Have fun with flavors and eat your vegetables!

The proportion of meat to vegetables in an average Indian household varies but usually even meat eaters eat more vegetables in a year than meat. I grew up eating 18 vegetarian meals and at best 2 meals involving some kind of meat, a week. In my house, Sunday was the day for chicken and mutton biriyanis, fish/crab curries or shrimp fries (not all at the same time ofcourse!). Why Sunday? Perhaps, it is the day for slow cooking and relaxation for everyone in the family and all that is on the schedule is eating and slothing..

My husband on the other hand, being Parsi, grew up with quite the opposite concept of meat-vegetable balance. Meat was always the star of any dish and vegetables were added as guilt suppressors really. And, if by chance, the major part of the dish was a vegetable, then a dash of meat flavor was added into it. For example, lentils were cooked with the mutton bones, very similar to the concept of using broth to flavor the dish.

Now, as long as I was at home, I was perfectly content with and thoroughly enjoyed the delicious vegetarian meals that my mom put out. And, since, the concept of meat broths is unfamiliar to Indian cuisine, when I say vegetarian, it really was! But, since having moved to the US, both our food preferences have become topsy-turvy.

I have turned a complete carnivore and refuse to eat vegetables unless they are camouflaged into something else in flavor and presentation. I blame it on the abysmal choice and flavor of vegetables and greens in the stores here. (Oh! I miss Indian produce...fresh, organic and flavorful!) And, he has turned largely vegetarian! The guy who was raised on pure meat now comes home after his week's travels, begging for vegetarian meals. Irony of our lives!

Anyway, to straddle both our tastes, I have been forced to be creative in many ways combining our mutual love for certain ingredients such as potato, cheese, meat etc. with the not so loved (cauliflower!) to create wholesome meals that we can both enjoy while keeping it healthy. One such is my veggie loaded Mac & Cheese. Who doesn't like pastas?! And baked pastas bring out the flavors nicely, perfectly rounded off by the cheese. But, you really cannot have pasta everyday.

So, I came up some meals that have worked well in my house. I am going to put up a series of vegetarian meals that are appealing, tasty and really healthful. The best part about using something you like and keeping it as the dominant flavor is that it allows you to sneak in stuff that's good for you but you may not really love. The thing to keep in mind is flavor combination, so that the end product is delicious!

My dish for today is Mushrooms in Red wine and Roasted Pepper reduction sauce. Here is the thing with mushrooms; people usually like them. They have great earthy flavor but no nutrition value. And, I am not a big fan of peppers but I love the taste of a roasted pepper. So, combining the two is not exactly a stroke of brilliance but hey!, a dish doesn't need to be complicated to be fabulous!

This sauce is versatile in use. For a light dinner, just pair it with lightly toasted bread slices. It also makes a great pasta sauce. If you want to take it up another notch, and say entertain with it, here is what you can do. Spread some of the sauce at the bottom of a buttered baking dish (8" x 8"). Layer soft bread slices (edges cut) over the sauce. The sauce will ensure that the bread doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. Cover with more of the sauce (be generous) . Make another bread layer and spread the remaining sauce over it. Sprinkle generously with grated mozzarella and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes till cheese melts. So, its like a combination of lasagna and strata. The bread soaks up the flavors from the sauce and adds depth to the dish..


Mushrooms in Red wine and Roasted Pepper Reduction

1 lb portebello or cremini mushrooms quartered
2 red bell peppers
1 onion diced fine
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup canned, crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup of sour cream
1 tsp dried thyme
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cayenne
1-1/2 tsp paprika
2 T chopped mint
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place the bell peppers on a baking sheet and roast in oven for 30-40 minutes turning it twice during the times. Peppers are done when the skin is charred. Remove from oven, cover the peppers with tin foil, allowing the cooking process to complete. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and de-seed them. Put them in a blender and puree until smooth.

Meanwhile, saute the chopped onions and garlic in oil until soft. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook them for a few minutes till the tomato is cooked. Add the roasted pepper puree, dry herbs and spices and cook for a 3-4 minutes till the flavors get incorporated. Stir in the wine and broth and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the flame and add the mushrooms in. Simmer until the sauce is reduced to two-thirds. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the sour cream. Fold in chopped mint and serve!