Tag Archive for 'curry'

Currywurst Noodles

Published by mel on September 29, 2009 in entree and recipe.

Currywurst Noodles

Whew! It’s been a really hectic couple of weeks traveling for work and leisure. Tom turned 30 and we had a weekend-long celebration in Las Vegas. For the record, Burger Bar might just be my favorite place on earth. They let you add jalapeno bacon to your burger. Have you ever even heard of jalapeño bacon? It was astounding. Wonderful. Magnificent. Almost brought tears to my eyes. I’m already planning my trip back just so I can have another taste of that jalapeño bacon.

But, moving on… Since I’ve had zero time to cook, I had a really bizarre assortment of ingredients in the fridge. Turkey kielbasa, one egg, savoy cabbage, some onions, peanut butter, piquillo peppers, condiments galore and way too much beer. But don’t worry – I didn’t just combine everything for this dish. Instead, I translated German Currywurst into a noodle dish.

I sauteed some onions, turkey kielbasa and thinly sliced cabbage, then made a simple sauce with some white wine, deli mustard, tomato paste and hot curry powder. The result was a really comforting bowl of noodles. Reminiscent of German street food, but not so much that it was weird. One of those pantry meals that ends up being a total winner and something I’ll actually make again. At least, my husband hopes I will.

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Lighter Summer Squash Red Curry with Basil

Published by mel on August 4, 2009 in entree and recipe.

Lighter Summer Squash Red Curry with Basil

Another zucchini and squash recipe for those with an abundance of summer produce. One of my favorite dishes of all time is thick, rich Thai curry. I love the aromatic coconut milk, the spice of the curry paste and the fresh vegetables. It’s my all-time favorite takeout meal. Yes, it even beats pizza. (Shocking! I know.)

But it’s summer and it’s mighty hot out, so I thought I’d make a lighter version with part coconut milk and part chicken stock. And of course, it’s a great way to use up all that summer squash! The curry is still hot and spicy, but it’s not as overwhelming as the traditional version. I used tofu because I love the way it absorbs the spicy coconut milk, but it would be equally good with shrimp or chicken if you’re tofu-averse.

A great way to enjoy one of my favorite winter meals in the sweaty depths of summer.

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Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew

Published by mel on April 22, 2009 in recipe.

Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew

Another recipe from this month’s glossies, I found this Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew in the May issue of Bon Appetit. Curry? Coconut milk? Cilantro? Yes please! I made this one morning before work and it came together in under 30 minutes. It’s a little spicy, a little earthy and really flavorful. I love the combination of coconut milk and curry powder with the chickpeas and cauliflower. It just tastes like homey comfort food, which is just perfect for a long day at work.

This is one of those dishes you can make once and eat all week for lunch or dinner. Served over Jasmine rice, you’ve got yourself a really healthy and delicious meal.

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Thai Curry Lime Noodle Soup w/Fried Egg

Published by mel on March 18, 2009 in entree and recipe.

Thai Curry Lime Noodle Soup w/Fried Egg

A while back my friend Karen asked me if I could come up with a recipe for breakfast soup since it was so cold out (no oatmeal allowed). I thought I was up for the challenge. Breakfast soup? No problem. Man, was I wrong. Everything I came up with was either too complicated for breakfast or too similar to oatmeal. I had pretty much given up on the breakfast soup challenge and hung my head in shame.

But then I started craving spicy Thai curry soup. And I wanted a fried egg on that soup. Because a fried egg makes (almost) everything better. Could this finally be the breakfast soup recipe I’ve been looking for? I think maybe it is.

This soup might not be what everyone craves first thing in the morning, but it definitely hit the spot for me. I can imagine it would just the thing to cure a hangover. So, if you partied hard for St. Patrick’s Day, you may want to whip up a batch of this stuff right now. Especially, since it’s as quick and easy as it gets.

I loved the spicy, citrus-infused broth with rice noodles. I loved the way the fried egg added richness and substance. All in all, not an everyday breakfast soup, but one that’s still delicious for lunch and dinner.

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Indian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Published by mel on March 6, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Indian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

A couple of weeks ago I piled into the car with Tom, my parents and my sister-in-law and journeyed to South Beach for the Wine & Food Festival. Each year we get tickets to the Grand Tasting tent which is essentially a big tent filled with samples from local restaurants and wine tastings galore. It’s foodie heaven.

So, with empty stomachs and high hopes we headed in to the tents to pig out. Sadly, I was disappointed with most of the food this year. It was mostly forgettable and a lot of places ran out of food by 4pm. (Hello recession!) Of all the things I tried that day, there were a few standouts. One was an Indian-spiced pulled pork sandwich which I used as inspiration for today’s dish. Some others were pork belly sandwiches from Le Meridien, cornbread with olive oil from Bizcaya (weirdly delicious!), bread pudding with vanilla butter from the La Puglra table, and ratatouille from the Whole Foods pavilion. In fact, the Whole Foods pavilion was an all-around winner!

So back to the pulled pork…I know that a lot of you are interested in pressure cooker recipes, so here’s another one for you. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can easily make it in a dutch oven or your favorite big pot.

Pork loin is browned, then simmered with onions, tomato, lemon, hot curry powder, mustard seeds, bay leaves, tomato paste and stock. The onions and tomatoes melt into the liquid to make a spicy, delicious sauce that’s perfect on a bun. I think I’ll add a couple of cucumber slices and some cilantro yogurt to the sandwich next time just to add some contrast, but overall it was delicious. The kind of sandwich that’s a little messy, a little spicy and perfect any time of year. It’s one of those things that tastes even better the next day so make a big pot of it and enjoy it all week.

For those of you wondering where the Taco Salad Recipe is, it’s not coming. I made the salad, and it was good, but nothing special. Maybe next time :)

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Butternet Squash, Farro & Sausage Soup

Published by mel on February 4, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Butternet Squash, Farro & Sausage Soup

Before I begin waxing poetic about soup, a story. Every year at Thanksgiving, I roast garlic. Usually for my famous Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. This year, for a too-greasy Roasted Garlic Manchego Gratin from Food & WIne. The process is always the same — place garlic cloves in a shallow baking dish, drown them in olive oil, cover with foil, spill oil in the hot oven, smell smoke, then run around with paper towels trying to mop up burning, smoking oil from the bottom of the oven while trying not to burn myself or set anything on fire. Sounds fun no? It’s awesome.

Since this happens every year in my mom’s usually-clean oven, she bought me a teeny, tiny Le Creuset dutch oven that’s just the right size for roasting garlic. And as a bonus, it comes with a snug-fitting top so I won’t spill hot oil all over the place. Sometimes traditions must come to an end. This cute little pot is also useful for blog photos. See how pretty my soup looks?

Moving on, this soup is thick and hearty, really flavorful, super simple. Start with a couple of very spicy sausages, add butternut squash, pearled farro, chicken stock and curry powder…maybe a few handfuls of baby spinach for color, and you’ve got a delicious little lunch that’s satisfying and warm on a cold day. It also sets off my new Le Creuset mini-pot nicely!

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Grilled Mahi over Curried Lentils

Published by mel on January 7, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Grilled Mahi over Curried Lentils

I heard somewhere that eating lentils on New Year’s Day is supposed to bring you wealth and luck in the upcoming year, so I did a little poking around. Wikipedia confirms that this is in fact a tradition on the island of Malta, and the tradition goes all the way back to Roman times. Does it still count if you eat them just a few days after New Year’s Day? I think so, but if I’m wrong at least lentils are as tasty as they are good for your health and wealth.

For a really healthy mid-week dinner, I simmered French lentils with sauteed carrots and onions and spiced them up with Madras Curry Powder. A little lemon and olive oil and you’ve got a beautiful base for grilled fish. The Mahi fillets were marinated all day in olive oil, soy sauce and mustard seeds, which makes for a super moist fillet with a little bite to it. A perfect way to ring in the New Year and hopefully bring a little luck to your 2009.

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green rice & beans

Published by mel on April 21, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

green rice & beans

In honor of Earth Day, I made green rice and beans. Green lima beans, green chives, green spinach, green basil and green lime for lots of color. All natural and organic products for environmental friendliness. I decided not to go the more traditional Latin or Mexican route because I had no cilantro and because it just felt wrong to not use pinto, kidney or black beans. So, I opted for a more Thai-inspired dish with coconut milk, red curry paste, basil and lime.

The dish is fragrant and spicy and wholesome. And it was done in 15 minutes. The perfect lunch.

In other “green” news. Serious Eats has a nice piece on how to decode PLU stickers on produce. Seems like you should stick to 5-digit numbers that start with a 9 and beware of numbers starting with 8!

Conventional produce gets a four-digit number.
Organic produce gets a five-digit number that starts with 9.
Genetically modified items also get a five-digit code, but that code starts with 8.

Examples
4139: Conventional Granny Smith apple
94139: Organic Granny Smith
84139: GMO Granny Smith

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double curry lentils

Published by mel on February 25, 2008 in entree and recipe.

double curry lentils

Last week, Heidi posted a delicious-looking chickpea and bulgur recipe that reminded me of a forgotten tub of bulgur that’s been sitting in my pantry. I had every intention of making her recipe, but I found a big bag of beautiful French lentils (how’s that for alliteration?) cozying up to the bulgur and grabbed those instead.

I should use bulgur more often. It has a low glycemic index, which helps keep energy levels from spiking and crashing and it cooks quickly — always useful. I also had a can of coconut milk, which pairs beautifully with curry. I wanted the spice of Thai food and the warming aroma of Indian food, so I used both Thai red curry paste and Maharajah-style curry powder to flavor the broth. Everything was brightened with fresh lime juice, cilantro and mint. I love how flavorful and nutritious this meal turned out, and I’m sure my husband loved that he only had to wash one pot.

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curry stir-fry

Published by mel on January 24, 2008 in entree and recipe.

curry stir fry

I’m calling this a stir fry, but that’s really not accurate. I just don’t know what else to call it. I could take some inspiration from Chipotle and call it a Bol, or is it more of a rice, um, thing? Not sure. What it really is is a bunch of delicious things sauteed in one big frypan.

I used a combination of tofu and sausage for the protein for contrast of textures. To fulfill the vegetable quota, I added yellow onion and Swiss chard. I also finished it up with some whole grain brown rice, which I buy fully cooked and frozen at Whole Foods. Finally, I tossed it with a spicy curry sauce that I received as a gift, and of which I’ve replicated the flavors in the recipe below.

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