Tag: lemon juice

Turkish Style Lentil Soup

Yummy lentil soup for meatless Monday!!

1 tablespoon butter or extra light olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried mint
½ cup red lentils, washed
1 small potato, peeled and cut in half inch squares
2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
Fresh lemon juice

Heat a medium saucepan with the oil. Add the onion, ground cumin and mint. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the lentils, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and add the salt and turmeric and simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes adding more broth if necessary. Once the potato chunks are soft, take off the heat and let cool. Transfer to blender and blend till smooth. Pour the liquid back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the consistency by either adding more broth or cooking off extra broth. Check for seasonings. Squirt some fresh lemon juice right before serving.

Shrimp with a Cilantro and Mint Sauce

This is a yummy green curry made with coconut milk, cilantro and mint! It was a delicious combination I served with lemon rice and it was a bit hit. Overall- it was a successful attempt at a green coconut curry… I was very satisfied.

1 pound medium sized shrimp, cleaned
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil

Green Curry

1 cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup mint, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
1 serrano chili, chopped
¼ cup water

Blend the cilantro, mint, green onions, white onion, garlic, ginger, chili and water till a smooth sauce.

3 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
10 to 15 curry leaves, chopped
1 (14 ounces) light coconut milk
Salt
Juice of one lemon

Saute the shrimp on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes in a wok like sauce pan with the extra light olive oil. Take the shrimp out on a paper towel lined platter. Keep aside.

Reheat the wok like sauce pan and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute for a minute on high heat or till the seeds start to sizzle. Add the sauce and sauté on medium high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the coriander seeds, salt and coconut milk. Mix well and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat. Add the shrimp, cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, taste for seasonings. Serve with plain or lemon rice.

A Restaurant Classic – Chicken Tikka Masala

Another staple for Diwali dinner… yum!

2 pounds boneless skinless thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
5-6 wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least an hour

3 garlic cloves
2 inches fresh ginger

Process the garlic and ginger into a paste and add to a medium sized bowl.

½ cup non-fat greek yogurt
2 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon coriander powder
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup raw cashews, ground

Preheat broiler on high.

Add the yogurt, half and half, food coloring, lemon juice, coriander powder, salt, garam masala, cilantro and cashews into the bowl with the ginger and garlic. Mix well and add the chicken pieces. Marinate over night or at least two to three hours.
Take out the pieces out of the marinade and place them evenly onto the skewers. Broil on a broiling pan on high for 5 to 6 minutes on both sides or till the chicken is golden brown. Take the chicken out of the skewers and keep aside.

3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 cans (14 ounces) tomato sauce
1/3 cup milk
¼ cup half and half
Pinch of sugar
Salt
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoons dried fenugreek
½ cup cilantro, chopped

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the cumin seeds on medium high heat. Saute for a minute and add the ginger and garlic. Saute for another minute and add the tomato sauce. Add the milk, half and half, sugar, salt, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well and add half of the chicken pieces (the rest can be used for another recipe). Bring the sauce to a boil and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the fenugreek and fresh coriander. Check for seasonings.

Greek Chicken with Potatoes & Feta

1 to 1½ pounds chicken thighs and legs (bone in)
5 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (1 teaspoon dry)
½ cup kalamata olives (pitted)
Juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons salt

Transfer the garlic, oil, olive, oregano, lemon juice and salt into a mortar and pestle (or a processor). Take the paste out and add to a large zip lock bag with the chicken pieces. Marinate for 3 to 4 hours.

3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 to 5 plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces and seeds squeezed out
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add the chicken with the marinade. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, oil and salt. Mix well and bake in oven for 40 to 45 minutes till the chicken is tender and potatoes are crisp. Take out of oven and garnish with feta. Serve with roast vegetables and couscous.

Vietnamese Style Chicken

This dish has yummy Vietnamese flavors…

1 pound chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces

Marinade

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons fish sauce
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, grated

Mix the marinade together and marinate the chicken pieces for at least 2 to 3 hours.

3 tablespons peanut oil
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth

Heat a frying pan with the oil. Add the chicken pieces (reserve the marinade) and brown both sides on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the reserved marinade and the flour. Saute the chicken for a minute and add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Take the lid off and bring to a boil and check for seasonings. Serve with vegetable brown rice and sautéed greens.

Watermelon Sorbet with Yogurt

This is perfect for a hot day and very easy to whip up in your blender… make it before the watermelons go away… I served the sorbet with some macerated blueberries… yum! Healthy and delicious… and simple!

4 cups watermelon, cut up and frozen overnight
½ cup full fat yogurt
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
2 to 3 tablespoon lemon juice

Transfer the watermelon, yogurt, honey and lemon juice to a Vitamix. Blend till a sorbet consistency is formed. Transfer to a air tight container and freeze.

1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar
½ vanilla pod, sliced in half or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

Transfer the blueberries, sugar, vanilla and mint to a bowl. Mix well and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.

Serve with the sorbet.

Green Curry with Tofu

This is the first time I have attempted green curry at home. We always order it in Thai restaurants and really enjoy the flavor. My problem with attempting Thai recipes at home was the numerous ingredients. I finally went to an Asian grocery store and stocked up on galangal which comes frozen and can be stored in your freezer for a long time. It is nice to have fresh kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass but they are not always available. So, I bought frozen lemon grass and stored the fresh lime leaves in the freezer as well. They may not be as aromatic as the fresh ones but it is better than not having them at all. This was a good first try- will keep improving….

1 cup cilantro, chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 inch galangal or ginger
2 tablespoons lemongrass or zest of 2 limes
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons honey

Transfer all the ingredients to a food processor and process till a paste is achieved. You may need to add some water to process. Keep aside.

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 to 4 heads small bok choy, whites and greens separated and chopped
1 can coconut milk
Salt
3 or 4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wok like saucepan with the coconut oil. Add the green curry paste and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bok choy whites and sauté for 2 more mintues. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add salt and water if needed. Cook on a simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Check for seasonings and garnish with kaffir lime leaves and cilantro. Serve with soba noodles.

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