Indian Spiced Butter Chicken

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

For somebody who loves Indian cuisine as much as I do, I’m not quite sure how I’d gone so long without trying butter chicken, one of the most popular Indian recipes outside of India.

But now that I’ve tasted it, I can definitely understand its popularity. After all, who can resist chicken when it’s swimming in a luscious sauce made from butter, yogurt, heavy cream and Indian spices?

The hardest part about this recipe is rounding up and measuring out all of the different spices. Otherwise, you’re just a quick sauté and simmer away from a pretty great meal.

It probably goes without saying that you’re going to want something to sop up all that sauce goodness. Rice or some naan would be perfect.

Indian Spiced Butter Chicken

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

* 1/3 cup whole fat plain regular or Greek yogurt
* 1/4 cup ground almonds
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
* 1/8 teaspoon ground bay leaves
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 cardamom pods, smashed
* 1 cup diced tomatoes in their juice
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 pound chicken breast or thighs, cut into large chunks
* 3 Tablespoons butter
* 1 Tablespoon oil
* 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
* 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
* 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the yogurt, ground almonds, cayenne, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, tomatoes, and salt and stir to mix. Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture, stir to coat, and set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to turn golden. Next, add the chicken and all of the yogurt marinade and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through.

Add the heavy cream and half of the cilantro and stir well. Cook for another minute or two. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve.

Indian Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Dill

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Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Although I most often associate dill with pickles and Scandinavian cuisine, it was Vietnamese (specifically cha ca thang long) and this Indian dish that finally turned me onto the polarizing herb.

And so the girl who could barely tolerate dill as a garnish (I’m a sweet gherkin girl through and through) became somebody who can’t seem to pass up the large, leafy bunches when they make their appearance at the farmer’s market.

Chickpeas are simmered with garlic and onions, Indian spices, a slightly sweet tomato sauce and plenty of chopped, fresh dill in this healthy vegan dish. If you’ve got pre-cooked chickpeas on hand, the dish should only take about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Although you can certainly use canned chickpeas for this recipe, I’d strongly recommend boiling up some dried beans yourself. They’re not only more economical, but the texture is far superior. This is pretty important in a dish made almost exclusively with chickpeas.

Indian Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Dill

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup diced tomatoes in their juice
2 cups finely chopped dill leaves and tender stalks
2-1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn golden. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onion mixture is golden. Reduce heat to medium.

Add the coriander, cayenne and turmeric and stir to evenly coat the onions mixture. Add the tomatoes with their juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down. You can use the back of a wooden spoon to help break up the larger chunks.

Add the dill, chickpeas, water, salt and sugar and simmer until the dill wilts and the mixture is hot, about 5-10 minutes.

Red and Green Cabbage Salad with Lemon Mustard Seed Dressing

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Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Rainbow Slaw Let’s face it. If there was such a thing as a popularity contest for vegetables, the humble cabbage probably wouldn’t have much of a chance. Not when there’s much sexier vegetables like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and ramps out there.

But while I could probably live without some of those other veggies, life without cabbage seems almost unthinkable. No Korean kimchi? No Polish kapusta? No Italian peasant soup? No spicy Indian cabbage? Some of my very favorite dishes are made primarily from cabbage.

Carrots and Cabbage And with each new cuisine I cook, it seems like my love affair with the hardy, leafy vegetable deepens. Cabbage may be considered peasant food in many countries, but I’ll take peasant food over molecular gastronomy any day.

Rainbow Slaw 1 In this colorful salad, which is another one of my favorite Indian recipes, red and green shredded cabbage are combined with grated carrots and tossed in a lemon juice dressing that’s spiked with hot Serrano chiles and pungent mustard seeds. Bright tasting with plenty of crunch, it’s a great side to rich, coconut milk-based curries.

Rainbow Slaw 2

Red and Green Cabbage Salad with Lemon Mustard Seed Dressing

I like to make this colorful salad with red and green cabbage as well as purple, orange and yellow carrots, but it’s still excellent with standard green cabbage and orange carrots.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

* 4-5 cups finely shredded cabbage (about 1/4 of a medium-sized cabbage)
* 3/4 cup finely grated carrots
* 1 Serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 2 Tablespoons oil
* 1-1/2 teaspoons yellow or brown mustard seeds

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the cabbage, carrots, Serrano, lemon juice, salt and sugar and toss to mix.

In a small saucepan heat the oil over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds and immediately cover with a lid or splatter screen. When the seeds have stopped popping, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the oil and seeds over the cabbage mixture. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

Creamy Goan Black-Eyed Pea Curry

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Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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I remember reading once. Or maybe I heard it on the radio? It was about Fergie being the only member of the Black-Eyed Peas who actually liked black-eyed peas.

Well, in the unlikely event that I’m one day in charge of feeding the on-again, off-again band, I feel like I’d have a pretty good chance of changing their minds with my garlic and cheddar black-eyed pea dip as well as this creamy Goan black-eyed pea curry.

I know that Indian food can seem pretty overwhelming to make because of all the unusual and/or hard to find ingredients, but this curry primarily uses canned pantry staples and a couple Indian spices. It’s the perfect recipe to get your feet wet in Indian cooking.

But as much as I love kitchen shortcuts, if you’ve got a little extra time on your hands, I’d definitely recommend boiling up a bag or two of black-eyed peas yourself. Not only is it cheaper (and you avoid the BPA exposure), but you can use any extra beans to make this Indian black-eyed pea salad. It’s like a delicious two for one special.

Creamy Goan Black-Eyed Pea Curry

I enjoy this curry extra rich and creamy, but feel free to substitute 1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth for the some of the coconut milk.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2 Tablespoons oil
* 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 cup diced tomatoes in their juice (canned tomatoes work great)
* 3 cups cooked black-eyed peas (approximately 2 15-ounce cans rinsed and drained)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1 15-ounces coconut milk (about 1-3/4 cups)
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has begun to turn golden. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is very fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the tomato and any accumulated juices to the saucepan and cook until the tomato begins to break down. Add the black-eyed peas, salt, sugar and coconut milk and stir to mix. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or long enough for the sauce to thicken slightly and for the flavors to meld.

Add the lemon juice and cilantro leaves, stir, and cook for another minute. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Serve hot, garnished with a few cilantro leaves, if desired.

Spiced Yellow Split Pea Fritters

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Americans sure do love fried foods, so I’m not quite sure why we haven’t jumped on the bean/legume fritters bandwagon. Clearly the rest of the world has a leg up on us: countries in the Middle East have their chickpea Falafel, Brazil has its black eyed pea acaraje, and both India and Burma have yellow split pea fritters.

If you’re a fan of yellow dal, then you can probably imagine how good hearty, spiced dal would be in fried appetizer form.

Soaked yellow split peas are processed until nearly smooth and then combined with garlic, onion, spices and fresh cilantro. Form the mixture into little discs or balls, and shallow fry them until golden and crispy. These might not qualify as health food, per se, but I’m guessing that these vegan treats are a whole lot better for you, and a whole lot tastier, than what’s coming out of the fryer at your local fast food chain.

I couldn’t resist snacking on them just out of the skillet, but I imagine they’d also make a great lunch or dinner when paired with an Indian or Burmese salad.

Spiced Yellow Split Pea Fritters

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 10-12 hours

Ingredients:

* 1 cup yellow split peas
* 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 Jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped (seeded first, if you prefer less heat)
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish (optional)
* 1/4 cup water
* oil for frying
* lemon wedges (optional)

Directions:

Rinse the split peas under cold water. Cover with plenty of water and soak overnight.

The following day, drain the split peas and process in a food processor or high speed blender until almost smooth. Mix the processed split peas with the onion, garlic, chile pepper, cumin, turmeric, salt, cilantro leaves, and water and stir until well combined. Let sit for one hour.

Heat a thin layer of oil to a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Use your hands to shape round or slightly flattened fritters and place in the oil. Cook for several minutes until the bottom is beginning to turn golden. Use long-handled tongs to flip the fritters. Continue to cook until the fritter is golden all over and cooked through the center.

Drain on paper towel-lined plates. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the fritters if desired and top with an extra sprinkle of salt and cilantro.

Burmese Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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If you were to poke around my kitchen right now, you’d see a lot of jars and bottles containing all sorts of liquids and other curiosities. There’s the large jar of vinegar that’s steeping with orange peels (for a natural, orange-scented all-purpose cleaner), a small container of vodka with zested citron peel for a test batch of limoncello, and a giant bottle that holds my first, and possibly failed, attempt at making kombucha.

These endeavors aren’t for the impatient or the overly tidy. Not only do I have to wait a week or two, but all of these experiments are taking up almost every horizontal surface of the kitchen.

So it sure is nice to throw a simple, healthy and, most importantly, quick meal to the mix. There’s nothing quite like immediate gratification.

This shrimp and asparagus stir fry, which is flavored with shallots, turmeric, and cayenne, can be thrown together in less than 20 minutes. Perfect for those in a hurry. And because you only need one-skillet to cook everything, it’ll be a snap to clean up and get your kitchen back in order. Unless of course you’ve got some vinegar/limoncello/kombucha experiments going on like I do…

Burmese Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

* 3/4 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 3 teaspoons fish sauce, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 Tablespoon oil
* 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
* 1-1/4 pounds asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces on the diagonal
* 2 teaspoons gluten-free soy sauce, tamari or Bragg’s liquid aminos
* 2-3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the shrimp in 2 teaspoons of the fish sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of the turmeric, and the salt. Let marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the remaining turmeric, the cayenne pepper and the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots have softened. Add the asparagus, the remaining teaspoon of fish sauce, and the soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus have begun to soften.

Finally, add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp have turned pink and are cooked through, approximately 2-3 minutes.

Top with cilantro and serve hot.

Provençal Garlic Cure-All Soup

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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The holiday season, as you undoubtedly have noticed, is well underway. And with an ever-growing to-do list and seemingly less time to accomplish the tasks on said list, it’s just about the worst time to feel under the weather.

This soup is the just the ticket, whether you’ve indulged in one too many spiked eggnogs at the holiday party the night prior or you’re in the beginning stages of a head cold, courtesy of your cubicle neighbor who REALLY should have just stayed home.

It’s very much peasant food, created from very simple ingredients, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you’re looking for something excessively rich and indulgent, this isn’t the soup for you. (But I would encourage you to try this terrific garlic soup, made with butter and heavy cream).

But if you’re anything like me, after all of the peppermint bark, holiday cookies, and fudge, your body might just be craving something simple and nourishing.

The traditional version uses water only, but I added a bit of broth for extra flavor. You’ve also got a couple options as to how to serve the soup: with the garlic slices left untouched (which is more traditional) or pureed. Either way is great, but be forewarned that you might have garlic coming out of your pores for about a day or so afterwards.

p.s. If you’re REALLY feeling under the weather, I’ve found nothing beats the combination of this garlic and honey immune booster paired with ginger and lemongrass tea.

Aigo Bouido- Provençal Garlic Cure-All Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 2 Tablespoons olive oil
* 20 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
* 6 sage leaves
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 sprigs fresh thyme
* 3 cups water
* 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth or stock
* 6 egg yolks
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* salt and pepper to taste
* extra olive oil and sage leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to turn golden. Tie the sage leaves, bay leaves and thyme together with kitchen twine or enclose in a piece of cheesecloth, tying the packet closed with a piece of kitchen twine. Place the herbs in the saucepan, give everything a quick stir and then add the water and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and partially cover (set the saucepan lid slightly askew). Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the herbs from the saucepan and discard. In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks and Parmesan cheese together. While whisking, add several small ladles of hot broth. Then slowly add this mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly. If you’d like a smooth-textured soup, use an immersion blender to process the soup in the saucepan. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle into individual bowls and top with a small drizzle of olive oil and a sage leaf, if desired.

Homemade Nutella- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

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Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Homemade Nutella- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Ahhh… the first time I’d tasted Nutella. I remember it very clearly (the taste anyways… the rest is sort of hazy, as you’ll see). I was young, around ten years old perhaps? We’d just picked up my oldest sister, who’d just returned from a trip to Europe (Austria? Germany?), from the airport.

From deep within the depths that giant duffel of hers she produced a couple jars of Nutella. When I finally had a taste I had no idea there was any hazelnuts in the spread because 1) I was so focused on the chocolate and 2) I’m not even sure I knew what a hazelnut was. But I distinctly remember thinking that those European kids had it made if they were eating chocolate sandwiches instead of boring old peanut butter and jelly.

These were the days before Nutella was on every aisle of every major grocery store, back when Nutella was still very much a novelty and treat.

Twenty years (and many, many Nutella crepes) later, the magic has, if not disappeared, certainly diminished. I recently bought a three pack from Sam’s Club and had a hard time getting through it. If Nutella and I were in a relationship I would have told him, “it’s not you, it’s me. I’ve changed. I want more.”

Like a more pronounced hazelnut taste, not one that’s hidden under all that mild, unmemorable chocolate and sugar. And speaking of chocolate, I want it dark, rich and pronounced.

Had I realized how easy it was to make, I would have called it quits with Nutella a long time ago.

Nutella vs Homemade Hazelnut Spread

Freshly toasted hazelnuts are ground with cocoa, a touch of powdered sugar and combined with bittersweet chocolate to create a rich and creamy spread that you’re going to want to slather on everything. Including a bare spoon to be immediately inserted into your mouth. You don’t need to go all out on the chocolate, but I’d definitely recommend upgrading from Nestle or Hershey’s chocolate… Ghiradelli got the job done admirably.

A word of warning: don’t ever make this if you have any intention of purchasing the store-bought version ever again. This will ruin it for you, I promise.

p.s. Yes, I know that Nutella was originally made by an Italian company, but it’s such a part of French food culture that I decided to include it in my French posts.

Homemade Nutella- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Yield: about 2 cups

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup raw hazelnuts
2 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips (or a mixture of half bittersweet chocolate and half milk chocolate)
2+ Tablespoons mild vegetable oil like canola or grapeseed (or be super fancy and use hazelnut oil!)
3 Tablespoons powdered/confectioners’ sugar
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven until the nuts have darkened and the skins have blistered, about 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel and rub to remove as much of the skin as possible (or you can also just use your fingers to take the skin off the hazelnuts individually). Don’t worry about any of the stubborn skin that clings to the hazelnut. Let cool completely.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir until smooth and let cool slightly.

In a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix or Blendtec) or a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until they form a paste. Add the oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Continue to process the mixture (if you’re using a blender you’re probably going to need the tamper) until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Add the melted chocolate and continue to blend until smooth and well combined.

If you’ve used a food processor and would like the spread very smooth, you may need to strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any chunks of hazelnut that remain. The resulting homemade Nutella may be thin and somewhat runny, but it will thicken as it cools. If the mixture is already pretty thick feel free to add a bit of extra oil to keep the mixture more spreadable.

Transfer the spread into a jar or other resealable container and let cool to room temperature. Cover and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. If you store it in the refrigerator you may need to bring it up to room temperature to get it to a spreadable consistency.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Caramel Chex Bars

Dessert

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Chocolate and Peanut Butter Caramel Chex Bars

So I’m interrupting your regularly scheduled programming (French recipes) because holding back this recipe from you guys for another couple of weeks just seemed cruel.

I came home from the supermarket with four boxes of plain Chex over the weekend, creating the perfect opportunity to make these bars, which I’d pinned several months back. One look at the ingredient list and I knew they’d be a winner. Chex (naturally gluten-free!), peanut butter, caramel, peanuts and chocolate? How could these be anything but amazing?

I made them once exactly as written in the original recipe (very, very good), but make some edits for the second batch to make them a little less salty and a bit crunchier. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of peanut butter caramel goodness to coat each and every Chex piece.

You might want to save these for a day when you know when you’ll be having company or kids over (or not… I won’t judge). Because I promise you that these will disappear shockingly fast. It’s sort of like having two dozen Twix or Take 5 candy bars out and unwrapped. Totally dangerous.

I should also warn you that Rice Krispy Treats will seem completely inadequate as a cereal bar after you get a taste of these.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Caramel Chex Bars

Yield: about 24 bars

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

7 cups Rice or Corn Chex
1-1/4 cups roasted, salted peanuts
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup bittersweet/dark chocolate chips (or 4.5 ounces chunk chocolate)

Directions:

Use butter to lightly grease a 9-inch by 13-inch pan. Alternatively you can line the pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment set the pan aside.

In a large bowl combine the Chex and peanuts. Lightly toss and set aside.

In a small saucepan combine the brown sugar and corn syrup and stir to mix. Set over medium-low heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for one minute without stirring. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, vanilla and salt and stir until well-combined and smooth.

Pour the peanut butter caramel sauce over the cereal mixture and toss gently but thoroughly, trying your best to not crush the Chex. Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan. Use your hands to gently press the mixture down evenly (you can lightly grease your hands if desired. Also be careful as the mixture will still be somewhat hot).

Let cool for at least 20 minutes. Melt the chocolate chips using a microwave or double boiler. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the bars. Let cool completely, placing the bars in the refrigerator if necessary to make sure that the chocolate hardens.

Cut the bars directly in the pan or, if using parchment, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and then cut on a cutting board.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature in cooler climates.