Archive for July, 2012
Mulligatawny Soup
Sometimes a great recipe comes along and captures my imagination. And if it has potential to spread across all seasons, then I like it even more. My next thought will have you thinking I’m on the crazy side, but what would life be like without original and sometimes crazy thoughts and moments? So although the temperature is currently close to the 90s, I still sometimes have the urge for a nice warm soup.
When the temperature rises I serve my soup in the evenings and usually not quite as hot as I would on a cold winter day. The below soup caught my eye when I was going through some old recipes in my grandmothers cookbook. She was a nanny in London when she was very young and I guess this recipe is from that time she spent with her English family. Mulligatawny Soup literally means “pepper water,” and it supposedly found its way to the western world through British soldiers stationed in India during the 18th century. It’s originally a spicy curry based soup with chicken, lamb or beef thickened with rice. Apples and heavy cream were added later for texture and extra flavor. It has a beautiful yellow orange color from the curry and all of the right ingredients for a healthy and easy to prepare dish using my handy dandy Aroma rice cooker.
In my version I will use brown basmati rice, chicken breast, green apples and coconut milk. The green apples will add a sour, crunchy bite and the coconut milk a dose of sweetness. I can already imagine the blended taste of these flavors and cannot wait to see the reaction from my family.
MULLIGATAWNY SOUP
2 cups of Basmati rice, rinsed
1 lb. of chicken tenders cut into small bite-sized pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, shopped
1 yellow onion, shopped
1/2 leeks, cleaned well and sliced thinly
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 tsp of fresh grated ginger
4-5 cups of chicken broth
2 green apples, peeled and cut into small bite-sized pieces
2 cups of coconut milk
3 tsp of curry powder
1 tsp of turmeric
olive oil for sautéing
fresh parsley, chopped for decoration
hot sauce or red pepper flakes to taste (Tip: have guests add heat to their liking)
salt and pepper to taste
Add the rice into your rice cooker with 2 cups of water and set to the “Steam” function for 15 minutes. Remove, fluff with a fork and set aside. Using the Sauté-Then-Simmer™ (STS™) function on your rice cooker, set the time for 20 minutes and add olive oil and brown the chicken pieces until done or for about 7-9 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Add garlic, onion, leeks, carrots and ginger and sauté until browned a bit or about 4-6 minutes. Add curry and turmeric and stir until mixed. Add broth and bring to a boil. Close the lid and let steam for 30 minutes. Open the lid and add chicken, apples, coconut milk and more salt and pepper if necessary.
When ready to serve, spoon the rice on the bottom of the serving bowls and ladle soup on top with chopped parsley and hot sauce. Serve with Indian style flat bread and enjoy!
Koftas with Yogurt Dip and Middle Eastern Salad
Summer for me and my family used to mean endless cooking opportunities outside and the rest of the following day scrubbing down a dirty, grimy BBQ. I know what you’re all thinking, “you live in California, you can cook outside anytime and BBQ cleaning isn’t that bad!” True. But, I’m not sure if cooking and cleaning outside is a pre -requisite for delicious summer food and great get-togethers.
Last week I decided to cook outside food inside on Aroma’s Super Pot™ 3-in-1 Indoor Grill. After a superb grilled meal enjoyed on the patio with family and friends, I was relieved at not having to scrub down the BBQ. Aroma’s Super Pot™ is dishwasher safe and very easy to clean. Last night’s meal outside was the best of both worlds—eating al fresco and cooking in the convenience of my own kitchen.
I decided to try something new and it was a hit, which I knew it would be because it combined just the right elements for success. Most kids (and adults too) love food on a stick, and everyone likes hamburgers. So, hamburgers on a stick should be a guaranteed favorite, right? A “hamburger on a stick” is also called a Kofta, which is a very popular food in Middle Eastern countries. I’m so glad I have friends who shared this amazing recipe with me. Here’s some of what you will need for this Middle Eastern feast: yogurt dip, salad and pita bread or flatbread of some sort. If you have an ethnic market in your neighborhood, now is a great time to go and play tourist. You can find the below ingredients in a regular grocer as well, but I am big on checking out local little grocers when I can.
This meal will not just amaze your family, but makes a great party offering at your next get-together. Plus, the best part is that it’s super easy to prepare.
KOFTAS
1 lb of ground beef or lamb
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup each of fresh chopped parsley, cilantro, rosemary, mint and basil
1 tbls each of cumin, coriander and cinnamon
1-2 tbls of salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
20 bamboo skewers
In a blender or food processor chop together the onion, garlic and all herbs. In a separate bowl mix the beef or lamb with the eggs, spices and bread crumbs. Add chopped onion, herb and garlic mixture to the bowl and make sure to mix well but not too hard as this will give you hard koftas instead of juicy, moist ones. Form palm size meatballs and insert skewers through while elongating mixture along the stick to achieve the look in the picture. Place the ready koftas in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool as this will make them easier to grill. Heat your grill and grill until done on all sides. Serve with yogurt dip and salad.
YOGURT DIP
16 oz of Greek-style yogurt
2 cups of grated and squeezed dry cucumber
2 cloves of chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. This can be made 8 hours ahead of time and stored in a refrigerator.
MIDDLE EASTERN SALAD
2 English cucumbers, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 large tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 mild onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and toss. Serve with warm bread.
Summer! Fried Chicken, Corn Salsa, and Berry Ice Cream Cake
Summer is undoubtedly my favorite season; I love the long evenings, leisurely pace of my household and get-togethers with friends. This could be because, having grown up in Finland, summer was what you waited for to plan outdoor activities. June 1st marked the day the covers came off the furniture at our summer house, the outdoor furniture was cleaned up and moved onto the large veranda, the windows were scrubbed and the entire place was awakened to 3 months of pure bliss.
When I first moved to California, I would still go home every summer to enjoy the best season in Scandinavia. Fresh produce, fish off the boats at the harbor and the abundance of great meals and conversations outside until early morning all made summers great. The Finns really know how to enjoy this time of year. After a long, dark winter nobody wants to be indoors for any reason. Once I got married and had children, those trips to Finland became less frequent (now once every 2 or 3 years), but the spirit of a Finnish summer is still alive and well in our household— no schedules, delicious food and great conversations.
The 4th of July reminds me of summer when I was growing up. I don’t know why, but maybe because it’s the one day all Americans take off to enjoy themselves like Finns do all summer. I look around and I see families on the beach, in the parks and getting together with family and friends for BBQs. I see elated children playing with friends and family members from far away without a care in the world. Aahhh…true bliss. And like any great holiday, food is a major part of its success and happiness. Our 4th of July always includes great American classics like BBQ chicken, potato salad and of course ice cream. This year in the Aroma Test Kitchen I wanted to see if our Smart Fry XL Deep Fryer could take center stage and produce some amazing fried chicken. Well, it did!
Also, the Super Pot™ helped create our spicy and sweet corn salsa and the Traditional Ice Cream Maker lived up to its potential by helping us create an amazing berry ice cream cake.
FRIED CHICKEN
1 package of fryer chicken, cut into pieces
2 cups of buttermilk
1/4 cup of paprika
1/4 cup of onion powder
1/4 cup of garlic powder
2 tbls of salt
2 tbls of pepper
2-4 cups of flour, for dredging
canola oil or similar, for frying
Soak chicken pieces in buttermilk overnight. Drain and pat dry. Mix all spices together and rub deliberately over chicken. Drench chicken pieces in flour and shake off excess. Place back in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in the SmartFry™ XL Deep Fryer to 325F. Once the temperature is reached, place chicken pieces into the large fry basket and carefully lower into the hot oil. Cook for 10-20 minutes, making sure not to burn your chicken.
CORN SALSA
4 fresh ears of corn
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the Super Pot™ to a high temperature and roast corn until browned on all sides a bit. With a knife, carefully remove kernels and mix with rest of ingredients. Serve with your choice of chips.
BERRY ICE CREAM CAKE
5 cups of half and half
10 oz of condensed milk
2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 cups of pureed strawberries
2 cups of heavy cream
1/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of blueberries
1 cup of strawberries, sliced
Place all ingredients in the ice cream maker and follow directions. Whip 2 cups of heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup of sugar until thick and it holds its shape. When ice cream is ready pour into a spring form pan and place in the freezer. Remove cake pan and run a hot knife around the inside of the pan and invert cake onto a serving platter. Decorate with whipped cream and berries.
