http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html

You basically just mix up broccoli, garlic, pinenuts (optional), salt and pepper and roast in the oven, and then squeeze lemon juice over it all.  Somehow the combination of the caramelization and the citrus is insanely delicious.  Try it even if you don’t like broccoli — it will change your mind!

http://ommnomnom.tumblr.com/

Another link worth checking out is this article on simple but original salads from the NYT. I am in love with the peaches/tomato/red onion/cilantro one.  Let me know if you find others that are good!

Ingediants

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. fresh minced parsley
• 1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
• 4 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1.5 lbs chicken, cut into nugget-size pieces

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and stir-fry until they are lightly browned.  Remove them to a large bowl and stir in the parmesan and parsley.

Coat the skillet with cooking spray or more oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, mustard and chicken.  Cook while stirring for 5-7 minutes or until the nuggets are cooked through.  Add the nuggets to the breadcrumb mixture and toss to coat. Simple!

I usually make some kind of cheesy starch side to go with it.

Evidence

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (I would increase this next time, maybe 1/2 or even 2/3)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (I would increase this as well)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons canola oil (we only had vegetable, but same difference)
• Confectioners’ sugar, or maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk ricotta, sugar, eggs, and orange zest. Then whisk in 2/3 cup all-purpose flour until just combined. (The mixture produced is far thicker and goopier than your average pancake batter (Fig. 1) but fear not! It works out ok.)
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Working in batches (and adding more oil to skillet as needed), add batter, using a scant 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (This part is a bit tricky, as you have to scoop and place the batter rather than pour it.  Also, the timing is a bit delicate, and you need to use a lot more oil than you would for normal pancakes.)
   
3. Transfer pancakes to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot, dusted with confectioners’ sugar or drizzled with maple syrup. (Fig. 2)
   

Results:

As a commentor on the original site said “Not my idea of a pancake!” Haha. Actually, these pancakes are tasty but slightly weird!  I think it is because the texture is kind of spongy and the outside is a little fried by the oil.  George and I agree that they are not quite sweet enough, and suggest adding more sugar.  Err on the side of more browned rather than less browned when cooking them as well. Overall a great idea, but needs a bit of adjusting.  I will probably try making these again at some point and report any improvements I discover.
P.S. Having produced food by the time I would normally wake up makes me feel super productive even though I haven’t really accomplished anything…

Tonight’s adventure is Chicken Tikka Masala (or CTM as Cali people call it) and Josh’s naan recipe.  The CTM is also based on an allrecipes.com recipe, but modified to 1) feed twice as many people 2) not use a grill 3) not have a gross amount of salt.  I am doing both at the same time by cleverly utilizing the inherent gaps in both recipes… this may not end well.  The CTM is pretty much restaurant quality IMO — I would say the only place where I’ve had better was Milan in C-ville [Edit: and Flavors of India in Rockridge CA, I must admit].  I haven’t ever made naan by myself before (or really baked anything other than brownies and cornbread from the box…), so we’ll see how it goes.

CTM Ingrediants

Meat: 3-4 Boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bit-size pieces

For the marinade:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1+ jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste (or more jalapenos)
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 1/2 cups heavy cream (oh yeah)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

CTM Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Thread chicken bits onto skewers, coat in yogurt mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the grill (I use the oven broiler).
3. Take the chickened skewers from the fridge and discard the marinade. Grill/broil until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side. In the oven I use a pan to catch the drippings (see Figure 2).
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat (I use our wok). Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Add cumin, paprika, and salt and mix around until it gets clumpy. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Here I add tumeric, cayenne and salt to taste. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
5. Profit

Om Naan Naan Report

This worked out pretty well overall.  I just followed the directions, but doubled all of the amounts.  Instead of a grill I just used a well-buttered skillet. The first few pieces weren’t rolled flat enough and so ended up kind of biscuit-like.  The later ones were better but still a bit chewy in consistency rather than light and fluffy. Perhaps I was too lazy with the kneading. Any suggestions from real bakers?

Timing

Interleaving the two worked pretty well, starting with making the dough.  Overall it took about 3 hours, but a lot of that time was grilling the naan at the end.  Traditionally I can pump out a CTM in about 75 minutes (shortening the marinade time to 30 min).

In conclusion, indian food is delicious and you can make it at home.