Spinach Side Dish (Sigeumchi Namul)

This is another one of my favorite Korean side dishes. It is so simple to prepare yet quite tasty. Recipe adapted from Maangchi.com.

Spinach Side Dish (Sigeumchi Namul)

Serves: 4 (as a Side Dish)
Preparation Time:  5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 bunch Fresh Spinach (about 1 pound) – cut off the roots
1 teaspoon Salt
2 cloves Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 Green Onion – thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon of Salt. Add spinach and blanch just until wilted for about 30 seconds.
2. Drain and rinse under cold water a few times, removing any grit or dead leaves along the way. Squeeze out excess water and cut into about 2 inch pieces.
3. Add remaining ingredients except sesame seeds and mix it well by hand.
4. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with toasted sesame seeds to serve.

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Soybean Sprout Side Dish

One of the reasons I like eating in Korean restaurants is the variety of side dishes they serve with the meal. I used to prepare 5 to 6 side dishes at a time whenever we do Galbi but haven’t prepared that many dishes at a time for a while now. This is one side dish that is easy to prepare and can also be used as an ingredient for Bibimbap. Recipe adapted from Maangchi’s website.

Soybean Sprout Side Dish

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound Soybean Sprouts – rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon Salt
2 cloves Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
2 Green Onions – thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon Korean Hot Pepper Flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Place soybean sprouts, salt and 1 cup water in a pot. Cover and bring it to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
3. Drain and transfer to a bowl and keep aside for few minutes to cool down a little.
4. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and serve.

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Curry Flavored Rice

This is a simple rice dish that I usually prepare when I cook Japanese Curry (recipe here). It is easy to prepare and taste particularly good when wrapped in an omelet.

Curry Flavored Rice

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Butter or Oil
1 large Shallot – finely chopped
1 large clove Garlic – finely chopped
1 cup Rice – rinsed and drained (I use Basmati Rice)
1 cube of Japanese Curry Sauce Mix
2 cups Water or Stock
A small pinch of Salt

Directions:

1. Heat a pot over high heat and add butter. Once melted, add shallot & garlic and sauté for few minutes until lightly golden in color.
2. Add rice and sauté for about a minute. Add salt, Curry Sauce Mix and stir till dissolved by adding little water if required.
3. Add water and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover pot with a tight lid and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
4. Fluff up the rice with a fork, remove from heat and serve.

Note:

• If using stock, you might not need to add salt.
• To make wrapped omelet, use about 2 large eggs per omelet, season with salt & pepper and 1 teaspoon of milk or cream. Cook just until the egg is set but little wet. Fill rice in middle of omelet, wrap and serve with prepared curry sauce.

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Fried Beef (Ame Pyot Kyaw)

This is the type of fried beef we grew up eating. It is similar to the Crispy Fried Chicken I've posted in the past where you boil or cook the meat first before frying. It is quite simple to prepare but since it needs to be cooked until beef is very tender, it will take longer time to cook than chicken. I usually use pressure cooker for preparing this. You can adjust the crispiness of the meat during the frying process. The longer you fry the crispier but little harder it will get. Some people like to fry just for few minutes until golden brown so that it is soft and tender. I personally like it quite crispy and almost ‘Jerky’ like so I fry for longer time, which also makes the meat darker in color. Back home, after deep frying the beef, we like to keep the meat in the oil that was used for deep frying and served it that way but I usually drained the oil after frying.

This can be served with Dal, Achin Hin or Eli Palat along with steamed rice.

Fried Beef

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 to 45 minutes

Ingredients:
2 pounds Beef (I used Beef Stew Meat) – cut into 2 x 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons Ginger – grated or finely chopped
2 tablespoons Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
4 tablespoons White Vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Directions:

1. In a pressure cooker pot, combine beef with ginger, garlic, vinegar, turmeric powder, salt and 1/4 cup of water.
2. Pressure cook over low heat for 3 whistles or 3 to 4 minutes after cooker starts steaming, turn off heat and keep aside.
3. Once pressure is released, open the pot and if there is any water left, cook over high heat until all water has been evaporated.
4. Deep fry the beef over medium heat until desired crispiness.
5. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Note: If cooking without pressure cooker, fill enough water to barely cover the beef and cook covered over low heat until beef is tender for about 1 hour. Once tender, open lid and cook over high heat to let water evaporate.

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Grilled Vegetables with Warm Jalapeno Dressing

I was searching for some simple and delicious salad recipes but nothing was catching my attention. I turned to my sister for some ideas and she sent me few recipes to try out. This recipe is from 'Curry and Chilli Cookbook (Step by Step Cookery) by Staff of Murdoch Books. It uses warm dressing with grilled vegetables. We've always made assorted grilled vegetables and I've always loved them so this recipe sounds good to me. The dressing has a very good balance of flavors and you can add as much variety of vegetables as you like. I seasoned my vegetables before grilling but followed the dressing recipe to exact.

Grilled Vegetables with Warm Jalapeno Dressing

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
For Vegetables
1 medium Zucchini - cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium Eggplant -cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
1 Red Bell Pepper - cut into 1/4 inch rings
1 Green Bell Pepper - cut into 1/4 inch rings
2 Tomatoes - cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 Large Onion - cut into 1/4 inch rings
2 Green Onions 
Olive Oil as needed
Salt and Pepper to taste
*Note: To grill vegetables in bamboo skewers, cut them into thicker or bite size pieces.

For Dressing
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic - crushed or finely chopped
1 tablespoon Jalapeno - finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Parsley - chopped
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Freshly cracked Black Pepper

Directions:
For Vegetables

1. Lightly brush vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste on both sides.
2. Heat indoor griddled pan or outdoor grill until very hot and grill the vegetables until soften but with a 'bite'.
3. Arrange vegetables in a platter and keep aside.

For Dressing:

1. In a small sauce pan over low heat, cook olive oil, garlic, jalapeno and crushed red pepper for few minutes until garlic and jalapeno has soften.
2. Add sugar, lemon juice and let it heat through.
3. Add parsley and salt, and pour the dressing over warm vegetables.
4. Season generously with cracked black pepper and serve warm. 

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Naan Pizza

Naan Pizzas are easy and quick to prepare and is delicious. One lazy evening, I didn't feel like cooking and we were totally out of fresh vegetables at home. The only thing I had on hand was some frozen Naan, sun dried tomatoes, olives and cheese. So we decided to just make Naan Pizza out of it. Since I didn’t have any marinara or pesto sauce on hand, I decided to spread some mayonnaise on it. It just took few minutes to put together and came out quite satisfying so we have been making this every now and then. This is not exactly a recipe but I thought I'll share since we like it a lot.

Naan Pizza

Makes: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
4 Frozen Garlic Naan
4 teaspoons Mayonnaise
1/3 cup Kalamata Olives – thinly sliced
1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil – sliced
1 – 4 ounce cup Pineapple Tidbits in 100% Juice - drained
1/2 cup Extra Sharp Cheddar or Cheese of your choice – grated
1 tablespoon Cilantro – roughly chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spread 4 frozen Naans in a microwave safe plate and microwave for about 1 minute.
3. Spread 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on each of the Naan.
4. Top it up with remaining ingredients among 4 Naans.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & Naan is crispy.

Note: I used toaster oven so it took me about 8 minutes. If using a big oven, it might take a little longer to cook.

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Dal

We made Dal at home quite often while growing up. My Dad always says that Dal completes a meal. This is a basic Dal that my Mom used to prepare. It is a versatile recipe and can be prepared in a variety of different ways. If you're short with some ingredients, you can still prepare Dal. For instance, you can use both tomato and onion to flavor Dal but if you're out of one, you can still prepare with the other.

We usually prepare it with a blend of four types of Dals but you can still prepare it by using only one type such as Toor or Chana Dal.  Keep in mind that Chana Dal takes much longer time to cook then Toor Dal. Curry Leaves give a very good aroma to the dish but if you're unable to find it, you can skip this ingredient. Curry Leaves can be found in most of Indian and Pakistani grocery stores.

I cook Dal using a pressure cooker so I do not need to soak them in water. However, without pressure cooker, you will need to soak and boil for longer time. I like to serve Dal with rice, some vegetable and meat dish.

Dal

Click on above image to enlarge

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Dal Base
1/4 cup Oily or Palin Toor Dal (Split Yellow Pigeon Pea)
1/4 cup Chana Dal (Split Black Chickpeas)
1/4 cup Moong Dal (Split Yellow Moong Bean)
1/4 cup Masoor Dal (Red Lentil)
1 teaspoon Salt

Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds
1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds (Rai)
1 cup Onion - finely chopped
1 stem Curry Leaves – remove leaves and discard stem
1 cup Tomato – chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger – grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1 large Jalapeno or any Green Chili - cut in big chunks
1/4 cup Cilantro - finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Salt to taste

Directions:
Dal Base

1. Combine all Dals in a pressure cooker pot and wash with few washes of water. Add 3 cups of water, salt and pressure cook over medium low heat for 4 whistles or 3 to 4 minutes after cooker starts steaming.
2. Turn off heat and keep aside until all steam has been released for about 10 to 15 minutes. Open cooker and stir with wire whisk to crush and smooth it out.
3. Add 3 1/2 cups of water; stir and bring it to a boil.

Seasoning

1. While Dal is boiling; in a separate skillet over medium high heat, add cumin seeds and let it toast till fragrant and few shades darker.
2. Add ghee or oil and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds pop, add onion and cook stirring frequently until onions are translucent.
3. Add curry leaves and cook until onions are lightly golden in color.
4. Add tomato, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Stir well and add some water if it is too dry.
5. Continue cooking for few minutes until tomatoes are crushed.
6. Pour this mixture to the dal pot and mix well. Season it with salt, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes adding more water (if required) for desired thickness of dal.
7. Garnish with Jalapeno, cilantro and Garam Masala Powder; turn off heat and cover pot immediately. Let it sit for 5 minutes covered. Stir well before serving.

Note:
To cook without pressure cooker, combine all Dal in a bowl and wash with few washes of water. Fill enough water to cover Dal by couple inches and let it soak for at least 4 hours. Wash one more time and transfer to a pot. Add salt and enough water to cover it by few inches. Cook uncovered over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it is not scorching at the bottom of the pot. Cook until dal is tender adding more water as required.

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Garlic Green Beans

This is an easy and quick dish to prepare. We usually pair it with steak and mash potatoes. Sometimes, I like to pair it with some grill fish and brown rice or potato salad. I like to use a lot of garlic in this as garlic gives really good aroma and taste. I also like to cook it right before serving so that green beans stay nice and crunchy.

Garlic Green Beans

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 to 7 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound Green Beans - stem ends trimmed
1 tablespoon Oil
8 big cloves Garlic - pressed or finely chopped
1/4 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock, or Water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place green beans in a microwave safe bowl, add about 1/4 cup of water, cover and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain and keep aside.
2. Heat a large skillet with oil over high heat. Once hot, add garlic and stir for few seconds being careful not to burn them.
3. Add green beans, stir well and cook for about 30 seconds. Season it with salt and generous amount of pepper to taste.
4. Add stock or water and stir and scrape to get all garlic bits out.
5. Reduce heat to medium high and continue cooking until all liquid is evaporated and green beans are just about tender without overcooking them.
6. Increase heat to high and stirring constantly, let the garlic brown for about half a minute, dish out and serve hot.

Note: Work fast because high heat can give good smoky flavor but easier to burn.
If you want your beans to be more tender, you can reduce heat and partially cover it for about a minute after adding the liquid but start and end with high heat.

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Khandvi

Khandvi is one of my favorite Gujarati snacks. I got to try this only after moving to California. At first, I was curious to find out how they would taste as they look like little bamboo shoots. I really loved it and always thought it would be quite complicated to prepare. One day while visiting my Sister-in-law she gave me this recipe from one of the cookbooks by Tarla Dalal. This is a microwave version which is pretty easy and quick to prepare but you need to work fast while spreading the batter. I’ve made this many times and most of the time I only need to microwave for about 3 ½ minutes.

This is a good appetizer or late afternoon snack and we usually eat this with Green Chutney. Sometimes, when I want to make more, I just make the rolls in two different batches rather than doubling the recipe because I cannot spread it fast enough for more than one batch portion. Prepare as many batches for rolls as you want and garnish all at once.

Khandvi

Makes: 12 pieces
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 minutes

Ingredients:
For Rolls
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
1/2 cup Gram Flour (Besan/Pe Mhont)
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Green Chili – finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Ginger – grated or finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
A pinch Asafetida Powder (Hing) – optional
Salt to taste

For Garnish
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
A pinch Asafetida Powder (Hing) – optional
3 tablespoons Fresh Coconut – Grated
2 tablespoons Cilantro – finely chopped

Directions:
For Rolls:

1. Cut 26 x 12 inches of aluminum foil and keep aside.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, whisk yogurt with 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Add remaining ingredients for the roll and whisk until it forms a smooth batter.
3. Microwave on high for 3 ½ – 4 ½ minutes; whisking in between after every 1 ½ minutes. (Whisking really well is very important because it will not only smooth out the batter but will also help in even cooking)
4. Working as quickly as you can, spread the mixture on the prepared aluminum foil, spreading approximately about 24 x 10 inches or as thin as you can.
5. Allow to cool for 1 minute or so and cut into approximately 2 x 10 inches strips (Total 12 strips).   Carefully roll out each strip, place it in a plate and keep aside.

Tip: The mixture after microwaving will solidify within few minutes so you need to really work fast while spreading it.

For Garnish

1. Heat a small frying pan with oil and once hot, turn off heat and add mustard seeds and Asafetida. Stir for few seconds and pour evenly over the prepared Khandvi rolls.
2. Garnish with grated coconut & cilantro and serve at room temperature with Green Chutney.

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Crispy Fried Chicken

This fried chicken is the way my Mom used to make for us and I love this type of crispy fried chicken. They are so crispy that you can even chew off most of the bones. I believe this method of preparation is quite common in Burma. First to cook the meat with flavoring and later deep fried. I like to use smaller size chicken where one chicken weights about 2 to 2.5 pounds, but no bigger than that. I usually buy one whole chicken and tell the butcher to cut it up into approximately 2 inch pieces. Sometimes, I like to use just the drumsticks. It is good to be paired with some Burmese sour soup or Dal and rice as a meal.

Crispy Fried Chicken

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
2 pounds Bone-in Skinless Whole Chicken - cut into 2 inch pieces
  or Skinless Chicken Drumsticks
2 tablespoons Garlic - pressed or finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Ginger - grated or finely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons Turmeric Powder
2 tablespoons Vinegar or Lime Juice
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot, mix well to coat chicken with all ingredients.
2. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until chicken starts to release liquid.
3. Depending on the amount of liquid, adjust heat medium or high and cook until all water is evaporated and chicken is cooked through.
4. Let this cool and deep fry over medium heat in couple batches for few minutes until it is golden brown and crispy. Serve hot.

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Red Chili Pound

This is one of my favorite condiments. It is called chili pound because traditionally each ingredient is deep fried separately and pounded using a Mortar & Pestle. Later it is mixed and pounded again. I usually make it two different ways depending on my mood.

First method is following traditional way but since I don’t own a good Mortar & Pestle, I just use my small food processor to do the job. This method gives you a nice smoky flavor end result.

Sometimes when I don’t want to fry or use food processor, I use pre-ground ingredients to make this. The good thing about this method is that it is easy and fast to make. The downside to this method is during the cooking process the fume of chili could be overwhelming at times. This gives less smoky flavor end result but I still like to make it every now and then.

I like to eat it along with Achin Hin (Sour Soup), Rice, Tomato Curry and some fried meat. You can also pair it with Dal and Rice by squeezing some lime juice in it before serving. This is a condiment so it is usually made spicier to be paired with other dishes. The spiciness will depend on the dried chilies used so adjust according to taste.

Red Chili Pound

Traditional Method

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 ounce Whole Dried Red Chili (use more or less depending on spiciness of dried chilies or taste)
7 cloves of Garlic
1/4 cup small to medium Whole Dried Shrimp
1 medium to large Tomato
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Fry each ingredient separately over medium low heat with few inches of oil.
2. Fry dried chili until few shades darker and crisp. Fry garlic and dried shrimp until golden brown.
3. Fry whole tomato for a minute or two turning few times to coat all sides of tomato until skin burst and peeled off.  Let cool, peel the skin off and cut in quarter.
4. Using a food processor or mortar & pestle, grind each ingredient separately. Grind chili into crushed red pepper consistency, garlic into fine paste, dried shrimp into fine powder and lastly tomato into fine puree.
5. Combine all ingredients in food processor, add salt to taste and pulse for few times for all ingredients to come together.
6. Transfer to a small bowl and serve at room temperature.

Easy but Smoke Alarm Method

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Oil
1 tablespoon Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1/4 cup Crushed Red Pepper
2 teaspoons Dried Shrimp Powder
1 medium Tomato – skin peeled and finely chopped
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a small skillet with oil over medium low heat. Add Garlic and stir for few seconds.
2. Add crushed red pepper and while stirring cook for 1 minute or two until it gets few shades darker and fragrant.
3. Add dried shrimp powder and continue cooking until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn it.
4. Add tomato and cook stirring continuously for few minutes until all tomatoes are crushed and everything comes together. Turn off heat, transfer to a small bowl and serve at room temperature.

Variation:
To make it Vegetarian or Vegan dish, skip on dry shrimp.

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Burmese Tomato Curry

This is a type of curry where it is cooked until all water has evaporated and left with a very thick (almost jam-like) gravy.  You can add Shrimp paste (Ngapi, Belacan) in this dish but I prefer without it. Usually, a lot of Burmese dishes use quite a good amount of oil. For instance, this dish would be made with enough oil to be separated and a thick or thin layer of oil lying on top of the dish. However, I’m not using as much oil as that. This dish is good to be paired with Achin Hin (Sour Soup), Red Chili Pound, Rice and some type of fried meat.

Burmese Tomato Curry

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Oil
1 tablespoon Garlic – pressed or thinly sliced (about 4 cloves)
1 teaspoon Crushed Chili Pepper (adjust to taste) (optional)
1 cup Onion – finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dry Shrimp Powder
2 cups Tomatoes – diced small
1 teaspoon Ginger – grated or finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder
3/4 tablespoon Fish Sauce (adjust to taste)
1 Fresh Jalapeno Pepper or any Green Chili – cut in chunks or thinly sliced
1/2 cup Cilantro – finely chopped

Directions:

1. Heat a pan with oil over medium heat and sauté garlic and crushed chili pepper for few seconds. Add onions and fry for few minutes until translucent.
2. Add dry shrimp and stirring frequently, continue cooking for few more minutes until onions are lightly browned.
3. Add tomato, ginger, turmeric powder, red chili powder and fish sauce. Cook for about a minute, stirring often.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally until tomatoes are soft and all crushed.
5. Increase heat to high and stirring frequently continue cooking until all water has evaporated and gravy becomes like a thick paste, for about 5 minutes.
6. Garnish with Jalapeno and cilantro, cover immediately and let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir once or twice before serving. This can be served hot or at room temperature.

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Chicken Tikka

There are different ways of making Chicken Tikka but this is a simple yet tasty version that my sister usually makes. I marinate it overnight if I plan ahead but sometimes I just let it sit for a while and cook right away and they taste pretty good as well. You can serve it with some dal, rice and kachumber or top it up on your favorite salad.

Chicken Tikka

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes to overnight
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Marinate:
2 tablespoons (about 7 cloves) Garlic - pressed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Ginger - grated or finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons (about 1/2 lime) freshly squeezed Lime Juice
1/2 cup plain Yogurt
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless Chicken Breast - sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
Oil Spray for cooking

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all marinate ingredients, mix well and make necessary adjustments to taste.
2. Pour marinate over chicken and mix well to coat all chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes to overnight in fridge.
3. When ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium to medium low heat and spray it with oil. Place chicken pieces keeping about 1 inch space in between each piece and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until it is cooked through and browned nicely. (Do not overcook or it will be dry. You might need to cook in two different batches as you do not want to over crowd the pan. Try not to move the pieces too much while cooking to get even brown color.)
4. Once cooked through, transfer to a plate and serve hot with dal, rice and kachumber.

Note: If there is a lot of marinate liquid left after cooking the chicken, reheat the skillet with few drops of ghee or oil spray and add the marinate liquid. Add some water and cook over high heat until all water has evaporated, it starts to sizzle and brown slightly. Pour it over chicken and serve.

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Roasted Greek Potatoes

I love potatoes in any way they’re prepared. I found this recipe few years back online and have made it few times. I really like the taste of lemon in the potatoes. I usually make it with all red potatoes but added some purple potatoes this time as I had it on hand. It is easy to prepare and if you’re using oven method, you can pretty much leave it on its own and check every now and then. I sometimes make it on stove as it is a little faster. I like both methods equally and have listed both below. Serve with lemon rice, tzatziki, Greek chicken and Greek Salad.

Roasted Greek Potatoes

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour (Oven Method)
30 minutes (Stovetop Method)

Ingredients:
1 pound red potatoes or mixture of red and purple potatoes – skin on and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic – pressed or finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Oven Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Place potatoes in a parchment lined baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients; pour it over potatoes and mix well to coat all potatoes.
4. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Remove foil, increase oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and stir potatoes once and continue cooking for 30 more minutes or until it is cooked through and nicely browned. Stir once in between to get even brownness.
6. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley.

Note: For softer potatoes, 5 minutes before they’re done, cover them again with foil.

Stovetop Method

1. In a microwave save bowl large enough to hold all the potatoes, add all ingredients except potatoes and mix well. Add potatoes, mix again, cover and microwave on high for about 4 minutes.
2. Heat a large pan over high heat and add potatoes with all its liquids.
3. Stir for few seconds, reduce heat to low, cover the pot and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are cooked through stirring few times in between.
4. Increase heat to high and stirring frequently, continue cooking until potatoes start to get nice brown color. Garnish with parsley and serve hot. 

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Tzatziki

Tzatziki is super easy to make and full of flavor. Greek yogurt is basically a strained yogurt. I usually buy Greek-style yogurt from Trader Joe’s but if you can’t find this type of yogurt, you can use regular plain yogurt and strain it in refrigerator with few layers of cheesecloth for few hours to overnight to remove all moisture.  Also make sure to remove as much moisture out of cucumbers as possible so that it does not dilute the yogurt.  Pair it with Greek chicken, Greek salad, lemon rice and roasted potatoes.

Tzatziki

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes to overnight

Ingredients:
1/2 Persian cucumber – peeled, seeds removed, grated and squeezed water out (about 1/4 cup worth)
1 big clove garlic – pressed or finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 cup Greek-style yogurt
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl combine cucumber, garlic, olive oil & vinegar and stir well.
2. Add yogurt, salt to taste and mix everything well. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes to overnight if possible and serve chilled.

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Tilapia Larb (Tilapia Salad)

I love Thai food and Larb is one of my favorite Thai salads. My dad used to make beef or chicken Larb for us often. Although Larb is usually made from ground meat, I tried making it with fish and really enjoyed eating it. It is quick & easy to prepare and healthy & tasty as well. The ingredients used here are similar to the Thai Grilled Beef Salad I’ve previously posted but this one comes together much faster.

Tilapia Larb (Tilapia Salad)

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 15 – 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
8 ounces skinless Tilapia fillet
3/4 cup red onion – thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onion – thinly sliced (about 2 green onions)
1/2 cup cilantro – roughly chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves– roughly chopped
2 teaspoons uncooked sweet rice/glutinous rice – toasted on skillet until fragrant and lightly browned; and ground to a coarse powder
2 teaspoons crushed chili pepper - lightly toasted on skillet till fragrant (adjust to taste)
1 lime – extract juice (adjust to taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (adjust to taste)
Black pepper to taste (optional)
Oil spray

Directions:

1. Have all ingredients ready before cooking the fish.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat with oil spray. Once hot, add fish fillets and pan fry for few minutes per side until flaky and cooked through.
3. Smash it lightly using a fork to break into big chunks. Season it with some black pepper, if desired.
4. If you do not like raw onion taste, add the onion and cook for further minute, stirring gently. If not, turn off the heat and remove from heat. Add all the remaining ingredients and adjust according to taste.
5. Serve hot with steam rice and fresh vegetables such as cabbage and cucumber pieces.

Note: I usually make toasted sweet rice and toasted crushed chili pepper in larger quantities (about 1/2 cup or so) and store it in airtight containers for future use.

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Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi

This is simple and easy recipe from Maagchi's website. The best thing I like about this recipe is that, I can make it and eat it right away. Below is half portion of the original recipe. I used Kirby cucumbers as they are very crunchy and delicious. I believe this can be served on the side of pretty much any dish from any cuisine.

Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi

Makes: 6 cucumbers
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
6 Kirby/pickling cucumbers - rinsed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup Korean hot pepper flakes
1 big clove garlic - pressed or finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup Asian chives - cut into 1 inch length pieces
1 green onion - diagonally sliced thinly
1/4 cup carrot - shredded
1/4 cup onion - thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Slit cucumbers in quarter slits lengthwise, leaving about 1/2 inch at the bottom so that whole piece is still intact. Sprinkle kosher salt and mix gently so that all cucumbers are coated with salt. Leave this aside for about 30 minutes.
2. In a separate large bowl, combine fish sauce, Korean hot pepper flakes, garlic & sugar and mix with spoon to create a paste. Add Asian chives, green onions, carrots and onion to the mixture and mix everything well with a spoon and keep aside.
3. After 30 minutes, rinse cucumbers with cold water to remove all salt and drain them.
4. Stuff seasoning paste between slits of each cucumber and keep them in airtight container. You can wear food service gloves to protect your hands during the stuffing process.
5. Stuffed cucumbers can be served right away or kept in fridge for few days.

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Cabbage and Carrots Stir Fry

This is a very simple dish but is a comfort food for me. I remember eating this as a child and for some reason we never made this when we started living on our own. One day, it just came to my mind and I started carving for it so I made it and paired it up with some curry. While making the dish, I could totally remember how my Mom used to make it and after tasting it, it brings back so much memories and comfort for me that I just love eating it. I love the sweetness of the carrots combined with loads of garlic, egg and black pepper. I can eat this just by itself with some steam rice and it would be heaven for me.
It might not be very special for everyone but it is close to my heart so I thought I’ll share this recipe.

Cabbage and Carrots Stir Fry

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 pound carrots – peeled, cut in half length wise and sliced thinly (about 2 cups worth)
1/2 pound cabbage – sliced into about 1/4 inch slices (about 4 cups worth)
6 cloves of garlic – whack with knife
1 egg
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon oil

Directions:

1. Heat wok or large pan over high heat until very hot and add oil.
2. Once it is almost smoking hot, add garlic pieces. Stir once or twice and add carrots. Stir for few more seconds and add cabbage.
3. Stir well and cover the pan for about 30 seconds. Add salt and generous amount of black pepper to taste and stir well to combine.
4. Push the vegetables to the side to make space in middle of the pan and crack open an egg in the empty space. Season the egg with few dashes of black pepper, and scramble it. Once the egg is halfway cooked through, mix the vegetables and egg together.
5. Taste and season with more salt or pepper if needed, stir and serve hot.

Tips for stir frying:

• Make sure vegetables are well drained and not soaking wet.
• Have all ingredients ready before starting to cook and work fast to prevent from overcooking the vegetables.
• Make sure to heat the wok or pan really well to get smoky flavor. 

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Greek Chicken

This is quite easy and quick dish to prepare. You could either put it in skewers and grill or just cook it on a skillet indoors. Pair it up with some Lemon Rice, Tzatziki, Roasted Potatoes, Greek Salad, Hummus and Pita bread and you've got yourself a feast :). Or just chopped it up and put it over Greek Salad and serve with some pita bread as a light meal.

Greek Chicken

Serves: 2
Preparation and Marinating Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast - sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 tablespoon garlic – pressed or finely chopped
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon dry oregano
Salt to taste
Oil spray for cooking

Directions:

1. Combine chicken with all above ingredients, mix well and let marinate for about 30 minutes.
2. Spray a large skillet with oil and heat over medium to high heat.
3. Once the pan is hot; place chicken pieces keeping about 1 inch space in between each piece and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until it is cooked through and browned nicely. You might need to cook in two different batches as you do not want to over crowd the pan. Try not to move the pieces too much while cooking to get even brown color.
4. Once cooked through, transfer to a plate and serve hot. 

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Greek Salad

Greek salad is a pretty easy and delicious salad. Since I like sour food, I really like citrus based dressing on salads. It comes together very quickly and you can either serve it as a side dish to a meal or as a meal on its own by adding some Greek chicken and pita bread on side. As a side dish, I like to pair it up with Lemon Rice, Roasted Potatoes, Tzatziki, Greek Chicken and Hummus.

There is really no fixed recipe as you can use as much or as little of the vegetables you like and dress it up to your taste but below is a good start out point.

Greek Salad

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
3 to 4 medium tomatoes - seeds removed and cut into bite size pieces (about 2 cups)
1 green bell pepper - core removed and cut into bite size pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 Persian cucumbers or cucumber of your choice - cut into bite size pieces (about 2 cups worth)
1/2 red onion - cut into bite size pieces (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives - sliced thinly
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese for garnish

For dressing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry oregano
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all the vegetables in a bowl and keep aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and adjust according to taste.
3. When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the vegetables, to your desire taste, and garnish with feta cheese and serve.

Variations

• For Vegan friendly version, skip the feta cheese.

Note:

• Chunkier vegetables taste best for this type of salad. Vegetables and dressing can be prepared ahead but only combine them right before serving. 
• Peel the cucumber skin if they're not too fresh and seeds can be removed if you prefer.
• If red onion is very spicy, cut into smaller chunks compared to other vegetables and wash couple times and soak it in cold water while cutting other vegetables. Drain the water out before using.

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