Month: May 2015

Cod en Pappilote (just a fancy French way of saying in a packet)

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DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN - TRUST ME.Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squashSometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.Turn oven to 450 degrees.Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.Take pieces of foil or parchment paper - as many as pieces of fish you have.Place the fish, your favorite herb - I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes - season with more salt and pepper.Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash - you have dinner.See - it pays to trust me :)Until I cook again!
DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN - TRUST ME.Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squashSometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.Turn oven to 450 degrees.Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.Take pieces of foil or parchment paper - as many as pieces of fish you have.Place the fish, your favorite herb - I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes - season with more salt and pepper.Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash - you have dinner.See - it pays to trust me :)Until I cook again!
DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN - TRUST ME.Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squashSometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.Turn oven to 450 degrees.Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.Take pieces of foil or parchment paper - as many as pieces of fish you have.Place the fish, your favorite herb - I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes - season with more salt and pepper.Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash - you have dinner.See - it pays to trust me :)Until I cook again!
DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN - TRUST ME.Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squashSometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.Turn oven to 450 degrees.Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.Take pieces of foil or parchment paper - as many as pieces of fish you have.Place the fish, your favorite herb - I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes - season with more salt and pepper.Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash - you have dinner.See - it pays to trust me :)Until I cook again!
DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN - TRUST ME.Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squashSometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.Turn oven to 450 degrees.Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.Take pieces of foil or parchment paper - as many as pieces of fish you have.Place the fish, your favorite herb - I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes - season with more salt and pepper.Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash - you have dinner.See - it pays to trust me :)Until I cook again!
DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN - TRUST ME.Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squashSometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.Turn oven to 450 degrees.Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.Take pieces of foil or parchment paper - as many as pieces of fish you have.Place the fish, your favorite herb - I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes - season with more salt and pepper.Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash - you have dinner.See - it pays to trust me :)Until I cook again!
DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN - TRUST ME.Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squashSometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.Turn oven to 450 degrees.Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.Take pieces of foil or parchment paper - as many as pieces of fish you have.Place the fish, your favorite herb - I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes - season with more salt and pepper.Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash - you have dinner.See - it pays to trust me :)Until I cook again!
DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN - TRUST ME.Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squashSometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.Turn oven to 450 degrees.Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.Take pieces of foil or parchment paper - as many as pieces of fish you have.Place the fish, your favorite herb - I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes - season with more salt and pepper.Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash - you have dinner.See - it pays to trust me :)Until I cook again!
DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN - TRUST ME.Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squashSometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.Turn oven to 450 degrees.Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.Take pieces of foil or parchment paper - as many as pieces of fish you have.Place the fish, your favorite herb - I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes - season with more salt and pepper.Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash - you have dinner.See - it pays to trust me :)Until I cook again!

DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING?  JUST TURN ON YOUR OVEN – TRUST ME.

Cod fish en pappilote with spaghetti squash

Sometimes I need dinner but am not in the mood to cook per se.  This is what I do when this happens.

Turn oven to 450 degrees.

Cut a spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle some oil.

Take pieces of foil or parchment paper – as many as pieces of fish you have.

Place the fish, your favorite herb – I used thyme, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and a couple table spoons of white wine and a couple drops of oil or cold butter.

Gently close the packages so the juices don’t trickle out.

Place the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you are able to scrape the strands with a fork.

Add the fish packets on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes.

Scrape the squash “noodles” and do a quick saute with garlic and more cherry tomatoes – season with more salt and pepper.

Place a package of fish on a plate along with the squash – you have dinner.

See – it pays to trust me 🙂

Until I cook again!

Home Made Parathas (flat bread) with lentils

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PARATHAS - Missy rotiRoti (indian flat breads) are a staple at most Indian meals.There are many kinds of breads we eat - naan which is a leavened bread and is usually eaten in restaurants who have a tandoor.  There is roti or chapati which is the simplest of all breads.  Much like a tortilla - is it flour and water - cooked on a flat griddle with no oil.Then there are parathas which a a bit more special and are cooked with oil or butter.  They can be stuffed or in this case the ingredients are mixed into the dough.This is a typical Punjabi bread.When there is leftover daal (lentils) - we add it to flour, along with salt, onions and green chilies.  Then cook it over the griddle with some oil.If you don’t have daal, this is great with the onions, green chilies and cilantro.I hope you try it and enjoy it with butter, pickles or yogurt.I believe the pics are pretty self explanatory.Write me if you need more help.Until I cook again!
PARATHAS - Missy rotiRoti (indian flat breads) are a staple at most Indian meals.There are many kinds of breads we eat - naan which is a leavened bread and is usually eaten in restaurants who have a tandoor.  There is roti or chapati which is the simplest of all breads.  Much like a tortilla - is it flour and water - cooked on a flat griddle with no oil.Then there are parathas which a a bit more special and are cooked with oil or butter.  They can be stuffed or in this case the ingredients are mixed into the dough.This is a typical Punjabi bread.When there is leftover daal (lentils) - we add it to flour, along with salt, onions and green chilies.  Then cook it over the griddle with some oil.If you don’t have daal, this is great with the onions, green chilies and cilantro.I hope you try it and enjoy it with butter, pickles or yogurt.I believe the pics are pretty self explanatory.Write me if you need more help.Until I cook again!
PARATHAS - Missy rotiRoti (indian flat breads) are a staple at most Indian meals.There are many kinds of breads we eat - naan which is a leavened bread and is usually eaten in restaurants who have a tandoor.  There is roti or chapati which is the simplest of all breads.  Much like a tortilla - is it flour and water - cooked on a flat griddle with no oil.Then there are parathas which a a bit more special and are cooked with oil or butter.  They can be stuffed or in this case the ingredients are mixed into the dough.This is a typical Punjabi bread.When there is leftover daal (lentils) - we add it to flour, along with salt, onions and green chilies.  Then cook it over the griddle with some oil.If you don’t have daal, this is great with the onions, green chilies and cilantro.I hope you try it and enjoy it with butter, pickles or yogurt.I believe the pics are pretty self explanatory.Write me if you need more help.Until I cook again!
PARATHAS - Missy rotiRoti (indian flat breads) are a staple at most Indian meals.There are many kinds of breads we eat - naan which is a leavened bread and is usually eaten in restaurants who have a tandoor.  There is roti or chapati which is the simplest of all breads.  Much like a tortilla - is it flour and water - cooked on a flat griddle with no oil.Then there are parathas which a a bit more special and are cooked with oil or butter.  They can be stuffed or in this case the ingredients are mixed into the dough.This is a typical Punjabi bread.When there is leftover daal (lentils) - we add it to flour, along with salt, onions and green chilies.  Then cook it over the griddle with some oil.If you don’t have daal, this is great with the onions, green chilies and cilantro.I hope you try it and enjoy it with butter, pickles or yogurt.I believe the pics are pretty self explanatory.Write me if you need more help.Until I cook again!
PARATHAS - Missy rotiRoti (indian flat breads) are a staple at most Indian meals.There are many kinds of breads we eat - naan which is a leavened bread and is usually eaten in restaurants who have a tandoor.  There is roti or chapati which is the simplest of all breads.  Much like a tortilla - is it flour and water - cooked on a flat griddle with no oil.Then there are parathas which a a bit more special and are cooked with oil or butter.  They can be stuffed or in this case the ingredients are mixed into the dough.This is a typical Punjabi bread.When there is leftover daal (lentils) - we add it to flour, along with salt, onions and green chilies.  Then cook it over the griddle with some oil.If you don’t have daal, this is great with the onions, green chilies and cilantro.I hope you try it and enjoy it with butter, pickles or yogurt.I believe the pics are pretty self explanatory.Write me if you need more help.Until I cook again!
PARATHAS - Missy rotiRoti (indian flat breads) are a staple at most Indian meals.There are many kinds of breads we eat - naan which is a leavened bread and is usually eaten in restaurants who have a tandoor.  There is roti or chapati which is the simplest of all breads.  Much like a tortilla - is it flour and water - cooked on a flat griddle with no oil.Then there are parathas which a a bit more special and are cooked with oil or butter.  They can be stuffed or in this case the ingredients are mixed into the dough.This is a typical Punjabi bread.When there is leftover daal (lentils) - we add it to flour, along with salt, onions and green chilies.  Then cook it over the griddle with some oil.If you don’t have daal, this is great with the onions, green chilies and cilantro.I hope you try it and enjoy it with butter, pickles or yogurt.I believe the pics are pretty self explanatory.Write me if you need more help.Until I cook again!

PARATHAS – Missy roti

Roti (indian flat breads) are a staple at most Indian meals.

There are many kinds of breads we eat – naan which is a leavened bread and is usually eaten in restaurants who have a tandoor.  There is roti or chapati which is the simplest of all breads.  Much like a tortilla – is it flour and water – cooked on a flat griddle with no oil.

Then there are parathas which a a bit more special and are cooked with oil or butter.  They can be stuffed or in this case the ingredients are mixed into the dough.

This is a typical Punjabi bread.

When there is leftover daal (lentils) – we add it to flour, along with salt, onions and green chilies.  Then cook it over the griddle with some oil.

If you don’t have daal, this is great with the onions, green chilies and cilantro.

I hope you try it and enjoy it with butter, pickles or yogurt.

I believe the pics are pretty self explanatory.

Write me if you need more help.

Until I cook again!

THE BEST CRAB CAKES EVER

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The picture above is of a crab cake when I serve it as a first course and the pictures below of the smaller cakes is when I do passed hors d’oeuvres where I will top them with an aioli.

 

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I make really good crab cakes if I may say so myself.  The key is good crab – I use jumbo lump and claw meat with almost no filler.

I make them in two ways – one is with guacamole as a binder – avocado, tomato, onion and cilantro

The other is to put some mayo as the binder along with salt and pepper with roasted cumin.

Form into the cake of your size – I like to make them about an inch with flattened tops and bottoms to get the most surface area for a nice sear.

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The mix

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Brown on one side and then the other.  You can hold them in the oven if you are not serving them right away.

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Serve with a spicy aioli or chutney or in this case over mango salsa.

 

The salsa is simple:

diced mangoes, red onion, tomatoes and lots of cilantro – finished with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

 

I hope you try these crab cakes.

Until I cook again!

Green Chutney Turkey Kebabs

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Green Chutney Turkey Kebab WrapsI have been cooking lunch for my dad these days as the mommy is away.I have to come up with simple and quick meals.  This one turned out to be ready in under 10 minutes and was so good, we had it two days in a row.  The second day the kebabs atop a salad.I had a fresh herb chutney in the fridge (please make this anytime you have an abundance of herbs laying around - don’t worry which ones they are - I would stay away from rosemary maybe, but then who knows)In my chutney:a bunch of cilantro with the stemsa bunch of mintsome dill½ a red onionjuice of a lemon2 green chilissalt and pepper couple garlic clovesThrow everything in a blender and add a few tablespoons of water.  Blend and taste for seasoning.This chutney is amazing for sandwiches, marinades and along with almost any meal.The Kebabs:Minced turkeya chopped oniona chopped green chili2 tbs. green chutneyjuice of one lemonsaltForm the patties, no binders required and sear in a non stick pan.I served them in a pita with some yogurt and we had lunch.I hope you try this - do it with chicken or beef or pork if you like and you have the most delicious kebabsUntil I eat again!
Green Chutney Turkey Kebab WrapsI have been cooking lunch for my dad these days as the mommy is away.I have to come up with simple and quick meals.  This one turned out to be ready in under 10 minutes and was so good, we had it two days in a row.  The second day the kebabs atop a salad.I had a fresh herb chutney in the fridge (please make this anytime you have an abundance of herbs laying around - don’t worry which ones they are - I would stay away from rosemary maybe, but then who knows)In my chutney:a bunch of cilantro with the stemsa bunch of mintsome dill½ a red onionjuice of a lemon2 green chilissalt and pepper couple garlic clovesThrow everything in a blender and add a few tablespoons of water.  Blend and taste for seasoning.This chutney is amazing for sandwiches, marinades and along with almost any meal.The Kebabs:Minced turkeya chopped oniona chopped green chili2 tbs. green chutneyjuice of one lemonsaltForm the patties, no binders required and sear in a non stick pan.I served them in a pita with some yogurt and we had lunch.I hope you try this - do it with chicken or beef or pork if you like and you have the most delicious kebabsUntil I eat again!
Green Chutney Turkey Kebab WrapsI have been cooking lunch for my dad these days as the mommy is away.I have to come up with simple and quick meals.  This one turned out to be ready in under 10 minutes and was so good, we had it two days in a row.  The second day the kebabs atop a salad.I had a fresh herb chutney in the fridge (please make this anytime you have an abundance of herbs laying around - don’t worry which ones they are - I would stay away from rosemary maybe, but then who knows)In my chutney:a bunch of cilantro with the stemsa bunch of mintsome dill½ a red onionjuice of a lemon2 green chilissalt and pepper couple garlic clovesThrow everything in a blender and add a few tablespoons of water.  Blend and taste for seasoning.This chutney is amazing for sandwiches, marinades and along with almost any meal.The Kebabs:Minced turkeya chopped oniona chopped green chili2 tbs. green chutneyjuice of one lemonsaltForm the patties, no binders required and sear in a non stick pan.I served them in a pita with some yogurt and we had lunch.I hope you try this - do it with chicken or beef or pork if you like and you have the most delicious kebabsUntil I eat again!
Green Chutney Turkey Kebab WrapsI have been cooking lunch for my dad these days as the mommy is away.I have to come up with simple and quick meals.  This one turned out to be ready in under 10 minutes and was so good, we had it two days in a row.  The second day the kebabs atop a salad.I had a fresh herb chutney in the fridge (please make this anytime you have an abundance of herbs laying around - don’t worry which ones they are - I would stay away from rosemary maybe, but then who knows)In my chutney:a bunch of cilantro with the stemsa bunch of mintsome dill½ a red onionjuice of a lemon2 green chilissalt and pepper couple garlic clovesThrow everything in a blender and add a few tablespoons of water.  Blend and taste for seasoning.This chutney is amazing for sandwiches, marinades and along with almost any meal.The Kebabs:Minced turkeya chopped oniona chopped green chili2 tbs. green chutneyjuice of one lemonsaltForm the patties, no binders required and sear in a non stick pan.I served them in a pita with some yogurt and we had lunch.I hope you try this - do it with chicken or beef or pork if you like and you have the most delicious kebabsUntil I eat again!
Green Chutney Turkey Kebab WrapsI have been cooking lunch for my dad these days as the mommy is away.I have to come up with simple and quick meals.  This one turned out to be ready in under 10 minutes and was so good, we had it two days in a row.  The second day the kebabs atop a salad.I had a fresh herb chutney in the fridge (please make this anytime you have an abundance of herbs laying around - don’t worry which ones they are - I would stay away from rosemary maybe, but then who knows)In my chutney:a bunch of cilantro with the stemsa bunch of mintsome dill½ a red onionjuice of a lemon2 green chilissalt and pepper couple garlic clovesThrow everything in a blender and add a few tablespoons of water.  Blend and taste for seasoning.This chutney is amazing for sandwiches, marinades and along with almost any meal.The Kebabs:Minced turkeya chopped oniona chopped green chili2 tbs. green chutneyjuice of one lemonsaltForm the patties, no binders required and sear in a non stick pan.I served them in a pita with some yogurt and we had lunch.I hope you try this - do it with chicken or beef or pork if you like and you have the most delicious kebabsUntil I eat again!

Green Chutney Turkey Kebab Wraps

I have been cooking lunch for my dad these days as the mommy is away.

I have to come up with simple and quick meals.  This one turned out to be ready in under 10 minutes and was so good, we had it two days in a row.  The second day the kebabs atop a salad.

I had a fresh herb chutney in the fridge (please make this anytime you have an abundance of herbs laying around – don’t worry which ones they are – I would stay away from rosemary maybe, but then who knows)

In my chutney:

a bunch of cilantro with the stems

a bunch of mint

some dill

½ a red onion

juice of a lemon

2 green chilis

salt and pepper

couple garlic cloves

Throw everything in a blender and add a few tablespoons of water.  Blend and taste for seasoning.

This chutney is amazing for sandwiches, marinades and along with almost any meal.

The Kebabs:

Minced turkey

a chopped onion

a chopped green chili

2 tbs. green chutney

juice of one lemon

salt

Form the patties, no binders required and sear in a non stick pan.

I served them in a pita with some yogurt and we had lunch.

I hope you try this – do it with chicken or beef or pork if you like and you have the most delicious kebabs

Until I eat again!

Today is the first day of the rest of my blog

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I maintained a blog for many years and then let the domain name expire – I have no one to blame and so I won’t.

I then went ahead and bought a new name and for some reason never got around to activating the blog.

Today I spoke to a very nice man on Godaddy (plug plug :)) and he set me up and so here I am.

Lets have some chai - coffee in this case to celebrate
Lets have some chai – coffee in this case to celebrate

Let me introduce myself – my name is Geetika and I run the Indian Culinary Center.

This school has taken many many reincarnations and at the moment we do private classes held in your home or school where you are able to choose a menu of your choice, invite as many people as you like and learn to cook.

In the coming days I will go into more detail and menu suggestions, recipes, etc.

For now, I just wanted to get started and I hope to do this every day for 30 days.

It is my promise to you.