Crispy Fried Wings

These were INCREDIBLE! No kidding! I am no photographer the pic might not look so good but take my word for it. Extremely CRISPY outside and extremely JUICY inside. We had them with a blue cheese dipping sauce. YUMEEEE YUM YUM!

I love using my coffee grinder for grinding up different spices. It's the alchemist in me. I feel like I am making some sort of mysterious magical powder. Crazy I know... I blame the lunatics in my head :-)
Anyway the point for this is that all the spices listed below (except of course the garlic powder) are whole.

(serves 4-6)
(prep time 30 mins + marinating time)
Marinade

Chicken wings about 14 (I snipped the ends off and saved them for chicken stock)
Dried chipotle pepper 1 med sized
Dried red chili 1 large
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Black peppercorns 1 tsp
Garlic powder 2/3 tsp

Grind the above spices together and rub on the chicken wings.Marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours.
No salt as it draws out the moisture from the meat. Season with salt just before cooking.

Batter

Flour 1 cup
Egg 1 large
Dark Ale or Soda water 1/3 cup
Dried Thyme 1/2 tsp
Paprika 1/2 tsp
Salt

Mix the above ingredients together in a large bowl.
Pour the soda water little by little. You might need more or less depending on how much flour you have.
The batter shouldn't be lumpy and about as thick as warm custard.
Sprinkle some salt over the chicken wings.
Heat oil in a deep sauce pan.
Dip the wings in the batter shake off the extra.
Gently put them in the hot oil.
The oil shouldn't be very hot. Adjust the heat so batter doesn't burn.
(The highest temp on my electric stove top is 8 and I had to adjust the temp between 7 and 6)
The wings need to cook for 8 mins at least.
Take them out and let them cool on a wire rack. Doing this will also allow the extra oil to drip off.
Done!

Dipping sauce

Blue cheese crumbles 2 Tbs
Sour cream 1 Tbs
Mayo 1 Tbs
White wine vinegar 1 tsp
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt

Place the blue cheese on the counter for 10 mins so its easier to blend.
Whip all the ingredients together in bowl.
Done!
Dip away my friend dip away......
:-)

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Last night's class :-)

These are some photos from yesterday.
I had tons of fun and great help from the students and my two very lovely assistants :-)
Looking forward to February's class!
More info @ http://www.cooksworld.net/
{heart}

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Hey everybody...

Taking a small break from posting recipes. I'd be teaching Indian delicacies starting January at Cooks World-Seattle's best place for cooking classes!
Click here for more details.

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Ravioli

Il mio cibo preferito è Italiano!

pic of finished dish soon! bad lighting right now!

(prep time 45 mins)
(serves 2-3 ppl)

I think the Italian's have nailed it!
I LOVE pasta!
I have been wanting to make raviolis for a long time now! Finally today I was able to get these lovely fresh pasta sheets from De Laurenti in Pike place market. They had three different kinds plain, spinach and pumpkin! I got two plain and one spinach.

I wanted something with Gorgonzola cheese and a brown butter sauce. So I searched the net and the first one that shows up is a recipe by Emeril Lagasse. How perfect is that? It isn't very often that you find exactly what you want on the first link that appears. I think he is a great chef and wouldn't mess with his recipe but I was short on some ingredients so this is a variation of Emeril's. Here is a link to the original source.
And I should prolly mention that De Laurenti also has some mouth watering pasta recipes on their website!

Ingredienti

Gorgonzola cheese 1/2 cup
Ricotta cheese 1/4 cup
Philadelphia cream cheese 1/4 cup
Garlic powder 1/4 tsp
Salt
Pepper

Mix all these ingredients together with a fork until they are smooth (small little bumps are OK). Gorgonzola needs a little work the other two cheeses are very soft and mix effortlessly.

Metodo

First I folded the pasta sheets gently like paper to make marks for equal size boxes.
Then I used the back of my knife to gently draw along the fold lines to see each box clearer (you can see the lines in the picture below). I did that on all pasta sheets.
Then I smeared a little of the cheese mixture right in the middle of each box.
Leave a little space on all four sides of each box so that it can be sealed.
Moisten the edges (all the bare parts of the pasta that you see in the picture) with a little water, use your fingertip.
Lay another pasta on top and press along the edges to seal and then cut with a knife or pasta cutter. I like cutting with a knife because I feel the straight edges look more rustic!
You have just created cheese filled pillows called raviolis :-)
I pinched the sides of each to make sure it was sealed before boiling.

Boil a pot full of water and salt.
Bring it to roaring boil and gently drop your raviolis in one by one.
Fresh pasta cooks very quick. Boil for 8 mins, drain, your raviolis with be perfectly el dente!

Sauce

I have to admit this sauce doesn't sound very healthy :-)
However once in a while should be fine.
Butter 3-4 Tbs
Sage 1-2 leaves
Flour 1/4 tsp
Salt
Pepper

Heat a non stick pan.Add butter and sage and melt over med high heat until it turns dark brown in color. It takes less than 2 mins for butter to reach this stage so keep an eye on it and swirl your pan once a while.
Sprinkle some flour in the hot butter.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour over raviolis, toss!
Buon appetito!

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Shish Tawook

With buttery wild rice and grilled red onions!

This is a very Arabic recipe for grilled chicken kebobs.
I used a dried herb called Zaater to flavor this. You can find this easily in any speciality store. Zaater is milder but very similar to Thyme. You can substitute dried Thyme but cut the amount in half.

(prep time 30 mins + overnight marinating time)
(serves 2 ppl)
Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 1/2 lbs
Heavy cream 1/4 cup
Fresh lime juice 1/4 cup
Sumac 1 tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Onion powder 1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Pepper 1 tsp
Zaater 1 Tbs (heaped)
Salt
(this will not be added in the marinade. Will be sprinkled on the chicken just before grilling)

Cut the chicken meat in 2" cubes.
Mix all the ingredients (minus the salt) in a bowl.
Marinate the chicken overnight or at least 2 hours in this mixture.

Before grilling make sure the meat is room temp.

Skewer the meat on a bamboo stick. (Its a nice practice to soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 mins to prevent burning)
Season with salt and grill for 20 mins or until cooked. Turn sides to ensure even cooking.

Marinated grilled onions

Red onion 4-5 thick sliced rings
Olive oil 1/4 cup
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Chili flakes 1/2 tsp
Salt (added just before cooking)

Marinade the onions in the above ingredients overnight or at least 2 hours.
Season with salt before cooking.
Grill alongside the chicken kebabs.

I served these with wild rice which I prepared according to package instruction. I used 3 Tbs of butter for a cup of rice.
I feel some Hummus would have been nice with this as well!
:-)

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Stromboli

So easy!

As Italian as it may sound, Strombolis were born in Philadelphia right here in the US of A.
It took me 10 mins to put this one together and I was done!
The traditional way would be use dough similar to french bread. And don't get me wrong. I would normally make the dough from scratch but I couldn't resist the sheet of puff pastry I had in my freezer nearing its expiration date!
Its basically bread layered with different meats and cheeses rolled up and baked.
The combination of meats and cheeses are endless!
I kept mine fairly simple to just 3 ingredients.
Dough-Meat-Cheese

(serves 2)
(prep time 10 mins bake time 40 mins)
Method

I rolled out my puff pastry over a lightly floured surface.
Then I layered slices of Pastrami all over the dough. Leaving 1/3" space from the edges.Then slices of smoked Gouda... yum yum.
I used close to 1/2 lbs of Pastrami. And 4 oz of smoked Gouda.
No need for any condiments.
The Pastrami had a nice peppery crust.
No need for any dipping sauce.The Gouda melts so gooda. (I know this is a cheesy line but since we are talking about cheese why the heck not)
Tuck the sides in and roll it up like a log.
Make a few vent cuts on top.
Paint some egg wash over it.
This is now ready for the oven.
Bake for 30-35 min (or until golden brown) in a preheated oven at 400 degrees.
Let it sit for 10 mins before slicing.
:-)

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Daal Makhani

Pardon my Daal
Lemony, buttery. Doesn't get better than this!

(serves 2)
(prep time 40 mins + 1 hour soaking)

You will need

Channa daal 1 cup (soaked for about 1 hour)
Green chilies 2 tsp
Garlic 1 tsp
Juice of half a lime
Butter 2 Tbs (Unsalted)
Turmeric 2/3 tsp
Cayenne pepper 2/3 tsp
Pepper 2/3 tsp
Cilantro/coriander powder 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil for cooking 3 Tbs

Method
Heat some oil in a pot.
Fry the garlic and chilies for about 30 seconds or so.
Add all the spices.... fry for a few seconds.
Pour in about 1 1/2 cup of water and add the lentils.
Squeeze in lime juice.
Bring to a boil.
Cover the pot and cook over med high for about 20 mins or until the lentils are tender.
Stir in between. You might also need to add more water. The consistency should be like a thick soup.
Turn off the heat and stir in the butter.
I sprinkled some very coarse peppercorns over the top.
Ta da!
Good with Naan or plain rice. Or just on its own!
{heart}

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Panini II

GO BEEF!

I found some gorgeous rare (as in doness) roast beef. I had to make a sandwich or better a panini!

Very simple steps and a wonderfully delicious result.
Lets get started!

(serves 2)
(prep time 20 mins)
Step 1
You will start with some good hearty bread
I used a garlic parmesan focaccia bread
Step 2Then you will need some meat
I used a combo of 1/4 lbs rare roast beef plus 1/4 lbs pepper crusted smoked turkey
Step 3
Cheese of course
I used 2 slices of Havarti per serving
Step 4
Some veggies
I used fire roasted red pepper halves
Step 5
A sauce of some kind to spread on the bread
I whipped up 2 Tbs Mayo + 1/2 Tbs Mustard + 1 tsp chopped shallots + 1 tsp chopped dill pickles + salt/pepper

Assemble the sandwich.
Oil and heat a cast iron grill pan and panini press (or use an electric panini press)
Grill for 8 mins per side on med high heat.
Serve with a nice big broccoli salad!
:-)

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Aash e Shalgham

Aash and I.......

"Aash" is a hearty Persian soup just meant for winters.
I've heard that they have AT LEAST a bazzlion different ways of making it!
I had a couple of turnips lying around so I made this... however I am dying to try Aash-e-anar made with fresh pomegranate seeds..... sounds so perfect!

I searched the net for a good authentic recipe source for this particular soup and came across the same version splattered on several different sites. That recipe seemed a bit plain and the quantity of the onions and turmeric used sounded like a lot! So I tweaked it just a bit. And I think it came out terrific :-)

(Enough for 4-5 servings)
(Prep time: 45 mins)
Ingredients

Ground lean beef 1 lbs
Turnips 2 cups ( I chopped these into tiny 1/2" squares)
Yellow split peas 1/4 cup (Soaked in water for 45 min)
Basmati rice 1/2 cup + Tbs
Onions 1/2 cup (chopped very fine)
Garlic 1 tsp (minced)
Green chili 1/2 tsp (minced)
Fresh mint 1 Tbs (chopped very fine)
White vinegar 1 tsp
Butter 3 Tbs (unsalted)
Turmeric 1 rounded tsp
Sumac 2/3 tsp
Pepper
Salt
Oil for frying

Methodology and all that....

First step is to make the meatballs... and you do that by combining the ground beef, onions, garlic, chilies in a large bowl. Add sumac, salt and a good amount of pepper (I used approx 2/3 tsp).
Make 1" dia balls. You will have close to 18 meatballs.
Now we are going to shallow fry these. Heat enough oil t0 submerge the meatballs half way.
Cook for 1 min each side. They will cook fully in the soup. Right now we are looking for a nice brown color.
Take out the meatballs and keep aside.
Boil 3 cups of water in a heavy base wide pot.
Add the turnips, rice and the split peas.
Season with salt. Add the turmeric... good amount of pepper.
Cover the pot and cook for 30 mins.
This gets thick and might burn the bottom of the pan so stir frequently and add more water if needed.
The consistancy should be like runny porridge.
Use the back of your spoon to mash some pieces of turnip against the pot.
Gently add the meatballs.
Lower the heat cover the pot and simmer away for 15 mins.
In the last five mins add the mint, the butter and the vinegar.
Mix well..
You can now enjoy a delicious bowl of Aash!
Perfect!
:-)

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Cream Puffs

And this is how its done!

The filling was 5 oz Jell-O instant vanilla pudding made with 2 cups of cold milk. It tasted too much like fake vanilla and was too yellow and too sweet. I didn't like that! So I whipped 1/3 cup of plain heavy cream and mixed it in with the pudding. It turned a gorgeous pale yellow and very very creamy!I used Chef Alton Brown's recipe for the choux pastry, however I doubled the amount of sugar to 2 Tbs. And considering the amount of eggs used I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla to prevent the puffs from smelling eggy...yuck!

The baking directions are perfect!
I dusted the cream puffs lightly with powdered sugar!

P.S. You can also find the show on youtube :-)

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The big three oh-no!

My beautiful sister made the most beautiful brownie cake for my 30th!
Quite possibly the best birthday a gal can have :-)
Sis ur the best muah muah!
:-)

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Gołąbki

These are a Polish comfort food called Golapkis or cabbage rolls. SO GOOD!
Absolutely terrific during the winters!
The traditional way is to slow bake them. I find that cooking on very low heat is just as good.

(This recipe will be good for 4 ppl)
(Prep time: 1 1/2 hours)
Ingredients

Ground beef 1/2 lbs
(I used ground chuck and veal 2:1)Uncooked long grain rice 1/8 cup
(I used basmati rice)
Cabbage 8 leaves
(I used savoy cabbage)Flat leaf Italian parsley 3-4 Tbs chopped fine
Button mushrooms 2 Tbs chopped fine
Fire roasted red bell pepper 2 Tbs chopped fine (optional)
Red onions 1 Tbs chopped fine
Melted butter 1 Tbs
Garlic 1 tsp crushed
Egg yolk 1 large
Red wine vinegar 1 Tsp
Chicken stock 3 cups
Tomatoes 1 cup
Sliced onions 1 cup
(I used canned fire roasted tomatoes)Chili flakes 1/8 tsp (optional)
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt

Method

In a bowl gently mix in everything but the cabbage leaves, chicken stock, the diced tomatoes and the sliced onions.
Keep aside

Preparing the cabbage leaves

I usually get a small head of Savoy cabbage. You can use regular cabbage.
Cut out the core with a sharp paring knife.
I find it useful to insert the knife at an angle and then cut out the core with a circular motion.
Boil water in a large pot and then turn off the heat.
You should have enough water to dunk an entire head of cabbage.
Put the cabbage into the hot water and after a min or two you can very easily peel off the leaves with a pair a tongs without any trouble.
You will need about 8-9 leaves for the amount of meat we are using.
Pat dry with some tissue paper.
Trim out the tough rib that runs through the center of the cabbage leaf.
One side of the cabbage leaf will tend to curve up when placed on a flat surface. Keep that side face up.
Now you are ready for the meat.
Spoon about 2 Tbs of the meat stuffing at the bottom edge of the leaf (where the tough rib is).
Now fold in the sides of the leaf and roll up like you would a spring roll.
Don't do this very tightly because the rice will expand when cooked, so fold firmly but gently.

Place the sliced onions at the bottom of a pan.
Arrange the rolls snugly on top of the onions.
Pour in the chicken stock.
Add the tomatoes.
Cover.
Bring it to a gentle boil.
Turn the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Finished!
Enjoy this with thick slices of crusty bread!
:-)

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Chicken Bread

Is there anything better than the aroma of freshly baked bread?
This sort of stuffed bread is easily found in all bakeries throughout Pakistan.
Needless to say its delicious and I always have so much fun making it :-)

I use a baking stone in my oven. Its great for all types of bread, pizzas and naan!

(This will yield 2 loaves enough for 4 ppl)
(Prep time 1hr + 4-6 hrs for dough to rise)

Dough

Bread flour 6 cups
Warm water 1 1/2 cups (approx 110-130 degrees F)
Milk 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil 1/4 cup
Yeast 1 1/2 Tbs
Sugar 2/3 Tbs
Salt 1 tsp

Dissolve all of the sugar in warm water and then stir in yeast.
Allow to proof for 15-20 mins or until the yeast turns frothy.
Mix oil and salt in the yeast mixture.
Add the flour one cup at a time.
Knead dough on a floured and cold surface for 6-8 mins until smooth and elastic.
Place in a large generously oiled bowl.
Turn the dough around to coat all sides with grease.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth.
Let the dough rise in a warm, dark, dry place (I place mine inside the oven) until doubled in size.

Filling

Skinless boneless chicken thighs 6
Key lime juice 3 Tbs
Red onion 2/3 cup diced fine
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Green chili 2 Tbs chopped fine
Pepper 2/3 tsp
Cayenne pepper 2/3 tsp
Roasted cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Melted butter 4Tbs
Oil for cooking approx 3 Tbs
Salt
(Since this is stuffed in the bread use an additional 1/2 tsp of salt to the amount normally used)

Mix all the spices and garlic together and rub over the chicken.
Let the chicken stand for 20 mins on the counter.
Heat some oil in a large non-stick pan.
Add the onions and fry for a min we don't them turning brown.
Add chilies plus the chicken and turn the heat down to med high and cook uncovered until done.
The cooking time is 25-30 mins.
Turn the chicken once in between to ensure even browning.
Sprinkle the key lime juice towards the end.
At this point the chicken would be lightly browned and there should be no liquid left in the pan.
The onions and the chilies should have disintegrated into a paste.
Let this cool down completely.
Tear the chicken into shreds. You can use a fork if you want, I simply use my hands.
Pour the melted butter over the shredded chicken.
Mix well and make sure everything is well incorporated.

Shaping the bread

Take out the dough on a floured surface.
Punch it down and knead for a min.
You would be making two loafs.
Divide the dough into two equal parts.
Take one half of the dough and roll it out close to 1/3" thick in the center.
Roll out the edges a little thinner close to 1/4" inch because they would go over each other.
You'll know what I am talking about in a while :-)
Try and maintain a rectangular shape approx 12" x 7".
Take half of the chicken mixture and spread it in a straight 3" wide and 11" long line right in the center of the rolled out dough.
Bring the left flap of the dough over to the right side and the right flap to the left side.
You can moisten the edges of the dough with a little water to ensure a perfect seal.
Also seal the upper end of the loaf and twist off any extra dough and round it up.
Do the same on the other end.
Turn the loaf over.
Make a few vent cuts for steam to escape.
Brush some egg wash over the loaf.
Make the second loaf following the same steps.
Ready to bake.

I use a baking stone. For that I pre-heat the oven to max temperature at 550 and get the stone really really hot. Then I turn the heat down to 375 and bake the bread directly on top of the stone. It takes roughly 30 mins.

If you don't have a stone you can bake the loaf on a greased cookie sheet or any other oven proof pan. Pre-heat oven to 375 and bake for 30 mins. I will not recommend a glass pyrex dish for baking because the bread will not brown and crisp up at the bottom.

Let it cool before slicing!
I love it with a little chili garlic sauce on the side!

{heart}
Nabia

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Rasgulla

Oh so good!
These beauties are from Bangladesh!
Delicately sweet and so completely melt in your mouth!
Its best when eaten very very chilled. Just perfect for a hot sunny summer afternoon!

(Will yield about 8-9 rasgullas)
(Prep time: 1 hr + 6 hours chilling time)
Directions

Boil 4 cups of water with 1-1/2 cup of sugar in a wide pot. About 13" diameter is good.
The pot has to be big because the paneer balls when cooked will expand to almost double in size.
Throw in a few pods of cardamom and a stick of cinnamon.
Turn the heat off and let the spices steep while you prepare the paneer.

Next make paneer.
Here is an earlier post about it. All the instructions are there.
Make it using 4 cups of milk. The paneer has to be soft so don't use any heavy weight on it and just let it hang. After the paneer has been hanging for about 30 mins take it out on a flat surface and knead it with your fingers for a good 3-4 mins.
Doing this will break any large lumps of curds and you will end up with a smooth soft dough.
Tap it with some tissue paper to remove any left over drops of water.
Take small amounts of the dough, about 1 Tbs or so and shape it into round balls.
Make sure the surface has no big cracks and is smooth.
Now, back to the water. Bring it to a roaring boil and take out all the spices.
Depending on the size of the pot you can gently drop all the balls at once or do it in batches. Just keep the unused balls covered with a moist cloth.
They should have plenty of room to expand without touching each other.
Put the lid on the pot. Reduce heat to med high.
Cook covered for 15-20 mins. Turn off heat.
Bring it room temp before chilling it in the fridge for about 6 hours.
Awesome stuff!

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Spanakopita

Okay... this stuff is seriously good!!
The crust is yummy and crispy and crunchy and light as air.
Feta cheese and spinach are so good together!
Very traditional Greek street food.

A note:
Working with phyllo dough is not hard at all so don't be intimidated. In fact its very forgiving and you can hide any mistakes or patch up any tears easily. The trick is to keep the pastry that you are not working with covered with a moist (not wet) kitchen towel so it doesn't dry out and become brittle, that's all.

There are many ways to make this.
Some like to make individual triangles, some like to bake it like lasagna. I happen to like it rolled up so that's what I'll explain here.

(Will make 2 loaves enough for 4 ppl)
(Prep time: 1 hr)

Ingredients
Chopped spinach 16 oz bag (all the water should be squeezed out)
Scallions 3-4 chopped fine
Garlic 1/2 tsp chopped fine
Egg 1 large lightly beaten
Feta cheese crumbled 1 cup
Dill 2 Tbs chopped
Parsley 2 Tbs chopped
Parmesan cheese 1 tsp (optional)
Bread crumbs1 tsp (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil or PAM olive oil
Phyllo dough
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt
1 egg white mixed well with 1 tsp water and maybe a pinch of salt (this will be used as egg wash later)

Method
First step...
Defrost the phyllo according to package instructions.
I used plain old frozen phyllo pastry that you get from a grocery store, it's pretty decent. But if someone knows where to get fresh phyllo in Seattle, please let me know :-)

Sauté the scallions for a min or two in some olive oil.
Add the garlic, sauté for another 30 seconds.
Mix in the spinach and cook for 2 mins, allow this to cool down.
Take out the spinach in a large bowl and add the herbs, feta cheese, egg, salt and pepper.
The mixture should be at room temperature before assembly.

Pour some olive oil in a small bowl and keep a pastry brush handy.
Dust your work surface lightly with flour.
Peel off gently, a sheet of pastry and lay it flat on your work surface.
The single most important thing you can do here is to keep unused pastry covered at all times with a lightly moist cloth or kitchen towel.
Brush olive oil all over the phyllo with a pastry brush, be gentle.
You can also use PAM, that saves time.
Don't fret if the corners are crooked or if there is a big hole or a crack, these won't matter as you build more layers of pastry on top.
Now peel off another sheet of pastry and lay it on top of the first and brush with oil.
Repeat.
I like doing 6 layers at least.
This next step is optional.
When you reach halfway to the 3rd layer brush with oil and then sprinkle some Parmesan cheese and/or bread crumbs. Doing this adds an unexpected layer of flavor.Add 3 more layers.Alrighty...
So now you have 6 layers of phyllo sheets all set up.
If you want to, you can take a sharp knife and trim the corners and make it neat.
Take the spinach mixture - leave about an inch of space from the longer edge - and spread it along length of the phyllo pastry.
Tuck the sides in and roll it like a log.
Brush some egg wash on top.
Make a few cuts diagonally spaced 2 inches apart so the steam can escape while baking.
Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 35-40 mins or until the crust is all nice and goldeny.
Let it rest for 20 mins before cutting.
I like slicing it at a bias along the vent cuts.Ta da!
:-)

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