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.