Onion Chutney (Indian) January 29, 2007

Ingredients
1 C. Red Onions (Finely Chopped)
1/2 C. Tomato Paste
1 t. Paprika
1/2 t. Cumin
1/2 t. Oil
1/4 t. Sugar
1/2 t. Salt

Method
1. Heat the oil, then add the tomato paste and seasonings to the oil and simmer.
2. Mix with raw onions, chill. Serve chilled.

Super easy! The first time I made this, I was skeptical of the raw onion part so I cooked them. The second time I kept them raw. It tastes much better with the raw onions. I made this for our Break an Egg get together where we made Indian food. I made it along with Raita and Nan and enjoyed it on the Nan with the Raita and the curry dishes. Yum!

Raita (Indian Yogurt Dish) January 29, 2007

Ingredients
2 C. Plain Yogurt (I used fat free)
2 t. Lemon Juice
1/4 t. Pepper
1/2 t. Chili Powder (I used Berbere)
1/2 t. Garam Masala
1 t. Ginger Paste (I used the kind you buy in a tube in the produce section)

Method
1. Mix together and chill. Serve with Nan and Indian food.

I made this for our Break an Egg Cooking Club get together where we made Indian food. It works as a side with all kinds of Indian food, and I prefer to eat it with chutney. It takes 2 seconds to make!

Nan (Indian Flat Bread) January 29, 2007

Ingredients
3 1/2 C. Flour (I used regular unbleached white flour)
1/2 C. Yogurt (I used fat free plain)
1 Egg
1/4 C. Butter (Softened)
2 t. Salt
3 t. Sugar
3/4 C. Water
1 2/3 T. Yeast

Method
1. In a dish, take 5 T. water, add the yeast and a T. sugar and stir well. Keep aside for 10-12 minutes (I’ll bubble). Add the remaining water, sugar, yogurt, egg, butter and salt. Stir well.
2. Add the flour to this liquid to make a smooth, soft and elastic dough (takes about 10-15 minutes). Take a warm bowl, butter the sides and bottom, then place the dough in it. Cover with a cloth and keep somewhere warm until it doubles in size (about 40 minutes). Push a finger in the dough, if the impression remains, it’s read to be baked.
3. Make the dough into 8 equal balls, flatten into circles with your fingers so they are thin in the center and puffy on the edges. Pull and shape until each is about the size of your hand.
4. Bake in a 450 degree oven on an ungreased tray about 10 minutes until golden brown

I used a breadmaker for the dough, so I skipped steps 1 and 2 (it was much, much easier…get a breadmaker). I just put everything in the machine, set it on the dough setting and it turned out absolutely perfect (even at altitude). The bread itself was SO good! I want to eat it with everything. It would be great cut into triangles and eaten with hummus as an appetizer, and it’s great with Indian food. I made this for our first Break an Egg Cooking Club because we had chosen to make Indian food. We ate it with curry dishes, lentil dishes, raita and chutney and it was great!

Sauvignon Blanc January 15, 2007

Sauvignon Blanc is great with seafood, and is also a nice compliment to Asian flavored foods. The flavors of goat cheese are also enhanced with this varietal.

California Zinfandels January 15, 2007

California Zinfandels have a rich and spicy quality that tastes terrific with meat dishes, such as peppercorn steak, but it could also be good with roast poultry dishes.

Riesling January 15, 2007

Riesling is a slightly sweet wine known for pairing well with desserts or fresh fruit. It would also be great with a cheese plate though!

Cabernet Sauvignon January 15, 2007

Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic red varietal that brings out the rich flavor of dishes like rosemary roasted lamb, but its full body and hint of berry could also be good with after-dinner treats, such as chocolate cake with raspberry sauce.

Spiced Clarified Butter (Ethiopian/French/Indian/Asian/Middle Eastern) January 2, 2007

Ingredients
1 lb. Unsalted Butter
1/2 Medium Red Onion (Coarsely Chopped)
1 Garlic Clove (Minced)
One 3-Inch Piece Ginger (Peeled and Finely Chopped) (I use the fresh ginger in a tube you can find in the produce section of the supermarket, it’s great for this. The fresh basil, cilantro, chili pepper and dill are also in heavy rotation at our house for other recipes. The tubes last for a while and the quality is good)
1 t. Fenugreek Seeds (again, I can’t find this, so I omit it)
1 t. Ground Cumin
1 t. Cardamon Seeds
1 t. Dried Oregano
1/2 t. Ground Turmeric
8 Basil Leaves (again, I use the fresh stuff in the tube for this)

Method
1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. As foam rises to the top, skim and discard. Continue cooking, without letting the butter brown, until no more foam appears.
2. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cumin, cardamon, oregano, turmeric and basil and continue cooking 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and let stand until spices settle. Strain through a fine mesh sieve before using.

Another basic building block for Ethiopian cooking. You can substitute regular butter in most Ethiopian recipes, but this is worth the effort. When you start a recipe with butter that tastes this good, you can’t go wrong. I make a full batch of it for one Ethiopian feast (which will include 3 dishes and injera), and it is pretty much gone when you’re done. But, it will last in the refrigerator a few weeks if you have extra. Recipe from “The Soul of a New Cuisine”.

Berbere (Ethiopian Spice Rub/Mix) January 2, 2007

Ingredients
1 t. Fenugreek Seeds (I have yet to find these anywhere, so I omit them)
1/2 C. Ground Serrano Chillies (or other ground chilies)
1/2 C. Paprika
2 T. Salt
2 t. Ground Ginger
2 t. Onion Powder
1 t. Ground Cardamon
1 t. Ground Nutmeg
1/2 t. Garlic Powder
1/4 t. Ground Cloves
1/4 t. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 t. Ground Allspice

Method
1. Mix in food processor and store in airtight container

This spice mix is the basis for most Ethiopian cooking, so prior to making an Ethiopian feast, I’ll make up a batch of this. You can buy it in specialty spice stores premixed, but since I use a bunch of it and many Ethiopian recipes call for some of the random spices in this (i.e., cardamon), I think it’s easier to just have the raw ingredients on hand and make a big batch every once in a while. In addition to using this on traditional Ethiopian dishes, it’s also really good sprinkled on scrambled eggs for breakfast, rubbed on meat, etc. For Christmas dinner I rubbed the berbere on a pork tenderloin, let it sit overnight, then cooked it in a crockpot the next day with several layers of homemade BBQ sauces. It was amazing! I’ve also rubbed it on the Thanksgiving turkey. It’s more spicy than hot, as is most Ethiopian food, but don’t overdue it, this stuff can be potent! This recipe is from the amazing cookbook “The Soul of a New Cuisine” which you must purchase if you like Ethiopian/African food! It’s the best Ethiopian cookbook on the market, in my humble opinion!

Vanilla Frosting January 2, 2007

Ingredients
1 C. Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature)
4 C. Powdered Sugar, Sifted
1/8 t. Salt
2 T. Milk
2 t. Vanilla

Method
1. With whisk, beat butter, 2 C. powdered sugar and salt. Add milk and vanilla. Add remaining powdered sugar.

This is the best frosting recipe I’ve ever had!! SO good on the Sex and the City cupcakes. I made half of this recipe for the full recipe of the cupcakes and it was enough. Making the full recipe for the cupcakes would be fine too, if you wanted lots of frosting.