Sunday, November 30, 2014

Curry and Comfort's Weekly Sunday Summary 11/24/14 thru 11/30/14

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Happy Sunday Everyone!

We are just wrapping up our Thanksgiving break here at my house.  The turkey has been roasted, eaten, turned into soup and we've all been stuffed.    My family had a great time getting together and eating our belly's full.  If you celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope you also had a fabulous time.

Now it's all about shopping and getting geared up for Christmas.  I can't believe tomorrow is December 1st (already) and we have 24 days until Christmas.  Time to get into high gear, so I don't have to rush to get things baked, cooked and wrapped.  I think I need a week of recuperation before I can even think that far ahead.   

Do you love Christmas movies?  I think I'm a little obsessed with them.  The Hallmark Channel and Lifetime run a lot of Christmas movies from November through December and I feel like I have to watch each new show they air.  Sometimes I even watch shows I know I have seen before because my old mind isn't as good as it was back in the day and I can't even remember the story.  All I know is it's about something "Christmas-y" so I have to watch it.    My TV video recorder is full to the brim of shows that I have been too busy in the kitchen to watch.    I think I will be watching Christmas shows well into January the way things are going these days.

My family is all asleep right now... I think I sneak downstairs and watch a show before the chaos that is my life takes over and I have to get breakfast ready.... then lunch... then dinner and do loads of laundry in between.   Well, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without my family so I guess I wouldn't have it any other way. :) 

Now here is my week in review:






Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Orange Cranberry Cake

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Yesterday was Thanksgiving and my family and I enjoyed a real feast of food.  I cooked for two days so I could make a bunch of dishes for our Thanksgiving lunch.  I also said that I would make two desserts for the dessert table.   Unfortunately, by the time it came to the 2nd dessert, I was tired.  

I looked around for something quick and easy that I could whip into a dessert.  I love to doctor up cake mix because it's almost foolproof.  I had a jar of orange marmalade in the fridge and some dried cranberries so I put it all together to see how it would turn out.  You can call it one of my cake experiments.  I didn't know if it would be a hit or a miss, but it turned out to be a hit.  Hooray!

Sometimes all you need is a little imagination and some trusty ingredients when you are tired and in need of some sweet inspiration.  This cake was a perfect little end to our Thanksgiving feast.  Hope you all had a great day too. 



Orange Cranberry Cake

by Curry and Comfort
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 50-55
Ingredients
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup orange marmalade
  • 1 can mandarin oranges drained
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
1. Prepare cake according to box instructions and add 2/3 cup orange marmalade while blending batter.
2. Grease or spray bundt pan then place 1/3 cup of the orange marmalade on the bottom of bundt pan. Next arrange some of the drained mandarin oranges in bundt pan.
3. Finally add the dried cranberries and remaining mandarin oranges to cake batter and stir well.
4. Pour batter into bundt pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until cake is firm to touch.
5. Allow cake to cook for 15-20 minutes then invert onto cake plate and serve. Enjoy.
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Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Tandoori Turkey

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We are counting down the days until it's Turkey Time here at our house.  I have all my shopping done and now it's just about getting down to starting some of the cooking.  I think I will start tomorrow by making  my Spicy and Quick Cranberry Pineapple Chutney first since it's quick and easy.    Then the prep work for  the rest of my Thanksgiving dishes will have to happen on Wednesday as well as my baking.  Finally Thursday morning will be a mad dash to get everything else done before lunch time.

What time do you have your meal?  We usually eat around 2pm.  That gives us plenty of time to digest all the food we gobbled up and make room to eat dessert around 5pm.  

My sister is making the turkey this year.  She makes a really good turkey.  So I thought I would play around and try making a non-traditional Asian style turkey.  This time I went with Indian flavors and tandoori spices.  I have to admit that it's not the prettiest of turkeys, but it's full of flavor.

You can also try this year around on a regular roasting chicken, but reduced the quantities for the marinade by half (depending on the size of your chicken). This turkey will make excellent leftover sandwiches or turkey salad the next day (if there are any leftovers).  It will also go well with yellow rice, cucumber raita and and a green salad.


Tandoori Turkey

by Curry and Comfort
Prep Time: 24 hours
Cook Time: 3-4 hours
Ingredients
  • 1 10-12lb thawed turkey
  • 2-3 cups plain yogurt
  • 2 Tbs grated fresh ginger
  • 2 Tbs grated fresh garlic
  • 2-3 Tbs garam masala powder
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 Tbs red chili powder (or to taste)
  • juice of one lemon
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • pandan leaves (optional)
  • 2 stalks lemon grass (optimal)
  • one onion cut into large wedges
Instructions
1. Prepare marinade by mixing together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, salt, black pepper, red chili powder, garam masala powder, turmeric and lemon juice together.
2. Apply on turkey under the skin, on top of skin and in the cavity. Marinate in for up to 24 hours.
3. Place marinated turkey in roasting pan and add onion wedges, pandan leaves and lemongrass into the cavity.
4. Fill pan with 3 cups of chicken stock. Bake turkey at 425 degree for 30 minutes. Take turkey out of oven and it with foil. Lower temperature to 325 degree and bake 15 minutes for every pound of turkey (example: a 12lb turkey will take about 3hours). Bake uncovered for last half hour.
5. Bake until you have a cooking temp of 165 degree when you insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part between the thigh and the breast. Remember it's important to let your turkey sit for 30 minutes at minimum after pulling it out of the oven before you carve it. Tent it with some aluminum foil to keep it warm. Carve and enjoy.
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Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cumin and Chilies

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 It's Thanksgiving week so I'm going to give you a few more ideas to complete your meal.  This is a wonderful Roasted Brussels Sprouts dish that has some spice from the chiles and some great flavor from the cumin.    

I decided to top off the dish with some jewel like pomegranate seeds to really make the dish pop and look extra festive.  This dish is also perfect for the holiday season with all the green and red going on in it.

It's a really easy dish to pull together, but does take a few minutes to prep since the first step requires that you take the time to roast the Brussels Sprouts.  The second step is to simply saute the sprouts with the onions, chilies and cumin to complete the dish.

So if you're looking for a festive and different way to serve Brussels Sprouts this year, think about this fun dish. It's sure to make anyone's table sparkle.




Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cumin and Chilies

by Curry and Comfort
Prep Time: 40
Cook Time: 15
Ingredients
  • 2lbs Brussels Sprouts
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2-3 chilies (any heat level) sliced
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • red chili flakes to taste
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • oil as needed in both steps
  • 1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
Instructions
1. Clean Brussels Sprouts by cutting off the end and slicing in half. Place on a roasting pan and season with salt and black pepper. Pour 2-3 tsp canola oil on sprouts and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes to roast. Toss sprouts half way through cooking to roast evenly.
2. In a large pan season chopped onion and chilies with a little salt and saute for 3-4 minutes.
3. Next add cumin, turmeric, red chili flakes and garlic powder. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add roasted Brussels Sprouts and toss with onion and chilies. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Taste for salt and seasoning.
5. Place in bowl or platter and scatter pomegranate seeds.
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Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Curry and Comfort's Weekly Sunday Summary 11/17/14 thru 11/23/14

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Happy Sunday Everyone!

 We're only a few days away from Thanksgiving and I need to get busy shopping for all the dishes I am contributing to my family's Thanksgiving table.   It's hard when you are known for loving to cook and having a cooking blog no less to just take only one dish and call it a day.  So I've signed up for several dishes and desserts, plus an appetizer.  Okay... I'm just slightly overwhelmed!

Some of the dishes I'm taking are my Quinoa, Veggie ad Sausage Stuffing because there are a few of us trying to eat low-carb.  Of course, Thanksgiving would not be the same without my mother's Sausage Stuffing so I'm also making that dish. Then there is my homemade Green Bean Casserole, Cranberry and Pineapple Chutney, spinach dip and two desserts I have yet to decide on making. 

Okay... I don't have time to chit-chat... I better get busy shopping and cooking.   I have a few more Thanksgiving dishes to bring you before "Turkey Day" so don't forget to drop by and check them out.   Now here is my week in review...


 



Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Stuffing Waffles

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 I love Thanksgiving because it's all about getting together with family and friends and eating some good (really good) food.  My favorite part is actually the leftovers.  I am all about having a lot of leftovers to enjoy for many days after Thanksgiving.  

The fact is after days of cooking nonstop, I need a little break.  So after the big event I like to take it easy in the kitchen for a couple of days and not think too much about cooking.  I love when the fridge is full of leftovers so I can take a little of this and a little of that to nibble and enjoy.  Of course eating the same food for days can be a little boring too.  So if you want to play around with your leftovers, check out http://www.foodnetwork.com/ for some great ideas on what to do with your Thanksgiving Day leftovers.  

I saw this stuffing waffle brunch idea at http://www.foodnetwork.com/  and knew I had to try it out.  My kids just loved them and got such a big kick out eating stuffing waffles.   It was a great way of giving the day old stuffing new life and so much fun to make.  I loved how cute my plate of leftovers looked... but it wasn't too cute to gobble right up.

Now since Thanksgiving is less than a week away, you may still be looking for some dishes to make for your holiday table. So, don't hesitate to head over to  http://www.foodnetwork.com/ to see all the great appetizer, turkey dishes, side dishes and desserts you can try to make your Thanksgiving extra delicious. 



Ingredients

4 1/2 cups crumbled leftover stuffing
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 large eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil, for brushing waffle iron
Sliced leftover turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce, for serving
Special equipment: waffle iron
Directions
Preheat a waffle iron.   Combine the stuffing, parsley and eggs. Brush the top and bottom of the waffle iron with oil.  Fill the waffle iron with a layer of the stuffing mixture. Cook in waffle iron until waffles are golden and fully cooked/set.  The waffles should be able to come out of the iron easily when lifted with a spatula. 

Serve with turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce and any other Thanksgiving leftovers you like.  

From Food Network Kitchens-  For Full recipe and directions please visit Food Network.com.






Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Brown Rice and Red Bean Sausage Stuffing (Throwback Thursday)

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It's Throwback Thursday so I thought I would share another great alternative for the traditional bread stuffing.   This Brown Rice and Red Bean Sausage Stuffing is not so traditional since it's rice, but it is fabulous.  It's a very savory rice and beans with sausage and it would go perfectly well with all the other side dishes for Thanksgiving.  We ate it as a main meal and my son and husband loved it to bits.   The leftovers have already been spoken for in the lunch boxes so I know I must make this dish again. I used good quality hot Italian sausage, brown rice and red kidney beans so it was pretty healthy and nutritious too.  I loved that I just used leftover brown rice from our rice and curry meal the day before. You can't beat getting a second meal out of leftover rice that has this flavor punch.

Ingredients:
5 cups cooked cold brown rice

1 (15oz) can red kidney beans
1lb of hot Italian Sausage
1 medium onion chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 bell pepper diced (or any sweet pepper)
1 Tbs of grated fresh garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp of poultry seasoning
1-2 tsp fresh sage minced
black pepper and salt to taste to taste
2 Tbs soy sauce
red chili flakes (to taste)

 Directions:
Have your rice cooked and cooled.  This works best with leftover rice. Next brown sausage in a large pan or skillet.   Depending on the sausage you use, drain all but 1 Tbs of oil from the sausage.  I had only about 1 Tbs with the sausage I used so I did not have to drain it. Next add the diced celery, peppers and onions.  Saute for 3-4 minutes.  Next add garlic and saute for another few minutes.

Then add the ground thyme, poultry seasoning, red chili flakes, salt, pepper, paprika and fresh sage.  Then add the drained and rinsed beans and soy sauce.

 Finally add the cooked brown riced and mix well.  Serve hot as a side dish or as a main dish. Enjoy.



Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Quinoa Veggie and Sausage Stuffing

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My favorite dish for Thanksgiving is stuffing.  I really love the stuff (no pun intended - ha!ha!).  These days I am trying my hardest to do the low-carb thing.  It's certainly not easy during the holidays.  I made a promise to myself at the beginning of this month that I was going to try to make a low-carb friendly version of stuffing. 

So I thought of my favorite sausage and bread stuffing and went from there.  I knew I could keep the sausage, but the bread had to definitely go.  Next, I went to my favorite go to low carb vegetables- cauliflower and zucchini to help fill out the stuffing.  Then, I realized that I still needed a sort of grain to help pull everything together and that's when quinoa entered the picture.   

I was never a big quinoa fan until recently.  I finally learned how to cook it right so make sure to check out my "How to cook quinoa perfectly" post before making this dish.   The rest of the dish is full of the regular stuffing ingredients like celery, onions, poultry seasoning, thyme and sage.   I made this dish a few days ago and did a test run of it with my family before I took it to the big family Thanksgiving celebration next week.  It was a home-run with my husband, daughter and myself.  I can't give my son's opinion since he still refuses to eat quinoa.  I'm going to get him to like it someday....

I hope you like my idea of a low-carb friendly stuffing. Now, I'm all ready to get "stuffed" full of stuffing on Thanksgiving Day.  I can't wait!


Ingredients:
3 cups cooked quinoa (see recipe here)
1 large head cauliflower cut into small pieces
3 stalks celery chopped
1 large onion diced
2-3 medium sized zucchini diced
1lb lean sausage browned well
1 tsp granulated garlic
salt and black pepper (to taste)
2 tsp poultry seasoning (or more to taste)
1 heaping Tbs fresh sage minced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
red chili flakes (to taste)
1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:
1. Cook quinoa and set aside.   
2. Then brown sausage.  Remove sausage from pan and leave 2-3 Tbs of sausage dripping in pan for vegetables (or add oil if needed).  
3. Saute the cut vegetables with a little salt and black pepper. When vegetables are softening, add poultry seasoning, fresh thyme, sage, granulated garlic and red chili flakes.  Saute for a few more minutes then add browned sausage back to pan.   
4.  Finally add quinoa and chicken stock and mix all together.  Adjust seasoning as needed.  Serve hot.  Enjoy.





Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Tuesday Tips: How to Cook Quinoa Perfectly

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 Happy Tuesday!  I know I have been slacking when it has come to my Tuesday tips since this is only the second one I have posted on the blog.  It's not that I don't have tips... I have several to share with you... but with Halloween and Thanksgiving dishes it was difficult to squeeze a tip post in for the last few Tuesdays.

I felt like I had to make this tip a priority to share with you today since making a good quinoa on the stove top is important to know how to do when it comes to the recipe I want to share with you tomorrow. 



I have to be truthful, I was not a big quinoa fan.  Why?  Well, I tried quinoa back when it was just making waves as a cool new high protein "grain/cereal/seed".  I went out and bought some and cooked it.  I didn't know how to cook it, but felt confident and just winged it.  It was a total failure because I remember thinking this feels like birdseed in my mouth.  Urgh!   

Then I over compensated for the dry "birdseed" quinoa and overcooked the darn thing to death my second time around.  Total Mush.. another failure!  Urgh!     So I kind of put quinoa out of my mind and said it's not for me.  I have seen hundreds of quinoa recipes in the past few years, but my confidence was shot and I steered clear of all things quinoa.

I finally decided to overcame my fear of these harmless little seeds when saw my friend Terri post a quinoa recipe and I really loved how it looked.  She recommended using a little less water than you think.  Then I read several places online that toasting the quinoa first was also key.  So I put my "big girl" pants on,  stopped being stubborn and gave it a try.  I was shocked at how beautiful, light and fluffy it turned out.  So of course I came running here to share it with you today.  This girl who was afraid of quinoa has now officially turned into a quinoa lover after all.  Now my beloved quinoa and I can ride off into the sunset.... 



Okay... so how do you cook Quinoa Perfectly?  Here's how...

Recipe: 
2 cups dry quinoa
3 1/2 cups chicken stock (veggie stock or water can be substituted) 
3 Tbs canola oil
salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

Step 1:   First you will need to use a pan with a tight fitting lid.  Then heat the oil in the pan and add quinoa.  Cook on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.  You will hear a "popping sound" and smell a nutty aroma from the quinoa as it toasts.   

Step 2:  After the quinoa is toasted, add your cooking liquid (I used the low sodium chicken stock).  Stir well and place the lid on the pan.  Lower heat to medium and simmer the quinoa for 20 minutes (I timed it exactly). 

Note:  If you are eating quinoa as a simple side dish season with salt here.  I was using it in a recipe so I added no salt. 

Step 3:  Once 20 minutes are up, turn stove off.  Then fluff quinoa and keep lid on pan for another 5 minutes.  I like this additional step of steaming the quinoa for a few extra minutes to make it nice a fluffy. 

Step 4: Serve as you would a rice.  Enjoy. 

Important take away information:  

1.  Measure your dry and liquid ingredients.  "Estimating" and "eyeballing" ingredients was one of my biggest mistakes cooking this grain beforehand.   So use your measuring cups.

2.  Do not overlook the important toasting process.  It makes a big difference in the taste and texture of the quinoa. 




Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Meringue- Kisses

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In Sri Lanka we call them Kisses, to the rest of the world they are known as Meringues. These sweet little confections of egg white and sugar are amazingly easy to make and cost only pennies.  The trick is to have a little patience because they do take 90 minutes to bake in the oven.  All your patience is totally rewarded at the end because when you finally get to enjoy them, they are sweet, light and totally delightful.

My daughter and mother were my kitchen companions when I made the Kisses over the weekend. My daughter could not wait to eat them and as the meringue melted in her mouth she exclaimed that they reminded her of Cotton Candy.    She also was in charge on picking out the sweet pink color of the meringues, of course they can remain white or any color you decided.

I truly was tickled pink when they little beauties were all done and photographed. I already have ideas of playing around with this recipe so look for some new confections to come your way soon.




Meringue Kisses

by Curry and Comfort
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 90
Ingredients (60 kisses)
  • 4 large egg whites
  • small pinch salt
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 3/4 cups white sugar (fine white sugar)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3 drops food coloring (optional)
Instructions
1. Place eggs on counter to get to room temperature
2, Carefully separate egg whites from yolks. Discard if even a drop of yolk gets into egg white mixture and start over.
3. Using an electric mixer add egg whites, cream and tartar and salt and beat until stiff peaks form. ( I beat it on high for 6 minutes)
4. Measure sugar and slowly add one teaspoon at a time to the whipped eggs as you continue to mix eggs. Do not dump all the sugar at once... slowly adding the sugar is a key part of getting the right texture. This step took me almost 5 minutes.
5. Add vanilla and food color and mix until combined.
6. Fill a pastry bag and pipe out dollops of kisses or use two spoons to drop kisses onto a greased parchment paper.
7. Bake in a low 225F degree oven for 90 minutes. Allow kisses to cool down and enjoy.
8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
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Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.