Wrap a tender beef roast in garlic, rosemary, and pink peppercorns and you’ve got a dinner party. Hint: You can roast the garlic a day or two ahead of time while you are grilling something else.
To make the paste: Remove the loose, papery outer skin from the head of garlic. Cut about 1/2 inch off the top to expose the cloves. Place the garlic head on an 8-inch square of aluminium foil and drizzle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over the cloves. Fold up the foil sides and seal to make a packet, leaving a little room for the expansion of steam. Grill over Indirect Medium heat until the cloves are soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow to cool. Squeeze the garlic from the individual cloves into a small bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and mash the garlic and oil together with a fork to form a paste.
Trim the tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin. Spread the paste on the tenderloin, rubbing it into the meat.
In a small bowl combine the peppercorns, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Mix well and press into the paste on the top and sides of the tenderloin.
Allow the tenderloin to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Grill over Indirect Medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 135°F for medium rare, 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The temperature will rise 5°F to 10°F during this time. Cut into 3/4- to 1-inch slices and serve warm.
Here’s a great holiday side -dish for our next Christmas party! The title is self-explanatory, but this ain’t no typical Roasted GarlicSmashed Potatoes.
1. Preheat oven 425 degrees. In a sheet of foil place both garlic heads, chilies, rosemary sprigs, salt and pepper. Spray liberally with PAM and fold foil to create a packet. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes until cloves are soft and rosemary and crispy. Remove and cool.
2. Meanwhile, cut potatoes in half and boil in salted water with peel on until fork tender. In a small bowl squeeze in garlic cloves, add rosemary, chilies, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined and garlic is mushed. Add this mixture to the potatoes and combine thoroughly. In a slow stream, add half&half and light cream. Mash together until smooth and well combined. More or less milk can be used to achieve desired consistency. Then stir in the grated parmigiano. I like smashed potatoes a little chunky and smooth. Taste for salt.
3. Place on a pretty serving platter top with a sprig of rosemary and chopped chives and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil (if you want!) Dig in!
Serves 6
Nutrition:
I cut the fat by a pretty substantial amount by using light cream instead of heavy cream and fat free half&half. If you want to keep it completely healthy, use only fat free half&half. The consistency will still come out yummy. I also didn’t put any butter, which traditional mashed potatoes have (it’s really not necessary, because the strong rosemary and garlic flavors keep it yummy)! Plus this dish serves 6, so a little light cream won’t kill you
The Superbowl is around the corner! Get out the chips, dips and fried wings!! NOT. The Superbowl every year is about tailgating and partying. Now, for most that does mean calorific fried food items and generally non-vegetarian dishes. But, it’s time to change that! Indulging once a year is okay, but taking in about a YEARS worth of calories in one afternoon is NOT okay. So, I’ve come up with some healthy, hearty and absolutely yummy superbowl party food options that’ll keep you coming back for more!
First up is my Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade with Roasted Onions, Garlic and Chilies. Its scrumptious, it’s zesty, it’s bold and best of all it’s VEGAN! Yes, an amazing Superbowl dip that’ll have meat-lovers and vegans rejoice! You won’t feel bad going in for seconds, or thirds.. or fourths. Filled with robust flavors of fresh roasted peppers and roasted garlic, blended with a bit of Tahini and lemon juice- it’s simple and filled with ingredients that households generally have! Eat it with pita chips, crackers, vegetables or top your favorite sandwich or falafel with it!
1. On a baking sheet place a small piece of foil and place head of garlic. Spray with PAM and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold foil to create a packet. On the remaining portion of the sheet, add onions, peppers and chilies. Spray with PAM, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss so each piece is coated. Place in oven on broil and cook for about 10-12 minutes, shaking the tray half way thru, so the vegetables cook evenly. Remove and cool before handling. Garlic should be soft and easily squeezable thru the skin.
2. Once the vegetables are cool, peel off an excessively charred parts and place into a food processor. Squeeze in all the garlic cloves, making sure not to get any of the skin in. Add roasted chilies, tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until chunky-smooth. Blend on low and add a little warm water until its smoother. Blending a little faster, drizzle in olive oil until the dip comes together and is smoother, but not pureed. You want it to have texture. Taste for salt and lemon juice.
3. Place on a serving platter and top with lemon rinds and serve with pita chips, vegetables, crackers or with falafel!
Serves 6 (to make more, just double all the ingredients!)
A few weekends ago, I was invited to participate in a “soup swap”. Living in the ‘burbs, I’m learning that there are far more domestic things going on out here…including “soup swaps”. So I took to twitter and asked for soup recipes because come on, I certainly don’t have any. Within minutes I had 3 ready to go. With the urging of my sister, I chose to go with Chicken Toscana Soup.
Directions:
Cook onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add the gnocchi, cook 2 minutes. Add chicken and tomatoes, simmer. Sprinkle in cheese, simmer for 5-8 minutes. Add cream and milk. Add spinach. Stir together. Top with basil.
Remove from heat.
From my one attempt, I thought that leaving this soup on a low heat for a while afterwards really thickened this bad boy up. And the flavors just blended incredibly well together.
I hope you enjoy this soup half as much as I did.
Happy Friday!
A beautiful Daal with a soothing, homey feel to it that is sure to satisfy the palate and the soul. Simple, easy and delicious Urad Daal can also be made as easyly on the stove-top in a sauce pan or in a pressure cooker. Enjoy this Gujarati roadside dhabba dish.
Urad Daal – 1 cup
Water – 6 cups
Salt – to taste
Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp or to taste
Seasoning:
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Ghee – 1/2 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilies – 2 or to taste
Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
Curry Leaves – few leaves
Green Chillies – slit, to taste
Ginger – 1/2 tbsp, minced
Garlic – 1/2 tbsp, minced
Cilantro – for garnish
Method:
1. Wash the Urad Daal under the tap till the water runs clear.
2. In the Slow Cooker combine the Daal and the Water.
3. Give the daal a mix, cover and cook on high for 4 hours .
4. After the 4 hours, open, mix and add Salt and Lemon/Lime Juice and mix.
5. To work on the seasoning, heat Oil & Ghee in a skillet.
6. Add in the Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle.
7. Add in the Dry Red Chillies, Asafoetida, Curry Leaves, Green Chillies, Ginger & Garlic. Cook for a minute.
8. Add the seasoning to the Daal, add in fresh chopped Cilantro and it’s ready to serve.
9. Enjoy with Chapatis, Rice or by itself, as a soup.
Tips:
Pressure Cooker Method:
1. Cook Daal with the Water and allow the Pressure Cooker to whistle 1 time.
2. Turn the flame off and allow the pressure to go down by itself.
3. Open the Cooker follow the same steps mentioned above.
Stove-Top Method:
1. Cook Water and Daal in a Saucepan, covered, till the Daal is cooked.
2. Follow the same steps as the Slow-Cooker Method.
On a trip to Bangalore, India a few years back, we met a wonderful Bengali chef named Manik Malik. He shared his very popular Bengali Fish Curry recipe with us. Fish lovers will rejoice at this delicious curry recipe made with simple ingredients and a simple process.
Fish (firm variety) – 1/2 lb (approx 500 g) – cleaned
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Mustard Oil – 3 Tbsp
Onion – 1/2 large
Tomato – 1/2 large
Garlic – 7 to 8 large cloves
Green Chilies – to taste
Mustard Seeds – 1 Tbsp
Cumin Powder – 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder – 1/4 tsp or to taste
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Hot Water – 1 1/2 cups
Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) – for garnishing
Method:
1. Marinate Fish for 10 minutes with 1/4 tsp of Turmeric Powder and 1/4 tsp Salt.
2. In a grinder or blender, form a paste of Onion, Tomato, Garlic, Green Chilies and Mustard Seeds.
3. Heat Mustard Oil in a pan and fry the fish for 1 minute on each side. Remove onto a paper towel lined plate and keep aside.
4. In the same oil, add ground paste, Cumin Powder, Red Chili Powder, Turmeric Powder and Salt. Mix well, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Once mixture stops splattering, uncover and continue to cook until the oil separates from the mixture.
6. Add Fish back in and coat it with the mixture.
7. Add hot Water and gently stir.
8. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.
9. Garnish with Cilantro and serve hot with Rice or Chapati.
Gongura (also known as pitwaa or sorrel leaves) is a green, leafy plant that has many different uses in Indian cuisine. The popular Gongura Pickle is found in most Indian grocery store shelves. Gongura is a great source of Iron, folic acid and other anti-oxidants. Try this Andhra inspired Gongura Daal recipe (Gongura Pappu) and experience the fresh, tangy flavors of fresh gongura leaves.
Gongura Leaves – 1/2 lb (Discard stems, wash and chop leaves)
Masoor Daal – 1 cup
Water – 2 1/2 cups plus more for desired consistency
Salt – to taste
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Onion – 1/2 medium, finely chopped
Ginger – 1/2 Tbsp, minced
Garlic – 1/2 Tbsp, minced
Chilies – to taste, minced
Tomatoes – 1 medium, chopped
Method:
1. Pressure cook Masoor Daal with 2 1/2 cups Water and Salt for 1 whistle. Do not open pressure cooker until all internal pressure is released.
2. Meanwhile, heat Oil in a large pan on medium heat.
3. Add Mustard Seeds and allow them to pop.
4. Add Cumin Sees and allow them to sizzle.
5. Add Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder and Curry Leaves. Mix.
6. Immediately add Onions, Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilies and a little Salt. Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes until Onions are translucent.
7. Add Gongura Leaves, mix and cook for 7-10 minutes (until sliminess is gone from leaves).
8. Add Tomatoes and mix.
9. Add cook Masoor Daal, additional water as needed to get desired consistency, and adjust salt.
10. Bring daal to a boil and remove from heat.
11. Serve hot with Rice or Chapati.
Wrap a tender beef roast in garlic, rosemary, and pink peppercorns and you’ve got a dinner party. Hint: You can roast the garlic a day or two ahead of time while you are grilling something else.
