HungryBastard.com

Oh Man, we haven’t posted for quite a while. It’s not that we haven’t bee cooking, it’s just that lately, it seems every time we try something new we are just too tired to do pictures or take notes on the preparation. Well, we will try to be more diligent (and stop cooking until 10 at night).

Got this from a banana bread recipe at allrecipes.com and modified it a bit. These are great because they are so moist and the nuts add great texture.

Picture to be coming soon.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
• 1 cup crushed pineapple
• 1/4 cup chopped Macadamia nuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a standard muffin tin (I use Pam).
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas/pineapple mixture until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture. Pour or spoon batter into each muffin slot, to just below the rim of the slot.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Let bread cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

We were looking for a good recipe for butter chicken and came across VahRehVah which looks to be a great resource for Indian cooking ideas. Many of the recipes have videos including this one. I think we’ll be looking there often for inspiration since we are so into Indian food lately.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 c. cashew nuts, chopped
• 1/3 c. cilantro leaves + a few sprigs for garnish
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. ginger paste+ 1 tsp. ginger paste for another step
• 1 tsp. garlic paste + 1 tsp. garlic paste for another step
• 1/2 pt. fresh cream
• 4 tbsp oil
• 2 sm/med. onions, chopped
• 2 lbs. chicken breast
• 1/4 c. water
• 4 tsp. Red chili powder divided into two 2 tsp. piles
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 lb. tomato, chopped
• a few squirts of tomato ketchup

Directions

1. In a medium size bowl add 1 tsp. ginger paste, 1 tsp. garlic paste, salt, 2 tsp. red chili powder. Cut chicken into small bite sized pieces and thoroughly coat in the mixture.
2. In a good skillet, add 4 tbsp. oil and fry the coated chicken in the oil until the pieces are about 3/4 of the way done. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. To the leftover oil add cumin seeds, cashews, coriander powder, 2 tsp. red chili powder. Roast mixture, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add onion to the mixture and saute to soften (2-3 minutes).
4. Add 1 tsp. ginger paste, 1 tsp. garlic paste, chopped jalapeño, and chopped tomato, cilantro leaves & 1/4 c. water to the mixture and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes (or until tomatoes have broken down), stirring occasionally.
5. Now add the mixture to a blender or food processor and add melted butter and cream. Blend until a smooth consistency. Now taste the sauce for the right amount of spice & salt. If it’s not spicy/salty enough add cayenne pepper and/or salt, to taste, and blend some more.
6. Return the sauce to the pan and add chicken (and any liquid that has settled from the chicken) and a few squirts of tomato ketchup.
7. Stirring occasionally, cook for another 10 minutes over medium-low heat (or until the sauce is thick to your liking).
8. Serve over Jasmine rice and garnish with cilantro.

We found this recipe on Allrecipes.com posted by ‘Rockfishusa’ under the name Swordfish a la Siciliana. On their site it was rated 5 out of 5 by 56 members. We thought we’d give it a whirl (we did make a couple changes)! It was really good except I don’t think the fish we got was fresh enough. I’m looking forward to trying it again with fresher fish. We may also try adding a little tomato sauce and fresh basil to the mix for a more ’saucy’ effect! Serve with a nice side salad, and some fresh pasta and/or garlic bread! Yummy!

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. raisins
• 5 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb. vine ripe tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, diced
• 12 green olives, pitted and minced
• 2 oz. pine nuts
• 1/4 c. capers
• 2 pounds swordfish steaks (FRESH)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Soak raisins in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet over high heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in raisins, tomatoes, olives, pine nuts and capers. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Place in a lightly oiled baking dish and cover with the cooked sauce. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the steaks are firm.

I have to say that fresh fennel is one of my favorite things to add to a sauce. It adds such a distinct flavor that is more complex than a typical tomato+basil+etc sauce. This is a great dish to throw together ahead of time and drop in the oven just before you are ready to eat. You will need to increase the cooking time of course if the dish has been refrigerated.  The fresh basil and fennel really makes this sauce delicious. Leftovers are in high demand for this one. Yummy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage links (hot Italian Turkey sausage can be used for a lighter meal)
• 1 (12 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
• 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce or your favorite homemade sauce
• 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
• red bell pepper, roasted and chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Fry the sausages in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the skillet, cool slightly and slice into rounds.
3. Add the garlic, fennel and onion to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, then add the roasted red bell peppers, basil, sliced sausage and pasta sauce. Heat through over low heat until warmed.
4. Combine the pasta with the sauce and vegetables in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread the mozzarella, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses over the top. Garnish with a few fennel leaves left from the bulb. Cover with aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the aluminum foil. Set the oven to broil, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is browned.

Great mixture of textures and is a good light (and a bit sweet) side, great with barbecue!

Ingredients:

• 8 C. fresh baby spinach
• 1 c. dried cranberries
• 2 medium pears (we like red pears), cored and chopped
• 1/4 c. cider vinegar
• 5 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. poppy seeds
• 2 tbsp. chopped pecans or sliced almonds

Directions:

1. In a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard and paprika; cover and process until blended. While processing add the oil in a steady stream.
2. Add the sesame seeds and poppy seeds to the dressing and stir. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve the salad.
3. When you are ready to serve, combine the spinach, cranberries and pears in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss (I use a bowl with a lid so I can shake it and get all the pieces well coated). Sprinkle with pecans or sliced almonds.

Still on our Indian food kick it seems. We tried this our which was a mixture of a few different recipe ideas. While we love the salad I don’t know if it was a perfect match with the mango curry. Overall though we enjoyed the dish very much. We will probably continue to experiment with yogurt marinades (Masalas) as they are quite tasty!

Ingredients:

• 3 medium mangoes, peeled and sliced, divided
• 1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tbsp. + 4 tsp. spicy red curry paste (Indian or Thai curry past works great)
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
• 4 medium shallots, chopped
• 1 large cucumber,seeded and sliced
• 1 1/4 c. plain yogurt
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, for garnish
• 2 c. Jasmine Rice, prepared (we do ours in a rice cooker and it turns out perfect)

Directions:

1. Place slices of two mango’s into the blender with yogurt, garlic, 1 tbsp. of red curry paste and kosher salt. Blend until smooth. Using half of the puree, and place chicken chunks into the marinade for at least an hour (the longer the better). Reserve the remaining puree in a bowl in the refrigerator.
2. After the chicken has marinaded for at least an hour, skewer the chicken and barbecue until almost done (they can still be pink in the middle).
3. If you haven’t already, begin preparing your jasmine rice.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallots and cook until tender. Once tender, add in 4 tsp. of curry paste and stir for about 1 minute (until fragrant).
5. Add the coconut milk, mango puree and chicken pieces; cook for about 20-25 minutes on medium-low heat. Stir in the remaining mango slices, cucumber and then serve over prepared Jasmine Rice. Sprinkle with cilantro.

This recipe is absolutely wonderful. We have made it three times since we first discovered it. The flavor is amazing! We served ours over Jasmine rice, which is our favorite. We always cook our rice in a rice cooker and it turns out perfect! This recipe yields about 2-4 servings, depending on how much you eat. We usually double the recipe and it is great for leftovers! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
• 4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 long skewers
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup Coconut Milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat a grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce, Coconut Milk and 1 tablespoon of corn starch. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20-30 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, serve over your favorite rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Another great recipe we found at allrecipes.com. We recently went out with my husbands aunt and uncle to a great Indian Food restaurant and had Vegetable Samosa’s for the first time. They were so great that we thought we’d try our hand at some good Indian Cooking at home. So you are probably saying.. hmm…Beef Samosoas?? Although beef is not used in Indian cooking, we found this recipe and gave it a try (they were wonderful). Of course the filling minus the beef would be great too. We served our Samosas with Chicken Tikka Masala over a bed of Jasmine rice. I drizzled a little of the sauce from the Chicken Tikka Masala over the Samosas– em, em, good!!

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes, cubed and peeled
• 1 c. frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 bay leaf, crushed
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp. green chili peppers, chopped
• 1 quart canola oil, for deep frying
• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough

Directions:

1. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in potatoes and peas. Cook until the potatoes are tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. drain, mash together and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add the cumin and bay leaf. Mix in onions and ground beef. Cook until beef is evenly brown and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in garlic, fresh ginger rood. Season with black pepper, salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir in the mashed potato mixture. Remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until cool.
3. Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat (or use a deep fryer– I prefer the deep fryer).
4. Mix cilantro and green chili peppers into the potato and beef mixture. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto each phyllo sheet. Fold sheets into triangles, pressing edges together with moistened fingers.
5. In small batches, fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

With this recipe it’s hard to measure all of your ingredients. Add the ingredients based on your personal tastes. I use a crockpot to cook this and it makes it really easy! Great served with refried black beans and Spanish rice! Start cooking this dish at about 9 or 10 AM for an excellent dinner. The longer the pork cooks the more it falls apart–YUMMY! EVEN the kids loved this recipe! If you need instructions on roasting your green chili’s, please see the bottom note on this recipe.

Ingredients:

• Boneless pork roast (I do about 3-5 lbs)
• MANY garlic cloves (at least ten)
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Cumin
• 8-10 green chili’s, roasted, peeled and chopped (I usually de-seed only half of them because we like it spicy!)
• 1 can green chili’s
• 1-2 cans of Pinto Beans
• 1/3 c. Cilantro, roughly chopped
• about 1/4 c. water
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp. Corn Starch
• Large flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Cover the bottom of your Crockpot with water (about 1/4 cup). You don’t want to use too much water because the roast will make it’s own juices.
2. Cut most of the fat off your pork roast.
3. Cut slits all over your roast and put garlic cloves down into each slit. The more garlic the better. I also chop garlic and rub it over the top.
4. Rub cumin and red pepper flakes all over the roast so it is almost red in color from all of the spices. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
5. Spread the can of green chili’s over the top along with the cilantro.
6. Cook for about 3-4 hours on high in your Crockpot then add the diced roasted green chili’s and pinto beans.
7. If you can, start shredding the pork at this point with two forks. Then once or twice an hour for the next 2-3 hours go back and shred some more until it is all nicely shredded.
8. About an hour before you are ready to eat add the corn starch and stir well. This will help to thicken the sauce. Cook until the sauce is at your desired thickness.
9. Serve on warm flour tortillas with cheese, tomato, avocado, lettuce, beans, rice or whatever you like on your burro’s!

NOTE: To roast green chili’s, turn your broiler to high. Once heated place chili’s on a baking sheet in the oven. Broil for 5 minutes and turn. Repeat this process until the chili’s are fairly dark brown on all sides (usually 20-30 minutes). Immediately place in a paperback and roll it up so the chili’s can steam themselves. Let sit for 40 minutes or longer then peel the skin from them. For extra spicy green chili, leave the seeds in some or all.

We were craving home made enchiladas but wanted to make the sauce from scratch. I found this recipe and gave it a whirl! When we made this it turned out a bit dry so I’ve adjusted the ingredients to make sure you’ll have enough sauce. The sauce is absolutely scrumptious! A bit spicy but em em good– great flavor! Best EVER!!!

Ingredients:

• 5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 4 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 large red onion (or two medium), Chopped
• 4 c. water
• 4 c. Chicken Broth
• 2 tbsp. chicken bouillon granules
• 10 fresh pablano chiles
• 2 (16 oz.) containers of Sour Creme
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 28 (6″) corn tortillas
• 4 c. shredded ‘Mexican Style’ cheese
• 1 bunch cilantro, most of the stems cut off

Directions:

1. Put the chicken breasts, onion, garlic, water, chicken broth, and chicken bouillon into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 40 minutes. When finished remove the chicken to a plate to cool. Measure out 4 cups of the chicken broth and discard the rest or save for a soup.
2. Roast the pablano chiles over an open flame, or underneath the broiler until the skin has blackened on all sides. Place the chiles into a plastic bag, paper bag or bowl covered in plastic wrap and allow them to steam as they cool, for about 30 minutes. When cool, peel the blackened skin off the pepper and remove the seeds and membrane.
3. Place the reserved chicken broth into a blender along with the roasted pablanos, 1 and 1/2 tubs of sour cream and cilantro. Puree until smooth and set aside.
4. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the tortillas one at a time until softened and beginning to crisp around the edges. Place onto a plate lined with papertowels and set aside.
5. Pour the pureed pablano mixture into the skillet and simmer for ten minutes. While the sauce is cooking, slice (or shred) the cooled chicken breasts into small pieces.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using tongs, dip a tortilla into the sauce, coating both sides. Place some of the chicken in the center of the tortilla and roll tightly then place in a baking dish (you should be able to fit 14 enchilada’s per baking dish). Repeat with remaining tortillas until two baking dishes are filled. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchilada’s, soaking them (you don’t want them dry). Cover each dish with two cups of Shredded ‘Mexican Style’ shredded cheese and bake for about 10 minutes (until cheese is melted and slightly crisping). Top with a little of the remaining sour cream (if desired) and serve!