Friday Frames|Spring is coming

Eggless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Double Dip

Dear Foodies,

Time seems to by flying by really quick. A month has already gone by in the new year, and February brings along with it the Super Bowl weekend. One of the biggest weekends for food consumption here. The amount of chips, pizza and beer consumed on game day surpass all highs. I have never been a huge spectator of sports, even when everyone around me were cheering the Indian cricket team when I was kid, I would be completely nonchalant about it. Well, unless it aligned with the exams at school :D A game of cricket was the only thing that gave us a time out from studies at home, not intentionally ofcourse. So I would sit along with my mom, dad and brother taking cues from them and cheering & booing along with them.

When I came here, all the NFL/NBA frenzy was lost on me. What everyone called soccer, was the real football for me and not the game where the ball was in the players hand for the most part. Another thing I could not get past was why a sport that encouraged high school kids to bulk up and become mini giants was made popular. Being in a male-dominated work place, this apathy towards the game also meant that during the NFL season when everyone at work were picking teams and talking strategy, I was getting extremely bored and left out. It took multiple attempts by my brother, friends and now V, to get me interested in the game. Go Steelers!! :)

Chips seems to beat all other snacks by a wide margin when it comes to most favorite snacks on game day. And if you are talking tortilla chips you need a good dip to do with them and I'd pick a spicy salsa over a cheesy dip any day.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

• 6-7 nos - Tomatillos, husk removed; rinsed and patted dry
• 1 nos - Jalapeño
• 1/4 cup - Cilantro, washed & dried
• 1/4 cup - Cucumber, deseeded & cubed
• 2 Tbsp - Red onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp - Canola/Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Tbsp - fresh Lime juice
• pinch of Sugar
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Set the oven on Broil.
2. Halve the tomatillos and lightly coat their skins with a little oil. Place them cut side down on a baking sheet and do the same with the jalapeños, removing the seeds and pith first.
3. Place the sheet under the broiler for about 5-7 mins until the skins start to wrinkle and the tomatillos soften a bit. Adjust time according to your oven temperament since they could burn very quickly under the broiler.
4. Place tomatillos, jalapenos, cilantro, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse until everything is finely minced.
5. Transfer to a bowl, add the diced onions, cucumbers and taste for seasonings. Serve cold or at room temp along with some warm tortilla chips or an accompaniment to Mexican fare.

Notes:

- I prefer a milder taste of onions in the salsa and so finely chop them instead of throwing them in the blender with the other ingredients.

- When using store bought chips, I spread them on a baking sheet and place them in a low temp oven to fresh them up and keep them warm until ready to serve.

Cannelloni Bean Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 cup - Cannelloni beans, pre-soaked, cooked and drained/ canned beans
• 1 nos - Garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 Tsp - Cumin powder
• 1 tsp - Tahini
• 1 Tbsp - Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1-2 Tbsp - Extra Virgin Olive oil
• Salt to taste

Garnishes: 1/2 Tbsp Mustard seed oil & a heavy pinch of Sumac

Method:

1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth and throughly mixed. Add a few spoons of water if you have trouble blending. Transfer to a bowl, smooth out the top and swirl your spoon to create shallow trenches on the surface. Drizzle with mustard oil and sprinkle with sumac before serving alongside pita/tortilla chips/crackers.

Notes:

- I prefer freshly made cumin powder in this recipe - toast a tsp of cumin seeds and powder using mortar & pestle.

- To make your own pita chips, cut up some pita bread into wedges like you would a pizza. Spread them out on a baking sheet, drizzle/brush with some olive oil and sprinkle some salt, pepper. Bake in a 375F oven for 12-14mins. A few additional flavoring ideas - zaatar/cayenne pepper/ garlic salt/seasoning salts sprinkled before baking.