Tag: roasted cumin seeds
Broccolini Rice
I made this side dish with the fish I posted yesterday. I usually make brown rice for my family to keep things healthy. I have tried to make the rice as delicious as possible. I cook it with chicken broth and a tad bit of butter- it makes a big difference.
In this case, I didn’t have a lot of time of cook dinner- a problem most people have. So, I checked my freezer where I always keep packs of frozen brown rice from Trader Joes. It is great to have and use in a pinch. I decided to mimic the same flavors I used in the fish. I started with a shallot and some garlic. I added roasted cumin seeds and smoked paprika. I then added the broccolini and the rice and checked for seasonings. Lemon juice finished off the dish really well. It is great side dish to make with fish or any other meat..
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Wild Cod with Smoked Paprika
Here is another recipe with my favorite ingredient- smoked paprika. I can’t get enough of this delicious spice. I love the smoky, savory and a bit of spicy flavors it imparts to all everything. I keep waiting to get over the flavor and move on to something else.. but so far it hasn’t happened. I guess I will go with it as long as I can come up with different recipes using it.
This is a very easy recipe and best of all- it is very healthy. I simply coated some cod fillets with a mixture of smoked paprika, salt and roasted cumin. I stored them in the fridge for a bit and cooked them under the broiler (make sure you take the fish out at least 20 minutes before cooking). I had broccolini in the fridge. I made some brown rice and added broccolini to it- an easy side dish.
The meal was delicious…
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Pulled Chicken Tacos
I am really proud of this recipe. We all love tacos in my house- all sorts of tacos. Eating and cooking tacos remind of our trip to Mexico last Thanksgiving- yes, I did the unmentionable and went away for Thanksgiving- my favorite holiday, ever! I was overruled by majority of my family as it is a great time for everyone to take some time off to go away. Anyway, I digress- while in beautiful Mexico, we ventured out to dinner one day and ended up at a very down to earth, a real Mexican cantina. We had the most delicious tacos, guacamole and quesadillas. Everything there was amazing- I still think about the food.
These tacos are very different from what we ate there but they have a lot of the similar flavors going on as in the Mexican ones. I wanted to eat pulled pork but thought using chicken would be healthier. So, I went to work. I seasoned and browned the chicken thighs- which are a key in this recipe. I wouldn’t use chicken breast as it will turn to rubber in a stew type of recipe. I used a variety of spices including ancho chili powder, New Mexico dried peppers and roasted cumin. They all provided an amazing mixture of flavors. I took the meat off the bone and shredded it to get it ready for the corn tortillas. I made fresh salsa and guacamole…
The tacos were amazing- if I do say so myself.. Try this recipe- you will love it…
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Spiced Chickpeas
Did I mention I am trying to be healthier in the New Year? I am cooking with less oil and trying to come up with different, healthy dishes I can serve myself and my family.
The one thing I get stressed about are snacks. There are not a lot of healthy, non-sweet snacks you can pick up besides low-fat cheese, nuts and cottage cheese or even non-fat Greek yogurt. After a while, I get sick of eating the same stuff and crave something spicy and savory. If I am trying to eat healthy, I crave big flavor. The good news is, big flavor does not mean big calories. Cayenne pepper, for example does not have any calories- in fact it revs up your metabolism.
So, I looked in my pantry and found a can of chickpeas. I drained and cleaned them and roasted them in the oven until they dried up. I then took them out and mixed them up with roasted cumin seeds, smoked paprika and salt.
I treated the chickpeas as I would nuts. Nuts are great for you but do have quite a lot of calories. The roasted chickpeas had a nice crunch and the spices gave it a delicious savory taste.
I served the chickpeas with drinks but you can enjoy them in the middle of the day, between meals or anytime you get hungry. It is amazing how it fills you up…
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Filet Mignon with Smoked Paprika
I am currently obsessed with smoked paprika. I want to add it to everything I cook. I love the smokiness and kick it brings to anything.
I had a few filet mignon steaks in the fridge and I decided to take the Latin route and use some smoked paprika. I made a rub with roasted cumin seeds, smoked paprika and salt- very simple, yet super flavorful. The roasted cumin mimics the smoked paprika flavor without the kick. It is a wonderful rub for any meat as well as fish. I marinated the steaks over night but you can leave them for at least 2 to 3 hours. I then concocted a sauce. My initial plan was to use some tamarind concentrate with chipotle sauce, etc. Unfortunately, I discovered I was out of tamarind- oh, no, what will I do?? I looked in my pantry and found an unopened bottle of tamarind jam that I purchased years ago from St. Maarten. I took it out and mixed it up with a few other ingredients and came up with a delicious sauce. If you don’t have the same jam, you can use any other like apricot or raspberry.
I served the steaks with brussels sprouts and Spanish rice. The whole meal was delicious, flavorful and quite healthy. I avoided the rice but ate lots of sprouts..
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Paneer Makhani (Indian Cheese Cooked in a Tomato Butter Sauce)
This is a very popular dish served in Indian restaurants. Some friends were coming over with their kids and I thought of making Indian food that day. Since I was cooking a vegetarian meal, paneer was definitely on the menu- I just didn’t know what kind to make.
As I thought about all my choices, paneer makhani came to mind. I looked in my blog and realized I have never made it before- how can that be?? It is one of the more popular Indian dishes out there.
This version is the easy and quick one- it is done in about half an hour. There are other versions out there with more complex flavors but I don’t see any reason for that- this one is delicious and simple and best of all a big hit with everyone.
All you need is a can of crushed tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic. One key ingredient is roasted cumin seeds- they impart a lovely, sweet, nutty flavor- not as smokey as the regular cumin seeds. I usually roast some cumin and always have it on hand. Another important ingredient is dried mint- I garnished the dish with some. It provides a delicious flavor as well. In case you don’t have the dried variety, add some fresh mint into the processor with the onions, ginger and garlic.
Try this dish next time you want to have a healthy, quick and easy Indian dish…
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Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad with Tamarind and Mango Vinaigrette
I love this salad simply because it is so colorful and beautiful to look at. I love how food gets me so excited- I guess that is why I do what I do and love every minute of it.
I made this salad for the book club meeting. Since I was making some chicken tikkas, I wanted to make a salad to balance the dishes out. I also wanted the salad to have Indian flavors. I thought of a corn salad my sister in law makes all the time. She uses regular corn and a tamarind chutney. The tamarind chutney is made out of lots of dried tamarind, sugar, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper. It is a bit laborious to make but I always have it in the fridge. It has so much sugar and salt that it lasts in the fridge for ever. It is great to have it on hand and serve it with tikkas and actually a lot of Indian street food is served with this chutney.
When I thought of posting this recipe- I wasn’t sure how people would make the chutney at home- I guess you can buy it at the Indian stores- but I prefer to make it at home. I thought of tamarind concentrate which is available at Whole Foods and other grocery stores. I made a vinaigrette with the tamarind concentrate, olive oil and this time I used some mango lemonade from Trader Joes. It gave the dressing a sweet, tangy, mango flavor which complemented the sour tamarind really well. It was very delicious.
I paired the vinaigrette with roasted corn (my favorite ingredient from Trader Joes), cherry tomatoes, green onions and lots of cilantro. I topped it with pita chips- they provide a great crunch and some substance to the salad.
It was a big hit- everyone enjoyed it. Next time you are looking for a party appetizer, make the roasted corn and tomato salad.
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