Black Bean Burgers/Patties

There are plenty of reasons why I chose to not post for GMT (again) this week.

One, I had my hands on the last of The Hunger Games Trilogy, Mockingjay, and could not put it down till I finished it.

Two, it snowed in our little mining town and it never snows here. Well, almost never. I just did not feel like spending time on the laptop while looking at the snow fall.

Three, I had decided last Sunday that I am taking no more pictures of my food, till I do not post the pile of recipes in my folders on my comp. (Actually I had decided, sometime last week, but broke that resolve to click the Mascarpone Meringue Cake and the Browned Butter cookies). My blogger’s block hasn’t been helping me in getting rid of the backlog, but till the pending recipes aren’t posted I am not clicking any more pictures.

Four, because it was V-day. Not that I celebrate Valentine’s day, but since V day is a play on what I call my husband (V) on the blog, I just found it amusing and thought would take a break for “V”day! And what would you know, on V day, V is the one who gets flowers and a card for me! You would think it would be the other way round. But, no- not in our household. V is the more romantic one. I’m the banal one. But, I can be nice too. I did make his favorite Baingan ka Bharta (roasted and mashed eggplant) for lunch. For dinner, we went out.

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4 Comments

by Shumaila on February 16, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Healthier Options, Main Course, Breakfast

Tagged food, vegetarian, recipe, blog, vegetarian breakfast, burger, black bean, black bean burgers, healthier burgers, healthier recipes, vegetarian burgers, protein packed breakfast, veggie patty, vegetarian patty, blog recipe for vegetarian patty, blog recipe for vegetarian burger, black bean recipes

Posted by Shumaila on February 16, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/black-bean-burgerspatties/

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

You know you are doing good with your exercise regime, when instead of avoiding to wash your jeans (since they get tight after a wash and you lose the “loose” fit), you actually prefer washing them so that they fit you better.

And that’s what I had been doing and felt good about my weight loss (of course there is a long way to go, but the jeans are getting looser, so I was happy).

But all this happy feeling went down the drain this past weekend.

All because of these damn browned butter chocolate chip cookies.

(I know I shouldn’t swear, but these damn cookies, they are just so good that they are no good!)

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10 Comments

by Shumaila on February 13, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Cookies

Tagged baking, browned butter, browned butter recipes, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chips, cookies, easy chocolate chip cookie recipe, food, good chocolate chip cookie recipe, one bowl cookie recipe, quick chocolate chip cookie recipe, recipe, recipes that brown butter

Posted by Shumaila on February 13, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/browned-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Mascarpone Meringue Layer Cake

I haven’t been feeling too motivated to blog. I really don’t know why. Just in that rut, I guess- the bloggers’ block. This blog was supposed to be about food as well as my life with snippets from my day to day life. You know, so that one day, when I or my kids or someone would read and say hmm so this was the day The Novice Housewife did this.

And, although things are happening in my life, there has been nothing worth writing about. And, even though I have plenty of recipes to share, I haven’t been blogging because I just don’t know what to write.

But today I can’t let my rut come in the way of sharing this recipe with you. Especially, more so because Valentine’s days is in two days.

And though I am not a Velentine’s Day celebrator, in case you are, you will have to make this.

And share it with that special someone.

Or not. And eat it all by yourself.

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8 Comments

by Shumaila on February 12, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Baking, Cakes, Desserts

Tagged cake, cakes without flour, chocolate ganache, egg whites, gluten free, gluten free cake, how to bake meringue, how to make meringue, layer cake, love, mascarpone, mascarpone filling, meringue, meringue cakes, sweetapolita, valentine's day, what to do with egg whites left from icecream

Posted by Shumaila on February 12, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/mascarpone-meringue-layer-cake/

Spinach & Mushroom Omelet baked in a Bread Boule

An omelet baked in bread.

What the F, right??

I know, that was my reaction too when I saw this on Josie’s site Pink Parsley.

Like her, I too wondered why can’t I ever come up with such brilliant ideas.

You have dips served in bread boules, soups served in boules- but have you ever had an omelet served in a boule?

This is the best breakfast meets any-other-meal kind of dish.

Josie made this for dinner and calls it a fantastic breakfast for dinner food. I actually made it for lunch. And thought it tasted great for lunch as well!

Unlike some people, who are particular that certain things can not be had for dinner, or lunch- I always feel eat what you want, at whatever time you want (well of course if that rule is applied sensibly- not eating junk every hour of the day- that’s not doing anybody any good).

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13 Comments

by Shumaila on February 8, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Main Course

Posted by Shumaila on February 8, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/spinach-mushroom-omelet-baked-in-a-bread-boule/

February SRC: TSRI’s Tomato Feta Pasta Salad

I am not used to posting recipes one day after the other. And that is why I should have drafted this post earlier. Especially since this month I was very good at managing my SRC recipe selection. For once I did not procrastinate till the last moment to try a recipe. But that’s the only thing I was good at it this month.

I thought I would have the weekend to complete the writing part of the post- as the making part had been taken care of. But on Saturday, we had a pre-Super Bowl party at home and I got busy with that. And on Sunday, half day was spent hungover and the rest watching the super bowl. I also managed to lose $10 to V, betting on the Patriots to win! I was not happy.

So, as always, even though the intitial planning was great, by the end I was left rushing through another SRC post.

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21 Comments

by Shumaila on February 6, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Italian, Salads, The Secret Recipe Club

Tagged blog, capers, dinner, feta, food, ina garten, lunch, pasta salad, quick salad, recipes, Salad, secret recipe club, sun dried tomatoes, tomato, tomato feta pasta salad

Posted by Shumaila on February 6, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/february-src-tslrs-tomato-feta-pasta-salad/

February Recipe Swap: Mary’s Rice Pie

For the month of February, Christianna of the Burwell General Store chose a wild rice dressing as the recipe to be swapped.

The rules of the swap are simple. Each month Christianna sends us a recipe from a vintage cookbook, to which we have to give our own twist by changing at least three things either in the recipe’s ingredients, or technique or both.

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17 Comments

by Shumaila on February 5, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Baking, Recipe Swap, Tart

Tagged blog, cinnamon, classic home desserts, food, pie, recipe swap, rice pudding, rice recipe, richard sax

Posted by Shumaila on February 5, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/february-recipe-swap-marys-rice-pie/

Barbeque Chicken Tacos

I try to be inventive in the kitchen but more often than not it is always a miss.

Like the time I tried to make salsa pasta. I know! What was I thinking, right?!

Well, I thought it would be the best of both worlds but it turned out to be the worst.

I actually blame it on the salsa (not the salsa recipe but that particular salsa batch).

I added more cilantro to the salsa than called for and in the hope of rescuing the salsa batch, I decided to mix it with some pasta thinking it might reduce the cilantro flavor and in the process I would come up with a new dish in the kitchen that would be truly my creation (while writing this post I did google salsa pasta and apparently there are versions of it floating around in cyber space).

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3 Comments

by Shumaila on February 3, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Grilled, Main Course

Tagged bbq chicken tacos, blog, blog recipe, chicken tacos, dinner, food, KV masterpiece, lunch, mexican, quick meals, quick tacos, recipe, super bowl, super bowl recipes, taco blog recipe, tacos, tomatillo salsa

Posted by Shumaila on February 3, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/barbeque-chicken-tacos/

Garam Masala Tuesdays: Split Green Gram Pancakes

…and a lesson in knowing your “Moong” dal.

When I was in India this time, somebody asked me, why is your blog called the “Novice” Housewife? Going on further to explain that from the pictures and the food I make, it didn’t look like I was a novice.

At that time I took it as a compliment and smiled (reminding myself that when someone pays you a compliment you should always accept it and never protest).

In my mind though, I was saying- of course I am a novice, there is so much I do not know.

This post is a reflection of just that.

How little I know. And how much I need to learn.

(I know this doesn’t sound like a strong case for me giving my “expert” advice on Indian food at GMT! Yikes! Anywho….)

The other day, I downloaded a food recipe app- a Nita Mehta iPhone app.

Nita Mehta is like the Ina Garten of Indian food, if I could say so, without offending fans of either of the mentioned parties. Her recipes are quick and mostly great. Like Ina’s.

So anyway, I downloaded the app- its a breakfast recipes app. And looked good. I decided to try her version of Rajasthani Chilla.

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1 Comment

by Shumaila on January 31, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Breakfast, Garam Masala Tuesdays, Healthier Options, Indian, Snacks

Posted by Shumaila on January 31, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/garam-masala-tuesdays-split-green-gram-pancakes/

Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms and Gruyere Tartlets

I love Michelle’s site- The Brown Eyed Baker.

In the past I have made the portobello pesto pizza adapted from her site, and it was wonderful.

Coincidentally (although it was not intended) I chose another mushroom recipe from her site to try.

Last week, it was my turn to host the weekly coffee meets we ladies of our small town have every Friday.These get-togethers are my lifeline and thanks to the amazing group of people I have met through these weekly affairs, living in this town has actually become enjoyable.

While browsing through FoodGawker for some appetizer ideas to make for my friends, I came across these caramelized onions and mushroom tartlets. One look at the recipe and its rave reviews, I was sure this is what I had to make.

I love mushrooms.

And caramelized onions. And Gruyere.

And I loooooooove puff pastry. So I knew these would be delish.

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5 Comments

by Shumaila on January 30, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Snacks, Tart

Tagged appetizers, caramelized onion tarts, caramelized onions, finger food, food, game day recipes, gruyere, homemmade puff pastry, mushroom, mushroom and onion tarts, mushroom tarts, onions, puff pastry, recipe, snacks, super bowl, super bowl recipes, tartlets

Posted by Shumaila on January 30, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/caramelized-onions-mushrooms-and-gruyere-tartlets/

January Daring Bakers: Biscuits

I am two days late.

In posting (before you get the wrong ideas).

I have been slacking with my DB challenges. I was not able to do the last two as I was in India. And this month, even though I could have worked on it, some other things, besides my laziness, kept me busy.

I have been slacking in all my posts and now there is a huge backlog of recipes to be shared. I have resolved this week I am going to try and catch up with some of those pending posts. I will be sharing some seriously good recipes in the coming days. So watch out for this space.

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Audax worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

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6 Comments

by Shumaila on January 29, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Baking, Baking 101, Bread, Breakfast, Daring Bakers'

Tagged biscuits, breakfast, Daring Bakers', difference between scones and biscuits, flaky biscuits, how to get the perfect biscuit, scones, tender biscuits, tips for better biscuits, tips for better scones

Posted by Shumaila on January 29, 2012

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/january-daring-bakers-biscuits/