Bountiful Baskets

Kimchi

I just found this website dedicated to Korean Food. It's awesome!! I made this Kimchi this afternoon. SOO good. I've also made the bulgogi on the website. Very good also!

http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-kimchi

Major Grey Chutney

I wanted to make the Mar-a-Lago Turkey burger that Oprah raved about but couldn't find Major Grey Chutney at any stores so I decided to make it! Definitely easier if you can find it somewhere but it was fun to make and the burgers were awesome!

Major Grey Chutney For The Mar-a-Lago Burger

Time 40 minutes Serves 12
Ingredients
4 cups prepared mango, about 5-6 medium
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup yellow onion, chopped coarsely
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup lime, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup gingerroot grated
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped orange
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup peeled, seeded and chopped lemon
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp. mustard seed
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
How to make it
Peel, pit and coarsely chop mangos. Measure 4 cups.
Fill boiling water canner with water. Place 6 clean half pint mason jars in canner over high heat.
Combine mangos, sugar, vinegar, onions, raisins, lime, gingerroot, orange, molasses, lemon, garlic, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, cloves and all spice in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan, Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
Place snap lids in boiling water; boil 5 minutes to soften sealing compound.
Add cilantro during the last 10 minutes of fruit-vegetable mixtures cooking time!
Ladle chutney into a hot jar to within 1/2" of top rim (head space). Remove air bubbles by sliding a rubber spatula between glass and food; readjust head space to 1/2". Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Center Snap Lid on jar; apply screw band just until fingertip tight. Place jar in canner. Repeat for remaining chutney!
Cover Canner; return to boil, process 10 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft. Remove jars. Cool 24 hours, Check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downwards.
Store in a dark cool place!

Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney
Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
Oprah.com | June 03, 2008 Comments (10) | Print


Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
This pear chutney topping is the key to giving the Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger that extra zing.

Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients
1 Anjour pear , peeled and diced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 cups Major Grey's Chutney
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.

Toss the diced pears with the cinnamon and salt. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

Cool and mix with the chutney and currants or raisins.

Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger
Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
Oprah.com | June 03, 2008 Comments (58) | Print


Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
Oprah found a new favorite food when she tried this turkey burger at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach. "I believe [it] may be the best turkey burger in the entire world," she says. The Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger will be permanently available at the Trump Bar and Grille in Trump Tower in New York City, open to the public for lunch and dinner. It will also be served during lunch in Chicago at Sixteen, the Trump International Hotel restaurant.

Servings: Serves 8
Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
1 lemon , juiced and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney , pureed
Directions
Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with a side of Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney and your favorite toasted bread, pita or hamburger roll.

Make your own craisins!

A little time consuming, but delish!

Homemade Craisins


Ingredients
1 bag cranberries
1 Cup sugar
2 Cup water
Directions
Cut cranberries in half.

Add sugar to water in a small pan and heat until sugar dissolves.

Add cut cranberries to syrup and soak for 20-30 minutes.

Drain berries and add to dehydrator.

Dehydrate until they are dry.

Beef Vindaloo and Tandori Chicken

Both great recipes! I think the tandori chicken had a little too much spice (the taste of the spices, not heat, so I will scale the spices back a little next time). I love that you don't have to marinate the chicken overnight!

Goan Beef Curry with Vinegar: Beef Vindaloo
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, trimmed of all excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
Wet Masala (spice blend):

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 (1-inch) pieces cinnamon bark
6 cloves
4 peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, more if you're feeling feisty!
6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1-inch thumb fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
1 serrano pepper, sliced in half
Kosher salt
Serving suggestion: Cooked rice and chapatis (whole wheat griddle bread)
Directions
In a small skillet, over medium-high heat, toast the cumin seeds, cinnamon bark, cloves, and peppercorns until fragrant, about a minute or so. Pour into a spice grinder, and process until powdered.

In a small food processor or blender, combine the toasted spice mix and rest of the wet masala ingredients. Process until smooth. Place a large, preferably nonstick pot over high heat, and add oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions and serrano pepper. Stirring frequently, saute onions until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cook's Note: Don't let them burn! Turn the heat down to medium-high if they're starting to burn.

Add the ground wet masala, taking care because it will sizzle wildly, and steam up your glasses if you wear them. Stir quite vigorously, and turn down heat if it's bubbling too furiously. Don't wash the food processor cup yet. Keep stirring, with short pauses, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the masala comes together as one mass, about 2 minutes. Also, you may see little droplets of oil on the perimeter of the masala. That's a good sign!

Quickly add the meat, and stir, coating the meat in the masala. Stir and cook about 5 minutes until the meat browns.

Remember that dirty food processor vessel? Fill it with 1 cup of hot water (from the tap is fine), swirl it around so it picks up any leftover masala, and pour that into the pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt, stir and bring the curry to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Then cook with the lid ajar for another 15 minutes, to thicken the gravy slightly.

Check the meat at the end of the cooking time; it should be tender, and not chewy at all. Adjust salt if you like, and serve over rice over with chapatis (whole wheat griddle bread).


Tandori Chicken
from America's Test Kitchen
Equipment:

(2) Mixing Bowls
(1) Saute Pan
Chef Knife
Cookie Sheet or Sheet Pan
Aluminum Foil to line pan
Cooling rack or grated roasting rack

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken (Cut in 10 pieces/Breast Cut in Half)
6 Garlic Cloves - minced
2 Tbsp Ginger - minced
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Chili Powder
2 Tbsp Garam Masala
2 Limes
1 Cup Yogurt
2 Tbsp Veg Oil
2 tsp Salt

Procedure:

1. Saute Pan, medium heat
2. Add veg oil - when shimmering
3. Add garlic and ginger - stir constantly to prevent burning - sweat 1 min
4. Add seasoning (cumin, chili powder, garam marsala) and bloom in pan for 1 min with garlic and ginger (stirring constantly)
5. Remove from heat - let cool in pan

1. Once cool, divide mixture between two mixing bowls.
2. To Bowl (A) add 2 Tbsp Lime Juice and 1 Cup Yogurt
3. Mix ingredients in Bowl (A)
4. In Bowl (B) add 2 T lime juice with mixture and 2 tsp salt. So both bowls get half of the mixture and 2 T lime juice. The only difference is one gets the Yogurt and the other the salt.

1. Cut Chicken into 8 pieces, then cut breast in half giving you 10. (Save wing tip and carcass for chicken stock)
2. Skin Chicken pieces except the wings (too much trouble)
3. Score one side of all pieces 1/8" deep with a sharp knife (this allows the rub to get deep in the meet AND gives you a beautiful char on the exposed areas - char equals flavor)

1. Place meat in Bowl (B) with the Salt and Rub.
2. Rub mix deep into the scored meat, coat completely
3. Marinate for 30 mins

1. Preheat oven to 325 F
2. After 30 min marinade, pour contents of Bowl (A) into Bowl (B) with the meat.
3. Work Mix into and around meat
4. Give your rack a little spray with non-stick

1. Put dark meat scored side down on rack over tray and place in oven
2. Set timer for 22 mins
3. After 10 min have elapsed, remove rack, place breasts scored side down and back into the oven.
4. Your breasts need to come to 125 F and Thighs 135 F. You may have to pull one while the other cooks. Ideally they should temp out together.

1. Once timer goes off, and your pieces have arrived at proper temp, remove, set broiler to high, flip chicken and back in oven.
2. Anywhere from 8 - 14 mins under broiler depending on broiler, oven rack height, and desired char
3. We go six inches down from broiler element and watch those things like a hawk. Great to do when the kids are occupied or asleep.

Dark meat needs to be 175 F and Breast at 160 F. Tent and rest at least 10 mins for carry-over cookery.

Muffins anyone?

I guess I had a craving for muffins last night because I made pear, banana & chocolate!! The pear were very moist, you can't taste the pear, just the cinnamon. The banana is a great recipe from my mom. The chocolate ones are really good from a new blog I just found called Your cup of cake. They aren't dense like normal muffins. They're more like a cupcake texture.


Pear Muffins
from my friend Jen's friend (I will get more info)
2 (15oz) cans sliced pears, drained and mashed. (You can also use fresh pears that you've steamed)
2/3 Cup sugar
4 Tablespoons oil (I actually used unsweetened applesauce and it worked great!)
2 Eggs
2 1/4 Cup flour (all purpose, whole wheat or I use bread flour so the puff up a bit more than normal)
2 Teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon salt

Mix everything together and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes (for muffins) and around 1 hour for "bread". It makes 48 mini muffins or 1 9x9 pan of quick bread.

KAUKI INN BANANNA BREAD

2 c. sugar
1 c butter
1 c nuts
6 bananas(2 cups)
4 eggs well beaten
2 1/2 c flour
1 t salt
2 t soda
Cream butter, sugar and then eggs. Add mashed bananas. Add dry ingredients and do
not over mix.
Bake 350 for 45 min.


Costco-esque Chocolate Muffins

http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2011/03/chocolate-costco-muffins.html
Ingredients:
3 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup oil
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 devil’s food cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) package instant chocolate pudding
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffins tins with liners.
2. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs.
3. Add oil, milk, water, vanilla, and beat again.
4. Stir in sour cream, and then add cake mix, pudding mix and cinnamon. Do not over mix.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and fill muffin liners 3/4 full.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean OR the tops spring back.
7. Remove immediately from muffins tins and let cool for 10 minutes, then store in n airtight container. If the container steams because they are not fully cooled, don’t freak out, that just means they will not dry out.

Salade Nicoise

This salad from Melissa d'Arabian on the Food Network was filling and flavorful. I served it with fish instead of putting the tuna in the salad.

Salade Nicoise
Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: --
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 servings
Ingredients
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
4 eggs, hard-boiled
2 (5-ounce) cans good quality light tuna in oil, drained
2 green onions, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 pound green beans, blanched
2 large red potatoes, cubed and boiled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon-Olive Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Directions
On a large platter, place the romaine lettuce and top decoratively with the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle with Lemon-Olive Vinaigrette and serve.

Lemon-Olive Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon vinegar (recommended: white wine vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup briny olives from salad bar, chopped (recommended: nicoise)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar. Drizzle in the olive oil and whisk to create an emulsion. Add the thyme, olives, and salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit at least 10 minutes to marry the flavors.

Tikka Masala and Aloo Gobi

I love Aarti on the Food Network. I love when she makes Indian food and these recipes did not disappoint. This is the best and easiest Tikka Masala I've tried!!

Chicken in Creamy Tomato Curry: Chicken Tikka Masala
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 35 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Marinade:

1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks
Sauce:

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced)
2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
8 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 to 2 cups water
Oil, for grilling
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving
Directions
For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.

For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.

Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.

Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).

Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread!

Ginger-Garlic Paste:
1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole
1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup canola oil
Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.




Cauliflower and Potatoes: "Aloo Gobi"
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 25 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows, or 2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large serrano pepper, split down the middle leaving halves attached
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (similar size to cauliflower)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly minced cilantro leaves, to garnish
Directions
Mix the Ginger-Garlic Paste, coriander, turmeric, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. This is a simple wet masala (spice mix). Set aside.

In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the serrano pepper, wait 30 seconds, and then add the cumin seeds and wait until they're done spluttering.

Add the wet masala (careful, it will also splutter). Cook until the paste thickens, deepens in color slightly, and oil oozes out of the perimeter of the masala, about 2 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and potatoes, stirring to coat the vegetables with the masala. Season with salt and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes. Then, remove the lid, stir, and cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Ginger-Garlic Paste:
1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole
1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup canola oil
Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.