Dinner – Prateek Dhar Wali

Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Bean and Sausage Soup)

January 25, 2024January 25, 2024Leave a comment

This is a classic Italian soup , created originally to use up the leftover stale bread. It is perfect for those cold winter evenings with a nice glass of Italian Chianti or Barbera.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of EVOO
1 lb Italian mild organic pork sausage, casings removed
1 yellow onion, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2 celery stacks, diced
salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 cups San Marizano peeled tomatoes
2 16 oz cans cannellini beans, drained
1 can of corn (optional), drained
2 cups chicken broth ( I use kettle & fire)
Herbs
- tsp fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
Red pepper flakes optional to taste

1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the onions celery and carrots. Stirring occasionally, saute until cooked through, around 5-8 minutes, add a little salt and pepper. Add the garlic cloves and saute another 2 minutes until fragrant.

2. Add the pork sausage, casing removed and cook until golden brown. Use the wooden spatula or muddler to break the sausage into small bite size pieces. Add the tomato paste and herbs. Stir for a couple of minutes and then deglaze with a couple of splashes of red or white wine (optional).

3. Stir in the peeled tomatoes, cannellini beans, chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup up to a low simmer and top with a lid. Simmer for 30-45 minutes to develop the flavor. About halfway through take and keep the lid off and use a spatula or muddler to break up some of the beans to thicken the soup.

4. Top with fresh parsley and serve with toasted sourdough or Italian bread. Enjoy!

Chicken Thighs with Olives and Cannellini Beans

August 26, 2023August 28, 2023Leave a comment

Ingredients:

1/4 cup diced pancetta
6 boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs
Kosher salt, black pepper
All-purpose flour for dredging
Olive oil
1 coarsely chopped red onion
1 coarsely chopped celery stock
4 cloves garlic, crushed, whole
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup large green olives
dash red pepper flakes
1 dried bay leaf
3 strips lemon peel
1 can of Cannellini beans, rinsed
2 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon of rosemary
1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Sauté the pancetta on stovetop over medium heat under browned and remove with a slotted spoon. Add the thighs skin side down and lightly brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the thighs over and cook for about 3-4 minutes until lightly brown. Transfer to Dutch oven or ceramic oven dish.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the cooked pancetta, onion, celery, and garlic, cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Stir in the beans, olives, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, lemon zest, rosemary, parsley, thyme, then pour in the chicken broth. Increase the heat, bring the liquid to a simmer.
Pour the mixture into the Dutch oven or ceramic oven dish over the single layer of chicken thighs. Transfer to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. The thermometer inserted should read 165ºF.
Turn on the broiler for two minutes to brown the top of the chicken. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with the parsley leaves.

Salmon Coulibiac

May 22, 2021Leave a comment

I had some left-over puff pastry from an apple pie I made earlier in the week, so I figured we would try something new and savory. I saw this recipe online as a favorite of the late Prince Philip. Coulibiac is a Russian pastry dish with a savory filling such as salmon or sturgeon with rice, hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, onions and dill. This dish was later popularized by French chef, Auguste Escoffier. Instead of mushrooms, I used a red bell pepper and onion.

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 stick of cold unsalted butter- diced into small pieces

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup cold water

Make the dough in a food processor and then wrap in plastic wrap and leave in fridge overnight.

Filling:

1 red onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 tbsps of dill, chopped

1 cup of cooked rice

2 hard boiled eggs cut in quarters

2 pieces of skinless salmon

Egg wash

Salt and black pepper

Dill Sauce:

1 tsp dill finely minced

1 oz white wine

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 oz 2% milk (I used lactose free)

1 tbsp butter

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions :

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil and a tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. I also added a few drops of white truffle oil. Add red onion and red bell pepper until translucent. Add the dill and cooked rice and turn heat down to low, continue to sauté until caramelized nicely. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside and let it cool for 10 min.

Season the two pieces of salmon with salt and black pepper. Roll out the dough with some flour in a rectangular shape. Add the above filling to the middle of the dough, then place the two pieces of salmon skin side up. Then cover with the rest of the filling. Use the eggwash to brush along all the sides. Fold the long side first over the filling and salmon, then the other side. Trim the ends of excess dough and then fold the sides. Flip the coulibiac onto parchment paper and a sheet pan. Use the remaining egg wash to brush the pastry. Use a small knife to score the pastry with a pattern but not cut through.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and crispy and a thermometer inserted is around 160°F, about 30-40 minutes. Let it cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut crosswise into 6 even portions. Garnish with the dill sauce.

Linguine Vongole e Prosecco

February 2, 2020October 25, 2020Leave a comment

Great ingredients can make a simple recipe delicious. The fresh clams with cherry tomatoes and parsley add so much flavor to the olive oil and Prosecco. Such a elegant and satisfying dish.

Ingredients:

15-20 Little neck clams in their shells

75-100 ml of Prosecco

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped

1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes

15 cherry tomatoes, halved

4-5 tablespoons of freshly chopped flatleaf parsley

1 package of fresh linguine or dry linguine

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to boil with a tablespoon of salt for the pasta.

Wash the clams under cold water, discard any that are broken.

Place a stainless steel or ceramic sauce pain on high heat, add the clams and pour the prosecco over them. Cover the lid and let it cook for 3-5 minutes until the clams have opened. Discard any clams that remain closed. Pour the clams and prosecco though a colander with a pyrex bowl underneath to catch the liquid, set aside.

Use the same saucepan and heat the oil on medium heat, add the garlic until sizzling, add the red pepper flakes, tomatoes and parsley. Then add the liquid from the clams. Cook for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile cook the linguine until al dente. Drain the linguine and add it to the saucepan. Add the clams and cook over low heat for 30 seconds allowing the sauce to thicken and coat the linguine. Add some parsley for plating and enjoy.

Homemade Thai Green Curry

October 15, 2019October 15, 20191 Comment

One of our favorite cuisines is Thai food and in particular coconut milk based green and red curry. I’ve made this dish in the past with store bought Thai green curry paste but it seemed to lack freshness. So I decided to try making homemade Thai green curry paste, using ingredients from multiple recipes. I can definitely say that we will never go back to store bought paste. Enjoy! Thanks to Andi Myers for the featured pic.

Green Curry Paste

Ingredients

3-4 jalapeños, chopped

2-3 small green chili, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper

Pinch of salt

2 tsp black pepper

1-inch long piece galangal, thinly sliced

1-inch piece of ginger

1 stalk of lemongrass, bruised and thinly sliced

5 kaffir lime leaves

1 tablespoon lime zest

1 cup of cilantro

1 cup of thai basil

8 medium cloves garlic, peeled

1 red onion, quartered

1 tablespoon of thai shrimp paste

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

1 tablespoon of water

Directions

Add the ingredients to a small food processor and pulse and mix until smooth paste.

Thai Green Curry

Ingredients

1/2 can coconut cream

2 1/2 cups of freshly made green curry paste

2 pounds thinly sliced boneless chicken breast, sliced into 1-inch pieces, longitudinal

1 can coconut milk

2 cups baby eggplant or thai eggplant, cut in half

1 cup Thai basil leaves, whole

1 cup fresh cilantro

2 long Thai chili, sliced thinly crosswise, 1 red, 1 green.

4 kaffir lime leaves, or regular lime leaves

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 red green pepper, julienned

1 can bamboo shoots, sliced strips

Directions

In a medium-size wok on medium-high heat, heat the coconut cream. Add the green curry paste and cook carefully just until fragrant and thickens, usually 2-3 minutes.

Blanch chicken pieces using a colander into boiling water and then transfer it to the green curry. Stir the chicken into the thickened curry for 2-3 minutes then pour in the coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to medium and add the eggplant, bell peppers, bamboo shoots. Simmer until the chicken and eggplant are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add brown sugar, lime leaves, thai chili, fish sauce

Remove from heat and add the Thai basil and cilantro.

Serve hot over basmati rice.

Sunday’s Bolognese

August 19, 2019February 28, 2021Leave a comment

Sundays are great for slow cooking recipes. This ground pork bolognese is perfect for low simmer cooking while enjoying the lazy summer day. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced

2 celery sticks, finely sliced

2 carrots, finely diced

1 lb organic ground pork

1 lb Italian mild sausage

2 oz red wine

2 oz milk

4 tablespoons tomato paste

200ml of tomato passata or San Marzano tomatoes (puree in a food processor)

300 ml of chicken stock

Handful of fresh basil

Pasta can be tagliatelle, orecchiette, pappardelle

Parmigiano-Reggiano- grated to desire

Method:

Mix the ground pork and sausage with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the meat, crumbling it as you add it to the pan. Break up the meat with a wooden spatula and stir minimally for 5 minutes until it is almost browned. Remove from the heat and place the meat in a separate bowl.

Using the same Dutch oven, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add onion, celery and carrot for 5 minutes until soft and starting to become translucent. Once the vegetables are translucent, add the browned ground meat, stir for 3 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and keep it on medium heat for a couple of minutes to burn off the alcohol, and then add the milk to soften the meat. After 2 minutes stir in the tomato paste. Once incorporated then add the tomato passata and chicken stock. Add basil leaves and simmer gently for 1-2 hours until reduced and thickened.

Add salt and pepper to taste and cover with a lid and leave for 20 minutes off the heat.

Meanwhile make your pasta al dente, then after straining the water, add the pasta to the sauce, mix well and plate. Add Parmigiano grated over the top as desired. Add some fresh basil for presentation.

Linguine Aglio Olio e Peperoncino

January 5, 2019January 20, 2019Leave a comment

Spaghetti aglio, olios e peperoncino is a traditional rustic recipe from Naples. This simple and flavorful recipe is easy to prepare and perfect for a weeknight dinner. I used fresh linguine instead of traditional spaghetti. Buon appetito.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 packet of fresh or dry linguine

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced

6-8 small cherry tomatoes, halved

1 red chile pepper, thinly sliced

Salt to taste

Aged parmigiano-reggiano (optional)

Chop parsley and garlic separately at first and then mince them together to flavor the garlic. Thinly slice the red chile pepper. Add the parley, garlic, and chile with extra-virgin olive oil to a cold pan.
Meanwhile in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the linguine, cook al dente.
Heat the olive oil, parsley, chile and garlic on medium heat until it start to sizzle and then turn it off. Add the linguine straight from the pot to the sauce, mix well covering all the noodles. Add the cherry tomatoes, sliced in half.
Serve immediately, optional grated parmigiano-reggiano and salt to taste.

Chandra Aunty’s Sautéed Gobi

December 10, 2018Leave a comment

Chandra Aunty makes a sautéed gobi (cauliflower) dish which is the star of any dinner at home. The gobi is soft, rich and tender but has a perfect crusting of spices. I convinced her to share her recipe with us. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cauliflower Head – break apart with your hands into bite size pieces.
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil- extra virgin or regular
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of heeng
Fresh cilantro

Heat oil over medium-high in a Dutch oven or non-stick pan. Add cumin seed and a pinch of heeng. Then add the evenly cut cauliflower. Sauté till all the water dries out and the cauliflower is lightly browned, lid can be on or off while stirring. Add the paprika, turmeric and coriander and mix well while turning the heat down to low, now keep the lid on. Mix everything well. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin. Once nicely browned take the lid off for a min and add fresh cilantro. Serve with rice, preferably basmati rice.

Capellini with Roasted Tomatoes

October 14, 2018Leave a comment

The origins of capellini trace back to areas surrounding Naples. It’s thin rod shaped pasta has a round section and its thickness can vary between 0,85 mm and 0,92 mm. It pairs perfectly with a light broth made of olive oil and herbs. Adding roasted tomatoes adds to the fresh flavor.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4-6 cloves)
1-2 pints of small cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion, cut into thin slices and caramelized with 1 teaspoon of sugar
15 large fresh basil leaves, chopped finely
2 tablespoons chopped fresh curly parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 box of dried capellini
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Salt to taste

Heat on medium a 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large pan or dutch oven. Add the thin slices of onions with some sugar. Once color of onions is light brown add the garlic to the oil for one minute. Then add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Roast the tomatoes for five minutes. While the tomatoes are cooking, add the capellini to the boiling water and cook for three minutes or as per directions on the box. Drain the pasta and save one cup of pasta water.
Toss the pasta in a serving bowl with the roasted tomato mixture, add Parmesan cheese if desired. Also sprinkle some fresh basil and extra-virgin olive oil as desired. Enjoy.

Eggplant and Tomato Curry

December 16, 2017December 16, 2017Leave a comment

I love eggplant in any form but especially with tomatoes with spices. This is a simple recipe for a weeknight vegetarian dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, diced thin
1 eggplant, diced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon coriander
14 ounces canned peeled tomatoes, with juice
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in a stainless steel pan or ceramic dutch oven. Add the cumin seeds and heat about 30 seconds.
Add the diced onions, and stir occasionally over medium heat until they are translucent.
Add the eggplant and saute until the skin is turning brown and the flesh just starts to soften. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the red pepper flakes, coriander, garam masala, hand-crushed tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium-low and cook until the eggplant is soft.
Serve with basmati rice.