Fresh Spring Rolls

A comfort food to my family for years has been fresh spring rolls. There really is no recipe for fresh spring rolls, the only thing you really need to purchase is the rice paper (aka Bánh tráng). We typically have a large plate of veggies including lettuce, avocado, peppers, green onion, cucumber, cilantro, etc, rice noodles and a meat usually fried salmon chunks, fake crab and/or prawns. You can add any sauce you like including salad dressing, mayo or rooster sauce (aka Sriracha). This night's proteins included spring salmon with tamari, hoisin squid, shrimp with lemon and imitation crab with dill and olive oil.

Ernst

Kheer Indian Dessert

This is a relatively quick and easy dessert I made to compliment the Indian food Luana served. I followed the following recipe:  http://www.sophisticatedgourmet.com/2010/03/kheer_recipe/

Community Dinner - July 24th 2012

Potato and Cauliflower Pakoras

1lb cauliflower florets
10oz russet potato
3 1/2 cups chickpea flour
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
3 tbsp ground coriander
3 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp mango powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 red onion, sliced lengthwise
oil for frying


Wash cauliflower and allow water to drain completely - if it's left
too wet it will make the batter runny. Peel and wash potatoes. Cut
each potato in quarters and cut thin slices. In a large bowl mix the
chickpea flour, jalapeño peppers, cumin, coriander, mango powder,
turmeric. Slowly add the buttermilk to make sure you get a paste. Mix
in the onion, cauliflower and potato. The batter should stick to the
vegetables.
Spoon out small amounts into a frying pan with hot oil (about 1/2 inch
deep in oil).

You can make the batter ahead of time and keep in the fridge but the
batter will become runnier


Cilantro-Mint Chicken Curry

Cilantro-Mint Chutney

3 cups chopped cilantro
2/3 cup chopped mint leaves
2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups red onion, chopped (about 1 large)
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1/3 tsp asafoetida
1 cup of water (approximately)


Mix all ingredients, except water, in a bow. Pour 1/3 of the bowl and
a 1/3 cup water into a blender and purée until smooth. Mix in the rest
and blend everything until you have a green chutney. Reserve while you
prepare the curry. (You can make this ahead of time and just keep it
in the fridge)

Curry

1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp salt
1 cup of plain yogurt or 3/4 cup whole-fat buttermilk
3lbs chicken thighs with bone-in

Heat oil in a pan with a tight-fitting lid for about 1 min on medium
heat. Add cumin and coriander seeds and allow them to sizzle for 30
secs. Add garlic and sauté for about 3 min or until golden brown. Turn
off the heat and after 2-3 minutes add the yogurt or buttermilk (I put
in a little bit of both). Add chicken and stir well. Turn the heat to
medium, cover and cook for about 25 min, stirring regularly. Remove
curry from heat and cool for about 20 minutes. Transfer the cooled
chicken to a bowl and peel the meat off the bones - size does not
matter but do not shred. Discard bones and stir chicken back into the
curry. Stir in the cilantro-mint chutney. About 15 min before serving
bring the curry to a boil on medium heat. Turn down the heat to simmer
and cook uncovered for about 10 min or until the chicken is well mixed
into the curry.

Serve with basmati rice


recipes from Vij's Indian Cuisine cookbook

July 17, 2012 Dinner at Jeff & Sandie's

ARGENTINEAN GARLIC CHICKEN WITH CORN, TOMATO AND PARSLEY SAUCE

SAUCE:
2 cups Parsley leaves, fresh, stems removed 500 mL  (For Chilean flavours, substitute fresh cilantro for parsley; for Peruvian, use basil instead.  I used half cilantro, half parsley)
1/2 cup Sweet onion, chopped 125 mL
8 Cloves garlic, minced 8
1/3 cup White vinegar 75 mL (I used half white vinegar, half red wine vinegar)
1 tbsp Dried oregano 15 mL
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes 2 mL
1/2 tsp salt 2 mL
1/4 tsp Pepper 1 mL
2/3 cup Olive oil 150 mL
3 Field tomatoes, seeded, diced 3
2 cups sweet corn, cooked 500 mL

CHICKEN:
1 tsp Each salt, pepper, dried oregano, ground cumin, garlic, onion powders 5 mL
6 Chicken breasts, boneless skinless 6  (I used thighs)

- SAUCE: In food processor, combine parsley, onion, garlic, vinegar, oregano, hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper; process until finely chopped. With motor running, slowly add oil and process until well blended but with coarse texture. Pour into bowl. Stir in half the tomatoes. Cut corn from cobs; stir into bowl.

- CHICKEN: Combine salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and garlic and onion powders; sprinkle about 1/2 tsp (2 mL) on each side of each chicken breast.
Lightly oil barbecue grill and heat to medium. Place chicken on grill; close lid and barbecue for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until no longer pink inside. Alternatively, roast in oven at 400 degrees for ~20 min.  Serve with parsley sauce spooned over each one. Garnish with remaining tomatoes.

CAULIFLOWER RICE PILAF

1 Raw Head Cauliflower, run through grater on food processor
1/2-3/4 c Almonds, slivered
1/4 c Butter
1/2 c Diced Onions
2-3 cloves Garlic, chopped, or a teaspoon or two from a jar
About a 1/2 c Chicken Broth, more or less
1 Teaspoon or so Dried Thyme

Toast almonds on cookie sheet (use a piece of foil underneath for ease in pouring them into pan later-and cleanup) in oven on 350 until you smell them and they are just turning brown. Watch them carefully because they will burn quickly if you leave them alone. They should only take 5 minutes or so.In a skillet saute the onions in the butter. Add the garlic when the onions have been on for a few minutes so it doesn't burn. Add the cauliflower and stir, sauteeing for a minute or so. Add the broth a bit at a time, just enough to make it moisten up the cauliflower. Remember the 'rice' is not really rice, it will not absorb fluids on standing. Cook, stirring every so often, for 5 minutes or so, covering as much as possible. Add thyme, salt and pepper, almonds and serve!

MANGO PUDDING

1 cup mango puree
1 cup coconut milk
I package Knox gelatin
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup honey (can skip if mango puree is already sweetened)

Put puree into a big bowl.
Mix together gelatin into 1/2 cup hot water. Whisk solidly for two minutes straight. Add the honey to this mixture.
Add this to the puree.
Add coconut milk to the puree as well.
Put into the fridge to set for 2 hours to overnight
Makes five 1/2 cup servings

June 26 2012 CD - Mushroom Barley Soup

not actually our soup but it looked just like this from The Joy of Cooking ingredients 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup chopped shallots 1 tsp dried thyme 2 cups veggie stock (bweeyawn cubes work) 2 1/2 cups water 3/4 cups dried barley groats 1 tsp salt 2 tsp pepper instructions 1. Try really hard not to interfere with Brennon's absurdly messy chopping style Bstyle and the outraged OCD chicken 2. Blend oil and butter on high heat, 3. add mushrooms and shallots, cook until mushrooms are wilted, about 5 minutes 4. add thyme, reduce heat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes  5. add broth, barley, salt, pepper 6. bring to a boil, reduce heat*, cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 1 hour

*Brennon actually boiled this hard for an unknown length of time before intervention so it's a pretty bulletproof recipe

Lentils

Lentils
-----------
Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups lentils (red/pink)
1 pod cardomon
1 pod clove
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 mustard seed
1 stick cinnamon
3-4 curry leaves/bayleaf (optional)
1 tsp cashmiri curry powder
1/2 onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2-3 seeds fenugreek
2 tbspn olive oil
coconut milk, lemon and salt

Method
Wash and soak lentils 15-20min. drain water.
Heat oil wt mustart seeds - medium high
Add onions when mustard seeds have stopped popping (1-2min)
Add spices garlic after onions have glazed. roast (1-2min)
Add drained lentils and fry in spice mixture for (2-3min)
Stir constantly so that lentils do not stick
Add boiling water to cover lentils (approx 1"above lentil level)
Reduce heat and let simmer stirring occasionally (15-20min)
Add coconut milk, salt lemon to taste
When serving sprinkle chopped cilantro

-- Abdel Naroth

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Brennon Obst | Freelance Designer/Developer | paradoxMultimedia
google talk: b.1.alpha@gmail.com | (604) 345-6915 (m)