Cauliflower Masala

Cauliflower is good. If you say it often enough, it will be true (and this cauliflower masala recipe will help).

ingredients:
1 med CAULIFLOWER (cut into florets)
1 15oz can DICED TOMATOES (or 2 med tomatoes)
1 8oz can GREEN PEAS
1/8 tsp ASAFOETIDA (optional, also called Hing)
1 large ONION (chopped)
1 HOT PEPPER (finely chopped)
1 tsp GINGER (finely chopped)
1 Tbsp GARLIC (finely chopped)
1 tsp CHILI POWDER (sub cumin powder for less heat)
1 tsp CUMIN SEEDS
½ tsp TURMERIC POWDER
1 tsp CORIANDER POWDER
1 tsp GARAM MASALA
2-3 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
¼ cup WATER
SALT (to taste)

directions:
In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida. Seeds will brown and crack quickly. Add onion and stir. Cook 1 minute and then add ginger, garlic, and hot pepper. Continue cooking until onions are soft. Add turmeric, chili, and coriander powder and mix well. Stir in tomatoes and continue cooking 4-5 minutes. Add salt to taste. As the tomatoes cook down I like to crush them with a spoon. Stir in cauliflower florets. Add water and bring dish to a bubble, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook 4-5 minutes. I say 4-5 minutes, but cook it however long you like…I should say 1-10 minutes. I don’t want to cook all the nutrients out of the cauliflower, and I like my florets to still have a bit of crunch to them, so I simmer my cauliflower for only a few minutes. When the cauliflower is almost cooked to your liking, add garam masala and green peas. Mix and continue cooking until peas are heated through. And that’s it—your cauliflower and peas will be transformed into something delicious (I know it’s hard to believe, but trust me).
And bon appétit!


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Samba Sting by Kevin MacLeod at http://www.incompetech.com/. Music track used with permission Creative Commons: By Attribution and found at this link: http://www.incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?genre=Stings&page=1

Spicy Couscous Recipe

Couscous is a quick and simple dish, so naturally I love it. It makes a great pairing with fish and both can be whipped up lickety-split. I usually start with plain couscous and spice it up myself—give it a try—it’s eezey-peezey and vastly yummier than any overpriced couscous mix you’ll find at the market. Check out the recipe below, and for more video recipes visit the Chef Buck Playlist at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2EFBD7E8FE2BB552

ingredients:

1 cup COUSCOUS
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1 medium ONION (chopped)
3 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
1 HOT PEPPER (finely chopped)
1 tsp MUSTARD SEEDS
1 tsp CHILI POWDER
1 tsp PAPRIKA
½ tsp TURMERIC POWDER
1 tsp TOMATO PASTE
1 ½ cup WATER (or broth)
SALT (to taste)

directions:
Heat olive oil on medium high heat and then add onions. Stir for 1 minute and add mustard seeds, hot pepper, and garlic. Continue sautéing for a couple more minutes. Stir in chili powder, paprika, and turmeric. Add salt and tomato paste and mix well. Pour in 1 ½ cups of water, stir, cover pot and turn up the heat and bring the pot to a boil. After ingredients come to a boil, stir in the couscous and mix well. Cover and remove from heat and allow pot to sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes the couscous will have completely absorbed all the water. Uncover and immediately fluff with a fork—this will keep the couscous for overcooking and becoming a sticky, starchy mess; couscous should be light and fluffy, and in this case, nice and spicy, too.

Bon appétit!

Chana Masala Recipe

Chana masala is a kick-ass Indian chick pea dish. It’s super easy to make and a great introduction to Indian cooking. There are literally one zillion billion versions of this dish, and 99% of them are probably awesome. Many chana masala recipes include onion, but I think it’s fine without (I make so many Indian dishes with onions, it’s nice to have a few that are onion-free). I do include asafoetida (hing) and besan (chick pea flour). These ingredients are great in this dish, but not necessary. If not using besan, just add ½ cup of water instead of 1 cup. The asafoetida is wonderful. It stinks. Man, it stinks. It’s also called “devil’s dung”. But that’s just when it’s raw, once you toss it into a simmering skillet, it transforms into a sharp, oniony weirdness that will pleasantly remind you of your favorite Indian restaurant. I’ve only been able to find asafoetida at international food markets, but it’s worth acquiring—especially if you want to make a habit of cooking great Indian dishes at home. If foregoing the asafoetida, try adding 1 finely chopped medium-sized onion between the cumin seeds and the tomatoes. Coriander powder is great in this dish, too. But the way I usually prepare it is like this:

ingredients:
1 15 oz can CHICK PEAS (or 2 cups)
1 15 oz can DICED TOMATOES (or 2 fresh diced)
1 tsp GARLIC (minced)
1 tsp GINGER (minced)
1 HOT PEPPER (minced)
1-2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1 Tbsp CHICK PEA FLOUR (also called besan)
1 tsp CUMIN SEEDS
1 tsp CHILI POWDER
1 tsp GARAM MASALA
1/8 tsp ASAFOETIDA (optional, also called hing)
½ tsp TUMERIC
SALT (to taste)

directions:

In a skillet, heat oil on medium high heat. When the oil is heated, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. Stir and allow to simmer for just a few moments. Once the seeds begin to crack, add the chick pea flour and continue stirring. The flour will absorb the oil. Stir for approx. 1 minute and then add the diced tomatoes. Mix well and allow the tomatoes to bubble. As the tomatoes cook down, you can crush them with your stirrer for a smoother chana massala. Add the minced ginger and garlic and hot pepper. Add the chili powder and turmeric. After the tomatoes have cooked 4-5 minutes, add the chick peas, garam masala, and salt to taste. Mix well and add 1 cup of water. Bring the dish to a bubble, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and allow cooking for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, the chick peas will be soft. Use a fork or potato masher to smash some of the chick peas, this will help thicken the chana masala along with the chick pea flour added earlier. Simmer uncovered to the desired consistency, remove and serve. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with rice or on its own, it’s great either way.

Bon appétit!

Curry Parsnip Soup

If you’ve never tried parsnips before, parsnip soup is an easy introduction. Blended up, it’s super creamy without a drop of cream, which makes my belly happy on several levels. Give it a try—it’s guaranteed super delicious or your money back. For more moving pictures of food being made, check out the Chef Buck playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2EFBD7E8FE2BB552


ingredients:

1 lb PARSNIPS (chopped for soup)
1 large POTATO (chopped for soup)
1 medium ONION (chopped)
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1 Tbsp CURRY POWDER
1 tsp CUMIN POWDER
1 tsp CORIANDER POWDER
2 cups BROTH (chicken or vegetable)
2 cups WATER
SALT (to taste)
CORIANDER LEAVES (chopped, garnish)

directions:
In a soup pot, heat olive oil on medium high heat and add onions and cook for 1 minute. Add parsnips and potatoes and continue cooking until the onions are soft. Add curry, cumin, and coriander powder and mix well. Add 4 cups of liquid— ½ broth and ½ water . Bring contents to a boil, add salt, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. After a half hour the parsnips and potato should be quite tender. For a creamy texture, blend soup as desired—no milk or cream are needed. I like to leave a few chunks of potato unblended, and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Bon appétit!

Samba Sting by Kevin MacLeod at http://www.incompetech.com/. Music track used with permission Creative Commons: By Attribution and found at this link: http://www.incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?genre=Stings&page=1

Tomato Okra Recipe

Whole pod okra in a tomato gravy. Sound southern enough for you?

ingredients:
1 lb OKRA (whole pods)
1 medium ONION (chopped)
1 cup TOMATO PUREE (or 2 chopped tomatoes)
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1 tsp MUSTARD SEEDS
1 Tbsp CORIANDER POWDER
1 tsp CHILI POWDER
1 Tbsp white wine VINEGAR
SALT and PEPPER (to taste)
¼ cup WATER

directions:
Heat olive oil on medium heat and add onions. Cook for 1 minute and add mustard seeds. Add coriander and chili powder and continue sautéing onions for another minute. Stir in the tomato puree. Add salt. I like using puree because it’s thick and sweet and acts like a gravy. You can substitute fresh chopped tomato instead if you prefer a thinner consistency. Add fresh okra.
Fresh! Buy okra that’s bright green and firm, not soft and bendy. Small okra pods are best—1” to 2”. Okra won’t stay pretty in the fridge for too long, so use soon after buying (1-2 days). Trim the stems, but not too much—you don’t want to cut into the pod and release the watery goo. I say goo, but not in a bad way. Okra is a dry climate vegetable and stores a lot of moisture in its pod—it’s a kinda gooey moisture—that’s why cut okra is often used in soups and gumbos as a thickener.
Mix the okra into the tomato gravy. Add vinegar and continue sautéing another minute. The tomato and vinegar will cut the “slickness” of the okra. Add ¼ water, cover pan and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
And that’s it. Add pepper and adjust salt as needed and serve—I find it’s a perfect side dish for blackened fish.

Bon appétit!



Samba Sting by Kevin MacLeod at http://www.incompetech.com/. Music track used with permission Creative Commons: By Attribution and found at this link: http://www.incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?genre=Stings&page=1

Truck Stop Bologna

A road trip isn't complete without a truck stop breakfast.