It was cold, but the Indian food was Spicy

I know, I know corny title, but the night was definitely cold. You know Friday when it was supposed to snow...but it didn't. Nonetheless we got together for a fun time. I think the best part was was the warm tea Kesha concoted! While I would never cook a full Indian meal I definitely found some winners that will serve as appetizers for guests.









Ok first of all a shout out to Weight Watchers (and Jennifer Hudson, stop hating she looks great!). This first recipe is a WW recipe. Vena who made this dish suggested adding more Shrimp and chicken along with red potatos to make it heartier.

Shrimp and Chicken Curry
Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp curry powder, mild or hot, to taste
1/2 tsp table salt
3 medium scallion(s), thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
1/2 cup(s) light coconut milk
1 pound(s) shrimp, large, shelled and deveined
3 cup(s) cooked brown rice

Instructions
Coat a medium to large skillet with cooking spray; add oil and set over medium heat. When heated, add curry powder and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until curry is fragrant, about 1 minute.


Add white parts of scallions; cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes more. Add coconut milk; stir to blend. Add shrimp; cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turn pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green parts of scallions; serve. Yields about 5 to 6 shrimp, 3/4 cup rice and 1 to 2 tablespoons sauce per serving.
Notes
Add cilantro, hot peppers or tomatoes for a completely different twist.

Serve this recipe with fresh pineapple, mango or papaya to cut the spice (will affect PointsPlus values).

**OK Tamika made this dish...almost. I hope she chimes in because she totally changed this dish with her obssession with cheese. But it made for good food.
Palak Paneer Recipe
Palak Paneer, which also known as Saag Paneer, features wholesome flavor of cooked spinach (Palak) with fresh and delicate Indian cottage cheese, Paneer. For quick Palak Paneer, use frozen chopped spinach.You can also use canned spinach but avoid using it since it has more mushy texture and usually extra salt and spices. For vegans, substitute paneer with firm or extra firm Tofu.

Ingredients
1 lb paneer pieces (½ inch cubed)
2 lb spinach
3 tablespoon onion (chopped)
2 tablespoon tomato (chopped)
½ cup half and half
2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon ghee or oil

Salt to taste

* Add ~ 1/4 cup half and half to give creamy texture to the dish
Preparation
1 Heat ghee in low-medium flame. Add cubed Paneer and heat until light golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2 Heat ghee or oil. Sauté onion until light golden brown. Add spinach and cook until it turns into a paste.
3 Add spices and tomatoes. Simmer for few minutes.
4 Add cubed "half and half" and Paneer to spinach curry. Cook for about 10 minutes in medium heat.
5 Serve hot with rice or indian bread.


Chicken Tikki Masala

Ingredients :
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp jeera
1 tsp mango powder
1 tsp chilli powder
juice of a lime
10 good thick yoghurt
salt to taste
2 lb chicken, diced
5 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
chicken stock or water
oil

Method :
Grind the spices and mix with marinade ingredients.
Marinade chicken in the fridge for 24 hours.
Heat oil in a frying pan or wok until becomes very hot.
Stir fry chicken vigorously for about 5 minutes.
Take out chicken and keep warm.
Fry the onion and garlic until just browning and return chicken with any remaining marinade, plus stock, plus more spices if you think the sauce needs it an extra tsp of cumin and coriander may 'lift' it a little.
Simmer until chicken is cooked and Sauce is nice and thick.
Ready to serve.

Vegetable Kurma
Ingredients :
Oil little
1 big onion
Salt to taste
1 garlic piece
2 carrots, 1 capsicum
1 potato, small ginger piece
7 to 10 beans, 3 to 4 cauliflower pieces
2 to 3 cloves, little elaichi
½ tsp cinnamon
10 to 15 cashew pieces
1 tsp of khus khus
½ cup coconut
Method :
Cut the onions into small pieces and one fourth of the onions into big pieces.
Take a Kadai with little oil and add cloves, cinnamon, elaichi and cashews and then fry a little add ginger, garlic and big pieces of onions and then keep it to cool a little after everything is fried.
Then grind the whole mixture with coconut and khus khus and keep it aside.
Now take a little oil and add sombu, and then onions, fry it nicely.
Take all the vegetables cut into small pieces and boil it in the microwave. After everything is cooked nicely add it to the onions and mix it.
Add salt in the ground mixture. Now after everything is mixed well add water if it is very thick.

Japanese-no fish

That's right the little american girls got together to make Japanese food. Tamika who was quite adamant about telling us she can't eat fish was not very happy. Of course her experience with Japanese food was limited to the millions of sushi bars scattered throughout the Bay Area. I must say though that with this in mind, Vena put together a terrific menu with items everyone vowed to put in their repetoire. I think the cucumbers were my favorite-so freshing to the palate this one was a twist I'll definitely be using again. But I'm going to start with dessert...cause why not!


Green Tea Pound Cake
It's a tasty variation of basic pound cake. If you like green tea flavor, try this recipe.
Ingredients:
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
Preparation:
Cream butter in a bowl. Add sugar in the butter and mix well. Gradually add beaten eggs and stir well. Sift flour, baking powder, and green tea powder together and add the flour to the egg mixture. Pour the batter into a buttered loaf pan. Bake in preheated 340 degrees F oven for about 30-40 minutes.
*Makes 4 servings

Imokenpi is deep-fried and sugar-coated sweet potatoes. It's a really crunchy and delicious snack.
Satsumaimo Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
• 2 satsumaimo, about 1 lb
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp ginger juice
Preparation:
Peel satsumaimo potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Further, cut them into 1/4 inch thick strips. Soak in water for five minutes. Drain and dry with paper towels. Heat oil for deep-frying in a deep pot to 340 degrees F. Deep-fry satsumaimo strips for about 6-8 minutes, or until softened. Drain on paper towels. Reheat the oil to 375 degrees F, and add satsumaimo strips back into the oil. Fry until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Heat water, sugar, and ginger juice in a large skillet on medium heat until thickened. Add deep-fried satsumaimo in the skillet and mix well. Spread on wax paper and let them cool.


Soba with Toasted Sesame Sauce


Ingredients
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 8 ounces dried soba noodles
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 3 cups broccoli florets
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Pour the sesame seeds onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the seeds in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are a rich brown around the edges.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them for 5 to 6 minutes, or until they are just tender. Drain them, rinse them well with cold water, and drain them again.
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and green onions. Add the noodles, and the toasted sesame seeds. Toss well, then stir in the broccoli. Let the dish sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.


Yakitori DonIngredients


• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sake
• 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Directions
1. Rinse chicken, and pat dry. In a glass baking dish or bowl, stir together the ginger, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, sake and mirin. Place the chicken into the mixture to marinate. Refrigerate, covered for several hours, or overnight.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken pieces into the pan skin-side down, reserving marinade. Cook until light brown, then flip and brown the other side. Drain off grease, and pour the marinade into the pan. Cover, and reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking, shaking the skillet occasionally, until marinade is evaporated. Serve hot with rice or noodles

Sunomono

Ingredients
• 2 large cucumbers, peeled
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
Directions
1. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and scoop out any large seeds. Slice crosswise into very thin slices.
2. In a small bowl combine vinegar, sugar, salt and ginger. Mix well. Place cucumbers inside of the bowl, stir so that cucumbers are coated with the mixture. Refrigerate the bowl of cucumbers for at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 27 Total Fat: 0.2g Cholesterol: 0mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database
 

Miso SoupDashi is a basic stock used in Japanese cooking which is made by boiling dried kelp (seaweed) and dried bonito (fish). Instant dashi granules are sold in conveniently-sized jars or packets and vary in strength. Add more dashi to your soup if you want a stronger stock. You can use yellow, white or red miso paste for this soup. Yellow miso is sweet and creamy, red miso is stronger and saltier."
Ingredients
• 2 teaspoons dashi granules
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons miso paste
• 1 (8 ounce) package silken tofu, diced
• 2 green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine dashi granules and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and whisk in the miso paste. Stir in tofu. Separate the layers of the green onions, and add them to the soup. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Dessert Night

OK..I'm a little late with this one (only two months). But enjoy anyway!

So we decided that December is packed with too many things to do, so we condensed the foodie group this month to a dessert party. ASo we kicked off the holiday season with karaoke tracks, spiced cider and a table full of our favorite desserts. These many desserts were ridiculous and we had to force ourselves away from the table so we wouldn't fall into a diabetic coma.

OK--Here's the desserts by foodie

ME-I made my favorite Paula Deen Recipe Buttermilk Pie in individual stars and fresh whipped cream.

I also made Spirited Southern Sweet POtato Bars. I've never made them before, Vena said they need nutmeg. Here's a link to the recipe

Kesha



Walnut Pecan Chocolate Pie

Tamika

Cheesecake with raspberry-port reduction

Javani

Jav's Blondie

Vena

Big Ass Peach Cobbler

Vena won't give us her recipe that she has perfected over the last who knows how many years. But I will tell you that a key ingredient is butter and cinnamon...because it was cinnaminniminny!!!!

Mediterranean Night!

The second installment of the Foodie's Supper Club was a success. Tamika played host and for some reason was obsessed about cooking lamb. She couldn't figure out what should go with it, all she knew was that her main dish was going to be lamb. So we brainstormed some ideas and she settled on Mediterranean-excellent choice! The best part is that EVERYONE cooked a dish they had never tried before. My favorites were the stuffed peppers and the lamb with the sun-dried tomato paste. The flat bread with thyme was also a winner-we decided to kick it up a notch after it came out a bit floury. Tamika roasted a whole garlic and then we insisted she sit it in some olive oil. We all dipped the flatbread in and went to town. Not sure if there was any left!

THE MENU
First Course: Spicy Stuffed Peppers with Feta
Second Course: Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Third Course: Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Fourth Course: Mediterranean Lamb with Sun-Dried Tomato and Garlic Crust-
Fifth Course: Greek Lemon Cake
Greek Flat Bread

Mediterranean Lamb with Sun-Dried Tomato
Prep: 15 min, Cook: 15 min.
1/4 cup cut sun-dried tomatoes, oil packed or dry
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
4 lamb loin chops, abut 1/4 lb. each
2 tsp. olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 Tbs. flat leaf or regular parsley, chopped
aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 425°F. If using oil packed tomatoes, drain and cut into
thin strips. If using dried, cut into thin strips. Cover with hot water
and let stand 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Combine coriander, pepper
and salt in a bowl. Rub mixture into lamb. Arrange lamb in a roasting pan
and roast 15 minutes, or until lamb is just cooked throughout.

While lamb is roasting, heat oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Sauté
shallots and garlic 5 minutes or until softened. Do not brown. Add
remaining ingredients and stir until just heated throughout. Transfer lamb
to a carving platter. Tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Stir pan
juices into tomato mixture. Slice lamb into 1/4 inch thick slices across
the grain. Serve lamb topped with sauce.


Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2 cups chopped Cucumber
2 medium Tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Green Peppers
1/2 cup thinly sliced Red Onions
1/2 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/4 cup Greek Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 teaspoon grated Lemon Peel

1. Add cucumber, tomatoes, green peppers, red onions, crumbles feta cheese
and lemon peel to large serving bowl.
2. Toss with Greek vinaigrette dressing.
3. Serve immediately.


Spicy Stuffed Peppers with Feta

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
18-20 bull's horn, Anaheim, or Cubanelle peppers
1 1/3 pounds of feta cheese
3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
2 small hot peppers (of your choice), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
bread
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Cut a cap off the tops of peppers, and scoop out seeds, taking care not to
break or tear the pepper. In a bowl, mash the feta with a fork until soft.
Add oil, parsley, hot peppers, salt, and pepper and mix until very well
combined.
Using a small spoon, stuff the cheese mixture into the peppers (pressing
down with the handle of the spoon to completely fill) to 1/2 inch from the
top. Press a small piece of bread into the pepper to keep the cheese
filling from melting out during cooking. Place the caps back on each
pepper.
Lay the peppers in a lightly greased or nonstick baking pan and roast for
20 minutes or until they soften in a 390°F (200°C) preheated oven.
Alternative: These peppers stuffed with feta cheese can also be cooked on
the grill. Make sure the bread is firmly in place so the cheese doesn't
melt out.


Greek Lemon Cake
Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 10 inch tube
pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set mixture aside.
3. Separate the eggs. In a large bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks
form. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks
form. Set aside.
4. Cream butter or margarine, 1 1/2 cups sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, and
lemon juice together until fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with the
yogurt to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold in the egg whites and pour the
batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes. Let cake
cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.
Serves 12.


Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch
square baking pan.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute
onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in
spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2
minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach
mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush
lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush
with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The
sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan
and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer
remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck
overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into
squares and serve while hot.

Greek Flatbread


• 1 package active yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 3/4 cup water (might need more)
• 1 teaspoon oil
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor combine the yeast, sugar, flour, salt and
thyme. Pulse to combine. Add the water in a steady stream until the dough
begins to form a ball, turn it on to a board and knead with the heel of
your hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Coat a bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, and cover with a damp cloth.
Put in a warm spot to rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
When the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough, scrape it onto the
counter and knead it lightly into a smooth ball. Cut into 20 pieces and
with a rolling pin roll out to form very flat 5 to 6-inch circles.
Preheat a stove top grill pan over medium high. Do not oil. Place bread on
hot grill and cook without touching it until you see bubbles on the
surface, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes
more or until bread has puffed up. Serve immediately.

Birthday Weekend

I'm a little late...but...My birthday weekend was full of culinary delights-so here's to all my foodies.

I kicked it off on Thursday with a pre-birthday celebration at Havanna Sol in Vallejo. Havanna Sol is patterned after Havanna in Walnut Creek, but unfortunately the food is hit or miss. I had a Havanna Burger-it was rather dry, but the sweet potatoe fries seemed to disappear off my plate when I wasn't looking! Lucky for us no one came to eat-we came to drink and the drinks were delicious. I believe our table tried every mojito on the menu and not a complaint in the house. I tasted Niki's cucumber orange mojito-a strange combo that was quite refreshing.

La Ciccia-Birthday Dinner

On Friday, my actual birthday, we went to La Ciccia. La Ciccia was featured on Check Please last month so I was excited to try it out. The food was AMAZING! I had the pan seared ahi tuna with the most amazing cabbage. Everything was done well-including the pizza the waiter forced us to get which turned out to be a happy dance in your mouth. I know corny, but it was good!

Brown Sugar Balsalmic Vinagrette

You asked for it; here it is! The recipe for the salad from our first foodie group was supposed to be made with Honey Mustard salad dressing. But Tamika, who I knew would take the salad to another level, came up with this salad dressing instead. She added olives to the salad, and the salt complimented the sugar in the dressing beautifully! I am convinced this would be good on many other salad creations as well.

Brown Sugar Balsalmic Vinagrette

1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup of Balsalmic Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Light Olive Oil
1/4 cup of Balsalmic Vinegar
1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
1 Pinch of Kosher Salt
1 Pinch of Freshly Ground Pepper
I Teaspoon of Minced Garlic

Reduce 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla, and 1/2 cup of Balsalmic Vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let it boil for an additional 90 seconds. Poor hot reduction into a container to cool for 10 minutes. Combine 1/4 cup of oil and 1/4 of balsalmic vinegar. Add salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of Brown sugar to the mixture. Add the reduced mixture to the other ingredients. Chill for 15 minutes and poor over a salad of your choice.

The First Supper--A Rustic Affair

So, on Sunday we had our first Foodies' Supper Club. Anyone who knows me knows I love food. But I don't just love to eat-I love to cook, I love finding new vegetables and spices and I'll pretty much try anything once. The Foodies Supper Club sprouted from dinners and gatherings I've had at my condo with friends. Many of my friends are single, like me and well...while I'm not complaining about being single, unless I'm out at a resturant I usually eat alone. What I liked most about the gatherings at my home were the conversations and the exchange that happens around the table. So I thought why not combine good food, good company and good conversation.

Like good Bay Area foodies, I and my friends are always looking for the best produce and meat. We go to Larry's farm and seek out the perfect bottle of wine or local vodka (here's my pitch for Hangar One OMG!) to have with meals. It's all about the experience! Our first dinner was a a back to basics explosion. I chose a Rustic theme because I wanted to really emphasize seasonal fruits and vegatables at their best...not in sauces or overcooked. I wanted to showcase them for what they are with all their complexities, but present them in the simplest way. Nothing fancy!

The Menu:
Starters
Warm Spinach Salad with Squash and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Rustic Bread

Main Dish
Brick Chicken

Side
Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips and Brussels Sprouts

Dessert
Rustic Pear Tart

I thought someone took pictures, but we were preoccupied with eating. Now the recipes were one thing, but being the creative people we all are-we made our own adjustments. Some intentional, others on accident. Good thing the theme was Rustic. We finished the evening off with a fun pear drink made from infused pear vodka and a pear liquer from Hangar One, combined with a single malt whiskey from St. Georges. Both Hangar One and St. Georges are in Alameda-and if you haven't been...what are you waiting for?

All in all, the first supper club was a success. I can't wait to see what Tamika has in store for us.