Califlower and Potato Curry – allo gobi

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Sandy

Califlower and potato curry

I have also had this with carrots added.  Also excellent. Califlower is not my thing but while traveling, a friend ordered this dish and the memory is still with me. 

1 ½ cups chopped fresh coconut (or substitute 1/2 cup toasted coconut and 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk)

7-8 T oil

1 ½ onions, chopped

Curry Powder:

    5 dried red chilis

    2 tsp coriander seeds

    1/8 tsp mustard seeds

    1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds

    ¼ tsp cumin seeds

    1 inch cinnamon stick

    4 peppercorns

    2 cloves

    ½ tsp turmeric

    ½ tsp paprika

    1 heaped tsp tamarind

    ¾ inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

    4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup potatoes, peeled, chopped large pieces

14 ounces cauliflower cut into large flowerettes

Topping:   Toasted Coconut, Almonds, or Cashews 

Soak 1 cup coconut in 2 cups of warm water, blend, then strain reserving milk. 

In non-stick pan heat oil and remaining chopped coconut for 2-3 minutes.Set aside.

Heat oil and sauté half the onions for 2-3 minutes and set aside.

Heat oil and sauté red chilis, coriander, mustard, fenugreek, cumin seeds, cinnamon, pepper, cloves for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

Now put coconut, onions, spices, into a blender.  Add turmeric and paprika and tamarind and ½ cup water and grind to smooth paste. 

In saucepan, 4 T oil sauté ginger and garlic for 15 seconds, followed by balance of chopped onions for 7-8 minutes until translucent, add spice paste and sauté for 2 minutes, then add a little water and sauté potatoes for 5 minutes.  Salt, add water to cover and cook 5-7 minutes. 

Then add cauliflower, coconut milk and cook until done.

Serve with rice.

If that recipe is too tough or you don’t have all the ingredients, you can substitute a can of coconut milk and you can always use a curry powder that has most of the ingredients above.  Feel free to leave out the potatoes or to add some carrots to the mix or just use califlower alone.    Best vegetarian dish!

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Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Sandy

2 T peanut oil

2 pounds chicken thighs (boned and quartered)

2 oz butter or ghee

2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp coriander

1 T chopped fresh ginger

1/4 tsp chili powder

6 cardamon pods bruised

1/2 tsp ground cinammon or 1 cinnamon stick

11 oz pureed tomatoes

1 T sugar

3/4 cup sour cream  OR 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup cream, and 1 T lemon juice

Brown thighs in oil in batches, set aside.

Combine butter and spices and stirfry for 1 minute. Add chicken to spices and stir to coat.

Add tomato, sugar and simmer for 15 minutes until sauce is thick.  Add yogurt, cream and lemon and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with rice and poppedoms.

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Broccoli, Bacon and Onion Salad

Posted on March 13, 2009 by Sandy

Broccoli, Bacon and Onion Salad

5 cups broccoli florets (from about 1 large bunch)

  • 8 slices bacon
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup toasted salted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
  • 1/2 cup diced turkey or ham (optional)

Preparation

Cook broccoli in medium pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain well. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Crumble bacon. Whisk oil and vinegar in medium bowl to blend. Mix in onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Broccoli, bacon and dressing can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand separately at room temperature.)  If you are feeling in a hurry you can also use vadalia onion dressing or Champagne Vingarette.

Combine broccoli and bacon in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Garnish with sunflower seeds. Pass remaining dressing separately.

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Rosemary Olive Scones

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Sandy

1/3 c half & half or milk

1/2 c finely chopped onions

1/4 c Kalmata Olives coarsely chopped

1 1/2 c flour

1 c uncooked oats

1 T sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp dry or 1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped

3/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c butter

Mix dry ingredients, then wet, then combine. Mix until just barely moist. Knead and spread into two rounds 8 inch circles.

Cut into 8 slices.

Bake on greased cookie sheet 450 degrees 18-20 minutes.

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Cheese Scones

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Sandy

2 c flour

2 T sugar

1 T baking powder

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp onion salt

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/2 c sour cream

5 T vegetable oil

1/4 c milk

2 c cheddar cheese

Mix dry ingredients, mix wet including cheese. Combine and stir just until moist. Knead 7-8 times on floured surface.  Pat 1/2 dough into 1/2 inch thick on greased baking sheet.  Cut into 8 wedges. Repeat. You should have two rounds. Bake 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with Chili or Butternut Squash Soup.

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Green Pasta – al verde pasta

Posted on February 5, 2009 by Sandy

Fresh Spinach works great in this recipe.


My mom didn’t have a food processor when I was kid, so all this would have been hand chopped.  I loved green spaghetti night.  I didn’t have the original recipe, so I kept trying to find a recipe that came close.  This is the grown up version, my mom would not have used hot pepper flakes, feeding so many kids, but it does make it good.  Speaking to many different cooks, they assumed that green spaghetti would be pesto.  Maybe, but my mom had limited ingredients.  She would use basil and parsley fresh from the garden, and she  may have walnuts and almonds, but certainly no pine nuts. 

Ingredients:

  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 3 cups packed fresh basil, stems removed
  • 3 cups packed fresh italian parsley or spinach or swiss chard, stems removed
  • 1 lemon; remove zest and squeeze juice
  • 1 (10oz) jar stuffed olives, drained
  • 1 (3 oz) jar capers, drained
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
  • good quality olive oil

Preparation:

In food processor, with the motor running, drop in garlic, green onions, and lemon zest. Process until finely minced. Add olives, capers, & hot pepper flakes and process until finely minced. Add as much parsley and basil as will fit and process with pulse turns. Repeat until all ingredients are processed. With motor running, add lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Slowly add enough olive oil to make a “pesto” consistency. Separate into 1 cup containers. Each cup coats about a pound pasta.  I like it on fettuccini or spaghetti. Mix sauce with hot pasta and toss well. Garnish with cherry tomato quarters and fresh basil leaf slivers. Sauce freezes well.

Fettuccini noodles

I made this green pasta into a pasta salad, served cold and added chopped olives and tomatoes. Add a bite Lite Champagne Vinegarette or Dill Ranch so it is moist. Everyone loves it!

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Brown Sugar-Walnut Streusel

Posted on January 23, 2009 by Sandy

BROWN SUGAR-WALNUT STREUSEL
Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
Put all the ingredients except the nuts in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture forms clumps and curds and holds together when pressed.  Scrape the topping into a bowl, stir in the nuts and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface.  Refrigerate until needed.  Covered well, the crumb mixture can stay in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This is a little more than you need for the 7-x-11-inch breakfast cake … or not: my husband always says that there’s no such thing as too much streusel.

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Almond Struesel Scones

Posted on January 23, 2009 by Sandy
Almond Streusel
3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine
Scones
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup firm butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
1 egg
1/2 cup half-and-half
 
  • Heat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl, mix 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and the finely chopped almonds. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until crumbly. Set aside.
  • In large bowl, mix 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles resemble fine crumbs. Stir in chopped almonds. Stir in egg and just enough half-and-half so dough leaves side of bowl and forms a ball.
  • Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Knead lightly 10 times. Pat or roll into 9-inch round on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with streusel; press lightly into dough. Cut into 8 wedges, but do not separate.
  • Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; carefully separate wedges. Serve warm.
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    Sauted Lobster and Spinach Salad

    Posted on January 9, 2009 by Sandy

    1 lobster split in half

    1/8 cup sliced onions

    1/4 cup sliced mushrooms

    1/4 cup cherry tomatoes halved

    1/4 cup bacon crumbles

    2 T butter

    2 T  olive oil

    4 T Poppyseed or Vadalia Onion Salad Dressing or garlic confit with garlic oil

    1/4 cup cream

    fresh bag of spinach

    Heat the saute pan with olive oil, fry lobster in shell meat side down, saute onions and mushrooms and bacon bits at same time.

    Cover and steam lobster, add butter, cream and dressing, tomatoes to skillet.  Pepper and Salt to taste.

    Add spinach and toss, and remove from pan.  Distibute among plates, serving immediately.   

    If you have all shrimp or scallops you can add those as well.

    Posted in Dinner Time, Ocean's Best Seafood, Salads | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

    Creamed Spinach

    Posted on January 3, 2009 by Sandy

    Bag of washed spinach

    1/4 Cup of Cream

    Salt and Pepper

    Hubby Dennis loves spinach.  The man is not a vegetable lover.  It was less than a month or so ago, I actually caught him hiding green peas under his mashed potatoes on his plate.  He was swirling his potatoes and I asked him, “What are you doing?”  I took my fork and lifted and there they were. His peas, hidden under the potatoes.  I chuckled and whispered in his ear, “You’re over 40, you don’t have to eat peas if you don’t like them.”  He said he didn’t want to hurt my feelings by not eating them.

    My feelings are not hurt.  For goodness sake, do not eat what you do not like! 

    I happen to love both peas and spinach, but Dennis loves creamed spinach.

    If you have ever made spinach, you know that the big bunch of spinach will reduce down to a small amount, so use the whole bag of spinach.  Saute in olive oil for 3-5 minutes, add 1/4 cup cream, salt and pepper and serve immediately.

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