Tag: yellow onions
Pomegranate and Walnut Chicken
This was a delicious dish. My husband and I used to order a chicken dish made with pomegranates at an Afghani restaurant years ago. The placed closed down a while ago and I have not eaten that delicious dish for a long time.
I have had pomegranate glaze in my pantry for a long time. I had bought it a couple of years ago from Trader Joes (they had it briefly and don’t anymore). I did some extensive research on the internet and came up with my own version. The two main flavors are the walnuts and the pomegranate glaze. I marinated the chicken in ginger and garlic. In the meantime I made a gravy with onion, and lots of aromatic spices including cinnamon.
The dish has a very distinct taste- really delicious. Serve the chicken with some aromatic basmati rice or freshly made rotis.
read more …
Spanish Rice with Smoked Paprika
This rice is quite simple to make and is full of delicious flavor. I made it with the steaks and used – yes, you guessed correctly- smoked paprika. I started by sauteing onions and garlic with some roasted cumin seeds and tomato paste. Some paprika and rice later, I had a fabulous side dish. Speaking of the rice, I used basmati rice. I didn’t have any other in the house. My husband felt, the nuttiness of the basmati rice was distracting in the Spanish preparation. I agreed with him but really like the long grained rice I used. If you don’t want the same distraction, feel free to use Jasmine instead.
I served the steaks and brussels sprouts with this rice dish. If you wanted to make a one-pot meal, you could add some shredded chicken and peas into the rice and call it a day.
The rice went beautifully with the steaks and the chipotle sauce. It was a great way to eat steaks with Latin flavors… try this dish, you will love it.
read more …
Kashimiri Koftas (Indian Style Meatballs in a Yogurt Gravy)
My mom has been making these meatballs ever since I can remember. A friend from Kashmir taught her these a long time ago. Since then the dish has been tweaked to perfection. Technically speaking- it is not a typical Kashmiri dish. My mom has changed it over the years by adding more onions to the gravy, etc- she has made it her own.
I had never made these before. I would usually wait for my Mom to visit and make this delicious dish. I finally decided to write down the recipe and try it on my own. It is a bit laborious- but definitely worth all the work.
It is a bit different than the rest of Indian dishes I have posted- the dish does not have any tomatoes or garlic. The main flavorings in the meat are ground fennel and ginger powder. The gravy includes whole cinnamon and cloves. The most interesting flavor comes from asafetida. It has a very distinct flavor. If you can’t find it, no worries- just eliminate it. The dish will be good even without this spice.
Serve it with naans or rotis. I would highly recommend this dish- try it and it will part of your repertoire…
read more …
Leftover Shrimp and Sausage Paella
This is what I came up with the leftovers from last night’s dinner. I had some shrimp- not too many, so I chopped them up into small pieces so a little goes a long way.
My husband loves paella, especially the kind with lots of red sauce- he is crazy about anything with red sauce.
I made this paella with arborio rice since it is creamier than the regular one. I cooked it like a risotto but didn’t stand in front of the stove, stirring constantly. Instead I added most of the broth at once and let it cook. It resulted in a very delicious and perfectly cooked paella.
To start the process, I crumbled up the leftover chorizo and cooked it with the onions and garlic. I added rose wine because that is what I was drinking. Tomato sauce and chicken broth later, I had a yummy dish. By adding the frozen peas, I had a one pot meal.
A neighbor and my daughter’s friend stopped by and joined up for dinner. They both ate up the paella and complemented on the taste.
Next time you have leftovers- make a paella!
read more …
Sauteed Spinach with Yellow Lentils
This is a delicious lentil dish. I tried something similar at a South Indian restaurant we were eating at the other day. Since my husband grew up in the South of India- he loves the cuisine and we end up going out for it once in a while. Actually, he would like to go out for it more often than we do- but my daughter refuses to go every time we suggest a restaurant. She does not care of South Indian food as much- which really disappoints my husband.
Anyway, I really enjoy the food and do try to replicate it at home as much as possible.
This particular dish is different than the regular lentil dishes I normally make. The lentils are dry instead of in a soupy consistency. I cooked them till they were just soft and not mushy. I then mixed the lentils with a cooked mixture of spinach, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, onions and ginger. Once all the ingredients were mixed together- I added coriander powder and dried fenugreek leaves.
The dish was full of flavor and was perfect with some homemade rotis. We all enjoyed this well-balanced meal. It was simple, healthy and delicious.
read more …
Migas Tacos- An Austin, TX Favorite..
I made these tacos for the New York Times, Local a few weeks ago. It was right after my daughter and I returned from our trip to Austin. We go there almost every year to visit family and really enjoy the Mexican food- it tastes a lot more authentic and it is available almost everywhere.
One of the things I really enjoyed was something called migas tacos. Eggs were cooked with onions, jalapenos, tomatoes and topped with cheese. The one ingredient that makes these tacos different are the tortillas chips- yes thats right- crunchy tortillas strips are added to the eggs while cooking. The chips provided a great texture and flavor to the eggs. The cooked eggs are placed on a tortilla and topped with cheese- what could be better than that? Well, how about a roasted poblano and avocado crema…
I made this yummy, creamy sauce to complement the tacos. It was delicious on top of warm, savory tacos.
Overall, the meal was a big success. I made some vegetarian refried beans and roasted potatoes on the side. I made them for dinner and everyone loved them- including my daughter. For her, I skipped the jalapenos and tomatoes. She had some of the beans but doesn’t like potatoes.
Try these tacos for a brunch or dinner – you will love them.
read more …
Chicken Curry Pizza
This creation came about without any planning. I love using leftovers for things like pizza toppings, quesadilla fillings, etc.
I believe it was a Friday and I bought pizza dough from our local pizzeria. I didn’t have any specific toppings in mind. I had my homemade tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese in the fridge- so I wasn’t worried.
I knew my daughter would ask for a plain pizza. I made her a delicious pizza with the tomato sauce and shredded cheese with some lettuce leaves on the side- good, healthy meal.
I decided to do pizza carbonara for myself. Since it would be made without tomato sauce, I knew my husband would not be interested. He loves his tomato sauce. So, for him I added the tomato sauce and the cheese and looked for a topping in the fridge. That is when the chicken curry stood out. I also took out half a green pepper and some onion. I decide to saute the vegetables and add them to the pizza with the chicken chunks.
My husband’s pizza definitely passed the ‘look’ test- it was gorgeous with all the vibrant colors. Once it came out of the oven oozing with melted cheese, my husband was very excited. It was delicious. The crunchy green pepper and velvety onions went really well with the savory chicken pieces.
Overall it was a big success. So, the next time you have leftovers in the fridge- consider using them as a pizza topping.