Indian feast

two curries and Naan bread, delicious. Adapted from lots of sources, with measurements estimated.


Red Lentil Curry (hot)
1 diced onion
2 Tbs oil
1 cup lentils
2 cups water
1 15oz can chickpeas
3 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp red curry powder
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp habanero pepper powder
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp sugar

1. In a frying pan (or the pot you're going to use for the other curry below) saute the onion in the oil until soft

2. put lentils and water in a pot and boil about 8 min while onions brown.

3. Add remaining ingredients and cook until lentils are soft and water is gone

VEGETABLE CURRY (mild)
1 diced onion
3 tbs oil
3 carrots diced
1/2 a head of cauliflower
2 tsp garham marsala powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water

1. In a heavy bottom pot, saute onions in oil over medium heat for 8 min (take out half of 'em for other curry above), then add carrots and cover for 5 min

2. mix all the spices together, and add it to the pot with the carrots and onions. Mix well to combine.

3. Add cauliflower, mix well to coat spices and then add 1/2 cup water and put the lid on.

4. Allow to cook covered over medium heat until veggies are soft.

NAAN BREAD
1. preheat a pizza stone and the oven to 450F

2. take an egg-sized piece of the bread-in-5-min-a-day dough you have in your fridge. You have some, right? Otherwise go back to THIS POST (do not pass go, do not collect $200).

3.Roll the dough out into a very thin round using a rolling pin - about 1/4 inch thick.

4. put the dough flat on the pizza stone and bake 5 min. Flip and cook another 5 min until there are brown spots just starting to show. It will puff up like pocket bread. This is ok. It will stop when you take it out of the oven. You should use oven mitts to flip it because it's very very hot.

Enjoy!

Bread in 5-min a day

This bread recipe comes from the book "Artisan Bread in 5min a day". And they really do mean it - it takes very little work to get a delicious loaf. There is a tiny bit of specialized equipment, but I'll discuss what I've done as substitutions below the recipe

Basic Boule
3 cups lukewarm water
1.5 tbs yeast
1.5 tbs salt
6.5 c flour

1. Put the warm water, yeast, salt in a 5qt bowl or lidded Tupperware container (* see equipment discussion)
2. add the flour and mix with a spoon until combined. There should be no extra flour in the bottom of the bowl, but you do no need to knead. The dough will be super wet - resist the temptation to add more flour
3. Let the dough sit on the counter for about 2 hours - enough time for it to rise and then fall again.

STOP - you're done with prep work. You can now through the dough in the fridge in a Tupperware for up to 2 weeks. 2 weeks, really, it will just get a more sourdough flavor the longer you wait. If you can't wait, continue with the next steps right away, with the caution that the dough is especially sticky on day 1.

Baking day instructions:
1. Take a hunk of dough about the size of a cantaloupe (about 1/4 of the dough). coat your hands and a pizza peel/cookie sheet/piece of parchment (* see equipment discussion) with flour.
2. Form the dough into a ball by pulling the top down and over your hand and pushing the excess up in the middle until the top is smooth and rounded. (It's hard to describe but super easy to do)

3. let the dough rise on the floured surface for 40 min. It might not change shape much, this is ok.

4. After 20 min preheat the oven and your pizza stone(* see equipment if you don't have one) to 450.

5. After 40 min rise, put the dough on the pizza stone in the oven. This is where you will curse if you didn't use enough flour because the dough will want to stick to whatever you left it on.

6. dump 1 cup water on the broiler pan - yes it will steam instantly. The close the door and bake 30 min until crunchy brown.

Equipment:
1. Large Tupperware. I use a square one that's about 8" by 8" by 4". If you don't have a big one, let the dough rise first in a different bowl and transfer it to a smaller Tupperware after the rise.
2. pizza peel - the recipe says to put the dough on a pizza peel, one of those wood things that will let you slide it into the oven. I don't have one and have found the just putting it on parchment paper and then putting the dough and parchment in the oven works well. This way even if it sticks to the parchment it goes into the oven easily
3. pizza stone - Really worth owning if you like crusty things (they cost about $30-$50). However, it is not necessary. The principle is you need some very heavy cooking vessel that will hold heat. I used a ceramic casserole dish I got at DI for $2 for several years. Enamel coated cast iron or normal cast iron would also be good options. If you try to use just a normal cookie sheet it will not be as crunchy.

Chili Con Carne

What to do with stew beef? Well I hate beef stew and I had some chilis, so chili con carne it is!


4 strips of bacon, chopped
1 diced onion
1.5lbs stew beef, cubed
6 dried red chilis
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
4 poblano peppers
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 15oz can (or 2 cups) cooked pinto beans

A few key ingredients:

1. fry the bacon over low heat in a heavy bottom pan until the bacon is crisp and fat renders out. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain and remove half the fat in reserve for later.

2. increase heat to med-high and brown the beef, about 5-7 min. remove the browned meat to another plate (or crockpot if you're going to use it)

3. add the reserved bacon fat and onions and peppers and saute. While the onions are saute-ing, grind the chilis in the coffee grinder, or chop very fine.

4. Combine all spices in a small bowl and add water to make a paste



5. add the spice paste, browned meat, tomatoes, 1 can water (approx 2 cups) and bring up to a simmer.



6. Chili gets better with age so feel free to stop now and put in fridge, or complete one of the following:
a.) simmer 2 hours on stove
b.) put in crockpot on low for 10 hours
c.) crockpot on high for 5 hours

enjoy!

Shrimp and Rice Bake

Waaay behind on recipes, but here's a new one from Everyday with Rachel Ray

Shrimp and Rice Bake (from Nov 2010 issue)
4 slices bacon
1/2 onion chopped
1 1/4 cups rice
salt and pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 lb frozen peeled and devained shrimp
1 large zucchini, chopped into 1/2" cubes

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Chop bacon and cook in a heavy bottom skillet (dutch oven) until crisp, about 5 min
3. add onion (and 2 anaheim peppers) and saute
4. add rice, tomatoes and water and spices and bring to a simmer
5. cover and bake until rice is tender, about 20 min
6. Add the shrimp and zucchini and bake 5 min more

Stuffed zucchini

More zucchini recipies this one based on the America's Test Kitchen stuffed peppers recipie

2 12" zucchini (about 1.5 lbs)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
1lb lean ground beef
1 jalepano
1 15 oz can tomatoes
1/2 cup white rice

1. Boil the rice for 13 min or until done
2. Heat the olive oil in the bottomof the Dutch oven . Add the garlic and Onondaga and sauté until translucent.
3. Finely dice the jalepano and add it to he pot.
4. Add the ground beef and cook until it's not pink
4a cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and hollow it out with a spoon or scoop
4b put the zucchini cut sid down on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes at 350
5. Add tomatoes and drained rice and put aside
6. Fill the zucchini with the ground beef mixture - mound up the yummyness
7. Put ketchup on the top of each and sprinkle with cheddar cheese
8. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min until warm and browned

oven fries

World's best oven fries

4 russet potatoes
3-Tbs oil
salt, spices as desired


0. preheat oven to 450
1. scrub the potatoes and slice into about 10-12 slices (keep 'em the same size)
2. Soak the sliced potatoes in hot water for 5 minutes
3. drain and dry the potatoes
4. coat a cookie sheet with oil - more generous is better!
5. lay the potatoes out in an even layer and generously salt (consider chili powder, cayenne for spicy fries!)
6. cover with foil and put in the oven
7. After 5 min remove the foil and bake another 25 min
8. flip, season, bake 10 minutes more

Goodies

I nearly lost the post-it with Rob's favorite cookies on it, so here it is:

Goodies

Combine:
2 c sugar
1/4lbs margarine
1/2 c milk
in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 1 min to softball (234)

add

1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats (approx)

drop onto wax paper and allow to harden