Easy Lamb Vindaloo (Slow Cooker)

In Tuscaloosa, we have one Indian restaurant:  Sitar (formerly known as Maharaja).  It is wonderful but it can be quite expensive.  We love getting the Gosht Vindaloo (spicy tomato sauce with goat) and the Chicken Afghani (mildly spicy and sweet mango curry sauce with chicken).  I have never figured out exactly how to make chicken Afghani, but today tried a bottle of Vindaloo simmer sauce from target (Archer Farms brand) and used lamb instead of goat and it was wonderful and way cheaper!  I didn't follow the directions on the bottle because I was trying to make it closer to what Sitar's tastes like.  The bottle recommended a vegetarian recipe. I highly recommend this dish be served with basmati rice and naan bread. Basmati rice is a much longer grain rice and is very thin and flavorful.  To make it restaurant style, I recommend steaming it with a few cloves, cumin seeds, cardamom, or saffron threads.  Today I made mine plain.  I bought pre-prepared garlic naan bread in the Target bakery section and re-heated it according to directions.

This dish is the kind of curry where the first bite isn't very hot, and then after 3 spoonfuls, the heat starts to build! Delicious!  Though I recommend for those who like dishes to be "Indian hot" or "thai hot" to add 2 or 3 thai chili peppers to the pot when cooking!

1 lb. lamb stew meat (our grocery didn't have it so I bought 1 pound worth of lamb shoulder loin cuts, took out the bone and cartiledge, and diced into 1 inch cubes)
3 large yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped
1 large yellow sweet onion peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup green peas
1 jar vindaloo simmer sauce from target, I have also heard that Pataks brand is good.
basmati rice (2 cups cooked to directions, I highly recommend buying a rice cooker if you make rice often, saves soooooo much trouble)
naan bread
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, quickly brown the lamb meat with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Transfer to a slow cooker (crock pot) set on high heat.  Add the diced onion, potato, tomato paste, and jar of vindaloo sauce.  Fill the jar back up with water and close the lid.  Shake up the jar to make sure that the water gets all the sauce bits left, and add the water to the pot.  Let sit stirring occasionally on high for four hours.  Take the top off and add the peas. Let cook for 30 more minutes with the top off to thicken the sauce.  You could also add garbanzo beans (chick peas) and a bit of plain yogurt to this.  The sauce already has coconut milk in it.  Archer farms also makes a vindaloo kit that comes complete with rice and peas for a smaller meal.

Shabby Chic Apartment Decorations (Collections)

I thought I would put more pictures up of my apartment and some of my favorite decoration items.  I love antiques and shabby chic looking items.  This mannequin is one of my absolute favorites!  The original 1920's paper tag is still on it, it says "My Double" and has the patent number.  The height can be adjusted and by scrunching the metal shapes you can make the mannequin fit a certain size.  However, I assume the metal clips have generally been shaped since the 1920's and I haven't moved them because they are brittle and I don't want to damage it since I am using it for decoration not function anyway.  My mom found this one in an antique auction for a very good price.  I have seen others online for sale for much more (http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/atq/1613988163.html) and I saw one other exactly like it in an antique store for $20 (this one was fitted for a man).  From grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and yard-sales I have collected a lot of costume jewelry.  Here I have displayed all my costume jewelry pearls. I had a hat stuck on top of it for a while, but that ended up being too creepy in the middle of the night! : )

 

My favorite poster in my bathroom with salt pillar tea-light holders and reed-diffuser. 

 

I love collecting vintage or reproduction vintage  kitchen/tea towels! The kitten holding the fork is probably from the 1950's (yardsale), it is cross stitched on linen, and the tea cup parade is a printed reproduction that I got at the University of Alabama Supe store (bookstore).

Pirouline Birthday Cake (Chocolate, Hazelnut, Raspberry Birthday Cake for my Boyfriend!)

 

Yay!  Happy 25th Birthday to Hood (my boyfriend)! I'm two weeks older than he is!  Hehe! : ) For us February is packed full!  My birthday, then Valentine's day, then his birthday, and spring break is not far away. I  Made yellow cake (pillsbury mix), used canned whipped chocolate icing (betty crocker - I really liked using the whipped variety, much lighter), and added fresh raspberries to the top, and cut chocolate hazelnut pirouline cookies to the side of the cake almost like a palisade.  Piroulines are rolled toasted wafer cookie sticks filled with a variety of cream or chocolate fillings, my favorite are almond and chocolate hazelnut. Saw some pictures online of similar cakes and thought it would look really pretty.  My mom gave me a can of pirouline cookies for Christmas and this is what I did with them.  This is a really easy way to make box cake mix and icing look really fancy!  I used two 9 inch cake pans, baked according to directions, sawed the tops off to even them out, placed the first layer on the cake stand with pieces of wax paper placed around it (this is done so that when you ice your cake and get smudges on the bottom - you just pull the wax paper out at the end and are left with a clean cake plate), put a layer of icing in the middle, put on the top layer, iced cake, and added decorations.  I added a piece of ribbon (1 yard )around the cake and pinned it with a sewing pin (that I carefully took back out when I cut the cake).  Next time I use ribbon on cake I will use 1 and 1/2 yards so that I can make a bow instead of just crossing the ribbon.  Still looked pretty without the bow though.  I served each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.

 If I was making this cake for me, I would have probably poured two shots of amaretto in a bowl and used a pastry brush to coat the cakes with it before I iced them because I love almond and amaretto flavored things.  I think it's genetic on my mom's side of the family. You could also put apricot or raspberry jam in the middle layer or make a whipped cream filling. I went with the classic this time.

I must admit that I had a failure of this cake yesterday.  Like the blog says, this is a "quest".  The first time I used a box mix that was Betty Crocker brand and baked it in the same baking pans but using vegetable oil ( was out of butter) and no flour to grease the cake pans...... the cakes did not come out.... even with careful prying and tapping the cake fell out in multiple pieces.  I thought of using the sad cake in a trifle, but the cake itself also had a very crumbly texture!  So sad!!!  Into the garbage it went.  Went back to the store, bought another brand and also bought crisco spray with flour for cakes.  Cakes came out perfect and the taste and texture was way better with the Pillsbury brand.

Bought candles at tjmaxx where the flames were all supposed to be different colors (white, yellow, green, blue, red), but you could only tell a little bit that they were different colors.  Still.... the candles didn't drip and looked pretty.  (The picture with the flames lit did not come out right.)

Pacific Wild Rice (with Target's Mango Macadamia Stuffed Mahi Mahi)

Dinner!  I have mentioned before how I am obsessed with Target's Mango Macaamia stuffed Mahi Mahi.  It is to die for!   Sweet with a hint of spice and ginger! Please try this stuff!!!!

PACIFIC WILD RICE

1 cup wild rice (cooked according to directions, don't buy seasoned or quick wild rice)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms ( I used half button and half baby portabello (cremini))
1 tsp. garlic
2 tsp. terriyaki sauce
2/3 cup sliced almonds (toasted, this is the small bag)
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tblsp olive oil

Cook rice according to package, saute celery, onion, mushrooms, pepper, olive oil, and garlic in a side skillet.  This might take 20 min.  Add to rice while rice is cooking and add white wine.  Toast almonds in same pan on low, tossing around several times for 5 minutes. Add almonds and terriyaki sauce to rice 2 minutes before you serve.  Even cooking this wild rice for an hour it will still have a bite to it. It is delicious!

This wild rice is also great stuffed inside of baked red bell peppers!

These are the two brands I like to use. Price listed is for bulk orders from amazon.

Crepes and Nutella!

This is a really easy breakfast, dessert, or snack.  I love crepes!  If you have never tried them, please do! The first crepe I ever had was from a small shop beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was a nutella banana crepe! Which are now my favorite, even though you can make your crepes savory or sweet.  I top my crepes with a tablespoon of nutella and a handful of sliced strawberries or bananas, and then microwave them for 15 seconds to get them perfectly warm and melty!  Other people like to spread them with jams and jellies or make them savory little sandwiches with ham and cheese etc. I have tried to make them on my own before with a mix and by scratch using a nonstick frying pan, but I find it is easiest to buy Melissa's brand crepes in the produce section of the grocery store. Just make sure they are fresh and check the expiration date.  Each crepe is separated by a piece of paper.  If you feel adventurous, please try the crepe recipe at the Blog: Bilingual Butter http://bilingualbutter.blogspot.com/search/label/crêpes  This blog is written by Lucie who lives in Paris! Her blog is full of wonderful desserts!

Nutella is also my go to for a quick chocolate fondue.  I always have a container in the pantry.  A container costs around $3 and you can find this in most grocery stores right next to the peanut butter. Simply mix half a container with a few tablespoons of heavy cream or half and half and heat up.  Perfect chocolate fondue for strawberries, lady fingers, etc. or as a perfect chocolate sauce to pour over pound cake or bread pudding!  Yum!

    

Miso Salmon and Chinese Cabbage

The pictures for this dish are not particularly pretty, but the meal is hot, cheap, and very comforting.  The salmon in particular does not show up well in the picture because in this particular package, it was a very light colored salmon.

MISO SALMON AND CHINESE CABBAGE

4 portions salmon fillets ( I use one package of frozen walmart salmon fillets - on sale for $3.50 a bag for 4 portions)
1 chinese cabbage (washed and chopped into 1-2 inch pieces)
1 large yellow onion (chopped)
2 cups calrose rice (prepared according to package, I recommend using a rice cooker)
1 tblsp minced garlic
2 tblsp red or white miso paste ( like red  better, it has a stronger flavor)
1 tblsp soy sauce
1tsp instant dashi granules dissolved in 3 tblsp water (dashi= soup base with bonito and kombu - fish and seaweed)
1 tblsp brown sugar

Except for the salmon and rice, combine all other ingredients into a large wok or pan with a tight fitting lid.  Place on medium heat and wait until the cabbage starts to wilt down.

The cabbage fills up the pot when you first start cooking, but it wilts down to a fraction of it's original size.

When the cabbage has started to wilt down, stir well, add the salmon fillets and cover with a lid.  If using thawed fillets this will take around 10 min.  I used frozen ones, so it took 20 min for the fillets to cook through.  Make sure fillets are nestled well in the poaching liquid.

Serve with a side of rice, or on top of rice.  Make sure to pour some of the extra broth on top of the rice. This dish  could also be made with bok choy and with pork cutlets.

The following links and pictures show the exact brands I like to use.  Both can be found in asian groceries, but I actually bought my recent bag of botan calrose rice at walmart.

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese with Pancetta and Green Peas - Gourmet Comfort Food

My throat has been sore all day, had a headache, and it was really cold today!  Thought I needed some cheesy comfort food for dinner!

SMOKED GOUDA MAC AND CHEESE WITH PANCETTA AND GREEN PEAS

1 lb. (16 ounce) elbow macaroni or sea shell pasta (cook according to directions)
1/2 lb. smoked gouda ( I used deli sliced Boar's Head)
1/3 lb. grated sharp white cheddar cheese
3 cups milk (2%)
2 heaping tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
1 cup Japanese Panko breadcrumbs
1 cup frozen sweet garden green peas (not canned and not english)
1 1/2 inch slice of pancetta (Italian bacon - deli Boar's Head) (cubed)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 egg
paprika - garnish

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and flour on medium heat.  Stir constantly for 3 minutes.  Add milk and stir until the mixture thickens (must come to a simmer before this will occur) enough to coat the back of the spoon.  Take mixture off the heat and add in both shredded cheeses, stir well until completely combined.  In another small frying pan, saute pancetta on medium heat until the cubes slightly brown and render a lot of fat.  Drain on paper towels.  Add pancetta, beaten egg and green peas to your cheese sauce.  Combine with pasta and place in a casserole dish (yes I used a pie dish because that is just what I had).  In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon olive oil together.  Sprinkle paprika on the top of the casserole for added color, then add bread crumbs.  Bake in 350* oven for 30 minutes.

I added the cheddar in with the smoked gouda because the mixture of smoked gouda and the pancetta can come across as too smoky sometimes.  This makes it just perfect to my taste but you may prefer to just use all smoked gouda.  Also, you could cut out the peas or replace it with strips of roasted red bell pepper.  If you don't want to go to the trouble of baking it and adding the bread crumb topping, you could omit the topping and omit the egg, and just serve it creamy.  You would need to let it warm on the stove for a while on low heat though to thaw the green peas and slightly cook them.

Black and Blue Salad (Steak and Blue Cheese)

This was dinner tonight! Self-explanatory. Got inspired off of a Newk's salad.  Much cheaper to make it yourself.  Newk's uses pecans instead of walnuts and adds red onion and croutons. Yummy healthy dinner as long as you go light on the salad dressing.


BLACK AND BLUE SALAD

Spring salad mix
Sliced tomatoes
Toasted walnuts
Blue Cheese
Blue Cheese salad dressing (I like Ken's Steakhouse Light)
Marinated Grilled Steak (I marinate mine for an hour in a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and then grill it quickly on a George Foreman Grill)

Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto (Valentine's Day)

The day before Valentine's day, my sweetie took me to see Valentine's Day (the movie).  It was very cute!  Our tradition is once a year he willingly takes me to see a chick flick!  We never go out to eat dinner on Valentine's Day because we like to avoid the crowds. This year I made shrimp and asparagus risotto and we watched Hellboy!  This is my favorite combination for risotto but you can add a variety of veggies. I often substitute the asparagus for green peas.  My other favorite risotto is one made with red wine, mushrooms, eggplant, pork chops, and capers (I'll post that recipe next time I make it).  This one is really simple, it just takes a lot of stirring and watching it.  Well worth it for a special meal.  The most important part is the type of rice that you use.  You must use arborio rice.  There are other varieties that you can use, but arborio is found in most grocery stores.  The first time you make risotto it can seem complicated, but after you learn the steps, it becomes really easy. You can also make this dish with quinoa. 


SHRIMP AND ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

2 cups arborio rice
1 large yellow onion
1 cup chopped baby portabello mushrooms (aka cremini)
1/2 bunch trimmed and chopped thin asparagus (don't buy ones that are as thick as fingers)
1 lb. deveined and deshelled shrimp
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups white wine (not a sweet kind like chardonnay or riesling, get a dry pinot grigio or other)
2 tblsp butter
2 tblsp olive oil
1/4-1/3 cup grated parmesean cheese
1 tsp chopped garlic


This makes a really creamy risotto.  If you want yours a bit drier.... omit 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth.  In a medium sauce pot placed on medium heat, add the olive oil, butter, and chopped onions.  Saute until onions are translucent.  Add rice and mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly so that the rice doesn't burn.  The rice will start to become slightly translucent.  The next part is very time consuming, but adding the liquid this way makes it creamy.  Add 1 cup of the wine, stir, and wait until it is all absorbed.  Add 3 cups of the chicken broth, stir, and wait until it is absorbed. Add the other cup of wine and garlic, stir, wait until it is absorbed. Add remaining chicken broth and asparagus wait until almost absorbed and add the shrimp.  Keep stirring, the shrimp cooks very quickly, less than 5 minutes.  At the very end, take the pot off the heat and add parmesean.  Serve in a bowl and add additional parmesean to the top if you like.  Different sites and recipes call for you to add different amounts of liquid and to stir them in at different times.  The most important thing is to add liquids in small amounts, this takes about 30 minutes for the rice to absorb it all, and don't overcook the shrimp.  Add salt and pepper for taste. 

Julia and Paul Child's Actual Valentine sent to friends!

The couple’s 1956 Valentine’s Day card. Courtesy of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University.
Julia: "Valentine cards had become a tradition of ours, born of the fact that we could never get ourselves organized in time to send out Christmas cards."
Source: Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme. My Life in France. 2006. pg. 301.
This scene was recreated in the Julie and Julia movie!!!!!








I think the movie did a great job of replicating the original postcard!

Rustic Bagel and Lox Pizza (Smoked Salmon)

I love bagel and lox!  Lox is just another name for cured salmon though most people confuse it with smoked salmon.  I really like the inexpensive packs of Vita brand Nova lox salmon they sell at Publix. It has a milder brining than some lox and is then cold smoked. The 3 ounce packet that I bought for this pizza only cost around $4. Any type of smoked salmon will work as long as it is not the smoked kind that is flaky. This is a delicious recipe that can be used an an appetizer or a meal.  Today I decided to make it because we had all the ingredients for it.  Though, if I had planned ahead I would have gotten fresh dill instead of dry, and I would have bought some tomatoes to chop up and put on top of the finished pizza, and I would have used shallots instead of a yellow onion.  

Pizza dough.... I have tried to make pizza dough before from scratch but have never had great luck.  I really like the fresh pizza dough that Publix sells in their bakery.  If you don't see it out, ask for it.  It is just their raw dough that they make their white, whole wheat, and sourdough bread from.  I always ask for this dough frozen.  They pull it out of their freezers and then I take it home and stick it in my freezer.  If you buy their dough fresh and thawed you need to use it that day.  The longer you leave it in the refrigerator...the bigger it gets!!  All you have to do is take it out of the freezer and let it sit in your refrigerator for 2 days until you are ready to use it.  Allow it to sit on the counter for an hour before you want to start shaping it. A good substitute would be an already prepared Boboli pizza dough.  

Also, "Rustic" is just another name for sloppy and not party perfect!  Still delicious!

RUSTIC BAGEL AND LOX PIZZA (SMOKED SALMON)

1 pizza dough

3 ounces smoked salmon (more if you want)

1 8 ounce package of 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese

1 tblsp dill

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic

2 shallots sliced (or 1 small yellow onion)

1 heaping tblsp capers

2 tblsp olive oil

1/2 of a lemon

Combine cream cheese, dill, black pepper, and garlic with a fork and let it combine for a while.  This part can be prepared earlier.  Roll out or hand toss pizza dough to desired shape and thickness.  Today, just for the fun of it, I made a thicker pizza in a ....well.... blob shape.  Place on pizza pan or cookie sheet.  Pour on olive oil and smear all over the top with either a pastry brush or your hands.  Add the sliced shallots or onion and bake at 375* until the crust is golden brown all over (mine was very thick so it was done in 20 minutes). Pull out of the oven and while still warm, smear the cream cheese all over, add smoked salmon, add capers, and squeeze the lemon juice all over.  Serve in big slices!  For a party you could slice this into small squares. This is a really easy recipe that seems fancy and is surprisingly cheap.  Total this pizza costs around $7-8.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hehe!  Pirate/Archaeologist Valentine!

Birthday Petit Fours!

I didn't make these, but I really wish I knew how.  My mom got these for me at Peggy Ann Bakery in Huntsville, AL.  Stephie and I have always gotten petit fours here since we in middle school at least.  Considering taking a cake class at Mary's Cakes in Northport, AL.  I hear they teach you how to make similar ones.

Cajun Hoppin' John with Porkchops

Nothing fancy for dinner last night but it was delicious and cheap.  I bought the Zatarains box and followed the directions and added pork chops, sliced onions, and a tablespoon of cajun seasoning.  Can't go wrong!  I have also made it with bacon and ham.  Whatever you have.  I have also added a can of chopped tomatoes and have even added a can of Rotel to it before.

Arts and Crafts: Fairy Canopy and Antique Earring Holder

I wanted to share some of my favorite Arts and Crafts projects I did this year.  The first is a canopy I made for my niece Evie.  They had just moved into a new house and she and her sister Maddie were setting up their new bedrooms, I thought they would both be thrilled with bed canopies to match their rooms and started looking for some to match.  I found one for Maddie at Bed Bath and Beyond with bright almost neon purple, green, orange and pink with butterflies that matched her room but nothing for Evie.  So I set out to make one for her.  This is what I did.  The cost difference between the two was very similar with the store bought one probably being $5 more. 


FAIRY CANOPY

Supplies:
Fabric or really sharp scissors
felt flowers, or butterflies, or whatever decoration you want
hula hoop
planter hanging hook ( the strongest hook in the hardware department at walmart, this hook is white with really wide threads so that it definitely will not come out of your wall unless someone wants to literally hang off of it!)
2 yards dark green tulle (or mesh fabric will work)
2 yards light green tulle
5 yards dark pink tulle
5 yards light pink tulle
6 yards pretty green ribbon
2 yards any type of neutral colored fabric ( I happened to use an off white flannel - it was on sale)
hot glue gun
several sticks of hot glue
white curling ribbon roll (any ribbon will do but I love the standard curling ribbon, it is really some strong stuff!)
chandelier to hang your creation from while you work and glue (you may have a better idea of how to do this, but this is what I did and it totally worked!)

Wish I could tell you exactly how I made it, but I kinda made it up as I went along. Here is what I remember doing.

If you can only buy a neon colored hula hoop and this doesn't match your design, cover the entire hoop with the correct color ribbon, hot gluing as you go.  I do know that I cut both colors of pink tulle into strips, I cut the bottom of the tulle so that it resembled the end of flower petals, then I wrapped it over the hula hoop in approximately 8 strips so that the dark was on top of the light pink and there was a 2-3 inch over lay at the top where I connected the fabric together around the hoop with hot glue.  Leave 10 inches or so without tulle so that it can be your opening.  You don't have to have an opening, because you can always pull the tulle around the bed but I think a small opening makes it easier. Then I cut the curling ribbon into 8 pieces about 1 and 1/2 yards long, doubled them up, and attached them by taking the loop end close to the hula hoop between tulle pieces, and drawing the end with the ribbon ends through the loop equally around the hoop.  Then I drew all these strings together and raise them up to create a cone shape, and tied them into a knot.  Then I braided these strings for about 8 inches and double knotted them and cut off the excess.  Then I took the neutral colored fabric and cut a large circle with it.  This circle needs to be at least 6-8 inches wider than the hula hoop.  Cut a hole in the very center of it and slip it over your center knots.  This should fall around making that cone shape at the top of your canopy.  I had to then pull the excess fabric together and fold it over, securing it in a permanent cone shape with the hot glue gun.  Then I cut the two different colors of green tulle in a gigantic circle, making the ends resemble the shapes of leaves, cut a hole in the center of each piece and place over your center knots drawing your string through the middle.  Once again let the lighter color tulle be the under fabric.  Take your flowers or whatever decoration you want and hot glue them onto the tulle or the hoop frame. I used really beautiful felt flowers in light and hot pink that I bought at Hobby Lobby, I tied them together with green ribbon in a bow and used a TON-O-HOTGLUE to attach them.  I also added several strands of this ribbon cascading down from the central knot to add a bit more color to the top.  Pay attention to Hobby Lobby's weeky sales, once a month all the tulle and flowers go on sale 50% off.

ANTIQUE EARRING HOLDER

Supplies:
Antique Picture Frame (my mom bought this one at auction for a few dollers, had some awful picture in it but we loved the frame colors)
Window mesh
Staple Gun
Staples

This was my mom's idea and we made one for each of us.  Hers is larger with a carved floral frame. Very simple instructions that look self explanatory. Cut window mesh to match picture frame plus 1/2 inch on each side.  Turn frame over, and attach mesh to inside rim of frame using staple guns.  Helps to have a partner on this project so that one person can help pull the mesh tight.  I suggest using gloves just in case the window mesh you are using has sharp ends from where you cut it.  Add earrings.  Don't put earrings up that use posts, you will constantly be taking the frame off the wall to undo them.

Kathryn Tucker Windham Cookbooks

Cookbook Recommendation of the Week!   Two of my favorite cookbooks were written by Kathryn Tucker Windham, yes.... the famous and adorable author of the Jeffrey Ghost Stories.  Just as she divides her 13 Ghost story books by state, she also does the same for her compilation cookbooks with many of the recipes having specific city names in the titles.  I don't yet own her Georgia or Mississippi cookbooks, but I love her Alabama and Tennessee ones!  Classic Southern recipes and some surprises.  Both of my editions are signed by the author.  The Tennessee one was inscribed to my mother Donna, and surprisingly my Alabama one is inscribed to "Ann" (My mom was born in Tennessee and I was born in Alabama).  I have been so tempted to add another "a" onto the end of that!  I bought it on ebay, and had no idea it was signed!  These are worth a look!

Chicken Masaman Curry (Better and Cheaper than Surin!!!!!!!!)

I have always loved to cook, but recently I have been cooking most nights of the week to try to save money.  I think I have also been more motivated to try to write down my recipes and take pictures because of the blog.  Usually I just throw stuff together, and when it turns out to be wonderful or gets requested again by my boyfriend, I don't always know how to replicate what I did last time.  I don't have the same job I used to have, still a graduate student, the economy is in the toilet, and and the 9% grocery tax in Tuscaloosa really adds up.  I don't know if I want the food taxes in Alabama to be cut out or not because then taxes will have to come from another place but I think I would support at least a cut down to 6%. One funny thing about me is that when I go out to a restaurant, I always try to pick something that I know I can't make myself.  Going to Thai restaurants like Surin or in Tuscaloosa, Ruan Thai, is one of our favorite things to do.  My favorite dish is Masaman Curry, not quite like standard red, green or yellow curries, this is a red curry with a sweeter taste with more tomato and ginger in it.  I have tried a powdered mix before from Target and it did not taste anything close to the restaurants, but recently while I was shopping in the local asian grocery, I found a small 4 ounce can of Masaman Curry made in Thailand.  The directions were quite comical with the bad english translation like "heat until it boil" and "simmer until it tendered" but I must say that this curry paste tastes exactly the same as the fancy Thai restaurants, I used light coconut milk unlike Thai restaurants so I cut out half the fat and calories, and the total cost for 6 portions was around $15-20 whereas in the restaurant it would have been $60!   If you love thai food, please try this recipe!!  It is worth making a trip to your local asian grocery and asking for this curry. I guess I will have to find a new favorite to start ordering at the thai restaurant!


CHICKEN MASAMAN CURRY

1 lb. cubed chicken ( I buy chicken tenders and cut them further, less work)
3 cups cubed potatos ( I use Yukon gold, they stay together well - 4 small ones)
1 medium diced yellow onion
1 4 oz can Maesri Masaman Curry Paste
2 cans light coconut milk
2 cups jasmine rice
1 hass avocado ( This is optional but I think this makes the dish)
1/4 cup dry roasted cashews (use peanuts if you prefer)

In a wok or medium soup pot, combine one can of coconut milk and the can of curry paste and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring several times to make sure the curry paste is dissolved in the milk.  Add the potatoes, chicken, and onion, and other can of milk and simmer for 30 min.  Prepare jasmine rice according to package.  Try to use jasmine rice if you can instead of other rices, it has a very fragrant flavor, and this is what the Thai restaurants use.  To serve, pour a portion of finished chicken curry in a bowl, top with half an avocado that has been sliced and a tablespoon or so of roasted cashews. Serve rice on the side.

Spicy Garlic Shrimp Bok Choy Lomein

Today I tried an experimental recipe.  The inspiration was a side dish they serve at P. F. Changs:  spicy garlic noodles.  Experiment turned out very well I think.  I love bok choy, more people should try to cook with it.  Very mild flavor, not as strong as spinach, high in vitamins and minerals, and very easy to find now.  I like to buy it in my local asian grocery because their's are always smaller and more tender.  Look at the picture below, if the bok choy you are buying is much larger than a dollar bill..... don't buy it.  It will be stringier and not have as tender a taste.

SPICY GARLIC SHRIMP BOK CHOY LOMEIN

1/2 pound shrimp (always try to get shrimp that says "wild" or "gulf" not "farmed")
3-4 bunches of baby bok choy (wash thoroughly, these come in clusters, I always cut the bottom 1 1/2 inch off before I wash them because dirt can get trapped between the layers.  Cut into strips)
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tblsp oyster sauce
1/2 tblsp white sugar
3 tblsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tblsp siracha chili garlic sauce
2 servings of your favorite long noodle (I used Japanese whole wheat lomein, you could also use fettuccine, soba, udon, or linguini)
3 tablespoons water
1/2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp soy sauce

In a small bowl, mix the siracha, oyster sauce, sugar, peanut oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic together.  In another small bowl, place the shrimp.  Pour half this marinade over the shrimp, toss well, and let marinate for 10 minutes. Cook noodles according to directions and drain.  While noodles are cooking, take remaining marinade, add 1 tablespoon water and place in a cold wok or large saute pan. Add the bok choy, and mix to coat evenly.  Then turn on the stove-top to medium and let bok choy start to cook(5-7 minutes).  The bok choy will reduce significantly, then move the bok choy to one side of the pan and place the shrimp in the other (see picture).  Turn up heat to medium high.  Saute for 4 minutes.  Turn temperature back down to medium. Add drained pasta, and 1/2 tsp corn starch dissolved in remaining 2 tablespoons water to make a thick sauce to cover the noodles.  Stir fry all ingredients for another 4 minutes so the noodles can soak up all the flavor and be covered in sauce.

Southern Gourmet Cookbook Gift Ideas

These are some of my favorite Cookbooks from the South.  I will add to this list over time.

The first three books I am recommending are very fancy books.  The Blackberry Farm cookbook is written by Sam Beall.  It is a cookbook that displays artistic pictures and recipes from a working farm with sheep, pigs, and chickens.  This farm also is complete with heirloom gardens, a creamery, an orchard, and winery.



  









I encourage you to visit their website to learn more about this place.  It seems like a self sustaining Smokey Mountain wonderland. http://www.blackberryfarm.com/

The next two books are written by Frank Stitt who arguably owns the best restaurants in Birmingham, AL. This first book is an Italian book, but the recipes are amazing and he incorporates fresh ingredients from Alabama into his recipes.  The second is based on Southern food, in some cases really really fancy Southern food, and it is wonderful!














This last recommendation is not really gourmet... rather a staple for North Alabama Southern Cuisine.  If you want to know how to cook southern food really well, then you need to own this cookbook.  Especially North Alabama Southern Food!  Right now the copy that I have in my apartment, belonged to my boyfriend's grandmother, then it got passed to his father, then to him (though he doesn't really cook so I am "borrowing" it). Because this book was written by Junior League members in Morgan County, there are also family recipes from other states.  Generally though, if you need a recipe for a party or occasion, this is the book to go to.

Black Bottom Goodies

Over the next few days I will be putting up several posts!  I have decided to put up all my favorite recipes that I have created, some family recipes, and some good classic ones that I have used for years like these black bottom goodies.  If you know me and I have cooked something you love before and you would like the recipe, I would love to take requests. I will be putting up mostly just recipes, and hopefully will fill many of them in with pictures later.

A friend of mine in high school gave me this recipe in drama club (Ashley Warner Colagross).  She would bring them all the time and I begged her for the recipe.  They always get eaten very quickly! I have used it so many times since then. 

 BLACK BOTTOM GOODIES

Chocolate Batter:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tblsp white vinegar

1 tblsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese (I use low-fat)

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

6 ounces mini chocolate morsals (Nestle)

For the chocolate batter, mix first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl until blended.  In a separate bowl mix the next 4 ingredients.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry.  For the cream cheese filling, put the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg and salt.  Beat until well-blended.  Add mini morsels.  Line mini muffin tins with mini muffin paper liners.  Use  teaspoon to take chocolate mixture and fill cups about 1/3 full.  Use teaspoon to fill the muffin cups another 1/3 way up with cream cheese filling very lightly to insure the cheese filling stays near the top.  Bake at 350 * F for about 12-14 minutes.  After removing goodies from the oven, allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin.  Makes about 6 dozen miniature black bottom goodies. 

Anna's Spicy Pimento Cheese - Almost as good as Palmetto Cheese!

  Publix has recently started carrying a new brand of pre-made pimento cheese called Palmetto Cheese!  It is absolutely delicious!  Palmetto Cheese  This brand is from South Carolina bed and breakfast place and the logo features their cook Vertrella Brown.  Right now they have two flavors, plain and jalapeno.  Love this spread!  But it can be quite expensive.  I read the ingredients on the back, and through some trial and error I have come up with a recipe that I think is in the same spirit but with less fat and calories.  I love to serve this on tea-sandwiches for parties, spread inside of celery sticks, used as a hummus style dip for mixed sliced vegetables like carrots or bell peppers, or spread on one slice of thick bread and toasted for a minute so it gets all gooey and melted for a snack.  I have also tried a bit of this stuffed inside a baked chicken breast (de-boned with skin on).  Leave out the jalapeno if you don't like spicy pimento cheese.

SPICY PIMENTO CHEESE

1 package lowfat cream cheese
1 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup low fat mayonnaise (Use Hellman's or Duke's)
1/4 tsp.  freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tblsp minced pimentos
1 tblsp grated vidalia onion
1 prepared small jalapeno* (powdered jalapeno can be substituted for spice, but not quite as good)
Optional:  one dash of Tabasco or worchestershire sauce

*If you have a gas stove, skewer jalapeno on a bamboo stick, light gas eye on medium, and slowly spin jalapeno over fire until the skin is blackened all over.  Let cool, and rub all blackened skin off.  Open with a small paring knife and scrape all seeds out, and slice ribs out of it.  Dice remaining meat finely.  You can also broil in oven.

Let ingredients except mayonnaise come to room temperature.  Combine in large stand mixer.  If you don't have one (like me) wash hands thoroughly and scrunch together with hands until completely incorporated together.  Put into a bowl and cover tightly.  Let flavors mix in refrigerator at least 6 hours before serving.  Lasts two weeks if tightly covered.

Lentil Soup

Sometimes I get in a soup making mood and make 1 or 2 soups so that we can freeze them in 2 people portions for nights we don't feel like cooking or going out.  Today I made 15 bean soup (which everyone pretty much knows how to make - follow package directions, can't make it better than that!) and lentil soup.  My lentil soup has a little kick to it because I use McCormick's Montreal Grill Seasoning in it. I serve my 15 bean soup with cornbread and my lentil soup with whole grain rolls.  My other lentil soup uses fennel and italian sausage, but here is my standard recipe.

LENTIL SOUP

1 pkg lentils (I used the standard brown kind because that is all my store had today, but use yellow, or red if you can find them) this is about 2 cups worth
2 cups finely chopped carrot
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups finely chopped celery
2 32ounce boxes chicken broth (swanson)
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 cups dry red wine
1 tsp McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning
1 bay leaf
2 tblsp minced garlic
3 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp red wine vinegar

In large soup pot, saute carrot, onion, and celery in olive oil until the onions are very transluscent and starting to brown (this mixture is called mirepoix).  Add the garlic, bay leaf, grill seasoning, chicken broth, tomatoes and lentils.  Let this mixture simmer on medium low heat for 45 minutes covered.  Add the wine and and simmer for 10 more minutes and add the vinegar in at the very end and let simmer 1 minute. If your soup gets too thick with broth for the bread to sop up, add 2 cups of water. Like all soups, this soup tastes better the next day.  Serve with crusty bread.  This soup freezes very well.