I had a bag of fingerling potatoes that I had to use. On my mind I was thinking about the lack of Indian Restaurants in Las Vegas. There are a few Indian Restaurants in Las Vegas but not near the amount in even just North Phoenix Arizona. This came out mildly Indian-ish. Day one it’s the most flavorful. I guess the potatoes soak things up and I thought the next day it needed more salt and pepper. Serving will differ some because we all have different appetites. This will make around 4-6 servings.
Ingredients for around 5 servings
1 1/2 lb fingerling potatoes cut in half longways
2 cups tomato puree (preferably from Italy)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 onion sliced very thin on microplane
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon Chile powder
1 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper + more to taste
non stick spray
optional – 1/4 cup cilantro for garnishing
Directions
Set oven to 400 degrees F
In a large bowl mix together the spices (ginger, garlic, cumin, mustard, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, salt, pepper), tomato puree and the onions.
Spray you baking dish and lid with non stick spray.
Place the potatoes cut side down.
Dump and spread evenly the spiced tomato onion mixture.
Cover pan with sprayed lid and cook on a middle rack in oven until the potatoes are very tender. (90 minutes or slightly less depending on size of potatoes. To finish add the optional fresh cilantro.
Fat Free Indian Inspired Potatoes
The potatoes came out creamy, flavorful, and fat free! They are delicious and slightly Indian style. I do note you might want to add more salt and more pepper.
This recipe isn’t for everyone because you have to wing it depending on the heat and taste of your hatch Chile peppers. The Smith’s Grocery store near me has a really good Murray’s Cheese Counter and I almost always pick up the WOO HOO sales at the cheese counter for fun. As a result my hobby at Smith’s my refrigerator is usually packed with TONS of cheese that I hardly pay for. I know most people would never use this much cheese in a recipe but it came out really delicious. I also have many dried peppers I use to boost the taste since the hatch chilies I bought here are extra light on flavor and extra EXTRA light with heat. You will not be in the same situation.
I do make my macaroni and cheese different from most people no matter what flavor profile I’m doing. I do make a cheese sauce but I usually make it with a little corn starch (I HATE the taste of flour when I eat macaroni and cheese and cornstarch works better), nonfat dry milk, no butter, and LOTS of cheese.
Today I did something a little different. I was afraid I’d over cook the pasta. So I started the pasta out in a bowl of hot salted water for a few minutes. I noticed the pasta was softer and I drained it. Then I baked it with layers of cheese sauce and some added cheese.
When this all baked it did have some oil on the top and I added some crushed white tortilla chips and a masa, onion, crumb mixture that I added to the top.
Then I finished it with some chopped Mexican green onion, cilantro, and some pickled red onion.
According to my husband this came out to be a Masterpiece. It did come out FORKING delicious too!
Ingredients for around 12 servings
1/2 a pound box of pasta (either a point or twisty type) 8-9 ounces
1 teaspoon jalapeño flakes (or to taste) – cheese sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper – cheese sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper – cheese sauce
15 oz mature cheddar cheese – either shredded or chopped (This is used to layer between pasta and sauce)
4 oz butter – melted – I used salted but you can use either – crumbs
1/2 cup harina de maiz – crumbs
1/4 cup flour – crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used Mexican onion) – crumbs
1/2 cup hard shredded Italian cheese (I used grana padano) – crumbs
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes – crumbs
1 teaspoon smoked paprika – crumbs
non stick spray
2 oz crushed white tortilla chips – for finishing
2 Tablespoons – scallions – for finishing
2 Tablespoons – cilantro , chopped – for finishing
Optional (but better if you make some) 2 Tablespoons pickled red onions – for finishing (EZ – 1 onion sliced thin, 1/2 C. water, 1/2C. white vinegar, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon g. black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon g. coriander)
Directions
Microwave or put on a pot of water with salt to boil. The pasta only needs around three minutes and then drain the pasta and put to the side.
Make cheese sauce. In a pot mix together the corn starch and milk powder. Then whisk in the water. This needs to be on medium heat until thickened. Keep stirring the bottom because it can burn.After it is thick add the cheddar, goat, brie cheese, and hatch Chile peppers. You will need to lower the heat to low. Add the hatch flakes, jalapeno flakes, black and white pepper.. Take off the heat.
This gets layered like lasagna.
Preheat oven to 350.
Use a big pan or 1/2 pan and spray with non stick spray.
Start with about three serving spoons of cheese sauce.
Next add about 1/3rd of pasta.
next add about 1/3rd of the cheddar cheese.
2 -3 serving spoons of cheese sauce.
1/3 of the noodles.
about 1/2 the cheddar.
1/2 the cheese sauce that is left. then top that with remaining pasta.
Add more cheese.
use the rest of the sauce.
Cover with foil that was sprayed with non stick spray. This goes on the middle rack of a preheated 350F degree oven till it’s cooked threw. Oven DO FORKING DIFFER. In my old GE oven this would take around an hour. In my Whirlpool oven this took 1 hour and 20 minutes.
While it’s baking make the crumb topping.
In a small bowl combine the butter, harina de mai, flour, onion, italian cheese, chipotle pepper flakes, and smoked paprika. This goes on a baking sheet sprayed with non stick spray. This goes on your upper rack till done. In my oven this took 30 minutes but oven do differ. I’d look at it in 20 minutes and then decide if it needs more time.
After 30 minutes mine looked like this.
By now your baked pasta dish will be ready.
You need to assemble it.
It will have some oil on the top that separated from the cheese.
The crushed tortilla flakes are perfect for that add them first.
Then add the crumb topping.
Next add the cilantro and scallions.
Finish with pickled onions.
Extra Cheesy Hatch Chile and Cheese Noodle Casserole
I had these baby bell peppers that I had to use so I was thinking cornbread…..Then I thought cheesy cornbread. Then I made them so darn cheesy they were pudding and I topped it with a FORKING AMAZING salsa macha. You can buy salsa macha from many stores and Mexican grocery stores but the recipe on The FORKING Truth is FORKING AMAZING. Don’t mean to brag…BUT…If I was on a competition show…I’d WIN for this. If a restaurant served this they’d be written in the newspaper for this dish. That is how FORKING AMAZING they really taste!…..Anyways…… This recipe makes at least 24 mini stuffed peppers…I ran out of peppers but had enough to do at least 5 more. I’m figuring around 8 servings thinking that you are going to eat about three mini peppers a serving.
Ingredients for around 8 servings
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup masa de harina
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter – melted (doesn’t matter if salted or not you adjust salt)
sea salt – to taste
1 egg – lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded mature cheddar
2-3oz sliced mature cheddar (this is for topping the corn puddings)
3 Tablespoons salsa macha
24 mini bell peppers
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
The baby bell peppers get sprayed with oil and go on a sheet pan. Roast the peppers until cooked. Ovens do differ…in my old oven this would take only 15 minutes. In my current oven this took 30 minutes.
Line mini muffin pan(s) with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl add the cornmeal, masa de harina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cheese and mix well, Add the melted butter, egg, milk, You will need a little salt. I used salted butter and added about 5 turns of salt from my salt grinder.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle remove cores and stems. Split them down the middle and put them in the cups.
Fill about 3/4 of the cup with corn pudding mixture. Then top each with a chunk of cheese.
This goes on the middle rack of your preheated 350F oven. For around 15 minutes.
Serve warm and top with salsa macha.
They are FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS!
Enjoy!
Cheesy Mini Corn Pudding Stuffed Peppers with Salsa Macha The Forking Truth
This recipe is a variation of the Ottolengi Test Kitchen’s Middle Eastern Mac ‘N’ Cheese with Za’atar Pesto. I made it a few months back and it was SO FORKING AMAZING!!!!!!!! Incase you don’t know Yotam Ottolenghi is a famous chef, restauranteur, and multi award and James Beard winning cookbook author. Anyways that Middle Eastern Mac ‘N’ Cheese really was FORKING Amazing…. so
Middle Eastern Mac & Cheese with Za’atar Pesto & Crisp Onions
I thought these same flavors would also be great on a flatbread so I gave it a try.
I made my own bread and my own crisp onions but you can buy a flat bread already made. I always just wing bread because bread recipes are very rarely perfect to the brand flour you buy. They are all ground different so your results will differ. I basically made the bread the way I try to describe on how I make pizza dough. You can look that up on The Forking Truth if you like. The onions are easy. Either you can buy them already made crisp in a bag or slice onions yourself and coat them in either flour or cornstarch and fry in oil on medium heat till crisp. After that all I had to do was to make a cheese foundation that taste like what was on the pasta from the original recipe and then make the pesto. Serving size is difficult to judge. This recipe makes enough to dress two 14 inch breads that I cut into 16 small slices. I don’t know if you want one, two, three, or four slices to eat? I think the majority of people will eat two slices so I’ll guesstimate 8 smaller servings.
Ingredients for around 8 servings
2 – 14 inch flat breads
1/2 cup crisp onions
5 Tablespoons butter room temperature – topping
3 garlic cloves – ground to paste – topping
1/8 teaspoon turmeric – topping
1+ 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin – topping
5 Tablespoons cream cheese
1 + 1/3 cup mature cheddar cheese – shredded
6 + 1/3 oz feta cheese – crumbled
sea salt – to taste
black pepper – to taste
1 lemon – zest & supreme the segments and chop the supremes, squeeze what’s left not to waste the juice – pesto
3 Tablespoons za’atar – pesto
1 cup either parsley, cilantro, or celery leaves or a bit of each – rough chopped – pesto
1 garlic clove – ground to paste – pesto
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts – lightly crushed – pesto
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – pesto
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – to oil pan
Directions
Depending on your bread depends on the temperature you need. If you are using a purchased bread you only need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. If you are baking a pizza type dough then you would need a higher temperature on what your pan or stone can handle between 450 and 500 degrees F.
Make topping- In a medium bowl combine butter, garlic, turmeric, cumin, cream cheese, cheddar, and feta cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set to the side.
Make pesto – In a small bowl combine zest, lemon supremes, any lemon juice that you can squeeze from the skins you removed from the supremes, za’atar, cup of leaves (parsley, cilantro, and or celery), garlic, pine nuts, olive oil. You will want to blend this slightly. It is easiest if you have a stick blender. Or you can muddle it with a mortar and pestle.
Preheat your oven to at least 350 degrees F.
Place a bread on an oiled pan.
Spread 1/2 of topping on bread. (other 1/2 goes on 2nd bread)
This goes in oven till hot. (about 10 minutes)
Next – take out of oven and add up to 1/2 of pesto. (Some goes on 2nd bread)
Finish with crisp onions and slice and serve!
Cheddar & Feta Flatbread with Za’atar Pesto & Fried Onions
A Special THANKS!!!!!!!!! to Ottolenghi Test Kitchen so I could come up with what I got here!
Sometimes I read a recipe and I see it different in my head than what I read. I think I improved a recipe that I read from a major publication. Anyways this came out FORKING GREAT and it makes two servings. You do need gochujang for this recipe (that is why it looks like chicken salad instead of egg salad) . I strongly recommend to buy an Asian Brand from an Asian Grocery Store because the stuff they sell at your neighborhood grocery store isn’t much different than ketchup and it’s not the taste that you are going for.
Ingredients for around 2 servings
4 eggs – hardboiled
1 Tablespoon gochujang (preferably an actual Asian Brand)
1 Tablespoon prepared Chinese mustard
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
fresh ground black pepper – to taste
sea salt – to taste
1/4 cup peas
1 scallion – sliced thin
1 Tablespoon – cilantro
Optional – 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise for drizzle for finishing.
Directions
Boil the eggs in boiling water for ten minutes. Next place eggs in ice bath and let then chill about 30 minutes.
In a small mixing bowl add the gochujang, mustard, sesame oil, and peas.
Peel and chop the eggs and add to gochujang mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with scallions and cilantro. Do an optional mayonnaise drizzle if desired.
This recipe is easy but is kicked up a couple notches from the pickled onions and the sumac crusted feta cheese. Easy recipe just roast the carrots with a little cumin and the broccoli with smoked paprika…All the flavors are FORKING DELICIOUS together! This will make around 4-6 servings. I got 6 side servings. Your carrots might be smaller so I’ll go on the low end just in case.
Ingredients for around 4 servings
1 onion – slice thin
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
10 carrots – Peel if not organic. I cut mine in half longways (you can cut however you like but they will cook in different time)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt – to taste
ground black pepper – to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 bunch broccoli – break down in florets
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt – to taste
ground black pepper – to taste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 oz feta cheese – crumbled
1 teaspoon sumac
optional – 2 tablespoons parsley or cilantro
Directions – preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl or tub combine the onion, water, vinegar, sugar, pepper, and coriander. Let this sit on the counter for an hour. You can refrigerate after that.
The carrots go on a baking sheet. Spray them generously with olive oil. salt and pepper to taste. Then sprinkle them with ground cumin.
Ovens differ….also carrots differ in size and freshness too so your timing may differ from mine. Mine took about 50 minutes on the middle rack.
In a small bowl add the crumbled feta and sprinkle it with sumac.
I got very thin broccoli that can almost pass for broccolini so I didn’t need to par-boil mine but you might need to par- boil yours. About 2 minutes in boiling water. Then give them an ice bath. You might want to peel and trim the stems too!
Broccoli goes on a sheet pan. Spray generously with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Give them a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Broccoli timing may also differ. Mine took 20 minutes to be done on a lower rack.
Assemble – Carrots and broccoli go on plate. Add pickled onions. Add sumac crusted feta. Finish with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired.
Roasted carrots &.broccoli with pickled onions and sumac crusted feta cheese
The way I made this one was very awkward but also came out too delicious not to mention. I scored some corn from my local supermarket real cheap and wanted to try something new. I wondered if anyone smokes corn. Turns out lots of people smoke corn. Most people say to soak the corn for an hour before smoking……So I did that……but my corn wasn’t cooked yet…so I wanted to cook it. Other people just oil or butter up the corn and eat it a few people add grill marks just for looks.
So I threw the corn covered into a 350 degree oven for an hour with a stick (4oz.) butter sliced up and water that almost covered the corn.
Something FORKING Amazing happened……..The corn is delicious and juicy and a just right good tasting smoke. BUT I GOT ANOTHER gift…The water is incredible with flavors. It actually is smelling the whole house up with deliciousness.
I was thinking that I need to make some sort of sauce out of the water…maybe I should reduce it……….?
Anyways-
I was thinking that an onion and a bell pepper would go well with the corn.
Since a stick of butter is in the water maybe I can flavor it up. cook the onion and pepper and maybe reduce the rest????
I drain the corn and add to the corn/butter water
2 Tablespoons of date syrup
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons sea salt
I let it cook on medium simmering for around 30 minutes.
1 onion diced
1 red bell diced
After the 1/2 hour the vegetables have absorbed lots of flavors and are soft like soup vegetables. I remove them with a slotted spoon and add them to the corn that I sliced off of the cob. I taste the corn liquid and decide to take it off the heat. I add some to the corn side dish and the rest I am saving to use on the next vegetable I make.
I can across a recipe from Milk Street for Red Chimichurri. For some reason I imagined it going with parsnips. I didn’t do their recipe as written and changed the formula some. The biggest change I made was changing the amount of oil they put into it. I cut the amount of oil to around one third and added some water instead. My homemade smoked pecan sea salt might have also made a delicious difference here. Anyways this came out FORKING AMAZING but it is spicy…….Not sure if it would be as delicious with less heat?………. It’s so FORKING delicious I don’t want to screw with it……..I added some roasted red peppers to cool it off a little at the end.
Ingredients for around four servings
1 lb parsnips – (peeling is optional…organic don’t peel) cut into chunks (if core is woody remove it……If you knife passes threw keep core)
4 Tablespoons water
4 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons sweet paprika
2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
4 cloves garlic – ground to paste
4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt – preferably smoked pecan sea salt
non stick spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Really you can cut your parsnips however you want but if you cut them similar to what I did they will get done in around 30 minutes. I cut mine like this.
In a large bowl mix together the water, canola oil, sweet paprika, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt. Mix well. Mix in parsnips to get well coated.
Spread out the parsnips in a single layer on a sheet pan. They get covered with foil that was sprayed with non-stick spray so the top foil doesn’t stick to the parsnips.
They go on the middle rack for around 30 minutes or until the parsnips are fork tender.
Parsnips in Spicy Red Chimichurri
I added two roasted red peppers. This is SPICY but it really is FORKING DELICIOUS!!! A special THANKS!!!!! to Milk Street so I could come up with what I got here!
Egg salad doesn’t have to be the same old egg, mayo, mustard, celery. You can make it Global anything! I happened to have leftover eggs, feta, harissa, and dukkah so this egg salad practically made itself. Instead of mayo or (what I normally use…Amora Dijon) I used tahini because I thought that would work well and I also needed to use it. I used my own recipe for the harissa that I make in batches and portion out and keep frozen in my freezer but you can use any harissa you like….I also always make dukkah and usually follow any Yotam Ottolenghi recipe for dukkah because that will always be like a 100 times better than what you can buy in a jar. But you can use what you want.
Ingredients for 4 servings
10 eggs – boiled 10 minutes, then ice bath till cool, then peeled, then rough chopped
2 slightly heaping Tablespoons tahini
4 Tablespoons harissa – split in half (or amount to taste….fresh made taste different than from a tube or jar)
1 lemon (just the fresh squeezed juice)
1 – 6.5oz small jar marinated artichokes – drained (mine was quarters and pieces that looked small. you might need a rough chop)
2 oz feta cheese either crumbled or sliced thin. (preferably a good quality that isn’t too salty and taste creamy not sour)
1 1/2 Tablespoons dukkah – Preferably a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe dukkah or purchased dukkah to taste.
3 Tablespoons – cilantro, parsley leaves, or a mix of the two – chopped
Optional – black or Aleppo pepper to taste (I don’t think you will need salt because feta cheese even mild is salty)
Directions
Mix the tahini, 1/2 the harissa, lemon juice together. Add the artichokes and mix. Gently mix in the eggs trying not to break them up much. Top with remaining harissa, cilantro and or parsley, feta, and dukkah. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. You might want to serve with pita bread.
Egg Salad with Artichokes, Harrisa, Feta, & Dukkah
