The Perfect Ten-doori

I absolutely love Indian food. One dish in particular, tandoori chicken, is a must-order every time. I had some spare buttermilk after I made chocolate cupcakes and decided that what better way to use up the leftovers than to make tandoori chicken? Technically, you're suppose to use yogurt, but if buttermilk is good enough for fried chicken, it should be a suitable substitute! In this frigid weather, nothing like a mouthful of spiciness to ward off the chills.

Recipe
2 pounds chicken breast
1 lemon
1 red onion
1 green pepper
2 inch segment of ginger
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne powder (optional)
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 tablespoons garam masala
salt and pepper to taste

Raita, Cool as the the Other Side of the Pillow

I love hot and spicy food, but sometimes, even my taste buds need some respite from the relentless attack fiery heat. When I need relief, I turn to raita, a delicious blend of yogurt and cucumber. Raita is super versatile -- you can eat this stuff straight up as a salad, add a few spoonfuls to hot Indian fare, or even use it on baked salmon to add a bit of tang and moisture to the fish. Without further ado, I present raita...

Recipe
4-5 cups of thick yogurt
6 sprigs of mint
1 lemon
1 English cucumber
quarter of an onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

I'm Going Going, Back to Back, to Cauli Cauli Cauli

I'm one of those people that love veggies that people generally dislike -- brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage... basically, any ingredient that is sure to put a deep wrinkle on a child's brow, I probably love. Well, now that we're adults, our taste buds probably (hopefully?) learned to appreciate the things that aren't cookies or buttered noodles. I had aloo gobi and instantly fell in love with the aggressive spices and the subtle sweetness of the cauliflower. For those of you that still stick up your nose at cauliflower, find someone that likes it so you can cherry-pick the the creamy chunks of potatoes guilt-free. Over a plate of basmati rice, there's nothing more satisfying during the winter.

Recipe
1 head of cauliflower
6 medium sized red potatoes
1 jalapeño
2 inch segment ginger
1 medium onion
1 bunch cilantro
4 cloves of garlic
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon turmeric 
oil for sauteing
salt and pepper to taste

Beans to Go With Your Frank

I'm always on the lookout for an easy, healthy side that has mass appeal and can be made ahead of time. I think I've hit the jackpot with this haricots verts (no, that's not French for genital herpes, but green beans) recipe. Make it for a crunchy and appetizing side for any dinner party and the dish will be a sure hit!

Recipe
2 pounds green beans
1 medium red onion
5 cloves of garlic
2 lemons
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Come Here Little Wabbit, I Have Something to Show You

Recently, I've been remiss on my bi-weekly muffin runs due to a camping trip that I had to organize. Well, it's that time again and this go around, I've decided to make carrot cake muffins. For my millions upon millions of faithful readers in the inter-webs that follow this blog with slavish devotion, you know the drill. I perfected the bran muffin base and it's simply the gift that keeps on giving, except this largesse can't be controlled by Valtrex (not that I would know, obviously). 

Recipe
2 cups raisins
1 20 oz can crushed pineapples
4 medium carrots
2 cups of walnut halves
3 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oat bran
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup milled flaxseed
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not-Dolphin Fish Bake

I love to eat fish, but they're such fickle customers to season and prepare properly. They require the right combination and strength of spices so they don't taste too ocean-y, but maintain enough of their natural flavors so you can distinguish what you're actually putting in your mouth. One of my biggest pet peeves is overcooked seafood. When I order fish at restaurants, even the good ones, my experiences have been more misses than hits. I've had some success with Chilean sea bass at home because they're so fatty and almost impossible to bungle. In an effort to broaden my range, I decided to experiment with dolphin... erg, I meant salmon.


Recipe
1 1/2 pound salmon filet
2 lemons
2 tablespoons fresh dill
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons marsala wine
2 shallots
1/2 head of garlic
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

I Ate His Liver with Some Fava Beans

Lately, I've noticed that many restaurants like to pair the meat of entrees with artisanal, heirloom beans. The beans soak up the flavor of the stock they're cooked in and have a creamy texture similar to potatoes. They're the perfect accompaniment to lighter proteins, such as seafood, chicken and veal. Since I'm making salmon, I decided to give fava beans a swirl. 


Recipe
1 pound large fava beans
1 medium onion
2 medium carrots
4 celery stalks
4 cups chicken stock
4 bay leaves
1 cup Marsala wine
5 slices of bacon
salt and pepper for taste

My Muffin Top is Peachy and Brings All the Boys to the Yard

Apparently, my uncanny ability to be the Grim Reaper to every photosynetic organism is not a family curse. My mom is the horse whisperer with plants, it's pretty incredible. The peach tree in our backyard is having a prolific year and yielded buckets of fruit. I merrily carted off 10 pounds of the luscious jewels back to my apartment. Faced with the dilemma of what to do with so many ripe peaches, I decided there's only one thing to do -- make muffins!


Recipe
8 large ripe peaches
3 inch segment of ginger
2 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oat bran
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup milled flaxseed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Chicken Salad al Fresco

I'm always on the lookout for healthy and quick meals during the week. Ever since I got my first Costco card, I've been adding their rotisserie chicken to my green salads. After watching Ina Garten make her version of the Wardolf salad on the FoodNetwork a few years back, I began to experiment with different variations of the iconic chicken salad. Always make it fun, make it colorful, and use whatever leftover produces you have in the crisper.

Recipe
3 bone in, skin on chicken breasts
1 lemon
1/2 red onion
1 pear
1 avocado
3 celery stalks
1 carrot
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
4 sprigs tarragon
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup toasted hazelnut pieces
1 head of butter lettuce
2 hard boiled eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Savory Whole Grain Sunday Brunch Muffins

I have been making muffins bi-weekly for a few months now. After experimenting with several recipes, I discovered a great base formula that uses bran, flaxseed and whole wheat flour. The best part is that I can skip any fat or oils altogether and miraculously, they still come out moist! The trick is substitution, substitution, substitution!! A variety of healthier options, such as mashed ripe bananas, unsweetened applesauce, canned pumpkin, even shredded carrots or zucchinis, will add moisture to the batter. After trying out a slew of the more traditional muffin, banana nut, apple spice, blueberry, just to name a few, a light went off in my head while I was trying to conjure up more flavors. Who says muffins have to be sweet? That's right, I'm going to make a savory muffin. It should be similar to the frittatas that I baked in the past -- instead of the meat and veggies swimming in a egg mixture, they'll be boogying with bran 'n friends.


This being my first foray into the dark side of baking, I decided to keep it simple. My first consideration was to find something similar to apple sauce as my oil substitute. Well, that was easy, what's better than creamed corn? I add it to my favorite corn bread recipe for a super moist corn bread so it should be a shoo-in. Then I made a list of what I would like in an omelette, and chicken apple sausage immediately came to mind. After several wiggles of the nose, I added scallions, corn and tomatoes to the list. Well, here we go!!

Recipe
1 1/2 cup oat bran

1 1/2 cup flax seed

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground pepper

1 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 eggs

2 cups milk

1 can of creamed corn (15.25 oz)

1 can of drained whole corn kernels (15.25 oz)

1 package of chicken apple sausage wieners (1 pound, cut up around 2 1/2 cups)

6 scallions (cut up around 1 cup)

3 diced red chili peppers (cut up around 1/3 cup)

1 cup quartered grape tomatoes

1 cup ricotta cheese

cooking spray