Nepali Sesame Cabbage

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

I certainly haven’t hidden my love of cabbage from you guys. In just over a year I’ve posted a cabbage soup, two kinds of slaw, cabbage rolls, tangy ginger cabbage, curried cabbage, Napa cabbage kimchi, etc., etc. Cabbage sure is one heck of an adaptable vegetable.

If you love it as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to head on down to the supermarket this weekend to pick up supplies for this Nepali cabbage. Would I have ever thought to combine sesame paste with cabbage? That’s a negative. But did I love the result so much that two people finished the whole thing almost immediately? That’s an affirmative.

It’s recipes like this one that make me thank my lucky stars that I started this little culinary journey around the world. It’s pretty amazing that about a year ago I only had about two or three go-to recipes for cabbage.

Of course my number of cabbage recipes has increased exponentially and this particular recipe just shot to the top of my list of favorites. Hot, sour, salty, sweet- it’s got it all. And just like yesterday’s dish, it’s vegan and quick to prepare. I sure am on a roll…

Nepali Sesame Cabbage

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sesame seeds
1/4 cup water
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 medium-sized cabbage, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
black sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden. Grind the toasted seeds in a blender and then add the water and lemon juice, and blend until it becomes a smooth paste.

In a large bowl, combine the sesame paste, cabbage, salt and cayenne.

In a small frying pan, heat the oil over high heat until it begins to smoke. Immediately add the turmeric and then pour the seasoned oil over the cabbage mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Garnish with black sesame seeds.

Khukara Ko Polau- Nepali Chicken Fried Rice

Main Dishes

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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Khukara Ko Polau- Nepali Chicken Fried Rice

Although it shares the same name, this dish is probably very different than other chicken fried rice dishes you’ve had in the past. Besides the obvious ingredient switcheroos, the biggest difference is in the cooking technique.

Unlike most fried rice, this dish doesn’t use leftover, pre-cooked rice; it’s actually cooked similarly to Mexican rice. The uncooked rice gets pan toasted before adding the cooking liquid, causing some of the grains to split and fluff up during cooking.

So if you’re looking for a one-dish, last-minute meal that’s light on the meat but still packed with flavor, you’ve come to the right place. Since I had plenty of leftovers, the second day I added a little Sriracha and Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce. I recommend it highly, if you’re a wild one like myself…

Khukara Ko Polau- Nepali Chicken Fried Rice

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups long or medium grain white rice
3 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 cardamom pod, smashed
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups chopped, boneless chicken breast or thighs
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups water
chopped cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

Place rice in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak and set aside.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a very large saucepan. Add the cardamom, cloves and bay leaves and cook for about a minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Next, add the chicken and cook until browned.

Add the salt, turmeric, garlic and garam masala and stir to coat the onion and chicken with the spices.

Drain the rice and add to the skillet. Continue to cook, stirring, until the rice is toasted and golden. Add the water, reduce heat, and simmer until the rice is cooked, about ten minutes.

Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro.

Dal Ra Pulungo- Yellow Dal with Spinach and Burnt Onions

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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Dal Ra Pulungo- Yellow Dal with Spinach and Burnt Onions

I know, I know. I just posted another yellow dal recipe last week. But this particular version is really good, super healthy, and definitely different enough to warrant another blog post. It would have been a travesty to keep this recipe from you guys (especially my vegan friends out there).

Several handfuls of baby spinach add a nutritional boost to the already healthy dal. And yellow split peas cook pretty quickly, making this is a perfectly viable weeknight meal option.

And although they’re totally optional, I highly recommend making some crispy and sweet burnt onions to top the dal. They don’t take too much time or effort, but they’ll add a whole other flavor and texture dimension to the dish.

Dal Ra Pulungo- Yellow Dal with Spinach and Burnt Onions

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow split peas
8 cups water
2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cloves
2 cardamom pods, crushed
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
8 ounces baby spinach, washed
1 teaspoon salt
burnt onions

Directions:

Combine the split peas and water in a large saucepan. Cover and simmer over low heat until the split peas have softened.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, cloves, and cardamom and cook, stirring, until very fragrant, about a minute or two. Next, add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until golden. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted along with the salt.

Add the spinach mix to the yellow split peas. Continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Top with burnt onions.

Bangur Bhutuwa- Nepali Spicy Stir Fried Pork

Main Dishes

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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Bangur Bhutuwa- Nepali Spicy Stir Fried Pork

I know I write this just about every time I post a pork recipe, but I really need to start making pork more often. It’s inexpensive, easy and quick to cook and just about universally liked. In this recipe, boneless pork gets stir fried with classic Nepali spices and frozen peas.

Straddling the line between tasting like an exotic foreign dish or a familiar American classic, it’s one of those recipes that’s perfect for getting non-adventurous eaters to branch out into something a little different.

And since I always have plenty of leftovers, I’m once again guilty of smearing them with Sriracha and Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce on days three and beyond for a little variety. One of my favorite ways to jazz up the same old, same old.

Bangur Bhutuwa- Nepali Spicy Stir Fried Pork

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

* 3 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
* 1 large onion, thinly sliced
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1-1/2-inch piece fresh, peeled ginger, grated (I freeze peeled ginger and use a Microplane zester)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
* 2 teaspoons cumin
* 1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
* 1-1/2 pounds boneless pork, cut into small cubes
* pinch ground cloves
* pinch ground cinnamon
* pinch ground cardamom
* 1/2 cup frozen peas
* fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the ginger, salt, turmeric, cumin, and coriander and stir to coat. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until no longer pink. Add the cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom and stir to distribute. Add the frozen peas and continue to cook until the peas are heated through.

Serve atop rice and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Lättyjä- Finnish Gluten-Free Buttermilk Crepes

Breakfast

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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Lättyjä- Finnish Gluten-Free Buttermilk Crepes

It’s pretty much impossible not to have positive memories associated with crepes. Whether you’re strolling down a Parisian cobblestone street with a banana and Nutella crepe from a street vendor (or one from this great/creepy clown themed creperie.. trust me, it’s not a place for the anybody with coulrophobia) or just enjoying a stack at home on a lazy Sunday mornings with family, crepes just seem to make everything better… and a little fancier as well.

My grandmother used to make crepes every single time we’d visit. Since there were four of us kids, those crepes would get gobbled just as soon as they came off the pan. And regardless of the season, she’d make hot chocolate for us to drink. It wasn’t Paris, but it was still pretty darn special.

I’ve made, and posted, crepes before on Girl Cooks World, but this recipe appealed for a couple reasons. Partially because buttermilk is such an important part of Finnish cuisine (they drink it straight!) and partially because I still had the majority of a quart of buttermilk in the fridge. And can you ever have too many crepe options? I think not. In a nod to another popular Finnish ingredient, these are filled with fresh blueberries. A light dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream is the perfect finishing touch.

Lättyjä- Finnish Gluten-Free Buttermilk Crepes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 2 Tablespoons melted butter
* 1/2 cup superfine rice flour
* 1/4 cup potato starch
* 1/4 cup tapioca starch
* butter for frying
* blueberries, for filling
* whipped cream or powdered sugar, for topping (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together. Add the salt, buttermilk and melted butter and whisk together. Add the rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch and whisk together until smooth.

Heat a pat of butter in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add about 1/4 cup of batter and swirl the pan to distribute the batter evenly. Cook until golden. Flip and cook other side until golden. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding additional butter when necessary.

Fill with blueberries and top with powdered sugar or whipped cream, if using.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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So now that you’re comfortable with the idea of making traditional fudge, let’s try one more shall we? I can never get enough peanut butter and so I was pretty excited to try this fudge where peanut butter took center stage… usually it’s relegated to just being a chocolate fudge swirl-in.

Again, just make sure you have a candy thermometer and follow the instructions carefully and you should be all set. You’ll never go back to those versions that rely on sweetened condensed milk or powdered sugar. And you can also stop shelling out all that money at the candy shop.

But, if you happen to goof it up (hey, it happens to the best of us), stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on how to rescue a botched batch of fudge.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:

* 2 cups brown sugar
* 2 cups white sugar
* 1 cup milk
* 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
* 1 Tablespoon butter
* 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Butter an 8-inch by 8-inch pan.In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the sugars and the milk over medium-low heat. Add the peanut butter and butter and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat until sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth (do not let the mixture boil until the sugar has dissolved).

Use a pastry or silicone brush dipped in cold water to wash down any sugar crystals or peanut butter mixture that has formed on the sides of the saucepan. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan, making sure that it does not touch the bottom of the pan.

Increase the heat to medium and let the mixture come to a boil. At that point STOP STIRRING THE FUDGE. Keep the mixture boiling and stand by the make sure the mixture doesn’t boil over.

When the temperature reaches 236 degrees, remove the saucepan from the heat. Let sit until the mixture has cooled to 110 degrees. Add the vanilla and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture thickens and loses its sheen. Pour into prepared pan. Let cool completely and cut into small squares.

How To Save a Botched Batch of Grainy Fudge

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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How To Save a Botched Batch of Grainy Fudge

Bad batches of fudge happen to everybody. At least that’s what I tell myself. I’ve made enough successful batches now that I sometimes get a little bit cocky and try to take a shortcut or two. Yeah, never a good idea.

You can probably tell from the photos above that this batch of fudge became one grainy mess. I don’t like wasting calories on mediocre candy. I’m also too cheap to throw a bad batch away. The solution? A fudge do-over.

Even though it set up properly, I threw it back into a saucepan with about 1 1/2 cups of water and gently heated the mixture to dissolve the fudge into the water.

From there, I pretty much re-did the whole cooking process. Here are the basic steps:

Heat the mixture gently to ensure the sugar has melted
Wash down the sugar crystals on the side of the pan
Boil to the mixture until it reaches the soft ball stage (without stirring!)
Let cool until the mixture reaches about 110 degrees
Beat with a wooden spoon until set.

Aahhhh… doesn’t that look better? Although the color of the fudge slightly darkened, the flavor was unaffected. Unlike the first batch, it was smooth, creamy, and set up just right.

Next time, I’ll try to be more careful. But the opportunity for a second chance? Always a good thing. At least when it comes to candy-making.

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Detox
Drinks

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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Want to get into the holiday spirit without compromising your healthy eating habits? Or want to make nutritional amends after a couple too many cookies? Well, this vegan pumpkin spice smoothie might be just the thing.

It’s super easy to make, has all the flavors you crave during the holiday season, and tastes like an indulgent dessert. Stick with these smoothies throughout the holiday season and you might not need to take any drastic measures come January 1st.

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

1/2 banana (or use a small Hawaiian apple banana)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup almond milk
1 cup ice cubes
6-8 dates (can reduce to 3-4 if using the larger Medjool variety)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Enjoy!

For another great recipe, try my Purple Energy Smoothie!

Gluten-Free Triple Ginger Cookies

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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Before I went gluten-free, this Fresh Ginger Cookie recipe from Allrecipes.com was one of my very favorites. I got a lot of requests from friends and family to make these for parties and get-togethers. When I went gluten-free, it was one of the first recipes I tried to convert. After a number of spectacular failures, I put it on the back burner for awhile.

When I was ramping up for the holiday season this year, I decided to give it another go, using one of my favorite sugar cookie recipes as a starting point. Finally, success. This is a cookie for true ginger lovers: it’s got fresh ginger, powdered ginger, and crystallized ginger.

Great alone, of with some honey ice cream or made into a cookie sandwich with some lemon cream filling (yep, those Carr’s ginger lemon creme cookies used to be a favorite of mine). Or if you ever find yourself with leftovers, use some to make a ginger crust for pumpkin cheesecake. Yum.

Gluten-Free Triple Ginger Cookies

Yield: Approximately 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
One egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup rice flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger (use a microplane zester on frozen, peeled ginger)
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
coarse, unrefined sugar

Directions:

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combined.

Next, add the rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, sweet rice flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Finally, add the molasses, fresh ginger, powdered ginger and crystallized ginger and mix to distribute evenly. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a cookie sheet or line with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

Sprinkle some of the coarse sugar onto a large plate. Take heaping teaspoons of chilled dough and roll in the sugar. Drop on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until the cookies turn a light golden brown. Remove from oven and let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for a minute or two. Remove to a cooling rack.