Stir-Fry with Brown Sauce

I’m trying so hard to get back to cooking nearly every night! I never understood it before when my mom would tell me she was tired of cooking. I always have found cooking dinner to be so relaxing, so I couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to do it. But over the last few months I totally started to understand it. But after standing on the scale and seeing what not cooking does to my gut is putting things into perspective and getting me back to cooking – so you should be seeing more stuff posted.

Stir-frys are easy. I love things I can cook quick but still taste delicious. My boyfriend said it would have been good with corn in it. This is definitely a dish I will remake and it will have corn next time.

Stir-Fry with Brown Sauce
(based on this recipe)

Ingredients
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil, or less
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped broccolini
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 onion, diced

Directions

1. In a small amount of oil brown the chicken on all sides. Don’t worry about cooking through. Remove and set aside.

2. Add the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Stir together and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the chicken and vegetables. Cover with a lid and let simmer in the liquid for 20 minutes.

4. Stir the remaining chicken broth with the cornstarch.

5. Pour the broth and cornstarch into the stir-fry. Stir and simmer until the liquid thickens.

* serves 2
* 234 calories per serving (excluding the rice)
* Shared with What’s Cooking Wednesday

Around the World in 52 Weeks: Eggplant Bharta and Peas

I’ve been the worst world traveler ever. I got sick last month and I totally fell off the cooking wagon completely, so my kitchen travels suffered. Out of this sick month though, I did only miss two of the meals I was supposed to cook (Brunei and Isle of Man). In the next two weeks I’ll be doubling up and making sure I get back on track. This was the one resolution this year that I really didn’t want to fail at, so my cold that turned to a sinus infection will not defeat me!

I’ll also be posting my most recent traveling dish on the usual Saturday. I just wanted to get back on track a little here.

So this dish is Pudina Chicken and Eggplant Bharta and Peas. As I’ve said many times, Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines. In facts, I actually have traveled to India.

It was truly one of the best experiences of my life. The only bad thing is that I got a little spoiled by good Indian food, authentic spices, fresh and delicious bananas, and even the lack of meat. I’m a little hesitant at home to make vegetarian Indian dishes because I feel like I need to use paneer, but I have no idea where to get that locally.

I know this meal is hardly authentic with the Pudina Chicken. When I was in India I didn’t eat chicken at all – everything was vegetable based or paneer based. Maybe I should have made a veg dish. Now I’m kicking myself. The pudina was good, but the bharta was better and is the recipe I’m sharing.

On another note, I’m always looking for ways to prepare vegetables I don’t like. Eggplant is that vegetable in this. I loved this preparation.

Eggplant Bharta and Peas
(source)

 Ingredients
1 eggplant
1/2 onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 lime
butter, as needed
oil, as needed
salt to taste

Directions

1.  Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise and spread with butter. Place the eggplants sliced-side down on a baking sheet. Roast the eggplants at 500 in the oven for about 30 minutes.

2. Place the onion, garlic, and jalapeno in a food processor and puree.

3. When the eggplant is finished roasting, use a spoon to scoop out the roasted innards. Discard the skin. Mash the eggplant until smooth.

4. In a medium saucepan heat some oil over medium-high heat and add the pureed vegetables and mustard powder. Cook until slightly browned.

5. Add the mashed eggplant and peas to the pan. Cook until warm, and then reduce temperature to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the peas are fully cooked.

6. Before serving squeeze in lime juice.

7. Serve over rice.

* serves 2

I’d like to see people travel the globe with me.
Every Saturday I will be posting my recipe, as well as pictures to ethnic cuisines you have made and want to share.

- You must mention The Law Student’s Cookbook‘s Around The World In 52 Weeks in the entry you link. You can either use a link or use the banner.
- In your post you must  at least mention what cuisine the dish is.
- Email me your recipe at elizabeth@crabtech.net. Make sure to include:

* Your name or blog name
* The direct link to your post
* A picture of the dish or permission to pull a picture from the post

- Make sure to email me by Saturday at 12noon Pacific Standard Time

Spicy Meatballs and Spaghetti

This is the first month I’ve participated in the Crazy Cooking Challenge. Every month a new dish is listed to be created, using a recipe from a blog found elsewhere on this world wide web we surf. This month’s challenge was spaghetti with red sauce. I knew when I saw this that I needed meatballs, because no spaghetti is complete without them. But I didn’t want normal meatballs, I wanted something more! So I surfed the web and found normal meatball recipe after normal meatball recipe. When I stumbled upon Blissfully Delicious however, I changed paces. The Spicy Turkey Meatballs that Yudith made are anything but your traditional meatball. Using prosciutto in her meatballs, she added that spark I was looking for!

Now unfortunately when it came to meatball making night I had forgotten to buy prosciutto. But I did have pastrami, so I decided to use that instead. And also.. stupidly, the ground turkey I was going to use had been in the refrigerator too long and had to make its dissent into the trash. With only the Italian sausage thawed, I decided to just go with it and make sausage/pastrami meatballs.

So while my meatballs may not be exact replications of Yudith’s, they got their inspiration to do something different and be more than a boring ball of meat.

Spicy Meatballs and Spaghetti
(inspiration)

  Ingredients
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
2 oz pastrami, thinly chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 jar marinara sauce
1 lb dried spaghetti

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Pour the bread crumbs and milk together. Let sit for 5 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sausage, pastrami, bread mixture, Parmesan, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine with your hands. Add the olive oil and eggs and mix together well.

4. Roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

5. Pour the marinara in a large pot. Add the meatballs and bring to a simmer.

6. Cook spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain. Place spaghetti in individual bowls and top with meatballs and sauce.

* serves 3

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Balti Chicken Vindaloo

Though this is only the second dish I’ve made out of this cookbook, Best Ever Indian Cookbook by Baljerkar, Fernandez, Husain, and Kanani, it by far is becoming my favorite cookbook.

I never thought I would see the day when making an Indian dish could be done in the sparse amount of time I have between classes. I look for short, easy recipes 3 nights a week because I am swamped with class almost all day long. I was poking through this cookbook while doing my meal planning and I came upon the “Balti” section. I’ve never heard of Balti dishes before, so I was intrigued. The book describes Balti dishes as having been developed in England. Bali dishes are described as being “cooked and served in a single pan” needing o be served only with “a simple accompaniment, such as naan or bread.” Additionally, they are easy to cook, subtly spiced, and work well with a variety of protein bases.

I’m usually a butter chicken kind of girl, so this vindaloo dish stretched my typical curry experiences.

The only thing missing was some naan. I don’t know what I was thinking.

Balti Chicken Vindaloo
(From Best Ever Indian Cooking)

Ingredients
1 large potato
2/3 cup malt vinegar
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/4 cup water
8 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
1 tsp curry powder
2 jalapenos, chopped

Directions

1. Peel the potato. Cut into large, irregular shapes. Place in a bowl of water and set aside.

2. In a bowl, mix together the vinegar, coriander, cumin, chilli powder, turmeric, garlic powder, ginger, salt, paprika, tomato puree, and water. Pour the mixture over the chicken and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and quickly fry the onions with the curry for 3-4 minutes.

4. Lower the heat and add the chicken mixture to the pan with the spices. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

5. Drain the potato pieces and add to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook over medium to low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken and potatoes are cooked.

6. Stir in the chopped jalapenos and serve.

* serves 4
* Shared with Couscous & Consciousness‘s Cookbook Sundays and Not  Your Ordinary Recipes’s Foodie Fridays

Black-Eyed Peas and Eggplant Curry

I’ve said it over and over and over again – I love curry! I could make a resolution to only eat curries for a whole year and be happy as a clam. My boyfriend on the other hand isn’t a big curry lover, so I won’t make that resolution.

Anyway, this curry used ingredients I don’t typically use in my curries. Eggplant really just isn’t my favorite vegetable and black-eyed peas I rarely use (but I had some leftover from the black-eyed pea fritters I had made earlier.)

This dish though was fantastic. I served the curry over rice. YUM!

Black-Eyed Peas and Eggplant Curry
(source) 

Ingredients
1/2 eggplant
1/2 onion
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry paste
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp red wine
1/2 cup black-eyed peas, frozen or canned
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth

Directions

1. Trim the eggplant. Cut each into 1-inch pieces. Set aside. Half the onion and cut into strips. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the eggplant and cook tossing for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, curry paste, and garam masala, stirring well. Cook for 10 minutes, until the onion is tender.

3. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the wine and simmer, stirring often for about 5 minutes or until a thick stew is formed. Add the black-eyed peas, tomato, and broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* serves 2
* 246 calories per serving
* This dish is being shared with Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays , Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tuesdays at the Table, and  Tasty Tuesday Party

Rosemary Turkey Meatloaf

When I was growing up I hated meatloaf. There was something that I couldn’t stand about the texture of meat all pushed together. I don’t really know why this texture bothered me so much, but it was to the point where I didn’t like meatballs or hamburgers either. What a strange childhood, disliking some really common foods that kids love.

In my adult life I’ve grown to appreciate hamburgers, though they’re still not my favorite food. But of meatballs, hamburgers, and meatloaf, meatloaf still stays on the bottom of the list. My boyfriend on the other hand is a meatloaf FIEND. He could eat meatloaf forever. I think he’s just made of meatloaf or something.

To make some compromises, I have experimented with different flavors in the meatloaf – to make something palatable to me and something that he devours. This meatloaf was a pretty good loaf. The turkey, rosemary, and balsamic vinegar flavors aren’t those that are typically prevalent in meatloaves. They definitely make the standard meatloaf something a little classier!

Rosemary Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground turkey
2 cups bread crumbs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5 baking dish.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine the turkey, bread crumbs, onion, egg, milk, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Mix together with your hands. Press the meat mixture into your prepared baking dish. Mix together the crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, and mustard. Pour evenly over the top of your meatloaf.

3. Bake for 1 hour.

* serves 8
* 357 calories per slice
* This post is being shared with Bakes with Bizzy. 

Around The World in 52 Weeks: Barbecue Limas

This week my kitchen to the Marshall Islands. I was going to make dessert as well as dinner, but I kind of forgot I didn’t have any heavy cream and had to say goodbye to my plans to make a coconut cream macadamia cake, because I was too lazy to go to the grocery store.

While I didn’t make the coconut cream cake, I did use an ingredient I haven’t use before (which by the way is another of my resolutions for the year.) I had no idea until I made last week’s meal plan that butter beans and lima beans were actually the same thing. I had a can of butter beans in my cabinet, for whatever reason, and they have been sitting there forever because I had no idea what a butter bean was. I learned this week that it’s a lima bean! I’d never cooked with butter/lima beans before, but this Marshall Islands dish was delicious.

Of course the American is using canned lima beans.. But if we were actually on the Marshall Islands in the Caribbean we would have fresh beans that grow wild on the island. Cite.

I wasn’t too sure about this recipe. But after it was made and I was eating it, it was so good. And my boyfriend liked it too. We like the Marshall Islands.

Barbecue Limas (adapted from here)

Ingredients
1 can lima beans (or butter beans)
6 oz spicy Italian sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 16-oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp mustard
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

Directions

1. Brown the sausage, onion, and garlic in a skillet. Add the tomato sauce, mustard, and brown sugar and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.

2. Pour the sausage mixture into a baking dish. Mix with lima beans and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

* serves 2
* I’m sharing this dish with KB and Whitesnake’s Simply Delish Saturdays.

I’d like to see people travel the globe with me.
Every Saturday I will be posting my recipe, as well as pictures to ethnic cuisines you have made and want to share.

- You must mention The Law Student’s Cookbook‘s Around The World In 52 Weeks in the entry you link. You can either use a link or use the banner.
- In your post you must  at least mention what cuisine the dish is.
- Email me your recipe at elizabeth@crabtech.net. Make sure to include:

* Your name or blog name
* The direct link to your post
* A picture of the dish or permission to pull a picture from the post

- Make sure to email me by Saturday at 12noon Pacific Standard Time
- If you enter a recipe you will be automatically entered into my current giveaway.

Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

I don’t make breakfasts enough. Usually I’m in such a hurry at breakfast time that I just rush out the front door. If I have a little bit of time I’ll blend together some fruit, yogurt, and juice in the blender and call it a smoothie. Today however I took the day off of work because I’ve been sick all week and am still feeling the effects of it. My stomach however is finally in the condition to eat solids, so I decided that I would make pancakes this morning.

When I make breakfast, I remember how much I love making it. I’m not a bacon and eggs type of girl. I love sweet foods for breakfast. These pancakes were very sweet.

The only thing I didn’t like about them was that they really stuck to the skillet I was using. This is partially the fault of myself, since I own very cheap pots and pans. This can be credited to the fact that I’m a poor law student and don’t have a ton of money to be throwing around. But that does remind me my mom told me she had a cast iron skillet I could have. I need to remember to grab that next time I head home. But these pancakes do stick more than the usual pancakes I make.

I’m making a vow (that I might not keep) to make breakfasts like this on days where I’m not going to class or work. So hopefully you’ll be seeing more breakfast foods in the future!

Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients

for the pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
5 tbsp milk
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 bananas, mashed
1 tbsp vegetable oil

for the sauce
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

 for the pancakes

1. In a medium bowl sift together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine the milk and vanilla extract. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir, until well combined and no dry spots are left.

2. Mix in the mashed bananas and olive oil.

3. In a heavy skillet, heat either butter or olive oil. Once hot, drop the batter into the skillet into 2 tbsp size servings. Once the pancakes start bubbling on the raw side, flip. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

for the sauce

1. In a small pot combine the berries, 1 tbsp of water, orange juice, and sugar. Mix well and bring to a boil.

2. Once boiling, in a small bowl combine the cornstarch and other 1 tbsp of water. Pour into the blueberry mixture. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently until the sauce becomes thick.

3. Take off heat and stir in the almond extract and the ground cinnamon.

4. Serve over pancakes.

* makes 6 pancakes
* 317 calories per pancake and sauce
* These pancakes are going to be shared with Friday Potluck at EKat’s Kitchen.

Egg Drop Soup

Soup soup soup! I’m all about it recently, as I’m sure you can tell by my recent posts. So rather than break away from the soup, here’s another recipe.

I probably shouldn’t eat this, because I have high cholesterol and egg is high in cholesterol… But shoot me. It tastes good.

Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
9 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 carrot, shredded
1 cup portobello mushrooms, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup peas, frozen

Directions

1. Combine the cornstarch and broth in a pot and whisk together until fully dissolved.

2. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a low boil. Add soy sauce and garlic and stir. Add the carrots and mushrooms, stirring and cooking for 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the peas and stir.

3. Reduce heat to simmer. Slowly pour the beaten eggs into the soup. Stir.

* serves 2
* 364 calories per serving
* I shared this recipe with These Chicks Cooked Weekly Recipe Collection and What’s Cooking Wednesday?

Kidney Bean Cauliflower Curry

A month ago I made a kidney bean curry and was all about it. It was the first time I had made a curry where beans were the focus of the dish. I liked it so much that I made it again. This time though I followed a different recipe that had more in it than just beans. This recipe packs the curry with cauliflower as well as kidney beans. The flavor was approximately the same  as the last one, but this curry was more filling because of the increase in vegetables.

I love curry. I served this curry over a bed of turmeric rice.

Kidney Bean Cauliflower Curry

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp peeled and chopped ginger
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 tomato, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne
4 oz tomato sauce
1 15-oz can kidney beans

Directions

 1. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat for about a minute. Add ginger, garlic, onion, and jalapeno and fry for a minute. Add the tomato sauce, salt, cumin, coriander, cumin seeds, turmeric, and cayenne. Cook for an additional five minutes, and stir frequently. Add the undrained kidney beans plus 1/2 cup of water, cauliflower, and tomato. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the curry is thick enough.

* serves 2
* 416 calories per serving
* I’m sharing this recipe with Midnight Maniac’s Meatless Mondays,  Tuesdays at the Table, and Tasty Tuesday Party.