Potato salad with andouille sausage and onion

Foodnetwork.com Saag Paneer: Spinach with Indian Cheese

Ingredients
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces paneer, (Indian cheese, either store-bought or made from my recipe, recipe follows), cut into 1-inch cubes, see Cook's Note*
1 (16-ounce package) frozen chopped spinach
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 (1-inch thumb) ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green serrano chile, finely chopped (seeds removed if you don't like it spicy!)
1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade garam masala, recipe follows
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred until smooth
Paneer: Homemade Indian Cheese:
Cheesecloth
8 cups whole milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed, see Cook's Note*

Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes if you're using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.

Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here's the important part: saute the mixture until it's evenly toffee-coloured, which should take about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.

Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve.

*Cook's Note: Paneer is very easy to make at home, and my recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. I also think homemade has a better texture than anything store-bought. If you'd like to buy it, this cheese is available in better supermarkets as well as specialty Asian markets.

Paneer: Homemade Indian Cheese:
Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.

In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while so be patient!

Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!

*Cook's Note: If the milk doesn't separate juice some more lemons and add another tablespoon or two. Boost the heat again and the milk should separate. Stir in a motion that gathers the curds together rather than breaks them up.

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!

Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.

Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.

Yield: Makes 12 ounces of cheese.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/saag-paneer-spinach-with-indian-cheese-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Green Crack Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 fresh jalapeños, including seeds and ribs, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon aji Amarillo paste (see note above)
• 1 cup freshly picked cilantro leaves and small stems
• 2 tablespoons grated cotija cheese or Parmesan cheese
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon juice from 1 lime
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedures

1. 1
   Combine jalapeños, aji amarillo, cilantro, cotjia, garlic, oil, vinegar, and lime juice in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth paste forms. Add mayonnaise and blend until homogenous. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with grilled chicken. Unused sauce can be stored in a covered container for up to 1 week

Tandoori

Basmati rice cooked in 1/2 water and 1/2 chicken stock, turmeric, tandoori seasoning. Squeeze lemon juice and hydrated cranberry when done.

Ground beef with onion and garlic and tandoori seasoning. Cook then add peas.

Cucumber with oil and vinegar and feta.

Trader joes meat loaf

Rice with chicken broth, corn and salad with avocado

Baked Chicken

Couscous and red peppers with salad feta and artichoke and simple dressing

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 11/3 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 c sour cream
• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 c mashed ripe bananas
• 1 c chocolate chips
• 1/2 c chopped pecans (optional - I left these out!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Then mix in eggs, vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to sugar mixture and stir until combined. Fold in bananas, nuts, and chocolate chips. Pour into 2 large loaf pans or 4 small loaf pans. You can also make 24 muffins. Bake for 1 hour in a loaf pan, 35-45 minutes in a small loaf pan or 25 min in a muffin pan. You want the bread to be lightly browned. Make sure it comes clean with a toothpick.
2. Once the bread is cooked, remove the bread from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives (Meat)

Modified
- Added 2 lemons

Want to make a chicken dish with Israeli flavor? My neighbor Carmit showed me how to make her family’s favorite chicken - Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives. She covers the chicken with lemons and olives, along with her grandmother’s Sephardic spices, to create a delicious and easy-to-make main course for Friday night dinner.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6-8 skinless chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and/or legs)
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 8-oz. (250 gram) can of green olives without pits, drained
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• boiling water

Preparation:

1. In a Dutch oven, saute onions and garlic in oil until golden.
2. Add chicken pieces so they fit in one layer. When the meat is white on one side (3-4 minutes), turn over. When the meat is white on the other side, it is time to add the rest of the ingredients.
3. First, pour the olives on top of the chicken pieces. Then place the lemon slices on top. Then sprinkle the spices on top. Then pour enough boiling water on top to cover the chicken pieces about half way (don't completely submerge them).
4. Cover the Dutch oven. After the mixture boils, turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Yields: 6-8 servings.