Aloo Gobi

This recipe from my Mom is Jack's favorite.
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Aloo Gobi (Potato & Cauliflower Curry)

2.5 T Vegetable Oil
1 t Mustard Seed
1 t Cumin Seed
1/2 Onion, diced
2 Potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Tomatoes, diced - optional
1 t Turmeric
2 t Cumin
2 t Coriander
1 t Chili powder
1.5 t Salt
1/4 - 1/2 C Water
1/2 Cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 C Peas, rinsed & drained - optional
1 t Lemon or Lime Juice
1/4 C Cilantro, chopped

Heat oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add mustard and cumin seeds & onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender. Then add the potatoes & tomatoes. Mix in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and salt. Cover & cook 10 min, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed to ensure the potatoes continue cooking. When the potatoes are almost cooked through, add peas & cauliflower. Stir and cover again to allow the cauliflower to cook for another minute or two. When vegetables are done cooking, add lime juice & top with cilantro.

Sambar

Sambar

Ingredients:

Chinta Pulusu
1/2 C Tamarind
Water

Dahl
1/2 C Toor Dahl
2 T Channa Dahl
2 Cloves Garlic
1/2 t Cumin Seed
Water

2 T Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cinnamon Stick
1 t Mustard Seed
1/2 t Cumin Seed
2 Red Chilies
1/2 Onion, Chopped
3-4 C Vegetables, Chopped (examples: carrots, celery, tomato, squash, cucumber, potatoes, apples, etc)
1 t Turmeric
1 t Cumin Powder
1 t Coriander Powder
1/2 t Salt
1/2 Cube Bellam* (AKA "Goods" in Hindi, found in Indian Stores)
3/4 C Water
1/4 C Cilantro, chopped
1 t Coconut Powder (found in Indian Stores)

*2 t of Brown Sugar can be substituted for Bellam in a pinch, but it won't have the smoky molasses flavor

Directions:
In a small bowl, place tamarind in enough warm water to submerge completely. Allow tamarind to soak for at least 10 minutes.

To make Dahl: Bring 3 Cups of water and toor dahl and channa dahl to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, add 2 whole cloves of garlic and cumin seed. Simmer for about 10 minutes until dahl is tender and mushy, stirring to smash the lentils.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the POPU (cinnamon stick, mustard seed, 1/2 t cumin seed, chilies, and onion) and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender. Then add the vegetables, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, bellam, and water. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender, checking often to make sure there is enough water (if not, add 1/4 cup more) and that the bellam is not caramelizing on the bottom of the pot.

While the vegetables are cooking, make the Chinta Pulusu by squeezing the tamarind in the bowl of water so the juice is released. Pour the tamarind juice mixture (Chinta Pulusu) into another small bowl and set aside. Fill the tamarind bowl again with more warm water to submerge the tamarind and squeeze again, releasing the juice. Pour the juice-water mixture into the Chinta Pulusu bowl again, and repeat the process one last time, soaking the tamarind a total of 3 times. Set aside the Chinta Pulusu and dispose of the used tamarind.

When the vegetables in the pot are tender, add the Chinta Pulusu and cook a few more minutes. Then add the dahl and stir well, simmering until the sambar is heated throughout. Add cilantro and coconut powder at the very end and stir again to ensure the dahl is evenly distributed. Serve warm over rice or with Idlis.

Mom's Potato Curry

Mom's Potato Curry

*4 Potatoes, diced into 1.5 in. cubes

*1/2 C Diced Carrots (optional)

*2.5 T Vegetable Oil

*1/2 t Mustard Seed

*1/2 t Cumin Seed

*2 Dried Red Chili Peppers, broken by hand into large pieces (Can be found in Indian or Mexican stores)

*1/2 Onion, Diced

*1/2 C Frozen Peas, rinsed and drained (optional)

*1/2 t Turmeric

*1/2 t Coriander

*1/2 t Cumin

*1 t Salt (Mom says to add salt "andaza" or to taste)

*2/3 C Cilantro, chopped

(Defrost puff pastry sheets if making curry puffs) 

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add diced potatoes and boil about 10 minutes until fork tender, being careful not to overcook.  When the potatoes are about halfway done, add the diced carrots. When vegetables are done cooking, drain and set aside. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add mustard seed, cumin seed, red peppers, and onion. This is known as Popu [pronounced as poh-pooh]. Cook until onions are tender.  Add peas and stir. Add turmeric (for color), coriander, cumin, and salt and mix to coat onions and peas.  Add potatoes to onion and pea mixture and smash about half the potatoes lightly with the back of the spoon while stirring. Add cilantro and mix well. Enjoy!

Best Florek Rolls

This recipe is from a friend, Angel Florek, who lived in our ward while we were in podiatry school. Angel made these rolls along with a curried chicken salad for a friend's baby shower and I seriously thought she bought the rolls somewhere from a bakery. I was stunned to find out she had made them from scratch! They are sweet & remind me of hawaiian bread or milk-and-honey rolls. They are great as sandwich rolls (like for pulled pork or curried chicken salad!) or stand alone (like for Thanksgiving!). Love these!

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2 Tbsp dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 C. warm water

1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 shortening
1 C hot milk
4.5 C flour, divided
2 eggs

In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1 Tbsp sugar, and warm water and set aside for 5 minutes or until bubbly. In a stand mixer bowl combine salt, 1/2 C sugar, and shortening. Mix on low with the whisk attachment until combined then add the hot milk, mixing slowly so as not to spill. Once incorporated, add 2 cups of flour. Then add the yeast mixture and mix well. Then add eggs.

Replace the whisk attachment with the dough hook and add remaining 2.5 cups of flour. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Remove the hook and set aside for 15 minutes to allow rising.

Flour the counter and divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll out each piece into a circle and cut it into 8 pieces, like a pie. Place rolls on a cookie sheet.

For quick rise: set oven to 170 then turn off. Place rolls in the off-but-warm oven for 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 9 minutes. Watch the first batch CLOSELY so they don't burn. Times can vary by oven anywhere from 7-10 minutes.

Ratatouille

***My wonderful friend Severine Germer from France made this traditional dish for us and I practically licked the bowl clean afterwards. This recipe is great the day its prepared, but as the flavors are given time to meld together, the leftovers are almost better the next day! That's saying something from a girl who isn't all the fond of leftovers! I also love her little quips throughout the recipe, it really shows her personality & why I think she's so fun!***

RATATOUILLE

(because you can't call yourself French if you don't know how to make this -or at the very least know about it-). This dish comes from the South of France and is very tasty with almost no fat. I usually make it with rice and sausages.

Ingredients:
-2 small yellow onions, cut "julienne" (you cut it in half and then in half again and take the inside slices apart)
-1 medium eggplant: cut in half lengthwise and then in thin slices. Put some in a strainer, add salt, then more + salt and so on in layers. This will take the bitterness out of the eggplant. Leave for 30 min and then pat the eggplants slices with paper towel to absorb the "juice."
-4 medium zucchinis, small slices
-about 5-7 medium tomatoes.
-1 Tbsp herbs de Provence
-olive oil
-1/2 stick of butter if you're not on Weight Watchers. It's not absolutely necessary though, I rarely use butter in ratatouille except to brown the onions.

Now that you've done all the slicing/getting ready, it's super easy and you can almost feel like you're in a Pixar movie:

1. Warm a big pot on the stove with a bit of butter, add onions when hot. Brown for about 5 mins, making sure they don't burn (it's been known to happen even to yours truly)

2. If need be, add some olive oil and then the eggplant, cook for 3-4 more mins.

3. Add zucchinis, plus a glass of water and cover. While it cooks, I usually cut the tomatoes in 8 and add them when I'm done. Add salt to taste and herbs. Add butter if you like.

4. Let simmer on low for one hour, adding some water if needed.

5. If too watery, uncover while simmering.

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

I saw a similar recipe to this on Pinterest, but felt like the filling on these could use a little extra kick, so I added a few little twists inspired by Our Best Bites' version of "Quick and Easy Black Beans" and here is my new crunchy black bean taco!

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Makes 12-16 tacos (serves 8).
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed 
1/2 T olive oil 
2/3 C diced onion 
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced 
2/3 C chicken broth
1/4 t cumin 
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano 
1/2 t salt 
1/4 t pepper 
1 lime
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
Pinch of salt and pepper
12-16 corn tortillas
Hot sauce
Salsa
Sour cream

Directions:
1) In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh some of the beans. You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. Add in the cilantro. Grate the cheese and have it ready.

2) In a large, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat.

3) Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1?4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

4) Using tongs, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.

5) As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. If you have a griddle you can do even more at once.

6) Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.

7) When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use tongs and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out.

8) Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream.Note: Corn tortillas are resilent to heat. Don’t worry about burning them. They are very flexible. Just be sure to cook them on each side long enough to get them really crispy.

OBB Tutorial for Oven Roasted Chicken

OVEN ROASTING CHICKEN BREAST

1. Defrosting. If you’re using frozen chicken, it’s best to defrost it first. If you’re really on top of it, you can defrost it a few days ahead of time in the refrigerator. I can guarantee you 100% that I am never that on top of things. This leaves the microwave defrost setting or placing it in a Ziploc bag in cool water, changing the water regularly. I prefer the cool water method because I almost always end up accidentally cooking at least part of the chicken in the microwave and unseasoned, microwaved chicken is not good.

2.  Rinse the chicken breast in cool water. Especially if you’re buying it non-frozen. Especially if it’s non-frozen with skin and bones. Even if your chicken is well before its expiration date, those liquids it’s sitting in don’t smell good and if you don’t rinse the liquid off, it will affect the flavor of your chicken after it’s been cooked.

3. Pat the chicken dry. Unless you’re poaching the chicken, it’s not a bad idea to dry it off, even if it’s going straight into a marinade. Just grab a few paper towels and blot the water off the chicken.

4. Marinating. If you’re after a particular flavor, marinating is a great way to go. However, if you’re after a more neutral flavor for something like chicken salad or a casserole, rub the chicken with a little extra-virgin olive olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you want to meet somewhere in the middle, you could go the salt-based seasoning route from the Fauxtisserie Chicken method again–just sprinkle it on there.I almost always marinate chicken breasts because it’s a great, cheap way to get some flavor into the chicken. You can use anything that has a little bit of acid (not the drug…we’re not that kind of blog…) in it–your favorite salad dressing, lemon, lime, orange juice, etc. One of my favorites is just juice from a few limes, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a few cloves of garlic. It works great on fish, too, but that’s another post.

Generally, you want to marinate chicken in the fridge for 4-8 hours or overnight. If you go for longer than 24 hours, things might start getting a little weird.

5. Oven Roasting. Preheat oven to 350.  If you’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts it will take less time.  Depending on the size, about 20-30 minutes.  Again, the juices running clear and the internal temperature are the best ways to be sure!

Whether you use boneless or bone-in chicken, remove from oven and allow to stand about 5 minutes before serving. This keeps the meat juicy and flavorful (and hey, not burning yourself is a positive side benefit).  You can just toss the skin from the bone-in chicken.

Marcia's Chicken Divan

***When I served in the RS Presidency of the Oakland 9th ward, Marcia Storm was one of my counselors. When we were all released we had a little farewell dinner at her place and she made this to-die-for dish. I told her I had to have the recipe on the spot. She said it came from a ward cookbook from the "old" Orinda ward. The original recipe is credited to Kay Merrill & Mildred Lindley. Thanks Kay & Mildred--and to Marcia for this go-to recipe!***

2 - 10 oz packages frozen broccoli
2 Cups Cooked Chicken (4 Chicken Breasts), Chopped
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Cup Mayo
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Curry Powder
1/2 Cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Tbsp Melted Butter

Cook broccoli and drain. Arrange in a greased 9x13 pan. Place chicken on top of broccoli. Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice, and curry powder. Pour mixture over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese, then the bread crumbs, then sprinkle melted butter over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cowboy Quesadillas

Cowboy Quesadillas
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 C white rice
1/3 C black beans
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/3 C fresh frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
2/3 C diced tomato
3 Tbs sliced green onion
1 1/2 C shredded cheese (any type or combo you like)
1/4 C bbq sauce
6 small tortillas (fajita size, about 6″)

Dipping Sauce
equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing (here’s our favorite)

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, green onion and shredded cheese.  Add bbq sauce and stir to combine.  Place about 1/3 C of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.

Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove top.  When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray, or drizzle with canola or olive oil.  Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp.  Flip and repeat on opposite side.  Cool for a few minutes and then serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce.

PW's Tasty Kitchen Risotto

***Jack came home from his externship in Wisconsin having tasted Risotto at someone's home and was dying for a second taste. This is the recipe I drummed up.***

Recipe: Risotto

Prep Time: 15 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 45 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups Parmesan, Romano, Or Asiago Cheese (or A Mixture Of All Three)
• 3 cloves (to 4 Cloves) Garlic
• 1/2 whole Large Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 pound Arborio Rice
• 7 cups (to 8 Cups) Chicken Broth
• 1 cup (to 1 1/2 Cups) Heavy Cream
• 1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Chives, Chopped
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Grate 2 cups of cheese. Peel and finely dice 3 to 4 cloves of garlic. Dice ½ of a large onion.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter. Throw in the garlic and onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add 1 pound of Arborio rice and stir to coat the rice thoroughly. Adding 1 cup at a time, add 7-8 ounces of chicken broth, stirring constantly after each addition. As soon as it appears that the rice has absorbed each helping of broth, add in the next helping. Do not stop stirring. This process will take at least 20 minutes. Rice is done when it no longer has a hard bite.

When more of the broth is absorbed pour in 1 to 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Next add the grated cheese and stir thoroughly. Add in plenty of fresh cracked pepper and about 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped chives. Add salt to taste.

Make it. Make it now. Eat! Enjoy!

OBB Taco Soup

Taco Soup

Recipe from Our Best Bites

1 lb. extra lean ground beef (93% lean or or leaner)
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1.25-oz. packet taco seasoning (about 1/4 c.)
3 c. water, divided
2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 15-oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained

Toppings: Pico de Gallo, light sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, guacamole, etc.

Heat a large soup pot over medium. When ready, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 c. water. Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 2 c. water, bring to a medium boil, then, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. Makes 10 12-oz. servings.

Slow Cooker Instructions: After browning the meat, place all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Freezer Instructions: Because of all the canned goods, you’ll just take up a lot of space in your freezer if you freeze the whole recipe. However, after it’s been cooked, the leftovers freeze extremely well. You can even try freezing individual portions in 12-oz. freezer-safe containers and then reheating them for a quick lunch.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 188
Fat: 3.6
Fiber: 8.6
Protein: 15.8
WW Points: 4

Add 1 more point for each of the following: 4 crushed tortilla chips, 1 1/2 Tbsp. light sour cream, 1/3 oz. shredded cheddar cheese.

Kathy's Taco Soup

**One Christmas Eve, the Harveys all came together for dinner at Kathy & Doug's house. The meal for the evening was a giant soup bar. Each family was in charge of bringing one soup and we were all able to try different soups. It was the perfect Christmas Eve meal! Kathy made this soup & it was one of our favorites.**

Taco Soup

Sauté together:

1 lb. Ground Beef or Veggie Shreds

1 Diced Onion

2 cups Chopped Celery (about 6 medium stalks)


Add remaining ingredients and stir together:

2 lg. cans Kidney Beans

1 can Vegetable Broth

2 cups Chopped Carrots

2 cans Cream of Potato Soup

1 pkg. (1/4 C) Taco Seasoning Mix

1 quart (32 oz) Tomatoes

1 sm. can Tomato Sauce


Cook for 15 to 30 minutes. Garnish with Monterey Jack Cheese and Tortilla chips

Usually double this recipe.

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore

Click here for printable text only

1 lb. chicken breasts or chicken breasts and thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 c. white flour

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and either crushed or halved

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 c. white wine (you can also use apple or white grape juice mixed with 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar)

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using cooking wine; you may shrivel up and die if you add the salt in addition to cooking wine because cooking wine is treated with salt to make it undrinkable)

1 bay leaf

1 c. sliced mushrooms (or more if you love them. Mushrooms are divine in this dish!)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon (this is why you need to keep the onion and garlic pieces big), shake off excess oil (you don’t have to go crazy here, a little olive oil never killed anyone!), and transfer to your blender. Increase heat to medium-high.

In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. black pepper. Add chicken pieces, seal bag, and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire bag into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Turn off the heat under the oil, lest you start a grease fire. I am NOT speaking from ANY kind of firsthand experience here… ;)

While chicken is draining, add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5-4 hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. Cook until mushrooms and pepper are tender. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Complete steps through browning the chicken. Instead of placing chicken in your slow cooker, place it in a freezer-safe container and cover with sauce. When ready to eat, place frozen mixture in your slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours. You can either cut the mushrooms and peppers ahead of time and freeze them separately from the chicken and sauce or you can just plan to have those in your fridge when you’re ready to make this.