side dish « (y)our food choices™

Paneer is a fresh cow milk cheese that is made from adding an acid like lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar (buttermilk works as well) to heated milk. The milk forms curds (curdles) that separate from the whey when the acid is introduced. The curds are then skimmed from the whey to drain and then pressed to remove any excess liquid. Paneer is a non-melting cheese that is used primarily in South Asian cuisine, especially in Indian cooking. Since paneer does not melt, it can be grilled or coated with flour or wrapped in dough and then deep-fried.

We recently took the Cheese Making 101 class taught by Mary Karlin, author of Artisan Cheese Making at Home, from The Cheese School of San Francisco. Paneer was one of the first cheeses we finished, and it was a lot easier than one might think. The magic of the cheese making was all in the patience it takes to heat milk slowly and a little chemistry. And like most culinary adventures, learning to adjust to unforeseen circumstances (such as a cool breeze from an open window) is all part of the learning process.

While we are novices to Indian cooking, like cheese making, we were excited to jump into another experiment. One of our favorite Indian dishes is Palak Paneer (Spinach Paneer). It’s a creamy spinach curry dish with cubes of paneer cheese. If you have picky kids that love cheese but hate vegetables, this might be a good one to serve them. With a willingness to be adventurous and a sense of how to use what’s available to us in our pantry, we scoured the web for inspiration for our Palak Paneer. The result is an Indian dish at heart, but with a little creative flair from California. It’s not authentic, but it is mighty tasty.

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California Palak Paneer

8 ounces paneer, cubed
2 teaspoons dry turmeric (divided)
3 tablespoons butter (divided)
1 large onion, minced
1 small cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14 ounce can tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon cumin (preferably freshly ground)
2 pounds fresh spinach, cleaned and stemmed, leaves only

In a large non-stick sauté pan, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter until bubbles subside. Toss the paneer with 1 teaspoon turmeric, coating all sides. Add the paneer to the pan and brown on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the cheese from the pan and set aside.

Add I tablespoon butter to the pan. When bubbles subside add the minced onion, cinnamon stick and bay leaves and sauté until translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add cumin and remaining dry turmeric to the pan and sauté for another couple of minutes until spices are fragrant. In a small hot spot in the pan, add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the canned tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.

In batches, add the fresh spinach leaves to the onions and tomatoes. Using tongs, flip the vegetables, and continue to add more spinach as it wilts, flipping until all the spinach has been added. Once the spinach has wilted, take off the heat and pour into a food processor. With the processor running, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and process for 10 -20 seconds or until all the butter is incorporated.

Return the spinach mixture to the sauté pan and place back on the stove over low heat. Add the paneer to the spinach mixture and keep warm until ready to serve, or present the Paleek Paneer family style with the fried paneer on top of the spinach.

A mélange of veggies (carrots, turnips, and butternut squash) prepare for the heat.

The concept is simple; crank the oven up to a high temperature (around 425 degrees), take your favorite hard, non-leafy, vegetable and break apart or dice into large cubes (one inch?), line a baking sheet with foil and place the veggies on the sheet along with a good drizzle of olive oil, roast for 20-30 minutes or until a nice roasted color has developed, remove from the oven and toss the veggies with salt, pepper, and whatever else you think might be good from your fridge or pantry. What you have is a delicious side dish to serve to the pickiest vegetable eaters.

Don’t believe us about picky vegetable eaters? We took a couple of heads of cauliflower and roasted them for Steve’s parents over the holidays. Just a little salt and pepper added to the fresh-from-the-oven crucifers, and another drizzle of olive oil, was all it took for these two devout carnivores to enjoy a vegetable they normally don’t eat.

If you’re looking to get kids to eat their veggies, asked them to help out in the kitchen. After washing the cauliflower ask your little ones to break apart the cauliflower and place it on the baking sheet. Let them do the work. When kids feel like they’re a part of the cooking they’re more apt to eat what they’ve prepared.

A bowl of roasted cauliflower with capers, lemon zest and juice.

The roasting of the veggies brings out a deep rich flavor and sweetness that pan frying or blanching looses. Great veggies to try include broccoli, sweet potatoes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and, of course, the notorious russet potato. We use this technique with hard squash and beets in addition to the veggies already mentioned. An added benefit to cranking up the oven is the warming effect the ambient heat has in a small, freezing apartment.

The basic recipe idea is outlined in the first paragraph, but for those of you who need an actual recipe, well here it is. Roast as much or as little as you want. Just make sure that all vegetable pieces rest in a single layer and that you don’t over crowd the pans. The heat needs to hit as much of the surface of the vegetables as possible (caramelizes the veggies and makes for quick cooking time).

Carrots, butternut squash, and turnips with honey, garam masala, and curry powder.

Simple Roasted Vegetables

Hard vegetables such as; cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, hard winter squashes, etc.
Olive oil*
Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. For easy clean up, line baking sheet(s) with aluminum foil. Large dice or break apart (broccoli and cauliflower) the vegetables. Place the veggies on the lined baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons per sheet). Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until a good roasted color has developed. Rotate the pans and toss the vegetables half way through roasting. Once the vegetables are done, transfer into a bowl and add your optional ingredients. Enjoy!

Other optional ingredients: garlic, red pepper flakes, peanut butter, lemon juice, vinegar, capers, anchovies, or whatever your heart, and stomach, desires.

Some Good Combinations

Garlic, red pepper flakes, & peanut butter: Add mince garlic to a bowl with the red pepper flakes and ¼-1/2 cup peanut butter. Add 1-4 tablespoons hot water and stir until a smooth consistency develops. Pour over roasted vegetables and serve with rice or noodles.

Capers, anchovies & vinegar: After the vegetables have roasted. Add 1-2 tablespoons capers, 1 or 2 finely minced anchovies and a light drizzle of your favorite vinegar to the veggies. This is especially good with cauliflower.

Garam Masala, curry, & honey: Toss the veggies with ½ tablespoon (or more) of each spice and about 2 tablespoons honey, along with olive oil, and salt and pepper.

*Italian dressing: Substitute half the olive oil with a good quality Italian dressing before placing in the oven, or add the dressing to the roasted vegetables after they have roasted.