GAME DAY Food Board

January 29, 2014January 29, 2014Leave a comment

Superbowl weekend!! Woohoo!! OK.. I am done.. So.. My team isn’t playing so honestly I could care less for the game itself. Now don’t get me wrong.. I love the guys who are playing… . Well some of them.. Well.. OK MOST OF THEM! BUT overall, yeah… I am more stoked around the festivities.. Like the FOOD and the half time show.. You know, Bruno is performing! and I love me some BRUNO ! 😀

Well my football freaks! I have some great (easy and hearty) recipes for you for your football weekend.

Hope you enjoy the food.. (and of course the game!).. and I will just see you all at the halftime show..

Try these recipes if you are hosting or bringing a dish to a Super Bowl party!

Try my whipped feta and marinated tomato crostinis!

http://freakycurry.com/perfect-party-appetizers/

Scallion cheese and lox phyllo cups

http://freakycurry.com/recipes-up-for-appetizers/

Cherry tomatoes stuffed with curried crab meat

http://freakycurry.com/recipes-up-for-appetizers/

Eating light, no problem; Try my “skinny” 3 Bean hummus

http://freakycurry.com/skinny-3-beans-hummus/

Want something spicy ? How about my uptown singara ?

http://freakycurry.com/rainy-weather-treat-uptown-singara/

Or my jhatpat chicken!

http://freakycurry.com/jhatpat-chatpat-chicken/

Make sure to check out my past posts on Football madness to get some more ideas!

http://freakycurry.com/football-and-food-madness/

No matter if you are team is playing or not, I hope you have fun and a lot of good eats!!

Roasted corn and chicken chili

January 29, 20142 Comments

Snowy day roasted corn and chicken chili.. (Sans the beans).. Roasted corn, jalapenõ, chicken, veggies! Slow cooked with garlic, bay leaves and mexican oregano. Served with cilantro lime yogurt dressing!

To serve 3-4 generously;

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup of shucked corn
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 Jalapeno (seeded and rib removed, chopped)

1/2 cup each of;

chopped onions
chopped carrots
chopped celery
chopped bell peppers
your favorite salsa

2 Bay leaves
1 tsp of Mexican Oregano
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp cream cheese

Enough water/broth to cover the ingredients in the slow cooker

Pan roast the corn till golden brown

Put all the ingredients in the slowcooker. Mix well. Cook on low for 4-5 hrs. Shred the chicken using two forks. Check for seasonings.

Serve with crunchy tortilla strips, lime cilantro yogurt and fresh cilantro

“Skinny” 3 beans hummus

January 27, 2014Leave a comment

1/2 cup of each; Cooked (if using canned, then rinsed and drained)

Chickpeas
Black Beans
Cannelini beans

2 cloves of garlic (smashed)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 Tbsp fresh mint

1/3 cup of Olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup of water

Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin powder

Blend all. Add more water depending on your textural preference. Check for seasoning. Let chill in the fridge for atleast 30 minutes before serving.

Kale and Herb pesto

January 25, 2014January 25, 2014Leave a comment

One of my readers asked me for a Kale pesto recipe. She made it and was pleased with the results. Here it is! Enjoy!

I add a bit of herbs to mine cause Kale by itself could be a bit harsh.

2 cups Kale leaves (without the ribs)
1/4 cup pine nuts/walnuts roasted
1/3 cup of parmesan cheese (grated)
2-3 Tbsp mint or basil leaves chopped
2 Cloves of garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup of Olive oil (Add more depending on your texture preference).

Blend all without the oil and then stream in the oil to achieve the desired consistency.

Green plantains “tikki”

January 23, 2014January 23, 2014Leave a comment

I love cooking with Green plantains.. They are a great starch substitute for regular potatoes and exotic to serve at a fancy dinner party. Normally I make a Green plantains “sabji” (stir fried and seasoned) but today I wanted to make something different. Aloo (Potato) Tikki (cakes) are a very common snack in India so I derived my inspiration from that and made “tikkis” out of the plantains. They turned out to be delicious.. I served them with some leftover mango pineapple salsa and fresh guacamole.

I felt that I was transported to some exotic island… the flavors were light and so refreshing..Perfect for Spring and Summer dinners! Hope you enjoy!

Green plantains Prep:

Cut the green plantains with skin on into 2-3″ chunks. Peel the skins off using a knife.

Boil the bananas in water, salt and turmeric for 15-20 minutes till fork tender to borderline mushy.

Drain the bananas, add the garlic, green chillies and cilantro. Mash using a fork.

Season with salt and using a blender, blend the banana mixture till it turns into a ball. DO NOT ADD WATER.

Using greased palms, make small “tikki”/ patties and cook on a greased griddle for 3-4 minutes on each side on medium heat.

ENJOY!

Roasted beets and onion chutney

January 20, 2014January 20, 2014Leave a comment

I love beets! Love, love, love them! Great for salads, roasted, raw, juices… so versatile, so pretty and sooooo nutritious!

Try my super awesome and delicious Roasted beets and onion chutney today! Sweet, savory and so easy! Perfect on a crispy baguette with my Maharaja Kale chips for that extra crunch.

To make about a cup;

2 Raw Beets (Scrubbed, washed, peeled and quartered)

1 Medium onion sliced thin (I used white)

2 Tbsp Olive oil

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 Clove of garlic minced

Salt and black pepper to taste

Toss the beets and onions with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper and garlic. Roast raw beets at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes till fork tender. If using, canned beets (rinsed and drained), roast for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool and chop coarsely using a blender.

Stack it high on some fresh baguette with other goodies like your favorite salad greens and/or Kale chips!

Super Burgers!!

January 17, 2014Leave a comment

To make about 5-6 good size burgers;

1 Cup cooked quinoa

1 Cup cooked (rinsed/drained) black beans (Keep 2 Tbsp aside)

1 Cup of Kale leaves chopped roughly without the ribs

1/4 cup of carrots chopped

1-2 Green chillies (optional)

2 Cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala

Salt and black pepper to taste

Super Burgers!! Full of Super foods!! Quinoa, Kale, Black Beans!

Chop/Coarsely blend fresh Kale leaves (without the ribs), Garlic, carrots and black beans to a chunky paste.

Consistency should be as above.

Mix the Quinoa with the Black bean mixture

Mix the left over black beans in the mixture to add some texture. Add the salt, pepper and the spices.

Make hamburger patties (about 1/4″ thick) and cook in a skillet with a tsp of oil. (4-5 minutes on each side on medium heat).

Serve hot/warm or at room temperature. I served this with fresh Avocado guac and mango pineapple salsa.

Paranthas! (Griddle flatbreads)

January 17, 20145 Comments

Growing up in a North Indian “Punjabi” home, “Paranthas” (Griddle flatbreads) are what sweet tea is to the South here in the States. It is absolutely essential! Paranthas are nothing but Griddle flatbreads stuffed with a variety of fillings. Seasoned Vegetables, minced meats etc. The most traditional Parantha is a potato (aloo) or cauliflower (gobi). Below is my recipe for a fresh “Methi” Fenugreek parantha. I added some boiled potatoes to it to cut the bitterness of the greens out. You can also make these with Kale, Spinach, Collards etc. Enjoy!

To serve 2-3;

1 cup of fresh Fenugreek leaves

1 medium potato boiled (peeled and mashed)

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp roasted cumin seed powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1-1/2 cup of whole wheat flour

3/4-1 cup of luke warm water

1 tsp ghee/oil

Oil/ ghee to cook the paranthas

Fresh “Methi” Fenugreek leaves; Washed, Drained, Chopped fine

Mix Methi with boiled potato and fresh minced garlic; Mash all the ingredients well.

Add the flour, oil and water. Season with Salt and pepper and knead into dough. Use water sparingly as required. Kneading is key here to activate the gluten.

Make a hamburger patty almost and flatten it using the palm of your hands.

Roll the patty using dry flour.

Cook on a non stick griddle/skillet on both sides to a nice golden brown. (3-4 min each side) with a tsp of oil/ghee.

Enjoy hot with fresh yogurt, pickles and fruit jam (YES, It’s the best!!)

Pongal !

January 13, 2014January 13, 2014Leave a comment

Happy Pongal, Happy Lohri and Happy Sankranti!

Growing up all over India exposed me to so many different types of festivals and culinary delights to go with them. One of my favorites growing up was the festival of Pongal. It is predominantly a harvest festival just like Lohri and Sankranti (which is celebrated primarily in Northern India). The festival of Pongal and the dish “Pongal” are unique to the Tamil cuisine and the state of Tamil Nadu in India. However, I have been told that some Tamilians in Sri Lanka also celebrate this occasion.

I was fortunate enough to be raised by parents who celebrated and partook in every local cultural event and festival and being married to a Tamilian, Pongal is an “adopted” festival for me. (Look at my posts on my other “adopted” festivals).

There are multiple kinds of the dish “Pongal”. My favorite is the sweet version or the “Sakkarai” Pongal. My husband is not a big fan so I made this instead. It’s a savory version called the “Ven” Pongal.

Hope you enjoy my version of “Ven” Pongal”.

Ven Pongal

1 Cup of Rice – rinsed and drained

1/2 Cup of Moong daal – rinsed and drained

2″ ginger root peeled and grated/minced

1-2 Bay leaf

2 Tsp cumin seeds

1 Tsp whole peppercorns

2 Tbsps vegetable oil/ghee

Salt and pepper to taste

5 cups of water (more depending upon the desired consistency)

Heat the ghee/oil on medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Let sputter. Add the ginger and mix well. Add the rice and daal and roast for about a couple of minutes to release the aroma.

Add the water, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Pressure cook for 15-18 minutes. Let the steam from the cooker be released naturally and don’t force open the cooker.

You can add more water and cook a bit more depending on your preference of the Pongal. Some people like it mushy and some like it a bit firm. I like mine like a risotto.

Pressure cook rice and lentils

“Tadka”/ Seasonings to temper

1-2 Tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig of fresh “Kari”/ curry Leaves

2-3 Green chillies chopped (Optional)

2 Tbsp cashew pieces

2 Tbsp raisins (optional; I like them so I put them in this version)

2 Tbsp ghee

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the ghee on medium heat and add the mustard seeds. Let sputter. Add the “Kari” leaves and the chillies. Mix well and be careful not to burn. Add the cashew pieces and the raisins on medium heat and brown a bit.

Be careful as the dry fruits may burn if you don’t watch over them. Add the Pongal in the mixture and heat through. Check for salt and pepper.

Mix the tadka with the Pongal

Serve hot with pickle if desired.

Roasted cauliflower and chickpeas!

January 10, 2014January 10, 2014Leave a comment

Roasted cauliflower and chickpeas spiced with warm cumin and coriander powder. Add a handful of fresh pomegranate seeds to add a burst of tart and sweetness.