Garam Masala-Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Real gingerbread cookies? With real chopped ginger? Yes, please!

This a really interesting recipe, by Aarti Sequiera, winner of "The Next Food Network Star." I've been wanting to try her recipes, since we love Indian food, and I thought this one might be a fun starting point. Well, these cookies were really tasty, not to mention beautiful. They don't taste much different than regular chocolate gingerbread cookies, despite some unusual ingredients, but maybe I just don't have a very discriminating palate. I didn't try the "Royal Icing," which supposedly makes these amazing. I didn't have powdered egg whites, so it wasn't an option. I did the chocolate icing instead, and found them delicious. I would love to try the royal icing next time, though. I would really recommend trying these. They are really flavorful, with just the right amount of gingery spice. The icing hardens nicely, so they stay pretty and taste great for several days.





Make these. They are gorgeous and delicious. A tad spicy, so only make 'em if you like ginger! 4 Bowls!

Garam Masala-Chocolate Gingerbread

Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira

Prep Time: 30 min

Inactive Prep Time: 3 hr 0 min

Cook Time: 12 min

Level: Intermediate

Serves: 3 dozen (3-inch) cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour, plus for dusting
• 2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend available at specialty shops)
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup molasses
• Chocolate Glaze, recipe follows
• Royal Icing, recipe follows
• Toasted fennel seed, dried rose petals and gold or silver dragees, for garnish

Directions

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and garam masala in a large bowl. Set aside.

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high speed until the butter is smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and ginger; continue to beat over medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg until fully incorporated. Add the molasses and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Add the flour in 2 batches and mix on low until combined and forms a sticky dough. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and pat into 2 (1/2-inch thick) rectangles. Chill for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust racks to the bottom and top half of the oven. Line 3 to 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour.

Roll each portion of the dough into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle (if the dough becomes soft, chill for a bit in the refrigerator). Cut the dough with 3-inch cookie cutters, lay on the prepared baking sheets about 1-inch apart, and chill for 10 minutes. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Decorate, as desired, with Chocolate Glaze or Royal Icing. Garnish with toasted fennel seeds, dried rose petals, or silver dragees.

Chocolate Glaze:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons corn syrup

3 tablespoons water

Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and cook until the chocolate melts, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir to smooth out and combine.

Royal Icing:

1 1/2 tablespoons egg white powder

3 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons water

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer over medium-high speed until it forms thick and glossy peaks, about 6 minutes.

Tandoori Chicken Sate with Broccoli Saute

I am a big fan of one pot meals. Usually, we eat something that incorporates veggies and grains, and mix it all together, in one, big, comforting bowl of warmth. On Monday night, I decided to create a meal that didn't consist of a bowl of mush. What a concept! I started, by buying a giant box of sweet potatoes at Costco. We never eat baked potatoes, so I was excited to make them. I also marinated chicken breasts in a yogurt marinade. The chicken was supposed to be cooked on skewers, but I didn't have any on hand, and honestly, unless I am entertaining, I don't really see the point. This marinade is really delicious. It's not exactly like the type of tandoori chicken you get at an Indian restaurant (which I adore), but it is definitely tasty and unique. I have a feeling that the tandoori you eat at a restaurant has sugar in it, and this recipe is spices, ginger, garlic, and yogurt. I wonder if adding a pinch of brown sugar, would transform it into the tandoori chicken of my favorite Indian hot spot - Taste of India, in West Hartford. It was really a hit among my whole family.









dMake this, but keep your eye on the broiler! It easily gets tough! 4 Bowls!


Tandoori Chicken Sate


Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1 skewer)


1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chopped peeled gingerroot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove
6 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
Vegetable cooking spray
Lemon wedges (optional)
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Place the first 11 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides of processor bowl once. Combine yogurt mixture and chicken in a large zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag. Seal bag, and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade. Thread chicken strips onto 24 (6-inch) skewers. Place skewers on broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and broil 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Arrange skewers on a serving platter, and garnish with lemon wedges and cilantro sprigs, if desired.


CALORIES 27 (20% from fat); FAT 0.6g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.1g); IRON 0.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.2g; SODIUM 27mg; PROTEIN 5g; FIBER 0.0g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1995

The funny thing about this meal, is that the biggest star, was the sauteed broccoli. I was going to roast it, but then I realized that my oven would be baking potatoes and broiling chicken, so I wouldn't have enough space. I searched for a recipe that involved broccoli on the stove top, and I found this Food Network recipe, that had gotten excellent reviews. It is pretty basic, but tastes absolutely delicious - nutty, spicy, sweet, light. I will definitely be making this again. It's kind of a mix between sauteed broc, and steamed broc. If you are a broccoli lover (like me), you'll love this one.

Make this! Easy peasy, and 5 Bowls!

Sauteed Broccoli
Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
* Pinch red pepper flakes
* 1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
* 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in a large skillet of medium heat until fragrant and garlic begins to brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in broccoli and cook until the broccoli is bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper and cook until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve.

Curried Beef Stew

I am sure you are so sick of seeing curried dishes on our blog. I'm sorry, but I guess I'm on a roll. We probably stink, and are sweating curry lately. This family adores Indian food, though, for many reasons, so I keep making more and more. You see, the ingredient lists for curried dishes always boast our favorites:

Rice
Sweet Potatoes
Beans (chickpeas, lentils)
Chicken/tofu/beef
Vegetables

The flavors are also quite outstanding in curried dishes. Rarely do you find that a recipe comes out bland. So, those are my reasons. Good enough? I haven't cooked with beef in a while , and we had a pound of stew meat in the freezer, so I whipped up the bad boy last night. The upside of the recipe, is that it is easy to make, my family loved it, and my kitchen smelled heavenly. The downside to this recipe, is that it cooked for a whopping 2 hours on the stove top. Yikes. Anyway, the big boss (Maya) loved this dish. After she took her first bite, she said, "Mommy! This is good beef!" Gotta love it. Kevin was also a big fan. The dish has a well rounded blend of spice curry and sweet, fruity flavors. Anyway, this is a nice way to use up your extra soup veggies that are wilting in the fridge - carrots, celery, mushrooms, green onions...




You should make this (when you have 2 hours to spare). Kevin gives it 4 bowls, plus a cup (so, is that 4.5 bowls?).

Curried Beef Stew

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Paste:
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Thai chile sauce
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
Stew:
Cooking spray
1 pound beef stew meat
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 (14 1/4-ounce) can low-salt beef broth
2 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
1 1/2 cups (1-inch-thick) sliced carrot
1 cup (1-inch-thick) sliced celery
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light coconut milk

To prepare paste, combine first 6 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Spoon into a bowl.

To prepare stew, heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to low; add oil to pan. Add paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add curry, cinnamon, and bay leaf; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in beef, soy sauce, and broth. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.

Add sweet potato, carrot, celery, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; stir in coconut milk. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf.


CALORIES 358 (30% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 4.4g,mono 4.4g,poly 1g); IRON 5mg; CHOLESTEROL 71mg; CALCIUM 74mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.6g; SODIUM 556mg; PROTEIN 28.5g; FIBER 6.1g

Cooking Light, JULY 2002

Indian Spiced Chicken with Tomato Chutney and Chile-Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes

As I've mentioned previously, my husband despises dairy, but mostly cheese. In case you are wondering, he is not lactose intolerant (everyone asks this), he just hates the taste, texture, and smell of dairy. Of course, I love cheese, so this definitely puts a damper on my cooking/eating style. Sadly, I can't make anything Italian, because it almost always contains cheese or milk/cream. I do miss lasagna and stuffed pastas, but I mostly just miss tomato sauce. Oh, how I love Italian dishes with tomato sauce. You may have noticed that I cook a lot of Indian food, which my family really enjoys, so I decided to try a new spin on tomato sauce - tomato chutney. This dinner was a marriage of 2 recipes - one from Cooking Light, and one from allrecipes. Basically, the CL recipe for "Indian Spiced Chicken with Tomato Chutney" looked delicious, but the chutney recipe was full of ingredients that I didn't have on hand. Instead, I searched on allrecipes for a substitute chutney recipe, and I found a very simple one, which didn't call for so many ingredients. The end result was really great (despite the fact that my timing was truly out of whack on this one). The chicken itself is nicely spiced, but very mellow and simple. Once topped with the chutney, however, it was incredibly flavorful - both sweet and salty, with a really subtle, tangy, ginger flavor. As I was eating it, all I could think about, was, "What else can I make with this chutney?!" It was the simplest component of the dish, but definitely a big winner. The Chile-Garlic Sweet Potatoes recipe is from Eating Well, and it is really simple and quite delicious. It also allowed me to use up some leftover taters and butternut squash, and it was a really lovely side dish with the chicken. These 3 recipes came together beautifully, and, served with steamed broccoli, made for a really well rounded, simple Fall meal.




Make this one. It's a keeper. Kevin's rating: 4 BOWLS

Indian Spiced Chicken with Tomato Chutney

Chutney:
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon minced seeded serrano chile
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup coarsely chopped seeded tomato
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
**Or, you can make the chutney my way (see below)!

Chicken:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

To prepare chutney, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and serrano; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ginger and garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add tomato, vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5 minutes or until mixture is thick. Set aside, and keep warm.

Prepare grill.

To prepare chicken, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add coriander, curry, cumin, and black pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Brush mixture evenly on both sides of chicken; sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Serve chutney over chicken.

CALORIES 268 (30% from fat); FAT 8.9g (sat 1.9g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.5g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 108mg; CALCIUM 36mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.3g; SODIUM 687mg; PROTEIN 40.6g; FIBER 0.9g

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006

Tomato Chutney
Adapted (a lot) from allrecipes.com
Ingredients

* 2 cups chopped tomatoes (Use a can - it's easier!)
* 2 teaspoons ginger (Use the refrigerated prepared kind - easier!)
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (Meh, skip it!)
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 tablespoon white sugar (I used 2 tsp instead - it was perfect sweetness.)
* salt to taste

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cilantro, chili powder sugar and salt. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and saucy, about 10 minutes. I used my immersion blender, to make this smooth, because my fam isn't into super chunky tomato sauce.




Chile-Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes

4 servings, about 3/4 cup each | Active Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed (and peeled, if desired), cut into 1-inch wedges or pieces (I just used 2 huge sweet pots, and probably 8 ounces of butternut squash - way more than the recipe suggests)
* 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
* 1 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce (see Note)
* 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
* 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Preparation

1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F.
2. Combine oil, chile-garlic sauce, soy sauce and white pepper in a large bowl. Add sweet potatoes; toss to coat with the seasoning mixture.
3. Spread the potatoes evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender and browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving : 177 Calories; 5 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 31 g Carbohydrates; 3 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 348 mg Sodium; 586 mg Potassium

* Note: Chile-garlic sauce (also labeled chili-garlic sauce, or paste) is a blend of ground chiles, garlic and vinegar. It can be found in the Asian section of large supermarkets and will keep for up to 1 year in the refrigerator.

Chicken Curry

This super speedy Chicken Curry recipe is great for a night when you want a home cooked meal in less than 30 minutes. When I see the word "curry" in the title of a recipe, I immediately assume that it will have a strong Indian flavor. This recipe is actually more like a nice, saucy, Chinese food. It calls for light coconut milk, which I had never used before, since Kevin doesn't eat dairy (I realize it's not dairy), and I figured the very sight of something creamy would send him over the edge. Well, this dish does not come out creamy at all. It's basically chunks of chicken breast, and strips of bell peppers, in a lovely, thick, red sauce, that is both sweet and spicy, and extremely flavorful. The blend of lime, chili paste, and curry makes for one of those delicious flavors that you make you say, "Hmmmmm... What's in this?" I served it over brown rice, with roasted broccoli (yes, a staple in our house). Unfortunately, I overcooked this chicken a little, so it wasn't my favorite dish, but I would love to try this again. As a side note, coconut milk can be very expensive at the grocery store. I found it at Trader Joes, for a whopping 99 cents a can. Score!





The critique
Yummy. Good flavor and I love peppers. The chicken was a bit overcooked but I would recommend trying this one again cooked at the right amount of time. It will be awesome. I can't wait for round 2.

4 bowls

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry

We had a dinner guest on Wednesday, and, though it was meant to be a casual family dinner, plus one guest, I was excited to make a delicious dindin. Kevin has raved about this dish before, but I had never tasted it, since I was not eating chicken at the time. I made this on Wednesday, as per Kevin's request, but did it a tad differently, because I felt the need to double the recipe, due to having an extra man at the table. The recipe supposedly serves 4, but I know that Kevin loves it, and eats a lot a dinner, and I hadn't even met Mike, so I wasn't sure if it would be enough. The problem with doubling a recipe like this, is that it's a stew of sorts, so by doubling it, you double the meat, spices, and the liquid, which makes it into more of a soup. That's fine, but it wasn't meant to be a soup, so I'm thinking it was a little too... soupy. Anyway, next time, if I intend to double it, I will double the meat, but I will only 1.5 the broth and spices. I probably need to play around with the proportions. Any suggestions?

Anyway, despite all that, it was quite delicious. It has a distinct Indian food flavor, but is not overpowering. The chicken comes out perfectly cooked, juicy and tender, and the sweet potatoes are such a nice contrast to the salty, curry flavor that coats the chicken. The last minute addition of peas, make this dish beautiful in so many ways. If you are having a dinner guest that you know loves Indian food, this is a keeper. I served it over rice, with a nice green salad and the pretty rolls I posted about yesterday. I just wish my family could appreciate it (curry haters!)... It's really good. The only problem with this recipe, is that it is very time consuming. Basically, it takes 2 hours, and quite a bit of it is active time. I have become very good at prepping my veggies in the morning or during my kids' nap time, so that makes it a lot easier, but I can see how this would be an intimidating dish for many!



The Critique
I was eating some of these leftovers at work and some of the nurses asked if my wife was Indian. Her food is that authentic. This is amazing. It's one of my favorite things that my wife makes and this was no exception. This tastes so professionally made and has the perfect amount of seasoning in it. The chicken is cooked so nicely that it's like the chicken got into a boxing match and got the crap kicked out of it before getting butchered. That's how tender the meat is. Oh, it's nice. But this version was not as good as previous ones, probably because she doubled the recipe and it was a bit watery. So, this get's 5 bowls based on its historical significance, and even when it's not at its best, it's THAT good.

5 bowls

Barbecued Chicken with a Mustard Glaze and Curried Couscous Salad

You may have noticed that I cook a positively absurd amount of chicken, rice, and potatoes. Well, there is actually a reason for that. You see, I was a vegetarian for about 10 years. I was even a vegan for a couple of those 10 years, so I am very attached to vegetarian food. I love grains, vegetables, soy protein, etc. Several years ago, I went back to eating poultry once in a blue moon, but I haven't really gone any further. In fact, for a very long time, I wouldn't even eat poultry at home. I would reserve it for special occasions, when we would go out to dinner. As Kevin and I decided to start this blog, though, I agreed to start eating chicken at home. This is actually a big deal for me, so I am proud to be tasting the food I cook at home.

Kevin, on the other hand, is almost dairy free. He despises cheese, milk, butter, and cream, which definitely limits our mealtime goodies. If I can hide dairy in whatever I am cooking, it's fine, but there is no way to mask cheese. I've tried. He can tell. Anyway, I have gotten very creative in my cooking, but we are still somewhat limited. Hence, the chicken, the grains, and the potatoes.

Anyway, last night's dinner was thrown together very quickly, though, when I planned it, I assumed it was going to take forever to put together. The Barbecued Chicken came from a Cooking Light recipe. I have made it before, but not since coming into the possession of a grill pan. I really liked the flavor of the chicken, and it stayed juicy, and retained the flavor of the sauce. The Curried Couscous was a recipe from Ina Garten (a.k.a The Barefoot Contessa). My friend, Katie, made this recipe for book club once, and I loved it, so I decided to give it a try. The recipe calls for red onion and currants, neither of which I had on hand. I wanted to use raisins, but Kevin gave me the head-shake on that idea. I think it would have so much better with those 2 additions, because it would have added another dimension to the dish. It had a nice flavor - in fact, I really liked it, but there was something missing (um, perhaps onions and currants?). I would make this again - the right way. All in all, this was an easy meal, with a good, solid flavor, and it used a lot of things that I had on hand in the kitchen.





The Critique
Loved the chicken - very juicy, tasty well cooked and just overall great. 4 bowls



Cous cous - not the biggest fan of slightly warmed food. It was a little strange because the carrots were raw but the cous cous was cooked and it gave the entire meal a luke warm temperature. It kind of reminded me of food that was sitting in your car on a hot day that wasn't supposed to be warm. However, the next day, I reheated it (actually Marji reheated it for me) and fully warmed with the chicken cut up into pieces, it tasted delicious. 3 bowls.