Random Acts of Cookery

Pasta with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

2011-12-18T13:45:00.002-05:00

Fusilli alla Caprese
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis.
Prep Time:10 min
Inactive Prep Time: --
Cook Time:10 min
Level:Easy
Serves:4 to 6 servings.
Ingredients
1 pound fusilli pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

Onion chicken curry

2011-09-01T12:10:00.001-04:00

Saute 3 onions sliced, with salt and pepper and evoo.

Add chicken cubed and lots of turmeric.

Add 2 -3 cups water, All Spice, 1/3 tsp cardomom, Nutmeg, More salt and pepper, and turmeric.

Let boil until chicken is done.

Serve over rice and top with toasted almond slices if desired.

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Lentil Salad

2011-08-18T13:03:00.003-04:00

I'm used to having soupy lentils, so I thought this was a novel and healthy idea. Made it for a potluck and it seems to have been popular. I liked the acidity, though my husband didn't. To each his own :) On a side note, a cherry pitter is the absolute perfect thing to remove the pits of olives!! It's like magic, I swear.

For this recipe, I used the small brown lentils. I did brine my lentils, and as promised they kept their shape beautifully.

Lentil Salad with Olives, Mint, and Feta. (from Cook's Illustrated)
Serves 4 to 6
French green lentils, or Lentilles du Puy, are our preferred choice for this recipe, but it works with any type of lentil except red or yellow. Brining helps keep the lentils intact, but if you don't have time, they'll still taste good. The salad can be served warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients
1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
Salt and pepper
6 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
1 bay leaf
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup)

Instructions
1. Place lentils and 1 teaspoon salt in bowl. Cover with 4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees) and soak for 1 hour. Drain well. (Drained lentils can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before cooking.)

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place drained lentils, 2 cups water, broth, garlic, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon salt in medium saucepan. Cover and bake until lentils are tender but remain intact, 40 to 60 minutes. Mean-while, whisk oil and vinegar together in large bowl.

3. Drain lentils well; remove and discard garlic and bay leaf. Add drained lentils, olives, mint, and shallot to dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with feta, and serve.

Poached Salmon with Herb and Caper Vinagrette

2011-08-18T12:46:00.003-04:00

This was so delicious, and the salmon was truly silky in taste. I want to have salmon every night after this...

Poached Salmon with Herb and Caper Vinagrette.
Published May 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

Serves 4
To ensure even-sized pieces of fish, we prefer to buy a whole center-cut fillet and cut it into four pieces. If a skinless whole fillet is unavailable, follow the recipe as directed with a skin-on fillet, adding 3 to 4 minutes to the cooking time in step 2. Remove the skin after cooking (see instructions below). This recipe will yield salmon fillets cooked to medium. If you prefer rare salmon (translucent in the center), reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes, or until the salmon registers 110 degrees in the thickest part.

Ingredients
2 lemons
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves , stems reserved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves , stems reserved
2 small shallots , minced (about 4 tablespoons)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 skinless salmon fillet (1 3/4 to 2 pounds), about 1 1/2 inches at thickest part, white membrane removed, fillet cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces (see note)
2 tablespoons capers , rinsed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions
1. Cut top and bottom off 1 lemon; cut into 8 to ten 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut remaining lemon into 8 wedges and set aside. Arrange lemon slices in single layer across bottom of 12-inch skillet. Scatter herb stems and 2 tablespoons minced shallots evenly over lemon slices. Add water and vinegar.

2. Place salmon fillets in skillet, skinned-side down, on top of lemon slices. Set pan over high heat and bring liquid to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until sides are opaque but center of thickest part is still translucent (or until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 125 degrees), 9 to 14 minutes. Remove pan from heat and, using spatula, carefully transfer salmon and lemon slices to paper towel-lined plate and tent loosely with foil.

3. Return pan to high heat and simmer cooking liquid until slightly thickened and reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tablespoons shallots, chopped herbs, capers, honey, and olive oil in medium bowl. Strain reduced cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer into bowl with herb-caper mixture, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Whisk to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Season salmon lightly with salt and pepper. Using spatula, carefully lift and tilt salmon fillets to remove lemon slices. Place salmon on serving platter or individual plates and spoon vinaigrette over top. Serve, passing reserved lemon wedges separately.

Mom's Nite Out

2011-05-02T18:31:00.002-04:00

Bittman's Chicken and Rice

2011-04-26T15:38:00.000-04:00

CHICKEN WITH RICE, THE EASY WAY

Time: 30 minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, about 8 ounces, peeled and sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 chicken, cut up into serving pieces

1 1/2 cups white rice

Pinch saffron, optional

Freshly minced parsley or cilantro for garnish

Lemon or lime wedges.

1. Set 3 cups of water to boil. Place olive oil in a large skillet that can be covered, and turn heat to medium-high. Add onions and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and become translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove skin from chicken.

2. Add rice to onions; stir until each grain glistens; sprinkle with saffron, and stir. Nestle chicken in rice, add a little more salt and pepper and pour in the boiling water. Turn heat to medium-low, and cover.

3. Cook 20 minutes, until all water is absorbed and chicken is cooked through. (You can keep this warm over a very low flame for another 15 minutes; it will retain its heat for 15 minutes beyond that.) Garnish and serve with lemon or lime.

Pasta Puttanesca

2011-03-12T01:13:00.001-05:00

Spaghetti Puttanesca
Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Prep: 10 minutes Total: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6.

1 pound spaghetti
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 rinsed anchovies, (optional)
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, and their juice
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

DIRECTIONS

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions; drain; return to pot.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and anchovies, if desired, mashing them with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes.
Add whole tomatoes and their juice, breaking up tomatoes with hands. Stir in capers and olives. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Toss with pasta; season with salt and pepper.

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Homemade Tabouleh

2011-03-06T23:04:00.000-05:00

Prep Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 bunches of fresh parsley (1 1/2 cup chopped, with stems discarded)
1/4 cup coriander
2 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
I red medium onion, finely chopped
6 medium tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup bulghur, medium grade
6 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Romaine lettuce or grape leaves to line serving bowl (optional)
Preparation:

Soak bulghur in cold water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until soft.

Squeeze out excess water from bulghur using hands or paper towel.

Combine all ingredients, except for salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Line serving bowl with grape leaves or romaine lettuce, and add salad.

Sprinkle olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper on top.

Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.

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Homemade Hummus

2011-03-06T22:44:00.001-05:00

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation:

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.
There are variations of course. For those who like to change it up you can add chipotle in oil or minced olives or jalepenos for a kick.

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Quick Chicken Stroganoff

2010-12-20T15:48:00.004-05:00

I had a can of cream of mushroom soup and knew that there was a recipe out there that could turn it into a quick dinner. I looked up the Campbell's site, as much as I hate product placement :) This was actually good, and made me realize that I can really just throw some chicken breasts on heat and turn out a filling meal. I don't know why I lean towards the complicated when it comes to dinner...

Quick Mushroom Chicken Bake - from Campbell's Kitchen

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
Lemon pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
Ground black pepper
12 ounces extra-wide egg noodles

To make:
1. Season both sides of the chicken with the lemon pepper seasoning. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until well browned on both sides. Place the chicken into a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Stir the soup, mushrooms, milk, cheese and garlic in a small bowl. Season with the black pepper. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken.
3. Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (use a thermometer to cook to an internal temperature of 165 F). Prepare the noodles as per package instructions. Serve the chicken and sauce over the cooked noodles.

Lamb and Spinach Stew

2010-08-03T15:59:00.001-04:00

Lamb and spinach stew

2 lb of lamb shoulder
2 bags of fresh or 4 boxes of frozen chopped Spinach
Salt and Pepper
½ tsp of all spice
½ tsp of Cinnamon
2 bay leaves
½ tsp of Cardamom
2 onion cut in small pieces
2 14oz cans of garbanzo beans

1. Wash the lamb pieces with some salt and a little vinegar.
2. Bring to boil and rinse.
3. Sautee the lamb pieces with onions and a little Olive oil
4. Add water to cover and boil until lamb is tender.
5. In the mean time add salt, pepper, the bay leaves, cardamom, and cinnamon to the boiling water.
6. If you have fresh spinach you need to cut the stems off and wash the leaves very carefully. Place in a deep pot and soak with water then rinse and strain.
7. If you using frozen, just defrost and add to the pot on low heat until water is almost drained.
8. Add another chopped onion and sauté with olive oil until green color turns darker.
9. When the meat is well cooked, add the Spinach to it and the garbanzo beans after you wash and strain them. Let it cook all together and add salt and pepper if needed.
10. Also add more water if needed but not too much.
11. Cook for another 30 min and serve over rice. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

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Spanish-style Chicken with Rice

2010-03-13T09:50:00.001-05:00

I love a good one pot meal and Arroz con Pollo always looks delicious when they make it on tv. This took me around exactly an hour and wasn't complicated at all. Though it was a little under-spiced for me, of course my husband thought there were enough spices. I added some smoked paprika to the chicken before browning it though the original recipe only called for salt and pepper. If you're using a smaller chicken you can use a 12-inch skillet, but that was too small for my 4-lb chicken.

Spanish-Style Chicken with Saffron Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 1/4 cups + 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes including juice
3/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 bay leaf (not California)
1 cup frozen peas (not thawed)

Garnish: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Pat chicken dry and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a dutch oven over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken with tongs to a plate.

Add onion, bell pepper, and salt to taste. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, and rice, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 cups broth and boil, uncovered, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice, rest of chicken broth, saffron, and bay leaf. Nestle chicken in rice, adding any juices from plate.

Cook, covered, over low heat until chicken is cooked through, rice is tender, and most of liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

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Mary Alice's Deviled Eggs

2010-02-07T12:01:00.001-05:00

I saw this one made during an episode of Ace of Cakes. Yummy!

Mary Alice’s Deviled Eggs
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

12 hard boiled eggs (use the oldest eggs that are still ok to eat. Put them directly into gently boiling water and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Shell.)

Slice eggs in half and remove yolks into large bowl.

Smoosh up yolks really good with a fork, then add:
6 tablespoons mayo
6-8 teaspoons of minced fresh tarragon, fresh Italian parsley, and fresh chives (no substitutions here – this is the key to the yum)
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
3 teaspoons champagne vinegar
3 minced shallots
1 splash of Worcestershire sauce
lots of ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot curry powder (more to taste)

Use pastry bag to fill eggs. Sprinkle with hot paprika.

Enjoy!

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Spinach Dip

2010-01-27T22:39:00.003-05:00

This was a request from a friend for an easy Spinach Dip. I love CI. Nuf said.

Creamy Herbed Spinach Dip

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
From Cook's Illustrated

Note: Partial thawing of the spinach produces a cold dip that can be served without further chilling. If you don't own a microwave, the frozen spinach can be thawed at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours then squeezed of excess liquid. The garlic must be minced or pressed before going into the food processor; otherwise the dip will contain large chunks of garlic.

Ingredients
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons thin-sliced scallions , white parts only, from 3 medium scallions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill leaves
1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 small clove garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce , such as Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 medium red bell pepper , diced fine (about 1/4 cup)

Instructions
1. Thaw spinach in microwave for 3 minutes at 40 percent power. (Edges should be thawed but not warm; center should be soft enough to be broken apart into icy chunks.) Squeeze partially frozen spinach of excess water.
2. In food processor, process spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, dill, parsley, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and stir in bell pepper; serve. (Dip can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 2 days.)

Chicken and Risotto

2009-12-21T18:58:00.007-05:00

I like the food network, but lately I've just been sick of the late night shows that are all I end up watching because I get home from work at 6 or 7pm. I mean how many cake-making challenges can a person watch? But since we got DVR I've been recording some of the daytime shows when they actually cook food. Sandra Lee is one of them, and though I know a lot of people complain that she uses a lot of supermarket/prepared ingredients like spice mixes, etc., it's really the most realistic way to cook for some people who either need to save money or save time. I am often that person, and then other times I want to do everything from scratch. One episode of Sandra's Money Saving Meals involved a Chicken Scaloppine and Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto. I was intrigued to make the risotto because I've never done it before and she made it look so easy. Simple it was not, but the meal is really something anybody could try and be relatively successful at. And it tasted yummy. All I need to figure out is how to prevent the risotto from sticking to the bottom of the skillet like that Iranian burnt rice :P

Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto

from Sandra Lee

This recipe actually makes quite a bit of risotto, because it's designed to make a second recipe as leftovers. I just made the whole thing cause it's that good that I knew I would want more :)

Ingredients:
1 head garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cans water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice the top off the head of garlic. Put it on a large square of aluminum foil and drizzle 1 teaspoon of the extra-virgin olive oil over the exposed cloves. Wrap the foil around and over the garlic. Roast until it is soft, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Pour the 2 cans of broth into a saucepan, over low heat, and add 3 cans of water. Bring to a simmer.
In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until the mushrooms release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute to toast.
Add 2 ladles full of hot broth to the pan and gently stir the rice. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust the heat so that the pan is just gently bubbling. Continue adding broth and stirring until all the broth is used and the rice is cooked but not mushy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is nice and creamy, stir in the butter, Parmesan and the garlic pulp. Cover and let rest for 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Chicken Scaloppine

adapted from Sandra Lee

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Slice the breasts in half, lengthwise. Pound the 4 pieces between sheets of plastic wrap to flatten them, about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Coat the chicken with the flour, shaking off any excess.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and butter. Mix together and when the butter has melted add the chicken, working in batches, until they are golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, to a serving platter, cover and keep warm. Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook it over high heat until it reduces by half and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley and basil. Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken serve with the Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto.

Comfort food

2009-12-21T18:35:00.002-05:00

I've been looking for comforting foods to make at home recently - I guess the winter and snow will do that :) I never realized how much I love grilled cheese until I made it to take to a friend's house the other day. I really don't use my Foreman grill enough, but this is the perfect reason to take it out and "fire" it up! The great thing about grilled cheese is that it's really just a sandwich and that means you can put in it whatever you want. My personal fave is grilled cheese and sliced tomatoes. Hot tomatoes have a really beautiful texture and go great with gooey cheese in my opinion. So far I've only made these with white sandwich bread because all the recipes I looked at used it, but since white bread is not really a healthy option I'm planning to try it out with whole wheat bread soon.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

White sandwich bread

Melted butter or olive oil

Shredded cheddar cheese (or any cheese you want, mix even)

Sliced fresh tomatoes (optional)

To make:

Preheat a Foreman grill or grill pan to medium heat. For each sandwich, brush butter or olive oil onto each side of two slices of bread. On one slice of bread, pile on 2-3 tablespoons of cheese. Add slices of tomato if using, and cover with remaining slice of bread. Spray preheated grill or pan with cooking spray, and arrange sandwiches. Cook for 2-3 minutes in closed Foreman grill or 2-3 minutes on each side in pan until cheese is melted and bread is toasted and golden. Serve with tomato soup for a filling meal.

Kung Pao Chicken

2009-10-27T12:57:00.004-04:00

I was looking at a Chinese menu and suddenly had a hankering for Kung Pao Chicken. I looked around to see if Mark Bittman had a recipe and ta-da he did. I like to look for his stuff first because he's big on making things simple.

Kung Pao Chicken (China)
Mark Bittman

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or other dry sherry substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 6 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and cut into squares
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and cut into squares
• 5 dried chili peppers
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 scallion, trimmed and chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Whisk the cornstarch into the vinegar until it dissolves, then coat the chicken pieces with the mixture. Marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. Heat half the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring only occasionally, until wilted and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a bowl. Add the remaining oil and the chili peppers; cook until they're slightly blackened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds, then stir in the chicken. Cook the chicken, stirring constantly, until it loses its pinkness, about 5 minutes.

3. Turn the heat to low, then sprinkle the sugar over the chicken; stir in the soy sauce and the bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from the heat, then stir in the sesame oil and scallions. Garnish with peanuts and serve over white rice.

Italian Ciambotta (Vegetable Stew)

2009-10-22T13:17:00.007-04:00

More vegetarian fun! My fridge is bursting with veggies and I was desperate for a way to use them up. I really love vegetables but I'm always at a loss for what to do with them. Enter Ciambotta, my rescue dish. This is apparantly a traditional Southern Italian dish, and has many variations (as do all traditional dishes) depending on who's cooking. I got the original recipe from Epicurious, and switched out for things I had in the fridge and pantry. I added chickpeas to give it some protein and it makes a really lovely main dish. You'd be amazed at how much flavor there is with just simple salt and pepper seasoning.

Italian Vegetable Stew (Ciambotta)
Adapted from recipe in Gourmet Magazine
yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
active time: 45 min
total time: 45 min

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 leek, hard green removed and remainder cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 3/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 red bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/4 pounds zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3/4 pound boiling potatoes (about 4 small), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 7-to 8-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add onions, leek, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in water, tomatoes with juice, and bell peppers, then reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook green beans in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan of well-salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add zucchini to boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to bowl with green beans. Add potatoes to boiling water and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to beans and zucchini.
4. Add boiled vegetables to stew and simmer, stirring, until all vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add chickpeas and continue stirring about 5 more minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Note: Stew can be made up to 1 week ahead and chilled (covered once cool).

Salsa Verde

2009-10-14T14:31:00.005-04:00

I've been getting veggies from a weekly farm share (via my friend Mona who is sweet enough to pick them up for me) and trying to find new recipes that involve these veggies, some of which I've never seen before and obviously don't recognize. I did recognize tomatillos in this last batch, but I still had no idea what to do with them. So I looked online and found a recipe for Salsa Verde, which apparantly is traditionally made with tomatillos! Score, because I love salsa verde! Simply Recipes is a great cooking blog and she had a recipe that I tried with my batch of tomatillos. Turned out great, had a very fresh and light taste. And you can make it spicier if you leave the ribs and seeds of the serrano chile in (that's for next time ;)). There are two options for prepping the tomatillos; I boiled. Very easy recipe and worth the minimal work!

Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe from Simply Recipes

To cook the tomatillos, you can either roast them in the oven, or boil them. Roasting will deliver more flavor; boiling may be faster and use less energy. Either way works, though boiling is a more common way to cook the tomatillos.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste

Method
1. Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.
2a. Roasting method Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.
2b. Boiling method Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.
2. Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.
Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.
Makes 3 cups.

Lemony Chicken

2009-05-30T22:35:00.006-04:00

This had a different name in the Cook's Country issue that I got it from, but this is how I think of it. It's a nice blend of citrus and capers, which I'm convinced is the only combination that capers are tolerable in :)

Lemon Chicken Strips

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. of boneless chicken breast cut lengthwise into tenderloin size strips
salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp drained capers, minced
1 tbsp flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup juice from 2 lemons
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half the chicken unil golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and tent with foil; repeat with remaining oil and chicken.

2. Add 1 tbsp butter, garlic, and capers to empty skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook until beginning to brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and lemon juice and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, whisk in parsley and remaining butter. Stir in browned chicken along with any accumulated juices and season with salt and pepper.

Don't know what to call this -- maybe Beef Bhaji?

2009-05-30T18:39:00.003-04:00

This is something my aunt makes and it is sooo yummy, its like comfort food to me. The thinner you slice the meat, the faster it will cook, but it tastes good even if you don't slice it very thin.

Beef Bhaji

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless beef (I ask the butcher for "pasinda" meat) sliced thin in 1 inch wide pieces
3 tbsp onion puree + 2 medium onions sliced thin
1 1/2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 cup yogurt
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

Directions:

1. Mix the sliced beef with the onion puree, garlic, ginger, yogurt, and salt in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a pot, and brown the sliced onions until they are red (not completely fried).
3. Add the beef mixture to the pot. Cook on high, uncovered, until the water dries.
4. Once water is dried, stir fry until the beef browns on all sides.
5. Add a small amount of water, about 1/2 cup, and cook on medium, covered.
6. When the oil comes up, the beef is done. Goes great with plain white rice and lentils or other veggies.

Lamb cutlets?

2009-04-13T11:37:00.003-04:00

Yes. The Times had a story of some 19th century poor man's veal or somesuch thing, updated with lamb. Read the story here. I like lamb and I just folded to my weakness and bought the cast iron dutch oven that Sameera swears by. They had it in red - how could I resist :) I'm looking forward to inaugurating the pot with this braising recipe...

1879: Epigram of Lamb
By AMANDA HESSER
This recipe ran in The Times and was attributed to Young Ladies’ Magazine.

2 pounds lamb breast, trimmed of excess fat
1/2 Spanish onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves
8 black peppercorns
3 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs thyme or sage or rosemary (or all 3)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 to 2 cups coarse dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, more if needed
1 tablespoon olive oil, more if needed
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Cooked fresh peas.

1. Lay the lamb in a large, heavy braising pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, cloves, peppercorns, parsley and thyme. Season with salt. Add just enough water to cover and set over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the meat is falling off the bone, 1 1/4 to 2 hours. Let the meat cool in the liquid.

2. Lay the meat on a large plate or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Cover with another plate or baking sheet, place a weight on top and refrigerate overnight.

3. The next day, slice the lamb on the bias. The slices should be about 1/3-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange one shallow bowl with the beaten egg and another with the bread crumbs. Place a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. Dip the lamb cutlets first in the egg, then the bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do this in batches, adding more butter and olive oil if needed. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh green peas. Serves 4.

Sauteed Mushrooms with Thyme

2009-03-29T21:00:00.002-04:00

This is a basic recipe from the Great Food Fast collection. A simple and fast way to prepare mushrooms. I used some leftover pesto instead of thyme - mushrooms and basil are yummy!

Sauteed Mushrooms with Thyme
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 1/2 lbs small white mushrooms, halved
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup water

To make:
1. In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the shallot; cook stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Uncover; raise the heat to high. Cook, tossing, until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme and water. Cook until the skillet is almost dry, 1 minute. Serve hot.

Spicy Roast Chicken for dummies

2009-03-29T18:13:00.006-04:00

I've been in a cooking slump again (I wonder if it's seasonal?) but I picked up the Everyday Food book yesterday and felt rejuvinated. I don't know what it is about that cookbook, but it really makes me want to cook/bake.

I posted a recipe for a really easy roast turkey breast a while back from the Cook's Illustrated series, but this one was even easier in my opinion. The base recipe doesn't involve a spice rub, just butter, salt and pepper. I made some chile spice rub and covered the chicken with it before roasting. My whole house smelled so yummy while this was in the oven!

Easy Roasted Chicken with Chile Rub from Everyday Food's Great Food Fast

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken with skin (3 - 3 1/2 lbs), rinsed and patted dry
2 tbsp butter, at room temperature

Chile rub-
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp chili powder (substitute some paprika if you don't want it too spicy)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp coarse salt

To make:
1. Preheat the oven to 425. Mix the chile rub ingredients in a little bowl. Combine 4 tsp of chile rub with the butter till well combined, and store the rest in an airtight jar or spice tin. Spread all over both sides of chicken and a little under the skin covering the breast.

2. Tie the chicken legs together and tuck the wings under the chicken if you want. Place the chicken (breast up) on a rack set in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.

3. Roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 when inserted in the thickest part of a thigh (avoid bone) for 45-50 minutes. Serve, or let cool before refrigerating, up to 3 days, covered.

Sesame-broiled Chicken Wings

2009-03-29T18:10:00.005-04:00

I made these wings a while ago, but I'm just posting the recipe now. A real winner!

Sesame-broiled Chicken Wings, from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

Time: 30 minutes, plus time to preheat the broiler

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs chicken wings, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels, cut into 3 pieces at the joints. Save the wing tips (the smallest piece) for stock (freeze).
2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp minced and peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp dark sesame oil

To make:
1. Preheat the broiler. The rack should be 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl, add 1 tbsp of oil and some salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place the pieces in a roasting pan and cook, turning after 4-5 minutes or when the first side is beginning to brown.

2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining tbsp of oil with the remaining ingredients. After the second side is beginning to brown, brush the wings with some of the oil mixture. Continue to cook, turning once or twice more until nicely browned all over, about 15-20 minutes total. Give a final brush, and serve.

Foods of the Prophet (pbuh)

2009-02-23T12:19:00.004-05:00

February has been a busy month! I guess I haven't been cooking all that much or I would have posted something :) I did make some awesome chicken wings from Mark Bittman's book which I will post soon. But a friend had a really fun party at her house this past weekend where the theme for the food was things that the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) enjoyed eating. There was a whole range of things, from dates and honey to cucumbers, lentils, and tomato-basil salad (I think tomatos were big back then :)). While I was googling for things to make, I came across "tharid", which is a dish that the Prophet mentioned was at the top of the list of best meals. I'd never heard of it before but it sounded delicious when I looked up recipes, so I decided to try it.

I read that the original tharid is so thick with bread that you can actually pull it apart with your hands, no spoon required. I toned down the bread crumbs since I know people enjoy stews and so did the Prophet (pbuh). This recipe below makes a lot, so cut down if you're making for just a few people. I also used 3 cans of canned chickpeas, so I added them after the stew had been cooking for about 30 min on lower heat.

Tharid Lamb & Chickpea Stew
This recipe is adapted from a 13th century Andalusian cookbook.
http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/substantial_tharid_lamb.html

Soaking: Overnight
Total second-day time: 2 hours

Ingredients:
3 cups chickpeas
3 lbs. lamb, cut into bite-sized cubes
8 cups water
6 cups finely chopped onion
2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 tsp. pepper
6 eggs
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. saffron in 2 tbsp. water
1/2 cup honey
Enough stale bread for 2 cups of crumbs
6 rounds pita bread, quartered

1. Put the chickpeas into a large bowl, cover them with cold water and let soak overnight. The next day, drain the chickpeas and set them aside.

2. Put the lamb into a large stew pot and cover it with cold water. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam that rises to the top. Add the chickpeas, onion, ground and fresh coriander, caraway seeds and pepper; return to a boil, then reduce the heat.

3. Break the eggs directly into the pot so that they will poach along with the stew. Let the stew cook for an hour to an hour and a half, until the chickpeas are done and the lamb is tender.

4. Add salt and saffron, then remove 1/2 cup of broth from the pot, mix it together with the honey, and pour it back into the pot. Return to a boil and boil vigorously for 3 minutes. Add the bread crumbs to the pot.

5. Put the pita wedges in the bottom of the serving bowl and pour the tharid over them; or serve the pita wedges alongside the tharid and so that guests may put a few in the bottom of an individual soup bowl, then spoon the stew over the bread.

Thai cooking at home

2009-01-19T18:48:00.005-05:00

I'm a big proponent of thai cooking at home, so it was nice to see an America's Test Kitchen episode about cooking good asian food at home. I'm hoping to try these two recipes this week.

Thai Chicken Soup
from America's Test Kitchen

If you want a soup with less fat, it is possible to substitute light coconut milk for one or both cans of regular coconut milk. Fresh lemon grass can be omitted, but the soup will lack some complexity. Don't be tempted to use jarred or dried lemon grass-their flavor is characterless. If you want a spicier soup, add more red curry paste to taste. For a more substantial meal, serve the soup over 2 to 3 cups of cooked jasmine rice. The soup can be prepared through step 1 up to one day ahead of time and refrigerated, but it should be completed immediately before serving, as the chicken and mushrooms can easily overcook.

6-8 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course

1	teaspoon vegetable oil
3	stalks lemon grass , tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
3	large shallots , chopped
8	sprigs fresh cilantro leaves , chopped coarse
3	tablespoons fish sauce
4	cups low-sodium chicken broth
2	(14-ounce) cans coconut milk , well-shaken
1	tablespoon sugar
1/2	pound white mushrooms , cleaned, stems trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1	pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts , halved lengthwise and sliced on bias into 1/8-inch-thick pieces (see below)
3	tablespoons fresh lime juice from 2 to 3 limes
2	teaspoons red curry paste (Thai)
*Garnish*
1/2	cup fresh cilantro leaves
2	serrano chiles , sliced thin
2	scallions , sliced thin on bias
1	lime , cut into wedges

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2 to 5 minutes (vegetables should not brown). Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk; bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors have blended, 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.

2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat.

3. Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in small bowl; stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, chiles, and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Step-by-Step: Slicing Chicken Breasts
Our Thai-Style Chicken Soup calls for thin slices of boneless, skinless chicken breast that will cook in just a minute or two. To make slicing easier, place the chicken in the freezer for 30 minutes, then cut the breasts in half lengthwise. Firmer, narrower pieces of chicken will be easier to slice on the bias into 1/8-inch-thick slices.

Stir-Fried Portobellos with Ginger-Oyster Sauce
from the Episode: Asian Take-Out at Home

This stir-fry cooks quickly, so have everything chopped and ready before you begin cooking. Serve with steamed white rice.

Serves 3 to 4

*Glaze*
2	tablespoons soy sauce
2	tablespoons sugar
1/4	cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
*Sauce*
1	tablespoon soy sauce
1	cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
3	tablespoons oyster sauce
2	teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1	tablespoon cornstarch
*Vegetables*
2	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
4	teaspoons minced fresh ginger
4	tablespoons vegetable oil
6 - 8	portobello mushrooms (each 4 to 6 inches), stems discarded, gills removed (see below), and cut into 2-inch wedges (about 7 cups)
2	cups carrots (sliced), or other longer-cooking vegetable from the chart below
1/2	cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1	cup snow peas or other quick-cooking vegetable from the chart below
1	pound leafy greens from chart below
1	tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

1. Whisk glaze ingredients in small bowl; whisk sauce ingredients in separate small bowl. In third small bowl, mix garlic and ginger with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Set bowls aside.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn mushrooms and reduce heat to medium; cook until second sides are browned and mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add glaze mixture and cook, stirring, until glaze is thick and mushrooms are coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to plate; rinse skillet clean and dry with paper towels.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and cover skillet; cook until carrots are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates, about 30 seconds. Transfer carrots to plate with mushrooms.

4. Heat remaining teaspoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add snow peas and bok choy stems or napa cabbage cores and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add leafy greens and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 1 minute. Push vegetables to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon or spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir mixture into greens.

5. Return all vegetables to skillet along with sauce. Toss to combine and cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and vegetables are coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, top with sesame seeds, if using, and serve immediately.

Choosing and Preparing Vegetables for a Stir-Fry
Portobello mushrooms and eggplant are the mainstays in our stir-fries. As for the other vegetables, use those called for in the recipe or switch them with another vegetable from the same category below. We recommend using one harder, longer-cooking vegetable paired with quicker-cooking vegetable and a leafy green (either napa cabbage or bok choy).

Longer-cooking vegetables (to yield 2 cups)

4 small carrots, peeled, sliced on bias 1/4 inch thick
1/2 pound broccoli, stalks discarded, florets cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 pound cauliflower, core removed, florets cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
1 pound medium asparagus, bottoms trimmed, cut on bias into 1 1/2-inch lengths
1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed, cut on bias into 1 1/2-inch lengths

Quicker-cooking vegetables (to yield 1 cup)

1 medium bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 ounces snow peas, strings and tough ends trimmed
3 medium ribs celery, ends trimmed, cut on bias 1/2 inch thick
1 small zucchini or summer squash, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and cut on bias 1/4 inch thick

Leafy Greens (to yield 2 cups stems and 4 cups greens)

1 small bok choy or napa cabbage (about 1 pound), stems/cores and greens separated, stems/cores cut into 1/4-inch strips, greens into 3/4-inch-thick strips

Step-by-Step: Preparing Vegetables for Stir-Frying

Portobello Mushrooms: After removing the stem, gently scrape the underside of the mushroom with a dinner spoon to remove the feathery gills, which can impart a muddy taste to the stir-fry.	Zucchini: Halve zucchini lengthwise and gently scrape out the seeds from each half with a small spoon. Cut in half lengthwise again, then cut into 1/4-inch slices on a 45-degree bias.
Napa Cabbage: Separate leaves, removing the core of each leaf with a wedge-shaped cut. Slice the leafy greens crosswise into 3/4-inch strips. Cut the cores into 1/4-inch strips.

Update 2/3/08: I tried both these recipes and they were both delicious. The chicken soup was very easy, and has almost gotten me hooked on soups, which is an accomplishment. The stir-fry was great when it was done but man was that labor intensive. I want to say buy all these veggies cleaned and chopped for you but I don't believe in recommending that so I can't :( It's more cost-effective to do it yourself, but maybe try to prep in advance when you have the time. This is the first time I made portobellos, and I love them. Will try again.... on a weekend. :)

Stir-fried Red Curry Beef with Eggplant

2008-12-29T21:19:00.006-05:00

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

2008-12-29T20:26:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-26T18:26:00.006-05:00

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

2008-12-22T21:39:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-22T20:20:00.005-05:00

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!

2008-12-21T23:19:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-12-19T22:20:00.002-05:00

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

2008-12-07T15:54:00.002-05:00

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

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.
Add chicken to pot. Add more water if needed until chicken is finished cooking.
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.
Add lemon juice and chopped cilantro and cook for 1 minute.

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

Crepes

2008-12-07T15:40:00.004-05:00

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

Mix the flour and egg in a large bowl. Slowly stir in the milk. Add the salt and butter and beat until smooth.
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.)
Cook the crepes until golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes.
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

2008-12-07T15:29:00.003-05:00

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

Stir mustard, honey, and 1 1/4 tsp curry powder in small bowl for dipping sauce.
Stir cornbread mix, clam juice, and 1/2 tsp curry powder in medium bowl. Mix in crabmeat and 3/4 cup green onions.
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.
Sprinkle hush puppies with remaining green onions and serve with dipping sauce.

Shrimp Scampi

2008-12-07T15:04:00.007-05:00

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

Prepare linguini according to package directions. Drain and set aside when done, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
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.
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.
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

2008-12-07T14:52:00.005-05:00

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

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.
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.
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

2008-12-07T14:41:00.007-05:00

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:

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

Mediterranean Chicken Stew

2008-10-29T21:05:00.003-04:00

Speaking of new cookbooks, I've become attached to Martha Stewart Living's Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. I borrowed it from the library when I saw it in the top ten cookbook bestsellers on Amazon, and I've already renewed it 4 times. :)

I've been relying on it more recently since my husband has decided he can't handle spicy food (this is the man who told me he could tolerate more spice than I could when we first got married). This is a great recipe with lots of flavor but not too many ingredients, which is why I really like this book in general. Simple, good food.

Mediterranean Chicken Stew
Prep time: 30 min
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
3 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (2 cups)
2 tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives (about 5)
1 tsp white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Season the chicken with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, turning occasionally, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the remaining tsp oil to the skillet. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes; cook over medium heat until starting to break down, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the olives, vinegar, and chicken along with any accumulated juices to the pan; toss until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in the parsley.

Serve over polenta or with couscous (my preference :)).

The recipe can also be made with peeled and deveined shrimp; replace chickpeas with cannellini beans.

Jamie Oliver recipes...

2008-10-28T14:27:00.004-04:00

I bought Jamie Oliver's latest cookbook..Jamie at Home..it's big, beautiful hardcover with beautiful color pictures and has this fascinating new book smell. Anyways I love it but at first glance didn't think it was very useful, some of the recipes look intimidating and he uses a lot of fresh ingredients and herbs, which I usually don't buy because they go bad.

Anyways after a few recipes, I'm enamored with Jamie Oliver. His recipes are so so simple, use few ingredients and are really reliant on the quality of the items in the dish. He's taught me to respect and love fresh ingredients and vegetables and that simplicity is king.

Take this soup for example: it's stellar in taste! And so easy my friend's 4 year old kid was helping her make it. Afterwards, he ate bowls and bowls of it. Try not to love this soup. You might think salt and pepper is not much for taste, but try this soup out without any of your own touches at first. It's a perfect recipe.

The book it comes from can be found here:
http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Home-Cook-Your-Good/dp/1401322425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225218475&sr=8-1

Jamie Oliver's asparagus leek soup

p.s. i omitted the eggs

serves eight

1 3/4 lb asparagus, woody ends removed
olive oil
2 medium white onions, peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and chopped (after chopping, drop in a big bowl of water to wash)
2 quarts good quality chicken or vegetable stock
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
eight slices ciabatta or other fresh bread
extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
eight small eggs
---

chop the tips of the asparagus stalks and put aside

roughly chop the rest of the asparagus

in a large deep pan, add a good glug of olive oil and gently saute the onions, celery and leeks for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet. do not brown

add the asparagus and stock and simmer for 20 minutes with a lid on it
remove from heat and blitz with an immersion blender or in a standard blender until just smooth

season the soup bit by bit with salt and pepper until it's just right
put soup back on heat, add asparagus tips and bring back to a boil- simmer just until asparagus tips soften.

in a wide fry pan heat three to four inches water to boiling- gently crack eggs into the water and poach for just a few minutes, until softly cooked- they should still be a litle runny. serve on top of soup with toasted slice of bread and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Corn pudding

2008-10-07T00:17:00.007-04:00

Closet Cooking is one of my favorite blogs to follow, and I knew when I saw the recipe for corn pudding I just had to try it. Especially because it looked soooo good in the picture. Pictures speak louder than words, sometimes. :) My mom used to make a great corn pudding-type thing every thanksgiving when I was young, and I still remember it and crave it sometimes. I should probably ask her if she still has the recipe, but I was hoping this would save me the trouble. :)

It was yummy but a bit sweet, and I think I'd prefer a less sugary version. Maybe next time I'll cut down on the sugar in the recipe. Otherwise, it was pretty good! The recipe recommends 30 min in the oven, but my oven took about 50 min to brown the top (but I was also making something else in the oven). I would start with 30 min and keep checking until it has browned sufficiently.

Corn Pudding, from A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen, via Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
2 ears worth

of corn kernels
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 egg (beaten)

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon of melted butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly

grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Mix everything in a bowl.
2. Pour into a baking dish.
3. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until it is golden brown on top and set like a custard, about 30 minutes. (A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.)

Chicken Biryani

2008-10-06T23:40:00.003-04:00

My hyderabadi cookbook always comes to the rescue. I had some chicken pieces defrosting at home and I thought it was the perfect time to make biryani. I went online looking for some recipes, but they all seemed to require too many ingredients and too many steps. Even using pre-made biryani masala there was still too much to do and it was giving me a headache. So I went home and pulled out the trusty cookbook and found a recipe for biryani after 6 dozen recipes for pullao. What's up with hyderabadi's and pullao?!

This recipe wasn't simple, but it had minimum steps and didn't require a lot of standing over a pot or pan; which I like, because it gave me the opportunity to do other things, like make corn pudding. :) It also turned out well, and had the color I was looking for without adding artificial biryani color that some recipes suggest using. I used chicken in this recipe, but you could use any meat.

Chicken Biryani (Chicken and Rice)

8 servings.

For rice:

4 cups rice

2, 2" cinnamon sticks

4 cardamom pods

4 cloves

4 green chillies

10 mint leaves

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp saffron

1/4 cup milk

2 tbsp lemon juice

For chicken:

1 1/2 cups shortening (or veg oil)

2 lbs chicken in pieces

2 medium onions, sliced

1 tbsp ground ginger and garlic

1 cup yogurt

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

8 ground almonds (I left this out, not a fan of too much sweet)

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground coconut

4 cloves

4 cardamom pods

2, 2" cinnamon sticks

1 tsp salt

Cook chicken:

Heat shortening and brown sliced onions. Add all ingredients and cook until liquid dries. Add 2 cups of water, and cook until chicken is tender and water has dried. Fry 3 minutes or until oil separates.

Cook rice:

Soak saffron in milk. Wash rice and set aside. Boil 12 cups of water with remaining ingredients, except lemon juice. Add rice and cook until half done. Drain the rice.

To make biryani:

Remove half of rice to another container, and spread chicken and gravy over first half in pot. Reserve a little of gravy for top of rice. Cover with other half of rice, and remaining gravy. Sprinkle saffron milk over top, and add lemon juice. Cover and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Before serving, blend rice and chicken together.

Mongolian Street Food

2008-10-05T20:54:00.004-04:00

I love Mark Bittman (I mean his cooking style, of course) and I've been following his blog lately. He posted a recipe for mongolian street food straight from the food carts of queens, and it reminded me of food from the halal carts in manhattan (haven't eaten street food in queens :)). I tried it with chicken breast recently, but I'll be using lamb when I have some around next time.

Stir-Fried Lamb With Chili, Cumin and Garlic

Yield 4 servings

Time At least 30 minutes

Mark Bittman

Summary

You absolutely need cumin seeds, not ground cumin. It's worth the two or three minutes it takes to toast the seeds before marinating the meat. You can grind them if you like, but I like the little bit of crunch the seeds add.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peanut or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, to film the bottom of the skillet
1 cup trimmed and roughly chopped scallions, optional
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish, optional

Method

1. Cut lamb into 1/2-inch cubes (easier if meat is firmed in the freezer for 15 to 45 minutes). Toast cumin seeds in dry skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant, a minute or two. Toss together lamb with cumin, chili, garlic, soy sauce, a large pinch of salt and a healthy grinding of pepper. If you like, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 24 hours.
2. When ready to cook, put a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet (ideally, it will hold the lamb in one layer, or nearly so) and turn heat to high. When hot, add lamb. Cook, undisturbed, for about a minute, then stir once or twice to loosen lamb from skillet. Cook another minute, then stir again. Add scallions, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions glisten and shrink a bit and the meat is about medium.
3. If you want a slightly saucier mixture, stir in 1/4 cup water and cook another minute. Serve hot over rice, garnished, if you like, with cilantro.

Coconut Shrimp Soup

2008-09-30T22:41:00.006-04:00

I make a really quick thai curry chicken all the time because my husband loves it. We were having some people over last weekend and he wanted me to make it for dinner. I wanted something to start off, and I saw a great-looking recipe for thai-style soup in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food - Great Food Fast cookbook that I borrowed from the library. It turned out fantastic and it was pretty low maintenance. To be honest, it was filling enough to be a main course on its own. And barring the garlic, ginger, and lime, it didn't require any special thai spices at all. I'll be making this again soon.

Coconut Shrimp Soup
from Great Food Fast - Everyday Food
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger (I used bottled)
2 garlic cloves, minced (again, I used the bottled version to save time)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on desired spice level
1 lb carrots (6-8 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 oz angel hair pasta
1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
coarse salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the carrots, coconut milk, and 3 cups water.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 2 tbsp water until smooth. Add to the pot and bring to a boil.
3. Break the pasta in half and add to the pot. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the pasta is al dente and the carrots are tender, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp. Stir until opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season with salt.
5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with scallions.

The easiest roast turkey breast you'll ever make.

2008-09-30T22:04:00.004-04:00

The title says it all. I thought my mother-in-law's recipe for roast chicken was easy, but this really tops it all. This turkey was easy, and was sooo good. My husband almost ate the entire thing in one sitting. And he kept saying, "I loove this sauce!". And the funny thing is, I didn't even have to make a sauce!

The key to this recipe is using a kosher turkey in my opinion. The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated and they suggest brining the turkey breast if it's not kosher, so just make your life easier and buy a kosher turkey. If you want to use non-kosher turkey, let me know and I'll post the instructions for brining (which is really just soaking it in salted water for a few hours).

Easy Roast Turkey Breast
from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened*
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp)^
2 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves^
1 tsp grated zest from 1 lemon^
1 whole bone-in, skin-on turkey breast, trimmed of excess fat and patted dry with paper towels
1 cup water

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425.
2. Mix butter, salt, and pepper (and garlic, thyme, zest if using) in small bowl with rubber spatula until thoroughly combined.
3. Using your hands, separate the skin on both sides of the breastbone from the meat. Spoon half of the butter mixture onto each side under the skin, massaging the skin until the butter is spread evenly.
4. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan with rack (spray rack with cooking spray) or just place it in a baking pan (my method). Pour the water into the pan.
5. Roast turkey for 30 min. Reduce temperature to 325, and continue to roast until thickest part of breast registers 160 on instant-read thermometer, about 1 more hour.
6. Let the turkey rest on a carving board on the counter for 20 min before carving.

Goes great with some mashed potatoes :)

*to soften butter, put it in the microwave for 10 seconds still wrapped in its paper wrapper.
^optional but recommended

Date Almond Milk Shake

2008-09-30T09:17:00.003-04:00

My friend Seema was talking about a date milkshake she makes and it sounded soooo good. I love milkshakes but this sounds like a healthy alternative to the fast food ones that you typically can find.

Date Almond Milk Shake
from Home Spices

Ingredients:

4 large dates
4 almonds
2 cups frozen milk
1/2 banana (or Coolwhip)
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Soak the dates in milk for about an hour or heat it with milk in the microwave for 40 seconds.
2. Add all the dates, banana, and almonds into a blender and add frozen milk, then blend it to a smooth mixture.
3. Add sugar and honey and give another whip in your blender.
4. Serve in a glass with wafers on the sides.

Can't wait to try this!

Mousaka

2008-09-21T15:53:00.005-04:00

I have only had this once as far as I know but it was a memorable meal. It was one of our rare catered iftars at Wellesley and the mousaka was from a local halal restaurant. Delicious. I haven't seen it in any halal places around here so I thought might as well try to make it myself. I was actually flipping through a cookbook of recipes from local restaurants in Charleston, SC that I had bought when me and my hubby went there for a weekend back in January (I know, vacation in Jan?! Don't remind me.) There was a recipe for mousaka and it actually has lots of things my husband and I both like - ground beef, eggplant, potatoes. Mmmm. It's probably not a lactose intolerant's ideal food, but we all have to make sacrifices. :)

Mousaka - Greek Eggplant Casserole
by Old Town Restaurant, 229 King St., Charleston, SC
Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 clove minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 chopped onions
large handful of chopped parsley
4 tbsp butter
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 medium eggplants
8 medium potatoes
5 medium zucchini
vegetable oil
grated Romano cheese
1 recipe cream sauce (see below)

Directions:
1. Slice eggplants, potatoes, and zucchini. Fry or brush with oil and broil until golden.
2. Add garlic, salt and pepper to ground beef. Cook slowly until meat is done.
3. Add chopped onions, parsley, and butter. Brown well.
4. Add tomato sauce, sugar and 1 cup water. Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350.
6. In a 9" X 13" baking pan, begin layering potatoes, then zucchini, and then eggplant. Pour meat sauce evenly over vegetables. Top with a layer of cream sauce. Sprinkle liberally with grated cheese.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.

For Cream sauce:
6 tbsp butter
6 tbsp flour
3 cups of milk
5 egg yolks

Melt butter in pan. Add flour and stir until light brown. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Slowly add egg yolks and cook over very low heat until thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

New Florida Key Lime Pie

2008-09-14T18:35:00.002-04:00

I've tried this dessert and it is so super easy. It's great if you want to take something to someone's houes and don't have a lot of time to prepare. This is from a friend's mom's cookbook, she got it from "cookin' with kevin".

New Florida Key Lime Pie

1/2 cup key lime juice
14-oz. can of fat free, sweetened condensed, skimmed milk
3 whole egg whites
8-inch prepared graham cracker crust

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Combine key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg whites in a mixer. Mix on medium speed for 3 or 4 minutes.
3. Pour mixture into crust. Cover edge of crust with small strips of aluminum foil and bake approximately 22 minutes.
4. Refrigerate till cool, and garnish with whipped cream and lime slices when cold.

Okra Bhaji

2008-09-14T17:53:00.003-04:00

We eat okra a lot at home but I hadn't tried it yet until now. If anyone's looking for a desi-style recipe for okra, this one is pretty simple.

Okra Bhaji
Servings: 2

8 oz. okra (pick the shorter ones <4 inches because they are more tender)
2 tbsp sliced onion
2 tbsp cooking oil
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste

1. Wash and drain okra. Slice thinly.
2. Heat oil in frying pan. Add okra, onion, turmeric, cumin and salt. Add 2 tbsp water, stir, cover, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Stir bhaji until okra is cooked.

Peshawari Murgh Tanghri

2008-09-14T17:34:00.006-04:00

This is a recipe from Sola - thanks!

If you don't have a pressure cooker (which I don't - should I?), you should seal the pot with dough (flour + water), or you can use foil under the lid.

Peshawari Murgh Tanghri

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs and legs- 4
Yogurt- 1/2 cup
Dhania pwdr- 1 tsp
Haldi- 1/2 tsp
Zeera pwdr- 1/2 tsp
garam masala- 1/2 tsp
lal masala (chilli powder) - 1/2 tsp
ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp
green chilli paste- 1 tsp
salt

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients and marinate chicken for 1 hr. Cook in pressure cooker for 9-10 mins with little water. Brown the pieces in a pan with little oil. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Alur Dom (Potato Curry)

2008-09-14T16:43:00.004-04:00

I love all things potato, curry not excepted. This is a recipe that is a great accompaniment to desi daawat (party) food, and also goes great with either bread or rice.

Alur Dom (Potato Curry)
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 lb. of potatos
1/2 cup of cooking oil
1 bayleaf
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 cardomom pods
2 1-inch cinnamon sticks
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
2 tsbp yogurt (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil the potato until fully cooked, peel, and cut into cubes. Make some of the cubes half broken.

2. Make a paste of the ground spices (turmeric, chilli powder, ginger, cumin, coriander) by adding water till pasty.

3. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf, and stir for one minute. Add the paste of ground spices and 1 cup of water. Cook stirring frequently.

4. When the oil surfaces, add the potato and the rest of the ingredients. Fry for 2 minutes.

5. Add 1/2 cup of water, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Chicken Korma

2008-09-14T16:29:00.004-04:00

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes because its so easy but reminds me of home cooking. It's from my mom, and she's one of those people that eschews measurements, so you might want to fiddle with the amounts depending on your preference.

Chicken Korma

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 2lb. whole chicken cut in pieces

4 oz. finely sliced onion

1/4 cup oil

1 cup yogurt

1 heaping tbsp garlic paste

1 flat tbsp ginger paste

2 heaping tbsp onion paste

1 tsp dhania (coriander) powder

1 tsp mircha (chilli) powder

salt

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp sugar

Directions:

1. Mix garlic, ginger, onion, coriander, chilli powder, and salt with yogurt and chicken pieces.

2. Heat oil in large pot and fry onions until golden. Remove onions with slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Add garam masala to oil and add chicken mix. On high heat, stir fry chicken until fragrant.

4. Add 2-3 cups of water, golden onions, and sugar, and cover with lid. Turn heat to medium-low and cook until chicken is done.

Manksho Jhol

2008-09-14T16:07:00.007-04:00

This is a bengali recipe for mutton in gravy. Apparantly my people think mutton means either lamb or goat, even though it actually means older sheep (lamb). I used goat for this recipe though, because I've been meaning to cook with it and see if I like it better than beef, and it turned out really well. At least that's what I think :)

Manksho Jhol (from angithi.com)
Servings: 6
Time to prepare: 2 hours

Ingredients:

- 2 lb Meat (lamb or goat)
- 5 pods Garlic
- 1.5 inch Ginger
- 2 medium Onion
- 8 Red Chili pepper (dried)
- 5 Cardamom
- 1/2 inch Cinnamon
- 5 Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Mace (or 1/8 tsp nutmeg)
- 6 Peppercorns
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seed Powder
- 2 large Potato
- 5 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 tsp Ghee
- to taste Salt
- 3 cups Water
- 1 bunch Cilantro
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder

Instructions:

1. Marinate the Meat first:

2. For the masala paste: Grind the ingredients from Garlic to Peppercorns in a mixer. Add 4 tbsp water also use only half an onion for the paste. Now extract the juices from the paste.

3. Cut the meat into small cube like pieces of 1 inch by 1 inch. Wash it properly.

4. Add the half cup yogurt, masala paste juice from 2, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Mix it properly with the meat and let it marinate for an hour. (the more the better)

5. Peel and cut the potato into large pieces of like 1 inch by 1 inch and keep it aside.

6. Heat the oil, add the bay leaves, sugar and fry for 1 min. Add the sliced onions, and fry till light brown.

7. Add the marinated meat and bring it to full boil. Add the potatoes and reduce the heat to medium heat. Cover the pan and let it fry for 20 min.

8. Check to see if the potato is boiled properly. Remove the potatoes once boiled, and keep it aside.

9. Cover the pan and fry it till oil starts coming out. (Remember not to be hasty and keep on stirring frequently till oil has come out completely)

10. Next add the water and bring it to boil on full heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and let it simmer for 20 min. (till the meat has become tender)

11. Add the potatoes and let it simmer for another 10 min. Remove from heat and add the ghee. Garnish it with finely chopped cilantro. Serve hot with plain white rice.

Kaala Chana

2008-09-14T13:31:00.004-04:00

Kaala Chana is a black chana that we eat at home for iftar in Ramadan. It's really a great snack for anytime, but I'm used to eating it in Ramadan before dinner. I got some from the indian store this time that was called 'Black Chana', but I'm not entirely sure it's the same as the ones we get in Bangladesh, since it wasn't as dark and when cooked it didn't expand as much. It still tasted good though, and I'm glad I know how to make it now!

Kaala chana

Makes 3-4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 cup Kaala Chana, washed and soaked overnight in water (careful to put in a roomy container, since they will expand)

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tbsp onion paste, or 2 tbsp onion chopped fine

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp chopped coriander

1 small tomato, chopped small

1 green chili, chopped

water

Directions:

1. Put the chana in a saucepan with its water from soaking. Add more water to cover the chana by at least 1-2 inches.

2. Add all ingredients except coriander, tomato and chili, and boil on high.

3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chana is soft. This should take about an hour, but could take longer depending on how soft you prefer your chana. If the water dries before chana is soft, add more. Check on the chana often to make sure it does not dry out completely.

4. When softened, turn off heat and mix in remaining ingredients. Add more salt to taste. Can be served warm or cold.

Dim (Egg) Curry

2008-09-14T13:14:00.003-04:00

I haven't seen this dish in many other cuisines, but boiled egg is a big favorite in Bengali dishes. I've always loved how the oil and spices complement the egg white. This is the first recipe I've tried with boiled egg, and the people I fed it to last night loved it, but I'm still looking for more recipes because it was a little different from what we usually have at home. Maybe I'll just ask my mom :)

Dim Curry (Egg Curry)

Ingredients:

6 hard boiled eggs

5 tbsp vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil

2 medium sized onion cut into quarters

3 medium sized tomatoes cut into quarters

2 green chillies

2 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp ginger paste

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish

2 potatoes cut into 1" cubes (optional)

Directions:

Heat 2 tbsps of the cooking oil in a deep pan and when hot, add the onions. Fry till slightly golden. Turn off the fire. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the pan and put them in a food processor. Grind the onions, tomatoes, green chillies into a smooth paste. Try not to add water while grinding, if possible.

Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the paste you just made to it when it is hot. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the ginger and garlic pastes, all the dry spices, mix and fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala (onion-tomato-spice mix).

Now add 2 cups of warm water to this masala and bring to a boil on a medium flame.

If adding potatoes to the curry, add them now and cook till half done.

Half slit the boiled eggs vertically and add them gently to the gravy. Simmer the flame and cook for 10 minutes or till the gravy is thickened/ reduced to about 3/4 of the original quantity (when you added the water). If you have added potatoes they should ideally be cooked by now.

Turn off the fire and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice and a vegetable side dish.

Ramadan Rice Soup

2008-09-14T12:50:00.005-04:00

My husband loves this soup, it's like his comfort food. The recipe is from his mom, and she usually makes it in Ramadan for breaking the fast. I love the soup too, it's just so filling for me that I can't eat anything else for iftar!!

Rice Soup (from Nahla Erakat)

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 zucchini cut in cubes (skin on or off, depending on your preference)

1 onion chopped small

1 large potato cut in cubes

1/4 cup of rice, washed (I prefer medium grain, like Carolina)

3 cups of water

1 chicken stock bouillon cube

1 tsp of salt, or to taste

pepper to taste

1 tsp of 7 spice powder (found in arabic stores)

1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Heat oil in 3 quart saucepan on medium and saute zucchini, onion, potato, and rice.

2. Add water, bouillon cube, salt, pepper, 7 spice and turmeric. Bring to boil on high heat.

3. Lower heat to medium, and cook covered for 20 minutes. Add more water if needed.

And we're back!

2008-09-14T12:40:00.002-04:00

Ok so it's been a looooooooooong time since my last post. Phew! How time flies in the summer. I can't believe summer's almost over :( Of course there's a heat wave warning today, go figure. So it's not like I haven't been cooking all summer, just that warmth makes me lazy :) And I went to Europe in the middle so that kept me quite busy! Sorry, no recipes to share from Europe. One day I will do a culinary tour of the world, inshaAllah (God willing); that's my dream vacation. Maybe start in England (some good ol fish and chips!) and make my way through Italy, the middle east (gotta learn some Turkish food), must stop in Thailand, and round back to Louisiana or South Carolina for some good southern food. Anybody have other required stops?

Ramadan started a couple weeks ago, so even though I've been wanting to post for a while I just haven't had the time. Well today is a new day! I have a bunch of recipes I've been wanting to put up for a while; some that people have asked me for and some that I just want to share because they turned out well. And because most of the cookbooks I use regularly are ones that you can't buy here for whatever reason, this is a nice way to share the wealth.

And I'm hoping to get more people posting! What will it take...

Basil shelf-life

2008-06-16T13:12:00.003-04:00

If you use a lot of basil in your cooking you know it goes bad really quickly, even the bunches that come with roots attached in the grocery store. I've been growing my own basil this summer, and I've been experimenting with different ways to keep it fresh until I use it in my cooking, freeze it, or make pesto out of it. Cook's illustrated said that keeping it in the fridge in damp paper towels was the best way to store it, but I had pretty awful results with that method. The only thing that seems to keep them at least a week for me has been drying them with paper towels and then storing on the counter in a plastic air-tight container. I also store mint leaves this way (from my garden) and they seem to keep similarly fresh for longer.

I don't know if its because the basil is freshly picked versus already having travelled many miles to the supermarket, so let me know if you buy basil and it doesn't last using this method.

Hard-boiled eggs

2008-06-14T14:55:00.003-04:00

Yeah, no kidding. I'm sure most of you out there are like "who doesn't know how to boil an egg?". Well, I, for one, let me tell you. Cooking a perfect hard boiled egg is not like a skill we are born with. So I've been trying to increase my egg consumption and I love boiled eggs, and I was trying a few recipes online to see which one was foolproof. The recipe below came pretty close, though you have to adjust the time they sit in the end a *teeny* bit depending on if you're cooking a lot or just a few eggs. So in honor of all those people out there who like me were too embarrassed to ask someone how to boil an egg...

How to make perfect boiled eggs (from simplyrecipes.com)

Method

1 First make sure that you are using eggs that are several days old. If this is Easter time, and everyone is buying their eggs at the last minute, buy your eggs 5 days in advance of boiling. (See the reference to using old eggs in Harold Magee's On Food and Cooking). Hard boiling farm fresh eggs will invariably lead to eggs that are difficult to peel. If you have boiled a batch that are difficult to peel, try putting them in the refrigerator for a few days; they should be easier to peel then.

2 Put the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, covered by at least an inch of cold water. Starting with cold water and gently bringing the eggs to a boil will help keep them from cracking. Adding a tablespoon of vinegar to the water will help keep the egg whites from running out of any eggs that happen to crack while cooking, but some people find that the vinegar affects the taste. I don't have a problem with it and I usually add a little vinegar. Adding a half teaspoon of salt is thought to help both with the preventing of cracking and making the eggs easier to peel. Put the burner on high and bring the eggs to a boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds.

3 Reduce the heat to low, return the pan to the burner. Let simmer for one minute. (Note I usually skip this step because I don't notice the eggs boiling until they've been boiling for at least a minute! Also, if you are using an electric stove with a coil element, you can just turn off the heat. There is enough residual heat in the coil to keep the eggs simmering for a minute.)

4 After a minute, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes. If you are doing a large batch of eggs, after 10 minutes you can check for doneness by sacrificing one egg, removing it with a slotted spoon, running it under cold water, and cutting it open. If it isn't done, cook the other eggs a minute or two longer. The eggs should be done perfectly at 10 minutes, but sometimes, depending on the shape of the pan, the size of the eggs, the number of eggs compared to the amount of water, and how cooked you like them, it can take a few minutes more. When you find the right time that works for you given your pan, the size of eggs you usually buy, the type of stove top you have, stick with it.

I also find that it is very hard to overcook eggs using this method. I can let the eggs sit, covered, for up to 15-20 minutes without the eggs getting overcooked.

5 Either remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them into a bowl of ice water (this is if you have a lot of eggs) OR strain out the water from the pan, fill the pan with cold water, strain again, fill again, until the eggs cool down a bit. Once cooled, strain the water from the eggs. Store the eggs in a covered container (eggs can release odors) in the refrigerator. They should be eaten within 5 days.

Kofta

2008-06-11T13:32:00.004-04:00

I love Kofta. I love those small, spicy balls of ground meat that burst forth with flavor when you eat them. Ok maybe I'm being a little over dramatic, but I do love them. And I've never made them before, suprisingly. We eat them all the time at home - always with a spicy curry to keep them moist. I had some ground beef yesterday ready to cook and I was deciding between old fashioned keema and burgers. Not the most exciting choices. So I flipped through the indo-pak book and saw a few recipes for Kofte and various things like gravy, tomatoes, fenugreek, eggs, shrimp, and the list goes on. There were even recipes for stuffed meatballs and persian meatballs. Maybe another day... I had a bunch of tomatoes lying around so I decided to use them (after washing them in veggiewash - the news has got me scared of salmonella!) in the recipe for Kofte tomatay. I love the urdu pronounciations of everything :)

Kofte Tamatay (Meatballs and tomatoes)

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 lbs. onions

1 lb diced tomatoes

1 tsp ground ginger and garlic

1 tsp chilli powder

1/8 tsp turmeric

3 green chillis

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tsp salt

kofte (recipe following)

Heat oil and brown sliced onions. Add ginger and garlic, fry for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Fry until oil comes up. Add 1 cup of water, slit green chillis, cilantro, and kofte. Cook until water dries and oil comes up.

Kofte (Meatballs)

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground meat

1 onion diced fine

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/4 cup roasted besan

4 cloves garlic ground

1/2 tsp ground spices (cardomom, cloves and cinnamon)

2 tbsp yogurt

3 chopped green chillis

1/4 chopped cilantro

1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients together and shape into 1 inch meatballs. Heat 2 tbsp water in frying pan. Add one layer of meatballs and cook covered until water dries. Add 1 tbsp oil and fry until evenly browned on all sides. Repeat for remaining meatballs.

More on Pulao

2008-06-11T10:05:00.007-04:00

So my fantabulous, can't-go-wrong cookbook of Indo-Pak cuisine had two recipes for Yakhni Pulao that Sameera was looking for. The first was for Chicken Yakhni Pulao and the second was just Yakhni Pulao. Since Sameera already posted one with chicken I'm posting one that seems to be for any kind of meat.

Yakhni Pulao
Serves 8

Ingredients:
4 cups rice
3 lbs. meat cut in pieces
3 medium onions
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 cup yogurt
10 garlic cloves
1 1/2 inch ginger
2, 2 inch cinnamon sticks
5 cardamom pods
5 cloves
1/4 tsp shah zeera
1/4 tsp whole black pepper
1 tbsp coriander seeds
8 mint leaves
6 dried red chillies
4 green chillies
1 tbsp salt

To make:

1. Heat 1/2 cup shortening and brown 1 sliced onion. Add meat, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, shah zeera, pepper, coriander, mint leaves, red chillies, and 4 cups of water. Cook until meat is tender. Strain and save stock.

2. In 1/2 cup shortening, brown second sliced onion. Add meat and lightly brown. Add stock, cook 3 minutes and set aside.

3. In remaining shortening, brown last sliced onion with yogurt. Add washed rice, green chillies, salt, meat, gravy and enough water to stand 1 inch above rice level. Cook until water is almost dry.

4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Yakhni Pulao?

2008-05-15T12:44:00.003-04:00

I know my pulao was not yakhni. I have never made that.

Does anyone have a recipe for yakhni pulao?

Yummy Chicken Pulao

2008-05-15T12:03:00.005-04:00

I heart chicken pulao that I get at my friend's pakistani homes, especially Amina Chief with her very spicy, very flavorful, absolutely dreamy pulao. Yesterday I decided to try my hand at it and found a good recipe online that I made several adjustments to. The end result was delicious!

I'm posting the recipe with my adjustments here:

Chicken Pulao

3 cups rice
1 cup natural, low fat yogurt
1 whole chicken
1 large tomato, diced
2 medium onions, sliced fine
2 potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces
2-4 green chillies, chopped roughly
chili powder to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 star anise
2 tsp whole cumin
2 inches cinnamon
2 large bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 cardamom pods
1 inch ginger and 4 garlic cloves, pureed
3 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt to taste
Handful chopped cilantro
Handful chopped mint
---
In a large pot, bring the oil to heat over a high flame. When it is hot, add the whole spices.

As they sizzle up in seconds add the onions and fry for five minutes until golden brown.

Then add the ginger and garlic and fry for another five minutes until the whole mixture goes a darker shade of brown. Add the turmeric, chili powder (optional), the chillies and the chicken.

Stir vigorously for five minutes until the chicken is brown all over. Now, add the yogurt and leave the chicken to cook on a high flame, stirring regularly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. If it does, add a little water.

When chicken is halfway cooked, add potatoes and tomatoes.

After 10 minutes, stir in the rice and fry for a minute or so.

Add about 4.5 cups to cook the rice.
(Very important: If the yogurt has let out a lot of water, then adjust how much water you add here; you don't want to end up with too much liquid or mushy rice.)

Once you have done this, don’t stir the rice because it will get all mushy.
Turn heat down, cover and cook until rice is cooked through. Take a peek to make sure there is enough water once or twice.

When the water dries up and the rice is cooked, the pulao is ready.

Add cilantro and mint and serve with raita.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2008-05-12T12:24:00.003-04:00

I was home alone on Sunday so I spent the time doing laundry and catching up on cooking shows (I think I'm showing my age), including Everyday Food and Everyday Baking on PBS. I don't bake very much (not at all is more accurate) but I love watching people bake because they make it look so easy, and it's probably easier than cooking. This recipe was in an episode on Sunday and I'm itching to try it. I might make it for my in-laws who are visiting next weekend. I'm posting it here for anyone who is interested - it looked mighty delicious!

Flourless Chocolate Cake from Everyday Baking on PBS

Serves 8 Prep time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour plus cooling time

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/4 cup sifted unsweetened best quality cocoa powder, plus more for pan
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
sweetened whipped cream for serving

To make:

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan; line bottom with a parchment round. Butter parchment and dust all over with cocoa powder shaking out excess; set aside.

2. In a medium heatproof bowl set over, not in, a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate and butter; cool to room temperature.

3. Using an electric mixer on high, beat eggs, sugar, and salt until light and foamy, about 2 minutes.

4. Gently fold ¼ of egg mixture into cooled chocolate mixture to lighten the chocolate. Then gently fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg mixture until marbled. Fold in cocoa powder. Spoon into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until center still feels soft (a toothpick inserted comes out moist) and top has a thin crust.

5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a metal spatula around the sides of pan and invert; remove parchment. Invert again so cake is right side up. Serve with whipped cream. (Berries or ice cream are other optional toppings.)

Fast Beef Chili

2008-05-09T12:02:00.000-04:00

This is a recipe I tried some time ago from the Test Kitchen files, but I never got around to posting it. I find that having a basic recipe for chili is useful and I take advantage of its versatility to make it out of whatever I can find in my kitchen. I also serve it with rice because I'm a rice person, but you could serve it with sour cream and cheese on a baked potato, in a wrap or on slices of bread.

Fast All-American beef chili from America's Test Kitchen

1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
2-3 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tsp sugar
salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp veg oil
1 onion minced
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 lbs 85 % lean ground beef

1. pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor until slightly chunky, about 5 pulses.
2. bring tomatoes, beans, chipoltle chile, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan. reduce to simmer and continue to cook until needed in step 5.
3. heat oil in large dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. add onion, chili powder, cumin and 1/4 tsp salt and cook until softened, about 5 min. stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec.
4. increase heat to medium high and add beef. cook, breaking up beef with spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 min.
5. stir in tomato-bean mixture, scraping up any browned bits. bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Grilled Peanut Chicken

2008-05-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

This peanut butter theme is completely unintentional :) I just came across this recipe and it sounded like a quick way to make chicken for a sandwich. I used the grilled chicken to fill half pita pockets along with romaine lettuce, sliced red onion, tomato slices, chopped cilantro and a drizzle of ranch or other creamy dressing.

Grilled Peanut Chicken

2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp curry powder
dash of chilli powder
2 chicken breast halves (~ 1 lb)

1. Coat grill with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium.
2. In small bowl, stir together all ingredients except chicken.
3. Slice each chicken breast in half, to create 4 total filets.
4. Place filets on grill without crowding and brush with peanut butter mixture.
5. Grill for 6 minutes, turn and brush with more mixture, and grill for 6 more minutes until chicken is no longer pink or internal temperature is 165 degrees. (On a foreman grill, grill for 7-8 minutes depending on thickness of filet.)

Serves 4.

PB and ..... M?

2008-05-07T22:01:00.000-04:00

One thing I absolutely cannot get enough of - I would choose it over ice cream, cake, or any of my other favorite sweets - is medjool dates stuffed with peanut butter. I discovered it in college courtesy of an old friend and I'm just recently re-discovering it. If any of you have never tried it, you're really missing something. Unless of course you hate peanut butter, in which case it's probably not a mistake that you haven't tried it :)

It takes a second to make - just cut open one side of a juicy medjool, discard the seed, and fill with peanut butter. Eat... mmmmmmmmmmmm... and repeat :) Try to control yourself, these are rich ones!

Lemon Butter Salmon

2008-04-22T20:40:00.001-04:00

I never realized how simply wonderful a salmon fillet with salt and pepper can be. This recipe adds more deliciousness to the salmon, but the salmon fresh off the grill was almost too tempting not to eat right away.

This recipe is from Epicurious.com, which I like because you can search for an ingredient and a lot of people leave helpful reviews as well. They also have a rating system (with forks :)) which tells you which recipes are the most popular. This one's definitely a keeper.

Grilled salmon with lime butter sauce (from epicurious.com)

Makes 6 servings.

Ian Knauer

6 (6-oz) pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest
6 tablespoons lime butter sauce (recipe below)

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

Season salmon all over with salt and pepper, then grill, flesh sides down, on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using gas grill) 4 minutes. Turn fillets over and grill (covered only if using gas grill) until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more. Sprinkle fillets with zest and top each with 1 tablespoon lime butter sauce.

Note: I used a George Foreman grill - just add a bit of olive oil before grilling, preheat on medium and cook for 7 minutes.

lime butter sauce Gourmet | July 2006

It takes only 5 minutes to make this fantastic sauce. Once you see how versatile it is — it works perfectly with the grilled salmon and the grilled corn — you'll want to make it for a whole host of your summer favorites.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Ian Knauer

1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Purée garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Cooks' Note: Lime butter sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Stir before using.

Sesame Noodles

2008-04-13T16:33:00.000-04:00

Our latest culinary has been Sesame Noodles. This recipe from Cooks Illustrated is so delicious, better than you find at most restaurants..and very substantial as a meal. I haven't actually made them with the chicken yet, but I'm sure that will be even better.

This is one of the easiest recipe ever and highly successful.

Let me know how it turns out for you.

Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken

9/2004

We prefer the flavor and texture of chunky peanut butter in the sauce; in particular, we like conventional chunky peanut butter because it tends to be sweeter than natural or old-fashioned versions.

Serves 4 to 6
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
water (hot)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon table salt
1 pound fresh Asian noodles or 12 ounces dried spaghetti
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 scallions , sliced thin on diagonal
1 medium carrot , grated

1. Toast sesame seeds in medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in small bowl. In blender or food processor, puree remaining 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water 1 tablespoon at time until sauce has consistency of heavy cream, about 5 tablespoons; set blender jar or workbowl aside.

2. Bring 6 quarts water to boil in stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to 6 inches from broiler element; heat broiler. Spray broiler pan top with vegetable cooking spray; place chicken breasts on top and broil chicken until lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken over and continue to broil until thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside. Add salt and noodles to boiling water; boil noodles until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh and 10 minutes for dried. Drain, then rinse with cold running tap water until cool to touch; drain again. In large bowl, toss noodles with sesame oil until evenly coated. Add shredded chicken, scallions, carrot, and sauce; toss to combine. Divide among individual bowls, sprinkle each bowl with portion of reserved sesame seeds, and serve.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe

2008-04-04T12:34:00.000-04:00

I feel like every now and then there comes along a vegetable or other food item that everyone is talking about or serving. I think Broccoli Rabe is having it's day because I see it everywhere. I've never even had it before and suddenly it's like the "IN" veggie.

So I saw a recipe for shell pasta with broccolli rabe that sounded good. I tried it yesterday and though I couldn't get enough of it, my hubby thought it was a bit too bitter. It is a bitter vegetable, but I developed a taste for bitter vegetables (like bitter gourd) at home so that's probably why I enjoyed it. But apparantly to get rid of the bitterness you should boil it with a little bit of oil, black pepper and crushed red pepper until its tender enough to stick a fork through (tip courtesy of a hardy italian native). Then you can add it to whatever recipe you like.

I used skinny penne in mine, but the original Whole Foods recipe is below.

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe, Sun Dried Tomatoes and White Beans
Serves 6 to 8

1 pound orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch broccoli rabe, stems removed, leaves chopped
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 12 pieces), sliced
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water and drain pasta thoroughly.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over high heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add half the broccoli rabe and sauté until lightly wilted but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add remaining broccoli rabe to pan and cook for another minute or two. Add sun-dried tomatoes and cannellini beans and toss lightly. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add hot drained pasta to the pan (or to a larger bowl if needed) and toss with the vegetables. Stir and add a few tablespoons of reserved pasta cooking water if mixture seems dry. Season and taste again. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Re-thinking the Microwave

2008-04-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

There were two articles today in the NYT about cooking with a microwave. I remember a colleague telling me once about her old roommate who only cooked in the microwave. It sounded dangerous and irresponsible at the time. I don't know if the jury is out on how safe it is to use a microwave to cook food, but I thought the recipes were interesting anyway, and a good read given we all have one of these in our homes.

The first is by one of my favorite food people - Mark Bittman:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/dining/02mini.html?th&emc=th

The second is by "the curious cook". Aren't we all?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/dining/02curious.html?ref=dining

Sticky Rice with Mango

2008-03-31T11:01:00.000-04:00

If you're really my friend you'll know I love sticky rice with mango with a passion (just kidding about the being my friend part). The only problem is whenever we eat out I'm always stuffed long before the end of the meal and thus never have the guts to order dessert (I don't like wasting food). So since I was making thai food for some friends we had over for lunch yesterday, I decided it was a prime time to make some sticky rice with a little recipe I cut out from some box of something many months ago and filed away for future reference (I don't like wasting recipes, either). All I can say is..... yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Sweet mangoes are hard to find outside of summer so it was a little early for this dessert, but I actually liked the contrast of sweet rice and slightly sour mango...

Sticky Rice with Mangoes

1 cup uncooked Jasmine Rice

1 can of coconut milk (I prefer the lite, lower-fat version)

2/3 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 mangoes, peeled and sliced

1/4 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1. In a medium saucepan, boil 1 1/2 cups of water. When boiling, add 1 cup of jasmine rice (Note: I didn't wash the rice because I wanted some starchy gooeyness). Return to boil and then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat.

2. In a small saucepan, combine coconut milk, sugar and salt. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

3. Pour coconut mixture into cooked rice. Stir well. Cover with foil and pan lid. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

4. To serve, spoon rice onto a plate, sprinke with sesame seeds and arrange mango slices on the side.

Serves 4.

Shepherd's Pie

2008-03-28T17:04:00.000-04:00

I wanted to find something interesting to do with ground beef... I'm not a chili person usually but I was going to try it until I came across this recipe for Shepherd's Pie. I love potatoes and using them as a crust instead of cheese was a heavenly idea, since I'm lactose intolerant and hubby has caught my problem too it seems.

Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe adapted from SimplyRecipes.com

Shepherd's Pie is an English dish, traditionally made with lamb or mutton. Americans typically make Shepherd's Pie with beef. The English (and Australians and New Zealanders) call the beef dish a "cottage pie". Naming conventions aside, Shepherd's Pie is essentially a casserole, lined with cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked.

1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup broth, any kind
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
Salt, pepper to taste

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4 Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce, garam masala and chili powder. Add half a cup of broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more broth as necessary to keep moist.

5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

6 Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well. Sprinkle paprika evenly over potatoes.

7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Serves four.

Food on a "Dime"... or more likely Dollar.

2008-03-26T14:03:00.000-04:00

The article today in the NYT Dining section was amusing at first but then made me think about how much of an expense food really is nowadays, and how I've made a conscious effort to be more frugal. I wonder if NJ has the kind of 99cent stores they talk about in the article, but I seriously doubt it. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to post one of the recipes from the article (actually there were two related articles, and this recipe is from the article about the chef from Le Bernardin).

Baked Salmon With Coconut-Tomato Sauce and Creamy Jasmine Rice
Adapted from Eric Ripert
Time: 45 minutes

FOR THE COCONUT-TOMATO SAUCE:
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon finely diced garlic
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt and ground black pepper

FOR THE CREAMY JASMINE RICE:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup jasmine rice
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt and ground white pepper

FOR THE SALMON:
2 tablespoons butter
4 6-ounce salmon fillets
Salt and ground black pepper.

1. For coconut-tomato sauce: In a saucepan, heat oil and add garlic and onion. Sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

2. For creamy jasmine rice: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups water and the butter. Bring to a boil, add rice, and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover snugly with foil, and allow to sit for another 12 minutes.

3. Combine milk and coconut milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir into cooked rice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

4. For salmon: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in roasting pan large enough to fit salmon fillets, and add 1/4 inch water. Place over medium heat to bring to a boil, then add salmon and cover pan snugly with foil. Place in oven and cook as desired, about 5 minutes for medium-rare. Remove fish from pan and drain on paper towels.

5. To serve, reheat sauce. Place an equal portion of rice in center of each of four plates. Top each with a fillet, and pour sauce around rice and salmon. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings.

Long Live the Stir-Fry

2008-03-20T19:48:00.001-04:00

Stir-fries are my new favorite dish to make - once you have the basic steps down, they are so simple and quick. Cook's Illustrated sent a recipe from The Best International Cookbook the other day, and it was so timely because I was *craving* sticky rice. Don't ask me why, I usually don't like the rice from Chinese restaurants. But I love using chopsticks and basmati wasn't really designed for it, let's be honest. So I bought some carolina rice from the supermarket and used it in this sticky rice recipe. Dude! So easy and carolina rice is yummy! The sticky rice was 1000 times better than what you get in chinese take-out, no offense. I don't know why I never tried it before. Sameera used it in some paella she made the other day.. Sam will you post the recipe for your paella please? :)

They used chinese rice wine in their recipe, so I substituted vegetable broth with a dash of rice vinegar. I didn't make the ginger ice cream, cause I'm not into making that, but I thought I would include it anyway. Let me know if one of you tries to make it!

Stir-Fried Shrimp, Asparagus, and Carrots with Orange Sauce
Use a vegetable peeler to peel strips of zest, but take care to avoid the bitter pith beneath the skin. If the asparagus spears are very thick, slice each stalk in half lengthwise before cutting them into 2-inch lengths. Stir-fries cook quickly, so have everything prepped before you begin cooking.

Serves 4

*Sauce*
2	orange zest strips (2-inch-long) from 1 orange
1/2	cup fresh orange juice from 2 oranges
1/4	cup vegetable or any low sodium broth with a dash of rice vinegar
2	tablespoons soy sauce
1	tablespoon sugar
2	teaspoons cornstarch
1	teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2	teaspoon red pepper flakes
*Stir-Fry*
1	pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound) peeled and deveined
2	teaspoons soy sauce
2	teaspoons vegetable or other broth
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
2	scallions , minced
2	tablespoons vegetable oil plus one additional teaspoon
1	pound asparagus (about 1 bunch), tough ends trimmed and sliced on the bias into 2-inch lengths
2	carrots , peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks

1. For the sauce: Whisk all of the ingredients together; set aside.

2. For the stir-fry: Toss the shrimp with the soy sauce and broth with vinegar in a small bowl and let marinate for 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour. In a separate bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, scallions, and 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil; set aside.

3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons more vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the shrimp and cook, without stirring, until the shrimp are browned at the edges, about 1 minute. Stir the shrimp and continue to cook until they are nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl and repeat with 1 1/2 teaspoons more vegetable oil and the remaining shrimp; transfer to the bowl, cover with foil, and set aside.

4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet and return to high heat until just smoking. Add the asparagus and carrots, and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Clear the center of the skillet, add the garlic mixture and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the vegetables.

5. Stir in the shrimp with any accumulated juices. Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add it to the skillet and cook, tossing constantly, until the sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Ginger Ice Cream
Prepare the ice cream quickly to prevent it from melting too much, (Recipe from: Restaurant Favorites at Home)

1 pint

2 1/2	inch piece fresh ginger , scrubbed
1	pint vanilla ice cream (premium), softened (but not melting)

Using a Microplane grater or fine-holed grater, grate the ginger. Transfer the grated ginger to a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl and press firmly with a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Place the softened ice cream in a medium bowl and, using a stiff rubber spatula, fold the ginger juice into the ice cream. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic flush against the ice cream. Return the ice cream to the freezer to firm up, about 30 minutes.

Chinese-Style Sticky Rice
Do not stir the rice as it cooks. The finished rice can stand off heat, covered, for up to 15 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6

2	cups long grain white rice
3	cups water
1/2	teaspoon salt

1. Place rice in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Rinse under running water, swishing with hands until water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.

2. Bring rinsed rice, water, and salt to boil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, until water level drops below surface of rice and small holes form, about 5 minutes.

3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and water is fully absorbed, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Culinary Wasteland

2008-03-11T21:20:00.001-04:00

Ok so this is my second post today because I had two recipes to post and I needed to rant about my unhappy cooking week(s). I have been in culinary wasteland - the last 3 or 4 recipes I've tried have been pretty unsatisfactory. It could be too many shortcuts, trying to multi-task, who knows. Has anyone else ever felt this way?

But finally Sunday I actually made some food that I liked and I would make again. I tried the Afghani soup and a beef pot pie with ground beef from a CI cookbook I borrowed from the library. I had to improvise because beef pot pie is usually made with chunks of beef and not ground, but it still turned out alright.

Ground Beef Pot Pie - adapted from Cover and Bake, from Cook's Illustrated

1 frozen pastry sheet
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
salt and ground black pepper
1 tbsp veggie oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped medium
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
2 cups beef broth (or 1 beef bullion dissolved in 2 cups boiling water)
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas

1. Thaw the frozen pastry sheet on the counter.
2. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat. Stir meat until brown. Transfer meat to a bowl.
3. Add onion, carrot, and salt to pot. Cook until onion is soft and lightly browned, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, water, tomato paste, and thyme. Add the browned meat and any juices, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Put oven rack on middle position and heat over to 400 degrees. When meat is done, transfer to a baking dish or casserole (or several small ones for individual sizes). Top with pastry sheet, rolled out if necessary to cover dish. Bake until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes.
5. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Soup

2008-03-11T20:51:00.000-04:00

Ok so it's really Afghani Soup, but I like the name Spaghetti Soup :) This is another gem from Sameera's cookbook, and was realllly easy :) I love one pot meals!

Afghani Soup

1 small can of tomato paste
3 cans small tomato sauce or 28 oz. plain tomato sauce
4 cups water
1/2 lb. fettuccini noodles
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
1 14 oz. can of chickpeas
1 tbsp of dill
1 tbsp chilli garlic sauce
chili powder to taste
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp turmeric

Add all ingredients in large pot and cook. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour to taste and consistency.

More French Cooking...

2008-02-28T17:19:00.001-05:00

I'm starting to appreciate the beauty in French cuisine...it's touted around the world as the fanciest and best tasting, most sophisticated cuisine. In America we can't appreciate the full beauty of it...French restaurants are hard to come by, very expensive and off limits for Muslims...they cook with a lot of pork and/or wine.

Lately I've been reading the autobiography of a New York magazine restaurant critic...every few months she goes on an eating tour of France. She writes mostly about French restaurants, in New York and in France. Reading her book, I'm compelled to think French food is the epitome of food. And that's not just her opinion, she's been working since the 1970's and that is what's going on in the food world around her. But her to each his/her own. I wouldn't put it at the top of my list.

So I revisited out salad nicoise and french onion soup, (see last month's post for the recipes).

Our main dish was Chicken with forty cloves of garlic, and trust me, you'll want every last clove, because it's absolutely delicious. And yes, I went out and bought a Dutch oven for this occasion. We're in love, my dutch oven and I. It's a beautiful red Tramontina from Target and was highly rated by Cook's Illustrated. I'll try more dishes and keep you posted on our relationship.

Here's the recipe for the main dish, which should be served with a great loaf of bread to sop up all the amazing sauce. It's from Ina Garten of Food Network.

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
User Rating: 5 Stars

Copyright 2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved
3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Snowed in

2008-02-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

I *attempted* to go to work today, but the snow and mucky roads thwarted my efforts. My car which handled the last snow storm quite well was not a happy camper this morning so for her sake I turned back after a half hour. The fact that it was bagel friday at work (every friday we get fresh bagels and the most amazing cream cheese at work) forced me to weigh my decision carefully, but the flashing warning lights when my tires slipped beat out the yummy bagels... But a coworker tells me that the cream cheese was so frozen that the knives were breaking in it... lol. Sorry guys.

So since I'm cooped up at home (still working mind you) I thought I would share my latest find, the 30-minute cookbook from America's Test Kitchen. Ok, it's really Sameera's find because I borrowed it from her, but in my world I am discovering it :) I am a *very* slow cook, and I realized this when Sameera came over to cook with me and she'd made three dishes before I even managed to open a can of beans. So the quicker the recipe the better for me, since anything takes me forever. Even though the first recipe I tried took longer than 30 min, it was still relatively quick and very easy. I'm sharing it cause I thought it came out rather well (considering the suspect way the chicken was cooked) and my hubby really liked it too. I left out the apricots cause I try not to do cooked fruit for the hubby's sake.

30-minute Chicken Tagine (from The Best 30-Minute Recipe from the Editors of Cook's Illustrated)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 tsp garam masala
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

To make:
1. Microwave chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper and arrange in single layer in microwave-safe casserole dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on 50% power for 15 minutes.

2. Saute aromatics: While chicken cooks, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in onion, garam masala, and 1/4 tsp salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Build sauce: Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in tomatoes, apricots, and chickpeas, bring to simmer, and cook until apricots begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

4. Simmer chicken: Reduce heat to low and add microwaved chicken with any accumulated juices. Cover and continue to cook until chicken is tender, about 10 minutes.

5. Finish: Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

This goes really well with either rice or couscous. I made basmati in the rice cooker and added salt, olive oil and panch phoran (5 spice) to give it a nutty flavor. If you want couscous (since this is a moroccan dish), here is a quick recipe.

Simple Couscous (also from The Best 30-Minute Recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups couscous
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups water

To make:
1. Saute couscous: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Finish: Stir in salt and water and bring to boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork before serving.

Chicken Corn Soup

2008-02-17T21:11:00.002-05:00

Sameera shared her "cookbook" with me, which is a collection of recipes she uses often (I'm guessing - it could be for some totally other reason) and I've tried a couple of them and they've been great. I've always loved egg drop soup but I've never had a chicken version since I usually don't eat chicken in chinese restaurants. But this recipe was so easy and turned out really yummy. I added some chopped fresh green chilis to add to the punch, and used regular canned corn instead of creamed, but added some sour cream to make it creamy (as you can see I was just using what I had at home!).

4-5 chicken pieces ( I used 1 large breast halve, cut in large chunks)
water
1 can cream style corn
salt or agino moto
2-3 tbsp cornstarch
1 egg

To make:
1. Boil chicken in water, add salt to water.
2. After chicken has cooked, remove from water.
3. Strain water (now chicken broth) to remove all chicken pieces. Return to stove.
4. Add cream style corn to chicken broth.
5. Shred chicken and add to liquid mixture
6. Add agino moto or salt to taste
7. Mix some water (few tbsp) into cornstarch until it forms a thin paste
8. Add paste to soup until it forms a thick consistency
9. Beat egg in small bowl and add to soup, stirring immediately with a fork until spread throughout. Remove from heat.
10. Serve with soy sauce, hot sauce, and vinegar.

Baked Spaghetti

2008-02-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

I got this recipe in a recipe exchange email chain, and I think it might belong to someone on this blog, but I'm not entirely sure who! I tried it last night and I thought it was good and sooo spectacularly easy so I'm putting it up. As usual, I just used whatever I had in the house so I couldn't follow the recipe exactly - my assumption is that it would be even better if I did. :) One thing though - my baking dish was close to overflowing, especially when the liquid started bubbling. If you have a slightly deeper dish to bake in, you might consider using that instead.
Whoever's recipe this is - please claim it!

Baked Spaghetti~ yum!
PREP : 20 min
BAKE: 40 min

1 pkg (16 ounces) spaghetti
1-1/2 pounds of ground beef
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 can (8 ounces) tomato soup
1 cup water
2 tblsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Break spaghetti in half; cook according to pkg directions.
Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the soups, tomato sauce, water, brown sugar and seasonings.
Drain spaghetti; stir into meat sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese.
Transfer to a greased 13-in x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.
Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 10-15 min longer or until the cheese is melted.

Yield: 12 servings.

Little Bites of Heaven..

2008-01-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

My latest love...Potstickers..aka Chinese Dumplings...aka Shumai...pan fried on the bottom and steamed to perfection...

my recipe is sort of the best of a few different recipes..these are so easy you'll never want to order them again when you eat out..

Filling:
1/2 pound ground beef (1 cup)
3/4 cup shredded cabbage
1 green onion, diced
2-4 shrimp, ground (can be omitted)
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot chili oil, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying, or as needed
1/3 cup chopped water chestnut (make life easy- get the canned)
30 gyoza wrappers, or as needed

In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, beef, green onions, shrimp, water chestnuts, ginger, 1 beaten egg, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and chili oil.

On each wrapper add up to 1/2 teaspoon of filling, use water on the edges and fold over and seal.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Turn over and fry another minute.

Add 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook 6 4-6 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

---

Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1-2 tablespoon water
Few drops sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon green onions
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash red pepper flakes
--
Mix ingredients together. Don't make too much of this..a little goes a long way.

Tour de France

2008-01-25T15:20:00.000-05:00

If you want to see what we made for our Tour de France cook-off, go to Sameera's blog.

I would only change one thing - for the chocolate mousse I really wanted a recipe that didn't ask for anything alcoholic, so I actually used this recipe instead from Cook's Illustrated:

Dark Chocolate Mousse

When developing this recipe, we used our winning supermarket brand of dark chocolate, Ghirardelli bittersweet, which contains about 60 percent cacao. If you choose to make the mousse a day in advance, leave it out at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with very lightly sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings. A hand-held mixer can do the job of a standing mixer in this recipe, though mixing times may vary slightly.

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
6 tablespoons water
2 large eggs , separated
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 cup heavy cream , plus 2 additional tablespoons (chilled)

1. Melt chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso powder, water, and brandy in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Whisk egg yolks, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and salt in medium bowl until mixture lightens in color and thickens slightly, about 30 seconds. Pour melted chocolate into egg mixture and whisk until combined. Let cool until just warmer than room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute. Detach whisk and bowl from mixer and whisk last few strokes by hand, making sure to scrape any unbeaten whites from bottom of bowl. Using whisk, stir about one-quarter of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it; gently fold in remaining egg whites with rubber spatula until a few white streaks remain.

4. In now-empty bowl, whip heavy cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 15 seconds more. Using rubber spatula, fold whipped cream into mousse until no white streaks remain. Spoon into 6 to 8 individual serving dishes or goblets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set and firm, at least 2 hours. (The mousse may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

The Best Appliances

2008-01-25T15:05:00.001-05:00

Hi Guys,

Can you tell me what some of the best kitchen tools out there are? For example, best hand blender, food processor, etc?

Recently I bought Mario Batali's prepping bowls from Crate and Barrel and I absolutely adore them. They look and feel rustic and traditional, and still they're durable and dishawasher safe and will not stain.

crateandbarrel.com

Sameera

Dum ki Murgh (Chicken)

2008-01-25T11:22:00.001-05:00

This was the easiest chicken I have ever made in my life. I didn't use this exact recipe because I was counting on having internet the night I was going to make it but our wireless connection wasn't working - so I pulled out a dum ki murgh recipe from my Hyderabadi cookbook and just blended the ingredients in there and dumped it over the chicken. There wasn't enough strong flavor even for my husband (though I still liked it), so I think next time I'm going to follow this recipe (mine had too many bland ingredients, like sour cream, cashews, poppy seeds, etc. but maybe that works for the stove+oven method). But honestly this was so easy and the chicken came out SOOOO tender it was unbelievable. You have to try it!

Hyderbadi dum ki chicken (from Sameera's mom)

2 chickens cut into pieces
2 Tbsp almonds toasted and ground
1 c yogurt
handful of cilantro/ dhania/ kothmeer
2 Tbsp fried onion
3/4 tsp garam masala
1 1/4 tsp mirchi
1/4 tsp haldi
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp oil

---
preheat oven to 350.
blend all ingredients, except chicken, in a blender until liquified.
pour over chicken and bake at 350 until chicken is cooked through.

note: I used a meat thermometer to check the chicken temp after 20 min and then every 10 min to see when the internal temp reached 160. total cooking time for me was about 40 min but it will depend on the size of your chicken pieces and your oven.

Fried Rice

2008-01-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

I can't count how many times I've made fried rice at home - I guess I always have leftover white rice and I hate to waste, so this is the tastiest way to create something new out of it. You can throw just about anything into fried rice and it'll probably still taste good! But here's a basic recipe -

Chicken and Shrimp Fried Rice (from theCookMobile.com)
Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:
6 cups cooked rice (at least 1-day old rice is best)
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 chicken breast, sliced to slivers 1/4 inch thick
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 eggs
2 tbsps soy sauce
vegetable oil
salt and pepper

To make:
1. Peel shrimps. Devein by running through back horizontally, creating a “butterfly” shape when cooked.
2. Slice chicken breast.
3. Heat up oil in a heavy, wide skillet or wok.
4. Add lightly beaten eggs and scramble, making sure eggs remain moist. Remove eggs from skillet and set aside.
5. Saute chicken until cooked. Make sure not to dry them out. Remove from skillet and set aside.
6. Add oil to skillet as needed. Saute shrimp until pink. Remove from skillet and set aside.
7. Again add oil to skillet as necessary. Saute onions until translucent.
8. Add peas and carrots. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Add cooked rice and stir constantly so rice does not stick to bottom of skillet, around 4 to 6 minutes.
10. Add cooked chicken and shrimp. Stir constantly.
11. Mix in soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
12. Add scrambled eggs and mix in.
13. Remove from skillet. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired.

Curried Shrimp

2008-01-22T19:13:00.000-05:00

I was looking for something quick last week and all I had at home in terms of meat was frozen shrimp. So I opened up Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and found the shrimp section. That's what I love about his books - they're organized by the main ingredient, so if you have something and you want to know what to do with it (which is usually the case for me), you can look to him for ideas. This book also has an intro to every section to give you an overview on how it's used, prepared or bought - which is really useful! I even had to look in there for how to cut a pineapple and not get spiky or tough parts. Pathetic, aren't I? :)

Curried Shrimp (from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)
4 to 6 servings
Time: 45 minutes

(You can make the sauce ahead of time if you want, and just add the shrimp and lemon juice at the last minute.)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
2 large onions, minced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste
2 Tbsp minced cilantro leaves
1 lb. small waxy red or white potatoes, peeled and halved (I just used whatever I had at home and cut into bite size pieces)
2 cups cored and chopped canned or fresh tomatoes, with their liquid
Salt to taste
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, in the 20 to 30 per lb. range, peeled, rinsed, dried, and cut into halves or thirds (I also de-vein)
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used bottled)

To make:
1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet for 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the curry powder, cayenne, and half the cilantro and stir. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and salt, stir, cover, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes (mine only took 20).
3. Add the shrimp and lemon juice, and cook, uncovered, until the shrimp turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes (I cooked mine a little longer - about 10 min). Add the remaining cilantro and serve with white rice.

This was great - I'm definitely making again.

Hola Mexico! Mac and 'Burger Casserole

2008-01-16T13:58:00.000-05:00

I helped out Safia recently with a Mexican food-themed dinner. Everything was pretty easy and simple and had common ingredients which made it even better for feeding a party of people. We also made some spritzy pina colada :) But here's one of the the dishes Safia makes often and is always a hit. Go light on the cheese topping, that mac and cheese can be more than enough!

FOUR LAYER HAMBURGER AND MACARONI CASSEROLE
Makes 6 servings

2 (12-ounce) packages STOUFFER'S® Macaroni and Cheese, defrosted* - divided use
8 ounces lean ground beef
2 tablespoons ORTEGA® Taco Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup crushed potato or tortilla chips
1/2 cup (2-ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400ºF (205°C).

Combine beef and seasoning mix in large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until beef is no longer pink.

Combine one package of macaroni and cheese and sour cream in medium bowl; spread over bottom of 8-inch-square baking dish. Top with beef mixture. Spread remaining package macaroni and cheese over beef mixture; top with tomato, potato chips and cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly around edges.

The Bomb Diggety Stir Fry!

2008-01-15T15:11:00.000-05:00

Salaam all,

Here is an amazing recipe for stir fry that Samina and I adore and can't get enough of..

It's from Cook's Illustrated (my favorite cookbook is the best 30-minute meals by Cook Illustrated).

Do not be discouraged by the length, this recipe is easy and fool proof and you will love the results. It's better than any Chinese take out.

*Note: use any vegetables of your liking.
---
stir fried chicken and vegetables w/ spicy Thai basil sauce..

1 pound boneless skinless chicken cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 recipe sauce
1 8 oz package mushrooms, sliced
4 oz (or 1 1/2 cups) sliced or julienned carrots
1 bell pepper, cored and sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced/grated fresh ginger
---
while chicken cooks, prepare sauce. Mince garlic and ginger while
vegetables cook.
---
1. toss chicken with soy sauce. stir fry in 2 teaspoons oil until
lightly browned, about 3 minutes. transfer to a clean bowl.
2. add another teaspoon of oil to the pan and return to high heat.
add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, then stir in carrots and
peppers, cook until tender.
3. clear the center of the pan by pushing the vegetables to the side.
add remaining oil, and garlic and ginger, crushing the mixture into
the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. cook until fragrant, about 30
seconds.
4. stir in cooked chicken, whisk sauce to recombine, add to pan and
bring to simmer, cook until sauce thickens, 1 -2 minutes.

Sauce- makes enough for one stir fry-spicy basil Thai sauce
1 cup basil leaves coarsely chopped ( i believe they mean Thai basil
but i used regular)
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoon fish sauce (closest substitute for this is soy sauce...)
1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

--
mix together...then use in recipe

What to do with leftover chicken broth...

2008-01-15T15:06:00.000-05:00

Doston,

Here's a question that everyone is asking (not "is Suri Cruise really Tom's baby?" puhhleeasse)

What do you do with leftover chicken broth?

The answer:
Freeze it.
Ideally in ice cube trays so it's easy to add the desired amount to future recipes.

That's today's tips...

Stay tuned for more..

Curried Rice

2008-01-11T14:28:00.000-05:00

My lovely friend Fatima made this yummy yummy rice yesterday..being a desi I never really believed in curry powder but now I'm gonna go out and get some...

2 tablespoons Reduced-calorie margarine
1/2 cup Finely chopped onion
2 cloves Garlic; minced
1 1/2 cup Uncooked white basmati rice
1 teaspoon Curry powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
21 ounces Low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup Chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon Grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Add rice and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add salt, broth, and water, and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in the remaining ingredients. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes; fluff with a fork

French Onion Soup

2008-01-10T20:49:00.002-05:00

This is the recipe for the soup Sameera made for our French cook-a-thon. It was amazingly simple, and tasted really good with the bread and cheese topping. Mmmmmm. I didn't have any oven safe bowls, so we broiled the bread with cheese separately and then placed it on the soup before serving.

French Onion Soup

Serves 4

2 Tbs. butter OR margarine
4 med. white onions - sliced
3 cups beef or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
½ Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 dash dried thyme
½ loaf Sourdough or French bread
1/2 cup sliced provolone, mozzarella cheese, munster or Monterey jack
---

1. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat
2. Add onions and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Add beef broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and thyme to pot
4. Increase heat and bring to boil, then reduce heat
5. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes
6. Divide into 4 oven safe bowls
7. Cut the bread slices into the size of the bowl and toast
8. Top the soup bowl with bread, then cheese
9. Broil until cheese is melted, in the oven or toaster oven

Eggplant (Or any veggie) Pakoras

2008-01-07T17:41:00.000-05:00

Najiba mentioned making these the other day, and it sounded delicious. Eggplant is also my husband's favorite veggie, so he was the perfect guinea pig. I used the large variety of eggplant, but picked the smallest one I could find. The seeds are the best part of the eggplant, and I feel like seed-to-flesh ratio is too low in the really big eggplants.

I sliced the eggplant relatively thin, but the slightly thicker slices actually turned out tasting better, because the eggplant was juicier inside after frying. I think about 1/2 inch thick works. I cut in to half-moons at Najiba's recommendation, because big round slices aren't really bite-sized.

This recipe is actually based on instructions from the back of the bag of besan (gram flour) from the Indian store. I added a bit more besan than recommended, just to make it thick enough to coat the eggplant and stay on. I didn't have ajwan seeds, so I substituted cumin seeds, because wikipedia said they were similarly flavored. I think using seeds as opposed to powder is key though.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups besan (gram flour)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ajwan seeds
2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder

To make:

1. Mix the flour and a little water in a bowl to make a stiff dough, then add more water and whip the mixture to make a thick batter. Let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil for frying on medium heat in a skillet deep enough to let pakoras float. The oil should be nearly smoking when ready.
3. Add all other ingredients to batter and mix again to keep batter thick.
4. Cut eggplant into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick half moon slices.
5. Dip each slice of eggplant into the batter and coat both sides.
6. Drop into the hot oil, frying a few slices at a time, few enough that the slices don't stick together while swimming in the oil.
7. Turn frequently and remove when golden brown on both sides.
8. Drain well and place on plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil.
9. Eat immediately!

Lamb Stew with Butternut Squash

2008-01-06T14:49:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe sushisameroni sent to me once and i just love it!

With shorter days and colder nights, this richly flavorful lamb stew with butternut squash is a great way to fill up and stay warm.

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 pound lean lamb shoulder, on the bone, trimmed of fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 Tbsp olive oil1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Sweet Hungarian paprika
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 pounds of butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 14-oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
Salt (to taste)
1/6 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried mint

Directions:
1 Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper on the meat. In a large pan heat a thin layer of olive oil. Add the meat and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until all the juices evaporate, about 7 minutes. Add the onion and cook stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

2 Add the tomato paste, 1 Tbsp of paprika and 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring until the mixture begins to carmelize. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes. (If you have a pressure cooker, you can pressure cook the meat mixture for about 15 minutes instead.)

3 Add the squash, garbanzo beans, tomato, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and enough water to just cover the ingredients. Cover and cook until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

4 Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Season with salt. Transfer the stew to a shallow serving dish.

5 Rub the 2 teaspoons of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and dried mint through a fine sieve. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat, until a speck of spice dropped into the oil sizzles. Add the sieved spices and stir for just an instant. Swirl the seasoned oil into the stew, stir once and serve hot with warm, crusty bread.

Serves 6. (Recipe adapted from one in Food and Wine magazine.)

My comments:
This is a great winter stew! And not to worry, if you dont have all the ingredients you can improvise with your own spices. The key is that you make the lamb nice and tender, and the butternut squash is an amazing compliment to the texture.

Salad the French Way

2008-01-05T13:01:00.001-05:00

Sameera and I are having a French-food cook-a-thon today. On the menu is Salad Nicoise, French Onion Soup, Steak Frites, and Chocolate Mousse. I'm posting the recipe for the Salad, I'll post the others once we've tried them :) If anyone has suggestions for other French classics to try at a later date, please leave a comment!

SALAD NICOISE (from Recipe Source)

Serving Size : 8

Ingredients:

8 oz Beans -- green, topped & tailed
16 Potatoes -- new, small, peeled
4 Eggs -- hard boiled, sliced
1 can Tuna -- 7 1/2 oz drained
3 Tomatoes -- cut in wedges
1/2 ts Mustard -- dijon
1 Garlic clove- finely chopped
2 tb Vinegar -- red wine
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 tb Parsley- finely chopped
1 tb Chives -- fresh chopped
8 Anchovy fillets (opt)
16 Olives -- black

To make:

In pot of boiling water,add green beans and boil
till tender crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Refresh with
cold cold water and dry.
In large pot of salted water, bring potatoes to a
boil. Cook till tender, about 8 minutes.
Combine green beans, potatoes, tuna, tomatoes in
large bowl. In small bowl, whisk together mustard,
garlic and vinegar. Add oil slowly, then parsley and
chives. Season with pepper and pour over ingredients.
Top with eggs, anchovy fillets and olives.
If green beans aren't available, you can use green
and or red pepper.

CTM - Chicken Tikka Masala - Who doesn't love it??

2008-01-03T17:21:00.000-05:00

I made this at home for some friends the other day, and we had yummy leftovers for days. Of course I made it with 3 lbs of chicken instead of 2, so that may explain the leftovers. :) I also had to equally increase the proportions on all the other ingredients as well, which I'm sure was not the way it was meant to be, but I still liked it alot! And it wasn't hard to do at all. Having a good instant read thermometer is very useful for recipes like this (or any meat recipes), because my dinky little thermometer needle takes what feels like an eternity to get to where it's going, and in the meantime my chicken is returning to room temperature...

~Sam

Chicken Tikka Masala (from Cook's Illustrated)
This dish is best when prepared with whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat yogurt can be substituted. For a spicier dish, do not remove the ribs and seeds from the chile. If you prefer, substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper for the garam masala. The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve with basmati rice. Serves 4 to 6

Chicken Tikka:
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (see note above)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Masala Sauce:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala (see note above)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Fool Proof Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2008-01-03T10:55:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love LOVE love chocolate chip cookies...I can't stop eating them...until I discovered this recipe...it's absolutely delicious and just as good as the original chocolate chip cookie..and the oatmeal makes me think *maybe* they're good for me. My husband and I are addicted to these cookies and can't keep our butter supply stocked high enough to make as many of these as we'd like. Just a tip: follow the recipe exactly...it'll pay off. The only thing I did differently was bake an extra two minutes but that depends on your oven.

happy baking.

sameera
--
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (from allrecipes.com)
Yield about 3.5 dozen

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

The First One - Mango and Ginger Shrimp Skewers

2008-01-02T20:30:00.000-05:00

Just because this is my first recipe posting, doesn't mean this is my favorite recipe. I just thought I would get things started. I found this recipe on the NPR website, and it sounds just like something my husband loves to eat at a restaurant we frequent. I'm going to try it on my new George Foreman grill (any other Foreman-owners?) this weekend... Let me know if you try it!

Shrimp on Skewers with Ginger & Mango Glaze

ingredients:
1 large ripe, mango, peeled and seed removed
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Several sprigs fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 25- 30 to a pound
Wooden skewers soaked in hot water

to make:
1. place mango, ginger, sugar, orange juice, soy sauce, cilantro and hot sauce into a blender and puree till smooth
2. put shrimp into a bowl, pour marinade over them and allow to marinate, refrigerated, for 1 hour
3. thread shrimp onto skewers, season with salt and pepper
4. using a grill pan, or outdoor grill, grill shrimp over high heat, turning to cook both sides, until the glaze turns a burnished mahogany color
5. serve shrimp immediately

Recipe © 2007 Michael Lomonaco

Update: I tried the grilled shrimp in the foreman, and though it was easy, I'm not so impressed with the output. The shrimp didn't caramelize like I expected them too, even though the mango should have provided enough sugar. Maybe adding some honey would help? It still tasted good, and I put together a nice garden salad to go with it, but this one may be better for gas or charcoal grills.