Bombay Sloppy Joes

I love sloppy joes and love to make different variations of it. I rarely use ground beef for sloppy joes. I think because sloppy joes are so saucy, you really don't need to use beef. I always use ground turkey for sloppy joes. Before this recipe, I go back and forth between this recipe and this one. Now this recipe will be a top contender. I don't know why I like sloppy joes so much, I think it's nostalgic.

This sloppy joe recipe comes from Aarti Sequeira. I haven't actually seen her show, but I remember her from the Food Network stars competition. I was rooting for her the whole time because I love how she uses Indian spices and flavors in her cooking. Like the sloppy joes, you can really taste the Indian influence, but it's still very much a sloppy joe. I did have to adjust the spice level in the recipe, I think I pretty much doubled the spices because it didn't have enough umph. Here's the recipe.

Bombay Sloppy Joes
adapted from Aarti Sequeira

For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

For the Sloppy Joes:
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Small handful (about 1/4 cup) raisins
Small handful (about 1/4 cup) shelled pistachios
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large white onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 serrano chile pepper (don't chop it unless you like things spicy!)
Kosher salt
2 tsp garam masala (see notes)
1/2 tsp chile powder (see notes)
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup half-and-half
Small handful fresh cilantro (soft stems included)
4 sesame buns

1. Make the sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chile pepper and cook until the ginger and garlic brown a little, about 1 minute. Add the garam masala and paprika and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce and 1 cup water, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the sloppy joes: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the raisins and pistachios and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

3. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the cumin seeds and let sizzle about 10 seconds, then add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chile pepper and cook 2 more minutes, seasoning with salt. Add the turkey, breaking up the big lumps, and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the prepared sauce to the turkey-and-onion mixture in the skillet. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

5. Remove the whole chile pepper (unless you want to eat it, like my dad does!) and stir in the honey, half-and-half, raisins and pistachios. Taste for seasoning. Add the additional garam masala and chile powder to taste (see notes). Stir in the cilantro right before serving.

6. Toast the buns and fill with the sloppy joe mixture.

Notes:

• The original recipe didn't call for the extra garam masala and the chile powder.  I didn't feel like the sloppy joes had enough taste so I added some extras.  

Spicy Korean Chicken with Rice Cakes

I just came back from Korea not too long ago and the best part of the trip would have to be the food!! It was incredible the amount of great food we encountered wherever we went! On the street, at little hole in the walls, and even at big restaurants. Koreans must have a passion for food. One of the great dishes we had was Dak Galbi, which is a spicy chicken with rice cake.

I wanted to attempt to duplicate that at home. When researching, I came across a food blog called Beyond Kimchee. I think I must have pinned every single recipe on this blog!! Everything looks so mouthwatering. I found a recipe for Dak Galbi and I knew I had to try it.

The results? This is AMAZING!!! I knew it was going to be good as the smell of gochuchang (Korean chili paste) fills my apartment!! You really need to try this dish!!! It's that good!! With this recipe, I discovered this herb called perilla leaves. It has such an interesting taste and brings a lot to the dish, I want to put it on everything! Here's the recipe.

Spicy Korean Chicken with Rice Cakes
from Beyond Kimchee

1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken thigh, diced
1/2 lb (250g) Korean rice cake sticks
1/4-1/2 cabbage, diced
8-10 perilla leaves, sliced
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 medium sweet potato, sliced into 1/4" thick wedges
2 tablespoon grape seed or canola oil
2-4 tablespoon water
more perilla leaves and toasted sesame seeds to garnish

For the sauce:
3 tablespoon Korean chili paste
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon Korean chili flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
dashes of pepper

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Toss the chicken pieces with 1/2 the sauce and mix. Set aside.

2. Soak rice cakes in hot water until ready to use and drain (if using fresh rice cakes, you don't need to soak it).

3. Drizzle oil in a cast iron skillet, spread the chicken and top with vegetables (only 1/2 the amount of perilla leaves) and rice cakes. Drizzle the remaining sauce over and bring the skillet over med-high heat.

4. When you hear the loud sizzling noise from the skillet, toss to coat everything with the sauce. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Add the water to create steam to cook and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook, about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. When chickens are cooked through and potatoes are tender, add the rest of the perilla leaves and heat through. Everything should be slightly browned at this stage.Toss gently so that you don't break the potatoes.

6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with more perilla leaves. Serve hot.

Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping

As much as I love the people of Cook's Illustrated, I always think they live in this fantasy world of cooking. Their recipes, though tasty, require an entire afternoon of cooking and over 20 ingredients. When I was thumbing through the September 2010 edition of Cook's Illustrated, they had a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie for weeknights. I was skeptical but willing to give it a go.

I made this when we had company over a few nights ago. It really wasn't a recipe for weeknight. It took me between an hour and a half to two hours to finish this dish!! Who has that kind of time on a weeknight? But if you're one of the lucky few who does, try this recipe, because it's really really good!!!

The chicken mixture tasted so fresh with all the vegetables. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs and I don't think the dish suffered at all. The addition of soy sauce and tomato paste really made a big difference in the flavors!! I love the savory crumble topping too. It had a little kick from the cayenne and it's not nearly as heavy as the usual biscuit topping. I think it's a nice change to the traditional chicken pot pie.

Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping
from Cook's Illustrated, September 2010 Issue

Filling:
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into slices (about 1 cup)
2 small celery ribs, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
Table salt and ground black pepper
10 oz cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and sliced thin
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp tomato paste
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
3/4 cup frozen baby peas

Crumble Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, chilled
1 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream

1. For the chicken: Bring the chicken and broth to a simmer in a covered Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until chicken is done, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a large bowl. Pour broth through a fine mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat over to 450 degrees.

2. For the topping: Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle the butter pieces in and incorporate with your fingers until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces ranging from 1/2 to 3/4 inch each onto parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside.

3. For the filling: Heat 1 tbsp oil in the empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally; until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to the bowl with the chicken; set aside.

4. Heat the remaining tbsp oil in empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, cover and cook until mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir in the soy sauce and tomato paste. Cook, stirring until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are well browned, and dark fond begins to form on the surface of pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the chicken and vegetables.

5. Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook for one minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and 2 tbsp of parsley.

6. Stir in chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce. Pour into a greased 13×9 baking dish. Scatter crumble topping evenly over the top. BAke on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tbsp of parsley and serve.

Barbecued Turkey Sloppy Joes and burger buns

Sloppy Joes remind me of high school lunches. I was never involved in food fights, but I seem to remember sloppy joe days as being food fights day. I guess no one really cared to eat them. These Barbecued Turkey Sloppy Joes are different, I would not waste these as weapons!

Not too long ago, I discovered ground turkey. It's wonderful. I have never been a big fan of beef. I only like beef when the sauce is so strong, I can't taste the beef. Ground turkey is such a great substitution for ground beef, it's healthier, more earth friendly, and most times, you can't even tell the difference. In this recipe, the turkey is not dry at all. Mr. G had no idea it was turkey.

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen's Spring 2011 30 minute supper magazine! I love how they come out with a magazine each season. The recipes are wonderful and so easy to make. Each magazine is jam packed with recipes and the magazines don't take up as much room in my bookshelf as the cookbooks.

Now for the buns...these are great!! I think this made the sloppy joes!! I used the hamburger buns recipe from Bread baker's apprentice. I have been reading this book like a novel and it's so interesting! There's so much to learn about the techniques of bread making and I'm more fascinated with every page. I'm sure there will be more recipes from this book to come. Until then..here are the recipes.

Barbecued Turkey Sloppy Joes
America’s test kitchen 30 minute suppers

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp hot sauce
4 hamburger buns

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and cook until onion is soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until just pink, about 3 minutes.

2. Add pepper, brown sugar, tomato puree, barbecue sauce, water, and hot sauce to skillet with meat. Simmer until sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

3. Spoon meat mixture onto buns. Serve.

Burger Buns
from Bread Baker's Apprentice

4 3/4 cups (21.5 oz) unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1.33 oz) powdered milk
3 1/4 tbsp (1.66 oz) sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 large egg, slightly beaten, room temperature
3 1/4 tbsp (1.66 oz) butter, margarine, shortening, melted or at room temperature
1 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp to 1 3/4 cup (13 to 14 oz) water, at room temperature
1 egg, whisked with 1 tsp water until frothy, for egg wash (optional)
sesame or poppy seeds for garnish (optional)

1. Mix together the flour, salt, powdered milk, sugar and yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Pour in the egg, butter, and 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water and mix with a large spoon or on low speed of electric mixer with paddle attachment until all the flour is absorbed and the dough forms a ball. If the dough seems very stiff and dry, trickle in more water until the dough is soft and supple.

2. Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading or mix on medium speed with the dough hook, adding more flour if necessary to create a dough that is soft, supple and tacky, but not sticky. Continue kneading or mixing for 6 to 8 minutes. (In the electric mixer, the dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick ever so slightly to the bottom.) The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 80 F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size (the length of time will depend on the room temperature).

4. Remove the fermented dough from the bowl and divide it in half for sandwich loaves, into eighteen 2 ounce pieces for dinner rolls, or twelve 3 ounce pieces for burger or hot dog buns. Shape the pieces into boules for loaves, or tight rounds for dinner rolls or buns. Mist the dough lightly with spray oil and cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

5. For loaves, lightly oil two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans and place the loaves in the pans. For rolls and buns, line 2 sheet pans with parchment. rolls require no further shaping. For hamburger buns, gently press down on the rolls to form the desired shape. Transfer to sheet pans.

6. Mist the tops of the dough with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Proof the dough at room temp for 60 to 90 minutes, or until it nearly doubles in size.

7. Preheat the oven to 350F for loaves or 400F for rolls and buns. Brush the rolls or buns with the egg wash and garnish with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Sandwich loaves also may be washed and garnished, or score them down the center and rub a little vegetable oil into the slit.

8. Bake the rolls or buns for approx 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and register just above 180F in the center. Bake loaves for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating 180 degrees halfway through for even baking. Internal temp of loaves should be close to 190F and should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

9. When loaves are finished baking, remove them from pans and cool on a wire rack. Rolls should cool for 15 minutes on a rack before serving.

Thanksgiving dinner

Last night we had the second installment of our Thanksgiving dinner and I thought I would share my recipes with you. I didn't take pictures during our actual Thanksgiving dinner because I was completely exhausted after everything was done. So much time goes in planning and making Thanksgiving dinner and it's over in such a short time. Is it really worth all the effort?

Anyway, this past Thanksgiving was my first Thanksgiving at my new home and I'm happy to report that everything went well. The turkey was sooo delicious, it's a Cajun-Injected Spicy Turkey recipe from Emeril Lagasse. It was my first time using a meat injector and it's really a lot of fun!!! A little tip from me, make sure the needle is deep into the meat before you depress the plunger, otherwise, you'll have turkey marinade all over your house....(i hope my landlord is not reading this!!!) The turkey came out really moist and flavorful. The reviews from the recipe said it was really spicy, so I cut down on the cayenne and it was perfect.

My favorite part of the meal was the dinner rolls!!! This recipe comes from Average Betty. They are the best dinner rolls that I have ever made. I made this a few times before and I had success every time. It is a bit time consuming because it requires three rises, but it is soooo worth it!!!

No recipe to post for the stuffing..it's just stove top..yikes!! I had planned to make stuffing from scratch but Mr. G talked me out of it. Thank you!!!

Mr. G's favorite part of the meal was the garlic mashed potatoes!! I love this recipe as well. It comes from Cook's Illustrated, so it is more time consuming than most mashed potatoes recipe, but it's worth it. It's soooo good!! I cut down on the butter, but I don't think the potatoes suffered. I'm thinking of making croquettes with the left overs..but don't know how..any suggestions? Do I just mix veggies in it, top it with panko and fry? hm....HELP!!

The asparagus were just roasted briefly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Easy and tasty!

Overall, Thanksgiving was a success. I will post the dessert the next time. Dessert deserves its own post!! Hope all of you had a Happy Thanksgiving. Here are the recipes.

Cajun-Injected Spicy Turkey
From Emeril Lagasse

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon concentrated liquid crab and shrimp boil (recommended: Zatarian's)
1/4 cup apple cider
3/4 cup honey
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 cup Creole seasoning (recipe to follow)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely minced garlic
1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey, rinsed well inside and out, patted dry
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 cups chicken broth, as needed for bottom of roasting pan

1. Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill a large syringe* and inject turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times.

2. Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.

3. Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.)

4. When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

Creole Seasoning
adapted from Emeril Lagasse

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (see note)
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Note:

• *Original recipe uses 1 tbsp of cayenne pepper, I decreased it so that the turkey wouldn't be too spicy.
  

Mama Betty's Dinner Rolls
from Average Betty
makes 16 dinner rolls

3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 package dry yeast (Betty used Fleischmann’s¨ Rapid Rise Yeast)
1/4 cup dry milk
3/4 cup tap water
2 tbsp butter
1 egg
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. In an electric mixer, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, dry yeast and powdered milk.

2. Dissolve butter in warm water (not hot!). Water should be about 120(F). If you have a kitchen thermometer, use it! Betty doesn’t have one, but the water should feel warm and comfortable to the touch. Add egg.

5. With mixer running, slowly add warm water mixture to dry mixture. Begin adding remaining 1 cup flour. You may not need to add ALL the flour - so add gradually. Betty’s Mom says, “For best results, the dough should be sticky.”

6. Knead dough on floured board and form into a ball. Knead about 2-3 minutes if you used a dough hook; knead 6-8 minutes if not.

7. Place dough ball top down in a bowl you’ve drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and flip ball over. Cover first with plastic, then with a towel. Allow to rise until doubled in size. This will take about 1 1/2 hours.

8. Punch down. Knead, reshape into ball, cover and allow to rise again until doubled in size. This will occur more quickly, about 45 minutes. Punch down, knead and reshape into a ball.

9. Oil a pie plate or round cake pan. Form rolls a little smaller than golf balls. Cover with plastic wrap and towel. Allow the rolls to rise another 30-45 minutes and bake in a preheated 375 (F) oven for 15-20 minutes.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
from Cook's Illustrated's New Best Recipe

2/3 cups garlic cloves (about 22 cloves)
2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (see note)
1 cup half and half, warmed
1 1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper

1. Toast garlic cloves with skins left on in a small covered skillet over the lowest possible heat, shaking the pan frequently until the cloves are dark spotty brown and slightly softened, about 22 minutes.

2. Remove the pan from heat and let stand, covered, until the cloves are fully softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Peel the cloves and, using a paring knife, cut off the woody ends. Set aside

3. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with cold water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender when pricked with a thin-bladed knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes.

4. Set a food mill or ricer over the now empty but still warm saucepan. Spear each potato with a dinner fork, then peel back the skin with a paring knife. Working in batches, cut the peeled potatoes into chunks and drop them into the hopper of a food mill. To use a ricer, halve the potatoes and place cut side down in the ricer. Process or rice the potatoes into the sauce pan. Add the toasted garlic in with the potatoes. (see note)

5. Stir in the melted butter with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Gently whisk in the half and half, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Note:

• *The original recipe uses 8 tbsp of butter, I cut the butter in half.
• *I didn't have a food mill or a potato ricer, so I grated my potatoes instead. If you're planning to grate the potatoes, don't cut the potatoes in chunks, just grate it whole. It's worth the effort to grate the potatoes because the texture is a lot nicer than potatoes that are mashed!
  

Turkey chili

I wish I could love healthy food. I really do. It would make life so much easier and much less guilt with meal time. But that's not me, I love love love my carbs. I love almost anything that's bad for you. So in the rare occasion when I find a recipe where something yummy is good for me, I'm completely shocked. This is one of those occasion.

This turkey chili comes from the geniuses at Cook's Illustrated. I think I post so many of their recipes that one day I will get a nasty email from them. Until then...I will continue to share. I bought some ground turkey the other day, thinking I was going to make turkey burgers, but I opted for this chili instead. It is a bit time consuming, I think in total it took about two to three hours, but it's well worth it.

You definitely don't miss the beef in the chili. If I didn't put the turkey in there myself, I would've thought it was beef. It's a really good chili and it has a really nice spicy kick to it. You must try it!!

Turkey Chili
from Cook's Illustrated magazine, Jan 2008 issue

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1.5 pounds 93 percent lean ground turkey (see note)
2 (15.5-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , with juice
(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Table salt
2 limes , cut into wedges

1. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the turkey; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add beans, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Pat remaining 1 pound turkey together into ball, then pinch off teaspoon-sized pieces of meat and stir into chili. Continue to simmer about 40 minutes longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until turkey is tender and chili is dark and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

Notes:

• *the original recipe calls for 2 lbs, I only had 1.5 lbs so that's what I put in.
  

Chicken Satay with Thai peanut sauce

Happy 4th of July and Happy two year anniversary to My Food Affair. I can't believe it's been two years since I first started this blog. In the last two years, I have definitely improved as a baker. I have gone out of my comfort zone in baking, thanks mostly to Daring bakers, and became a better baker because of it. Here's to another great year!!

To celebrate, I'm giving you this wonderful recipe for Chicken satay with Thai peanut sauce. Both recipes are from All recipes and I made changes to the recipe based on sweetiesmj's suggestions. I've made this recipe twice now, and both times it was great. It's so easy to make and the result is wonderful. The chicken is moist and full of flavor. The peanut sauce is so easy to make and tastes great!! I think it would go great with some soba noodles too. Here are the recipes.

Chicken Satay
from Allrecipe.com

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp chili oil
2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips (see note)
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp chopped unsalted peanuts
12 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 15 minutes
1 cup prepared Thai peanut sauce

1. In a medium bowl, stir together sesame oil, soy sauce, light brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, garlic, lime juice, coconut milk, ground coriander, salt, curry powder, fish sauce, and chili oil. Add the chicken breast strips, and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill for high heat. Thread the chicken strips onto skewers (see note). Discard marinade.

3. Grill chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until no longer pink. Time will depend on how thick your strips are. Transfer to a serving plate, and garnish with cilantro and peanuts. Serve with peanut sauce for dipping.

Thai peanut sauce
adapted from All recipes.com
half of the original recipe

3/4 cups creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger root
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, coconut milk, water, lime juice, soy sauce, hot sauce, ginger, and garlic. Mix in the cilantro just before serving.

Note:

• *The original recipe calls for 1 lb of chicken breast, I made 2 lbs and there was enough marinate for it.


• *Soak the skewers for at least 2 hours before threading the chicken on them. This is to prevent the skewers from burning when you're grilling the chicken.


• *The original recipe for the peanut sauce calls for an additional 1/2 tbsp of fish sauce and 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce. When I made the sauce the first time, I thought it was too salty, so I omitted those the second time around. It was much better without it.
  

Mini Turkey Burgers

I was having all these heavy meals and wanted something light for dinner. I made some mini turkey burgers from Everyday food magazine. I was worried that turkey burgers would be dry and won't taste very good. But these turkey burgers were not dry at all, I even used 99% lean meat instead of the 93% lean that the recipe called for. The burgers came out very juicy! I used taro bread for my buns, added some alfalfa sprouts, and tomatoes. Here's the recipe:

Mini Turkey Burgers
everyday food magazine

2 slices of white sandwich bread (about 1 oz each)
1 lb ground turkey
2 oz cheddar cheese (coarsely grated, about 1/2 cup)
1/2 small onion, coarsely grated
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tsp olive oil
12 party size potato rolls
lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, and mustard

1. In a food processor, pulse bread until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl; add turkey, cheese and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and mix gently until just combined. Form twelve 2 inch patties (about 3 tbsp each)
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Cook patties until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Serve on rolls with lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard, if desired.
   

Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm back from a two month trip to Japan. I'm so glad to be back home to my kitchen. I was living in a hotel for the last two months and did not have access to any kitchen. This chicken tikka masala I made before I left to Japan. I wanted to post it before I left, but didn't get a chance to. It was my friend's birthday that night, and we had Indian night. I made chicken tikka masala, palak paneer (absolutely my favorite Indian dish), and naan. The picture does not do this dish justice, this was so good!!! Here's the recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala
Cook's illustrated

Chicken Tikka:
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
2 lbs chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

masala sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, dice fined
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 serrano chile
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp garam masala
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.
2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Chicken Piccata

For the second course...I made chicken piccata. I wanted to make something light so we can have room for dessert. I liked this a lot, it was really refreshing, but it was different than the ones I normally have at the restaurant. I think the ones at the restaurants are a lot creamier. I served it with some broiled asparagus. Here's the recipe.

Chicken Piccata
from new best recipe

2 large lemons
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast (5 to 6 oz each)
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons small capers, rinsed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, set a large heatproof serving or dinner plate on the rack, and heat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Halve one lemon pole to pole. Trim the ends from one half and cut it crosswise into slices 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick; set aside. Juice the remaining half and whole lemon to obtain 1/4 cup juice; reserve.
3. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken cutlets generously with salt and pepper. Measure the flour into a shallow baking dish or pie plate. Working with one cutlet at a time, coat with the flour and shake to remove the excess.
   
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay half of the chicken cutlets in the skillet. Saute the cutlets until lightly browned on the first side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Turn the cutlets and cook until the second side is lightly browned, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes longer.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the cutlets to the plate in the oven. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the remaining chicken cutlets and repeat.
6. Add the shallot to the now-empty skillet and return the skillet to medium heat. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth and lemon slices, increase the heat to high, and scrape the pan bottom with a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen the browned bits.
7. Simmer until the liquid reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved lemon juice, capers and olives, and simmer until the sauce reduces again to 1/3 cup, about 1 minute.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the butter until it melts and thickens the sauce. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Note:

• The recipe calls fro 1/2 cup of flour, however, I didn't even use half the flour.
  
• I found the sauce to be a little too tart, so I added a little bit of sugar.