Indian Inspired Chili

This is the most  amazing chili  you  will ever  eat  with  mild Indian spices, your guests will be raving about this one!

Ingredients  For the sauce:                                                                                                                                        
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon powdered  ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ Serrano  pepper, seeded and minced, ( save the half of the Serrano not chopped for the Turkey)
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon paprika
1  15-ounce can tomato sauce  
2 cups water  

Ingredients for the rest of the chili:

4 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup raisins 

¼ cup shelled pistachios 

1 teaspoon ground cumin  

1 large white onion, finely diced 

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced 

1/2 Serrano  pepper (don’t chop )

½ teaspoon salt 

1 pound ground turkey 

1/2 teaspoon dried   cilantro 

1 15 oz. can  Canellini beans dried and rinsed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup half and half  

Directions :

Step 1.  

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in  med  saucepan over med. heat. add the chopped serrano pepper and cook until tender, then add ginger  and the garlic and cook about  1 min. longer.   Add the gram masala and  paprika and cook for 30 seconds. add the tomato sauce and the  water and stir and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for  15 min. 

Step 2 .

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over med. heat.  Add the raisins   and the pistachios and cook, stirring occasionally until the  raisins swell up and the  pistachios toast lightly  about  1 min. and remove from  the   skillet and place in a bowl and set  aside. 

Step 3. 

Return the skillet  to med. heat and add the remaining olive oil.  then add the chopped onion and  bell pepper and cook until softened and starting to  turn brown. about 5  min.  and add the cumin, then the remaining not chopped half of the serrano pepper and cook 2 min. more and season with salt.  Next add the ground turkey breaking up the lumps and cook till opaque about 5 min. When this step is  finished, transfer the mixture to a  large pot. 

Step 4. 

Add the prepared sauce  to the turkey and  onion mixture and  add the drained and rinsed Canellini beans and stir and  bring to a boil then reduce the  heat to low and simmer until the  mixture thickens slightly  about 10 min.

Step 5. 

Remove the serrano pepper  half and discard.  stir in the honey,  half and half, raisins and pistachios.  Taste for seasoning and stir in the cilantro right before serving.

* notes

Please  do the steps as followed, if you  just  dump everything in and  cook it wont taste the same. 

CHALLAH-APPLE STUFFING

Ingredients :
2 1-lb loaves challah
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced onion
2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
8 sprigs thyme, finely chopped
3 sprigs rosemary,  finely chopped
6 sprigs marjoram, finely chopped
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
Note: To dice means to chop into roughly ¼-inch cubes.
Special Equipment:
Aluminum Foil
9x13-inch baking dish
Directions:
Cut challah into 1-inch cubes and let cubes sit out in a bowl or on a baking tray, uncovered, for at least six hours to make them stale.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium-low heat, then add onions and celery. Add three teaspoons of salt and ground pepper to taste, and cook until onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Add apples and herbs and cook until apples are soft, about 5 minutes more.

In a large bowl, combine challah cubes, cooked vegetables in butter, and chicken broth. Mix until the bread is saturated with liquid, and everything is evenly mixed. Press stuffing into a 9x13-inch baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, then remove the foil, raise your oven to 450°F, and cook stuffing uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, or until the top starts to brown slightly.
Cool 10 minutes, then serve.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Perfect for Holy Holiday meals or Thanksgiving

makes 6 servings

Ingredients :
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp finely diced sweet red onion
2 tbsp chopped toasted pecans
2 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/4 chives chopped fine
1 tsp. chopped Rosemary

Dressing : 

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

 Directions:  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the peeled and diced sweet potatoes on a baking tray and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or just until fork tender. (Don't overcook or the salad will be mushy.) Allow to cool slightly.


Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Place potatoes in a medium bowl and stir in the onions, pecans, cranberries, Rosemary and parsley. Drizzle with the dressing and gently stir until coated. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

Creamy Grilled Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

Creamy and lots of rich flavors

Ingredients:
5-6 grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces sliced button mushrooms
1 medium shallot finely chopped
2 tablespoons  minced garlic
2 1/2 ounces shredded  Parmesan cheese
1 pound rigatoni
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon of dry parsley flakes

Directions: 

Dice up the grilled chicken thighs and set aside. (chicken  can be fixed ahead of time and baked if you prefer over grilling). In a large skillet put about 2 tablespoons of Olive oil and at  med. heat place the  mushrooms and chopped  shallots  in the  skillet and saute.

When the mushrooms are done add a little more oil, the diced chicken, salt and pepper, vinegar, and garlic, stir and cook for about  5 min. 

Start cooking the Rigatoni according to the box.   When it is done drain and place in a large bowl. 

Add half of the  heavy cream and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese and  all of the chicken broth to the mushrooms and chicken and continue cooking for about 10 min. stirring often. Then add the remaining heavy  cream and another 1/3 of the Parmesan, keep stirring and cook for another 10 min. then add the remaining Parmesan, turn the heat down to simmer, continue stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pan, sauce will reduce and  will thicken a  little. After about 10 min. remove from heat and pour over  the Rigatoni and gently stir, sprinkle  parsley over the top and serve  with  a nice crusty bread.

Chickpea Caprese Salad

A wonderful salad for a summertime lunch

Ingredients:

1 pint cherry tomatoes  cut in half

1 cup  Mozzarella balls called Bocconcini 

Fresh basil leaves  Chiffonade * see notes  

1  15 oz. can of cannelinni  beans rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup  olive oil

Directions: 

Using a  med. size  bowl,  place the tomatoes cut in half in the bowl and add the Bocconcini, drained beans, garlic,  salt and  olive oil and toss. 

Chiffonade the Basil  and  stir in the salad and serve at room temperture.

Notes *  Chiffonade

 - is a technique in which  Spinach and or Basil are cut into long, thin strips. This is generally accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife, producing fine ribbons

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kebobs

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of  minced  garlic
1/2 teaspoon crush red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon  Greek oregano
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 pound chicken breast boneless and skinless cut into chunks
2 cups  green seedless grapes
cherry  tomatoes
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 small red onion quartered

Directions:
In small bowl combine olive oil, garlic, pepper flakes, Greek oregano, thyme and lemon juice. Whisk together.
Cut chicken into 1 1/4-inch cubes. Alternate chicken and grapes  and a couple of onion and tomatoes  on each skewer. You will need  about 8 skewers.
Place skewers into a 9 x 15 baking dish . Pour marinade over skewers, coating each one. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours.
Remove skewers from marinade and place on a hot grill until chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
Place on a platter and serve.

Open faced Breakfast Sabich

Sabich is a Israeli  fried Eggplant sandwich, I tweaked it for a breakfast meal!

Ingredients:

Servings  2

1  finely sliced green onion (scallion)

2 whole  pita`s

1 medium  sliced and fried eggplant

Olive oil

2 roma  tomatoes diced

1 medium cucumber, diced

Juice of 1 lemon

1   tablespoons  dried  mint                                                                                                                         

Salt and pepper           

4 fried eggs                                                                                                                                              

 3 4 tablespoons of classic  Hummus

 1  red bell  pepper diced

Instructions:

First  slice your green onion and set aside,  slice your eggplant into ½ inch slices, season with salt and fry in olive oil on both sides until brown. drain  on a paper towel and set aside.

While your eggplant is frying,  dice up your cucumbers and tomatoes, red  bell pepper and season with salt, pepper, 3 tablespoons of Olive oil , lemon and mint. mix together in a  med. sized bowl.

Fry  your eggs and salt and pepper to taste

Now all you have to do is assemble!  Place 1 pita  on  each plate, spread hummus over the Pita, place 3 slices of fried eggplant on the hummus.  Place a couple of  healthy tablespoon`s of the tomato, cucumber mixture on the  eggplant, then place 2 fried eggs  on top on each   and sprinkle  the green onions  over all  and serve.

Israeli Salad

Israeli Tomato Cucumber salad
3  Roma tomatoes

1 English cucumber

1  bell pepper-  your choice red, orange or yellow

3 tablespoons Olive oil

2 tablespoons Lemon juice

1 heaped tablespoon of Fresh or dried mint

Salt and pepper to flavor


Finely chop all the vegetables ( you can peel cucumber if you  like). Combine them in a large bowl, right before serving toss with olive oil, lemon juice, mint and salt & pepper. Serve at room temperature. 

Pomegranate Molasses

 Makes 1 cup of Molasses

Ingredients
4 cups pomegranate juice 
1/2 cup sugar 
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 

Directions
For Molasses: Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately 70 minutes. It should be the consistency of thick syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

ORANGE - STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU

Ingredients
24 lady fingers (enough for 2 layers)  see notes below*
½  cup orange juice freshly squeezed from 2 oranges
2 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup orange zest
1 orange cut in half and sliced ( 12 slices)
6 large strawberries in cut  half (total 12 for top of Tiramisu)
       

Directions:

Make the strawberry sauce, by heating 2 1/2 cup sliced strawberries over medium heat with 1/4 cup of water.
When mixture begins to boil, add 1/4 cup sugar and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Take off heat and use a food processor to blend to a liquid. Set strawberry sauce aside.
Whip the cream together with the sugar till you have soft peaks.
Mix the cream together with the mascarpone until you have a smooth mixture.
Mix the orange juice with the strawberry sauce and dip the ladyfingers in the mixture.
Make a layer of the ladyfingers in the bottom of a 12 x 9 baking dish and add a layer of the mascarpone/cream and sprinkle the Orange zest  over this
mixture, repeat ladyfingers and mascrpone mixture.
Leave to stand in the fridge for  2-4 hours before putting on the last layer of strawberries and orange slices and serve
Makes 12 servings, place  strawberry half  and a orange slice  each serving.

* notes... The best lady fingers are found in the international sections at the grocery section or at a International market. The ones in the bread isle of the grocery are too soft and kind  of dissolve or get real mushy.

Classic Hummus

Chick peas are perhaps better known by their name garbanzo beans. They are a roundish, beige to light green members of the legume family grown primarily in part of West Asia, India, and in the Mediterranean. Most are familiar with chick peas as either used whole in salads, or ground up to make the popular Middle Eastern dish hummus.
Chickpeas are an excellent nutritional choice. A serving of chick peas has about 4 ounces (113.39 g) or half a cup has about 17 grams of dietary fiber and 19 grams of protein. They are also considered more digestible than most other beans making them a better choice for people who suffer from excessive flatulence after consuming beans.
Chickpeas are considered a starchy carbohydrate and are a great staple for people with diabetes They do not produce high glucose in the body when consumed. Thus they rate well on the glycemic index. 

Hummus
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves 
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved 
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup Tahini (sesame paste) 
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) 
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas 

Directions
Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning sprinkle with Za`atar or Sumac if you have it available and drizzle with a bit of Olive oil and serve chilled or at room temperature with flatbread and or cucumber slices.