Saturday, February 6, 2010

Baby Button Mushrooms with Cauliflower and Green Peas stir fry

Weather,specifically this potentially record breaking snow storm and Tai Shan - our beloved and very own baby panda bear lead the news this week. Well Tai Shan is on his way to becoming a sex slave a breeding program in China after a life of a pampered prince at the National Zoo. We will miss him and we got ourselves a bad deal.



our street early this morning


As for the weather we are in the midst of a 6th or maybe the 7th snow storm of the season for a region which gets one snow storm with an average of 17 inches or less for the whole season. With schools closing early and snow starting about 11.00AM on Friday, early Saturday morning we already have 25 inches on the ground with another 12 hours and an expected 4-8 inches of snow before it is all said and done. We are well past our average snow totals and on the way to a record breaking 50 inches already and there is still 6 more weeks of winter to go.





I am getting cabin fever and feeling claustrophobic but otherwise doing fine. We are having a good workout clearing out the snow, it is easy to shovel a few times than try to do them all in one go. It is back breaking job, a snow blower sure sounds great but I bet they have disappeared from most stores on the eastern seaboard.




In the last post I got a good deal of comments on books that will be good reads to be more informed of our food sources. Here is a compilation.

Books
1. In Defense of Food, An Eater's Manifesto By Michael Pollan
2. The Omnivores Dilemma By Michael Pollan
3. The Botany Of Desire By Michael Pollan
4. Animal, Vegetable Miracle A Year of Food Life By Barbara Kingslover
5. What to Eat By Marion Nestle
6. Food Matters By Mark Bittman
7. Fast Food Nation By Eric Schlosser
8. Real Food: What to eat and why By Nina Planck

Movies
1. Food Inc
2. King Corn
3. The Corporation
4. Fast Food Nation
5. Future of Food

Let me know if there are others and I can add them in.





I had gone shopping with a friend last week and we visited Traders Joe's, reminded me again why I like this place. Organic food by low cost. I got some baby button mushrooms, DD2 favorite vegetable or is it fungi? I had some fresh green peas and some cauliflower. This spur of the moment and a very simple stir fry but paired well with chapatis or rice. Nothing fancy just the basic, onion, garlic, tomato but medley of flavors proved just this side of exotic. Just make sure the cauliflower is not cooked to mushy.






Baby mushrooms, cauliflower and peas stir fry
Ingredients
1. 2 packs baby mushrooms washed thoroughly in water and wiped dry with a kitchen towel - about 3 cups
2. Cauliflower florets - approx 2 cups
3. Green Peas - 1 cup
4. 1 Cup onion chopped - use shallots if you have them
5. 4 garlic cloves sliced
6. 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
7. 6 green chilies sliced
9. handful of chopped coriander leaves
10. 1/2 tbsp masala powder (optional)
11. 1/4 -1/2 cup tomatoes chopped fine
12. salt to taste
13. 2 tsp turmeric powder
14. seasonings: cumin, mustard, curry leaves - cloves and cinnamon sticks (optional)

Method
1. In a wide mouthed pan, heat a tsp of oil and add the seasonings and when they turn color add the onions and garlic and saute till onions are soft.
2. Now add the ginger and mix it in.
3. Add the tomatoes and green chilies and saute till soft.
4. Add the cauliflower and turmeric powder and let it cook for a 3-4 minutes
5. Add the mushroom,salt and peas and saute for a few minutes, cover and let cook for 6-8 minutes till the mushrooms are cooked.
6. Now add the masala powder and coriander leaves mix it in, let cook for a minute or 2 till the water evaporates.

Serve with rice or chapatis.

32 comments:

  1. Would you believe if I said I wanted to come over here to ask how you are coping with the snow? You should seriously consider the offer I made last month- move here and be my neighbor :)

    But I should have known- you'd make something spicy for defense. I lov mushrooms. looks delish.

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  2. WOKKKKAAAYYYYY! I better stop whining now for 10" snow, Brrr.....!!! Woman, 25" snow? We got 2" more snow last night but after few hrs of 33F, everything is melting and major roads are clear and free except few mountains of snow, machines have piled up on the sideroads. I think we are off snow for 2010 and hello to sweet Spring! :)

    Those Baby button shrooms are so cute, stir fry looks good. So many books but not daring to check them out now, still reading Sedaris.

    Sex slave? I think that mister is going to have some major FUN!! ;D

    Have a great Superbowl Sunday Indo, I can't wait. Gooo Saints! If Reggie Bush wins, Kim Kardashian's head will be as big as her butt! Lordy..Lordy!! HeHe! Pardon my French!!

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  3. Oh the sight of that winter wonderland! Please stay warm and safe.

    From the list of books, the Nestle and Kingsolver books are my favorite. Nina Planck's views are ridiculous, but that's just my humble opinion :D

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  4. That is a lot of snow Indo, saw them on the news. We are experiencing the warmest Jan & Feb this year in the Northwest. It is unusually warm and sunny. These climate changes scare me....cauliflower and mushrooms look spicy enough for the snow storm. My daughter too loves mushrooms.

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  5. the mushroom dish looks GREAT. My son here is asking I will make it for him...maybe I will! Thanks.

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  6. Perfect for the weather ... spicy stir fry with rotis. Lovely snaps of the snow. :-)

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  7. thats a ton of snow, i bet it feels good to stay warm inside and enjoy spicy meals..Stir fry looks warm and comforting.

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  8. I know I heard about the snow-storm.. a few of my friends are currently stuck at east coast and can not fly back due to the snow storm.. your remedy for snow storm looks perfect though.. what better way to cope than some spicy stir frys! I love the cauliflower mushrooms combo, it does go very well together. stay warm.

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  9. That is a great book list! And books like those are causing me to spend way too much money with Amazon. I'm headed for "bookruptcy."

    The 50 Best Health Blogs

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  10. oh I know you will feel bad if I say how I am loving these pictures of snow. have not yet experienced snow fall so stil now its a very romantic thing for me but I can realize how it feels when the snow fall is 50". you did the best thing by preparing this spicy dish. best thing to wither snow is books and some hot n spicy food. when it rains for days in Kolkata we used to make Khichri, fritters and fried potato.

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  11. Wow thats quite a lot of snow there..curry look very inviting, i love the pic with steam coming out, lovely!

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  12. Dearest ISG,

    Your snow-covered world is bound to be cozy with the spicy stirfry -- and yes, mushrooms do double duty as veggies and fungi :)

    Hope you have enough mild weather following to save you from snow-blowers -- trust me -- they're hard to operate (but good exercise!).

    sending warm hugs and hot chai
    L

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  13. Wow that is a whole load of snow you have got there.
    Here it is cold but seeing the snow there, i think we are lucky not to have them here.
    Stir fry looks yumm.

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  14. That last pic with the steam coming out is awesome ! I tried your spicy chicken curry over the weekend and it was super !! Thanks for such a simple and wonderful recipe...

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  15. Snow..it's snowing here too...But not as much as you have :-)
    This dish looks fantastic..Got to try this combo soon :-)

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  16. Love those little baby mushrooms, they look like big white peas.

    Would Super Size Me fit into your list? And books on the slow food movement might be a good read as well.

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  17. The baby mushrooms look adorable.. and what a yummy curry to enjoy them.
    Tell me abt the snow... i think i've had enough already.

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  18. this looks nice....snow outside and hot delicious curry inside!

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  19. Lovely is the prep..... Very hot & heart warming..... Nice one with all fresh looking sabzis & mushrooms... I loved the lovable mushrooms..... On the whole a yummy & flavorful prep for a sumptuous dinner..... along with rotis....

    Ash...
    (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

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  20. Indo

    Are the schools closed today too ? You guys need a rest after all that snow.

    The baby button mushroom stir fry is a lovely idea.

    I am very freaked out by all this books & movies, I am like this ostrich ;-). But I have been waiting to read Kingslover simply 'coz I loved her other book

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  21. Sandeepa, I did take that route for a while. Once I decided to hold the bull by its horns and I am much more happy. May you get the strength.

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  22. Sandeepa, yes the schools are close through Tuesday and Tuesday night forecast is for 5-10 more inches of snow. It will be a while before the schools open and my sanity to return.

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  23. I knew you'd say that..what to do, atleast kiddo is health conscious.

    It was funny Indo, him giving me tiny bits of BG from the pitali and kept saying sapidu chitti sapidu. Aryan kku oru vai, chittikku our vai :)

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  24. The stir fry looks terrific, Indo
    That will be sad to see Tai Shan go!!We were in DC when he was born..I did not know until you mentioned here..And speaking of snow, there is one more coming Wed which is supposed to be abt 10-12 inches!!I can't wait for Spring..

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  25. Lovely, the dish I mean. Snow.. hm.my heart goes to you.. It is a doozer, how chaotic the weather has been!

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  26. Wow Indo, I am in love at first sight of this combo! I need a soft phulka immediately! But also I crave for the all natural "mottu kaalaan" which I tasted first some 20 years ago from a farmer!

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  27. Delicious mushroom stir fry! and beautiful snow snaps... following your lovely space:)

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  28. ISG, heard that it is going to snow more. Take care and stay safe.

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  29. Wait till summer ISG, once our Hurricane season starts in June, we are all packed(keep a suitcase handy with all necessary stuff) and ready to go when we hear the word "H".

    Coast to Coast, we may come knock on your door if something like that happens ;)

    Schools are off so you must be making something special..

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  30. Those baby mushrooms look, oh so cute, Indo! Man, I am totally sick of the snow too ... but at least I am seeing the sun today, so I ought to count my blessings, and shut up already :D

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  31. perfect way to combat the cold..love the steaming click :)

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