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Achari Gosht- Pickled Goat Meat
My Mom has been making this dish as long as I can remember. I particularly remember eating this goat dish when we went for picnics or a train ride to visit my cousins. It was cooked for those occasions since it was essentially ‘pickled’. It doesn’t go bad and can be kept outside for a long time. We would eat it room temperature and it was delicious.
It has a strong flavor of cooked onions with the tomato paste and is cooked for a while to cook off any water coming out of the vegetables. It is a concentrated flavor and so a little goes a long way. Typically Indian pickles consist of onion seeds, fennel seeds, etc. This dish has those flavors. Vinegar is added to finish the dish.
This dish can be made with any kind of stew meat. You can make it with dark meat chicken as well. To me, the goat tastes the best- I guess since I grew up eating it- that is what I like.
Looking at the list of ingredients, it may seem like a complicated dish- it isn’t. It does take a while to make it but it is totally worth it. It keeps for a while in the fridge so it is great to make a big batch and eat it once in a while. It is perfect for when there is nothing to eat and you don’t have time to cook anything. Take some pickled mutton out and eat it with a naan- yum!!!
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Greek Style Potatoes and Zucchini with Feta
A friend was talking about an amazing dinner she had in the city at a Greek restaurant. She described the freshly grilled fish served with roast vegetables topped with feta.
The vegetable dish included potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes- roasted perfectly and topped with feta. As I heard the description, I was already envisioning it in my mind. I wanted to make the dish soon- the combination sounded amazing.
As I was cooking the shrimp bisque, I was wondering what to serve with the soup to balance it off. I thought of roasted vegetables my friend had described and decided on serving it with the soup.
I went to the farmers market and purchased fresh zucchini, fingerling potatoes and some delicious tomatoes. I cut them up and added garlic, oregano and olive oil. Once the vegetables are roasted to perfection, I added the feta. The vegetables were delicious with the oregano and feta. They were a perfect complement to the shrimp bisque. The crusty bread finished the dish off beautifully…
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Cinnamon and Vanilla Oatmeal- For the Week
I have been making this oatmeal for my daughter for over five years now. She has it everyday- five times a week. On the weekends we mix it up a bit with eggs, etc.
I started making the oatmeal for the week when I realized she loved it so much. I use the old fashioned kind which takes a few minutes to cook since it is a bit better for you than the instant kind- less processed. I usually make it on Sundays for the week and save a lot of time in the morning through the week. I just add some for her in a bowl, top it with milk and heat it up. I slice half a banana and my daughter absolutely loves it.
I cook the oatmeal in milk. I add high quality maple syrup and cinnamon to it. A dash of salt brings out the flavor and makes it delicious. I finish it off with good vanilla extract- yum!
Last year my daughter announced she was not eating oatmeal every day. She wanted variety. I started giving her cereal, eggs, waffles, etc- but what do you know. After a few weeks- she started asking for oatmeal again- she missed it. She is a creature of habit like her mom. I can eat the same breakfast everyday- and I do.
Anyway, make this oatmeal for your kids- it is healthy and delicious!
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Avocado and Poblano Pepper Crema
I am not sure how this recipe came about. I was at the farmer’s market and I found these great looking poblano peppers. Once I had decided to make grilled steak fajitas, I wanted to make some kind of a salsa to serve on top. Instead I thought of making an avocado crema- what is that you ask??? Well, it is essentially a combination of creamed sour cream and avocado.
In this case, I grilled the poblano peppers, green onions, garlic and yellow onion with a drizzle of olive oil and salt. Once all the vegetables turned golden brown, I blended them with a cut up avocado, lime juice, Greek yogurt and salt. That was it- super simple and so flavorful.
I drizzled the crema over the steak and the vegetables. It complemented the spiced in the steak really well. The tang and the creaminess was delicious with the crunchy vegetables. I used up half of it for the meal and stored the rest away for another meal- hmm, how will I use it up??
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Grilled Steak Fajitas
This is the first time I have cooked a flat iron steak. I saw it in Whole Foods and remembered reading about this reasonably priced yet delicious cut of beef. Like a skirt steak, the meat is to be cut against the grain. It has very good marbling ensuring delicious flavor.
I wasn’t sure how I would be using the cut but somehow Mexican food came to mind. I envisioned a dry rub on the steak and making steak fajitas. That is what I did- I mixed ground coriander, roasted cumin seeds, salt, ancho chili powder and paprika. I let the steak sit in the fridge for a while and prepared an avocado crema (recipe to follow tomorrow). I grilled the steak, about medium and it was perfect. The meat tasted delicious- I couldn’t believe it was so reasonably priced. Definitely try this cut next time you go to the supermarket.
I sauteed peppers and onions to serve on top and used corn tortillas instead of the flour ones. I made some rice with tomatoes and garlic and it was a delicious meal…
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Elderflower Cocktail
This one is my husband’s contribution to the blog. As I have mentioned before, he is a great mixologist and loves coming up with new and different combinations. In this case, he noticed a bottle of elderflower syrup sitting in my pantry. He got curious and did some research and came up with this delicious, refreshing cocktail.
If you have never had an elderflower drink- you are missing a delicious, delicate, floral experience. I first had elderberry in England years ago. My aunt had a concentrate or syrup that she would mix with regular water or club soda and serve. It was delicious.
We were in Ikea recently and I noticed a bottle of elderflower concentrate in their marketplace. I picked it up immediately and brought it home.
My husband simply mixed it with gin and lime juice and topped it with club soda.
It was refreshing and delicious. I would drink this instead of a gin and tonic. It was not overly sweet, yet had a great, floral flavor.
Try this cocktail next time you are looking to try something different.
- 2 ounces Sweetened Elderflower Concentrate
- 2 ounces Gin
- Juice of half a lime
- 1/2 cup ice
- Club soda (4-6 oz)
Add the elderflower concentrate, gin and lime juice to a serving glass that is half filled with ice. Top with club soda while stirring gently.
Baked Nectarines with Vanilla Creme Fraiche
The nectarine lovefest continues with this delicious dessert. I don’t know how to begin- first of all, it is delicious. Simple, yet it includes layers of amazing flavors.
I started with fresh nectarines, cut in half and ready to be stuffed with a mixture of oats, walnuts and brown sugar. I laced the topping with ground cardamom and cinnamon. To me, the cardamom was the key ingredient. It was simply amazing with the walnuts, oats and the baked nectarines- floral and sweet.
It is a great dessert to make in advance. I popped it in the oven as we sat down to eat dinner. Ten to fifteen minutes later, the nectarines were ready to be taken out.
I served them with some creme fraiche. I love using this French style soured cream instead of ice cream- although ice cream would be amazing as well. I added a bit of vanilla sugar into the cream and added a dollop on top of the baked nectarines. The combination was delicious. The cream cut through the sweetness of topping and the soft fruit. All in all- it was a very successful try. I will be making this with other fruits as well in the future- sky is the limit…
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