A.W.E.D. - Tofu Bulgogi

For the A.W.E.D. event, hosted this month by PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds and created by DK of DK's Culinary Bazaar, we had to make a vegetarian dish from Korea. Korean cooking is known for its heavy use of red chilies and ingredients such as sesame oil and garlic. Although I am a big fan of Korean Kimchi (pickled cabbage), I decided to try something new. The Korean dish Bulgogi is usually made with sliced beef. The word Bul means 'fire' and Gogi means 'meat'. My husband loves this dish so I decided to give it a try. For him, I used beef, but for me I used extra firm tofu instead so it would become a vegetarian dish! Here is the recipe for the Tofu Bulgogi.

I am sending this Main Dish recipe over to PJ for the A.W.E.D. Korea Event. For more informationn on which countries we are visiting next, check out the A.W.E.D. MENU.

Tofu Bulgogi


















12 oz extra firm tofu, cubed
5 tbsp sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 c. green onions, split length wise
1 Serrano pepper, sliced length wise
1 tbsp olive oil 1 red bell pepper, cubed
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1 c. carrots, thinly sliced (optional)

Mix all ingredients from tofu through Serrano pepper and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Heat olive oil in pan and saute bell pepper and onion until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

After mixture has marinated for 2 hours, place in pot and cook over medium heat for approximately 10-15 minutes. Add carrots, bell pepper and onion, and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve over rice.

Pasta with Meat Sauce

This is a simple supper idea. If you have any kind of pasta and a bottle of tomato sauce in your pantry, you are all set. If you want to make it non-veg, just add a pound of ground meat and you have yourself an easy dinner.

Pasta with Meat Sauce



















1 lb. ground meat
1 c. pasta, cooked
2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
10 oz jar tomato sauce
salt to taste

Heat oil in pot. Add onions and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook until light brown. Add red chili flakes and Italian seasoning. Add ground meat and vinegar and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often. Add tomato sauce and salt. Cook covered for 10-15 minutes. Serve over pasta.

Lime Rice

I wanted to make rice this week, but I didn't want to make plain old boiled white rice. I was serving it with a curry so I didn't want it to be the star of the meal either. I remembered once going to a South Indian restaurant and they served something called Lemon Rice, which had a slightly sour taste that complimented the dish. So I decided to go with Lime Rice instead.

Lime Rice














2 c. rice, cooked
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp peanuts
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp lime juice
salt to taste

Mix lime juice and salt into the cooked rice. I waited for my rice to cool down a bit so I wouldn't smash up the cooked rice.

In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chili flakes and mustard seeds. Wait until mustard seeds start to pop, then add peanuts, turmeric, ginger and curry powder. Stir to mix and immediately add rice. Stir to mix well over low heat. Make sure there is no white showing on the rice. Heat until rice is heated through, then serve.

Paneer & Vegetable Curry

We tried out a wonderful Indian restaurant here in our new town called Taj Mahal. It is run by a Punjabi couple, and it was SO good. The masalas were so tasty and aromatic, and also very creamy. I am sure that it isn't healthy at all, but it is definitely a place we could go for special occasions. After going there, I kept thinking why I can't seem to make flavorful masalas like the ones we have had there at Taj Mahal. So last night I went through my cookbooks and came across a little cookbook I picked up in Dehradun called Nita Mehta's Still More Paneer. I found a recipe there that I wanted to try because the masala sounded very good. I tweaked the recipe as I didn't have some things in my pantry, but here is what I came up with. After telling you what I did, I will tell you what I would change.

Paneer & Vegetable Curry


















paneer (8-10 cubes)
1 c. frozen mixed vegetables
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 large onion
1 c. water
1 tsp tandoori masala
1/4 tsp sugar

Tomato-Yogurt Paste
1/2 c. yogurt
1 large tomato
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp cashews, soaked
pinch of turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala

Combine all ingredients for Tomato-Yogurt Paste in a food processor or blender. Set aside for later.

Blend onion into a separate paste. Heat oil, reduce heat to medium and add garlic and cook until light brown. Add onion paste to pan and fry until golden. Add the tomato-yogurt paste to the pan and fry for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat.

Add water and bring to a boil. Add tandoori masala and sugar. The sugar is optional only if the yogurt is sour. Next add the mixed vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.

In a separate pan, stir fry the cubes of paneer. After the vegetables have been cooked, add the paneer to the pan. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes and then remove from heat. Serve over rice with yogurt.

Now, after making it this way, it was very very good...however, the next time I make it, I am going to use 1/2 an onion, double the cashews and double the tomatoes. I think it will be richer. Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Salad

Spring is here which means it's time to pull out the Grill! Unfortunately, our community has a ban on charcoal and gas grills so we are forced to use our little tiny counter top grill, which works just fine. This recipe was adapted from a dinner we had with some friends of ours down in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It is simple, healthy, and very good.

BBQ Chicken Salad


















1 lb. chicken tenderloins
1/2 c. BBQ sauce, split in two equal parts
1/4 c. white vinegar
lettuce (I used butter and romaine)
sweet corn
green onion, chopped
cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 c. low fat ranch dressing

Mix 1/4 c. BBQ sauce and vinegar together. Put chicken into BBQ mixture and marinate for 3 hours. Afterwards, grill chicken pieces until done. Mix 1/4 c. BBQ sauce and Ranch dressing together for the salad dressing. Arrange lettuce in a bowl. Top with chicken, sweet corn, green onion, tomatoes, and dressing mixture. Enjoy!

RCI - Lucknow

This month's RCI event is the cuisine of Lucknow, which is hosted by Lavi of Home Cook's Recipes. Regional Cuisines of India or RCI was first started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine. Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the most populated state in India which borders Nepal in the north. Lucknow cuisine is famous for biryanis, kebabs, and breads. However, they say the best chaat in India is from Lucknow. I love chaat almost as much as I love paneer. So, I decided to take this opportunity to experiment with the chaat I love the most: Aloo Tikki.


Aloo Tikki



















2 medium potatoes, boiled then shredded
1/2 c. peas, cooked
1/2 c. paneer, cubed
1/4 c. peanuts, chopped
1 tsp. chat masala
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. amchur powder
salt to taste
1/2 c. bread crumbs
oil for frying

Mix together shredded potatoes, paneer, peanuts, chat masala, cumin, chili powder, amchur, and salt. Once mixed, stir in peas. Oil your hands and roll the mixture into balls. The size depends on what you would like. Gently smash balls into little disks. Put bread crumbs into a plate and roll disks to coat with crumbs. Heat oil in a large pot/pan. Fry tikkis in oil on low-medium heat until crispy brown, then flip. Cook second side until crispy brown and remove from pot/pan. Serve aloo tikkis with curd, tamarind chutney, mint chutney, chopped onions, cilantro, chick peas, etc. Enjoy!!

PS..Thanks to Bee of Jugalbandi for helping me fix the color balance in my photo!

A New Kitchen & A New Recipe

Did you know that 85% of people looking to buy a house consider the kitchen one of the main factors in whether or not to purchase the home? There are so many things in a kitchen that make it appealing: lighting, counter tops, backsplashes, counter space, sinks, appliances, faucets, storage, etc. Having moved a few times, I really am getting to 'test-drive' some different styles of kitchens, so when it comes time for me to design my own, I will be ready! The new kitchen that we have now is the nicest one I have cooked in yet, due to all the natural light and the abundance of counter space. It has a gas stove which is wonderful and a nice deep double sink. I wouldn't say its my ideal kitchen, however, it is perfectly suitable for us.



















Chicken Teriyaki

2 lbs chicken pieces (I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks w/ juice
1 c teriyaki sauce/marinade
1 tsp red chili flakes

For this recipe I used a slow cooker, but it can also be baked in a closed pot in the oven. I greased the inside of my slow cooker and placed the chicken pieces at the bottom. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and place the cooker on low to cook for 6-8 hours. The chicken will be so tender, it will fall apart! Serve over rice.

I am back....with Keema!

After way too long, I am finally ready to start posting again. As many of you know, my husband and I have moved to Pittsburgh, PA for work. I have been busy unpacking and setting up our new place and am very excited to be able to cook again. With a new kitchen, I thought it only appropriate to update the look of my Flavor Pantry as well.

I decided to make Keema and Rice last night for dinner. For those who aren't familiar with it, Keema is an Indian dish that consists of minced meat, any type of meat but traditionally lamb, made with spices. It reminds me a lot of the American favorite Sloppy Joes. Most of the time that I have had Keema it has been served with peas in it. My recipe is pretty simple, however, if you want something even quicker, see below for a short-cut for an easy to make Keema with tons of flavor!

Keema


















1 lb ground meat (I used ground chicken)
3/4 c. white vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tbsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. red chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Mix garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, and turmeric into vinegar. Add vinegar mixture to the meat and mix well. Marinate for at least 3 hours.

Saute onions, peppers, and chili flakes in oil until tender. Add marinated meat along with marinade and stir until combined. I have done a lot of research and the consensus is that if you cook your meat along with its marinade, as long as you bring it to a boil for 5 minutes, it should kill any of the bacteria in the marinade and it will be safe to eat. After bringing it to a boil, simmer mixture for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Serve over rice with yogurt on the side to help combat the heat.

Short-cut: If you shop at an Indian grocery store, look for the Parampara Spice Mixture packets (shown in the picture). I like to use the Mutton Kolhapuri mix. Instead of all the spices listed above, just mix a packet of Mutton Kolhapuri into the vinegar and marinate the meat in it. The taste is amazing!