this is about as close as I can get to homemade butter chicken. there are endless variations, too.
curry nut chicken
adapted from ??
yield: 4-6 servings / active time: up to 45 minutes / total time: up to 90 minutes (if you cut the chicken smaller and cook it through more before adding tomatoes, etc, your time can get down to 60 minutes...though the flavors aren't as thouroughly developed. it'll still be awesome.)
ingredients
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (could use up to 3/4 cup, depending on your preferences)
2 cups onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (do not use less than 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (note to self: when cooking for the Boy, use less)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and soaked in water and/or lemon juice as long as possible
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons (6 cubes) Trader Joe's frozen cilantro cubes, or up to 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup cashews or almonds
1/2 to 3/4 cup greek yogurt
optional
diced potato or sweet potato; spinach; golden raisins; chopped nuts
accompaniment
cooked rice, quinoa, or couscous
garnish
fresh cilantro, chopped
directions
head butter in a large, wide, heavy pot or wok over moderately low heat, until foam subsides. cook onions, garlic, and ginger, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
add curry powder, salt, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
turn heat up to medium or medium-high. add cubed chicken, chick peas, and potatoes if using, stirring to coat, and cook 3-7 minutes (depending on how quickly you'd like to eat...cook for fewer minutes if you've got the time to spare, more minutes if you don't)
add tomatoes, their juice, and cilantro and bring to a simmer. cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have combined, 30-35 minutes.
just before serving, throw a couple handfuls of spinach and/or the raisins into the pot, if using. pulse cashews or almonds in food processor until finely ground. add finely ground nuts and yogurt to curry and simmer gently, uncovered, until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. if you're counting on leftovers, scoop those out into storage container before this step. then, when you're ready for leftovers, do this. don't do it too early or things'll get soggy. spoon over rice, quinoa or couscous.
note
curry, without yogurt and cashews or almonds, can be made up to 5 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before chilling, covered. reheat over low before stirring in yogurt and cashews or almonds.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
homemade (and way cheap!) granola
add this to some greek yogurt or ice cream. or a spoon.
homemade granola
adapted from too many recipes to bother linking
makes about 3 cups (a quart-sized ziploc)
active time: 15-20 minutes / cooling time: 30 minutes / totally done in: 1 hour
ingredients
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt
1/2 cup sliced/chopped nuts/seeds
1/3 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc)
1/4 cup dried sweetened coconut (A: you could leave this out altogether [lookin' at you, Summer]; B: I'd rather use unsweetened coconut but can't find that stuff anywhere)
sprinkle o' cinnamon
directions
spread oats on baking sheet and toast under broiler, stirring occasionally. keep a close eye on them so they don't burn! remove from oven and set aside. turn off broiler.
if using raw nuts/seeds, toast 'em in a dry pan over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. I chose to do this separately from the oats so the nut/seed oils wouldn't mix in with the oats and possibly sog things up.
at this point, I scooped the toasted oats and nuts/seeds into a giant liquid measuring cup so it'd be easier to dump them into the skillet later. this was a really good move, since attempting to pour the oats from a giant rectangular pan into a much smaller circular one would have been certain disaster.
in a medium skillet, melt butter. add honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt, cook for 1 minute. add toasted oats and nuts/seeds, cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. mix in dried fruit and coconut, cook 1 minute more.
spray baking sheet lightly with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. spread granola evenly on baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. throw the whole thing back on the top rack of the still-warm oven for 15 to 30 minutes to get everything nice and crunchy.
remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before shovelling into your face or a plastic bag for storage.
next time:
- since the coconut was sweetened and raisins are pretty sweet on their own, I'd probably cut back the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon. if I'd used just cranberries, I'd leave the brown sugar measure at 2 tablespoons
- I'd stir it around a little less after it comes out of the oven to leave some bigger chunks intact
homemade granola
adapted from too many recipes to bother linking
makes about 3 cups (a quart-sized ziploc)
active time: 15-20 minutes / cooling time: 30 minutes / totally done in: 1 hour
ingredients
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt
1/2 cup sliced/chopped nuts/seeds
1/3 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc)
1/4 cup dried sweetened coconut (A: you could leave this out altogether [lookin' at you, Summer]; B: I'd rather use unsweetened coconut but can't find that stuff anywhere)
sprinkle o' cinnamon
directions
spread oats on baking sheet and toast under broiler, stirring occasionally. keep a close eye on them so they don't burn! remove from oven and set aside. turn off broiler.
if using raw nuts/seeds, toast 'em in a dry pan over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. I chose to do this separately from the oats so the nut/seed oils wouldn't mix in with the oats and possibly sog things up.
at this point, I scooped the toasted oats and nuts/seeds into a giant liquid measuring cup so it'd be easier to dump them into the skillet later. this was a really good move, since attempting to pour the oats from a giant rectangular pan into a much smaller circular one would have been certain disaster.
in a medium skillet, melt butter. add honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt, cook for 1 minute. add toasted oats and nuts/seeds, cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. mix in dried fruit and coconut, cook 1 minute more.
spray baking sheet lightly with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. spread granola evenly on baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. throw the whole thing back on the top rack of the still-warm oven for 15 to 30 minutes to get everything nice and crunchy.
remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before shovelling into your face or a plastic bag for storage.
next time:
- since the coconut was sweetened and raisins are pretty sweet on their own, I'd probably cut back the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon. if I'd used just cranberries, I'd leave the brown sugar measure at 2 tablespoons
- I'd stir it around a little less after it comes out of the oven to leave some bigger chunks intact
Monday, September 3, 2012
(faux) banana ice cream
just do it.
(faux) banana ice cream
ingredients
ripe banana(s)
a freezer
about 8 hours
directions
slice a ripe banana into coins.
freeze ‘em solid.
throw the chunks in a food processor and hit go, scraping down the sides periodically and adding a splash of milk if needs loosening.
its crazy, and comes together really suddenly. some good mix ins (I recommend blending 'em in, then popping the whole thing in the freezer for a few minutes, since the other ingredients'll bring down the temp of the ice cream and make it melt): peanut butter, frozen strawberries, chocolate chips…the options are endless. I like mine best top with something crunchy, like crumbled homemade kind bars.
(faux) banana ice cream
ingredients
ripe banana(s)
a freezer
about 8 hours
directions
slice a ripe banana into coins.
freeze ‘em solid.
throw the chunks in a food processor and hit go, scraping down the sides periodically and adding a splash of milk if needs loosening.
there you are, Peeeter.
its crazy, and comes together really suddenly. some good mix ins (I recommend blending 'em in, then popping the whole thing in the freezer for a few minutes, since the other ingredients'll bring down the temp of the ice cream and make it melt): peanut butter, frozen strawberries, chocolate chips…the options are endless. I like mine best top with something crunchy, like crumbled homemade kind bars.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
DIY KIND bars / fruit & nut bars
the Boy loves-loves-loves Clif bars and KIND bars and the like. I love to cook and bake and figure out how to make things for a fraction of the market price. I stumbled across a recipe on a blog and the rest is history...
fruit & nut bars (knockoff KIND bars)
adapted from here
ingredients
1 1/3 cups toasted or raw nuts, coarsely chopped after measuring
1/4 cup crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup seeds
1/3 cup dried fruit, chopped after measuring
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1/4+ cup honey (see notes, below)
directions
preheat oven to 325 degrees F. line an 8-inch square pan with foil and lightly spray with non-stick spray (if you don't, you'll be sorry!). tear off a separate piece of foil for pressing, spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
in a medium bowl, combine the chopped nuts, seeds, and chopped dried fruit. add salt and honey, stir to coat evenly.
scrape/dump mixture into prepared pan. Use sprayed foil piece to to press mixture evenly into pan.
bake for 18 minutes (the bars will not be hard at this point). place pan on cooling rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes until partially set up. use the sides of foil to lift the bars from the pan. do NOT try to remove from foil at this point — they're not ready yet! cut into 8 bars.
allow bars to cool completely. once cooled, the bars will lift right off of the foil. Wrap in cling wrap, parchment or wax paper and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
notes
the first time we made these, we didn't use enough honey. the second time, there was too much and the bars didn't really solidify. I'll try about 1/3 cup next time, that might be the winner.
optional
for just nuts bars: omit seeds and dried fruit, increase nuts to 2 cups, keep other ingredients and process identical.
fruit & nut bars (knockoff KIND bars)
adapted from here
ingredients
1 1/3 cups toasted or raw nuts, coarsely chopped after measuring
1/4 cup crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup seeds
1/3 cup dried fruit, chopped after measuring
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1/4+ cup honey (see notes, below)
directions
preheat oven to 325 degrees F. line an 8-inch square pan with foil and lightly spray with non-stick spray (if you don't, you'll be sorry!). tear off a separate piece of foil for pressing, spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
in a medium bowl, combine the chopped nuts, seeds, and chopped dried fruit. add salt and honey, stir to coat evenly.
scrape/dump mixture into prepared pan. Use sprayed foil piece to to press mixture evenly into pan.
bake for 18 minutes (the bars will not be hard at this point). place pan on cooling rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes until partially set up. use the sides of foil to lift the bars from the pan. do NOT try to remove from foil at this point — they're not ready yet! cut into 8 bars.
allow bars to cool completely. once cooled, the bars will lift right off of the foil. Wrap in cling wrap, parchment or wax paper and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
the first time we made these, we didn't use enough honey. the second time, there was too much and the bars didn't really solidify. I'll try about 1/3 cup next time, that might be the winner.
optional
for just nuts bars: omit seeds and dried fruit, increase nuts to 2 cups, keep other ingredients and process identical.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins
we tend to overbuy bananas. so we get ambitious, whatever. at 19¢ apiece, I don't let 'em go to waste. this is a tweak of one of my previously-posted recipes. there's booze in this, so I'm obviously pleased.
rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins
adapted from here and adding a twist to my own concoction born here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 18-20 minutes | yields: 18 muffins
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons dark rum
ingredients for muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (from above)
directions for rum-roasted bananas:
preheat oven to 350 degrees F. peel the bananas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. sprinkle with brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and rum. wrap loosely (but securely, or you'll get a mess!) and roast in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. allow to cool.
note: do yourself a favor here and spoon into a little dish all the goop that the 'nanas'll be swimming in. use it as a topping right when you serve these muffins and you'll be cooler than an American Gladiator in the mid-90s. it doesn't appear to set up/harden much, so it probably isn't the best to use for muffins to be stored.
directions for the muffins:
while bananas cool, crank oven heat up to 400 degrees F.
combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.
in a separate small bowl, mash bananas.
in a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly. stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. stir the flour mixture into the banana/cherry mixture until just combined.
line muffin tin(s) with paper liners or spray a silicon muffin tin with non-stick spray. fill tins approximately 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes. turn out onto wire rack for cooling.
optional
before baking, top with toasted chopped nuts and sprinkle lightly with sugar. pick up tin and drop onto flat surface to help nuts/sugar really stick to the batter.
rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins
adapted from here and adding a twist to my own concoction born here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 18-20 minutes | yields: 18 muffins
ingredients for rum-roasted bananas:
3 large ripe bananas1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons dark rum
ingredients for muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (from above)
directions for rum-roasted bananas:
preheat oven to 350 degrees F. peel the bananas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. sprinkle with brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and rum. wrap loosely (but securely, or you'll get a mess!) and roast in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. allow to cool.
note: do yourself a favor here and spoon into a little dish all the goop that the 'nanas'll be swimming in. use it as a topping right when you serve these muffins and you'll be cooler than an American Gladiator in the mid-90s. it doesn't appear to set up/harden much, so it probably isn't the best to use for muffins to be stored.
directions for the muffins:
while bananas cool, crank oven heat up to 400 degrees F.
combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.
in a separate small bowl, mash bananas.
in a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly. stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. stir the flour mixture into the banana/cherry mixture until just combined.
line muffin tin(s) with paper liners or spray a silicon muffin tin with non-stick spray. fill tins approximately 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes. turn out onto wire rack for cooling.
optional
before baking, top with toasted chopped nuts and sprinkle lightly with sugar. pick up tin and drop onto flat surface to help nuts/sugar really stick to the batter.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
berry compote-topped mini cheesecakes
whoa. these are awesome.
whenever I make something and take my first bite, the sentence I utter usually starts with "next time, I'll ___". we're all our own biggest critic, right? to be honest, I can think of few instances in which I didn't find something I wished I'd done differently. these cheesecakes currently top my don't-you-dare-touch-this-recipe-it's-perfect list.
berry compote-topped mini cheesecakes
adapted from here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 25 minutes | yields: 6 cupcake-sized cheesecakes
ingredients
for the graham cracker crusts
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
for the mini cheesecakes
1 (8 ounce) package light/reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature
for the berry compote
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, anything goes!)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
directions
preheat oven to 325 degrees F. grease a 6 cup muffin pan, or line with paper cupcake liners.
in a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter with a fork until combined. measure a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing down firmly. bake for 5 minutes, then remove to cool.
while the mini crusts cool slightly, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy. mix in the egg and whisk until smooth.
pour the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups, filling each until 3/4 full. bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes. cool completely in pan before removing. refrigerate until ready to serve.
just before serving, remove cheesecakes from refrigerator and remove paper liners. bring a small saucepan to medium heat, add berries, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest. heat slowly, squishing some berries with the back of a spoon. once the berries have released about half of their juices, add remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest. spoon compote over chilled cheesecakes, top with sliced almonds and serve.
whenever I make something and take my first bite, the sentence I utter usually starts with "next time, I'll ___". we're all our own biggest critic, right? to be honest, I can think of few instances in which I didn't find something I wished I'd done differently. these cheesecakes currently top my don't-you-dare-touch-this-recipe-it's-perfect list.
berry compote-topped mini cheesecakes
adapted from here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 25 minutes | yields: 6 cupcake-sized cheesecakes
ingredients
for the graham cracker crusts
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
for the mini cheesecakes
1 (8 ounce) package light/reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature
for the berry compote
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, anything goes!)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
directions
preheat oven to 325 degrees F. grease a 6 cup muffin pan, or line with paper cupcake liners.
in a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter with a fork until combined. measure a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing down firmly. bake for 5 minutes, then remove to cool.
while the mini crusts cool slightly, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy. mix in the egg and whisk until smooth.
pour the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups, filling each until 3/4 full. bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes. cool completely in pan before removing. refrigerate until ready to serve.
just before serving, remove cheesecakes from refrigerator and remove paper liners. bring a small saucepan to medium heat, add berries, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest. heat slowly, squishing some berries with the back of a spoon. once the berries have released about half of their juices, add remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest. spoon compote over chilled cheesecakes, top with sliced almonds and serve.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
black bean & quinoa burgers
I try to mix it up, and aim to prepare one vegetarian meal per week. most weeks, its easier to just use meat when I fail to plan ahead. the grill has been getting w.e.r.k.e.d since the weather's been so nice, and these feel grilled without having to use up any more propane. these were surprisingly easy, really quick, are high in keep-ya-full protein, and came together just like normal burgers would have. I have a feeling they'll be added to the rotation 'round here.
black bean & quinoa burgers
adapted from here and here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 12 minutes | yields: 4 decent-sized burgers
ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup Trader Joe's broccoli slaw (could use grated carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, or even coleslaw)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (here's how I made my own!)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder blend (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 whole wheat english muffins, bread slices, or burger buns
directions
prepare quinoa according to package instructions. if the package gives a range of minutes, use the shorter time period, as the quinoa will cook a bit more once its part of the burger.
pulse broccoli slaw in food processor into 1/8-1/4 inch bits.
in a medium bowl, give the beans a rough mash with a fork, leaving some beans whole. mix in quinoa, broccoli slaw, bread crumbs, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and egg. mix with your hands, and score a + sign across the top. separate the mixture along the lines you've 'drawn', and pack into 4 similarly-sized patties.
heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. once oil is hot, gently drop in patties, cooking for approximately 5 minutes per side. just before flipping, spray/brush/drizzle a little oil on the uncooked side to protect it from sticking to the pan and to help it crisp up the 'meat'.
serve on toasted english muffin, topped with your favorite burger ingredients. store in refrigerator, wrapped in foil. these reheat just fine, but do dry out a little bit. I recommend frying up an egg to top your leftover burger to give it a little extra moisture.
note to self (08.28.2012): don't try to up the moisture levels by adding liquid to the dried breadcrumbs and letting 'em soak...the burgers'll fall apart and you'll have to put 'em over a giant salad and top them with ranch dressing and Kinder's barbeque sauce and a fried egg, which isn't so bad, but still.
black bean & quinoa burgers
adapted from here and here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 12 minutes | yields: 4 decent-sized burgers
ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup Trader Joe's broccoli slaw (could use grated carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, or even coleslaw)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (here's how I made my own!)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder blend (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 whole wheat english muffins, bread slices, or burger buns
directions
prepare quinoa according to package instructions. if the package gives a range of minutes, use the shorter time period, as the quinoa will cook a bit more once its part of the burger.
pulse broccoli slaw in food processor into 1/8-1/4 inch bits.
in a medium bowl, give the beans a rough mash with a fork, leaving some beans whole. mix in quinoa, broccoli slaw, bread crumbs, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and egg. mix with your hands, and score a + sign across the top. separate the mixture along the lines you've 'drawn', and pack into 4 similarly-sized patties.
heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. once oil is hot, gently drop in patties, cooking for approximately 5 minutes per side. just before flipping, spray/brush/drizzle a little oil on the uncooked side to protect it from sticking to the pan and to help it crisp up the 'meat'.
serve on toasted english muffin, topped with your favorite burger ingredients. store in refrigerator, wrapped in foil. these reheat just fine, but do dry out a little bit. I recommend frying up an egg to top your leftover burger to give it a little extra moisture.
note to self (08.28.2012): don't try to up the moisture levels by adding liquid to the dried breadcrumbs and letting 'em soak...the burgers'll fall apart and you'll have to put 'em over a giant salad and top them with ranch dressing and Kinder's barbeque sauce and a fried egg, which isn't so bad, but still.
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