Chili and Garlic Paste

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This is so easy and you can make a fantastic chili paste that is healthy and free of any artificial ingredients. Most store bought brands have preservatives and chemicals. This one is just chili paste and nothing else.

This is a fiery chili paste, which was shared with me from my friends in New Delhi. It is wonderful and a must for chili and garlic lovers.

 
Ingredients:
 
1 lb. Red Bullet Chilies (Ripe jalapenos), or other hot red chili
2.5  oz. fresh Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Juice of two Lemons
2 Tbsp. of Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Salt
1tsp Sugar – Optional
 
Preparation:
 
Grind everything together in a food processor and store in the refrigerator in a glass jar. It is better after aging for a few days to a week. It will keep for months.
 
Note: Many thanks to Healthy World for the pic. Mine is coming soon.

Chinese Pan Fried Dumplings

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I love making these, number one because they are so good and number two because it’s fun. This would be a great weekend project for the kids.

This recipe is simple, but needs to be followed quite closely. Be sure to arrange all the ingredients, before you begin preparing the dish.

This should allow you to make 15 to 24 dumplings. You may freeze any leftovers that are uncooked, and the skins will keep well in the refrigerator or freezer.
Ingredients:

Dumplings:

1 package of Dumpling Skins. Easily found at any Asian market.
½ cup each of fresh Bean Sprouts, Bamboo Shoots and Bok Choy. All finely chopped.
8 oz of Shrimp or Pork, or both, ground
1 inch piece of fresh Ginger, chopped very fine or grated.
½ tsp Sugar
1 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 tsp. Corn Starch
Dipping Sauce:
4 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
3 tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp finely chopped Green Onion
2 tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
Chili Paste, optional
Preparation:
Begin by finely chopping all of the ingredients to stuff the dumplings. The ingredients must be finely chopped so they can cook properly.
Take a dumpling skin and lay it flat, then add about 1-1 1/2 tsp of filling, wet the edges of the skin with water and fold over, crimping with your finger. Set aside and continue. You may also use a dumpling press, which is easy to find at any Asian market. Make as many as you want, as they freeze very well.
After the dumplings are stuffed, heat a non-stick pan with the oil and then add the dumplings to the hot oil, with their flat side down. Put as many in as will fit, leaving a little room for expansion. Brown the bottoms over medium heat, being sure not to burn them. Then carefully pour in 3 to 4 Tbsp. of water, quickly cover and cook on medium/low heat for at least 15 min., or until all the water is absorbed.
Remove carefully and serve with the dipping sauce and hot chili paste if desired.
Makes 15 to 25 dumplings

Moroccan Chicken with Onions and Honey

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This is a very favorite dish of mine, which I found in Claudia Roden’s wonderful book, “Arabesque”. It is pure Moroccan simplicity which blends the ingredients to create an end result which is much more than the sum of its parts.  This dish never fails to impress and it makes the entire house smell wonderful and cozy.

Ingredients:

1 lb of Shallots or baby Onions. The frozen baby onions work very well, and save you a lot of prep time.
1 Onion, chopped
½ tsp Saffron
1 tsp ground Ginger
½ tsp ground Cinnamon
8 Chicken Thighs, skinless, with bone in
1 ½ Tbsp Honey
4 oz blanched Almonds
Salt and Black Pepper
4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
 
 
Preparation:
 
Heat the oil in a sturdy iron casserole pot, which has a top, and then sauté chopped onion until it is translucent. Stir in the saffron, ginger and cinnamon. Then add in the chicken, salt and pepper and coat well with the mixture. Allow it to cook slightly but watch it carefully that is doesn’t burn.
 
Add in one cup of water, the shallot/baby onions, stir and allow to cook covered for 40 minutes.
 
Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Add in the honey and add a decent amount of additional black pepper and cook until the water is gone and the mixture is thick and caramelized. Then add back the chicken pieces, cover with the sauce, sprinkle on the almonds and serve with couscous.

Steak au Poivre – Classic French Bistro Dish

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This one of my absolute favorites, as it combines the wonderful flavor of beef, with the perfect compliment of copious amounts of cracked black pepper.
There are few points, which must be followed, to ensure that this dish is ideal. Firstly, I recommend that you use a sauté pan, which can go from stove top directly to the oven.

This is the best way to guarantee the flavors stays in the steak and keeps the meat moist. Secondly, you must use freshly crushed black pepper and not ground pepper. If you use ground pepper the end result is over powering.

Ingredients:

1- 10 to 12 oz. Steak, NY strip sirloins are perfect
Freshly crushed Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp. Shallots, minced
1 cup Heavy Cream
¼ cup Cognac
Salt
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Put your pan onto the stove and preheat until it is very hot. Once it is ready, salt the meat and then roll it in the freshly crushed black pepper. Make sure it is completely coated.
The easiest way to make the crushed pepper, is to put the whole peppercorns in a plastic bag or wrapped in a cloth and pound it with a mallet or a rolling pin.
Add the oil and when it is smoking, gently lay the meat into the pan and sear on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Then transfer the entire pan into the preheated oven. The timing with depend on your preference, but it will be best either rare or medium rare. Approx. 7 to 8 minutes for medium rare.
Remove the pan from the oven and set the meat onto a cutting board or dish and cover with aluminum foil to rest.
Put the pan onto the stovetop and add your shallots and sauté lightly, then pour in your cognac and deglaze the pan. You may flame the cognac if you desire. Once the alcohol has cooked away, add your heavy cream and bring to a soft boil and reduce until a sauce texture is obtained. A good way to check a sauce, is to see if it will coat the back of a spoon. If it coats the spoon, it is perfect.
Plate the steak then finish with the sauce and serve immediately. Oven roasted potatoes or french fries are a good accompaniment to this dish.

Kerala Chicken Curry

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This is a typical curry from the south of India, in that it’s spicy and it uses coconut as one of its ingredients. It can be made as a vegetarian dish, which is also very common in the south. Adjust the heat based upon the number and strength of chilies you choose.

Ingredients:
 
2 lb. Boneless chicken breast, cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces
1/3  cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. Ghee or butter
2 Medium Onions, sliced thin
1 Red Pepper, cubed
6 cloves of Garlic, mashed and then minced fine
2 inch fresh Ginger, mashed and minced
3 fresh Green chilies, minced
1 Tbsp. ground Coriander
2 tsp. ground Cardamom
3 tsp. ground Turmeric
1 tsp. ground Cumin
2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground Cloves
½ Tbsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Sugar
Freshly ground Black pepper to taste
1 cup sweetened shredded Coconut
1 cup Water
 
Preparation:
 
Heat oil and ghee over medium heat and add the chicken pieces, just cooking until they loose their rawness. Remove from the pan and add garlic, onions, ginger, fresh chilies and sauté until fragrant. Then add spices and sauté until the spices have lost their raw smell.
 
Add back your chicken and lightly sauté them as you coat them thoroughly with the spice mixture. Then add the water and bring back to a soft simmer.
 
Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes and then add coconut and continue cooking until the oil separates. Usually, about 10 additional minutes. If the mixture starts to dry out, add little bit more water and continue cooking.
 
Serve over basmati rice with Indian pickles or relish of choice.
 

Hint: To make this as a vegetarian dish, you may substitute sweet potatoes or cashews 

Penne Carbonara

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This is a wonderfully rich dish and is one of my favorites. It’s easy to prepare and very satisfying.
People are not entirely clear of where this dish originated, but it can be found on menus all over Italy. This is true comfort food.

Ingredients:
4 oz of Pancetta, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 Onion, chopped
5 Egg Yolks
1 lb of Penne Rigate
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Preparation:
Sauté the pancetta and onions in the butter in a deep sauté pan (As you will want enough space to add back the pasta at the end, don’t make the pan too small) until they are completely cooked and soft. Add the white wine and reduce down and then take off the heat.
Start your water with added salt and cook the penne until they are just al dente. While the penne is cooking, whisk together the egg yolks and cream.
When the pasta is done, drain and then add back to the pan with the onions and pancetta and put back on medium high heat. Slowly add in the egg and cream mixture and cook until thickened.
Add the Parmesan and the black pepper, toss well and serve immediately.

Chicken Jambalaya

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Here’s a really easy dish to throw together when you come home late. It’s really good and great for lunch the next day. It’s worth searching for the medium grain rice, as it does give it a more creamy texture.

When visiting the countryside of Louisiana, I found a small church fair and tasted this done over an open fire. The smoky flavor and creamy texture was unlike anything I’d ever tasted.
After much experimenting, I found the perfect combination to recreate the special flavor I remembered. Maybe one day I’ll get back and try the gumbo.
Ingredients:
2 lbs of boneless Chicken breast, cut into 2 inch pieces
4  Tbsp of Vegetable oil
¾  lb of Andouille sausage, cut into quarter inch cubes
1 cup of green Pepper
2 cups of Onion, chopped medium
5 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp. Sugar
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp Cayenne pepper
Freshly ground Black Pepper
2 tsp. Liquid smoke
4 cups of unsalted Chicken stock
2 cups of Rice, medium grain is best
1 cup of Green onions
Preparation:
Preheat your pan and oil, and render down the andouille until well browned. Remove the Andouille and caramelize the green pepper, onion and garlic. Add the chicken and brown.
Add all of the spices, sugar and liquid smoke and mix well. Now add the rice and cook for a few minutes until it is well coated. Keep stirring to avoid burning it.
Add the chicken stock slowly, and bring the mixture back to a boil. Cover and cook on lowest heat until the liquid is completely absorbed. Usually about 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat, stir in the green onions and serve with hot sauce on the side.

Creole Jambalaya

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When you look closely at the word jambalaya, you notice that it is actually three words. “Jambon”, from the French for ham, “ala”, as in the style of and “ya”, the West African word for rice. Shortened and pronounced as jambalaya.

 
 
Jambalaya is one of those dishes that seems to be claimed by both Creole and Cajun alike, so here’s my hat in the ring.

Ingredients: 

3 Tbsp. Butter

1 lb. lean Pork, cut into ½ inch squares1 lb. Andouille, Creole or Chaurice sausage, cut into ¼ inch pieces

2 large Onions, finely chopped

½ cup Green Pepper
 
1/2 cup Celery
 
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
 
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Parsley
 
3 Sprigs fresh Thyme, or ½ tsp. dried thyme
 
Pinch of ground Cloves
 
A few grindings of fresh Black Pepper
 
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper, if you do not like it spicy, this can be omitted.
 
1 – Bay leaf
 
1 tsp. Salt
 
4 ½ cups of low sodium Beef stock
 
2 tsp. of Liquid smoke
 
2 cups of white Rice
 
¼ cup of green Onions, to finish
 
Preparation:
 
Melt butter to a large heavy saucepan or cast iron stockpot. Sauté onions, green pepper, garlic and lean pork for 5 minutes and then add the parsley, thyme and green onion and continue cooking for a few more minutes.
 
Then add all the rest of the spices and sausage and slowly brown for 5 minutes. Then add the rice, stir and coat thoroughly and then the beef stock and bring back to a boil, now add the liquid smoke, stir again and cover, and turn heat down to low.
 
Cook for approx. 35 min. stirring on occasion until liquid is fully absorbed, Take off the heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then stir in green onions and serve in deep bowls with hot sauce.
 
Note: Thank you for use of the pic. Hopefully I can recover mine soon.

Pistachio Sauce

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I think this sauce is wonderful and it is just perfect on any sort of kebab or grilled meat. I have not tried it on chicken yet, but I can imagine it would be great.

As it keeps well in the refrigerator, you can make a batch and then just allow it to come up to room temperature before serving it. You can always add a bit of water to thin it down as well.

Ingredients:

10 oz of pistachios, shelled and ground in a small food processor
1/2 cup tahini
Juice from three lemons
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup of water

Preparation:

Begin by grinding your pistachios in your food processor. You want them to be finely ground, so the sauce will be smooth. Then add the lemon juice, garlic and pulse until mixed. Add in the tahini a bit at a time. It will get very thick, but don’t be concerned, as you will add your water to thin it down. If it is still thick, you can always add more water. You want it to be the consistency of a thick sauce.

When you are ready to serve it, just pour it over your kebabs or other meats and enjoy.

Kebabs with Pistachio Sauce

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I really like this recipe for a few reasons. One, it is easy to prepare, two, it can be made in advance and three, it tastes amazing. For me, this ticks all my boxes.

The important part here is to make sure you read through the recipe first. Also, have your meat ground twice. In other words, ask your butcher to run it through the grinder a second time, and three would be even better. It really integrates the fat into the meat and gives you the moistest kebabs you can imagine.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of ground Lamb or Beef or combination of the two.
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
10 oz of finely chopped shelled Pistachios, I find it easier to grind/chop them in a small food processor.
1/2 tsp ground Cardamom
1tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp smoked hot or sweet Paprika
1 tsp ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1/2 tsp ground Coriander seeds
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf Parsley, finely chopped
2 red Onions, finely chopped.


Preparation:

Begin by chopping/grinding your pistachios and put into a bowl with all of the other dry spices. In a food processor, pulse the onions until they are finely chopped then add the parsley which has been roughly chopped and the crushed garlic. Then continue to pulse it until it is almost a puree.

Now in a large bowl pour the onion mixture over the ground meat and work in well with your hands until it is completely blended. Then sprinkle on the pistachio and spice mixture a bit at a time and incorporate it into the meat until it is all completely mixed. This will take about 5 minutes of working the mixture.

Put into the refrigerator allow it to rest. This can be as little as 30 minutes, or up to overnight. However, I think it is easier to form them into the kebab shapes after a shorter period of time and then let them rest in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. I have left them up to two days and they have been absolutely fine.

When you are ready to form them, make sure that you make them about the size of a short Italian sausage. Approx. 4 inches long by 1 1/2 inch around. This should make about 12 kebabs. I find it much easier to split the meat mixture into 4 equal parts and then each part into three parts and then mold them. This ensures that they are all the same size and that they will cook evenly.

When ready to cook, bring them out of the refrigerator and allow them to sit for at last 30 minutes, so they are not quite so cold. Otherwise, you will find that they will be well done on the outside and raw on the inside.

There are four ways to cook these kebabs. You can brush them with olive oil and cook in a pan/griddle until browned all over, or you can put them on a baking sheet and into a preheated 350 degree oven for approx. 20-25 minutes. Or you can grill them under the broiler for approx. 8-10 minutes, turning them once during grilling. Or, you can cook them on a outside grill.

In the previous post, I gave you the recipe for the pistachio sauce. It can easily be made while the kebabs are cooking.

Thank you to Rumi Spice for the picture.