Okra with Onions (Sel Bhindi)

Serves 3 to 4 as side dish, serves 2 as light main dish with rice.

Ingredients:
Blend in spice grinder:
2 t whole coriander seeds
1 whole hot dried red chili, seeds removed (will be too spicy with seeds)

3 T vegetable oil
12 oz fresh okra, topped and tailed, then sliced in half lengthwise
1 small onion, sliced into fine half-rings
3/4 t salt
1/2 t ground turmeric
2 T chopped cilantro (optional garnish)

Directions:
1. heat oil in large dutch oven (or nonstick pan) over medium heat
2. stir fry okra for 10 min or until lightly browned on all sides
3. add the onions. stir and cook for another 5 minutes and onions begin to brown
4. add the coriander-chili mix, salt, and turmeric. reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes.
5. add garnish and serve with rice.

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's "From Curries to Kebabs."
2.

Steamed Chinese Ribs in Black Bean Sauce.

2 lbs pork ribs (country style)

Group 1 (combine)

1 T cooking wine

4 T soy sauce

1 T sugar

1 T cornstarch

dash of seseme oil

Group 2 (combine)

3 T fermented black beans

1 T chopped garlic

1 T chopped ginger root

5 green onions, diced

5 dried chili peppers, crushed

-Cut ribs into small pieces ~ 1 inch on one of the sides. (They can be wide and long, but thin is better)

-Add combination of group 1 and mix well.

-Add combination of group 2 and mix well.

- Put meat/sauce mixture into a steamer and steam for 20 minutes.

Notes:

- The smaller pieces seemed to work better with the sauce

- There seemed to be a lot of fat, I am not sure if it actually affected the cooking at all. Try cleaning more of the fat away next time

Pureed Broccoli Soup

SERVES 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1medium leek (white and light green parts only), chopped
• 2tablespoons dry sherry
• 2   crushed garlic cloves
• 2pounds broccoli, stalks discarded and florets cut into bite-size pieces (about 5 cups)
• 2cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
•      ground white pepper
• 3/4cup whole milk
• 2tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat butter or oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic.  Add sherry and broccoli; stir until sherry evaporates, about 30 seconds.
2. 2. Add broth and pepper to taste to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes.
3. 3. Add 1/2 cup milk; blend until very smooth with immersion blender. Cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional milk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings. (Soup can be refrigerated for 3 days and reheated just before serving.)
4. Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Frittata with Grated Zucchini

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound zucchini, grated (about 4 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 eggs

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup) (too bland for our palate. try charcoal-aged goat cheese, or a sharp cheese like parmesan)

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (too bland for our palate, try fresh thyme or rosmary)

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a 10-inch heavy nonstick skillet. Add the zucchini. Cook, stirring, until the zucchini begins to wilt, about two minutes. Stir in the garlic. Cook for another minute or until the zucchini has just wilted — it should still be bright green. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the goat cheese. Add salt and pepper, and stir in the zucchini and the dill.

3. Clean and dry the pan, and return to the burner, set on medium-high. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Drop a bit of egg into the pan; if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking.

4. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time, remove the lid, tilt the pan and loosen the bottom of the frittata with a wooden spatula so that it doesn’t burn. The bottom should have a golden color. The eggs should be just about set; cook a few minutes longer if they’re not.

5. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler, not too close to the heat, for one to three minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, and shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking. Allow it to cool for at least five minutes and for as long as 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a wooden or plastic spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.

Yield: Six servings.

Adapted from NY Times Recipe.

CHICKEN PIZZAIOLA

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3cups tomato sauce (must be very flavorful)
• 1cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or sliced)
• 40-60slices pepperoni (or prosciutto possibly)
•      fresh basil (this is really key to freshening up this quick, childlike dish)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. HEAT OVEN AND PREPARE BAKING DISH: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread tomato sauce into 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
2. 2. COAT CHICKEN WITH PARMESAN: Spread Parmesan into shallow dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Working with one breast at a time, dredge in Parmesan. Press on Parmesan to make sure it adheres. Lay chicken in baking dish, smooth side facing up.
3. 3. BAKE CHICKEN: Place chicken in oven and bake 15 minutes. We found this to be somewhat inadequate, and ended up overcooking the pepperoni. If using large chicken breasts, cook longer, perhaps 20 min.
4. 4. INCREASE OVEN TEMPERATURE, ADD TOPPINGS, AND FINISH: Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees. Mound 1/4 cup of mozzarella on top of each chicken breast, then shingle 10-15 slices pepperoni over cheese. Continue to bake until cheese melts and until thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve.
   
   
   Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.
   
   
   Tasty comfort food, quick, good healthier substitute for pizza.