I have been having blog problems. I let my domain name lapse and it was bought by some Japanese people - don't ask me why and so I have reverted to this blogger blog. I am sorry for being lost for so long. I vow to post daily. I hope to hear from you and make this a viable blog. I'll do my part: try to inform you, entertain you and most importantly try to answer your questions and then I hope that I will hear from you. Here goes:

Its summer and a good time for light dishes. I enjoy making things that don't require me to be in the kitchen too long and also that can be eaten cold. This is my take on Shrimp cocktail. I like to keep the shell on. You can chose to remove them. Find a pound of the largest shrimp you can afford. Juice of a lemon- save the skin 1/4 tsp.salt 2 to 3 dry red chilies 1/2 cup white white (optional) 1/2 tsp toasted cumin powder 1/2 dried mango powder (called aamchur and found in Indian markets - us half a lemon if you can't find it) Bring about a quart of water to a boil with all the ingredients except the cumin and mango powder. Add the shrimp, the water will stop boiling and now let the shrimp poach gently. Lower the heat and don't let it boil, just a gentle simmer. In about 10 minutes, check one shrimp - they should be just opaque and make sure not to over cook. When they are done, remove from heat and cool quickly either in ice water or running cold water. Drain and dry - add the cumin and mango powder and serve with a cold beer - outside if you can :)

Tandoori Style Chicken

T for Tandoori Style Chicken

Chicken Tikka

3 lbs. skinless chicken pieces (breast, thighs and legs)

Marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
1 Tbs. Cumin powder
2 Tbs. Coriander Powder
½ tsp. Turmeric powder
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbs. Canola Oil
¼ cup lemon or lime juice
Salt to taste
Cilantro or Mint for garnish

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the marinade and mix well. Taste for seasoning before adding the chicken.
Marinate the chicken and refrigerate covered overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the chicken on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minute or until the chicken is cooked.
If you want the chicken to be browned while cooking, remove some of the marinade and place the pieces about ½ inch apart on the baking tray.
Serve hot, garnished with cilantro.

For Grilling:
For smaller pieces of chicken – use metal skewers, or leave the pieces large enough so they don’t fall into the grill.





To make the Chicken Tikka Masala

1 Onion, finely diced
2 Tomatoes diced or 1 cup of canned tomatoes, crushed
2 tbs Vegetable Oil
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
1 tsp. Cumin Powder
½ tsp. Cayenne
1 tbs. Coriander Powder
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced ginger
Salt to taste
½ cup heavy cream (optional)
1 cup water


In a sauté pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. After about a minute add the onions and salt; and sauté for about 5 minutes until they are brown and caramelized. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and cayenne pepper. Stir well and add the ginger and garlic. Cook another minute or so and add the tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Stir and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes. Add the cream if using.

Now add the left over chicken tikka to the sauce and heat over low heat. When the chicken is heated through taste the sauce and adjust seasoning.

Serve hot.

Substitute the chicken for fish or paneer.

Until I eat again

This is a Kati Roll (think Indian Burrito). Wouldn't this pick you up in the middle of the day?

S for Start Something New

May I suggest:
Pack your own lunch to work.
Start what feels comfortable.

If you have never done this before, start with 1 or 2 a week.
You will save more money than you can imagine.

If you take lunch a few times a week - add a couple more.

It's healthful, delicious and a great money saver.

And you don't have to cook in the morning.
With some planning, you can take left overs for lunch by turning things into sandwiches, roll ups, etc.

Start with what you have in your office.
If you have a microwave - you are all set.
You can take left over stews and soups and pastas to work.



I would love that in the middle of the day, wouldn't you?



I know I'm jumping the gun here. This is my leftover treat from last Thanksgiving.
The point is - anything you make for sunday dinner - you can take to work the next day.

If you don't have a microwave, think sandwiches, salads, wraps, etc.



This is a stuffed Potato Paratha - flat bread.

I could go on and on. There are hundreds of things you can take to the office.

I will come back to this topic at another time.

What do you like to take to work?

Until I eat again!

R is for Rice - more specifically Basmati Rice.

So why the Trader Joe's box? I've been meaning to write about this for a while and thought this to be a good time.

I am not a frozen food kind of gal, but once in a while I just want to try them out to see what’s happening in the frozen food industry.
I love Trader Joe’s. You might wonder how someone could LOVE a food store – well, I do. I don’t feel ripped off each time I go there – as I do in my neighborhood. And I always find something new and interesting.

On a recent trip to the large Trader Joes in Brooklyn Heights, I stumbled upon this Indian frozen dinner, and thought I would try it. To satisfy my curiosity, and also of many students who tend to ask me how various frozen foods taste when we are on our walking tours around the city.

Here is my philosophy on frozen entrees:

If you expect them to be as good as your mother’s (if your mother is a good cook), or as good as your favorite restaurant – well, then you are setting yourself up for a major disappointment (not to mention, an unrealistic expectation).
But if you look at frozen food as something in the freezer that can be ready within a few minutes, and offers you sustenance in a pinch – then you are on the right track. Is your mother’s lasagna going to be better than Stouffer’s? Of course it is. It’s the same for ethnic foods too. I always tell people not to buy an Indian frozen entrée and then use that as an example of how ALL Indian food is supposed to taste.

Keeping that in mind, and in the name of research I bought a box of Butter Chicken. It was all of $2.99 – and so not an obscene amount of money at all.

The instructions were easy enough: defrost for 5 minutes and then cook on high for 4 minutes. Let stand for a couple of minutes before eating.

I played a game of online scrabble while I waited.

The picture of the nan on the box made me want some. But such is life. And the calories – 270 for 1 serving and there are 1 ½ servings in the box. I don’t know anyone who would eat the one serving and offer the half to a friend. It does make me think how much we eat. If I cooked something like that at home – I would probably eat twice that amount. But that is a post for another time – portion sizes.
Still playing my game – certainly smells good in here. Smells coming out of the microwave smell like food – not chemical or processed aromas.
Taste test: Not bad at all. Dare I say, maybe even better than someone’s mom, or certain restaurants that I’ve eaten at. The sauce (curry) had a nice tangy flavor – didn’t taste of anything artificial. The rice might have had a slight, really slight perfumed aroma – but that’s fine with me. The spicing was just right. It was a bit spicy – my threshold being really high – it was very good for someone with a normal palate. Ample pieces of chicken – good amount of sauce for the amount of rice. Chicken was tender.

The rice was perfectly cooked, seemed a good quality Basmati – each grain was long and separate – just what you are looking for in basmati rice. The rice was definitely better cooked than some of the rice I have made in my life.
Thumbs up! A winner! I would definitely buy it again. It might even help me with my portions and maybe, just maybe I’ll start eating less.
Tall order for a little box of frozen food from Trader Joe’s…but a girl can dream.
$2.99 well spent.

What are your favorite Indian entrees?

Until I eat again.

Quesadillas

Q for ... I can't think of an Indian dish starting with Q - so today, Q is for Quesadillas.

Quesadillas all Weekend

Quesadillas are a versatile dish that can incorporate the flavors of your favorite cuisine.



Q for....I can't think of anything Indian - so Q is for Quesadillas


I have been reading a lot lately about how to save money. One of the constants in life is eating-no matter the economic climate. I read with fascination people who are able to shop for a week for a family of 4 for $60. I go to the store and buy barely enough for 2 meals and have spent close to that amount. Then I think that those people live in Podunk City, Nowhere. Then I get annoyed and carry on living the way that I do buying expensive grocery items and not keeping tabs on how much I am spending. But in the back of my mind I always fantasize to be one of those budget keeping people.

I am apartment sitting for a friend for the weekend and got to her place on Saturday afternoon. I took the subway in and so brought no groceries with me. That evening I went down to get some stuff. I wasn't sure what I was going to get or where. She lives in a neighborhood with plenty of choices. I walked past the Key Food and the Damascus Bakery. A brand new Trader Joe's opened around the corner and I thought I would go in there but shied away from the huge crowds that I saw milling about. I thought I'd just buy some pre-made stuff and not worry about it. A movie was about to start on HBO in half and hour. I reprimanded my self and kept walking on. I came to Perelandra. This is a natural/organic food store that I have only encountered in Brooklyn. I knew I needed to get toothpaste and milk for my morning coffee. I put those 2 things in my basket and started to cruise the aisles. It is a very small store and so I must have gone around twice before I knew what I was going to get. The milk in my cart was calling out for some cereal that I would have for breakfast. I have talked about my partaking of breakfast every morning in my previous posts. I stood in front of all the boxes for quite some time and finally settled on Raisin Bran.

What am I going to have for dinner tonight? Something bread related since I felt too lazy to boil pasta at this late hour. I picked up tortillas since a loaf bread seemed too breakfasty- and I already had the cereal. Tortillas only meant one thing for dinner-Quesadillas. I went to the meat freezer and got sausages-there is not much of a choice of meats here. Now for some cheese. Pre-grated while convenient is a rip off. I got the jalapeno pepper jack cheese. Now some creamy thing. Since I was in such a health-oriented store I was feeling noble. Why not some yogurt instead of sour cream? Okay Greek yogurt. The larger container gave me sticker shock- almost 6 bucks - so I got the small one for less that 2 bucks. Right now I am thinking that this stuff is going to cost me an arm and a leg in this earthy crunchy store and I am just a couple of blocks from Trader Joe's and Key Food where my bill would have been easily 1/2 less of what is was going to be here. It was getting later and later -never go food shopping hungry and without a shopping list. Quesadillas need some sort of salsa - something I could make easily but not now. I went to the salsa aisle and still with a virtuous ring over my head got some bean dip. Without even calculating how much all this would add up - I was feeling poor and wasn't going to buy any vegetables.

Its not easy trying to be healthful and eat organic food and non antibiotic injected animals etc. I totally understand why people who are economically challenged buy inferior quality food and convenience food-because it is soooo much cheaper. Not just a few cents here and there-almost 50 percent less.

I am at the checkout and the girl is very polite and making small talk-something that doesn't happen at the supermarket where I live. She puts the 8 things I bought in a bag and tells me $36.44. I put on my poker face like I do this everyday and that I have enough money to warrant this shopping and hand her 2 twenties.

I realize that one can have 1 takeout meal for $20 and I wasn't going to eat all of this in one sitting - but it still seemed like a lot of money for the amount of things I bought. Essentially 2 meals and dribs and drabs of others and toothpaste that I would use for over 1 month. It is still a lot of money-there is no denying that.

I walked home thinking of the people who are running a household of 4 and who have to feed their families everyday and don't make huge salaries and don't have a lot of time.

I am not those people and so I set about making my dinner for 1.



Quesadillas

Slice 2 sausages and cook with a quarter of sliced onion. Dice a quarter of an onion (scallions will do nicely here). Slice or grate your favorite cheese (preferably something that melts and strong enough to stand up to strong flavors-like pepper jack or sharp cheddar). A few leaves of cilantro.




Assemble the quesadilla by spreading a table spoon of the black bean salsa on the tortilla. Place the cheese in a single layer on half of the tortilla. Add half the sausage onion mix and sprinkle some of the diced raw onion and a few leaves of cilantro. Fold over the tortilla and create a half moon. Put it to side and make the second tortilla.



Now heat a pan that will fit the quesadilla comfortably and add a tsp. of olive oil (or any neutral tasting oil like canola). Gently place the half moon like tortilla in the pan and let it cook on one side on medium high heat. You should let the cheese melt and resist the urge to move or turn the quesadilla for about a minute. Now flip it with a spatula taking care not to drop any of the ingredients from the quesadilla. Cook another minute or so until the outside of the tortilla looks golden brown and slightly crispy.



Place the quesadilla on a cutting board and cut into 4 pieces.

Now put on a plate, top with yogurt or sourcream and the salsa. Garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy Quesadillas hot and don't fret the tough economic down turn while you eat.


Do what I say and not necessarily what I do:

Yogurt is not an entirely satisfactory substitute for Sour Cream.

Don't put too much of the Black Bean Dip on the tortilla.

The Organic 7-grain tortilla wraps may be good for me but they don't crisp up like the overly processed flour tortillas.

Grate the cheese as opposed to slice it (my friend didn't seem to have a box grater).

Some sort of tomato-ey thing is important...a salsa or something.

What are your favorite fillings for quesadillas?

Until I eat again!

Pooris

Who can resist these fried discs of joy?

P for Puris or Pooris

Pooris are the fried puffy breads that we all love so much.
Since they require frying-pooris are generally made on weekends or special occasions.

The technique is quite simple. When frying anything-safety is key.

Use a heavy bottom pot that is sturdy and never fill oil more than half way up. Use a thermometer if you are new to frying and the temperature should be about 370 degrees, or use chopsticks and when lots of bubbles surround the stick - you are ready to fry.

Pooris (Fried Puffed Breads)
Makes 10
2 cups Chappati flour (available in Indian Grocery Stores)
(Can substitute with half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour)
½ tsp. Salt
2 Tbs. Vegetable Oil plus about 4 cups for frying
1 cup water (the quantity varies – depending on humidity and type of flour)

1. Mix flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the oil and mix. With the processor running, slowly pour in the water until dough comes together and forms a ball. Remove the dough onto your counter and knead it for a few minutes, until it is smooth and pliable. Do not add any bench flour – if the dough gets sticky – put a little oil onto your hands. Put the dough in a bowl, cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or a heavy bottom pan until it reaches 360 degrees.
3. Divide the dough into 10 balls the approximate size of a golf ball. Roll them out into a 3 inch disc. If you are rolling all of them together, make sure they are covered with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.


Now, carefully place one rolled out disc into the hot oil. It will sink to the bottom. With a slotted spoon or a Chinese Spider, gently press down on the poori as it floats to the top. This action helps fill air into the poori.



As soon as it has puffed, turn it over once – away from you and then remove it to a plate lined with a paper towels.
Repeat with the rest of the dough and serve immediately.

Notes:
Sometime the poori will not puff up – there could be a few reasons for that like the dough wasn’t smooth enough or the disc was rolled too thin or too thick. Just remember, it will still taste great and with practice you will be able to make the perfect puffed poori.

Onions

O for Onions

I love onions - you can do so much with them. Brown them gently and you can coax a rich, caramel flavor from them, do a quick saute and they end up sweet and crunchy.

When I am in the kitchen looking to cook myself something I start with an onion. I start slicing or dicing an onion and looking around to see what I have to make a meal with. By the time the onion is cut - I generally know what I am going to make.

Having good knife skills really helps in the kitchen. Learning to cut onions is very important, especially if Indian food is your thing.









Chicken Tikka

How do you get this glorious body - from onions. The vibrant color is of course from cayenne, turmeric and tomatoes.

This is a tried and true recipe.




3 lbs. skinless chicken pieces (breast, thighs and legs)

Marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
1 Tbs. Cumin powder
2 Tbs. Coriander Powder
½ tsp. Turmeric powder
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbs. Canola Oil
¼ cup lemon or lime juice
Salt to taste
Cilantro or Mint for garnish

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the marinade and mix well. Taste for seasoning before adding the chicken.
Marinate the chicken and refrigerate covered overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the chicken on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minute or until the chicken is cooked.
If you want the chicken to be browned while cooking, remove some of the marinade and place the pieces about ½ inch apart on the baking tray.
Serve hot, garnished with cilantro.

For Grilling:
For smaller pieces of chicken – use metal skewers, or leave the pieces large enough so they don’t fall into the grill.





To make the Chicken Tikka Masala

1 Onion, finely diced
2 Tomatoes diced or 1 cup of canned tomatoes, crushed
2 tbs Vegetable Oil
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
1 tsp. Cumin Powder
½ tsp. Cayenne
1 tbs. Coriander Powder
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced ginger
Salt to taste
½ cup heavy cream (optional)
1 cup water


In a sauté pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. After about a minute add the onions and salt; and sauté for about 5 minutes until they are brown and caramelized. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and cayenne pepper. Stir well and add the ginger and garlic. Cook another minute or so and add the tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Stir and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes. Add the cream if using.

Now add the left over chicken tikka to the sauce and heat over low heat. When the chicken is heated through taste the sauce and adjust seasoning.

Serve hot.

Try it and let me know.

Until I eat again!