Spicy Chicken Wings

This has been a much sought after recipe buy a whole lot of Austin peeps. I served this over a Christmas get together and it got some of the rave-est reviews of all times. My sincerest apologies in uploading this post after so long. I totally forgot about it until a very recent and not so subtle reminder. The prep and making of these wings is super easy but filming and editing took me more time so lets get to it.

RECIPE: Spicy Chicken Wings

Ingredients

2 Lbs Chicken wings

Marinade,

1/4 C Crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp Soy sauce

1 tsp Brown sugar

Tabasco to taste (according to how spicy you want them)

1 tsp Lemon juice

1 Tbsp White vinegar

2 tsp Vegetable oil

2 tsp water

salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a big bowl stir in all the marinade ingredients and blend well. Throw in the wings and let marinate overnight. Pre-heat the over to 375 degrees and bake wings uncovered on middle rack for 60-75 minutes. 

That's pretty much it. 

Hope you enjoy making this with your loved ones. School will be out soon and this will be a perfect summer snack by the pool.

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Why is Monday so far from Friday and Friday so close to Monday? 

Anyone else feels like I do today? It was one of those mornings where getting out of bed was super hard. All I wanted to do was pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep. 

That brings me to today's post about keeping it simple in the kitchen. If you love Indian Curries but find it too time consuming because of the work it involves, fear not you will love this recipe. Let your slow cooker do all the work while you enjoy the perfectly rich and moist Chicken Curry a few hours later. 

RECIPE: Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
Adapted from Cooking Curries

Ingredients

1 Pack Chicken thighs (11/2-2 lbs)
Olive oil
4-5 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1" piece Ginger, crushed
1/2 Large red onion, chopped
3 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
1 can Coconut milk
Cilantro to garnish

Method

1. Turn on the Slow Cooker to High and add all the ingredients except the coconut milk and Cilantro. Mix it all up and let it cook for 2 hours.
2. Stir in Coconut milk and cook for another hour.
3. Before serving let it warm a little on the warm setting and garnish with cilantro.

This is by far the easiest hands-off Chicken Curry recipe. Hope you enjoy making it. A friend called and asked me if she could use Greek Yogurt instead of Coconut Milk and it brought me to the idea of calculating out how it would affect the calories in the recipe so here is a breakdown. This recipe will make 8 servings.

With Greek Yogurt	With Coconut Milk

Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Tapioca is starch extracted from Cassava root, native to Brazil but popular all over the world. It can be found in the form of Pearls (like in the popular Asian bubble teas) or in powder form to add thickness to gravies and soups. For more details on Tapioca and its types, read the Article "What is Tapioca, Anyway?" from Food52. They have covered it in detail and I could not do justice to it even if I tired.

A very popular dessert in India, Kheer is made with milk, sugar, rice, nuts and raisins and some spices. Sometimes rice was substituted with Tapioca Pearls for variety. I personally like the Tapioca version better because I loved the delicacy and texture that the pearls provided in the dish. It made the traditional Kheer a little more unique and contemporary and it was not as rich and heavy. The Tapioca gave it a light airy feeling.

TIP: To prevent the milk from scalding and sticking to the bottom of your pan, rub and ice cube (1 whole ice cube) before you start. Drain the water and begin cooking. The base of the pan will be clean and will save you a lot of time and energy in the end. This is tried and tested by me several times and has been a savior. The last thing I want to do is scrub the dishes after cooking (I just want to get down to eating as soon as possible ;)

RECIPE: Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Tapioca Pearls
3 Cups Whole or 2% milk
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
pinch of salt
7 oz Coconut Milk (1/2 a can or use fresh)
1 tsp Chia Seeds
1/2 Tsp Ground Cardamom

Garnish,
2 TBSP Sliced Almonds
Chopped Mango
Rind of a lime

Method

1. Rinse the Tapioca Pearls with fresh water a few times and let them drain in a fine mesh sieve or colander.
2. Bring the milk to boil in a heavy based pan. Once it reaches the boiling point reduce heat and add sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Stir in the Tapioca Pearls, raisins, salt, coconut milk and chia seeds. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes till the pearls soften and become transparent. 
4. Remove from heat and stir in the cardamom powder.
5. Pour the mixture into individual serving bowls and garnish with almonds, rind of the lime and fresh mango.Serve it warm or cold. 

Hope you enjoy making this dessert.

TURMERIC: A HEALING PERSPECTIVE

I don’t know if I should call this coincidence or something else. I am on my laptop working on this post (it’s been in the works for a couple weeks now) and my phone beeps. It’s a text from a dear friend and neighbor asking if I have any turmeric and if she can borrow a teaspoon of it. So of course I call her to find out what she needs it for (maybe I inspired her to cook some Indian Food :)).

She has been in a lot of pain from tendinitis in her thumb and wrist and she has been looking for some natural remedies. After some research she came upon an article that said to use it topically on the affected area. I went over to her house to deliver the magic potion and you can read the rest below to find out the healing powers Turmeric.

I will link to the Ingredients so you can find them easily.

Fresh, raw Turmeric Root

Raw Turmeric Root and Turmeric Powder

The term that comes to mind when I think about Raw Turmeric is “Superfood” but in the recent years the term has been tainted and overused by advertisers and marketers alike.  Every few months you see a new superfood spotlighted in the grocery stores but Raw Turmeric has been used in Indian Culture and Cuisine for centuries. It’s one of the major ingredients in Indian cuisine and Ayurveda. According to Indian belief and research, Turmeric and its primary compound Curcumin have profound healing benefits for the entire body. So, whenever someone got badly hurt or was recovering from surgery Milk with Turmeric (latte style) was the first thing they got to drink since it helped heal faster.

Benefits of Turmeric

1.  It’s a Natural Anti-inflammatory and pain reliever for muscle and joint aches. It helps reduce inflammation and help heal the affected area.
2. It is extremely beneficial for Diabetics since it naturally reduces blood glucose levels and reverses Insulin resistance.
3. Turmeric is Anti-bacterial and rich in antioxidants, improves overall skin health.  Since it is Anti-inflammatory in nature it reduces skin irritation and redness helping with eczema and other skin ailments.
4.  It can safely be ingested or applied topically to the affected area to provide relief. Unlike western medicines, you won’t see any benefits instantly. Continuous use over a few weeks is what it takes to start seeing any real long term results. Like any traditional Ayurveda treatments, topical application is best if turmeric powder is mixed in with Ghee (clarified butter). Ghee is used as a carrier because of its supreme penetrating qualities thus able to carry the turmeric and its healing properties deep into the tissues. 

Cons

The only negative I could come up with was that it stains easily. Chopping raw turmeric will stain your hands a deep golden yellow but fear not, washing your hands with dish washing soap will take most of the stain out. If you manage get it on your clothes, apply the dish soap liquid to the stain and put it in direct sunlight for 30 minutes and it will magically disappear.

RECIPE: Turmeric Milk

½ tsp Ghee (clarified butter)

½  Cup Regular low fat Milk or dairy free version like Soy, Almond or Coconut milk

½ Cup water

1 pinch Cinnamon

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Honey (to taste, preferably local and raw)

Method

1. Heat the Ghee in a saucepan on medium heat. Remove from heat and add the turmeric, stir it for a few seconds and make sure it does not burn. 
2. Will only take a couple seconds.Add everything else and bring to a boil.
3.  Pour it into a cup and drink it hot.

 RECIPE: Pickled Raw Turmeric Root

This is another great way to ingest Fresh Turmeric. Turmeric root looks a lot like Ginger root. Peel the turmeric root with a peeler, cut it into slices and then julienne it. Put it into a glass bowl that has a lid. Squeeze the juice of a lemon in it and add some salt and cayenne pepper powder and toss it all up. Use it in salads or eat it as a side with your meal. It is delicious and easy to find. Most stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Asian supermarkets carry fresh Turmeric in the produce section. To purchase online click on the link, Fresh Raw Organic Turmeric Root.

Hope this was informational and helpful. 

No-Bake Chocolate and Pretzel Egg Nests

Saw this super fun idea for Easter brunch and these would make a perfect centerpiece for my table. They are not only adorable to look at but taste delicious too.

RECIPE: No-Bake Chocolate and Pretzel Egg Nests
Adapted from Nikki's website (Chefintraining.com)

Ingredients
1 bag Guittard milk chocolate chips
1 bag Guittard butterscotch chips
1 bag Alphabet pretzels (12 oz) 
peeps or small chocolate eggs to put in the nests

Method

1. In a microwave safe bowl melt together chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in 30 second increments and stir each time. Will take you 3-4, 30 second periods to fully melt the chocolate.
2. Stir in a couple handfuls of pretzels and coat them with the melted chocolate. Add as needed.
3. Drop spoonfuls into a greased medium size muffin tin and mold into nest shapes.
4. set it in the refrigerator for about an hour.
5. Pull it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature, will unmold a lot easier.
6. Decorate with small eggs or peeps.

Hope you enjoy making them with your kiddos this Easter.