Morning Reflections

Parmesan-Thyme Shortbread. A small snack that packs a punch.

It takes a baby to make you realize the luxury of having a peaceful night's sleep and waking refreshed in the mornings. But I'm not going to whine about that. This post is about appreciating the positive side of everything - like how much I enjoy getting the chance to watch the sunrise every morning, while holding my precious bundle close to my heart.

Magical, no?

Nothing quite beats the serenity of a quiet morning. It's times like that when the oddest, most random thoughts tend to pop up in my head. Things like how much I love Ina Garten's kitchen, or why is B's hair growing in patches, or when am I ever going to have time to go get that pedicure my feet so desperately need, or how I cannot stand Kara Dioguardi from American Idol ... and that sends me spiraling into all kinds of negative emotions towards that show! How much does this season suck?! Even my beloved Ellen can't save it from the lack of talent it's suffering from.

Thyme - such a dainty little thing, isn't she?

This morning I started wondering what to do with the whole bunch of thyme I bought from the grocery store recently. I'm waiting to move into my next home before I start growing my own thyme, because it's ridiculous to buy an entire bunch from the store when you only need a few sprigs! It's a lovely herb, but doesn't get used at all in my regular Pakistani cooking. I decided that it was time I started venturing into snack recipes, and perhaps steer clear of desserts for a while (huh, we'll see how long that lasts!). That's how the idea for this recipe was born, and luckily, Janice from Have Recipes - Will Cook had the perfect, easy recipe for me.

Parmesan-Thyme Crackers (find original recipe here)

Makes about 20 crackers

Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp
Approx 1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1.5 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Method:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter.

2. Turn the mixer to low, then add the parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.

3. Add in the flour and mix till it all comes together as a soft dough.

4. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a ball. Then roll it out into a 9-inch log. Wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins, or up to 4 days.

Must. Stop. Thinking. Naughty. Thoughts. My parents read this blog - dammit!

5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough into 3/8 inch thick rounds and place them on the baking pan. Bake for 22 mins or until very lightly browned. Rotate pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temp.

Verdict: The hardest part was stopping myself from tearing into these adorable crackers as soon as they came out of the oven! The smell of the buttery dough, mixed with parmesan and fresh thyme, as it was baking just drove me to distraction. These have a strong, moan-inducing flavor, and beautiful texture, and work perfectly as an afternoon snack when you're craving something savory. Be aware that these aren't low-fat, even though they're tiny, and eating 10 of them in a row will come back to haunt you when next you go jean-shopping (I did, and it wasn't pretty).

A Manly-Man Birthday

Beef Pasandey - go bold or go home!

It was DH's birthday this week. In honor of this special occasion, dear readers, I'd like to present one of his all-time favorite dishes to you. Let me tell you though, this isn't a recipe for the faint of heart. It's earthy, it's deep, it's layered, it's soulful, it's spicy, it's rich, and most of all, it's meaty. And in a strange way, it actually tells you a lot about DH himself. Because although DH, and every other red-blooded Pakistani male I know, gets really excited about this dish, it's one that certain ladies with discerning taste (ahem, oui, c'est moi) also secretly drool over. I say "secretly" because we're ladies, and we would never drool in public!

Back to DH. Hmmm. That reminds of this Old Spice body wash advert running on TV here in the US these days - "Look at your man, now look at me, now look at him again, now back to me". AHAHAHAHAAAAAaaaaaaaauuuhhhh, ahem. Sorry. The post-pregnant mind y'see. She wanders.

Seriously now, back to DH. One of the reasons I say this dish reminds me of him is because DH is a guy's guy all the way, talking sports and cars till the cows come home, but he also has the secret superpower to charm the pants off any woman! Ok, wait, maybe not any woman, probably just me. But the ladies do love him, and can I tell you why? Every single girl out there will get it the minute I say it. Because he listens. Oh yes, he really truly does. And he responds, even going so far as to try and understand. There is nothing better than being madly in love with a man who turns out to be your best friend. And that's where I'm going to stop talking about DH in public, before I embarrass him further.

Beef Pasandey
Serves 4-6

Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef fillets, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 tsp meat tenderizer powder (optional)
1.5 tsp garlic, crushed
1.5 tsp ginger, crushed
1 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
1/2 tsp black cumin seeds
1/2 tsp white cumin seeds
6 peppercorns
6 green cardamom
3 cloves
1-2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
1/2 cup oil
1 large white onion, sliced
4 small hot green chillies, sliced
1 cup yogurt, whipped
1.5 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
Sliced onion rings for garnish (optional)

Method:
1. Grind together the poppy seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cardamom and cloves.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ground spices with the ginger, garlic, gram flour, red chili powder, turmeric, salt, meat tenderizer powder (if using), and yogurt. Mix well to make a thick paste.

3. Add in the beef fillets and coat them well with the paste. Marinate overnight.
4. The next day, heat oil in a large pan, and saute onions till golden-brown. Add the marinated fillets to the pan, with all of the marinade. Add in half the green chillies. Now cover and cook on low heat for an hour or so, stirring occasionally till meat is completely tender and sauce is thickened to your liking. I add a bit of water at this point, because I adore the gravy, but this is traditionally a dry meat dish, so you can omit the water if you wish.

5. To finish it off, throw in the cilantro, remaining green chillies and the lime juice. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat and serve. The best accompaniment to this is a type of pakistani bread called sheermal - it's slightly sweet and thick and decadent - and you can find it in the freezer section of most Indian/Pakistani specialty stores. Or you can substitute parathas, and they work beautifully too.
Verdict: Man. Oh. Man. This stuff is good enough to make me bite my fingers off as I'm digging into this. It's fantastic as a party recipe. Although the recipe is quite lengthy, you can see how easy the dish actually is to put together. The work is all in the marinade, that's it. But oh, the flavors, dear readers! They sing! So although half the fun in making this dish for me is to see DH's smile light up my heart - and it is an amazing one, dimples n all - the other half is purely for my own selfish satisfaction.

Guess what we're having for dinner this weekend, hon?! Happy Birthday DH!