Super Bowl Tacos

I have been in India for the past week and one thing always amazes me about the country - the incredible quality of food that one can get at amazingly low prices. I am not even talking about street food. An average meal in an upscale restaurant (in Mumbai or Chennai) would set one back $25 without alcohol. A bowl of fruit would be $4. Oh and fresh fruit juices! I drink them by the gallon, for two reasons. One, they are pure fruit with no added water and so there is no risk of getting a

Delhi belly

. Two, they are a super cheap way of hydration and nutrients! A large glass of fresh squeezed juice would be about $6 in NYC and here it is $2. So, what I would spend on a whole breakfast here is the cost of a glass of juice in NYC. Bliss, I say!

With that preface let me delve into today's post. It is about eating well without breaking the bank wherever you are. I firmly believe that if you plan well and choose ingredients appropriately, you can not only eat well but also exciting at home. It is honestly, super easy to dine on restaurant quality meals at home at a fraction of the price one would pay outside.

You don't believe me? Well, I am hoping to build just that credibility with today's recipe. As part of their

Cook More, Save More

campaign,

Whole Foods Market

challenged me to create an original recipe that would make it interesting to cook at home. The clincher - it has to cost no more than $4 per serving!

My answer to that challenge is

Mayan Spice and Coffee Pulled Pork Tacos with Pomegranate Salsa and Avocado

. Before I get down to the cents and dollars, let me tell you the virtues of this dish.

1. It is perfect for a party (read: Super Bowl). The recipe is easily scalable and can be made for a family meal or a gathering.

2. It can be made ahead of upto 3 days. In fact, it only gets better with age!

3. It is no fuss! Either to cook or to serve. It can be made in an oven or a slow cooker and so you don't have to watch over it much . Plus, everyone can assemble their own per preference.

4. It is one of those all hands into bowl kinda meals that brings everyone together at eating time.

5. The clincher - It is less than $4 per person.

Now, that is done, lets get dirty on the pricing. My recipe serves 10 persons and the costing is based on Whole Foods in NYC (which, is costlier than any other place in US)

1. Pork - $22

2. Onion - $0.25

3. Tomato - $0.50

4. Pomegranate - $1

5. Cilantro - $1

6. Mayan Spice and Coffee Rub - $3.98

7. Honey - ~0.25

8. Flour for tacos - ~$0.25

9. Avocado - $4

10. Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream - ~$2

11. Homemade Vegetable stock - ~$0.1 or store bought - $2

12. Lime - $0.20

Total = ~$38 or

$3.80 per person!

Now, that is cheap! As you can see the meat is heaviest hitter here and for good reason. The dish is all about the meat and it has to be of great quality, so you can really enjoy the meal. Do not skimp on quality here. I used pork butt with a little bit of fat for flavor. You can also use beef brisket instead of pork. As to the rest of the ingredient list, you can easily substitute per your taste and seasonal availability. For example, mango would be great in the summer. Besides, you can barbecue the meat instead of braising it as well. So, without further ado, let me get to the recipe. As promised, in the title, there is also a giveaway sponsored by Whole Foods, details of which are at the end of the post!

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Mayan Spice and Coffee Pulled Pork Tacos with Pomegranate Salsa and Avocado

For the pork:

4 lbs Pork butt, fat mostly trimmed but leave a bit for flavor

2 packets of Mayan Spice and Coffee Rub

1/2 cup Honey

About 2 cups stock

2 T olive oil

For the salsa:

2 Onions, diced fine

1 Tomato, diced fine

Arils of 1/2 pomegranate

2 T Cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

Other toppings:

2 Avocados, sliced

Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream

For the tacos:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup warm water

2 tsp olive oil

salt to taste

To cook the pork: {Make ahead part}

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Season the pork butt with salt. In a small pan warm the honey and mix in the spice mix and oil into it. Spread the marinade all over the pork butt.

Drizzle the bottom of a dutch oven large enough to fit the meat with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Place the meat into the pan and pour about half cup of stock into the pan. Place in oven and bake at 450F for 3 minutes.

Lower heat to 275F and cook for about 4 hours or approximately an hour per pound until the meat is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork. Every hour or so, check and add some stock so the meat does not burn. You may or may not use all two cups of the stock. 

When the meat is tender enough, gently lift it onto a plate and let rest covered for about 15 or so minutes until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, bring the liquid in the pot to a boil and then reduce to simmer until the liquid has reduced in volume to about half the original. 

Using two forks gently shred the meat and toss back with the reduced liquid. This part can be done up to three days ahead. If you are refrigerating at this point, bring to room temperature and then stick it in the fridge. To thaw, warm stove top in a 325F oven adjusting for liquid content.

To make the flour tacos:

Mix all the ingredients and knead to form a soft and tacky dough. Divide the dough into 30 balls. Roll out each ball into a disk of about 6 inches diameter. Cook on a griddle on both sides until little brown spots form on the surface. 

You can spread a touch of butter on each after being cooked if desired. This will keep them softer for longer.

To make salsa:

Toss all the ingredients together, except cilantro and marinate for about thirty minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle the cilantro on top and fold gently.

To assemble:

Lay the table and let people have fun making their wraps!

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$50 Whole Foods Market Giveaway

UPDATE: John Forrester wins a $50 from Whole Foods. Thank you for participating!

Whole Foods Market is committed to providing an affordable mix of products and ingredients, along with helpful tools and in-store service to make grocery shopping and cooking more enjoyable. To enable everyone in this mission, they are giving away one $50 gift card to one of my readers.

In order to win this gift card, please leave a comment with what your favorite party meal, to cook, is!

For bonus entries -

1. Like, fork spoon knife FB page

2. Follow me on Twitter

3. Follow me on Instagram

4. Follow me on Pinterest

5. Follow me on Google+

Only new followers. Please leave me a note with your handle when you do any of the above.

Giveaway will run until February 8, 2014 and is open to US residents only.

Happy cooking!

Disclaimer: I was given a $50 voucher by Whole Foods to create this recipe and a $50 gift card to run the giveaway. I received no further remuneration to write this post.

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Smoky Apple Chips

I am going to get straight to the point. These chips are awesome! That's all.

Enjoy!

Smoky Apple Chips

2 firm red apples, sliced thin, seeds removed

1 tsp smoky paprika

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 225F.

Arrange the slices of apples on parchment lined trays in rows. Make sure you don't overlap the slices, they stick.

Bake for an hour and half.

Remove from oven and start carefully peeling the slices off the paper. By the time, you are done peeling, they will be dry as a chip.

If they still seem a touch wet, put the damp ones back in the oven for another half hour.

Places the slices in a jar and toss with salt and paprika.

Store in sealed containers.

These chips are great with hummus.

Lets cozy up!

There is something about fall that catches your breath and lets it out in a deep, fulfilling sigh.

The breathtakingly vivid colours that nature breaks into in a flamboyant display as if to say

Look who is pretty now!

:)

It is really hard for me to walk by without a permanent expression of awe etched on my face as I fumble around with my multiple cameras and attempt to capture the beauty but fail to do it justice everytime.

It is almost as if Lady Nature decided to jest with me and flounce away, laughing in mischief, just as I feel her in my grasp, leaving me in wonder.

This happens everyday. I run behind her but she manages to slip, pausing just enough to halt me with her beauty. But, I don't mind. She is my muse and I will submit to her will. Again. Forever.

Enervated and my heart filled with mirth despite my chilled fingers (from holding that camera), I typically come back and sit back lost in the memory of the walk(s) and seeking something warm.

This morning, I went for a run in Prospect Park. I found another source of joy! Dogs unleashed and bounding carefree in the great lawns. It was a sight previously unseen for me; puppy prancing in full display. My heart swelled. I was refreshed. I felt light, happy, expansive.

Inspired.

The weather, the colors, the playfulness. I wanted to make something for lunch that was all this. On my way back, I knew.

Yogurt soup with loads of garlic, turmeric and dumplings -

Kadhi

. oh yes! It gave me joy, pure and unadultered. This soup/curry is a very common across India and recipe varies with region. Some make it a touch sweet, some spicy and some mild. Yet, they all give a feeling of satisfaction that is unparalleled. Besides, it is super easy to make. My recipe here is combination of the South Indian version I grew up with (which is thicker) and the Gujarati version that I prefer for consistency (sans the sweet).

Kadhi - Yogurt Dumpling Soup

{The distinct flavor of this soup comes from chickpea flour. If you want the original flavor, do not substitute.

Ghee gives the best flavor to this dish as with any Indian dish. But, you can definitely use peanut oil, if you prefer.

I like my soup on the runnier side. You can adjust the amount of water to your preference.}

For the soup:

1-1/2 cups whole fat Greek yoghurt

5-6 cups water (depending on the consistency you like)

2 T besan or chickpea flour or gram flour

2 heaping tsp ground turmeric powder

2 green chillies, chopped (or to heat tolerance)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

4-5 fresh curry leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 T ghee

For the dumplings:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 small onion, diced fine

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp baking soda

water to mix

ghee to fry

salt as needed

Make the dumplings:

Combine the flour, onion, garlic, turmeric and salt with enough water to make a sticky dough. Heat ghee/oil in a fryer or a deep pan and drop dumplings of dough. Fry till browned evenly. Remove and drain excess oil on a kitchen towel. Reserve till soup is ready.

Make the soup:

In the pot you are going cook the soup, whisk together the flour and yogurt until there are no lumps. This is important. You don't want odd lumps in your soup. Add the water one cup at a time and incorporate into the mixture. Add the garlic, turmeric, chopped chilies and a pinch of ghee.

Bring to a rolling boil on high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 or so minutes until the turmeric does not taste raw anymore.

While still at simmer, gently drop the dumplings into the soup. Continue to cook for a few more minutes allowing the dumplings to absorb flavor and become soft.

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, heat the remaining ghee on low. Add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to pop, quickly add the curry leaves and garlic. Saute for a minute or two until the garlic starts browning. Remove from heat. This is the tadka.

Gently stir in the tadka mixture into the soup. Cook for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat. Let it sit for a few minutes and serve immediately.

The chickpea flour that will thicken the soup, just like a roux. As it cools, it will thicken more. Just reheat with more water and bring to a boil to get it back to the right consistency.

Cracking up with humpty dumpty

When you are mostly vegetarian (or

Flexitarian

as one of my readers called me!), eggs suddenly become very dear to your diet. They are really the major source of protein that kind of goes well with nearly everything.

Of course there are lentils and a wide variety of them to be honest. But, they typically require planning (viz. soaking, cooking, seasoning etc.) and are more persnickety about what they socialise with. Imagine trying to get them in conversation with bread; you will have a civil riot on the plate! Yes, there is tofu but again it is a laborious process to make at home and I am a naturally suspicious person of things that come wrapped in plastic. I mean, what you have to hide that you are all prettied up in glossy plastic?

Well, that leaves dear Mr. Humpty Dumpty. He comes in many shapes and colors and when you get him straight from beneath the hen's bum he is mighty alluring indeed. No, I don't mean steal a chicken's lay... Just coax her a bit to move on and lay else where while you calmly collect what she left behind.

Suffice to say, my farmer has been seeing an awful lot of me lately and if you look at my insta stream you'll get an idea of why. It is just so easy to crack an egg on top of anything really and everybody is quite happy to dance in some runny yolk anyway. Oh and eggs and lentils, that is always a torrid affair!

For the most part my interactions with HD are spontaneous. Pan on fire, drizzle olive oil, say a quick hello to the egg and in one smooth motion crack it in. But, once in a while, I make a more concerted effort of using them.. like pies, tarts, frittatas, egg curries and ever favorite quiches.

One such planned dish was this green quiche filled with good old farm eggs and turn of season produce like tomatillos and swiss chard. By the way, have you eaten raw tomatillos? They are incredibly flavorful. They taste like milder gooseberries, viz. not so tart! I was slicing them for this tart and ended up munching on half as much as I used for the quiche! I think they would be fantastic as fritters... nom nom

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Tomatillo, Swiss Chard and Jalapeno Quiche

{makes a deep 7 inch pie)

1 whole wheat tart crust dough

5 eggs, lightly whisked

1/4 cup almond milk

2 bunches swiss chard steamed and water squeezed (or other greens like mustard greens, spinach etc.)

3-4 tomatillos sliced thin

2 jalapenos sliced (per spice level)

salt and pepper to taste

a touch of olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F.

Roll out the tart dough and line the deep pie dish. Brush the bottom with olive oil. Arrange a layer of tomatillo slices at the bottom. Distribute the cooked greens on top of this layer. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together the nut milk and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the greens. Arrange the remaining tomatillo slices on top and decorate with the jalapenos.

Bake for 40 minutes until the eggs are cooked through and the crust is golden. If you use a steel pan like I did, the crust will start coming way from the edges when it is ready and that is perfect indication.

Cool on rack for a few minutes and serve. This quiche is great eaten cold as well for breakfast and travels very well!

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Wholesome Seasonal Quinoa Salad for Whole Kids Foundation™ And a Giveaway

A few days ago, I was approached by

Whole Foods

to help them create awareness about better eating in schools. Through their

Whole Kids Foundation

, they have been working to improve childhood nutrition by increasing the availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables, both at schools and at home. The foundation just kicked off its annual fundraiser to support school salad bar and garden grant programs and nutrition education classes for teachers.

Well, nothing is closer to my heart than changing dietary choices for a better life, and, I immediately agreed to enable the campaign! They asked me to create a healthy and nutritious salad that would tempt you to choose it over another meal. It also fit just right with my own health kick. So, in the spirit of the initiative as well as my personal goal, I chose to go completely vegetarian. I went nearly vegan but I could not say no to some Parmesan shavings. Well, what is life without cheese, eh?! ;-)

While I really like salads, I am not a huge leaves fan. It makes me feel way too bovine. Besides, I feel like it just quite as satisfying as eating a whole meal. I think there are quite a few people who share my opinion and it is probably reflected in the choices of food we make everyday. So, I wanted to create a recipe that is not quite reminiscent of the stereotype of salads but is nevertheless light and healthy. Also, since the colder season has started, it HAD to be something warm.

So, my choice was a

warm quinoa salad with seasonal vegetables and green, parmesan shavings and pomegranates

. Everything local, organic and seasonal, courtesy of Whole Foods.

That's my part! Whole Foods is also making it easier for you to be healthy. I am partnering with them to bring you an

awesome giveaway - a $50 Whole Foods Market gift card

. To enter, please leave a comment with how you would make healthier food choices. Giveaway is open until October 6, 2013.

More information on Whole Kids Foundation™

Through its annual fundraiser this September, the foundation hopes to raise $3 million to help schools across the country make healthier changes in the lunchroom and classroom through its three key programs: salad bars, gardens and nutrition education classes for teachers. The foundation has funded 2,600 salad bars and 1,600 school gardens giving more than 2.2 million kids access to healthier food since its inception in 2011. Whole Kids Foundation’s

School Garden Grant Program

, created in partnership with

FoodCorps

, is accepting applications now through Oct. 31. and applications for the

Salad Bar Grant Program

are accepted on an ongoing basis at wholekidsfoundation.org or saladbars2schools.org.

Wholesome Quinoa Salad with Fall Market Vegetables

1-1/2 cups quinoa, mix red and regular

3 carrots, chopped, 1 inch lengths

1/2 lb green beans, chopped, 1 inch lengths

1/2 small onion, julienne + 1/4 raw for garnish

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 radishes, sliced

1 head of bok choy, leaves torn

juice of half a lime

wedge of parmesan to shave on top

fruity olive oil for tossing

pomegranate arils for garnish (optional)

salt and pepper for seasoning

Cook the quinoa according to instructions. While it cooks, saute all the vegetables, except the bok choy until just soft but not mushy. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the torn bok choy leaves at the bottom of the salad bowl. When the quinoa is done, add the hot grain on top of the leaves. It will flash cook them, leaving them wilted but with structure. Also the stem will give the salad a good crunch. Add the cooked vegetables, lime juice, oil. Gently toss the salad and adjust seasoning.

Sprinkle the radish slices and raw onion on top and generously top with parmesan shavings. Sprinkle pomegranate arils if using and serve immediately!