Curried Tomato Sauce

This sauce is amazing!  I love the flavours of it, and I think it would be great on so many things.  I poured it over fish and rice, but it would be great over chicken, shrimp, beef, or some vegetables like cauliflower.  Actually, now that I think of it, it would be really good on cauliflower...good thing I have some leftover sauce so I can try that tonight!  The original recipe called for cilantro, but since my hubby hates cilantro I used parsley instead which worked well.  I think cilantro sometimes overpowers the other flavours of a dish, and by using parsley you can really taste the garam masala and other spices better. 

This sauce was very thick, which was great for pouring it over the fish, but I think if I was using it to cook chicken pieces in I would thin it down a bit.   Adding a bit of vegetable stock would work, until it more resembled the consistency of a Madras sauce.  

I am super happy that I found this recipe because it's delicious can be used in so many dishes.  I hope you love it as much as I do!

Curried Tomato Sauce

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp minced ginger

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 tsp turmeric

pepper

1 tbsp garam masala

1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a large pan over medium heat toast the cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant (about 2 minutes).  Use a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder to grind them and set aside.  In same pan melt the coconut oil and saute the diced onion until tender.  Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno peppers, sauteing for an additional minute.

Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, turmeric, pepper, and the ground seeds to the pan.  Mix well and let simmer for about 15 minutes.  

Stir in the garam masala and parsley and remove from heat.  

Enjoy!

Soba Noodle Stir Fry

I used to make stir-frys for dinner all the time.  They are fast and easy and can be made so many different ways; they were my go-to meal.  But I would always buy the jarred sauces from the grocery store and after a while I got tired of all of them.  They started to all taste the same to me and I found they over-powered the taste of the vegetables. So I started to stock up on different oils and sauces so I could make my own stir-fry flavourings.  I bought sesame oil, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha hot sauce, etc. and just experimented with them by using other recipes as guidance.  This recipe was inspired by satay dipping sauce and I think it's amazing.  I had a huge bowl for dinner, and then ate it for lunch the next 2 days and I haven't stopped craving it since.  It was my first time cooking with Soba noodles, and I loved the taste of them.  And once all the vegetables were cut it only took 10 minutes to cook everything.  I used the vegetables I like in this dish, but any combination will do.  I do really love the crunch that the water chestnuts add though. 

Soba Noodle Stir Fry

250g Soba Noodles
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh chopped vegetables (broccoli, carrots, peppers)
1 398g can whole baby corn, drained
1 227g can water chestnuts, drained
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup vegetarian Hoisin Sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
Sliced green onions

 



Whisk together the peanut butter, Hoisin sauce, water, and hot sauce.  Set aside.  Cook Soba Noodles according to package directions.  Do not over cook.
Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over med-high heat.  Add garlic and ginger, stir for 1 minute.  Add the 2 cups of chopped vegetables, stir-fry for 5 minutes.  (If you find the garlic is burning add some water to the pan.)  Mix in the baby corn and water chestnuts, cook for an additional minute or two.  The vegetables should be tender-crisp.  Add the sauce and cooked, drained noodles to the pan.  Mix together and serve with a sprinkling of green onion slices.

Quinoa Veggie Burgers with Homemade Tzaziki Sauce

I've been feeling a little guilty about all the creamy pastas and fish and chips I have been eating lately, so I thought I would make some healthier fare this week.  I saw a recipe in Chatelaine Magazine for quinoa burgers and decided to try them out.  The recipe had mushrooms in it, which I just don't like, so I had to change the recipe a bit, but they still turned out amazing.  I served them with yogurt tzaziki sauce and a fresh salad of  lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes with some greek-style potatoes on the side.  Everything was so good, and the burgers have a lot of taste to them.  I'm not sure how well they would hold up on a bun, but with a salad they were great.  The tzaziki I made is a sauce I've been making for quite a few years, but I made it healthier by making it with yogurt instead of the sour cream and cream cheese I usually use.  The tzaziki is great as a dip with pita bread and vegetables as well, so it doesn't hurt to double the batch.  If you are not a huge fan of garlic you may want to decrease the amount to one clove as this is a pretty garlicky sauce.

Quinoa Veggie Burgers

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 tbsp + 1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 zucchinis, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 spanish onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp instant tapioca
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the vegetables and garlic and cook until soft.  In a large bowl mix the vegetables, quinoa, and remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Divide mixture into 6 equal amounts and form into patties using hands.  Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and cook patties until browned on each side, about 4 minutes per side.  Serve topped with tzaziki sauce:

Tzaziki Sauce

1 cup Balkan or Greek Style plain yogurt
1 cucumber
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice

Slice cucumber lengthwise and remove seeds.  Grate cucumber and put in a fine mesh strainer to squeeze out the liquid.  Add to yogurt along with remaining ingredients.  Mix well.

That Chicken is Supreme!

I haven't been doing much cooking lately because I've been canning so much, but more on that later.  I did finally make a good dinner last night though.  I had some garden fresh baby potatoes and yellow beans from the market, and had picked up some chicken breasts to go with it.  I wanted to try something new with the chicken though, so I decided to make chicken schnitzel supreme.  It turned out really well, and I even had some chicken left over which I'm going to add to my pasta for lunch.  I don't have a meat tenderizer, so I just used a regular hammer to flatten the meat.  I like to make do with what I have!  I had bought two boneless, skinless breasts, so to make them thin enough for schnitzel I first had to butterfly them.  I placed the chicken breast on the cutting board with the thick side towards me, and then cut through to the thin side to make two pieces.  Then I put a piece at a time on parchment paper folded over so it covered the top of the chicken as well.  Then it was hammer time!  I just hammered all over until it was all about half an inch thick, then moved on to the next piece.  This is great way to get more for your money, because out of 2 chicken breasts you end up with 4 large pieces which the hubby and I couldn't even finish. 
And now...the recipe:

I topped it off with some sliced mini red and orange peppers, the plate needed some colour!

Chicken Supreme

2 Chicken breasts, butterflied and tenderized
1 egg
1/2 cup of flour
1 cup breadcrumbs
Seasoning (I used dried parsley, rosemary, sage, garlic, and paprika)
Vegetable Oil
Alfredo pasta sauce

Mix the seasonings with the breadcrumbs in a bowl.  Set aside.  Beat the egg in a large bowl.  Make an 'assembly line': sprinkle the flour on a plate, next have the egg bowl, and then use another plate to put 1/4 of the seasoned breadcrumbs at a time.  Take a chicken piece and rinse it with cold water.  Next put it in the flour, making sure both sides are covered.  Dip it in the egg mixture and then put it in the breadcrumbs.  Punch the breadcrumbs into it so they stick well.  Continue with other chicken pieces.  Heat enough vegetable oil in a frying pan so that the bottom is covered.  Fry each piece of chicken for about 4 minutes a side.  Pour warm Alfredo sauce over each piece before serving.  (I used roasted red pepper Alfredo, but you can make/buy any type to use.)