Garlic-Butter Naan

Nothing beats a fresh piece of Indian flatbread, when you are eating curry. I know this will be a recipe I'll go to again and again. To me, one of the best things about this bread is that you throw the ingredients together the day before (in the food processor), then refrigerate the dough overnight for a slow rise and then the next day all you have to do is roll it out and cook it. It simplifies things if you are making a curry meal, when chances are you are making the curry and possibly rice too. Letting the dough rest overnight also makes it easy to roll out. 

This recipe makes 4 pieces of naan. I think you could serve 1/2 a flatbread per person. Unless you're like me, I ended up eating 3 out of the 4 pieces all by myself over 2 days... Oops!! 

Garlic-Butter Naan

~makes 4 naan~

Note* This recipe is made in a food processor, which makes it very simple to put together. But at one point my food processor's motor (which is a pretty nice Kitchen Aid) seized up. So you might want to be cautious about that when making this recipe. You could probably just make the dough by hand, adding a little extra flour, if necessary, because the dough is a bit sticky.

What you need:

1/2 c. ice water

1/3 c. nonfat greek yogurt

1/4 c. canola oil, plus 1 t. for cooking the naan

1 large egg yolk

2 1/4 c. flour

1 1/4 t. sugar

1/2 t. instant or rapid-rise yeast

3/4 t. salt

2 T. butter

1 clove garlic, minced

What you do: 

1. In a small bowl, mix together water, yogurt, 1/4 c. oil and egg yolk. In the workbowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and yeast to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the liquid ingredients to the flour. Process until combined. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes.

2. Add salt and process another 30-60 seconds. It will form a sticky dough that should clear the sides of the food processor workbowl.

3. Scrape dough out onto a floured worksurface and knead just until smooth, about a minute. Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl (large). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 16-24 hours.

4.After the dough has rested, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide dough into 4 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rest 15-20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the garlic. Set aside.

6. Roll the first piece of dough out into a 9 inch round. Using a fork, poke the dough all over, 20-25 times. Lightly mist the top side with water.

6. Heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Wipe the oil out of the skillet with paper towels, then add the rolled out dough, sprayed side down and spray the other side lightly. Cover skillet and cook until spotty brown underneath, 2-4 minutes (poke any large bubbles that form). Flip naan, cook, covered, another 2-3 minutes until browned. Flip again, brush with butter, then transfer to a plate and cover with foil. While rolling out and cooking the remaining naan.

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated Magazine

Indian Lentil Dahl

I wonder if anyone else is like me. When I am reading a book, I ALWAYS am craving food that is reminiscent of what I'm reading. Always. I just get inspired. So with that said, I am reading a book this week that takes place in India, so I am craving the extra sensory experience of eating some Indian food to go  along with it.

I think Indian food is so comforting.

Admittedly, I don't have a whole lot of experience with cooking Indian recipes, so I am leaning heavily on some recipes that I have collected from cookbooks and magazines. I definitely am looking to expand my skills in Indian cooking.

This lentil dahl (also spelled dal or daal), is a great recipe. And an easy one too, for novices to Indian cuisine, such as myself.

Indian Lentil Dahl

~serves 4-6~

What you need:

2 T. canola oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3/4 t. salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. minced fresh ginger

1 t. Garam Masala (can be easily found in the supermarket spice isle)

1 1/4 c. split red lentils

1 c. coconut milk

3 c. water

1/3 c. coarsely chopped cilantro

1 T. lime juice

3 med. plum tomatoes, cored , seeded and diced 

What you do:

1. In a large saucepan, combine oil, onion and salt at medium-high heat. Cook until onion starts to brown, around 5 minutes or so. Add garlic, ginger and Garam Masala , cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

2. Add lentils, coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered until lentils are fully tender and broken down to an almost paste-like consistency, about 25-30 minutes.

3. Add lime juice and cilantro. Check for seasoning. Serve (over rice if you like), topped with the diced tomatoes.

Skillet Chili Mac

   I love the fact that this recipe is made start-to-finish in one pan. The original recipe comes from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, The Best 30-Minute Recipe. Although, admittedly, I am such a slow poke when it comes to cooking, any recipe that says "30 minutes" usually takes me at least 45. But this is a dish that has made few appearances in the dinner rotation. It's easy and very family friendly.

   I made a couple of changes to the original recipe. I just played with the spices a little bit, used whole-grain macaroni instead of regular and used a different cheese. Nothing major.

Also, the recipe says it serves 4, but I think you could easily serve 6. The skillet is pretty much full.

Skillet Chili Mac

~serves 4-6~

What you need:

1 1/2 t. canola oil

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped fine

1 T. chili powder

2 t. ground cumin

1/8 - 1/4 t. cayenne pepper (to taste, I used 1/8 t.)

salt & pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. brown sugar

1 (15 oz. can of tomato sauce)

2 c. water

8 oz. whole grain macaroni

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

What you do:

1. Heat the oil in a large (12 inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, cumin, cayenne and 1/2 t. salt. Cook, breaking up meat into small pieces, until it looses all the pink color, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds or so.

2. Add brown sugar, tomato sauce, water and macaroni. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat so that it maintains a lively simmer (somewhere between medium/medium-high heat), until the macaroni is tender, about 10 minutes or so. Season with salt & pepper if needed.

3. Off heat, stir in half the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

*adapted from : The Best 30-Minute Recipe

Panko Crusted Chicken Fingers

 These chicken fingers are so, so good. They are super crunchy and delicious. Perfect for dipping in honey mustard (or your favorite dipping sauce). You just can't go wrong with this recipe.

Panko Crusted Chicken Fingers

~serves 4-6~

What you need:

For the chicken fingers

1 1/2 - 2 lb. chicken breast, dried with paper towels and cut into strips approximately 1/2 inch thick

salt, pepper & garlic powder

1 c. flour

3 c. panko bread crumbs

3 eggs

1 c. plus 1 T. canola oil

Honey Mustard

3 T. honey

4 T. yellow mustard

What you do:

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees (For keeping the chicken warm).

2. In 2 pie plates, spread the flour in one and the bread crumbs in the other. In a medium bowl beat together the eggs and 1 T. oil. Season chicken with salt, pepper & garlic powder (or any seasoning you like). 

3. Drop the chicken, a few pieces at a time into the flour to coat. Then, shaking off the excess flour, drop into the eggs. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to the breadcrumbs (letting excess egg drip back into the bowl). Coat with the breadcrumbs, pressing on each piece of chicken to be sure the breadcrumbs adhere well. Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

4. Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering (but not smoking).

5. Prepare a second baking sheet by lining it with a couple layers of paper towel.

6. When the oil is ready, fry the chicken in batches until golden brown, about 2 min per side. Drain on the paper towel lined baking sheet and keep the chicken warm in the oven while the rest cooks.

7. Mix the honey and mustard together for a tasty dipping sauce.

Recipe Source: Apapted from The Quick Recipe

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

A.K.A. "Pizza Chicken" in my house.

I'd been seeing this recipe for awhile on Pinterest and I finally decided to give it a try. Pizza reigns supreme with my youngest son, who also is a very (very) picky eater. So I though this recipe would be a great fit to try out on him especially. I made the original recipe once and it was a big hit with everyone in my family.

 The second time I made it (which is pictured here) I decided to make a few changes.

 The original recipe calls for using a bag of seasoned croutons for the topping, which I thought made the casserole a bit salty for my taste, so I opted to make my own croutons. The other major change I made was to cut the chicken up into smaller pieces, instead of leaving the chicken breasts whole.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

~serves about 6~

What you need:

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

sprinkle of red pepper flakes

about 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into approximately 2-3 inch chunks

salt & pepper

2 1/2 - 3 c. tomato sauce

1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 oz. fresh grated Parmesan cheese (about a cup)

about 4 c. homemade croutons, or your favorite store bought brand (I've included my recipe below)

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper.

3. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, add chicken, olive oil, garlic and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Toss well, spread out in an even layer. Spread tomato sauce evenly over chicken and sprinkle with chopped basil.

4. Sprinkle half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan over the sauce layer. Spread the croutons over the cheese. Then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the layer of croutons.

5. Bake for 35 minutes.

*To make homemade croutons: 
2 cloves garlic minced to a paste
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 t. salt
4 c. fresh bread cubes (1/2 -3/4 inch cubes)

Combine oil, garlic, and salt in a large bowl. Add bread cubes and toss until well coated. Spread onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15 -20 minutes, until golden brown.

Recipe Source: Adapted From Food Wishes

Super Simple Oven-Baked Ribs

This isn't so much a recipe as it is a technique. I've made ribs this way a couple of times now for my family and we love them. I bake them covered in foil initially, which keeps them moist. Then I remove the foil about halfway through so the ribs get good and caramelized. So, so good!

Super Simple Oven-Baked Ribs

What you'll need:

1 rack of pork spareribs (the rack I used here was about 5 1/2 lb.)

your favorite rub

your favorite bbq sauce

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Liberally apply your favorite rub and massage into the ribs. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

2. Remove the foil from the ribs and continue to bake another 1 1/2 hours. Ribs should be tender and  deeply caramelized by this time. 

3. Remove pan from the oven and carefully transfer the ribs, meaty side down, to a clean baking sheet. Brush the top of the ribs (back of the rack) with bbq sauce. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the sauce begins to caramelize on top of the ribs. Remove from the oven, carefully flip ribs, and brush the top (meaty) side of the ribs with the bbq sauce. Return the ribs to the oven and bake another 10 minutes, or until the bbq sauce is caramelized. Remove from the oven and cut into desired portions.

Cabbage Soup with Bacon, Potatoes and White Beans

I came up with this recipe because I had half of a head of a large cabbage in my crisper drawer and some delicious thick-cut pepper bacon Dan had brought home awhile back. We were having one of those epic Pacific Northwwest rainstorms and I wanted to make something to warm our bellies. I love this kind of food, it's so hearty and comforting.

Cabbage Soup with Bacon, Potatoes and White Beans

~serves about 6-8~

What you'll need:

1 T. olive oil

8 oz. thick cut bacon, diced

2 onions, finely chopped

12 oz. carrots, peeled and chopped

1 t. dried thyme

2 lg. (about 1 1/2 lb.) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch dice

15 oz. can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 of a large head (or 1small head) of cabbage, coarsely chopped

4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

4 c. water

What you do:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Leaving about 1 T. drippings in the pot, add onions, carrots and thyme and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes or so. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer about an hour, until vegetables are tender.