Kale Saag Paneer

Saag Paneer With Kale Print

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

1. 12 Oz Paneer, Cut Into Half Inch Cubes

2. 1/4 Cup Cooking Oil

3. 8 Oz Onion, Finely Diced

4. 1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger

5. 1 Tablespoon Grated Garlic

6. 1 Green Kashmiri Chili, Diced (Serrano chilies would work as well.)

7. 1 1/2 Tablespoons Garam Masala

8. 1 Tablespoon Turmeric Powder

9. 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

10. 3 Pounds Kale, De-Stem And Chopped

11. 1 Cup Yogurt

12. 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt

13. 1 Cup Water (Chicken Stock if you prefer)

Instructions

1. Combine the 1/2 teaspoon salt, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper and cooking oil in a medium size bowl and mix into a paste. Toss in your paneer and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat a 6 quart stock pot on medium high. Using tongs, shake off excess oil and place the paneer cubes in the pan. Brown the paneer on all sides and remove from the pan. Add the remaining remaining oil to the pan along with the grated garlic, ginger and brown for 2 minutes. Add the diced onions, kashmiri chili with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon garam masala and saute until the onions brown slightly on the edges.

3. Add the chopped kale along with the remaining salt and water to the stock pot. Gently stir the kale continually until the kale is fully wilted. Allow to cook for 15 minutes until the water is reduced by half. Using an immersion blender, or standing blender, grind the kale and onions to a paste and return to the pot. Add your browned paneer cubes to the pan and allow to cook for 5 more minutes. Turn off the pan and remove from the heat.

4. Add the yogurt and the remaining garam masala powder. Mix completely and enjoy over a hot bowl of basmati rice or flaky garlic naan!

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Butternut Squash Soup With Coconut Milk

Growing up butternut squash wasn’t something we ate. Looking back I think it was a mix of lack of knowledge about that winter squash, cost and lack of time. The same goes for coconut milk. (We did use desiccated coconut, otherwise known as shredded coconut, once in a while for the odd cake.) Come to think of it I don’t really remember the first time I had this soup. The best I can remember is having it on a date when I lived in Southern California.

These days you can buy premade butternut squash soup in most super market(s), but the few I’ve tried were sweet, bland and awfully over cooked. (Or they taste like a mixture of veggies like squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, etc.) So if you really want that fresh butternut squash flavor and love those south Asian flavors this recipe is for you!

Butternut Squash Soup With Coconut Milk

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

2 Lbs Butternut Squash, Peeled and Diced Into Cubes (Cubes should all be the same size.)

8 Oz Can Coconut Milk, Full or Low Fat

6 Oz Onion, Diced

1 1/2 Tablespoons Ginger Garlic Paste, (Equal parts ginger and garlic ground into a paste.)

2 Cups Water (Chicken stock would be great too.)

2 Teaspoons Cumin Seeds, Roasted

1 Teaspoon Methi Seeds (Also known as Fenugreek seeds.)

1 1/2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt

8-10 Fresh Curry Leaves

1 Tablespoons Turmeric Powder

1 Teaspoon Garam Masala

1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil (Anything other than olive oil would be fine.)

Instructions

1. In a medium size stock pot, pour in the oil and turn on medium high. Once your oil is hot add the cumin seeds, methi seeds and fry for 2 minutes. Then add the curry leaves along with the ginger garlic paste and fry for another 60-90 seconds.

2. Add the diced onion and salt then cook until lightly browned. Add the turmeric powder and cook for 30 additional seconds.

3. Add the water to your stock pot and de-glaze the pan. Then add all of your butternut squash and 6 oz of the coconut milk. (Reserve 2 oz for garnish.) Cook until butternut squash is fork tender.

4. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also use a stand blender as well, but please do not fill the container more than 1/2 full to avoid burns.

5. Add the garam masala and mix until fully blended.

6. Drizzle the remaining coconut milk over each bowl of soup.

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Herb And Lemon Stuffed Baked Chicken

Growing up there was one thing my mom did VERY well. Cook Chicken! Fried, baked, bowled, grilled or smoked, it no matter the method she made it look effortlessly and taste amazing. So it’s no surprise that now the smell of a chicken cooking reminds me of home.

Herb And Lemon Stuffed Baked Chicken

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients

1 8-10 Lb Chicken, Whole or Spatchcocked (Butterflied)

4 Oz Room Temperature Butter, Compound or Plain

2 Medium Size Lemons, Quartered

1 1/2 Tablespoon Kosher Salt

2 Teaspoons Black Pepper, Cracked or Ground

2-3 Sticks Of Fresh Rosemary (1/2 - 1 Teaspoon Dry)

5 Sticks Of Fresh Thyme (1 - 1 1/2 Teaspoon Dry)

3 Sticks Of Fresh Sage (1/2 - 1 Teaspoon Dry)

Mix of Carrots, Onions and Lemons

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F, or 190 C.

2. Place chicken on a sheet pan (or gel cutting board) and remove anything that might be inside the cavity. Allow your chicken to come to room temperature while preparing everything.

3. Pat the chicken dry using a clean kitchen towel.

4. In a small bowl, combine the salt and black pepper a set aside.

5. Grab your chicken by one of it's legs and lift so the chicken is standing on the head. You should see the large cavity opening it pointing up and easily accessible.

6. Using your empty hand, coat the inside of the chicken with the salt and black pepper mixture. Reserve 1/4 of your salt and pepper mixture for later. Return the chicken to the sheet pan so it's laying on it's back.

7. Grab the rosemary, thyme and sage and insert them into the cavity. If you are using dried herbs instead of fresh then repeat the steps used during the sale and pepper step.

8. Place the chicken on it's back and run your impeccably clean fingers between the skin and the chicken meat in the breast, wing (drummettes only), thighs and legs.

9. Using your fingers pinch about 1/2 tablespoon of butter and coat your chicken's meat under the skin.

10. Place your chicken in a oven approved baking dish large enough hold your chicken with 1 inch space between the chicken and the walls of the pan.

11. Add any accompanying vegetables you'd like to roast with your chicken around the chicken.

12. Place the filled baking dish in the oven and bake until the temperature of the inner thigh reaches 160 F, or 71 C.

13. When the temperature of the inner thigh reaches 160 F, or 71 C remove the pan from oven. Place the chicken on a clean cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. The residual heat in the chicken will continue to cook and push your to the desired temperate of 165 F / 73 C. Normally takes about 15 minutes.

14. While your chicken is resting stir your roasted vegetables to coat with the chicken juices and place the baking pan back in the oven to brown more if desired.

Notes

Depending on the size of your chicken, you may not need to use all the salt/pepper mixture and/or butter

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#bakedchicken #lemons #roastedchicken #rosemary #sage #CompoundButter #thyme