Kitchen3N

Recipes and food fun from Apt 3N

Search Results for: curry

Fish Curry

IMG_5310I was going to write about how comfort food for me is not cream laden, starch based dish. About how I would be disappointed during weekend lunches when my mom would bring out a pot of fish curry yet when I moved out to my dorm it was those memories that comforted me during cold, dark and lonely weekday nights. And one of the few things that connected me to my childhood as a married woman cooking for her own family. IMG_8319But I realized I’ve written all of that before. And as touching as it is, I can’t dwell on it. Not with all that’s going on. I am sick of the vitriol being spewed from my screen. From fellow commuters. From people I’ve shared a hometown with for years. But I’m emboldened by the acts of good among all the recent backlash against my community. The little Texan boy that donated his savings to a mosque in his neighborhood that was vandalized. Brandon of HONY, who appeared on Fareed Zakaria, pleading the case of the Syrian refugees. Justin Trudeau and the choir that welcomed refugees with a rendition of Tala Al Badru Alayna – the song that the people of Medina sang to receive the Prophet Muhammad and his followers when they left Mecca due to persecution.IMG_5319Scapegoating, racism, xenophobia – these are nothing new to mankind. But social media is. So I ask you, during these historic times, will we find ourselves as complacent as the citizens of the world during WWII? Will we let the negative news saturate our feeds? Or will we use the platforms we’ve been given to help our neighbors, speak the truth and contribute to the forces of good?

Ingredients

  • 2 tilapia filets (about 3/4 pound total), cut widthwise into 1/2 in to 3/4 in pieces*
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp light olive oil
  • pinch anise seeds (optional)**
  • 1/2 large onion (or 1 medium one), sliced
  • 1 Roma tomato, sliced into half inch slices
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, tip cut off and sliced down the middle
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, with the tail on
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. Season tilapia with turmeric and salt – rub to coat the fish with the spices.
  2. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large wok or fry pan with high sides. Lightly fry the fish about 2 minutes on each side to get a nice golden brown crust on them. I like to use tongs for this. Do this in two batches. Set aside browned fish on a plate or bowl.
  3. In the same oil, add the anise seeds and onion and cook until onions are translucent – about 4 minutes. Next add tomato, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine then add 1/2 cup of water to allow the spices to cook down. When the water is almost fully evaporated, add shrimp and stir with the vegetable and spice mixture. Allow to cook for 1 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup more water, the tilapia and bring to a boil. When it reaches a boil, put the lid on and the heat low and allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.***
  4. Meanwhile chop cilantro. When the shrimp and tilapia are cooked through and the broth looks like a broth (homogenous in appearance, not like water with bits floating in it), then turn off the heat. Add the cilantro and taste for seasoning.

*Cook’s note: you can substitute about 2-2 1/2 pounds of bone-in, gutted and de-scaled fish that have been cut into thirds (e.g. porgy, whiting, buffalo). You can skip the shrimp in that case. We’re looking for flavor here (bones of the fish or tails of the shrimp).

**You ever notice that the French use Pernod (anise liqueur) to bouillabaisse (fish stew) and Italians add fennel to cioppino (fish stew). There’s just something about the combination of anise flavor with fish that just works!

***I know most recipes warn of overcooking shrimp but my personal taste is – I like it with a bit of a bite to it!

Coconut Egg Curry (Deem Bhuna)

IMG_2326This weekend was a welcome respite from the bitter cold of the past few months. Temperatures soared to the 50s (watch out LA, we’re catching up). I refused to wear socks…despite that fact that all the snow hadn’t fully melted. We took it all in. Enjoyed our walks instead of rushing from building to car to store then back.

But now the week has begun and and with it, freezing temps. So you can imagine my efforts to avoid multiple trips to the store. I’m pulling out all the stops to use up pantry ingredients. And I know how my readers love a CHEAP, QUICK and DELICIOUS weeknight meal.IMG_2322This doesn’t look like your usual curry (for lack of liquid). This type of dish is called a bhuna: where the liquids are allowed to evaporate for the most part, leaving a concentrated flavor enhanced usually by a large amount of caramelized onions. Most Bengalis would leave a dish like this for special occasions, typically shunning the high amount of cholesterol by the egg and coconut milk combination. Except now, according to recent studies, the cholesterol/fat found in both is good for you (but perhaps not for South Asian populations??). Who knows what to believe anymore with studies constantly disproving what we thought to be true for so long. I’m going to go with my usual wisdom: enjoy in moderation!

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 12 oz can coconut milk
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 3/4 tsp coriander
  • a pinch of turmeric (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 green chilis (or more if you like)
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper (or white pepper for a more mild heat)

Directions

  1. Place the eggs gently into a small saucepan and add enough water to cover the eggs. Bring to a boil over hight heat, then put the lid on and turn off the heat. Let sit for 6 minutes. Then run under cold water to help cool down enough to peel. PEELING TIP: crack on the counter and roll around. That helps loosen the shell.
  2. In a small nonstick saute pan, heat a tablespoon of oil over high heat. While it heats, toss the eggs with a pinch of turmeric and salt. Once hot, add the peeled eggs and let it sear on one side, after 30 seconds or so, stir to brown the flip side (do the best you can with this). Remove from heat.
  3. In a large saute pan, heat the remaining oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute until they are brown around the edges (8 to 10 minutes). Add the coconut milk, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric (if using), bay leaf, chilis, salt and pepper.  Let it simmer over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, toss to combine, and check for seasoning.

VARIATIONS

Simple bhuna: ditch the coconut milk for water. Increase turmeric to 1/2 tsp.

Tomato and cilantro: use 1 cup water instead of coconut milk and add 1 tomato, diced. Garnish with 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.

Korma: Ditch the turmeric. Use milk or half and half in lieu of coconut milk. Garnish with raisins and slivered almonds.

 

Bengali Chicken Curry

IMG_6344There is no coconut milk in your chicken curry if you are Bengali. There is no curry paste or any other amalgamation of ingredients someone else deems necessary for your comfort-in-a-bowl chicken curry. There is only your mother, your childhood, the pieces of white meat that no one ever wanted, the potatoes that you cared for only on some days, the jhol (broth) that was literally chicken soup for your soul (but only the first day, after that it just got too cardamom-y), and the leftover bones that you LOVED to chew on as you churned out every last drop of flavor but NEVER admitted to doing outside of bengali circles.

Of course this is my childhood we are recollecting and thus my mother’s recipe. There is very little room for improvement…though one could probably use chicken stock (even better, homemade chicken stock) in lieu of the water. Let’s leave that for another day, another post. For now, amidst the pristine image laid out for you of a little girl enjoying every minute of being elbow deep in her favorite food, there are some hidden perils that threaten. Hear me out: have you ever, during the course of your meal ever landed on a “flavor bomb” ? One of those whole peppercorns, cloves or worse, entire cardamom pod?? It’s disgusting! It’s painful! It’s downright heinous. Takes half the joy out of the meal. I just thought of taking the extra step of pouring the jhol through a sieve and voila! Flavor. Bomb. Out.

I hope this recipe takes you back to your childhood!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 heaping tsp cumin power
  • 1 heaping tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (use more or less depending on the potency of your chili powder and how spicy you like it)
  • 1 3 lb chicken cut into curry pieces (either 10 or 12 pieces in total)
  • 1 tsp garlic paste (or minced garlic)
  • 1 tsp ginger paste (or minced ginger)
  • 1 – 1.5 cups of water (water should come about 2/3 of the way up the sides, not covering the meat)
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 4 whole cardamom pods or 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 5-6 whole peppercorns

Directions

  1. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a saucepan or any medium sized pot (about 4 qts) with high sides. Add the onion and let soften for 4-5 min. While onion cooks, prep your garlic and ginger, if necessary, and combine the ground spices in a bowl.
  2. Add spices to the onions, mixing well. Add the chicken pieces, turning to coat with as much of the masala mixture as possible. Let the chicken and spices cook for 4-5 minutes, taking care not to burn the spices (reduce the heat if necessary). Add garlic, ginger, water, salt, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and peppercorns. Stir, then increase the heat to bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes, removing the lid during the last 10 minutes if there is too much liquid.
  4. Check for seasoning. Add more salt or spice as needed.
  5. Optional: Transfer chicken pieces to a serving bowl. Pour the broth through a sieve to catch all the whole spices and push through all the last bits of curry through the sieve using a spoon.

Variations

For a bigger (4 to 5 lb chicken)

  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1.5 to 2 small yellow onions, sliced
  • 1.5 heaping tsp cumin power
  • 1.5 heaping tsp coriander
  • 1.5 tsp turmeric
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder (use more of less depending on the potency of your chili powder and how spicy you like it)
  • 1 4 to 5 lb chicken cut into curry pieces (about 12 in total)
  • 1.5 tsp garlic paste (or minced garlic)
  • 1.5 tsp ginger paste (or minced ginger)
  • about 2 cups of water
  • 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5-6 whole cloves
  • 5-6 whole cardamom pods
  • 7-8 whole peppercorns

Increase cooking time by 2-3 minutes, testing the thickest part of the thigh to check for doneness.

To give it a refresh

Try sautéing some tomatoes into a large fry pan or wok and add the leftover chicken curry. When thoroughly heated through, remove from heat and add some chopped fresh cilantro.

Your Mama’s Goat Curry (almost)

imageI wanted this blog to be part-South Asian cooking primer, part musings on Mediterranean/American/Italian cuisine and part dessert food-porn. I haven’t had much opportunity to cook South Asian food post baby no.2, mainly because I’ve been blessed with my mom’s good old home cooking most of the time.

But since it was Eid ul Fitr and my mom ran off to the homeland for a month, I got a chance to whip up some of the good stuff. The stuff that when I asked my husband to give a taste, rolled his eyes back and said “THIS is what makes the world go round”. Now, I won’t take all the credit. It’s a pretty standard curry recipe: onions, garlic, spices – with the exception of tomato paste. That’s a nifty little trick I learned from my mother in law. Intense tomato flavor and meat tenderizer in one. But it’s the meat that makes all the difference. Goat meat, very popular in the subcontinent, not so much in the states – is so flavorful, so tender. Though not as overpowering as lamb can be. I usually get ~3lbs from the shoulder/ribs/foreshank area.

I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but they are seriously things to invest in if you enjoy south asian cooking.

image

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large yellow onion or 2 small
  • 2 tbsps garlic/ginger paste (or 5 garlic cloves and 1.5 in ginger root, minced)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsps cumin powder
  • 2 tsps coriander powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
  • 2 tsps turmeric
  • 4-5 lbs goat meat (cut into small pieces)
  • 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 6 cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 4-5 peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2.5 cups water

Directions

Heat oil over medium high heat in a nice, big pot. Slice onion and add to hot oil. Let it soften (for 5 to 8 minutes) and add the garlic/ginger paste, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, chilli and turmeric and mix  well. Let the spices cook for 2-3 minutes, adding water as necessary to keep he spices from sticking to the bottom. Add the goat meat pieces and stir to coat every piece with the flavor base. Let cook for 10 minutes (similar to the searing stage of a meat braise). Add salt, then the garam masala (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns). Add water and bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 45-90 minutes, depending on the age of the goat. Young goat cooks in as little as 45 min.

Taste for doneness (meat should be tender) and seasoning.

Rice Pudding Stuffed Crepes (Patishapta Pita)

img_1443
Patishapta pitha was the rare pitha I would eat growing up. Maybe it’s a regional thing, but I just did not enjoy most pithas I had. [Pitha: Bengali dumplings. Usually made out of rice flour. Sometimes a combo of rice flour and wheat flour. And in my experience, dry af most of the time. Sometimes sweet with a coconut or jaggery filling. And, as I found out after marriage, sometimes plain, eaten with curry.]

Read More »

Chocolate Candy Cupcakes

fullsizeoutput_48ea

After a startling reading on the weight scale towards the end of December, I swore off sugar. Just two years prior I worked so hard to lose my baby weight. Inspired by beach body coaches in my network, I vastly cut down sweets, decreased portion sizes, drank tons more water, swapped quinoa for rice in many of my meals, and began to regularly exercise using Fitnessblender, the only exercise I’ve been able to stick to thanks to the fact that I can choose from workouts of different durations and can do it from the convenience of my home. So I lost the 9 pounds of lingering weight, and 8 pounds on top of that.

img_4672

And then I fell off the wagon. Slowly but surely I downward spiraled, picking back up my sweets habits and eating rice and curry without restraint. I kept up with the exercise more or less but it wasn’t enough with my slowing metabolism.

So I decided to stop eating foods with added sugar. It’s just one step, but surely it should help. But of course the universe has to align to make this impossible for me. Shortly after making my resolution, I attended a gingerbread house making playdate where I was SURROUNDED by candy and cake and all kinds of good stuff. Soon after that my daughter’s birthday rolled around and somebody’s gotta do QC and make sure things taste right. Amiright?

img_4685

I did a good job holding off on tasting these, but then I needed a cross section for the blog, so guess where the other half went.

Yup.

fullsizeoutput_48e9

This is a really magical combination for the chocolate lover in your life. It’s reminiscent of the creme filled hostess cupcakes, but made even better with quality cocoa in the cupcake and chocolate in the ganache, homemade salted caramel sauce and delicious candy toppings. Remember we eat with our eyes first, and kids moreso than us. So if they see m&ms, they automatically think it’s a superb cupcake.

Enjoy the quick video tutorial below!

This is an adaptation of Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate cake. Because I used Dutch-process cocoa (which is alkalized, or less acidic than natural cocoa), I upped the amount of baking powder and decreased the amount of baking soda from the original recipe. I also used boiling water instead of hot coffee as many chocolate cake recipes call for, as it made for a way too tender a crumb. Perfect in layer cakes, but for cupcakes, you need something with structure.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup dutch process cocoa (I use Rodelle)
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin/cupcake pan with paper liners. You will need 15 in total. My cupcake pan only has room for 12, so I need to make these in 2 batches.
  2. In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer add the sugar. Place a sifter over the top of the bowl and add flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda. Sift the ingredients into the sugar. Add salt. Stir to combine using the paddle attachment.
  3. In a 4 cup measuring cup or in a medium bowl, measure out the milk and vegetable oil. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well using a fork. With the mixer running on low, slowly drizzle in the wet ingredients into the dry. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Turn the mixer back onto low and slowly drizzle in boiling water. Stop the mixer and scrape down with a spatula to ensure the batter is homogenous.
  4. Using an ice scream scoop, scoop batter into the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way to the top. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  5. After they cool, hollow out the middle using a small circular cookie cutter. I used the smallest one from this set. I filled it with marshmallow creme using a piping bag and wide tip. I drizzled some salted caramel sauce over them. Then frosted them with chocolate ganache and garnished with chocolate candies.

Turkey Korma

fullsizeoutput_430f
I woke up the morning after Thanksgiving like I imagine a runner feels the morning after a race: like I got hit by a truck.
fullsizeoutput_430c
A whole week of groceries, prep, planning culminating in an evening with loved ones and good food. It was EXHAUSTING and I was happy to do it.
fullsizeoutput_430a
But even after the last doggy bag was packed, we had quite a bit of turkey left over. It’s been our breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then last night, I recalled my friend Biny of #binyskitchen saying how she’d use her leftovers for turkey pot pies. Now, pot pies don’t fly here, but South Asian flavors do. I thought I’d cook some of the leftover turkey in a cream sauce with spices and frozen peas (to make it the slightest bit healthy) and the gang inhaled it!
img_8015
So here’s how I created it. Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. If you ever want to make South Asian food at home, you need these in stock. Fine to use a “garam masala” mix if you don’t have the last 5 spices. I wouldn’t use a curry powder to sub the first few spices, as that has turmeric and chili powder and would change the flavor of the korma.
fullsizeoutput_4308
What is korma? Any meat/seafood/veggie dish cooked in a cream or yogurt or nut paste sauce. Simmered with warm spices (not the spicy spices) and slightly sweet. Chicken korma was my favorite dish growing up, but only reserved for special occasions, like Eid or birthdays.
img_8029
img_8031
fullsizeoutput_4310
Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp ghee or butter
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp garlic/ginger paste*
  • 1 cup turkey/chicken broth or water
  • 2-3 cups cubed turkey breast
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp clove
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup half & half

Directions

  1. In a large saute pan, heat ghee or butter over medium high heat and add onions. Cook until onions are translucent and lightly browned around the edges. Add the cumin, coriander and garlic/ginger paste. Stir, then slowly add the broth or water. Scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and allow mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add the turkey, peas and remaining spices. Stir to combine then add the milk and half and half. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and serve with rice or quinoa.

*You can sub garlic/ginger paste with 1 clove of garlic AND a small (maybe 1/2inch) piece of ginger minced or pressed through a zester.

My Go-To Suhoor (Sehri)

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

When you were a kid did you have curry for suhoor?

Let me take a few steps back here. Ramadan Kareem everyone! The blessed time of year when Muslims around the world abstain from food & drink (yes, even water) from dawn til dusk. Not just a physical fast, Muslims (healthy, adult) are to abstain from sex, violence and cursing. Particularly trying for those at northern latitudes where the days are long (16+ hours for us in NY), we need to make the most of our pre-dawn and fast-breaking meals. That means nutritious food that will keep our bodies busy breaking down complex carbs and proteins. Just as important: staying hydrated!

So if you’re South Asian, you probably had white rice along with veggies and some hearty curries for your pre-dawn meal (suhoor/sehri). And they probably left you feeling awesome, especially after your post-fajr nap.

Not. They always left me feeling queasy and hungry after a few hours. Don’t get me wrong, hunger pangs are going to strike regardless. It wouldn’t be a fast without the experience of hunger – to humble us, to remind us of our blessings, to connect us to those less fortunate, and to remind us constantly that we are doing it for the sake of God. But in eating whole foods, super foods, foods that are full of complex carbs and hunger abating protein, we can put our best food forward while going about our day to day jobs in non-Muslim countries. Otherwise, it can be challenging, functioning on reduced and disjointed sleep (late night prayers + a meal in the middle of the night) with a lower blood sugar throughout the day making your mental processing faculties a bit foggy.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

So here I present my go-to spread for suhoor: overnight oats with fruit and nuts, two hard boiled eggs, toast with peanut butter, banana and chia seeds, coconut water, and water. I may not have all of these items every day, depending on how much time I have on my hands, but the overnight oats and hard boiled eggs are a must. I prepare the oats around the same time that I’m making iftar so it has a good 8 hours to soak in the fridge. When you read the recipe below, you might be turned off to the fact that it’s made with water instead of milk. But if you’ve ever struggled with downing oatmeal because the gummy texture turned you off, you must try it with water. Of course you are free to make it with almond, soy, rice, hemp or coconut milk instead.

Recently, I’ve been topping it with the raspberry compote from my Eton Mess. I don’t want to say it’s divine or anything in case that’s sacrilege – but it’s really really really good.

Combine the complex carbs from the oats with the protein and good fats from the eggs – you are good to go. The potassium from the coconut water and bananas (or dates!) well keep you running. The chia seeds provide a nutritional boost as well given they’re packed with Omega-3s, fiber, and protein. Sometimes I just munch on them as is. They have a wonderful crunchy/chewy texture.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Here are my tips for hard boiling eggs:

  • Bring a generous amount of water to boil.
  • THEN add the eggs.
  • Set the timer for 8 minutes eggsactly (had to).
  • When the timer is up, drain the water. Let cool. Don’t peel them ahead of time as they’ll dry out.
  • Just before eating, crack them on a surface and roll around. You’ll find these eggs are the easiest to peel.

And here’s my go to recipe for overnight oats (from Quaker):

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup water (or enough to cover the oats)
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp fresh fruit or fruit compote
  • 1 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 2 tbsp yogurt (optional)

Directions

  1. In a mason jar, or recycled jam jar, combine oats, water and salt. Close the lid and give it a shake. Let it sit in the fridge overnight (6-8 hours).
  2. To serve, top with fruit, nuts and yogurt, if using. Enjoy immediately. And be generous with the fruit! One of the perks of summertime fasts are the glorious fruits available, particularly at your local farmers market.

Recipe Index

Appetizers

Caprese Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Burrata

Fruit Chaat

Haleem

Homemade Ricotta (and a lasagna, too!)

Mini Turkey Pot Pies

Mughlai Paratha

Potato Leek Soup with Rosemary Garlic Oil

Breakfast

Banana Date Nut Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

Homemade Granola

Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs)

Over the Muffin Top Blueberry Muffins

Potato Hash

Toaster Oven Baked Eggs

Entrées

Beef Tagine

Bengali Chicken Curry

Boneless Short Ribs with Asian BBQ Sauce

Brisket Burgers

Braised Lamb Shoulder

Chicken Noodle Soup with Mushrooms and Swiss Chard

Coconut Egg Curry (Deem Bhuna)

Creamy Less Cheesy Mac and Cheese

Curried Shrimp & Okra (Dharosh ar Chingri)

Easy Fried Rice

Fettucine with Mushrooms and Leeks

Fish Curry

Lamb Chops with Spiced Pistachios and Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Pastitsio

Pistachio and Spice Roasted Rack of Lamb

Ridiculously Good Fried Chicken

Roast Chicken and New Potatoes with Herbed Butter

Salsa all’Amatriciana

Sausages with Peppers and Onions

Sloppy Joes

Spaghettini with Cherry Tomatoes

Spice Rubbed Chicken Cutlets

Tandoori Chicken

Turkey Tacos

Valentine’s Surf and Turf: Rib Eye Steak & Jumbo Shrimp

Your Mama’s Goat Curry (almost)

Zesty Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

Sides

Bottle Gourd or Calabash Sauté (Lau Bhaji)

Braised Green Beans

Cilantro Dipping Sauce

Cranberry Relish (Achar)

Daal (Bengali Lentil Soup)

Grapefruit & Baby Spinach Salad

Guacamole

Julia Child’s Ratatouille

Khichuri (Rice and Mung Bean pilaf)

Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry (Bhaji)

Mashed Eggplant (Begun Bhorta)

Mustard and Chili Mashed Potatoes and a Giveaway!

Mushroom and Carrot Salad

Olio, Aglio & Peperoncino

Rice Pilaf (Palau)

Rhubarb Mango Chutney

Sambar

Shrimp & Green Bean Purée (Chingri ar Beans Bhorta)

Spinach and Tuna Sauté

Spinach Purée with Quinoa (Saag ar Quinoa)

Sweet and Smoky Butternut Squash

Dessert

Almond Lace Cookies with Earl Grey Ganache

Berries n Sour Cream

Caramel Cupcakes

Coconut Sheet Cake

Chocolate Almond Torte

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Chocolate Pastry Cream (Chocolate Pudding)

Chocolate Pavlova

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Deb’s Favorite Brownies

Double Chocolate Brownies

Homemade Hot Fudge

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Ladybug cupcakes

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Pavlova

Pecan Bars

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Rainbow Cookie Cake

A Red Velvet and A Double Chocolate Cake

Rocket Cake

South Asian rice pudding (Kheer)

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Stone Fruit Crostata

Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies

A Tale of 3 Cakes (Gingerbread, Pound Cake & Chocolate Cake)

Tiramisu

Drinks

Basil Smoothie

Meyer Lemon Strawberry Lemonade

Mint Limeade

Mint syrup

The perfect cup of (milk) tea

Spice Rubbed Chicken Cutlets

IMG_5035My first born starting school has opened up a world of culinary challenges: what can I make and pack for her that a) she’ll eat b) is nutritious (most of the time) and c) not too messy? The top two contenders so far as been a chicken “salad” sandwich made from leftover chicken curry, mayo and provolone cheese. First choice though, banana nutella sandwich. That’s my cop out sandwich. Something I’m sure Park Slope moms would be aghast at finding out was given to a child. You’ve heard about that, right? The parents who wanted to ban the ice cream truck coming ’round the block so they wouldn’t have to deal with their kids ice cream wanting tantrums. IMG_5026While I empathize with the tantrum dealing – I wonder how many parents in my generation reflect on the food they grew up versus the food they feed their kids. Sometimes I get so hung up on, “Are my kids eating enough greens?” “Are they getting enough fiber?” “Is it too late in the evening for chocolate?”. While it’s definitely good to be thinking of these things, some of us go off the deep end when it comes to this stuff. A certain parent comes to mind who flipped out when her daughter was given a rice biscuit or whatever too close to her dinner time.  IMG_5027Do you know what my after-school snacks consisted of? Double chocolate chip muffins laden with all kinds of artificial flavorings and preservatives with a can of pepsi. Or entenmann’s chocolate cake. Or chips ahoy cookies with milk. My gourmet touch was microwaving the chips ahoy cookies to give ’em that just baked quality. Right.IMG_5037So, over the years, I’ve given myself a break. Not all their fruits and veggies are organic anymore. Sometimes they have nutella toast for dinner. And lollipops or ice cream in the evening? One heck of a reward for cleaning up their toys! Not to say I’ve thrown all caution to the wind. I snuck some baby kale leaves into my daughter’s wrap this morning. Usually I make her sandwiches with soft whole wheat bread. Pictured below is Malaysian style paratha which, if you were with me during my semester in Rome, you know it is crazy good. It’s a flaky flatbread that makes anything taste good (not that this chicken needs any help!!). IMG_5043My favorite part of this chicken is the wonderful caramelization from cooking it in the butter. Why didn’t we eat more butter growing up? It is so glorious when treated well. Buttered toast in our household usually meant Country Crock vegetable spread on lightly toasted Wonder Bread.IMG_5036So enjoy these chicken cutlets all throughout the week:

  • Sliced across the grain and over salad
  • Diced and mixed with a mayo dressing for chicken salad sandwiches
  • Sliced and inside wraps with lettuce and tomato
  • Diced and tossed with buttered pasta and peas
  • Or as is, with a side of quinoa and leafy greens!

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts, each sliced in half widthwise to make 4 cutlets
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 tbsp butter, divided

Directions

  1. Combine spices in a small bowl and sprinkle all or most of it evenly over both sides of each chicken cutlet.
  2. In a large fry pan over medium high heat, heat 1 tbsp oil and 1/2 tbsp butter. When the bubbling of the butter dies down, add two pieces of the chicken cutlets. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. You’ll know when to flip when the bottom side is golden brown and the white (cooked) part of the chicken creeps up to the middle. Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  3. When the first two are done, remove from heat and let them rest on a plate (not a cutting board as the juices will run). Clean the pan with a rubber spatula to get the overly brown bits and oil off and into a ramekin or bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon oil and half tablespoon butter. Cook the remaining two cutlets the same way. Remove to plate and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.