Dressing your greens

Lately, I have been experimenting with different flavors of dressings in my salad. I really like two of the four I've tried so far and find myself going back to these often. I make a small amount, store it in an airtight glass jar and use when needed. A jar usually lasts about 4 days.

 

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Basic vinaigrette: makes about 1 cup

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsps red or white wine vinegar

2 tsps minced red onion (or shallot)

2 tsps Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsps minced fresh tarragon, dill, basil or oregano or 1/2 tsp dried

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp pepper

Variation: Balsamic vinaigrette

Substitute blasamic vinegar for the wine vinegar and use oregano. Reduce garlic to 1/2 clove.

Lemon vinaigrette

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

3 tbsps fresh lemon juice

2 tsps minced red onion

2 tsps dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsps minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried

1 garlic clove minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Shake all the ingredients in a jar with a tight lid.

Rosemary crackers

I am snacking on one as I blog the recipe. I am literally copying the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, so I can keep track of foods passing my kitchen. And she has better pictures!

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
Flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round - shape can be rustic; dough should be thin.

Lightly brush top with some oil and sprinkle sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 10 - 12 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces.

Arroz con camarones (Costa Rican paella)

This is a classic South American dish, called different names in different countries.

2 lbs raw shrimp, deveined
2 tsp cumin
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs canola or sunflower oil
2 cups uncooked rice (I used valencia rice)
3 tbs butter/ oil
1 red onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded, diced
3 tbs parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
½ cup of white wine
Salt and pepper

Marinate the shrimp with salt, pepper, 1 tsp of cumin, let it marinate for an hour.
Bring 3-4 cups of water to boil in a large pot, add the shrimp and boil for about 2 minutes. Do not overcook or the shrimp will be chewy. Remove the shrimp from the water and reserve the water they cooked in to prepare the rice.

Chop up 1/2 the shrimp into small pieces and leave the other 1/2 whole.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pot, add the minced garlic, cook for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add the bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 tsp of cumin. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
Add the white wine to the vegetable mix and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until the onions and peppers are tender. At this point, add the rice to the garlic and vegetable mix, and mix well until the rice is coated with oil. Add double the cups of water as compared to the rice. Use the water that was used to boil the shrimp. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and allow rice to cook slowly, monitoring for water and adding a little as needed. When the rice is about 1/2 cooked, add the chopped shrimp to the cooking rice mix. Once done, add the remaining shrimp during the last minutes and mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.Sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with shrimp with tails on.

Serve with avocado slices, tomato and onion salad, lime slices.

Sri Lankan Goat Curry

I love Sri Lankan food for its spiciness and rich curries. Lip smackingly hot!

1 lb goat/ lamb, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green chilli, diced
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
10 curry leaves
1/4 cup thick coconut milk

Marinade:
1 tbsp coriander pwdr
1/2 tbsp cumin pwdr
1/2 tsp turmeric pwdr
1 tbsp red chilli pwdr
1/2 tbsp black pepper pwdr
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
salt


In a bowl, mix the cut meat with the marinade spices along with 1/4 cup of water to make a thick paste. Coat the meat and allow to marinate for 1/2 hour.

In a pressure cooker, take some oil and heat. Add the fenugreek seeds, green chilli and curry leaves, and when spluttering, add the onions. Allow to brown nicely. When golden, add the meat with marinade and brown on high heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water and pressure cook for 10 minutes.

Once cooled, open the cooker and set back on open fire. Check salt and add as needed.
Add the 1/4 cup of coconut milk and bring to a boil. Enjoy!

Chicken Stew with Kale and White Beans

I made this dish some weeks ago on a very COLD Chicago evening. Warming and hearty, and I found another use for kale! Serves 6-8.



3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 medium mixed potatoes; diced (I used Yukon gold, red and purple)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
4 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion; chopped
1 large shallot; minced
2 carrots; peeled and diced
6 cups chicken stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese; finely grated
5 cups chopped kale
15-ounce can white beans; drained (the original recipe asked for cannellini beans which I could not find)
salt and pepper to taste


Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cubed potatoes and cook 15 minutes until softened. Add in chicken stock, thyme, chicken cut into cubes, Parmesan, salt and pepper bring to a simmer. Add the kale and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot.

Enjoy with crusty bread, or on its own!

Bagara baingan

Deepthi's authentic andhra recipe(sorry we ate it up before we could photograph it!)

Serves 4

8 small eggplant slit partially
Onions, 1 1/2, sliced
Green chillies, 4-5 slit lengthwise
Ginger-garlic paste, 2-3 tsp
Whole roasted peanuts, handful
Curry leaves, 10
Cilantro, handful chopped
Cinnamon, whole, 2" stick
Cloves, 2
Bay leaf, 1
Methi seeds, 1 tsp
Jeera, 1 tsp
Dhania Pwdr, 1 tsp
Haldi, 1 tsp
Chilli Pwdr, 1 tsp
Tamarind paste, 1 tsp
Salt, oil to taste

Put slit brinjals on a baking sheet and broil for 10 mins till skin is charred.

Heat oil in Wok. Add jeera, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, and methi seeds. When spluttering, add add onions, chillies, and brown. Add Ginger-garlic paste and cook till raw smell disappears. Add peanuts, salt. Roast for a bit and take off flame. Grind to a paste in the blender. Add back to the wok, and add tamarind and water (1cup). Put in remainder of powders. Let simmer. add the brinjals that have been broiled along with curry leaves. Let cook for 5 mins. Take off gas and garnish with dhania leaves. Enjoy with white rice!

Gujarati Dal

1 cup toor dal

1/2 cup masoor dal

1/2 tomato, chopped in big pieces

1 chilli, chopped

1 tsp lime juice

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp chilli pwdr

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin pwdr

1/2 tsp coriander pwdr

mustard and jeera seeds, for seasoning

Cook dal with 2 cups water in a pressure cooker with the tomato, chilli, salt. Once cooked, open cooker and mash dal with additional 2 cups water. Put it back on the stove, and bring to a boil. Add the chilli, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders, lime juice and sugar. Once boiling, season with mustard and jeera seeds in oil.