Asian Salmon with Bok Choy Stir Fry

Searching for new ways to make salmon, this recipe is for you. An asian twist on the salmon. Very easy to make yet tastes so delicious.

Ingredients:
handful of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)

for salmon:
2 6-8 oz salmon fillets (I used salmon fillets without skin, I usually find salmon smelly with skin)
3/4 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons good oilve oil
3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

for stri fry:
1 pound bok choy - trim the ends. Trim off the ends of the bok choy and chop, keeping the white parts separate from the greens.
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup water
1 inch fresh ginger root, finely minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

Method:
Whisk all the ingredients under "for salmon" except salmon (dijon mustard acts as emulsifier). Coat the salmon with the mixture and keep them aside.

In a pan on medium high heat, add vegetable oil, sesame oil. Add white parts of bok choy and saute for 3 minutes. Add the greens and saute for another couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the rest of ingredients under "stir fry". Add this sauce to the bok choy and stir until the water content is evaporated.

Cook the salmon in a pan on medium heat until just cooked (this will take couple of minutes on each side). We don't need to add oil to the pan as there is oil in the marinade. Also try to coat the fish with all the marinade before you add it to the pan. Serve salmon with bok choy stir fry topped with roasted peanuts.

Tips and More:

• Spinach is also a best option for this recipe instead of bok choy. In fact, any greens like chard, kale etc. should work.
• Don't overcook salmon. It will be dry. Turn of the heat when you still see a thin pink line in the middle. Salmon continues to cook by the time you eat. By doing this, you will have a tender moist juicy fish.

Gobi / Paneer Manchuria

If it is the weekend, you got to treat yourself with something extra special. Manchuria is the one for you. Once you taste it, you will crave for more and you will make it again and again. This recipe serves 6 people.

Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper - cut into strips (optional)
1/2 medium onion - sliced length wise (optional)
1/2 pound paneer - cut into 1 inch by 1/2  inch paneer pieces
1 small head cauliflower, around 16 florets
oil for deep frying (I used canola oil)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

for sauce:
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons oil (canola or olive)(1 teaspoon if you not using red bell peppers and onion)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vine vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional, adjust to your spice level)
4 cloves garlic - sliced
1/4 teaspoon Ajinomoto (you can find it in any chinese, vietnamese or thai grocery store, this is optional)

for batter:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn flour
water

Method:
Mix all the ingredients under the batter. The batter shouldn't be too thick or too thin. You are looking for something of pan cake batter consistency. Coat the cauliflower and paneer with the batter, let any extra batter to drip off (we just need light coating, else it will be too doughy) and deep fry them on medium high heat until they turn golden brown. Take them onto a paper towel to remove any excess oil and keep them aside.

In a separate pan on medium high heat, add oil and saute onion for 4 minutes, or until the onions just starts to turn translucent. Add red bell peppers and saute for another couple of minutes (or just until the way you want the peppers to be). Add garlic, saute for another minute until fragrant. Add ketchup, soy sauce, chili powder, rice vine vinegar, ajinamoto, water and stir well. Bring to a boil and let it reduce a bit, or just until the sauce is enough to coat all the fried pieces. Add the paneer cauliflowers pieces to the sauce. Combine well, check on the seasoning, and add some salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.

Tips and More:

• Corn flour  is a must in this recipe to achieve crunchy texture to the paneer and cauliflower pieces.
• You can make paneer manchuria alone or gobi manchuria alone instead of mixing both.
• You can make the same recipe with baby corn. Try green bell peppers instead of red.
• Add some green onions for more flavor.

Lemon Pasta with Blackened Chicken

It was pasta night again and this recipe was a hit. Blackened seasoning is a tasty spin on a boring salt and pepper chicken. Lemon pasta compliments already delicious tasting chicken.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons blackened seasoning
1 pound whole grain pasta of any type (penne, curly)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons +  2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
1/4 cup peas (optional)
1 large roasted red bell pepper, skinned and cut into strips (optional)

Method:

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, until al dente and drain the water.

Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and apply blackened spice both sides to the chicken. Heat a pan over medium high and add 2 tablespoons of oil to it. Add chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through and browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover with a aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Then slice the chicken.

In a separate pan, add the garlic and red pepper flakes to a saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute until fragrant, around 2 minutes. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, stir well and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta, peas, roasted red bell pepper, combine all together and turn the heat off. Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and mix all together. Add fresh parsley at the end. Plate the pasta and top the pasta with chicken pieces.

Tips and More:

• Make sure to rest the chicken before slicing in order to sear in the juices.
• Plan for tomorrow's lunch. Make 4 blackened chicken breasts instead of 2. 2 for pasta and save 2 for tomorrow. Thinly slice the chicken breast, add these pieces to a mayo or mustard spread whole grain bread. Add fresh tomato, lettuce, red onion and enjoy deli style sandwich.
• Lemon Pasta tastes great by itself. The other version instead of chicken would be Lemon Pasta Shrimp. Saute 1/4 cup finely minced shallots for couple of minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, red pepper flakes to the pan, add 1/2 a pound of peeled and deveined shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink. The rest of the procedure is the same.
• If you don't want to buy blackened chicken just for this one recipe, you can make it yourself. It a combination of spices and herbs that you find in your own pantry. 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon ground dried thyme, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano. You can store this in a air tight container.

Palak Paneer / Spinach n Cheese

Rich Creamy Deliciousness. Palak Paneer is one of the Indian recipes you can't get enough of it. Try this recipe and you won't be disappointed.The following recipe serves 6 people.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 tablespoon ginger paste
1/2 tablespoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
4-5 curry leaves (optional)
1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to your spice level)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small onion finely chopped (around 2 cups finely chopped onion)
1 large tomato pureed (around 1 1/2 cups tomato puree)
1 pound spinach (I used baby spinach), rinsed
1 pound paneer, cubed, 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 - 1/2 teapoon garam masala (make a poeder of 2 cloves, 1 cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1/2 star anise)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves chopped finely

Method:
Put the spinach in a microwave safe container and pop in the microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or just until spinach is wilted. Puree the spinach and keep it aside.

Add 2 tablespoons ghee, olive oil in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium high, and add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves, onions, salt and saute them till translucent, it will take around 5 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for another minute or until fragrant. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric and saute for another minute. Add tomato puree and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the spinach puree, water and let the gravy cook for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, heat another pan on medium high and add 1 teaspoon ghee (just to coat the bottom of the pan) and brown the paneer pieces. Add paneer, heavy cream, garam masala to spinach mixture and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Finally add kasoori methi and cilatro and let it cook for another couple of minutes. Check the consistency, it shouldn't be too thick or too thin. Serve hot with roti, naan or rice.

Tips and More:

• You could blanch spinach in hot water for couple of minutes instead of using a microwave. 
• Browning the paneer pieces is optional. It is to your preference.
• Other variations would be to use fresh mustard leaves or fresh fenugreek leaves instead of spinach.
• For Spinach Paneer Pastry - finely chop paneer (instead of cubes) and do not brown paneer (use the way it is). Do not add water to the recipe. The rest is the same. Bring the curry to a very thick consistency and let it cool. Make a puff with a store bought puff pastry and with spinach paneer stuffing. It would be great as an appetizer.
• Don't be intimidated with the list of ingredients. Once you have all of them, cooking procedure is very simple.

Red Curry Shrimp

We Indians eat curries with roti or rice very often. I thought why not try curry from other cuisines. My very first thought was thai curry. There are many variations to it and the recipe I tried is red curry with shrimp and of course with lots of veggies.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/2 cup peas
3 carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced (optional)
1 small onion diced
2 table spoons thai red curry paste
2 tablespoons oil (peanut, sesame, canola)
dill or basil for garnish (optional)

Method:
Heat a pan on medium high and add oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add red curry paste (I bought it from a thai grocery store) and saute for another minute until fragrant. Add shrimp to the pan and cook until the shrimp is cooked through, it will take 4-5 minutes. Garnish with basil or dill and serve with white rice or brown rice. Is that quick or what.

Tips and More:

• You can go little or over the board with veggies. Well you got to eat your vegetables.
• I personally don't like coconut milk in curries, but many people love it. Actually, thai curries traditionally have coconut milk as their base to the curries. So, add 1/2 - 1 cup coconut milk, store bought (you can make it yourself if you have all the time in the world) and add it to the pan after you saute the red curry paste for a minute. Let the milk come to a boil and then add the shrimp.
• You can also make chicken version with the same recipe. Add green and red bell peppers for additional flavor.
• Curry paste usually has all the elements but check on the seasoning at the end.

Pasta with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

We love pasta! Pasta is always a winner dinner, whether you are feeding a crowd or just have it for dinner on a weekday. The following recipe serves 6 people.

Ingredients:
5 - 6 walnuts (optional)
3 large red bell peppers
up to 1 pound penne pasta (I used eating right whole grain pasta - 13.25 oz)
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream or whole milk
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1 small onion finely chopped
couple of pinches of red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup spinach (optional)
1/2 cup peas (optional)
8 asparagus - woody ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (optional)
1/2 - 1 cup grated parmesan reggiano (depending on how much cheesy you want the dish)
shaved parmesan for garnish (optional)
salt

Method:
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the peppers on the baking sheet and char them under the broiler for 20 minutes turning 3 times in between, or until all the skin of pepper is charred. Place the peppers in a ziploc or place them in a bowl and cover them with plastic wrap and allow the peppers to steam for 5 to 10 minutes. This will loose the skin and it will be very easy to peel the skin. Skin the peppers, remove seeds, inner membrane (ribs), stem and keep the peppers aside.

Heat a small pan on medium and toast the walnuts. Puree the peppers, walnuts and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a blender or a mixer and keep the sauce aside. Bring a pot of water to boil to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, add handful of salt (it is your only chance to season the pasta) and cook for about 8 - 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dante. Drain the water, mix in grated parmesam cheese and keep the pasta aside.

Meanwhile, heat another pot or skillet on medium, add olive oil, chopped onions and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion just begins to soften. Throw in the minced garlic and stir. Add the red bell pepper puree, crushed tomatoes. Cook the sauce for about 5 minutes and add cream, pepper, red pepper flakes, asparagus, peas, spinach and stir well on medium heat for another 2 - 3 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more salt if necessary. Finally add the pasta and stir well so that all the pasta is coated well with the sauce. Take the pasta into a serving bowl and shave parmesan on the top. Yum yum yum !!

Tips and More:

• You can use regular pasta if you want. But remember, by replacing regular pasta with whole grain pasta will give you more fiber, protien and you will get your serving of whole grains as well. Whole grain pasta taste nuttier than a regular pasta but tastes equally delicious.
• I used walnuts instead of pine nuts in this recipe. But if you have pine nuts at hand, use them and they would be perfect for this recipe. 2 tablespoons of pine nuts is what all you need.
• Kids would love this recipe. Its a great way to make them eat their vegetable. Add more vegetable like broccoli, carrots etc. for more veggies.
• I used broiler to char the red bell peppers. Although fired up grill or the open flame on your cook top are equally effective. What you are looking for is this

 

• Lining a baking sheet with aluminum foil will avoid cleaning process. However, charring the peppers on a grill or on a cook top will leave them a little messier.
• I used penne pasta because they will hold the sauce inside them along with coating the sauce. If you don't have penne in your pantry, then any kind of short pasta should do.

Fish Po Boy

Its time not to order a fish po boy at a restaurant. Because this recipe is so simple to make and taste equally delicious. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 burger buns - cut in the middle
lettuce
thinly sliced tomatoes
thinly sliced red onion
4 4oz tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon butter

spice rub:
1/4 teaspoon salt
couple pinches of pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
couple pinches of cayenne pepper (optional)

for sauce:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon finely minced dill (pickle relish)
pinch of salt and pepper
a splash or 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:
Mix all the ingredients under sauce and keep it aside. Apply the spice rub to the fish and keep them aside. Heat a pan on medium, add butter to it. Toast the buns on the cut side for couple of minutes and take the buns on to a plate. In the same pan add oil and when the oil is hot, add fish and cook the fish for 3 minutes on each side.
Assemble the burger. On the base bun, put lettuce, tomato, onion and fish. Apply teaspoon of sauce to the cap bun (the remaining piece of the bun) and top the burger. Enjoy the delicious fish po boy.

Tips and More:

• You can use your favorite white fish like halibut, catfish etc. instead of tilapia.
• Also, play with the spice rub. Try the fish with blackened seasoning, cajun spice, grill seasoning etc. for different variations of fish po boy.
• Entertain your friends outdoors with this recipe by cooking the fish on a grill.
• The fish will be juicy and tender if you use fresh fish over a frozen fish.

Gulab Jamun

If you have a sweet tooth, you will love this recipe.This is one of the staple Indian desserts and this is from my grandmother's cookbook. The following recipe serves 10-12 people.

Ingredients:
ghee or oil for frying.

For jamun:
2 cups mawa (also called khoya, you can find it any regular Indian grocery store)
3-4 table spoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 table spoon ghee

For syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon elaichi powder (it is nothing but the powder of cardamom seeds)

Method:
Mix mawa, milk, all purpose flour, and ghee well and knead the mixture 10-12 times. Make small balls, around 1 inch by 1 inch balls (do not tend to make bigger sized balls, they won't cook when you fry them). 2 cups of mawa should give you around 30 balls.

Heat a pan on medium high heat, put sugar and water and bring it to a boil. Cut down the heat to medium and let the syrup continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the syrup turns very light golden brown. Add elaichi powder at the end. Keep the syrup warm.

In another pan heat ghee or oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the mawa balls until golden brown. It should take around 10 minutes to turn golden brown. If they turn golden brown too fast, it means that your oil is very hot than necessary. Do not over crowd the pan or cook the balls over high heat. Once the jamun are out of oil, take them onto a paper towel to remove excess oil (for 5 to 10 seconds) and immediately drop them in the warm syrup.

Leave the jamuns in sugar syrup to soak for up to 30 minutes. These jamuns could be served warm or cold.

Tips and More:

• Garnish with toasted slivered almonds and pistachios.
• Serve these jamuns with vanilla bean ice cream and you will be over the top. 
• If you are planning for a party, this is one dessert that you could make almost two days ahead of time and leave it at room temperature.
• When you buy mawa from a store, what you will get it as a thick block. Cut it into small cubes and put them in a mixer. Pulse the mixer for 5 seconds.
• If you don't find mawa/ khoya in the regular Indian grocery store, it is easy to make at home. Heat a pan on medium high and add 3 cups of ricotta cheese to it. Stir constantly so that the cheese doesn't get burnt at the bottom of the pan. Do this until the moisture in the cheese is gone and the mixture is thick and leaves the pan easily. The texture should be like a thick dough ball. This will take around 20-30 minutes. It will take hours to make mawa in the traditional way.
• Ghee is nothing but clarified butter. If you don't find ghee, use butter. For this recipe, you can also replace ghee with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Roasted Broccolini or Broccolette / Roasted Vegetables

 

This recipe will make delicious vegetable side to your meal. It is easy to make yet tastes simply delicious. The following recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
12 stems broccolini or broccolette
3 garlic clove roughly minced
2 table spoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Trim ends of clean broccolini and scatter evenly over a baking sheet on a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccolini and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Tips and More:

• Make the same recipe with broccoli. Temperature is same, but broccoli might take a little longer, around 20-25 minutes to cook. The other night, I made roasted broccoli

• Sprinkle with 2 table spoons of Parmesan cheese immediately after taking the broccolini out from the oven. It tastes even better with addition of cheese.
• Vegetable tastes great by itself, you don't have to add lot of seasonings. Simply roasting vegetables will enhance the natural flavors and tastes good. Here are some ideas. 

Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potatoes: Potatoes have healthy starches and they are good for your health when they are cooked right. These rosemary garlic potatoes satisfies your craving for french fries but yet keeps you fit and healthy.

Ingredients:
3 pounds small red or white potatoes - cut into halves (any kind you like - cut into any shape, medium size pieces or into wedges or rounds, any way you want, but the cooking time varies depending on the size of the potato piece)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon regular salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or use fresh if you have on hand)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the potatoes on aluminum lined baking sheet and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic. Toss until the potatoes are well coated. Spread out the potatoes into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of the potato piece) or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning. Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot. Note: I like my potatoes with skin. They crisp up nicely, and adds texture. Also they add more fiber.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts: These cute little babies has great nutritional values.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt (to your taste), and serve immediately.

Ginger Chicken

A party appetizer and a delicious way to eat chicken. This Indian recipe is packed with flavor and is irresistible. The following recipe serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
5 table spoons corn flour
2 table spoons all purpose flour
1/2 tea spoon + 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tea spoon pepper
1 tea spoon soy sauce
1 table spoon ginger paste
1 table spoon garlic paste
1/2 medium onion -very finely chopped
4 shallots finely chopped
4 inch ginger root finely minced
6 scallions finely chopped- both greens and whites
1 table spoon ketchup
1/2 table spoon rice wine vinegar
couple of pinches or 1/4 teaspoon ajinomoto (optional)
1/4 cup chicken stock or water
1 tea spoon + 1 tea spoon chilli powder (adjust to your spice level)
5 tablespoons cilantro
6 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon canola oil

Method:
In a bowl, mix chicken pieces, corn flour, all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tea spoon pepper, ginger paste, garlic paste, and soy sauce (water is not needed, the moisture in the chicken will bind everything together). Mix until the chicken is coated well with the flour mixture. Take a large pan and put it on medium heat with 6 tablespoons of oil in it. When the oil is hot, layer the chicken in the oil (you should fit the chicken in the pan in single layer, do not over crowd the pan. If your pan does not fit all the chicken pieces, fry them in two batches). Fry the chicken on both sides, 5 minutes on each side, until the chicken turns golden brown. Take the chicken pieces onto a paper towel to remove the excess oil and keep them aside.

In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion, shallots and saute them for 2 minutes. Add chili powder, ginger, scallions and saute for another one minute, until the ginger is fragrant. Add tomato ketchup, ajinomoto, vinegar, chicken stock and stir them just until everything combines. Add chicken pieces to the sauce and combine well. Put the lid on and let the chicken cook 5 to 10 minutes stirring for every 2 minutes. Finally, add cilantro and mix well. Delicious ginger chicken is ready to serve.

Tips and More:

• Add bell pepper (red, green or yellow) for added flavor and additional veggies.
• Serve with fresh lemon juice and red onion and you cant stop eating this appetizer.
• The above recipe is the dry version of ginger chicken. For more sauce or a wet version, double the quantities of ketchup, vinegar and chicken stock and add 1/4 teaspoon of soy sauce. This is best when served with fried rice.