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Hi there, I'm Rose. I love to cook food - and eat it. If you have any questions concerning any of my recipes, drop me a line at:
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rose [at] avocadobravado.net
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It’s been a while since I made a curry. By “a while”, I mean well over a month. That’s a long time in these here parts. Besides tagines, I’ve been making a lot of salads (with and without lettuce), cold noodle dishes, and lots of small vegetable-based side dishes. After Cory and I ate lunch at a Turkish restaurant on Saturday, I was already thinking about what to make for dinner on the bus ride home. What? I have a food blog. That gives me an excuse to daydream about food all the time, right? Right? Maybe not.
I really wanted to make a curry and butter chicken fit the bill. Though butter is an important ingredient in butter chicken, the dish gets its distinct flavor from fenugreek, which is a slightly sweet and nutty herb that tastes a little like maple and celery. Chances are, you won’t find fenugreek at your local supermarket but you will find it at your local Indian grocery. Fenugreek also pairs really well with other meats. So if you pick some up, don’t forget to sprinkle a little over your favorite pork or lamb dish. I suggest not adding more than a teaspoon at a time, too much fenugreek will make a dish bitter.
The butter chicken was a success and we both finished up our bowls rather quickly. When I’ve made butter chicken in the past, I’ve always added heavy whipping cream at the very end, but I’ve found that it weighs down the dish. This time around, I used half and half (for non-’Murrikans, that’s equal parts heavy cream and whole milk) and thought that was much better. If you find your curry sauce to be too runny, mix a little cornstarch with equal parts warm water and stir that into the curry. Traditionally, cashew paste would be used as a thickener, but just use whatever is more easily available to you. Also, peas aren’t typically added to the dish, but I added them anyway. Why not? Peas are adorable!
Butter Chicken
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Marinade
1 cup whole yogurt (preferably strained or Greek yogurt)
2″ piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons curry powder
juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon ghee or butter, melted
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt & pepper, to taste
Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
1-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2″ piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek (methi) leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 cup heavy cream, half & half, or whole milk
1/2 cup peas (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
flat bread and/or rice, for serving
Rinse and pat dry chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken, cut into small pieces, and set aside. Mix together yogurt, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, garam masala, lemon juice, and ghee or butter in a roasting pan. Toss in the chicken pieces, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven. Separate the chicken from the marinade. Keep the chicken on a plate and leave the marinade in the roasting pan.
Meanwhile, heat butter to a large non-stick stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add peppers and ginger and cook for a couple minutes more, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and cook for another couple minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes to the stockpot and adjust the heat to low. Now, add all the spices – fenugreek, cumin, garam masala, cinnamon, and clove. Continue cooking until the tomatoes begin to break apart, about 10 or so minutes. Stir in the marinade to the stockpot.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse into you have a silky, smooth curry. Return the curry back to the stockpot and bring to a very gentle boil. Add the chicken and cook until heated through, about 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the freshly chopped cilantro and peas, if using. Just before serving, stir in the cream or half and half. Serve with flat bread and/or rice.
Serves 4-6
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Some people have their favorite recipes and stick to them forever. When I talk to my dad and he tells me he’s making squash or chicken for dinner, I know exactly what he’s talking about. I try keep things constantly changing in the kitchen, but there are a few recipes I rarely ever stray from – mujaddara, for example. As much as I love the traditional hummus bi tahina (hummus with tahini), I’m constantly looking for new ways to reinvent it. I’ve been accused of being a hummus purist and even a snob, but that’s simply not true. I’ve just made it a personal mission to inform people that hummus means “chickpeas” in Arabic. It’s silly to call beet hummus, white bean hummus, edamame hummus, lima bean hummus, etc. hummus if the recipes don’t contain chickpeas. If you see a crazy lady rocking back and forth at a bus stop in San Francisco mumbling under her breath, “hummus means chickpeas in Arabic…” That’s me. Feel free to say hi.
Usually when I prepare hummus, I use canned garbanzo beans and simmer them in a saucepan with some water for 15-20 minutes. I find that this method helps the beans blend easier and improves the texture of the hummus. Plus, I love popping a few garbanzo beans into my mouth. They’re melt-in-your mouth delicious after simmering for 15 minutes or so. There are Syrian grandmothers who swear by soaking the garbanzos overnight and discarding the skins of the beans for the creamiest hummus possible, but I’ll leave that time consuming method to the experts (grandmothers, that is).
I’ve been on a garlic roasting kick lately. I’d say we’re going through 3 to 4 bulbs of garlic a week… and I have the breath to prove it. I’ve been adding roasted garlic to everything. Potatoes, toast, salad dressings, and now hummus. Apparently, there is such a thing as too much raw garlic. Not really for me, but for Cory. So I added roasted garlic to this batch of hummus. With roasted garlic, you get the garlic taste without at all being overpowering. The fresh herbs add a nice kick and a lovely pale green color.
Hummus with Roasted Garlic and Herbs
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1 bulb of garlic, roasted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 15-oz can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained plus 1 cup of reserved water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini (roasted is best, but raw is fine)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus extra for garnishing
salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the top of the garlic bulb open, revealing the tips of the cloves. Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle a teaspoon of oil over it. Wrap the bulb in the aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the hummus. Drain and rinse the can of beans. Toss the garbanzos into a small sauce pan with a cup of water and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside. Juice lemons, set aside tahini, and chop the herbs. Add the lemon juice, chives, parsley, salt, and a ladleful of garbanzos with some reserved water. Pulse together in a food processor or blender. Continue adding garbanzos a ladleful at a time and blending, adding more water until needed. Continue this method until all the garbanzos have been blended.
By now, the garlic should be ready. Open up the foil and let the garlic cool until easy enough to handle with your hands. Pop the cloves out of the bulb into a small bowl. Take a fork and smash the garlic until formed into a paste. Toss the paste into the blender and pulse until thoroughly blended. Transfer the hummus to a large bowl. Add the tahini to the bowl and mix thoroughly, this will thicken the hummus considerably. Taste the hummus, adding a couple more pinches of salt or lemon juice, if needed.
Serve with warm flat bread, pita chips, or your favorite raw vegetables. Garnish with olive oil, extra freshly chopped herbs, and spices (thyme, sumac, za’atar, paprika, etc).
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I used to think tomatillos were something that existed only in legend and myth. Okay, not really, but it certainly felt that way when I lived in Michigan. Tomatillos are related to tomatoes and are about the size of apricots. They mature inside of a papery husk, which are inedible and should be removed before eating. They are also meatier than tomatoes and have a tart flavor. Tomatillos are the key ingredient to salsa verde (literally, green sauce), which is frequently used as a dip for tortilla chips, a sauce for tacos, grilled meats, and fish. I used this batch of salsa verde to accompany both tacos and burritos, but I’m already thinking of various ways to use the leftovers (pork! chili! stew!).
Oh, and here are two chubby corgis wearing sunglasses and ties. Just because.
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
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1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
1/2 onion
1-3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro
1-3 peppers (jalapeño and serrano peppers are usually used, but I had anaheim peppers on hand, so I just used those), chopped. Leave in the seeds, if you prefer a hotter salsa.
pinch of sugar
pinch of cumin
salt, to taste
Set the oven to broil and cut tomatillos in half. Place them cut-side down in a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the skins are lightly blackened. Remove tomatillos from the oven and set aside.
When the tomatillos are cool enough to handle, toss them into a food blender and pulse until blended. Add the rest of the ingredients, onions, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, peppers, sugar, cumin, and salt. Pulse until blended. Add a little more salt, if necessary. Transfer to a container and refrigerate, if not using right away.
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Tzatziki is a yogurt-based sauce mixed with cucumbers, and garlic. It can be used a vegetable dip or as a sauce for gyros and souvlaki, but I’ve been known to eat tzatziki with french fries on occasion (what? I’m an ‘Murrkian!). Traditionally, tzatziki is made with strained yogurt from goat’s or sheep’s milk, but it’s also commonly made with cow’s milk. Greek yogurt has become increasingly easier to find in grocery stores in the US. However, if you can’t find it, you can make it by simply straining 32 oz of full-fat yogurt* through a coffee filter for at least two hours, but preferably overnight.
*I’ve seen recipes that call for non-fat and low-fat yogurt and they seemed to have glowing reviews. I only buy full-fat yogurt though, and can’t guarantee the results with using reduced fat yogurt.
Tzatziki
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1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
16 oz Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons of fresh dill
12 mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chop garlic, dill, and mint leaves. Peel and seed the cucumber. Wipe off excessive water with a clean towel and chop finely. Place the herbs, garlic, and cucumber into a large bowl and mix in the lemon juice, salt, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Gently fold in the Greek yogurt. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
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I love fava beans. A lot. So much so, I had them both for breakfast and dinner yesterday. My birthday was on Saturday and after a day of french fries, boba tea, and Eritrean food, I was ready to eat something a lot more simple. Though shucking fava beans is a time consuming process, it is truly a labor of love. Did you know fava beans were the only beans Europeans ate until the discovery of the New World? Fresh fava beans are so cheap and I don’t buy them as often as I’d like since it can take up to an hour to prepare them, but it is well-worth the effort. I wanted to create a non-tomato based pasta sauce, so I tweaked my pesto recipe to incorporate fava beans. This sauce was slightly nutty, simple, and absolutely comforting. If only I had the time to prepare fava beans every week…
Spaghetti with Fava Bean Sauce
(inspired by the fava bean puree from this NPR article)
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2.5 cups shelled fava beans (that’s roughly 2.5 pounds in the pod)
butter and olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, chopped
red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
salt & pepper
1.5-2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 lb spaghetti or bucatini
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove the beans from the pod and listen to an episode of This American Life to make time go by much quicker. By now, the water should be boiling. Blanch the beans for about 2 minutes and drain in a colander. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Peel off and discard the outer shell. Set the bright-green beans aside.
Heat oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, some salt, pepper, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add a cup of broth and the fava beans to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Add salt, pepper, parmigiano reggiano, parsley, olive oil, a half cup of broth, and the fava bean and onion mixture to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is still too thick, add the remaining half cup of broth to the mixture and blend again. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
Serves 3-4
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