Stir-fried Red Curry Beef with Eggplant

I know stir-fries are almost a no-brainer for many people, but there are some recipes that do something unusual and make you appreciate stir-fries anew. This one has eggplant, which I've never tried to make with beef, and I thought it was really good.

Stir-fried Red Curry Beef with Eggplant
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp + 1 tsp light brown sugar
12 oz. flank steak, cut into 2-inch wide strips with grain, then sliced across grain into 1/8-inch thick slices
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp)
1 1/2 tsp red curry paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb.) peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
lime wedges for serving


Directions:

1. Combine soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl. Add beef, toss well, and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, lime juice, chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, and cornstarch in medium bowl. Combine garlic, curry paste, and 1 teaspoon oil in small bowl.

2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef to skillet in single layer, breaking up any clumps. Cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and continue to cook until beef is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to clean bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet and repeat with remaining beef. Rinse skillet clean and dry with paper towels.

3. Add remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until just smoking. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and no longer spongy, 5 to 7 minutes. Push eggplant to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic-curry mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir to combine garlic-curry mixture with eggplant. Return beef and any accumulated juices to skillet and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet along with basil leaves; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving platter and serve, passing lime wedges separately if using.

Stir-fried Mushrooms

Also known as, Phad Het Kap Met Mamaung =)

Since I never like my veggies, I had to share when I finally made a veggie dish I liked. This came from a Thai cookbook, but the recipe doesn't actually have any specifically Thai spices in it. It does go with East Asian food well.

Stir-fried Mushrooms

Total time: 55 min
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
20 oz. mushrooms, sliced
7 oz. cashew nuts
1/2 cup oil
4 tsp garlic, chopped
3/4 cup of onions, cut into wide squares
1/2 cup green bell pepper, cut into wide squares
4 dry roasted red chillis
4 spring onions, chopped
2 green chillis, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Blanche the mushrooms (immerse in boiling water until cooked) and drain; keep aside. Fry the cashew nuts until golden brown.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Saute the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add all the ingredients, including the mushrooms and cashew nuts, and toss on high heat for a few minutes. Add a little stock if needed.
4. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Spinach Mushroom Tart

I wanted to make this to go with the Mediterranean Chicken Stew (which isn't really a stew, see earlier post) and couscous. I stupidly left my cookbook at work because I was taking down items for my grocery list, but luckily there are lots of other people out there who enjoy the Great Food Fast book. Phew!!

Spinach Mushroom Tart from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

Flour
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package)
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
20 oz white or brown mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
10 oz fresh baby spinach
2 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, toss the onion with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking with the cover on for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. While onions are cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the mushrooms; cover and cook until tender and all liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Fold in the spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes more. Drain off any liquid.

4. When puff pastry has thawed, roll the dough out on a floured surface into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough to form a 1-inch border. Using a fork, prick the dough inside the border every ½ inch. Bake until golden, rotating the pan once, about 15 minutes.

5. Top the dough with the mushroom-spinach mixture. Scatter the onions and goat cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Note: I sauteed 2 cloves of garlic with the mushrooms, just to add more flavor. I also used a double layer of puff pastry (both sheets in the box) because another blogger noted it was too thin with just one. Double the yumminess!

Serves: 4
Time: 45 minutes

Stuck Jar Lids

I just wanted to share a tip on opening stuck jar lids that doesn't require a buff male assistant. While making the chicken parmigiana, I had trouble opening a reaaaaaaly tightly sealed jar of tomato sauce. The hubby was sleeping and I tried with all my might to budge the lid open, but it wouldn't move. I tried the rubber glove method, the rubber band around the lid method, the dish towel method, the can opener which wouldn't fit under the lid method which flopped, and I was at wit's end. So I looked up opening jars online in desperation, and eHow.com had the answer. Run the *lid* of the jar under hot water for 1 minute, then try to open. The heat expands the lid so that it comes off more easily. I did just that, dried the bottle, and *POP*!! Yay!!

Chicken Parm

To quote Anthony Bourdain in Egypt - "There's a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy." I couldn't have said it better. :) I don't know why I never tried to make this before, but I am determined to try everything in my Great Food Fast cookbook, and so I continue my quest. I had some Chicken Parmigiana at Chez Sameera once, and it was delicious. But then, everything she makes is delicious! So I tried my hand at it, using a recipe from the book, though Sameera's cookbook has a similarly good recipe which is slightly different (she adds some italian seasoning to the coating and adds sauce over the chicken as well before baking instead of broiling). The recipe below is a slight variation on the version in the Great Food Fast book.

Chicken Parmigiana

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breast

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cups jarred tomato sauce

4 tbsp. olive oil

6 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

Directions

1. Prepare the chicken: Slice the chicken breasts into cutlets that are 1/2-inch thick. If your slices are too thick, try pounding them flat, while they are covered by plastic wrap, with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small saucepan. I deal with unevenly shaped breasts by butterflying them where they are too thick, which means you cut it horizontally almost all the way through, and then open it up to lay flat (making sure the halves are still connected). You can really make each cutlet any size you want, either 1 portion per cutlet or 1/2 a portion.

2. Turn on the broiler.

3. Coat the chicken: Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a shallow bowl. Crack open the egg in another dish. Season both sides of each chicken cutlet with a dash of salt and pepper. Dip each cutlet in the egg, let the excess egg drip off, and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat both sides evenly.

4. Spread the tomato sauce (add a little water if necessary) onto a rimmed baking sheet or dish(10 x 15-inch is fine). Heat 2 tbsp. of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place half of the chicken cutlets in the skillet. Cook until golden, 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer the browned chicken to the baking dish, placing them on top of the sauce. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil and repeat with the remainder of the chicken.

5. Top each cultlet with a slice of mozzarella. Broil about 4 inches from the heat source until the sauce is hot and cheese is melted and lightly browned in spots, about 5-8 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and spoon over some of the tomato sauce from the baking sheet. Serve with a light salad dressed with oil, vinegar, and lemon juice, or a side of pasta.

Grilled Bread.. Amazing!

I watched Tyler Florence one day a few months ago..he did a great episode of Tyler's Ultimate, where his fabulous menu ventured to Morocco. He made delicious brick chicken, this creamy yogurt sauce, and grilled flat bread. The chicken and sauce was delicious when I prepared it a while back and today I made the flat bread and it was absolutely fantastic. And very easy, yet impressive.

You can find the whole menu at :
http://www.foodnetwork.com/tylers-ultimate/ultimate-brick-chicken/index.html.

However I will post the recipe for the flat bread- make it now. You will love it!

Grilled Za'atar Flat bread (courtesy of Tyler Florence)

* 1 pound store-bought pizza dough
* Olive oil
* 4 tablespoons za'atar
* Salt

Directions

Preheat grill pan. On a well floured surface, roll or pat the dough into a rustic, oblong shape, about 1/4-inch thick. Brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil, and dust liberally with za'atar. Lay the oiled side down onto the hot grill. Once the dough looks set, in about 2 minutes, lightly brush with more oil, dust with za'atar and turn the crust over. Sprinkle with salt. Cut into large wedges and serve while warm.

Martha does it again!

Another keeper from the Everyday Food collection, this time a popular Korean dish. I love their easy, few-ingredient recipes that still taste really good. My whole house was smelling of stir-fried beef after I made this, and it was GREAT.


Beef Bulgogi from Great Food Fast, Everyday Food
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. rib-eye steak, trimmed of excess fat
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp hot chile sesame oil (or add a dash of red pepper flakes to toasted sesame oil)
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2 medium red onions, halved and cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges
1 green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
4 tsp vegetable oil

1. Freeze the beef for 20 minutes; transfer to a clean surface and slice diagonally (across the grain) into 1/8-inch thick strips. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Place the onions and peppers in a small bowl and toss with half the marinade. Toss the steak in the remaining marinade and let stand for 15 minutes.

2. Heat 2 tsp of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-heat heat. Add the onions and peppers; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.

3. Heat the remaining 2 tsp oil over high heat. Cook half the meat, turning often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining meat. Return the first batch to the pan and any accumulated juices. Add the onion mixture. Cook, tossing, until heated through, about 1 minute. Serve over white rice.

Chicken Do Piaza

I'm trying to plan my week of cooking ahead of time to minimize on the grocery store trips, which are getting excessive. I'm hoping this pre-planning will also mean saving money. If any of you have tips on planning and cooking meals, let me know! This is a recipe I'm planning to make this week, if all goes well :)

Chicken Do Piaza (from Sameera's cookbook)
Serves 6

Ingredients

4 medium onions, sliced
3 tbsp oil
salt to taste
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic/ginger paste
1 whole chicken, cut into parts
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Put onions, oil, salt, chili powder, turmeric, garlic/ginger paste, and 1/4 cup water in a pot and let it cook, covered, as the onions become tender and fall apart.
2. Add chicken to pot. Add more water if needed until chicken is finished cooking.
3. The onions should complete cooking with the chicken, and it will all come together. water should be dissolved and the dish should start to release a tiny bit of oil.
4. Add lemon juice and chopped cilantro and cook for 1 minute.

Can also be made with mutton (will require longer cooking time).

Crepes

This is something I wanted to make this weekend but Saturday I was home alone and today (Sunday) we're fasting. Maybe next weekend!

Crepes (from Closet Cooking)
Makes 4.

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter (melted)

Instructions

1. Mix the flour and egg in a large bowl. Slowly stir in the milk. Add the salt and butter and beat until smooth.
2. Pour 1/4 of the mixture into a lightly oiled pan heated at medium. Tilt the pan and turn so that the mixture evenly coats the entire bottom of the pan. (Use a small 7-inch pan for best results.)
3. Cook the crepes until golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes.
4. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter.

Some examples of fillings:
Lemon and sugar (sprinkled on top - my favorite)
Peanut butter, banana, and honey
Nutella and banana crepes
Strawberry and nutella crepes

Crab Hush Puppies

I'm posting a couple of recipes that I want to try this week. This one got good reviews on epicurious and sounds like a very quick finger food or snack. They call it Indian but I'm skeptical till I try them.

Crab Hush Puppies with Curried Honey-Mustard Sauce
(from the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen)
Makes about 30.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Creole (or whole grain) mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 cup just-add-water cornbread mix
1/4 cup bottled clam juice
12 oz. fresh lump crabmeat, diced
3/4 cup and 1/4 cup green onions, diced fine
vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Stir mustard, honey, and 1 1/4 tsp curry powder in small bowl for dipping sauce.
2. Stir cornbread mix, clam juice, and 1/2 tsp curry powder in medium bowl. Mix in crabmeat and 3/4 cup green onions.
3. Pour enough oil into medium saucepan to read depth of 1 1/2 inches. Heat oil to 320 to 330 F (use deep-fry thermometer if available). Working in batches, drop batter into oil by heaping teaspoonfuls. Fry until golden and cooked through, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
4. Sprinkle hush puppies with remaining green onions and serve with dipping sauce.

Shrimp Scampi

I love making this dish because it reminds me of Olive Garden, and its so easy to make. It's also convenient if you're having guests over because it serves a bunch.



Shrimp Scampi
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 lb. linguini pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 lb. uncooked, deveined, tail-off shrimp
salt
pepper
Optional: Shredded Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Prepare linguini according to package directions. Drain and set aside when done, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
   
2. Heat olive oil in wide-bottomed pan on medium-high. Melt the butter in the pan and add garlic, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and oregano.
   
3. Add chopped parsley, shrimp, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and opaque.
   
4. Toss shrimp with linguini and reserved pasta water, and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
   

Chicken and Rice with Indian Spices

This is another favorite CI recipe that is super easy and akin to Chicken Biryani when you think about it. It's not spicy at all which is great for my hubby and for anyone who likes desi food but can't handle the usual spice overdose.

Chicken and Rice with Indian Spices (from Cook's Illustrated online)
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces (without wings) (3-4 lbs.), rinsed, patted dry
table salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 medium green bell peppers, cored and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced fine
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp table salt

Instructions

1. Sprinkle chicken pieces liberally on both sides with salt and ground black pepper. Heat oil until shimmering in large, heavy, non-reactive Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken pieces skin side down; cook, without moving them, until well browned, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over with tongs and cook, again without moving them, until well browned on second side, about 6 minutes longer. Remove from pot and set aside.
   
   

2. Pour all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot; return to burner. Reduce heat to medium; add cinnamon stick, sauté, stirring with wooden spoon until it unfurls, about 15 seconds. Add onion and green bell pepers and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, ground turmeric, coriander, and cumin and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute longer. Stir in rice and cook, stirring frequently, until coated and glistening, about 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes with liquid from can, salt, and 2 cups water, scraping browned bits off pot bottom with wooden spoon.
   

3. Return chicken thighs and legs to pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add chicken breast pieces and stir ingredients gently until rice is thoroughly mixed; replace cover and simmer until both rice and chicken are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cover pot, and allow dish to rest for 5 minutes; serve immediately.

Chicken Fajitas

Wow November was a crazy month. What with vacation and work travel I don't remember cooking at all that month. :P But I did collect some recipes from my mother-in-law which I will post when I get them organized.

Chicken Fajitas Indoors (from Cooks Illustrated online)

Serves 4 to 6
(Optional Accompaniments: guacamole, salsa, sour cream, lime wedges)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
6 tbsp and 2 tsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tbsp)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 jalapeno chile, seeds and ribs removed, minced (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro leaves
salt and ground pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs.), pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds (don't separate rings)
1 large red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 large green bell pepper, quartered and seeded
8-12 plain flour tortillas (6-inch)
1 cup shredded chedder or Monterey Jack cheese

To make:

1. In medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeño, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade in small bowl; set aside. Add another teaspoon salt to remaining marinade. Place chicken in marinade; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes.

2. Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position (about 8 inches from heating element) and second rack to lower-middle position; heat broiler.

3. Brush both sides of onion rounds and peppers with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange onion rounds and peppers (skin sides up) in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Wrap tortillas securely in foil in two packets, each containing half of tortillas.

4. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard marinade. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Swirl oil to coat skillet, then arrange chicken smooth side down in skillet in single layer; cook without moving chicken, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken; continue to cook until second sides are well browned, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, turning chicken once or twice, until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife or instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 160 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate and let rest 5 minutes.

5. While chicken is cooking, place baking sheet with vegetables in oven on upper rack; place tortilla packets on lower rack. Broil vegetables until spottily charred and peppers are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer peppers to cutting board. Flip onion rounds and continue to broil until charred and tender, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Turn off broiler and remove vegetables, leaving tortillas in oven until needed.

6. Separate onions into rings and place in medium bowl; slice bell peppers lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips and place in bowl with onions. Add 2 tablespoons reserved unused marinade to vegetables and toss well to combine. Slice chicken into 1/4-inch strips and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons reserved marinade in separate bowl; arrange chicken and vegetables on large platter and serve with warmed tortillas and shredded cheese.