Recipes from: The Internet.

Aloo Gobi ki Subzi (Potatoes and Cauliflower)

"This is a simple and easy to toss together recipe using cauliflower. Serve this dish with Indian breads such as thin rotis or naans - even a pita bread will do! Garnish with cilantro if you'd like. Asafetida can be found in some grocery stores, but will most likely be found in an Indian grocery store, it is often called 'hing'." Original recipe yield: 2 servings.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon mustard seed

1 pinch asafetida powder

1/4-teaspoon cumin seeds

1 pinch ground turmeric

1 hot green pepper, split down its length (optional)

3 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root

1 potato, cubed

1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets

1/2 teaspoon white sugar

Salt to taste

Directions:

Heat oil over a medium-high heat. Toss in the mustard seeds; when they start spluttering, add the asafetida, followed by the cumin seeds, turmeric powder and the green pepper. Add the chopped tomatoes and ginger; stir and sauté for a few minutes. Add the potato, cauliflower florets, sugar and salt; stir well and cook until the potatoes are cooked and the cauliflower tender yet crunchy. (For a crunchier cauliflower, add it when the potatoes are just getting done but not quite finished cooking).

Green Beans in Tomatoes

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (14.25 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan, sauté garlic in oil over medium-low heat until garlic is slightly browned. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, cover, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes. Stir green beans into tomatoes, and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Potato

Ingredients:

1 baking potato

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Scrub the potato and prick it with a fork to prevent steam from building up and causing the potato to explode in your oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Beets

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) can sliced beets, drained with liquid reserved

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2-teaspoon salt

1-tablespoon brown sugar

1-teaspoon cornstarch

1 tart green apple, peeled and sliced

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup of the beet liquid, lemon juice, salt, brown sugar and cornstarch; mix well. Cook, stirring, until thickened and clear. Stir in beets and apple. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 15 minutes.

Beets with Onion and Cumin

"If you like beets, you'll love this recipe. For those who don't like beets, they may just change their minds." Original recipe yield: 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 medium beets, peeled and quartered

2 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 cups water

1-teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour in oil and sauté onion and garlic until translucent. Mix in cumin seed and sauté an additional 2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in beets, tomatoes, water, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover pan with lid, and allow to simmer 30 to 45 minutes, until beets are tender.

Smoky Collard Greens

Ingredients:

1-tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

2 pounds collard greens - rinsed, trimmed and chopped

1-tablespoon brown sugar

1-tablespoon molasses

1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot. Sauté onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Place chopped collard greens in pot, and add water to cover. Stir in brown sugar, molasses and liquid smoke. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until greens are tender.

Note:
Liquid smoke is produced by burning hickory chips, then condensing the smoke into a liquid form. The liquid is then filtered to remove all impurities. You can find it in most grocery stores in the section with the barbeque sauce and steak sauce. Some brands are more concentrated than others, so use sparingly, and season to taste.

Crookneck Squash and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 yellow squash, sliced

4 medium tomatoes, sliced

2 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2-teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 1-quart casserole dish. Alternate slices of the squash and tomatoes in the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle with green onions. Mix the vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl, and drizzle over the vegetables. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until squash is tender. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Eggplant Caviar

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

1/3 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to broiler setting. Wash eggplant thoroughly, then pierce skin with a fork in several places. Place on a baking sheet and broil in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft. Turn eggplant over and broil for an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and slice in half.

Scoop out eggplant pulp with a spoon and place in a medium bowl. Mix in onion, olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper. Serve hot or cold.

Asparagus in Sauce

Ingredients:

6 1/2 pounds (3 k) of asparagus

1/2 cup (100 g) unsweetened butter

3 tablespoons flour

A ladle of good broth

3 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Wash the asparagus, tie them into bunches, trim the woody ends as needed to make sure they're all the same length, and stand the bunches in a pot. Fill the pot with enough water to reach up through the white parts of the stalks. Then remove the bunches and bring the pot to a rolling boil. Once the water has reached a boil salt it lightly, add the asparagus, and cook covered for 5-8 minutes, or until the tips droop. While the water is heating prepare the sauce: Melt half the butter in a pot, stir in the four and a drop of broth, and brown the mixture lightly. Whisk in the remaining broth in a slow stream, stirring briskly to keep lumps from forming, and then add the vinegar as well, and finally the remaining butter. Stir well and season the sauce to taste. Arrange the asparagus on a platter, pour the sauce over it, and serve.

Creole-Style Vegetarian Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1/2-cup olive oil

2 cups yellow onions, small dice

1 cup red onions, small dice

1-cup bell peppers, small dice

1-cup celery, small dice

2 cups eggplant, diced

1 cup yellow squash, diced

1-cup zucchini, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced shallots

3 cups chopped tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

3 bay leaves

4 cups long grain rice

1-cup tomato paste

8 cups vegetable stock

1 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, shallots, bell peppers and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, squash, and zucchini, and sauté until they're tender, another 5 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt, Creole seasoning and additional cayenne if desired. Add the bay leave, then add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

If you're making this Creole-style, heat the tomato paste in a non-stick pan and stir, making sure it doesn't stick or burn, until the sugars in the paste begin to caramelize, and the paste begins to turn a deep mahogany color. Deglaze with some of the stock, stir and combine thoroughly, then add the tomato paste to the rest of the stock and stir until well blended.

Add the vegetable stock/tomato mixture, stir and cover. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Do not stir the jambalaya while it's cooking. Remove from heat and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Add the green onions and mix thoroughly.

Garnish with some fresh long chives, and serve with a salad and good beer. Yield: 12 generous servings.

Gumbo Z'herbes

Ingredients:

1-bunch collard greens

1 bunch mustard greens

1-bunch turnip greens

1 bunch spinach

1 bunch watercress

1 bunch beet tops

1 bunch carrot tops

1 bunch radish tops

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

1 bunch chicory

1 bunch pepper grass (if you can find it)

1 bunch Arugula

1 bunch sorrel

1 bunch dandelion greens

8 or 10 sprigs of tarragon

1 head romaine, green-leaf or butter lettuce (not iceberg)

1 green cabbage

1/2 bunch green onions

1 gallon water, salted

6 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons oil or shortening

1 large white onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme (please try not to use dried for this dish)

2 whole cloves

2 whole allspice berries

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste

6 cups cooked long-grain white rice

Directions:

Wash all greens thoroughly and remove all stems or hard centers. Boil them all together in the water for about two hours. Strain the greens and reserve the water. Chop the greens finely and reserve. In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot make a brown roux of the flour and shortening. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and sauté 5 more minutes. Add the reserved cooking water, greens, herbs, spices, and seasonings. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve in large gumbo bowls. Put 1/2 cup of rice in each bowl, and ladle generous quantities of gumbo over it. Optionally, you may season each bowl with gumbo filé. Yield: 12 servings.