Tomato

Red Beans and Green Pumpkin Soup

By / Soups, Vegetarian / 2 Comments /

October is a time of change…
 
Most noticeably, the trees change. What was green till yesterday starts turning into yellows and oranges and bright reds…
 
Temperature goes from warm to cool…
 
Sweaters and scarves begin to emerge from storage…
 
Dawn and dusk move towards each other making days shorter…
 
Early birds start on their migrations south; squirrels get real busy gathering the last of the nuts…
Winds pick up… trying to shake loose the leaves from the trees, getting them ready for the coming winter…
 
Beaches get deserted; movies and malls get crowded…
 
Thermostats go from Cool to Heat…
 
That reminds me of a funny story. Once I was travelling by train to Canada, in the middle of summer. Inside the train, it was freeeezing! Considering the season, all that I had packed were summer clothes. Not a single sweater or jacket in sight! Finally, I approach the conductor and request that the thermostat be turned up a bit. And she goes… “This train has only two settings; heat or cool. Now it is on Cool. And you know what will happen if I turn it to Heat. Do you want me to get beaten up by the other passengers?” Of course, with a smile. The question that came to the tip of my tongue was, “So you think I can’t beat you up?” but considering that I had to spend a few more hours on the train, I pushed that question right back down. And went back to my seat to look at the warm outside world passing by my window, shivering all the time… Did not made that mistake again; Canada always finds me arriving with a jacket, even at the height of summer!
 
But I digress… we were talking about changes…
 
Octoberfest and pumpkin ale reign supreme before making way for robust red wines…
 
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And the produce… oh boy, what an abundance of pumpkins and squashes… In all shapes and sizes and colours. The market is so full of them. And they make such wonderful displays. And so many ways of cooking them!
 
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Before the ripe, orange pumpkins in their varieties get to the market, there is a small window of time when, if you are lucky, you will come across the green ones, likely in a farmers’ market. They are nothing like their later selfs; these are more akin to potatoes in their mealy texture. Though you can cook pretty much anything with them, they excel in soups and stews.
 
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This soup is a quick and easy one. Starting with a base of Mirepoix, you build the soup by simply throwing things into the pot.
 
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I have used a banana pepper as well, just for the reason that it was sitting lonely in the refrigerator and I did not have any other use planned for it. That is precisely how my recipes grow most often. 🙂
 
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Among the spice mix, I’ve added a bit of chilli powder which is totally optional. Also, you can either soak dried red beans and boil them or get them out of a can. Tastes equally good either way.
 
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Once you have sautéed the chopped stuff, you will have to move it to a large pot, or start with a pot in which you can do the sautéing as well.
 
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A hunk of crusty bread is all you need to make a great meal!

~Ria

Red Beans and Green Pumpkin Soup
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
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Ingredients
  • 2 lb green unripe pumpkin, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups cooked red beans
  • 2 red onions, chopped fine
  • 2 ribs celery, sliced thin
  • 1 carrot, slit lengthwise and sliced thinly
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 small bunch cilantro (coriander leaves), minced
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. In a large pot, heat the cooking oil and sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add celery, garlic and carrot and continue sautéing for another 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add the red beans, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cumin and chilli powder, if using. Stir together.
  4. Add 5 cups of water to the mix and bring to boil.
  5. Add the pumpkin pieces and chopped tomato.
  6. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
  8. Adjust seasoning and add the minced cilantro.
  9. Remove from heat and serve hot with crusty bread.

Quick & Easy Chicken Curry

By / Entrée, Poultry / 10 Comments /

Chicken curry is a dish that lends itself to innumerable variations. Indeed, when you consider the fact that ‘curry’ as such is a generic term used to refer to a spiced dish with gravy, the variations can be so many. No wonder, there are as many recipes for chicken curry, as there are cooks making them!
 
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Some of these dishes like the Mughlai versions can be quite complicated with a long list of ingredients, while some are quite simple with just a few things thrown together. Regions have their specialities just like families have their favourites. However, when a friend from my zumba class spoke about looking for an easy to make chicken curry recipe, I did not have to think at all… I knew right away the perfect one. The most straight forward, easy to make chicken curry! So Corina, this is for you!
 
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One good thing about this curry is that, as you become an expert in it, you can experiment with it. Instead of adding water, you can try some coconut milk… or you can vary the spice mix to focus on specific flavours. This is the recipe that all kids from our family take with them when they go to unis with the hope that they will get an opportunity try it out on their friends… this is the recipe that is followed when unexpected guests turn up at the door and something good has to be whipped up right away.
 
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The process is very simple to follow… you chop up the basic curry combo – onion, ginger, and garlic. These form the essentials of most curries. Optionally, you can include green chilles in this group. I had some very mild ones in my refrigerator; so I added them.
 
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Then comes the vegetable part. If you like potatoes, definitely add them; they will turn out to be tastier than the chicken! And tomatoes to add to the flavour of the gravy. As you advance in the curry craft, you can add other vegetables like green peas or lima beans as well.
 
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The next part is the spice mix. Coriander, chilli, turmeric and black pepper powders form the base. And I use the eastern eight spice mix, which I make at home, for the curry flavour.
 
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And finally, the chicken. There is no definite preference for the pieces. Chicken thighs or breasts will work well. The whole chicken cut up into pieces can also be used.
 
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Then it is a matter of sauté and cook. And your curry is ready! Perfect to be served with rice/pulav and a quick salad.

 

~Ria

Quick & Easy Chicken Curry
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Main meal
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Ingredients
  • 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 3 medium onions
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 2 inch piece ginger
  • 1 green chilli, optional
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper powder
  • 2 tsp eastern eight spice powder
  • 3 tbsp cooking oil
  • Coriander leaves
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
  2. Slice the onion into thin wedges.
  3. Cut the ginger into juliennes.
  4. Thinly slice the garlic cloves.
  5. Cut the potatoes into cubes.
  6. Cut each tomato into eight pieces.
  7. Mince a few spring of coriander leaves.
  8. Measure out all the spice powders and keep ready.
  9. In a large frying pan, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies, if using.
  10. Sauté till the onions start browning around the edges.
  11. Add the potato pieces and keep stirring.
  12. After 5 minutes, add the powders and stir well.
  13. Right away, add the chicken and tomatoes and stir together for two minutes.
  14. Add enough water to cook the chicken.
  15. Cover and cook till the chicken is done.
  16. Check for consistency, adding more water if required.
  17. Take off the heat and sprinkle the minced coriander on top.
  18. Garnish with a spring of coriander and serve immediately with rice/pulav.

 

 

A Tabouli Salad with a Difference

By / Grains, Greens, Salad / Leave a Comment /

Tabouli is one of the dishes that is a definite hit or miss with me. (Is that statement an oxymoron?) I know that tabouli is a parsley-intense dish. Though not a major fan of parsley, I am okay with it… up to a limit. Sometimes the parsley in the tabouli sooo overwhelms everything else that it tastes of nothing else. In such cases, yeah, that polite one spoon is all that I can deal with.

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But then, this friend of mine – she is from Turkey, where tabouli is a staple – made this amazing version, with cilantro instead of parsley. And boy, did it change everything! Never have I made a tabouli again with parsley. The main difference I feel, is in the texture. Cilantro has this delicate texture whereas parsley tends to be a bit coarse. Even when you manage to avoid even the tiniest stems and use only the leaves.

 

Another standard ingredient of tabouli is bulghar wheat or cracked wheat. The variety that gets cooked with just hot water poured over it. Recently, I tried using quinoa instead of the wheat. And, found it far superior.

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Of course, you can spice up a tabouli too. And you can do that in many ways to suit your perfect tastes. A pinch of allspice powder or eastern eight spice will work very well. Or to keep it simple, teaspoon of pickled jalapenos would really add some heat too.
I start by chopping cilantro.

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Then some tomatoes…

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And finally chop some cucumber as well.

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Plenty of lemon juice and here I used a pinch of eastern eight spice powder.

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The quinoa is prepared the usual way (see recipe below for details).

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Then you just keep adding the chopped stuff one by one. There is no particular order; I added tomatoes first…

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Cilantro next…

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And the chopped cucumbers last.

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Generous squeeze of lemon, the spice powder and salt and pepper. And a squiggle of olive oil to top it all. Tabouli salad is ready to serve!

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I like it served with a piece of buttered crusty warm bread. The salad tastes so refreshing, especially on a hot summer day!

 

~Ria

 

A Tabouli Salad with a Difference
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 large fleshy tomato
  • 1 seedless cucumber
  • 1 large lemon
  • 1 tsp eastern eight spice powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Wash quinoa thoroughly, multiple times, till the water runs very clear. Drain and keep aside.
  2. Boil 2 cups of water, adding a pinch of salt.
  3. Add the drained quinoa to the boiling water.
  4. Reduce heat and let cook simmering for 12 to 15 minutes.
  5. Switch off the heat and allow to cool.
  6. Finely chop the cilantro, tomato and cucumber.
  7. When the cooked quinoa has cooled down, add the chopped ingredients one by one and gently mix together.
  8. Squeeze the juice and add it to the quinoa, along with the spice powder.
  9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Add olive oil to the prepared quinoa, going twice around the bowl.
  11. Mix together and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.