Eric's Malai Kofta

Found this on my friend's FB page and stole it :). Recipe taken from this site: http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/08/12/malai-kofta/.

Malai kofta is a delicious and rich main dish for any special occasion.
Recipe serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

• Kofta:
  • 1 cup boiled mash potatoes
  • 1 cup mash paneer
  • 2 tablespoon minced cilantro (hara dhania)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 small finally chopped green chili
  For Batter:
• 2 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida, plain flour)
• 4 tablespoon water

      Also needed:

• Oil to fry
• Gravy:
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • Generous pinch asafetida (hing)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon shredded ginger (adrak)
  • 1 green chili
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon all purpose flour (maida, plain flour)
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 tablespoon minced cilantro (hara dhania)

Method
Kofta

1. Mix all the ingredients together for kofta,
2. With oiled hands, divide the mixture into 14 to 16 equal parts.
3. Make them in round balls.
4. Mix flour with about 4 tablespoons of water and mix well until batter is smooth.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.
6. The frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, just put one small piece of mix in the oil, it should come up right away but not change color.
7. Dip the paneer balls in the batter one at a time and slowly drop into the frying pan.
8. Turn them occasionally. Fry koftas until golden-brown all around.

Gravy:

1. Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree. If you prefer mild take the seeds out of green chili before blending.
2. Mix cream and flour and keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready.
4. Add the hing and cumin seeds.
5. Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat.
6. Tomato mixture will start leaving the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity.
7. Add milk and flour mix, salt and one cup of water and let it cook covered for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat.
8. Add the garam masala, salt and cilantro. Let it cook for another minute.
9. Add koftas as soon it comes to boil turn off the heat. Note: koftas will expand to about 11/2 times, if you like more gravy this is the time to add some more boiled water and adjust salt.
10. Koftas are very soft they should be added to the gravy when you are ready to serve, otherwise koftas will break.

Pan Fried Trout

Whenever we can get out to go camp, and catch a fish. Or just buy a trout at the grocery store :). It's best to use a cast iron skillet, but it doesn't matter that much.

Season the fish with salt, pepper, and whatever herbs you like (I recommend oregano, basil). Pour 2-3 tbsp olive oil in the pan with minced garlic. Fry whole trout in pan, flipping it over once one side is brown and crispy.

Serve!

Saudi Cooks Montage

Cast Iron Clams

 This is perfect for camping, though you wouldn't think it would be.

Poke Handrolls and Toro Don

Dad took a trip to Hawaii and brought me back fresh Toro and Ahi Poke from Whole Foods on Maui. What did I do? Treated it with respect and made something cool with it!

What you need:
Sushi grade tuna, cubed
Toro (Tuna Belly) if the chef has it and it's very fresh- probably only appropriate for someone from a fishing town with Tuna
-Masago (Smelt Eggs, at Ikea surprisingly enough)
-Spring Onions, chopped
-One small piece of a fresh habanero pepper
-Japanese Mayonnaise
-Sesame Seeds (not necessary really)
- Rice topping (if you have it)
- Nori (Seaweed)
-Wasabi and Pickled Ginger

Hand Roll
Mix cubed tuna, masago, spring onions, small piece of pepper (or not), 2 tbspn mayo, sesame seeds.

Split seaweed into halves, place in the palm of your hand. Put a spoonful or more of rice, smash into your hand. Spoon in some of the mixture, kind of like a burrito. Fold corners into the center, creating a cone shape.

Sashimi
Cut the toro, make sure you do not cut with the grain as this will make the toro tough to eat. It's amazing what a good cut can do in making sushi. Browse the internet and look up how to cut it.

Sushi Rice
Follow directions on the box. If you have no box:
Rinse rice until water runs clear.
Add 2 cups of water to a pot, bring to boil.
Add 1 tbspn Rice Vinegar (dont worry if you don't have this, it's not that important)
Add 2 cups of sushi rice.
Turn stove to lowest, stir and cook for 15-20 minutes. Turn stove off, let it sit for another 5-10. Serve.

Put rice in the bottom of a bowl, add wasabi and ginger to corner. Plate like the picture, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Aunt Diane's Lemon Meringue Pie

 Recipe TBA

Aunt Diane's Red Chile

This year for the holidays my sister, her boyfriend and I flew to Colorado Springs, Colorado to meet mom and visit with family. My Aunt Diane made Red Chile, Green, Chile, and Pinto Beans. Enchiladas for Christmas.

Red Chile Recipe:
TBA

Additional Toppings and Tortillas:
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Fried Tortillas
- Shredded Lettuce
- Cubed Tomatoes
- Cubed Avocados

To Serve:
Tortilla, Chile, Cheese, Tortilla, Chile, Cheese


 Love this!

 And this...

 AND THIS!!

How to Cook Lobster Montage

MAINE LOBSTER

  

ROCK LOBSTER

 

Saucy Lamb Shanks

I was having a rough day when I decided I should exercise my creativity. I also happened to need groceries so cooking was the creative vice of choice. I called my friend Cristina and invited her to the therapy dinner. 

I went to the grocery store and decided to buy Lamb Shanks to see what I could do with them.  I also decided that I should actually use my cookbooks for once, so I scoured my book shelf for lamb recipes. A lot of decisions were being made that day apparently.

Oddly enough, the best recipe came from this Better Homes and Garden book that my grandmother owned for who knows how long.

I didn't have noodles and that seems weird, so I just made polenta as directed on the bag. To serve, I made a spoon indentation in the polenta and placed the lamb shank on top. 

The salad can be found here: http://adventuresinthyme.blogspot.com/2013/03/summer-salad.html
I wouldn't recommend making potatoes with it again, maybe steamed zucchini instead? I haven't posted that one yet, that will be next.

 

Bakeoff Winner

I made this with a friend and her brother for a bake-off at a coffee shop in Reno. The bake-off was on May 2, 2010. I was going through my pictures and just found this one. Once I remember this recipe I’ll come back to it, it was the basic recipe for chocolate lava cake (filled with homemade chocolate filling), topped with homemade whipped cream and  grand marnier raspberry sauce with raspberries on top.

Easy Berry Pie

Used making this as an excuse to miss Evidence last Spring :).

Find another recipe for making your own crust or buy grocery store crust. If you buy grocery store crust, roll it out and then lay it on the pan so you can cut off the extra to make strips to make a sort-of topping crust. Or this sounds cool too- cinnamon roll crust- http://taste-for-adventure.tablespoon.com/2011/11/17/sweet-potato-pie-with-cinnamon-roll-crust/

Preheat oven to 350.

Fill crust with Blackberries, Raspberries and Strawberries. You can do any variation of this or keep it to one fruit. I like the mix. Add 2 packets of splenda or a little sugar with vanilla and cinnamon. Bake for 45 minutes.

Preserved Lemons

Salt
Lemons

Cut the lemons into almost-quarters. Pack them with salt. Put salt in the jar to cover the bottom, add lemon, add salt, add another lemon... pack them in until the juices start to come out of the lemons to dissolve the salt. Close jar, come back in a month and it’ll be ready to use.

Great with morroccan dishes or fajitas. Can do the same thing with any citrus.  Kumquat, lime, lemons and clementines are good to do this to as well.

Summer Salad

Salad Dressing:
thyme
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 lemons
salt to taste
pepper to taste
white wine vinegar

Mix ingredients together, not sure how well it keeps I put it on most of my salads.

Salad:
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Onions
Avocado

Rita's Russian Pickles

E-mail from Rita: Here is a recipe my grandmother makes:
4-5 flowers of cauliflower
3-4 cucumber
4-5 tomato
2-3 summer squash
2 apples
2-3 small carrot
3-4 pepper
All wash, cut the apples into quarters (core seeds), carrots, peppers and squash cut into several pieces. Carrots - along the cut. All folded into sterilized jars, add the parsley. Pour boiling brine. Leave on for 15-20 minutes. Then pour the brine into a saucepan, boil again and pour over vegetables again, add 1 tablespoonful of vinegar. Then close the lid sterilized, turn and cover jar with a blanket.
Brine - to 6 liters of water 1 cup salt to the rim, to boil.

Vegetables, in my opinion, are for a 3-liter jar, and the brine is clearly with the stock. And all our units - cups, cans), and even parsley)

Here's a recipe salted cucumbers
Wash cucumbers, folded tightly into a jar (not to swim) and add the dill, chopped garlic cloves, the leaves of cherry. Pour boiling brine (for 1 liter of water - 1 tablespoon of salt). Close the jar and leave to cool. Then remove the refrigerator.


Tori’s Pickles, trying to figure out what Rita was telling me to do:
Large Sliced English Cucumber
2 Onions, sliced lengthwise
4 Bay Leaves
Handful Peppercorns
1 1/2 Tbspn Salt
1/4 c White Wine Vinegar
1/4 c Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 c Regular Vinegar
Red Pepper Flakes, depends on how spicy you want
1-2 Cinnamon Stick

(I didn’t have enough of one type of vinegar so I mixed them, it provides a nice flavor)

Mix all of the ingredients together and put them in a jar.

Sauteed Califlower and Brussels Sprouts

Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Butter
Onion
Italian Bread Crumbs
Black Pepper

Pecorino and Sage Scalloped Potatoes

Soy butter
Onions
Shallots
Bay Leaves
Nutmeg
Goat Milk
Bread Crumbs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sage Leaves
Potatoes peeled and sliced

Rosemary Potato Wedges

Potato
Olive Oil
Rosemary
Sea Salt

Cut potatoes into wedges, don’t peel. Brush with olive oil, rosemary and sea salt and bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees. Turn about halfway through. Done when crispy on outside and soft inside after checking with a fork.

Basil Pasta Salad

Penne Pasta
Fresh Basil
olive oil
peccorino
cherry tomatoes

Cook Penne, while cooking chop basil, half tomatoes and shred peccorino.

Drain pasta, toss together and serve.

Leg of Lamb with Red Pepper Mustard

Butterfly leg of lamb, cook low on grill at about 250/300 degrees on hardwood charcoal with hickory wood chucks for about 2 hours.

Red Pepper Mustard:
2 red bell peppers- broiled and peeled
pinot noir
2 tbsp cherry honey
1 1/2 tbsp dry mustard
1/2 cup Dijon
1 tsp minced rosemary

Cook in sauce pan on medium, add ingredients together and stir.

Warm Spinach Salad

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/warm-spinach-salad-recipe/index.html
Extra virgin olive oil
Bacon
Shallots
Garlic
Sherry Vinegar
Spinach - 2 lbs or more
Nutmeg
4 Hard boiled eggs
Pecorino for topping

Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbpn shallots, thinly sliced
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium beets, cooked and quartered
6 cups fresh arugula
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 avocado
3 oz soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Grilled Garlic Red Chile Thyme Shrimp

2 ancho chiles
1 new mexican red chile
1 pasilla chile
garlic
3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lbs shrimp or prawns
skewers

Roast and puree peppers, garlic, thyme and olive oil. Marinate shrimp with puree. Skewer, grill for 10-15 minutes. If your skewers are wood, make sure you soak them in water for an hour. Oops.

Endive with Blue Cheese

Spread pieces of endive out on platter, sprinkle with blue cheese, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add pepper.

Deviled Eggs

Eggs
Mayo
Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper
Paprika
Green Onions
Chopped Green Olives

Boil eggs, peel and cut in half lengthwise and place them on a platter. Remove egg yolks and place them in bowl. Add all other ingredients, mix up and then dollop the mixture back into the egg whites. Add chives on top with paprika.

Stuffed Rosemary Chicken

Chicken:
Skinned and boned chicken breasts

Stuffing:
Challah
2 cloves Shallots/Garlic minced
Chicken Broth
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 sprigs Rosemary
1/4 cup Pecorino
1 cup Fresh Mushrooms
1/4 cup Green Onions
1 stickCelery
Soy Butter
Egg

Cube the challah and either leave out in a large bowl overnight to stale or toast in the oven in 15 minutes.

Sautee garlic/shallots in a pan. Add mushrooms, onions, celery, rosemary and soy butter.

Add sauteed mix to bowl of bread, add chicken broth and egg and stir. If it’s still dry, add more broth.

Split the chicken lengthwise and fill with stuffing before baking. Once out of the oven, pour gravy over it or serve on the side.

Rosemary Gravy:
1/2 stick Soy Butter
1 Shallots- minced
3 sprigs Rosemary
1/2 cup Dry White Wine
1 cup  Brown Stock
1 cup Goat Milk

Sautee Shallots and Soy Butter in a sauce pan. Add rosemary, wine, stock and goat milk. Stir for about 10-15 minutes.

Mediterranean Couscous

This was the main dish at a vegetarian shabbat dinner at Dori Chandler's home in Greensboro, NC.

Pearl Couscous
Prunes
Sweet Potatoes
Leaks
Carrots
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Tomatoes
Broth
Zucchini
Parsnip/Butternut Squash

Follow couscous recipe, add everything and steam for 30 minutes.

Mini Crab Cakes

mushrooms
1 lb fresh crab meat
1/4 cup mayo low cal
old bay seasoning
celery seed or flakes
parsley

Dijon Crab Cake Sauce
1 tbsp veg oil
1 shallot- minced
1 garlic- minced
1/2 oz white wine
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp butter (soy or other)

Ginger Teriyaki Salmon and Scallop Salad

Salad:
Mixed herb lettuce
Cherry tomatoes, quartered
Avocado (half- diced)
Onion (one fourth)
Cucumber- diced or sliced

Salmon and Scallops:
Tspn Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
Ginger (minced)
Garlic (minced)
Sate Seasoning (not required)
Soy Sauce
Splenda Brown Sugar (2-3 tbspn)
Onion (small, sliced)
Scallops
Salmon

Put olive oil, ginger, garlic, onions, seasoning and soy sauce in the pan and let simmer for a few minutes. Add brown sugar and more soy sauce to create a thick liquid. Pan sear or fully cook the salmon and scallops.

Once cooked, place the salmon on top of the salad and then everything from the pan on top of the salmon and the rest of the salad. Enjoy!

Office Party Dinner Menu

What's cheaper than professionally catering an office party? Paying your daughter to be a (willing) slave for the day :).

Appetizers:
    -Deviled Eggs
    -Pigs in a Blanket
    -Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
    -Mini Crab Cakes
    -Endive w/ Blue Cheese and Balsamic
    -Marinated Feta and Olive Skewers
    -Cheese Plate with Crackers
  
Salad:
    -Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad
    -Pesto Pasta

Sides:
    -Mediterranean Couscous
    -Rosemary Potato Wedges
    -Asparagus with Asiago
    -Pecorino and Sage Scalloped Potatoes
    -Cauliflower Casserole

Entree:
    -Smoked Leg of Lamb with Red Pepper Mustard
    -Fennel-Crusted Rib Roast
    -Stuffed Rosemary Chicken with Rosemary Sauce

Dessert:
    -Pie from Whole Foods
    -S’mores

Shirley's Pancit

Cabbage
Shiitake Mushrooms (not required or traditional)
Carrots- almost shredded
Celery
Green Onions
French Green Beans
Shrimp
Chicken (or any meat you want)
Garlic
Onion
Soy Sauce
Lime (Key lime best)
Rice Noodles (Asian)
Bai Hon Noodles (Asian)
Chicken Broth

Prep:
-Julienne Green Beans
-peel and defrost shrimp (if necessary)
-Put rice noodles in bowl of wate
-Chop garlic, celery, green onions
-Slice mushrooms and onions
-Cut the cabbage in half, put the half on the table and slice lengthwise.

Veggies:
In a wok or large pan, pour about 2 tbsp of canola oil and wait for it to heat. Put green beans, onions, garlic, carrots and celery in the pan and wait a few minutes. Add chicken and soy sauce and wait until chicken is about half-way cooked.  Add cabbage and break the shreds. Add mushrooms. Add more soy sauce.  Add shrimp.

Noodles + Veggies:
Take veggies, shrimp and chicken out of the pan leaving the sauce.  Add the vermicelli and mix them into the sauce.  Put the Bai Hon noodles on top and pour chicken broth on top. Mix noodles together and add more broth till noodles are soft together. Add veggies back to the pan, but only about half. Add lots of lime and more soy sauce if desired. Mix up noodles.

To serve:
Put noodles into a bowl and add the other half of the veggie mix to the top along with a few slices of lime for garnish.

Strawberries and Homemade Whipped Cream

2-3 cups strawberries, washed and sliced
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla flavoring

Pour whipping cream into a bowl, and, using an electric whisk, beat the cream until it begins to thicken.  Add sugar and vanilla flavoring. 


Continue to beat the cream, but make sure you stop once it gets a good thickness or it will turn too thick.  If this happens, add milk and try again (but not too much!)

Serve!

Chilli Rubbed Grilled Chicken and Veggies

I know this recipe says chili-rubbed, but the brown sugar in the rub caramelizes the skin of the chicken making this rub so amazing... its almost not chili-like, but more of something with chili in it!!

Chicken Rub:
Chili Powder
Brown Sugar
Oregano
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Cumin
Thyme
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil
1 Lime

Herbs for Veggies:
1/2 cup olive oil
Italian Herb Blend (frozen from fresh market)
3 cloves garlic- finely chopped
Sea Salt
Any vegetables you like

I had 6 chicken breasts and 5 drumsticks and used about a bowlful of this rub.  Add about 1/2 cup brown sugar, then add about a tablespoon of everything else in there.  You might want 2 tablespoons of the red chili powder. Mix it all together, adding about 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the juice of the lime.  Rinse off each chicken piece, then rub this mixture underneath the skin and on top of it, getting it into every crack you can.  Place chicken in plastic bag so that you can keep the leftover rub (only to use on grill once chicken has touched it). Once you begin grilling the chicken, use a sauce brush or regular paint brush to keep the rub on the chicken while turning it over and over.  The chicken will char, but it’s still very very tender and juicy.  This is mostly from the brown sugar!!


For the veggies, just pick out anything you like.  We used: Fennel, Eggplant, Zucchini, Poblano, Small Sweet Peppers, Baby Vidalia Onions, Cherry Tomatoes and Jalapenos.  Slice them however you like for the grill and put aside. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients under “Herbs for Veggies” together to brush onto the veggies as they are grilling. Add lots of fresh herbs.  If you have access to lots of fresh herbs, use anything, but the small pre-cut herbs at Fresh Market are easy!  Or, you can buy tons of fresh herbs, cut them up then keep them in the freezer for future use. Either way.  Grill Veggies.  Serve.

Pomegranate-Cherry Reduction Sauce

12 cherries- pitted and halved
2 cups pomegranate juice (more if necessary)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine
rosemary (or crushed red peppers for spice)
starch or flour mixed with water




1. Put in sauce pan together and stir for 10-15 minutes.  When it gets to the right thickness (it should coat the spoon), take it off heat and serve with Duck, Cornish Game Hens, or any other meat you think would work.  Those are just my favorites!