Butter Chicken

From "Indian Instant Pot Cookbook" by Urvashi Pitre

To make this vegetarian or vegan, add 1/4 cup of water or stock instead of chicken on the first cook. After dividing the sauce, add your tofu, other protein, or steamed vegetable of choice. (I've made it with chickpeas and with cauliflower and liked both.)

1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes — do not drain

5 or 6 garlic cloves, minced

1 T minced ginger

1 t ground turmeric

1 t ground cayenne pepper

1 t ground paprika

2 t Garam Masala, divided

1 t ground cumin

1 t salt

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)

4 oz. butter, cubed, or 1/2 cup coconut oil (I used butter at GAW)

1/2 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk (I used cream at GAW)

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the first nine ingredients, reserving 1 teaspoon of Garam Masala, in the InstaPot. Mix thoroughly, then place chicken on top.

Lock lid into place, select Manual, set pressure to High, and cook for 10 minutes. Allow natural release. Remove chicken and set it aside.

Blend ingredients in the pot with an immersion blender or transfer to blender or food processor and blend to smooth sauce.

Add butter, cream, remaining teaspoon of Garam Masala, and cilantro. Stir to incorporate — sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (ed: If you do a lot of Indian cooking and happen to have Amchur [mango] powder, this would be where you'd add a little pinch to brighten things up. I forgot to for GAW, but I have in the past and I like it.)

Remove half the sauce and freeze it or refrigerate for up to three days. (ed: I thought this part of the recipe was bullshit, but it really does make a TON of sauce. For GAW, I doubled the chicken but kept the sauce amount the same, and it was plenty saucy — though the extra juices from the chicken did make it a little runnier.)

Add chicken back to the sauce. If you're doing a vegetarian version, this is where you'd add your precooked protein or veg. Preheat by selecting Sauté and adjust to Less for low heat. Let the chicken heat through — break into smaller pieces if you want, but it shouldn't be shredded. Serve over basmati rice. (ed: If you can get Martin to prepare homemade naan to go with it, you should totally do that.)

That yummy kale salad from GAW

Ok I need this here because yum and then I don’t have to worry about losing the photo Cheese Pusher sent me again...

To try to type it out... with a couple of notes...

4 c kale [washed, ribbed, and torn into bite-size pieces]

4 Tbl olive oil [thats a quarter cup, people]

1/2 Tbl sesame oil

1 Tbl liquid aminos [I subbed in soy sauce after K couldn’t find this at the store]

1 Tbl rice wine vinegar 

1 Tbl lemon juice

4 tsp fresh ginger

Sprinkle salt and pepper 

To paraphrase: Prep kale. Mix rest. Rub liquid into kale. Delicious. 

Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce and Hot Mustard Sauce

This is one of those Chef Jeff recipes from his awesome classes. It was one of the first ones I ever took & YUM!

Egg Rolls 
(makes 14-30 depending on how full you make them)

1 lb. ground pork (or half ground pork and half chopped cooked shrimp)

3 c shredded cabbage + 1/2 c. shredded celery + 1/4 c. shredded carrot OR.... 2 - 1 lb pks Dole classic coleslaw bags

 4-5 med dried black mushrooms [or 1 pkg. dried stir fry mushrooms]

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp white [or black or none] pepper

2 Tbl. green onion, finely sliced

1 tsp five spice powder

1 egg, beaten [I often don't bother & just use a small bowl of water]

 14-30 egg roll skins

 2 c (or so!) vegetable oil for frying

 1. Soak dried mushrooms in very hot water until soft; drain. Squeeze out excess moisture. Remove and discard stem [if very tough]. Cut into thin strips [or small pieces] and set aside.

 2. In mixing bowl, combine pork with cornstarch, soy sauce, and white pepper; mix well and refrigerate for 20 min.

 3. Fill a [very] large sauce pan/pot with water and bring to a boil. Add cabbage/celery/carrots (OR both bags coleslaw mix). Bring to second boil for about 30 seconds, then drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again, squeezing mixture thoroughly to remove any excess water.

 4. Heat wok [or large pan] over high heat; add 1 Tbl. oil, then tilt to coat sides.

 5. Add pork and stir fry 2 [to 5] min until no longer pink. Add mushrooms and stir fry 1 min. Stir in cabbage mixture along with shrimp [if using], green onions, five spice powder, and salt. Mix well; remove from heat and refrigerate. [If you don't want to deal with a huge pan, you can cook the pork & etc. then mix into the cabbage mixture in a large bowl.]

 6. Lay out the egg roll skins and separate mixture evenly amongst them. [Or do one at a time and deal with it if you end up with extra egg roll skins.].  Roll the egg rolls according to package instructions, substituting beaten egg [or just water] for paste to seal. Cover egg rolls with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

7. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a wok [or large, deep pan] to 350F.

8. Carefully place up to 4 egg rolls in the oil at a time and fry, turning 2-3 times until golden brown; remove them from the oil and place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

 9. Serve immediately with hot mustard and/or sweet and sour sauce if desired.


 Sweet and Sour Sauce

One 6-oz. can pineapple juice
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbl. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tsp. cornstarch

In a small saucepan, combine 2 Tbl. pineapple juice with cornstarch and mix until smooth.
Add remaining pineapple juice, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar. Bring to boil and allow to simmer for 30 seconds or so; remove from heat, cover and set aside.


 Hot Mustard Sauce

1/4 c. Dijon mustard
2 Tbl. honey
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

 Combine all and mix well.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I was reading Amalah the other day, and she mentioned one of her kids chowing down on the Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps they sometimes make... and usually gave to their kids on noodles or rice. I thought they sounded great, so I made 'em.  Now, we don't do spicy*, so I was the only one who ate the meat stuff as written, but Mr. Kluges enjoyed his plain cooked turkey wraps with a sprinkle of rice vinegar and some Chinese 5 Spice Powder, and declared them yum.  I added carrot ribbons (peel your carrot as usual, then just keep attacking it with the peeler - viola! Carrot ribbons!) to the mix both for color and the additional vegetable and would totally do so every time.  My girls decided that carrot ribbons wrapped around fresh mint leaves were da bomb, so you know, whatever.  We had these with a side of soba noodles, too. Also, these are really a hot weather food, so plan for them on a summer day, not this rainy, cold crap we're having here today.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
(via Epicurious via Amalah)
Serves 4

1 Tbl. peanut oil [I just used olive oil.]
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/4 lb. lean ground turkey
1/2 c. purchased Asian peanut sauce
1 Tbl. hoisin sauce
1 Tbl. soy sauce, plus additional for dipping
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped (about 1 1/4 c.)
1/3 c. coarsely chopped fresh mint plus 1/3 c. small mint sprigs
[optional, but yummy - 2-3 carrots turned into carrot ribbons]
12 large butter lettuce leaves [or any large lettuce leaf - maybe even cabbage???]

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.  Add turkey and saute until brown [but not very brown, 'cuz burnt ground turkey is dry and crunchy and yucky] and cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 7 minutes.  Add peanut sauce, hoisin sauce and 1 Tbl. soy sauce; heat through. (Can be made 8 hours ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.  Reheat in microwave or skillet, adding water by tablespoonfuls to moisten if necessary, before continuing.) Stir in cucumber and chopped mint (I skipped adding this mint.). Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer turkey mixture to medium bowl.  Place mint sprigs and lettuce leaves on platter. To make wraps, spoon turkey mixture onto lettuce leaf, add a few mint sprigs (I preferred mine w/o the mint), [add optional carrot ribbons, too], fold in sides over filling, and roll up.  Pass additional soy sauce alongside wraps for dipping.


 *and by "don't do spicy," I mean I adventurously mix some medium salsa in with my mild, so you know, YOU might want to spice yours up a bit!

Tandoori Chicken

Here's the first of the two recipes I promised from GAW. (This one is easier, because it's from Emeril on foodnetwork.com. I'll try to get to the palak paneer in the next day or two.)


Four bone-in chicken legs with thighs, or eight thighs, skin removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 tablespoon paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

With a fork, prick holes in the chicken pieces. Using a knife, cut diagonal slices 1-inch apart, and 1/2-inch deep into the larger pieces. Place the chicken in a baking dish.

In a food processor, combine the oil, onion, garlic, ginger and pepper, and process on high speed to a paste. Add the spices and process until well blended. Add the yogurt and lemon juice, and process to a smooth sauce, scraping down the sides to combine all the ingredients. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Turn to coat evenly, rubbing the marinade into the holes and slits. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Grill or bake in a preheated 425 degrees F oven on a baking sheet for 35 minutes.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

After making the Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken recipe from over at A Year of Slow Cooking, it was where I went when I was looking for a new chicken crockpot recipe. I decided to try the Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe and it was yummy! Head over there for her original post with pictures and all, but here's the basics with my comments.


I cooked up the chicken, mixed up the sauce & threw it all in the slowcooker in the early afternoon, but if you were going to be away from home all day and wanted to make this, I think you could easily cook up the chicken the night before (while doing other stuff since it doesn't take a whole lot of attention, but a fair amount of time, esp. if doing it in batches) and mix up the sauce, too. Refrigerate them separately overnight, then throw in the crockpot together in the morning on low.


1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks (Since the taste is so covered up, I used the IQF kind in a bag & did the whole 3 lbs.)
1/2 cup flour (or more)
olive oil, for browning the chicken
kosher salt - she calls for 1 Tbl., but I found 1/2 tsp. plenty for us, maybe because if the IQF chicken.
6 ounces (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup

1. Dredge the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off the excess. Toss the leftover, chicken-germy flour. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken on all sides. There is no need to fully cook it, just sear it enough for the flour to stick and get a nice coating. Doing more chicken, I ended up doing this is several batches. Since my girls don't much like things all mixed together, the last batch I cooked thoroughly & set aside for them to be plain.

2. Plop the chicken pieces into your slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss gingerly to coat. I found her recipe as is to be enough for the 2 or 2 1/2 lbs of chicken pieces I put in with it.

3. She says to cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4, but I found that since I'd already mostly cooked the chicken, I don't think it would necessarily need that long. I think I did 3 hours on high because I threw it together in early afternoon.

Serve over white or brown rice or couscous. I microwaved a bag of Asian-style vegetables to go with it that the girls ate separately (sense a theme here?), but I stirred in with the chicken & sauce.

Wednesday Fun 109- Kings review

Need Bibimbap, Sushi, and to sing some Karaoke? Well then you need King's. When Pusher and I got back from visiting Diplowhat and Wog in Korea we set out to find a good place in the cities to get Dolsot Bibimbap (Pusher was hooked). Well after some passable places we found King's... in a stripmall just off Central Avenue.

Now if you aren't familiar with Korean food it's largely grilled meats and stews... in Korea there are actually either gas ranges or a hole for a charcoal grill in the tables where you cook your own meat. They are rich and complex full dishes and on the side there is always a number of Kimchi. Traditional/basic Kimchi is cabbage based and fermented (like sourkraut) with red pepper, but there are all different kinds made with seaweed, sprouts, daikan, or even fish. King's doesn't let you cook your own meat at the table (I suspect the insurance here would be insane) but otherwise you get the experience quite well.

The servers were also quite impressed with Diplowhat and Wog speaking Korean.

King's also has Sushi, which I don't think is traditional but may be related to the long occupation of Korea by the Japanese (I understand this isn't a good light topic of conversation with Koreans as they, quite rightly, have some resentment about being occupied). We have other places that we go for Sushi so have only had it once or twice but it was very good.

Of course after 9pm it turns into a nightclub. From what I've heard it is one of the hip places to go for Karaoke. That's not really my scene but the set up looked impressive.

Then of course there is Dolsot Bibimbap, I'll let Pusher explain Bibimbap since she loves it so...

Crisp-Fried Vegetables (or Fish) with Hot & Sweet Dipping Sauce aka Vegetable Tempura

Mr. Kluges requested this recipe the other day, and then proceeded to be the chef that night. He even asked for fresh fish to do with it, and put it in the batter & cooked it in the oil after he was done with the vegetables and it was DELICIOUS! And I don't tend to like fish.

So if you're craving some yummy veggies, these are it. I'm totally going to have to remember this recipe for those times when we end up with a lot of small amounts of assorted vegetables from the CSA... This could also be a good appetizer, but you've got to let them cool enough you don't burn yourself, but still have them nice and hot. But if you're having one of those get-togethers where everybody is in the kitchen anyway, they can just eat them as they come out of the pan and cool a tish!

Crisp-Fried Vegetables (Or Fish)
with Hot & Sweet Dipping Sauce
(aka Vegetable Tempura)

From Classic Vegetarian Recipes.
Serves 4.

vegetable oil, for deep-frying
500 g / 1 lb. 2 oz. selection of vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli (yum), mushrooms (my fav!), courgettes (zucchini), bell peppers, and baby sweetcorn cobs, cut into even sized pieces. [Green beans and onions are also yummy.]

Batter:
125 g / 4.5 oz / 1 c. plain (all-purpose) flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. caster (superfine, but reg is ok) sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
3 Tbl. vegetable oil
200 ml / 7 fl. oz. / scant 1 c. warm water

Sauce: [Also good on plain brown rice]
6 Tbl. light malt vinegar
2 Tbl. Thai fish sauce or light soy sauce
2 Tbl. water
1 Tbl. soft brown sugar
salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp. grated ginger root
2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped finely [we skip]
2 Tbl. chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

1. To make the batter, sift the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the oil and most of the water. Whisk together to make a smooth batter, adding extra water to give it the consistency of single (light) cream. Chill for 20-30 min.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the vinegar, fish sauce or soy sauce, water, sugar and a pinch of salt until boiling. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

3. Mix together the garlic, ginger, chillies and coriander (cilantro) in a small serving bowl. Add the cooled vinegar mixture and stir together.

4. Heat the vegetable oil for deep-frying in a wok or deep-fryer. [We use a dutch oven or large skillet.] Dip the prepared vegetable in the batter and fry them, a few at a time, until crisp and golden - about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

5. Serve the vegetables accompanied by the dipping sauce.

Crockpot- Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce

THAI PORK w/ PEANUT SAUCE 

Cooker size: Medium round or oval crockpot
Setting & Cook Time: LOW for 8-9 hours

One 2-pound boneless pork loin, trimmed of fat and cut into 4 pieces
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1/2 cup prepared teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to your taste, I always add a bit more than this, we like spicy)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

For Serving:
1/2 cup chopped green onions (white part and some of the green)
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
2 limes, cut to make 8-12 wedges

1. Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Put the pork, bell peppers, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and garlic in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until pork is fork tender, 8 to 9 hours

2. Remove pork from cooker and coarsely chop. Add the peanut butter to the liquid in the cooker; stir well to dissolve the peanut butter and blend with the liquid to make the sauce. **I also added a touch of honey.** Return the pork to the sauce and toss to coat the meat evenly.

3. Serve in shallow bowls over hot jasmine rice and sprinkle each serving with some of the green onions and peanuts; pass the lime wedges.

** I would recommend also serving with some stir fried veggies (maybe bell peppers and snow peas)

**You could also substitute chicken breasts in this recipe

Miso & Cucumber

Sorry I don't post much anymore. Lack of food stuffs that are safe or that you know and lack of appliances make it hard. But, here's a snack you might enjoy - and it's healthy.

Miso (soybean paste) and cucumbers. You should be able to buy miso at any Asian grocery store or maybe even Trader Joes. This is a popular Japanese snack food, especially with beer. I suggest using the miso that isn't totally paste yet, but has some bean left in it.

Use large chunks of peeled cucumber, about 1" or more in length, add a small drop of miso on top (about 1/2 to 1 tsp) and enjoy. It is crunchy, salty, and very good on the health scale (except for the salt content.)

Next time I go to our favorite Japanese place, I'll try to remember to take a picture for you so you can see the pretty presentation.

Separate note: some friends also like to use the miso as a dip for carrots etc. However, I think the water content of the cucumber is better suited with miso.

CSA Week 5 & Asian-Style Sesame Saute

A big box this week! I think I might end up blanching and freezing some of the peas because there is so much to get through this week. We're also excited to have the first of our mushroom share - yum, portabellas! Already cooked up the Asian saute mix with a recipe from the farm's newsletter. Quick and easy and yummy enough to post, I'd say.


Asian-Style Sesame Saute
Serves 3-4 as a vegetable side.

1 bag (8 oz.) saute mix - I have NO idea what was all in here, but you could do spinach, bok choi, etc.
1/4 c. onion, diced (I skipped this since the girls aren't big on onions.)
2-3 garlic scapes, minced (You could sub a clove of garlic.)
1/8 c. toasted sesame seeds*
1 T. vinegar (I used seasoned rice vinegar.)
2 T. tamari (or other soy sauce)
freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet to moderate heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add the saute mix (or whatever greens you're using) and saute until just wilted. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar, tamari, and pepper. Add sesame seeds, toss, and serve. You may need to adjust the seasons to taste.

*To toast regular sesame seeds, heat a dry (no oil) pan, and cook the sesame seeds in it until light brown, shaking and/or stirring fairly often.

Peppered Tuna Skewers

Okay, tuna probably isn't the best choice for a fish/seafood newbie since it's not exactly subtle. But I have this recipe on hand, so this is the one you get first. It's from epicurious.com. I've served it as an appetizer for weekly dinner a couple times. It comes together really quickly and it's always gone over very well.

Peppered Tuna Skewers with Wasabi Mayo

2 Tablespoons wasabi powder
1-1/2 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 lb. tuna steak
2-1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Fresh ground black pepper

Pickled ginger

Combine wasabi and water to make a paste. Add mayo and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. It takes this long for the wasabi flavor to come through — an early taste-test will not give you an accurate idea of the flavor. Marinate tuna in soy sauce for the same 30 minutes. While that part is sitting, thread pickled ginger onto short skewers (I just use heavy-duty toothpicks). The original recipe suggests serving on a bed of watercress for pretty.

After the 30 minutes are up, drain the soy sauce from the tuna and pat the tuna dry with a paper towel. Add pepper to tuna. Heat vegetable oil over a medium-high flame until shimmery, and quickly sear tuna (about 2 minutes on each side for a good, 1-2" thick tuna steak — you want it to be rare in the center). Remove from heat, carefully cut into 3/4" cubes (the tuna will want to flake into its own shape, particularly the parts that are the most cooked) and add to ginger skewers.

Serve with wasabi mayo dipping sauce.

Note: You will have lots of extra sauce. I've used it up as another fish dish. Take filets of whatever fish you like and place them in an oiled baking pan. Spread wasabi mayo over the top in a thin layer, then sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs/panko/crackers/whatever over that. Bake. (I refer to Joy for baking time/temp for whatever type of fish I'm using. If it's a thinner, lighter filet, you may need to switch it over to broil for the last couple minutes to get the top nice and crunchy.)

Sichuan-Style Stir-Fried Chicken with Peanuts

This yummy recipe is from Cooking Light magazine, the March 2002 edition. I think it actually tastes like something you'd get at a Chinese restaurant. We like broccoli, so I often add some of that, too.

Marinade:
2 Tbl. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbl. rice wine or sake
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Stir-frying oil:
2 Tbl. vegetable oil, divided

Sauce:
1/2 c. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbl. sugar
2 1/2 Tbl. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbl. rice wine or sake
1 Tbl. Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
2 Tbl. minced green onions
1 1/2 Tb. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 Tbl. minced garlic (about 7 cloves)
1 tsp. chile paste with garlic

Remaining ingredients:
1 1/2 c. drained, sliced water chestnuts
1 c. (1/2 inch) sliced green onion tops
3/4 c. unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
6 c. hot cooked long-grain rice

1. To prepare marinade, combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, cover and chill 20 minutes.

2. Heat 1 Tbl. vegetable oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture; stir-fry 4 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove pan; set aside.

3. To prepare sauce, combine broth and next 6 ingredients (broth through 1 tsp. sesame oil); stir well with a whisk. Heat 1 Tbl. vegetable oil in pan. Add 2 Tbl. green onions, ginger, garlic, and chile paste; stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add broth mixture; cook 1 minute or until thick; stirring constantly.

4. Stir in cooked chicken, water chestnuts, green onion tops, and peanuts; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 c. stir-fry and 1 c. rice).
CALORIES: 590 (25% from fat); FAT 16.7 g (sat 2.7 g, mono 6.8g, poly 6g); PROTEIN 36.9g; CARBS 71.4g; FIBER 3.3g; CHOL 66 mg; IRON 3.8mg; SODIUM 591 mg; CALC 75 mg.