Samosa Pinwheels

Sorry neglected blog. I am trying very hard to remember to take pictures of food I make. I finally remembered to take a picture of my samosa pinwheels! Yeah! These are easy appetizers if you have the ingredients on hand. I like to take shortcuts and buy frozen cooked potatoes in a bag and puff pastry. Makes life easier when you have company coming over. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry sheets (contains 2 sheets), thaw according to instructions
1 egg and 1 tbs water, mixed

3-4 potatoes (peeled, cubed, and cooked) I like to use frozen cooked and cubed potatoes.
2 tbs oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup green peas (if using frozen, thaw before using)
1 green chili (optional), chopped
3 tbs chopped cilantro leaves
4-5 tbs water
1.5 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds*
1/2 tsp dried mint
2 tbs lemon juice

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease.

Heat pan with oil. Add onions until brown around edges. Add peas, cilantro and chili. Add water so that the peas cook. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until peas are cooked through. There should  be no water left in pan. If the water dries out before the peas are cooked and more water. Add potatoe and spices to the pan. Mix together. Add lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust spices accordingly. Once mixture has cooled, roll out puff pastry. Spread mixture on puff pastry. Roll puff pastry from shortest end to top making sure to roll tight. You should have enough potato mixture for both rolls of puff pastry. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry. Cut rolls into slices and place on cookie sheets. Brush pinwheel tops with egg wash. Bake in oven for 20 -25 minutes until golden brown.

I like to serve the pinwheels with Cheesecake Factory's tamarind cashew chutney. They sell it in a bottle and it is yum!

*To make roasted cumin seeds, heat a small pan and add 2 tsp cumin seeds. Roast seeds until they become dark and fragrant. Once cooled, grind in a coffee grinder. Store leftovers in a container.

Mango Salsa

This is a great and quick appetizer. I had some last minute guests come over for dinner and decided to have a barbeque. This sweet,tart,spicy salsa makes this dish perfect for summer barbeques. I like to pour the mango salsa over some softened cream cheese to make it more dip like. It's great served with tortilla chips and tastes amazing over burgers. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded, and diced (If you cannot find a RIPE mango, substitute with a ripe papaya)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbs finely chopped jalapeno
• 2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 8 0z cream cheese, softened (optional)

Combine mango, jalapeno, green bell pepper,onions, and garlic in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the vinegar, cilantro and salt and stir well. Adjust seasoning to taste. If using cream cheese, pour over cream cheese to create a dip. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies or pita chips.
The salsa can be made up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated tightly covered.

Spicy Edamame

In Manhattan, there used to be a Japanese restaurant that I loved to frequent because of their spicy edamame. I never tasted spicy edamame like theirs until I went to Roy's Restaurant in Texas. Now, at Roys they give it to you for FREE! How great is that! Not only do they give it to you for free but they posted the recipe on their website! I have changed the ratio of spices because you do not need to make that large quantity of Roy's seasoning and I like mine a little more salty than spicy. Here is Roy's recipe for spicy edamame adjusted to my tastes:

INGREDIENTS:

Roy's Edamame Seasoning:

3 oz. kosher salt

1 oz. shichimi (Japanese red pepper seasoning) or you can use 1/2 oz. red chili powder and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

a pinch of granulated sugar

Edamame

1/2 lb. edamame beans, in pods

1 tbsp. of Roy’s Edamame Seasoning

PREPARATION:

Boil 7 cups of water in a large pan. Wash edamame bean pods well. Add edamame to boiling water, and let boil for 5–10 minutes. Drain the edamame and pat dry. Sprinkle well-blended Roy's Edamame Seasoning over them. You can serve edamame warm or cool.