Indian food

For my birthday this year, Lisa and Jamie took me on an amazing date: a cooking class featuring Indian food!  We all really enjoy Indian food, and Jamie makes a really good curry dish and Lisa makes really good naan.  I make rice.  And salad.  We were all very excited to learn more.  It was a wonderful experience and the chef was really entertaining and a very good teacher; he spent a lot of time on things that had to do with cooking in general but not specific to what he was being paid to teach us that evening.  Ever since that class, we've been waiting for a Sunday to make it all on our own and this Sunday will be the day!  We're all super excited.  It's soooo good.

Murgh Makhani

(Butter Chicken)

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 6

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in large chunks

1/2 yellow onion, frenched (it's the way you cut it!)

4 oz. butter

2 tsp. garam masala

2 tsp. sweet paprika

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1 cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods, bruised

2 Tbsp. tomato puree

1/4 c. plain yogurt (he used goat yogurt which is a lot runnier but more expensive.  You can use regular stuff, just add milk to make it the consistency of like a heavy cream)

1/2 c. sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a wok until really hot, add 1 Tbsp. oil

Add half the chicken and stir-fry for about 4 minutes or until chicken is a nice color.  Remove to plate; add extra oil and repeat with remaining chicken. (He actually precooked all the chicken in hot water and then saves the broth for soups and such, but this way works, too.)  Remove from wok.

Add onions and sweat them for a few minutes until fragrant.

Reduce heat and add the butter

When melted add all of the spices and stir-fry until fragrant-about 1 minute.

Return chicken to wok and stir to coat with the spices

Add the tomato and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Making sure it's at a simmer, add yogurt, sour cream and simmer a few more minutes until the sauce thickens a bit (if it is too hot, the oils will separate from the cream; if this happens, add some milk to get it creamier; this happened to us-it doesn't look as pretty but it still tastes really good!).

Season to taste with salt and pepper, take out the cinnamon stick and serve over rice.

Aromatic Yellow Rice

Prep time: 40 minutes (this includes the soak time) 

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 6

2 c. basmati rice

1/4 c. frozen green peas

5 c. water and 2 2/3 c. water

1 1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground turmeric

3-4 cloves

3-4 strands of saffron

1 cinnamon stick

3 bay leaves

3 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pats

Rinse the rice then put the rice in a bowl and cover with 5 c. water; let soak for 30 minutes then drain.   Combine drained rice, peas, 2 2/3 c. water, salt turmeric, cloves, saffron, cinnamon and bay leaves in a heavy pot and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook for 25 minutes (don't stir!!!  That will make the rice mushy.)  Let the rice rest covered for ten minutes.  Removes spices and add the butter and gently mix with a fork.

Mint Chutney

Makes 2 1/2 c.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 2 minutes

1 c. tightly packed mint leaves cleaned from stem

2 1/4 c. raisins (he used red and golden)

1/2 c. cider vinegar

1 pinch cayenne

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until a course paste forms.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 1 week.  Bring to room temperature before serving-this is great on braised meats and naan bread. 

Naan Bread

Makes 10-12 loaves

4 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. plain yogurt (he used goat yogurt which is expensive, so you can use regular yogurt, just add milk to get the consistency of a heavy cream)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients in a mixer with dough hook or by hand until the dough comes together in a soft ball.  Coat with a light coating of oil, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.

Portion a ball about the size of a golf ball.  Coat with flour and roll out until 1/8" thick.  Preheat a cast iron skillet with no oil on high heat.  (It should be really really hot) Place bread on hot skillet and bake for a minute.  Flip and bake for 30 more seconds or so.  Remove from heat and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt (we like to add cilantro and/or garlic, too).

Baida Vindaloo 

(Pickled Eggs)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 3-4

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 inch ginger, grated

pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 1/4. tsp. salt

 1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp plus 1/2 c. white vinegar

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 inch cinnamon stick

1/2 onion, frenched (the way it is cut)

1/2 tsp. garam masala

2/3 c. water

6-8 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

Mash the garlic and put through garlic press

Combine garlic, ginger, cayenne, paprika, cumin, salt, brown sugar, and 2 tbsp. vinegar in a small bowl and mix well.

Add oil to saute pan and toasted cinnamon in it for a few minutes.  Add and sweat onion until fragrant.  Add the spice paste as well as the garam masala and cook until mixed and fragrant.  Add the 1/2 c. of vinegar and the water.  Stir and bring to a simmer.  Add the eggs to the pan cut side up, and spoon the liquid over them.  Cook until the sauce has thickened (about 5 minutes); continue to spoon liquid over the eggs.  Serve or refrigerate.

Sweet and rich Mango Lassi

Prep time: 20 minutes

Makes about 2 cups

1 c. plain yogurt

1/2 c. milk

1 c. chopped mango (peeled and stone removed) (he did half mango, half peach...amazing)

4 tsp. sugar, to taste

Dash of ground cardamom (optional)

Put all ingredients into blender and blend for 2 minutes.  If you are making larger amounts you will need to process it in batches.  Allow to chill for at least 30 minutes.  Pour into glasses, garnish with a pinch of cardamom and serve.  Lassi can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

Yield: Makes the equivalent of 1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup (about 1 1/3 cups)

This homemade cream of chicken soup is going to be as flavorful as the broth you use so make sure it's a brand you like (or use homemade if you have it). I've made this several times using the organic chicken soup base (kind of like bouillon but in a paste form that stays refrigerated)
and I like to use about 1 heaping teaspoon chicken base for the 3/4 cup water amount.
For the 1/8 teaspoon amounts on the seasonings - go ahead and add more if you like (or use a heaping 1/8 teaspoon), it really is adaptable to taste. Also, when I haven't had poultry seasoning on hand, I omit it and throw in a pinch each of ground sage, marjoram, and ground thyme.
This recipe can be increased as needed. It makes the equivalent of one can of cream of chicken soup so if you need two cans, just go ahead and double. And if you really want to get wild and crazy, you can stir in some finely chopped cooked chicken in at the end to give it the texture you know and love.

Ingredients
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning (see note)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste if needed
Pinch of dried parsley
Pinch of paprika
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and all the seasonings to a simmer.
In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, vigorously whisk the milk and flour together until smooth.
While whisking the broth, slowly pour in the flour/milk mixture, whisking constantly.
Continue to stir and cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens, 3-4 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add additional salt and pepper to taste as needed. Use immediately in a recipe or cool and refrigerate for up to a week. This will thicken much more as it cools.

Don't forget!!

Remember to put a label on your recipes so they can be found and sorted through more easily.

hard boiled eggs in the oven

This has become my FAVORITE {and I think the easiest way} to cook hard boiled eggs.

Preheat oven to 325. 

Place eggs in muffin tin (I used the mini muffin tin and it was perfect).

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Place eggs in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes.

Tada!

That's it! 

Enjoy your hard boiled eggs!

{FYI there may be brown spots on them, but that's normal, and they usually wipe off with a washcloth}

easy way to bake beans

Cooking raw beans has really intimidated me and seemed too much work for the outcome - when I can go by a can of beans for fairly inexpensive. Until now. I came across how to cook them in the oven - without having to presoak them {which is a perk because I either forget to do so the night before or don't have the time when I think about using beans that night for dinner}. 

So today I started these beans right before Avery's nap. They took about 2+ hours to bake in the oven - but since I was home for the afternoon it was no problem. Then I used my newly baked beans in a new recipe I hope to share tomorrow. And the leftovers I am going to freeze in 1-2 cup increments because we love black beans around here. Pinto beans will be up next. 

Heat the oven to 325. Put amount of beans you are cooking in a 3-quart (or larger) Dutch oven or pot with a tight-fitting lid that can go in the oven. ( I had 3 cups of black beans, so that's what went in my Dutch oven).  A clay pot is ideal. Add 2 tsp. of salt and enough water to cover the beans by about 1 inch. Put the lid on and bake for 75 minutes. Check the beans and stir them. If they are tender, take them out of the oven. If they aren't done, put them back in for 15 minute intervals until they are done, adding a cup of hot water if they seem to be drying out. It took me 2 hours, buy may take less than 90 mins. 

I know some of you have other methods - the old fashion way soaking them over night, or a quick 2-3 hour soak before starting to cook them on the stove, or even in the crockpot. This was super easy for me and I am so happy to have a big pot of beans. Who knew beans would make me so happy?!? :)

You can find directions on how to cook beans other ways at this website - along with really yummy looking recipes: http://www.thekitchn.com/