Lamb Kofta

When we were on vacation in Malaysia, we tried a dish like this and the kids loved it.  Where we live lamb is readily available so this is something I want to try.

5 tbs olive oil
4 onions, peeled, very finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs medium Malay curry powder*
1 tbs garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbs tomato puree*
425g can diced tomatoes
800ml lamb or beef stock
200ml coconut cream
1 cinnamon stick
8 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
700g lamb mince
2 tbs each chopped fresh coriander and mint
1 egg
1/2 lemon or lime, juiced
Turmeric rice*, to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Add the garlic, curry powder, garam masala and chilli powder. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes to release the flavours. Transfer half the mixture to a plate and set aside to cool.

Add the tomato puree and diced tomato to remaining onion mixture in the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes then add stock, coconut cream, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir to combine. Bring to the boil then turn off the heat, cover and set aside.

Combine cooled onion mixture with lamb mince, fresh herbs and egg in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well, then roll into about 30 walnut-sized balls. Place on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Return sauce to stove over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Gently add kofta balls to the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally (being careful not to break up the balls), over very low heat for 1 hour. Add lemon juice, garnish with chopped mint just before serving with rice.

Notes

* Malay curry powder is available from spice stores.

* Tomato puree not tomato paste.

* Turmeric rice is easy: just place 3 teaspoons of turmeric and 2 cups of rice in a large saucepan of salted boiling water and cook until tender.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Found this recipe on Market to Meal.  I also tried it in the bread bowls from that same site.  They weren’t too hard but I think I just prefer soup with bread on the side.

Here’s my modified version:

1 Tbs butter

½ medium onion, chopped

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk (I used 1 can evaporated milk, and added low fat milk to make 2 cups)

2 cups chicken stock

½ lb fresh broccoli, chopped finely (I steamed it first to make it softer to chop)

1/3 cup carrots, grated

salt and pepper to taste

8 oz grated cheese (I used 2 slices of american cheese, and a handful of gouda)

Saute onion in 1 Tbs butter. Set aside. Melt butter and add flour using a whisk over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half and half. Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended.

Italian Wedding Soup

I found this recipe and could see right away that it would be a winner!  It was great and we all liked it.  It also made a big pot that lasted for a couple meals.

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 3 tablespoons minced onion
• 2 1/2 quarts chicken broth
• 2 cups spinach, chopped into slices
• 1 cup seashell pasta
• 3/4 cup diced carrots

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil and onion. Shape mixture into 3/4-inch balls and set aside.
2. In a large stockpot heat chicken broth to boiling; stir in the spinach, pasta, carrot and meatballs. Return to boil; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, at a slow boil for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente, and meatballs are no longer pink inside. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Naan

This is what we like to have with our coconut chicken curry!

Naan

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups plain yogurt
   
• Directions

1. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

2. Stir in the yogurt till the dough is too stiff for a spoon, then knead it in the bowl till it holds together well, adding more flour if necessary.

3. Turn it out on a floured surface and continue kneading for about 5 minutes till the dough feels smooth and elastic.

4. Form the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl, covered with a towel, to rest for an hour or longer.

5. Take the dough out and cut it into 10 equal pieces. Form each into a ball and press the balls flat into round discs.

6. Heat a large frying pan or griddle, either seasoned cast iron or a good non-stick finish.

7. Heat your oven to about 500 and have the broiler on (this is how the original recipe states it – I know with my oven it’s either 500 degree oven OR the broiler, but you get the idea.

8. Take 1 piece of dough at a time and roll it out on a floured surface till it is about 8-10 inches across and less than 1/4 inch thick.

9. Lay it on the hot griddle and cook it over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes (I don’t think mine took that long).

10. It will puff up in places or all over, and there will be some blackish-brown spots on the bottom.

11. Slide a spatula under the naan and transfer it to the oven, directly onto the rack, for a minute or two, just till it finishes puffing up into a balloon and begins to color lightly on top.

12. Remove naan from the oven and brush it lightly with melted butter if you like.

13. Continue this way with all the dough, stacking the breads into a napkin-lined basket.

14. Serve the breads hot, fresh from the oven, or let them cool and wrap them up.

15. To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil, in packets of 4 or 5 breads and put them in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

 

Crockpot Coconut Chicken Curry

This is one of my daughter’s favorite meals!  It’s super easy and full of flavor.  I got this from the Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut Into Large Cubes
• 1 whole Onion, Peeled And Halved
• 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 1 whole Small Red or Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Quartered
• 1 can (156ml Can) Tomato Paste
• 1 can (about 400ml Can) Coconut Milk
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala (Indian Spice Mix)
• 2 whole Dry Red Chili Peppers (optional For Extra Heat))
• 2 Tablespoons Water
• 1-½ Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 bunch Coriander (optional, For Decoration)
• Vegetables, such as cubed potatoes, green beans, carrots

Preparation Instructions

1. Place chicken cubes  and vegetables inside the slow cooker.

2. Place therest of the ingredients (except chili peppers, cornstarch, water and coriander) in a food processor bowl and process together until the mix is smooth(ish). Pour sauce mix on top of the chicken, mix well, add hot peppers if using any, then close the lid. Cook on low for 6 hours.

3. An hour before serving, mix together water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is completely disolved. Add to the chicken curry and mix well. Place the lid back on for the rest of the cooking time.

4. Serve on top of steaming white rice, something wonderfully aromatic like jasmine or basmati rice. Decorate with lots of chopped coriander.

Biscuits made with oil

Where I live, butter is expensive, and shortening is imported and REALLY expensive, so I’m always on the look out for recipes that substitute oil for butter or shortening.

This recipe has worked really well for biscuits.  They rise pretty well and are tasty!  I often serve these with the Tuna Macaroni Salad that I posted yesterday.  They are also nice for egg and cheese biscuits the next morning!

Biscuits made with oil

2 1/4 c flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/3 c oil
3/4 c buttermilk (or about 2 t white vinegar or lemon juice and then milk to make 3/4 c)

Preheat oven to 450.
Mix dry ingredients together. Make a well and pour in wet ingredients. Stir together until just moistened.

Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead 5-6 times, until dough comes together well. Pat or roll out to 1/2″ thickness and cut with glass or biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet or pan, making sure edges touch (they raise better this way). Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden on top.

Tuna Macaroni Salad

This recipe is one that I go when I haven’t planned or prepared in advance.  It’s best for the summer, but it’s okay for the winter too if needed (like last night!).  My son loves this meal.  My daughter thinks it’s just okay.  This recipe is actually from my mom…she’s been making this since I was little.  I’ll have to ask her where she got it!

Macaroni (any smaller shape is fine…rotini or shells or regular macaroni)

Peas (my mom used canned…Yuck!  I use frozen)

A bit of finely chopped onion

chopped celery

a can of tuna

mayonnaise

Boil the macaroni according to package directions.  If using frozen peas add those in the last couple of minutes.  Drain well and allow to cool.  You could run cold water over the noodles/peas to help cool them off.

In a large bowl mix the tuna, chopped vegetables, noodles and peas.  Add mayonnaise until it’s mixed together well like a pasta salad.  I think I usually use about 1/2 cup of mayo.  You can sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

An easy-peasy meal with ingredients that are commonly in my fridge and don’t need defrosting! 🙂

Focaccia Bread

This is a recipe I like to use when I need a quick side dish, but don’t have time to bake regular yeast bread.  It comes together very fast, like a quick bread and it doesn’t take use up a lot of dishes!

Full Loaf (9×13 pan)

3 1/4 C flour
2 1/4 t. yeast
1 T sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T.  extra virgin olive oil and more for drizzling on top
1 2/3 C very warm water (120-130 degrees F)
1 T Italian Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese
Additional dash of salt

Half Loaf (8×8 pan)

1 5/8 C flour
1 1/8 t. yeast
1/2 T sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T.  oil and more for drizzling on top
5/6 C warm water (that is, 1/2 + 1/3 C)
1/2 T Italian Seasoning
Parmesan cheese
Additional dash of salt

Mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

Add 2 T olive oil and water. Stir until well mixed.

Put bread dough into a greased pan (spread out like a cake mix… the dough is fairly fluid).

Cover and let rise until doubled; about 15-30 minutes

Drizzle a bit of  olive oil over the top of the raised bread and spread out with a brush.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke multiple holes in the dough to create an uneven surface.

Sprinkle cheese and herbs over the top. May sprinkle additional salt on top, if desired.

Let bread rise, covered, for an additional 15-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned.

Potato Soup

The other night I was looking for a quick way to supplement some leftovers and made this simple potato soup.  It worked really well for us.  We don’t use pork in our home at all so it’s been challenging to find a recipe without bacon or ham that still has some flavor. This one turned out good!

6 c. cubed, peeled potatoes
5 c. chicken broth
2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. grated carrots
1/4 c. butter
2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
12 oz. can evaporated milk

In a large crockpot, combine the first eight ingredients. Cover and cook for 7-8 hours or until the veggies are tender. Mash the potatoes if desired.  Add milk and mix well. Cover and cook 30-60 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with shredded cheese if desired.

Cincinnati Chili

So, the other day I was thinking it would be a great day for chili.  But, my problem was (and is) that my kids don’t like beans in the chili, and I didn’t have any handy-dandy chili spice packets, and chili hasn’t really been a favorite of my daughter anyways. I went searching on the internet for no-bean chili recipes, and decided to shake things up a bit by trying a recipe for Cincinnati chili.  I’ve NEVER had this before so I really had no idea what it would be like, however, growing up we always served our chili over macaroni, so the idea of chili over some sort of noodle works for me.

Of course, I had to make some changes, partly because of availability of ingredients, so here’s my modified version.  Oh, and my kids aren’t huge fans of spicy things, so my version was not spicy at all…the chili powder did the trick well enough without adding any other hot peppers (which where I live can be unpredictably hot).

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder

3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa (next time I think I’ll reduce this to 2 T)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

2 bay leaves (I didn’t add this)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I used some worcestershire powder I got from Planters in Kansas City)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce ( I used 4 rather large chopped tomatoes with skins removed)
1 cup chicken or beef broth (I used beef)
1/2 cup water

Heat frying pan with oil over medium high heat and when hot add the beef, minced onion and garlic, and chili powder. C until the meat is browned.

In a separate bowl combine the cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, and salt. Add and stir fry for another couple minutes until fragrant.

Dump it all in the crockpot.  Add the Worcestshire sauce, vinegar, tomatos, broth and water. Cook for 4-6 hours, or as needed depending on your slow cooker.

I served this over macaroni with shredded cheese on top.