Asparagus and Soy Chicken

It has been a few years and another child since I’ve updated this blog. In this time, our lives have gotten busier. My son has started and finished Montessori and is starting Kindergarten at a public school this fall. My daughter is a week away from being 2 years old and I am one of those people who has settled into a lock-down routine and is thoroughly enjoying my summer evenings. There is no need to rush off to swimming and ice skating classes. That said, I have never relied on fast cooking meals as much as I have lately, so here is an Asparagus Soy Chicken dinner. This recipe is a variation on the Asian style soy chicken you might find at a restaurant. My husband and kids ate it over noodles but I ate it with quinoa and I really enjoyed it that way. 

Asian chicken with Asparagus

1 lb chicken breast, cut into large cubes

1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and cut into 2” pieces.

1 yellow pepper, cut into large pieces

1 onion, cut into large pieces

1tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp ginger paste

Clean and cut the chicken and marinate with the 1 tbsp soy sauce and hoisin sauce. Set aside. Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Cut the onion and peppers. In a wok, or a deep frying pan, heat 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil. Once hot, add in the onions and peppers and cook, stirring frequently, till the onion is translucent. Remove the onions and peppers, in the same wok add the remaining oil, add in the chicken and cook on high heat so that it browns on all sides. Toss in the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn the stove down to medium low, then add back the onions and peppers and the sauce and mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot rice or noodles.

Fenugreek Green Peas and Cottage Cheese

Fried Paneer

Methi Matar Paneer is a flavorful dish that has fenugreek leaves (Methi), green peas (Matar) and Indian cottage cheese (Paneer). It's traditionally cooked in North India, but has become so popular that one can find variations of it all over India and in most Indian restaurants around the world. This dish is heavily spiced, and has a real medley of sapidity. The spices are cooked to mellow it's spiciness but it still leaves a sharp twang on ones tongue. It isn't a very quick recipe, but it's still something easy that can be done on a weekday. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Methi Matar Paneer

Methi Matar Paneer

1 bag frozen peas, thawed

400 gms cottage cheese, cubed

1/2 can tomato sauce

1/2 bunch fenugreek leaves
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp heaped ginger paste
1 tsp heaped garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 bunch cilantro, large stems removed and chopped

Fenugreek Leaves, Green Peas, and Cottage Cheese

Fry the cottage cheese in a little hot oil, in a pot. Brown on all sides and then remove and set aside. Add a little more oil if necessary, heat and then put in the onion. Cook till it the edges start to brown. Stir in the ginger and garlic pastes, and cook till no longer pungent. Mix in the tomato paste and cook for a minute or so. Next add in all the powdered spices and salt. Put in the fenugreek leaves, and stir.
Once the leaves have wilted, add in the green peas. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peas are cooked. Remove cover and allow the dish to dry out, stirring frequently to stop it from burning. Put in the fried cottage cheese for the last 4 to 5 minutes of cooking, and then garnish heavily with the cilantro.  

Spicy Khichdi with Vegetables

I've already posted a recipe for Masala Khichdi on here. And while the basic concept might be the same, I've added some ingredients to this recipe and changed it around for the better. I like the idea of adding vegetables to it, making it a more balanced meal. It’s perfect for a cold winter evening. This recipe has been pulled together from several different online recipes I was browsing through for ideas.

Spicy Khichdi with Vegetables

2 ½ cups khichdi mix, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 onions, finely chopped
2 green chilies, slit
½ tsp ginger paste
½ tsp garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into cubes
½ packet frozen green beans, thawed
½ packet frozen peas and carrots, thawed
Salt to taste
About 1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
7-10 whole black peppercorns
About 1/8 tsp asafetida
A few curry leaves

For the Vagar

1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 whole dried red chilies
3 – 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Chop the onions and the potatoes and keep ready. In a pressure cooker, heat some oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add the peppercorns, asafetida and curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds, and before the cumin seeds start to burn add the chopped onion. Cook till the onion is soft and translucent; add the turmeric, chili, coriander powders and the garam masala and salt. Cook for a minute or so, until it starts to smell less pungent. Now add the potatoes and vegetables, give it a thorough stir and add the drained khichdi mix. Mix everything together, add enough water to cover the mixture and put on the lid and whistle. Cook on medium heat for three whistles, then switch off the stove and allow the pressure to reduce. When you open the cooker, the khichidi should look moist and soft, like a hot pot rice dish. Give it a good stir and taste for salt.

In a small saucepan, heat the ghee, then add the cumin seeds. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add the garlic and the red chilies. Cook till the garlic starts to brown, then pour over the khichdi. Serve immediately.  

Notes:

*IF YOU ARE USING A PRESSURE COOKER, PLEASE FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH THE COOKER. IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF NOT USED PROPERLY! My recipe instructions are written with the assumption that you know how to use one and this blog is not responsible for your use of a pressure cooker. Every cooker has a slightly different cooking time, and water absorption rate. If there isn't enough water in the cooker, your food will burn and cleaning that cooker is a pain in the backside!

*If you don't get a readymade khichdi mix then mix together ½ cup moong dal and ½ cup toor dal to every ¾ cup of rice.

* You can add any vegetables you like, including cauliflower and/ or eggplant.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.   

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. 

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. 

Chicken in Red Wine

In an attempt to finish (and not waste) a really cheap bottle of red wine that we had bought, we tried this recipe from Food Network. It was so good I went back to the grocery store and bought another bottle of the same cheap wine to make this dish again. Try it!!

I didn't have any mushrooms in the house, so substituted them with celery.

Food Network: Classic Chicken in Red Wine

Sausage And Potatoes Stew In Lemon Rosemary Broth

This recipe really turned out well. It's from a book I own called Soups and Stews. The flavor of the hot Italian sausage really comes out in the broth. As my husband put it, "what can be better than sausages and potatoes".

Sausage And Potatoes Stew In Lemon Rosemary Broth

2 tbsps olive oil
12 hot Italian sausages
Six new potatoes, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 ½ tsps salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
One head escarole, cut into 1 inch pieces
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the sausages and brown well, about 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the potatoes, garlic, and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are lightly browned, about five minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced to about ¼ cup. Stir in the stock and salt. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender about 20 minutes.

Add half the lemon zest and the escarole to the stew, pressing the leaves into the broth. Cover and cook until the escarole is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the Pepper. Sprinkle the remaining lemons zest as garnish and serve with toasted French bread.

Garlicky Roasted-Eggplant and Red Pepper Soup with Chèvre

Fall is here! The leaves are changing into golden, flaming orange, and dark purple shades, and with it is coming all these colorful squashes and variety after variety of apples and pumpkins. After struggling with the fact that winter is soon going to follow, I've given up on denial and am fully embracing the colors and the cold. I’m even going apple picking this weekend!! Yes, Fall heralds the winter, but it also means I can permanently fire up my oven and welcome that warm cup of soup. Come on apples, pumpkins, and harvest festivals – I’m ready!

I tried this recipe from a book I own, Soups And Stews. I've copied the method exactly, but I've modified the quantities because I felt the eggplant flavor was very strong, and the other flavors extremely mild. I also found, that you have to keep the cheese at room temperature and the soup extremely hot, so that the cheese melts well.

Garlicky Roasted-Eggplant and Red Pepper Soup with Chèvre
1 lrg eggplant
1 lrg red pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lrg onion
1 small pod garlic, minced
1 32oz box chicken broth
2 tsp fresh thyme
Salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 medium-thick goat cheese

Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a baking sheet. Cut the eggplant in half, lengthwise. With a sharp knife, cut 5 slashes, about ½ inch deep, on the cut side of each eggplant. Arrange the eggplant, cut side down, and the whole bell pepper, on the baking sheet.

Roast the vegetables in the oven, turning the bell pepper occasionally, until the pepper is black on all sides and the eggplant is very soft, about 40 minutes.

In a medium frying pan, heat oil over moderately low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Transfer to food processor.

When the pepper is cool enough to handle, pull off the skin. Remove the stem, seeds, and ribs. Put the flesh in the food processor. Scrape the eggplant from it’s skin and add the flesh to the food processor. Puree until smooth.

Transfer the vegetable pure to a large pot. Add the stock, thyme, and salt. Simmer uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with basil and top with a slice of goat cheese.

Garlic Pork and Sweet Potato Hash

This recipe is from the September issue of Better Homes and Gardens. It had all the ingredients that I love most – garlic, pork, and sweet potatoes. It had to be made! And it was delicious. So I thought I’d share it with you. The ingredients are all the same as the original recipe, and the method is almost exact too, however, it is written in my own words and I have made a couple of changes. It works well, as a last minute, one-pot (or pan) weekday dinner. 

Garlic Pork and Sweet Potato Hash

Garlic Pork and Sweet Potato Hash
3 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed and chopped (4 cups)
1 ½ lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1” slices (I used thin-cut boneless pork chops)
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used regular soy sauce)
8 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced thin
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 green onions
2 tbsp honey
Pepper for taste

Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle with salt, and put in ½ to 1 cup of water. Cover with a microwave lid and cook on high for 8 to 10 minutes on high. In the mean time, marinate the pork chops in the soy sauce and pepper.

In a skillet or frying pan cook the garlic in hot oil, just until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove and set aside. Cook pork in the same pan for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cooked, leaving the extra marinade in the bottom of the bowl for later. Transfer to a plate and keep covered. Add the potatoes to the pan and brown on all sides. Then add the onions and cook for another minute or so. Spoon onto individual plates, then place the pork chops over it.

For the sauce, whisk together the honey, remaining soy sauce (from the marinade bowl) and 2 tablespoons of water in the hot pan till it bubbles. If you feel the garlic has cooled down then add it to the sauce right at the end. Sprinkle the pork chops with garlic and then spoon over it some sauce. Serve immediately.

Cucumber and Basil Soup

In an effort to do something new with the cucumbers piling up in my fridge, I decided to make this soup. There are several versions of it on the internet, but I wanted to try to make it without adding any cream or half & half.

Cucumber and Basil Soup

Cucumber and Basil Soup
3 (medium) Cucumbers
1 (large) white onion
½ cup (packed) fresh basil
1 box chicken stock
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
½ tsp oregano, dried
½ tsp marjoram, dried
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Olive oil
2 tsp cream cheese

Chop the onion roughly, and set aside. Remove the skin off one cucumber only, and chop all three about the same size as the onions, leaving the skin on on two cucumbers. Heat a little olive oil in a stock pot or a soup tureen. Once it’s hot add in the onion and fry till it starts to brown. Next add in the chopped garlic, and cook till it begins to change color. Next add in the cucumber, salt, pepper, and dry herbs. Mix it up well and allow it to cook for a few minutes. Now add in the chicken stock, until the cucumber is almost completely covered. Put a lid on the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Switch off the stove when the cucumber is very soft and mushy.

While it’s simmering, chop the basil as fine as possible. Set aside 2 teaspoons for garnishing. Once the cucumber has cooled a little, put it in a food processor, and blend till it is smooth, adding a little chopped basil in every batch. When it’s done, pour it back into the soup tureen and allow it to sit, till it’s time to serve. If the soup is too thin, then put it back on medium heat and bring to a boil till it is the consistency desired.

To serve the soup, re-heat it well, and spoon out into a soup bowl or plate. Put in a dollop of softened cream cheese and sprinkle the basil over it as garnish. The heat of the soup should slowly melt the cheese. Serve with a Pepperoni Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Notes:
*The reason you allow the soup to cool before putting it in the blender is to protect the food processors blades. The heat from the soup can cause the blades to lose its sharpness faster. This is the same reason I never put my knives in the dishwasher.

Tomato Sauce

This was the only thing I could think of doing with all the perfectly ripe tomatoes I'd got in last weeks CSA basket. Holding on to them and eating them slowly would have resulted in the last few going bad. So, I made a tomato sauce that can be used for several thing. 

Tomato Sauce

Tomato Sauce
5 (large) tomatoes
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Little olive oil
1-2 tsp smoked paprika powder
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 stick cinnamon

Blanch the tomatoes and remove the skin. Chop the tomatoes roughly and keep aside. In a pot, heat a little olive oil and cook the onions till they are soft and starting to brown. Now add the garlic and cook till fragrant. Next add all the herbs and spices; allow the flavors to mix well for a minute or two. Only add a tablespoon of water if its burning. Put in the tomatoes, mix it well, and simmer with a lid on for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the bottom from sticking. When the tomatoes are completely cooked, take a potato masher and mash the tomatoes till the pieces disintegrate into a rough paste. Cook for a few more minutes to remove any extra water from the sauce. Remove from stove, cool, and can.

Use the sauce in a pasta dish, or spread it on a pizza, or marinate and cook some meat in it.

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

I have a folder full of recipes, that I have printed of the web and never tried. Yesterday, I decided to try one. Of course, I made a few changes to it, but the recipe turned out extremely well. It's now being shifted into my permanent recipe file. The original recipe is on Simple Recipes website, but I added a few more herbs and increased a few quantities, to make this recipe for flavorful and more suitable to my taste.

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

2-3 oz penne pasta
1 pkt polish Kilbasa, cut into 1inch pieces
2 tbs olive oil
1 green pepper, sliced into long strips
1 red pepper, sliced into long strips
1 yellow pepper, sliced into long strips
4 garlic cloves, sliced into slivers
1 lrg white onion, cut into wedges
1 can diced tomatoes, Italian style
1 tbs dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 cup red wine
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Cook the penne until al dente and set aside. Heat the oil in a pan with a lid; when hot add sausages and allow them to brown on all sides, remove and kepp aside. Put the peppers and onions into the pan, and allow to brown, almost singe it. Add the garlic and allow it to brown. Next add the red wine, and allow it to reduce by about half. Now add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir it in well, add the sausages, cover and simmer for about 5 - 10 mins. Switch off the stove, and add in the penne. Serve hot!

Masala Dal

If you know Indian cuisine at all, you’d know that Dal is one of the staple foods. For its price, it can do a long way, and can be cooked in hundreds of different ways. I, personally, don’t think I know more than 5 to 8 recipes. And every little while I change an ingredient, and the dal gets a completely new flavor.

As I had mentioned in the Patla Masoor post, there are several different types of Dal, and this one is called Toor [pronounced: too-arr] Dal. It’s a yellow dal and the packet I buy says its English name is Split Pigeon Peas. In India, you can buy these dals, dry or in oil. I have never dealt with the oily kind, never seen it at the Indian store here, and have no idea how to clean it etc., so I would suggest sticking to the dry packets. 

Masala Dal

2 cups Toor dal

1 medium onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp (heaped) garlic paste

1 tsp (heaped) ginger paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

3-4 dry red chilies (whole)

½ tsp garam masala

Little oil

In a bowl, soak the dal for about 15-20 minutes. Drain before you put it in the cooker.

In a pressure cooker, heat a little oil and brown the onions. Once they start to brown, add the chopped garlic and the ginger and garlic pastes. Next add the salt, turmeric, chili, coriander, and cumin powders as well as the garam masala. Cook it until the raw smells go, then add in the dry red chilies. Now stir in the dal so that it’s well mixed, and then add water. Put only enough water to just about cover the dal.

Put on the lid and whistle, and cook it on medium-high heat, till the whistle blows. Switch off the stove, let all the steam out and open the cooker carefully. Check to see how much water is in there. Add more water if needed, and then cook again on medium-high heat until the whistle blows. This time, do not open the cooker. Switch off the stove and allow the pressure to go down on its own, as the cooker cools. The dal should be cooked, but still hold its shape. It should not be completely mushy, and paste-like, and at the same time, it should not be crunchy at all. Add more salt, if needed, and serve hot with chapatti or bread.

Toor Dal

Notes:

* IF YOU ARE USING A PRESSURE COOKER, PLEASE FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH THE COOKER. IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF NOT USED PROPERLY! My recipe instructions are written with the assumption that you know how to use one and this blog is not responsible for your use of a pressure cooker. Every cooker has a slightly different cooking time, and water absorption. If there isn't enough water in the cooker, your dal will burn and cleaning that cooker is a pain in the backside!

*Dry red chilies are available at most Indian stores. They are extremely, extremely spicy. When you handle them, make sure you wash your hands immediately after, and do not rub your eyes without washing your hands. For this recipe, the chilies do not have to be cut, slit, or deseeded. They just go straight from the packet, into the cooker. If the chilies in the packet are broken, just put an estimate of the quantity. 

Stir-Fry Vegetables

One of the nicest parts of cooking in America is all the frozen foods and vegetables. I know, the fresh stuff is way more healthy and much better for you, but the frozen vegetables makes life so much easier, especially when you’re planning to use several different vegetables in one dish. Take for instance the stir-fry vegetable packets I’ve used in this recipe.  The packet contains broccoli, sugar snap peas, grated carrots, mushrooms, green beans, celery, onions and red peppers. Using it is easier and cheaper than buying all these ingredients separately.  So there you have it, my defense for frozen vegetable packets. And here is the recipe for stir-fry vegetables.

Stir-Fry Vegetables

3-4 oz thin wheat spaghetti

2 pkts (frozen) stir-fry vegetables

1 pkt (frozen) 3 Pepper and Onion

3 tbs soy sauce

3 tbs Worchester sauce

1 tsp (heaped) ginger paste

6-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbs ketchup

¾ cup red wine

1 tsp sirachi (chili) sauce

2 tsp hoisin sauce

1 tsp (heaped) sweet orange marmalade

Pepper to taste

Little olive oil

Break the spaghetti into 2 inch pieces. In a pot of boiling water, with a little oil and salt, cook the spaghetti until al dente. 

In a separate pot, heat a little olive oil and fry the chopped garlic and ginger paste till it starts to brown. Add in the packet of 3 pepper and onions and allow it to cook till the onions start to become soft and transparent. Now stir in the soy, sirachi, hoisin, Worchester sauces and ketchup. Once properly stirred in, add the stir-fry vegetables. Mix them well, then put in the red wine and cover till vegetables cook, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables are done, cooked but still a little crunchy, stir in the marmalade and the pepper, and simmer for a minute or two. Now switch off the stove, and stir in the drained spaghetti until it’s well mixed. Serve hot.

Notes:

*The 3 Pepper and Onion packet is about ½ a red, yellow, and green pepper each and a medium onion, all sliced length-wise.

*Adding a little oil to the spaghetti while it’s cooking, will stop it from sticking and making it one big lump of spaghetti. A teaspoon is all you need to add. 

Garlic Chili Scrambled Eggs

I am the opposite of most people, when it comes to cooking schedules. I don't work right now, and so I have all day to spend in the kitchen, during the week. And on the weekend, I get lazy about cooking, and busy doing house stuff with the husband, we also tend to eat out on the weekends. So most weekends, I only cook dinner on Sunday, and we survive on sandwiches and breakfast foods like pancakes, waffles and eggs for lunches. We are both extremely fond of scrambled eggs, and make a huge variety of them; however, these garlic chili eggs are one of our favorites.

Garlic Chili Scrambled Eggs

4 eggs
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 chilies, finely sliced (increase or decrease quantity, based on your tolerance for chilies)
1/2 cup milk
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1-2 tsp olive oil

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and set aside. In a saucepan, heat up the oil, and put in the garlic and chilies. Fry till they start to brown. Watch the garlic closely, because it will go from brown to burnt very fast. As soon as it starts to brown, add in the egg mixture and cook to the consistency you like. Serve hot with toast, bacon or any other breakfast foods!