Month: March 2016

Noodles in Peanut Sauce with Tofu

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Staying with the quick meals I present you with a dish I make often and love it so.

I make a simple sauce with peanut butter and other Asian sauces and add a protein like tofu, chicken or whatever you please and you have something that your neighborhood takeout place will never have.IMG_1344

I started with some fresh ginger in oil and added firm tofu.  Sear and then add the vegetables you like.  I used a frozen vegetable mix that had snow peas, carrots, edamame and water chestnuts.

While that is happening put the pasta to boil and make the peanut sauce.

A good amount of peanut butter, sriracha or red chilies, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.  That’s my sauce.

Add it to the vegetables and add the cooked pasta.

 

Serve with chopped cilantro and scallions.

This is great cold the next day – another delicious meal in just about 30 minutes.

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Until I cook again!

 

 

 

Salmon in Miso Broth and Soba Noodles

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Day 2:  Quick dinner theme.

I love Asian flavors and often cook with them.

Here I have a simple miso broth made with miso paste with soba noodles and salmon.

If you stock your pantry with basic Asian sauces – you can whip up a meal in no time.

I made a miso broth – while that was coming up to a boil – sear the salmon (or any protein you would like to use such as chicken, beef, pork or tofu).

Cook the soba noodles in the miso broth – just as the noodles are going to be cooked, add peas, carrots and I like to drop an egg into the broth.  Stir and you will get beautiful strands of egg in the broth which makes it looks richer.

When ready to serve – put the noodles in the bowl and top with the salmon and then spoon over the broth with vegetables.

Set out seasonings for the guests to customize their meal.

I like vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha and nori sheets.

Top with scallions and you have a healthful, delicious meal.

Until I cook again!

Roast Chicken with Red Wine Sauce

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I am going to start a quick dinner series starting today.

Even though most of my recipes and quick and simple, I would like to focus in getting in and out of the kitchen in about 30 minutes – don’t dare compare me to Rachel Ray – cause bad things will happen then.

Here is a one pot dish that was red in just over 30 minutes.

One thing to keep in mind when using simple and few ingredients is to get the best quality you can afford and find.

Here we have organic free range chicken thighs.  Salt and pepper generously and sear on high heat in olive oil.

I throw in some thyme to flavor the oil and the chicken.

Brown on both sides.

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Now cut the vegetable you want to use – I have potatoes, sweet potatoes, onion and garlic cloves.

Nestle the vegetables between the chicken and add a little more thyme leaves.

Since I wanted to create a sauce and my dad had a yen for coq au vin but he told me too late – I made the following adjustment.

Make a little space in the pan and add a tbs of flour.  Cook well in the fat until brown and make sure there are no lumps by smoothing the flour with the back of your spoon.

Now add a cup of white or red wine and a cup of water.

Bring this to a boil and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through.

Taste sauce for season and serve hot.

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I started the meal with a simple arugula salad and then the chicken.

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One pot to wash and in and out of the kitchen within half an hour. Not a bad deal at all.

I hope you try this dish.

Until I cook again!

Grass Fed Lamb with Yogurt and Turkish Mint ( a fusion of cultures)

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My mom found a fancy store in the East Village that sells grass fed meat and so of course she had to buy some.

I decided to do a fusion of my favorite flavors and I have to say the result was quite superb.

 

First, I marinated the chops in mustard, green chilies and loads of garlic.

I put it in the refrigerator overnight.

Next day when I was ready to cook, I took out the marinated lamb an hour before to bring it to room temperature.

I seared it on high heat – and then added about a cup of red wine – just because I was drinking some 🙂

You can use stock or even water – any liquid to remove the brown bits in the pan.

Add a chopped onion and some more liquid.

Bring to boil and simmer over low heat about 45 minutes to an hour until the meat is almost tender.

Add the vegetables you like – root vegetables like turnips and rutabaga are great.  I just had carrots and potatoes and so that’s what I used.

I simmered this for another 20 minutes.

I tasted the sauce and something was missing.

I added 3/4 of plain yogurt and a little vinegar.

That made the sauce tangy and delicious.

I served this over pearl couscous with a generous sprinkling of Turkish mint.

 

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I try to buy the best meat that I can afford without hormones and grass fed is great too.

It tastes better and is of course better for us.

I hope you try this recipe and let me know what you think.

Until I cook again!

Book a Walking and Eating Tour with me in Queens, NY

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It sure feels like summer and so it is time to venture out and do fun things.

As the flowers start to bloom, so do vegetables in the markets.

What I am proposing is a walking tour of Jackson Heights in Queens, NY.

It is always loads of fun with lots of eating, shopping and colorful scenes.

We meet at a preassigned spot and start with tea and an Indian breakfast.

Next we stroll into a Sari store, then a jewelry store, followed by an Indian grocery store.

The smells of spices will pull you in – I will point out all the spices and clue you into just a few that you’ll need to start cooking legitimate Indian food.  Next, I will show you all the lentils and the dry beans.  And the Basmati rice – more rice at amazing prices than you have probably ever seen. We’ll walk by the frozen foods section which is full of convenience yet delicious items.

 

There are of course exotic vegetables you may have never seen before or some that you were afraid to buy because you had no idea how to cook with them.

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You will also see the familiar but at amazingly low prices.

We cover anything and everything in the store – ask me anything.

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You can even buy pots and pans and some cool lunch boxes.

By now you will surely be hungry.  We then head off for lunch to enjoy delicious food and discuss all that we have seen.

After lunch the tour is over and you are free to explore and shop on your own.

 

How fun does that sound?

All this can happen for only $ 65 a person.  Groups can be as small as four and can go up to a couple dozen.

If you are able to gather 10 people – the tour is free for you.

 

Please email me at allthingsfood@gmail.com for more info or to book a tour.

Look forward to seeing you in Jackson Heights!

Egg Curry and Eggs in Keema (minced meat)

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 I love eggs – they are so versatile and not just for breakfast.

We have been making egg curry in my family for a long time and sometimes my mom will add eggs to minced meat which we call keema, and it is one of my favorites.

Following is a picture of the egg curry where there are more tomatoes which makes it a beautiful bright red.

A recipe for the egg curry follows.

 

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Below is a picture of the keema (minced meat, many times goat) with eggs.

I will post a recipe in another post.

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2 onions, sliced

6 eggs (hard boiled)

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. salt

1 tbs. cumin powder

1 tbs. coriander powder

½ cayenne pepper (or to taste)

3 plum tomatoes, chopped or ½ a 16 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed

1 cup frozen peas

4 garlic cloves, crush

1 tbs. ginger, minced

2 tsp. oil

Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.  Let them sizzle for about a minute and then add the onions and salt.  Brown them for about 10 minutes until caramelized.  Now add the ginger, garlic, coriander and cumin powder along with the cayenne.  Stir well and cook for another couple of minutes until the spices are well cooked.  Add the peas and the tomatoes and a cup of water.  Let this liquid simmer for about five minutes to let the flavors develop.

Place the peeled eggs into the sauce – you can poke a few holes in the eggs to allow the flavor to enter.

Cook till the eggs come to temperature and serve hot over rice or with bread.

I serve it here with a salad of corn, radish and scallions.

Enjoy.

Until I eat again!