20110420 Curry Rice with Smoked Chicken

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recepten - Kruidige rijst met zalm en ei)

I wanted to follow the original receipe and make curry rice with smoked salmon, but I was very sure my husband would not even touch the dish. So I replaced the smoked salmon with smoked chicken instead. I expected the flavor to be richer because of the yummy yellow color. But for a 20-minute quick dinner, this is good!

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium leeks, cut into rings
1 tbsp curry powder
750ml chicken stock
180g smoked chicken, cut into small cubes
handful of parsley, roughly chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, quartered

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the leeks over medum heat for about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and fry until fragrant. Add the rice and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then lower the heat to simmer with a lid on for about 15 minutes. If the rice is still a bit hard after the liquid has been absorbed, add a bit more stock.

2. Add the smoked chicken and parsley, and heat through. Serve with eggs and some chopped parsley.

20110418 Tamatar Chaaman (Paneer in Thick Tomato Sauce)

(SOURCE: Indian Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant - Tamatar Chaaman)

This dish is from Jammu and Kashmir. Last time when I fried the paneer for my palak paneer dish, it was quite a disaster as the paneer cubes were broken and they stuck a bit to the pan. So this time I used more oil and waited till the oil was piping hot before putting the paneer in. The paneer fried beautifully, but I think I fried them too long as they were a little too hard. Next time will be better!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
250g paneer, cut into small cubes
2 cloves
1 tsp cardamom
1 cinnamon sticks
350g pureed tomatoes
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
salt
some coriander leaves,  for garnish

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the paneer and fry golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Add the whole spices to the pan and stir fry for about 1 minute.
2. Add the pureed tomatoes to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated. Pour in 1/2 cup hot water togehter with all the ground spices, except the garam masala, and season with salt. Bring to the boil and add the paneer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle over the garam masala and stir gently, then simmer for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

20110418 Chicken Tikka Masala

(SOURCE: BigOven.com - Chicken Tikka Masala recipe)

I am in love with the tandoori masala spices, so have replaced the spices in the original recipe with 3 rounded tablespoons of tandoori masala spices. I found the sauce a little too sour, so I seasoned it with some more sugar. Remember the sauce would taste so much richer after adding the chicken, so don't go too crazy on the seasoning. This is my favorite Indian dish so far, and second comes the Butter Chicken v2!

INGREDIENTS
For the chicken tikka -
800g chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 tsp salt
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
3 tbsp tandoori masala spices
dash of lemon juice
For the masala sauce -
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp garam masala
750g crushed tomatoes
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 cup heavy cream
roughly chopped coriander leaves

METHOD
1. In a Ziploc bag, combine all the ingredients for the chicken tikka and mix them well so chicken cubes are well coated. Refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until light golen. Add garlic, ginger, chilli, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook until fragrant. Add crushed tomates, sugar, turmeric, and salt. Bring to the boil, and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with spices and salt and pepper.
3. In the meantime, cook the chicken cubes (they should be coated with thick layer of yoghurt) in a preheated oven of 230 degree C for 5 to 9 minutes. Flip them, and bake for another 5 to 9 minutes until the exterior is lightly charred in spots. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
4. While the chicken is resting, stir cream into the sauce and simmer over low heat. Stir the chicken into the sauce, and remove from heat. Stir in coriander leaves, and serve over rice.

20110416 Beef Enchiladas

(SOURCE: BigOven.com - Enchilada Casserole)

I modified the recipe quite a bit to make the enchilada filling a bit more cheesy and a bit more spicy and a bit less beefy. Oh man, is this dish filling or what?! I should have known as refried beans could be so filling. Next time I may halve the refried beans, and add a spoonful of fresh guacamole to each enchilada instead. And maybe a dash of lime juice and some roughly chopped coriander leaves too. Note to self - next time I should cut the enchiladas into halves to make a nicer picture!

INGREDIENTS
500g ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
410g can refried beans
salt and pepper
chilli powder
tobasco sauce
1 tbsp sunflower oil
6 corn tortillas
1 tomato, diced
100g grated cheese
For the cheese sauce -
200g grated cheese
45g butter
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
tabasco sauce
2 cups milk
420g taco sauce

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 175 degree C. In a large pan, brown the onion and beef, then stir in refried bean and season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat mixture over low heat for about 10 minutes. Season with chilli powder and tobasco sauce.
2. In the meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter then blend in flour and seasonings. Cook over low heat till smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and taco sauce. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Add tobasco and cheese, and stir until cheese melts. Set aside.
3. Set up an assembly line for enchiladas: a skillet warming a corn tortilla, the pan of meat mixture, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, a lightly greased casserole dish.
4. Warm up each tortilla in the skillet over low heat. On each warmed tortilla, spoon the meat mixture in the middle, top with some diced tomatoes, and sprinkle with some grated cheese. Roll it up tightly, and place rolled tortilla - seam down - in the casserole dish.
5. When all the tortillas are lined up in the casserole dish, pour cheese sauce over the top. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.

20110415 Pasta Casserole with Mozzarella

(SOURCE: Koken & Genieten Magazine - Pastaschotel met mozzarella)

We were not crazy about this dish as it was quite bland. It was not bad at all, but we just like strong flavored dishes better. I think I like to serve mozzarella with slices of tomatoes and fresh basil leaves than to use it for pasta dishes. In my opinion, parmesan or cheddar simply goes better with pasta or casserole dishes.

INGREDIENTS
250g tagliatelle, cooked and drained
salt and pepper
500g broccoli, cut into small florets, cooked and drained
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
150g thick slice of ham, cut into blocks
3 eggs
375ml milk
50g dried tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
200g mozzarella, sliced

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 175 degree C. In a small bowl, beat the milk and eggs together. Add the dried tomatoes and oregano to the bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Toss the pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, and ham in a lightly greased casserole dish. Pour the egg mixture all over. Cover the dish with foil, and bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
3. Top the casserole with sliced mozzarella, and bake it in the oven uncovered for about 25 to 35 minutes, until piping hot.

20110415 Carrot and Sweet Corn Congee

I have been staying home for two days fighting a recurring headache, so I made a huge pot of typical Chinese comfort food - congee! - using ingredients I can find in the fridge and cupboard. Last time when I was unwell, I whipped up the same congee too. I wonder why I seem to always have some carrots and sweet corns at home. This time I simply scrapped the vegetable oil, and replaced the chicken stock cubes with vegetable ones and dried parsley with a handful of freshly chopped parsley.

20110413 Tomato and Crispy Crumb Chicken

(SOURCE: GoodFood Magazine - Tomato and crispy crumb chicken)

I was lazy and used ready-made breadcrumbs instead, which made the chicken not very crispy. I still really liked the tomato coat and it went well with the simple mashed potato and cooked spinach I served it with. But my husband didn't like the taste of balsamic vinegar - another one to add to his already very long list of food he dislikes, sigh.

INGREDIENTS
3 chicken breasts, split and opened out
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp tomato puree
handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 170 degree C. In a bowl, the breadcrumbs with the dried herbs. In another bowl, mix the tomatoes with the garlic, vinegar, basil leaves, and puree.
2. Put the chicken in a lightly greased ovenproof dish. Spread the tomato mixture over the chicken, sprinkle with the crumbs and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until tender.

20110412 Beef and Lentil Stew with Tarragon

(SOURCE: TastyKitchen - Beef and lentil stew with tarragon)

The sauce tasted really good, but I found the beef not soft enough. I like my beef so soft that it simply melts in my mouth, and this one just didn't do. So next time I may stew the beef for 60 to 90 minutes first, and then add the lentils and simmer for another 45 minutes.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp oil
1 whole onion, chopped
750g beef, cut into cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
240g carrots, sliced into thin rounds
4 whole celery sticks, chopped
1 cup dried red lentils
800g can crushed tomatoes
1L beef stock
1 cup red wine
3 whole bay leaves
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried tarragon
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute the onions, then add the beef and garlic. Brown the meat, stirring regularly.
2. Add the carrots, celery, lentils, tomatoes, beef stock, wine, bay leaves, thyme, cayenne pepper, and salt.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

20110410 Tuscan Chicken in Tomato Sauce

(SOURCE: Koken & Genieten Magazine - Toscaanse kip in tomatensaus)

The tomatoes I used were not ripe enough, though they looked so red and yummy. So the sauce tasted a bit sour, which was a pleasant surprise on a warm spring evening. This went so well with some fresh and crunchy garlic bread. I may use skinned roma tomatoes next time if I want a softer and sweeter sauce.

INGREDIENTS
800g chicken fillet
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
paprika powder
4 onions, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1kg ripe tomatoes, cut into large chunks
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tomatopuree
4 tbsp balsamico vinegar
50g parmesan cheese
4 tbsp pinenuts
basil leaves, roughly chopped

METHOD
1. Dab the chicken dry and cut the big pieces into go. Heat the oil in a pan, and brown and seal the chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika powder. Remove chicken from the pan, and set aside.
2. Add the onions and garlic into the pan. Add the sugar and tomato puree, and fry briefly. Add the tomatoes and balsamico vinegar, and season well with salt, pepper, and paprika powder.
3. Lay the chicken in a casserole dish, then pour the sauce all over it. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. Garnish with the basil leaves and serve.

20110406 Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

(SOURCE: GoodFood Magazine - Chicken & broccoli pasta bake)

I found the combination of Boursin and sundried tomato paste a bit odd, but I tried it anyways as recipes from the GoodFood Magazine rarely fail. And this was really good. The sauce was very special. And the spring onion/almond topping was new to me and it gave the dish a unique character.

INGREDIENTS
250g pasta, cooked and drained
300g broccoli, cut into very small florets and the stems thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
350g chicken breasts, thinly sliced
200g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
4 tbsp sundried tomato paste
80g Boursin
280ml single cream
For the topping -
bunch of spring onions, finely sliced
100g grated cheese
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
50g flaked almonds

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degree C. Bring a pan of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Drain well, and set asidee.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pan, add the chicken pieces and fry until lightly browned. Tip in the mushrooms and stir fry for a minute, then stir in the tomato paste, cheese and cream. Gently simmer, stirring, until the cheese has melted to thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the sauce over the pasta, stirring gently until coated, then tip into a shallow ovenproof dish and level the top.
4. Mix the spring onions, cheese, garlic and almonds for the topping and sprinkle over the pasta. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

20110403 Lemon Quark Cheesecake

(SOURCE: BBC GoodFood Magazine - Lemon quark cheesecake)

I labelled this "baked goods" but this is actually a no-bake cheesecake. This weekend has been so sunny and warm, so I wanted something lemon-y and lighter. As I wanted to make more cheesecake, this lemon quark cheesecake is the perfect choice. The base is a little too thin so I may double the digestive biscuits and butter next time. Note that this cheesecake is quite sour. I may make them into separate cocktail glasses for a hot summer barbeque party!

INGREDIENTS
80g digestive biscuits
50g melted buttter
200g soft cheese
500g quark
200g icing sugar
zest of 2 lemons, juice of 3
4 gelatine sheets

METHOD
1. Crush the digestive biscuits and mix with the melted buter. Press into the base of a 20cm springform tin. Chill to firm for about 5 minutes.
2. Whisk the soft cheese with the quark and icing sugar, then fold through the lemon zest.
3. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water, then melt in the lemon juice over a low heat. Beat into the cheese mix, then spoon on top of the biscuit base. Chill until set.

20110403 Bohri Chicken (Mild-tasting Chicken)

(SOURCE: Indian: Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant - Bohri Chicken)

This was not good, especially when this was accompanied by the yummy palak paneer dish. When I cook Indian food, I expect the food to be so fragrant and flavorful - that's what all Indian food is like at local Indian restaurants or take-aways, right? This dish was just...different. When I read the recipe, I was a bit doubtful about the special cooking method. But hey, cooking is all about experimenting, right? The spice paste smelled so strong, but the chicken was disappointingly - as the recipe said - mild tasting. I guess, at least I tried.

INGREDIENTS
1kg chicken drumsticks, pricked all over with a fork
1 tbsp lime juice
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup double cream, lighly whipped
3 tbsp oil
salt
For the spice paste - 
3 onions, chopped
2.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 galic clove, chopped
handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
2 tsp dried mint

METHOD
1. To make the spice paste, put all the ingredients in a blender and process. Add a little water if necessary to make a paste. In a bowl, mix half the spice paste with the lime juice. Set the remaining spice paste aside.
2. Rub the spice paste/lime juice mixture over the chicken, then cover and set aside in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
3. Place the marinated chicken pieces into a large pan, spread the remaining ground paste on top of the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Pour the cream over the top and add the oil around the sides of the chicken. Cover and seal with foil to make it tight fitting. Cook over low heat for about 40 to 60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

20110403 Palak Paneer (Spinach with Paneer)

I love palak paneer. At our favorite Indian restaurant in The Hague, palak paneer comes with every menu and I always cleared the dish. So I thought I would give this a try myself. I found so many different palak paneer recipes. As I was feeling adventurous, I decided to modify them and make one of my own. Okay, the dish looked a bit more orange-y and tasted a little more tomato-y than the one from the restaurant. But who cares, because this tasted pretty darn good! Next time I may make a bigger portion and simply serve it with plain basmati rice.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp ginger paste
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small onion, pureed
100g chopped tomatoes, pureed
100ml creme fraiche
salt
280g frozen pureed spinach, thawed
150g paneer, cubed

METHOD
1. Heat enough oil in a pan to slightly deep fry paneer for about half a minute. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds, turmeric, red chilli powder, ginger, and red chilli, and fry until fragrant. Add pureed onion and tomato, and cook until they become a soft paste.
3. Stir in the spinach puree. Add the creme fraiche, and season with salt. Simmer for about 7 minutes with lid on. Add paneer, and cook for a few minutes until heated through.

20110402 Aloo ke Gutake (Potatoes Tempered with Cumin)

(SOURCE: Indian Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant - Aloo kee Gutake)

This is from Uttarakhand, the Land of Gods. This dish didn't really taste very Indian to me because of the mild flavor. But it is very easy to make and is a perfect side dish for a pork chop or stuffed chicken.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of ground turmeric
500g potato wedges
salt

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat, then reduce the heat. Add the cumin seeds and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the turmeric and immediately afterwards the potato wedges. Stir well and sprinkle over a very little amount of water just to make them damp.
2. Season with salt, then reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Garnish with chopped coriander.

20110402 Chicken Stuffed with Bousin Wrapped with Parma Ham

I made several stuffed chicken dishes before, so I thought I would make up my own recipe this time. I was a bit worried that the combination of Bousin and parma ham might be a little too strong, but the rocket and basil leaves did a great job bringing a refreshing flavor to this dish.


INGREDIENTS
2 chicken breasts
80g Bousin
handful of rocket leaves, roughly chopped
8 to 10 basil leaves
4 slices of parma ham
freshly ground 4-season pepper

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 180 degree C. Lightly grease a shallow casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix the Bousin with the rocket leaves.
2. Butterfly the chicken breasts. Spread the Bousin mixture in the central area and fold over the chicken. Lay the basil leaves on the chicken breasts, and wrap each of them with two slices of parma ham.
3. Lightly grease the chicken breasts and lay them in the shallow casserole dish. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.