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Ginger and Mint Seekh Kebab

   

Ginger and Mint Seekh Kebab1 I made these a few weeks ago for a barbecue we were having. I decided to make these seekh kebab to serve as appetizers with some shrimp. I love making seekh kebabs since they are so simple and full of flavor.

I kept it real simple for these particular ones. The two main ingredients I added were ginger and mint. I love the two aromatics together- they make anything taste delicious.

I of course started with ground turkey meat. You can use ground pork or lamb but since turkey meat is healthier- I always use that.

I simply marinated the meat with ginger, mint, cilantro, coriander powder and garam masala. I beat an egg for binding and some salt- thats it. It is great for this mixture to sit for a few hours if not over night (that would be ideal). It is amazing what a difference over night makes- the seekh kebab come out a lot more flavorful.

I have extra long metal skewers which I used to make the seekh kebabs on the grill outside. It doesn’t take very long for the meat to cook and so they were done in no time. I served them with some mint chutney and it was a wonderful appetizer.

You could serve in hot dog or any other kind of buns and make a meal out of them. Drizzle some mint chutney on top and maybe some onions and you have a fabulous sandwich.

Try the ginger and mint seekh kebab for your next barbecue….
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Italian Style Burgers

   

Italian Burgers I loved eating and making these burgers. Summer is almost done and I feel like grilling and eating all sorts of fresh produce. I had been busy all day Friday and we didn’t have any plans for dinner. We got home around five and I decided to grill burgers, roast some potato wedges and make a salad- simple summertime meal.

I still had to go and buy some ground beef. Usually I prefer turkey meat due to health reason but I decided to go look for grass fed ground beef. Before going shopping, I peeled and cooked the potatoes. I chopped basil, thyme and rosemary for the burgers. I minced garlic and grated a shallot. Once I got the meat and rolls, I simply added the chopped ingredients and that was it- I was done. My husband had asked me to purchase the ready to grill patties but I can’t get myself to do that. I have no idea what is in there.. especially the meat quality. I prefer to make my own- especially since it doesn’t take very long at all.

We grilled the burgers and ate a delicious, simple summer meal… I can’t believe it is almost done. Make this recipe this weekend…
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Nectarine and Tomato Salad

   

Nectarine and Tomato Salad I was in the kitchen listening to the radio the other day- which, by the way is my favorite thing to do- when I heard someone talk about summer tomatoes. They were saying how good the crop is this year because of the hot hot weather. I realized it to be true as I thought about the bumper tomato crop I have been harvesting from my backyard. The tomatoes have been unbelievable. I mostly grown cherry tomatoes- I love them. They are super versatile and delicious.

Anyway, the radio person suggested a peach and tomato salad- and that is where I got my inspiration.  It is so simple that I am almost embarrassed to post it as a recipe.

The key ingredient is balsamic glaze. You can buy it at a specialty store- I bought my from Italy but you can make your own as well. It is as simple as cooking regular balsamic vinegar down on a medium heat until it cooks down to a syrupy consistency. That is all this salad has- salt, really good olive oil and thyme.

It is very delicious- the combination of tomatoes and nectarines is unbelievable. Before summer is over- try this super simple salad…

  • 2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 to 2 nectarines cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze
  • 2 teaspoon fresh thyme

Add the cherry tomatoes and nectarines into a medium bowl. Add the salt and olive oil. Let them sit for at least an hour. Add the fresh thyme and balsamic glaze and serve.

Indian Style Chicken Cutlets

   

Indian Style Chicken Cutlets1 My daughter was complaining to me the other day about missing chicken nuggets. She claimed not to remember the last time she had them. In my mind- that is a good thing. I explained to her chicken nuggets are for younger kids and especially for those who are a bit picky and don’t like to eat anything else. It didn’t make her feel better and asked me to buy some.

I convinced her to let me make her some instead and she agreed.

I have made chicken cutlets in the past that she has enjoyed. I almost always use panko bread crumbs to add the crunch- plus I always bake them and never fry.

For these- I decided to add an Indian spin to them. I marinated the chicken tenders in garlic, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. All these ingredients gave the chicken super flavor- I was already to a good start.

Next I prepared the breading. I added mustard seeds and curry leaves to the panko breadcrumbs to add great flavor.  I added turmeric, salt and coriander powder to the flour. All in all it was a lot of deliciousness going on with all the spices.

My daughter was watching me as I was putting the cutlets together and was not happy with the way they looked- especially the green curry leaves. As usual, I convinced her to try them and she was thrilled- she loved them. She claimed the chicken reminded her of popcorn! I served the chicken with the tomato rice and it was a delicious meal…
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Tomato Rice with Peas

   

Tomato RiceThis is my version of a South Indian rice dish my husband has all the time at restaurants. I have never made it before and thought it would be nice to try it at home. It is essentially cooked rice sauteed with a lot of spices, lentils and curry leaves. I decided to take it to another level and make a one pot meal out of it. How much do we love one pot meals?

In order to make this dish balanced I added frozen peas and shredded paneer which is an Indian style cheese. So now I had vegetables and protein in the rice dish. I guess if you wanted to be even more healthy, you can use brown rice instead of the white.

The rice dish was super flavorful with the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and a blend of spices. The crushed tomatoes and peanuts made this dish fabulous. My daughter is not into nuts- so all I did was take them out for her. She was very skeptical trying the rice- but once she had a bite, she was sold…
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Zucchini and Squash Saute

   

Zucchini and Squash Saute This is a great summer side dish. Perfect with the burgers or any other grilled protein. I come up with these concoctions after I have gone crazy at the farmers market.

In this case, I purchased a lot of gorgeous looking zucchini and yellow squash. After thinking about it for a while, I came up with this quick and delicious dish.

I wanted to use very few ingredients and not lose the fresh squash taste. I sliced an onion and grated some ginger- somehow I wasn’t in the mood for garlic. I wanted  the taste to be clean and simple and so that is all I did. I sauteed everything lightly and finished the dish off with some lemon juice- it tends to wake up all the flavors in a dish.

This concoction will be perfect with pasta as well. Add some al dente penne and you have a complete meal. You could add some fresh herbs to make it even yummier- either way, you can’t go wrong with this simple dish…
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Cauliflower and Potatoes

   

Cauliflower and Potatoes Here we go again- this is yet another version of cauliflower. I should go back and look on this blog and count how many different cauliflower recipes I have. It is my husbands favorite thing to eat so I try to make it as much as I can- the problem is, coming up with different versions of the same vegetable- yes you are right- I am patting myself on the back for coming up with a new recipe.

Well, it is really not new. I remember eating this kind of a dish at wedding parties in India. It was not the most healthy way of cooking it.. they would fry the cauliflower florets and potatoes first and then cook it with lots of onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. It tasted really good but I certainly didn’t want to make it the same way. So- I decided to roast the vegetables in a large cookie sheet to attain similar results. I roasted them till they were soft and golden brown. I then started a saucepan with oil, cumin seeds, onion, ginger and garlic. I later added the crushed tomatoes and other spices.

Overall, it is a fairly simple dish with a few extra steps- but it is worth the work. The dish is delicious…
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