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Sunday, August 31, 2014

Baby Bok Choy Bell Pepper Chicken

Nigella caraway black cumin flavored Baby Bok Choy  Bell Pepper Chicken


Half a bag of baby bok choy and  a quarter bag of mini peppers were the last of the veggies in the fridge one weeknight and so they came together with an impromptu combination of spices for a simple meal served with warm brown basmati rice and cool Cucumber Raita: grate cucumbers and stir in some crushed mint leaves, plain yogurt and salt to taste.

nigella caraway black cumin fennel indian spices


Ingredients
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
6 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1 Tablespoon canola oil
2 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 Tablespoon canola oil
baby bok choy leaves, cleaned
mini bell peppers, chopped into chunks
salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Toast the nigella, caraway, and black cumin seeds, combine with the rest of the spices and blend to a fine paste
  2. Heat a teaspoon of canola oil in a cast iron skillet, add the chopped chunks of chicken, sprinkle some salt, allow to sear for a bit and flip to sear the other side, and par-cook chicken
  3. Add the bok choy and mini bell peppers to the skillet, a pinch of salt, the spice paste, cover and cook till chicken and veggies are done, adding a splash water if too dry
  4. Serve warm with rice or roti

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Rice Pilaf-Stuffed Baked Globe Eggplant

Rice Pilaf-Stuffed Baked Globe Eggplant


  1. Cut a large globe eggplant in half lengthwise, score the cut side, brush with oil, place cut-side down on a roasting pan and cook in a 425°F oven for about 25 - 30 minutes, checking partway to make sure eggplant is getting cooked through
  2. Meanwhile, make the vegetable pilaf or biriyani and keep handy for stuffing
  3. Remove the eggplant from the oven, scoop out the cooked pulp and save it for making baba ghanouj or ajvar; then reduce the oven heat to 350°F 
  4. Fill the scooped out cavity with the fragrant rice pilaf and return to the 350°F oven and bake for another 5 minutes, then top with grated cheese if preferred and bake another 5 minutes till cheese melts
  5. Garnish with dried fruits and herbs, if preferred, and serve warm with cooling cucumber raita

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Friday, August 08, 2014

Bhutanese Red Rice with Sweet Potatoes, Plums and Sesame Chicken

Bhutanese Red Rice with Sweet Potatoes, Plums and Sesame Chicken


I was planning to serve Ema Datsi with the red rice and then changed my mind in order to use up the small wedge of red cabbage and one sweet potato that was left in the vegetable basket, and the rapidly aging plum that was thinking of inviting fruit flies.

A colorful plate with a little of this and a little of that is a huge blessing, to be able to enjoy every morsel. With food allergies so prevalent and the other half suffering from as-yet undetected allergen, it is a tricky proposition at home to make a meal that all of us can enjoy without consequences.

Anyway, pan roasted sweet potato was par-cooked first in the microwave then finished off in a cast iron skillet, along with a wedge of red cabbage and hunks of red onion. The chicken was rubbed with a mix of powdered toasted black sesame seeds and black pepper (and hence the black color), and cooked on the same cast iron skillet, after removing the veggies.

On the same pan, some chopped plums and cooking red wine and some cider vinegar plus some herbs from the garden came together to reduce to a simple sauce.

Although a bit pricey, every once in a while I get Bhutanese red rice and serve it as a centerpiece in a meal. And that's how this simple plate came about one weekend.


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