Curried Shepherd's Pie

4 -5 medium sized potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 pound ground beef or turkey
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons hot Madras curry powder
2 teaspoons ground tumeric
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 pound frozen vegetables, thawed (we like the fiesta style mix which includes broccoli, carrots, kidney beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, Italian green beans and red pepper.)
butter or margarine
salt & pepper

Put unpeeled potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil, cook approximately 25 minutes until tender. Rinse with cold water. Peel and then mash with butter or margarine add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender and brown, about 7 minutes. Add the meat and cook until just browned. Add garlic, curry powder, tumeric and hot pepper flakes and cook until fragrant approximately 2 minutes.

Stir in the veggies. Put the meat and veggie mix into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Enjoy!!


Note: I cook my potatoes unpeeled and peel them later. This prevents the potatoes from absorbing too much water and makes for fluffier mashed potatoes.

Cioppino...my version

1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
28 oz can crushed tomatoes with added puree
28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups bottled clam juice
2 cup dry white wine
2 28-ounce cans baby or chopped clams, drained, liquid reserved
1 pound uncooked salad shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 pound crabmeat
1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
1-2 teaspoons Cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender and brown, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and fennel seeds and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes with added puree, peeled tomatoes including the juice, clam juice, white wine and liquid reserved from clams. Increase heat and boil until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

Add clams, shrimp and crabmeat. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Mix in fresh basil and simmer until shrimp are just opaque in center, about 2 minutes longer. Season stew to taste with cayenne, salt and pepper.

Serve this with a nice warmed Chicago hard roll.

Enjoy!!

Hearty Beef Curry

This beef curry is one of my all time favorites as it’s easy to make, has gorgeous flavor and freezes beautifully, who could ask for more!  I love serving this over Jasmine rice or Cauli-Rice. 

First gather all your ingredients (not pictured are the raisins.)

Hearty Beef Curry

• 3 pounds well-trimmed boneless beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 12 whole cloves
• 8 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 13.5 oz. can coconut milk, or lite coconut milk 
• 1/2 cup milk, skim, 1%, 2% or whole
• 6 plum tomatoes, cut into 8ths
• 1/3 cup raisins, regular or golden raisins
• 5 tablespoons Major Grey chutney
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• salt & pepper
  

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy Dutch oven over high heat. Working in batches, add beef to pot and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a plate.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender and brown, about 7 minutes.

Return the beef to the pot. Add cloves, garlic, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and dried red pepper to pot; stir 1 minute.

Stir in coconut milk, milk, tomatoes, raisins, chutney, lemon juice, ginger, curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beef is tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours or place covered in a 350F oven for two hours and then follow directions below.

Uncover and increase heat to medium. Boil stew until juices are slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. I serve this over jasmine rice or Cauli-Rice.

Enjoy!!

Spicy Udon with Lobster

1 pound cooked lobster meat pieces
3 large frozen Udon noodle cakes, thawed
2 large onions, thinly sliced
oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons lobster base
1/2 cup Heinz ketchup
1/2 cup medium sweet soy sauce
1/2 cup sweet rice wine (Mirin)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Sriracha a few tablespoons, to taste
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In a very large pan, heat oil and add onions, cook until golden brown. Add garlic and cook about a minute until fragrant. Add sesame oil and lobster base and stir well to mix. Add lobster, toss well and cook for 2 minutes. Add ketchup, sweet soy sauce, Mirin, vinegar and Sriracha. Bring to boil and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add Udon noodles and toss to coat, cook until noodles are warmed through. Sprinkle top with sesame seeds.

Serves 4.

Seafood Korma

1 1/2 pounds mixed seafood/fish, all shelled and cleaned (shrimp, oysters, clams, squid, cod, whatever you fancy)
2-inch-square piece of fresh ginger, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt to taste
2 tablespoon turmeric powder
2 red chili peppers, minced
3 diced tomatoes peeled and seeded
1 cup low fat coconut milk
1 bag favorite frozen veggie mix, thawed & drained

Garnish:

Fresh cilantro to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cashews
2 tablespoons raisins

In a food processor, puree ginger, garlic and 3 tablespoons water into a paste. Scoop out; set aside.

Warm a large skillet a few minutes over medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot add onion and allow to slowly cook to golden brown. Add cumin seeds and cook for a minute or two. (Cumin seeds may explode like popcorn, so keep the lid handy.) Add chili powder, salt and turmeric powder. Stir in chili pepper, cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato and ginger paste. Cook until fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should thicken. Add veggies and bring sauce back to a boil. Add seafood/fish and cover. After one minute, remove from heat and allow fish to poach in the hot liquid for 15-20 minutes.

Serve over Basmati rice. Garnish with cilantro, cashews and raisins.

Serves 4.

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 lb. Chicken breast, boneless and skinless cut into 1-inch cubes
2-inch-square piece of fresh ginger, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Oil
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Chili powder
1/2 cup plain fat free Yogurt
Salt

In a food processor puree ginger, garlic and 2 tablespoons oil into a paste. Remove 2 tablespoons of the paste and set it aside for the gravy. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, yogurt and salt and mix well. Scoop out into a bowl. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat well. Allow chicken to marinate for about an hour.

After the chicken is marinated, Pre-heat the oven to 300 F and bake for about 15 - 20 min or until just cooked through.

For the Gravy:
2 Onions, medium dice
2 tablespoons ginger/garlic paste from above
2 teaspoons Coriander powder
2 teaspoons Garam masala
1/2 cup Tomato puree
Salt
oil

3 medium potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes (boil until cooked and fork tender)
4 Italian plum tomatoes quartered length wise.
10 fresh basil leaves

1/8 cup Cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup toasted cashews halves

Heat oil in a pan and fry onions till they turn golden brown. Add ginger/garlic paste and fry till the oil separates. Add coriander powder & garam masala, then add the tomato puree. Add salt to taste and then add little warm water and let the gravy to come to boil.

Add the cooked potatoes and plum tomatoes, allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces and basil leaves and allow the gravy come to a boil.

Serve over Basmati rice. Garnish with cilantro and cashews.

Serves 4.

Tom Kha Gai

Whenever we go out for Thai food this is my soup of choice.  Tom Kha Gai is delicious as it’s just a bit creamy because of the coconut milk, it has a perfect blend of sweet and sour and just the right “kick” of spice and heat.  What makes this soup even better is that it’s oh-so simple to make and freezes beautifully.  I usually make a double batch as I love having this soup in my freezer ready for an easy dinner on a cold night or anytime I have the craving.

Not a beautiful picture but a truly gorgeous tasting soup.

Tom Kha Gai  

4 c. chicken broth
1 TBS. lemon grass, fresh minced
3 TBS. Thai fish sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS. fresh grated ginger
3 Serrano peppers, thinly sliced into rounds
2 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
juice of 4 limes
2 (14 oz.) cans coconut milk
2 chicken breasts, boned, skinned and sliced thinly
1 (10 oz.) can straw mushrooms, drained
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

In a stockpot, bring the chicken broth, lemon grass, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, Serrano peppers, chili-garlic sauce and juice of 4 limes to a boil. Stirring, add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add chicken allowing it to cook through in the hot liquid. Add the drained mushrooms and the cilantro and allow the heat of the soup to warm them through.  Easy-peasy and delicious!

Enjoy!

Love Cakes filled with Lemon Curd

Make your favorite white cake recipe (box or scratch) as cupcakes. Fill the cup papers only half way as you need room in the cups to add the glaze later. Bake and cool completely.

Lemon curd recipe is here, make and cool completely. Or you can use store bought.

Put cooled lemon curd in a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. From the top center of each cupcake, insert the tip and squeeze in a small amount of lemon curd.

I don't have a recipe or amounts, but the glaze is just icing sugar, lemon extract, some food coloring and water. Just mix to a thick glaze and spoon quickly on to top of cakes so that it settles nice and smooth. If the icing starts to get too thick, thin with a little more water. Allow icing to dry at room temp. for a few hours. Refrigerate.

If you make these delicious cakes, be sure to post pics and let me know how they turn out.

Enjoy!!