Intermediate Recipes

Pav Bhaji

Posted by Colleen on Apr 5, 2013 in All Posts, Intermediate Recipes, Vegetarian Entree - Dry Vegetables | 6 comments

For Hubby’s birthday, I decided to make him a dish he has been requesting for about the last 8 years of marriage.  Why haven’t I made this dish yet?  Mainly because my sister-in-law makes such an amazing version, I never dreamed I could live up to his expectations.

This year however, he arrived home from his India trip with a full video of his sister making this recipe. That’s when I realized it was time to give it a go. 

To be honest, I have always been intimidated to try this dish.  It has complex flavor and uses a variety of vegetables, so I figured it

Punjabi Hot Pockets

Posted by Colleen on Apr 11, 2012 in All Posts, Appetizers & Snacks, Colleen's Kitchen, Fusion Foods, Indian Recipes, Intermediate Recipes, Recipe Index | 14 comments

This recipe came about from a desire to make my own samosas but wanting to avoid any deep frying. Most people who are fans of Indian food already know of the wonderful samosa.  For those who have been missing out, it’s an Indian pastry with a filling of spicy potatoes and peas wrapped in thick dough and deep-fried. It’s basically everything you could ever want in a hand-held meal.  Perfect if you eat on the run.

The recipe I wound up with is completely different. Let’s just keep in mind it was the humble and wonderful samosa which was the original inspiration.  A samosa is what was intended.

Homemade Indian Cheese (Paneer)

Posted by Colleen on Sep 28, 2011 in A Homemade Pantry, All Posts, Colleen's Kitchen, How To's & Tutorials, Indian Recipes, Intermediate Recipes, Learn the Indian Basics, Paneer Dishes, Recipe Index | 9 comments

Last week, I had my friend Daniel over to visit.  Daniel and I know each other from my music school days where we sang in choir together.  We hadn’t seen each other in a while as he had been in Germany for the last two years studying abroad at a music conservatory.  The town he lived in while in Germany was small with a return to a slower and simpler life that Daniel adored.  He told me how the experience had changed his life and he’ll be heading back as soon as possible.  He shared stories about the tiny town where no one cared about Facebook or having a TV and everyone got together on an almost daily basis as their only form of entertainment.  There was nothing else to do in the town except practice your music and

Chapatis: Indian Flatbreads

Posted by Colleen on Aug 24, 2011 in A Homemade Pantry, All Posts, Breads, Colleen's Kitchen, Healthy Eating, How To's & Tutorials, Indian Recipes, Intermediate Recipes, Learn the Indian Basics, Recipe Index | 34 comments

We are Punjabis – I happily include myself in this statement – and because we are Punjabis, we eat chapatis.

Chapatis (pronounced chah-PAH-tees) are flat breads made from whole wheat flour, water and a little oil.  If you’re feeling extra fancy you can add a bit of salt.  If you experience Indian food mostly in restaurants, you may not be familiar with chapatis, since naan is more popularly served.  But in our household, they accompany almost every meal.  Basically, chapatis are like utensils – used for scooping up a bite of lentils or vegetables or smooshing items into bite-size pieces, even wiping a plate clean.  A “real” Punjabi can tear off a piece of chapati, fold it into the perfect scooping device and scoop up a dish without ever getting their fingers dirty – all with one hand.

Samosa Bites Recipe

Posted by Colleen on Aug 12, 2011 in All Posts, Appetizers & Snacks, Colleen's Kitchen, Fusion Foods, Indian Recipes, Intermediate Recipes, Recipe Index | 7 comments

Hubby and I look forward to our weekend excursions in Santa Cruz as if they were vacations. Having grown up “over the hill” (as the Santa Cruz locals call it), we have the wonderful advantage of having a place to stay for the whole weekend unlike many others who can only enjoy the cooler weather, idyllic beaches and laid-back lifestyle for a few hours before needing to head back home.

These days, most of our weekends are spent at my dad’s house, about fifteen minutes south of downtown Santa Cruz in the tiny town of Aptos. Usually if we are not in Aptos by 7 P.M. on Friday night, my dad calls and asks, “Where are you?”  My mom and step dad live just 10 minutes further south in the foggy beach town of La Selva and we

Palak Paneer

Posted by Colleen on Jul 28, 2011 in All Posts, Colleen's Kitchen, Healthy Eating, Indian Recipes, Intermediate Recipes, Recipe Index, Vegetarian Entree - Curries | 4 comments

I am noticing a green theme amongst the most famous Punjabi dishes.  Saag- creamy and buttery mustard leaves and spinach leaves, Punjabi Hariyali – a medley of green vegetables with green peas, broccoli, green bell peppers, green chills, mustard leaves, spinach leaves, fenugreek leaves.  Hariyali actually means “greenery” in Punjabi so this dish is literally “Punjabi Greenery”. And finally there is Palak Paneer – pure spinach flavored with green chilis, ginger, garlic, onions, butter and topped with fresh Indian cheese. Palak Paneer is a favorite in Indian restaurants.  But you don’t need to go out to have a great dish of palak paneer.

Harry Potter and the Potato Pillows

Posted by Colleen on Jul 19, 2011 in All Posts, Colleen's Kitchen, Fusion Foods, Indian Recipes, Intermediate Recipes, Recipe Index | 5 comments

Friday night, Hubby and I along with our friends Kira and Jason all went and saw the last installment of the Harry Potter movie saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2.  I have been a huge fan of the Harry Potter series ever since my grandmother bought me the first book as a Christmas present back in my sophomore year in college. I own all the books and have lost count of how many times I’ve reread them.  If that weren’t enough, about three years ago I got all the books on audio tape to listen to as I try to fall asleep.  For three years now, I have listened to Harry Potter’s heroic journey every night without fail.  I’m getting to the point where I can quote all seven books. So with the last movie coming out, I wanted to make it something special.  My friend Kira is equally obsessed with the movies (she even has a Harry Potter themed Clue game which she brought over that night). The morning of our movie night I got a call from my brother, telling me all the Harry Potter showing had sold out in Santa Cruz so I immediately walked down to the theater and bought our tickets and 3D glasses to make sure we could get in.

Vegetable Cutlets

Posted by Colleen on Jul 7, 2011 in All Posts, Appetizers & Snacks, Colleen's Kitchen, Intermediate Recipes, Recipe Index | 0 comments

One day while I was teaching, I kept thinking about how I would rather be home, working on a new recipe. Once I got home though, I couldn’t peal myself off of the couch.  Isn’t it amazing how you always want to do something other than what you immedietly have to do?

Anyway, hubby called to check in and said ever so casually, “I’ll take off at five today”.

Ahhh! It was already 4:30!

I wanted to try out a whole new recipe for our dinner that night.