Modernist Spaghetti Marinara Sauce

Modernist Spaghetti Marinara Sauce

Yesterday I tried a new Spaghetti Marinara Sauce, inspired by Modernist Cuisine At Home.  The technique uses pressure cooking (the pressure cooker is fast becoming one of my favorite kitchen tools) and very simple ingredients.  The idea would be to experiment with the pressure cooker and see what different tastes we could create in it.  Worth considering is to try some of my older recipes [Jan Smith's Spaghetti Sauce] using the pressure cooker and seeing if there are any differences worth noting.  When I do that, I'll let you know how it turns out.  If you have already done it, let me know.

This version uses minced carrots and onions as a base for sweetness.  I think we could easily try onions, bell peppers and celery for a cajun type feel, or just use garlic instead as the base of the sauce (with no onions or carrots or even sausage).

Ingredients
1  medium sized yellow onion roughly chopped
1  large carrot (I never bother pealing my carrots, but you might want to) chopped
6 cloves of garlic
1 16 oz package of ground pork or Jimmy Dean Sausage.
Olive Oil
2 14.5 oz cans of Tomato Sauce, Crushed Tomatoes, or Petite Diced Tomatoes.
Big handful of fresh mushrooms sliced
Fresh Basil
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
Salt

Instructions

1.  We start by chopping the onion and carrot up and putting them with the garlic into a food blender (Cuisinart) till it is all minced.

2.  Cook the Sausage in the pressure cooker until it is done.  Remove it to a paper towel covered plate to soak up the oil.

3.  Add olive oil to the pan.
4.  Add the minced carrots, onions and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or so.
5.  Add the two cans of tomatoes and drained sausage and sliced mushrooms.

5.  Pressure Cook at 1 bar for about 1 hour or so. I actually cooked it for about 2 hours, so I'm not sure if that did anything good or bad.  Anyone have any research on over cooking things in a pressure cooker?
6.  Depressurize your pressure cooker.
7.  Add a big handful of barely chopped (or torn) fresh basil leaves.
8.  Add 1/2 a cup of heavy cream.
9.  Add Salt and Olive Oil to taste.

Ours came out magically.  It was a very different taste than what we are used to, but the whole family loved it.  We put it over pasta and mashed potatoes (of all things).  It was even better the next day.

Naan - Stonefire

I'm a fan of Indian food, and here in Utah one of my favorite places to eat is the Bombay House.  Whatever I have there, I always order Naan to go with it.  As an aspiring Indian Food Chef at home, I've always wanted to make homemade Naan.  I found a recipe that somewhat replicates the effect of the heat of a clay oven, and I'll share that recipe with you some day soon.  The problem is the Clay Oven used in Indian Restaurants cooks food at such a high temperature in such a specific way that it is difficult to fully replicate at home.  I've managed it... although it is a lot of work.

But this is not a recipe post, this is a review post.  I recently discovered Tandoor Baked mini Naan from Stonefire.  Stonefire is a company that focuses on authentic bakery items.  Check out their website for information, product, and recipes.

The product above is NOT what I am reviewing. In fact, I can't find the product I have on their website. I got the product at Costco, so perhaps it's a specific exclusive item only sold at Costco.  I'm not sure.  But what I am sure of is this: It is a great product.

Sure... it's not like fresh Naan that comes out of the Clay Tandoor Oven at the Bombay House.  Or even the version I make at home (recipe coming, as I promised!).  But they are... easy to cook (pop in the toaster) and tasty!  For simplicity, if you are cooking up some Indian food, and you just want to keep the bread part simple... I can't think of an easier way than this.

If you've heard other companies that do this, and have compared, let me know, we'll do some research on the topic.  But right now, this is so darn simple I'm sticking with Stonefire.  I just pop it into the toaster, and when it comes out I ladle homemade Tikka Masala (recipe coming at well) on top and it is wonderful.

Coconut Chicken with Potatoes - Indian Batata Murghi

Coconut Chicken with Potatoes - Indian Batata Murghi

Batata Murghi is a coconut / potato / chicken dish from the Maharashtra state of India.  Maps of India and the Maharashtra state are included below for those of you who like a sense of place when hearing new names!

I'm not necessarily fond of Coconut, but this dish is one of the best meals I've ever cooked.  Last night we had it with Aloo Chokha and it was an amazing family meal with my father and wife and children.  I offer my version of it here, though it can be found elsewhere on the internet.  My version takes it's base inspiration from Raghavan Iyer's book 660 Curries - the gateway to Indian Cooking.

INGREDIENTS

1 can (14 ounces) of unsweetened coconut milk.
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh ginger or ginger paste
2 tablespoons unsalted or salted dry roast peanuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
5 large cloves of garlic or 2 tablespoons of minced garlic from a jar
4 to 6 fresh green Tai, cayenne, or serrano chilies (if you want it hot) or 4-6 Anaheim Chilies if you want it mild, stems remove and seeded.
8 chicken boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds from green or white pods
1 or 2 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches long broken into smaller pieces)
2 tablespoons of peanut or canola oil
2 large potatoes chopped into 1-inch cubes
1 big red onion, sliced or chopped
1 handful of chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a blender puree 1/2 of the can of coconut milk, ginger, peanuts, salt, turmeric, garlic and green chilies.  
2. Put the chicken thighs into the puree you just made, cover, and refrigerate for as long as you can, up to over night.
3. Heat a skillet to very hot and add the coriander seeds, cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks and heat about 30 seconds, tossing and shaking. You want it to get nice and reddish brown.  You are roasting the spices, and it's going to smell amazing.  Let the spices cool for ten minutes and then blend together into a powder in a coffee grinder.
4. In a large pot, heat the peanut or canola oil until smoking, and the potato cubes.  Cook stiring often until the potatoes turn brown, usually between 6-12 minutes.  Remove the potatoes to a bowl.
5. In the same pot, now cook the onion until it is good and golden brown, 4-10 minutes.  Remove the onions.
6. Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the marinade, you will need it later). In the same pot, brown the chicken thighs, about 3 minutes to a side.  
7. In the same pot, add the potatoes, onions, reserve marinade, other half of the coconut milk can, and the handful of chopped cilantro to the chicken.  Stir well.  Simmer on very low heat for 15-25 minutes, mixing every once in a while.
8. Serve immediately with hot rice.

Aloo Chokha - Spicy Mashed Potatoes Indian Style

Aloo Chokha - Spicy Mashed Potatoes

You can look up a good Aloo Chokha recipe on the internet fairly easily. It is Indian style spicy mashed potatoes.  My version, inspired by Sanjeev Kapoor in his How to Cook Indian cookbook, is below.  I cook this for my family, and at first my children were 'disturbed' at the different color of the mashed potatoes.  They were dubious... to say the least, but one taste and they realized how good they were.

INGREDIENTS

6 small potatoes, boiled and mashed.
2 tablespoons of mustard oil or vegetable oil*
1 teaspoon of coriander seeds (crushed)
2 dried red chilies, stemmed and crushed
3 medium red onions, chopped fairly fine
3-4 green chilies, stemmed, seeded, and chopped. (Use Serrano for heat or Anaheim for mild flavor)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed, or 2 tablespoons of minced garlic from a jar
1 teaspoon amchur powder (dried mango powder)
1 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop, boil, and mash the potatoes.  Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil.  When smoking, add the crushed coriander seeds and crushed dried red chilies. Cook for just a 10-15 seconds, 
3. Add the onions, green chopped chilies, ground coriander, ground roasted cumin and saute until the onions are golden brown (3-8 minutes depending on your pan and heat.)
4. Add the garlic and stir.
5. Add the mashed potatoes and mix well.
6. Add the amchur powder and salt and mix well.
7. Serve hot!

*I don't use mustard oil very often.  It adds a specific flavor to the food, but it's hard to get so I just use vegetable oil.  If you do get mustard oil, make sure you get the oil specifically for cooking, and get it 'refined' instead of filtered.

Chicken in Cilantro

Chicken in a Cilantro, Spinach, and Mustard Sauce

This chicken recipe is inspired by the version in Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick & Easy Indian Cooking.  It produced one of the most uniquely tasting meals I’ve ever had and was a hit with my family. A definite repeat contender.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ Cup of Vegetable Oil

• 3 bay leaves*

• 6 green cardamom pods

• 1-inch stick of cinnamon (broken up).

• 5 whole cloves

• 2 dried red hot chiles whole

• 2 pounds of boneless chicken**

• ¼ cup of Raisins (This is part of Madhur Jaffrey’s recipe, and I include it here for her sake, but I don’t use the raisins.)

• 6 tablespoons of plain yogurt

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• ¼ teaspoon of Cayenne pepper

• 2 tablespoons of chopped minced ginger or ginger paste

• 1-2 green chilies.  (If you want it hot, use Serrano or Jalapeno, if you want it milder, use 2 big Anaheim chilies.  I use Jalapeno for hot, and Anaheim for mild.  Serrano has less flavor to me and is just more for ‘heat’.) 

• 2 cups of chopped Cilantro leaves (Loose)

• 1 bunch of fresh Spinach Leaves (Washed, and stems trimmed)

• 3 tablespoons of mustard (probably a brown mustard like Gouldens, Dijon, etc, but you can use regular yellow mustard (and I have) if you need to).

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a wide skillet, heat the oil. 

2. Add bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, and red chilis.  Cook for a10 to 15 seconds, until the bay leaves start turning brown. This goes quick.

3. Add the chicken pieces, and brown on both sides (this is usually about 3 minutes per side. If you use the thighs like I do, it goes really quick).

4. Add in the raisins (if you are using, I don’t), yogurt, 1 teaspoon of salt, fresh pepper and cayenne. Stir well.  Bring to a simmer.

5. Simmer on low gently for 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, put the ginger paste into a blender and add green chilies and cilantro.  Blend until chunky, then add the spinach.  Using spatula to push it down if you have to blend until you have a nice chunky puree.  You don’t want to liquefy it.

7. Add mustard and an extra dash of salt if you want to the green creamy mixture.  

8. When the chicken is done, 15 minutes or so, add the green sauce to the chicken directly.  Stir it up.  Bring to a simmer again, cover and cook a bit more, maybe 10 minutes. 

9. Take out the bay leaves, the cardamom pods, pieces of cinnamon and whole cloves and whole chilies (if you can find them).  

10. Serve immediately, usually with rice.

A note on the spices – Indian cooking often starts by putting spices into hot oil, which creates a great aroma in the kitchen. In this recipe, we use bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, and chilies.  This is the more ‘authentic’ way of doing things and offers a different taste.  Having said that, if you don’t have these items, you can still cook this whole recipe and get a very similar taste, by using normal Spice Island brand spices.  Do it this way:

Ingredients

3 Bay leaves 

• 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom

• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon of ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1 teaspoon of onion powder

• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Mix the spices together and rub into the chicken well with your hands.  Heat the oil, and brown the bay leaves as above, and then brown the spice rubbed chicken.  The rest of the recipe goes as normal.

*There are Indian Bay leaves and there are regular Mediterranean bay leaves (which are the common ones you get in the United States grocery stores).  When I make this recipe I use the Mediterranean version available in the USA.  Some Indian Cookbooks are going to suggest you special order the Indian Version.  As of the time of this writing, December 28, 2013, I have never done so, just using regular bay leaves.

**Madhur Jaffrey uses a whole chicken here cut into pieces, but I almost never do that.  Instead I prefer boneless chicken thighs for all my meat.  Sometimes I’ll use chicken breasts, but less and less so.

Chicken and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo - Polish Kielbasa

Cooked this soup the other day, and it's the second time I made it. First time was 10 years ago and I can't remember much of how it turned out only that I never made it again, so that tells you something.  This one was quiet a bit different than what I remember, and from all reports from my family, was very good and should be cooked again.  The inspiration for this Gumbo came from Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen.  

Ingredients
3-4 pounds of boneless chicken thighs
Salt
Garlic Powder
Cayenne
1 Yellow Onion Diced
1 Red Bell Pepper Diced
3-4 Stalks of Celery Diced
Flour
Salt, Garlic Powder, Cayenne
Vegetable Oil for Frying
Chicken Stock (Probably 7-8 cups worth)
Garlic
1 pound of Polish Kielbasa. I use Hillshire Farms.

I'm a huge fan of Polska Kielbasa. My mother used it all the time and I love it.  Not many people I know eat it though, but once they taste it in my food they can't get enough.  I use in my famous Jambalaya as well.  Great stuff.

Here is how to cook this great Gumbo:

Start by  seasoning the chicken as you see fit.  We suggest salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, but it doesn't matter.  Then dredge in flour that has also been heavily seasoned.  Flour should be orange in color!  Then fry in the oil till done, about 5 minutes per side.  Remove and drain on paper towels.

Now the core of the gumbo is the ROUX.  If you want to spend some time online looking on how to make a roux, I would think that was a good idea. I'll give you a basic idea here:  Drain off all the oil but leave the crumbs and bits in the pan.  Pour 1/2 a cup of oil back into the pan, and heat it till it's freaking super hot!  Then slowly whisk in (be careful, very hot and scorching) 1/2 cup of flour.  Keep whisking until roux is dark red brown, then add the diced vegetables. Be careful it doesn't burn here.  I've burned it before, so you have to start over if you screw this up. 

Then cook the vegetables, 5 minutes.  In a separate pot, heat the chicken stock (I made mine using a pressure cooker via the Modernist Cuisine method, which provided amazing flavor. I think there is a recipe for it somewhere on this site.  Let me look.  Nope.  But there is this:  Brown Pork Stock.  That will teach you the basics.  I just put a lot of chicken legs into a pot, filled it with water, added onions, celery, and pressured cooked it for 2 hours.  Amazing stock! And the chicken meat from the leg was great in the Gumbo.

Anyway, heat the stock to a boil, then add by the spoonful the roux.  When that's done, chop up the chicken and add it to the pot, add the sausage (chopped up) and garlic, then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.  There you go, you have gumbo.  Salt and Pepper it to taste.

One day I should make a study of Gumbo and cook a lot of different versions.  But for now, this was great and eaten heartily by everyone. I poured it over white rice.

Leek and Potato Soup

Leek and Potato Soup

There are a lot of basic recipes for Leek and Potato Soup.  The best one I've eaten in a while is a very simple version inspired by Julia Child.  We cooked this tonight it got rave reviews.  I will definitely cook this again.

4 Cups of chopped leeks (white parts and tender greens)
4 Cups of diced potatoes
8 cups of water (Make sure to use water, not chicken broth).
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup of cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Chop the leeks and wash them thoroughly of dirt - Add to large soup pot.
2.  Dice potatoes, add to soup pot.
3.  Add water to soup pot
4.  Add Salt
5.  Bring to a boil.
6.  Simmer 30 minutes
7.  Add soup to a blender or food processor and blend till smooth.  This has to be done in batches.
8.  Add soup back to pot. 
9.  Add cream
10.  Salt to taste
11.  Heat and serve immediately.

Amazingly simple and tasty.  Damn.  A great meal.