Lunch Pail: Indian Spice Rub

As Krissi promised at the end of May, she is finally posting her current favorite dry spice rub for chicken (or fish or lamb or ...) which once again features the flavors of India!

Instead of using specific measurements on this one, I've set this recipe up in proportions.  If you want to try this out, you could use a 1/2 teaspoon as your "part."  I usually use a tablespoon as my measurement, then double the recipe and store the mix in a mason jar.  That way, when you're ready to use it, you just grab and go.

• 2 parts ground coriander
• 2 parts ground cumin
• 2 parts garam masala
• 2 parts ground ginger
• 2 parts garlic powder 
• 2 parts turmeric
• 1 part cardamom (ground) - I shell the pods and grind the spice in a dedicated blade grinder
• 2 parts coarse kosher salt
• 1-2 parts cayenne powder

I've started buying in bulk and keeping my Indian spices in Mason jars.
I've gone hard core!

I use this rub on skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but it could be used for fish or even tofu.  I just rinse, trim and pat the chicken pieces dry, then pop them in a Ziploc baggie with enough spice to coat all the pieces well.  Then I leave the chicken in peace for an hour or so in the fridge.  You can cook them in your preferred manner, but just grilling them with a little spritz of oil is fabulous.

OM NOM NOMZ!

By the way, this is very tasty over rice with raita (yogurt sauce) or, if you have some around, some naan.  Mmmmmm.... naan.... *drool*

Krissi Sandvik is the artist and owner of Krissi's Art Studio, home of Skelekitty and Friends in Folsom (yes, like the prison) California, where she resides with her husband, cats, tortoise and Jack Russell Terrier, Abby. Krissi, claims to have been raised by a pack of wild attorneys, was unofficially named "best tutorialer on the web" by her friend Rachelle Rose. She likes to cook, hang out with friends and drive fast.

Lunch Pail: Some (Don't) Like It Hot

Krissi is back with another tasty dish that is perfect as a side or garnish for Indian/Mediterranean dishes or which can be used as a refreshing and low fat salad dressing.

I love the flavors of Indian food, but sometimes the heat is just a little too much for me.  When that's the case, I either add a bit of plain yogurt or some raita (yogurt sauce) to my dish.  This recipe is slightly altered from the one I started with.

Raita

• 2 C plain yogurt
• 1 C seeded and chopped English hothouse cucumber
• 3-4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (for those who do not like cilantro, it can be left out or replaced with a bit of fresh mint)
• 1 Tbsp ginger/garlic paste
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• pinch of salt to taste
• juice from 1/2 fresh lime (optional)

You can play with the ingredients to achieve the taste you like.

Mix together, cover, refrigerate for about an hour (let the flavors come together), consume!

This is particularly tasty over curries, but I also love eating this with chicken grilled with my dry garam masala spice rub and some naan.  Yes, the recipe for the rub is forthcoming!

Krissi Sandvik is the artist and owner of Krissi's Art Studio, home of Skelekitty and Friends in Folsom (yes, like the prison) California, where she resides with her husband, cats, tortoise and Jack Russell Terrier, Abby. Krissi, claims to have been raised by a pack of wild attorneys, was unofficially named "best tutorialer on the web" by her friend Rachelle Rose . She likes to cook, hang out with friends and drive fast.

Recipe: Vegetarian Indian Paneer Butter Masala

Union Riveter Krissi is switching from studio-mode to kitchen-mode today for a recipe! 

Long time, no see, fellow riveters!!!  Once again, my pal and neighbor Bindavi comes through with a tasty and authentic vegetarian recipe - this time it's on her blog and it's called Paneer Butter Masala.

BUT WAIT!!!!  Before you run off to attempt the recipe yourself, let me fill you in on a few of  'Krissi's white-girl tips for cooking Indian food.'


First, let me answer the "what the heck is paneer?" question:
Paneer is basically Indian cottage cheese - however, instead of being a globs of curds in milky whey, the moisture is squeezed out and the curds are formed into a block.  Paneer has a similar texture to very firm tofu, but has a bit more flavor and has a melted consistency when fried properly.  You can find it in most markets near the tofu, in your local Indian grocery and even at Costco!  Paneer can be served in various curries and is even found in some rice and salad recipes. It is low fat, high protein and did I mention, while it's a "cheese," it is made without rennet.  There are also quite a few easy recipes on the internet for making your own paneer.  When I try it, I'll be sure to let you all know!


Next - some ingredient clarification.  British-English from India is NOT the same as American English in many situations.  For example, in America, when we see "chili powder" in a recipe, we reach for this:

Ingredients: Chili Pepper, Cumin, Oregano, Salt, Garlic

But in an Indian recipe/grocery, it means this:

Ingredients: Red Chili Peppers

Bindavi and I had a good laugh at that.  I did have some Cayenne Powder in my pantry that was unopened, so I grabbed that!

More on spices: do yourself a favor and if your cumin/coriander, etc. have been open for a while, toss them and replace them.  Seriously.  If you have any questions, find your local Indian Grocery and ask questions.  I've always found local small shopkeepers to be infinitely helpful.  While my containers of spice were new, we ended up doubling most of the spices to achieve the right taste.

Bindavi grinds her cashews in a coffee/spice grinder to a very find powder, but I used my small Cuisinart and it came out with a corn meal consistency.  My gravy came out less creamy, but had a nice ground beef texture.  It takes a little practice.

When you deep fry the paneer, it's messy unless you have a well seasoned cast iron pan or a non-stick pot.  Otherwise, just go with it.  Make sure the oil is HOT before you fry your paneer so it will soak up as little oil as possible.

Final tip: when cooking down the tomatoes, look for the oil and tomato to 'separate' a little.

you can see the oil 'separating' in the center of the pan
when you see this, the tomatoes are finished cooking down

Paneer is fast becoming one of my meal staples.  It's low fat, high in protein, low in carbohydrates and tastes YUMTASTIC!  Expect a link to a spinach paneer recipe from Bindavi in the near future!

Well??  What are you waiting for???  Go try that recipe now!


Bindavi's blog, KurtiTown.blogspot.com features authentic Indian recipes, cultural tidbits and fashion.  Visit her shop on ArtFire to see her collection of Indian style tunics called kurtis. These tunics are rich in embroidery, brocade work and embellishments designed on high quality fabric. Kurtis can be paired with your favourite jeans, pants or leggings and by interchanging the kurti with different pants, you can create a completely new look every time you wear one of our creations.


Krissi Sandvik is a mixed-media artist, DIY group Corporate Rejects member and the owner of Krissi's Art Studio, home of Skelekitty and Friends. She was recently named "best tutorialer on the web" by her friend Rachelle Rose.  She loves Indian food.  And Mexican food.  And Thai food.  And....

Celebrate Valentines Day with Hannah Banana's Vegan Lemon Merangue Pie

Today's post comes from the amazingly talented bake-shop owner Hannah of Hannah Banana Bakery! Hannah specializes in vegan goodies, that are not only delicious, but are beautiful to look at! I know many of the Union Riveters drool over her creations on her Facebook page all the time! The good thing is, all her recipes are SO good, you don't have to be vegan to agree, they taste amazing!!


As a vegan with a very sweet tooth I like to pride myself with being able to make vegan versions of all the classics (French fancies, cream horns, banoffee pie etc) but I’ve never been completely happy with my lemon meringue pie until NOW!
I made this for a customer last week and got such a great review I thought I’d share it around!




The crust
1 ½ cup plain flour
½ cup icing sugar
¾ cup pure margarine (not the olive one!) straight out the fridge so its super cold!
Pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.
Mix everything together with your hands – squish squish squish!
Pop it in some cling film and ram in the fridge for 30 min.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry and press into a 9” dish.
Push the sides in gently using a fork and stab the base a few times – jab jab jab!
Place a scrap of baking paper on top of the base and cover in baking beads or any old dried beans.
Pop in the oven for 10 min, turn and bake for another 10 min.
Take out of the oven and carefully remove the paper and beads.

The middle

1 cup caster sugar
2/3 cup soya milk
7 Tbsp orange juice
6 Tbsp corn flour
The juice from 3 lemons
The rind from 2 lemons
1 Tbsp pure margarine (not olive!)

In a medium saucepan on a medium heat, whisk together the sugar, milk, orange juice and corn flour.
Now WHISK!!!! Don’t stop until it goes thick and translucent (about 8-10 min so brace yourself!).
Whisk in the other ingredients and leave the pan to cool off the heat whilst you make the meringue then pour over the base.

The meringue (1) the one I used

1 box of vegan meringue cookie mix (by Angel food)
4 tsp vege gel (Dr oeker does one)
¼ cup water
¾ cup caster sugar

In an electric stand mixer with the “whisk” beater, mix 2 tbsp bag “A” with the with water for 10 min on a medium speed.
Add the sugar and whisk for 5 min.
Add 2 ½ tsp bag “B” and the vege gel for about 2-3 min (it will be super thick by now!)
Pipe/ spoon onto the pie.
Bake for 20 min at 100°C.


The meringue (2) if you cant get hold of meringue mix!

½ cup egg replacer (no egg or ener-g)
¾ cup chilled water
2 ½ tsp vanilla essence
½ cup + 2 Tbp caster sugar
1 tsp vege gel + 1/3 cup water

Mix the vege gel with the water in a small saucepan for approximately 5 min.
Heat the saucepan on a low heat and let simmer until it’s all dissolved and starting to thicken then take off the heat.
In an electric stand mixer with the “whisk” beater, mix the egg replacer with cold water for 10 min on a medium speed.
Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk for another 5 minutes.
Add the vege-gel mix and whisk for another 2 minutes.
Refrigerate for 30 min then pipe/ spoon onto the pie.
Bake for 30 min at 160°C.

Hannah Banana Bakery is located in Southampton UK, and specializes in vegan baked goods. Hannah blogs often here, or you can follow her on Facebook! She also has a recipes blog, which is an amazing resource too bookmark!

Brooke Van Gory's Vegan Chili

Since the weather here in Chicago is suddenly really snowy, and bitter cold, my family likes to revert back to soups and stews for dinners. This is not only a huge comfort food situation, but it is also really awesome when you have kids busy in sports and activities that have you running all over at dinner time. Now, I am going to admit it here. My "normal" chili this recipe is not. My regular recipe is chalk full of meat, takes a full 14 hours to make, and is award winning, so I will never give up it's secrets. ;) Surprisingly enough, however, this quick vegan recipe is the chili my carnivore husband PREFERS now. Go figure.

Ingredients:
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans black beans
(If you are hardcore like me, you use your pressure cooker, and make em yourself, but sometimes, I used canned for time)
1/2 a package Morningstar Farms ground "beef" crumbles
1/2 an onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cans diced canned tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomato/chili mix
2 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Mexican Orageno
salt and pepper to taste

This is also really cost effective, because you can get TWO full meals out of one bag of Morningstar Farms crumbles. So serving for serving, this whole meal costs less then 2$ a serving. ;)

Toss the onions, garlic, and crumbles in a pan, and "brown" them until the onions are cooked. In the same pan, add in the cans of tomatoes and Rotel (drained first) and the seasonings. Rinse the beans, then toss them in there, too. Cook for 10 minutes on medium, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes will reduce nicely.

Serve in a nice crock. We like to add in goodies at the end like shredded cheese, sour cream, and oyster crackers. Personally, I like my chili with a slice of crusty bread! :D

Brooke is the owner and seamstress at Brooke Van Gory Designs. She lives in The Chicago suburbs with her two kiddos, and her rock star husband! You can shop BVG here, and follow her on Google+ here.

Cherry Coke Jello Shots - PERFECT for Holiday Gatherings!

Tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry. This is best done among friends and family, and sometimes holiday gatherings call for special drinks. Today, Jen Ell shows us her special Cherry Coke Jello Shot recipe, which is easy to make, travels well, and will be the hit of any holiday gathering! 

Today I am going to show you how to make my famous Cherry Coke Jello Shots. Every time I make jello shots these babies are the first to go. They are ridiculously  easy. If you can make Jello then you can make these.

Ingredients and Stuff:

- 1 regular box of Cherry Jello 

- 1 cup of coke

- 1 cup of vodka

- Portion cups*

- Small pot

- Measuring cup

- Spoon

- Cookie sheet (optional)

*These are the correct kind: http://www.foodservicedirect.com/product.cfm/p/137975/Dixie-Plastic-Translucent-Souffle-Portion-Cup-5.5-Ounce.htm - You should be able to find them in a party supply store. A sleeve of 500 is generally around $5, but unfortunately my store was out, and the ones in the photo were all they had. They will work in a pinch, but the others are better.

Instructions:

1. Arrange your portion cups on a cookie sheet, or in a large container.

2. Measure and pour the coke into the pot and bring it to a boil. Mix in the Cherry Jello. Once all the powder is dissolved pour in the vodka and stir.

2. Pour part of the mixture into your mixing cup.

3. Pour mixture into portion cups.

**Tip...don't drop your cell phone into the shots like I did here...see all the red. I'm still finding Jello all over my phone 2 weeks later.

4. Put shots into the fridge overnight so the jello can set. I've tried doing them and only allowing about 4 hours for them to set, but I think the vodka slows down the process, so I have found overnight works best.

I have a nifty jello shot carrier, which is actually a Martha Stewart cupcake carrier. I like to think she appreciate the less than conventional use of her product. See...

5. After they've set take them out and enjoy!

Alternatives:

The process for making any other jello shot a basically the same. Simply replace the coke with water, and feel free experiment with other jello flavors and liquors!

Jen Ell is the owner and designer of the apparel and accessories company Jen Ell's Revenge, and also the mastermind behind all of the cute kid's clothing at Ankle Biter Apparel.  Jen Ell lives in Georgia with her new husband, and her fur babies!!!!

Lunch Pail: CAKE BALLS!

The holiday season is fast approaching, and we are always on the look-out for amazing recipes that will be good treats to bring to holiday get-togethers. Cake balls and pops are a really hot treat this year, so our good friend Jen Ell came by to show us how to make them!!

 

Cake balls are the in thing right now. How could you not love them….oooey gooey cake and frosting, rolled into a ball, covered in some sort of chocolate or candy coating. Some people are scared to try making them, or think they’re really hard but they’re not. The actual process and steps are easy, It’s just a bit time consuming. The cake balls I made while doing this tutorial just happened to be Halloween themed, but you can easily adjust the colors/flavors for whatever holiday, event or theme necessary.

Ingredients

- 1 cake mix & required ingredients
- 1 can of frosting (store bought or homemade)
- Candy Melts or Chocolate bark (1-2 packages)
- Pan(s)
- Bowl
- Mixer
- Spoon
- Oven
- Plastic wrap
Directions
1. Prepare the cake according to instructions, just follow the box. Bake it in whatever pan you have on hand. The size and shape does not matter. You can also choose to be an over achiever and make the cake totally from scratch. (Optional: To make it more Halloweeny I added a few drops of green food coloring to the cake prior to baking.)
2. When the cake is ready take it out of the oven, quickly cut it into squares and dump them all in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the frosting and stir until everything is combined. (Optional: to make them more festive for Halloween I added a small container of Halloween colored sprinkles)

4. After everything is good and mixed up spread out some plastic wrap on the counter, then dump the contents of the bowl out on the plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap form this into a log, wrap it up tight and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

5. Once it’s cooled down in the fridge and firmed up take it out. It should look something like this.

6. Take butter knife and chop it into squares. I do this to try and keep the size of the balls somewhat uniform. This can also help you decide just how many cake balls you’re going to make. I’ve found I can generally get between 40 and 50 out of one batch. If you know you need more cut smaller squares, and larger squares for fewer cake balls.

7. Lay some wax paper on a cookie sheet, and start rolling the squares into balls. Venture back to your childhood and pretend you’re playing with Playdoh. If they try to stick to your hands then spray some cooking spray on them. If this doesn’t work then it probably needs to go back in the fridge for a bit. Once you’ve rolled all the cake balls, place them back in the fridge for a couple of hours.

8. Now we get to the dipping, follow the directions on your dipping substance for the melting. It most likely says place in the microwave for 30 second intervals stirring in between until melted, or something along those lines. Spread some wax paper out on another cookie sheet and then start dipping the balls one at a time into the candy coating/chocolate. For this I use a fork. You could try stabbing and dipping them with a tooth pick, but in my experience they just fall off. If you use a spoon or tongs then you wind up with more melty goodness on them than the cake. (Optional: I find that the candy melts/chocolate are still a bit thick when completely melted. In order to thin them down just add about 1 tablespoon or so of shortening, melt and stir. This should be better a consistency to work with. The only down side is that you can see the cake through the thinner coating, to solve this you can dip them twice, but I typically don’t. If you thin down the coating you should only need one 14-16 oz. package, if you leave it thick then you need two)

9. Place the dipped cake balls in the fridge for about 30 minute to an hour until the coating is hard then enjoy! If you are dipping them twice then you take them out, dip again, re-refrigerate, then enjoy.

Tips:
- If you are making multiple batches at one time you can easily spread this process out in to a couple of days.
o Day 1 - Bake all the cakes, create the cake frosting mixture and pop in fridge over night
o Day 2 - Roll all of the cake balls and pop in the fridge
o Day 3 – Dip all of the cakeballs.
- Use only shortening to thin the chocolate/candy melts. Milk, water, etc will not work!
- Have fun with it! Experiment with different cake and frosting flavors.

Jen Ell is the owner and designer of the apparel and accessories company Jen Ell's Revenge, and also the mastermind behind all of the cute kid's clothing at Ankle Biter Apparel.  Jen Ell lives in Georgia with her new husband, and her fur babies!!!!

Lunch Pail: Rolled Garlic Pesto Cheese Bread

Today our lunch pail recipe is for a delicious bread that would be perfect to serve hot with a homemade soup or stew. Colder temperatures are coming, and these types of meals are perfect ways to feed your family in a healthy, hearty way! Our quest blogger Slee calls this her "Got Some I-talian Rolled up in this B*tch" recipe. Slee is amazing, and we are looking forward to many more posts from her in the future!

Supplies-
Stand mixer, dough hook, a loose fitting lid for your mixing bowl (or a dutch oven with loose fitting lid)
Baking stone

Dough Ingredients- 
(makes 2 loafs, because you'll want two)

3 cups room temperature to slightly warm water
1 TBSP + 1 1/2 tsp machine yeast
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 1/2 cups Bread Flour  
1 TBSP + 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Put water and yeast into mixing bowl, then add flour and salt. All dry ingredients  should be measured by scoop & sweep method. (Scoop it into measuring apparatus, then sweep the excess off with the flat side of a butter knife- I put a plate under my sweeping area so as to reclaim excess flour without having to mess with sweeping over an open bag) 

Mix on low with bread hook til thoroughly mixed. Remove bowl from mixer, cover, and let sit 2-3 hrs (mine usually sits overnight because I get distracted). If it's stopped rising and has begun to fall, you're good to go with putting it in the fridge.

Whenever you'd like, get out your baking stone, prep it with corn meal or flour,  pull about half out and place it on a baking stone. 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. let dough sit on stone for about ten minutes before starting to press/roll it out like you would pizza dough (this makes great pizza dough too). Then top it.

Stuffing Ingredients: (for each loaf)

1 oz butter, salted
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 cup grated cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, a healthy mix of pizza cheeses, whatever floats your boat)
1 TBSP Picasso Pesto Dip Mix or any other pest sauce mix (when in doubt, you can just use basil, but it's not quite the same)
1/2 tsp celery salt
 
Evenly distribute toppings/stuffings like you're topping a pizza.

Then roll that b*tch up and put it in the oven for 25 minutes.

Serve hot, since no one's gonna let it get cold.

Slee is an awesome geek/mommy blogger, and owner and designer of Sock Punky. You can find her Etsy shop here, and her blog Paisley and Pretties here. Also, sneak a peek at her Facebook page! 

Lunch Pail: Cabbage and Sausage Soup

Today's submission is from our friend and artist Kim of Ant Farm Studio. Kim is one of the happiest, kindest hearted people the Rosies know. Kim is also the QUEEN of ways to make amazing things in a frugal way. This recipe is no exception, it looks AMAZING. We look forward to more posts from Kim in the future!

CABBAGE & SAUSAGE SOUP
1 large head of green cabbage(chopped)
1 nice large leek (chopped)
1 sweet or Vidalia onion (chopped)
1 good size zucchini (chopped)
1 pkg kielbasa or smoked sausage (cut into small chunks)
1 sm can diced green chiles
1 can pinto beans (with liquid)
1 can sliced carrots (with liquid)
1 lg container Swanson's vegetable broth
5 packets Del Taco hot sauce (or whatever hot sauce you like - Pico Pica is good too)
salt, pepper, favorite herbs to taste if you choose. we don't use salt.

I make this in a tamale pot. (which I have lost the lid to! LOL!)
Dump it all in together, then add water so that everything floats well. The cabbage will greatly reduce during cooking. Cook on medium high til it is simmering good and then reduce to low and simmer til done, about an hour or two. Check it often and taste it often to adjust seasoning :) I serve it with a loaf of French bread or sourdough bread that I have slathered with butter (I use unsalted), wrapped in foil, and heated in the oven at 400* for like 20-30 min depending on your oven.



When it gets really cold and I HAVE time, I make my breads from scratch. My rosemary sourdough is killer by the way and so is my honey bran bread.

**note from the Rosies: We want THOSE recipes, too Kim!**

A little tidbit: If you don't use the sausage, this soup is vegan AND is a great weight loss tool.  Truly, it's the cabbage & beans that do it :)

Kim is the brilliant artist that runs Antfarm Studios. You can find her on Facebook, or shop her Artfire shop. She lives in Yucca Valley with her amazing husband, Larry, and her mother!