Crazy Cauliflower Curry

On my trip to Wegmans today I saw (and bought) the BIGGEST head of cauliflower ever. I wanted to make one of my favorite Indian dishes, but I don't know the name of it to find a recipe.

So I visited greatcurryrecipes.net. And found a recipe to base mine on, but not follow because I don't have the same ingredients or plan to follow their directions.

You were supposed to start with 3 large onions. I don't have onions but I do have about three tablespoons chives from my garden... See how this starts? Already! 

This is what I did...

I sautéed the following in my pan, adding water as it grew pasty:

- 2 tablespoons canola oil

- about three tablespoons shredded red cabbage

- one small organic carrot peeled into ribbons

- about 1/4 cup zesty sprouts 

- tons of garlic powder

- tons of ginger

- about 3 tablespoons curry powder

- about one tablespoon cumin

- a pinch hot Indian chili powder

- a teaspoon paprika

- the pulp and last ounce or two of Goya coconut water

Until it looked like this:

Then I added a can of petit diced tomatoes and some parsley. Brought that to a boil and poured it into the crock pot on high.

I added about a head of cauliflower and one cup unsalted cashews I had ground in the food processor.

I added water to cover the cauliflower. 

Now it looks like this:

Periodically I stir it. The house smells great but I haven't tasted it yet.

Oh my goodness! It's fabulous!

Thai broccoli mix

Total cop out dinner. Somehow I keep ending up with empty cupboards...

So tonight I took a head of fresh broccoli and sautéed it in sesame and coconut oil. I then added, directly to the skillet, a carton of Archer Farms Thai curry soup.

I served this over brown rice, with a handful of raw cashews on each portion. Very delightful.

Chicken curry in the crock pot

From crockpot 365:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/07/crockpot-indian-curry-recipe.html?m=1

I didn't have all the ingredients, so I used:
- 1 can organic coconut milk
- a splash half and half
- 2 TBS curry
- 1 TBS cumin
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 splash Franks Red Hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic

- chicken
- red potatoes chopped into chunks
- 1 can sweet peas
- 1/2 bag frozen California blend

Pan-seared sesame tofu cutlets

I don't have a good record with tofu. I don't like working with it. But every few years I make the attempt. In June, I found tofu on sale, on clearance, at Target so I figured I'd give it another go.

I bought two blocks. The first ended up cubed for a curry stir fry.

This one had the usual tribulations. I started with a pound of tofu, I think.

I pressed, drained and sliced the tofu. Pressing typically involves sandwiching the tofu between two plates with a heavy pile of books on top. I use vegetarian cookbooks.

I screwed up the marinade, so this is an approximation.

- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- about 3 tablespoons Newman's Own Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup Iron Chef orange ginger sauce

I marinated for two hours.

For the coating, I mixed 50% corn flake crumbs and 50% sesame seeds. It stuck nicely because of the high oil content in the marinade.

I preheated my Le Creuset skillet with canola over medium heat. Half of them fried perfectly, some lost their breading but not nearly as many as I usually mangle. My husband said they were good. My daughter didn't like the high volume of seeds. And I forgot to eat some before I left for work.

Hurry Curry Cauliflower

Haven't tried this one yet either. Another recipe from Good Eats.

HURRY CURRY CAULIFLOWER

Ingredients
1   tablespoon canola oil1  teaspoon cumin seed
1   teaspoon coriander seed
2  teaspoons  curry powder
1  teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1  whole clove garlic, smashed
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1  cup  rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup  cider vinegar
3  tablespoons sugar
1  teaspoon pickling salt

Instructions
Heat the canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Crush the cumin seed with the coriander seed and add to the pan. Add the curry powder, ginger, and garlic to the pan. Cook these spices, stirring until the oil colors and the spices are fragrant. Add the cauliflower florets to the pan and toss to coat.
In a lidded plastic container, combine the water, rice wine vinegar, cider vinegar, sugar, and pickling salt.

Shake to combine.

Once the cauliflower is slightly tender, add it to a glass jar. Pour the pickling liquid over the cauliflower, filling to the top of the jar. Cool, chill, and store the pickles for 1 week to allow the flavors to develop thoroughly.

About the photo: It looks like Hurry Curry Cauliflower but it's actually Cauliflower with an adapted Savory Bread and Butter Pickle Brine that I added the curry cauliflower spices to.

We had lots of brine left so we used it. We packed the cauliflower in pint size jars, added the mystery brine, and processed in a hot water bath for 15-20 minutes.

Curried tofu

I grabbed a chunk of tofu out of the freezer last night. I haven't prepared tofu in years, but it was cheap at Target...

I pressed it between two plates stacked with cookbooks to weigh it down. For about two hours, draining periodically.

I decided on Eileen Breslin's curried tofu recipe from the vegan cooking class I took with her. About a decade ago. She got it from "Tofu Cookery."

- 1.5 pounds extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
MARINADE
- 1.5 tablespoons peanut butter (I used 2 teaspoons peanut butter and 2 teaspoons tahini)
- 1/4 cup oil (I used canola)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (I used two, and used the low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon curry powder (shoot-- I think I used more)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Marinate at least one hour. Spread on oiled cookie sheet and bake at 375 for ten minutes, turn and repeat.

Now she suggests serving with a sauce of:
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn starch

Heat, stirring, until thickened. Then top with slivered almonds.

Curried pasta salad with tuna

My husband hates cold salads-- the kind with pasta or potatoes.

Today for lunch I needed a meal for me.

So I prepared 10 ounces of multigrain penne.

In my skillet, I poured 2 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, 2/3 cup frozen peas, 2/3 cup black beans, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 2 teaspoons parsley, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons flax seed and 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds. Heat and mix thoroughly.

Now if you want to keep it vegan, mix two tablespoons vegan mayonnaise and the noodles. Then add the hot "sauce." I also added a can of tuna.

Chicken curry tonight

I initially planned a very bland meal of rice with canned chicken and some sort of sauce made from a can of Campbells chicken noodle soup. But brilliance struck, and I opted for some sort of Indian-style curry. I wanted to make a vegetarian dish, but we're low on basic vegetables (like California blend-- cauliflower, broccoli and carrots).

I started the white rice in the steamer. I added the water, some garlic salt (just a pinch), about a teaspoon of parsley and a tablespoon of butter.

Then in my Le Creuset skillet, I mixed a pinch (about 1/3 teaspoon) garlic, two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, about 1/2 teaspoon red Indian chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon four color peppercorn, about 3/4 teaspoon cumin, and maybe 2 teaspoons curry powder. Oh, and a half teaspoon ginger.

I heated this thoroughly and then added about one cup hot water and boiled it. Next I added the canned chicken and chopped it into fairly small pieces. I mixed and boiled it down.

I swirled in about 1 teaspoon half and half and about three tablespoons soy milk. To finish it off I added a can of petit pois.

I served this over the rice.

Very nice.

Curry Chicken Rice Soup

This soup is loosely based on a scrumptious recipe I have for Mulligatawny.

I have no apple. And to me, apple is the yummy part.

My soup today:
- one chicken breast chopped into chunks and cooked on low in the cast iron skillet, with a 1/2 teaspoon four color pepper, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground garlic salt, and once the meat is 95% done about 1.5 cups water.

In the soup pot combine
- 48 ounces chicken broth
- 8 ounces water
- 1-2 cups leftover brown rice
- three diced carrots
- one tomato from the garden, diced
- 2 leaves basil, from the garden
- 4-6 leaves oregano from the garden

Now, when you're ready to combine the chicken pot into the soup pot, first you need to add your "thickener." The original recipe called for 1/4 cup flour and two teaspoons curry powder mixed into the soup.

Instead, I took a tea cup and a very small whisk... I used about 1/8 cup corn starch (it was more readily at hand than the flour) and the curry powder in the bottom of the teacup. Filled the teacup 3/4 full with water and whisked until smooth.

I took the chicken skillet off the burner and stirred the cornstarch liquid into the cooled chicken/liquid and then poured that into the soup. I slowly increased temperature from low to medium, stirring occasionally, and then brought it to a boil on medium. After some stirring, I reduced it to a simmer. Covered. And left it on the stove.

Pot pie

Made a broccoli pot pie tonight.

Nothing fancy.

- 2 ready made pie crusts
- fresh broccoli florets from my mother in law
- about 1/2 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
- one can Aldi chicken-broccoli-cheese soup
- about 1/2 can almond milk
- 1 teaspoon curry

(I took the last three ingredients and mixed them on the stove to get them melted together)

Cornbread and sausages

Tonight I'm planning cornbread and spinach-asiago chicken sausages. I had planned to make Eileen Bresslin's vegan cornbread recipe but I ran out of soy milk.

Eileen's recipe:

Preheat oven to 350. These muffins, or cornbread, need to go in a hot oven as soon as they're mixed.

• 1.5 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1.5 cups soy milk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Pour liquid into dry, mix until just combined. Bake 30-40 minutes. Note: You may not need quite that much oil.

I added parsley and flax seed to mine tonight.

Now for the sausage... I decided to try and make a sauce. In the bottom of the pan I started with:

• About 1/4 cup apple juice
• About 1/4 cup chicken broth
• About one teaspoon cornstarch

Whisk as bring to a boil to reduce and thicken. It smelled sweet, so I added:

• About 1/2 teaspoon four color peppercorns
• About 3/4 teaspoon garlic pepper
• About 3/4 teaspoon garlic
• About 1/8 teaspoon curry

After it seriously thickened, I added:

• three spinach asiago chicken sausages, sliced
• about 1 cup French cut green beans, frozen and thawed in the microwave

Then I served with the cornbread, using some of the excess sauce as gravy.

(Note: These are the same sausages I got at the warehouse club a few weeks ago and had in the freezer. We've eaten them in pasta sauce, and as sausage sandwiches, and now this funky recipe.)

Mulligutawny (II)

I've made Mulligutawny before, but today I'm revising slightly for the use of leftovers... I will place in crock pot on low...

• About 1.5 cups shredded turkey
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 1 teaspoon garlic pepper

Sauté in skillet.

Add:

• one can petit diced tomatoes, drained

Cook about 30 minutes on low, stirring occasionally. While that cooks, in crock pot combine:

• about 20-25 ounces Thai broth
• 14 ounces low salt chicken broth
• about 3/4 cup brown rice (I used instant)

Then put everything in the crock pot on low...

The original post on this soup:

http://angelfoodcooking.blogspot.com/2009/02/mulligatawny.html

Turkey Spinach Omelettes

So, for the last 24 hours I have thought about the omelette I wanted to make with the leftover white meat of turkey. I made it for dinner tonight and served with Nana's homemade applesauce.

Angel's Turkey Spinach Omelette with a hint of curry

• 6 eggs, beaten
• about 1.5 cups turkey, white meat, shredded
• about 1.5 cups cheese, cheddar, shredded
• about 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 teaspoon garlic pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground four color peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

In a skillet, not a huge one, melt the butter, add the olive oil and the two peppers. Add the spinach, sauté about one minute, add about half of the curry. Add the turkey. Add the other half of the curry to the turkey. Stir. Let sauté, stirring ocassionally, until the liquid begins to disappear.

Pour the hot turkey/spinach filling into a bowl and set aside. Pour eggs into the hot skillet. Let cook on medium or medium high depending on your cookware about one to two minutes. Add the turkey spinach filling. Let cook until the eggs are almost "solid." Add the cheese. Let sit another minute, probably would work best if you covered it to help melt the cheese. Then fold the omelet in half and press down to make sure nothing runny comes out. If it does, let the omelette continue cooking until the runny stuff hardens, as long as your frying pan is not hot enough to burn the eggs.

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Thai chicken?

I'm feeling lazy so I took the chicken breasts in the fridge and sprinkled with curry powder and organic four color peppercorns. Then I poured Wegman's Thai Culinary Broth on it and baked it in the oven for about an hour on 375. At about 45 minutes in, I added instant brown rice, the rest of the container of broth and peas.

Curried Vegetables with whole wheat pasta

I lost two days?!?!? How did I lose two days?
Okay, let's not talk about that. But I will admit that I was chagrined to note that I spent $200 on dining out in the month of April. Not good. My grocery budget was $220, which normally would be good had I not splurged so much with the take-out/dining. My job is seasonal and I don't work in June and July. Basically, I could have saved that money and used it to buy groceries in June. I'm mad at myself.
Anyway...

We all came home starving today and my in-laws had served my daughter crappy grocery-store bakery-made pizza for lunch for the second time this week. She had an apple for breakfast, some grapes mid-morning and no other real food that I know of so I needed something fast and full of vegetables.
Curry popped into mind.
I've never made curry.
But that's never stopped me before.
I whip out my vegetarian cookbooks, but quickly feel like I'm looking for a proverbial needle in a haystack. With a hungry family, that's not a good feeling. I grab the laptop and google "curry pasta sauce." Get several hits. Like this one:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/pasta-with-low-fat-curry-sauce.html#

INGREDIENTS

(as originally listed)

8 ounces dry pasta
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/2 cup diced tomato
1 1/2 teaspoons mild curry powder
Pinch cayenne, or to taste
1 cup frozen peas, rinsed briefly in hot water to thaw
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Okay, I look around my kitchen. I have:
13.25 ounces of whole wheat penne pasta
1/4 cup slivered almonds
olive oil
cumin powder
one can diced tomato with garlic
curry powder
[I forgot to look for cayenne]
frozen peas
frozen cauliflower, carrots and broccoli
1 cup soy milk and 1 cup dehydrated milk which I add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to so it "cooks" more like buttermilk.

1. Prepare pasta.
2. While pasta cooks, toast almonds in skillet and set aside.
3. Thaw vegetables.
4. Put spices and tomatoes into skillet. Add a drizzle of olive oil as needed to keep from burning.
5. Add vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and heat until hot.
6. Reduce heat and stir in milk, simmer until a consistent temperature.
7. Drain pasta. Combine pasta and sauce.
8. Sprinkle almonds on top.

Curried fried veggies

I'm probably going to make Morningstar chk'n patties or nuggets to accompany this... but I have broccoli, carrots and cauliflower cooking now. I mixed some curry powder (amount based on the smell) with breadcrumbs and plan to roll the veggies in the mix and fry them. We'll see how it turns out...

Wow... another culinary coup. ;-)

To try this at home:

Angel's curried fried vegs

1. Cook your vegetables, but not too soft. I used about 2-3 cups of frozen cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli.

2. Mix about 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs, two tablespoons curry powder, and two tablespoons garlic powder.

3. Roll veggies in the crumbs, the moisture from cooking should help them stick.

4. Heat canola oil in skillet. I used about a 12 inch skillet and used a layer of oil about 1/2 inch thick. That's pretty generous for me.

5. Drop coated veggies in hot oil and fry until crispy and darker. I drained mine on paper towels before serving.

photo caption: Morningstar buffalo chicken wings, commercial spinach dip (for the nuggets) and Angel's curried-fried veggies.

Mulligatawny

I clipped this recipe out of a recent Family Fun Magazine that showed up on my doorstep. I'm too tired to type the whole thing... I believe they post their soups at www.familyfun.com/magazine. I simplified the recipe and it came out so delicious...

This was the first time I ever made chicken soup, and I loved it. I served with falafel and hummus in mini whole wheat pitas.

Angel's simplified mulligatawny

Sauté for ten to fifteen minutes in a tad of olive oil or butter:

shredded chicken (I used leftover cooked chicken)

an apple, peeled, cored and chopped

three carrots, peeled and chopped

Add:

1/4 cup flour and about two teaspoons curry (mixed together)

Sauté another five minutes. [If it gets dry add some of the broth early]

Add about three to four cups chicken broth. [I used one small can, about one cup water, and about 3/4 cup white wine-herb-chicken broth.] Simmer for about an hour, partially covered.

The original recipe also called for celery, green peppers, rice and tomatoes.

My first chicken salad!!!

After surveying my friends and my cookbooks, I have decided to try my hand at chicken salad.

My friends all recommended curry. And various fruits. And since my favorite chicken salad on earth is that of my high school English teacher and involves grapes... and my second favorite is the Apple Walnut Chicken Salad at Java's Brewin at New and Broad Street in Bethlehem...

A random little cookbook from my mother, Salads and Dressings Varied and Delicious by G&R Publishing, 1993, lists the following for chicken salad:

Chicken Salad

from Salads and Dressings Varied and Delicious

2 cups cooked chicken, diced coarse

1 cup celery diced

3/4 cup peeled cucumbers

1 TBS finely cut green onion

Dash salt

1 cup salad dressing

Angel's Chicken Salad with Fruit

1 3/4 cup chicken

1 cup chopped apple

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped grapes

1/2 cup nut topping

1 tsp. it's a dilly

3/4 cup Nayonnaise/ soy mayonnaise

Mystery Curry Quiche

We started a quiche for lunch to use the leftover peas and carrots from my mother-in-law's dinner last night. We used a store-bought pie crust (and I often skip the crust as it's not really necessary). The recipe is a variation of the Betty Crocker's Quiche Lorraine and can be found under the Quiche link if not under Betty Crocker or French.

Today we pressed the crust into the dish, added the veggies and some grated parmesan and chunks of monterey jack (because it does not shred/grate). These were the only cheeses in the house. For spices, I added some four-pepper blend, about a teaspoon of garlic powder a dash of curry, and a dash of cumin. And I used 1.5 cups of half and half since I didn't have heavy cream. The recipe calls for two cups of the cream. I've found that other milk products can be substituted for the cream, but it will take longer to cook if you use the full amount they suggest.

This certainly turned out to be my prettiest quiche, and the curry added just the right flavor for the peas and carrots.