Chana Masala

My diet for the most part is pretty healthy, but it's missing a few things....Vegetables!!!  So who really eats as many as they should?..and I refuse rabbit food.  So I've been trying to eat at least a couple vegetarian meals every week...to fill in a few gaps.  And let me tell you...Nobody does vegetarian better than Indians...and one dish I can't get enough of is Chana Masala. 

So if you are one of those people who is just totally lost when it comes to Indian food...Chana Masala is a chickpea curry...and the best use of chickpeas I have discovered to date.

I think a lot of people are intimidated when it comes to cooking Indian food...First there is that long list of ingredients.  But once you have the spices most Indian dishes are very inexpensive to make.  If you don't want to invest a lot in spices you may or may not use again a lot of health food store sell spices in bulk, that way you can buy just enough for the recipe.

Then there is the heat and I'm not talking about from the stove...Indian food does have a tendency to be spicy, but it's pretty easy to fix that...Just adjust the number of chiles to your taste.

Ginger and garlic paste is very common in Indian cooking, but I don't use it.  If you saw our fridge there just isn't room in the fridge, stuff nearly falls out every time you open the door.  There just isn't room for two more little jars in the fridge and sometimes I think the jarred stuff can taste a little old.  Fresh is always better!  So I just pull out my handy Microplane and grate them,  of course you could just mince it...but grating it really gets out the maximum flavor.

Most of the ingredients in this recipe are easy to find...except the amchoor (sometimes you see it spelled amchur).  It's a powder made from dried green mangoes.  It gives whatever you're cooking a wonderful sour flavor.  If you can't find it just substitute a squeeze of lime juice.

Chana Masala

1 tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seed
1 red onion, diced
1 or 2 green chiles, stems removed, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 cup water
1 tsp kosher salt
2 15 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbs amchoor or the juice of 1/2 a lime
chopped cilantro, for garnish

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Drop the cumin seeds and cook for 5 to 10 second, 'til the cumin seeds turn reddish brown.  Add the onions, chiles, garlic, and ginger, saute until browned.  Then add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala, and cayenne pepper.  Stir and cook for about a minute.  Then add the tomatoes and the salt.  Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down.  Add the water and continue to cook until the tomatoes have broken down.  Then add the chickpeas, cook for 10 minutes. Add the amchoor or lime juice, cook for 1 additional minute.  Taste and season with more salt if needed.

I like to serve Chana Masala with rice and naan or kulchas.

Migas with Chorizo and Cheese

Every time I step foot in a grocery store...

There are certain things I pick up...

Just out of habit...

Even if we don't need them...

a half gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, and a couple 2 liters of Diet Dr. Pepper.

Usually this works out fine and we never run out of the necessities...and yes the Diet Dr. Pepper is a necessity.

But apparently we haven't been eating many eggs lately and the fridge was stocked with 4 dozen eggs and starting to look more like a hatchery.

So whats a guy to do?

Make MIGAS!

What amigo?

You have never heard of migas...

I'm not surprised.

They really are the hidden gem of Tex-Mex food.  You rarely see them on menus outside of Texas...but I did see a commercial for a tortilla scramble at IHOP...which is IHOP's take on migas.

But basically migas are just scrambled eggs with with strips of fried tortillas. 



Some people make migas with just peppers and onions, but I prefer to use chorizo.  Just a little warning about chorizo never look at the nutritional information or the ingredients...Sometime ignorance really is bliss!

 

Frying the tortillas does take a little work.  You could substitute tortilla chips, but just be very mindful of the salt in the chips.

 

Migas with Chorizo and Cheese

12 large eggs
5 corn tortillas
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz Mexican chorizo
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
salt & pepper
2 tbs olive oil
oil for frying

In a small skillet heat 1/2 inch of oil over medium heat.  Fry each tortilla until crisp.  Then drain on a paper towel lined plate and chop into 1 inch pieces, set aside.  In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper.  In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat saute the onion, until softened.  Add the chorizo and cook until no longer pink, breaking up any lumps.  Toss in the fried tortillas.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the eggs.  Cook scrambled egg style, folding the mixture until the eggs are no longer runny.  Fold in the cheese.

Top each serving with salsa, sour cream, and chopped cilantro.
Serve with rice and beans.

Monte Cubano

So what do you get when you cross a Monte Cristo and a Cuban Sandwich?

...A Monte Cubano

Two of my favorites combined into one.
And I thought it couldn't get any better.

These sandwiches get a big kick of flavor from garlic spiked mayo...It's extremely easy to make if you have a Microplane.  You do have one right?  Just grate a clove of garlic and stir it into the mayo.  It doesn't get much more simpler than this... and this mayo would be perfect on just about any sandwich.

Then the Cuban part...dill pickles, ham, yellow mustard...smoked turkey replaces the roast pork.

Then the Monte Cristo part...dip the sandwiches in egg and fry until golden brown.

Monte Cubano

adapted from Gourmet March 2009

8 slices firm sandwich bread
8 slices baked ham
8 slices smoked turkey
8 slices Swiss cheese
16 dill pickle rounds
4 tsp mustard
2 tbs mayonnaise
1 garlic clove
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt & pepper

Using a microplane grate the garlic and stir into the mayonnaise.  Spread four slices of bread with the garlic mayonnaise.  Top each slice of bread with a slice of cheese, followed by two slices of both ham and turkey, 4 dill pickle rounds, and another slice of cheese.  Spread the mustard over the remaining slices of bread and assemble the sandwiches.  In a shallow dish beat together the eggs, milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Soak each sandwich in the egg mixture.  Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Cook the sandwich until the underside is well browned, about 4 minutes.  Flip and cook on the other side until well browned.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole - for dinner!!!

There is something very comforting and easy about breakfast food for dinner...and since I'm not exactly a morning person...Breakfast for dinner is just a better fit for me.

And I LOVE this breakfast casserole!
It's quick enough to to make for a weeknight dinner...or it makes a great breakfast for all you early birds.



I always use a pack of refridgerated shredded hash browns, just beacuse is it so much easier than shredding them yourself.  But you can substitute 3.5 cups freshly shredded potatoes. 

Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

1 lb hot breakfast sausage

1 medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, chopped

20 oz package refrigerated shredded hash browns

8 large eggs

1 cup milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 & 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat, until the sausage is browned.  Meanwhile spray a 13X9 baking dish with nonstick spray.  Spread the hash browns in the bottom of the dish in an even layer.  Then top the hash browns with the browned sausage and onion mixture.  Then in a bowl,  whisk together the eggs, milk, 1 cup of cheese, and salt & pepper.  Pour the egg mixture evenly over the hash browns.  Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover, top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 

Serves 6-8

Masoor Dal - Spicy Red Lentils

 

I have a love affair with Indian food.  I just can't get enough.  The good thing is the majority of Indian dishes are vegetarian, and for the most part they are all very healthy.  Dal (Lentils) is a staple in Indian cooking.  It's eaten everyday, nearly every meal.  Rich or poor, vegetarian or not, everyone eats dal.

Masoor Dal is just split red lentils...Yes, just like the ones you might already have in your pantry.  I bought mine at an Indian store...not just because I wanted them to say masoor dal, but because they are so much cheaper there.

You do need to give them a good pick through and a good rinse...Watch out for little stones.  You don't want to break a tooth.

The lentils cook pretty quickly...about 25 minutes.  Just be sure not to salt them till after they are tender or else they will need to cook much longer.

All of the ingredients in this dish are available in any supermarket, except for the asafoetida.  It really is the most unique spice...with the most unique smell.  We joke that it smells like what it sounds like "@$$ and feet"...the stuff really is stinky.  It actually smells like a mix of garlic and leeks, but it is so strong you can even smell it through the container...so strong I keep it in the basement.  But when it is cooked the stinky smell disappears and it gives whatever you are cooking a ton of garlicky-onion flavor.  It is also said to help prevent flatulence...which is always a good thing when your eating lentils.  I have only ever seen it in Indian stores, but I have been told that some Whole Foods carry it.  Just the one I shop at doesn't carry it.  If you can't find it or you don't want to buy it, just leave it out...The dal will still taste fine.

While the lentils cook, in a separate skillet you cook the onion, garlic, chiles, ginger, tomatoes and spices.  Then stir this in with the cooked lentils.  I used ghee to cook the vegetables, but you could use butter or vegetable oil is you wanted.

 Masoor Dal

inspired by 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

1 cup split red lentils, picked over for stones

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped

2 serrano chiles, stems removed

2 tbs ghee

1/8 tsp asafoetida

1tsp cumin seeds

2 dried red chiles, stems removed

1 medium tomato, finely chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

Rinse and drain the lentils.  In a medium sized saucepan add the lentils and 3 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat.  Skim off any foam that forms on the surface.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer.  Stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.  While the lentils cook, In a food processor pulse the onion, garlic, ginger, and chiles until they are finely minced.  In a small skillet heat the ghee over medium-high heat.  Add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, and dried red chiles, and cook for 5 to 10 seconds, 'til the chiles blacken and the cumin seeds turn reddish brown.  Add the minced onion mixture, reduce the heat to medium, and stir-fry until the mixture is light brown around the edges.  Stir in the tomato, salt, and turmeric.  Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomato softens and the ghee begins to separate around the edges of the sauce, 3 to 6 minutes.  Stir together the onion-tomato mixture into the cooked lentils.  Cover the pan and simmer over medium heat, until the flavors mingle, about 5 minutes.  Taste and season with more salt, if needed.

Serve the dal with naan or rice.

Panko Fried Green Tomatoes with Sriracha Ranch Dipping Sauce

Southern cooking really shines during the summer months.  Dinner tables are feasts...fried or sometimes boiled okra, field peas, new potatoes, sliced red tomatoes, peach cobbler...and my favorite fried green tomatoes.

Since a few people have asked me...Let me clear this up.  Green tomatoes are unripe tomatoes, not a specific variety.  The more unripe the better, but it's OK to use tomatoes that are just starting to turn red...they will just have a more tangy flavor.

Now your grandmother never breaded her fried green tomatoes with Panko, but even some of the best Southern cooks have traded in their traditional breading techniques for Panko.  The reason being Panko makes a super crunchy coating.  But if you prefer a more traditional breading check try this recipe, Fried Green Tomatoes with Guthrie's Sauce.

Fried green tomatoes taste great by themselves, without a dip.  But I'm a dip person...So I want some kind of dipping sauce and I love Sriracha Ranch.  I eat it on anything...from fried okra to tater tots.  But if you're not into spicy food, try them with Guthrie's Sauce.



Panko Fried Green Tomatoes with Sriracha Ranch Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
5 green tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
oil for frying
salt

Place the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in three separate shallow bowls.  Dredge the tomato slices in the flour, then the eggs, then coat in the bread crumbs.  Meanwhile in a skillet or deep fryer heat the oil to 375 degrees.  Fry the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Season with salt and serve immediately with the Sriracha Ranch Dipping Sauce.

For the Sriracha Ranch Dipping Sauce:  
Mix together 1/2 cup Ranch dressing and 2 tsp Sriracha.

Cucumbers with Wasabi and Rice Vinegar

Cucumbers are hard to escape this time of year...Seems like every garden is overflowing with them.  My dad even grows a variety of very old heirloom cucumbers which he is very proud of...

Too bad I don't really like cucumbers.  Yes I said it...I don't like them.  Now it's not that I will not eat them.  I will...They are just not a favorite.  I think it has something to do with the cucumber and tomato salad that my mother made every single day during the summer while I was growing up.

But like I said they are hard to escape...So I have had this recipe on my list of recipes to try.  This recipe comes from an old Gourmet magazine.  I love Gourmet...too bad they stopped publishing it.

They get their kick from wasabi powder.  Wasabi is Japanese horseradish.  So these cucumbers have a nice horseradish flavor.  The original recipe called for 1/2 tsp wasabi powder and I upped it to a whole teaspoon and they were still not really that spicy.

So even though cucumbers are not really my thing...these were pretty tasty.  I love the wasabi flavor and they actually tasted better the next day...but don't make them more than one day ahead.  The few left over on day three had exceeded there expiration date and become mushy.

Cucumbers with Wasabi and Rice Vinegar

adapted from Gourmet May 2008

1 lb cucumbers

1 tsp salt

1 tsp wasabi powder

1 tsp water

2 tbs rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1 tbs sugar

1/4 tsp soy sauce

With an adjustable blade slicer very thinly slice the cucumbers.  Toss the cucumbers with the salt and drain in a colander for 15 minutes.  Rinse the cucumbers under cold water.  Then squeeze handfuls to remove excess water.  Then pat dry.  In a bowl stir together the wasabi powder and water, let stand for 5 minutes.  Add vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.  Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the cucumbers and toss well.

I whipped this up as a quick side dish to go with the Spam Fried Rice I cooked the other day...but I think they would go great with a variety of both Asian and Non-Asian dishes.

Wonderful Fruit Dip

Yes...Wonderful...as in delicious, ridiculously easy, and delicious...like I already said.

Now I'm one of those people who think dip makes everything better...chips, raw veggies, fruit...

So when Lyndsey (The Tiny Skillet ) shared this recipe...I knew I was going to have to try it...It only uses three ingredients, which I always have on hand...and it only takes a couple minutes.

Lyndsey says it tastes just like the fruit dip served at Jason's Deli.  I've never eaten at Jason's Deli so I can't speak for that, but it is delicious and I will make it many more times.

Jason's Deli Style Fruit Dip

recipe from The Tiny Skillet

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup light brown sugar

4 tsp Grand Marnier

In a medium bowl whisk together all the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.  Chill for an hour, then stir before serving.

Makes 1 & 1/2 cups

Asian Sloppy Joes

Lately I have become a connoisseur of fine Sloppy Joes.
Fine Sloppy Joes? Yes...There is such a thing.
Well I mean Sloppy Joes that don't begin with a can of Manwich...
More gourmet!  Ok...I just called something gourmet that I ate off of a plastic plate with a side of potato chips, but you know what I mean.

Trust me these are really good...Especially if you are craving some Asian flavors.
Actually this is my new favorite Sloppy Joe recipe.

So what makes this an Asian Sloppy Joe?  Sambal Oelek and Hoisin Sauce...I love Hoisin...I think I might could even eat cardboard if it had a generous smear of Hoisin on it...but as I have said before, not all Hoisin Sauce is created equal.  A couple brands have a funky taste to me...My favorites are Lee Kum Kee and Kikkoman...both of these are available at regular American supermarkets.

um...I think I took too many pictures...like you didn't know what chopped up celery looked like.

Asian Sloppy Joes
adapted from Ming Tsai

2 medium red onions, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 tbs sambal oelek
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 cup chopped roma tomatoes, canned or fresh
1 & 1/2 cups hoisin sauce
2 tbs vegetable oil
salt & pepper
8 hamburger buns, toasted
shredded iceberg lettuce, for serving

In a large deep skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions, celery, and sambal oelek and saute until soft.  Add the beef and pork, brown the meat, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the tomatoes and hoisin sauce.  Bring the mixture to a slow simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until it has thickened.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Serve in hamburger buns with shredded lettuce.

Makes 8 sandwiches.

Spam Fried Rice and My First Bento

I'm back from my little blogging vacation...

and I'm back with Spam!

Spam!!!  I know you either love it or you hate it...or you just love to hate it.

Up until yesterday, the last time I ate Spam was twenty something years ago and I don't particularly remember it being a pleasurable meal.  I really had never planned on eating it again.

But after Linda (My Kind of Cooking) dedicated an entire month of blogging to Spam...She even planted an herb garden in some empty Spam cans...very cute idea!  So I figured that Spam deserved another chance and I did need a few empty can to plant my own herb garden.

I really didn't remember how Spam tasted...It was 20 years ago...But I know that it is pretty greasy and salty.  A while back, I actually had a brief chat with Stephen (The Obsessive Chef) about how he cooks Spam...He actually blanches it before he cooks it to render out some of the fat and salt.  Sounds like a good idea...But I wanted to experience Spam in all of it's greasy and salty glory.  So I'll try Stephen's method next time.

Of course I could have just sliced the Spam and thrown it in a frying pan, but that didn't sound very appetizing and it would have made a boring blog post.  Then I remembered Lyndsey (The Tiny Skillet) cooked up some Spam fried rice.  I love fried rice.  Plus, I figured if I didn't like the Spam I could just pick it out and still eat the rice.

So yesterday I pulled my first tab back...I have to say the Spam didn't look or smell very promising when I first dumped it out of the can...but in the fried rice it was pretty darn good...especially once I got past the idea that I was eating Spam...and it became a really delicious meal when I squirted a little Sriracha on my rice.

So will I make this again?  Yes

Have I been converted to a Spam lover?  No, but I'm not hating on it anymore.

Spam Fried Rice

adapted from Steamy Kitchen

3 cups cooked jasmine rice, day old

1/2 can Spam, diced

2 eggs, beaten

4 stalks green onion, finely minced

2 cups fresh spinach leaves, finely chopped

1 tbs dry sherry

1 tsp fish sauce

cooking oil

freshly ground black pepper

In a wok or large saute pan heat the oil over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot add the eggs and gently stir to cook.  When the eggs are about 80% done (they will still be slightly runny), remove from the pan and set aside.  Turn the heat to high and add more cooking oil to the pan.  When the oil is hot, add the Spam and cook until it is browned.  Add the green onions, cook until fragrant.  Add the spinach, cook until softened.  Add the cooked eggs and rice, stir until everything is incorporated throughout the rice.  Let the rice cook without stirring for about 1 minute.  Then toss the rice so that the rice on the top is now on the bottom.  Add the dry sherry and fish sauce.  Stir and season with freshly ground pepper.  Continue to cook until all the rice is heated through.  Taste and season with more fish sauce if you want it more salty.

So what did I do with the leftover half can of Spam....



Promise you will NOT laugh!



Spam bones anyone?..It's so cute I could puke!  But it's my first bento and I'm proud of it.  I'm actually very interested in learning to prepare bento lunches...just not like this one.  I'm nearly thirty...not three!  Imagine the looks I'd get if I carried this to work.

If anybody has any good recipes for bentos or any tips...Shoot me an email! 

Spam - Love It or Hate It?