What's fer dinner?
It's that time of day where all desires to start thinking about preparing dinner makes my head ache. I have no desires for any of our meals and therefore making dinner is a chore. Since being pregnant w/ Crispin, food has lost it's touch. Even more when I have to make it. I go hog-wild when someone else cooks dinner. It's an unsaid rule around here that Clint prepares the meals for the weekend which usually consist of wings and pizza - which only he(and Jack ) know how to prepare. Sometimes on Sunday we will collaborate our efforts and make a meal together.
So all that said - send me some of your favorite recipes ASAP!
posted by TLC @ 1/10/2006 10:04:00 AM
10 Comments:
mmmmm.... food!
I love to cook and when I get to do it uninterrupted its even better!
i will send you a tasty chicken vindaloo recipe later. it is delectable! (mmmm, i might even make it for dinner tonight! yumm!)
this was the season for gift subscriptions to Magazines for us. Better homes and Gardens is coming to us courtesy of Mrs. T and Eating well is coming too from Mandy (she's sending one to clint on beer brewing -shh he doesn't know it yet). Now, if I still complain about not being inspired -- shoot me! K? I can't wait to try your recipe!!! I will look for those peppers and burn our mouths off and then you can tell Will's co-worker we got it going on good here in MI!
Balti Chicken Vindaloo
1 large potato
2/3 cup malt vinegar
1 1/2 tsp crushed coriander seeds (or ground)
1 tsp crushed (or ground) cumin
1 ½ tsp cayenne (adjust this for spiciness we usually only use ½ tsp to start)
¼ tsp gr
ound turmeric
1 tsp garlic pulp
1 tsp ginger pulp
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato puree
Large pinch ground fenugreek
8 oz boneless chicken skinned and cubed
1 tbsp oil
2 medium onions sliced
2 green chilies (chopped)
1. Peel the potato, cut into large chunks (irregular shapes) place in a bowl full of water and set aside.
2. mix together vinegar, coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, garlic, ginger salt, paprika, tomato puree, fenugreek
3. pour mixture over cubed chicken and set aside
4. heat oil in skillet and quickly fry the onions (about 3-4 minutes) without burning
5. Lower heat and add chicken mixture. Stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.
6. Drain potato and add to pan. Cover with lid and cook over medium to low heat until chicken and potatoes are cooked through.
7. Add chopped chilies just before serving.
If you use a lot of garlic and ginger, or like to but never have it on hand- try this!
Pulping Fresh Ginger and Garlic-
Peel skin then roughly chop ginger (or garlic, it doesn’t need to be chopped). In food processor or blender until fairly smooth (you can’t get it super smooth since ginger is woody) you may need to add a little water (for the ginger.)
Store in refrigerator (in airtight container unless you want everything in there to smell/taste like ginger) for 4-6 weeks or freeze in ice cube tray (scoop approx 1 tsp garlic or ginger in each) DO NOT use that ice cube tray for ANYTHING ELSE!
oh yeah! If you use the Hungarian Paprika- don't use the cayenne, or use a lot less of it, remember you can UP the spice later, but you can't make it less!
This is also a good food to have raita with. It really cools teh palate!
another thing- this recipe feeds Will and I. so if your boys eat it too, well you could double it easily!
Seriously Leaner! I had to go take a nap after just reading that recipe.. Do you cook like that all the time? And, more importantly, I MUST know; is it crucial that the potato be cut irregularly?? :)
I've been known to put a lot of effort into dinner but, now that I'm living the solo life, it's all about simplicity..
Therefore, this is not so much a recipe, but rather an easy suggestion that was often requested by the horribly picky kids of one of my ex-roommates.. Make some turkey burgers. Adding some chopped onion and mushrooms as well as some spices into the ground meat to liven it up, and top them with some interesting variety of cheese, havarti with dill is good.. Then serve fried pickles as a side dish.. Should you not be familiar with fried pickles, they're pretty simple and make just-a-burger seem not so boring...
Make sure you get the good crisp brand like Claussen (the kind in the cooler section) and it's better to use the dill chips rather than the strips. Drain and pat dry. Dust with flour, dip in beaten egg, then coat them with a bread crumb mixture (seasoned bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, dill, ground pepper, or whatever else you think sounds good..) deep fry for a minute or so until brown. Doesn't take long since the pickles obviously don't need to cook.. Serve with some creamy dipping sauce or salad dressing. Whatever looks good at the store..
Another tasty thing to do is to fry olives. Use the black kind. Drain and pat dry, then stuff with whatever (that havarti cheese with some chopped prosciutto is pretty good) and fry the same as with the pickles or, even better, in addition to the pickles..
Ok, I know, not exactly healthy or exotic but, being as it's almost 4 A.M., it's what I'm craving after a night at work... Perhaps I'll just go fix a drink instead... :)
Love Ya!
Valerie
It's a big recipe alright! Clint will enjoy preparing this one and he will make no substitutions on any of ingredients. I'm the opposite, I might add more of one thing and none of something. If I see some kind of spice that I don't like - then I'm really hesitant to add it because I know that will be all that I will taste while eating. I think if I don't know what's in it I will eat it w/ know problems. Weird!
MMMM! fried pickles sound awesome!!!! THANKS! Jack will go bananas for them, I bet!
Val- yeah I cook like that often. I don't know if they potatoes MUST be cut irregularly! LOL It just makes for a more interesting looking dish, and that is what Indian food is about, the look of the dish is almost as important as the taste!
I have tweaked that recipe for my own satisfaction. We usually use Cider vineger, and it actually calls for Curry leaves (what are those?) and a few other things, we leave out the green chilies only because we don't have them. I made that nummy-ness last night and made enough for left overs! YUM YUM!
Cooking is an art, not a science, so your way of cooking- adding more or less of ingrediants to taste is the way to go! I love to change it up a little and when I make curry we add all kinds of things. My fave curry is at this restaurant, its vegetarian- cauliflower, peas, potatoes, carrots. Its so tasty- mmmm I am thinking of it right now!
curry leaves are yummy little leaves that are sold in Indian groceries. they're small, deep green- very much like stiff Bay leaves in texture. once you buy them, you keep them wrapped well in the freezer and use them within a couple months. i have a v. good recipe using them in a spicy coconut milk based soup. i've not made it in a long time b/c it's not the same w/o the curry leaves. and going to the Indian grocery is overwhelming!
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