Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

We recently found a down to earth Mexican restaurant with very reasonable prices.  A friend had taken me there for lunch and I had fabulous tacos and flan there.  Soon I took my husband and he loved it as well.  We have been going there ever since and really enjoy the food. They always serve a small plain cheese quesadilla while customers wait for dinner.  Initially my daughter rejected it, not liking the way it looked.  She is averse to anything that looks like a sandwich.  Gradually she took a bite and really enjoyed it.  It got me thinking, I never make quesadillas at home, especially now that my daughter is eating them.  Well I bought some chicken thighs with the skin on, drizzled olive oil and sprinkled paprika, salt, garlic and onion powder before roasting them.  I then took the skin off and shredded the meat off the bone and used it as a filling for the quesadillas. I also decided to make some fresh guacamole and tomato salsa.  I love making fresh guacamole- it’s so easy to prepare and I don’t like the store bought versions, they are all very bland and chemical tasting.  The only hurdle in making fresh guacamole is finding ripe avocados that very day or planning a few days in advance.  To accelerate ripening, you can store the avocados in a brown bag.  The tomato salsa is also very easy to make and generally has ingredients that are available in the pantry.  I wanted to add onions to the quesadillas but didn’t want to keep them raw- and since I didn’t have green onions, I decided to caramelize the red ones.  A sprinkle of salt and pepper made them delicious and golden brown.  The sweet creamy onions went really well with the shredded chicken.  I like spicy food and decided to add sliced pickled jalapenos to mine.  My daughter enjoyed hers with just the cheese and the chicken.  Overall it was a very successful quesadilla night- definitely many more to follow!

Quesadillas

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded- rotisserie will do
• 8 medium tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey jack and cheddar cheese
• 2 medium onions, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of sugar
• Sliced jalapenos, optional

In a small non-stick frying pan, heat one-tablespoon oil. Add the sliced onion and sauté on medium low heat. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar and salt and cook for about 20 minutes or till the onions are soft and golden brown. Divide into 4 piles. Keep aside.
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat one-teaspoon olive oil. Place the tortilla on the frying pan, spread ¼ cup cheese, ¼ cup shredded chicken, jalapenos and one pile of caramelized onions. Place the second tortilla on top and press it down with a spatula, cook for 2-3 minutes or till cheese begins to melt. Turn the quesadilla over and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Cut into 4 pieces. Repeat the same steps for 3 more quesadillas. Serve with fresh guacamole and tomato salsa.

Guacamole

• 2 ripe avocados cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup red onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Juice of 2 limes

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Tomato Salsa

• 14.5 ounces can chopped tomato, excess water drained
• ¼ cup red onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Let stand for an hour before serving.

I have been making this dish for a very long time now. It is a combination of two eggplant dishes- one that my Mom makes and another that I read years ago in an Indian cook book. My Mom’s dish is quite complicated to make and includes a lot of steps. I love the texture of the dish especially because it includes roasted peanuts. The one from the cooking book includes onion and fennel seeds- which remind me of tangy pickles! Most people in India, pickle vegetables and fruits with a mix of spices that sometimes include onion and fennel seeds. There is a specific mango pickle I think of that has those spices. Whenever I taste and smell that mix, it reminds me of sweet and tangy things. I decided to combine the two recipes and add the onion and fennel seed mixture as well as some raisins and peanuts to give the dish more texture. It turned out to be a very easy and quick dish to make. The eggplant cooks down and becomes very soft and silky. The red peppers give the dish great color and sweetness. I use crushed tomatoes that add a sweet and sour taste. My favorite part of the dish is getting a mouth full of eggplant, peppers with some golden raisins and roasted peanuts all together! This dish can be served with some lentils and rice or it can make a wonderful side with fish, chicken, pork or steak!

• 1 big eggplant or 2-3 Japanese eggplants, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 small red peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon onion seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 2 inches ginger, chopped fine
• 1 cup crushed tomato
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Process the onion, ginger and garlic. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the cumin, onion and fennel seeds. Cook on high for about 10-20 seconds or when they start to sizzle. Add the onion, ginger and garlic mixtures. Saute on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the crushed tomato, sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the eggplants and the peppers. Mix well. Add the turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and lower the heat to medium low. Cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes or till the eggplant and peppers are soft. Adjust seasonings and add the raisins and peanuts. Garnish with cilantro.

I roasted three pieces of chicken last week out of which I made the sweet corn chicken soup as well as the asparagus and chicken fried rice. I had one piece left in the fridge. We had gone out for a very heavy lunch yesterday and so there were no dinner plans. I decided to skip dinner all together and settle down with a bowl of cereal ( I find it a real treat at night). My husband on the other hand wanted to eat something light- maybe a sandwich he said. I thought of the chicken breast, olive bread, slices of asiago cheese and basil hanging out in the fridge- perfect, I thought! I toasted two thick slices of olive bread with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and spread a thick layer of olive oil mayonnaise- my husband loves mayo! I then added a layer of fresh basil, cut up some delicious looking grape tomatoes and added on top. In the meantime, I sliced the chicken breast into thin slices, placed them on a small cookie sheet and drizzled some salt and pepper and extra virgin olive oil and warmed it up in my toaster oven. I then added a slice of asiago on top of the chicken and baked it until the cheese was soft and gooey. I then placed the warm chicken slices with the cheese on top of the tomatoes and basil and the olive bread. It looked so pretty that I didn’t really want to serve it- so I took a picture! He ate the sandwich with some sun dried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar chips and a beer! I had a bite and it was quite delicious!

• 2 slices of olive bread toasted with a drizzle of olive oil (any bread will do)
• 1-2 slices asiago cheese (or any other will do)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 roasted chicken breast, sliced thin
• 5-6 basil leaves
• 3-4 grape tomatoes, sliced
• Salt and pepper

Place the sliced chicken on a small cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil, salt, pepepr and toast till the chicken is warm and soft.  Next, add the asiago slice and toast till the cheese has melted.  Spread the mayonnaise evenly on both of the toasted slices.  Add the basil and tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Once the cheese is melted, place the chicken on the tomatoes.  Place the other slice on top and cut into half before serving.

This dish is like making a frittata- you can use whatever you have in the fridge. I had some roasted chicken breast that I wanted to use up. I was also looking for a one-pot meat- aren’t we all!! Any way, I also had a bunch of lovely asparagus in the fridge looking desperate to be taken out and cooked. I thought I could serve the fried rice with the sweet corn soup I made the day before- it would be a complete Chinese meal! I looked at several fried rice recipes and realized all I need is soy sauce and plain rice- the rest I can make up as I cook. So that’s what I did- I cooked 2 cups of rice in the morning so it had a chance to cool off. I chopped the asparagus and chicken very finely. I minced the garlic and ginger and I realized I had scallions as well- perfect! I used tamari instead of soy sauce- it is thicker and has more flavor than soy sauce. My daughter, the usual suspicious person in the kitchen, didn’t like the looks of it. She didn’t care for all the green ‘stuff’ in the rice. I promised her she would like it- I guaranteed it! She was curious and tried a tiny bite- well she was hooked! Absolutely loved it…
One can go wild with the different ingredients out there to make fried rice- as long as you have the basic things in your pantry, you are good to go. One of my favorite ingredients for Chinese dishes in my pantry is toasted sesame oil. It gives the dishes a very deep nutty flavor.  Enjoy the rice with a simple stir fry or all by itself.  It is also a great dish to pack for lunch!

• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped finely
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped finely
• 2 cups white rice, cooked and cooled
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 eggs
• 3-4 tablespoons tamari
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce- optional
• ½ cup green onion, chopped finely
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped finely

In a wide wok shaped pan, heat the olive and the sesame oil. Add the ginger and garlic, sauté for 30 seconds. Add the asparagus and chicken and sauté on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Crack the two eggs into the asparagus and chicken mixture. Mix well until the eggs are incorporated into the dish. Add the dash of salt. Add the cooked rice, mix well.  Add the tamari and the chili garlic sauce and sauté for at least 5-6 minutes. Taste for seasonings. Add the green onions and cilantro and sauté for another minute and serve!

This soup is very close to my heart. I grew up eating it and have very happy memories of my Mom making it for us. It is very popular in India at the Chinese restaurants. We would have the soup with chicken sandwiches- I still think of those delicious mouthwatering sandwiches! In India very much like Europe, the sandwiches don’t have a lot of filling- just enough to give you a taste of the main ingredient as well as the delicious soft white bread! Those were the days when there was no awareness about eating whole wheat bread! My Mom would start by spreading a thin layer of butter on each slice and then spread a layer of shredded chicken with some salt and pepper- it was absolutely delicious- I digress- I think the reason we would have the soup and sandwiches together was because my Mom would poach some chicken and then use it for both the dishes. I usually do that on the weekends- have some chicken breast cooked in the fridge. This time I roasted the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and olive oil in the oven (rotisserie chicken can be substituted). They came out nice and juicy ready to be used for numerous dishes- another dish coming tomorrow!
I introduced this soup to my daughter a few years ago- she loved it, especially because it had corn in it. We also found it at a local Chinese restaurant- she has ordered it so often now, that whenever she enters the place, they know what she is going to eat. We made it together on the weekend and she was not convinced it would turn out as yummy as the soup she eats at the restaurant, well- she was pleasantly surprised! I urge you to try this soup it’s fabulous!

• 32 ounces- 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 14¾ ounces can creamed corn
• 1 cup shredded chicken
• 1 egg, beaten with pinch of salt
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
• 1 scallion, chopped finely

In a medium pot, heat the chicken broth. Add the creamed corn. Bring to a boil. In a small bowl mix 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, mix well. Add to the boiling chicken broth. The mixture will begin to thicken as it comes back to a boil. Add the shredded chicken. In a small bowl mix one teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, mix well and add to the beaten egg mixture. Lower the heat to a medium low and add the egg mixture in a slow drizzle while whisking the broth. Finish the soup with salt and scallions.