Sunday, December 11, 2016

Aloo Gobi

- 1 cauliflower cut into florets
- 300g potato in pieces
- 1/2 head garlic
- 1 inch knob ginger
- 1 tbsp coriander ground
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp kalojni seeds
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tin diced tomatoes
- salt
- cayenne pepper

Directions
- using food processor, make ginger and garlic paste (adding oil if necessary)
- add paste to ground coriander, kalojni seeds and tumeric
- heat oil, fry cumin seeds and chili for few minutes until aromatic
- add masala paste and fry for another few minutes
- add tomato, potato and cauliflower
- cook covered for 5 minutes, then uncover and cook until vegetables done and liquid is dried up
- salt to taste

Green Onion pancake

Stolen from Serious Eats

Ingredients

2 Cups of flour (284 g)
3/4 Cup of boiling water (hot water)
Sesame oil
2 cups of sliced green onions (~ 1 bunch)

Instructions:

Using the food processor, add flour, then start processor and add 3/4 Cups of hot water.  If the dough doesn't come together, add more hot water 1 Tbsp at a time until dough comes together.  Stop processor, dump dough out and knead into a ball.  Then let rest for 30 mins covered with damp cloth or cling wrap.

Separate dough into 4 pieces.  Roll out dough on slightly floured surface until ~ 20 cm circle, using brush, paint with sesame oil, then roll up and then coil and roll out again to same size.  Again paint with sesame oil and 1/4 of the green onions.  Roll up and coil then roll out to 7 cm disc and fry in med to high heat pan (non stick or cast iron).  Sprinkle with salt.

Pressure cooker Congee with chicken mushroom, dried scallops, chinese mushroom and Ginger

Ingredients

1/2 chinese cup brown rice
1/2 Chinese cup white rice
6 cups of water
3 chicken thighs
4 dried scallops
6 Chinese mushrooms
chunk of Ginger peeled

Wash rice, throw everything into the pressure cooker.  Cook for 30 minutes.  Pull out the chicken, take skin off and pull the meat of the bones and add back to the congee.  Season with salt, white pepper.

Top with green onions that have been sliced, or radishes or peanuts.

Congee in a hurry !

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Fast Pressure Cooker ribs

Ingredients

2 racks of ribs - each rack cut into 4 pieces (after removing the silver skin)
dry rub
bbq sauce
1/2 cup of stock or water or beer
1 tbs of liquid smoke (I didn't use this b/c I didn't have it)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Coat the ribs in the dry rub, getting it into every nook and cranny.  Place liquid in bottom of pressure cooker.  Stack ribs on top.  Cook in pressure cooker for 30 mins.

Place the ribs onto a silpat cover baking sheet (or tinfoil) and then cover with bbq sauce.  Cook for 8 - 10 mins, then flip and cook for another 8 - 10 mins.


Sunday, November 13, 2016

Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter melted (57g)
3/4 cups packed brown sugar (148g)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup milk

Sweet Dough:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast (2tsp and 1/4 tsp)
3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour (approx) (568g)

Preparation:

Sweet Dough: In stand mixer, combine 2 tsp of the sugar and 1/4 cup warm water, stir to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat milk, remaining sugar (3 Tbs and 1 tsp), butter and salt until butter is melted [microwave]; let cool to lukewarm. Stir into yeast mixture. Beat in eggs. Add enough of the flour, 1 cup (250 mL) at a time, to form shaggy dough [or almost all of it at once 568 gm]. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead, adding enough of the remaining flour as necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes [or use the hook and work it on the machine for 4 mins or so].

Transfer to large greased bowl; turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm,draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. [I like to place it into the oven with a bowl of hot water]

Punch down dough; turn out only lightly floured surface. Divide in half; roll each into 15-inch (38 cm) log. Cut each into 30 pieces; shape each piece into smooth ball.
Place butter in shallow bowl. In separate shallow bowl, combine sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Roll balls in butter then in sugar mixture to coat. Place in generously greased 10-inch (4 L) tube or 10-inch (3 L) Bundt pan. [At this point you can also put it in the fridge covered and back it the next morning for early morning cinnamon sugar monkey bread.  Just take out of the fridge and repeat the hotwater oven trick and let rise again ~30 mins to 1 hr ]

Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. (or 30 mins)

Bake in 350?F (180?C) oven until golden and bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, about 20 - 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack; let cool completely.

Stir icing sugar with milk; drizzle over bread. (or skip this step I do )

Johnny cakes (Cornmeal pancakes)

this is our attempt to recreate the delicious M&M Soulfood cafe pancakes in Las Vegas


Ingredients
10 SERVINGS

3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled
vegetable oil

Preparation

Sift first 6 ingredients into large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, eggs and melted butter in medium bowl to blend. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until blended and smooth.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Lightly coat bottom of heavy large skillet with oil. Heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter into skillet for each pancake. Cook until bottoms are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn pancakes and cook until second sides are golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to skillet as necessary.

Delicious with maple syrup and pulled pork 

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Chicken/Pork Chili Verde - Pressure cooker - Serious eats

Ingredients

- 3 lbs or so bone in skin on chicken (thighs and drumsticks) (consider taking off the skins) OR use pork shoulder cut into large cubes
- 3/4 lbs (or more) of tomatillos (or green tomatoes from the garden that we were trying to eat up) quartered and husked ( 4 tomatillos)
- 1 lb poblano peppers - roughly chopped, seeded and stemmed (3 peppers)
- 6 oz of cubano or anaheim peppers chopped seeded and stemmed (2 peppers)
- 2 serrano or jalapeno peppers, chopped, stems discarded
- 10 oz of white onion roughly chopped (~1 medium)
- 6 medium garlic cloves peeled
- 1 Tbsp of whole cumin seed toasted and ground
- salt
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems + more for garnish
- 1 Tbsp asian fish sauce
- Fresh corn tortillas and lime wedges for serving

Directions

1. In the pressure cooker combine chicken, tomatillos, peppers, onions, garlic, cumin and a big pinch of salt.  Heat over high heat until sizzling, then seal bring to high pressure and cook for 15 mins.  Release pressure

2. Using tongs, remove chicken pieces to bowl and set aside.  Add cilantro, fish sauce to pressure cooker and blend with hand blender.  Season with salt.  Remove skin, bones and shred chicken then return to sauce.

Delicious !! and so fast.... super good use for our green tomatoes