Merry Christmas - Liz's Cranberry Sauce for Grown Ups

Today has been rather unusual as holidays go, but then again maybe not quite so unusual. The weekend was deliciously long, since I was at home on Thursday. The daughter had a concert in school, that I had to attend and I felt I deserved a couple of extra hours off. The husband and I tried a new rrestaurant a quick kind of place. I shall hopefully tell you all about it before the weekend is over.

Yesterday, we had a nice group of people over. Anju and Melanie, my aunt and cousin and a couple of other friends were over. I cooked some really good stuff. However, the cat too, decided to run out and spend a day in the backyard and came back with a wound. So this morning was spent at the emergency veterinary hospital.  Now, that was the tip of the problem. Benji was generally OK, but I now have 14 tiny tablets that he needs to be fed 2 times a day.

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A candy store for spice lovers - Kalustyan's

How or why would you pick an isolated spice store, particularly when the store is located in New York City. A city that never sleeps (had to put that in) and has anything a foodie could want. Well, Kalustyan's on Lexington Ave, in the upper 20's is what I call a candy store for spice lovers. The store has the most amazing selection spices, teas, coffee, and cookware that I can think of.

Most of the equipment and spices cover the Middle-East, and South and Far East of Asia. The store has organized shelves that stock the spices in categories and  then in Alphabetical order. I love to get there at any excuse that I can think of, when I am lonely and feeling blue, when I am excited, when I really need something and of course most of all, when I am taking my students over. The last week when I was over I picked up some oat flour, mosty because I had never seen it before, pink peppercorns because they looked so pretty and ancho chili powder. I sustained myself with some of the tea and delicate sandwiches that they were selling in their cafe, which in itself is a very worthwhile place to visit. I dolefully eyed the tagines, that the husband will not let me buy until I clear up some space for them in the house.

So if you want to browse spices or want a place to check out spices, cookware and cookbooks be sure check out Kalustyans. While you are at it, feel free to walk further up and grab some Indian Food further up on Lexington.

Kalustyans                                               

123 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10016
USA

http://www.kalustyans.com/

Wilted Spinach with Carmelized Onions and Raisins

I loved reading Little Women and all the rest of the series, like a lot of people my heart was captured by Jo, the independent almost tomboyish sister. Jo had lovely hair, refered to as her one beauty in several places, I think like Jo, my one reedeeming eating habit is my love for greens. I love them year long.

These dish was a quick side dish that I had put together the othernight with a package of baby spinach. It really is a good idea to buy organic spinach, since the leaves taste significantly better and need less fuss in terms of cleaning.

Wilted Spinach with Caramelized Onions and Raisins

Prep Time: 5-7 minutes
Cook Time: 20 -25 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

3-4 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 medium sized red onion, halved and cut into thin slices
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup raisins (I like the green Persian variety)
3 cups (about 5 oz) baby spinach leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and the ginger and cook for 20 seconds to let the ginger cook very lightly.
2. Add in the onion, sugar and the turmeric and turn the heat on low and cook the onion, stirring frequently for about 12- 15 minutes. The first 5-6 minutes do not need much attention as the onion softens and gently wilts. Gradually, the onion turns pale golden and then eventually it is nice fragrant and a healthy caramel color, as it starts darkening it is important to make sure that the onions do not burn or crisp unevenly.
3. Add in the raisins and cook for 30-40 seconds.
4. Gently stir in the leaves in thirds to let the leaves shrink just a little.
5. Stir in the salt and the walnuts and stir the leaves until they are just lightly wilted. Do not overcook the leaves or they will loose their vivid green color.
6. Stir in the walnuts and the red pepper and serve immediately.

Wilted Spinach with Caramelized Onions and Raisins

Harvest Latkes and Spiced Date Apple Sauce

At the risk of offending some of the Microsoft engineers in my life, I sometimes think working with Microsoft Office is much like my husband. It is pretty much a part of my life, and on most days it works,  some days it completely drives me crazy and other days, it totally surprises me with its multidimensional possibilities. 

Well, back to the husband, he actually is not as excited about the blog as he used to be, especially on a weeknight when he has to wait for me to take pictures before he eats, so I was quite surprised when he asked me whether I had blogged about these latkes I had made last week. So, I was pleasantly surprised and curious and it turns he has a co-worker whose latkes smell bad but taste great.

Traditionally latkes are potato pancakes that celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah.

My version actually makes them with carrots, rutabagas as a smaller amount of potatoes. I served this with a spiced applesauce sort of a hybrid between applesauce and chutney. So let now tell you all about the recipes.

Apple Sauce with Dates, Star Anise and Red Chili Peppers

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour (mostly unattended)

Ingredients

5 granny smith apples

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup chopped dates

1 large stick cinnamon

2-3 star anise

3-4 red chilies

Method of Preparation

1. Core the apples (I do not peel them) and process in a food processor.

2. Place the apples, vinegar, dates, cinnamon, anise and red chilies in a medium sized sauce pan and cook on low stirring occasionally until a nice thick mixture is formed. As you are stirring the mixture mash in the  dates into the mixture.

3. Cook for about 40-50 minutes until the mixture is a nice thick caramel colored mixture.

4. Cool slightly and remove the cinnamon and star anise.

5. Place the mixture again in the blender and puree.

6. Strain through a sieve and store in a small jar.

Harvest Latkes

If you are unsure about welcome this wonderfully pretty pale saffron vegetable into your hhouse. OK, so it does not look quite so pretty on the exterior. It is like a large brownish vegetable covered with a somewhat strange layer of wax. Nonetheless, pry a little deeper and you shall be rewarded.

My latkes do have a nice spike from the green chilies, which can be skipped if you wish. The only thing that I do insist on is to please hand grate the vegetables, or the texture is not the same. I shallow fry the pancakes and think they yield a nice crunch to the pancakes this way.

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Serves 4 (about 20-25)

Ingredients

1 mmedium red potato (please use an organic potato, if like me you want the skin on)

2 cups grated rutabaga

3/4 cup grated fresh carrots

5 pods of garlic, minced

1 medium red onion, cut into a fine dice

1 teaspoon salt

2 green chilies, finely chopped

3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoons all purpose white flour

Oil for shallow frying

Method of Preparation

1. Grate the potato with the skin on and set aside in a colander for about 15 minutes, to drain the water out. The potato oxidizes and turns a little dark in color, but it tastes just fine.

2. Squeeze out any additional water and then place the potato in a large bowl. Add in the rutabaga and carrots and mix well.

3. Add in the garlic, onion, green chilies and cilantro.

4. Mix in the salt, egg and the flour.

5. Heat the oil on medium heat. It is important to fry the pancakes on a medium low heat.

6. Shape the mixture into medium ( about 3 inch) sized oval or round pancakes and lower into the oil. Let them fry undisturbed for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Gently press down to flatten and ensure a crisp texture.

7. Remove from the oil and drain lightly.

Note: The proportion of the vegetables in this recipe can be varied based on taste and it can be made with more potatoes if desired.

One of those bad good dishes...

I might as well warn anyone, for the most part the next few posts shall be all about bad good food, in case you are wondering what I mean by that, I mean food that tastes good, but not quite so good for you. But hey, tis the season. Also, it is going to be way to busy for me at work, so not really that relaxing in terms of the time of the year. What would normally be Santa's workshop, the office dowstairs is currently a podium for the new I-POD and the edges of the TV stand are begining to get all cluttered with mail.

However, it never stops me from cooking. One of my many weaknesses is fried calamari, actually fried food in general but I can actually get my partner in crime (PIC), to share the fried calamaris and enjoy them with untimate relish.

These were our dinner a few days back, I edged them with lime wedges and sliced ripe tomatoes of course topped them with lots of freshly ground black pepper. Quite delectable!

Crispy Coconut Calamari

Prep Time: 30 minutes (includes 15 minutes for resting)

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour

10 curry leaves very finely chopped (I actually use the scissors to thinly chop them)

4 green chillies minced

1/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1.5 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound calamari, cut into rings and separate tentacles

Oil for deep frying

To garnish

2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Tomato slices

Lime Wedges

Lots of black pepper

Method of Preparation

1. In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, finely chopped curry leaves, green chilies, coconut flakes, ginger and salt and mix well.

2. Add in the calamari and dredge the fish to coat the fish well with the coating.

3. Set aside for 15-20 minutes.

4. Heat the oil in a skillet, if you have a deep fryer, it is actually great for this recipe.

5. Cook the fish in batches at medium heat to allow the coating to gently turn golden brown.

6. Drain the fish and place on a serving tray.

7. Garnish with the cilantro, tomatoes and lime and add a few good grind of the fresh pepper and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Fish Curry

A curry has actually earned a bad reputation as being boring, but in all fairness a curry is about as boring as a sandwich or a soup, let us face it, these days we have the simple tuna fish on toast variations, or a classic and comforting BLT, to a down right impressive and stunning goat cheese panini. The curry for me too is much like a bowl of soup that ranges from light and comforting to rich and decadent. To truly bring out your curries flavors needs care and time rather than butter and cream.

This recipe is one of those that seem and taste like I nursed it with loads of precision, mostly due to the slow and well formed texture of the gravy balanced by the moist just done taste of the fish, this is why I love my slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Fish Curry

Prep/Cook Time: 4 hours (mostly unattended)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons oil

1 large red onion

1 inch- piece of peeled ginger

3 pods garlic

4-5 cardamoms

2-3 cloves

5 tomatoes, cut into a dice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon ghee

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 red chili crushed

1 teaspoon powdered coriander

1 pound of fish (I have used wild salmon), cut into pieces

1 teaspoon turmeric

1-2 tablespoons cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper

Method of Preparation

1. Place the onion, ginger and garlic in a food processor and grind to a paste.

2. Place the oil and the onion mixture in a slow cooker with the cardamoms and cloves and place on a 4 hours setting.

3. Remove the cover of the cooker after about 45 minutes, the onions should be sweaty and aromatic and beginning to turn golden, add in the tomatoes, salt and mix well.

4. Cook the mixture for about 2 hours undisturbed, by this time the sauce should be on a nice slow simmer.

5. Stir in the honey and the coriander seeds.

6. Heat the ghee and add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop and add in the crushed pepper and mix well.

7. Mix into the tomato mixture.

8. Rub the fish with the turmeric and lower into the tomato sauce and poach lightly for about 20 minutes.

9. Check the seasonings.

10. Garnish generously with the cilantro and fresh black pepper and serve.

Peniche on a Monday Evening

There is something about our household and eating out on Mondays. What I mean by this is that for some unbeknownst reason we plan on getting out, this too with the kids down in bed and realize that, we have picked a Monday. The problem with Mondays is that a lot of restaurants close down that day to recover from the weekend chaos.

Well, this Monday a few weeks back, the destination of choice was Peniche in White Plains a place serving Tapas, the delightful Spanish style small plates. The mood in the restaurant on this pre-holiday Monday evening was similar to what many other bloggers have described. Rather than being crowded the spacious restaurant had one large table a couple of smaller tables filled but was definitely quite, in fact, to the point the chatty waitress was entertaining herself chatting with us. She was rather funny rather than being annoying.

Now down to the food and drinks, we tried a cocktail called the portonic, which was an interesting cocktail made with port wine and tonic. Moving onto to the smaller bites, they had a selection of Pizza like flatbreads, rather unique and interest. We had a cheese and fruit platter and small mushroom and white truffle dish and absolutely delectable salt cod fritters. We also had an unusual quinoa dish, that was pleasing in its simplicity.

All in all a very pleasant experience, just the place you want to get to on a night where you want to eat, drink and be merry.

Peniche Tapas

175 Main St.

White Plains, NY

914-421-5012

The one that did not make it - Corn and Pomegranate Salsa

Today was one of those days that you enjoy, after a day well spent and savored. Yesterday was an incredibly  busy and very successful day for the most part, the food was all complete on time, the turkey well cooked and moist (thanks to the brineing) no major disasters, just the right number guests and all in just what you would want from an evening where you spent an incredible amount of time cooking.

The highlight of the evening for me really was a surprise visit from the brother all the way from Seattle. He wanted to make it in time for the holiday meal but actually missed the flight he was planning to take partly due to the X-ray machine being tripped off by the camera.
We both spent the day today around the house, noshing on the remains of the feast. I do not know if it happens to you but quite often in the middle of a frenzy I forget things that I make and plan to serve, this corn salsa that I am about to tell you about is actually one such dish. We enjoyed it today and I think it deserves a special mention.

Corn and Pomegranate Salsa

Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup frozen organic corn kernels, defrosted (I use the fire roasted variety by trader Joe's)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime
2 tablespoons of minced cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Place the corn and the pomegranate seeds in a bowl.
2. Mix in the onion, red chili powder and the salt and toss well.
3. Cut the lime and squeeze in the juice and mix well.
4. Stir in the cilantro and serve with chips or with your choice of meal.

So tell me, do you have items on your menu that sometimes do not make it to the table?

Pre-Thanksgiving musings - a shrimp curry

It is that time of the year when most of us feel reflective, the growing season is winding down, the year is ending the days are getting smaller and yes, it is Thankgiving. Like most people who love to cook, it is my favorite holiday of the year. I also like to reflect more on the things that I can be grateful for. From simple things like the joy I feel in the kitchen to more complicated things. Something that really helps is my children's after-school program that runs holiday coverage. They are right across the road, this helps on a day like today. I was at home but diwas running around trying to get all the shopping done, but did feel a little guilty, so my compromise was to make the kids some warm lunch and drop it off. A classic that never goes out of style is the grilled cheese. How I did theirs today was with oatmeal bread and some turkey and tomato in the center.

They came home very excited, to smells of a kitchen in action. Once they were in bed, I realized that I had to  fix dinner. This gets tricky, since the focus is on the next day. Anyhow, I looked at all that I had around me, it actually was converted into a very flavorful shrimp curry.

Shrimp Curry with Butternut Squash

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 inch piece of peeled ginger

3 pods garlic

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

10 curry leaves

1 -2 crushed whole red chilies

1 red onion, finely diced

1 cup butternut squash, diced

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

6-8 cranberries

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound of shrimp, shelled and de-veined

1 teaspoon honey

1-2 green chilies

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Place the ginger, garlic, cumin and coriander in a mortar and pound to a paste (this can be done in a grinder).

2. Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and when they crackle add in the curry leaves, crushed red chili and the onion and the spice paste and cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly until the onions begin to turn golden.

3. Add in the tomatoes and the squash and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, stirring the mixture frequently until the tomato softens and melts down into a pulp.

4. Add in the water, cranberries and the salt and bring the mixture to a simmer. The mixture should be a fairly think sauce, with pieces of fairly soft butternut squash.

5. Add in the shrimp and the honey and let the shrimp cook for about 5-6 minutes.

6. Finely chop the green chilies and stir into the curry.

10. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

11. Stir in the cilantro, turn of the heat and serve immediately with rice.

I am also thankful for this blog and for all the people who read this, it is a great source of happiness for me, for reasons I cannot explain.

A fall kind of dish

Most people who know me, know my love for fall, I love the colors, the nip in the air, the apples, the pears and the soft rustle of fall leaves under my feet. It is the only time of the year, I am not quite so excited about the rain, not that I do not like to see the vivid colors against the sombre skies on a rainy day, or like to simmer my favorite stew on a cool dark day, the rain takes the crunch of the leaves away.

The kids have been building piles of dry leaves and have been romping around in them, as you can see from the picture. On one of these days, I tried an apple dessert and found a keeper, it is simple and about as easy as a baked dish can be.

The first time round, I made it on Halloween evening and had overcrisped it a little, my cousin actually wanted the recipe, I have made it twice since and this time good the proportions down better. The pictures are from that overcrisp session, so please do not be discouraged by them.

A gallette is a good starter pie, it is essentially free form and the extra crust is folded over, I assembled it and used a pie place for a little support, but feel free to go completely un-guided with this one. I added very little honey to the apples, so other than the butter, this recipe is fairly wholesome too.

Apple Gallette

Prep Time: 5 hours (mostly to chill the crust)
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves 4-6 Poeple

Ingredients

For the Crust

1/3 cup almonds
1 cup whole wheat flour (I used regular atta, but you could use whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tablespoon sugar
14 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup cold water

For the pie

3 medium sized apples (2 granny smiths, 1 gala)
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 teaspoon powdered cardamoms

Method of Preparation

1. Place the almonds and the flour in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add in the butter and continue processing for 2-3 minutes
3. Gradually add in the cold water and process  for 1-2 minutes.
4. Remove the mixture from the food processor and knead for a few minutes until smooth.
5. Place the dough in the refridgerator for 3 hours.
6. Remove from the refridgerator and leave for about 20 minutes.
7. Cut the apples into quarters and core the apples before cutting them into thin slices.
8. Roll out the pie pastry to larger than an 9-inch pie pan (leaving about 2 inches of room),
9. Place into a greased pie pan and nicely layer all the apples around it, sprinkle with the cardamoms and drizzle with the honey.
10. Fold over the crust.
11. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is well browned and the apples smell cooked.

Cool slightly and serve warm with your favortie cup of tea.

Westchester Grocery

This little outlet was something that I had discovered by eating some amazing Chicken Seekh Kababs at someone's house almost three to four years back. I  was amazed at the great taste and then ventured onto Commerce Street in Thornwood to find Westchester Grocery. Now, these pictures have been taken with a very low resolution phone camera, yes, this was what I used earlier in the year, actually comming to think of it I am kind of low tech that way, I carry around a small no so fancy little camera for my travel and meandering kind of pictures, very rarely use the phone for taking pictures.

This being said, it does occasionally come in handy. So, I say this to tell you that the place is probably a little brighter than the pictures here but it is a no frills place that is a grocery store and food place

all in one. The food is inexpensive (relatively) and consists of an assortment of prepared curries both vegetables and meat dishes and several snack items such as the kebabs that I mentioned, breads and rice dishes that are available a la carte. They also cater or take larger orders on request. They have a seating area, which would actually make it a good lunch spot if you are in the area.

 The grocery section is a smal but highly servicabe Indian/Pakistani grocery, by this I mean that all the essentials are available here, spices, lentils, rice and a selection of frozen food. They do not extend to novelty items like snacks and cookware. They do have a good selection of frozen foods several of which are Halal.

All in all, for those of you who keep asking me for a good eating place and a grocery store, this one combines both as long as you are willing to forgive the ambience. I personally love these small scale eating places and am sorry that we do not have more of them in the area.

Westchester Groceries

546 Commerce Street

Thornwood, NY 10594

914 747 0445

Sooji Dhokla

Cooking and try out new things is often a world of surprises, some very pleasant and most unexpected. Well, for many a reason, I do not usually blog about the unpleasant. I was home on Tuesday, fighting the cold/fever combo.

Later in the day 14 hours of sleep later, I wanted to make something that everyone could come home to.  It did not take me very long to come across this recipe, I pretty much followed Trupti's aunt's recipe and was stunned at the soft, quick and snowy results. I actually made these in an idly mold and cut them in hallf, this accounts for the strange shapes in the picture.

Now for the recipe,

Sooji Dhokla - Steamed Semolina Cakes

Prep Time: 2 hours (mostly to let the batter rest)

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 small piece (about 1/2 inch) peeled ginger

2 green chilies

2 tablespoons water

1 cup fine semolina

3/4 cup thin yogurt

1 tablespoon chickpea flour (besan)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 lime

1 teaspoon Eno fruit salt or 1/2 teaspoon Alka ASeltzer

For the tempering

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1 tablespoon sweetened desicated coconut

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1-2 broken dried red chili

1/8 teaspoon asafetida

1 lime

1-2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Place the ginger and green chilies and  water in a small chopped and grind to a paste.

2. Place the semolina, yogurt, chickpea flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and stir well.

3. Mix in the ginger paste and set aside for at least one hour in a warm place.

4. Pour water in a large steaming containe.

5. Grease a shallow round tray that fits into the steaming container.

6. Fill the steaming tray with water and bring to a simmer/

7. Add the alka setzer or eno into the batter and stir lighter.

8. Pour the batter in the greased tray and place in the steaming container and steam for about 12 minutes.

9. Keep the lid closed for about 10 minutes.

10. Unmold and place on a serving plate. Cut into halves

11. Heat the oil and add in the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop.

12. Quickly add in the sesame seeds and broken dried red chilies and cook for a few more seconds.

13. Add in the coconut and mix well and turn off the heat.

14. Squeeze in the lime juice and pour the lime juice mixture over the dhoklas and sprinkle with the cilantro before serving.

This recipe was met with a lot of approval from both children and dad, I think the wish is to feature it again for weekend brunch.

Simple Seasonal Perfect - Harvest on Hudson

There are days when you want go out and have a special meal, but want simplicity in the cuisine, well heeled but country styled settings,. particularly when the whether has this nip in the air. This is when you want to head off to a tested a tried place like the Harvest on Hudson.

I have eaten there a few times and this picture was from a meal about a year back. I was just was waiting for the right time to write about my wonderful experiences here.


 Late fall and winter, the garden action in my life is slower, allowing me the time to catch up on old posts.

Anyhow back to my dinning experience, this meal was a perfect simple pan fried cod, and you can see from the amazing golden coloring and flaky finish how nicely done this was. The other item that we had ordered was gnocchi tossed in brown butter and sage. I have been here at least a couple of times, when I was working in the area. What is also worthwhile is the beautiful view that is pretty all around, since it is on the edge of the Hudson and overlooks the Palisades. So if you are looking for a place that will not disappoint and is set and done up nicely with absolutely perfectly done foods that is interesting but not dauntingly complex, give this place a try.

Harvest On Hudson

1 River Street

Hastings on Hudson, NY 10706

914 478 2800

A messy tasty vacation dish

Remember I told you about the kids little two by two plots, well low and behold they did deliver the radishes as promised. Interestingly enough, a few years back my friend Ken was actually telling me about his daughter (then probably my older one's age say 7) wanting to grow their own and how radishes had a short turnaround. I was kind of half listening to all of that, well now I can relate. I shall tell you all the fun stuff we did with the radishes at some later time. Actually, we have been up to all kinds of fun stuff - apple picking, raspberry picking, I shall tell you about it by and by during those cold winter months when there shall not be any garden stories to share.

 Well, I wanted to actually get to telling you about this really simple recipe I had created when we were visiting my brother in Seattle. Despite some reservations I actually have posted this somewhat messy looking picture, since it capture the spirit of both the dish and the wonderful vacation that we had. It took us some time to figure out how to expand his drop leaf table, to fit all the food we were cookig. It is important to let you know that my brother does not really stock a spice cabinet or actually any pantry of sorts. The deal is that I send him a list before I visit and he is exceedingly dill.igent about getting anything I ask of him, so how can I complain?

To keep up my side of the deal, I carry a minimal amount of spices and we are happy. So now back to the shrimp, or should I say the accidental shrimp, since it came from a small container of tamarind chutney that had accompanied some Indian takeout and was sitting on a kitchen counter waiting to be converted to my tamarind shrimp.

Tamarind Chili Shrimp

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 18-20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1.5 pounds of extra large shrimp

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chat masala

1/3 cup tamarind chutney

2 tablespoons oil

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 shallots thinly chopped

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

4 green chilies, cut into thin lengthwise slivers

2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Shell and clean the shrimp and pat dry.

2. Place in a bowl and mix with the salt and chat masala.

3. Mix with t. he tamarind chutney.

4. Heat the oil and add the grated ginger and the shallots and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add in the mustard seeds and wait for them for pop slightly.

6. Add in the shrimp  and tamarind chutney cook for about 2-3 min utes and mix well.

7. Add in the green chilies and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.

8. Garnish with cilantro and serve over steaming rice or couscous

Broiled Thai Red Curry Fish

I think something that I find very pai nful, is to go back to recipe notes and re-write it. In other words, if I can capture a recipe into words right away, it remains, if not it is usually  lost. The camera helps, I often go back to old picture and if and only if the recipe is worth it, I go back to the notes.

Well, this one certainly was in my opinion worthwhile, also I think it was about time to remember that I had the blog and actually get back to writing on it. Actually, I have been inundated with several things, and the classes have been keeping me busy.

Anyhow, this recipe first started out with a Thai red curry paste recipe, that I had adapted from this site. The paste stores well in the refridgerator for 2-3 weeks or more.

Thai Red Curry Paste

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon dried chopped lemon grass
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coariander seeds
2 tablespoons crushed palm sugar or jaggery
5 whole dried red chilies
1 lime

Method of Preparation

1. Place the onion, ginger, garlic, paprika, fish sauce, chopped lemon grass, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, palm sugar or jaggery in a blender.
2. Add in the whole dried red chilies. Cut in squeeze in the lime juice.
3. Blend the mixture until smooth, now, I should mention that the traditional texture for such a recipe should be a little grainy.

Broiled Thai Red Curry Fish

Prep Time: 45 minutes (mostly to marinate)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1.5 pounds of fish (I used steel head trout, in this recipe)
3-4 tablespoon red curry paste
1/3 cup coconut cream
3-4 kafir lime leaves
10-12 thai basil leaves
Extra lemon to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Prepare the fish into 4 pieces, rub with the thai curry paste and set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Place in a baking dish, brush generously with the coconut cream, mince the kafir lime leaves and scatter over the fish.
3. Broil the fish lightly for 6-7 minutes on each side.
4. Carefully place on a serving plate, garnish with the thai basil leaves and serve with lemon slices.

Actually one of the highlights of this summer was growing Thai Basil leaves, what an amazing powerhouse of flavor in just 3-4 small leaves. We enjoyed the fish as is, but it would be wonderful over jasmine rice.

A homey lentil dish

I made this very basic lentils about a week back, actally right after I returned from India. I was rather tired, I had gone into work right after I came in however the lagged exhaustion hit later, I came back in around 3 pm and went straight to bed. I was woken up a couple of hours later by two excited people jumping on my bed. It was actually wonderful to see them. It was a nice break but a really conflicted one without the little ones.

All in all, I caught up with some old friends thanks to Facebook, and also bought a lot of reading material. I am looking forward to reading some of the books, the cool weather is just right for that. I made this immensely simple lentils and was really stunned by the flavor, I did not even temper it, all it had was the goodness of toor dal (yellow split pigeon peas), tomatoes, garlic, lime and cilantro. I finished it off by melting some butter into it. It was pure and simple wonderful.

Homey Yellow Split Pigeon Peas  - Toor Dal with Tomatoes and Garlic

Prep Time: 3-4 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes (in a pressure cooker)

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup toor dal - (Yellow Split Pigeon Peas)

2 cups water

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

2 pods garlic

2 tomatoes, chopped

2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 lime

Freshly ground black pepper

Additional chopped cilantro

1 tablepsoon butter

Method of Preparation

1. Place the toor dal, water, salt, garlic and tomatoes and cilantro in the pressure cooker and cook under pressure for 10 minutes.

2. Cool and remove the pressure and mix the lentils well.

3. Cut the lime and squeeze in the juice, add plenty of black pepper, stir in the cilantro and butter.

4. Enjoy by itself or with plenty of steamed white rice.

An early fall weekend...

The start of September this year, could not pronounce more loudly that Fall was here. It was almost like Mother Nature had come in with a big magic wand and waved it around us, “Ok folks, it’s back to school time and my favorite season fall is here!” Aadi started kindergarten this year, stealing the thunder a little from Deepta. His first day went well he is missing his old pre-school and friends. I shall miss it too! It has been a part of my life for almost seven years, since it included the daycare for Deepta. My son is a lot like me, he needs to ease into change but once settled he does well.

It is cooler in our little backyard, but the garden is still prolific. This weekend’s catch was – green bell peppers, fresh fragrant orange carrots, little spicy habaneras and of course loads of tomatoes.  The habaneras a special gift, grown from a plant that was being discarded by the nursery. So while I am not a huge fan of super spicy peppers, these ones are special.
I had loads of fun, earlier in the week with cucumbers and realized that I can do more with them than just salads.

The kids have planted radishes in their little 2 by 2 plots and they have been growing, they have promised me radishes for thanksgiving. It is good to see the working farm grow! Actually the kids garden project was quite a production, starting with digging the hole and getting the planks assembled and then of course moving onto to the more hands-on aspect of it. Nonetheless, they had started their own version of it in various places such as the center of the lawn, so this is much better. Of course, one has to keep reminding them to water their plants!

Thanks to Rosh Hashanah, I had the benefit of a long weekend and the time to cook all this lovely bounty, not to mention being able to sleep in. Actually, one of the days we had the kids signed up for the entire day at the afterschool program which offers holiday coverage and I took off with the husband to explore a few of the wineries on the CT wine trail. I shall be telling you about our “finds” and travels shortly.

One of the things I have learnt with my household is that whenever I get organized to put together a meal I think takes a little more thought and time, they get “hungry” even before I start.

To nip these preliminary hunger pangs in the bud, I made the carrot salad and kept that available, to stave of all the hunger and snack cravings. A simple salad with some sweet and sour flavors designed to bring out the best of the crisp carrots. While this salad is lovely plain, it works well as an unusual slaw with pan fried fish or a complement to sandwiches, I have tried them with egg salad pita pockets, looks as good as it tastes.
I have also tried adding some Thai basil to the mixture to give it an interesting taste.

Carrot and Ginger Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes (15 minutes to let the flavors settle)

Serves 4

Ingredients

7-8 medium sized carrots, tops removed
1 teaspoon, freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon chat masala
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sliced almonds (could be pistachios)
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Method of preparation

1. Peel the carrots and grate and place in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix in the ginger, chat masala and salt.
3. In a separate small glass bowl add in the honey (I place this in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds to let it liquefy, since it coats the vegetables more easily this way).
4. Add the vinegar and black pepper to the honey and pour the dressing over the carrots and toss well.
5. Stir in the cilantro.
6. Let the salad sit in room temperature for about 15 minutes to let the flavors settle and add in the almonds, (note, I would have preferred pistachios, for the contrasting color, but my son is allergic to them, hence the almonds). This salad works well up to 1-2 hours outside on a cool day, if you plan on serving it later, just place in the refrigerator where it stays up to a day.
7.Enjoy the lovely medley of colors and tastes.
Well, now that I managed to find something to entertain the husband, when he complained about being hungry, I went on to cooking the rest of the meal. This is what I enjoy, chopping and savoring the fresh fragrances while food cooks and turns into nourishment.

The lamb chops needed to be braised slowly before I broiled them, so I started this process in a slow cooker and did a bunch of other things for a couple of hours. I love the slow cooker for Indian meals that way it takes longer but does not really need any hands on attention. I was then ready to get back to the cooking, the lamb got finished off and then the lentils and saffron rice. I do have to tell you, (ok, so I am making excuses for the bad pictures), simple food like this, looks plain but the tastes are well worth the effort!

Braised and lightly crisped spicy lamb chops

The lamb chops are slow cooked in a robustly spiced sauce, which is then dried off and lightly crisped in the broiler. This preparation would work well with baby back ribs as well.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 31/2 hours (mostly in the slow cooker)

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

4 tomatoes
4 pods of garlic
1 medium sized (1.5 inches) piece of peeled ginger
1 small habanera pepper (can be substituted with 5 green serrano chilies)
2-3 dried red chilies
1.5 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
3-4 pods cardamom
10-12 cloves
1 large stick cinnamon
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1.5 teaspoons salt
3 pounds of lamb rib chops
1-2 tablespoons of oil

To garnish

Cilantro and sliced red onions

Method of Preparation

1. Cut the tomatoes into half, place in a blender with the garlic, ginger, pepper, red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
2. Add in the vinegar, sugar and salt and grind for about 5-6 minutes until well blended.
3. Place the lamb in the prepared cooking sauce and cook in a slow cooker on high for about 3 hours.
4. By this time, the lamb should be fair soft and the sauce should be rather thin.
5. Place the lamb and the sauce in a skillet and cook for another 10 minutes on high to allow the sauce to cook down till is fairly dry and coats the lamb. The now thick sauce shall be rather unevenly clinging to the meat.
6. Place the lamb chops in a single layer on a baking tray and drizzle with the oil and broil for about 5 minutes on low, till very lightly crisped.
7. Serve garnished with cilantro and red onions.

Yellow Moong lentils in a tomato green bell pepper base (Sookhe Dal)

The lentils were prepared slightly differently in that I actually cooked the moong lentils separately until they were cooked through but still separate and dry and folded the lentils into to the separate sauce base, much like a pilaf, using lentils instead of rice. The worked well with this meal, but would also be nice with toasted pita triangles on their own as a simple light lunch.


Prep Time: 5-7 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients

1 cup of yellow moong lentils
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups water
2-3 tablespoons oil
1 large green bell pepper cut into a dice
1 small red onion, cut into a dice
1 large tomato, cut into a dice
½ teaspoon red chili pepper
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Chopped cilantro to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Place the lentils in a cooking pot with the turmeric, salt and water and bring the water to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes on low heat, until the lentils are cooked through but still separate. It is important not to overcook the grains. This should take about 15-20 minutes
2. While the lentils are cooking heat the oil and add the bell peppers and the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, add in the tomato and ginger and cook stirring gently until the tomato is soft and breaks down into a soft pulpy sauce.
3. Stir in the lentils gently into the mixtures and add 1/3 cup water and cook till the water cooks down.
4. Add in the cilantro and serve with the rice.

I combined all of this nicely with some saffron rice. This is my comfort food, my festive food and in general food that I cannot live without. A simple rice variation like this is something that can also be thrown together in the rice cooker. The rice cooker can be quite useful for baseline simple rice dishes and it keeps the rice warm while the rest of meal is being brought to the table, however I would also just as easily put this together in the usual way.

Saffron Cardamom Rice

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients

1.5 cup of basmati rice
3 cups of water
1 teaspoon saffron strands
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 cardamoms
1 tablespoon butter

Method of Preparation

1. Place the rice and water in a cooking pot or the rice cooker.
2. Add in the saffron, salt and cardamoms and bring the water to a simmer.

3. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Next week, I shall be in India! Hopefully time permitting I shall try to sneak in a post about food, sights and sounds of India. When I back I shall be cooking the butternut squash growing nicely on its little tree.