Goat Curry

Goat Curry

RECIPE: Goat Curry
Ingredients

4 Lbs Goat leg, cut into pieces
4 TBSP Sunflower Oil
3 White Onions, thinly sliced
3 Tomatoes, roughly diced
8-10 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
2" piece Ginger, roughly chopped
2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste
Fresh Cilantro to garnish

Method

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet and saute the onions till soft and browned.
2. Blend the browned onions in a food processor with very little water to make a paste.
3. Add the paste back into the skillet and cook a it on low heat. In the food processor, blend the ginger and garlic into a paste and add to the cooking onions. 
4. Add the tomatoes into the food processor and blend into a puree. Add it to the skillet with the spices: 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tsp garam masala and salt to taste. Cook till the oil separates from the masala.
5. Add the goat meat to this mix and saute it till the meat gets browned.
6. Add 1 cup hot water and let it come to a boil. Cover and simmer till the meat if fully cooked. You can transfer to a pressure cooker now and cooking time will be 15- 20 minutes or you can slow simmer in the skillet itself for a couple of hours. It should have fairly thick gravy when done.
7. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with rice, naan or a salad.

Spices

Raw Goat meat, rinsed and draining in a colander

Other ingredients

Onions cooking and browned

Blend the caramelized onions into a paste with little water 

Ginger Garlic paste

Tomato Puree

Add ginger garlic paste to the pureed onions and cook a little. Next add the tomato puree with the spices and cook till oil separates from the masala

Add the goat meat and saute till it is browned. Add water, bring to boil, simmer and cook till the meat is fully cooked.

Hope you enjoy this with your family.

One Strategy: Exponential Meal Choices

It is so much easier to cook for yourself and eat foods that you love. Don't feel like cooking, Peanut butter and banana slices on toasted sesame bread rocks. But when you have a family the equation changes. One person loves spicy food, others don't. Couple people absolutely adore avocados and the others can't even look at them let alone eat them. One child loves toasted and crunchy everything other one wants it soft and doughy. Parents visiting, they are vegetarians. Ummm what do you do in this situation? How do you make mealtimes work for you? How does one meal fit all these variables.

Lets briefly get into the nutritive aspects of food. In a nutshell here are 3 main Macro Nutrients namely, Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat that constitute each meal. Lean Protein comes from meats, eggs, tofu and soy. Carbohydrates are found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Fats are found in butter, oils, avocado, nuts and cheeses/some dairy products. Now to have a balanced meal your plate should consist of these 3 macros. 

What has helped me keep my sanity are adaptable meals that will fit all these variables like a sofa that turns into a bed, making it multi-purpose. So the workaround solution is to configure one meal with all different options that will please everyone on the table. These meals are both modular and complete. 

Have you ever ordered the taco bowl at Chipotle, just because you did not want too many carbs that day, you had the option to customize it however you like with the choice of meat and beans, with or without hot salsa, rice, cheese, sour cream, avocado etc etc etc. Now bring that concept to your dinner table and problem solved. You can make your own customized plates with one main dish decorated with the toppings that you love and want. My boys absolutely love customizing their own dinners.

Dinner option	Additional Toppings	Main Protein	Carbohydrate	Fat
Antipasto platter	Pickled vegetables, olives, pickled garlic and banana peppers (spicy), Baguette	Cured Meats and Salami	Bread and grilled vegetables	Cheeses and meats
Mixed Chicken and Vegetable soup	Hot sauce, chopped cilantro, soy sauce, garlic bread	Chicken	Vegetables, garlic bread	Butter
Spaghetti  Meatball	Chopped parsley, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, extra drizzle of olive oil, marinara sauce.	Meatballs	Spaghetti	Butter, Avocado, olive oil
Salad and grilled protein	Choice of dressings, choice of carbohydrate (you can pick what you like)	Pick from Tofu or lean meats or steak	Vegetables, risotto, brown rice or dinner rolls	Meats, butter, olive oil
Buttered pasta with cheese	Pesto, pasta sauce, pine nuts, avocado, fresh herbs	Bits of bacon or grilled chicken	Steamed Broccolini or tossed salad, Pasta	Butter
Fajitas	Shredded lettuce, pickled jalepenos, shredded Mexican cheese, tortillas, brown rice, Avocado/guacamole, pico de gallo etc.	Grilled chicken	Sauted onions and bell peppers, lettuce, tortillas, brown rice	Olive oil, cheese, avocado

Hope this gives you ideas to plan some fun and creative family meals that will please your youngest to the oldest audience. Don't forget to leave comments and feedback. Thank you.

In a Pinch?: 3 Ingredient Tomato Sauce

I am sure we have all been there, had a crazy busy day and its almost time for dinner. Now what? 

We were visiting my sister in CA this summer and between us we had 5 kids. The days were packed with activities and fun outings and by the time we came home no one really had the energy to put together a meal. So I got this idea from my sister. She had this fresh tomato basil sauce in her refrigerator at all times and it was so easy to steam some broccoli, boil the pasta and toss with some olive oil and tomato sauce, sprinkle some fresh Parmesan and a fresh kid friendly meal was ready in 15 minutes.

The possibilities on how you can use this sauce are endless. I have used it as my base for Homemade Chilli. I have even used this sauce on fresh homemade pizzas and it works great. So I make it ahead of time and store it. I have never been a fan of pasta sauces in Jars or cans but am guilty of using them when pressed for time but I will try not to buy them again after tasting the freshness of this homemade sauce. It is super simple and healthy and most of all has no fillers or preservatives like the store bough one. 

Roasted Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic

RECIPE: 3 Ingredient Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

6 tomatoes, roasted and peeled
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
handful of  fresh Basil leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil (to drizzle after cooking sauce)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and roast the tomatoes for 25 minutes. Let them cool, peel them and remove the core with a pairing knife. This will prevent a lumpy sauce later on.
2. Put the tomatoes in a sauce pan and cook them on medium heat. they will thicken and reduce a little. Now add the garlic, basil, salt and pepper and let them cook for about 7-10 minutes. Cover and turn off stove.
3. In case using it with Pasta, I like to drizzle some Olive Oil after I have tossed some pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle some Parmesan Cheese and enjoy.

Left-Over Gourmet

Left-over Gourmet is the new buzz word in the Culinary world, a new trend if you must. I absolutely hate throwing away food and with the new craze in the cooking world of using leftovers to create gourmet meals made me think of doing this post. This is not a new concept for me since I have been utilizing left overs for creative cooking ever since I really got into cooking (I left the number of years out on purpose, he he :)

I have been reading more and more articles on this subject and many a food shows have covered it in their recent episodes as well. So what are we really talking about? 

Think juicing beets or celery and using the leftover pulp in addition to fresh ingredients and making veggie burgers. Isn't that super cool. I have done something similar in the past, pull out all the leftover vegetables, lentils and such and make a batter or dough using some chickpea flour, fresh cilantro, chopped onions and green chilies. Make patties and cook on a non-stick pan with a little oil. Use it over a salad or make a pita wrap with lettuce and humus. All those little containers in the fridge got used up and you have a healthy lunch in minutes.

Here is my take on leftovers that don't taste like leftovers and have been transformed into something delectable. In the recipe below I have used all the leftovers except 1 ingredient to make it into something appetizing and it is balanced and super healthy. Hope this gives you ideas for your culinary adventures. 

Left-Over Gourmet Hash

RECIPE: Left-Over Gourmet Hash

Ingredients

Egg Whites: I used the yolks to make custard for a dessert and had the egg whites left over. I can always scramble them and eat them with toast for breakfast but that is predictable and boring.

Stewed Chicken: Left over chicken from a soup broth I made for a friend this past weekend. Shred the chicken and add to the hash.

Lemon: 1/2 a lemon left over from the lemon tea I have in the mornings. It has been sitting by the electric kettle all day and I needed the counter cleaned up.

Quinoa and Brown Rice: I usually have some plain cooked quinoa and brown rice in the fridge. I do rotations with my starch and switch it around every meal to get different nutrients and add variety to my meals.

Mixed Vegetables: Again there is always a medley of vegetables in my refrigerator so chop anything that looks like it has seen better days and use them up.

Barley: This is the only thing I made specifically for the hash. I was in the mood for some nutty, crunchy carbs and I absolutely adore whole Barley.

Spices: I used some garlic flakes, paprika, salt and pepper to add some dimension and flavors. For me, adding red pepper flakes to this takes it up a notch on the delicious-ness meter.

Herbs: Fresh cilantro and chives were my choices today.

Roasted Peanuts: I am never out of roasted peanuts and nuts add another crunch factor to my hash. 

Fruit Salad: The fruit salad bowl is from the last of all the little things left that no one wanted to eat :)

Method: 

1. Saute the egg whites till they are cooked. Add to it the garlic flakes and shredded chicken. Toss in the chopped vegetables, quinoa, brown rice, barley, spices and herbs. Lastly, squeeze lemon juice on top and mix it all up.

That is pretty much it. Makes for a perfect to-go lunch, it is perfectly balanced and rich in lean protein, assorted vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains. Add to it a fruit salad or a yogurt and you have a complete healthy meal. Hope you enjoy creating some of your own left-over gourmet meals. Don't forget to share them with me.

5 Ingredient Turkey Chilli: Perfect for a Weeknight Dinner

Stumped for weeknight dinner ideas. This was such a comfort food this weekend with the temperatures dropping. The cool weather and the warm chilli was a perfect end to this weekend. This never fails and puts a smile on everyone's face in our house. You can have this with corn bread, dinner rolls or even some baked tortilla chips and a salad on the side. Can't beat the quick 5 ingredients meal. You can thank me later :)

This is just an idea for a quick meal on days when you are running from one activity to the other or need to take a quick dish for a potluck. If you have the time please go for the fresh ingredients whenever possible. Season and steam the beans and chop/cook the tomatoes from scratch but then there are times that you have absolutely no time to do all the above and this has saved the day many a times.

5 Ingredient Turkey Chilli

RECIPE: 5 Ingredient Turkey Chilli: Perfect for a Weeknight Dinner

Ingredients

1 TBSP Sunflower Oil
1 Pkg Ground Turkey
3 (15 oz) Cans diced tomatoes or fresh (I like to use fresh on most nights but tomato cartons work in a pinch)
2 (15 oz) can Beans (again I like to soak and pressure cook mine. You can use Black beans, kidney beans or a combo of any beans you have)
1 small Onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings: Shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream, cilantro etc.

Method

1. Heat a TBSP of oil in a cast iron skillet and cook the onions on medium heat till soft and a little browned. Add turkey meat and cook till it is browned, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients and stir it well. 
2. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the onion and tomatoes are soft and fully cooked.
3. Serve warm with toppings, dinner rolls (recipe here) or corn bread.

Hope you enjoy it! Please don't forget to like and comment.