Naan Naan Naan.....

Or Nom Nom Nom!  This meal was that, for sure!

"J" tried his hand at something very different this evening.  Indian Cuisine.  Verdict: Round of applause!!!!!! 

Appetizer began with fresh cauliflower. 

The florets got a sprinkle of smoked paprika.  Indian cuisine is known for their unique spice blends.  This is one of many used this evening.

Like I said, just a sprinkle because.......

They get dipped in this beauty of a batter.  It's a beer curry batter. 

Then they go in the daddy fryer. 

First one all fried up! 

The beer curry batter gave it a thick crunchy layer.  Delish, and the perfect start to the meal.

Main dish starts with drumsticks and wings going into a boiling hot pan to get seared.

Next, the side dish.  Cabbage!

Gets shredded.

Lots of Indian spices getting heated on the stove.

Garlic gets added.

Along with onions and ginger.

Into the spices!

More spices: Cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.

A large can of stewed tomatoes is next.

 That reduces.

And the chicken gets placed back in to cook for 45 minutes.

Turning every 20 minutes.

Perfect carmelization.

A large pepper gets chopped.

Which goes in another spice mixture (recipe below).  The cabbage joins this pot, to cook down.

This is the dough that makes the naan naan bread. 

You flatten it out, and grill it.

It's the perfect bread to dip in the chicken sauce!

Final presentation of the meal.  Great job "J".  We are proud of you for stepping outside of your box!

In staying with true spirit of the evening, we ate outside on the floor on a huge pillow infested palet.  It was awesome!

I was in a state of "peace" for once.  :)

Recipes of the naan naan bread, cabbage and chicken are below.  Enjoy!

Until next time......A la cuisine!

JAK’s Naan

Ingredients

                     1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

                     1 cup warm water

                     1/4 cup white sugar

                     3 tablespoons milk

                     1 egg, beaten

                     2 teaspoons salt

                     4 1/2 cups bread flour

                     2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

                     1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.

4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Braised Cabbage

Ingredients

•   2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1/2 stick

•   2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

•   2 teaspoons whole caraway seeds

•   2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

•   2 small heads savoy cabbage, cored, leaves thinly sliced

•   1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

•   1 poblano pepper, washed and cut into thin rounds, including seeds

•   2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

•   4 oranges, juiced

•   3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves

Directions

In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the cumin, caraway and coriander seeds and toast them slightly for 30 seconds. Do not let them brown.

Immediately add half of the cabbage and season with the salt. Toss and stir to wilt and to combine with the spices. Add the remaining cabbage and if necessary, reseason with salt and allow it to continue wilting. Stir in the poblano, toss and cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Stir in the vinegar and orange juice and toss to blend. Taste for seasoning.

Lower the heat and add the cilantro. Stir to combine and remove the pan from the heat. Arrange it on a serving platter and serve.

Chicken Dish

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/braised-chicken-thighs-and-legs-with-tomato-recipe/index.html

Asian inspired BBQ

I don't think "J" planned for this past Monday meal to be themed off of an Asian inspired BBQ, but boy was it.  And boy was it rich in flavor!

The meal started with a Pork Sirloin Roast.  This was a first for me, and won't be a last!

The sirloin was rubbed with sage, garlic, salt and pepper.  Then, got a dose of chardonnay, before it cooked for 8 hours in the crockpot!  If you aren't a fan of crockpot cooking, become one!

The side-star of the evening started with these beauties.  Brussels sprouts.  If you aren't a fan of these, become one!  :)  They are SO good.  My favorite vegetable, indeed.

"J" did something with these I've never thought to do.  He shredded them!

Then he took some great grade bacon, with a little brown sugar on top, and baked it.

Until golden brown, and the brown sugar became caramelized.

He took the shredded Brussels sprouts, and cooked them down over the stove.

Macadamia nuts got a good roast on the stove.

Nice and brown. 

Then the bacon and nuts go in the cooked shredded sprouts.

A toss together.

And a toss of oil, vinegar and sugar.  

Makes the perfect Brussels sprout side dish salad!

The table was exceptionally beautiful tonight.  "J" brought in a gorgeous linen from his Rose Tree collection.  If you are looking to rent the best linens in town, he's your guy!

The sirloin out of the crockpot.  Cooked to perfection.

"J" then made a balsamic and brown sugar reduction, that went over the pork.

The meal, complete.  It was unbelievable.  I can't even, for once, fully tell you how delicious this was.  I cannot wait for him to make it again!  The pork was perfectly cooked, falling apart, and the balsamic reduction was amazing with flavor (definitely that great mix of Asian and BBQ).  The Brussels sprout "slaw" was a perfect added side dish. 

Done!

For dessert?  A simple pallet cleansing lemon sorbet. 

Until next time.....A la cuisine!



Packaged Deal?

Last night was the end to this season of the Bachelor.  So sad.  But, on to My Strange Addiction.  Ha!  Anyways, this Monday we celebrated by watching the finale of the Bachelor and the After the Final Rose. 

The appetizer started with fresh artichokes.  Not because we've wanted to "choke" Courtney (and Ben for keeping Courtney around this entire Season) but because we love a fresh artichoke!  :)

You slice the bottom of them.

And place them in part water/part chicken stock (the stock "J" made a few weeks ago....still coming in handy) as well as fresh cut lemons.  They boil until done.

Take some fresh Roquefort cheese (which is just a very high quality blue cheese).

Stick it inside the boiled artichokes, and bake with bread crumbs on top.  Yummo!

This is our beautiful table scape.  We weren't trying to "escape" Courtney, rather our troubles.  LOL.  Really, couldn't wait to get in and start the show! 

The artichokes.  Really yummy.

The start of the main entree.

Yep, fresh rolled pasta.

"J" rolling it out!

The stuffing was a veal mixture.

Pine nuts and herbs were added.  The pine nuts were my favorite.  They added a surprise inside each "package".

The meat mixture layed out on the rolled out pasta.

Second layer on top.

Cute little ravioli cutter!

How cute are these little "packages".  Although Courtney wasn't the packaged deal, we ended this series with one! 

The sauce?  Simple.  Roasted tomatoes and garlic.

Pureed with a dash of cream and salt/pepper to taste.

Heated on the stove, and done!

No pasta dish is complete without "J's" homemade bread.

The ravioli complete!  This was so fresh!!!  The filling reminded me of "J's" bolognese sauce, again with that surprise crunch of the pine nuts.  The sauce?  So simple, and yet SO delicious!  As I said, these little packages were just what this Monday night ordered.  Even though Courtney and Ben weren't a Packaged Deal!

Dessert started with fresh vanilla.

Panacotta was the dessert of the evening.  Panacotta is a cooked custard. 

Cute, in the ramekins.

Fresh berries.

Sliced to perfection, I must say.  Hehehe.  I sliced the berries myself.  :)

The berries got a hefty dash of pepper, and marinated in a good balsamic vinegar. 

I'm not going to lie: I worried what this flavor would entail.  Balsamic is very strong, next to a sweet berry.  Folks, you wouldn't believe it.  The balsamic took on a taste of its own.  It was unbelievably delicious. 

This is the dessert before I ate it.  Horrible pic.  So sorry, I didn't notice until today.  It is a plate of the panacotta and berries surrounding it.  Was very tasty.  Below is the recipe for the panacotta.  Enjoy!

We've enjoyed supporting Jennifer during this season of the Bachelor, and are so glad she got out when she did!  Ben, you're an idiot.  Courtney, you're a horrible person no matter how much you try to fake cry.

Until next time......A la cuisine!

Ingredients

     2 cups heavy cream

     1 vanilla bean

     1/2 cup sugar

     1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (about 1/2 packet)

     1/3 cup whole milk

     ¼ cup skim milk

     1/2 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt

     Sliced strawberries and fresh mint, for garnish (optional)

    

Directions

Place the cream in a saucepan. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise; scrape out the seeds with a knife, then add the seeds and pod to the saucepan. Add the sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Discard the vanilla pod.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk (whole and skim) in a bowl and let stand until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Stir the gelatin mixture into the hot cream mixture until dissolved, then stir in the yogurt. Divide among six to eight 4-ounce ramekins, cover with plastic wrapand refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Combine the strawberries, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Set aside at room temperature. Serve around the panna cotta.

Dip each ramekin three-quarters of the way in warm water and invert onto a plate. Garnish each panna cotta with strawberries and mint, if desired.