I made this recipe. It was delicious, except for the roasted vegetables, because I didn't use all the oil called for in the recipe. Instead I used a little oil (a generous amount, I thought), and then halfway through I ladled over some of the cooking juices of the chicken. It was … [Read more...] about Garam Masala Whole Roasted Chicken with Spiced Potatoes, Carrots and Indian Cauliflower Pickle
Indian
Roasted Zucchini, Steamed Carrot, and Sauerkraut Salad with Not-My-Best Baked Chicken
It looks delicious, and darn it, it should have been. But it was just alright. I don't eat a lot of meat, so when I do I want it to be extraordinary. And this time I didn't follow a recipe. Well, I followed a basic one: Take chicken, coat in Dijon mustard, then a blend of spices … [Read more...] about Roasted Zucchini, Steamed Carrot, and Sauerkraut Salad with Not-My-Best Baked Chicken
Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Mixed Bean Chili with Parsnips, Carrots and Eggplant
This is the ultimate quick-fix meal. It takes forever to cook (either stove top or slow-cooker) if you use dried beans (and you should), but it's simple because you just toss in whatever vegetables you have (almost) and lots of dried spices. It's very economical, it's fresh, and … [Read more...] about Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Mixed Bean Chili with Parsnips, Carrots and Eggplant
Red Lentil Dal with Broccoli, Peppers and Toasted Coconut, and Comfort Food for Snowy Winters
I keep seeing cockroaches. In the street, on the metro...They're not really there, but it always takes an extra second after my head has remarked, "Oh, a cockroach," for it to subsequently think, "No it's not. I'm not in Lima anymore." That's not to say there aren't cockroaches … [Read more...] about Red Lentil Dal with Broccoli, Peppers and Toasted Coconut, and Comfort Food for Snowy Winters
Dinner Party Menu Ideas, from Indian Ven Pongal or Lamb Saag to Ancho Chili-Rubbed Salmon with Sweet Chili Hollandaise
I have a saying: "You can't choose your family, but you can choose your dinner guests. I do think my family makes up the majority of my blog readership, however, so I'd better be careful what I say! So let me tactfully start by saying honestly that I love cooking for family. As … [Read more...] about Dinner Party Menu Ideas, from Indian Ven Pongal or Lamb Saag to Ancho Chili-Rubbed Salmon with Sweet Chili Hollandaise
Cumin-Coriander Green Beans
You don't need to be making lamb saag to make these green beans. It just helps because you'll already have the spices toasted and freshly ground. And that's important when the dish is so bland. The beans don't taste overly "Indian." So you can serve them with mashed potatoes and … [Read more...] about Cumin-Coriander Green Beans
Lamb (Spinach) Saag with Cumin-Coriander Green Beans, and Emotionally Investing in a Good Deboner
This is the ultimate Indian comfort food...Okay, fine. I guess I should really finish that sentence with "...if you're not lactose-intolerant," because butter chicken will always win. But butter is a cheap way to make flavour. So, reasons that this is better than butter … [Read more...] about Lamb (Spinach) Saag with Cumin-Coriander Green Beans, and Emotionally Investing in a Good Deboner
Back to the New York Times with Gingered Chickpeas
Sometimes I go on a big lentil and bean kick. It mostly happens when I don't have any meat dishes in mind and don't feel like leaving my house. But there's also a comfort food element to the decision. And a budgetary one. When I'm planning to head to a few restaurants in the near … [Read more...] about Back to the New York Times with Gingered Chickpeas
Chicken Curry and Discovering Fresh Fenugreek in Montreal
A friend of mine said he finds fresh fenugreek leaves up by Jean-Talon and Parc Ex in Montreal, where there's a whole host of Southeast Asian grocers and restaurants. There are two much closer to my house in the southwest of the city, but I've never seen fenugreek there. The … [Read more...] about Chicken Curry and Discovering Fresh Fenugreek in Montreal
Curried Pumpkin Seeds with Garam Masala
When you cook something with pumpkin or squash (such as Thai pumpkin stew) and you spend all that time removing the seeds and the muck, it's a shame to just throw out all the protein. Ok, chuck the muck, but keep the seeds. I went through a pumpkin seed stage and then realized I … [Read more...] about Curried Pumpkin Seeds with Garam Masala