Tag: extra light olive oil

Miso Udon Noodles with Chicken and Scallops

We love anything with noodles in our house. So, when we visited a Japanese grocery store in Edgewater, NJ, we were thrilled to find fresh Udon noodles in the freezer. I was inspired by the yaki udon my daughter orders at our favorite Japanese restaurant. The key ingredient is to have white miso which is readily available at grocery stores. Try this dish- it is delicious!

1 pack udon noodles, cooked according to package instructions
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
½ pound scallops, cleaned and sliced in half
2 to 3 chicken cutlets, sliced thin
2 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 10 oz pack Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 small bunch of bok choy, chopped, whites and greens separated
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Miso Sauce

1 tablespoon white miso
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon low sodium tamari

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

½ cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix the cornstarch into the chicken broth and keep aside.

Heat a wok like pan with the oil. Brown the scallops and chicken slices on high heat, in 2 to 3 batches and keep aside. Add the ginger and mushrooms to the pan and sauté on high heat until the vegetables are golden brown- about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the white parts of the bok choy and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the greens parts, noodles, scallops and chicken. Saute for a minute and add the miso sauce and chicken broth. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cook till the chicken strips are cooked through. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.

Chicken and Peas with Rice with Tomato Chipotle Sauce

I love me a good one pot meal… and this is a really good one. Perfect for company or a Sunday dinner!

1 pound chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Drizzle the chicken pieces with flour, salt and pepper, keep aside.

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 ½ cups white rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoon salt
2 cups frozen peas

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil and brown the chicken pieces on both sides about 4 minutes for each batch. Take out and add the onion, garlic and cilantro. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and rice. Saute for 30 seconds and add chicken broth and salt. Add the browned chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Simmer on a medium heat with lid half on for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down and cover completely with lid. Cook for another 15 minutes. Top with frozen peas and cover with lid again and let it cook for another 10 minutes. Take lid off and make sure the rice is fully cooked. Fluff with a large fork and serve.

Tomato Chipotle Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce (fresh or canned)
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce

Bring the tomato sauce to a boil. Add the salt, sugar and chipotle sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.

Gingerbread Cake with Whipped Cream and Candied Ginger & Chocolate Ganache

Here are some dessert ideas for the holidays…

2½ cups white whole-wheat flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup extra light olive oil
½ cup evaporated cane juice
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup molasses mixed with 1 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and line two 9 inch round pans.

Combine the flour, baking soda, spices and the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk and keep aside.
Beat together the oil and sugar with an electric mixture for a minute. Add the egg and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. In 3 batches, alternately bean in flour mixture and molasses mixture on a low speed. Beat till smooth and pour batter into the two pans dividing equally. Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
Take out and let cool.

Filling

1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons candied ginger, chopped

Beat the cream with an electric beater till stiff peaks are formed. Add the sugar and ginger and mix well.
Place the first layer of cake onto a cake stand and add the filling, smoothing it all over. Place the second layer and gently press down, cleaning up any filling spilling out of the cakes.

Topping

6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
¾ cups whipping cream

Heat the cream in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Once bubbles begin to form on the edges, turn the heat off and take the pan off the stove. Add the chocolate and stir until it melts. Let cool and pour the ganache over the cake covering the sides evenly.
Top the cake with candied ginger for decoration.

Hyderabadi Style Chicken

We are all guilty of being stuck in a rut- especially when it comes to cooking. I realized, I had not cooked Indian food in a while- not sure what my rut was but it certainly wasn’t Indian food. I decided to change that and come up with a delicious chicken curry!

2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in or out, without skin
½ cup Greek yogurt
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 inch ginger, grated
½ cup cilantro, chopped fine
Juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons salt

Mix the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cilantro, lemon juice and salt. Transfer to a medium bowl with the chicken. Marinate over night or at least 2 to 3 hours.

Spice Mix

½ cup grated coconut (I use frozen)
2 green cardamoms
4 cloves
2 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
½ inch cinnamon stick
¼ cup chopped almonds

Process all the ingredients in a spice grinder (coffee grinder) and keep aside.

3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup tomato puree
½ cup water
Salt

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium high heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the spice mix and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomato puree and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken and water. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid for 35 to 40 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take lid off and cook on high heat to cook off the excess liquid. Add salt if necessary. Serve warm with rice or quinoa.

Potato and Pepper Home Fries

I wanted to post this recipe for the longest time. I don’t end up making these home fries very often but they are so delicious… they deserve to be on this blog! Try this next time you are in the mood for eggs…

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
6 to 7 green onions, whites and greens chopped and separated
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, chopped into ½ inch cubes
1 yellow or any color pepper, chopped
Salt

Add the chopped potatoes to a medium saucepan. Top with water and bring to a boil. Drain and let dry.

Heat a cast iron pan with the olive oil. Add the potatoes and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the whites of the green onions, garlic and yellow pepper and sauté for another 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt and the greens of the green onion. Check for seasonings and serve with brunch or breakfast.

Indian Style Polenta

Polenta is a very easy, healthy and quick starch to make. Like rice, it is very versatile and anything and everything can be added to make it yummier. I have made quite a few different kinds in the past.

I made this one Indian style to serve with the fish curry. I started with mustard seeds and curry leaves. I also added a couple of different kinds of lentils for a nice crunch and I also included peanuts.

My original idea was to cook the polenta in coconut milk and chicken broth but then I realized I was out of coconut milk. Instead I cooked it with my normal mixture of milk and chicken broth- both the liquids ensure yummy flavor in the dish.. and this dish was extremely yummy.

The only person who doesn’t like polenta in the house is my daughter. I made her some rice on the side. She does not enjoy the texture of polenta… but I love it…

1 cup fine polenta
1½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
1½ cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 to 5 curry leaves
1 tablespoons white moong dal
1 tablespoons channa dal
½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed

Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, moong dal, channa dal and peanuts. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté for a minute. Add the broth and milk with the salt. Bring to a boil and add the polenta. Follow package instructions to cook the polenta. Taste for seasonings and serve with the fish curry.

Pinto Beans

These are delicious, vegetarian refried beans. Usually they are available in restaurants filled with fat- don’t get me wrong.. they are delicious but not the healthiest. You can also get them pre-made in a can. Honestly, I have never tasted the ones in the can, so I can’t comment- but you can’t beat the homemade variety.

I don’t make it exactly from scratch as I use the cooked pinto beans out of a can. This allows me to cook the dish in no time at all without compromising on flavor. This particular one I spiced with roasted cumin seeds and smoked paprika. I also added garlic and cherry tomatoes.

It is a delicious, healthy side dish you can make in a matter of minutes. It was a great complement to the steak tacos. Try it with tacos or any thing grilled for the summer…

1 can of (15 ounces) pinto beans
¼ cup vegetable or chicken broth

Place the beans in a saucepan and add the broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Mash the beans in the pan with a potato masher. Leave it a bit chunky if you like. Keep aside.

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan. Add the cumin seeds, tomatoes, onion and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes- till onions are soft. Add the mashed beans. Mix well and sprinkle salt and paprika. Mix well and top with cilantro and serve.

« older entries newer entries »