by Krista | Aug 4, 2010 | Summer
The last rays of the setting sun still glimmered through the porch doors as we gathered for CEC (Culinary Experimentation Club) Monday night.
Perched on twirly stools at the bar we waited like little kids for Deborah and Jenny to serve us Avocado Shakes – our starter for a meal of Indian delights. In spite of their green hue and incongruous list of ingredients they were creamy, cool and utterly delicious.
In what happens to be a minor miracle at CEC, we actually had a complete meal of starter, salad, main course and dessert all ready on time and before the sun went down. We were duly impressed and eagerly piled our plates with an assortment of marvy dishes.
Kat made Raita, a divine summery dish of cucumber, onions, and herbs swimming in tangy plain yogurt. It was so good scooped up with…
…Ed’s garlicky herbed naan, toasty warm and chewy right out of the oven.
The naan also proved an excellent scoop for my Cilantro Green Chili Chicken and Jon’s fabulous purple basmati rice.
Jenny’s scrumptiously minty Lassi – a lovely yogurty drink – was the perfect thing to transition to…
…Darren’s moist and flavorful Tandoori Chicken hot off the grill.
We ended our evening lounging about the living room nibbling on ginger biscuits and swapping outrageous tales of beautiful places and interesting people. I do love hearing and telling good stories. Twas a grand night.
Do you like Indian food? What is your favorite dish?
Deb and Jenny’s Avocado Shakes
(From The Good Stuff Cookbook)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 ripe avocados
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups creamy vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup whole milk
whipping cream
Directions:
- Halve avocados, remove pit, and scoop out meat. Blend in blender about 1 minute until finely chopped.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Pour into four glasses, top with whipped cream.
Kat’s Cucumber Raita
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, sliced into small triangles
1 8 oz container of plain organic yogurt
a small onion or 2 large shallots, minced or sliced thinly
2 cloves garlice, minced
a drizzle of olive oil
a pinch of salt
a quarter of lime, juiced
seven 4 inch long sprigs of mint (about 25 leaves), minced
Directions:
- Combine to taste in a large bowl.
- Enjoy with crispy naan or fresh pita bread.
Darren’s Tandoori Chicken
(From AllRecipes)
Ingredients:
2 (6 ounce) containers plain yogurt
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground coriander
16 chicken thighs
olive oil spray
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt, salt, pepper, cloves, and ginger. Mix in garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander. Set aside.
- Rinse chicken under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken, press air out of bag, and seal. Turn the bag over several times to distribute marinade. Place bag in a bowl, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight, turning bag occasionally.
- Preheat an outdoor grill for direct medium heat.
- Remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade. With paper towels, wipe off excess marinade. Spray chicken pieces with olive oil spray.
- Place chicken on the grill, and cook about 2 minutes. Turn, and cook 2 minutes more. Then arrange the chicken to receive indirect heat, and cook approximately 35 to 40 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F.
Green Chili Cilantro Chicken
4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chunked
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chunked
1 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in two
2/3 cup fire-roasted diced tomatoes (or 1 medium tomato, diced)
3 cups fresh cilantro leaves and small stems
1 small can diced mild chilies (or 2-3 fresh hot chilies, chopped)
1 tsp tomato paste
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup plain yogurt
Directions:
- Puree ginger, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, lemon juice and 2 Tbsp water in blender or food processor.
- Place chicken in glass bowl, pour over ginger mixture and stir to coat. Let sit covered in refrigerator for 1-24 hours.
- Puree tomato, cilantro, chilies, tomato paste, remaining salt, and 2 Tbsp water.
- Heat oil in pot over high heat. When hot, add chicken and marinade and cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes or until chicken is browned.
- Add tomato mixture and cook, stirring often, another 10 minutes.
- Add yogurt and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
- Serve over rice or with whole-grain naan.
Jenny’s Banana Lassi
(From IndianFoodForever)
Ingredients:
1 cup plain non-fat Yogurt
1 peeled and sliced ripe Banana
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
Few Ice-cubes
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth in a blender.
- Pour in glasses, garnish with chopped mint leaves and serve chilled.
by Krista | Aug 3, 2010 | Spring
The sunshine was blindingly brilliant by the time we awoke our first morning in Croatia. I had slept like the dead after two weeks on the road, the sound of the waves on the nearby beach lulling me to a much-needed rest. After tending to my brother’s wounded hands and feet – souvenirs from his nighttime encounter with a sea urchin – we set off in the cool morning air, basking in the sea breezes billowing in off the Adriatic.
We rolled the windows down and let in the cold, salty air, delighting in the sunlight dancing across the waves, the cries of gulls near the fishing nets, and the promise of pastries and coffee awaiting us in town.
It was one of those amazing spring mornings where everything seems fresh, clean and so alive. I breathed deeply and felt peaceful and happy. While I had loved Bosnia more than I ever thought possible, I confess it did my heart good to leave the cross-covered hillsides and bullet-riddled buildings and spend some time near Dubrovnik, soaking up the serene views of red-tiled roofs, bright blue sea and citrus trees laden with fruit.
Although our breakfast that morning was eaten while we strolled cobbled streets, a perfect sit-down breakfast would’ve been Hrvatske Palacinke, Croatian Crepes. I love these little beauties! The crepe itself is traditionally made with all white flour, but I like more substance to mine so I made them with half white/half whole wheat and they turned out marvelously! Each crepe is filled with a sweetened cottage cheese, rolled up, brushed with sour cream and baked for 20 minutes. They are usually served with Lekvar, a thick jam or fruit butter, but I had the most lovely Lapin Cherries on hand, so I piled those on instead. Wonderful. The crepes are sweet but hearty and the cottage cheese filling is delectably creamy against the tart, juicy cherries.
Next time I will take you to Old Town Dubrovnik.
If you could spend a fine spring morning anywhere in the world, where would you go?
(Before I go, I just found out that my new guest post is up at TheTravelBelles!! If you’re interested in photos and descriptions from a morning in Greece, pop on over for a visit and let me know what you think of the Convent of Vlachernas)
This is my contribution to Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick.
Hrvatske Palacinke
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
Cheese Filling:
1 tub cottage cheese
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp Agave or 1/4 cup sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Warm butter and milk in pan, set aside to cool.
- In separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- Add milk mixture and eggs and beat until smooth.
- Chill batter overnight.
- In separate bowl mix cottage cheese, egg and sweetener. Chill until ready to cook.
- When ready to cook, grease frying pan with a bit of bacon grease.
- Pour 1-2 tablespoons batter and smooth with bottom of 1/4 cup measuring cup to make a thin pancake.
- Turn when golden brown.
- Place 1 tablespoon cottage cheese mixture in center of each crepe and roll.
- Lightly grease baking dish, place palacinke side by side and brush tops with sour cream.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm.
by Krista | Aug 2, 2010 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, dear ones! Have you had a nice weekend? All rested up and ready for a new week? I do hope so!
Mine was a beautifully cozy weekend, spent mostly indoors thanks to a cold front that brought rain, dark clouds and blustery winds. I loved it!!
Friday night I had a dinner/movie night with friends. We watched The Last Samurai and devoured plates piled with grilled kielbasa, sauerkraut, and Deb’s amazing mashed potatoes.
Saturday I was deliciously lazy and gave myself the whole day off to rest and veg. It was marvelous! I read two books whilst tucked under a blanket with hot cups of tea at the ready, then went over to Mum and Dad’s for coffee and a visit around the campfire. I love a campfire any time, but there’s something especially nice about having one on a cold evening with chilly winds whipping the trees overhead and a cup of coffee with Baileys to warm the bones.
This weekend I was asked by the founder of Maple Syrup World if they could feature my Cherry Maple Tart on their website. I was honored and delighted!! You can view it here if you like: Rainier Cherry Tart with Maple Cream and Maple Crust.
Sunday afternoon I was overcome by a compulsion to cook like mad, and before I knew it my once clean kitchen was a delectable disaster! Mmm, sure smells good though! Green Chili Cilantro Chicken, Lemon Pecan Crusted Tilapia, and this sinfully cheesy dish: Baked Brussels Sprouts with Swiss Cheese Sauce. Boiled Brussels Sprouts are coated with a nutmeg-spiced cheese sauce and baked until beautifully browned. Such a decadently delicious way to eat this not always popular but oh so healthy vegetable.
What is your favorite memory from your weekend?
This is my contribution to Chaya’s Meatless Mondays.
Baked Brussels Sprouts with Swiss Cheese Sauce
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Swiss Cheese
1/2 cup grated Swiss Cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bring pot of salted water to boil and cook Brussels Sprouts 6-8 minutes until tender. Remove to colander and drain.
- In saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and keep stirring until mixture browns. Add milk and stir until mixture thickens. Add nutmeg, pepper, salt and first measure of cheese.
- Quarter Brussels Sprouts and lay in buttered baking dish.
- Pour cheese sauce over Brussels Sprouts, place in oven and bake 20 minutes.
- Top with remaining measure of cheese. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Serve immediately.
by Krista | Jul 30, 2010 | Fabulous Friday
Good morning, dear ones!! I am so excited for this beautiful weekend to start!
Last night I got to indulge in one of my favorite rituals. Every few weeks my friends Art and Donna join me, Mums and Dad at our favorite Mexican restaurant where we all order the same thing, the waiters greet us like old friends and, when the boss is in, bring us free after dinner drinks to warm our bones. Then Dad heads home (he gets up obscenely early for work) and the rest of us adjourn to Art and Donna’s place for British murder mysteries like Foyle’s War or Inspector Lewis and dessert. This week they introduced us to the irascible Doc Martin set in oh-s0-gorgeous Cornwall and served us these beeyootiful plates of cream-filled chocolate cake to go with our rose-scented tea. Bliss.
This morning I awoke to a misty wonderland and just had to shuffle out through the dew-covered grass to capture it.
I do love mornings like this when the fog shrouds everything in cozy quietness. Reminds me I need to track down some firewood for my fireplace before fall arrives. I’ve never had my very own fireplace before, but it’s something I’ve always longed for so I’m thrilled to bits. I can’t wait for cold misty mornings this fall when I get to snuggle in by the fire with my tea in one hand and a ripping good book in the other.
What are your plans for this weekend, my friend? Will you be relaxing and puttering or dashing about from one fun thing to the next?
I cleaned my house like mad this week, so now I get to enjoy it and tackle sorting through the boxes of papers I hid in my closet when my aunts came over. 😉
Tonight I get to join my friends for dinner and a movie. I love watching movies at their place. They have a massive screen and the comfiest couches and we all pile in and eat popcorn made on the stove and have a marvy time. I don’t know what we’re having for dinner yet, but I’ve got dessert all ready to go: Rainier Cherry Tart with Maple Cream and a Gluten-Free Maple Crust. My whole apartment smells absolutely divine and I can’t wait to dig in!
Happiest of weekends to you, dear folks, and I’ll see you Monday morning!!
Rainier Cherry Tart with Maple Cream and a Gluten-Free Maple Crust
Ingredients:
2 cups cherries, pitted and halved
1/4 cup blueberries
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp maple extract
For the Crust:
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Blend cream cheese, coconut milk, maple syrup and maple extract until smooth. Set aside but do not chill.
- Mix all crust ingredients, add a little flour if too soft. Press evenly into 9-inch tart pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown.
- Let crust cool, then spread cream mixture in the bottom and top with fruit. Chill until ready to serve.
by Krista | Jul 29, 2010 | Plucky Thursday
I’m pretty sure I have some of the very best aunts in the whole world. They are hilarious and brave and strong and have weathered so many trials and crazy things and emerged as these fabulous women that I admire so much.
This week I got to hang out with my Mums and her two sisters and tonight they left the menfolk at home and came to my place for dinner.
I had every intention of making vegetarian spring rolls with peanut sauce and a good salad (one of my aunts is vegetarian), but for some reason not a single grocery store in my oh-so-Dutch town carry spring roll wrappers. They know not what they’re missing!!
So I had to get creative and decided to do a spring roll salad instead.
I started with a layer of Napa cabbage followed by cucumber, cilantro, basil, and mint sprinkled with juicy chunks of Champagne Mango. I piled silvery cold mung bean noodles in the center and drizzled them with a citrus champagne vinaigrette, then topped everything with lime shrimp, spicy peanut sauce, and toasted almonds.
Mmm, mmm! It turned out even better than spring rolls and we were happy girls.
We sipped Sweet Orange iced tea while we ate dinner, then dug our spoons into glasses of frothy Limoncello Syllabub – heavy whipped cream beaten with homemade limoncello, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Delish! The zingy lemon balanced the cream beautifully and the limoncello warmed our bones and mellowed our spirits as the evening grew cool.
It was a lovely evening. We had such a jolly time talking about their kids, laughing over memory lapses and mixed up stories. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. One of my Dad’s sisters had heard there was a party and she popped over to join in! So fun!
We ended our Girl’s Night with a stroll to the creek as the sun set, and giggled our way through multiple attempts at a self-portrait. This is as good as it gets.
Sure love those girls!
Limoncello Syllabub
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
1/2 cup limoncello, cold
juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients and beat until soft peaks form.
- Spoon into glasses and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Garnish with berries and mint leaves if desired.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups creamy natural peanut butter
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
3 gloves garlic, minced
Directions:
- Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Taste. Add more hoisin sauce if not sweet enough.
Citrus Champagne Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1/4 cup citrus champagne vinegar
1/4 olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
1/8 tsp salt
Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together until emulsified.
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