Dinner – Page 4 – Prateek Dhar Wali

Asian Salmon

May 29, 2016April 7, 2017Leave a comment

Salmon are survivors of the Ice Age, saltwater fish which spawn in fresh water. Common sites are the Columbia River, Puget sound and Alaska. The color can vary from a delicate pale pink to a deeper red. The Native American tribes in the Northwest have great reverence and rituals for the yearly salmon run. The salmon represent life and nourishment. The young salmon journey back to the sea for three to four years to grow and then return to spawn. During the arduous journey they live off the oils they have stored in their bodies. They amazingly return to the exact point of their birth, as if they had GPS.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 salmon fillets

Marinate salmon skin side down, by rubbing soy sauce, dijon mustard, honey and brown sugar over the meaty surface. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
Place the salmon skin side down on the hot iron skillet which has been covered with olive oil on medium heat.
Cook for 3 minutes then turn using a fish spatula (spat). Turn carefully cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Check the internal temperature, it should be 135 degrees F.
Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes.
Serve with rice, soy sauce.

Yogurt-Curry Marinated Chicken Breast

May 3, 2016April 7, 2017Leave a comment

Boneless chicken breast marinated and then broiled, perfect for a couple lunches during a busy work week. The yogurt has a mild acidic quality and acts as a great tenderizer. Great over rice, on salads, or in a romaine heart.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon ginger paste
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt ( fat free or 2 %)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Mix all the ingredients in a glass pyrex container by hand, then cover and store in fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours.
Set oven to Broil- mine is set to 550 F.
Use a baking sheet with a wire rack, place chicken on rack evenly spaced.
Broil for 10 minutes then turn chicken over, broil for another 8 min.
Larger chicken breast might take another 2-3 minutes.
Check internal temperature of each breast so that it is > 165 F.
Let it cool before cutting to retain moisture.

Herb Crusted Mahi-Mahi

February 21, 2016April 7, 2017Leave a comment

Mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), is the Hawaiian name for a brilliant blue and silver fish. It is a white fish with delicate almost sweet flavor. It is sensitive to overcooking and should be cooked only until it flakes. Mahi-mahi is perfect for pan-searing and then finishing in the oven. This is a simple recipe from Gordon Ramsay using fresh herbs and tomatoes. I used Mahi-mahi instead of brill fish.

Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Coat fish filets with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Pan-sear for 2 minutes on each side over medium heat to light brown.
Place fish aside
Add cut grape tomatoes, one diced shallot and fresh diced basil with olive oil to same pan, sauté for a couple minutes.
Meanwhile add some fresh cubed bread with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Pulse until you have crumbled mixture.
Place tomato mixture on each filet, then top with herb flavored bread crumbs
Bake the herb covered fish for 6 minutes or until flaky.
Refer to the video below if questions.
Enjoy!

Vegetarian Pizza with Goat Cheese

February 20, 2016April 7, 2017Leave a comment

Quick and easy vegetarian pizza recipe with simple toppings found at home.

Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees F, depending on how high your oven goes.
Bring skillet to medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, diced red onion and bell peppers. Season with salt, dried oregano and fresh basil. Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Cook until soft and starting to brown then add mushrooms and sauté for a couple minutes and set aside.
Roll out dough onto a floured surface. I got my pizza dough from dairy/cheese aisle in the grocery store.
Top with desired amount of pizza sauce, available in any grocery store.
Use a baking sheet with parchment or a pizza stone like we did.
Prebake the crust for 5 minutes.
Then place your sautéed vegetable topping on top, if you like, add your preference of cheese on top. I used goat cheese crumbled for Michaela’s side of the pizza. I also added some red pepper flakes. continue to bake for 8-10 min.
Cool and enjoy!

Fettuccine with Sausage Meat Bolognese

February 15, 2016April 7, 2017Leave a comment

Traditional bolognese is an easy weeknight recipe for a rich and satisfying meal. Bolognese is a sauce, known in Italy as ragu. It is a meat based sauce from Bologna, Italy. It is often served over a flat shaped pasta such as tagliatelle, lasagne, pappardelle or fettuccine. It is a slow cooked sauce with onion, celery, carrot mixed with various ground meat. Tomatoes and wine are added to thicken the sauce and add body. Enjoy!

1. Boil dried fettuccine in salted water, takes around 11 minutes to cook (depending on pasta)

2. Add olive oil to hot pan

3. Add shredded onions (1), shredded carrots (1-2) and chopped garlic (3 cloves), sweat until soft

4. Remove sausage (1lb) from the skin add crumbled meat to the middle of the pan. I used spicy italian pork sausage.

5. Add dried oregano, and season with salt and pepper

6. When the meat has slightly browned, add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the middle of the pan. Then add 250ml of red wine. Simmer till it is thickened.

7. Add 16oz of crushed tomatoes and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and again simmer till desired thickness.

8. Finish with grated parmesan cheese

Greek Turkey Burgers with Dill Sauce

February 3, 2016April 7, 2017Leave a comment

I was craving a greek lamb burger at work today after being reminded of a past trip to London’s Borough Market. The market has been in existence since 1014, near London Bridge. It is a popular place to buy groceries and also sample local goods. Borough Market has been shown in multiple movies including Bridget Jones’s Diary, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. So I decided to make a greek turkey burger (less fat) instead with feta and a yogurt dill sauce. The key to keeping the burgers juicy is to cover them after searing 2 min on each side to trap the moisture and allow the inside to cook to 165 F. Recipe and instructions below, Enjoy!

Before:

Burgers:

1 lb 94% ground turkey

1/2 cup spinach or mixed greens

1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs

Crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp of dried oregano

Salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Rolls

Sauce:

1 tbsp of dill

1/4 cup of plain yogurt

1 clove of garlic, fine chopped

1 tsp of olive oil

1 tsp of lemon juice

Salt and black pepper

Directions:

Combine ground turkey, baby spinach or spring salad mix, bread crumbs, feta, oregano, cracked pepper, and olive oil in mixing bowl. Divide mixture into fourths; form 4 burgers. Cover and place in fridge for 5 min.
Heat non-stick pan to medium-high. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Sear burgers on pan for 2 min, until they have changed color about one-quarter of way up from bottom. Turn over; sear 2 min. Turn again; reduce heat to MED-LOW and cover with lid.
Cook for about 5 min until internal temp reaches 165 degrees (check by inserting thermometer halfway into thickest part of burgers). Transfer to clean platter.
Top each burger with crumbled feta, 1 tbsp of dill yogurt sauce, mixed greens on a toasted roll (we used potato rolls).

Caramelized Onion & Sweet Potato

January 30, 2016April 7, 2017Leave a comment

This is a tasty, healthy and light dinner when you’re on a tight schedule. The recipe is from Bobby Flay, master of grilling. I cut the sweet potatoes, brushed with olive oil, salt and used the microwave to soften them instead of a grill. Then just add the sweet potatoes to the caramelized onion mixture. The dijon and the balsamic vinegar give a nice savory flavor. Enjoy!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/caramelized-onion-sweet-potato-salad-recipe.html

Chicken Breast with Brussels Sprouts

January 12, 2016January 12, 2016Leave a comment

Today at work I was asked if I ever cook anything original, so here goes..

This is my pan roasted chicken breast with brussels sprouts. I used skinless, boneless chicken breast and split them horizontally to cook them evenly. The marinade is a tablespoon of Symeon’s spice mix (thanks to Rakesh Uncle) with olive oil for 15 min prior to roasting. Symeon’s is a mix of salt, pepper, oregano, paprika and garlic. The chicken stock is Emeril’s organic brand. Chicken stock is made from bones and simmered for a longer period of time to extract gelatin and provide a rich, full flavor, where broth is mainly made from the meat.

1.Use a hot stainless steel fry pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Then add the chicken away from you to avoid splatter, skin side down.

2. Add the brussels sprouts after lightly basting them in olive oil, garlic and salt. Also add some fresh rosemary over the chicken. (Pic below)

3. Wait until the chicken moves easily and is nicely browned to flip over.

4. Add 150ml of chicken stock and simmer until the chicken is properly cooked and sauce is thickened. I use a meat thermometer to assure appropriate temperature is achieved (165 degrees F)

5. If you like a more roasted appearance to the brussels sprouts, place them in another dry pan and heat until browned.

Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala

January 11, 2016April 7, 2017Leave a comment

Chicken tikka masala is a popular Indian dish all around the world. Its roots go back 5000 years to the time of the Mughal dynasty and the invention of the tandoor clay oven. The bite size pieces called tikka, apparently the Emperor Babur didn’t like chicken bones, became one of the most popular dishes of the empire. Later another empire, the British, exported (stole) a few items such as the Kohinoor diamond and also developed a significant appreciation for chicken tikka masala. This is a simple recipe in which I used chicken breast cut into small pieces and 2% yogurt. Enjoy.

Chicken Marsala with Endive

January 9, 2016April 7, 2017Leave a comment

Marsala wine is dry or sweet, which comes from the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily. It was traditionally served between the first and second courses of a meal as an aperitif. Endive is a member of the chicory family, which also includes radicchio and escarole. It is crisp, sweet, nutty and mildly bitter. It is quite difficult to grow, requiring 150 days in the field and then cold storage until needed, then another 28 days for the second growing period. This is a nice quick recipe from Gordon Ramsay for chicken breast or thigh marinated with olive oil/ salt with a marsala/chicken broth sauce. Simple steps highlighted below, detailed summary in the video.

Brown chicken with endive and garlic in a hot pan

Turn over and add marsala wine and chicken broth

Add parsley, thyme or tarragon for flavor. Serve with rice or pasta.