KitchenHelper

Green Rice

2007-03-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that makes me "Lunchbox Swap" with Mohati.
Easy to make and extremely yummy..

Ingredients
Cooked rice (Should be cooked in such a way that the grains remain separate and are not sticky)
Vegetables (Potatoes-diced, green beans-chopped, peas, onions-thinly sliced)
Ghee/oil
Whole cloves (4-5)
Cinnamon (1/2 stick)
Bay leaves
Ginger
Whole Pepper corn (4-5)
Jeera (Cumin seeds)
Green chillies
Green Chutney (see below)

Method:
Put the diced potatoes, beans and peas in a pot of water and boil them for ~20 mins until they are a little tender (don’t overcook them).
Heat the ghee/oil in a big pan and add the jeera, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and bay leaves to it. After they simmer for a while add the sliced onions and cook for a while. Thereafter add the ginger and green chilles to it. Then in a few mins add the cooked veggies and about half a cup of the green chutney to it (the amount of green chutney you add can vary depending on how much you like it). Let it cook for about 5-7 mins and then turn off the heat. After a while mix the rice into this veggie mix. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Green Chutney
This is a mildly spicy, very flavorful sauce that will go as an accompaniment with a lot of Indian dishes. It can be made in larger amounts and frozen. It is best to freeze it in small containers so you can remove one, thaw and use. That way you don’t freeze-thaw too many times.

Ingredients

Fresh cilantro (2-4 bunches) (Washed and finely chopped)
Green chillies (10-12 or more depending on how spicy you want it)
Ginger
Lemon/Lime
Peanuts
Ground Jeera powder [one tablespoon]
Salt
Sugar
Oil

Method:
Grind the peanuts in a grinder and add the salt, sugar and jeera powder to it. Then add the green chillies and ginger and grind everything. After that start adding the cilantro bit by bit making a nice even paste. Squeeze a lemon and add a tablespoon of oil to it. You may need to add a little water to make it nice and even (don’t add too much though).

Note: You can also reduce the amount of cilantro and substitute it with mint to it to make mint chutney.

Chole (Spicy Chick peas)

2007-03-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

The last gathering of the group at A's had seen Mohati cook finger licking good Chole. So after much nagging and begging and pleading, she has given up her recipe..

Ingredients:
2 cans chick peas (garbanzo beans) [remove water and run water over them]
One big onion [Sliced, thin and long]
One can diced tomatoes or 2-3 fresh tomatoes diced
Ginger (minced) [~1-2 tablespoons]
Garlic (minced) [~1 tablespoon]
Chole masala (spice) [Available in India stores]
Jeera (Cumin seeds)
Whole pepper corns [4-5]
2 Bay leaves
Whole cloves [4-5]
Red chilli powder
Turmeric
Salt
Oil

Method:
Take a pot/pan and heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in it for a few minutes. Add a teaspoon of jeera to it. Then add the bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves and let them simmer for a while. When you smell the aroma of the pepper, jeera and the cloves add the onions. Let the onions cook for a while. [Do not cover the pot]. Then add the ginger and stir for a while. After a few minutes add the garlic and let it cook some more until the onions start becoming a little brown. Then add the tomatoes (along with the juice in the can). Let this cook for a long time until the gravy looses the water and becomes dry and the oil starts to separate. Then add the chole, masala according to taste (2-3 tablespoons), a pinch of turmeric and salt. Give it a quick stir and add a cup of water to it. You can add more or less depending on the consistency. Let it simmer for a while and then remove from heat and serve with poori/naan/rice. You can sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro on top before serving.

Martiniville

2007-02-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

Image Courtesy - http://www.kingofcocktails.com/

So the talk of Martini and my collection (rather blackmail payments from H and other friends is now a known fact). So I am taking the liberty to publish some of the well known ones ...

1. The Absolute aka "Let's start at the ABC of Martini making"

5 parts vodka

1 part triple sec

2 parts fresh lemon juice

1 dash orange bitters
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

2. The Spin Off - Comes from my love of a good Rum .. (Sold as the Daiquiri Martini)

2½ oz. Bacardi light rum
2 oz. Fresh lime juice
1 tsp. Superfine sugar
Combine ingredients in mixing glass. Add ice, shake and strain into your martini glass.

3. The Champagne Martini

1 1/2 oz. Vodka

Champagne
Pour vodka in to a chilled champagne flute. Fill with champagne.

4. The Cosmopolitian (Something I can't stand..)

1 1/2oz. Vodka

1/2 oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec

3/4 oz. Cranberry Juice

1/4 oz. Lime Juice

Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a cockail glass, and Garnish with a lime squeeze.

5. The Sunset Martini

1Part Absolut Mandarin Orange Vodka
1Part Cranberry Cocktail
1Part Sprite
Shake all in the cocktail shaker with/ without ice .Garnish with with orange twist if desired

6. The Lychee Martini -

6 oz vodka

1 1/2 oz Cointreau

And Lychee Puree.

Fill cocktail shaker with ice cubes and add lychee purée, vodka, and Cointreau. Shake and serve. Garnish with fresh Lychees.

For the Lychee puree - Puree Lychees (1 16 Oz can) in ~ 1/4 cup of syrup or if you are lazy like me - use the sweetened juice :P

7. The Mango Martini - Thanks to HMM for this one .. will try it one of these days..

1 part Kayree Panhe (see below)

1 part Vodka

Fill cocktail shaker with ice cubes and the panha, vodka, and shake. Serve in a chilled Martini glass.

For The Kayree Panha -

4 medium-sized raw green mangoes
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tbsp coarsely ground black rock salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsps Aniseed/fennel seeds ground coarsely
2 tbsps cumin seeds roasted and ground coarsely
Chilled water
Crushed ice
Sprigs of mint to garnish
Wash, peel and grate the raw mangoes. Mix the mangoes, sugar and water in a deep saucepan and boil till the mangoes are soft.
Put this mixture into a food processor and blend till smooth.
Put the blended mix back into the saucepan and on a medium flame.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 20 minutes.
Take off from the fire and allow to cool completely.

Veggie Puff Pastry

2007-01-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things from a bakery shop at home was stuffed puff pastries - either with Kheema or Veggies. This is my version of it.
Ingredients -
1 Puff Pastry Sheet Box (makes 12)
4 potatoes boiled and mashed
1 large red onion finely chopped
1 cup of peas (I use frozen)
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp crushed ginger
2-3 chillies (depends on taste)
Any additional veggie, according to taste
Garam masala, salt to taste and oil and tadka ingredients (mustard seeds - 1tsp, haldi 1/2 tsp)

Method -
1. Remove the pastry sheet to thaw.
2. Do the tadka - heat oil, add mustard seeds . When they begin to sputter, add the haldi (turmeric powder).
3. Add the chillies, garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute. Add onions. Fry till golden brown. And garam masala.
4. Add Potatoes and mix. Add the remaining veggies. Mix well. Season with salt to taste. Add chilli powder if you want to increase the heat (I prefer the filling to be a little spicy).
5. Let it cool.
6. Cut the thawed pastry sheets into 3 equal portions horizontally and divide each into two.
7. Take 1 piece, add filling at one end. Fold over in half. Press the edges to seal. Store under a moist paper till all the pastry strips are filled.
8. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, till golden brown. Serve warm with "Hot and Sweet" Ketchup and Cool Litchee juice.

Any stuffing will do. Use your imagination and bake away.

Tip - Bake all the pastry and store in the fridge in an airtight container. Heat through again in the oven at 400 F for 5 minutes. I have never stored them beyond 2 days.

Bowl Party

2007-01-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

I decided to get off the usual chicken wings and beer menu to try something fancy. The menu was bruschetta, tomato and herb soup and taboulleh. The alcohol was beer :) Yeah watching the game without the beer is .. well .. just plain stupid but the beer was Smirnoff's Green Apple (I hear you snorting in disdain - it is actually a good beer :/)

Bruschetta

Ingredients -A loaf of freshly baked French bread

A ready made Pesto sauce (found where the Italian things are kept in the cold section)

A freshly cut tomato and cheese.

Cut the loaf into 3 parts (depending on size of loaf- each should be about 5-6 inches). Broil in a oven till it browns.

Then spread the pesto over it, arrange the slices of tomato, sprinkle cheese and return to oven for another 5 minutes till the cheese melts.

Serve warm.

Tomato soup - 1 can of fresh tomato soup (I prefer Campbell), some fresh herbs - Basil and thyme.

Heat soup as per instructions. Spruce up with some fresh herb, freshly ground pepper and croutons :)

Taboulleh -

1 box of Taboulleh (or 1 cup cracked wheat or bulgur and 1 tsp all spice)

1/2 cucumber finely chopped.

1 tomato finely chopped.

1 scallion finely chopped.

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Basil or flat leaf parsley.

Lettuce leaves to serve

Add 1 cup boiling water to the cracked wheat. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Then add the the remaining ingredients. Adjust salt to taste. Cover and keep in fridge till serving time.

Served scooped on lettuce leaves.

Veggie Chili

2007-01-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love winters. Nothing removes the chill of a winter night as warm soup and homemade warm bread. Since winters have not been the norm this year (we had measly snow - all of 8 snow flakes :/), I had not tried out my collection of soup recipes. Also now a days, with none of my usual crowd dropping in for dinner - I loathe cooking elaborate dinners for one :( But last Sunday, I decided to get back into the game.. I am reopening the Food Club (actually forcefully dragging in my friends to eat ... they don't have to cook :/). With that thought I went and restocked my pantry and made the first winter soup of the year - Veg Chili.

Being a grad student with a completely eratic schedule, my meals are a version of Sandra Lee Meets Rachel Ray - they are simple enough to be made in half an hour or so, with a lot of store bought pre-made stuff, and though good to look at and eat, they are not as elaborate as Lee's meals. The Chili is no exception - canned beans, tomatoes and spice packets are spiffed up with fresh veggies to make a hearty meal in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients -

1 18 oz. can of Red Beans

18 oz. can of Pinto Beans

24 oz can of Tomatoes (chili ready or not)

1 packet of Chili spice (or 1/2 tsp each of powdered oregano, coriander, cumin, cloves and all spice)

2 tsp (or more) of pepper flakes

Fresh Veggies - Chopped onions, Capsicum (I have both yellow and green in this version), garlic and anything else you might want to add :)

Oil and salt to taste

Recipe -
In about 1 Tbsp of oil saute the onions, the capsicum, garlic till the veggies get tender.

Then add the beans and tomatoes and little bit of water.

Either add the chili mix according to the directions or add the spice mix. Bring the mixture to boil and turn down the heat and let it simmer for 15- 20 min.

I actually like to eat the chili after it is a day old and all the spices have marinated. I have served it with garlic bread stick here (store bought and warmed in the oven) but I prefer eating it with Corn bread.

The Soul Of A New Cuisine

2006-12-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

I love African food - the ingredients are familiar to a Desi like me but the taste is so uniquely different. To a spicy (hot) food lover like me, the food is a delight (harissa or berbere.. yummmmm). So when I saw Marcus Samuelsson's book in the library, I grabbed it with both hands. In under 2 hours flat, I had bookmarked 90% of the book for things to try. The book is a beauty, in terms of simplicity of the recipes, the depth of knowledge and the pictures of Africa.

I expected no less from this brilliant chef (Executive Chef at the New York restaurants, Riingo and Aquavit ). Ethipion born and raised in Sweden, the Chef shares the diversity of African culture and food in this book. Featuring 200+ recipes, ranging from spicy stews to the spice blends, made with ingredients readily available in American markets,the book is a keeper.

Here are a few recipes from the book (to look at a few pages of the book, click here (pdf))-

HARISSA - I love this hot spice mix. I use it as a rub(on meat) or as a condiment. It stores up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
3/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground caraway
1 cup mild chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped mint

Method:
Heat the oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. When shimmers, add the garlic and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the caraway,chili powder, coriander, salt, and mint and stir to combine. Let cool.

And here's something that I will make right after I come back from my break -

POMEGRANATE RICE
Ingredients
2 tablespoon spiced butter or unsalted butter
2 cups broken jasmine rice or long grain white rice
1/2 cups olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 two-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 cinnamon stick
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup pistachios
Seeds from 2 pomegranates

Method:
Melt the butter in medium sauté pan over very low heat. Add 1/2 cup of the rice, stirring to coat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is a nut-brown color. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, ginger, cinnamon, and the remaining 1 1/2 cups rice and sauté, stirring frequently, until the rice is golden brown, about five minutes. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.
Mix together the rices in a bowl, and fold in the pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
Remove the bay leaf. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Thanksgiving Menu

2006-11-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

SInce I am going to be working during the break and will be eating alone, Idecided to re-make last year's menu for a thanksgiving dinner. This wasy I already have the kinks worked out and making the dinner will be no fuss and a happy experience. So I wil be making a Chicken breast cooked in cranberry spice sauce (I wanted to do Turkey breast, but I have Chicken at home, so I will just cook that) and Jalapeno stuffed Cornbread. (I am skipping the stuffing because the poultry is going to be cooked in sauce and will not be dry). And Apple pie for dessert (I buy the Betty Crocker frozen version. Its good and saves me a lot of work).
So I will spend the afternoon cooking and then eat an early dinner and drink wine (A dry Sula white wine- courtsy of H :)) and watch football- the traditional way of celebrating.

Most importantly, I will remember to be grateful for all the good things that happened this year and all those people who have made life so much more fun. After all, this is a day for rememberance of life's bountiful harvest.

Here is the recipe for the Chicken with Cranberry spice Sauce:

1 (2 1/2 - 3 lb.) Chicken breast, cut up
Dash pepper and 1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. canned jellied cranberry sauce
1 c. water
1 tbsp. wine vinegar
3 whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 tbsp. seedless raisins
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In hot butter in 9" or 10" skillet, saute chicken, few pieces at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Mix cranberry sauce, 1 cup water, vinegar, cloves, cinnamon and raisins; pour over chicken, turning occasionally. Simmer gently, covered, over low heat, about 40 minutes or until chicken is fork tender. Remove chicken to heated platter. Make a paste of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into mixture in skillet. Simmer gently, stirring until thickened. Serve over chicken. Makes 4 servings.

Here is how to make the Jalapeno Cornbread

3 c. cornbread mix
2 1/2 c. milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. drained whole kernel corn
8 sm. jalapenos, chopped
2 1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 lg. onion, chopped
1/2 c. salad oil or bacon grease

In a mixing bowl, mix together cornbread mix, milk and eggs. Add corn, jalapenos, cheese and onion. Heat oil and add to mixture. Pour into 3 (8 inch) pans and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. This is for a large crowd and may be cut down.

Quick and Easy-1

2006-11-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

I have been busy of late and coming home to cook a full meal and take pictures was becoming a pain. But I have realized that I have been neglecting the blog completely. So forgive me for not putting up pictures, but here are some quick recipes for simple meals-

Chicken Curry:
Ingredients : About 2 medium sized onions, diced. 2-3 cloves of garlic, diced. 2 tomatoes, diced, 1 yellow capsicum, cut into strips. 1-2 lbs. of chicken breasts (you can use thighs and legs or any other part) seasoned with salt and pepper.

In a pan (which can be set into the oven at about 400-450 C), heat up vegetable oil. Lightly brown the garlic, then add onions. After they turn translucent, add the tomatoes and the chicken (I like my chicken lightly browned and so sear them in a pan and then add to the veggie mix). Add the capsicum. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like mine a bit spicy, so I add some chilli mix that I have to season it up. Then put the pan into a pre heated oven at 400 C. The chicken will cook up in about 30 minutes. If you pierce it with a fork, the meat should be easily pierced and will mostly fall apart.
I serve this with Basmati rice seasoned with a tadka of cumin seeds and curry leaves.

I like cooking this curry becuse after 10-15 minutes of prep work, I pop it into the oven and can relax over a drink.

The second dish is Patrani Machchi.
This is a traditional Parsi dish and I love it. They make a variation of this in goa and I always try and make this whenever I get a fresh cut of salmon.
Make a paste of coriander leaves, mint, coconut grated, salt and chili. Rub a fillet of salmon with this paste. Wrap in banana leaf (I have tried it with grape leaf and in a beetle leaf, just because they were there. The grape is a good variation)or just use aluminum foil. Steam for 20 minutes. Serve with a slice of lemon. This is a good, light dinner. The paste can be made in advance and stores well in the freezer.

Corn Chevda/Mix

2006-10-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

A fun and easy way to serve corn from Mohati.

Corn Chevda
A 30 min meal!
The best thing about this is that it can be made very quick and with very few ingredients, the ingredients marked with an asterick can be omitted and it will still taste very good.

Ingredients:
Corn kernels (Canned or frozen) - 2 cans
Chopped green chillies- 2 tbsp (or to taste)
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Milk- 1/2 cup
Salt (to taste)
Ginger (paste/finely chopped)- 2 tsps
*Garlic (paste/finely chopped)- 1 tsp
*Asafoeitida (Hing)- a pinch
*Dry red chilly - 1
*Sesame seeds- 2 tsps
*Turmeric powder- a pinch
*Cilantro (chopped, for garnishing)

Method:
If you are using frozen corn, add water and heat it for a while till it is cooked (5-8 mins in the microwave should do it, or 10-15 min on the stove). Run half the corn though the blender and make a coarse paste.
Heat the oil in a big pan. After it heats for about 5-7 mins on medium heat add the mustard seeds. As they start popping add the red chilly, sesame seeds, asafoeitida, ginger, garlic and green chillies to the oil. Give it a quick stir and immediately add all the corn to it. Add a pinch of turmeric powder to this. Let it cook for about 5 mins and add the milk and salt. Cook if for about 15 more mins, add half the chopped cilantro and mix it well. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a while before garnishing it with more cilantro and serving.

Serving suggestion: While eating mix sev in it. Gives it a nice crunchy texture.

Popcorn fest

2006-10-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

What better way to spend a day than watch movies and eat popcorn.. Here's Jessica's take on an easy way to make the staple movie food. She has also given some quick recipes to jazz it up!

Quick and easy -
Place 1/4 cup popping corn kernels in a brown paper lunch bag, and fold the top of the bag closed. Put it in the microwave and cook on high for about 1 minute 20 seconds or until the corn has stopped popping. Transfer the popcorn to a bowl, and add salt and melted butter to taste.

Or for the more adventurous try these...

Spicy Popcorn
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine paprika, salt, cumin, cayenne, and black pepper. Toss hot popcorn with oil to coat evenly, then toss with spice mixture.

Parmesan Popcorn
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Toss hot popcorn with oil to coat evenly, then toss with Parmesan mixture.

Cinnamon-Sugar Popcorn
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons melted butter

Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss hot popcorn with melted butter to coat evenly, then toss with sugar mixture

Lemon Rice

2006-09-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

I studied at UDCT, Matunga - an area famous for its Udipi food. One of my favourite dish there used to be Lemon rice.

Here's the recipe from Sameera.
Ingredients:

2 cups rice
1 lemon or lemon concentrate
5-6 red chilli
2-3 green chilli (can avoid this)
peanuts (groundnuts)
chana dal
urad dal
curry leaves
1/4 spoon of turmeric
1/4th cup of oil (reduce it if you don't like it oily)
salt

Procedure:

Cook rice separately. On side toast peanuts in a little bit of oil (a teaspoon), followed by chana dal and then urad dal. All these have to be toasted separately as each take different times.(Note: just wait till you see some color on them). Urad dal gets burned fast so be careful. Peanuts may take a little longer than all.
Cut green chillies length wise and remove seeds. That removes most of heat. Now lightly roast curry leaves and green chilli followed by red chillies (takes just 1 min or so).
Take cooked rice in a bowl and add some oil. Mix turmeric powder and everything else to it. Now add salt (to taste). Cut lemon and squeeze lemon juice. For my taste, the whole lemon was good. Adjust according to your taste. Mix everything well.

Quick recipe, as in 15 -20 min, its ready on your plate.

Have it with yogurt or plain.

Time saver: keep rice in rice cooker and start working on other things. By the time rice is ready all the ingredients to be added are ready. All U have to do then is mix them well.

Simply Potato

2006-09-05T06:06:00.000-07:00

This is a real ,easy and quick recipe-under 30 minutes is sent by one of the best cooks I know, Madhuli.

What you need:
4 Medium sized Potatoes
1 tsp cumene powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder)

1 tsp dry red chilli powder

salt as per taste

For the tadka (tempering):

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp Cumene seeds

¼ tsp turmeric powder

2tsp oil

How to proceed:

Wash the potatoes thoroughly; you can use a little warm water to clean them. Do not peel the potatoes. Cut them into small ,thin round slices.

In a pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Add cumene seeds once the mustard seeds crackle. Add turmeric powder and then add the sliced potatoes. Stir nicely and fry for a few minutes. Add the Cumene powder, coriander powder,Red chilli powder and salt. Stir once again. Cover and cook on low flame for 5 minutes or till the potatoes are done. Sprinkle the amchur powder. You can substitute lemon juice for Amchur powder.

This delicious curry goes well with Rotis or Bread or you can eat it just like that as a snack.

Spice it up

2006-08-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

Sameera sent this recipe. Chutneys - wet or dry- play an important part in Indian cuisines. They help to add that extra punch to a very simple meal. Here's a dry chutney recipe:
Take a cup of roasted chana dal (in Indian store U get them as Daliya, not sure what is the actual name), 2-3 (medium size) cloves of garlic, 1/2 -1 table spoon of jeera, and 6-7 dried red chilies (depends on how hot U want...6-7 is not hot at all) and salt to taste. Grind everything together in the blender. If its not hot enough add one or 2 more red chilies and grind it again together. Store it in an air-tight container.
Sameera says that it is eaten with uppama, idli and dosa also, but right now she is enjoying it with warm rice with a bit of ghee.

Pizza Fest

2006-08-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

It was going to be a chaos - I knew it. What else could one expect with 4 head strong, opinionated girls with a wicked sense of humor trying to cook in a tiny kitchen (mine) while trying to finish the whole pitcher of Sangria that K had made. I am amazed that I even have pictures to show (thanks S) of the food.
The problems started with the shopping. We were in different cities and the shopping was divided amongst all four of us. "A" insists that she was never told to get the frozen dough, and she ended up getting the pre-made Pizza base (much to the irritation of the 1/24th Italian in S).
But after a lot of hand waving and made up Italian cusses, S made the sauce -her secret recipe. A can of crushed tomatoes, 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic cloves, a tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp. of basil leaves. Mix together with 2 Tbsp of olive oil.

Since I was outnumbered by the Veggie Police - the toppings consisted of thinly sliced onions, green pepper, red pepper, jalapenos, olives, spinach, pineapple and a choice of Feta cheese or Mozarrella. Each one of us then piled on the sauce (leave 1/2 inch from the edge) and added the toppings of our choice and baked it for 15 min in a pre-heated 400F oven.

That one is mine - heavy on the topping and low on the cheese, crisp and just yummy.

I like making the pizza from scratch (I cheat by buying the dough from a pizzeria or supermarket), I don't like the pre-made bases. But Pizza is just the perfect food to have with friends, just catching up with the pefect drink and a great movie (We watched John Cussack movies). Try making a pizza for your friday night movie party and drop a line about your prefered Pizza toppings.

Spinach Roti

2006-08-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

I love Spinach and try to incorporate it in any way I can into my meals. When I saw the various wraps that are available here, I knew I could make them more healthy and desi by incorporating Indian ingredients and lil' spice into them. Here's how.
Sautee a bunch of spinach leaves with couple of cloves of garlic and about 2-3 chillies.

I cook the spinach mixture half way through and then puree the mix with as little water as possible. Then to this I added wheat flour, a teaspoon of ground cumin and a handfull of roasted sesame (Til) and mixed it together to get a dough. At the end I added a table spoon of vegetable oil (I used sunflower) and coated the dough with it. Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.

Then I divided the dough to rough same size bits the sixe of a ping pong ball. Sprinkle some wheat floor onto the rolling surface and roll the ball into a round thin sheet with the aid of a rollin pin. You can add as much floor you need to keep the dough from sticking. With experience the amount of floor will decrease to a minimum. This is also the point where the consistency of the dough can be judged by a novice. If the dough is too sticky, knead more floor into the dough. If it cracks as you roll, knead a little oil/water into into the dough.

Gently lift the thinly rolled dough onto a medium heated pan (if you hold your hand above the pan you should be able to feel the heat but still be bale to hold your hand above the pan). Cook for 2-3 min and then flip over. Cook through. Oil (or Ghee) the partially cooked side and flip over. Repeat with the other side gently pressing on to the surface. The chapati should poof up.

Remove onto a cooking sheet and let it cool. Serve with dal, pickle and some yogurt. You can use this for wraps, too.
If you are like me, then kneading dough and cleaning up everyday would not be your cup of tea. So do what I do. Cook all the rotis and cool them Stack them on to of each other with a layer of parchment paper in between, put in ziplock bags and freeze them (make sure to put date on the bag). Thaw as per need and heat it through before eating.

Chicken in a fix

2006-08-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

My aunt gave me one of the best tips for quick and easy meals when I came to the US. When she heard about my busy schedule, she advised me to start buying Rotesserie chicken at the local food mart and then use the pre-cooked meat to dish up 2-3 meals. I usually buy the smallest chicken on sale ( around 2-3 lbs.) and then use it for a couple lunches and dinners. There are various flavors about, so experiment to find the one that suits your palate. A healthy tip - Remove the skin from the chicken and eat the white meat.
So over the weekend I bought a Rotesserie chicken and here's what I plan on doing with it:
Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
I shredded the chicken breast and added a hot, spicy garlic barbecue sauce (this one is from a local barbeque place but you can buy one from the ketchup section at your deli or from your favorite restaurent). I heat the meat through by placing it in a pan over medium heat. Remember the meat is already cooked, so don't leave it for long. I generally serve it on whole wheat buns/ multi grain bread with a side of mashed potatoes/ coleslaw or baked beans. You can save time by buying the sides at your deli.
Honey Mustard/Avocado Chicken Hoagie
Take a whole wheat baguette and slice horizontally. To one half, add shredded chicken meat, honey mustard (You can substitute your favorite mustard here), sliced avocado and Pepper jack or Swiss cheese. Put this under the broiler till the cheese melts and then add top of baguette and serve warm. Serve with cold ice tea.
And a good supper dish could be a Chicken and Sausage Gumbo,
4 oz. kielbasa (polish sausage), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cups roasted skinless chicken breasts (I used the meat from a rotisserie chicken)
1 Tablespoons flour
1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (frozen will do)
1/2 cup okra (frozen will do)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper or more
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 /2 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes w/peppers & onion (re-freeze rest with label and date)
1 /2 can chicken broth (I use the re-sealable pour cans)
PREPARATION:
1. In a Dutch oven over med-high heat, combine the flour and oil and sauté for about 3 minutes. 2. Add the onion, green pepper, okra, celery, thyme, ground red pepper and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Stir in the kielbasa, chicken, tomatoes and broth and cook 6 minutes or until thouroughly heated.
4.Serve over cooked rice.

These recipes were found online, unfortunately I did not write down the name of the site/ cook down then.

Kitchen Tips

2006-08-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a blog dedicated to help young, novice cooks or the busy professionals to whip up non-fuss healthy meals everday.
The whole concept arose out of a conversation I had with Lalit. He suggested that I should write a blog about cooking tips and when I sat down to outline posibilities, I realized that I had lots of ideas - about make ahead meals, meals under 45 minutes, healthy cooking or serving a single ingredient in multiple ways. Then the germ evovled into how to cook single serving meals or economic shopping. The more I thought about this idea, the more firmly I believed this should be set up as a separate blog and so I did. I have also opened it to all - if you have a handy tip (or two) or some modified version of traditional recipe or a recipe handed down to you by your Mom or a good handy gadget to have, e-mail me and I will post it (with acknowledgement) on to the blog.
I will set up the first entry sometime this week- versatile use of an ingredient- so keep an eye out for the blog.