Saturday, March 5, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Spicy Turkish eggs
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Chicken mole
For most authentic Mexican mole sauce in Seattle, I head to La Carta de Oaxaca in Ballard. I usually get the chicken mole tamale rather than the mole dish itself, can never get past that on the menu no matter how many times I go! Still, have always wanted to figure out a fresh mole sauce at home that is extremely flavourful but not sweet, exactly how I like it. This recipe yields a really complex, flavourful sauce with a hint of sweetness and is great served with a few slices of radish on rice or tortillas. This recipe serves 4 - 6.
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 large dried Ancho Chile
4 dried Chipotle peppers
3-4 pieces cinnamon
4 cloves
2 tbsp. coriander seeds
4 tbsp. black sesame seeds
4 tbsp raw blister peanuts
12 almonds
2 lb. chicken, boneless and skinless thigh or breast meat.
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lemon
3-4 radishes, sliced for garnish
Cilantro, chopped for garnish
Method:
Marinate the chicken for an hour with salt, pepper, 1tsp. thyme and juice from half a lemon. Heat the chicken stock in a separate sauce pan.
Toast the chilies in a dry pan on both sides. They become easily pliable after being on the heat for bit and are easier to tear into pieces as needed, discarding any seeds. There should be a wonderful aroma but don't let them burn. Pour a cup of hot stock into a bowl and add the toasted chilies to it to soften.
Toast the almonds on a pan, toss into the blender jar. Then repeat with sesame, coriander, cloves, cinnamon and peanuts. Saute the onions, garlic and Serrano peppers in a little oil until softened. Add to rest of the ingredients in the blender jar, add the chilies softened in stock along with the liquid and blitz until pureed.
Heat some oil in a dutch oven, add the mole sauce with the rest of the stock, chocolate, salt, rest of the thyme and simmer. You can add more chocolate if you prefer a sweeter sauce.
Keep stirring the sauce often and simmering for around 15 minutes, add more water if needed to maintain the consistency. It should be a really rich, dark, chocolatey sauce.
Heat a shallow frying pan, add sufficient oil to coat, add the chicken pieces in a single layer with lots of room and cook until brown on all sides. Repeat with rest of the chicken pieces. Cover with foil and let the chicken rest. When cool, cut into smaller pieces. Add the chicken to the mole and keep simmering until the chicken is tender. You can also cover and cook to quicken this process - should take around 20-30 minutes.
Garnish with lemon slices, radish slices and chopped coriander.
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 large dried Ancho Chile
4 dried Chipotle peppers
3-4 pieces cinnamon
4 cloves
2 tbsp. coriander seeds
4 tbsp. black sesame seeds
4 tbsp raw blister peanuts
12 almonds
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large onions, diced
3-4 Serrano peppers, chopped (de-seeded if you don't want the heat)
4 tbsp. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
4 cups chicken stock
4-6 tbsp. oil
2 lb. chicken, boneless and skinless thigh or breast meat.
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lemon
3-4 radishes, sliced for garnish
Cilantro, chopped for garnish
Method:
Marinate the chicken for an hour with salt, pepper, 1tsp. thyme and juice from half a lemon. Heat the chicken stock in a separate sauce pan.
Toast the chilies in a dry pan on both sides. They become easily pliable after being on the heat for bit and are easier to tear into pieces as needed, discarding any seeds. There should be a wonderful aroma but don't let them burn. Pour a cup of hot stock into a bowl and add the toasted chilies to it to soften.
Toast the almonds on a pan, toss into the blender jar. Then repeat with sesame, coriander, cloves, cinnamon and peanuts. Saute the onions, garlic and Serrano peppers in a little oil until softened. Add to rest of the ingredients in the blender jar, add the chilies softened in stock along with the liquid and blitz until pureed.
Heat some oil in a dutch oven, add the mole sauce with the rest of the stock, chocolate, salt, rest of the thyme and simmer. You can add more chocolate if you prefer a sweeter sauce.
Keep stirring the sauce often and simmering for around 15 minutes, add more water if needed to maintain the consistency. It should be a really rich, dark, chocolatey sauce.
Heat a shallow frying pan, add sufficient oil to coat, add the chicken pieces in a single layer with lots of room and cook until brown on all sides. Repeat with rest of the chicken pieces. Cover with foil and let the chicken rest. When cool, cut into smaller pieces. Add the chicken to the mole and keep simmering until the chicken is tender. You can also cover and cook to quicken this process - should take around 20-30 minutes.
Garnish with lemon slices, radish slices and chopped coriander.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Lavender panna cotta
This is my all-time favorite panna cotta flavour...lavender! The lavender adds such an incredible freshness and the consistency is light and delightful. It was a big hit at my Christmas party this year and is a really simple dessert to feed a lot of people! This recipe serves 8-12.
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup condensed milk
1/4 cup honey (more or less to taste)
2 heaped tsp. dried lavender
4 tbsp. cold water
3 tsp. powdered gelatin
Method:
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup condensed milk
1/4 cup honey (more or less to taste)
2 heaped tsp. dried lavender
4 tbsp. cold water
3 tsp. powdered gelatin
Method:
In a small bowl let the gelatin bloom in cold water.
Heat the heavy cream, milk, condensed milk, honey with lavender until just heated through and bubbles form on the outside. Turn off the heat, add the gelatin to the warm milk mixture, whisk until dissolved completely. Cover and let the lavender infuse for 2 minutes.
Strain the mixture through a sieve into serving cups or a large bowl. When cool, cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.
Serve drizzled with honey.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Spicy Curry noodles
I recently visited one of my Portland favorites Pok Pok for some incredible street-style Thai food. Inspired by one of the curry noodle dishes, I decided to make some good curry paste from scratch which I think is the reason their food tastes phenomenal.
Ingredients:
For the dry spice mix:
4-6 dried red chilies or to taste
2 tbsp. coriander seeds
2 tsp. cumin seeds
6 green cardamom pods, de-seeded (just use the seeds)
1 tsp. dried mace
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. nutmeg, grated
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. fish sauce (optional)
1 tsp. soy sauce (optional)
For curry paste:
ginger - 1" piece
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. coriander stems, chopped
6 shallots
1 small can coconut milk
veges (sliced green and red peppers, bokchoy, mushrooms, tomatoes)
chicken or meat (optional)
1 small sprig cilantro
1 package noodles
Method:
Cook flat egg noodles according to the package instructions and set aside. I prefer to rinse in cold water to prevent overcooking while I prep the rest of the curry.
Dry roast the spices in a pan until it's aromatic and golden. Grind it to a powder using a spice grinder. Add the turmeric, curry powder and grate fresh nutmeg to this, mix well.
In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, ginger, shallots, cilantro stems with coarse sea salt to make a fine paste. Combine the dry spices with the wet paste, fish and soy sauces.
In a wok on medium heat, add the coconut milk, keep stirring until it reduces to a thick glossy paste and you smell the coconut oil in it.
It helps to use a really good quality coconut extract...not the lite, tasteless ones. The good news is that I actually did not use any oil to make this and just that tiny can gives you all the flavor.
Then add the prepared curry paste and saute until fragrant. Add the veges and/or chicken and saute with the curry paste until cooked through.
Then add 3-4 cups of water and let the curry simmer on low heat until thickened. Turn off the heat, add the noodles and toss until heated through and garnish with chopped cilantro.
This curry paste is pretty versatile with meat or veges and also soupy or fairly thick depending on what you prefer. I served it soupy, Chiang-Mai style, which was delicious!
Ingredients:
For the dry spice mix:
4-6 dried red chilies or to taste
2 tbsp. coriander seeds
2 tsp. cumin seeds
6 green cardamom pods, de-seeded (just use the seeds)
1 tsp. dried mace
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. nutmeg, grated
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. fish sauce (optional)
1 tsp. soy sauce (optional)
For curry paste:
ginger - 1" piece
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. coriander stems, chopped
6 shallots
1 small can coconut milk
veges (sliced green and red peppers, bokchoy, mushrooms, tomatoes)
chicken or meat (optional)
1 small sprig cilantro
1 package noodles
Method:
Cook flat egg noodles according to the package instructions and set aside. I prefer to rinse in cold water to prevent overcooking while I prep the rest of the curry.
Dry roast the spices in a pan until it's aromatic and golden. Grind it to a powder using a spice grinder. Add the turmeric, curry powder and grate fresh nutmeg to this, mix well.
In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, ginger, shallots, cilantro stems with coarse sea salt to make a fine paste. Combine the dry spices with the wet paste, fish and soy sauces.
In a wok on medium heat, add the coconut milk, keep stirring until it reduces to a thick glossy paste and you smell the coconut oil in it.
It helps to use a really good quality coconut extract...not the lite, tasteless ones. The good news is that I actually did not use any oil to make this and just that tiny can gives you all the flavor.
Then add the prepared curry paste and saute until fragrant. Add the veges and/or chicken and saute with the curry paste until cooked through.
Then add 3-4 cups of water and let the curry simmer on low heat until thickened. Turn off the heat, add the noodles and toss until heated through and garnish with chopped cilantro.
This curry paste is pretty versatile with meat or veges and also soupy or fairly thick depending on what you prefer. I served it soupy, Chiang-Mai style, which was delicious!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Chouquette
This is my favorite pastry for breakfast when I can get my hands on a bag of them of course!
I first ate these at one my favorite bakeries in Portland - St. Honore. Since then, I've been obsessed with tracking down the best chouquettes every time I visit Paris...
It is made with choux pastry which is extremely easy and has a multitude of applications and I really need to start doing this more often.
Traditionally these pastries are sprinkled with pearl sugar which gives it the crunchy white bits I love but I used turbinado sugar I had at home. Surprisingly, they turned out really, really good! These are great plain but this time I served it with milk jam from my recent trip to Paris which made for a really great combination.
Ingredients:
for the choux pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick butter
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. turbinado sugar
2 tbsp cream or milk
Method:
Heat the water, sugar, salt, butter in a sauce pan until simmering. Remove from heat, add the flour, combine and return to the heat. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until it is well combined and the dough forms a ball without sticking to the sides of the pan. This should really take less than a minute.
Remove the pan from heat and add the eggs, one at a time. After each egg is added, keep stirring vigorously until the egg is completely absorbed. The end result should be a very eggy, tacky pastry dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 mins. to 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 400F. Pipe walnut sized portions of the pastry dough onto a parchment sheet leaving some space between them. Brush with the cream or milk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 mins. until they are golden and risen into delicate puffs.
I first ate these at one my favorite bakeries in Portland - St. Honore. Since then, I've been obsessed with tracking down the best chouquettes every time I visit Paris...
It is made with choux pastry which is extremely easy and has a multitude of applications and I really need to start doing this more often.
Traditionally these pastries are sprinkled with pearl sugar which gives it the crunchy white bits I love but I used turbinado sugar I had at home. Surprisingly, they turned out really, really good! These are great plain but this time I served it with milk jam from my recent trip to Paris which made for a really great combination.
Ingredients:
for the choux pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick butter
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. turbinado sugar
2 tbsp cream or milk
Method:
Heat the water, sugar, salt, butter in a sauce pan until simmering. Remove from heat, add the flour, combine and return to the heat. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until it is well combined and the dough forms a ball without sticking to the sides of the pan. This should really take less than a minute.
Remove the pan from heat and add the eggs, one at a time. After each egg is added, keep stirring vigorously until the egg is completely absorbed. The end result should be a very eggy, tacky pastry dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 mins. to 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 400F. Pipe walnut sized portions of the pastry dough onto a parchment sheet leaving some space between them. Brush with the cream or milk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 mins. until they are golden and risen into delicate puffs.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Butternut squash soup
This is a simple and satisfying soup for a cold, rainy day like today.
It is also one of my favorite ways of eating this squash. I've used a pinch of cayenne to cut down the sweetness of the squash, but you can always skip that or try chili oil as a variation.
I typically like to top this soup with crispy sage (love that combination!) but today, I used rosemary as flavouring and topped it with some grated sheep's milk cheese instead...the options are endless!
Ingredients:
Butternut squash - 4- 6 cups (cut, peeled and cubed)
1 cup diced onion
3-4 cups chicken or veg. stock
salt
pepper
1 pinch cayenne
2 tbsp. hard, grated cheese
1/2 cup milk or cream
Rosemary 1 sprig
Method:
Heat a tbsp of butter in a pot. Add the onions, salt, pepper, rosemary and cook until translucent.
Add the squash, chicken stock and simmer until the squash is tender and cooked through. Discard the rosemary sprig and puree with a hand-held blender until smooth and silky. Stir in the cayenne, milk or cream to give it extra creaminess.
Serve warm with the grated cheese on top.
It is also one of my favorite ways of eating this squash. I've used a pinch of cayenne to cut down the sweetness of the squash, but you can always skip that or try chili oil as a variation.
I typically like to top this soup with crispy sage (love that combination!) but today, I used rosemary as flavouring and topped it with some grated sheep's milk cheese instead...the options are endless!
Ingredients:
Butternut squash - 4- 6 cups (cut, peeled and cubed)
1 cup diced onion
3-4 cups chicken or veg. stock
salt
pepper
1 pinch cayenne
2 tbsp. hard, grated cheese
1/2 cup milk or cream
Rosemary 1 sprig
Method:
Heat a tbsp of butter in a pot. Add the onions, salt, pepper, rosemary and cook until translucent.
Add the squash, chicken stock and simmer until the squash is tender and cooked through. Discard the rosemary sprig and puree with a hand-held blender until smooth and silky. Stir in the cayenne, milk or cream to give it extra creaminess.
Serve warm with the grated cheese on top.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Walnut loaf (pain aux noix)
This is a moist walnut loaf that is perfect for tea or delicious with fruit and cheese. Pain aux noix literally translates to "bread with walnuts" in french but this version is much richer than any walnut bread and is more like a tea-cake.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 sticks butter
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs at room temp.
1 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely and then pulsed in a food processor to a coarse meal
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed tightly
Powdered sugar for dusting
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Grease a loaf pan with butter and set aside.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 sticks butter
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs at room temp.
1 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely and then pulsed in a food processor to a coarse meal
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed tightly
Powdered sugar for dusting
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Grease a loaf pan with butter and set aside.
Melt the butter, brown sugar and honey on low heat and then set aside to cool. Stir in the walnut meal. Whisk the eggs with the milk in a separate bowl and stir that into the pan that has cooled.
In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients and add to the pan to combine. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 ° F and then for 30 minutes at 300 ° F or until when pressed the top of the cake springs back.
Cool completely on a wire rack and then store until next day, wrapped in foil and refigerated. Serve at room temperature with dusting of powdered sugar.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Hearty bread soup
This is a Portuguese inspired, hearty, bread soup. I used left over baguette from a day ago but you could use similar stale, crusty bread (not sourdough). I also served it with homemade piri-piri sauce for extra zing!
Ingredients:
1/2 baguette, torn into large pieces
a handful of rocket or arugula
4-5 garlic cloves, smashed
4 cups chicken or vege. stock
salt
black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh or dried rosemary
Method:
Saute the onion, bay leaf and garlic in hot oil until softened. Add the stock, bread, rosemary and simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The bread should soften in a few minutes...you can additional water if needed. Now, add the rocket and stir until wilted.
Turn off heat, ladle into bowls and top with some piri-piri.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Salmon kebabs with yoghurt sauce
This is a middle eastern inspired dish and all started when I found this large, round, yeasty, sesame encrusted, Turkish lavash bread at the Farmer's market over the weekend! Who knew?! I also found some great salmon steaks, rocket and chives which I used to create this quick week night dinner recipe.
Highly recommend the lavash but you could always use a pita to recreate this dish. I also use Greek yoghurt to create this sauce as it gives it a creamy, sour cream like texture.
Ingredients:
1 lb salmon, cut into large strips
2 tbsp. tandoori or kebab masala
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
2 tsp. dried mint leaves
1 tbsp. chives, chopped
1 lavash bread
Olive oil
rocket or favorite salad leaves
salt
black pepper
Method:
Mix the tandoori or kebab seasoning with the lemon juice, salt, black pepper and 1 tsp. olive oil. Marinate the salmon in spices for at least 30 minutes.
Mix the yoghurt with the juice of half a lemon, mint, chives, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for the flavours to mix.
Heat and film a pan with oil, add the salmon strips and cook on both sides until golden brown.
Open up the lavash bread with a serrated knife and cut in half. Or use a pita cut in half.
Place the rocket leaves on the bread to create a bed for the salmon. Place the salmon strips over it taking care to remove any bones, drizzle with the yoghurt sauce and serve immediately.
1 lb salmon, cut into large strips
2 tbsp. tandoori or kebab masala
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
2 tsp. dried mint leaves
1 tbsp. chives, chopped
1 lavash bread
Olive oil
rocket or favorite salad leaves
salt
black pepper
Method:
Mix the tandoori or kebab seasoning with the lemon juice, salt, black pepper and 1 tsp. olive oil. Marinate the salmon in spices for at least 30 minutes.
Mix the yoghurt with the juice of half a lemon, mint, chives, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for the flavours to mix.
Heat and film a pan with oil, add the salmon strips and cook on both sides until golden brown.
Open up the lavash bread with a serrated knife and cut in half. Or use a pita cut in half.
Place the rocket leaves on the bread to create a bed for the salmon. Place the salmon strips over it taking care to remove any bones, drizzle with the yoghurt sauce and serve immediately.
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