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Tag: cumin

Greek Style Beef and Orzo

I love all my recipes but there are some that are extra special and absolutely yummy. This is one of them… I think I saw a version of it on tv but now I can’t remember exactly where.. but I got the idea to do this one pot meal. The orzo is cooked right in the ground beef and then topped with dill and feta!! Absolutely yum… serve it with a delicious crunchy salad and a red wine. Great for a cool, rainy evening…

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground grass fed beef
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 14 oz can of tomato sauce
  • 2 to 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup orzo
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup dill, chopped
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the ground beef and separate and brown with a wooden spoon over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, coriander and salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes. Take lid off and add 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add the orzo. Cook for 8 to 9 minutes or till the pasta is cooked. Add more broth if needed. I made this in advance and needed to add more broth while reheating. The consistency should be of a stew. Check for seasonings and garnish with parsley and dill. Crumble feta before serving.

 

 

Mexican Stew

  • This is a great one-pot meal to make .. especially since it has started to get cold…
  • 1 pound chicken thighs
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 2 to 3 large yellow potatoes and cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons roasted cumin
  • 2 cups chicken broth

Sauce

  • 2 poblano peppers, sliced in half
  • 1 anaheim pepper, sliced in half
  • 1 small garlic head, wrapped in aluminum
  • 1 small yellow onion cut in half
  • 2 to 3 green onions
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ½ cup chicken broth

Place the peppers, garlic, onion and green onions onto a lined baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the salt. Roast in the oven for half an hour, or until the vegetables are soft. Take out and blend in the blender with the cilantro and ½ cup broth until smooth.

Heat a saucepan and add the oil and roasted cumin. Add the carrots and celery and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the green sauce, 2 cups broth and the chicken thighs. Mix well and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour and a half. Serve hot with bread.

Meat Koftas- Meatballs in an Onion Gravy

Koftas This is a delicious meat ball dish. In India we meatballs are called koftas. They can be made with a variety of meats. My favorite is goat meat- but pork is delicious as well.. and so is beef.

The key to make this dish successful is to season every component of this dish. I started off with the minced meat which I seasoned with salt, garam masala and a small shallot. I let that mixture sit for a few hours (over night would be great). I then prepared a spice mixture consisting of coriander and cumin seeds. It is important to use whole spices as the grounds ones don’t give as much flavor- although, in a pinch one can use the ground variety. The next step was to blend an onion with ginger and garlic- that is the base of the gravy. If the steps are followed- the dish is a sure hit.

It is not the fastest dish to make- so I would leave this for the weekend.. but it is definitely worth the extra time….
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Indian Style Sauteed Mushrooms and Peas

Mushrooms and Peas Indian Style I love mushrooms- I can eat them three times a day, seven days a week. My daughter is the same way- she especially loves mushrooms on her pizza. She is very particular about the kind of mushroom on the pizza, though- they can be canned ones. She wants the fresh ones- I don’t blame her.

Anyway, this is a great side dish to make with any entree with chicken, fish or pork.

It is very easy to make. I sauteed the mushrooms with onions, garlic and cumin seeds. Once the mushrooms are cooked down and all the water is evaporated, I added the peas. They add great color and a yummy sweetness to the dish.

We had it with some sauteed chicken sausages but this concoction will be delicious on top of pizza as well. Try this mushrooms and peas dish- you will love it…
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Shrimp Curry with Roasted Onions

Shrimp curry with roasted onions

This recipe is based on an Indian dish made with eggplant called baghare baingan. It is very popular in Indian restaurants and I have made it a few times in the past. Actually I was looking to cook shrimp and somehow thought of this flavorful dish. Although it is typically made with eggplants and is obviously vegetarian, I could envision myself making it with shrimp- so that is what I did.

I used jumbo shrimp and sauteed them briefly. I used the same pan and oil and cooked the onion, ginger and garlic mixture. I then came up with a spice mixture consisting of coriander, cumin and sesame seeds. The flavorful seeds bring a creamy taste and texture to the mix. Curry leaves, tamarind and fish broth finish this truly delicious curry- I loved all the flavors together, especially with the shrimp.

In fact I loved it so much- I am not sure I will make it with eggplants ever again!

Next time you don’t know what to do with shrimp- make this shrimp curry- you will love it!
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Moroccan Style Chicken with Spinach Cilantro Couscous

Moroccan Style Chicken This dish takes the mundane chicken dinner to a whole new level. We had our usual Friday get together with Sia’s friend, her sisters and their Mom. It started off as a pizza party and as far as the kids are concerned, that is what we should serve every week. Most times I don’t feel like ordering pizza and would rather cook something at home.

So when the day came, I decided to make a chicken dish- something different (I usually say that in my mind- I really do). I was either watching  or reading something- I can’t remember, but Moroccan chicken came up. That was it- I couldn’t think of anything else. I bought the chicken and – everything else was in the house. Couscous comes to mind when I think Moroccan food. Instead of making a salad on the side, I decided to make a spinach and cilantro sauce and cooked the couscous in it. The colors were amazing- the orangish red chicken against the light green couscous was beautiful. The taste wasn’t so shabby either.

We all enjoyed the chicken with the couscous and some red wine- yes I am drinking wine- just on the weekends for now and Friday is part of the weekend. I do plan to incorporate wine back into the week but since I am doing a cleanse, I feel I should detox and stay away from it for a while. I digress- the evening was very enjoyable and delicious!

  • 2 tablespoons white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1½ pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large white onion, sliced thin
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon schug (hot red pepper mix)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Toss the flour and salt with the chicken in a bag to coat. Heat a non-stick skillet with the olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides, about 4 minutes each. Transfer to a plate.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat. Add cinnamon, ginger, cumin, schug and salt. Add the tomato, honey, raisins, chickpeas and chicken. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Sprinkle the almonds and cilantro. Serve with couscous.

Moroccan Style Chicken 1

Spinach Cilantro Couscous

  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 green onion

Blend the spinach, cilantro, garlic and onion with some water until a smooth paste is formed. Keep aside.

  • 1 cup whole wheat couscous
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup spinach paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat a medium sized saucepan and add the oil. Add the spinach paste and saute for a minutes on medium high heat. Add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil and add the couscous and place the lid and turn the heat off. Fluff the couscous in 5 minutes once it is cooked.

Turkey Keema (Spiced Ground Meat)

Keema I make keema all the time and love eating it. Usually I make it with some vegetables- like cauliflower , peas or even spinach.

I guess I am trying to make sort of a one pot meal with the protein and vegetables in one dish.

In this particular one, for some reason, I didn’t feel like adding any vegetables. As I have mentioned before, I usually visualize what I am going to cook and somehow vegetables didn’t work with specific one.

I cooked the ground meat (I used turkey meat but pork, beef or lamb will work well) with lots of dry spices including, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom seeds. To me a mixture of these spices epitomizes North Indian cuisine. I love the flavor the dry spices impart- the flavor is intense yet subtle at the same time.

Of course onion, ginger, garlic and tomatoes were part of the mix. Overall the keema was delicious. I even used the leftovers to make pizza- recipe coming soon.

I made fresh rotis and some lentils with spinach since there was no vegetable in the keema. It was a delicious meal!

  • 1 pound ground turkey- dark meat
  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick, crushed
  • 3 cloves, crushed
  • 2 cardamom seeds, crushed
  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 inches ginger
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom. Saute on medium high heat for 30 seconds or till the seeds sizzle. Process the onion, ginger and garlic till they form a paste. Add to the sautéing spices and cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato puree, salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper and coriander powder. Add the meat and press down with the back of the spoon to separate and cook evenly. Mix well and sauté on medium heat for 15- 20 minutes or till the excess water has evaporated, stirring constantly. Sprinkle garam masala and serve.