Priyu.com – Salsa..Samosa..& Smore

I love Thai food! The 2 big reasons are – (A) It is spicy! (B) Often uses liberal amounts of peanuts! I love spicy food. I think spice is difference between boring and vibrant food!! And I also love peanuts…perhaps it is because I hail from the state in India that is one of the largest producer of premium quality peanuts in the world (Maharashtra)…growing up there was peanut in almost everything I ate, vegetables, chutneys, preserves, pickles, you name it. Peanuts have a wonderful nutty, buttery, sweet flavor and they are diverse enough to accompany sweet and savory foods alike! As though this wasn’t enough, peanuts are a cheap and excellent source of protein with zero cholesterol. I do feel bad for folks who are allergic to peanuts…they sure are missing out on some delicious goodness. Sorry, I digressed…blame it on my nuttiness for peanuts So anyway, coming back to the dish below…this my dear friends is my version of one of my Thai favorites! It is a quick fix meal that is healthy and tasty (peanutty tasty!). Enjoy it with some jasmine rice. It is way better than any takeout you could ever get. Before I forget, wine suggestion for chez amis (if I may:-) ) German Rieslings if you like whites or try a Spanish Crianza if you are into reds!

What you need
4 Chicken breasts, cleaned (remove all fat) and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons of peanut oil (sunflower or vegetable oil will do too)
1/4 cup of unsalted peanuts
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 fresh Thai red chilli
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium dark soy sauce
2 tablespoon chunky peanut butter, softened.
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons of red chilli flakes
1 tablespoon of Thai basil, roughly chopped

How to make:
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper and mix well
• Heat the oil in a wok on high heat
• Add the peanuts and stir fry till the peanuts become light brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the garlic and ginger. Fry for about 30 seconds
• Add the chicken. Stir fry for about 2 -3 minutes.
• Add the Thai red chilli and the diced peppers
• Cook for 2 -3 minutes.
• Remove from the wok and set aside.
• Place the wok back on medium heat.
• Add the stock, vinegar and soy sauce and heat it gently.
• Add the peanut butter, hoisin sauce and chilli flakes and stir till mixed well.
• Add the chicken, peppers, peanuts and the basil. Stir well.
• Serve hot with jasmine rice.

This dish is for all the spinach lovers out there! Palak Paneer is without a doubt one of the most popular Indian vegetarian dishes. It is a wonderful way to enjoy the green goodness of spinach and protein packed paneer. It is hard to believe that something that tastes this good could actually be good for you. I use paneer (which is an unaged cheese) in this recipe which you can easily find in any Indian grocery store. If you cant find paneer, look for something called bread cheese. It has slightly salty flavor and is very close to paneer in texture. Ricotta also works fairly well. If all else fails, you could actually replace paneer with potatoes. The star of this dish is spinach after all!

What you need:
2 pound fresh spinach, washed and chopped.
5 tablespoons sunflower oil
8 ounces paneer, cubed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, freshly made.
2 teaspoons red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons garam masala powder
Salt to taste
1 inch cube of butter, cut into small pieces
1inch fresh ginger, julienned

How to make:
• In a large saucepan, add 2 teaspoons of oil on medium heat. Add the spinach and allow it wilt a little.
• Add about 1/4 cup of water.
• Cover the pan and allow the spinach to cook for 5 – 7 minutes till the spinach cooks completely and reduces in quantity.
• Put the spinach in a blender and make into a smooth paste. Add a little water if the mixture gets too thick.
• In another pan add 1 tablespoon of oil on medium heat. Add the paneer and lightly fry till till it turns slightly golden. Do not let it turn too brown or else it will become rubbery. Remove the paneer from the oil. Keep aside.

• Add the remaining oil to the pan.
• Add the cumin seeds and allow it to splutter. Add the garlic and saute till it gets fragrant.
• Add the onions and cook till the onions soften and become slightly brown.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the chilli powder and turmeric. Cook for a minute.
• Add the tomatoes and cook the till the tomatoes soften. Add the tomato paste and blend well. Cook the mixture till the oil separates.
• Add the spinach puree and paneer and salt. Stir well. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir periodically to prevent sticking to the pan.
• Sprinkle the garam masala and the butter and stir well. Allow it to simmer for 2 minutes.
• Transfer to a bowl and garnish with the julienned ginger.

I developed this recipe after a very disappointing flat bread pizza experience at a restaurant. After a long day at work, I wanted nothing better than to enjoy a glass of Shiraz with a thin crispy flat bread pizza. Instead what I got was soggy bread dough soaking wet with an overload of sauce and cheese! The dinner would have been a complete disaster had it not been for the Shiraz. The only good thing that came out of that meal was my determination to create the kind of flat bread pizza that my taste buds craved. Thin, perfectly crisp and with just the right amount of topping. Less sure is more in this case. This is also the perfect solution to the Mediterranean blues. The use of Lavash bread, hummus, olives and feta cheese give this flat bread pizza an exotic Mediterranean flair. So, pick a nice bottle of wine, play some jazz, light a candle and get ready for a warm exotic meal……

What you need:
1 soft lavash bread
Olive oil
4 1/4 round slices of eggplant
4 1/4 slices of zucchini cut lengthwise
2 1/4 round slices of red onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
5- 6 marinated olives, sliced.
1 tablespoon, cilantro, finely chopped.

For the Chipotle Hummus
1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked for a few hours cooked until soft (feel free to use canned chickpeas if you are short on time)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotle in adobo sauce)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

How to make:

Chipotle Hummus (You can make this ahead of time. It will stay good for weeks in an airtight container in the fridge)
• Put the chickpeas, garlic, and tahini in a food processor. Pulse until it becomes paste-like, adding a few tablespoons of water, if needed.
• Add the chipotle, cumin, and lemon juice, and pulse again until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to an airtight container.

Pizza
• Preheat the oven to 450 Degrees.
• Heat a grill pan on high heat.
• Brush the eggplant, zucchini and onion slices with oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Place the vegetables on the grill and cook both sides till you get grill marks. Keep aside.
• Place the Lavash in a baking sheet and brush it with oil on both sides.
• Put the Lavash in the oven for 2 minutes. Flip the bread and let it cook in the oven for another 2 minutes.
• Remove the Lavash from the oven. Spread a thin layer of hummus over the bread.
• Top with the eggplant, zucchini, onions and the olives.
• Sprinkle the crumbled feta.
• Put the lavash back in the oven and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.

It was dreary cold winter morning and hung over from the Bachelorette party the night before, my friend and I decided to recoup our energies with breakfast at Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man. Started by a former Israeli soldier Oded Brenner (who happens to be bald, hence the name!), Max Brenner has 20 locations worldwide. Let me start off by saying that this aint the place for gourmet chocolate lovers. If Hershey is your idea of great chocolate then you will love this place. But if you have a taste for finesse then skip the chocolate at Max’s. I wont even mention the service since it is definitely not worth writing about. However, the breakfast was scrumptious! I ordered the Peanut Butter brioche french toast – it was heavenly. It came with a chocolate ganache in a mini beaker – looked cute. Although upon tasting the chocolate, I decided that the French toast tasted a lot better on its own. My friend ordered Parisian waffles and that was delicious too. The décor sure matches the menu. The place is like a modern Willy Wonka’s factory. Machines churning chocolate, pipes with chocolate flowing thru them. Oh and this is a great place for kids! It was quite entertaining to watch kids all around getting super hyper on the chocolate rush!

I love shrimp. Not only is it a protein packed delicious food, it also cooks really quick. This recipe is one of the quickest ways to make flavorful shrimp. All you need is a handful of ingredients and no more than 10 minutes of cooking time to spare. This is also a great dish for beginner cooks. It is so super simple to make that you cant possibly screw it up…..well….unless you forget to take the shrimp out of the oven in time. So, don’t forget to set the timer if you are absent minded like me  You can enjoy this spicy sensation either as an appetizer or as main course with some pasta on the side.

What do you need:
12 jumbo shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
1 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
Extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat the shrimp). About 1 tablespoon.
2 cloves of garlic, finely grated.
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, a few sprinkles

How to make:
• Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Butterfly shrimp by slitting down back, flatten and leave tail on.
• Place the shrimp in an oven proof casserole or baking dish.
• Add the chilli flakes, oil, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper.
• Mix well till the shrimps are well coated with the ingredients.
• Place the shrimp in the oven for about 5 -6 minutes or till the shrimp is pink and cooked.
• Serve hot.