Category Archives: Sides

Butter Chicken and Naan from scratch

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I love butter chicken, and usually make it with a curry paste from the store. Today, I felt inspired to go all the way and make it from scratch, and let me tell you, it was awesome. It was also really easy. I’ve had a lot of failed naans, and while Gen has loved them all (he clearly eats anything), even he says that this is the closest to restaurant naan ever. Huzzzzzaaaah! I am feeling pretty thrilled with the whole meal, it was insanely good, and I kept going back to the stove to scoop some of the sauce up in the naan. Warning, this recipe has a stack of ingredients, most you should have, but if not… get them, and make this. Seriously.

Butter Chicken

Adapted from Jo Cooks.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 lb chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into small pieces
  • 3 garlic gloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 block of extra firm tofu (if you want a little extra protein in there, it takes the sauce beautifully)
  • 3 tomatoes, cut into small pieces
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 2 green chilis, diced
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup cashew nuts
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped for garnish
  • 2 – 4 cups water

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix together the first section of ingredients, the chicken, garlic, ginger, chili powder, coriander, and salt. Make sure the chicken is well coated.
  2. Heat up the oil in a large skillet, add the chicken and cook for about 7 minutes; remove from skillet.
  3. In the same skillet, add the cumin seeds, onion, and remaining garlic and ginger and sauté for a couple minutes, until the onion is slightly translucent. Add a two cups of water and stir.
  4. Add the cashew nuts, coriander powder, chili powder, fenugreek seeds, chopped chilis, and tomatoes, stir well.
  5. Cook the sauce over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Start your naan now, it needs an hour to rise and so be doing that while you are working on the rest of the sauce.
  6. Pour the sauce in a blender and blend it until it’s nice and smooth (I used my hand blender, and while it didn’t get totally smooth, it was still great). Pour the sauce back in the skillet.
  7. Add another cup of water and the butter. Add the sugar and salt to taste.
  8. If you are using the tofu, pour a little oil onto a pan and sauté the tofu until it is slightly browned on the edges. Add it into the sauce with the chicken in the next step.
  9. Add the cream and the chicken (and tofu) to the sauce. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  10. Add the garam masala and stir well. Taste for salt, add as needed.
  11. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Naan

Also from Jo Cooks.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tsp dry active yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and water. Mix well and let sit for about 10 min until frothy on top.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, oil, and egg and whisk well. Pour in the yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
  3. Starting with 1 cup of the flour, add the salt to it and mix. Add this first cup of flour to your wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Continue by adding the flour, half a cup at a time, until you can’t stir it with the spoon any longer. If you are using a mixer and a dough hook, add flour until the dough is no longer sticky, and it forms a nice ball.
  4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour until the dough no longer sticks. It is likely that you will use the full 3 cups. The dough should be nice and soft but not sticky.
  5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel, letting it rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
  6. After it rises, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each piece into a small ball.
  7. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Roll out one ball at a time until it’s about 1/4 inch thick and about 5 inches in diameter. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the bottom side is golden brown and you should see large bubbles forming on the surface. Flip the dough and cook the other side until it’s golden. Butter them as they come off the skillet.
  8. Serve with butter chicken.

Well-coated chicken

Cooked-down veggies, ready to be smoothified.

Final spices, chicken, and cream added to the mix.

Naan, getting rolled out.

The set up.

Buttermilk Biscuits + Lentil Soup with coconut milk and red lentils

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This delicious, vegetarian and VEGAN, soup was made by my mother while we were up in the Yukon a couple weeks ago. She got the recipe from her friend Karen, and I got the recipe from my mom. It is hearty and delicious. We mopped the soup up with my mom’s throw-together buttermilk biscuits, which Gen LOVED. This soup will help sop up the alcohol in your system after munching the treats below.

Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups red lentils
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 small onions, finely chopped
  • 3 large carrots, chopped small
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4-6 tsp turmeric
  • 4-6 tsp cumin seed
  • 12 tsp cracked black peppercorns
  • 1 can(796 ml) chopped tomatoes
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 can coconut milk (398 ml)
  • 12 fresh lemon squeezed

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 15 minutes.
  2. Add garlic, turmeric, cumin seeds, and peppercorns and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.
  3. Add your water, lentils, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at med. for 15 minutes.
  4. Add coconut milk and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for at least 1 hour.
  5. In the meantime, make biscuits!
  6. When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and top with lemon slices, a dollop of plain yogurt, and cilantro!

Buttermilk Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3 heaping tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup margarine (or butter)
  • 3/4 buttermilk to start, more as needed

DIRECTIONS

A quick note: My mom has this recipe in her mind, so I am transcribing her instructions as given on the phone. Adding the milk is the contested bit as her instructions were “as much milk as needed to get the right consistency…” Okay.. thanks! Haha, so I’ve estimated to start with about 3/4 cup and go from there. You will probably use up to 1 1/2 cups, but start small!

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.
  3. Cut in the margarine with a pastry cutter, until the mixture is like pebbles. You want marg bits the size of peas, evenly through the flour mixture.
  4. Pour in the buttermilk and mix until a sticky dough has formed. Add more buttermilk as needed, but don’t overmix. Once it has come together, you are done.
  5. Plop the dough onto a lightly-floured surface. Pat the dough into a roughly even, thick circle. My mom emphases the need to keep the biscuits are thick!
  6. Cut out circles with a glass dipped in flour. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes, or until golden. Pull one open to check for doneness, it should be fluffy.

Veggies getting their sweat on.

Mom insists that the most important part of the recipe is a chunk of carrot for the dog.

Getting ready to cook it all down a bit.

Cutting the butter into the flour. Biscuit time!

This shot was made possible only after I told mom, “No, it needs to be pouring out. Pooooourrring out” I got a sassy look.

Biscuits of heaven. They are fluffy on the inside with the perfect crunch on the outside.

The holy grail of recipes, my mom’s recipe book. One day I’d like to transcribe this for my sister and I.

Yuca Fries- If bread and potatoes had babies, it would be yuca.

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Genesis gets excited once in awhile about food from his country, El Salvador. One of these things is yuca. We don’t have it often, but it is always a treat when we do. The texture of yuca is fluffy, and dense. It is like a super rich potato crossed with fluffy bread. You’re confused, I understand, just trust me. Oh, and yuca looks like a waxy log, and when you peel it it smells like lavender… so there’s that too. But, once you’ve peeled it, cut out any brown spots, boiled it briefly, and baked it, you have awesome fries. Give it a shot! Hell, I might even try mashing them, I’ve heard good things!

Waxy logs, see, I told you! Scroll down for the interior-deliciousness.

Yuca Fries

Ingredients

  • Two yuca roots (see above)
  • your favourite oil
  • salt

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  2. Peel your yuca well. It is easy to do, that skin is not as thick as it looks and feels.
  3. Cut the yuca into three even chunks, cut those chunks into fry-sized wedges.
  4. Fill a large pot with water and some salt, bring to a boil. Add yuca. Boil your yuca for 8 minutes, this will help the baking.
  5. Drain the yuca and pat dry. Some of the yuca might seem a little gummy, this will sort itself out during baking.
  6. Lay the yuca on a parchment-covered cookie sheet and drizzle well with oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt (and spices of your choosing).
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once, until crisp and browned on the outside, creamy on the inside.
  8. Dip into Basil Aiolior even Walnut & Feta Dip!

Tasty (half batch) yuca fries with Walnut Feta Dip.

Portobello Fries with Basil Aioli

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I found this recipe a couple years ago and have only made it a handful of times since, which is silly because it is delicious and easy. These ‘fries’ are crunchy and juicy (the mushroom is juicy… this is a good thing) and are the perfect vehicle for the surprize star of the show, the basil aioli. Now, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I make some tasty mayonnaise and it is made even better with the addition of a handful of basil, some garlic, and lemon. Don’t be afraid of making mayonnaise, it’s easy and WAY better than store bought. But, if fooling around with raw eggs isn’t your thing (or if you are vegan), by all means, buy some, just don’t let anything stop you from making these!

Baked Portobello Fries with Basil Aioli

Lightly adapted from this gorgeous blog’s recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of panko bread crumbs (other bread crumbs will do, I just had these on hand)
  • 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese or pecarino
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp of garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp of oregano
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 portobellos
  • 3 large eggs, beaten (or to veganize, use dijion mustard and no cheese… or daiya, as suggested to me by my great friend, Lauren!)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray (I was at a friends, we made do with aluminum foil and olive oil, but I don’t recommend that).
  2. On a plate, mix together the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
  3. In a small to medium bowl, beat the eggs.
  4. Cut the portobello mushrooms into 1/4″ slices.  One by one, dip the portobello slices in the beaten eggs and transfer to the place with the bread crumb mixture, being sure to coat the mushrooms thoroughly.  Place the bread crumb covered mushrooms on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, checking on them after 10 and flipping them to ensure thorough baking.

Basil Aioli

  • 1 room-temperature egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp mustard (your favourite kind)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • your favourite oil (remembering strong-tasting oils like olive oil will make your mayo taste like that flavour)
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar (more to taste, depending on your tang levels)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup packed basil leaves
  • ½ tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 medium garlic clove, pressed
  • Pinch of salt

Directions

  1. Mayo-making time! I will do a picture tutorial for this, just not today. In a tall, clean container (a jar works), put your egg yolk and a half of the egg white (discard the rest of the white). Add your mustard and some salt and pepper. Using a hand blender (easiest way by far, but you can also use a whisk or a food processer or a blender) blend the egg a bit. Slowly drizzle in oil. You will see the mayo coming together (emulsifying). Once you’ve reached a consistency and amount that you like (it will grow forever, more oil = more mayo), add the vinegar and mix it together. You may want to add a little bit more oil at this point to thicken it up a bit more, as the vinegar might loosen the mayo. Taste, adjust as needed.
  2. Now that you have delicious homemade mayo, make it into aioli!
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Stir well. Chop the basil well and add into the aioli, at this point you can hand-blend it quickly to make a nice smooth dip, or stir the basil through for big bites of basil flavour.

Ready to be baked!

Munch time!

I was over at Caelin’s for this recipe… so of course there was Jamesons.

Cream-Braised Brussels Sprouts

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I came across this recipe after Genesis had been sautéing brussels sprouts for weeks and I wanted something new. I am not sure if this is an endorsement for anyone else but when Gen first had this he LOVED them and then asked me what kind of cheese I used on them (none… there was none… he is strange). I have had to alter the recipe to suite my needs/ items on hand. Initially I used fresh sprouts, then they became difficult to source (at least good ones were difficult to hunt down) so I started using frozen sprouts, and voila, works both ways! I have also swapped out the lemon juice for lime in a pinch. These brussels sprouts are lightly caramelized, creamy, rich, and the perfect side (or plateful). I am proud to say that my mom has called me a number of times asking for MY help with these, my parents love them! The recipe is from this lovely blog, Orangette, and it will be a recipe in my family forever.

Cream-Braised Brussels Sprouts

From here.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ lb brussels sprouts (about 5-6 cups… they take up a lot of space)
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • ¼ tsp coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup heavy cream (more if needed to cover)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

Directions

  1. First, prep the brussels sprouts. Trim the stem end of each sprout and pull off any ragged or nasty outer leaves. Cut the sprouts in half from stem end to tip. If using frozen sprouts, you wont cut them, they’ll caramelize well enough whole, and still be delicious.

    Brussels all cut, and ready to caramelize.

     

  2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the brussels sprouts and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are nicely browned in spots, about 5 minutes or so. Don’t skip this step, this adds a rich depth of flavour that is nicely balanced by the cream and the lemon.
  3. Pour in the cream to just about cover the sprouts, stir to mix, and then cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low or medium low: you want to keep the pan at a slow simmer. Braise until the sprouts are tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a paring knife, about 20 minutes. The cream will have reduced some and will have taken on a creamy tan color.
  4. Remove the lid, and stir in the lemon juice. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary. Let the pan simmer, uncovered, for a minute or two to thicken the cream to a glaze that loosely coats the sprouts. Serve immediately with steak, pork chops, tofurkey, anything you want!

    On their way.