Here is another recipe I adapted from At Home with Maddhur Jaffrey. Since I love the combination of ginger and cilantro I knew this would be delicious. I also shortened the cooking time by using boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken legs on the bone, which Ms. Jaffrey recommends. This dish is extremely easy and quick to prepare. It is good hot or at room temperature.
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tbl. plain yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (no coarse stems)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Lay the chicken pieces in a single layer in a baking dish. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, cayenne and garam masala evenly on both sides and pat in. Rub the ginger, yogurt and cilantro all over the pieces. Place the baking dish in the center of the oven and bake 25-30 minutes.
Note: If you don't have garam masala yet, go out and buy some. It is packed with flavor and takes up almost no space. Share any extra with a good friend.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Summer vegetable melange
Last night I retrieved the farmers market vegetables that were in the fridge and put together this beautiful melange. How can you go wrong with baby zucchini, tomatoes and corn on the cob?
1 tbl. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
8 baby zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into small chunks
2 ears corn, kernels sliced from the cob
salt and pepper to taste
basil leaves, sliced into strips
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, cook for 1 minute, add onion and cook for 2 more minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomato, lower heat and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the sliced zucchini to the skillet and cook until fairly tender and beginning to color. Add the corn and salt and pepper to taste. Stir all ingredients, cook for 1 minute more. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve hot or at room temperature.
Serves 4
Note: I didn't know if the cumin seed and basil would work together but they tasted great. I served the vegetables with chicken roasted with ginger and cilantro (see next post).
1 tbl. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
8 baby zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into small chunks
2 ears corn, kernels sliced from the cob
salt and pepper to taste
basil leaves, sliced into strips
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, cook for 1 minute, add onion and cook for 2 more minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomato, lower heat and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the sliced zucchini to the skillet and cook until fairly tender and beginning to color. Add the corn and salt and pepper to taste. Stir all ingredients, cook for 1 minute more. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve hot or at room temperature.
Serves 4
Note: I didn't know if the cumin seed and basil would work together but they tasted great. I served the vegetables with chicken roasted with ginger and cilantro (see next post).
Roasted Bluefish Fillets with Tomatoes
I bought two bluefish fillets at the farmer's market. When I got home I checked out Mark Bittman's Fish cookbook to come up with some ideas. I chose this very straightforward preparation. It was simple and tasty.
4 medium size fresh, ripe tomatoes. sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup minced scallions, green and white parts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 lbs. bluefish in 1 or 2 fillets, skin off
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Layer about two thirds of the tomatoes on the bottom of a nonstick or lightly oiled baking dish, and sprinkle with half the scallions, most of the olive oil, half the herbs, and some salt and pepper. Top with the bluefish and the remaining ingredients except the parsley.
Roast, uncovered, until the bluefish is done ( it will be white throughout) and the tomatoes have liquified, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately with the sauce spooned over the fish and sprinkled with the remaining parsley.
Serves 4
Notes: Mr. Bittman suggests two alternatives which sound delicious:
Bluefish roasted on a bed of well-seasoned cooked greens
Bluefish with cilantro and lime
4 medium size fresh, ripe tomatoes. sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup minced scallions, green and white parts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 lbs. bluefish in 1 or 2 fillets, skin off
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Layer about two thirds of the tomatoes on the bottom of a nonstick or lightly oiled baking dish, and sprinkle with half the scallions, most of the olive oil, half the herbs, and some salt and pepper. Top with the bluefish and the remaining ingredients except the parsley.
Roast, uncovered, until the bluefish is done ( it will be white throughout) and the tomatoes have liquified, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately with the sauce spooned over the fish and sprinkled with the remaining parsley.
Serves 4
Notes: Mr. Bittman suggests two alternatives which sound delicious:
Bluefish roasted on a bed of well-seasoned cooked greens
Bluefish with cilantro and lime
Summery Salad Nicoise
Vittorio, our friend from Italy was coming for dinner on Monday and would stay overnight. I was working on Monday and wondered if I had the time to get a satisfying dinner on the table. But it was horribly hot, in the 90s, and the thought of leaving our air conditioned place to go back outside to a restaurant, wasn't appealing. With a little advance planning I came up with my version of a Salad Nicoise. It was a hit- cool, tasty and perfect for a scorching day.
I cooked the green beans and potatoes the day before and bought a jar of good quality tuna and a can of anchovies to have on hand. I should have also made a few hard boiled eggs but forgot to do that. With good bread and chilled white wine we had a fine meal.
1 lb. green beans or haricot verts, trimmed
1 lb. potatoes, sliced
4 scallions, white parts finely chopped
vinaigrette dressing
1 jar tuna in olive oil from Italy or Spain, drained
1 can anchovies, drained
4 hardboiled eggs, halved
1 tsp. capers
cherry tomatoes or beefsteak tomato cut into chunks
Cook the green beans and potatoes in separate pots of boiling water. When the beans are bright green and still have a bit of a snap, drain and rinse with cool water. When the potatoes are tender but not falling apart, drain. Dry the veggies off and while still warm combine them in a bowl. Add the scallions and toss with vinaigrette dressing.
Put the dressed vegetables on a platter. Add chunks of tuna, the anchovies and the halved eggs on top of the veggies. Sprinkle with capers and put cherry tomatoes or tomato chunks around the edge of the platter.
Serves 4
I cooked the green beans and potatoes the day before and bought a jar of good quality tuna and a can of anchovies to have on hand. I should have also made a few hard boiled eggs but forgot to do that. With good bread and chilled white wine we had a fine meal.
1 lb. green beans or haricot verts, trimmed
1 lb. potatoes, sliced
4 scallions, white parts finely chopped
vinaigrette dressing
1 jar tuna in olive oil from Italy or Spain, drained
1 can anchovies, drained
4 hardboiled eggs, halved
1 tsp. capers
cherry tomatoes or beefsteak tomato cut into chunks
Cook the green beans and potatoes in separate pots of boiling water. When the beans are bright green and still have a bit of a snap, drain and rinse with cool water. When the potatoes are tender but not falling apart, drain. Dry the veggies off and while still warm combine them in a bowl. Add the scallions and toss with vinaigrette dressing.
Put the dressed vegetables on a platter. Add chunks of tuna, the anchovies and the halved eggs on top of the veggies. Sprinkle with capers and put cherry tomatoes or tomato chunks around the edge of the platter.
Serves 4
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