indian luv: Jalfrezi Curry Stir-Fry

I would like to introduce you to perhaps the most divine piece of India ever put in a bottle. . . . . . . Patak's Jalfrezi Curry Cooking Sauce! Patak's is a brand out of England, so I would question the authenticity, but who cares when it's this good? Imagine a Tikka Masala Sauce with a Tamarind and Coconut Flavor. Harris Teeter carries the brand, though I've seen it at Target also. A $4 jar will lasts you about 3 or 4 big dishes. I've included my super quick and super easy stir-fry that I made last night.


makes 2-3 servings

For rice:
Make rice so you end up with 6 cups. I use
2 cups of short-grain rice
2 cups of water
2 cups of light coconut milk
Boil 40-50 minutes until tender

For stir-fry:
Saute in a little oil
1/2 white onion
1 T of minced Ginger
Add
1 cup of frozen okra
1 cup of Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained (about 1/2 a can)*
1/2 cup of frozen corn
3/4 cup (more or less) of Patak's Jalfrezi Curry Cooking Sauce
Simmer for 5-10 minutes
Put rice in bowl, top with curry mixture, and then, for each dish, top with
1/4 cup of fresh, chopped cilantro

*I'm not a Whole Foods fan, however, I love their 365 brand of canned beans. These beans are the only canned beans I have ever found without tons of salt added during the canning process.

first season of the soprano's tomato soup

Cold weather + the first season of the Sopranos (watched over the course of the last three days) made me pine for something Italian and something hot. Just like the Sopranos are a very loose translation of how Italians act, this is a very loose translation of how Italians cook.



And I wouldn't even dare be as sacrilege to call this minestrone! Enjoy . . .

Saute for five minutes
1 T of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
Add and incorporate flavors
1 T of a mixture of dried herbs, perhaps basil, oregano, and sage
14.5 oz petit-diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
4 cups of vegetable broth
Add
14.5 oz can of Cannelini Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of French Lentils (sometimes called Green Lentils)
1/2 cup of fresh chopped italian (or "flat leaf") parsley
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup of red wine
Cook until lentils are tender, about 45 min - 1 hour.
Ladle in bowls and top with
Parmesan Cheese
Serve with bread.

tj luv: soy chorizo

If you haven't already guessed, I love Trader Joe's. The only one in the area is about 20 minutes away, so I only make it there about once a month. Whenever I do, I'm sure to stock up on goodies.

On my last trip, i got some "TJ's Soy Chorizo" to try. I'm not a fan of meat "replacements;" however, this one is exceptionally delicious. The seasoning is just right. Simply saute it for a minute, then put in on chili (like I did last week), or in quesadillas (like I did this week), or in enchiladas (like I will do sometime in the near future).
Makes 1, or perhaps 2, servings
Saute in a little oil for ten minutes
1/4 of white onion, sliced
1/2 link (1/4 package) of TJ's Soy Chorizo, casing removed
1/2 tomato, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced (though the chorizo by itself is pretty spicy)

Set mixture aside. In the same skillet, place one tortilla, then layer
2 T of cheddar cheese or more (I'm a health nut, so I like to keep my cheese consumption at check)
Chorizo Mixture
a haldful of fresh spinach
Top with tortilla that's been spread with
Refried Black Beans
Flip quesadilla (or whatever this thing is) by inverting on plate, then sliding back onto pan.
Cut in quarter, top with
Dollop of Fat Free Sour Cream
Cholula Hot Sauce

rajma apple curry

continuing my localvore theme, I thought I'd do something with the big bag of apples that we got from the farmer's market. apple pie will come later this week. for now, how about a curry, using eggplants, peas, and peppers, three other things that are still at the farmer's market (though not for long)!

makes 3 to 4 servings
Saute for five minutes
1 white onion, choppped
2 apples, finely chopped, almost minced
2 T of minced ginger
1 T of minced garlic
2 red peppers, chopped
mix in and saute another 1 min

1 T of curry powder
1/2 t of cumin powder
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
add
1 12 oz can of light coconut milk
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 cup of sugar snap peas or green beans
2 medium to small cubed eggplants
1/4 t of red pepper (will make mildly spicy, 1/2 t will make very spicy)
1 15 oz can of light red kidney beans, rinsed

1/4 t of pepper

salt to taste (depends on what broth you used), perhaps 1/2 t

Let simmer for 30-45 minutes until eggplant and peas are tender. After simmering, add
1 t of garam masala*

Top with
big dollop of unsweetened yogurt or tzatiki sauce
Serve hot. Will keep for a few days. Serve with naan, or any type of flat bread.
*garam masala should not be added during simmering, but rather after. this is news to me, just check out my old post for daal soup where i added it beforehand.

do u tofu?

i'm not a big tofu fan. in fact, i usually only make it every few months. whenever I do, it's always with a stir-fry, and i only cook it one way, so that its slimy texture is lost.


makes 3 servings
Drain
one block of extra-firm tofu
by putting some weight (like a book) on top of it, while it is atop something absorbent (like a kitchen towel) to take out extra moisture. This takes about 30 minutes.
Dice into 1/2" cubes and mix with:
1/4 cup of low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup of lime juice concentrate, or juice of two limes with zest
Let tofu mix well with marinade and let sit for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, in a wok or a shallow large skillet, heat over medium heat
1-2 tablespooons of Vegetable oil
1/2 t of red pepper flakes
1 T of minced ginger
2 T of chopped fresh basil or cilantro, or both

When oil is hot, add tofu. If using a skillet, having some type of cover helps the splattering (and ensuing clean-up). Cook until tofu is browned on all sides. This can take thirty minutes. I like the tofu to be charred on most sides. This gives it a crunchy, chewy texture that is delicious, and tastes like chicken (sorry, couldn't think of a better analogy)

Vegetables
Mix
half a zucchinni, sliced
half a white onion, sliced
half a red pepper, chopped
half a cup of sliced mushrooms (baby portobella are the best)
2 T of store-bought low sodium teriyaki sauce
Saute in same pan or wok over medium-high with
1 T of canola oil
I like to cook these vegetables very quickly, perhaps only 5-8 minutes. If done correctly, it will resemble a hibachi like stir-fry with the teriyaki sauce making the outside of the vegetables almost caramalized. Yummy!

My favorite rice is brown short-grain rice. At Whole Foods, it's only $2 for a pound in bulk. This is a relief because at most grocery stores, due to its "specialty" status, it's a bit expensive. 1 cup of uncooked brown short-grain will make about 3 cups when cooked (from the 2 cups of water added), which is the right amount for the following recipe. It takes 45-1 hr to cook completely, so plan accordingly.

I wish I had a picture of everything plated. . . but I ate everything up too quickly!

localvore chili

I found this recipe in the Independent Weekly, which I have adjusted to my tastes. What I really like about this vegetarian take on chili is the addition of eggplant, which is at its peak right now along with tomatoes and peppers.


Corn tortillas, cut into strips and baked at 350 for about 10 minutes, make a healthy garnish. Spray lightly with olive oil before baking. CAREFUL: they go from perfect (golden brown) to burnt in about 60 seconds.

4 meal-sized servings.
Saute for 5 minutes:
1/4 c olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of cumin, of chili pepper
1 teaspoons of salt, of pepper, of dried sage
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or more

Add
4 cups of vegetable broth
2 medium sized bell peppers, diced
1 cup of diced tomatoes, with juice
1 medium eggplant*
1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon of corn meal
1 15 oz can of black beans, or 1.5 cups of dried black beans soaked overnight

Simmer for an hour or longer.
Add more salt and pepper to taste.

*When added, the eggplant will seem like too much. However, eggplant cooks down tremendously to about half it's size once boiled.

halloween festivities!

Yeah for halloween! It's my favorite holiday. To celebrate, we'll be having some people over! I wanted to devote this posting to the munchies that I'll be serving up. Because I want to spend more time on my costume, everything had to have minimal preparation.

blood splattered tablecloth anyone?
Appetizers
Hummus with Pita Chips
Screamin' Hot Peanuts
Crudites with Green Goddess Dip
Spanakopita Triangles with Tzatiki Sauce
Halloween Sugar Cookies

Hummus with Pita Chips
Don't f*** with a classic, especially when it's as healthy and flavorful as hummus.
Add the following in food processor (or blender)
2 cans (15 oz) Chicken Peas, reserving the "juice"
1/2 cup Tahini*
1/4 cup of good olive oil
juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Process and slowly add chickpea juice for desired consistency, usually about 1/3 to 1/2 of the juice. This makes quite a bit, so if it's only you and a friend, I would definitely cut it in half. Also, I make mine the day before I'm going to serve it, that way it really takes on the garlic flavor.
Serve with Stacy's Pita Chips.
*look for it in the international food section, or by the peanut butter. i recommend kronos brand. a jar may set you back $10, but it goes a long way.


Screamin' Hot Peanuts (adopted from foodnetwork.com)
Whisk until foamy
1 egg white
Add
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
Toss in
2 cups high quality dry roasted unsalted peanuts
Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread nuts out on the prepared pan in a single layer. Cook for 45 minutes until slightly golden at 250, turning nuts with a spatula every 15 minutes so they toast evenly and don't stick. Set the nuts aside, stirring periodically as they cool. When completely cool, transfer to serving bowl and garnish with dried red chiles if desired.

Crudites with Green Goddess Dip
Crudites:
Baby cucumbers, slices long ways into quarters
Baby sweet peppers
Sugar Snap Peas
Green Goddess Dip (adapted from similar recipe in the Nov 08 Bon Appetit):
Process
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
1/2 t of soy sauce
1/2 t of ground ginger
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 T white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Add
2 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, quartered
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of fresh parsley
2 T fresh basil
1/3 cup of fresh tarragon
Slowly add
1 cup of olive oil
Serve as dip with Crudites

Spanakopita Triangles with Tzatiki Sauce
I debated on whether to make these myself; however, due to time constraints I decided to buy the frozen brand from Costco. They are quite delicious and come in trays of 12. A whole box has 48. I then went down to Jasmine Cafe, a local meditarreanean restaurant, and bought a pint of fresh Tzatiki Sauce. Right before the party started up, I popped them in the oven. Though they are best when hot, they are fine at room temperature as well.

And if you're wondering if they were good or not, well, when I went to take a picture of them on the table, they were already eaten up!

Alright, I have a hangover. Happy Halloween!