This recipe is courtesy of my friend Juju. Marinate 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into large bite-sized pieces) in 2-3 Tbsp Patak’s biryani paste, 1 cup plain yogurt (here, I used nonfat greek), and ½ tsp salt for at least 2 hours. Heat 1-2 Tbsp of neutral oil in a large pot, then add ¾ cup fried… Continue reading Juju’s Indian chicken and potato curry
Korean wakame seaweed soup with beef (miyuk guk)
Soak about 1-2 oz dried wakame seaweed in room temperature water and set aside. Saute 1/2 lb lean beef (cut into bite-sized pieces) in a little oil. When browned, add 5-6 shiitake mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted dry), cut into ½" slices Sauté until fragrant, then add 2 large Yukon potatoes (or 1 large Russet potato) cut into large, bite-sized chunks (here,… Continue reading Korean wakame seaweed soup with beef (miyuk guk)
Thai coconut pudding with sweet potato and tapioca
Sweetened with palm sugar (jaggery), this dessert imparts a delicate, not too sweet flavor.First, cook the sweet potatoes or use already-cooked ones (see Note 1 below). For uncooked potatoes: bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add 3 large Japanese or Korean sweet potatoes (goguma), skin on and cut into thick rounds… Continue reading Thai coconut pudding with sweet potato and tapioca
Herbed croutons
We based this recipe on the Neelys’ recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/homemade-croutons-recipe0.html), plus fresh thyme, sage, and marjoram. We used leftover sliced ciabatta, which we cubed. These croutons were addictively crunchy and delicious. (Dec. 2014) Note: If using fresh bread, you may need to dry it out as follows: place the bread cubes in a single layer on… Continue reading Herbed croutons
Whole cranberry sauce
We made this following Ocean Spray’s recipe: http://www.oceanspray.com/Recipes/Corporate/Sauces,-Sides-Salads/Homemade-Whole-Berry-Cranberry-Sauce.aspx. We added the zest of an orange and 1-2 inch of fresh ginger (half microplaned and half julienned). Thank you to Waimar for inspiring us to try this recipe. We will enjoy this with roast chicken this evening. (Dec. 2014)
Balsamic and parmesan roasted cauliflower
OMG, this dish is amazing - savory, with nice mouthfeel. Recipe is here: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/balsamic_parmesan_roasted_cauliflower.html, except that I substituted the marjoram with Greek oregano and reduced parmesan to 1/3 cup. Thank you to Heidi for sharing this recipe earlier this month! So glad I tried it. (Jan. 2015)
South Indian vegetable and pigeon pea soup (sambar)
Recipe from Aarti Party by Aarti Sequeira. The next time, we may double the broth to make itmore soupy. We enjoyed this with store-bought idli. (Jan. 2015)
Bananas Foster (without the booze)
This is an alcohol-free version. Using a large wok, heat ¼ cup unsalted butter. When melted, add 2/3 cup light brown sugar, 3 ½ Tbsp lemon juice, 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, and ½ tsp cinnamon. Once sauce starts bubbling, add 3 large or 4 medium bananas (sliced on a diagonal) and ¼ cup pecan… Continue reading Bananas Foster (without the booze)
Simple bolognese
Recipe is here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/simple-bolognese-recipe2.html I often modify by doubling the amount of garlic, carrot, and celery, adding about 3 Tbsp tomato paste (for depth), and towards the end, I add 1 Tbsp of vinegar (red wine or balsamic) for brightness. (Jan. 2015)
Pulao with black-eyed peas
We had some leftover, unused black-eyed peas from the Ghanaian dish (red-red), so I decided to try out this recipe to use the remaining cup. Before starting this recipe, I boiled the soaked,drained peas in water (about 1 cup peas to 3 cups water) until tender (about 30 mins). Here is the recipe by Aarti Sequeira: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/black-eyed-peas-pulao-recipe.html.… Continue reading Pulao with black-eyed peas
Cooking Adventures 