Indian Vegetable Curry

 https://www.layersofhappiness.com/the-best-vegetable-curry-ever/

Ingredients:

• BASMATI RICE for serving
• YOGURT + CUCUMBER for raita
• 
  
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 medium cloves garlic, minced

Spices:

• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, finger grated
• 1 Tablespoon. ground coriander
• 1-1/2 teaspoon. ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon. cayenne
• 1 Tablespoon. tomato paste
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt and Pepper

Vegetables:

• 1 cauliflower or broccoli head, chopped into florets
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced or 6 red potatoes,diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 whole lime, juiced and zested
• 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• Basmati rice for serving
• optional: 4 cups (handfuls) spinach, light packed

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir/cook, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne; stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and stir until even distributed throughout the spices, about 1 minute.
2. Add the broth, coconut milk, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low or low and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, and peas. Raise the heat to medium high and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Stir in the lime juice, and zest; cook about 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt.
5. Add 2 heaping handfuls of spinach and cook for 2 minutes until the spinach turns bright green. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Indian Chicken Curry

So much more delicious than I expected!

To do it right it takes 2 HOURS of prep time, then an additional 1 hour of cooking time

https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/10/chicken-curry/

2 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt
4 garlic cloves, minced or grated, divided
2-inch piece of ginger, minced or grated, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons neutral oil or ghee
2 large yellow onions, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
About 2 1/2 cups small diced fresh tomatoes, from 3 to 4 roma tomatoes, or 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne or a mild chile powder, such as kashmiri, or to taste
1/2 cup water
Cilantro for serving

Combine chicken thighs with yogurt, half of garlic, ginger, and salt in a bowl and set aside for whatever time you’ve got — you can use them right away, in an hour, or up to a day.

In a large (4 quarts), heavy pan with a lid, heat oil or ghee. Once hot add onions and cumin seeds, cook 5 minutes, until browned at edges. Add remaining ginger and garlic and cook one to two minutes more. Add remaining salt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cayenne or another chile powder cook for two minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they begin to break down, 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, cook for another 2 minutes. Add chicken and yogurt marinade from bowl, plus water, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer, stirring. Simmer 25 to 30 minutes over low heat, covered, stirring once or twice to ensure everything is cooking evenly.

Chicken is done when it is cooked through and very tender (you can cut a larger chunk in half to check for doneness). Adjust seasoning as needed and serve with rice.

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Raita
- full fat yogurt
- English cucumber
- cumin
- coriander


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Basmati Rice
https://pipingpotcurry.com/instant-pot-basmati-rice/

1 cup basmati rice
1.25 cup water
1 tsp ghee or oil (sunflower)
1/2 tsp salt
(for increasing amounts of rice it's 1 cup rice : 1.25 cup water


Wash rice until water runs clear
Soak rice in water for at least an hour
Put water and rice in instant pot, add oil and salt
Set instant pot on pressure cook to 4 minutes
When done, let sit for 5 minutes before venting


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https://www.thespruceeats.com/indian-spice-roasted-cauliflower-recipe-102146

Roasted Cauliflower

4 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon garam masala
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 head cauliflower (rinsed, cored, cut into 2-inch pieces)

Whisk spices and salt into melted butter
Toss cauliflower in bowl with butter mixture
Spread out on baking pan
Bake at 425 for about 40 minutes

Anthony's Cookies and Cream Cookies

 

Anthony's Cookies - Cookies n Cream

1 package oreo-style cookies
2 sticks butter
.75c granulated sugar
.75c brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

1. Take about a third of oreo cookies from box, remove cream centers from them and smash in freezer bag to fine consistency. Mix with other dry ingredients (not butter and sugars)

2. Take remainder of oreos and crush into a rougher consistency

3. Lightly cream (do not overmix) butters, sugar, vanilla

4. Add eggs slowly

5. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients, including oreo crumbs

6. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes on parchment paper

Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks

• 16 oz block whole milk mozzarella cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup italian style breadcrumbs
• salt, pepper

1. Cut the block of cheese into 1/2 inch sticks.
2. Place the eggs in a bowl with a little salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Then place the bread crumbs in a second bowl, and season with a little salt and pepper.
3. Take each cheese stick and dip it into the egg, letting the excess drip off.
4. Then coat in the breadcrumbs, shake off the excess, and place on a plate. Repeat with the remaining cheese sticks.
5. Once each cheese stick has been breaded, take each one through the egg and breadcrumbs again for a second coating. Place the mozzarella sticks in an airtight container and freeze for two hours.
6. Heat up a fryer to 365 degrees F, and fry for about 30-60 seconds until golden brown. Serve with marinara or your favorite dunking sauce. Enjoy!

https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/game-day-nibbles-homemade-mozzarella-sticks/

Deep fried sushi

 

1 cup sifted flour

1 egg loosely beaten

1 cup very cold water

*don't overmix! should be lumpy

Heat deep fryer to around 350

Make sushi roll

Coat in batter

Roll in panko breadcrumbs

Deep fry for a minute or two

Deep fried twinkies and oreos

*If possible, freeze twinkies for an hour or so before deep frying

BATTER
1 cup milk 
2 tablespoons vinegar 
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup flour (mix to consistency)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Coat in batter

Deep fry at around 350 degrees for a minute or two

Sprinkle with powdered sugar

Buche de Noel (yule log)

https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/04/heavenly-chocolate-cake-roll/

Also useful as a Passover flour-free cake!

Cake:
1 cup semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons water 
6 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, divided (to sift on at the end)

Filling:
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (use more if you prefer a sweeter filling)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tablespoons liqueur of your choice, such as Grand Marnier

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or oil a 10-by-15-inch shallow baking or jellyroll pan. Line the bottom lengthwise with a piece of waxed or parchment paper that extends up the short sides one inch.

2. Melt chocolate with the 3 tbsp water in microwave on low heat, taking out to stir until just smooth

3. In a clean bowl beat egg whites until stiff, set aside

4. Beat egg yolks with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to beat until yolks are pale and ribbony. Gently stir the semi-cooled chocolate into the yolk mixture.

5. Stir 1/4 of egg white mixture into the chocolate-yolk mixture to lighten it. 

6. Fold the remaining whites into the cake batter in three additions. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until cake layer feels dry (but very soft) to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It will still seem a little underbaked.

7. Transfer to a cooling rack and cover the top with a light damp towel or two layers of damp paper towels for 10 minutes. Gently remove towels; don’t fuss if they have a bit of cake stuck to them. Run a knife around the edges of the cake. 

8. Sift one tablespoon cocoa over the top of the cake and cover the cake with a thin tea or flour sack towel [Updated, see Note above] that is a little longer than the pan. Place the back of a baking sheet or a large flat tray over the towel and invert the cake and paper onto it. Gently peel back the parchment or waxed paper that lined the pan. Sift the remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder over the top of the cake (that was, one minute ago, the underside). Using the towel underneath to help lift and roll the cake, roll the cake from short end to short end with the towel inside. Let cool completely, encased in its towel.

9. Once cool, beat heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Get your serving plate ready and place it near your cake roll. Gently unroll chocolate cake and remove tea towel. [Try to get the tea towel to the hamper without touching anything, as it is saturated with smudgy cocoa and trust me, can mess up a white kitchen fast.] Spread whipped cream filling evenly over cake. Gently use waxed or parchment paper once again to reroll cake. Place on serving platter, seam side down.

Frost with Magnolia buttercream frosting: https://keekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/09/magnolias-chocolate-buttercream-frosting.html