Pork and Poblano Stew

This is an excellent  stew recipe, rich in flavor and textures. It’s from a Better Home and Garden Magazine. I had torn out the page (don’t panic, it was from my own copy) ages ago to keep the recipe, and try it someday. Lately, I’ve been on a mission to try to cook at least one dish, from my stack of magazine papers, a week.

The Pork and Poblano Stew turns out quite spicy, so cut back on the chili powder if you like. As the magazine suggest, the orange zest really adds to the flavor of the stew so don’t skimp out on it. I did not like that the stew was a very thin consistency, so I added a teaspoon of flour to it at the very end and made it a little thicker.

Pork and Poblano Stew

1¼ lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp olive oil

2 fresh poblano chilies, seeded and cut into strips, about 1 inch in length

1 large red sweet pepper, cut the same size as poblano chilies

1 medium onion, slice thin

1 14oz can fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, un-drained

1 can chicken broth

1 3inch stick cinnamon

¼ cup orange juice

2 tsps lemon zest

Toss the pork with chili powder to coat. In a large saucepan heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Cook pork about 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon and remove pieces; set aside.

Add remaining oil to the saucepan. Add the poblano peppers, sweet peppers, and onion; cook over medium heat until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, broth, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add pork and orange juice and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Then add the orange zest and switch of the heat. Serve hot with a crusty bread.

Notes:

*To thicken the stew, in a bowl mix together one teaspoon of flour with about a tablespoon of water. Mix until there are no lumps, then stir into the stew and cook for a couple of minutes or until the desired consistency.

Shawarma Lamb with Couscous Salad

Sunset Magazine seems to have a lot of interesting recipes and this Shawarma Lamb with Couscous Salad is just another new and interesting flavor we had for dinner. It was pretty easy to cook, but you need to get the meat from a butcher as I've never seen it in an isle of a grocery store.

Shawarma Lamb with Couscous Salad
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup couscous
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 2 lemons
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lbs top round lamb steak, thinly sliced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, Add the couscous, cover tightly, remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff, and add carrots and parsley, 2 tbsp oil, zest and juice of one lemon (I found this too be too much lemon so I suggest you add to taste).

Cook the onions in remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over high heat until edges are charred, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic, lamb, cumin, stirring, until lamb is cooked through and browned, about 10 more minutes.

Divide couscous among 4 plates and top with lamb mixture. Mix yogurt with remaining lemon juice (to taste) and serve with lamb.

Notes:
* Instead of adding the cumin, salt and pepper later, I marinated the meat in it.
* I did not add oil to the couscous, and used 1 tbsp to fry the onions.

Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwiches

This is another recipe I found while browsing through Sunset Magazine. We decided to make them at home and take them out for a little picnic dinner in the park. They were very tasty, and I used the broiler instead of the outdoor grill. I also substituted most of the mayonnaise for yogurt to make it a little more fat free. This is a recipe we are going to make pretty often this summer.

Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwiches

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp lemon juice

About ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, softened

2 small zucchini, thinly sliced length-wise

2 portabella mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 eggplant, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large ciabatta loaf, cut horizontally

2 medium tomatoes, sliced

2 cups baby arugula

Heat grill to high (450 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit). Brush the zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms with oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill, turning once, until softened and grill marks appear. Mix together the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice and set aside. Cut the ciabatta loaf into four and grill, cut side down, for about 2 minutes, or until grill marks appear. Spread the tops with the feta cheese and the bottom with the garlic mayonnaise. Assemble all the vegetables and serve. 

Masala Khichdi

This was one of those throw-together recipes that turned out a lot nicer than I expected. It's heavy on the spices, so go easy if you don't eat spicy food. The Khichdi mix is basically a mix of rice, toor and moong dals; that I bought at the Indian store as a pre-mixed package. If you don't have something like this at home, you can mix them up yourself. We usually make this without most of these spices as an accompaniment to a particular fish-in-white-sauce dish, but yesterday, I wanted to try a slow cooker recipe that we could eat plain. The results were surprising. I would have added a little chopped cilantro to the pot, just before serving, but I didn't have any at home, and i recommend you do so. 

Masala Khichdi

1 onion, chopped
3 cups khichdi mix, soaked for at least 10 mins
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 heaped tsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
3-4 whole dried cardamom
3-4 whole cloves
8-10 peppercorns
2 bay leaves

Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker and stir together well. Cover with water, give it one more stir, and set the slow cooker on high for four hours. Add more salt if needed, sprinkle liberally with chopped cilantro, and serve hot.

Quinoa Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Oranges

This is another recipe from Sunset magazine’s January 2012 issue. I made a couple of changes to the quantities of some of the ingredients, especially in reducing the amount of olive oil and lime. I really liked this salad and will be making it again soon, and maybe adding some sweet peppers to the mix.

Quinoa Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Oranges

1¼ Cups quinoa, cooked

1 tsp chili powder

3 tsp garlic, minced and divided

1 tsp lime zest

2 tsp plus 1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 chicken breast

2-3 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

4 large oranges, peeled and segmented

2 ripe avocados, peeled and cubed

Cut the chicken breast into 4 or 5 pieces. In a bowl mix together salt, pepper, chili powder, lime zest, 2 tsp garlic, and 2 tsp olive oil. Marinate the chicken in this mix for at least 10 minutes. Preheat a broiler, and place the rack 4-5 inches away from heat. Place the chicken in a baking pan and broil for 6 minutes. Turn over pieces and broil for another 6-8 minutes.

In the mean time, place the remaining olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice in a big mixing bowl. Blend well, and then add the quinoa. Mix it up so that the quinoa is lightly coated with the garlic and oil mixture. Cool the chicken for a minute or two and then slice into strips and add to the quinoa. Just before serving, add in the oranges, avocado and cilantro, and toss. Add salt to taste and serve at room temperature.

Notes:

*Instead of peeling the skin of each segment of orange, I simply cut it into pieces with the inner skin on.

*I didn’t have any cilantro at home and so I used parsley instead. It added a lovely flavor.

Farfalle with Artichokes, Peppers, and Almonds

I found this recipe in Sunset Magazine. The magazine has some interesting recipes, but often need special ingredients that we don’t always have in the house. This one is an exception. I decided to try it because it’s easy to do, and doesn't have cheese (for my lactose-intolerant husband). I did change around a few things, like using a can of artichokes instead of fresh ones, and I using mini farfalle instead of the regular size. The recipe does not say whether to serve hot, cold, or at room temperature. I preferred eating it hot, so I’d just serve myself and then microwave it. My husband and I both ended up sprinkling some chili flakes over our pasta. The next time I make it I’m going to add some smoked paprika and make be a little chopped polish kielbasa.

 Farfalle with Artichokes, Peppers, and Almonds

Zest from 1/2 a small lemon
Juice from 1 small lemon
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 tsp pepper
Salt to taste
1 jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped or 3 red peppers roasted, skinned, and chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced thin
12 oz farfalle pasta
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup roasted almonds, coarsely ground
1/4 cup of olive oil
Chili flakes, to serve (optional)

Farfalle with Artichokes, Peppers, and Almonds

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, garlic, pepper, salt, and roasted peppers, in a large bowl. Drain and slice the artichokes and then add to the bowl. Keep the almonds and the parsley separate. Cook the pasta till al dente, drain (saving 1 cup of water) and mix into the bowl. Then mix in the parsley and almonds. Stir in the pasta water slowly, to loosen up the pasta, then serve.

Notes:

*To roast the peppers yourself, you need a gas stove. Put on the burner and place peppers over it so that the flame is touching the peppers. Allow the skin to become completely burned, and then turn the pepper. Do this till the entire pepper looks charred from the outside. Finish the other two peppers in the same manner, and once it’s cooled enough to handle, peel off the charred skin and with a knife remove all the seeds from inside. Then chop it into small pieces.

*To roast almonds, place the desired quantity on a baking sheet. In a preheated oven of 350 degrees Fahrenheit, bake the almonds for 10-15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely, before grinding to the desired consistency. I like to use the almonds with the skin on, as it adds a nice brown color to the already white pasta and artichokes. 

Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

This is a recipe that we usually make in a pressure cooker. I found this slow cooker version in The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla and it turned out quite nicely. As usual, I cut back on all the spices, so feel free to adjust them to your tastes.

Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

2 bags cauliflower, defrosted

1 lrg potato, peeled and chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 tomato, diced

½ tsp ginger paste

½ tsp garlic paste

2 green chilies, slit

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker with ½ cup of water. Stir well, and cook on low for 4 hours. Stir once while it’s cooking, so that the potatoes on top have a chance to cook at the bottom. When it’s done, if there is too much liquid in the pot, place it on high for ½ an hour and leave the lid off. Serve hot with chapatti and kachumbar. 

Spicy Butternut Squash

Here is another recipe from The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla. It's an interesting and very different way to make butternut squash and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Once again, it's a spicy recipe, so hold back on the quantities if it's too much for you. I did already reduce the spices, but it might be a little too much for some palates. Hope you like it...

Spicy Butternut Squash

2 tbsp oil
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into pieces
2 chilies, chopped
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pan, when hot, add the fenugreek and cumin seeds, the cardamom and cinnamon stick. Cook till they start to sizzle, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. When it starts to smell fragrant, add the onion and cook till the onion starts to brown. Next put in the tomato, turmeric and coriander powders. Stir in well and cook for a few minutes. In the mean time, chop up the butternut squash and place it in the slow cooker. Mix in the cooked onion and spices into the squash and add ½ cup of water. Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring once or twice.

When it’s done, add in the chopped green chilies, the brown sugar, garam masala and chili powder. Cook on high for ½ hour or so. If you want to dry out the liquid that the squash has released, leave the slow cooker open for the last 20 minutes of cooking. Serve hot with chapatti.

Notes:

*Cooking the green chilies and garam masala at the end will mellow the spices a little. Ms. Anupy Singla mixes these in and serves immediately; however, I prefer to have these spices cooked so as to reduce the harshness in its flavor.   

Palak Paneer

Apparently, my husband is a big fan of Palak Paneer (Palak translates to spinach and Paneer, a form of cottage cheese), so when he saw it in Anupy Singla’s book The Indian Slow Cooker, he asked me to make it. The recipe is extremely easy, so go ahead and try it. It results in a nice spicy dish, so if you want a toned-down version, you should use half of my quantities of chili powder, chilies, and garam masala. Also, like Ms. Singla says in her book, you do need to cook it for about 2 hours after it’s been blended, so that the spices have a chance to finish cooking.  

Palak Paneer ingredients going into the slow cooker

Palak Paneer

2 lbs fresh spinach, washed and drained

2 onions, chopped into 10-14 pieces

2 tomatoes, chopped into 10-14 pieces

1 4” piece of ginger, chopped up

1 large pod garlic, cleaned

2-3 chilies, stems removed

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp (heaped) chili powder

1 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

12 oz paneer, cut into pieces

Put all the ingredients into the slow cooker except the paneer. Cook on high for 3 hours, stirring once or twice. Check that the onions are soft, if so, switch off and blend using an immersion blender or food processor, till the vegetables are smooth. Place back into the slow cooker and cook for 2 hours on low. Put in the paneer about 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot with chapatti. 

South Indian Lentils with Curry Leaves

This week has been a slow cooker week at this Patel household. My husband’s cousin recently gave me a slow cooker recipe book called The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla, and I have been trying recipes from it. While the recipes are quite tasty, I think the proportions are completely off. Either this book has made some severe misprints or Ms. Anupy Singla eats a spice level beyond anything I've imagined. I should point out that we don’t eat our everyday food at the absolute top of our spice tolerance, and I feel, and was told by the above-mentioned cousin, that the proportions of the spices in the dishes they tried made it too spicy to eat at all. So, here is a masoor recipe in which I have adjusted/ halved the quantity of spices. It turned out very nicely, and I will be making it again.

To make it easier to follow, I've changed around the language, but the gist is the same as the book. The word Tadka means a sort of garnish. It entails a few spices being fried in a little oil till it is fragrant, and then mixing it into the dish at the very end, enhancing the flavors of the spices that were already in the dish.

South Indian Lentils with Curry Leaves

For Dal

3 cups, masoor, soaked for at least 20 minutes

1 onion, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 Chili, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

9 cups water

1 can coconut milk

For Tadka

2 tbsp oil

2 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 small onion, finely chopped

15-20 curry leaves

Cook the lentils, chopped onion, tomatoes, green chilies, cumin and coriander powders, turmeric powder, salt and water (everything in the ‘For Dal’ list, except the coconut milk) in a slow cooker on low for 5 ½ hours. Then add the coconut milk, and cook for another ½ hour on low.

Once it’s cooked, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small saucepan, fry the curry leaves, and set aside. Heat the remaining oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds, cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly, then add the onion and fry till light brown. When it’s done, mix it into the masoor in the slow cooker and serve (or keep on warm till ready to eat). Serve hot with plain rice. 

Sweet Potato Bread

This is a very easy bread recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com. I haven't made any changes to it at all. I do sometimes swap the sweet potato for puréed pumpkin or any winter squash I have at hand. My husband loves to snack on it, so there is always some in the house.

Sweet Potato Bread

1½  cups white sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup water

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes       

½ cup chopped pecans

Combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add eggs and beat. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water. Stir in sweet potatoes and chopped nuts.

Pour batter into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan (or 2 small loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about one hour.

Peppers Stuffed with Beef and Rice

I had two lovely, big orange peppers in the fridge, that I knew were going to go bad soon, if I didn't use them, so I decided to try making Stuffed Peppers. I couldn't really find a recipe I like, so I decided to make one up as I went along, and the results were really nice. Nice enough for my husband to ask me to write down the recipe, so that I can make it again. I ended up using a can of tomato soup because I didn't have a can of tomato sauce in the house, and I think it was even better. If I had used sauce, the tomato flavor would have overpowered the herbs. 

Peppers Stuffed with Beef and Rice

2 orange/ red/ or yellow peppers, top and seeds removed

1 lb beef mince

½ cup rice, raw

1 can tomato soup

1 tomato, chopped

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp rosemary

½ tsp marjoram

 1 tsp thyme powder

1 onion, chopped fine

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

Heat a little oil in a pot, and brown the onions. Add in the garlic, and tomato and cook for a minute or so. Next add all the spices, including some salt. Stir well, and add the beef mince, breaking it up as it cooks. When it’s half cooked, add the rice, tomato soup and some water (One tomato soup can full). Cover and simmer till the rice is cooked.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a slotted spoon, fill the peppers with the beef and rice mixture. Place in an oven proof dish, and pour the leftover beef and rice around the peppers. If it’s dry, add in a little water. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the peppers are soft and cooked, adding a little water if needed. In the last 5 minutes, place a slice of cheese over each pepper, and allow it to melt. Serve immediately. 

Crepes Suzette

This recipe is by Nigella Lawson. I found it in her book, Nigella Express: Good Food, Fast, which I had borrowed from the library. She suggests that you use store-bought crepes to make this a quick, last minute dessert. Since I had the time, I made the crepes myself, but I like her idea of buying the crepes. The novelty of flambéing it adds a nice flare if you’re serving this dessert to guests. Serve it hot, with vanilla ice cream.  

Crepes Suzette

Juice of 2 oranges

Zest of 1 orange

¾ cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

8-12 crepes

1/3 cup Grand Marnier, Cointreau or triple sec

Pour the orange juice into a saucepan, and add the zest, butter and sugar. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer, cooking for a further 10-15 minutes until the sauce becomes syrupy.

Fold the crepes into quarters and then arrange them in a large pan, or any flameproof dish, slightly overlapping in a circular pattern.

Pour over the warm syrup and then gently heat the crepes through for about 3 minutes over low heat.

Warm the orange liqueur of your choice in the emptied but still syrupy saucepan. When the crepes are hot in the orange sauce, pour over the liqueur and set light to the pan to flambé them. Serve immediately, spooning crepes and sauce onto each plate. 

Tomato and Bean Rice

I tried to make the tomato rice that we used to get as kids in our school lunch. While mine doesn't quite have that Andhra flavor to it, it turned out pretty tasty. The next time, I make this, I'm thinking about adding in small pieces of fish. 

Tomato and Bean Rice

Few curry leaves

1 can diced tomatoes with chilies

1 can red beans in chili sauce

3 cups white rice, raw

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

½ tsp ginger paste

½ tsp garlic paste

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

Salt to taste

Cook rice and set aside. In a pot, heat a little oil. Fry the curry leaves till crisp; remove and set aside. Put in the onion, and cook till soft and transparent. Add the garlic, and the ginger and garlic pastes. Cook for a minute or so then mix in all the spices, adding very little water if needed. Next put in the tomatoes and cook till most of the water evaporates. Add in the beans in chili sauce and cook again till the chili sauce is starts to thicken. Switch off the stove, and stir in the rice. Just before serving, mix in the curry leaves.   

3-layered Tuna and Vegetable Casserole

This is a great dish to make on a cold, winter day. It’s extremely easy to make and not very expensive if you need to take it for a crowd. The Tabasco or hot sauce really adds to the flavor, but if you don’t like spicy food it’s easily avoidable. The feta cheese gives it a strong flavor too, so if you are planning to substitute it, try to use a strong.  

3-layered Tuna and Vegetable Casserole

2 cans tuna, drained and flaked

2 cans cream of celery soup

2 small zucchini, cut into cubes

2 red peppers, cut into cubes

5-8 green onions or 1 bulb onion, cut into small pieces

About ½ cup feta cheese

2 eggs

2 cups milk

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 tbsp chili flakes

½ box whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente

Tabasco or hot sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop all the vegetables and toss in salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the soup, eggs, and milk. Then add the tuna and mix well before adding the cheese and the chili flakes.

In a baking dish, evenly spread out the pasta, then the vegetables. Give the tuna and soup mixture a good stirring and then pour over the vegetables. DO NOT STIR IT. Put a few random drops of Tabasco over the soup mix so that it looks like little red dots.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the top starts to brown in areas. Remove and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. Serve hot. 

Roasted Garlic, Pepper, and Squash Soup

I made this soup from one of my left over CSA squash. I decided to mix two recipes that I found online, and it turned out really well. The chili changed the entire flavor of the soup.

Roasted Garlic, Pepper, and Squash Soup

1 hubbard squash

1 pod garlic, peeled

2 red peppers

2 onions, cut into 6

4-6 cups beef stock

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground sage

1 tbsp ground pepper

A pinch of nutmeg powder

1 serrano chilie

1 cup cream

Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the whole squash into the oven on a tray and bake till soft, about 1 hour. In a separate tray, place the chopped onions. Remove the tops of the peppers, and remove all the seeds and extra stems. Then distribute the garlic between both peppers and place it in the hollowed out peppers. Invert the peppers, on the tray with the onions, so that the garlic half bakes and half steams inside the peppers. Bake in the oven till soft, about 1 hour.

Once all the vegetables are cooked, allow it to cool, then remove the skin from the peppers and scrape out the flesh from the squash, discarding the seeds in the center. In a food processor, grind the onions into as fine a paste as possible. Add a little stock if necessary, then transfer it to a sieve. Squeeze out all the onion jus and as much of the onion as possible, and discard the part that is left in the sieve. Then blend the squash, peppers, and garlic together until smooth, adding stock as required. Add to the onion jus. Put in the pepper, cumin, sage, and salt, and mix together on a low flame, adding stock in small batches to thin to desired consistency. When it starts to bubble turn it off.

Take a whole Serrano chili, and run a knife along it’s length so that you break the skin on the chili but do not all the way through. Do this in 3 or 4 places and put it into the soup. Allow the soup to cool and put it away over night.

When heating up to serve, heat the soup on a medium flame, stirring frequently. Once it starts to bubble, lower the flame and add the cream. Serve with garlic toast or pieces of broiled smoked sausage. 

Masala Cauliflower and Potatoes

This recipe is from The Zoroastrian Stree Mandal Cookbook. It’s an old cookbook created with recipes that have been contributed by the ladies of Zoroastrian population of Hyderabad, India, including my grandmother and my great-aunts. I love trying recipes from this book. It reminds me of the kind of food I get at home. I added the cauliflower to this recipe; it turned out excellent and was extremely easy to make.

Masala Cauliflower and Potatoes

2 potatoes, sliced thin

1 tsp cumin, whole

½ tsp cumin, ground

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

½ tsp chili powder

Few curry leaves

Salt to taste

Little oil

Peel and cut potatoes into thin slices. Heat the oil, add the garlic and fry. Then add the cumin, chili powder, salt, and curry leaves. Next, mix in the cauliflower, the potatoes and a little water. Cover and simmer till the potatoes are cooked. Serve hot with chapati.

Notes:

*Do not put in too much water. The potato cooks fairly quickly and the dish is supposed to be fairly dry. 

Beef and Barley Stew

When I was in college, my favorite soup at the cafeteria was the Italian Wedding Soup, mainly because I loved the barley in it. So I decided to try and make something with barley in it. My husband isn’t a big fan of soups, so I decided to try making this beef and barley stew. It is a modification of a recipe I found on The Food Network Website. Hope you like it. 

Beef and Barley Stew

1 lb beef stew pieces

1 cup pearl barley

1 pkt frz green beans, thawed

1 pkt frz three peppers and onions, thawed

1 onion, chopped into 6 pieces

7-10 baby carrots chopped in half

1 tbsp chili flakes

1 sprig fresh oregano

2 sprig fresh thyme

3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 tbsp soy sauce

Salt to taste

1 tbsp pepper

1 tsp sriracha

5 cups beef stock

In a bowl mix together one cup of stock with the soy sauce and sriracha. Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker, except the fresh herbs and the beef. Give all the ingredients a good stir, so that they all mix together. Then add the beef and top with fresh herbs. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve hot. 

Chili-Lime Thyme Leg of Lamb

My husband bought be a slow cooker for Christmas, with the promise that I would make him some fall-of-the-bone lamb, and since his family was visiting over the Christmas-New Year week, we bought a leg of lamb and used a piece of it for dinner. I wasn't very happy with any recipes I found online, so I decided to create my own.

It was extremely tasty, but also swimming in fat from the lamb. The next time I buy lamb, I’ll be asking our butcher to cut off all the fat, and not just the little bit that he did remove.

Chili-Lime Thyme Leg of Lamb

3 potatoes, skinned and chopped into 1” pieces

3 onions, cut into 4 or 6 pieces

10-15 baby carrots, cut in half

1 4–5 lb piece of lamb leg

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tbs dried thyme

2 limes

2-3 fresh green chilies, chopped fine

Salt to taste

1 tbs pepper

4 cups chicken or beef stock

5 cloves garlic, whole

Rub the dried thyme, salt, and pepper on the lamb and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Finely grate the rind of one lime. In a small bowl, squeeze out the lime juice of both limes. Soak the chopped green chilies and the lime rind in the juice.

Chop all the vegetables and put into the slow cooker, with the garlic. Place the lamb on top of the vegetables, then pour in the lime-chili mix. Lightly crush the thyme, but keep the sprigs whole, and place it on top of the lamb. Pour in the chicken stock.

Set the slow cooker on low for 6 ½ hours. When it’s done, you should be able to pull the lamb off the bone with a fork. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and salad.