Curry and Comfort

Curry and Comfort's Weekly Sunday Summary 5/13/13 thru 05/19/13

2013-05-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone,

The weather is really warming up around here and my week in food is certainly reflecting cooler food choices. We enjoyed all the cooler dishes, but the Strawberry Frozen Yogurt was a major hit with the kids. They loved that it was ice cream.. I loved that it was healthy frozen yogurt that disguised itself like ice cream.

My week in food would not be complete without some spicy fare to enjoy. I really loved remaking my Sweet and Sour Pork Stir fry for the blog in my new series Throwback Thursday. I am so much happier seeing my recipes with new and better pictures. Of course I am learning more everyday when it comes to food photography so even photos that I once thought were pretty fantastic are being looked at again with a new eye. Someday I will get all the cringe worthy photos off the blog... but until then I am enjoying going back and remaking the recipes. Now let's head over to the week in review...

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple

Ulundu Vadai Bites

Parmesan Ranch Dressing

Zesty Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

2013-05-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

I love this time of year... Strawberries are everywhere in the grocery store and they are ripe and delicious. My kids and I love strawberries and we can eat a whole cartoon of them and not feel an ounce of guilt. As much as I love fresh strawberries, the warm weather is upon us and a frozen treat is very much welcome to cool us off. This is such an easy recipe and you can actually have immediate gratification if you use frozen strawberries because it whips up into a soft serve ice cream texture. If you desire a firmer texture, then you can freeze it for a couple of hours and enjoy it then. I also love mixing in the fresh strawberries into the frozen yogurt because it gives you a chance to enjoy both fresh and frozen strawberries and I never complain about there being too many strawberries in my dessert. This is one frozen treat I think my family and I will enjoy many, many times this warm weather season.

Ingredients:
1lb frozen strawberries
1 cup Greek Yogurt
1/4 sugar (or diabetic friendly sugar substitute like splenda)
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 Tbs lemon juice

Directions:
Place all ingredients into blender (except for fresh strawberries) and blend until smooth. The texture should be that of soft serve ice cream. Mix in fresh strawberries and serve right away for soft serve ice cream or for firmer ice cream, put into freezer for several hours. Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple (Throwback Thursdays)

2013-05-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

This Sweet and Sour Pork dish is not your typical Chinese restaurant version. The restaurant version usually has the pork battered and fried then covered in a thick "orange" glaze. I tried to make my version much healthier by omitting the deep frying step all together and just concentrating more on making a savory sweet and sour sauce to cook the pork in. My kids went nuts when I gave them each a "taste test" and wanted me to give them more on a plate to eat before the rice was finished cooking to serve dinner. I would say they liked it. : )

Note: Throwback Thursday is a new series where I take some of my original posts here on Curry and Comfort and redo them so I can take better photos.

Ingredients:
2-3lbs of boneless pork cut into strips (see note)
2 bell peppers (any color or mix)
1 (22oz) can pineapple chunks in juice
1 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs water
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs grated fresh garlic
salt and black pepper to taste

Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbs Shao Hsing Wine or Sherry ( you can omit this if you do not have either)
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of the pineapple juice from a can of pineapple chunks (set chunks aside)
1-2Tbs of brown sugar
1 Tbs of Chili Sambal or Dry red chili flakes to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and set aside until later.

Directions:

Cut pork . To get thin strips, freeze pork for 30-45 minutes to harden slightly so it cuts easily.

Also grate 2 more Tbs of grated ginger and 1 Tbs of grated garlic and set aside until later

Note: You can substitute chicken, frozen cooked meatballs (store bought or homemade) for the pork.

In a large wok or pan, heat 2-3Tbs of canola oil on high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the pork and fry about 2-3 minutes. Next add the grated garlic and ginger from earlier and black pepper to the pork and fry about 2-3 minutes.

Add the Sweet and Sour Sauce you made earlier to the pan. Stir well. Lower the heat to medium and allow the pork to cook for about 15 minutes. This step is important because it allows the sauce to really flavor the pork all the way through.

Next thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (1Tbs of cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbs of cool water). Stir well. Once the sauce begins to thicken, add any color of bell pepper you like. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes so the pepper are tender crisp.

Finally add the chunks of pineapple into pan and mix well with stir fry. Serves 6-8 people. Serve with Rice. Enjoy.

Ulundu Vadai Bites

2013-05-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

"Theeere Baaack...." Okay... I thought I was done with my series of vadai recipes. That was until I met the vadai bite. I love Ulundu Vadai, but they do take some time and care to form the doughnut shape and fry. My mother and I went to a party at my brother's house a while back and a friend of his made ulundu vadai into small bite size fritters and that impressed us both. They were so easy with no need to form a shape and perfect as a party appetizer. So we decided to make one more batch of ulundu vadai with our recipe and just make them into a bite size vadai. These came together quickly and were a breeze to fry up. Serve this with coconut chutney and you have a snack or appetizer that will please the whole crowd.

Ingredients for Vadai:
2 cups Urad Dahl (Lentil) soaked
4 green chilies
1 inch fresh ginger
1 pinch of asafoetida (see note)
1 medium onion chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
15-20 curry leaves
1 tsp red chili flakes or powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Notes:

Asafoetida can be found in Indian Grocery Stores.
You want to also make sure you get the cleaned urad dhal where the outer dark husk has been remove.

Directions for Vadai:
Soak lentils overnight until softened. Drain the lentils very well so all the water is gone (allow lentils to sit in colander for 30 minutes to make sure it is well drained). Then grind in food processor until smooth with salt. Remove to bowl and allow the dhal to ferment with the salt for 3-4 hours. Next grind ginger, onion, curry leaves and chilies in food processes until minced, but not too mushy.

Then mix the ground lentils with the ground ginger, curry leaves and onion, as well as salt, asafoetida, black pepper, red chili flakes and cumin seeds. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.

To make the vadai take a ball of dough in your wet hands (wet hands keep dough from sticking to your hands). Drop small round balls of dough into the hot oil to fry. Have oil heated to 350 degrees. When vadai floats to the top and is golden brown drain on a paper towel. Eat alone or with coconut chutney. Enjoy.

Ingredients for Coconut Chutney:
1 cup dessicated coconut (not sweetened)
1/2 cup coconut milk
Handful curry leaves
4-5chilies (seeded for less heat if desired)
1/2 medium onion
1 Tbs ginger
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
lime juice (to taste)
salt (to taste)

Directions:
Soak dessicated coconut in coconut milk for 30 minutes or longer to soften. In a food processor mince curry leaves, onion, ginger, garlic and chilies. Then add soaked coconut, lime juice, black pepper and salt and mix all ingredients together in processor until well combined. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Parmesan Ranch Dressing

2013-05-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

If I had to pick only one salad dressing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be ranch dressing. I can eat ranch dressing on salad, with french fries, with carrot sticks, dip my pizza crusts and the list goes on. Heck, I would even eat it off my arm. Salads have been on my mind recently and a homemade salad dressing would be perfect to enjoy with all those crisp greens. I especially liked the fresh herbs that flavors this dressing since I'm finally getting some herbs popping up in my garden. I know I will be making and enjoying this salad dressing again and again this summer.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp salt seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp minced fresh dill
black pepper
2 tsp fresh minced parsley
2 tsp fresh minced chives
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

recipe adapted from: Ranch Dressing Food.com

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients except the fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese until smooth. Finally add the fresh herbs and cheese and stir will. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Zesty Bow Tie Pasta Salad

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day. As a mother, I feel like it's my job to get my children to learn to cook so when they get older and leave home they can feel empowered in the kitchen. The Sunday paper always has a kid's section that gives a recipe for kids to try out with a parents help. My son saw this recipe and insisted that we make it together. So I helped him by chopping and cooking the pasta. He gathered and mixed all the ingredients together. It was a wonderful light pasta salad. My son (who usually is picky) ate every bite of pasta and said he can't wait to make another recipe together. That's music to my ears and heart. :)

Ingredients and Directions:

My Changes:

I box of Bow-Tie Pasta
16 oz of frozen broccoli florets ( I used more broccoli)
1 bell pepper finely chopped ( I added peppers and omitted the tomatoes)
1 seeded jalapeno finely chopped (I added some spice)
1 cup sliced black olives
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar ( the salad dressing was too tangy and needed some sweetness)
1 cup Italian Salad dressing
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Note: I omitted the tomatoes because my son ( who was in charge of this recipe) refused to eat tomatoes. I added bell pepper in it instead. I think next time some small diced cucumber would be another great add in.

My Directions:
Cook pasta as directed by package in well salted water. You can either microwave frozen broccoli or cook it in the last few minutes of the pasta to heat through (That's what I did.). Drain pasta and mix with all other ingredients. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy.

Curry and Comfort's Weekly Sunday Summary 5/05/13 thru 05/12/13

2013-05-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!!

I wish all the Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts, Sisters and Caregivers a very beautiful and loving day. This is for all the sleepless nights, loving, worrying, tear wiping, meal making, boo-boo fixing, chauffeuring, teaching, counseling, refereeing of sibling fights, and the millions of other little things that we do in the name of "Motherhood". Of course if you ask your kids, most of that is taken for granted..... but we wake up and do it again everyday.

I want to give a personal shout out to my wonderful mother who has done all the above and more for not only her four kids, but her grand-kids as well. She has been mothering for over 50 years and she's a rock-star at it! Thanks AMMI (Mom)!!

Now here's my week in review... :)

PS... check out my Mug Omelet recipe on the Reader's Digest site: Reader's Digest Mug Recipes

Roasted Poblano Pepper Mac and Cheese

Brownie Pizza

Sauteed Eggplant Salad (Vegan)

Lemon and Chive Warm Potato Salad

Sri Lankan Kokis

Roasted Poblano Pepper Mac and Cheese

2013-05-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

I love playing around with mac and cheese. My kids will eat it any way they can get it... homemade or right out of the blue box (Kraft). I love the spicy flavors of this with the poblano peppers and my kids loved it too. I actually made the recipe twice before posting it. The original recipe I worked on was great, but I did not like the pasta I used initially. I used orzo pasta and it was more like a risotto fake out than a mac and cheese. I have posted a picture of the first orzo dish to the right. This does have a few steps to it... but it's really pretty easy. I love using a gas stove to roast the poblano peppers easily, but you can also broil them in the oven. The flavors are smokey, spicy and fantastic.

Ingredients:
3 large poblano peppers
1 cup chicken stock * or water/bullion equivalent
1 medium onion chopped
1 red or orange bell pepper chopped
2-3 cloves garlic minced or grated
1 tsp cumin powder
red chili flakes to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 Tbs flour
2-3 Tbs butter/margarine
1lb box pasta any shape cooked
2 cups cheese divided

Directions:

Take clean dry poblano peppers and roast over an open flame or broil in the oven until outside is blackened. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15-20 minutes so the skins can easily come off.

Remove outer blackened skin. I use a paper towel to rub the charred skin off and that works well without making a mess on your hands. Cut out the core and coarsely chop them. Put into a food processor and blend with 1 cup of chicken broth or water/bullion equivalent and make a poblano puree.

Next boil pasta in salted water and drain 1 minute shy of fully cooked. In a large pan heat 1 Tbs canola oil and saute onions, peppers and garlic with some salt and pepper.

When onions are softened, add cumin and red chili flakes. Then add 2-3 Tbs butter and 2-3 Tbs flour to pan. Stir until flour is cooked and looks like wet sand.

Add roasted poblano puree and stir well. Melt in cheese 3/4 of the cheese.

Add pasta to cheese sauce and mix well. Pour mac and cheese into baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake in 375 oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted. Serve hot. Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Brownie Pizza (Throwback Thursdays)

2013-05-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

Photo circa 2011


Photo circa 2011

I'm always trying to get my kids to eat more fruit. Well, this dessert is a fun way to get them to do so. I just piled all the fruit on top of a brownie and call it a brownie pizza. A thin layer of brownie and a pile of fresh fruit with a tangy cream filling is sure to put a smile on your face.

Note: Throwback Thursday is a new series where I take some of my original posts here on Curry and Comfort and redo them so I can take better photos.

Ingredients:
1 box of Brownie Mix
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese at room temperature
Fresh fruit of your choice (ie..strawberries, bananas, kiwi etc..)
1/3 cup sugar (or splenda)
1/2 tub of cool whip
Sundae toppings like chocolate syrup, nuts, mini-marshmallows (all optional)

Make brownie mix according to package directions. It's best if you can bake in a deep dish pizza pan (with an edge). I actually decided to used two round 8'' cake pans and made two mini brownie pizzas. If you decide to use the cake pans my baking time was 20-22 at 350 degrees.

Mix the room temperature cream cheese with 1/3 cup sugar or splenda. I also added half a tub of cool whip because I wanted a lighter filling.

Cut your desired fresh fruit. Here is a tip to get uniformed slices on soft fruit... an egg slicer. : )

Once the brownie is baked, cool completely. Then invert onto a cake plate and top with cream cheese filling. Then top with any fruit and/or sundae topping. Slice into pizza slices and serve. Enjoy.

Sauteed Eggplant Salad (Vegan)

2013-05-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

The deep fried version

I posted one of my favorite eggplant salads a while back on the blog (shown over on the right). As much as I love this salad, I was unhappy with one thing about it. You traditionally deep fry the eggplant until cooked. Eggplant is like a sponge so it soaks up a lot of oil during this process. I wanted to make a more health conscious eggplant salad without all the deep frying. I decided to saute the eggplant with only 2 Tbs of canola oil and it came out perfectly. I enjoyed it with a rice and curry meal and it was just as fabulous as the deep fried eggplant salad. The best part was I got to indulge in more salad and not feel guilty about it.

Ingredients:
1 large American Eggplant cut into bite size chunks
2 medium size tomatoes cut into chunkds
1/2 red onion sliced
1-3 green chilies sliced
salt as needed
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)

Optional vegetables for salad
diced cucumber
sliced green onion

Dressing:
2 Tbs of rice wine vinegar
1 tsp of sugar
1 Tbs of grated ginger
1-2 clove of garlic grated
1Tbs of mustard seed
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Make the dressing by putting all the ingredients in a blender or liquidizer and blend until it forms a smooth dressing. Set dressing aside until later.

Cut eggplant and saute in 2Tbs of canola oil. Add turmeric, some salt and red chili powder. Saute until eggplant is cooked, but not mushy. Turn stove off. Cut tomatoes, onions and green chilies and add to the cooled cooked eggplant Top with dressing and toss well. Serve as part of a rice and curry meal.

Note: I recommend a non-stick pan for the sauteing of the eggplant.

Lemon and Chive Warm Potato Salad

2013-05-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

We are certainly having a strange spring. Warm, hot, cool, cold... sometimes we don't know what the next day will bring us. I am not ready for your typical picnic chilled potato salad yet so I decided to try a warm potato salad instead since it was a bit chilly today. This potato salad was fantastic paired with some burgers and sausages. The warmness of this salad was very appealing too. The trick is to get the potatoes strained and then put them back into the same hot pot you boiled them in so any residual water evaporates. Then add the prepared dressing to the hot potatoes so they soak up the dressing. You will end up with some very delicious and flavorful potatoes. This is one potato salad that is good anytime of year.

Ingredients:
2lbs potatoes (I like thin skinned potatoes that you don't have to peel)
2Tbs finely diced red onion
2Tbs mince chives
1 stalk celery finely diced
1 Tbs capers (optional)
1 Tbs finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

Dressing:
2 Tbs lemon juice (fresh)
1 Tbs canola oil
2 Tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp honey
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash potatoes and cut into half or quarter into large cubes. Boil in salted water until fork tender. Drain well and put potatoes back into the hot pot. Add onion, celery and capers. Blend dressing well and add to potatoes. Toss well and serve salad warm. Enjoy.

Sri Lankan Kokis

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

Kokis is a very traditional Sri Lankan dish that is made by deep-frying a batter of rice flour and coconut milk. It's kind of like a very crunchy, thin and crispy funnel cake. Kokis can be made anytime, but it is very popular during mid-April for the Sri Lankan New Year. This is one of my mother's favorite treats, so we got together and had fun making and ~~eating~~ testing out the recipe. My mother had the traditional kokis molds to make them, but I had just bought a Scandinavian set of rosettes that reminded me so much of the kokis molds. I was keen to use them and they worked out great. If you are interested in finding these molds this is the name of them: Norpro 3286 7-Piece Cast-Aluminum Rosette/Timbale Set and they are readily available online. Please note: I am not affiliated with this company, but I do recommend them since I have used them successfully to make kokis.

Ingredients:
2 up to 2 1/2 cups rice flour (available in Indian Stores)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 egg
salt to taste

Directions:
Mix Batter until smooth and it forms
a thick "pancake" like batter. Heat oil (only halfway up a deep fryer) until about 350 degrees. Allow mold to sit in only for 30-45 seconds to get nice and oily.

Dip mold into batter carefully. You don't want the batter to get onto the top of the mold or the kokis will not release from the mold in the oil.

Dip battered mold into the oil and hold for a few seconds. Then gently jiggle the mold until the kokis releases from the mold.

Fry until light golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and repeat the process. This will make about 25-30 kokis. Enjoy.

Curry and Comfort's Weekly Sunday Summary 4/29/13 thru 05/04/13

2013-05-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! Hope you have a big Mexican feast and a margarita today to celebrate.

This week was full of wonderful dishes. I loved them all so I hope you enjoy the week in review.

Jalapeno Garlic Cheese Bread

Spicy and Fresh Pineapple Salsa

Ginger Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Sri Lankan Peppered Pork and Potato Curry

Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Chunky Guacamole

2013-05-04T07:43:00.001-04:00

Cinco de Mayo is a well celebrated holiday in the United States. I think Americans just love a chance to eat Mexican style dishes and drink lots of beer with lime and margaritas. Why not... it's a party. :) So Happy Cinco de Mayo (tomorrow) and enjoy it with some chunky guacamole.

Ingredients:
2-3 ripe avocados
1 large tomato diced
1 lime juiced (to taste)
1-2 jalapenos diced finely
1/2 medium onion finely diced
1 clove garlic grated
salt to taste
1 tsp cumin powder

Directions:
Get all ingredients prepped before cutting avocado. Once avocado is cut, scoop out the flesh and put lime juice on it so it prevents browning. Mix all ingredients and taste for seasoning. Serve chilled with chips.
Enjoy.

Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

2013-05-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner. Tacos are a family favorite so I had to make these in celebration. The best part for me is after throwing it all into the slow cooker, I just left it and forgot about it until it was almost time to eat. My kids couldn't resist the chicken taco filling and the fun crunchy taco shells and fixings. If you put these out and you will have a party for sure. Ole'!

Ingredients:

Ingredients for slow cooker:
3lb boneless chicken (white or dark meat)
1-2 adobe chilies with some of the sauce from the can
2-3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs ground cumin
salt and black pepper
2 cups prepared jar salsa
1 can blacked beans drained
1 cup frozen corn

Fixings for Tacos:
Heated tortillas or hard shell tacos
sour cream
cheese
tomatoes
onions
limes

Directions:

Place all ingredients except for black beans and corn into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8. In the last hour of cooking add corn and black beans. Remove chicken from crockpot and shred with two forks. Put the chicken back into crock pot and mix with cooked ingredients. Serve with tortillas or hard tacos and taco fixings.

Sri Lankan Peppered Pork and Potato Curry (Throwback Thursday Series)

2013-05-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

Original Photo of dish from 2011

This is pork curry is one of my mother's recipes that I love. She loves to entertain with this dish and it's always a hit. What I like about this dish is that the flavors are so different from your normal meat dishes that have strong curry flavors. The cardamom and fennel flavors are subtle yet exotic. It is a wonderful addition to any rice and curry meal.

Note: Throwback Thursday is a new series where I take some of my original posts here on Curry and Comfort and redo them so I can take better photos.

Ingredients:
3lbs pork (boned or boneless) *Marinated see marinate below
2 medium onions sliced
4 large potatoes peeled and cut into medium size cubes
Any variety of bell, banana or cubanelle mild pepper
2-3Tbs of canola oil
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 pods of cardamom
3-4 cloves
10-12 curry leaves
1 Tbs of grated ginger
1 Tbs of grated garlic
salt and black pepper to taste

Curry Sauce:
10-12 cardamom pods
1Tbs of fennel seeds
1-2 cups of milk

Pork Marinate:
Marinate the pork for about 15-20 minutes before cooking with:
2 Tbs of cider vinegar
1 Tbs of grated ginger
1 Tbs of grated garlic
1 Tbs of canola oil
salt and pepper (be heavy with the pepper).

Directions:

Step 1:
Cut pork chops into chunks. If you are using bone-in pork, leave bones because they add flavor. Marinate the pork for about 15-20 minutes before cooking with pork marinate above.

Step 2:
Cut into cubes (slightly bigger than the pork chunks) and boil them. Drain and set aside until later.

Step 3: Slice onions and pepper. Mince/grate ginger and garlic for curry.

Step 4: Make the curry sauce by grinding or pounding in either a mortar and pestle or spice grinder the cardamom pods and fennel seeds until coarsely ground.

Add the ground mixture to a bowl and add 1-2 cups of milk. If you want a little extra gravy I would go with the 2 cups. Let the spice mixture steep in the milk for at least 5-10 minutes.

**note on milk: My mother uses cow's milk for the recipe. You can give coconut milk a try too.

Step 5:

After you have all the prep work done it's time to cook the pork. Heat 2-3tbs of oil in a pan and add:
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 pods of cardamom
3-4 cloves
Some curry leaves

Note:
If I ever use cardamom, cloves or cinnamon sticks make sure you discard these items before eating or avoid eating them. They are very strong tasting and are used just to flavor the food, but not so nice if you eat them alone. The curry leaves can be eaten... they are tasty. : )

Add marinated pork and saute'. Once the pork is opaque add sliced onions and sliced peppers. Also add the remaining 1tbs of garlic and 1tbs of ginger. Saute all ingredients and cover. Let cook for 10-15 minutes.

Once the pork is cooked through add the boiled potatoes from earlier. Then strain the spice/ milk mixture with a strainer to the pork dish. You will need to strain the milk mixture because you don't want the pod and fennel pieces in the final dish. Simmer for another 5 minutes and check for salt. Serve with rice. Enjoy.

Ginger Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

2013-05-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

I don't cook or eat beef.. usually. I have hardly cooked beef in the last 4 years, but my husband gets beef when ever he orders Chinese take-away. So I decided to do something special for him and make him his favorite beef stir fry at home. It's about time, right? :) Well I could hardly wait to take these photos and dive into this stir fry myself... it was so good. Now I know why he loves this combination so much. The best part was this was so much healthier than the take away we usually get because I only used 2Tbs of canola oil in the entire dish. Now he won't have to wait only for Chinese take-away to get a beef stir fry he can have a much healthier version at home.

Ingredients:
1lb beef (good quality, no bones)
2 Tbs fresh ginger minced or grated
2 tsp fresh garlic minced or grated
red chili flakes to taste
4-6 cups of broccoli florets
optional vegetables:
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 medium onion chopped
1 can sliced water chestnuts drained

Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs oyster sauce
2 Tbs Chinese rice wine or Sherry
1 Tbs rice vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs water

Slurry:
2 tbs cornstarch powder
2Tbs water

Directions:

Cut broccoli florets and put in wok with 1-2Tbs of water to steam broccoli until slightly cooked...keep them still firm and crisp. Remove broccoli from pan. Add 2 Tbs of canola oil into wok and get it heated to a high temperature. Add sliced beef and saute for a few minutes until beef starts to cook.

Tips on beef: To get thin slices, place beef in freezer for 30-45 minutes so it firms up enough to slice easily. Remember to cut against the grain of the beef so it is tender.

Next add ginger, garlic and red chili flakes and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Then add the partially steamed broccoli, onion water chestnuts and bell pepper.

Note: Bell peppers, onion and water chestnuts do not need to be cooked long so they can keep their crisp texture. If you decide to use firmer vegetables in the stir fry, you will want to partially cook them as well beforehand.

Next add the prepared sauce and toss well with the beef and vegetables. Note: Taste the stir fry, you may need to add more soy sauce or sugar depending on your taste. Remember the stir fry needs to be slightly on the saltier side because you are going to eat it with plain rice and that will mute the flavor of the salt and spice. Finally, mix the slurry of cornstarch and water. When stir fry liquid is almost boiling add the slurry and mix well to thicken the sauce. Serve hot with rice. Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Spicy and Fresh Pineapple Salsa

2013-04-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Just thinking about this recipe makes my mouth water. Once you start eating this raw pineapple salsa, you may not be able to stop eating it until the bowl is finished. Well, that maybe just my sister and myself. : ) It is fresh, sweet, spicy, tangy and salty all in one. It is a very healthy and guilt-free treat that you can eat to your hearts content. I know I did. : ) This also works well as a topping to fish or chicken dishes.

Ingredients:

1/2 a ripe and juicy pineapple.
1 tsp of rice wine vinegar
1 tsp of red chili powder or to taste or cayenne pepper
salt to taste
pepper to taste

optional ingredients:
1-2 tsp finely diced onion
1-2 tsp finely diced serrano chili

Directions:
Skin the pineapple, cut out the core and cut it into small bite size pieces. Add all other ingredients to dish. The final dish should have a nice balance with spicy, salty, sweet and sour so tweak it to your taste.

Mix all the ingredients together then marinate for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Jalapeno Garlic Cheese Bread

2013-04-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

My kids love spicy food. Well, what can you expect when they have a spice loving mother like me around cooking curry all the time. They really love pickled jalapenos. They will request it on sandwiches, pizza... almost anything. I was so excited when I saw a seriously large jar of jalapenos at Costco and I knew I had to come up with a fun dish to highlight all those jalapenos. My kids were jumping up and down in the kitchen when they saw what I was making for them. The jalapeno bread did not disappoint... they loved every bite of it and I loved how easy it was to put together.

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread
2 cups of cheese (cheddar, mozzarella or a mix)
sliced or diced pickled jalapenos (to taste)
1-2 sweet peppers or some bell pepper finely diced
1/3 cup softened butter or more as needed
1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder

Directions:

Cut bread in half lengthwise. Mix butter and garlic powder together and spread on the inside of the bread.

Top with jalapenos. Note: You can put as much or as little as you like here.

Top with cheese and diced sweet peppers. Bake in a 400 degree oven until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.

Cut into slices and serve. Enjoy.

Curry and Comfort's Weekly Sunday Summary 4/22/13 thru 04/28/13

2013-04-28T07:53:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone,

We finally got the spring weather that I love so much. I adore spring, but I know a lot of people that don't because they have allergies. Two of those little people are my own kids.

Boy do they suffer when the pollen count is high. We had a few bad days with high pollen and I had two very grumpy children. The over the counter allergy medicine was not a match this week. Now all I'm hoping for is that Mother Nature hurries up and does her thing so the pollen count can go back down to normal. I miss my kid's happy little faces.

We celebrated my father's 83rd birthday this week too. I made a few treats to take over for the celebration and a decadent German Chocolate Cake that my family really enjoyed. I did not do it for the blog... but maybe I will make it again on a future date.

This week was a fun week of food... so let's go onto the the review...

Thai Green Papaya Salad

Chicken Kebab Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce (Throwback Thursdays)

Happy Grilled Cheese Month, introducing the Asparagus Grilled Cheese

Confetti Fried Rice (Vegetarian)

Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispies Treats

Thai Green Papaya Salad

2013-04-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

My son and I love to watch a show called "Chasing the Yum" with Chef Jet Tila. The show is all about making Asian food and breaking down the fear of cooking it. Recently, Chef Tila made a Thai Green Papaya Salad and I knew I had to try it his way. Chef Tila believes in a concept called "yum" which represents the balance of spicy, salty, sweet and sour. This salad is all about the balance of those flavors.

Ingredients:
1 green papaya (about 4 cups green papaya) julienned or grated (available in Asian markets)
1/3 cup tomatoes, cut into small chunks
3 tablespoons Fish sauce (to taste)
3 tablespoons Lime juice (to taste)
2 tablespoons Sugar (to taste)
2 cloves Garlic grated
2-3 green chilies chilies finely diced (seeded for less spice)
1 Tbs dried salted shrimp (available in Asian markets)
2 Tbs roasted peanuts and more for garnish
Directions:

Peel papaya, then use grater or julienne tool to make thin strips. Place papaya in bowl. In a food processor or a mortar and pestle combine tomatoes, chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, chile and dried shrimp. If using a food processor pulse 6-8 times until coarsely chopped and combined. If using a mortar and pestle pound until coarsely mashed.

Pour processed ingredients over prepared papaya and toss well. Taste for "yum". Chill salad for 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Garnish with more chopped peanuts, tomatoes and lime. Enjoy. peanuts

Source: Chef Jet Tila Green Papaya Salad

Chicken Kebab Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce (Throwback Thursdays)

2013-04-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

Picture from 2011

On 4-30-11 I wrote: If we ever order Mediterranean take-out, I always get the gyros. I love the rich flavorful meat and the tzatziki sauce. I decided to try my hand at making these on my own when I bought some pocket-less pita. My husband and son really loved these Chicken Gyros and the entire family ate for what I pay for one gyro order. The kebabs were spicy and flavorful while the tzatziki sauce was cool and refreshing. Both recipes were easy to make and fun to eat.

Note: Throwback Thursday is a new series where I take some of my original posts here on Curry and Comfort and redo them so I can take better photos.

To Make the Kebab:

Ingredients:

2lbs of ground chicken:
1 large handful of fresh parsley finely chopped
1 large handful of fresh mint finely chopped
1/2 medium onion grated
1 serrano chili seeded and minced
1 Tbs of grated ginger
1 Tbs of grated garlic
1 Tbs of garam masala
1 Tbs of paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Form large size (oblong) kebabs on skewers or into patties (like hamburgers). If you are planning to eat them in a pita make it more oval shaped. I did stick two skewers into each kebab because they were big and it made it easier to flip them.

Fry both sides on a oiled griddle until fully cooked. Remove skewers and serve inside a grilled pita as a Gyro Sandwich with Tzatziki sauce and other gyro condiments. Enjoy.

Tzatziki Sauce Recipe:

You will need:

8oz of Greek style plain yogurt or regular plain yogurt that you have strained with a paper towel in a colander to allow all the liquid to drip out.

1/2 a English Cucumber diced finely
1 Tbs of olive oil
1 Tbs of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp of fresh dill minced
1 tsp of fresh mint mince
1-2 garlic cloves grated
salt to taste.

Mix well and allow to chill in fridge for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Happy Grilled Cheese Month, introducing the Asparagus Grilled Cheese

2013-04-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

April is National Grilled Cheese Month!! I love a good ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich. When I'm running late and I want to make a quick lunch or dinner the grilled cheese sandwich is my "go to". If you have a little extra time these fun grilled cheese sandwiches that I have done on the blog before are also a great choice. Today, I am introducing the Asparagus Grilled Cheese sandwich today that I made recently. It's basically steam fresh asparagus tips mixed with a Spicy Grilled Cheese sandwich.

PS... Please check out my Burning Down the Kitchen Interview with Kim at Cravings of a Lunatic.

Ingredients:
1 cup of American Cheddar Cheese (See Note)
2 Tbs of butter or margarine
2-3 green chilies seeded and finely diced (See Note)
salt and pepper to taste
steam asparagus tips

Bread (white, whole wheat, etc...)

Notes: You can use shredded Cheddar cheese or Slices of American Cheddar cheese.You can use any kind of chili you like. I recommend jalapeno, serrano or larger green chilies. You will want to make sure you don't pick a very spicy pepper and you clean the seeds and membrane out so it tones down the spice level.

Directions: Spread the cheese and chili mixture over over two slices of bread. Place steamed asparagus across one slice of bread and top with the other slice of bread. Butter both outer sides of the sandwich and grill in a skillet on medium heat until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted. Enjoy.

Here are some more grilled cheese sandwiches to enjoy....

Jalapeno Popper Bacon Grilled Cheese

Spicy Grilled Cheese

Deviled Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Confetti Fried Rice (Vegetarian)

2013-04-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

I usually cook a large pot of brown rice when I make a rice and curry meal. Sometimes the curries get finished, but we have a lot of left over rice. Fried rice is perfect dish to make with leftover rice. This is a wonderful savory fried rice that I make with the vegetables I always have on hand at home. Of course, you can add any vegetable or frozen bag of mix veggies that you have in your fridge/freezer. That means this dish can be made in so many different ways by what you add to it. I love getting a brand new dish out of leftovers. After eating this rice, you will purposely make extra rice just so you can have this the next day.

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked and cooled rice (brown or white)
1 Tbs canola oil
1Tbs butter or margarine
1 (small piece) cinnamon stick
12-15 curry leaves
2-3 green cardamom pods
2-3 cloves
1 onion finely diced
2 large carrots grated
1 red bell pepper finely diced
1-2 green chile finely diced
1 tbs grated ginger
1 tbs grated garlic
red chili flakes (to taste)
1 cup frozen peas

Note:
Always remember that you can remove cardamom, cloves or cinnamon sticks before serving dish. They are not fun to eat directly. Curry leaves are fine to eat.

Directions:

Cook rice and have it waiting. I do recommend the basmati variety because of it's nutty flavor. Heat oil and butter in large frying pan and add cinnamon stick, curry leaves, cardamom pods and cloves for 30-45 seconds.

Next add onion, garlic and ginger (season with a little salt). Saute for 2-3 minutes until onions start to soften. Then add the peppers, chilies and carrots and season with a little salt. Saute for another 4-5 minutes.

Next add the red chili flakes and the frozen peas. Mix all ingredients together well. Finally add the cooked rice and incorporate well. Check for salt and season as needed. Serve with salad. Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispies Treats

2013-04-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

After making the Samoa Rice Krispies Treats my kids were clamoring for me to make another dipped rice krispies treat. So I dipped these and then garnished them with their favorite toppings of M&Ms, chopped peanuts, and sprinkles. My house had two happy kids and one happy hubby when I pulled out this platter of treats.

Ingredients and Directions:

For Rice Krispies Layer:
6 1/2 cups rice cereal
10oz bag of mini marshmallows (divided)
4-5 Tbs butter or margarine

On medium low heat, melt butter and marshmallows. Once fully melted add the rice krispies cereal and mix well. Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish and press down. Allow rice krispies to set for 1 hour before dipping. Then cut into desired squares.

Tip: I used wax paper over the mixture so I could press down the with my hands. In a large pan on medium heat.

For Chocolate Dip:
12oz bag chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk
In a double boiler (heat proof bowl over pan with water) melt chocolate and milk.

Once fully melted and smooth dip the bottom of rice krispies squares into chocolate. Place upside down on wax or parchment paper.

Toppings:
Any chopped candy bar, M&Ms, nuts, sprinkles, coconut etc...
Once the rice krispie is dipped, top with favorite topping before chocolate sets. Allow chocolate to set before serving. Enjoy.