustling up decaying leaves and creating ripples in an otherwise stolid lake, it takes me back to the monsoons of India. Here I am, in a country so vastly different than my own, but when I start piecing together all the little things that make me happy, it ends up providing the same comfort as home.

Curried Chicken Pie with a Low Fat Crust

To make the pie crust - 

3/4 cups rolled oats, not quick cooking

1/8 cup flax seeds or flax seed meal

1/4 cup quinoa or quinoa flour

1/4 cup hot water

1 large egg

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

For the curried chicken filling -

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

3 medium sized bell peppers - I used red, yellow, and orange.

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms, any kind

1 large red or yellow onion, sliced

1 large Roma tomato, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Thai green chilli or Serrano pepper, or 1 tsp paprika

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp ricotta cheese

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp salt, adjust according to taste

1 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp light olive oil or canola oil

To make the pie crust, grind flax seeds and quinoa in a spice grinder, till they resemble a coarse meal. Combine all the ingredients for the crust. They should make a sticky dough. 

Grease a 9-inch pie pan and press the pie dough so it covers the pan uniformly. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes. 

To make the chicken filling, heat oil in a large pan {medium heat}. Add minced garlic, green chilli/Serrano pepper, and sliced onion. Let cook till the onion is translucent. Add the chopped tomato. Cook for 5-7 minutes, till the tomato is softened.

Add the bell peppers, and cook for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and shredded chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes, and all the spices, including soy sauce and vinegar. Let this cook for 2-3 minutes, and add the ricotta cheese. 

Turn off the heat and mix in the cheese thoroughly. 

Add the filling to the baked pie crust. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake for 18 minutes till the cheese is golden.

Serve hot with a salad of your choice.

Magical Monday

Sunset and the moon.

A tale of drifting dreams and new beginnings.

Cardamom Spiced Blueberry Yogurt

 Green. The color of so many beautiful things. Warming herbs and soothing spices.

Cardamom - how can something so small smell so wonderful? It's a riot of mild spice filled with a beautiful aroma.

Combined with blueberries and homemade yogurt, this makes the perfect snack.

Cardamom Spiced Blueberry Yogurt

1/2 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
2 cardamom pods, crushed slightly
1/4 cup blueberries
2-4 tbsp honey, depending on your sweet tooth

Using a fork, macerate the blueberries with honey.

Combine yogurt, smashed berries, and crushed cardamom in a bowl. Serve cold.

Spinach with Chana Dal

What is comfort food?

Food that reminds you of the home and the hearth. Food that makes you feel loved and remembered. 

This spinach and chana dal is one of those recipes that are ideal for a rainy day. 

Spinach Chana Dal

1 bunch spinach, washed and drained
1/2 cup chana dal - soaked for 2-3 hours {soak it in the morning for lunch} - available via Bob's Red Mill or Swad. Should also be available at your local Indian store.
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 inch fresh ginger
1 large tomato
2 green chillies or Serrano peppers {optional}
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil

Blanch spinach by cooking it in boiling water for a minute. Remove and place in a bowl full of ice.

Add chana dal to the pot used for cooking spinach. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and cook on medium heat for 30-40 minutes, till the dal is cooked.

{I use a pressure cooker to boil dal. It takes about 10 minutes on medium heat.}

When you're ready to cook, pulse onion, garlic, ginger, and green chillies in the food processor till minced.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan or pot. Reduce heat to medium. Add cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds stop spluttering, add the minced onion mixture.

Let cook till the onions are translucent. Pulse the tomato in the food processor so it's pureed. Add tomato the pot. Let cook for 3-4 minutes. Add salt and coriander powder.

While this is cooking, puree spinach in the food processor. You want it to be slightly coarse.

Add the spinach puree to the onion and tomato mixture. Give it a good stir. Drain water from the cooked chana dal and add the dal to the pot. Add garam masala, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with a brown/white rice or a flat bread of your choice.

Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

As if embracing vegetarianism wasn't hard enough, I went all out and swapped my usually unhealthy meal choices with wholesome, nutrition packed good things.

It's odd that healthy food is so depressing in the taste department. Give me a cream filled doughnut any day.

This banana oatmeal smoothie (or should I call it a milkshake?) is just one of those evening snack things that are meant to fill a morose stomach, and keep it full till you hit it with dinner.

Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup oats (quick cooking or traditional)
1 cup milk - choose dairy/soy/almond, whatever rocks your boat
4-5 ice cubes
2 tbsp sugar/honey, optional

Add everything to a blender and pulse till combined well.

Drink up!

Magical Monday