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Sauteed Zucchini with Mustard Seeds and Curry Leaves
This is a very versatile side dish. I am always looking for new ways to cook vegetables. My daughter in not a big fan of zucchini. She doesn’t like the texture- well, it really depends how I cook it for her. It it is broiled or stir fried and cooked just a tad- essentially, she doesn’t like it when it goes all limp and I don’t blame her. I think she would love fried zucchini- but since I will not be doing that- I have to come up with other ways of feeding this green vegetable to her.
I usually cook it in a stir fry- with chicken, pork or beef. One of our favorite Chinese restaurant- Hunan Spring serves a chicken zucchini dish. It is one of my favorite dishes there- it is fairly healthy with lots of zucchini and white meat chicken. I ask them to make it extra spicy and it is fabulous. I try to replicate that at home and it comes out quite nice as well.
I already had some lentils made in the fridge and I was planning on making fresh rotis but I needed a veggie. I had a pack of zucchini from Trader Joes. I decided to cook it like a stir fry but with Indian spices. My daughter approved since the texture was not mushy. I finished the dish with a squirt of lemon juice which awoke all the flavors and made it yummy.
Sauteed zucchini will be ideal with roast chicken, pork tenderloin or even fish or shrimp.
- 3 medium zucchini, cut into ½ inch slices
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute for 30 seconds on medium high heat or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the zucchini slices and sauté on high heat 5-6 minutes, till the slices begin to brown. Add the salt, coriander powder and cayenne pepper. Mix well and turn the heat off. Add the lemon juice and check for seasonings before serving.
Sausage and Peppers Bake
Who doesn’t like sausage and peppers? I love the combination of the sweet orange peppers with the savory sausages. I always have them on hand- usually a couple of packs in my freezer. They are extremely handy and versatile. Breakfast, lunch and dinner – all three meals can be delicious with chicken sausages.
I wanted to make a one pot meal- my favorite thing to cook. They are easy, quick and delicious. In this case, I added tomatoes and potatoes with the sausage and peppers. I added garlic and fresh thyme with salt and pepper. It is very simple yet extremely flavorful.
I bought a pack of ‘ready to bake baguettes’ from Trader Joes and baked some with this delicious dinner. I made a delicious arugula salad with orange segments. I made a quick dressing with orange juice, sherry vinegar, honey and extra virgin olive oil.
I gave my daughter just the arugula (which she doesn’t like so much but will eat it since she knows there is no way out). I also gave her the sausage and peppers but left out the potatoes and tomatoes- she doesn’t care for them. She loves the freshly baked bread as do my husband and I.
It was a quick and delicious meal- my favorite kind to eat. The sausage and pepper bake was delicious.
- 1 pack (4 or 5 links) chicken sausage, sliced at a bias (I used a spinach and garlic one)
- 2 yellow skinned potatoes, cut into 2-inch squares
- 2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 orange pepper, cut into 2-inch squares
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a lined 9 X 13 baking sheet add the sausage, potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, garlic, thyme, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well with hands and bake for 45 minutes or till the potatoes are browned and cooked. Serve with a baguette and a salad.
Alaskan Cod with Spaghetti and Arugula
This meal is ideal to if you are trying to be healthy for the new year. I recently wrote and article for the New York Times Local blog and featured this recipe. I was trying to follow a few new eating habits for the New Year and this recipe was a fabulous way to begin.
I tried using brown rice pasta for the first time and it was a big hit. The consistency is a bit different- it is much softer, mushier and so you have to be careful while cooking. You need to use ample water when cooking the pasta. My husband and daughter were thrilled to eat this spaghetti. I thought the taste was different and I have to say, I missed the ‘pasta’ taste but since I had covered the pasta with some delicious homemade tomato sauce- it was just fine.
The mound of pesto covered arugula was a genius idea- yes I am not very modest… Anyway, the greens on top of the pasta looked beautiful and tasted even better. Since arugula is tough enough to be cooked, I placed the simply cooked piece of fish right on top. It looked like a fancy meal served at an expensive restaurant.
I was very pleased with myself. The best part was that I didn’t feel grossly full after eating the meal. I skipped the wine and had a glass of water.
Try the sauteed cod with the brown rice pasta with healthy arugula on top- it is outstanding.
- 3 to 4 cod fillets, about 5 ounces each
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a wide, non-stick frying pan. Add the fish filets and sprinkle salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side on high heat or, till the fish is opaque and flaky. Keep warm.
- Half pound brown rice spaghetti, cooked al dente
- 2 cups fresh or store bought tomato sauce
- Heat the tomato sauce in a wide saucepan. Add the cooked pasta in the sauce and mix well. Keep warm.
- 3 to 4 cups fresh arugula (depending on how many fish filets you have)
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated (with a vegetable peeler)
Add the arugula in medium bowl. Add the pesto and mix well. Sprinkle with the cheese.
Serve the dish by placing a serving of spaghetti in a wide bowl. Top the pasta with a cup of arugula mixed with pesto and cheese. Then, top with the cod fillet.
Easy Breakfast Dish-Kerala Style Scrambled Eggs
I somehow always forget to make eggs for dinner or even lunch. I take them out for breakfast on the weekends or unless I am baking- which seems to more and more often these days.
A cousin was in India recently and told me about her trip down to Kerala and described the cuisine. One of the things she couldn’t stop talking about were scrambled eggs cooked south indian style. She carefully described the ingredients or whatever she could decipher. While I was listening, I thought I will definitely make these but didn’t think of writing down the ingredients (duh). Anyway, a couple weeks went by and suddenly the scrambled eggs came to mind. It was one of those evenings where there wasn’t much in the fridge and I wasn’t in the mood to make an elaborate meal.
Now, I had forgotten most of the ingredients for the dish- but I was able to come up with what ever I thought belonged in there considering the part of India we are talking about. Mustard seeds, curry leaves and coconut were the main ingredients- and I had all of them. I also had fresh cilantro, tomatoes, onions and green chilies-perfect.
I used all the ingredients and came up with a fantastic, quick and delicious dinner. I made fresh rotis with it. That is what my husband and I ate. For my daughter I made plain scrambled eggs- she is not into fresh tomatoes, green chilies, etc.
I added extra cayenne pepper for myself. I like things spicy but my dear husband likes it really mild. It was really enjoyable- I plan to use more eggs for dinner in the future. Maybe a nice mushroom omelet with gruyere- yum, that sounds delicious. Try the easy scrambled eggs for your next quick meal.
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4-5 curry leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
- ¼ cup white onion, chopped
- 1 serrano chili, chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes, or halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Beat the eggs salt, cayenne pepper and cilantro. Keep aside.
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add mustard seeds and sauté for minute on medium high heat or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the curry leaves, coconut, onion, chili and ginger. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat or till the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the beaten eggs, stir till the eggs are cooked yet still soft. Serve with fresh rotis or tortillas.
Chicken with a Tamarind Glazed on a Crisp Noodle Cake
One of my favorite places to eat in our area is Khun Thai. It is a Thai restaurant in Millburn, NJ. We have been going there for many years now and all the dishes are really good.
One dish I always get (most of the time) is a grilled beef with a tamarind sauce. It is served with grilled vegetables and sticky rice. I find it very satisfying and relatively healthy. I always ask for extra tamarind sauce on the side. I wish they would sell the sauce in a jar- I would buy tons of it. It is salty, savory with a bit of spice- absolutely perfect in my book.
We went for dinner the other day to Khun Thai and yes I had the same thing. While I was eating it, I decided to make my own version at home. I knew I won’t be able to make an exact replica but it will be make take on the tamarind sauce.
I was reading the latest Food and Wine and a chef was featured who cooks with a lot of Thai and Chinese flavors. He made a chicken with a tamarind glaze on top of a noodle cake. I decided to use that as an inspiration and came up with my own version. I started with chicken stock and tamarind concentrate. I added a bit fish sauce- which is a great thing to keep in your pantry. It gives Asian dishes great nutty, salty flavor.
The noodle cake was very easy to make and a lot of fun to eat. My daughter loved it. I sauteed broccolini to serve with the meal. It was perfect- it looked gorgeous on the plate and the sauce was delicious. It definitely was not the same as the restaurant but it was still good.
Try it- you will love it, guaranteed…
Glaze
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate (available at Whole Foods)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons cilantro stems, finely chopped
- 1 medium shallots, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 green onion, green and white parts separated
Add the chicken stock, tamarind, honey, fish sauce and chili sauce to a small saucepan. Add the cilantro stems, shallots, garlic cloves and white part of the green onions. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat till it reduces to 1 cup. Keep aside.
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken pieces
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides, about 3 minutes each on high heat. Sprinkle salt generously on both sides. Add the tamarind sauce in the pan and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes basting once. Take the chicken pieces out on a plate and boil the liquid till thickened, about 3 minutes. Place the chicken back in the frying pan and place it under a high broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, till the pieces are golden brown.
Serve on top of a crispy noodle wedge and some sauce on top. Garnish with the green parts of the green onion.
Crisp Noodle Pancake
- 4 ounces dried thin egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
Boil the noodles according to instructions. Drain and spread onto a cookie sheet and pat dry. Heat a non-stick frying with 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the noodles, spreading them thin covering the pan surface. Take a spare lid and press down and cook for 8 to 9 minutes on medium heat. Invert the pancake onto a plate. Heat the same pan with the remaining olive oil and slice the pancake back now browning the other side. Cook for 8 to 9 minutes on medium heat. Once both sides are golden brown and crisp, slide the pancake onto a cutting board. Slice into 4 wedges and serve with the chicken.
Sauteed Broccolini
- 1 pack or a pound of broccolini
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Blanch the broccolini in boiling water for a minute. Take out and shock in cold water to retain the color. Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Saute the blanched broccolini on medium high heat, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve with the chicken and noodle pancake.