All posts by Zeba@Food For The Soul

My life was nourished and nurtured in the beautiful vale of Kashmir painted with mountains, lakes, running streams and meadows that know no end. Now in another beautiful part of the world in the US, I cook for the love of good healthy food…that feeds the soul. I recreate recipes that shaped my history and culture. For the love of discovering life and all things that speak to you and urge you on to evolve, touches your soul and make your journey through life a fulfilling experience.
Food

Salmon with Arugula Walnut Sauce

12 Comments

A beautiful filet of wild salmon, some fresh organic zucchini and arugula were the inspiration for this plate.

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I am always looking to add spices and tastes from my heritage to my cooking when I can.

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I also grew up with beautiful large walnuts trees which first gave the succulent raw walnuts which are white in the interior and then the beautiful dried ones that we all know so well. Walnuts are a staple in my pantry, I buy in bulk and keep them in the freezer.

The sauce is a play on the flavors of cumin and mustard to start with and then the flesh spiciness of arugula an garlic pulls it all together. It will stay in the fridge for a while to be used on salads and others dishes during the week so do invest in making a batch.

 

IMG_8823_HDRI have used 3 organic zucchinis so you will have leftovers for the week. The zucchini is inspired by Ayurveda which calls for simple ingredients. I have used clarified butter, cumin, mustard and fresh curry leaves….. the flavor is just amazing

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Salmon with Arugula Walnut Sauce

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
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A simple pan-seared Salmon served with Zucchini and a Walnut Arugula Pesto .

Credit: Food for the Soul

Ingredients

Salmon

  • 2 fillets of wild salmon
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoon Grapeseed oil

Zucchini

  • 3 organic zucchini
  • 1 tablespoon Ghee ( clarified butter)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 mustard seeds
  • 10 pieces curry leaves
  • Himalayan salt to taste

Sauce

  • 1 bunch Arugula
  • 1/2 cup parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 red o1-inch
  • inch piece of Feta cheese (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Pat fillets dry with a paper towel. Season on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
  2. Run the ingredients for the sauce through the food processor adding water if needed and set aside. I like the taste Feta brings to this sauce but do adjust to your own taste
  3. Chop the zucchini into bite size pieces. In a skillet, add Ghee, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves.
  4. When the spice starts to splutter add the cut zucchini and sauté on medium heat until tender. Salt to taste as you go,
  5. Put a cast-iron skillet or heavy pan over high heat. Add grapeseed oil and when the oil is hot the fillets in the pan, flesh side down and let sear for 1 minute. Flip to skin side down and let it cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crisp.
  6. To serve, plate the sauce and layer on the zucchini topped with the Salmon.

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Easy Recipes

Sharing this at Fiesta Friday with  Ginger  and Julianna

Food, Meat Dishes, Meat Dishes

Za’atar Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower

25 Comments

We are waiting for spring on the east coast so patiently but it keeps testing our patience. The first day of spring has come and gone bringing beautiful snow with it…..cold days, blossoms annoyed to be out in this cold and leaves struggling to show their faces.. I am trying to brighten up the “almost spring” spirit with some amazing fresh ingredients and flavorful spices like Za’atar.

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Za’atar is a blend of herbs and seeds often used in the Middle Eastern cooking. I bought my Za’atar mix from a local middle eastern store but you can always make it at home and use your variations of this herb and spice blend. Typically, za’atar is a blend of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, sumac, toasted sesame seeds, and salt. Mine also included roasted flour.IMG_8849-1

The lemon zest is a key ingredient enhancing the flavors so beautifully so don’t skip that.

The chicken comes out tender and juicy, and you can prep this recipe a day or 2 ahead on time, keeping it in the fridge until you are ready to roast

 

IMG_8845-1The cauliflower steak is also as simple as it can be, sliced, sprinkled with the spice blend and roasted until brown. It is a delicious, healthy and gluten-free side for any occasion.

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I do tend to make and store a lot of fermented foods so served it with a side of grated Daikon radish pickle.  You can find some of my pickle recipes on my blog

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Za’atar Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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A spice and lemon roasted chicken, tender and juicy accompanied by roasted cauliflower .

Credit: Food for the Soul

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • I whole chicken skin on cut up in pieces
  • 2 tablespoon Za’atar spice blend
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic
  • 1 tablespoon crushed fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • Pink Himalayan salt – to taste
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup grapeseed oil

Cauliflower:

  • 1 head of organic cauliflower
  • 1 tablespoon Za’atar
  • 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil
  • Pink salt to taste

Directions

  • Make some knife incisions or cuts in the chicken pieces for the marinade to get in. Pat dry.
  • Mix all the ingredient together for the chicken and rub it in the chicken pieces thoroughly.
  • Store overnight or longer
  • Roast at 400 degrees for 45 -55 minutes until golden brown
  • Slice the cauliflower like large steak pieces
  • Sprinkle with the Zataar spice and some grapeseed oil on both sides.
  • Roast at 400 degrees for 30 mins or until browned  slightly
  • Serve beautifully

You can serve this with a salad or pickles. I have here some Diakon Pickle with fresh radishes and an arugula walnut pesto ( will post the recipe soon).

This is a fun week for another reason. There is a fab party at Angie’s Fiesta Friday and I am co-hosting with Petra. Petra’s blog has one of the most creative recipes with fresh ingredients that I have seen and so do check it out!

Food, Lunch, side dishes, Snack

Cauliflower Pizza with Asparagus, Kale and Mushrooms

16 Comments

Ok…. so this is not much of a recipe but more of the art of putting it all together…but I just had to post. Such an amazing crunch and taste that it leaves you craving for more. And it is healthy, nutritious and scrumptious. If Gluten bothers you, this is GF.

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My cauliflower pizza base is Cauliflower and Corn flour from Trader Joes or Moms Organic market. On my trip to MOMs, I brought back beautiful garlic, asparagus, fresh Kale, Jalapeño, and mushrooms.  I had some Parmesan and Halloumi in the fridge so putting this together was a breeze.

Note this is not a typical pizza smothering in tomato sauce and cheese. This one showcases the beautiful vegetables so adjust if you need more of the cheeses or add some tomato sauce.

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The Kale and chopped mushrooms need to be sautéed in chopped garlic with a pinch of salt and set aside.

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Slice or chop some Asparagus, Jalapeño, Roma tomato and set aside

Slice the cheeses.

Cook the crust according to instruction until it is firm and slightly crisp. The TJ version had me cook at 450 degrees and flip the crust to cook 12 mins on each side. That was perfect

Top the crust with veggies and cheese and put under a broiler for 3-4 mins.

Douse with some good avocado or olive oil and red chili flakes.

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Enjoy

Sharing at Fiesta Friday featuring Laurena @ Life Diet Health and Alex @ Turks Who Eat as co-hosts this week.

 

Food, Kashmir, Lunch

Kashmiri Tangy Eggplants – Chok Wangun

11 Comments

My love for eggplants keeps me experimenting with new recipes from around the globe. This one is close to my heart and soul and so very easy to make.

IMG_8318-5Frying eggplants will fill your kitchen with an amazing aroma. I often chow down a few slices even before they make their way to the dish.

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This recipe has the flavor of cloves, ginger, and fennel and is a delicate yet strong blend to showcase the eggplants. The tamarind paste is what adds the tanginess. Use it to your taste.

Tip: Be careful not to burn the cloves or the chili powder but adding water quickly.

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Ingredients:

  • 4 eggplants – long or 8 small
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp ginger powder
  • 2 tbsp fennel powder
  • 2 tbsp red chili powder
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 4 black cardamoms
  • 1 tsp black cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • Salt – to taste.
  • Mustard oil

 

Putting it together:

  • Soak the tamarind paste in 1/2 cup hot water. Put aside.
  • Chopped and fry the onion until golden brown and make a paste of the fried onions adding a dash of water
  • Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 3 to 4-inch lengths – keeping a part of stem on the end pieces.
  • Heat the mustard oil until smoking and deep fry the eggplants until golden brown. Drain on paper towels
  • In a wide pan take  3 tbsp of the remaining oil and bring to medium heat
  • Add the cloves, red chili powder and salt. Add 2 cups of water immediately not letting the red chilies burn. Add the garlic, turmeric and cardamoms fennel powder, ginger powder, onion paste and continue to cook for 10 mins adding 2 more cups of water if needed.
  • Add the eggplants and tamarind water and cook for 5 -10 mins to get to a saucy consistency.
  • Serve with a garnish of green chilies with white rice or roti.IMG_8320-6
Food, Lunch, side dishes

Matar Paneer Curry – Peas and Cheese

6 Comments

Sometimes the simpler the food the more rewarding for your taste buds.  Visons of many a beautiful vegetarian tables with paneer, lentils and pickles seems to stay with me.  The memories range from  restaurants to friends houses after school, to street side travel shacks and many more…..but they are always vivid and connect me to a rich past.

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Growing up our family were big meat eaters…it would not be “food” without lamb or chicken 🙂 However, every now and then we would have a vegetarian day where Paneer would be the showcase.

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When I first moved to the US, store bought  paneer (cheese)  was not an option so making the paneer at home was the only way. Don’t get me wrong, homemade cheese is the best but sometimes a working girl needs a premade handy version so dinner can be cooked at moments notice.

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The local Asian stores now have the most amazing Paneer available so I keep a block in the fridge or freezer for quick dinner situations.

 

This is a curry, which as always is spicy, tangy, rich, gentle, soft and ever so delicious.

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I have paired it with butter rice, lentils and pickles. Naan or roti would be perfect with the platter.

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Matar Paneer

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A quick and easy matar paneer

Credit: https://foodforthesoul00.com/ 

Ingredients

  • 1 block of Paneer cubed ( I used Nanak Paneer)
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 large  chopped red onion
  • 2 chopped tomatoes
  • 1 chopped green bell pepper
  • 7-8 garlic cloves – sliced
  • 1 inch ginger – grated
  • 1 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Red chili powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp Coriander powder
  • 1/2 cup yogurt
  • 4 tbsp grapeseed oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Directions

Putting it together:

  • Add 2 tbsp oil to a pan on medium heat and add the chopped garlic cloves,  ginger and  onion into the pan and fry this for a few minutes until the onions start to soften.
  • Add chopped tomatoes and little salt, cover the pan and cook the mixture until the tomatoes have softened.
  • Blend this sauce in a food processor ( there should be any need to add water)
  • Using the same pan  add 2 tbsp oil into the pan on medium heat, add
  • Add cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds until they pop, add turmeric coriander and chili powder.
  • Now you can add the prepared tomato sauce mixture and bring the mixture together.
  • Throw in the cumin powder and a few tablespoons of water and let it cook for a few minutes. Do stir to ensure it does not start sticking
  • Add yoghurt into the sauce and continue stirring.
  • Add the frozen peas and then the paneer cubes
  • Adjust for salt and water for consistency and cover and  cook the curry for  on low heat for about 5 minutes.
  • Garnish with Cilantro and a squeeze of lemon and serve with rice or bread.

 

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Sharing on Fiesta Friday!

Food, Lunch, side dishes

Moussakah vegetarian

19 Comments

While I was in NYC for a conference, I had the pleasure of dining with my sister and brother in law at a fabulous restaurant  Cleo at Mondrian Park Ave. The chef certainly had a way with Mediterranean small plates but one particular dish that caught my attention was the vegetarian Moussakah with eggplants and feta immersed in delicious béchamel sauce.

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I have made Mousakkah many times with Lamb, beef and also with just vegetables and it always comes out warm and comforting.

Inspired by Cleo I experimented with a new recipe and it was a winner.

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Moussakah is a very popular Greek dish but there are many versions of it through the Mediterranean, all equally worthy of trying.

In a  traditional Greek Moussaka recipe,  minced beef (or lamb) is cooked in a tomato base and spices then layered with eggplants and topped with creamy béchamel sauce and cheese.

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In this vegetarian version, my basic ingredients are sweet eggplants and mushrooms. Then the béchamel sauce and the topping of feta and gruyere. I have made two small plates here for lunch but you can adjust and make one large one. The béchamel sauce has leftover which was wonderful. I have stored it for use during the week.

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Eggplants:

  • 1 large eggplant or 3-4 slim ones
  • Olive oil
  • Pink salt

Mushroom sauce

  • Cremini mushrooms – I box around 20 pieces
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 of a cup olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 cup pureed tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Béchamel sauce

  • Stick of butter – 4 ounces
  • Whole milk – 3 cups
  • Flour – 4 ounces
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 cup Grated Gruyere
  • a pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

  1. Cut the eggplant into slices (1 inch),  Season with salt and place in a colander for about half an hour.
  2. Squeeze the liquid from the eggplants with your hands and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle the eggplants with some olive oil and bake them for 15 minutes in a 400-degree oven until golden brown.
  3. Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat and stir in the chopped mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes,  add the garlic and chopped onions and continue to cook. Add the cinnamon and adjust the salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce thickens.
  4. For the béchamel sauce use a deep pan and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste and add warmed milk pouring in a stream. Continue to whisk the whole time to avoid lumps and get to a smooth paste.  Remove the pan from heat and add the egg yolks, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and the grated cheese. Whisk to incorporate all the ingredient and get a smooth and creamy paste
  5. To assemble I have used 2 small dishes, you can use a large baking dish as well. Sprinkle the bottom with some panko or breadcrumbs and layer the eggplants. Add the mushrooms sauce and another layer of eggplants.
  6. Top with the béchamel sauce, feta, and more gruyere.
  7. Cook in a 400-degree oven for 15 mins until bubbly. Cool for a few minutes before digging in

 

 

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Sharing at Fiesta Friday where co-hosts this week are Diann @ Of Goats and Greensand Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life.

Food, side dishes

Cauliflower and Peas Curry – Matar Gobi

8 Comments

Cauliflower has become a staple in the house and is an ingredient in a variety of dishes spanning cuisines. I used riced cauliflower as a substitute for rice which has been a phenomenal adjustment of carbs in our diet.

When you combine cauliflower with a nice tomato curry you just can’t go wrong. My local Traders Joes store has made it even easier for me by selling already riced cauliflower which saves me a ton of time and the mess on my counter with grains of the vegetable flying around 🙂

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This is really easy to make and just perfect for a cold winter day. Serve with some flatbread or rice with a side of pickles.

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If you love cauliflower do check out my other recipes:

 

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Riced Cauliflower and Peas Curry - Matar Gobi

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

a savory tomato curry with peas and riced cauliflower

Credit: https://foodforthesoul00.com/ 

Ingredients

  • 1 head of Cauliflower – grated
  • 1 cup of frozen organic peas
  • 1 cup of peeled tomatoes
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 inch fresh ginger – grated
  • 1tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2-3 green chilies – chopped
  • 1 tsp kasoori methi
  • 2 tbsp yoghurt
  • 1/4 tsp Asafetida or hing(optional)
  • Salt to taste
  • Juice of half lemon
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Mustard oil ( or oil of your choice)

Directions

  1. Puree the tomatoes in a blender
  2. You can cut the cauliflower in florets and grate them or buy a riced cauliflower bag
  3. In a large pan add 2 tbsp oil and cumin seeds, once crackling add cauliflower and cook for 3-4 mins until slightly brown. Set aside.
  4. In a pan warm up another 3 tbsp of oil, add green chilies, cloves, grated ginger, and asafoetida, and .
  5. Add pureed tomatoes and let the mixture cook for a few minutes.
  6. Add  turmeric, chilies powder and kasoori methi and let the mixture cook until the oil starts to separate from the tomatoes
  7. Add the yoghurt and mix well
  8. Add frozen peas, cook for a minute and add the cauliflower.
  9. Do not cover the pan and use a dash of water as needed. This will only take a couple of minutes
  10. Top with lemon juice and fresh cilantro.

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Taking this to Fiesta Friday with the fab  cohosts  Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com and Laurena @ Life Diet Health