Mixed Mushroom Tart

When I was growing up, there was no such thing as a meat-free special occasion. Basically, for us, special occasions were an excuse to break out the grill and make some steak and potatoes. The veggies, in general, were of secondary, tertiary or quadrutiary (not a word) importance. One of the great things about being less-meatatarian is that it gives you the opportunity to branch out and find some really delicious and amazing special occasion food (that isn't just steak). This tart is delightfully rich. Even though it is decidedly meat-free, it's hearty and filling. With a side of some nice greens, or some asparagus, it can serve as a really excellent celebration meal.

This tart is full of wine-soaked mushrooms, two kinds of cheese and some lovely scallions, garlic and spices. It is dense and flavorful. It just so happened that this is what a certain Bengali gentleman requested as part of our celebration of our 3rd anniversary. In fact, the whole meal was tart-based because we had a nut tart (the recipe was posted a while back on here) to cap off the meal.

Red Lentil Curry

This recipe comes from the very first vegetarian blog I ever came to love, 28 Cooks. I have made this recipe more times than I can probably count. It's good, it's quick and best of all, it's super healthy. It's a go-to for me all year round. It's Red Lentil Curry.

The basic flavor profile of this recipe is South Indian. It gets its punch from Thai red curry paste and coconut milk. Both of those are available in the average supermarket's "international" food aisle. It takes about 40 minutes all said and done, which makes it an excellent weeknight meal. Also, it reheats beautifully. This recipe is one of the handful of recipes that endeared me to my future mother-in-law, which means that it will be certain to impress even your most accomplished foodies.

Have I tempted you enough? Let's get to the recipe:

Empanadas are for lovers

This is another recipe that comes from a fantastic recipe blog out there. This one is from Elise Bauer over at Simply Recipes. I only recently discovered this treasure trove, but I have yet to try a recipe from there that hasn't been fantastic. These aren't what I would consider mainstream empanadas, but they sure are tasty. They are more Indian/curry inspired. If you're looking for a more standard, Latin American flavored empanada, you might want to this Argentinean version sounds pretty great, though as a disclaimer, I have not made those.

So I took the recipe that was posted, and I streamlined it for my kitchen a bit. Since I'm keeping myself busy with the dissertation and the job, I'm all about making quick, healthy, filling and delicious food. So, instead of making pastry at home, I picked up a package of Goya Discos para Empanadas. They are available in our international grocery store's freezer section and they are amazing. If you don't have access to them, you can also use puff pastry, wonton wrappers or make your own. The link above to the Simply Recipes version has an awesome sounding recipe for pastry.

Just as a side note, a lot of this recipe can be made ahead of time. The pork can be mixed up 1-2 days before you needed it, the assembled empanadas can be stored in the fridge for 12-24 hours and you can even freeze them before cooking for a ready-made weeknight meal. They are also great reheated after being baked.

When life gives you lemons...make a Lemon Tart!

Lemon tarts have never been my cup of tea. That's probably not the best way to start this post, but it's the honest truth. But, it just so happens that lemon tarts are the very most favorite dessert of a certain Bengali gentleman. So, I decided to go for it and make him one for a special occasion. It was a runaway success. Just between you and me, I think that this tart is so good, it just might change my mind about tarte au citron, as the French call it. The great part about this tart is that you don't have to mess around with cutting cold butter into flour. It's a melted (and browned) butter tart shell that is just to die for. You can also make the tart shell well in advance, if you like, and keep it in the freezer until you're ready to use it!

I got the recipe from David Lebovitz who is an American living in Paris and a prolific dessert cookbook writer. Reading his blog is kind of like watching the movie Chocolat, impossible to get through without really craving delish sweets. So, consider yourself warned. It's amazing. But, without further ado, I will get to the recipe:

So, it's been a while...

Hello friends and fellow food-lovers,

I have been absent for the last few months, as you can clearly see. Unfortunately the pressures of a new job, new semester and the return of a certain gentleman from the sub-continent squeezed my time, and made me neglect you. But, I'm getting back on the blogging bandwagon. I have some real crackerjack recipes to share with you (though none, sadly, are for crackerjacks). So, I hope you enjoy!

ceh.