Tikka Masala Soup

I came across a recipe a while back, I'm really not sure where it came from, as the piece of paper it was on was floating around my car for quite some time.  Now, I love me some curry, so when I read this recipe, I was like I need to make this.  And as you know, I write a menu each week to ensure I stay on track and continue to use up my hoard of food products.  Well, this has been on the menu for several weeks now and keeps being pushed back.  With the recent warm weather in the Northwest, and things going on in my life, it just didn't fit in with my schedule.  It's really more of a cool weather dish.  

So tonight, after we came back from a weekend get away to the Olympic Rain Forest and the surrounding areas, I decided a cold wet Sunday would be the perfect day for this soup.  It's a quick put together, and a great spicy dinner.  In the end, we decided it needed “something”, so Craig is going to try his hand in Naan bread making this week. 

TIKKA MASALA SOUP

Serves 4

Ingredients

* 2 tbsp coconut oil

* 1 small onion

* 3 garlic cloves, minced

* 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

* 1 tbsp garam masala spice mix 

* 1 tsp ground ginger

* 1/2 tsp cumin

* 1 tsp tumeric

* 1/2 tsp  cinnamon

* 2 cups chicken stock

* 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

* 1 (14 oz) can coconut cream

* 1-2 tsp kosher salt 

* 1 whole rotisserie chicken or 2lbs chicken, cooked and shredded

Method

1. Heat coconut oil over med-high heat in a heavy soup pot. Sauté the onion for 4 minutes then add garlic for 3 more minutes. Add cayenne pepper, garam masala, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon. Sauté for 3 minutes longer until spices are fragrant.

2. Add to the pot, 2 cups of chicken stock, tomatoes and coconut cream. Simmer for 30 minutes. 

3. Using an immersion blender, or stand blender purée soup until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and add shredded chicken.

Korean Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

While I've been a little silent on the blog, I've been testing recipes.  I've had a few failures, and some ok’s, but only a few greats.  This is one of them.  A few weeks back, I was going through Facebook and came across a few delicious sounding Asian dishes.  I don't usually stick with a recipe exactly as written, here is my take on Korean Chicken.

Korean Grilled Chicken Sandwiches (also known as Chicken Bulgogi)

1/2 cup light soy sauce (not reduced sodium)

2 tablespoons Korean chili paste or Sriracha, depending on how hot you like things


1 small onion, peeled and grated or pureed in a food processor


2 tablespoons light brown sugar


1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or finely grated

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil


2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (peeled or unpeeled)


freshly ground Chinese black pepper


2 teaspoons sesame seeds

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 to 1 1/4 pounds)

4 Demi baguettes

Shredded cabbage

Julienne carrots

Mix together:

¼ cup mayo

3 Tablespoons Sriracha 

1. Mix the soy sauce, chili paste or hot sauce, onion, brown sugar, rice wine, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, a few generous turns of black pepper, and sesame seeds in a large zip-top freezer bag.( reserve ½ cup, or so)

2. Lay the thighs on a cutting board, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, and pound them so they’re about 1/3-inch (1cm) thick with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or another heavy object. (You can also pound them, a few at a time, in a separate freezer bag to make clean-up easier.) Trim off any excess fat.

3. Put the thighs in the plastic bag with the marinade, press excess air out of the bag, seal it closed, and massage it so the marinade covers the chicken. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight. The chicken can also be marinated in a stainless steel or glass bowl, covered and turned several times while it’s marinating.

4. To cook, heat your grill to high heat. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and lay them flat on the hot grill. When well-seared on the bottom, turn them over and cook another few minutes until the thighs are cooked through. The total cooking time will be less than 5 minutes. (You can baste the thighs with any leftover marinade while grilling.)

5. Heat and reduce reserved marinade for a glaze. (Do not use the marinade you soaked the chicken in!!)

To cook in a skillet, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before marinading and put them in a large, lightly oiled skillet. When the chicken is seared on the bottom, stir the chicken and add any leftover marinade and let it reduce in the pan while the chicken finishes cooking.

From here, I used 4 Demi baguettes, sliced the ¾ of the way through, leaving a hinge. Dress with the Sriracha mayo, cabbage and carrots.  Place chicken on bread and serve. Drizzle glaze over chicken if desired.

Blackened Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos with Avocado Lime Sauce

16 years ago, when I met my now husband, he told me that he didn’t care for fish.  With his being a “vegetarian”, ok Semi-vegetarian, how do you cook for such a person.  Well, over the years I have introduced several types of fish to which I have had a great response.  Started with Copper River Salmon,  Fresh Halibut, and lastly True Cod.  (We canned Tuna this past summer, but have yet to have him try it)

So that brings me to tonight’s dinner, Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos with Avocado Lime Sauce.  I took a huge risk with making these, as Craig is not one to like new things….so how do you do introduce such a dinner?  You just dodn’t tell him what we were having, until it was in front of him.  

Here’s the recipe….

Blackened Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos with Avocado Lime Sauce

Ingredients

Avocado Lime Sauce-

 ½ cup sour cream

1 ripe avocado

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Zest of 1 lime

½ teaspoon serrano pepper seeded and chopped

Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos

1½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1½ teaspoons dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground chili pepper

1½ pounds Mahi Mahi filets, cut lengthwise into smaller pieces if needed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

8 lime wedges

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup red cabbage, sliced thin

1 cup green cabbage, sliced thin

Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine sour cream, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest and Serrano pepper in a blender; process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate.

2. Combine paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin and chili pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle seasoning evenly over both sides of the fish filets.

3. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

4. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish evenly among tortillas. Serve with lime wedges, tomatoes, cabbage, and cilantro.

(I forgot to warm the tortilla’s, but otherwise these were amazing!!!)

Savory Sausage Bundt "Cake"

Every year we are invited to a friends poker party.  The party is a lot of fun, and we are able to  catch up with old friends, meet some great new friends, but the funny part is neither Craig or I play poker. At the party, Craig helps maintain the buy in table, and keep track of who's in and who's out, while I tend to help keep the kitchen picked up. 

Since there's an occasional alcoholic beverage, we usually reserve a room and our “thanks” is to make breakfast (for those who have crashed or reserved a room. Some times people leave before breakfast, and miss out big time, just sayin!). In years past we've made fig scones, omelettes just to name a few. This year, I came across a recipe for a Savory Stuffed Bundt Cake, and was like, I just have to make this!!

So the recipe goes like this:

Savory Sausage Bundt "Cake"

 

Ingredients

* 1 batch pizza dough (store bought or homemade)

* 2 lb bulk sausage(I used a turkey breakfast, but chorizo would be incredible)

*¾ lb jack cheese, shredded

*¾ lb cheddar cheese, shredded

* 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded & diced fine

* 1 onion, diced fine

* ½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped, plus more for garnish if desired

* black pepper, to taste

* 5 eggs, beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Generously grease the bunds pan.

3. Cook the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, drain as needed

4. While the sausage is cooking, mix the cheese, jalapeño, onion, cheese and cilantro in a medium mixing bowl, add black pepper to taste.

5. Roll out the dough and place in a greased bundt pan, placing the dough so that there is enough lip around the inner column and outer edge to fold together after adding the filling. If your bundt pan is larger, just do your best. You'll have to pinch together the ends anyway.

6. Once the sausage is cooked, add to the cheese, jalapeño, onion and cilantro mixture. Mix together and check seasoning, adjusting as needed.

7. Whisk the eggs and combine with the sausage mixture. Pour the sausage mixture into the bundt pan and distribute evenly.

8. Fold the outer and inner edges of the dough together and press to seal.

9. Bake the bundt cake for 40-45 minutes until the dough takes on a golden color.

10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Serve warm.

If your not a fan of sausage, you can substitute bacon, ham or even turkey.  Can also be made with vegetarian, using EverRoast “sausages”.  Also, can add additional vegetables as desired,

• blanched broccoli, 

• diced celery, 

• diced potatoes, 

• chopped asparagus…..the list goes on.  

Make it with whatever you would like.  I would recommend that if you change the meat or vegetables, that you use a complementary cheese.  Example:

• Ham/Swiss/Asparagus, 

• Chorizo/Queso Fresco/Cheddar/Potatoes,

• Turkey/Dill Havarti/Broccoli…..(maybe avocado?)

Think ahead….for this, I pre-browned the sausage and made the onion/cheese/sausage mixture the night before. I would highly recommend that you don't assemble the entire mixture ahead, as the dough would become soggy.

Recipe adapted from www.goodiegodmother.com 

Mexican Cheesecake

Recently we were invited to a Christmas party. The host didn't assign or ask for specific items, so I came up with this savory appetizer. 

Mexican Cheesecake

Makes about 40 appetizer servings

1-1/4 cups crushed tortilla chips/Doritos

2 tablespoons butter, softened

8 ounces ricotta cheese

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, or so

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles

1 packet taco seasoning, I used homemade taco seasoning.

8 ounces sour cream

8 ounces jalapeno cheddar cheese dip

Chopped tomatoes

Sliced black olives

Chopped green onions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the chips and butter and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, eggs (added one at a time), cheddar cheese and green chilies in a food processor until blended. Pour into the springform pan and bake until it sets, about one hour. Remove from the oven.  Let cool. 

Mix together the sour cream and cheese dip, and spread over the cheesecake. Cool at room temperature for one hour. Before serving, sprinkle the top with the tomatoes, black olives and green onions.