Thursday, 12 June 2014

Indian Feast

We started to prepare the dinner the night before with the marinating of the chicken.  The vegetable curry dish can be started the next morning as well as the chipati dough.  
Delicious and not to difficult.

Tandori Chicken

6 to 8 chicken thigh

Ingredients 
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tlb. tumeric
1 Tlb. paprika
1/2 tsp salt
4 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
juice of one lemon
2 Cups yogurt

Mix spices, garlic and ginger and add to chicken.  Add yogurt and let it marinate over night.

The next day, shake excess marinate from each chicken thigh and place on a pan.  Let air dry for 45 minutes prior to cooking to adhere the marinate to skin and thigh.

Bake on a sheet at 350 degrees F for one hour.

Vegetarian Indian Curry Dish

Dice and sauté in a large pot until vegetables are translucent
1 medium onion
3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots
4 gloves of garlic

Add:
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
3 - 4 Tlb. curry
2 hot peppers sliced

Cook for additional 3 minutes stirring constantly




Add: 
6 C water or until everything is submerged
1 cauliflower head (sliced in pieces)
1 can of chic peas (drained and rinsed)
2 Tlb of concentrated stock

Cook for additional 30 minutes on medium heat

Add:
3 potatoes diced
1 bunch cilantro (minced)
1 C frozen peas
fresh pepper to taste
1 large can ( 796 ml or 28 ounce) of diced tomatoes minus the juices

Cook additional 30 minutes or more to reduce
Consistency should be like a thick gravy

Add:
1 Tlb garam masala
1/2 C yogurt

If you need more stock, curry, masala or yogurt add to taste bit by bit.  You do not want to over do it so adding it slowly and that is the secret. You can always add but cannot take away.

Chipati Indian Flatbread
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 to 1 C cold water  (enough to make it come to a moist ball)

Knead the dough and then form into 1to 2 inch balls.
Cover with a damp cloth and rest or a half an hour or more.
On a slightly floured surface, roll out the ball getting it nice and thin. Heat the frying pan and cook chipati in dry hot frying pan until deep brown and blistered.  Brush with melted butter.


We like the tandori chicken, balsmati rice and curry dish on the chapati.  
Serve the curry dish with a spoonful of yogurt and cilantro and the entire dish with a lemon slice.
The best part is ripping off the chapati and eating the dish without utensils.

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

There Is No Place Like Home "Pizza"


The list of possible pizza ingredients is endless as is the pizza crust. 
In this blog there are variations in crust including gluten free and ingredients 
including arugula, kale and even a barbecue chicken pizza recipe.  


Pizza Dough
1 Cup of beer
1 Tbl shortening
1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
2 3/4 C white flour
1 1/4 tsp yeast

Makes 2 -12 inch pizzas

Variations 
sprinkle with 2 Tbl cornmeal
or use half whole wheat flour

Gluten free
3 C half and half rice and tapioca flour 
1tsp salt                                 1 Tbl yeast
1/2 tsp baking powder           3 Tbl sugar
warm water 110ºF                 1 Tbl olive oil
In a bowl combine yeast and 3/4 C warm water; let sit for 5 min. Sprinkle with half the sugar. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, powder and remainder of the sugar).  Make a well and add yeast mixture, oil and 
1/2 C warm water. Stir. Use flour on your hands to mix if needed. add more water or flour if needed. Spread and bake at 350 ºF without toppings in a greased pan for 20 minutes till crisp.  Add toppings and bake. Makes a yummy, crispy gluten free crust. This recipe makes two pizzas.

Use a tortilla (corn or flour) for the crust
Brush with olive oil and bake and then flip, brush and bake again. 
This will make your pizza crispy.
Add your favourite sauce and ingredients.


Unleavened pizza crust (no yeast)
2 cups flour
1 TB baking poder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 C water
1 Tbl cooking oil

Add dry ingredients, mix and then add liquid ingredients. Knead on floured surface till good consistency.
Spread and add favourite toppings





Kale and Arugula Pizza

After spreading out the dough on to pizza pan,
spread out favourite pizza sauce and then add 
topping for pizza.

Ingredients for topping
1 Cup of kale and arugula diced
3 small tomatoes sliced
3 large brown mushrooms sliced
1/2 sweet onion sliced 
4 cloves of garlic minced
large piece of broccoli in small pieces
1/2 yellow pepper sliced
4 large green olives sliced
4 - 5 pieces of sliced salami 






Add the veggies and then top with arugula and kale.









Add to the topping:
1 Cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 C grated white cheddar

Add sliced olives











Bake at  350º F for 15 minutes or so.








Barbecue chicken, cheddar and chive

Ingredients for topping and sauce:
4 large brown mushrooms
1/2  onion
1/2 red pepper
2 hot peppers
4 garlic cloves
1 Cup of corn
4 Tlb. chopped chives
1.5 C barbecue sauce
2 C cheddar cheese
2 C sliced chicken




Slice and sauté mushrooms, peppers, garlic and onions in olive oil on frying pan.
On a cookie sheet roast corn under broiler till brown.



Toss the chicken slices in half the barbecue sauce and bake for 10 minutes till crisp.

We used our chipotle barbecue sauce, look up the recipe on December 2013.

Instructions for assembling:
Spread remaining barbecue sauce over pizza crust
Add 2/3 of cheese mixture
Add caramelized mushrooms, garlic, peppers and onion mixture
Add oven roasted barbecued chicken
Add corn on top
Add remainder of the cheese
Add half of onion chives

Assemble and bake at 350ºF for 20 - 25 minutes.
After baked, top with fresh chives.

Kale and Feta Salad


As the kale is now growing in our gardens, it is a great 
time to be creative with your salads.  Great time of year for this tasty treat.


Ingredients 
1 bunch fresh kale 
1 C cranberries or raisins
1 C feta cheese
1/2 red onion sliced
1/2 C nuts (pine, walnut or almonds)

Dressing
3 Tlb olive oil
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp. sugar 
1 tsp quality or dried mustard 
2 cloves of garlic minced
freshly ground pepper

TIP: To make the kale soft, massage the kale with your hands using olive oil.