Author: Kaitlin

My Attempt at Afghan Cusine

There are two Afghan restaurants near where I live, and I love them so much that not one, but both restaurants know me by name. That’s when it hit me that I should probably attempt to recreate some of these delicious meals myself, to help my poor empty wallet.  So, here’s my attempt at Korma-E-Murgh (at least that’s what it is called on their menu). The dishes are usually made with lamb or chicken, and the lamb far surpasses the chicken. But making lamb still intimidates me, so I’m trying this with my trusty chicken. On the menu, this dish is described as “delicately seasoned boneless diced chicken with tomatoes, onions, and selected Afghan spices, served with white rice”… here goes..
Ingredients
Ingredients
   For the sauce:
  •      3 tablespoons olive oil
  •      1 medium onion, chopped
  •      1 tablespoon tomato paste
  •      1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
  •      2 teaspoons paprika
  •      3 teaspoons ground cumin
  •      3 teaspoons ground coriander
  •      1 cup water
  For the chalow:
  •      1 cup basmati rice
  •      1 1/2 cup chicken broth
  •      1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  •      1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  •      1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  •      Chicken

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Mexican Night

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I need to clean out my fridge to make room for all of the leftovers I plan on hoarding from my relatives. (I love that they end up feeding me for the whole weekend) The best (and tastiest) way to do this is to make tacos for dinner.

Ingredients

  • Chicken
  • Taco Seasoning (recipe below)
  • Yellow Rice
  • Lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Green Pepper
  • Guacamole (recipe below)
  • Cheese (I used pepper jack and cheddar)
  • Taco shells or soft tacos
I usually have most of the above lying around, which is why this is my favorite recipe to get rid of a bunch of ingredients. As a side note: I live alone, so I just buy a bunch of chicken on sale, put the pieces in individual freezer bags, and pull them out the day before to defrost in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the rice according to directions. While the rice is cooking, put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan on medium heat. While that warms up, season the chicken with the taco seasoning.

  Taco Seasoning Recipe

Taco Seasoning
    •  4 parts chili powder
    • 4 parts ground cumin
    • 2 parts paprika
    • 2 parts salt
    • 2 parts black pepper
    • 1 part garlic powder
    • 1 part onion powder
    • 1 part crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1 part dried oregano

     Mix. Store remaining spice mix in an airtight container.

Brown the chicken on both sides and place in the oven for 20 minutes. While the chicken and rice are cooking, chop all vegetables (tomatoes, green peppers, onion and lettuce)
To make the guacamole, cut avocados removing the seed. Put in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add onion, some chopped cilantro, chopped onion, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a dash of black pepper, and some of the chopped tomato. Mix.
Homemade Guacamole
Make sure to leave yourself enough onion and tomato to have as a topping for your tacos. Once the chicken is finished cooking, cut into bite size pieces and serve.
Not to shabby of a spread!
Each person can build their own taco to their liking. I usually take the leftovers and combine them for lunch the next day too. Yum!
Finished Product

Pumpkin Walnut Muffins

VisitPhilly.com’s Philly Homegrown section recently posted fall recipes from local eateries in Philadelphia. All of them sounded amazing and I hope to try them all in the coming weeks, but my pumpkin obsession took priority. Metropolitan Bakery’s Pumpkin Walnut Muffins were calling me. I’ve adjusted the recipe a bit, but the general idea is still very much there.

The recipe made two dozen large muffins, or 4 dozen cupcake-sized muffins. Your friends and coworkers will like you a whole lot after you make this recipe!


Ingredients:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups pumpkin puree, canned
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 cups chopped walnuts

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Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce

As the days grow colder, I begin to mourn the loss of one of my favorite summer ingredients: tomatoes.  I know, I know, tomatoes are available year round. But they lose their appeal when they begin to look like Styrofoam.  Trying to get in one last hurrah with fresh tomatoes, I decided to try a recipe from Cooking Light (September 2010 edition, I’m a little late in my preparation), “Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce”.

Ingredients
  • 1  (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine (I substituted box spaghetti, I’m sure fresh pasta would really enhance this dish though)
  • 2  tablespoons  olive oil
  • 3  garlic cloves, minced
  • 4  cups  cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  cup  fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 2  ounces  Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved (about 1/2 cup)

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Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts

I made my weekly trip to Reading Terminal’s Iovine Brothers Produce and noticed huge display of Brussels sprouts. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had Brussels sprouts and felt the need to try them out. I always feel bad for Brussels sprouts, everyone always hates on them. Essentially tiny cabbages (in look and taste), Brussels sprouts are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins C and A, and cancer fighting properties. I may or may not have negated a lot of the benefits of these little guys in my cooking preparation though, so I hope to make a healthier version in the coming weeks.

As a heads up, Brussels sprouts should most certainly not be overcooked; they begin to release a sulfur odor which will really ruin your appetite.

This recipe for Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts is a good introduction to Brussels sprouts in my opinion. It includes bacon, and honestly, what isn’t better with bacon? I used a recipe from foodnetwork.com as a base, and just changed the recipe to fit my tastes and what was in my fridge. The original recipe can be found here.

Ingredients:

    • 1 lb Brussels sprouts (washed & quartered. stems removed)
    • 2 slices of bacon cut into smaller pieces
    • 3 cloves minced garlic, divided
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • Salt, to taste
    • Pepper, to taste
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • ¼ cup grated or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
    • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
    • Extra-virgin olive oil

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Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup

I love pumpkin… the word “obsessed” has been used many times to describe my affinity for this delicious gourd. Sadly, I had to choose a rather seasonal (unless its from a can) product, so I’ve really been trying to get my fix of pumpkin over the past few months. A good substitute for pumpkin in most dishes is butternut squash, which is a little easier to come by. Tonight for dinner, I decided to try to make a Moroccan Butternut Squash (or you can use pumpkin) soup. As with most of my base recipes, I went to myrecipes.com to see where to start. I tend to switch the recipes based on what I happen to have in my house already.

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups cubed peeled fresh pumpkin or butternut squash
  • 2 cups organic vegetable broth (I had chicken broth on hand)
  • 1 3/4 cups diced yellow onion (I used two medium sized onions)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout (this is a mixture of a bunch of other spices that I mixed together, I’ll add that recipe below)
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 cup whole milk (I had heavy cream, so I changed it to a little more than a splash)
  • 1 tablespoon butter

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