Category: Entrees

College Student Curry

Servings: —
This is a really good dish to make if you have some random ingredients lying around and some spices. You can put whatever you want in it, but I like to keep the number of different things going into the curry to about 4. Otherwise it gets a little craaaaaaaaaazy. Anyways, you don’t really need all of these ingredients, the coconut milk makes it really good, but you don’t have to put it in. If you don’t use it, just cook the curry for a while, and keep adding water until some of the vegetables fall apart and make a nice squishy sauce. The tomato paste is optional too.

Ingredients
Pretty crucial
1 lg onion – chopped
4-6 cloves garlic – minced
1/4 cup ginger – minced (this seems like a lot, but it’s good)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
Optional (chose about 4, not including coconut milk, tomato paste, or vegi bullion cube)
cauliflower – chopped
eggplant – chopped
butternut squash – chopped
sweet potato – chopped
tofu – cubed
potato – chopped
carrot – chopped
bell peppers – chopped
frozen peas – add these at the very end of cooking so that they defrost, but don’t get overcooked.
1 vegi bullion cube
1 can coconut milk
1/2 can tomato paste
to add after cooking
chopped cilantro
mung bean sprouts
scallions
hot sauce – I usually let people put in their own hot s

Directions
Put some oil in the bottom of a pretty big pot. Add the onions, and cook them until they’re about half done (maybe 2-5 minutes). Then, add all the other “”pretty crucial ingredients”” or whatever combination you happen to have around. Make sure you have enough oil so that the spices don’t stick and burn, and cook all this stuff for about 1 minute. Then add about a cup of water and the vegi bullion cube, and start adding “”Optional ingredients””. If you have something that will take longer to cook like a potato, add that first and let it cook for about 5 minutes before you put the other ingredients in. When it looks like everything you decided to add is cooked, add the half can coconut milk and heat it till it’s hot. If you’re adding the tomato past, add it now too. If you’re not adding the coconut milk, add more water, and smoosh some of the vegetables so that you get a thick sauce. If you add too much water, you can just keep cooking it until it evaporates off. It’s pretty hard to overcook this curry. Once you have the consistency you want, add the peas (if you want), and cook until they’re defrosted. Turn the heat off, and add any of the “”ingredients to add after cooking””. I think the cilantro makes it really good.

Serve over rice. Brown rice is good for you.

Cold Sesame Noodles

Servings: 6-8
Source: Feb/Mar 2000 Fine Cooking pg 49
Make the sesame pur6e several hours or a day ahead to let the flavors marry, but whisk in the water just before serving for a smooth, creamy consistency. The noodles can rest, cooked and tossed in oil, for half an hour, but don’t dress them until ready to serve.

Ingredients
FOR THE SESAME DRESSING:
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp (4 oz) sesame seeds
7 Tbsp peanut oil
3 med or 2 lg shallots (ab 2 oz total), sliced
1 lg clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup sugar
¾ to 1 cup water (or less)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
FOR THE NOODLES:
12 oz fresh Chinese egg noodles (sometimes called wonton noodles)
3 Tbsp peanut oil 1 cup blanched snow peas, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced daikon radish
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup chopped peanuts
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (cut on the bias on a sharp angle)

Directions
Serves six as a main dish; eight to ten as a side dish.

To make the dressing-Heat the oven to 350°F. Put the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until golden brown and fragrant, 15 to 20 min. Be careful not to overcook them. Put the toasted seeds in a blender.

In a skillet, heat I Tbsp of the peanut oil over medium-low heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic until softened, 3 to 5 min. Set side to cool. Add the shallots, garlic, remaining 6 Tbsp peanut oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and chile paste to the sesame seeds in the blender. Blend on high speed just until a thick, rough paste forms, 2 to 3 min. Stop blending when most of the seeds have broken up and been pureed. After the paste forms, it will begin to get oily if you continue to pur6e it, as the seeds begin to give off their oil. Refrigerate the purse (for up to a day).

To cook and dress the noodles-Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Gently fluff the noodles and add them to the water, stirring. Return the water to a boil and cook the noodles for just 1 0 to 30 seconds. (These tiny fresh noodles don’t need much cooking. If it takes a minute or more for the water to come back to a boil, the noodles will already be done.) Drain the noodles immediately and cool them under cold running water. Drain well. Put the cold noodles in a bowl and toss with the peanut oil.

To assemble-When ready to dress the noodles, remove the pur6e from the refrigerator. Drain off any oil that has gathered on the top. Whisk about ¾ cup water into the purse to thin it and to reach a creamy consistency; the sauce will lighten in color and become emulsified; add more water as needed. Add the chopped cilantro to the sauce.

In a large bowl, toss the noodles with about half the dressing. Add the snow peas, red pepper, and daikon, and toss to combine (using your hands is easiest). Add more dressing if you like. Put the noodles in large serving bowl or on individual plates. Garnish with cilantro leaves, chopped peanuts, and sliced scallions, or pass little bowls of the garnishes at the table.

Cod with Miso Glaze and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

Servings: 6
Preheat: 450°
At the restaurant, they use black cod, also known as sablefish. We call for more readily available white cod fillets.

Ingredients
1/2 cup light yellow miso
5 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 6 oz cod fillets, each cut into 2 pieces

Directions
Wasabi Mashed Potatoes Preheat oven to 450°F. Blend miso, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and cayenne pepper in processor. With machine running, gradually pour in oil; blend until mixture is smooth. Place cod fillets in large bowl. Pour half of miso mixture over fish; toss to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. When oven is pre-heated, turn on broiler, and broil cod 8 inches from heat until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn off broiler, and finish cooking in 450°F oven until cod is opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Divide cod among 6 plates. Spoon Wasabi Mashed Potatoes alongside. Drizzle remaining half of miso mixture over cod and potatoes, if desired, and serve.

Cioppino

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 45 min
Inactive Prep Time: 45 min
Source: Gourmet | March 2002

Ingredients
4 lg garlic cloves, minced
2 med onions, finely chopped
1 Turkish bay leaf or ½ California bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 green bell pepper, cut into ¼”” dice
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1½ cup dry red wine
1 (28- to 32 oz) can whole plum tomatoes, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
1 cup bottled clam juice
1 cup chicken broth
1 (1 lb) king crab leg, thawed if frozen
18 sm (2-inch) hard-shelled clams (1½ lb) such as littlenecks, scrubbed
1 lb skinless red snapper or halibut fillets, cut into 1½”” pieces
1 lb lg shrimp (16 to 20), shelled (tails and bottom segment of shells left intact) and deveined
¾ lb sea scallops, tough muscle removed from side of each if necessary
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
Garnish: shredded fresh basil leaves and sm whole leaves
Accompaniment: focaccia or sourdough bread

Directions
Cook garlic, onions, bay leaf, oregano, and red pepper flakes with salt and pepper in oil in an 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil until reduced by about half, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, clam juice, and broth and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While stew is simmering, hack crab leg through shell into 2- to 3-inch pieces with a large heavy knife. Add crab pieces and clams to stew and simmer, covered, until clams just open, 5 to 10 minutes, checking every minute after 5 minutes and transferring opened clams to a bowl with tongs or a slotted spoon. (Discard any unopened clams after 10 minutes.) Lightly season fish fillets, shrimp, and scallops with salt and add to stew, then simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf, then return clams to pot and gently stir in parsley and basil.

Serve cioppino immediately in large soup bowls.

Chicken, Gaylord’s Tandoori

Servings: 4-8

Ingredients
2 2½ pound chickens
2 cups plain yogurt
½ teaspoons cumin
½ freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or half the amount dried
1 clove garlic finely minced
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup chopped white onion
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon loosely packed stem saffron or 1/8 teaspoon powdered saffron.

Directions
1. Cut off and discard the small wing tips of each chicken. Using the fingers, pull off and discard the skin of the
chickens.

2. Using a sharp knife, make brief gashes across the grain on both sides of the chicken breasts and legs.

3. Combine in the container of a food processor the yogurt, cumin, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, coriander, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, saIt to taste, cardamom, and onion. Process to a fine liquid.

4. Pour the mixture Into a mixing bowl and add the chickens. Turn the chickens to coat all over. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

5. Remove the chickens from the yogurt mixture at least one hour before cooking.

6. Preheat oven to 500°. Heat a charcoal grill.

7. Heat the milk in a small saucepan and add the saffron. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes.

8. Spoon the saffron mixture evenly over the chickens.

9. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the chickens on it breast side up.

10. Place the chickens in the oven and …garbled….(probably bake for 40 minutes??). Or, cooked entirely on a charcoal grill. To grill them, split the chickens as for broiling. After marinating, place on the grill breast side down. Grill on one side. Turn and continue grilling on the second side until the chickens are thoroughly cooked.

11. Cut the chickens into serving pieces. Put them on the grill and cook briefly on both sides.

Chicken Thighs Baked with Lemon, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

Servings: 6
Source: Fine Cooking August/September 2001
NOTE: Chicken should refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight (see below)In addition to the lemon and fresh herbs, the chicken thighs are flavored with an emulsified mash of garlic, salt, and olive oil, called allioli. I like to garnish each plate of chicken with a spoonful of romesco sauce.

Ingredients
2 lg cloves garlic
Coarse salt or sea salt
3 to 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
12 chicken thighs, trimmed of fat, rinsed, and patted dry
2 lg lemons, each cut into six ¼ “” rounds
1 bunch fresh rosemary, snipped into twelve 2″” pieces
1 bunch fresh thyme, snipped into twelve 2″” pieces
12 sage leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a large pinch of salt to create a coarse paste (or use a small mixing bowl and the back of a spoon, or mince the garlic very finely on a cutting board). Add the oil very slowly in drops while pounding and grinding the paste, continuing until the allioli is thick, creamy, and emulsified. Put the chicken in a bowl. Rub the allioli all over, including under the skin.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Arrange the lemon slices in one layer in a large shallow roasting pan or baking dish (9xl3x2 inches is good). Top each slice with a piece of rosemary and thyme and a sage leaf. Set the chicken thighs, skin side up, on top; sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. Bake until the skin is golden and the juices are clear, 45 min. to 1 hour.

Sometimes the lemons and chicken produce a lot of juices, in which case you can make a delicious pan sauce. Transfer the chicken (keeping the herbs and lemon slices underneath) to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Tilt the pan to pool the juices in one corner. Spoon off the fat that rises to the top. Set the pan over medium heat (if the pan isn’t flameproof, pour the juices into a small skillet) and scrape up any stuck-on juices. Let the juices boil and reduce so they thicken to a saucy consistency. Drizzle the sauce around, not on, the chicken to maintain the crisp skin.

Chicken Tandoor

Servings: 4-6
Source: Fine Cooking #21, June/July 1997

Ingredients

FOR THE MARINADE:
2-inch piece ginger, peeled
4 large cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chill powder
1½ teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
¾ cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

FOR THE CHICKEN:
2 to 3 pounds boneless chicken thighs and breasts
¼ cup melted butter or olive oil

FOR THE GARNISH:
½ mild white onion, thinly sliced
½ Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 or 2 fresh green chiles, thinly sliced

1 lime, cut in wedges

Directions

Make the marinade: In a blender or a food processor, blend the ginger and garlic to a fine paste (you may need to add a little water to make a paste). Add the turmeric, chili powder, salt, cumin, yogurt, and lime juice; process until combined.

Prepare the chicken: Remove the skin from the chicken, leaving some fat. Make a few slits in each piece and transfer to a nonreactive dish large enough for the pieces to lie flat. Pour the marinade over the chicken and stir to coat the chicken thoroughly. Seal with plastic and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but no more than 12 hours, turning the chicken once.

Grill the chicken: Prepare a charcoal grill with an even layer of coals. While the grill is heating up, take the chicken out of the refrigerator. When the charcoal is red-hot, lay the chicken pieces on the grill about 2 inches apart. Baste with any remaining marinade. Cover the grill, leaving the vents half-open. After about 5 minutes, remove the grill lid and turn over the chicken pieces; they should look slightly charred. Replace the lid and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover the chicken, baste it with the melted butter, turn it over, and leave it uncovered for the rest of the cooking time. Baste after 2 or 3 minutes and test for doneness: the meat should feel firm when you press it. Transfer the chicken to a large platter. Arrange the onion, cilantro, chiles, and lime wedges over the chicken and seal the platter with foil. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes to absorb the garnish flavors. Traditional accompaniments are chutney, curried potatoes, peas, raita, and basmati rice.

Orecchiette Pasta with Brocolli Rabe

Servings: 6
Source: Bon Appétit May 1995
In Apulia, women still make pasta at home. Their favorite pasta shape – and the symbol of the region – is arecchiette, or “”little ears””. Called recchie or recchietelle in the local dialect, orecchiette is eaten just about daily, but is prepared a different way in almost every village. The sauces for this whimsical pasta are straightforward and usually contain vegetables, beans or legumes. This recipe is one of the most basic.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil, including all of the oil in the anchovy tin
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz orecchiette or shell pasta
1 lb broccoli rabe, trimmed, chopped
1 entire 2oz tin of anchovies, chopped
parmesan cheese
chile flakes

Directions
Heat oil in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until beginning to color, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until beginning to soften, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and cook until pasta is just tender, but still firm to bite, about 3 minutes. Drain. Transfer pasta and broccoli rabe to large bowl. Pour garlic oil over. Add in chopped anchovies and pepper flakes to taste, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese individually.

Chicken Tagine with Pumpkin and Chickpeas

Servings: 8-10
Preheat: 400°
Source: From David Tanis – A Platter of Figs
Saffron-scented North African-style chicken tagine is a wonderful stew, perfect for a small group, comforting on a cold night. In Tunisia and Morocco, tagine is both the name of the cooking vessel and the dish. Basically, a deep thick earthenware plate is filled with meat and vegetables or dried fruit. A high conical lid keeps the moisture in, allowing the dish to simmer, sizzle, and bake, on a propane stovetop or over hot coals. The tagine is a clever device, economical in a land where the price of fuel is high and most homes do not have ovens. Similar results can be achieved in an American oven using a wide shallow casserole or gratin dish. This tagine can be made hours (or a day) before serving, and then is easily reheated. The recipe is easy to alter for other seasons (it’s wonderful with tomatoes in place of pumpkin).

Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKPEAS
1 lb (2 cups) dried chickpeas, picked over and soaked overnight in cold water
1 lg onion, quartered
1 cinnamon stick
A few cloves Olive oil Salt
Butter
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Chopped parsley

FOR THE TAGINE
About 4- lb pumpkin or winter squash, seeds and membranes removed
Salt and pepper
12 lg whole chicken legs (with thighs)
A 3″” piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted and roughly ground
4 lg onions, diced sm
2 Tbsp olive butter
6 garlic cloves, sliced
Large pinch of saffron
Red pepper flakes or cayenne
oil
2 Tbsp

Harissa oil
makes about 1 cup
This is a fragrant, spicy, ruddy-colored oil, to be drizzled over any number of things-olives, eggs, vegetables, toasted bread, or chicken stew.
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 Tbsp sweet paprika or mild ground red chile
1 tsp cayenne or other powdered hot red chile
1 to 2 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt
1 tsp salt
1 cup olive oil
A few drops of red wine vinegar

Directions
To cook the chickpeas, drain them, put in a saucepan, and cover with 3 quarts of water. Add the onion, cinnamon stick, cloves, a splash of olive oil, and a little salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently uncovered, for about an hour, or until the chickpeas are tender. Taste for salt and adjust. Leave the chickpeas to cool in the cooking liquid.

For the tagine, cut the pumpkin or winter squash into thick slices and spread them on a flat surface. Season the slices with salt and pepper.

Season the chicken legs generously with salt and pepper. Massage them with the grated ginger. Sprinkle the cumin seeds over the meat. Set the chicken aside.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the diced onions in a combination of butter and olive oil until softened. Season with salt and continue cooking until the onions are lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the sliced garlic cloves. Crumble the saffron over the onions. Stir the onions and season to taste with red pepper.

Arrange the onions in a shallow earthenware casserole (or two if necessary), then top with the pumpkin slices. Now put chicken legs over the pumpkin in one layer, skin side up. Add 3 to 4- cups of chickpea cooking liquid, barely covering the chicken.

Cover the casserole and bake for 20 minutes or so, until the liquid is bubbling briskly. Reduce the heat to 375°F and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until the chicken legs yield easily to a probing fork. Take the casserole from the oven and remove the chicken legs. Skim any surfacing fat with a shallow ladle.

Replace the chicken legs and return the dish to the oven, uncovered. Bake until the juices are bubbling and the chicken legs are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Warm the chickpeas in their cooking liquid, then drain and deposit them in a warmed bowl. Swirl in a little butter, the cinnamon, and some chopped parsley.

Serve each diner a chicken leg with some pumpkin and good ladle of broth. Spoon some chickpeas over each serving. Pass a bowl of the spicy harissa oil for drizzling.

Make Harissa Oil. Toast all the seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until they are fragrant. Grind the toasted seeds in a mortar or spice mill, then put them in a bowl.

Add the paprika, red pepper, garlic, and salt. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar. The harissa will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Chicken Pie with Biscuit Crust

Servings: 4
Preheat: 450°
Source: Gourmet, January 1991

Ingredients
For the filling
4 cup chicken broth
3 carrots, cut crosswise into ¼”” slices
¾ lb red potatoes, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2″” pieces
2 lg ribs of celery, cut crosswise into ½”” pieces
2½ cup cubed cooked chicken (the meat from a 3 lb chicken)
1 onion, chopped
¾ stick (6 Tbsp unsalted butter
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp dried thyme, crumbled
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the biscuit crust
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1½ tsp double-acting baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 Tbsp cold vegetable shortening, cut into bits
1/3 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1 lg egg
about 1/3 cup buttermilk
an egg wash made by beating 1 lg egg yolk with 1 Tbsp milk

Directions
Make the filling:

In a saucepan bring the broth to a boil, add the carrots, the potatoes, and the celery, and simmer the vegetables, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender.

Transfer the vegetables with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, reserving the broth, and add the chicken to the bowl. In another saucepan cook the onion in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the flour, and cook the roux, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add 3 cups of the reserved broth in a stream, whisking, reserving any remaining broth for another use, and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking. Add the thyme and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg, the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, pour the sauce over the chicken mixture, and stir the mixture gently until it is just combined. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart shallow baking dish or divide it among four 2-cup shallow baking dishes. The filling may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Bring the mixture to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.

Make the biscuit crust:

Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt, add the butter and the shortening, and blend the mixture until it resembles meal.

Add the Cheddar and toss the mixture. Into a liquid measuring cup break the egg, add enough of the buttermilk to measure a total of ½ cup, and beat the mixture with a fork. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until the mixture just forms a dough, gather the dough into a ball, and on a floured surface pat it out ½ inch thick. Cut out as many rounds as possible with a 2-inch fluted round cutter dipped in flour, gathering the scraps and patting the dough out again in the same manner.

Arrange the rounds on the chicken mixture, brush the tops of the rounds with the egg wash, and prick the rounds with a fork. Bake the pie in the middle of a preheated 450°F oven for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed and golden and the filling is bubbling.