Grilled Romaine Salad

Brad went grocery shopping a few days ago and brought back a large bag of organic hearts of romaine. I took a quick look in the pantry and discovered a jar of artichoke hearts and a jar of sundried tomatoes in olive oil. As I julienned the sundried tomatoes into little strips I felt a little smug for having a well stocked pantry with a wide variety of spices, noodles, rice, and jars of the above mentioned ( it does not work out that way all the time ;) It saves me from running to store for every little thing.


I have been curious about grilled salads for some time now but never really to around to make it. This recipe was created as I gathered and chopped the ingredients.


Have the ingredients prepped before you start grilling as this comes together very quickly. I grilled the halved lettuce, cut side down drizzled with some olive oil and a sprinkle of hot chili flakes for maybe a minute on high heat , chopped it up and added it to a big bowl with the rest of the ingredients. We had this salad with grilled pork chops with peach and bourbon sauce...Stay tuned for that recipe!


Grilled Romaine Salad

2 whole romaine hearts -washed and halved
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
pinch of hot chili flakes
a handful flat leaf parsley
a few sprigs of fresh basil
5 pieces sundried tomatoes - sliced
6 pieces of artichoke hearts
freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.
Wash and half 2 heads of romaine lettuce. Brush halves with some olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of hot chili flakes.
Grill for about half to one minute or until the lettuce halves are just starting to char. Just keep watchful eye on it, even better if there are some libation on hand!

Cut sundried tomatoes into slivers, drain 6 artichoke hearts. I left the artichoke hearts whole. Tear the herbs and toss everything in a large bowl. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar onto the salad and shower with some freshly grated parmesan cheese over it. 3 large servings.

Chicken Kohlapuri

Kohlapur style of cooking refers to spicy, flavourful and earthy dishes. Unlike chicken curry where every cook has his or her secret ingredients -( usually it has to do with the blend of spices), most Kohlapuri recipes have almost the same ingredients. Now, that does not mean that the the amount of ingredients are the same with every recipe.

What makes it different from a classic chicken curry is the addition of roasted fresh coconut and roasted white poppy seeds also known as kas kas. Both ingredients are widely available at Asian grocery stores. If you are unable to get fresh grated (frozen) coconut, you could always use roasted unsweetend dried coconut / dessicated coconut. The addition of coconut and dry roasted white poppy seeds gives this dish a deep nuttines and body to the gravy. Don't be tempted to use roasted black poppy seeds for this dish. Use dry roasted hazelnuts or dry roasted cashews instead. I use a mortar and pestle for most of my pounding - it is a good work out!

I served Chicken Kohlapuri with aromatic basmati rice cooked in vegetable broth, saffron, clarified butter also known as ghee and roughly crushed cardamom pods.

Chicken Kohlapuri

500 m chicken breast - cubed to bite sizes
1 tb cilantro
1 large tomato - chopped fine
1 1/2 tb chilli powder
pinch of turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tb white poppy seeds (kas kas) - roasted and finely crushed
1 tb grated coconut - roasted and finely crushed
2 tb vegetable oil
salt to taste
1 tb ginger paste
4 cloves of garlic - paste
1/4 tsp tamarind paste diluted in 1/3 cup of water
1/3 cup of water
1 +1 medium onions - finely chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
4 cardamom pods

Wash and cut chicken breast into bite size cubes and set aside. Puree 1 medium onion into a fine paste. Add a bit of water if needed.
Marinate the cubed chicken with onion, garlic and ginger paste and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil on medium and saute the aromatics - cinnamon sticks, star anise and cardamom pods for 3 minutes. This will flavour the oil. Add the chopped onion and saute until the onion starts to caramelize.

Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and saute the spices in the hot oil for 1 minute. This essentially "toasts" the spices. The mixture will be very fragrant. Pour in 1/3 cup of water, this will make it sizzle. Add tamarind that was diluted in water, tomatoes and cubed chicken. Close the pot with a lid and bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Once the sauce is thickened, adjust seasonings. Add dry roasted and finely crushed white poppy seeds and finely crushed roasted coconut (if using).
Sprinkle chopped cilantro if using and serve with rice or naan. This is a spicy dish.

You could also try Lamb Kofta .

Carrot Cookies

It seems like it has been ages since I have baked cookies. I was in the mood for something new..I am fond of crispy cookies ( or biscuits as we like to call them ) but there is quite a following out there for soft and moist cookies. Which do you prefer?

I did not have to look any further than my Dorie Greenspan's cookbook - Baking From My Home To Yours. I came across this healthy cookie recipe - a healthy cookie? Well maybe, it does have freshly grated carrots in it ;) If you like soft and cakey cookies this is the one for you. It is soft, moist and nutty. The addition of powdered ginger and nutmeg does not overpower the cookies. You could spread cream cheese icing all over it or even make delicious cookie sandwiches.


Carrot Cookies - adapted from Dorie Greenspan

I used dark raisins here but you could also use golden raisins if you wish. I also shredded the carrots finely using a hand held grater and substituted pecans with walnuts.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
12 tb unsalted butter - room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar - packed
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat and set aside.

Whisk together flour, nutmeg, ginger, salt and baking powder. Beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add both sugars and beat till smooth. I used a stand mixer for this and the whole thing comes together very quickly. Add one egg to the butter and sugar mixture and beat for another 2 minutes.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add in the dry ingredients ( in three stages) and vanilla. Once the mixture comes together, add in shredded carrots , nuts, coconut and raisins. Dough will be thick.

Place tablespoons of dough on the baking sheet, leave about one inch between each cookie. I used a regular sized ice cream scoop for the job instead of a tablespoon and I like the uniform sized cookies. ( and it bakes evenly too).
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the tops are brown. Cool cookies completely on a rack before storing.

Spicy Corn Muffins

I have loads of thank you gifts or at least cards that need to go out to friends that I keep putting off. It is kinda embarassing... I have been a bit caught up with myself lately and am still adjusting to not leisurely spending my time at home doing whatever I want. It is exciting to be working again but I still need some time to get adjusted to the new routine and a new career. The new career part has been very interesting.



I made a list of people I need to thank and have vowed to mail the cards and treats out soon - this should be interesting ;) First on the list is Terry. She surprised me with a Bobby Flay cookbook - how sweet is that! Terry knows that I am a huge fan of Bobby Flay (some people think he is a little smarmy but I don't think so).

I have been wanting to do some serious baking from Dorie Greenspan's book and this recipe caught my eye. I have made corn muffins in the past without much success - they were little blocks of bricks ( a total turn off) but I have had success with Dorie's recipes in the past here.

These little muffins were soft, not too sweet and had a gentle wave of heat. I did not seed the jalapenos as she suggested in the book. I wanted the heat (now I hope Terry does too!) It comes together very quickly and 20 minutes in the oven and you are done. I had a tough time taking pictures for this post as I could barely stop myself from eating them!


Spicy Corn Muffins - from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my home to yours

1 cup all purpose flour - sifted
1 cup yellow cornmeal - stone ground, sifted
3 tb sugar
1 tb baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup buttermilk
8 tb unsalted butter - melted and cooled
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup corn kernels
1 small jalapeno - seeded if you wish
1/4 red bell pepper finely diced
2 tb cilantro - finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Whisk together all purpose flour , cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking powder, chilli powder, baking soda and black pepper and set aside.

In another large bowl lightly whisk egg yolk, buttermilk and melted butter till blended. Pour liquid into the dry ingredients. Add chopped cilantro, jalapeno and diced bell pepper to the mixture. Divide batter into muffin pans lined with paper muffin cups. I also used a small loaf tin and it worked fine.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the tops are brown. Cool muffins on a rack before serving. I served the muffins with butter. This is supposed to make a dozen muffins. I made 6 muffins and poured the rest of the batter into a mini loaf pan. I am getting ready to make another batch for breakfast tomorrow!

Beet and Ginger Soup

I have made this soup countless times in the past two years. I have been meaning to post this recipe but kept putting it off. It is a simple and straightforward soup, nothing too crazy about the ingredients. In fact you could gather all the ingredients at one grocery store. No need to rush from one place to another looking for galangal or kaffir lime leaves ;) Don't get me wrong there is a place for all those special ingredients, but sometimes simplicity is the best way to go!


This thick soup is gingery, flavourful and healthy. And I love the colour! More about beets here.

Ginger Beet Soup
3 medium size beets
2 tb olive oil
1 leek - trimmed and white part chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tb minced fresh ginger
2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 tb fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wash and dry beets. Wrap beets in a foil, place on a baking sheet (just in case the beets leak while baking in the oven) and bake for 45 minutes. Cool beets. Remove the skin of the beets and cut into cubes. The skin will slip off quite easily.

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large pot and saute minced garlic, ginger and chopped leeks. I sauted them gently and reduced the heat to medium low. I wanted to "sweat" the leeks, not brown them. Saute for 7 minutes and add cubed beets. Add 2 cups of vegetable stock ( you could use chicken stock if you prefer), salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring soup to a simmer with the pot closed. Simmer for around 10-12 minutes.

Puree soup in a blender or a hand held blender. Please exercise caution if blending hot liquids in a blender as the top of the blender will blow off and you could end up with a Jackson Pollock-like painting in your kitchen! I prefer to use a hand held blender for hot liquids. Trust me, I learned the hard way. Add lemon juice to the soup. Serve

NOTE: Do not bring soup to a boil if you plan make it ahead. Just heat it gently before serving.

The Heat Is On

No really, the heat is back on in the apartment. It has been raining and the temperature has been dipping steadily. I think I brought back all that nasty weather from Manitoba. Just can't wait for it to warm up!

Allison was coming to dinner last night and I was looking forward to it. I have been kinda out of it for about week now. This dinner business got my ass ( can I say ass here? Is it vulgar to say ass in a blog?) in gear. I had to get it together and decide what to make. What I really wanted to make was Prawns In A Sarong .

But that did not seem like a practical thing to do when it was drizzling outside. So I went with comfort food - turkey meatloaf, all the appropriate sides - homemade creamed corn, cucumber and dill salad and coleslaw. And I made this sago pudding for dessert. I grew up on sweet soups made with sago and a myriad of add ins - whole moong dhall, split peas (payasam), sweet potato (the lovely bubur cha cha), ube, taro, cassava, palm sugar and the list goes on.

Sago is the powdery starch made from the processed pith found in sago palm. It is not the same as tapioca. Tapioca is made from the root of cassava plant. Sago is pure carb - in this case pure carb gently stirred with coconut milk, aromatic lemongrass and a whisper of freshly grated nutmeg - it is a good as it sounds.


Sago Pudding With Lemongrass and Coconut
The topping for this dessert was inspired by Bobby Flay's pudding which is kinda similar to this. The secret to making sago pudding is soaking the sago pearls for at least 30 minutes in cold water before adding it to a hot liquid. The sago will cook within 2-3 minutes.

1/2 cup sago pearls - soaked in cold water
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup water
2 stalks lemongrass - trimmed and bruised
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
salt to taste

Topping:
1 cup blueberries
1 cup diced mangoes
2 tb sugar ( I used vanilla sugar that I had on hand)

Let fruits macerate in sugar for an hour.


To prepare sago pudding:
Combine coconut milk, water, salt, lemongrass, sugar and freshly grated nutmeg in a deep pot and bring to a simmer. Cook on low for 25 minutes.

Drain sago pearls and add to coconut syrup, remove the 2 stalks of lemongrass. Stir mixture for 2 minutes or until the sago pearls are clear. Take off heat immediately. Top with macerated fruits. This make 4 servings. The verdict? Well, Allison wanted the pudding for breakfast the next day - the leftovers went with her!