Quinoa Pilaf in Lettuce Cups

Photo courtesy of Food Network

This week starts the Lenten season.  While my family never celebrated it, Abe's family is Byzantine Catholic, so Lent is near and dear to his heart.  In addition to giving something up for 40 days, you also go meatless (and some days vegan) on certain days.  Meatless Monday, in the Byzantine tradition, is 2 days before many others start Lent and involve giving up all meat, dairy and eggs.  Ash Wednesday is another vegan day.  The rest of the season, we will be meatless on every Wednesday and Friday.  You know this vegetarian is thrilled!

Yesterday I decided to make something a little different for us.  Well, for Abe, that is.  I love quinoa and make it for myself and the kids for a quick and healthy lunch.  A good friend is hosting a ladies brunch (sounds so grown up, doesn't it?) this weekend and requested a quinoa dish.  So, I thought I'd test drive this one.

I loved it.  Abe enjoyed it, but he keeps insisting he's not the biggest fan of quinoa.  He added a bit more hot sauce to his and did finish it.  But I noticed he didn't take the leftovers for his lunch.  His loss is my tummy's gain.

This recipe is perfect for a high-protein, low-carb lunch or dinner.  The base recipe is one I got from Aarti Sequira from Food Network.  I doctored it up to make it to my taste.

Quinoa Pilaf in Lettuce Cups
Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 cups stock (veggie or chicken or even plain water)
1 cup quinoa, picked and rinsed well (make sure to rinse or it will be bitter)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 tablespoons chopped dried cherries  (or any dried fruit you like)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon or orange, zested, plus 2 tablespoons juice
1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated

Bring the stock and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until quinoa is cooked and curly white germ shows, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and spices, and saute until the onion has softened and the spices are very fragrant.


Stir in the celery and fruit and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.


Add the cooked quinoa (all the stock should have been absorbed) to the skillet. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste, and season with salt, pepper, to taste. Allow to sit off the heat for 10 minutes so the flavors seep into the quinoa.


Serve in lettuce cups with radish slices, soy sauce and Asian chili sauce on the side.

Indian Spiced Vegetable

Abe requested that I cook vegetarian a few times this week because he's trying to get healthy.  I had just gotten a new Rachael Ray cooking book (yes, to add to my 50 million other cookbooks...) and thought this would be a good try.  Abe isn't always the hugest fan of Indian food, but he really did like this one.

Don't let the interesting combination of hot vegetables on top of cold salad turn you off to the dish; the combo actually is really good.. now I know what they mean on cooking shows about contrasts in food and this one has hot/cold and tender/crunchy. And since there is no rice or starch, the recipe is super healthy.

And yes, the picture is mine.  Finally.

Enjoy!

Indian Spiced Vegetables
Serves 4

Spice Blend

1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (not ground cumin)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pinches cinnamon

3 large waxy white potatoes, peeled and diced
Coarse salt
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus some for drizzling
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15- ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup frozen green peas
1 small head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
4 radishes, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine the ingredients for the spice blend and set aside.

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water.  Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil.  Take off the lid and add salt.  Boil the potatoes for 6-7 minutes, then add the cauliflower to the same pot.  Cook for 2-3 minutes longer, then drain.  The potatoes and cauliflower should still be a little undercooked.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the oil, then the butter.  When the butter melts into the oil, add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the drained potatoes and cauliflower and the chickpeas and combine.  Stir the spice blend into the vegetables and cook for a minutes or two to develop flavors.  Stir in the stock and turn the vegetables to evenly distribute.  The dish will turn a bright yellow.  Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes longer.  Add the peas and turn off the heat.  The carry-over heat will warm them through.  Taste to adjust the salt of the dish.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded lettuce with the almonds, radishes, mint and parsley or cilantro.  Dress the salad with the lemon juice, a drizzle of vegetable oil and some salt.  Pile the salad on plates, top with the hot vegetables and serve.

Sloppy Bombay Joes

I'm a Food Network addict.  Little Adam has yet to be sat down in front of a cartoon or Yo Gabba Gabba, but he's seen his fair share of Barefoot Contessa and Top Chef.  I even got Jimi into the competitive cooking shows, which is pretty amazing for an 11 year old.  So, when The Next Food Network Star show started this season, I was glued.  And happily, my favorite contestant, Aarti Sequeira, a sweet natured Indian woman who reminded me a lot of my friend Loilene, won the show.  Her prize is her own show on The Food Network.  So I set my DVR.

This recipe is from her first show.  I love Indian food.  So, an entire show about taking an Indian twist on familiar foods is awesome.  I don't normally make sloppy joes, but I know they are always an easy hit with the boys.  Jimi isn't fond of Indian food, he claims, so I tested them out on Abe.  He really liked them.  And there's a funny story that comes with that.

I normally don't eat what I cook at home since I'm the only vegetarian.  I'll eat the sides or just the salad- no biggie.  This time, I wanted to try Aarti's recipe.  So I decided to make 1/2 of it with ground beef and 1/2 with veggie crumbles.  Abe's made it clear in the past that veggie crumbles are pretty much yuck, so I never use them.  Dinner was a hit and I packed up the leftovers in separate, but similar tupperware.  The next day I realized that Abe had taken the veggie crumble one, leaving me with the beef.  That evening, I asked him how lunch was and he raved about how great it was and how he shared it with a friend who loved it too.  So much for how gross veggie crumb is....lol.

If you're familiar with Indian food, you will love this.  If you're not, it's a nice way to get introduced to some new flavors.  Garam masala is one of the lead spice combos and can be found in the international section of the grocery store or any Indian/Middle Eastern market.   It can be made with ground turkey, beef or veggie crumbles.

This recipe is from Aarti Party on The Food Network.

Enjoy!

Sloppy Bombay Joes
Serves 4-6

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the turkey)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water

Turkey:

• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (if you using veggie crumble or something very lean, add more) 
• Small handful shelled pistachios, about 1/4 cup (I couldn't find this, so I omitted) 
• Small handful raisins, about 1/4 cup 
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds 
• 1/2 large white onion, finely diced 
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced  
• 1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact (don't chop it up unless you like things spicy!) 
• Kosher salt
•  1 pound ground turkey (or beef or veggie crumble) 
• 1/2 teaspoon honey 
• 1/4 cup half-and-half 
• Small handful chopped fresh cilantro (soft stems included) 
• 4 to 6 hamburger buns 

Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile for the turkey, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper. Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve.

Angry Chicken

Admit it.  When you hear of a dish called Angry Chicken, you can't help but sit up and wonder... what exactly does an angry chicken taste like?

Well, apparently pretty damn good.  Abe declared it one of the best chickens I've ever made and Jimi requested that we have it once a week.  I'll take the compliment.

I had really wanted to make the dish solely on the name.  But one glance at the Indian-inspired ingredients made me quickly realize that it was more than just spicy chicken.  The boys agreed that it was like Buffalo Wild Wings meets India. 

The recipe comes from a chef who has a restaurant in Mumbai, India and apparently it's their most popular dish.  The recipe looks like it could be a bit elaborate, but it really came together nicely.   You will need to plan a bit ahead to allow the meat to marinate.

The ingredient list calls for lots of whole spices ground down with a pestle and mortar.  Yeah, no.  While I do have a few of the ingredients in their whole form, I'm 32 weeks pregnant and not about to hand grind anything right now.  So, if you're like me (well, perhaps not the pregnant part), you can just use the spices already in their ground form.

Garam masala is a delightful Indian spice mix that can be found in any spice shop or Indian market.  It makes all the difference in taste, so I'd really suggest getting some (or look up a recipe for making it at home).  I use it a lot in dishes, so I always have some on hand.

Last minute I omitted the blistered chilies step, which I now regret.  I will for sure do it next time and definitely if I serve this to company.  I think they really are the "angry" in the Angry Chicken.  I also omitted the fried noodles part (laziness), but I can see how this would add a bit of drama to the dish.

I got this recipe from FoodNetwork.com

Enjoy!


Angry Chicken
Serves 4

2 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chickens quartered (I got mine ready packaged as whole chickens cut up)
Spicy Yogurt Marinade, recipe follows
2 cups chicken stock
24 assorted long fresh hot green and red chile peppers
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 bunch Fried Rice Noodles, recipe follows
Lime wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Trim any excess fat from the chicken. Rinse and pat dry. Place the chicken quarters in a large bowl. Measure out 1 cup of the Spicy Yogurt Marinade and reserve for the sauce; refrigerate in a small covered container.
Pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken. Turn the pieces to make sure they are all well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange the pieces on 1 or 2 half-sheet pans or large baking sheets. Discard the chicken marinade.

Roast for 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender and lightly browned and the juices run clear when the thighs are pricked with the tip of a small knife. Transfer the pieces to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
While the chicken is roasting, make the sauce. Boil the chicken stock in a medium saucepan over high heat until it is reduced to 1 cup. Whisk in the reserved 1 cup Spicy Yogurt Marinade and cook just until heated through. Do not boil, or the yogurt will separate. Keep the sauce warm.

As soon as the chickens are done, preheat the broiler. Toss the chiles with the oil to coat lightly and spread them out on a broiler rack or small baking sheet. Broil the chiles about 4 inches from the heat, turning them a couple of times, until they are blistered and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

To serve, layer the chicken and chiles on a large platter. Pour the sauce around the chicken. Top with the Fried Rice Noodles. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the chicken.

Spicy Yogurt Marinade:

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups hot sauce (recommended: Frank's)
1 1/3 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/3 cup soy sauce

To make the marinade, grind the peppercorns, cumin, coriander seeds, and cardamom in a spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle (or use ground). Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Add the hot sauce, yogurt, cream, and soy sauce and whisk until smooth and well blended.

Yield: about 3 1/2 cups

Fried Rice Noodles:

• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 bundle thin rice noodles (mai fun)

Add vegetable oil to reach about 2 inches up the sides of a large saucepan or a wok. Heat the oil over high heat to 340 degrees F. Separate 1 bundle of thin rice noodles into 2 portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, add the noodles to the oil. They will puff up almost immediately. Using a large wire skimmer, transfer to paper towels to drain.

Chicken Biryani

I love Indian food.  I love the spices, I love the all-you-can-eat buffets and I love that many of their dishes are vegetarian.  Give me an Indian lunch buffet and I will eat until I'm sick.

I decided to try this recipe based on it getting such high reviews.  And now I see why.  Abe LOVED it and declared it as good as something from a restaurant.  It was super easy to  make, so it will be added to the regular menu.

I know the recipe calls for boneless thighs, but I couldn't find those, so I substituted boneless breasts instead.  If you wanted to make this vegetarian, I'm sure cubed potatoes, chick peas or even fried extra-firm tofu would be lovely in this sauce.

Don't substitute ground cinnamon for the cinnamon stick- you'll regret it.  Buy some and then save the rest for holiday toddies.

I'm thinking you could omit the saffron, if you don't want to buy it.  It does add a nice flavor to the rice, however.

I got this from CookingLight.com.

Enjoy!

Chicken Biryani
Serves 6 (well, who are we kidding.... serves 3-4)

3  cups  water
2  teaspoons  salt, divided
1/4  teaspoon  saffron threads, crushed
1 1/2  cups  uncooked basmati rice
1  (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
1  cup  chopped onion
2  teaspoons  curry powder
1  teaspoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2  teaspoon  ground cardamom
1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
2  garlic cloves, minced
2  serrano chiles, seeded and minced
1  cup  plain whole-milk yogurt
1/2  cup  golden raisins
1/2  cup  chopped dry-roasted cashews
1/4  cup  fresh cilantro

1. Bring water, 1 teaspoon salt, and saffron to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and cinnamon stick to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Discard cinnamon stick.

2. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm.

3. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

4. Add curry and the next 5 ingredients (curry through serrano chiles); cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add yogurt, stirring with a whisk; cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add chicken and raisins; cook 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add rice; stir well to combine. Sprinkle evenly with cashews and cilantro.

Chicken Tandoori

I got this from this month's Food Network magazine.  To quote Abe just now, it's "Yummm-mee!"  And at only 237 calories per serving, you can have an extra piece without guilt!

I couldn't find hot paprika at the grocery store, so I just used sweet paprika with 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.   If you find hot paprika in the Detroit Metro area, let me know, ok?

I didn't debone the thighs, so if you don't have boneless, don't worry.  Make sure you check the doneness of the meat, though, since the bone will make it need a little bit more time.

I tried to take a picture of the meal, but my camera battery was dead (Aubri's cringing if she's reading this!).  So the pic is from FoodNetwork.com.

I served it with basmati rice and a green salad.

Enjoy!

Chicken Tandoori
Serves 4

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 3/4 teaspoons hot paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Preheat the broiler. Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl.

Pulse 2 tablespoons yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 11/2 teaspoons paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees F, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.

Butter Chicken (Chicken Tikka Masala)

I finally ventured over to a website that's been pretty hot lately on my message board and with some friends.... The Pioneer Woman.  Apparently, it's a blog created by a woman who is both an excellent cook and a great photographer.  All while staying at home with her kids and homeschooling them.  Shoot, I'm lucky if I get a load of laundry in the wash and dinner on the table. 

This recipe was raved on my parenting board, so I thought I'd make it for Abe before he gives up meat for lent (yes, there will be a ton of fish and vegetarian recipes coming in the next month).  He LOVED it.   I'm surprised he didn't lick the plate.

It's super simple to make, too.  I served it with rice and steamed broccoli.

As mentioned, I got this from PioneerWoman.com.

Butter Chicken (Chicken Tikka Masala)
Serves 4

4 pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Black Pepper
½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
¼ teaspoons Cumin
¼ teaspoons Cardamom
1 whole Lime, Juiced
1 whole Onion, Diced
¼ cups Butter
1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 pint Whipping Cream
1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste
2 cups Basmati Rice (or However Much You Want)

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight.
Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream (or light cream or half-and-half) and cilantro just before serving over rice.

 Enjoy!

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

I love Indian food.  I love the ginger, coconut milk, curry, spices.  Get me near an Indian buffet and I will eat until I'm sick.  Hey, how many places serve so much vegetarian?  Can't blame me.

I made this for Abe and me in our quest for a healthy January.  It's low in calories and fat, but ripe with flavors.  I served it over rice.

I got this from Cookinglight.com.

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry
Serves 6

1  tablespoon  olive oil
1 1/2  cups  chopped onion
1  cup  (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
1  tablespoon  curry powder
1  teaspoon  brown sugar
1  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger
2  garlic cloves, minced
1  serrano chile, seeded and minced
3  cups  cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 1/2  cups  cubed peeled baking potato
1  cup  diced green bell pepper
1  cup  (1-inch) cut green beans
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1  (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
3  cups  fresh baby spinach
1  cup  light coconut milk
6  lemon wedges

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts. Serve with lemon wedges.