CrazeeCook

Shrimps in black bean sauce, a quick classic Chinese stir-fry

2010-02-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

This one is semi homemade, because I used a store bought black bean sauce. This sauce is good on pretty much anything. Try it on chicken, fish, tofu or shrimp.
Look for the black bean sauce in the Asian or International aisle of your grocery store. This sauce made from fermented black beans, soy sauce and other stuff. It has got enough salt, so do not add salt in this.
As you can see, once you have the sauce it only takes 15 to 20 mins to put this together.

Shrimps in black bean sauce (serves -2)

Shrimps - 1/2 lb
Black bean and garlic sauce - 1 tbs (Lee Kum Kee brand)
Red bell pepper - 1 (diced)
Celery - 2 ribs (diced)
Minced ginger - 1 tbs
Garlic cloves - 2 (minced)
Sugar - 1/2 tsp

How

Heat a wok or non stick pan to medium high, and add a tbs of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot add the shrimps and cook for 2 mins, until shrimps are almost cooked. Take the shrimps out
To the pan add the ginger & garlic and stir fry until aromatic, about a minute
Add the red bell and celery, stir fry for about 3 mins
Add the black bean sauce, sugar and shrimps, cook for a minute more or until the shrimps are completely cooked
Serve with either steamed or fried rice

Malabar mutton or lamb curry

2010-02-11T19:24:00.000-08:00

A popular mutton curry from Kerala. Roasting and grinding the spices with curry leaves will fill your kitchen with a wonderful aroma. If you don't have curry leaves, then don't even think about making this dish, it's not the same.

Cut the meat into really smaller pieces, may be 1/2 inch, so it will cook faster.

This recipe is also adapted from "Curry Cuisine".

Malabar mutton curry (serves 2 to 3)

Mutton or Lamb - 1.25 lb (boneless, cut into cubes)
Red onion - 1 big (chopped)
Ground coriander - 1 tbsp
Ground turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Spice paste

Freshly grated coconut - 1/2 cup (about 4 oz)
Fresh ginger - 1 inch (sliced)
Garlic cloves - 3 (halved)
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 3
Bay leaves - 2
Curry leaves - a bunch (about 10)
Black peppercorns - 5

For tempering

Veg oil - 2 tbs
Black mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a lot
Green chilies - 2 (slit lengthwise)

How

Make the spice paste by roasting all the spice paste ingredients in a dry skillet until the coconut is browned. Grind it in a food processor adding just enough water to make a fine paste
Heat 3 tbs of oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the onions and fry for about 5 mins. Add the spice paste, ground spices and salt. Cook for couple of mins
Add about 1.5 cups of water, add the meat reduce the heat, cover and cook until meat is tender. About 30-45 mins
Prepare the tempering mixture. In a small frying pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add curry leaves and green chillies (prepare to be splattered all over) and remove from heat.
Pour the tempering mixture over the curry and continue cooking until the curry is very dry. Add some more curry leaves and serve with rice.

Simple crab curry, Nandu kolambu

2010-02-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

This is the crab curry I used growing up with. Though I grew up on blue crabs, I do prefer the meaty dungeness crabs.

Process is simple, cook onion, garlic and tomato and puree them. Add all the spices and crab and finish by adding pureed coconut.

Check out your local Asian stores for some cheap seafood especially the crabs.

Nandu kolambu (Serves 2)

One large dungeness crab or four small blue crabs
One big onion - chopped
Garlic cloves - 3 (halved)
Small tomato - 1 (chopped)
Green chili - 1 or more (slit lengthwise)
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Ground coriander - 1tbs
Ground rumeric - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Freshly grated or Dessicated coconut - 1/2 cup
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

How

Heat a tbs of oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add onion & garlic. Cook until onion is softened about 4 mins. Add tomato and continue to cook until onion is golden
Transfer the onion, garlic and tomato mixture to a blender leaving as much as oil possible in the pan. Add just enough water and puree
Add the puree back to the pan and cook until the puree thickens slightly
Add green chili, curry leaves, red chili, turmeric and coriander powders, cook for 2 mins stirring continuously
Add 2 cups of water, salt, crab, bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 15 mins
Grind the coconut and fennel with just enough water and add to the pan
Cook for another 5 mins and serve with steamed rice

Slow braised lamb shanks in saffron sauce, Nalli gosht

2010-01-29T21:22:00.000-08:00

This is adapted from a cook book called Curry Cuisine, which is full of curries from all over south east Asia. This recipe though time consuming, is one of best lamb shanks I've ever had.

Don't go for any short cuts here (such as pressure cooking), you have to slow cook the lamb until it's falling off the bone. And the sauce is so silky, which with a hint of saffron goes well with Naan and plain steamed white rice.

Nalli gosht (serves 2)

Lamb shanks - 2
Black cardamom pod - 1 (crushed, or 2 green cardamom pods)
Cinnamon stick - 1 (1 inch)
Large red onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Ground fennel - 1/2 tsp
Ground coriander - 1/2 tsp
Plain yogurt - 1 tbs
8 oz can tomato sauce - 1
Tomato paste - 2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Pinch of saffron
Heavy cream - 1 tbs

How

Preheat oven to 350 F degree
Blanch the lamb shanks by placing them in boiling water, cover and cook for 20 mins. Drain (reserve the cooking water), let the shanks cool and cut away any gristle from the meat
Heat 2 tbs of oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the cardamom and cinnamon stick. When they crackle add the onions and cook until golden
Add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 mins, stirring constantly
Add the ground fennel and coriander and cook for 2 more mins
Stir in the yogurt and tomato paste and combine well
Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil, season with salt
Add the lamb shanks and just enough lamb stock to cover the shanks 3/4 th
Cover and braise in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours, it should be falling off the bone
Turn the shanks every 30 mins and some stocks if needed
To finish the sauce, remove the shanks and boil the sauce until it reaches a thick sauce consistency
Add the garam masala, saffron and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the cream and serve with naan and steamed rice

Chipotle shrimp, Camarones Enchipotlados

2010-01-25T22:25:00.000-08:00

This is adapted from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday. This dish is smoky and spicy thanks to the canned chipotle chile.

If you are not into spicy stuff (I feel sorry for you), you can split the chile open and discard the seeds.

Serve with warm corn tortillas and steamed rice.

Chipotle Shrimp (Serves 2)

Shrimp - 1/2 lbs (about 12-15)
15 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes (will use only half a can)
Canned chipotle chile in adobo - 1
Chipotle canning sauce - 1 tsp
Zucchini - 1 (diced)
Garlic cloves - 2 (finely minced)
Chicken broth or water - 3/4 cup
Chopped cilantro - 2 tbs

How

Pour half a can tomatoes into a blender and add the chipotle chile & the canning sauce. Blend until smooth
In a skillet, heat a tbs of oil over medium. Add the zucchini and saute for 3 mins. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant about a minute
Pour the tomato mixture, cook for 3 mins stirring frequently
Add the broth/water to get a consistency of tomato sauce. Taste and season with salt
Add shrimp to the pan and cook until shrimps are cooked through, about 4 mins
Garnish with cilantro and serve

Lamb curry Rajasthani style

2010-01-13T18:18:00.000-08:00

This one is adapted from a curry from Rajasthan called Laal maas. Laal mass is a fiery lamb curry with tons of red chilies. I cut down on the chilies since I didn't want it to be fiery spicy.

With 10 chilies this dish was slightly spicy but not too much, but if you decide to cut down on the chilies then just cut down on the yogurt too.

Lamb curry (serves 2)

Bone in lamb - 2 lbs
Dried red chilies - 5 to 10
Cloves - 1 tsp
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1.5 tsp (roasted)
Ground coriander - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
Green cardamom - 4
Black cardamom - 3
Garlic cloves - 10 (finely minced)
Onion - 1 big (chopped)
Water - 2 cups (3 if not using pressure cooker)
Chopped cilantro for garnish

How

Mix yogurt with cumin, coriander, chili powder and salt, set aside
Heat some oil in a heavy pan, add the cloves (reserving a few), bay leaves, both green and black cardamoms. When they start the crackle, add garlic and saute for 2 mins
Add the onions and cook until golden, about 10 mins
Stir in the lamb, dried chilies and cook for 10 mins, until the meat is browned
Add the spiced yogurt and cook for another 10 mins, until some of the liquid from yogurt evaporates
Add the water and pressure or boil and simmer until the lamb is tender
Taste and adjust the seasoning
Temper by heating up some oil in a small skillet and add the reserved cloves and couple of dried chilies. Cook for couple of mins until aromatic and pour over the curry
Garnish with chopped cilantro

Red chile seafood soup, Caldo de maricos

2010-01-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

This Mexican seafood soup might sound fancy but it is actually extremely easy to make. Recipe is adapted from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday.

This is my first time using epazote, a pungent herb and I was able to get that from a Mexican grocery store. You can ignore them if you can't find them or add some parsely instead.

I used a combination of cod and mussels, any white fish would be good in this. You do need either mussels or clams to get that oceany flavour.

Red chile seafood soup (serves 2)

Dried guajillo or New Mexico chile - 1 large (remove stem, seeds and cut into large pieces)
once 15-oz canned diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted, this recipe only needs 1/2 can)
Small white onion - 1 (chopped)
Garlic clove - 1
Chicken broth - 3 cups
Yukon gold pototoes - 1/2 lb (cut to 1 inch cubes)
Fresh epazote - 1 sprig (optional)
Mussels - 1/2 lb
Firm white fish - 1/2 lb
Chopped cilantro - garnish
Lime wedges - for serving

How

Heat some oil in a soup pot and stir-fry the chiles until toasty, about 30 - 60 seconds
Transfer the chile piceses to a blender jar, leaving as much as oil possible
Add the onions (reserving some for garnish) and garlic to the pot and cook until golden, about 5 mins
Add the onions and garlic to blender
Add half a can of tomatoes to the blender and puree the whole thing, adding some stock if needed
Set a strainer over the pot and strain the puree through it
Return the pot to medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced and thick, about 5 mins
Add the broth, potatoes and epazote; bring it a boil and simmer for 15 mins or until the potatoes are tender
Taste and add salt if needed
Raise the heat and add the fish and after couple of mins add the mussels and close the pot
Boil until the mussels open about 5 mins
Ladle into bowls, garnish with cilantro and onion and serve with lime wedges

Sausage stuffed portebello mushrooms with gorgonzola

2010-01-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

A savoury stuffed mushroom adapted from one of Giada's recipes. Meaty portebello mushrooms stands up to the sharp gorgonzola and can be a first course or a meal on its own.

Sausage stuffed portebello mushrooms (serves 2)

Portebello mushrooms - 2 (Stems removed)
Italian chicken sausage - 1 link (about 4 oz, casing removed)
Garlic clove - 1 (minced)
Mascarpone cheese - 1 tbs
Fresh thyme - 2 tsp (chopped)
Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
Plain bread crumb - 1/4 cup
Gorgonzola - 1/4 cup

How

Brush mushrooms with olive oil and cook them in a skillet for 5 mins (turning once), remove and set aside
Cook the sausage in the same skillet (after adding some oil), breaking up the clumps, until cooked through, about 5 mins
Add the garlic and cook for a minute more
Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the mascarpone, herbs, bread crumbs and half of the gorgonzola
Add some freshly cracked black pepper and stir to combine. Taste and add salt if needed (you may not need)
Season the mushrooms with pepper (no salt), and fill each mushroom with sausage mixture and top with remaining gorgonzola
Place prepped mushrooms on a baking sheet and cook under a preheated broiler, until warmed through and the top is slightly browned (about 5 mins)

Filipino leche flan, Happy 2010!

2009-12-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

You have probably seen flan in many Mexican restaurants in the US and leche flan is the filipino version. I first tasted this at my client's house many years ago and since then I have tried in many restaurants and nothing came close to her version.

This is her recipe and it is pretty simple. You will need a round cake pan, I use a 9 inch nonstick pan.

So in three easy steps,

Make the caramel and line a cake pan with caramel
Make the egg and milk mixture
Cook the mixture, chill and serve

Caramel:

Pan coated with caramel:

It is a rich dessert, so make sure you have lot of people to share with! Or get ready to shop for new clothes:)

This is my last post in 2009, you all have a Happy New Year!

Leche Flan (Serves 10 - 12)

Egg yolks - 12
Sugar - 1.5 cups
Half & half - 3 cups
Vanilla - 1 tsp

For the caramelized syrup

Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup

How

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Make the caramel by dissolving 1 cup of sugar in 1/2 cup of water in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat
Once the sugar is dissolved don't stir until the sugar browns and caramelizes. Once it reaches deep amber color, the syrup is ready. I go for a darker caramel because I like it slightly bitter to balance the rich flan
Pour the syrup into the cake pan and maneuver so that the bottom, half of sides of pan are coated with the syrup. Set aside to cool
Blend the yolks with sugar and vanilla, I use a hand whisk
Heat half&half in microwave for 2 mins, and add little at a time to the yolk mixture and keep whisking. If you add all hot half&half at the same time, you will cook the eggs and will end up with scrambled eggs.
Now pour the egg mixture into the cake pan coated with caramelized sugar.
Place the cake pan in a bigger a pan and fill the bigger pan with hot water (for 2 inches)
Cover the cake pan with aluminium foil and cook for 1.5 hrs to 2. Do the toothpick test, when a toothpick inserted should come out clean
Let the pan cool completely and refrigerate overnight with the foil
I use a nonstick cake pan, so when it cooked and cooled I can see that the sides are completely loose and not stuck to the pan, which makes unmolding easy
If your pan is not nonstick, then run a sharp knife around the edges of the flan, place a cake plate (one with an edge to catch the extra syrup) larger than the pan on top and quickly invert until the flan settles onto the plate
Enjoy the flan

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce

2009-12-22T21:23:00.000-08:00

Though I don't watch food network as much as I used, I still happen to catch a few good shows now and then. This one is from one of Giada's shows and sounded pretty good.

I pretty much had everything on hand except for the the basil and clam juice. I thought about using chicken stock instead of clam juice but I didn't. Clam juice is really a key ingredient in this recipe.

The final sauce was so tasty that I pretty much wiped the pot clean with some french bread.

I added some ground turmeric to give some color.

Penne with shrimp and herbed cream sauce (serves 2)

Penne pasta - 6 oz
Shrimps - 1/2 lb
Garlic cloves - 2 (minced)
Canned diced tomatoes - 1 (15 oz)
Chopped fresh basil - 1/4 cup
Chopped fresh parsley - 1/4 cup
Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
Ground turmeric - 1/4 tsp
White wine - 1/2 cup
Clam juice - 1/4 cup
Heavy whipping cream - 1/4 cup
Freshly grated parmesan - 1/4 cup

How

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions
In a skillet, heat 2 tbs of olive oil and add the garlic.
Once aromatic add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until shrimps are cooked, about 3 mins
Remove the shrimps and set aside
Add half a can of tomatoes (use the other half for something else!), red pepper flakes, turmeric, half of the basil and parsley, cook for 2 mins
Add wine, clam juice and cream. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 mins until the sauce is reduced
Now add the cooked shrimp, half of the parmesan, rest of the herbs, cooked pasta and toss everything.
Sprinkle rest of the cheese and serve with some crusty bread

Hawaiian style garlic shrimp

2009-12-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

Ever since I came back from Oahu earlier this year, I've been obsessed with garlic shrimp. Because there are quite a lot of shrimp trucks on the north shores of Oahu dishing out some tasty shrimp plates and my favorite was the garlic shrimp.

I have to warn you that this may not be the healthiest of recipes because of the butter but without butter and garlic there is no garlic shrimp. You can probably use olive oil instead of butter, I have used combination of both some times.

You have to cook shell on in this recipe, head on will be even better. But if you can't handle or get shrimp with head on that is ok, but don't go for peeled shrimps. Because cooking with the shell keeps the shrimps moist, gives a unique flavor to the dish, makes eating hands on and more fun.

Don't get scared with 10 cloves of garlic! This dish is all about shrimp, garlic and butter. So the more garlic the better and you would want every bit of garlic with your rice.

I was able to grab some fried garlic from an Asian store here, which I used to garnish.

Hawaiian style garlic recipe (serves 2)

Shrimp - 1 lb (Shell on, head on, about 20 -25)
Garlic - 10 cloves (roughly chopped)
Butter - 4 tbs
Scallion - 2 (sliced)
Crushed red pepper - 1/2 tsp
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
White wine - 2 tbs (or chicken stock)
Salt - 1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Sugar - 1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Fried garlic - 1 tbs (optional)

How

Prepare the shrimps by getting rid of the eye and antennas!, and devein, I used a kitchen scissor for this.
Rinse the shrimps under cold water and pat dry with paper towels
Heat a saute pan over medium heat, add butter, garlic and pepper flakes
Saute until garlic is aromatic, about a minute or two
Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 mins on each side
Stir in wine, paprika, salt, sugar, scallion (saving some for garnish) cook for a minute more
Dish out and top with fried garlic and rest of the scallions
Serve immediately with some jasmine rice
Peel and eat!

Tiramisu

2009-12-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

Tiramisu is probably the most popular Italian dessert and that's what I chose to make for a holiday party.

Idea to is to soak Italian lady fingers in espresso and layer them with egg and mascarpone cheese mixture.

When I decided to make Tiramisu, I didn't have to do a lot of research on the recipe. I just looked for Giada's recipe on foodnetwork. The key to this recipe is to make sure the ladyfingers are from an Italian brand, because they are hard and will hold up well. Look for ladyfingers in the cookie aisle. Mascarpone is an Italian style cream cheese but do not substitute with regular cream cheese.

Measurements are off on Giada's recipe, she asks for 24 ladyfingers but her pan 13 x 9 inch would be way too big for that. My pan was 11 x 8 and I needed 30 ladyfingers. So if you use 8 x 8 pan then you will only need 24 ladyfingers, which is just one pack. I also added more sugar as it wasn't sweet enough for me.

For espresso, I used instant kind and it wasn't bad. Just follow the instructions on the bottle to make the espresso.

You can completely leave out rum, I did use it but I didn't really taste anything.

I was skeptical about using raw eggs, but at end it turned out fine without any egginess!

Finally Tiramisu only needs about 2 to 8 hours in the fridge before serving, so plan on making it in the morning if you are planning on serving at night.

Tiramisu work in progress:

Tiramisu (last piece!):

Tiramisu (Serves 10)

Ladyfingers - 30 (Italian brand)
Espresso - 1.5 cups (cooled)
Egg yolks - 6
Sugar - 5 tbs
Mascarpone cheese - 1 lbs
Rum - 2 tsp (optional)
Cocoa powder - For dusting

How

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar for 5 mins. It should become really thick and pale.
Add the cheese, change the attachment and beat for another 5 mins until smooth
To the egg and cheese mixture, add a tbs of espresso and beat for couple of mins
In a shallow dish, add the remaining espresso and rum. Dip each ladyfinger for 4 to 5 seconds and place it on the bottom of a 11 x 8 baking dish (break them if you have to, if you use 8 x 8 pan you may not have to)
Spread half of the cheese mixture evenly over the ladyfingers. Add another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining cheese mixture
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 - 8 hrs
Before serving dust with cocoa powder

Pan roasted quail with garam masala and kashmiri chilli powder

2009-12-04T22:49:00.000-08:00

I was surprised to see frozen quail in an Asian supermarket here and immediately grabbed a pack. I haven't had quail (kaadai in Tamil) in a long time and actually I have never cooked quail before.

I wanted to make something Indian, something spicy and something simple and this is what I ended up with. I also threw in some fresh rosemary just because I had them on had.

Pan roasted quail (Serves 3)

Quail - 3
Big onion - 1 (small dice)
Small tomato - 1 (small dice)
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tbs
Garam masala - 1.5 tsp (divided)
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Ground cumin - 1/2 tsp
Ground turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a bunch
Chopped rosemary - 1 tbs
Water - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tbs

How

Heat a cast iron pan with some oil and add the onion and curry leaf
Once the onion is slightly browned (about 10 mins) add the tomato, g&g paste and cook for 5 more mins
Add all the ground stuff (reserve 1/2 tsp of garam masala) and cook for 2 mins
Add quail pieces and rosemary, stir to coat the quail pieces with onion mixture
Add water, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook till quail is cooked (about 20 mins, stirring once or twice)
Stir in the lemon juice and remaing garam masala, serve immediately

Chicken liver cooked with Indian spices

2009-11-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

It's been a while!

It's been a while since I cooked chicken livers and it's been a while since I posted anything here. It wasn't easy finding time to blog during the summer, ok I'll admit...I was lazy too.

Now that it's crazy cold in here, I shouldn't have any issues finding time to blog. I hope!

There is a place in Seattle Pike's place market where you can get fried chicken livers and that made me realize how much I missed having chicken livers the Indian way! So I took care of that right away. More garlic and black pepper the better in this recipe.

Chicken liver cooked with Indian spices (Serves 4)

Chicken liver - 1/2 lb (cut to bite size)
Large onion - 1 (finely diced)
Garlic cloves - 3 (coarsely chopped)
Tomato - 1 (diced)
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Ground turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Ground coriander - 1 tbs
Freshly ground black pepper - 1 tsp
Ground chili - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a bunch
Chicken stock or water - 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tbs
Chopped cilantro - 2 tbs

How

Heat a tbs of oil in a saute pan and once hot add the onion, garlic and curry leaves, cook until onion is soft and slightly browned
Add the tomato, ginger&garlic paste and cook for five more minutes
Add all the ground spices, salt to taste and cook for 2 more minutes
Add the stock, cover the pan and cook for 3 more minutes
Take the lid off and mash the tomato if it is not mashed already
Add the liver, mix with everything, cover and cook till it's done(15 to 20 mins)
Uncover and cook till it's dry
Stir in the lemon juice, cilantro and serve as a side

Garam masala scrambled tofu

2009-07-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

It's been busy lately and finally managed to find some time to get this post done!

If you have a block of tofu in your fridge then this is a good way to use it up. I have made this twice already in three weeks because it is quick, healthy, tasty and is good in a taco!

Soft tofu probably will not work in this, so make sure to use firm or extra firm tofu.

Garam masala scrambled tofu (Serves 2)

Firm tofu - 8 oz
Sliced onion - 1/4 cup
Ground turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 2 tsp
Ground chile - 1/2 tsp
Chopped cilantro - 1 tbs
Lemon juice - 1 tbs
Salt

How

Squeeze tofu between paper towels and remove as much as possible
Heat a tbs of oil in a saute pan and add turmeric and onion
Saute until onion is softened and slightly browned
Add garam masala, chile powder, salt and stir for minute, until aromatic
Now crumble the tofu and add to the pan and continue to cook stirring occasionally for 8 to 10 mins
Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro

Sticky rice in lotus leaves, dim sum dinner

2009-07-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

If you have never had dim sum or never been to a Chinese restaurant that serves dim sum, then you are missing out. Basically you make a meal out of various tiny dishes and you won't order from a menu. Dim sum carts with various steamed, stir fried, deep fried, etc items will be pushed around and you pick want you want.

This sticky rice dish is called Lor Mai Gai, and is a must have when having dim sum.

You do need some patience to make this, but once made the parcels can be frozen and steamed whenever needed. I made 6 packets and froze 5 of them!

I got dried lotus leaves and sticky rice from an Asian store. Sticky rice could also be called glutinous rice or sweet rice.

My favorite place to have dim sum is actually in Vancouver, BC and it is called Sun Sui Wah. It is the best.

I used bamboo steamer to steam the dumplings, if you don't have a bamboo steamer, just get creative and use whatever steamer you have!

Recipe adapted from my cookbook, Foods of the world.

Sticky rice in lotus leaves (Makes 6)

Large dried lotus leaves - 6 (Soak in boiling water for an hour)
Glutinous rice - 1.5 cups (Soak the rice in water overnight)
Low sodium soy - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Low sodium chicken stock - 2 cups

First step is to cook the rice. Line the steamer with a cheese cloth and spread the rice evenly. Steam the rice for about 20 mins. Transfer the rice to a bowl.

Mix the stock, sugar and soy sauce; and bring to a boil in a sauce pan. Add the boiling stock to the rice and cover for 10 mins. Now is rice is ready

Dried shrimp - 1 tbs
Dried chinese mushrooms - 2
Chicken breast - 1/4 lb (cut to 1/2 inch cubes)
Garlic clove - 1 (minced)
Chinese sausage (lap cheong) - 1 (thinly sliced)
Scallion - 1 (thinly sliced)
Oyster sauce - 1.5 tsp
Low sodium soy - 1.5 tsp
Sugar - 1.5 tsp
Sesame oil - 1/2 tsp
Cornstarch - 1.5 tsp

How

Soak the dried shrimp in boiling water for an hour, then drain
Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 30 mins, drain and squeeze out excess water, discard the stems and finely chop the caps
Heat a wok and a tbs oil and heat until very hot
Stir-fry the chicken until browned, 2 -3 mins
Add the shrimps, mushrooms, garlic, sausage and scallion. Stir-fry for another 2 mins
Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and toss well
Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water, add to the wok and simmer until thickened
Now the filling ready! Let's put everything together
Using wet hands, divide the rice into 12 balls and divide the filling into 6 servings
Take a lotus leaf, chop and discard the tough woody end
Cut the leaf half into two pieces. Place one half on a work surface and place the other half on top to cover any holes
Place a ball of rice in the center and flatten slightly, making a slight indentation in the middle
Spoon one serving of the filling onto the rice, top with another slightly flattened rice ball and smooth into one ball
Wrap up firmly by folding the leaves over to make an envelope. Tie with some kitchen twines if are going to freeze the packets.
Repeat this to make six packets and at this stage they can be frozen. (You can steam them directly from frozen for 40 mins)
Place the packets in a steamer and steam for 30 mins
To serve, open leaf and eat straight from leaf while hot with some chilli sauce or soy sauce

Chicken kotthu parotta

2009-07-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

Kotthu parotta aka mutta (egg) parotta is a very popular South Indian street food. Few years back when I went to Vancouver BC, I checked out a Srilankan restaurant called Nooru Mahal. I was surprised to see all kinds of kotthu parottas on the menu. Apparently this is popular in Srilanka too and they call it kotthu roti.

These days when I have some left over curry and I am looking for something light and quick, I turn to kothu parotta.

You don't have to have left over curry to enjoy a kotthu roti, it's just better with a curry.

Chicken kotthu parotta (Serves 1 to 2)

Frozen cooked parottas - 4
Chopped onion - 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves - 3 (chopped)
Tomato - 1 (diced)
Chicken curry - 1/2 cup
Ground red chile - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 6
Egg - 1 (lightly beaten with a tbs of milk)

How

Microwave the parottas (if frozen) for few seconds and chop them to pieces
Heat a frying pan with a tbs of oil and saute the onion, garlic and curry leaves until onion is slightly browned
Add the tomato, ground chile, salt to taste and continue to cook for another 5 mins
Add the cooked chicken (reserve the curry sauce) and combine everything
Add the parotta pieces and cook for 2 to 3 mins
Make a well in the center of the pan and add the egg, scramble for 2 mins and then mix with everything
Serve with the curry sauce

Cod in tomato sauce

2009-06-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

I am always looking looking for new ways to serve fish. This Spanish dish is easy, tomatoes and wine add a slight sweetness.

A firm white fish such as cod is perfect for this. You can replace cod with halibut.

Cod in tomato sauce (serves 2)

Cod fillets - 2 (6 oz each)
Small onion - 1 (finely sliced)
Garlic clove - 1 (minced)
Large ripe plum tomatoes - 2 (seeded and chopped)
Low sodium chicken stock - 3/4 cup
White wine - 1/4 cup
Tomato paste - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Chopped parsley - 1 tbs

How

Preheat the oven to 400 degree F and salt & pepper the fish
Heat a tbs of olive oil in a oven-safe pan and cook the fish a minute on each side. Transfer the fish to a plate
Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook for about 4 mins, stirring often, just until softened
Add the stock, tomatoes, wine and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 mins
Return the fish back to the pan and bake in the oven, until fish is cooked, about 10 mins
Transfer the fish onto a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep it warm
Cook the sauce over medium heat until reduced and thickened
Stir in sugar, season to taste and divide the sauce among two dinner plates and serve fish on top
Sprinkle with parsley and serve

Sweet and Sour Shrimp

2009-06-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

Healthy take on a Chinese fastfood staple. Sweet and sour shrimp is usually deep fried and then tossed in the sauce. But here I just stir fried the shrimp to make it healthy and simple!

I don't know if you noticed that the sauce is runny in the picture. That's because I forgot to add the corn starch, otherwise it would have been thickened.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp (Serves 2)

Shrimp - 1/2 lb
Rice wine vinegar - 1.5 tbs
Soy sauce - 1 tbs
Ketchup - 1 tbs
Sugar - 2 tsp
Corn starch - 1/2 tsp
Green bell pepper - 1/2 (cut to strips)
Celery stalk - 1 (diced)
Baby corn - 1/2 cup
Grated ginger - 1/2 tbs
Fresh red chile - 1 (minced)
Garlic clove - 1 (minced)
Scallion - 1 (Cut to thin strips)

How

Stir the vinegar, soy, corn starch, ketchup and sugar in a bowl and set aside
Heat a tbs of oil in a wok over medium heat and add ginger and garlic
After a minute, add green pepper, celery, corn and chile. Stir fry for 3 mins.
Add the shrimps and stir-fry until cooked, about 2 mins
Pour in the vinegar mixture and stir-fry for a minute until the shrimp and veggies are coated and everything is heated through
Garnish with the scallions and serve hot

Moghul style lamb

2009-06-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

Lamb marinated and cooked slowly with Indian spices. Overnight marination is the key for tender and flavorful meat. Almond and cream makes this dish taste rich!

Not exactly a healthy dish, with lamb, ghee and cream. But it is ok to indulge once in a while, right?

Moghul style lamb (serves 2)

Boneless lamb - 3/4 lbs
Garlic cloves - 3 (chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped)
Blanched almonds - 1/2 cup
Large onion - 1 (thinly sliced)
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbs
Cardamom - 3
Cloves - 5
Cinnamon stick - 1
Cream - 1/2 cup
Red chile powder - 1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Toasted almonds - for garnish

How

Blend the ginger, garlic, almonds and 1/4 cup of the sliced onions in a blender to a smooth paste (add water if needed)
Marinate the lamb in this paste, for 8 hrs or overnight
Dry roast the coriander seeds until aromatic and grind them using a spice grinder
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan, add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and after a minute add the onions
Fry until onion is soft and starting to brown, transfer onion to a plate
Fry the lamb and marinade in the pan until the mixture is quite dry and has started to brown a bit
Add 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook over low heat for about 30 mins, stirring occasionally
Add the ground coriander, salt, cream, chile powder and cooked onion to the pan
Cover and simmer for another 30 mins, or until the lamb is tender, stir occasionally to prevent the lamb from sticking
Garnish with toasted almonds and serve

Chicken and Chickpea Pilaf

2009-06-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

A quick week night, one-pot dish. I had a can of chickpeas and some chicken, so adapted this recipe from my cookbook (The Illustrated Kitchen Bible).

This dish is full of flavor because of the saffron, the most expensive spice! Actually, saffron is not that expensive when you but in from an Indian store.

Chicken and Chickpea Pilaf (Serves 2)

Pinch of saffron threads
Boneless chicken thighs - 3 (cut to bite sized pieces)
Ground coriander - 1 tsp
Ground cumin - 1/2 tsp
Small onion - 1 (sliced)
Green chile (serrano or Jalapeno) - 1 (seeded and chopped)
Garlic clove - 1 (minced)
Long grain rice - 3/4 cup
Low sodium chicken stock - 1.5 cups
Bay leaf - 1
Chickpeas - 1/2 can (15 oz can)
Raisins - 2 tbs
Slivered toasted almonds - 1/4 cup
Chopped parsley - 1 tbs

How

Soak the saffron threads in 2 tbs of boiling water for mins
heat 1 tbs oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the coriander and cumin.
Cook the chicken, until browned, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Tto the saucepan add the onion, chile, and garlic and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes, until softened.
Stir in the rice and return the chicken to the saucepan and add the stock, along with the saffron and its liquid, ½ tsp salt, and the bay leaf.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Rinse and drain the chickpeas then stir in along with the raisins, and cook about 5 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Serve hot, sprinkled with almonds and parsley.

Shrimp in cilantro sauce

2009-06-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

A simple weeknight meal from a magazine. There is actually more than cilantro in this one!

Cilantro, parsley and tomatillos, they all contribute to this equally. If you have never cooked with tomatillos, try it. They don't taste like green tomato, they have a bright lemony-tart flavor.

Shrimp in cilantro sauce (Serves 2)

Large shrimps - 1/2 lbs
Tomatillos - 2 (husked, rinsed and chopped)
Chopped onion - 1/4 cup
Garlic clove - 1 (minced)
Serrano or jalapeno pepper - 1 (finely chopped)
Low sodium chicken stock - 1/4 cup
Fresh cilantro - 1/4 cup (lightly packed)
Fresh parsley - 1/4 cup (lightly packed)

How

In a skillet, cook tomatillos, onion, garlic and peppers in hot oil (tbs) for about 5 mins, until onion is tender
Transfer mixture to a blender, add chicken stock, cilantro and parsley. Blend to a smooth sauce
In a sauce pan, boil some water and cook the shrimps for 1 to 2 mins or until cooked through
Return the blended mixture to the skillet and heat through, taste and season with salt and pepper
Toss cooked shrimp with the sauce, that's it!
Serve with either plain or Mexican rice

Fish in coconut stew, popular Brazilian stew

2009-06-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

I don't really know a lot about Brazilian food. I have been to a Brazilian restaurant once in Seattle, and I had a this stewed fish.

When I saw this recipe in a cookbook, I knew I had to try it. I used halibut in this recipe but any firm white fish will do.

Fish in coconut stew (serves 2)

Firm white fish (Halibut, cod or snapper) - 3/4 lbs (cut into chunks)
Small onion - 1 (thinly sliced)
Big ripe tomato - 1 (seeded and chopped)
Red bell pepper - 1/2 (seeded and thinly sliced)
Green bell pepper - 1/2 (seeded and thinly sliced)
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Tomato paste - 1/2 tbs
Olive oil - 2 tbs
Lemon juice - 1 tbs
Chopped cilantro - 1 tbs

How

Heat olive oil in a deep pan over medium heat
Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 mins
Add the peppers and tomato, reduce heat to medium low
Cook until the peppers are softened and all the juices are released from tomatos, about 10 mins, stirring occasionally
Stir in the coconut milk, tomato paste and return to a boil, season with salt and pepper
Add the fish and cook until the fish is cooked through, about 7 mins
Stir in the lemon juice, sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot

Asparagus risotto

2009-06-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

This is the season for asparagus, at least in the US. If you like asparagus then this Italian dish is for you. Because the asparagus stems are pureed with the stock and added to the risotto during cooking, which makes this particularly flavorsome!

This risotto can be a side to pretty much anything.

Asparagus risotto (Serves 3 to 4 as a side)

Asparagus - 1 lb
Low sodium chicken stock - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Olive oil - 2 tbs
Small onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Arborio rice - 1 cup
Freshly grated parmesan - 1/4 cup

How

Wash and trim the asparagus. Separate the tender tips from the stems
Cook the stems in boiling water until very tender, about 10 mins
Drain the stems and using a blender blend with stock and water, then put in a saucepan, bring to a boil and maintain at a low simmer. This is our cooking liquid
Cook the asparagus tips in boiling water for a min, drain and shock in ice cold water (to stop them from cooking)
Heat olive oil in a heavy pan and cook onion until softened
Add rice and stir for couple of mins, season with salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt since the stock and cheese (to be added at the end) will have some salt too
Now stir in a ladleful of simmering stock and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously
When the stock has been absorbed, stir in another ladleful. Continue this for about 20 mins, until rice is al-dente. You may not need all stock or you may need more!
Add the parmesan and gently stir in the asparagus tips.
Season with salt and pepper and server hot

Malaysian butter shrimp

2009-05-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

This one is adapted from Martin Yan's cookbook. I remember having this in a Malaysian restaurant (Malay Satay Hut) here as well.

Combination of garlic, curry leaves and coconut is pretty good.

Butter shrimp (serves 2)

Large shrimps - 3/4 lbs
Cornstarch - 2 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbs
Butter - 1 tbs
Minced garlic - 1 tbs
Green chili (Jalapeno or serrano) - 2 (seeded and minced)
Scallions - 2 (minced)
Chinese rice wine - 1 tbs
Soy sauce - 1 tbs
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - about 10

How

Coat the shrimps with cornstarch and 1/2 tsp salt, let it stand for 10 mins
Toast the coconut in a wok over low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 mins. Remove from wok and set aside
Change heat to high, add 2 tbs of oil, stir fry shrimps for 2 mins. Remove shrimp
Reduce heat to medium, add butter, add garlic and curry leaves, stir-fry for a min
Add chillies and scallions, stir-fry for a couple of mins
Return shrimps to wok and add rice wine, soy, sugar and toasted coconut, cook until heated through

Spinach kofta in yogurt sauce

2009-05-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

Another vegetarian dish! This one is from my cookbook that I wanted to try.

Idea is simple, you make spinach balls and then simmer them in a yogurt based sauce. This dish improves over time, so make it few hours in advance. Curry leaves and fenugreek seeds are really important in this dish and they impart a really unique flavor to the sauce.

Don't worry if you can't shape the mixture into perfect balls, you can just call it spinach pakoras in yogurt sauce!

Yogurt sauce (serves 4)

Thick yogurt - 1.5 cups (I used non fat greek yogurt)
Besan flour - 4 tbs
Black mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few (about 6)
Large onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Garlic cloves - 3 (crushed)
Ground turmeric - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - 3 cups

How

In a bowl combine yogurt, besan and water. Whisk them to a smooth paste
Heat a tbs of oil in a heavy saucepan, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and wait till the seeds pop
Add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 5 mins
Add garlic and cook for a min more
Stir in the turmeric and chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds
Add the yogurt mixture and simmer over low heat for 10 mins
Season with salt to taste

Spinach Koftas

Spinach - 1 lb (fresh or frozen)
Besan flour - 1 cup
Onion - 1 (finely minced)
Tomato - 1 (seeded and finely minced)
Garlic cloves - 2 (crushed)
Ground cumin - 1 tsp
Chopped cilantro - 2 tbs

How

Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 2 mins, and completely drain and squeeze out extra water
Finely chop the spinach
Combine spinach with rest of the ingredients, add 1/4 cup of water (little at a time) to make a soft mixture (add more besan if it is too soft)
Season with salt, to taste
Shape the mixture into balls by rolling it in dampened hands (using a tbs of mixture for each)
Deep fry the koftas until golden, drain and add to the yogurt sauce
Gently reheat the yogurt sauce and garnish with cilantro

Chinese broccoli stir-fried with oyster sauce

2009-05-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Surprised to see something green!! I do like to eat veggies, I just dont cook them that often!

This one is a classic Chinese stir-fry, broccoli simply stir fried with garlic and oyster sauce. I don't think you can find Chinese broccoli in your local grocery store. They don't look anything like the usual broccoli, in Chinese they are called gai-lan or kai lan.

You can make this completely vegetarian by using veg oyster sauce! Yes, it does exist and made with mushrooms.

Chinese broccoli stir-fried with oyster sauce (serves 4)

Chinese broccoli - 3/4 lb (cut into pieces)
Garlic cloves - 2 (finely chopped)
Oyster sauce - 1 tbs
Low sodium soy sauce - 1 tbs

How

Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 2 mins, salt the water before blanching, drain completely
Heat a tbs of oil in a wok, stir-fry garlic until lightly browned
Add the broccoli, soy sauce and half of the oyster sauce, stir-fry over high heat for 1-2 mins until the stems or just tender
Drizzle with remaining oyster sauce and serve

Baked eggs with ham and spinach, one ramekin meal

2009-05-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

Eggs for dinner? Why not, especially this one is easy and tasty!

This is adapted from Aida's baked recipe from foodnetwork. She used Canadian bacon and I am using ham and there are couple of other changes as well.

I served this with crispt crostinis, since I wanted to use up a day old baguette. To make crostinis, cut a baguette to 1/4 inch slices, brush with oilve oil, bake for 15 mins in 350 F degree oven, until slightly brown. Turn them once.

Baked eggs with ham and spinach (serves 2)

Eggs - 2
Minced onion - 1 tbs
Baby spinach - 3 oz
Honey baked ham - 2 oz (roughly chopped)
Milk - 2 tbs
Grated cheddar cheese - 1/2 oz
Butter - 1 tbs (plus more to butter ramekins)

How

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and butter two ramekins
Melt a tbs of butter in a frying pan and add onion, cook until softened, about a min
Add spinach and cook until welted, about 2 to 3 mins and season with salt and pepper
Put ham on bottom of the ramekins, top with spinach, crack an egg on top, follow with a tbs of milk and finally top with the cheese
Bake for 20 mins, until whites are set and yolk is sightly runny. Rotate the ramekins halfway through cooking
Top with more cheese and serve with toast or crostini

Thai red curry mussels

2009-05-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

Thai curry pastes are so versatile and always comes in handy for me. I wanted something quick and light, and also wanted to use up a lemongrass stalk I had on hand. So I went back to a staple recipe of mine, Thai red curry mussels.

This is an adaptation of Bobby Flay's and make sure to serve with some crusty bread to soak up all the juice.

Thai red curry mussels (serves 2)

Mussels - 1 lbs
Lemongrass stalk - 1 (Cut and discard the woody top and crush the bottom)
Red curry paste - 1.5 tsps
White wine - 1/4 cup
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Fish sauce - 1 tbs
Lime juice - 1 tbs
Kaffir lime leaves - 3 (sliced thin)
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Chopped cilantro - 2 tbs

How

Heat a tbs of veg oil in a dutch oven
When hot add the curry paste and stir until aromatic, about a min
Add lemongrass, lime leaves, wine, coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and lemon juice, bring to a simmer
Add the mussels and cover the pot and cook until mussels open, about 5 mins
Add cilantro and cook a minute more
Discard the lemongrass before serving

Fluffy Mexican Rice, Arroz Mexicano

2009-05-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

I think I figured out who I was in my past life!

I probably was a Mexican, eating quite a lot of Mexican food. Otherwise what else could explain my cravings for tacos, chile colorado, carnitas all the time? One of my favorite Mexican restaurants is in between Seattle and Portland, it is called La Tarasca in Centralia WA.

A Mexican meal is not complete without rice and beans. And I am a big fan of fluffy mexican rice. After trying multiple recipes I came up this one, perfect for my taste.

Fluffy Mexican Rice (Serves 4)

Long grain rice - 2 cups
Tomato sauce - 1 cup
Tomato paste - 1tbs
Medium onion - dice (about a cup)
Garlic cloves - 3 (minced)
Jalapeno/Serrano - 2 (seeds and ribs removed, minced)
Canola/Veg oil - 3 tbs
Frozen corn - 1/4 cup (optional)
Chicken broth - 2 cups

How

Rinse and completely drain the rice
Blend together tomato sauce and diced onion to a smooth puree, if it is not 2 cups add enough water to make 2 cups
Heat a heavy bottomed pot in medium high heat and add oil
Once the oil is hot enough, add the rice and continuously stir
Stir until the rice is slightly browned, about 8-10 mins
Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and chillies, stir for 2 mins
Add the tomato sauce and onion puree, tomato paste, corn, stock and salt, stir to combine
Cook as you would cook any rice dish (bring to a boil, when the rice hits the surface, lower the heat and cover for 20 mins OR bring to a boil, bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 mins)
I've cooked this stove stop and also using the oven and both turned out fine
Once done, using a fork fluff the rice and serve

Jackfruit pudding with vermicelli

2009-05-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

I was scanning through one of very first cookbooks, 'Martin Yan's Asia - favorite recipes from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Japan' and came across a Malaysian dessert called Bubur Nangka.

Bubur nangka is Jackfruit and tapioca pudding and I just replaced the tapioca with roasted vermicelli. I got canned jackfruit from the Asian store, which doesn't come close to the fresh jackfruit that I remember eating back in India.

I used the Bambino roasted vermicelli (from Indian store) that I had on hand. If you want to use tapioca, then use 1/2 cup small (1/8 inch) pearl tapioca and soak in cold water for 30 mins.

You can serve this either warm or chilled. Keep in mind that when you chill this in the fridge, it will get thicker so plan for that.

Jackfruit pudding (Serves 6)

Roasted vermicelli - 3/4 cup
Jackfruit - 1 can (20 oz)
Unsweetened coconut milk - 1 can (13.5 oz)
Water - 1.5 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup

How

Drain jackfruit, reserve two slices and cut rest into 1/2 inch cubes
Combine coconut milk, water and sugar in a heavy saucepan
Cook, stirring, over medium heat, until sugar dissolves
Add vermicelli and bring to a boil
Reduce heat to low and cook stirring and vermicelli is cooked, about 8 - 10 mins
Mixture will slightly thicken
Remove from heat and stir in cubed jackfruit
Finely dice the reserved two jackfruit slices, use as garnish and serve

Lamb shanks braised with Mexican chiles and spices

2009-05-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Lamb shanks braised falling off the bone are the ultimate comfort food. This dish is also inspired by the Mexican restaurant Taqueria Nueve (RIP). And the dish I am trying to recreate is called Barbacoa de cordero.

After a quick research, I decided a combine couple of recipes (Food network and Daisy Martinez) to come up with this one.

I like to experiment with dried chiles, and in this one I have used two, Guajillo and Chipotle. Guajillo chiles are not spicy at all and they give a complex smokiness to the final product.

I was extremely impressed with the lamb shanks, as they were falling of the bone tender. And absorbed all the chile flavor and spices. And the braising liquid was so tasty.

Lamb shanks braised with chile and spices (serves 2)

Lamb shanks - 2
Dried Guajillo Chiles - 5
Chipotle chile in adobo sauce - 1
Small onion - 1 (cut in half)
Tomato - 1
Garlic cloves - 2 (do not peel)
Cinnamon stick - 1
Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
Ground cumin - 1/4 tsp
Bay leaves - 1
Allspice - 3
Cloves - 5
Red wine vinegar - 1 tsp
Low sodium chicken stock - 4 cups

How

Cut the chiles open, discard seeds and vein, toast in a dry skillet for 3 mins
Cover the toasted chiles with boiling water and set aside for 20 mins
Blacken the onion, tomatoe and garlic by toasting them using the dry skillet. Toast them until they get black on all sides, about 10 min
Next blend the blackened veggies, chipotle chile and soaked chiles to make a smooth puree. Drain the chiles before adding to the blender and also peel the garlic. Use some chile soaked liquid to help with the blending.
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees
Heat a tbs of oil in a dutch oven and when the oil is hot sear the lamb shanks, until brown on all sides, about 7 mins. Sal and pepper the shanks before searing.
Now pour the stock in, strain the chile mixture in and add all spices and vinegar in and bake in the oven for 1.5 to 2 hrs, until the shanks are fork tender
Take the shanks out and strain the braising liquid. Taste the braising liquid and add salt if needed.
Serve with some Mexican rice, corn tortillas and braising liquid on the side

Mushrooms with tofu, a quick stir-fry

2009-05-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

A healthy and quick stir-fry with mushrooms and tofu. I used a combination of shitake and button mushrooms for this. Am sure you can get away with whatever mushrooms you have on hand. Also after draining the tofu absorb as much as water possible using paper towels.

I discarded the ginger slices after marinating the tofu since I don't like to bite in to them.

This will be good with some fried rice. But since I didn't have any day old rice, I just served with some jasmine rice.

Mushrooms with tofu (serves 2)

Firm tofu - 8 oz (drained and cut to 1/2 inch cubes)
Sesame oil - 1/2 tsp
Low sodium soy sauce - 2 tbs + 2 tsp
Shredded ginger - 1 tbs
Ground black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Shitake mushrooms - 4 oz (stems removed and caps sliced)
Button mushrooms - 4 oz (quartered)
Low sodium chicken stock - 1/4 cup (or water)
Cornstarch - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves - 2 cloves (minced)
Scallion - 1 (thinly sliced for garnish)

How

Put tofu pieces in a shallow dish and sprinkle with sesame oil, 2 tsps soy sauce, ginger and black pepper
Gently mix everything and marinate for 30 mins
Combine stock, 2 tbs of soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl and set aside
Heat a tbs of oil in a non-stick pan and stir-fry the garlic until light brown
Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 4 - 5 mins, until mushrooms are cooked
Add the tofu slices, stock mixture and gently mix and cook for 2 -3 mins
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed

Tandoori chicken with ginger and garlic infused lemon rice

2009-05-07T19:35:00.001-07:00

Tandoori chicken needs no introduction, so I will just say that it is extremely easy to make at home. And will taste way much better than the red chicken you get in any Indian restaurant.

Secret is to prick all over the chicken and marinate overnight.

Where I come from lemon rice is a picnic food, since it doesn't need to be refrigerated. This slightly tangy, lemony rice is a perfect side to the tandoori chicken. I also infused the oil by slowly heating it with ginger and garlic, to take this simple lemon rice to the next level !

Tandoori chicken, What you need (Serves 1-2)

Chicken drumsticks - 4 (skinned)
Lemon juice - 2 tbs
Plain yogurt - 2 tbs (thick greek style is preferable)
Garam Masala - 2 tsp
Ground red chilli - 1 tsp
Ground turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tbs (or crush 2 garlic cloves and 1/2 inch piece of ginger together)
Red food coloring - optional
Ghee or melted butter - 2 tbs

How

Make couple of gashes on the chicken and prick all over with a toothpick
Rub with the lemon juice and salt, keep aside fro 15 mins
In the meantime mix yogurt, garam masala, red chilli, turmeric, paprika, g&g paste, red coloring and salt together to make the marinade
Rub the marinade all over the chicken and marinate overnight, turn the pieces occasionally
Pre-heat the oven to 425 F degrees
Line a roasting pan with foil and place the rack on top
Remove chicken from the marinade and arrange on the rack
Brush the chicken with a tbs of ghee/butter and bake for 30 mins, turning once
Turn the broiler on, brush with rest of the ghee/butter and broil for about 6 to 8 mins, turning once, until charred in spots
Serve with lemon wedges, because a squeeze of lemon is all you need

Lemon rice, What you need (Serves 2)

Cooked basmati rice - 3 cups (loosely packed)
Fresh lemon juice - 3 tbs
Dried red chiles - 2 (cut to pieces)
Curry leaves - a bunch
Black mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic clove - 1 (crushed)
Ginger - 1 thin slice
Ground turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup
Vegetable oil - 3 tbs
Chopped cilantro for garnish

How

In a non-stick pan on low heat and add oil, ginger & garlic
When the garlic gets golden, take both garlic and ginger out and discard
Increase the heat to medium and add the mustard seeds and let them pop
Add curry leaves, chiles and turmeric and cook until fragrant, about a minute
Add the lemon juice, salt and cook for 2 more mins
Turn of the heat, stir in the peanuts and rice
Mix to get all the rice coated with the lemon mixture
Garnish with cilantro and serve

Carne asada tacos with pickled red onions

2009-05-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize Carne asada, the Mexican steak tacos are really easy to make, until I saw the America's Test Kitchen episode on TV. And the best part was they cooked the steak indoor.

The key is to make sure the flavor gets into the meat by poking the meat with a fork. Another secret was adding a pinch of sugar, just before searing the meat. It helps with the carmalization and also with getting a crust.

Pickled red onion is also easy to make and goes really well with the steak. To assemble the tacos, just toast some corn tortillas over the burner, fill with some sliced steaks, top with some pickled onion. Top with some guac if you have them on hand.

What you need (will feed a lot of people)

Flank steak - 1 lbs (cut to 4 equal sized strips)
Cilantro - 1/2 cup
Scallion - 3 (chopped)
Garlic cloves - 2 (chopped)
Jalapeno - 1 (chopped)
Ground cumin - 1/2 tsp
Veg oil - 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tbs

For pickled red onion

Red onion - 1 (sliced)
Red wine vinegar - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves - 2 (minced)
Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
Cracked pepper - 1/4 tsp

How

In a food processor pluse cilantro, scallion, garlic, cumin and jalapeno (about 10 pulses)
Add oil and process a minute more to make a paste
Reserve 2 tbs of the marinade for later use
Poke the meat all over with a fork
Salt the meat and apply the marinade all over and marinate in the fridge for 30 mins
Heat a non-stick pan on medium high heat with a tbs of oil
Take the steak out and wipe the marinade off
Sprinkle some sugar and sear 2 to 3 mins on all four sides
Once done let the steaks rest for 5 mins and then slice them real thin across the grain
To the reserved marinade whisk in a tbs of lemon juice
Toss the sliced steaks with the marinade and serve

Pickled red onion

Place onion and garlic in a bowl
In a sauce pan bring red wine vinegar and sugar to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar
Add oregano and pepper to the red wine mixture
Pour the mixture in to the bowl with onion and garlic, cover with a plastic wrap
Let the onions sweat and soften, about 30 mins
Drain the mixture and you are done

Tostada de guacamole

2009-05-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

Concept of a Tostada is pretty simple, take a crispy corn tortilla, spread some guacamole or refried beans and top with whatever you want!

There was a restaurant in Portland OR called Taqueria Nueve, an upscale Mexican restaurant, which used to be my favorite when I lived in Portland. I liked their version of Tostada de guacamole and I tried to recreate it for dinner tonight.

What makes their tostada special? Well, they don't just spread the tortilla with guacamole that is mixed with tomato and onion already. Instead they top it with mashed avocado and then sprinkle tomato and onion separately, which keeps them crisp and makes it better.

What you need (Serves 4)

6 inch corn tortillas - 4
Ripe Hass avocados - 2
Lemon juice - 2 tbs
Tomato - 1 (seeded and finely diced)
Red onion - 1/4 cup (finely diced)
Romaine lettuce leaves - 4 (chopped)
Cotija cheese (to crumble on top)

How

Brush tortillas with some veg oil and bake for 12 -15 mins, until golden and crisp, let it cool
Chop the avocados and mash them with lemon juice and some salt, keep it chunky
To assemble the tostadas, liberally spread some mashed avocado on tortilla, sprinkle some tomatoes & onion, top with some chopped lettuce leaves and finally crumble some cotija cheese
Serve with your favorite salsa

Garam Masala Roasted Cauliflower

2009-05-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Cauliflower is one of those under used vegetables and I don't know why. Cauliflower simply roasted with with some good oilve oil, salt and pepper is a really good side.

Here I am just adding some Indian flavors to this easy roast. Cut the cauliflower into florets of about same size, so they cook even. After you rinse the florets make sure dry them completely.

What you need (Serves 3 to 4)

Cauliflower - 1 (cut into florets)
Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbs
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Ground cumin - 1/ 2 tsp
Ground turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Chile powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt

How

Mix the garam masala, cumin, turmeric and salt
Preheat oven to 400 F
Drizzle olive oil on the florets and toss to coat
Now toss the spice mix and combine to coat
Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking or roasting pan
Roast for 20 mins
Toss the florets and roast for another 15 to 20 mins

Malaysian fish curry, my way

2009-04-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

I went to the Asian supermarket yesterday and among other things I came back with some king fish steaks. I was going to just fry them but then I thought about trying something new and I knew what I wanted to try also!

Inspiration to this comes from a restaurant called Penang in DC. They have a fish curry (Kari Ikan) with cod, okra and curry leaves in a sour and spicy broth. This is my version so definitely not authentic but pretty tasty.

Curry leaves are a must in this recipe and any firm white fish should work in this recipe. Also if you have any beans or okra on hand, feel free throw them before you add the fish.

What you need(serves 2)

King fish steaks - 1 lb
Curry leaves - 1 bunch
Curry powder - 2 tbs
Sliced onion - 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves - 3 (crushed)
Black mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind concentrate - 1 tbs (mixed with a cup of water)
Serrano or Jalapeno chiles - 2 ( Remove seeds for a mild curry)
Coconut milk - 1/4 cup
Low sodium soy sauce - 2 tbs
Tomato - 1 (quartered)

How

Heat a non-stick pan with a tbs of oil
When hot add the mustard seeds and curry leaves, let the mustard seeds pop, about 30 seconds
Add sliced onions and crushed garlic, cook until onions are soft, about 4 - 5 mins
Add curry powder and cook for a minute more
Add green chiles, coconut milk, tamarind juice, soy sauce and bring to a slow boil
Taste the sauce and see if you need more salt and add some salt or soy sauce if needed, it should be sour and spicy
Lower heat, add tomatoes and fish, cook for 10 more mins, until fish is cooked through
Serve with steamed rice

Chile tofu stir-fry with cashews

2009-04-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

I had to use up some tofu and I wanted to try something new. So I turned to my new cookbook, 'The Illustrated Kitchen Bible' and this recipe is adapted from a recipe from this book. This cookbook is really cool, it is organized very cleverly and every recipe has a picture.

This is a simple stir-fry and you can practically use any veggies. Look for the chile-garlic sauce in the Asian or international aisle.

What you need (serves 4)

Unsalted cashews - 3/4 cup

Firm tofu - 1 lb (cut ino 1 inch cubes)

Thinly sliced onion - 1/2 cup

Small carrot - 1 (thinly sliced)

Green bell pepper - 1 (chopped)

Celery stalk - 1 (diced)

Shitake mushrooms - 4 (stemmed and caps sliced)

Low sodium chicken stock - 3/4 cup

Low sodium soy sauce - 2 tbs

Asian chile garlic sauce - 1 tsp

Cornstarch - 1 tsp

How

Mix the stock, soy sauce and chile garlic sauce in a small bowl, add cornstarch and stir to dissolve

Heat 2 tbs of vegetable oil in a wok over high heat

Add cashews and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 30 seconds, transfer on to a plate

Add tofu and stir-fry until golden, about 2 mins, transfer on to a plate

Add the onion and carrots and stir-fry for 2 mins

Add the bell pepper, celery and mushrooms and stir-fry for 3 more mins

Return the cashews and tofu to the wok and add the stock mixture

Stir until the sauce is bubbly and lightly thickened

Serve hot with jasmine rice

Chicken with Green Pumpkin Seed Mole, the easiest Mexican mole ever!

2009-04-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

I know I've said how Mexican moles are so time consuming with tons of ingredients. But there is one mole that is really easy to make and that is the green pumpkin seed mole, also called mole pipian. I didn't know about this until I came across this recipe in a magazine. I have no idea how authentic it is but it is easy and tastes fresh and light, even though it calls for canned tomatillos and canned chiles.

Look for canned tomatillos and canned chiles in the hispanic aisle. Canned chiles come in mild and hot flavors, if you are feeling spicy then go with the hot one.

Use the left over sauce as a dip or as salsa, it is good!

What you need (serves 4)

Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - 4

Shelled raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) - 1/3 cup

Chopped onion - 1/2 cup (1 medium)

Garlic clove - 1 (minced)

12 oz can tomatillos - 1 (drained and rinsed)

4 oz can fire roasted diced green chile peppers - 1

Low sodium chicken stock - 1/4 cup

Cilantro leaves - 3 tbs

Salt

Vegetable oil

How

Toast the pumpkin seeds by baking in a 35o degree F oven for 10 mins (spread the pumpkin seeds in a shallow baking pan)

Heat a skillet on medium heat with a tbs of oil

Once hot add the onion and garlic, cook until onion is tender, about 3 mins

In a blender combine onion mixture, tomatillos, toasted seeds, chiles, stock, cilantro and salt

Pulse to make a coarse puree, taste and adjust seasoning

Cook chicken in the skillet over medium heat, until cooked through, turning once, about 10 -12 mins

Take chicken out and transfer mole to skillet and heat through, don't boil

To serve, spoon mole over chicken and garnish with more pepitas and cilantro

Kangkung belachan, stinky but good

2009-04-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Let me break this down for you, Kangkung is a leafy veggie and belachan is fermented and dried shrimp paste.

Shrimp paste is used a lot in SE Asian cuisines, and goes under various names in different parts of SE Asia. I have to warn you though, belachan is stinky and that's what makes this dish interesting. But as much as I like eating this dish, I don't like making it because it makes the whole house stink. But whenever I see some fresh kangkung I can't stop myself from making it.

Kankung is leafy with long hollow stems, and when cooked stems get tender. It is sold as ong choy (Chinese name) in the Asian supermarket in Seattle and it also called as water spinach.

I used this recipe but used only 1/2 tsp of belachan since I didn't want the house stink forever!

What you need (Serves 2)

Kangkung/Ong choy/Water spinach - 1/2 lb (trim the ends, wash, drain and cut to 2 to 3 inches)
Dried shrimp - 1 tbs (Soaked in warm water for 10 mins)
Belachan - 1/2 tsp
Chilli garlic paste - 1 tbs
Chopped onions - 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves - 3 cloves (minced)
Sugar - 1 tsp

How

Process the dried shrimp, belachan, chilli garlic, onions, garlic to a chunky paste
Heat a wok on medium and add 2 tbs of oil
Stir fry the paste, until it gets toasted and gets a litle darker
Add the kangkung, sugar and stir fry for 3 - 4 mins
Add salt only if nessecary since belachan is salty
Serve immediately

Chicken with fenugreek leaves, Methi chicken

2009-04-15T22:41:00.001-07:00

Fenugreek (Methi) is a commonly used Indian herb, which pairs really well with chicken. But here in the US, it is not something you would find in your neighbourhood grocery store. But you are guaranteed to find frozen ones at your local Indian stores and sometimes fresh ones too. Frozen ones will do just fine, since that's what I used.

This recipe is pretty simple and takes no time to prepare.

What you need (serves 2)

Chicken - 1/2 lbs (cut in to strips)
Frozen methi - 6 oz (thawed)
Tomato paste - 2 tsp
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp (or 1/2 tsp grated ginger and 1/2 tsp crushed garlic)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (or two taste)
Salt - 1 tsp (or to taste)
Chopped cilantro - 1 tbs
Lemon juice - 1 tbs
Chicken stock - 1 cup (or water)

How

Heat a tbs of oil in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat
Add ginger&garlic, tomato paste and chilli powder, stir couple of mins
Add the chicken and cook for 5 mins stirring continuously
Add methi, cilantro and salt, cook for another 5 mins, stirring to combine everything
Add stock/water, cover and cook for 5 more mins
Uncover and cook to desired consistency
Stir in the lemon juice and serve with rice or chapathi

Chinese five spice chicken, or Chinese garam masala chicken???

2009-04-13T22:22:00.001-07:00

Chinese five spice powder is a mixture five spices! It usually has cinnamon, star anise, ginger, cloves and fennel. It is pretty close the Indian garam masala, so may be I should call this Chinese garam masala!

I've never cooked with five spice powder before but I've been meaning to for a while. I also wanted to use up a chicken breast tonight so started looking for recipes that used chicken and five spice. There are quite a lot of recipes online and mine is based on this. Process is simple, pan fry the chicken and then top it with the sauce. It was simple, fast and pretty tasty.

If you don't have Chinese rice wine or don't want to buy it, try using white wine vinegar. You might have to add a tsp more brown sugar if you do use white wine vinegar.

I served it with my fried rice.

What you need (serves 2)

Chicken breast - 1 (Pound it to 1/2 inch thick and cut into half)
All pupose flour - 2 tsp
Five spice powder - 3 tsp (divided)
Minced garlic - 1 tbs
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
Low sodium soy sauce - 2 tbs
Chinese rice wine (shaoxing) - 1/4 cup
Brown sugar - 2 tsp
Sliced scallions - 1 tbs

How

Mix flour and a tsp of five spice, apply all over the breast pieces
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat with a tbs of oil
Once oil is hot, shake excess flour off the chicken and add to thw pan, cook for 8 to 10 mins, turning once
Take the chicken out and let it rest
To the same pan add ginger, garlic and pepper flakes, saute for 2 mins
Add rice wine, soy, brown sugar and 2 tsps of five spice powder
Let the sauce reduce and thicken
Plate the chicken, top with the sauce, garnish with scallions and serve immediately

Thai green curry with shrimp and tons of veggies

2009-04-12T21:58:00.001-07:00

Thai curries are the easiest to make, that is if you have the curry pastes handy. Green curry is probably the spiciest version of all the curries, so handle with care!

I usually don't like a lot of veggies in my curry except for this green curry. Usually Thai eggplants are used in green curry but I used zucchini instead and they were a good substitute. Kaffir lime leaves are a must in this recipe since they give plenty of aroma to this curry.

This curry gets the salt from fish sauce, so use fish sauce as you would use salt.

What you need (serves 3 to 4)

Green curry paste - 2 tsp
Shrimps - 1/2 lbs
Coconut milk - 1 can
Diced zucchini - 1/2 cup
Sliced bamboo shoots - 1/2 cup
Diced red bell pepper - 1/4 cup
Peas - 1/4 cup
Kaffir lime leaves - 4 (sliced thin)
Fish sauce - 1 to 2 tbs
Sugar - 1 to 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

How

Heat a tbs of oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan
Add curry paste and tumeric and stir for a min
Add half of the coconut and continue to stir until a oil appears on top
Add rest of the coconut milk, lime leaves, fish sauce (start with one tbs), sugar (start with 1 tsp), and all veggies except the peas
Simmer until the veggies are just tender, about 10 mins
Add the shrimps and peas, simmer until shrimps are cooked, about 4 to 6 mins
Taste and add more fish sauce and/or sugar
Serve with jasmine rice

Briyani omelette rice, does it sound crazy?

2009-04-06T22:36:00.001-07:00

Briyani omelette rice might sound crazy but it is a good way to use up some left over briyani. Inspiration to this comes from the Japanese omurice, which I came across during my recent trip to Honolulu. Omurice is an omelette stuffed with fried rice. Simple but good.

So all I did was to replace the fried rice with left over briyani. Briyani goes well with a boiled egg so wrapping it in an omelette made a lot sense! Try it you will like it.

What you need (serves 2)

Eggs - 2
Milk - 2 tbs
Left over briyani - 3 cups

How

Heat a large nonstick pan on medium heat with a tablespoon of butter
Beat egg with milk, some salt and pepper
Pour egg & milk mixture on to the pan and make a thin omelette
Cook for 3 -4 mins
Carefully place the omelette on a plate, put the rice in the middle and fold sides of omelette over the rice
Cover the plate with a serving plate and turn it over to place the briyani omelette rice in the serving plate

White Miso Mussels with Watercress, Aida's recipe

2009-04-05T22:28:00.001-07:00

Time to try one of Aida's recipes again and this one involves, mussels, miso and beer. I had some white miso paste in the fridge and when I saw Aida make this few weeks back, I made a note to try it.
She steamed the mussels with beer, but I am sure chicken stock will work just fine. This is the first time I had mussels and miso together and it wasn't bad.

Miso is soy bean paste and you can get that from Asian supermarkets.

What you need (serves 2)

Mussels - 1 lb
Unsalted butter - 1 tbs
Amber ale beer - 1 cup
White miso paste - 1.5 tbs
Grated ginger - 1/2 tbs
Watercresss leaves - 4 oz

How

Heat butter in a 3-quart cast iron pot over medium heat
When butter foams, add ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute
Add beer and bring to a boil
Add mussels, stir to coat, cover, and steam until mussels open, about 5 minutes
Using a slotted spoon, remove mussels to a serving plate
Add miso to sauce and stir until smooth
Remove from heat, stir in watercress, pour over mussels
Serve with some crusty bread

Baked salmon with cucumber&mint raita

2009-04-02T23:05:00.001-07:00

This is a good way to use up left over raita, which I did have some after this weekend's dinner party. I wasn't sure about using a yogurt based sauce on salmon but it actually worked.
Recipe itself is pretty simple, brush salmon fillet (about 6 oz) with Olive oil, season with salt and pepper, bake in 400 degree F oven for 10 mins.

When fish is done, spoon raita over and serve.

What you need for the raita (serves 6-8)

Thick yogurt - 2 cups (I used Greek style)
English cucumber - 1 (peeled and diced, you can use regular too...just remove the seeds)
Fresh chopped mint - 3 tbs
Lemon juice - 2 tbs
Salt - to taste

How

Mix all the above together
Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour

Tres Leches, three milk cake

2009-04-01T22:43:00.001-07:00

Tres Leches, the most popular Latin American dessert is on the top of my favourite desserts. The first time I had Tres Leches was in Portland OR, in a Cuban restaurant called Pambiche. It was 2003 and since then I have had Tres Leches whenever and wherever I could find it, which does include Miami. And I have to say, I have yet to taste one that is better than Pambiche!

The concept is simple, you make a cake, soak in three milks, top with whip cream & fruits and share with friends or eat all by yourself. This is my second attempt in making Tres Leches. I wasn't happy the first time since the cake kind of fell apart after soaking all the milk, but that was my fault since I didn't have a clear recipe to follow.

So when I decided to make this for a dinner party, I had to make sure I had a recipe, so after some googling I came across this one. Simple, easy to follow and gave me a really good Tres Leches cake that made for a perfect dessert for the dinner party.

I served it with a strawberry and guava reduction, which helped cut through the richness of the cake. You can serve the cake with just some fruits, I made the reduction because that's how Pambiche serve their cake and it compliments the cake very well.

Go ahead, give it a try.

What you need (Serves 8 to 10)

Eggs - 5 (room temperature)
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 cups (divided)
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp (divided)
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup (room temperature)
Whole milk - 2 cups
Sweetened condensed milk - 1 can (14 oz )
Evaporated milk - 1 can (12 oz)
Heavy whipping cream - 1.5 cups
Strawberries (for topping)

How

Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together
Grease a 8 x 11 baking pan and preheat the oven to 350 degree F
Using a hand held mixer, cream the butter with 1 cup sugar until fluffy. Start slow and increase the speed as you go.
Add eggs, 1/2 tsp vanilla and mix well.
Using a spatula fold in the flour, little at a time
Pour batter into the greased pan and bake for 1/2 hr. Cake is done when it pulls away from the sides and cake should spring back when pressed
Once done, remove pan from the oven, using a toothpick poke all over the cake and let it cool
Now combine the whole milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk, pour all over the completely cooled cake
Let it sit in the fridge overnight
When ready to serve, whip up the heavy cream with 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp of vanilla, top the cake with the whipped cream and finish with cut strawberries

Strawberry & Guava sauce

Frozen strawberries - 1/2 lb (Fresh should be fine too)
Guava jelly - 1/4 cup
Sugar - to taste (start with 1 tbs)
Blend all the above together
Simmer in a sauce pan in medium until the sauce is thickened, should coat the back of a spoon
Once done let it cool in the fridge

Palak Paneer, Popeye's favorite Indian dish

2009-03-30T22:00:00.001-07:00

We all know that Popeye loves spinach but do you know that palak paneer is his favorite Indian dish? Ok, I made that up but it does seem logical right?

Anyways palak paneer is one of most the popular Indian veg dishes and I haven't come across someone who doesn't like paneer. I can get fried paneer here, if fried paneer is not available then just buy the fresh one, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and pan fry them. You know what, you don't even have to fry the paneer if you don't want to!

When I was looking for a palak paneer receipe, I came across this one. Ladies at showmethecurry.com are doing a great job, their videos makes it easy to follow. I followed their recipe with some changes and added some grated nutmeg as my personel touch.

If you want to cut the calories, you can substitute the heavy cream with half&half or milk.

What you need (serves 3)

Frozen spinach - 1 lb
Fried paneer - 1/2 lb
Onion - 2 (medium sized, finely minced)
Tomatoes - 2 (large, pureed)
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tbs
Garam Masala - 2 tsp
Ground cumin - 1 tsp
Ground coriander - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Grated nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
Heavy cream - 1/2 cup

How

Cook the frozen spinach in microwave with 1/2 cup water for about 7-8 mins, stirring a few times
Puree the cooked spinach, using some water if needed
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium non-stick pan on medium heat
Add minced onions, some salt and cook until slightly browned, for about 5 minutes
Add ginger & garlic paste and cook for another 3 minutes
Add pureed tomatoes, and cook till the oil separates from the mixture, about 10 mins
Add garam masala, cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric and some salt, cook for 2 more mins
Add the pureed spinach and grated nutmeg, cook for 5 more mins
Reduce the heat, stir in the cream and simmer for 2 more mins
Stir in the paneer cubes, mix gently and serve hot

Parsi eggs, scrambled eggs Indian way

2009-03-26T22:38:00.001-07:00

Eggs are great any time of the day. They are perfect when you are looking for something light and quick.

This Indian style scrambled can be used in many ways. You can serve this with chapatis, naan, tortilla, pitas or do what I did. Serve with some dinner rolls, I used Pan de sal (Filipino dinner rolls).

What you need (Serves 2)

Eggs - 4
Scallions - 2 (Thinly sliced)
Green chile - 1 (seeded and minced)
Curry powder - 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 2 (seeded and chopped)
Milk - 1 tbs
Chopped cilantro - 1 tbs

How

In a nonstick pan heat some oil and add scallion and chile, cook for 2 mins
Add the curry powder, tomatoes and cook for a minute more
Whisk the eggs and milk together, season with salt and pepper
Pour the whisked eggs into the pan, scramble until just set
Sprinkle cilantro and eat ASAP

Really simple blackened chicken

2009-03-25T22:33:00.001-07:00

This one is extremely simple as it 0nly took me probably 15 mins from start to finish. I don't think a 15 min recipe needs a step by step recipe, so let me make it simple.

Take a chicken breast and pound it to 1/2 inch thick, so it will cook even. While pounding the chicken, heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Now melt some butter and brush over the chicken, completely coat the chicken with blackened seasoning. Cook on the skillet 3 mins per side.

You can chop the chicken and add it in a salad, or eat with some rice or do what I did, which is chop it up and use as a taco filling.

Happy Birthday to Pappu and Vijay!

2009-03-23T21:50:00.001-07:00

Pappu and Vijay, wish you both a very happy birthday!

Didn't get a chance to cook anything fancy tonight but thought you guys might like this picture!

Beef Rogan Josh, beef version of a popular Indian dish

2009-03-19T22:49:00.001-07:00

You probably have seen lamb rogan josh in most of the Indian restaurants here. This is one of my favorite lamb dishes to get in an Indian restaurant.

With the help of my cookbook (India's 500 best recipes), I decided to make it tonight. I really didn't know what rohan josh actually meant until last night. Here is what the cookbook says about this dish.

"This is one of the most popular lamb dishes to have originated in Kashmir. Traditionally, fatty meat on the bone is slow-cooked until most of the fat is separated from the meat. The fat that escapes from the meat is known as rogan, and josh refers to the red color"

I used lean beef for this, so I guess there is't much rogan in this. Though I liked it, I think it will be much better with lamb. I am using sugar to counter the tang from yogurt and tomato, add sugar only if the sauce is too tangy for you.

What you need (serves 2)

Lean beef - 1 lb (cubed)
Plain yogurt - 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tbs
Ginger and garlic paste - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Cardamom - 2
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Ground cumin - 1 tsp
Ground coriander - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Diced tomato - 1 can (14 oz, will only use half in this recipe)
Water - 1/2 cup
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp (optional)
Chopped cilantro - 2 tbs

How

Marinate beef with yogurt, lemon juice, some salt and a tsp of ginger & garlic paste, preferably overnight
In a heavy bottomed pan, heat some oil and fry cumin seeds for a minute
Add bay leaf and cardamon and fry for 2 more mins
Add onion and remaining ginger & garlic paste, cook for 5 mins
Add ground cumin, ground coriander and chilli powder, cook for 2 mins
Add the marinated beef and continue to cook for 5 mins
Stir in the tomatoes and water, cover and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hrs, until meat is tender
Add the garam masla
Taste the sauce and add sugar if needed
Simmer for 5 more mins
Garnish with cilantro and server

Shrimp wonton soup, time for shrimps again

2009-03-18T23:19:00.001-07:00

I wanted something light tonight. I wanted something hot. I wanted something soupy. I wanted shrimp and I guess I wanted shrimp wonton soup!
I came across this recipe on the web, which gives you step by step instructions on how to make this. I had round wonton wrappers on hand so I used them instead of the squares. I once had a wonton soup where they served it with fried onions, so I added that too as a garnish. You can get fried onion from Asian stores.

When you make the wontons make sure not to leave any air pockets, I learned it the hard way!

What you need ( Makes 12 wontons)

Shrimp - 1/4 lb (about 8-10 large, minced)
Scallion - 1 tbs (minced
Garlic - 1/4 tsp (crushed)
Ginger - 1/4 tsp (minced)
Low sodium soy - 1 tsp
Wonton wrappers - 12

For the stock

Low sodium chicken stock - 4 cups
Scallion - 1 tbs (thinly sliced)
Ginger - 1 tiny slice
Low sodium soy - 1 tsp
Fried onion

How

Combine all the items for the wonton (except the wrapper!).
Using the wrappers make wontons, using a tsp of mixture in each
In a stock pot, combine all the items for stock (except the fried onion) and bring to a slow boil
Drop the wontons and simmer for 5 mins (wontons will float to the top once done)
Garnish with fried onions and serve

Chicken baked in banana leaves, have you heard of achiote seeds?

2009-03-16T22:46:00.001-07:00

This Mexican recipe is from a foodie magazine that I've been meaning to try for a while. I have used two new things that I've never used before. One is banana leaves and the other is achiote or annatto seeds.

I have used banana leave as a plate (in India) but this is the first time for me to cook with it. It actually imparts a unique aroma to the dish, so I might just start experimenting with banana leaves often. I got frozen banana leaves from an Asian super market. I just rinsed in warm water to thaw and make it pliable.

I once saw Rick Bayless use Achiote powder to season pork and since then I have seen this in quite a few recipes. I got this from the Asian store as well, look for it in the Hispanic aisle of your local grocery store, you might get lucky. Achiote seeds give a nice color and a nutty flavor to this dish.

You could skip the banana leaves and get away with just foil. You can substitute annatto seeds with chilli powder too.

What you need (serves 2)

Achiote (annatto) seeds or Chilli powder - 1 .5 tsp
Whole black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Dried oregano - 1/4 tsp
Whole allspice - 3
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Orange zest - 1/2 tsp
Orange juice - 1/2 cup
Garlic clove - 1 (minced)
Small onion - 1 (chopped)
Chicken - 1.25 to 1.5 lbs (legs and thighs, bone in and skinned)
Banana leaves

How

Using a spice grinder, grind annatto, black pepper, allspice, oregano and cumin
In a bowl, combine the ground spice mix, orange zest, orange juice, garlic, onion and some salt (1/2 tsp)
Marinate the chicken with the above marinade, for 6 to 24 hours (more the better)
Cut banana leaves into two rectangles (about 12x9)
Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade)
Place two chicken pieces on each banana leaf and wrap leaves around chicken, over-wrap with foil and seal tightly
Bake in a 375 F degree oven for 30 mins or until cooked
Serve with some fluffy Mexican rice

Sope (Masa cake) topped with chorizo

2009-03-04T23:19:00.001-08:00

What is Sope? Simply put Sope is a Masa cake. So then what is Masa?

Masa is the basic cornmeal dough, which is used to make Tortillas, Tamales, Sopes, etc. So needles to say Masa is essential to Mexican food.

Think of Sope as a thick corn tortilla, which could be topped with anything. I have had Sope as an appetizer in many restaurants. I think I've talked about this restaurant in Centralia, WA called La Tarasca in an earlier post and they make some really good Sopes. I like the ones topped with chorio, lettuce and queso freso, which is what I tried to make today.

Masa harina, dried cornmeal is available in all supermarkets. You can make smaller sized sopes as appetizers and top them with anything. Queso Fresco is a soft Mexican cheese, you can substitute with Feta.

What you need (Makes 5 sopes, about 6 inches)

Masa harina - 2 cups
Water - 1.5 cups
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Mexican chorizo - 4 oz
Diced onion - 1/4 cup
Iceburg lettuce - Few leaves (chopped)
Queso fresco

How

Mix masa harina, salt and water to form a dough (start with one cup of water and add more only if needed)
Make 3 inch balls out of the dough
Using a rolling pin roll out to 1/4 inch thick, prick with a fork couple of times so they don't puff up during frying
Pan fry in oil on both sides until golden, sope is ready
In a saute pan, cook chorizo with onions until they are browned
To assemble, top the sopes with chorizo, crisp lettuce and crumble some queso on top
Serve with some salsa

Goat curry, time tested recipe

2009-03-02T23:37:00.001-08:00

Get ready for some serious South Indian cooking. This is my mom's recipe that has been tested for more than 30 years!

If goat meat is hard to find then you can use the same recipe with lamb. I used the pressure cooker to cut the cooking time. If you don't have one you just need to add meat and water and cook for a long time, until meat it tender.

After I pressure cook the meat, I freeze the cooking liquid for 20 mins. This will make the fat to freeze on the top and can be easily scooped out!

What you need (Serves 2)

Goat/Lamb - 1/2 lb
Onion - 1 big (diced)
Tomato - 1 (diced)
Ginger & Garlic paste - 3 tsp
Whole Garam masala - (1 cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaves and few cloves)
Green chile - 1 (Serrano or Jalapeno, minced)
Ground coriander - 1 tbs
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Grated fresh coconut - 1/4 cup
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cilantro - a bunch (2 sprigs and some chopped for garnish)

How

Pressure cook goat with just enough water and a tsp of ginger garlic paste
In a heavy bottomed pan add some oil and saute half the onion until translucent, add diced tomato and continue to saute until tomato gets soft
Grind the above mixture with couple of sprigs of cilantro
Add more oil to the pan and add the whole garam masala items, let it toast for couple of mins
Add rest of the onion and saute until golden
Add rest of the ginger garlic paste and continue to stir for couple of mins
Add the ground onion & tomato mixture and continue to stir in medium heat, until a thin film of oil appears on top, about 10 mins
Add minced chile, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and salt, continue to cook for 3 more mins
Add the cooked meat with the cooking liquid, let it come to a boil
In the meantime grind coconut and fennel seeds with just enough water
Add the coconut mixture and let it come to a boil and simmer for 5 mins
Garnish with chopped cilantro

Dona Maria chicken Mole, my first (store bought) Mole

2009-02-27T22:41:00.001-08:00

Simply put, Mole is a Mexican sauce but there is nothing simple about cooking it. If you ever want to break your record for the most number of ingredients used in a single dish, then I would recommend one of the many Mole recipes. I am not kidding, take a look at this one. I do want to make a Mole from scratch one day, but not today! I might start with the Mole Verde, which is probably the simplest of all Moles in terms of cooking.

Few weeks back, I saw a Mexican guy grill with Bobby Flay and he was using a store bought Mole. It was Dona Maria and he was raving about it so I wanted to try it. It must be a popular brand because I was able to easily find it in my local supermarket in the Mexican aisle.

So all I did was to cook the Mole sauce from the store bought Dona Maria base sauce, cooked some chicken and then topped the chicken with the Mole sauce. It was pretty tasty considering it was store bought. I boiled the chicken in water with some herbs and then used that water to cook the sauce. You probably can get away with just water or chicken stock. You can use this sauce on either grilled or baked chicken too.

I served it with Mexican Rice.

What you need (serves 2)

Dona Maria Mole - 2 tbs
Chicken legs and thighs - 4
Water - 4 cups
Small onion - 1 (quartered)
Celery - 1 rib (diced)
Peppercorns - 2 tsp
Cilantro - 4 sprigs
Sugar - to taste
Salt - to taste

How

In a stockpot boil chicken with everything except for the Mole, salt and sugar
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 mins
Dish out the chicken and drain the stock
Heat a sauce pan over medium heat
Add the Mole base and 2 cups of the stock, whisk to dissolve the Mole
Add a pinch of sugar and salt, simmer for 5 mins, it will thicken a bit
To serve, top the chicken with the sauce and garnish with white sesame seeds

Simple pepper chicken, Indian style

2009-02-26T23:38:00.001-08:00

Why is it simple? Because, it is! You will see a quite a lot of pepper chicken recipes on the web and this one is simpler than most of them. I am sure they are all good, I am just saying this might be slightly simpler.

I got this recipe years ago from my sister, and I make this quite often. Usually I make a batch of the spice paste and freeze it, so next time it will be a simpler pepper chicken!

Curry leaf and garlic are key in this recipe so use it liberally.

What you need (serves 2)

Chicken - 1/2 lb (cut to bite sized)
Big Onion - 1 (diced)
Dried red chiles - 4
Black peppercorns - 1 tbs
Cumin seeds - 1 tbs
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves - 5 (chopped)
Curry leaves - a bunch
Ghee - 1 tbs (optional)

How

Heat a wok on medium heat with some oil
Add half of the onions, chiles, black pepper and cumin, saute until onion turns golden
Blend the above with some water if needed, this is your spice paste
Add more oil to the pan, once hot add fennel seeds
Add rest of the onions, garlic and curry leaves, saute until onion is translucent, about 5 mins
Add chicken, 2 tablespoon of spice paste, salt to taste
Coat the chicken with the spice paste, cover and cook until the chicken is done, stirring a few times
Taste and add more spice paste if needed
Stir in the ghee and serve

Chipotle shrimp tacos, chipotle what?

2009-02-25T21:03:00.001-08:00

If you don't know what chipotle is, don't worry I will get you up to speed.

Some Mexican chiles get a different name when they are either dried or smoked. For example the green Jalapeno becomes Chipotle when it is smoked. Got it?

So what is chipotle? It is just smoked jalapeno and usually comes in a can and stored in adobo sauce. Once opened, it can be transferred to another container and stored in the refrigerator for a long time. It gives a nice smoky spiciness to anything, which I love.

I turn to shrimps whenever I need to fix something quick. Shrimps don't need a long time to marinate, especially when marinating in lime juice (or any citrus). Don't marinate more than 10 mins, otherwise acid will start cooking the shrimp. I just chopped up the cooked shrimps and used corn tortillas to make tacos. You can add some sliced cabbage or avacado or some diced mango or jicama to your taco, I didn't have any of those handy.

As with anything, you can use chile powder or pepper flakes instead on chipotle for heat, lemon juice instead of lime juice. This is just a method, you decide what you want to add. I only used half the pepper since I didn't want to make it too spicy.

This doesn't have to be in a taco, this could be a side or an appetizer.

When using bamboo skewers always soak them in water for 30 mins to avoid burning.

If you are wondering what is the orangy thingy on the side, it is my Arroz Mexicano (Mexican Rice).

What you need (serves 2)

Large shrimps - 10 (shelled and deveined)
Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce - 1 (cut in half and seeds removed, and minced)
Juice of half lime (use the other half to squeeze on your taco!)
Garlic clove - 1 (finely minced)
Olive oil - 1 tbs
Salt to taste

How

Marinate shrimps with all the ingredients for 10 mins
Preheat oven to 400 F
Skewer the shrimps and bake in the oven for 8-10 mins, turning once
Chop the cooked shrimps and use it as a taco filling

Ribbon murukku, An Oscar night snack

2009-02-23T23:10:00.001-08:00

Last night was Oscar night and I had been looking forward to that for two reasons.

[1] AR Rahman, [2] Slumdog Millionaire

I've been fan of ARR since 1992 so needless to say I was very happy to see him go home with two Oscars. Jai Ho AR Rahman!

So what does ARR and Oscars have to do with this Ribbon Murukku? Not much! I wanted some snacks while watching the Oscars and ended up making this.

You do need a murukku press for this, you might find one at your local Indian store. If you don't want to grind chile then substitute with 2 tsp of chile powder, you can skip the fennel and garlic.

What you need

Rice flour - 2 cups
Gram flour (besan) - 1/2 cup
Finely ground roasted split peas - 1/2 cup
Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup (room temperature)
Dried chile - 2
Garlic - 3 cloves
Fennel seed - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 2 cups (or more)

How

Mix the rice flour, gram flour, ground split peas and salt together
Work the butter into the mix above
Using a spice grinder, grind chile and fennel
Crush/puree/grate the garlic
Mix the flour, ground spice and garlic together
Add water a little at a time and make a dough, it shouldn't be watery
Heat oil in a wok and press the murukku directly into the oil, fry until golden

Extremely curried shrimp, try at your own risk!

2009-02-20T22:18:00.001-08:00

Is there such a thing called extreme curry? Yes, there is and I just found it tonight!

If I haven't said this before let me say it again, I love curry and can't go long with out it. So tonight I wanted to try this recipe with shrimps. Of course as with anything I did make a few changes. End result was a quick shrimp dish with a strong curry flavour. If you like curry you will love it.

Key is to use a good store bought curry powder, preferably a Thai or Vietnamese brand. You need to use large or jumbo shrimps, anything smaller might get over cooked or may not stand up to the strong flavour. If you did end up making with smaller shrimps, just cut everything half except for the shrimps and veggies.

Don't skip the bamboo shoots, because it does add a nice crunchiness.

I think cooking the shrimps with shells might be even better, may be next time!

What you need (serves 2)

Large or Jumbo shrimps - 1/2 lb (butterflied)
Curry powder - 2 tsp
Coconut milk - 2/3 cup
Low sodium soy sauce - 1 tbs
Oyster sauce - 1/2 tbs
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Garlic cloves - 3 (minced)
Onion - 1/2 small (cut into wedges)
Bamboo shoots- 1/4 cup (drained)
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Green chile - 1 (ribs and seeds removed and minced)
Curry leaves - a bunch

How

Mix the coconut milk, curry powder, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar, keep aside
Heat wok in medium heat with 2 tbs of oil and stirfry the garlic for 2 mins
Add the the shrimps and curry leaves, stirfry for a min
Add the coconut milk mixture, onion, bamboo shoots, peas and chile, stirfry for 5 more mins
Cook until the sauce is reduced slighlty and shrimps are completely cooked, about mins
Taste and add salt if needed
Serve with jasmine rice (Thai curries are better with jasmine rice, it does make a difference)

Cabbage dhal with peas

2009-02-19T22:48:00.001-08:00

I had planned on making some pepper chicken (will be another post) for dinner and also wanted to use up some cabbage.

So ended up making this simple dhal. I used mung dhal but I am sure you can use toor dhal too.

What you need (Serves 3 - 4)

Cabbage - 1/2 head (chopped)
Green gram dhal (mung bean) - 1/2 cup (skin removed)
Green chile - 1 (sliced)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Peas - 1/4 cup
Garlic - 2 cloves (crushed)
Dried red chile - 2
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 4 to 5
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind sauce - 1 tbs (or more)

How

Pressure cook cabbage, dhal, green chiles, turmeric powder with 3 cups of water. You can use a regular pan too, just cook longer until dhal is mashable
In another pan heat a tablespoon of oil and add mustard and cumin seeds
When they splutter, add crushed garlic, red chile and saute for couple of mins
Add the peas and followed by the cooked dhal & cabbage mixture
Add salt and tamarind, and simmer until desired consistency
Taste and add more salt and/or tamarind

Pancit bihon and No reservations!

2009-02-18T22:16:00.001-08:00

I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdin's travel show No Reservations and this week he went to the Philippines. Watching that show reminded me of this noodle dish that I had in a restaurant called Cebu in Olympia, WA.
These are really thin rice noodles cooked with lots of veggies and meat. I was looking for a recipe on the web and came across this, which looked pretty close to what I remember so decided to give it a try.

I made this with shrimps and veggies and it came out really well. Since I was so hungry I took this picture after the dinner, with the left overs. Now you know why there isn't any shrimp in the picture:)

Since the rice sticks are springy, it is not easy to break them and I had rice sticks all over the kitchen!

What you need (serves 2)

Shrimps - 1/4 lb
Bihon (rice sticks) - 4 oz (I used UFC brand)
Fresh Shiitake mushrooms - 4 (Remove stems and slice the caps)
Quarter head of cabbage - sliced
Red bell pepper - 1/2 (sliced)
Garlic - 4 cloves (minced)
Onion - 1/2 (sliced)
Fish sauce - 2 tbs
Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) - 1 tbs
Egg - 1 (slightly beaten)
Chicken stock - 2 cups (you may not need all)

How

Add a tbs of oil and cook the egg in a wok until just set, remove from the wok, cut into strips and set aside
Season shrimps with salt&pepper and cook the shrimps in the same wok (adding more oil if needed), remove and set aside
Add the mushrooms, cabbage, red bell to the wok (adding more oil if needed) and cook for 3 mins, remove and set aside
Add more oil to the wok and stir in the garlic and onion, stir for a min
Add the dry bihon to the wok, followed by stock (start with a cup and a half) , fish sauce, kecap manis and bring to a boil
Cook stirring often until the liquid is absorbed and noodle is cooked. (Add more stock if needed)
When the noodles are done, add the cooked shrimp, veggies, eggs and toss everything
Add a splash of lime juice before serving

Penne al Sugo di Carne, Penne with beef braised in chianti and espresso

2009-02-17T22:20:00.001-08:00

This is probably my all time favourite pasta dish (for now), a signature dish of Caffe Mingo, Portland OR.
I have made this a few times and always turns out good. Surprisingly it is one of the easiest things to cook!

Don't worry about left overs because they freeze really well, and that's what I always do. That is also why you see the over all serving says 4 to 6 but I am cooking pasta only for two.

Don't go for a cheap canned tomatoes, go for San Marzano or Cento, or anything from San Marzano region. They usually come in only 28 oz cans, so you may not find them among 14 oz cans. I buy the 28 oz can and store the half for later use.

What you need (serves 4 to 6)

Beef bottom round - 2.5 lbs (cut into 2" pieces)
1 bottle (750ml) Chianti (1/2 bottle for the recipe and drink the rest!)
Red onion - 2 (sliced)
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup
Peeled tomatoes in can- 14 oz (go for San Marzano brand or Cento)
Espresso - 1/2 cup (that's 4 shots from Starbucks)
Penne pasta - 5 oz (serves 2)

How

Preheat oven to 400 degree F
Salt&pepper the meat
In a dutch oven brown meat on all sides, on medium-high heat
Remove meat from pan and set aside
Lower heat to medium and add butter
After butter has melted, add onions and saute for 5 minutes
Return meat to pan with the onions and add half a bottle of the wine, tomatoes, and espresso
Cover and cook in a 400 degree oven for 1.5 hours
Remove meat from the dutch oven and let it cool
Process remaining sauce in the dutch oven in a food processor, just pulse so that you have some texture
Shred meat by pulling apart (with a fork), and add to the sauce
Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a little more butter!
Toss with al dente penne pasta and enjoy!!!

Pineapple and soy glazed salmon, a tropical dinner

2009-02-16T21:11:00.001-08:00

Whenever I am in the mood for something healthy, I turn to Salmon. I wanted to try a miso glaze on the Salmon and I stumbled upon this recipe in countryliving.com.

Pineapple makes it tropical and made some coconut jasmine rice with cilantro and scallions to go with the fish. For the rice, I just added some coconut milk to the cooking liquid and once it is cooked, added a tablespoon of chopped cilantro and scallion.

Be careful when you broil the fish, since it can get burnt really quick.

What you need (serves 2)

6 oz Salmon fillets - 2
Pineapple juice - 2/3 cup
Low sodium soy sauce - 2 tbs
White miso paste - 1 tbs
light brown sugar - 1/2 tsp

How

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the pineapple juice and soy sauce for 15 mins
Stir in the brown sugar and cook for 3 more minutes
Using a whisk, stir in miso
Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool
Season the salmon fillets with the pepper and place them in a shallow baking dish
Pour the pineapple glaze over the salmon fillets, turning to coat each side, and chill for 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Place the salmon on the top shelf of the oven and cook until the flesh turns opaque -- about 7 mins
Change the oven temperature setting to broil and cook until the glaze begins to brown -- 2 mins

Penne with sausage and pepper, simple but tasty

2009-02-13T22:27:00.001-08:00

When I crave pasta, it is usually penne. Grooves on the penne makes the sauce stick and every bite is flavourful. One of my favourite pasta dishes is penne tossed with braised beef and that will be another post some time soon!

Tonight went with this simple but classic penne with sausage and peppers. I used Italian chicken sausage, any kind of Italian sausage would work in this. Again wine is completely optional, I used it to deglaze (scrape the browned sausage bits) the pan.

Make sure to use a good brand of canned tomato for the pasta dishes, it makes a huge difference!

An easy pasta dish for a week or weekend night.

What you need (serves 3)

Penne pasta - 6 oz
Italian sausage - 9 oz (3 links, casing removed)
Italian style diced tomatoes - 1 can (14.5 oz)
Sliced onion - 1/2 cup
Diced red or green bell pepper - 1/2 cup
Red pepper flakes - pinch
White wine - 1/4 cup (optional)
Chopped parsley - 1 tbs
Parmesan cheese - freshly grated or shaved

How

Cook the sausage in a large skillet on medium heat, breaking the sausage into pieces, stirring until browned, about 5-7 mins
Add the onions and peppers, saute for few mins, until onions are tender
Add wine and deglaze the skillet
Once the wine is evaporated, add the tomatoes with juice, pinch of red pepper flakes, simmer for 10 mins
Cook the pasta as per the instructions and toss with the sausage mixture
Add parsley and garnish with cheese and serve

Curried shrimp fried rice, one wok comfort

2009-02-12T21:56:00.001-08:00

What happens when I put two of my favourite things together? I get curried fried rice!

I first had curried shrimp fried rice in a Thai restaurant called Thai Apsara in Beaverton OR, it was really good. If you haven't tried curried fried rice yet, next time look for it when you go to a Thai restaurant.

For veggies I usually add just peas&carrots but tonight I wanted a one wok meal so added some zucchini. I don't usually add Thai basil to this but since I had some, I went ahead and added it.

I used a tablespoon of fish sauce but I recommend starting with 2 tsps and towards the end taste the rice and if you need more salt then add the rest.

If you like curry and fried rice, you must try this.

What you need (serves 2)

Shrimp - 1/4 lb
Cooked rice - 1.5 cup
Garlic cloves - 2 (minced)
Yellow curry paste - 2 tsp
Curry powder - 1/2 tsp
Combo of diced carrots and peas - 1/4 cup
Diced zucchini - 1/4 cup (optional)
Fish sauce - 1 tbs
Egg - 2 (slightly beaten)
Thai basil leaves - 1 handful (optional)

How

Heat a wok with some oil
Once hot add garlic and let them brown for a few seconds
Add the curry paste and stir until aromatic, few more seconds
Add the curry powder and then add the shrimps, cook until the shrimps are almost cooked, 2-3 mins
Add the veggies and continue to cook for 2-3 mins
Add basil leaves (if using) and stir until they wilt
Add rice, fish sauce and continue to stir fry for couple of mins
Move rice to a side and pour egg, let it set and then scramble
Combine everything and you are done!

Thai basil seafood stir fry, pad grapoa talay

2009-02-11T22:07:00.001-08:00

There are three herbs that I absolutely love, they are basil, cilantro and curry leaves and I always have plenty of those in stock.

Tonight I wanted to cook one of my favorite Thai dishes, combination of seafood stir fried with lot of garlic and basil. This is a standard fare in most of the Thai restaurants and it was actually really easy to make.

I got the idea from this and I used a combination of shrimp, bay scallops and mussels. I am sure this will be good with just shrimps too. If you don't have Thai basil then try with regular basil, it won't be the same but can't be bad either!

Now I need to start thinking about what to do with the left over Thai basil.

What you need (serves 2)

Combination of seafood - 1 lb (I used shrimps, bay scallops and mussels)
Garlic cloves - 3 (minced)
Green chile - 1 (minced)
Thai basil leaves - 2 handfuls
Red bell pepper - 1/2 (diced)
Button mushroom - 3 (quartered)
Sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis) - 1 tbs
Oyster sauce - 1 tsp
Sugar - a pinch

How

Heat a wok on high heat with some oil
Once oil is hot add the shrimp and stir fry for 30 seconds
Add scallops and mussels and stir fry until shrimp is almost cooked
Add garlic and chile, stir fry for few seconds
Add sweet soy and oyster sauce, toss with the seafood
Add red bell and mushrooms, stir fry a minute
Add pinch of sugar and splash of water and toss everything
By now mussels should be open and cooked
Serve immediately with jasmine rice

Pudina(mint) & pepper lamb, going green for dinner

2009-02-10T22:48:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am going green tonight, sort of!

I had to use up some mint and I also had lot of cilantro, so wanted to use them up tonight. I am hosting a dinner get together pretty soon, so I wanted to try an Indian recipe. Since mint goes really well with lamb, I was looking for a recipe that combined both and came across this blog.

I followed smaithupaarkalaam's recipe with minor changes and it came out really good. Heat from the chilli&pepper, fresh mint and splash of lime juice makes for great flavor combination.

Lamb does take a while to cook and I am using a pressure cooker to cut the cooking time. If you do not have a pressure cooker then you need to cook the lamb longer, I have indicated below when you would need to add if you are not pressure cooking it.

What you need (serves 2)

Lamb - 1 lb
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Cilantro leaves - 1/4 cup
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Cumin seed - 1 tsp
Fennel seed - 1/2 tsp
Black peppercorn - 1/2 tsp
Green chilli - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbs
Onion - 1 medium size (sliced)
Non fat plain yogurt - 2 tbs
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbs (only if you are feeling healthy)
Lime juice - 1tbs
Slivered almonds for garnish

How

Pressure cook lamb with turmeric, 1 tbs of ginger garlic paste, water and some salt (reserve cooking liquid)
Process or blend the mint, cilantro, coconut, cumin, peppercorn, chilli, 1 tbs of ginger garlic paste to a smooth paste (adding some water)
Heat a heavy bottomed pan with some oil and add fennel seeds, let it toast for few seconds
Add sliced onion and cook until they turn golden, about 3 mins
Add processed spice paste and cook for 5 mins in medium heat
(this is when you will add lamb, if you didn't have a pressure cooker)
Add reserved cooking liquid, yogurt and let it come to a boil and thicken a bit
Add cooked lamb and cook on low heat for about 10 mins or until the desired consistency
Remove from heat, stir in the ghee and lime juice
Garnish with slivered almonds

Shrimp tortilla soup, comforting soup for a cold wintery night

2009-02-09T22:16:00.001-08:00

Seattle woke up to a light snow this morning and it's been really cold today. So wanted a comforting soup for dinner and that's when I remembered this recipe from a magazine.

I have a habit of buying foodie magazines whenever I fly and this recipe is from one of those magazines. Original recipe is called Chicken and Shrimp tortilla soup since it uses a combination of shrimp and cooked shredded chicken.

I didn't have cooked chicken so left that out and just added more shrimp.

You can get the mexican style stewed tomatoes in a can from any supermarket, look for them in the canned tomatoes aisle. I made the tortilla strips at home and it is really easy, you can also make tortilla chips this way.

This was perfect for the cold wintery night. Don't skip the crispy tortillas since it does give a nice crunch, if you are really lazy and have some tortilla chips on hand then just crush some of those.

What you need (serves 4)

Shrimp - 1 lb (medium size)
Chopped onion - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Low sodium chicken/veg stock - 4 cups
Stewed tomatoes, Mexican style - 1 can (14.5 oz)
Chopped cilantro - 3 tbs
lime juice - 2 tbs
Crispy tortilla strips (store bought or make your own)

How

In a sauce pan cook onion and cumin seeds in hot oil, until onion is tender, about 5 mins
Add stock, tomatoes with juice, cilantro and lime juice
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer, for about 8 mins
Crush the tomatoes to smaller chunks with the back of a spoon
Stir in shrimp and cook until shrimps are cooked, about 3 more minutes
Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips

To make crispy tortilla strips

Preheat oven to 350 F
Brush 4 corn tortillas (6 inch) with some veg/canola oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper
Cut tortillas into thin strips
Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 8-10 mins

Chai cardamom panna cotta, an experiment gone right!

2009-02-08T23:40:00.001-08:00

Panna Cotta (cooked cream) is an Italian dessert, which I first tasted in a restaurant called Mingo in Portland. It was a pure vanilla panna cotta, served with fresh blueberries. When blueberries are not in season, they serve it with cherries. I've had many versions of panna cotta since then but nothing beats pure vanilla with blueberries.
I am planning to have some friends over for dinner in couple of weeks and wanted to try something new for dessert but still with an Indian touch. I have made pure vanilla panna cotta before, so I wanted to Indianize it!

My first choice was just cardamom, and I actually made that last weekend, it wasn't bad but I didn't think it can stand on it's own. So this weekend I tried chai and cardamom, it was pretty good with subtle chai and cardamom flavours. I crumbled some alomond biscotti while serving, which gave a nice crunch.

What you need (serves 2)

Heavy cream - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Whole milk - 2 tbs
Unflavored gelatin - 1/4 packet of knox (1 tsp)
Chai - 1 tsp (I used Lipton Yellow Label, from an Indian store)
Cardamom - 1 pod

How

In a sauce pan, combine cream and sugar, add cardamom and chai, heat on low heat
In a medium bowl mix milk and gelatin and set aside while cream heats
Once you see some bubbles, remove the hot cream mixture and strain into the bowl with milk&gelatin, stir until gelatin dissolves
Pour into serving dishes, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours
Serve with some biscottis

Mushroom and sausage risotto

2009-02-07T23:07:00.001-08:00

I love rice! I like it plain, I like it fried, I like it in biryani, I like it in Jambalaya, I like it in arroz con pollo, I like it in arroz mexicano and I like it in a risotto.

I think it was 2003 or 2004 when I was saw Giada make a risotto on TV, she called it dirty risotto and she had all kinds of stuff in it. That's when I realized, it is one of the easiest Italian dishes to make and since then I have made risotto numerous times.

My all time favorite is a mushroom risotto, which I make with a combination button, cremini and chantrelle mushrooms but that is not what I made today. I made a mushroom and sausage risotto, for sausage I used Italian chicken sausage.

Make sure to use low sodium stock, so you can control the salt. When it comes to cooking with wine, the rule is to use a wine that you would drink. I don't drink wine and know nothing about them so I just buy tiny bottles from Target, in this recipe I used Bella Sera Pinot Grigio.

I didn't add any butter and cut down the cheese and that's why it is not as creamy as it should be, but it was delicious!

What you need (serves 2 not so hungry people )

Arborio rice - 1/2 cup
Button mushrooms - 4 oz (quartered)
Italian chicken sausage - 4 oz (1 link, casing removed)
Diced onion - 1/4 cup
Diced red bell - 1/4 cup
Low sodium chicken stock - 2 cups (Veg stock is ok too)
White wine - 1/4 cup (optional)
Grated parmesan cheese - 2 tbs
Chopped parsley - 2 tbs

How

In a saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer, cover and keep warm over low heat.
In a heavy saucepan, add olive oil over medium heat.
Add sausage and saute breaking with the back of the spoon until golden brown, about 5 minutes
Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender about 4 min, season with salt and pepper
Add the rice and stir for couple of mins
Add the wine and simmer until the wine has completely evaporated, about 1 minute.
Add 1/2 cup of simmering stock and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Continue cooking the rice, adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of stock to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan and parsley, serve immediately

Chicken lollipop, when was the last time you had it?

2009-02-05T22:50:00.001-08:00

I wanted to try something new tonight, something that I used to eat a lot back home, something that I haven't had in a while. If you still don't know what that is or missed reading the title of the post then it is Chicken lollipop.

Quick search online, came back with quite a few recipes, and this one made me laugh and also gave me ideas.

So here is my version of chicken lollipop!

What you need (makes 10 lollipops)

Chicken drummettes - 10 (Skin removed)
Ginger & Garlic paste - 2 tbs
Pure chilli powder - 1.5 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Red food coloring (optional)
Besan (Gram flour) - 1/4 cup (Or all purpose flour)
Rice flour - 1 tbs
Egg - 1

How

Remove skin and with a paring knife, cut around the thin end of the drummette to loosen the meat around the joint.
While holding the base, push the meat down gently to expose the bone and form a "chicken lollipop."
Combine g&g paste, 1 tsp of chilli, coriander, garam masala and some salt, apply all over the drummettes and marinate for 1/2 hour(don't worry about losing the lollipop shape, we will shape it back again)
Combine the flours, 1/2 tsp of chilli, paprika and some salt
Lightly beat the egg and combine with the chicken
Add the flour mix to the chicken and throughly combine (adding the optional coloring)
Shape the drummettes back to lollipops
Heat oil and deep fry until golden

Easiest Chicken Tikka Masala, a dish I never had in India!

2009-02-04T23:09:00.001-08:00

Chicken tikka masala (let's call it CTM), is probably the most popular Indian dish outside of India!

I have to admit, I do like having a naan with some creamy, tomatoey CTM. Surprisingly it is really easy to make CTM at home, it is much healthier that way since you can control the amount of cream and butter that goes into the dish.

Frozen naan should be a staple in any Indian's freezer and I am no different, I go for the Deep brand (you do need to go to an Indian market) frozen naans. Few minutes in the oven and they are as good as restaurant stuff. Because of these stuff I hardly go out to Indian restaurants these days.

CTM starts with....well you guessed it CT, Chicken Tikka that is. I broiled the chicken, you can grill or bake too, I wouldn't recommend pan frying it. If you are using bamboo skewers then soak the skewers in water for 30 mins. If broiling, make sure you place the chicken about 8 - 10 inches below the broiler.

If you notice, I've double skewer'd the chickens and makes it easier to turn them.

What you need (For chicken tikka, serves 2)

Chicken breast half - close to 1 lb (cut in to 2'' cubes)
Non fat plain yogurt - 2 tbs
Ginger & Garlic paste - 2 tsp (or combination on grated ginger and crushed garlic)
Ground cumin - 1 tsp
Ground corriander - 1 tsp
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Pure chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (cayenne)
Red food color (optional)
Salt - 1/2 tsp

How

Mix all the above and marinate as long as possible but not more than 24 hrs
Turn on the broiler, salt the chicken and broil for 10 - 12 mins, turning 2 - 3 times
Once cooked, let the chicken rest for 10 mins before removing from the skewers

Now you are ready to make the Chicken Tikka Masala. If you don't have a spice grinder (coffee grinder), I recommend getting one because that's what I use to grind almonds. You can use the grinder to grind any spices as you need it, and they are much more flavourful that way. I ground a handful of blanched slivered almonds for this recipe.

Once you add the cream, reduce the heat to low and always keep an eye on the pan.

What you need (For masala sauce, serves 2)

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tbs (or combination of grated ginger and crushed garlic)
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Pure chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomato sauce - 1.5 cups
Heavy cream - 1 cup
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Ground almond - 1.5 tbs
Sugar - 2 tsp
Butter - 1/2 tbs (if you are less than 30 and workout daily, optional for all others)
Chopped cilantro - for garnish

How

Chop the chicken tikka into bite sized pieces
Heat a heavy bottomed pan with 2 tbs of oil on medium heat
Add cumin seeds and toast for a few seconds
Add the g&g paste, stir for couple of mins
Add chilli powder and garam masasla, stir for few seconds
Add tomato sauce and cook for 5 mins
Add cream, paprika, ground almond, sugar and a pinch of salt, combine and let it simmer for 5 mins
Add the chicken and let it simmer for 10 mins
I like my CTM to be slightly tangy, if that's not you then add more sugar and almonds
Remove from heat and stir in butter
Garnish with cilantro

Eggs scrambled with Mexican chorizo, good for breakfast and good fordinner

2009-02-02T21:16:00.001-08:00

I've cooked with Spanish chorizo before and been wanting to cook with Mexican chorizo ever since I saw Rick Bayless cook it on TV.

If you are wondering what is the difference between Spanish and Mexican chorizos, Spanish chorizo is a cured sausage so you don't really need to cook it, but the Mexican version is not cured and it should be cooked.

I was watching 'Ask Aida' and saw her make this and I guess that was the inspiration I needed. Eggs with Chorizo and tortilla, perfect for a simple weekday dinner.

Since chorizo has all kinds of seasoning, you really don't even need to add salt& pepper. And because chorizo is so heavily spiced, it needs to be cooked over low to medium heat; if cooked over too high of heat, the spices can burn and make the flavor of the chorizo very bitter.

Mexican chorizo is going to be a staple in my fridge, because it is good and can be a taco filling on it is own.

What you need (serves 2)

Eggs - 3 (Lightly beaten with a tbs of milk)
Mexican chorizo - 2 oz
Some chopped cilantro and scallions (for garnish)

How

Heat a medium nonstick pan over medium heat
Remove chorizo from casing and add to the pan, cook, breaking it up for 3 mins or until cooked through
Add eggs and cook stirring occasionally, until set, about 3 more minutes
Garnish with chopped cilantro and scallions , serve with some tortilla and salsa
Note: If you notice there is more chorizo than egg in the picture, that's because I actually added more than 2 oz since I was making this for dinner.

Vanjiram varuval or Pan fried king fish

2009-02-01T21:38:00.001-08:00

I can't go long without a good sambar, so I made sambar with zucchini, celery and bell pepper tonight. A good sambar deserves a good side, a good spicy side. And tonight that side was pan fried king fish.
Vanjiram is a popular fish back home and is really good when fried. I this king fish is Vanjiram as it does look like Vanjiram and tastes like Vanjiram too. I have seen this called as King Mackrel too.

I got this fish in an Asian store and I don't think I have seen this any where else in Seattle. Indian stores do carry them but only the frozen kind and frozen fish is no good.

Recipe is pretty basic, marinate the fish with chilli powder, salt and ginger & garlic paste for 1 to 2 hrs and then shallow fry.

Semi homemade Kung Pao Shrimp

2009-01-30T22:08:00.001-08:00

I don't really mind making things from scratch especially when it has to do with food. But at the same time I don't mind trying readymade sauces as well, and if the end result is tasty then then I will just stick to the sauce since it does cuts down on the prep time.
Lee Kum Kee is a reputed name for Chinese cooking products and I have tried some of their sauces including this Kung Pao stir-fry sauce, which is what I am using today.

This sauce is not that spicy at all so you can start with some chilli flakes for added heat if you want to. For the peanuts I buy the roasted peanuts in shell and shell them as needed.

Again I used frozen shrimps for this, sliced chicken breast works well with this recipe too. I like my Kung Pao loaded with veggies so if you follow the recipe you will end up with more veggies than shrimp.

What you need (serves 2)

Shrimp - 1/4 lb
Kung Pao sauce - 4 tbs
Zucchini - 1 (small size, diced)
Celery - 2 ribs (diced)
Red Bell - 1/2 (diced)
Water chestnuts - 2 tbs (diced)
White pepper powder
Roasted peanuts - 2 tbs
Sliced scallions - 1 tbs

How

Season shrimp with few dashes of white pepper
Heat a wok and add 2 tbs of oil, once hot enough stirfry the shrimps until almost cooked
Dish out the shrimps
Add the Zucchini, celery, bell and water chestnuts and stirfry for a min, add 2 tbs of sauce and stirfry for 2 more mins
Add the shrimps back plus the remaining sauce and stir until the shrimps are cooked, a min more
Add peanuts and toss
Garnish with scallions and serve

Shrimp kothu parotta, my kind of comfort food

2009-01-29T21:57:00.001-08:00

It was a busy day at work today and wanted something quick yet comforting, so I turned to my all time favorite egg kothu parotta. I am sure all the South Indians know what I am talking about.

I usually make this with whatever leftover curry I have and I didn't have any leftovers so came up with this dish. This is a good dish to use up any leftover curries, especially when the curry quantity is not much to stand up as a main dish.

I haven't had kothu parotta in the US yet, although I am beginning to see them show up in some South Indian restaurants in Seattle. But there is restaurant called Nooru Mahal in Vancouver Canada, run by a SriLankan tamil and he does all kinds of kothu parotta and they are good.

I always have a bag of shrimp and parotta in the freezer and they come in handy whenever I need to whip up something quick.

What you need (serves 2)

Frozen parotta - 4
Shrimp - 1/4 lb (chop into tiny pieces)
Shallot - 1 (or 1/2 small onion, finely diced)
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomato - 1/2 (diced)
Garlic cloves - 4 (minced)
Eggs - 2 (lightly beaten)
Curry leaves - a bunch
Boiled eggs - 2 (optional)

How

Thaw parotta's in the microwave for a min, once thawed chop into small pieces
Heat a saute pan on medium heat with 2 tbs of oil
Add garlic and curry leaves, stir until fragrant, 30 seconds
Add shallots and saute until lightly browned
Add tomatoes, chilli powder, curry powder and some salt, continue to saute for few more mins, until tomatoes are soft
Add the shrimp (or any other curry) and continue to cook.
Once the shrimp is almost cooked add the parotta pieces and stir for couple of mins
Make some room for the eggs and add the lightly beaten eggs
Let the egg settle for a min and then combine with everything
Stir until the egg is cooked
Top with halved boiled eggs
Serve with some curry or sweet chilli sauce

Taking a break from Thai with a basic chinese fried rice

2009-01-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

Surprised it is not a Thai recipe? Don't worry, it won't be a long break as I do need to use up some Thai basil pretty soon.

I don't know about you but I always get some sort of a fried rice when I go to a Chinese restaurant. There is a restaurant in Schaumburg, IL called Yu's Mandarin and they make a killer fried rice. Sure it is greasy but it is really good and the few times I've been there I saw fried rice go to almost all the tables.

I call this basic fried rice, because I didn't add any protein, I kept it simple with just some peas and carrots. This could be a perfect side to a nice Asian stirfry. I had this with some Kung pao shrimp (will be a different post) for dinner tonight. You can add any veggies, meat or seafood as you like. If you are adding meat then pre cooked will work very well, you don't need to precook the shrimp if you are planning to add shrimp.

I used day old rice, which always makes for a great fried rice. I wouldn't recommend making fried rice with just-cooked (and still hot) rice since you could end up with some mushy rice and that's no good, unless that's what you are going for (I hope not). I always keep a combo of diced carrots and peas in the freezer just for using in fried rice, you can use fresh ones too.

What you need (serves 4)

Cooked rice - 4 cups (day old)
Garlic cloves - 2 (minced)
Combo of diced carrots & peas - 1/2 cup
Fish sauce - 1 tbs
Low sodium soy sauce - 2 tbs (less if you are not using low sodium)
Egg - 2 (lightly beaten)
White pepper powder - few dashes
Scallion - 1 (sliced)

How

Heat a wok on medium heat with 2 tbs of oil
Once hot enough add garlic and stir for a min
Add veggies, pinch of salt and a dash of pepper, stirfry for couple of mins
Add rice and stir for a min
Add fish sauce, soy sauce, dashes of pepper and stir for 2 mins
Move rice to a side and add the eggs, let it set and then scramble, once almost cooked mix with rice
Taste and re-season, garnish with scallions

Chiang Mai curry noodles aka Koa soi, pretty close to Pok Pok version

2009-01-27T22:56:00.000-08:00

If you think Thai curries are limited to Yellow, Green, Red, Panang and Mussaman curries then you are wrong. There is another curry called Koa Soi, which is completely different and complex from other Thai curries and it is from Northern Thailand's Chiang Mai region.

I first got a taste of this curry at Pok Pok (thai restaurant in Portland) and I was blown away. Silky noodles topped with creamy curry served with crispy noodles, red chilli oil, lime, pickled cabbage and cilantro. I don't mess with a good curry, so I am fine with just the curry, noodles and some jasmine rice. I have no idea why this isn't on the menu of other Thai restaurants!

I've been looking for a Koa Soi recipe on the web and most of them used either Red or Yellow curry paste as the base. I've tried them and they were good but it wasn't close to the Pok Pok version. Last Sunday while I was flipping through my 'foods of the world' I was surprised to see a recipe of Koa Soi and it called for making the curry paste from scratch. So this recipe is straight out of 'foods of the world'.

A word of caution about the measurements here, since there are lot of variables here (size of your shallots, size of your chillies, brand of shrimp paste,..etc) start with the minimum and adjust seasonings as you need. If you need more salt then add more fish sauce, ultimately the curry should be spicy, salty and should be slightly sweet too. Use a thai brand shrimp paste, you might find it as 'kapi' in the store.

I used a game hen for this, I cut them into pieces with bone in and skin off. Bone in thighs and legs would work well with this recipe.

I am not going to lie and say this came out exactly like Pok Pok version but it was close, I am pretty sure I will get it in couple of more attempts.

What you need (For curry paste)

Long red chillies - 3 (remove seeds and soak in hot water for 10 mins)
Shallots - 4 (chopped)
Garlic cloves - 4 (chopped)
Ginger - 2 inch piece (chopped)
Cilantro stems - 4 tbs (chopped)
Shrimp paste - 1 tsp
Canola/Veg oil - 2 tbs
Curry powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

What you need (serves 2)

Chicken - 1.5 lbs (legs and thighs)
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Chicken stock - 2 cups
Curry powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Soy sauce - 2 tbs
Sugar - 2 tbs
Fish sauce - 1 tbs
Chinese egg noodle - 4 oz
Scallion - 1 (sliced, for garnish)
Cilantro - Garnish

How

Process\blend all the ingredients for the curry paste to a smooth paste. We will only use 2 tbs for this curry you can refrigerate the rest
Heat a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat with some oil
Add 2 tbs of the curry paste and stir until a thin film of oil appears on the top
Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk, curry and turmeric powder and continue to stir until a thin film of oil appears on the top
Add the chicken and continue to stir for a few mins
Add the rest of coconut milk, stock, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked
Taste the curry and remember it should be spicy, salty and sweet so adjust the seasonings accordingly
Cook the egg noodles as per instructions, strain and transfer to serving bowls
Top the noodles with curry and garnish with scallion and cilantro

Thai basil chicken, less than 30 minute stirfry

2009-01-26T22:53:00.000-08:00

I am not trying to be a Rachel Ray here, I just couldn't think of a catchy title for this post, that's all.

Get ready for another Thai dish and this one is super simple and perfect for a busy weekday meal. You have probably seen 'Spicy Basil Chicken' at your favorite Thai restaurant, because I have consistently seen this in all the Thai restaurants that I have been to and they all pretty much taste the same. For me this dish should be fragrant, slightly spicy with a subtle sweetness.

You really need Thai basil (or Taiwan basil) for this dish, I haven't tried making this with regular basil but I am pretty sure it won't be the same. If you don't have ground chicken then just chop the chicken really small. If you don't have sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis) then just use regular soy and some sugar. You can use button mushrooms instead of shitake but I just think shitake is better for Asian recipes.

What you need (serves 2)

Ground chicken - 1/2 lb
Garlic cloves - 4 (minced)
Shitake mushrooms - 4 (medium, remove stem and slice)
Red bell - 1/2 (small dice)
Serrano chilli - 1 (sliced)
Fresh thai basil leaves - 1 cup
Fish sauce - 1.5 tbs
Sweet soy sauce(Kecap manis) - 1 tbs

How

Heat a wok with 2 tbs of oil, add garlic and stir for a min
Add mushrooms, red bell and chilli, stirfry for 3 mins
Add the ground chicken and stirfry breaking the meat apart, about 3 - 4 mins
Add the soy, fish sauce and stir for couple of mins more
Finally add the basil leaves and stirfry until the leaves are wilted
Taste and add more fish sauce/soy if needed, serve with jasmine rice

Buu Phat Phong Kari, relax it is just crab stirfried with curry powder,a Thai dish

2009-01-25T22:34:00.000-08:00

I was browsing through one of my cookbooks (The foods of the world) this morning while I was having breakfast. Cookbook and breakfast may sound like an odd combination, but hey I told you I am a food addict.
Anyway one recipe caught my attention and that was 'Cracked crab with curry powder', a Thai recipe. That recipe reminded me of a crab dish that I had in Pok Pok (thai restaurant in Portland), except that dish had eggs and Chinese celery. So I decided to recreate the Pok Pok dish (Buu Phat Phong Kari) for dinner tonight.

Fortunately it is easier to get live crab in Seattle and prices are very reasonable in Asian supermarkets. There are three big Asian markets in the Seattle area Uwajimaya, 99 Ranch and the latest H-Mart.

H-Mart is new and as if they knew I was looking for crab, they were having a sale and dungeness crabs were only $3.98 a pound, so I got myself one. I had them clean the crab for me since I didn't want to deal with that!

You could omit the Chinese celery but I liked the texture so I wanted to try that. Now what is the deal with Chinese, why do they have an equivalent veggie for almost all American veggies, chinese broccoli, chinese cabbage, chinese celery, chinese okra, ..etc ..they also have chinese americans...just kidding :)

Back to the recipe, for the curry powder pick a Thai or Vietnamese brand, they will work better than the Indian versions.

I am going to be making this often as it was finger licking good. This should be good on shrimps too, don't get surprised if you see another post with shrimp pretty soon.

What you need (serves 2)

Dungeness crab - 1
Curry powder - 2 tsp
Coconut milk - 2/3 cup
Low sodium soy sauce - 1 tbs
Oyster sauce - 1/2 tbs
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Garlic cloves - 4 (minced)
Egg - 1 (lightly beaten)
Chinese celery - 3 ribs (chopped, with some leaves)
Chilli - 1 (ribs and seeds removed and minced)
Onion - 1 small (cut into wedges)
Chopped cilantro - 1 tbs

How

Cut the crab into 4 pieces and crack the claws
Mix the coconut milk, curry powder, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar, keep aside
Heat wok in medium heat with 2 tbs of oil and stirfry the garlic for 2 mins
Add the the crabs and stirfry for 4 - 5 mins
Add the coconut milk mixture, onion, chinese celery (if using) and chilli, stirfry for 5 more mins
Add a splash of water and cover for 3 mins
Once the sauce is dried, add egg, let it set for min and mix with everything
Taste and add salt if needed
Garnish with cilantro and serve with jasmine rice

Salmon baked in foil, one fish, two ways

2009-01-24T00:03:00.000-08:00

I learned a really cool trick from my good friend Giada De Laurentis and it is cooking salmon in foil.
Ok, I am kidding, Giada is not my friend but the trick is still cool though. I have made her version numerous times so tonight I changed it a little bit.

I am big fan of chef Rick Bayless and his gourmet salsas. They are all natural and goes well on pretty much anything. So what does it have to do with baking salmon in foil?? Well I wanted to use them to bake the Salmon and since I was baking two filets, I wanted to put two salsas into test.

So I cooked one filet with 'Roasted Tomato Salsa (Mild)' and the other filet with 'Chipotle Salsa (Hot)'. Results were really good, though they both were good, salmon cooked with chipotle salsa was really really good. Serve with some warm corn tortillas and mexican rice.

What you need (serves 2)

Salmon - (2) 5 oz filets, skin off
Your favourite salsa (spicier the better)
Lime wedges - 2
Chopped cilantro - 2 tbs

How

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees (I used a toaster oven)
Season salmon with salt and pepper
Place a piece of salmon on a sheet of foil and spoon 2 -3 tbs of salsa over the fish
Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and salsa , seal the packet closed
Repeat the process for the 2nd filet
Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake for 25 - 30
Careful when opening the packets as it will be steaming hot
Squeeze a wedge of lime and top with some cilantro

Pan fried crispy tofu and endless possibilities

2009-01-22T22:44:00.000-08:00

I wasn't a big fan of Tofu, probably because I've never had them packed with flavor. Thanks to my sister, here is one way to make Tofu interesting.

I make this often, fried and chop into small strips and use as a taco filling. This is good side to a creamy risotto or a mild sambar.

I am just giving you an idea here, add whatever seasoning you like, you can use it in a taco or as a side, possibilities are endless!

What you need

Firm Tofu - 1 lb
Chili Powder - 1 tbs
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp
Canola/Veg oil - 3 tbs

How

Slice Tofu lengthwise into 8 slices and using paper towels drain as much water as possible
Combine Chili powder, turmeric, salt and lemon juice with some water to make a thin marinade
Coat the Tofu slices with the marinate and let them marinate for 10 - 15 mins
Heat a frying pan on medium heat with the oil
When the oil is hot enough pan fry the Tofu slices to desired crispness (5 mins a side will give you a slightly crisp outside and soft inside)

Thai Yellow Curry in a Hurry!

2009-01-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

I 've stopped ordering curries in Thai restaurants, you know why? Hint: Answer is below.

(a) I don't like curries

(b) They are not always good

(c) I can make them myself

(d) They are expensive

If you had picked (a) then you are so wrong since I can eat curry 7 days a week. Real reason is that I can make it at home and it tastes pretty much same as the restaurant stuff.

This is one of the easiest ways to make Yellow Curry since I use store bought curry paste. I ran out of some veggies so feel free to add some carrots and potatoes if want.

What you need (serves 2)

Chicken breast- 1/2 lb (sliced thin)
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Yellow curry paste - 1 tbs
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fish sauce - 1 tbs
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Small Onion - 1 (big slices)
Bell pepper - 1/2 (diced)

How

Heat a heavy bottomed pan in medium heat with a tablespoon of oil
Once the oil is hot, add the curry paste , turmeric powder and stir for 2 to 3 mins
Add half of the coconut milk stir for 5 mins
Reduce heat to low, add rest of the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, onion, bell pepper and simmer for 5 mins
Add chicken and simmer for another 10 mins
Serve with some rice

Vanilla Basmati Pongal with Coconut and Almonds, Happy Pongal!

2009-01-14T22:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Pongal to all my readers, which is just my family and friends right now:)
I wanted to improvise on the simple 'Sarkarai (Sugar) Pongal' and came up with this and I have to admit it was really good.

If I were to describe this to someone who doesn't understand Tamil, then I would say think of it as Vanilla Basmati Rice Pudding with Coconut and Almonds.

I was out of saffron, otherwise I would have added some for nice color.

What you need (serves 3)

Uncooked basmati rice - 1/2 cup
Whole milk - 1/4 cup
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Grated sweetened coconut - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 2 tbs
Almonds - 2tbs (sliced or slivered)

How

Pressure cook the rice with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt, rice should be over cooked
In a sauce pan add 1 tbs of ghee and lightly brown the almonds, reserve the browned almonds
Set the heat to low and to the same pan add rice, milk, vanilla, sugar and coconut, mash and combine
Add 1 tbs of ghee and stir in the almonds
Top with more coconut and almonds

Spinach and Bacon Frittata, breakfast or dinner? Ask Aida!!

2009-01-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

If you are into Food Network, you probably noticed that there are lot of new shows lately. I really don't care for any of those except for one, which is Ask Aida. I think Aida and her "Tech Guru" Noah are funny and they have good chemistry.
Inspiration to this dish is Aida's Asparagus frittata. I don't mind eggs for dinner since usually my breakfast is a bowl of honey bunches of oats with fat free milk.

Frittata is so versatile, so you can add/omit whatever you want but make sure not to omit the eggs!

What you need ( Will serve 2)

Eggs - 4
Milk - 2 tbs (or half & half or cream)
Thick cut bacon - 2 slices
Spinach - 2 handfuls
Shredded cheddar cheese - 1/4 cup (or whatever you have on hand)
Chopped parsley - 1tbs
Salt - 1/2 tsp

How

In a bowl , whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, parsley, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until thoroughly combined
Heat medium sized ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, also heat the broiler to high and arrange rack in upper third
Cut the bacon into small pieces and render in the frying pan, when most of the fat is rendered take them out and drain on paper towel. Discard rendered fat.
Add the rendered bacon to the egg mixture and combine
In the same frying pan melt some butter and saute spinach until its wilted
Add wilted spinach to the egg mixture and combine
Reduce heat to low, pour in egg mixture, and cook until a 1-inch border of egg mixture is firm, about 3 - 4 minutes (The center will not be set at this point)
Place the pan in oven and broil until eggs are just set, about 2 minutes
Cut into wedges and serve with a toast and some spicy salsa!

Chow chow (Chayote) with dried shrimp and curry leaves

2009-01-12T22:29:00.000-08:00

You did read it right, it is chow chow (in Tamil) with dried shrimp and curry leaves! Combination might sound weird but it was a successful experiment tonight.

I wanted a simple Dhal for dinner and I also wanted to use up a chayote that I had bought couple of weeks ago. My first thought was to add the cooked chayote to the dhal but I didn't think that would work. So I had to come up with something else and it had to be spicy to go with the mild dhal.

What you need

Chayote - 1
Dried shrimp - 2 tbs (tiny ones)
Chilli paste - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 10

How

Peel, seed and cut the chayote into bite sized pieces
Cook the chayotes in boiling water until fork tender (15 to 20 mins)
Soak the dried shrimps in warm water for 10 mins
Using a mortor crush the dried shrimp with some salt
Heat 2 tbs of oil in a saute pan on medium heat
Add the crushed shrimps and saute until they brown slighlty
Add the chilli paste and brown for 3 mins more
Add the curry leaves and the cooked chayote and stir for couple of more mins
Taste and add more salt if needed

Tostones, twice fried plantains aka Latin french fries!

2009-01-10T23:47:00.000-08:00

I can't write about Tostones without writing about Pambiche, a Cuban restaurant in Portland and that's where I first discovered the tostones or should I say the Latin french fries.

If you ever happen to be in Portland, make it a point to stop at Pambiche for some great Cuban food and be sure to end with the Tres Leches cake!

Ok, let's get back to making some Tostones. A good tostones should be crispy on the outside and slightly soft on the inside. So what is the point of frying it twice?? Well, from what I understand, 1st fry is to slightly crisp the outside and soften the inside. And 2nd fry is to brown and crisp the outside.

What you need

Green plantains - 2
Oil - for frying

How

Peel and cut the plantains into 1 inch discs
Heat oil and fry the plantains for 3 to 4 mins (this is the 1st fry)
We are not looking for any color in the 1st fry so don't wait till the plantains turn golden brown
Take the plantains out and drain on a paper towel
Once the plantains are cool enough to handle, flatten them to 1/4 of an inch (I use a mallet, you can also use a plate and press it down)
Fry the flattened plantains again for couple of mins and by now they should be golden brown
Once they are golden brown, take them out and salt them
I like them with a banana sauce, i am sure it will be good with a ketchup too!

Toasted lemony orzo, can I call this orzo risotto?

2009-01-09T22:04:00.000-08:00

Couple of weeks ago my sister was asking me for any recipes using orzo and I just directed her recipezaar because I didn't know about this recipe then.

A week ago I happened to catch Bobby Flay braising some lamb shanks and he served it with a creamy orzo dish. Toasting the orzo gives a subtle nutty flavour and a nice color. Since orzo is cooked risotto style (adding hot stock a laddle at time), it ends up being creamy like a risotto. This dish can be a side kick to anything so I can see myself making this again and again and again....you get the point.

What you need

Orzo pasta - 1/2 cup
Olive oil - 2 tbs
Butter - 1 tbs (optional)
Finely diced onion - 1/4 cup
Garlic - 1 clove finely minced
Finely chopped fresh parsley - 2 tbs
Lemon juice - 1 tbs
Chicken stock - 4 to 6 cups

How

Toast 1/4 cup of orzo in a non-stick pan until golden brown (yes, toast just the half)
Bring the chicken stock to a boil and then keep it warm
In another sauce heat olive oil and onion and garlic, saute until they get soft (3 to 5 mins)
Add the toasted orzo and the remaining untoasted orzo to the sauce pan and stir for a minute
Season with salt and pepper
Add hot stock to the orzo as if you were making risotto, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente
You may not need to use all the stock or you might need more stock, idea is to have enough to cook the pasta al dente
Once the orzo is cooked, turn off the heat, stir in the butter, lemon juice and chopped parsley
Taste and adjust seasoning

Blackened Salmon and a decision to make!

2009-01-07T22:04:00.001-08:00

I like blackened anything! But for some reason I just didn't want to try it at home, mainly because I didn't want to deal with lot of smoke in the kitchen.

It was only when I had the Blackened Salmon at the Bite of Seattle last year, the thought of making it by myself surfaced again! And this time I wasn't going to ignore it.

But I had a decision to make, should I make the blackened seasoning from scratch or should I just buy one of those pre made seasoning??

What do you think I did? I went for the shorcut and bought Cajun's Choice Blackened Seasoning.

I was so glad I did, because it was easy and delicious, so try it.

What you need

Salmon fillet - 6 to 8 oz
Butter - 1/2 tbs
Blackened Seasoning - your choice (mine was Cajun's choice)

How

Heat a dry cast iron skillet (you need a cast iron skillet for this) over medium heat for 3 mins
Melt the butter and apply all over the fish
Coat the fish liberally with the blackened seasoning
Make sure the kitchen blower is on high!
Add the fish to the skillet and let it blacken on one side for couple of mins
Turn the fish over and leave it for couple of more mins
Now reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the fish gets done in the center
It takes me about 10 mins overall (I will turn it over once during the medium low cooking also)

Shrimp and sausage jambalaya

2009-01-04T22:12:00.001-08:00

I used to watch a lot of Food network before, I do watch it now but not as much as I used to. During those days I saw Emeril make crawfish Jambalaya, and realized how easy it was.

I had also seen RR make her own version of 30 min Jambalaya, which was different than a regular Jambalaya because she made it more like a soupy dish and served with rice on the side. She probably should have called that a 30 min Gumbo!

Recently I had Jambalaya in a restaurant called My Brothers Crawfish in Portland and it was good, I also remember a spicy seafood Jambalaya in Ice House Cafe in Herndon, VA that was really good. I also had a disgusting Jambalaya last year in Bite of Seattle , it was awful!

My first attempt in Jambalaya turned out good, I followed Emeril's crawfish version except I used shrimps. Since then I have made it so often with many variations. The one I am posting today is a personnel favorite of mine, andouille sausage and shrimp. If you are not into meat then try it with chicken and shrimp.

What you need (Will serve 2)

Onion - 1/2, small dice
Celery - 2 ribs, small dice
Red bell pepper - 1/2, small dice ( you can use green bell too, I prefer red for the color)
Diced tomatoes - 1 14 oz can ( we will only use 1/2 can)
Dried oregano - 1.5 tsp
Dried thyme - 1.5 tsp
Paprika - 1.5 tsp
Cayenne pepper - Depends on how much heat you can handle
Shrimp - 1/2 lb medium sized, shelled and deveined (tail on or off your choice)
Andouille or any cajun style sausage - 1/2 lb (or any smoked sausage)
Rice - 1 cup, long grain, uncooked
Chicken stock - 2 cups
Parsley - 2 tbs (chopped, or green onions diced)

How

Season shrimp with some salt, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp paprika and some cayenne
Heat a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat with a tablespoon of oil
Add shrimp to the pot and cook the shrimp until they are done, should only take 5 to 6 mins
Take the shrimps out (shrimps will go back at the end, this is to avoid over cooking) and add the onion, celery and bell pepper. Saute until they sweat, for about 6 - 8 mins
Add the sausage and let them hang out in the pot for couple of mins, stirring a few times
Add the rice and stir for couple of mins
Add half a can of tomatoes, chicken stock, remaining oregano, thyme and paprika. Season with salt and cayenne
Let things come to a boil, taste and adjust the seasoning
When some of the stock is absorbed and when you see the rice on the surface, it is time to close the pot and lower the heat
Do not open the lid for 20 mins, seriously do not open the lid for next 20 mins
After 20 mins, turn off the heat, open the lid and stir in the cooked shrimps and parsley
Serve with some corn bread, that's the blurred yellow thingy in the picture. I bought a corn bread mix and followed the instructions

I did it! - Hummus

2009-01-02T22:06:00.001-08:00

I did it, my first blog post!

Why did it take me so long to get on the blog wagon? Correct answer would be time or lack off. I recently made this Hummus for a holiday party and thought it would be a perfect dish to get my blog started.

I saw this recipe in USA Today when I was returning from a business trip in Canton Ohio! I know, that was the first time I heard of Canton too.

Interestingly during that business trip I had a really good Hummus in a Middle Eastern restaurant called Sahara Grill, so when I saw this recipe on the Friday edition of USA Today on my way back I thought it was a sign and I had to try it.

It is easy, good for groups, vegeterian and it is Hummus!

What you need

Chickpeas - 2 cans
Sesame paste (Tahini) - 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves - 4
Ground Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Juice of one lemon (a big one!)
Water - 1/4 cup
Paprika - few dashes

How

Drain and rinse the chickpeas
Blend everything together except the Paprika to a smooth consistency
Add salt&pepper to taste
If it is too thick for you, don't panic just blend with more water!
Top the Hummus with few dashes of Paprika and serve with warm store bought Pitas