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Tag: roasted cumin

Moroccan Style Potato Salad

Potato Salad

  • 5 to 6 potatoes, skinned and cut into 1 inch squares, cooked in water till soft
  • Salt

Sprinkle some salt on the hot potatoes once they are drained well.

Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water

Add the tomato paste and garlic into a small bowl. Add the boiling water and mix and let sit for 5 minutes.

  • 1 tablespoon harissa sauce
  • 1 preserved lemon, chopped (zest of one lemon can be used instead)
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice from the preserved lemons (or juice of a lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin- crushed
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro

Add the harissa, preserved lemon, juice, cumin, salt and honey. Drizzle the oil slowly, whisking the dressing constantly. Check for seasonings and add to the hot potatoes. Mix well and taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Top with cilantro and serve.

Chilean Sea Bass with Smoked Paprika with Corn Risotto and Avocado Salad

Smoked Paprika Rubbed Chilean Seabass

  • 1½ pound Chilean sea bass, cut into 3 to 4 filets

Spice Rub

  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the spices in a small bowl. Rub the fish filets all over with the spice rub. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.

  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the fish filets on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt on each of the filets. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the filets.

Corn Risotto with Avocado Salad

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin, powdered
  • 1 medium shallot, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 ears of corn, off the cob
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 3 to 4 cups chicken broth, warmed
  • Salt
  • 1/3 half and half
  • ½ cup queso fresco, grated

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the cumin and sauté for a minute on medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the corn and the rice. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium low heat. Gradually add the broth one ladle at a time, stirring the rice in between. Add the liquid as it cooks out. The risotto should take about 20 minutes to cook. Add the half and half and cheese. Mix well and check for seasonings. Add salt. Serve with avocado salad on top and fish on the side.

Avocado and Tomato Salad

  • 1 large Hass avocado, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • Juice of half a lime
  • Salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Mix the avocado, tomatoes, lime juice, salt and cilantro in a medium bowl. Mix well and serve on top of the risotto with the fish on the side.

Greens with Avocado and Cumin Dressing

I have making this salad almost twice a week. We love avocados- well, my husband and I do. I usually make guacamole a lot and we enjoy it with fish, chicken or any other Mexican cuisine. Since we love avocados so much, I now incorporate them into a simple salad. Some mixed greens, halved cherry tomatoes and a delicious dressing.

The dressing in this salad is the star- I used fresh lemons, honey and extra virgin olive oil. The main ingredients that make this dressing amazing is roasted cumin seeds and smoked paprika. I think I need to make a big jar of it as I find myself licking the plate after the salad is done.

Definitely try this salad- it is delicious…

  • 4 cups mixed greens
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 ripe avocadoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

Place the greens, tomatoes and avocado pieces into a medium salad bowl.

Dressing

  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of two lemons
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt

Add the cumin seeds, lemon juice, honey, paprika and salt into a small bowl. Slowly drizzle the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Check for seasonings and drizzle over the salad. Toss and serve.

Short Rib Chili with Tomatillo Sauce

I made this for the Super Bowl but thought I can still post this recipe as winter refuses to leave- and that means, stews and chili are still welcome… this is a rich, indulgent chili- definitely worth making.. especially if you are entertaining…

  • 5 to 6 short ribs, bone in

Spice Rub

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground roasted cumin
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Mix all the ingredients. Transfer the ribs to a flat platter. Sprinkle the spice rub onto the ribs and marinate for over night or at least 4 hours. Take out of fridge at least an hour before cooking.

Tomatillo Sauce

  • 6 tomatillos, peeled and cut in half
  • 2 poblano peppers, cut in half and deseeded
  • 1 medium yellow onion, unpeeled, cut in half
  • 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Sprinkle of salt
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the tomatillos, poblanos, onion and garlic onto the cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle the salt. Roast for 30 minutes till vegetables are soft. Blend the vegetables with the cilantro till smooth. Keep aside.

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 can pinto beans
  • Salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Brown the short ribs on both sides (about 5 minutes each) in two to three batches. Take out and add the tomatillo sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add the short ribs back into the saucepan. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Place lid and cook on stove or in a 350 degrees oven for 3 hours. Take the ribs out of the gravy and let cool. Take the bones and fat off and shred the meat back into the gravy. Add the beans and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Check for seasonings. Garnish with cilantro. Serve warm.

 

 

4th Of July Recipes- Cole Slaw with Yogurt and Tamarind Vinaigrette

Cole Slaw with Yogurt and Tamarind2 I am all for making things from scratch but I do like to use all the conveniences I can find at the store. For this recipe I bought packaged, shredded cabbage, carrots and broccoli slaw. It saved me a ton of time and made everything a lot easier.

To complete a well-balanced menu, I was going to make a coleslaw dish with the Thai style burgers and potato salad. The recent Bon Appetit issue had a whole article on tamarind and it’s virtues. I am quite familiar with tamarind as I use it for all different things including using it in drinks, dressings and as a condiment.

They talked about pairing yogurt with tamarind concentrate to make a delicious, tangy dressing. I added my own twist by adding roasted cumin to the creamy dressing which gave the dish a nice nutty flavor. Overall, the dish went well with the burger and the potato salad.

What else do you need? Yes, I know what you are thinking- where is the dessert??? Stay tuned for tomorrow and you will have a great recipe for a dessert as well…
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Fennel Orange & Avocado Salad

Fennel and Avocado Salad I have been cooking with a lot of fennel recently. I was not a big fan of fennel until a few months ago. I am not sure what exactly happened but now I find myself buying a pack of fennel bulbs every time I am in Trader Joes.. and I am there very often.

I find myself eating it raw mainly in salads but it tastes delicious roasted with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. I used the roasted variety as a pizza topping or even on a salad- they were delicious.

This salad is a bit different as it does not have any lettuce greens. It has lots of sliced fennel, orange segments and creamy avocado. They all make an amazing combination- with the crunch fennel, juicy oranges and soft avocados.

I made a simple lime and orange dressing with a bit of roasted cumin seeds.

The salad was simply delicious… to make a meal of it, one can add some chicken, shrimp or chunks of delicious fish…
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Chicken Chettinad Tikkas

Chicken Chettinad Tikkas1 These are a one of a kind of tikkas I came up with the other day. I asked my husband what he wanted to eat for dinner. He thought about it and suggested I make something with south Indian flavors. I knew I wanted grill some chicken- so I decided to come up with a recipe for chicken tikkas but not with the usual suspects. I added some south Indian flavors to it.  Instead of the lemon juice, I used tamarind. It provides the same tanginess but also adds an earthy flavor lemons don’t have.

For the spices, I used a combination of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg. I roasted them with curry leaves and ground everything up. Everything was mixed with the greek yogurt and marinated for several hours. It resulted in a super flavorful chicken. Everyone loved it, especially my husband.

I think this chicken will be part of the summer meals repertoire- it is perfect to serve with grilled corn and other vegetables. Try it- you will love it.
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