Category Archives: Appetizers/Snacks
Chicken Tikka
Simple, healthy and juicy chicken tikkas!
- 1 lb chicken-either boneless breast or thighs cut in small pieces
- Marinade
- 1 Cup low fat sour cream
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 inch piece of ginger
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 3 tsp salt
- Juice of one big lemon
- Oil to drizzle
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Blend all the ingredients in a blender and marinate the chicken for at least
3-4 hours (over night is preferable). Take the chicken out of the marinade (save the marinade) and place on a cookie sheet, drizzle some oil on the pieces. Bake for about 15 minutes and turn the pieces and drizzle some more oil. Cook the pieces for another 15 minutes. (If using chicken breast, be careful not over bake) Bring the saved marinade to a boil and serve as a sauce with the chicken.
Coconut Shrimp
This dish is worth reposting. I used the recipe this past weekend for a dinner party I was having. I thought it would be fun to post the dishes I made… next time you want to have a dinner party and cook Indian food- you may want to use this menu…I changed it up a bit by adding sliced onions- made it super delicious…
This dish is truly delicious! I made it the other day- concocted it in my head the day before I was supposed to cook and take it to my friend’s house.
She was having a get together and wanted to know where to get a few meat snacks for a cocktail party. I suggested we cook at home instead. It is so hard to find a place that makes and delivers yummy food. Also, by the time they bring the food over, it’s cooked and cold and doesn’t taste the same reheated. We decided I will cook the shrimp and take to her house. I decided to do a stir fry style dish which will taste good room temperature as shrimp is not so tasty reheated.
There used to be a South Indian restaurant in Edison, NJ that served delicious seafood. We would go once in a while and make it a point to order a shrimp stir fry for appetizer. It was yum! It had cumin and fennel seeds amongst other ingredients. I started to think of that dish and got inspired to make the coconut shrimp.
I roasted the cumin and fennel seeds and powdered them in a spice grinder. I also had fresh frozen shredded coconut which I roasted as well- just to give it more of a crunch in the dish. Store bought, packaged coconut can be substituted for the dish.
The overall flavor was enhanced by the marinade- which was simply lemon juice, garlic, salt and olive oil. I sauteed the marinated shrimp with the spice mix and added the coconut. Very simple, yet very tasty.
It was a big hit at the party. This dish will definitely be part of my repertoire going forward. Give it a try- you won’t be disappointed!
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Spicy Pear Compote
Winter entertaining can be fun- especially if one makes a delicious, cozy stew with lots of crusty bread and red wine! I love serving a big plate of cheese before hand and like to make a fresh compote to complement the cheeses. I made this one with pears which are in season. I added some smoked paprika and chipotle pepper to make them a bit spicy….. delicious!!!
- 2 Bosc pears, diced
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
- ½ cup cilantro
Transfer the pears, apple cider, vinegar, honey, salt, paprika and chipotle powder to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for about 15 minutes or till most of the liquid has evaporated. Let cool and add cilantro. Check for seasonings and serve with cheese and crackers.
Feta Dip
I have been all about feta and dill since I came back from Greece! I was hosting book club and wanted to make an easy dip- so I checked what I had in my fridge and pantry and came up with this. It was a big hit. I served it with pita chips..
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup half and half
- 3 or 4 cherry peppers, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- Hot sauce
Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl, mix well and serve with pita chips.
Cherry Almond Duffins
Dessert number 3! Use fresh or frozen cherries for this one… yummy!
- ¾ cup raw sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup extra light olive oil
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 cup pitted fresh or frozen cherries, chopped
Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ½ cup fine raw sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly grease a 12 muffin tin with a bit of oil in each cup.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg till light and fluffy. Pour in vegetable oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix to combine.
In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into the egg mixture and stir well. Fold the cherries into the batter and mix to incorporate.
Divide batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling about ½ full.
Bake for 15 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
While duffins are baking, melt butter in a small bowl. Pour ½ cup sugar into a medium bowl.
Once the duffins are done, lightly brush the top with melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in the sugar, coating all parts of the duffin.
Achari Chicken Tikkas (Chicken Cooked In Pickling Spices)
I am always looking for different ways to cook chicken- I guess so is everyone else. It is easy to pick it up while doing your weekly shop- or in my case- daily shop. I have to admit- I prefer chicken thighs to any other part of the bird. I find it very versatile, forgiving and full of flavor. I especially use it when making ethnic dishes.
I love making chicken tikkas- my daughter loves them- and I feel good about giving her delicious, organic meat with some veggies on the side.
I felt like eating tikkas but I wanted to prepare them a little differently than my usual. The cooking method is the same- it is the marinade that is completely different- sky is the limit when it comes to flavoring the yogurt. I made a spice mix which is similar to pickling spices used in Indian pickles. It is a classic mixture of fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds with onion seeds, etc. It gives the chicken a delicious sweet, savory and liquorice flavor.
These are best if marinated over night- if you didn’t plan ahead, no worries- a couple of hours will be fine as well. Keep this recipe in mind as you start thinking of grilling outside- enjoy!!
Achari Mix
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon onion seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Roast the seeds on stovetop until aromatic on medium heat- about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool and grind to a powder. Keep aside.
- 1½ pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- ¾ cups non-fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup half and half
- Juice of one lemon
- 3 teaspoons salt
- ½ red onion, sliced thin
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
Marinate the chicken in the garlic, ginger, yogurt, half and half, lemon juice, salt and the spice powder. Let it sit in the fridge over night or at least 2 to 3 hours.
Skewer the chicken pieces and cook under a broiler or on an outdoor grill. Cook till golden brown. Serve on a platter with sliced onions and lemon wedges.
Homemade Chocolate Granola- Perfect Holiday Gift
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup flaxseed meal
- ½ cup wheat germ
- ½ cup oat bran
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup sliced raw almonds
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1½ cups mixed dried blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup extra light olive oil
- 1 cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl add the oats, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, oat bran, coconut, almonds, walnuts and the dried fruit.
In a large measuring cup, add the olive oil, honey, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Heat in the microwave for a minute to liquefy the mixture and mix well.
Add the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.
On a large lined cookie sheet or two small cookie sheets, spread the granola mixture, smoothing the surface evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and separate with a fork while the mixture is still warm. Once the mixture cools off, add the chocolate chips. If you want the chocolate to melt all into the granola, add the chips while the mixture is still warm.
Eat with milk, coffee or on its own.
