Palak Paneer February 28, 2011

As a birthday gift a few years ago, my lovely siblings bought me a cooking class to take place in my own home surrounded by people of my choosing (which turned out to be them, of course). It took us about a year and half to get around to actually booking the thing, but it was fantastic. This is one of the dishes we made that night, and I have made it several times since and loved it every time. Simple, easy, healthy, and butt-loads of flavour. We had it with a simplified Peas Pullao done in my rice cooker, a Pakistani beef curry (post to come) and Stove Top Naan. Hope you enjoy it!

2 bunches fresh spinach chopped (or frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture, or canned Saag, which is what I used this time)

1 lb diced paneer (I buy mine frozen at Superstore, although I did try to make my own this time, which I hope to perfect at another time, but I don’t think it will be as cost effective as the frozen version)

5 Tbsp canola oil (I’ve already cut a tablespoon and I think another could be cut without messing up the masala)

1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 med onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves/Methi (this makes a huge difference in flavour, so worth hunting out. I get mine at Superstore)

1 tsp each, gr. cumin, gr. coriander, salt

1/2 tsp each, garam masala, red chili powder (the Indian spice, very different from regular chili powder)

2 med tomatoes, diced

1. Heat oil in pan over medium to medium high heat and add ginger, garlic, onions, and fenugreek leaves. Stir until golden brown, then add the remaining spices and stir for 2 or 3 min, or until the aroma takes off (you will choke if you get too much of a face full).

The Masala

2. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Cover and lower heat to medium, letting cook for about ten minutes until the mixture resembles a thick gravy. This is the masala.

3. Add paneer and spinach, mix well, and then cover it and let it simmer for 15 min. I add my paneer frozen and it is always hot enough. If you prefer your spinach pureed and you are using fresh, you should cook it separately and then puree before adding it to the masala. I find the fresh is nice just finely chopped, but to each his own.

Enjoy,

Kyla

Breakfast (or anytime) Casserole

This is a great recipe that I found in the January 2011 issue of one of my favorite magazines, Clean Eating.  I made a few substitutions of my own but will list the recipe as found in the magazine and also what I have used.  After a quick assembly, the dish can be baked right away or stored tightly sealed in the refrigerator and baked in the morning!

I loved that this recipe was so quick and easy, I finished the whole thing while my older babe was napping soundly in bed and her little brother took a good nap on mama!

Ingredients:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 5 cups whole grain flax bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used multigrain from a local bakery)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb all-natural low-fat turkey sausage, meat removed from casing (really, any ground meat will do – I used an orange chicken sausage)
• 1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
• 1&1/2 cups skim milk, divided (I used almond milk)
• 1 dried chipotle pepper, rehydrated in hot water for 10 minutes, seeded and diced (about 1 tbsp) (I used a pinch of cayenne pepper)
• 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup)
• 1 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (about 1/4 cup), divided (I used parmigiano reggiano)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 large plum tomatoes, cut crosswise

Tip – Dried chipotle peppers are actually jalapeno peppers that have been smoked and dried.  Look for them in the spice aisle of larger grocery stores and specialty food markets.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Lightly mist an 11-cup (2.6L) casserole dish with cooking spray and line bottom with bread cubes in an even layer; set aside. (I used a 2.3L dish and this worked just fine).
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add turkey (or any type of ground meat) and onion and cook, breaking meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon and stirring until meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add 1/4 cup milk and chipotle to a blender and mix until chipotle is finely chopped.  Add remaining 1&1/4 cups milk and blend.  Add egg whites, half the cheese and parsley and pulse until combined.  Pour mixture over bread in casserole dish and spoon turkey mixture evenly over the top.  Finish with an even layer of tomatoes.  Using your hands or a rubber spatula, lightly press tomatoes into egg mixture to moisten.  Sprinkle the remaining half of cheese and bake until puffed and golden brown on top, about 40 minutes.  Serve hot from the oven or at room temperature.

Enjoy!  Kristi 🙂

The final product

Smoky, Sloppy, Spicy Chicken Sandwich

It looks like we’re all getting our recipes from the same place this week,  because I also found this recipe on Everybody Likes Sandwiches (ELS). There’s a great Southern-style barbeque and smoke house near our place called Holy Smoke. Lately, we’ve found ourselves there about once a week for a smoky pulled pork sandwich or a stack of spicy, smoky ribs. Really, I can’t get enough of it. I wanted to make something at home that would satisfy my craving for a messy, smoky, sticky, barbeque-y sandwich without the hassle of setting up a smoker in the back yard and trecking through the snow to operate it. This sandwich, slightly adapted from ELS, was everything I wanted for flavour with the bonus of using chicken thighs to change things up.

Hold onto your socks: this is a spicy one!

Katie

4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
salt & pepper
3 t cumin
1/2 – 3/4 t chipotle powder
3/4 t dried thyme
3 t olive oil

1 2/3 cups apple cider vinegar
3 t kosher salt
3 t ground white pepper
1 t dried chili flakes
1 1/2 T white sugar
3 T packed brown sugar (or just short of 1/4 cup)
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 medium green cabbage head, shredded or finely chopped
2 medium carrots, grated
1/3 medium red onion, grated

2-4 ciabatta buns

Mix together salt & pepper through thyme, then rub well into chicken thighs. Combine vinegar through ketchup and set aside. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear chicken a couple minutes on each side until nicely browned. Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the chicken and pop into a 450F oven for about 40 minutes until the meat falls nicely  from the bone.

Meanwhile, toss the vegetables with the remaining dressing. When the chicken is done, remove the bones and use 2 forks to shred up the chicken and mix with the sauce. Slice the buns in half and fill with chicken, then some of the slaw. Serve the remaining coleslaw on the side.

For us, this made 3 good-sized sandwiches, but I think you could stretch it to 4 if needed or just go for 2 giant ones.

Teriyaki Chicken February 26, 2011

I grabbed this from Everybody Like Sandwiches – Yum!

1/3 c honey
3 T soy sauce
2 limes, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1/4 t cayenne pepper
8 skinless chicken thighs

In a small bowl, mix all but the chicken.  Add thighs – either in the bowl or all in a ziplock bag and let sit for at least 20 min.

Preheat oven to 400F.  Heat up a cast iron skillet (or any oven proof skillet) and when hot, add chicken.  Grill for about 5-8 min per side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the meantime, add the remainder of the marinade to a small saucepan, bring to a boil for a few minutes, then reduce heat and keep simmering.

 

 

 

 

Place skillet and chicken in the oven and bake until chicken is cooked; about 15 minutes, brushing occasionally with marinade.  Serve chicken with reserved marinade.

Cheers!  Ren

Yam Fries with Garlic Mayo Dip

Although this is a very easy side to make, my friends always looked forward to my dinners when this was part of the menu.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Fries

Any size yam will do.  Chop it into bake-able sized chunks.  Throw the chunks into a large bowl and toss with an egg white, olive oil, salt, thyme and lots of sesame seeds.  Spread onto a baking sheet and cook until soft – about 30 min. depending on the size of your chunks.

 

 

 

 

 

Dipping sauce

Mix together about 3-4 T of mayo with 1 crushed garlic and about a t of mustard seeds.

Enjoy! Ren