Archives
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Feb | Apr » | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
Irish Style Coleslaw
It is time to cook up some corned beef and cabbage- it is that time of year. The time has changed and spring is in the air- we are almost there…
So, how does an Indian cook celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?? Well, I wasn’t very sure a few days ago. I was planning on wearing green (which is usually the only thing I do most years), and maybe visiting our local pub for a full Irish breakfast- yum! I will forego the green beer as I am not a beer gal but will devour the rest..
How should I honor the Irish tradition? It is a busy week and I was not up for a very complicated recipe with a big commitment- so I decided to make something simple. I was thinking of doing burgers for dinner and decided on making an Irish style coleslaw. I love a well made coleslaw but usually find myself shying away from it at restaurants. Mostly the salad is bland and old tasting- so I don’t eat it.
I was determined to make a delicious coleslaw and noticed a typical Irish coleslaw is usually made without mayonnaise- although I did come across some recipes with a tad bit added. I decided to eliminate it in my recipe. I made it easy for myself and bought a pack of shredded green cabbage. I looked for the rest of the ingredients in my fridge. I had green onions, sweet red peppers and Dijon mustard. I also added half an apple as I saw most of the recipes included some kind of an apple. I also added some apple cider to the dressing to mimic the flavor in the salad.
The coleslaw was a big success. I made Greek style burgers – yes, I know that is a weird combination, but it all complemented each other really well. The cabbage was delicious with the tangy dressing, the apple provided a delicious crunch and the green onions and red pepper were just right.. enjoy!
read more …
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with Green Mini Cupcakes
My daughter’s class is having a mini celebration for St. Patrick’s day with green bagels, green grapes and green juice. As I was volunteering to send some Irish butter, my daughter expressed her disappointment about not having some green cupcakes for St. Patty’s day. So, of course as a responsible (and gullible) Mom, I volunteered to bake some. She was overjoyed as we decided to check with the teacher first.
Once we found out it was a go- I started looking at recipes online. There was one in Martha Stewart’s site that looked good. I decided on making the mini ones- no reason for 23 kids to be running around with tons of sugar in their bodies.
The recipe was enough to make two batches of 24 mini cupcakes. I didn’t have two of the same 24 cupcake pans so I decided to make 24 mini and 6 regular sized cupcakes. That way the two teachers can have regular sized ones. I used my usual white whole wheat flour, evaporated cane sugar and extra light olive oil. If you want to use butter instead- one cup is equivalent to 2 sticks. I also added zest of a Meyer lemon to give the cupcakes some extra flavor. If you don’t have a Meyer lemon, use a lemon or an orange instead. The frosting was delicious with cream cheese, vanilla extract and the butter- yes, I used butter in here- there is really no substitute for it in frosting. Overall the cupcakes looked beautiful with the bright green sugar on top.
St. Patrick’s Day reminds me of my all time favorite vacation to Ireland. It is the most beautiful country with super friendly people I have ever been to. We flew into Shannon and stayed in a beautiful town called Dingle. It is a gorgeous little town that has the most amazing restaurants and vistas. We ate amazing food and for someone who is not a beer gal, I drank it with every meal. I feel the urge to go back every year around this time as I hear tourism ads on the radio to Ireland and feel the weather changing.
I guess I will look at the green cupcakes and think of the gorgeous landscape in the beautiful country, Ireland. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you!!!
read more …
Miso Glazed Cod with Bok Choy
This is a yummy, yummy dish. I used my daughter’s favorite fish, cod. I did a miso glaze like I usually do with the black cod- which is a very expensive fish. It is my husband’s favorite and do make it once in a while- special occasions or when I feel really generous.
The miso glaze is delicious with any fish. The fish was really tasty and simple. I made bok choy on the side and used the tofu noodles with mushrooms.
Amazing meal- try it…
- 3 to 4 cod fillets
- 2 tablespoons mellow white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon mirin
Mix the miso, tamari and mirin in a small bowl. Marinate the fish with the paste and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat the oven to a high broil. Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt, pepper and oil. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness- make sure not to overcook. Serve over bok choy.
- 4 bunches of baby bok choy, whites and greens separated and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- Salt
Heat a medium frying pan with the oil. Add the bok choy whites and garlic. Saute on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the greens and salt. Saute for another minute or so and serve hot with the fish.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Sausage with Herbed Polenta
I saw this dish on Rachel Ray’s show. I can’t remember exactly what she did but it definitely inspired this recipe. I love buying the already cut up butternut squash from Trader Joes– I can’t help myself- I just pick it up. The problem is, my daughter is not a big fan- she doesn’t care for the texture. I get it- everyone has something they don’t like.. so I don’t push it.
I love the healthy, orange vegetable. I especially like it with sausage. I roasted the squash and an apple chicken sausage I got from Trader Joes as well. In case you didn’t guess, I am at TJs almost everyday.
I made herbed polenta which is the easiest starch to make. Try this dish- very easy to make…
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 pound cooked chicken sausages (apple and chardonnay), sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sage, chopped
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer the squash, sausage, garlic, rosemary, sage, salt and olive oil to a lined cookie sheet. Roast till the squash is tender and sausage is warmed through- about 40 minutes, while tossing one time in between. Drizzle the balsamic glaze, mix well. Keep aside.
Herbed Polenta
- 1 cup fine polenta
- 1½ cups milk
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons sage, chopped
- 2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Add the milk, broth (you may need to adjust quantity according to your polenta package instructions), sage, rosemary, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil and cook according to instructions. Once the polenta is done, add salt and cheese. Serve with the roasted squash and sausage.
Chinese Broccoli with Tofu Noodles
This was a great discovery and a huge success in my house. A friend told me about tofu noodles she bought at the Asian store. I found them in Whole Foods with the other tofu products. It is tofu shaped as noodles in a liquid- similar to the liquid in a tofu package.
I brought them home; drained them; rinsed and cooked them in the microwave for a minute. They were then ready to be used like regular cooked noodles. I also had a big bunch of Chinese broccoli- one of our favorite vegetables to eat. It reminds me of broccoli raab- which is my favorite thing to eat.
I simply sauteed the Chinese broccoli with garlic and oyster sauce. I then added the noodles and some salt- and that was it. It was the quickest dish- almost comparable to the fish I made with it. Both the dishes were super easy and quick to make.
My daughter devoured the noodles and wanted more. I wish I had made two packages instead of one… she would have eaten the whole package if I had let her. It is definitely going to be a staple in my house…
Try these noodles- they are healthy and delicious….
read more …
Beef Stew with Orange and Cinnamon
Delicious, delicious- one of my favorite stew recipes. Orange and cinnamon are synonymous with cold weather. I had some stew meat in the freezer. I took it out the night before and made the stew in no time. All you need is some chicken broth and red wine. I always have mushrooms in the fridge- my daughter loves them and they are super versatile. I decided to add them to the mix. I zested and juiced an orange and added a cinnamon stick. It is amazing what those flavors put together do to any dish- whether it is a sweet or savory dish.
The stew took no time to put together. It cooked on the stove for a good half an hour, forty minutes. You can cook it even longer, depending on the meat.
Everyone loved it- the only problem was that it finished in one sitting. Everyone wanted it the next day.
read more …
Dhaniya Meat (Goat Meat Cooked in a Cilantro Sauce)
This is one of my all time favorite dishes-ever. I grew up eating this and learnt later my maternal grandfather used to enjoy it immensely as well. I love it for its simplicity and amazing flavor.
This is my first time making this delicious dish and realized how simple it is to make.
The dish is made with one of my favorite combinations- cilantro, onion, garlic and green onions. The mixture imparts amazing flavors and color. It is as simple as that.
If you are not able to find goat meat, use lamb, beef or chicken- the basic flavor will be the same. I introduced the dish to my daughter who love it. The taste brought me back to my childhood. I love how food invokes delicious memories…
Enjoy this dish…
read more …