Tag: lime
Thai Fried Rice with Red Curry Chicken
This is a delicious meal to make either through the week or on the weekend- maybe this would be a great Sunday meal as it is a bit involved with quite a few ingredients.. but it is worth it!
- 1 pound chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cut in 2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- Juice of a lime
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
Marinate the chicken pieces in the red curry paste, lime juice, tamari, honey and salt for at least 2 hours, ideally 6 to 8 hours. Keep aside.
Transfer to a lined cookie sheet, drizzle with peanut oil and broil till both sides are brown. Change the oven to bake and finish baking the chicken till cooked through.
Rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 11/2 cups brown rice, rinsed
- Juice of half a lime
- 4 cups water or broth
- 2 teaspoons salt
Heat a pan with the butter and oil. Add the rice and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lime juice, water and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer partially covered with a lid until the moisture is cooked off on the surface, about 5 to 10 minutes. Lower the heat and cover and cook for another 30 minutes or till the rice is cooked through. Transfer to a platter to cool.
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, softened
- Juice of a lime
- 3 tablespoons sweet garlic chili sauce
- 3 tablespoons coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 inch ginger, grated
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
- 1 orange pepper, chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
Add the cilantro, green onions and salt to the beaten eggs and keep aside. Heat a wok like pan with the oil. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté on medium heat for a minute. Add the carrots, edamame and the orange pepper. Saute on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Create a round space in the middle of the pan by moving the veggies aside and pour the egg mixture in the middle of the pan and stir on medium heat and slowly incorporate all the vegetables. Mix well and add the cooled brown rice. Mix well. Add the peanut sauce and check for seasonings. Mix well and serve with the chicken and chopped peanuts on top.
Passion Fruit Sangria
I posted this a couple of years ago .. and it is perfect for Cinco de Mayo!!
Did I mention I was obsessed with Latin cuisine? Well, I guess it is easy to see if you browse through my recent recipes on the blog. Every time I try to come up with a new recipe or something different for dinner, the only thing that comes to mind are Latin flavors.
The other thing I am loving right now are passion fruits. This Brazilian native fruit is the best tasting fruit ever! It is by far the most flavorful thing I have ever tasted. I wait for them to show up at Whole Foods or Eden Gourmet. They are quite expensive but SO worth the taste.
I recently found delicious passion fruit juice without any high fructose corn syrup. It is the Goya variety and it amazing! My husband came up with this sangria recipe and it is absolutely delicious. It is a perfect summer drink to serve at a barbecue. Try it and it will be part of your repertoire…
- 3 to 4 apricots, sliced thin
- 1 large nectarine, sliced thin
- 1 large lime, sliced thin
Place the sliced fruits into a large glass pitcher.
- 1 bottle sauvignon blanc
- 1 cup lemonade
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 cups passion fruit juice
Add the wine, lemonade, orange and passion fruit juice in the pitcher.
Let the liquid sit in the pitcher in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
Spiced Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
I really like this dish. It is simple and fairly quick to make. I had chicken drumsticks in the freezer which I needed to cook. I also had fresh tomatillos from the farmer’s market. I love using them for salsas. The have a wonderful tart taste that complements South western cuisine really well.
I came up with a spicy mixture to put on the chicken drumsticks. A combination of coriander, cumin and paprika- not spicy but very flavorful. I fired up the grill and cooked the chicken outside. My favorite part of the chicken are the thighs and the legs- the meat is so flavorful!
My husband loves enchiladas. Whenever we go to our favorite Mexican joint, that is what he gets- enchiladas with green sauce. I decided to replicate that. The green sauce was easy to make – I added all the ingredients in a pot and cooked them for a bit and then processed them into a sauce- done. Once the chicken was golden brown and cooked, I cooled it and took the meat off. Now I had all the components to make an enchilada. I always have corn tortillas in the freezer- I like them better than the regular flour ones- these have more flavor and taste more authentic. I grated some cheese and began to assemble then and placed in an oven proof dish. I baked them till the cheese was gooey and melted.
I was trying to be healthy and decided not to serve any rice. Instead I served an avocado and fresh corn relish. It was a good, healthy dinner – we all enjoyed it- my daughter had the enchiladas but stayed away from the relish.
Tomatillo Sauce
- 6 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 lime, juiced
- Salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Put the tomatillos, onion, cumin seeds, olive oil and garlic cloves in a saucepan. Saute for 4-5 minutes on medium heat and add 1 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat and cook until tomatillos are soft- about 7-8 minutes. Put the vegetables in a blender and puree. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and salt, and pulse to combine. Set aside.
Chicken Stuffing
- 8 chicken drumsticks
Preheat outside grill.
Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Mix all the spices together and sprinkle all over the chicken drumsticks. Grill the chicken legs till both sides are golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let cook and take the meat off the bones and shred with hand.
12 small corn tortillas
3 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
To assemble the dish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle some olive oil in a large baking dish. Dip a tortilla into the tomatillo sauce and put it on a cutting board. Put about a ¼ cup shredded chicken in the center and sprinkle a little cheese and roll the tortilla like a cigar to enclose the filling. Use a spatula to place it seam side down in the baking dish. Continue to fill all the tortillas. Pour the remaining tomatillo salsa over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20-30 until bubbly and cracked on top.
Ancho Chili Cod with a Red Bean and Mango Salad
This red bean salad was the third dish we made for the cooking class. The recipe came about in my attempt to keep up with the number of mangoes ripening in my kitchen. I wanted to eat a refreshing salad that included mangoes. I decided to pair it with red beans- first because it’s good to have protein in the salad and second because I like the red color against the mangoes. I had a few vidalia spring onions (they look like regular spring onions but are much bigger) but regular spring onions will work as well. They gave the salad a soft onion flavor. I also added an orange pepper- for it’s crunch and lovely color- we used a yellow one for the cooking class- all the different colors look gorgeous together. Cilantro added the much needed bright green color. The feta was a last minute addition- not sure what prompted me but I have to say, it was a brilliant one! The creamy and salty flavor goes very well with the sweet mangoes and peppers. I decided to make the dressing with the mango pineapple juice I had in the fridge- now I am not a big juice person- but this juice is absolutely delicious! I buy it once in a while from Whole Foods since it is quite expensive. During the cooking class I juiced a large fresh navel orange and it was just fine. Lime juice and honey added the much needed sweet and sour taste and balanced the flavors out. I added one of my favorite ingredients to the dressing- chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It adds great smoky and spicy flavor to any dish- I use it in marinades and sauces all the time- it’s delicious.
For the class I paired this salad with the malai chicken and the vegetable korma– but when I was testing the recipe, I paired it with some fish. There is nothing simple, quick and healthier to eat than a nice fillet of fresh fish! I decided to pan saute the fillets of cod and serve simply with- salt, lime juice and a little burst of a smoky flavor- ancho chili powder– I used this particular spice since it echoed the flavor of the adobo in chipotle but was not as spicy. Overall a very healthy meal- my daughter devoured the fish- I didn’t add the ancho powder for her. I gave her some roasted corn on the side- as she does not like anything too tangy- so the salad didn’t appeal to her at all- but she couldn’t get enough of the fish!!!
- 1 pound or 3-4 fillets of Cod
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- Juice of one lime
Drizzle the olive oil on the fish and then sprinkle with salt, ancho chili powder and limejuice. Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the fish on high heat. Turn the fish after 3 minutes or till the side is golden brown. Cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes depending on how thick the fillets are.
Red Bean and Mango Salad
- 20 ounces can of red beans
- 2 spring Vidalia onions, chopped including the green part
- 1 orange or red peppers, chopped
- 2 mangoes peeled and chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Vinaigrette
- Juice of 2 limes
- ¼ cup mango pineapple juice (pineapple or orange juice can be used)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin
- 1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce (use more if you like spicy)
- Salt to taste
Add the limejuice, mango pineapple juice, honey, roasted cumin, adobo sauce and salt to a small bowl. Whisk the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Keep aside.
In a large bowl, add the red beans, Vidalia onions, red peppers, mangoes, cilantro and feta. Add the vinaigrette and check for seasonings.
Perfect Summer Drink Recipe: Red Sangria
When I think of summer, Sangria comes to mind- so when Memorial Day quickly came our way, it was time to make some! I have been thinking/talking about Sangria for a few weeks now. During a street fair in our town, a local wine store was having a Sangria tasting. A new product was being launched- I was quite skeptical about what was about to come out of the red wine like bottle. I tasted it and was pleasantly surprised! It was very good- the nice man told me about the mixed drink and how it only had red wine and fruit puree. I wanted to buy it thinking how easy it would be to open a bottle of sangria in a moments notice but of course the mixologist in our family- my husband wouldn’t hear of it! He wanted to make his own, even though he admitted the bottled one was pretty good. I had looked up several recipes including one with passion fruit puree- which jumped out at me immediately since passion fruit is my all time favorite fruit. I don’t get to eat it too often around here and when I do, it’s very expensive but it is SO worth every penny- if you have never tasted a real passion fruit you have to try it- it is kind of a mix between a mango, guava and a peach but a lot better and intense! Anyway, I suggested the recipes to my husband but he refused and wanted to do research himself and come up with his own concoction. We went out to the ironbound section of Newark for a fabulous Portuguese/Spanish meal on Saturday and had a great tasting sangria there- it was not very intense in alcohol but was delicious. It reminded me of the sangria we had in Barcelona- it was our first day there and we had just unpacked and settled into our apartment. To keep awake we decided to walk to the popular area of Las Rambla. After a while we sat down in the median at a cafe and indulged in the biggest glasses of sangria I had ever seen! It was the most delicious sangria I have ever had. While in the Newark restaurant, I asked the waiter for the ingredients and they were quite standard- wine, simple syrup and fruit- quite easy to replicate at home.
My husband’s concoction was extremely delicious- it was tangy and sweet and the alcohol was apparent as well. A very well balanced drink that went really well with salsa and guacamole and chorizo burgers- recipes to come in the next week or so. I predict a lot of sangria in our future this summer!
Smoky Tomatillo Rice with Avocado and Mango Salad
Once in a while I come up with an absolutely genius one pot meal. Well, this is it- I even surprised myself when I tasted it. I wanted to make something with spanish and mexican flavors but didn’t want to make the normal quesadillas or fajitas or even burritos. I thought about it for almost the whole day and then finally came up with this fabulous dish. I had bought some ground turkey from Trader Joes the day before- I was actually planning to make meat balls with veggies but somehow didn’t feel like it. I have noticed that if I force myself to cook a dish, it doesn’t taste very good… I have to really want to make it – I usually visualize it in my head before I cook the dish- it sounds a little cooky but that is how my brain works. Anyway, I wanted to incorporate the ground turkey somehow in the dish, so I decided to pair it with rice and beans. When I think of Mexican food- tomatillos come to mind – I love using tomatillos– they have a very tart and creamy flavor. I also wanted to create a smoky dish but didn’t want to add any heat since I wanted Sia to enjoy it- so I decided to use smoked paprika which has a little bit of heat but a lot of flavor. I also decided to use one of my favorite ingredients- roasted frozen corn. It also has a nice roasted smoky flavor. I blended the tomatillos, garlic, cilantro and vidalia spring onions and used that as the underlying flavor for the rice. I don’t know if you all have noticed huge vidalia spring onions every where?? They are delicious- mild enough to use in salads but also have a lot of flavor for sauces, etc. Once the rice was cooked with all the delicious ingredients, I decided to take it to the next level and add cheese. My first thought was to add queso blanco but then I remembered I had a blend of shredded mexican cheeses in my fridge. It included monterey jack, queso blanco and a bunch of other cheeses- perfect! I love sweet and savory flavors in my dishes and decided to add raisins- they are optional but I would highly recommend them. The little burst of sweet juice midst the smoky rice was very pleasant. Now as we all know my daughter is obsessed with mangoes- so we have plenty in the house at all times. I wanted to make a cool salad to go with the rice and decided to combine avocados with mangoes. I thought very hard about this since both the ingredients have similar textures- my initial idea was to add some crunch to it but at the end I decided to keep it simple- some salt, lime juice and cilantro. I served the salad on top of the hot rice- it was out of this world!!! If you cook just one dish from this blog I would recommend this one- it was truly delicious. All the flavors went really well together- the hot smoky rice with the cool creamy salad- a match made in heaven!
Tomato and Onion Relish with Cilantro Chutney
I remember meals growing up always included yogurt and kachumbar on the side. Since most Indian dishes are cooked well, the texture is usually soft and creamy- the chopped crunchy salad goes very well with the food-the texture contrast is wonderful! Yogurt serves a couple of roles with the food- it provides a much needed coolness with the spicy preparations. It also is a good protein to serve especially if the dishes are vegetarian. Lastly the bacteria in yogurt are great for digestion.
I made a crunchy salad with the biryani but instead of adding lime and cilantro I mixed it with my cilantro chutney. I always have this chutney in my fridge. It doesn’t take very long to make and I use it as a condiment with a lot of dishes. Typically the green chutney is quite spicy but it is not necessary since it provides a punch of flavor regardless of spice. I sometimes add Serrano chilies if I want a kick and add the olive oil to increase the shelf life. I serve the chutney on the side with Chicken Tikkas and Seekh Kebab. It can also be used as a spread for a sandwich. Rotisserie chicken mixed with some of this chutney and a little mayo makes a delicious chicken salad. Also, it can also be used as a sauce for pizza- the chutney on the base, with some low fat mozzarella cheese and topped with chopped Rotisserie Chicken, Chicken Tikka or even the Seekh Kebab.
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 1 medium red onion, sliced thin
- ¼ cup cilantro chutney (more if you like spicy)
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- Salt to taste
Fill a small bowl half way with some cold water and a few ice cubes. Add the sliced onion to the water and let it sit for about 30 minutes. The cold water makes the onion crispy and also takes the bitter taste away.
In a medium bowl mix the tomato, red onion, raisins and chutney. Mix well and check for seasonings.
Cilantro Chutney
- 3 cups cilantro, washed and chopped roughly
- 4 green onions
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup water
Add all the ingredients to a blender. Blend till everything turns into a smooth sauce.
Raita with Dried Mint
- 2 cups low-fat yogurt- whisk smooth with 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dry crushed mint or 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Mix all the ingredients together. Check for seasoning.