Zucchini Curry Recipe...

2 small zucchinis/1 medium-sized zucchini- diced into quarters (do not peel off the skin- it helps prevent the dish from turning mushy)


For curry paste (makes 1 cup approx.)
1 small red onion
2 tomatoes
2 small cloves garlic
1 stick cinnamon, 2 cloves garlic, 1 bayleaf- all toasted
3 tablespoons dry grated coconut- toasted
1 tsp coriander seeds- toasted
1 tsp cumin seeds- toasted
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp oil


For the tempering
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1 pinch of asafoetida


1. Toast all the dry ingredients for the curry paste first.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and garlic and saute till translucent.
3. Next add the tomatoes and saute for 5-7 minutes.
4. Let cool and then combine all the ingredients mentioned above for the curry paste and put them thru a blender to make a smooth paste. Set aside (this curry paste can be used for other dishes too- if refrigerated it stays good for atleast 5 days)
5. Heat oil again, add the cumin seeds and after they splutter, add turmeric, asafoetida and the curry paste.
6. Saute for 5 minutes then add the zucchini and salt to taste.
7. Cover and let cook- do not add any water since the zucchini itself releases water.
8. Stir occasionally and when it feels that the zucchini is cooked, remove from heat, garnish with cilantro and serve with rotis.

Penne with Veggies and Feta Cheese

• 1/3 cup Crisco® 100 % Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Crisco® Olive Oil No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes
• 1 (2 1/4 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 4 slices
• 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into quarters
• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into quarters
• 2 portobello mushroom caps
• 1/2 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente, drained
• 1 (4 oz.) container crumbled feta cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
• DRESSING
• 1/4 cup Crisco® 100 % Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. 1.
   COMBINE olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a resealable food storage bag. Add chicken. Marinate 30 minutes. Heat grill.


2. 2.
   COAT medium skillet with no-stick cooking spray. Heat to medium high heat. Add garlic; stir about 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes and olives. Cook over medium heat 4 to 5 mintues. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.


3. 3.
   REMOVE chicken from mariande. Season with salt and pepper. Discard marinade. Spray all sides of zucchini, red and yellow peppers and portobello mushrooms with no-stick cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.


4. 4.
   PLACE chicken and vegetables on hot grill. Cook 5 minutes per side or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender. Slice chicken on the diagonal in 1/4-inch slices and vegetables into bite-sized pieces.


5. 5.
   TOSS cooked pasta, tomato mixture, grilled chicken, vegetables and feta cheese in a large bowl. Mix olive oil and vinegar. Stir into pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Chicken and Mashed Potato Bowl

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
¾ teaspoon accent salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup milk
oil (for deep frying)
Mashed Potatoes-8 large potatoes (peeled and quartered)
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper (to taste)
½ cup butter
¾ cup milk
2 cans Campbell’s Beef Gravy (heated)
2 cups corn (heated)
1 bag shredded Colby Jack Cheese

Method

Step 1: In a shallow bowl beat together 1 egg and 1 cup of milk. Combine all of the coating ingredients in another shallow bowl, pie plate, or shaker bag and mix well. Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture then into the coat and double dip. Deep fry in batches at 375 degrees until chicken pieces are golden brown and fully cooked. Drain on paper towels.
Step 2: While chicken is frying. To make mashed potatoes: Add potatoes and salt to a large pot and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil potatoes until tender. Drain water and add pepper, butter, and milk. Mash or beat until smooth.
Step 3: To assemble potato bowls- Add a layer of mashed potato onto the bottom of a boil. Top with corn, chicken pieces, gravy and cheese. Divide the ingredients evenly within 4 bowls.
Yield: (4 Servings)

Apricot Chicken Recipe and Red Curry Paste

Ingredients:
4 apricots (stoned and peeled)
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 lime (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 pound chicken breast (cut into bit sized pieces)
6 apricots (stoned and peeled and cut into bite sized pieces)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
1 red chili (sliced)

Directions:
1. Puree the apricots, apricot preserves, fish sauce, lime juice and zest in a food processor.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the red curry paste and saute for a minute.
4. Add the chicken and the apricot sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 6-10 minutes.
5. Add the apricots and simmer for a minute.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
7. Serve on coconut jasmine rice and garnish with sliced red chilies.

Red Curry Paste

adapted from The Big Book of Thai Curries by Vatcharin Bhumichitr

Ingredients:
10 dried red chilies (toasted)
1 kaffir lime (or lime, juice and zest)
4 tablespoons shallots (chopped)
3 tablespoons garlic (chopped)
2 tablespoons galangal (or ginger, chopped)
2 tablespoons lemongrass (peeled, lower 2 inches)
1 tablespoon cilantro root
1 teaspoon white peppercorns (toasted and ground)
2 teaspoons coriander seeds (toasted and ground)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (toasted and ground)
1 tablespoon shrimp paste

Directions:
1. Soak the dried red chilies in the lime juice for 30 minutes.
2. Mash everything with a mortar and pestle or puree everything in a food processor.

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

Portobello mushrooms are a species of champignons. This mushroom tastes real nice and can become a great substitute for meat during Lent. You can make soups with it, cook over a grill and even make barbecue after marinating for just 15 minutes. I was making two kinds of dish from it – no-fast and Lenten

Ingredients
4 Portobello caps
100 gram lentils
1 carrot
150 gram celery root
2 onions
a few cauliflower buds
salt, pepper, nutmeg
a bit of vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves

For a no-fast dish
100 gram sheep cheese
50 gram cheese

1. It’s best to clean Portobello mushrooms (just like any other kinds of champignons) by wiping off with wet paper towel, without soaking in water, as otherwise they will give away too much liquid when you cook them.

Scrape out the gills from the inside of the cap. The stems of Portobello mushrooms are too fibrous, so it’s best to use them in other recipes, as well as to make a sauce or grind them.

2. Brown finely chopped onion with a bit of oil, adding finely cut carrots, celery, cauliflower and mushroom stems.
Stew everything together for 10-12 minutes. Put rinsed lentils in salted boiling water and cook until ready. Drain off water and add lentils to the vegetables.
Add finely chopped garlic, pepper and ground nutmeg.

3. You can add grated sheep cheese at this point if you are going for the no-fast variant.

4. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the mushroom caps and fill with stuffing. Lay the baking tray with baking paper or silicone pad.
You can brush the baking paper with some oil for the caps not to stick to it. Place the stuffed caps on the baking tray and place into the oven preheated to 200 degrees.

Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle your stuffed mushrooms with grated cheese and bake for another 2-3 minutes. It’s all ready now!
You can serve with lettuce or, even better, roquette. Its pleasant nutty touch will make the dish more piquant.


















From
http://recept.im

Lentil & Plantain Salad – Ensalada de Lentejas Y Platanos

Serves 4

Plantains can be found at Hispanic/Latin American and Asian grocery stores in the U.S. Purchase plantains that have as much black skin as possible, an indication of its sweetness. Note: green plantains will take several days (up to a week) to ripen.

Ingredients

Wild Rice

1/2 tablespoon butter or oil

1/2 cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup wild rice

1 1/3  - 1 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Lentils

1/2 cup green lentils, sorted and rinsed

1 1/2 cups water

1 small bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup red, yellow or green bell pepper, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 green onion, diced

1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Fresh serrano chile, deveined and finely chopped (optional)

Plantains

2 ripe plantains*

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

*Ripe plantains have a dark, almost black exterior. Fully ripe plantains are sweeter and make a nicer contrast in the salad.

Method:

1. Wild Rice: In a small pot, over medium-high heat, melt butter; saute onion and garlic for 1 – 2 minutes. Add wild rice, 1 1/2 cups water and salt. Bring to boil, cover with tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 – 50 minutes. I prefer rice grains slightly split with a chewy texture. If you prefer yours fully split, cook a few minutes longer (you may need to add 1 – 2 tablespoons water).] When done, fluff with fork, drain off any excess water. Let cool.
2. Lentils: Sort lentils to remove debris; rinse well. In small pot, bring all ingredients to boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer on low for 35 – 40 minutes or until lentils are tender but still in tact. Drain lentils, remove bay leaf. Let cool.
3. Salad: In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, balsamic, garlic, cumin and cinnamon. In a medium-size bowl, add cooled and drained wild rice and lentils and the remaining salad ingredients – bell pepper, celery, onion, cilantro and chile. Add oil mixture; mix well.
4. Plantains: With a knife, trim the ends off the plantains. Cut in half, leave skin on then slice each piece lengthwise; peel. Heat oil in skillet until hot, use tongs to place plantains flat side down. Fry in oil about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. When cooled a few minutes, cut lengthwise and cut into bite-size pieces (about 1”). Add to salad and lightly toss.
5. Serve room temperature or chilled. Platanos taste best when freshly fried.
6. Variation:  add pineaple; grill fruit instead of frying.

Arroz con camarones or Shrimp rice

Arroz con camarones or shrimp rice is a classic Ecuadorian and South American dish from the coastal areas consisting of rice cooked in a shrimp broth and mixed with shrimp, sautéed onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, achiote and parsley. Ecuadorians, and South Americans, love arroz or rice,  can’t live without it and eat rice almost every day, therefore  have a plethora of rice based dishes, anything you can think of and there is a rice based dish for it, especially if it concerns any type of seafood. The shrimp are marinated with salt, garlic and pepper and then cooked with the shells on in order to preserve the greatest amount of flavor, this is one of those bits of cooking wisdom that is passed on from generation to generation: always boil/cook shrimp with the shells on. The rice is then cooked in the broth or water in which the shrimp were cooked, and then mixed with a refrito or sofrito made from the onions, pepper, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, achiote, cumin and white wine. It can be served  with avocado slices, tomato and onion curtido, lime slices and aji or hot sauce, it can also be served with fried ripe or green plantains.

Ingredients:

2 lbs raw shrimp, shells on, deveined

2 tsp cumin

4 garlic cloves, crushed

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbs canola or sunflower oil

2 cups uncooked rice

3 tbs butter

1 red onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded, diced

3 tbs parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish

1 tsp ground achiote or annatto

½ cup of white wine

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Marinate the shrimp with salt, pepper, 1 tsp of cumin, and the crushed garlic, let rest for an hour.
2. Bring water to boil in a large pot, add the shrimp and boil for about 2 minutes.
3. Remove the shrimp from the water and reserve 2 ½ cups of the water they cooked in to prepare the rice.
4. Remove the shells and tails from the shrimp; leave the tails on a few of the shrimp that will be used as a garnish. Chop about half of the shrimp in half and leave the other half whole.
5. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pot, add the minced garlic, cook for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
6. Add the rice to the garlic and oil, mix well until the rice is coated with oil.
7. Add the 2 ½ cups of water that was used to boil the shrimp. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low.
8. In the meantime, melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan; add the onions, peppers, tomatoes, parsley, ground achiote, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 tsp of cumin. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
9. Add the white wine to the vegetable mix and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until the onions and peppers are tender.
10. Mix in the sautéed vegetables and chopped shrimp with the rice, which should still be cooking, and cook on low heat until the rice is tender.
11. Add the remaining shrimp during the last minutes and mix well.
12. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
13. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with shrimp with tails on.
14. Serve with avocado slices, tomato and onion curtido salad, lime slices, and of course some good aji or hot sauce.

Motia Pulao .....Pearly Biryani

Recipe overview

Cuisine: Indian
Meal Type: Non-Veg/Lunch/Dinner
Preparation Time: 1hr - 1.5 hr
Meal: For 1 - 2
Calorie Type: 0
Calories: 511.5

Ingredients

1. 500 g chicken breast, cubed		10. 1 slit green chilli
2. 250gm basmati rice, parboiled		11. 1 medium onion, sliced
3. 2-3 green beans, diced		12. Salt, to taste
4. 1tbsp green peas		13. 1/2tsp yellow chilli powder
5. 3tbsp mashed paneer		14. 3tbsp curd
6. 1tbsp flour		15. 1/2tsp javitri (mace) and elaichi (green cardamom) powder
7. 1tbsp spinach puree		16. 1/2tsp shahi jeera (black cumin)
8. 1tbsp beetroot puree		17. 1/2tbsp chopped pudina (mint)
9. 1 small carrot, diced		18. 2tbsp desi ghee
10. Kesar (saffron), a few strands		19. 1tsp julienned ginger

Method
1. Mix the flour with the paneer. Divide into four parts.
2. Soak the kesar strands in a little warm water to extract its colour.
3. Mix the beetroot into one part of the paneer, the spinach into the second and the kesar into the third. Let the fourth part remain white. Shape each part into little "pearls".
4. Shallow fry the pearls in a pan until golden brown.
5. Saute the onion in ghee until brown, add all the vegetables.
6. Add salt, dahi and jeera. Then add water to cover the vegetables.
7. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the rice over the vegetables in a heavy bottom pan. Add the pudina, chilli, garam masala, javitri and elaichi powders.
8. Seal the vessel with atta and cook on dum until the rice is cooked.
9. Before serving the pulao, mix in the paneer pearls carefully. Note: A non-veg variation: Wash, clean and de-vein prawns. Marinate with salt, pepper, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice and mustard paste. Add the prawn in place of the vegetables and continue recipe as is. You can also use chicken mince. Mix it with the ingredients for the marinade (same as the prawn) and shape into small balls. Fry them until cooked and golden brown. Mix in with the pulao before serving.

Each serving: 511.5 Calories, 19.4gm protein, 99.4gm carbohydrate, 2.3gm total fat (0.5gm saturated), 3.7gm fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 265.5mg sodium