Rogan Josh

 

The last time I was at Penzeys Spices in Omaha, I picked up a bottle of Rogan Josh Seasoning.  If you've never been to a Penzeys Store, each spice or seasoning is displayed in a little jar.  You can remove the lid and smell each seasoning.  JP loves to do this!  Anyways, the Rogan Josh smelled soooo good.  A little spicy, a little curry-like and a little exotic.  According to Penzeys, Rogan Josh is...

• "Just a little spicy. A very popular dish from Northern India and Pakistan. This version of the red lamb stew comes from the state of Rajasthan, known for its hilly deserts and fierce, yet chivalrous warriors. Rogan Josh can be made with beef, but this blend is a great example of how a crafty seasoning can change the somewhat objectionable, "gamey" flavor of lamb into something far more delicious. Some blends are interesting-this blend is good." 

• Hand-mixed from: paprika, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, Korintje cassia cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and saffron.

The jar of Rogan Josh has been sitting in my cubboard for a few months.  Jeff doesn't care for spicy food, so I've been waiting to make this dish when he wasn't at home.  Wednesday night was the perfect night to make Rogan Josh!

 

I didn't have any lamb, beef or pork on hand, but I did have chicken...I'm not sure how traditional my version of Rogan Josh is, but JP and I enjoyed it!  I served the Chicken Rogan Josh over rice and veggies with a dollap of yogurt and a sprinkling of cilantro. 

Chicken Rogan Josh adapted from Penzeys

2 chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces

1 large onion, diced

2 T. olive oil

3 T. Rogan Josh seasoning

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. plain, fat-free yogurt

1 c. water

dollap of plain, fat-free yogurt

cilantro leaves

In a dutch oven, brown the chicken in the oil.  Remove the chicken and add the onion to the hot pan.  Add the Rogan Josh seasoning and salt and stir 1 minute.  Add the cooked meat back to the pan.  Mix the water and yogurt together.  Slowly add the water/yogurt mix.  Stir well.  Cook 1-2 hours over low heat.  Severve over rice and steamed veggies with a dollap of yogurt and a sprinkling of cilantro on the top!

Enjoy~ 

Stromboli

This year for Christmas, I received a couple of cookbooks.  Jeff gave me How We Became One, which is by Bill Penzey and the Penzeys One Staff.  If you are in the market for a new cookbook, this ONE (heehee) is for you!  It has great recipes and stories that give the history and background about the families where these recipes came from. 

So anyways, on Sunday I was planning my weekly menu and was thumbing through the One cookbook.  I found "Chris and Aunt Mary's Stromboli" on page 267 and thought it sounded good. 

It was fairly easy to make and took about 15 minutes to bake.  If  you used premade pizza dough, it would take no time at all to whip up.  If you make your own pizza dough, it takes about 40 minutes to whip up.  I got 2 thumbs up from both of the boys in the house, so it's a definite make-again. 

On a sidenote, did you know that there is an Italian volcano named Stromboli?

And a movie named Stromboli?

Adapted from Chris and Aunt Mary's Stromboli

Pizza Dough
1 t. yeast
1/2 t. sugar
1 c. lukewarm water
1 t. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. flour

In a mixing bowl, stir the yeast, water and sugar together.  Let sit for about 5 minutes, until it's foamy.  Add the oil, salt, and flours.  Mix well.  I use my Kitchen Aid mixer for this with the dough hook.  Mix for 7-8 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth.  Add more flour if needed.  If you don't have a Kitchen Aid, you can mix the ingredients and then knead the dough for about 10 minutes.  Place the dough into a clean bowl and cover with a clean dish towel.  Set the bowl in a warm, draft free area for about 45 minutes.  I usually put my dough in the oven and just leave the light on.  The oven light creates enough heat to keep the dough toasty.  Don't turn on the oven!

Dressing
1/4 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. dried oregano
1 t. sugar

Filling
1/4 lb. Italian (Genoa) salami
1/4 lb. sliced pepperoni (you can get this at your local deli)
1/4 lb. sliced provolone cheese
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

After removing the dough from the oven, preheat to 450*.  Roll the pizza dough into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.  I rolled the dough onto a 9x13 inch baking stone.  Layer the meats in the center of the dough, leaving 1/2 inch space on each edge, followed by the provolone, mozzarella and Romano or Parmesan cheese. Mix up the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Fold one edge of the dough over the meat and cheese layers.  Brush the dough with the dressing mixture and fold the other edge of the dough over.  Pinch to seal.  Fold the ends in and pinch to seal.  Brush with dressing mixture.  Turn the Stromboli over on the baking pan so the seals are against the pan.  Brush the top of the Stromboli with the rest of the dressing mixture.  Bake at 450* for about 15 minutes.  The dough will be nicely browned and the cheeses will have melted together.  Slice it and serve with pizza sauce on the side.

While we were eating, we talked about different combinations we could use to make different Stromboli's.  Ham and cheese, beef and cheddar, turkey and cheese...  the list can go on and on.  Veggies would also be a great addition...green peppers, mushrooms, onions...anything you like!

The only downfall with this recipe was that it was greasy.  Pepperoni and Genoa salami are not low fat options when it comes to Italian meats!  Next time, I might use just the pepperoni and leave out the salami and throw in some veggies.

Penzeys

If you've read my blog for any time, you'll have noticed that I use (and talk about) Penzeys spices.  I LOVE PENZEYS!

I remember going home to visit my mum when I was in my mid 20's during the summer.  She wanted me to help her make Bread and Butter Pickles, but she couldn't find enough little jars of mustard seed in the grocery store.  (This was way before Google and the ease of online shopping.)  I had a friend who had ordered spices through a catalog, so I called my friend (who was living in Germany) and asked her for the telephone number for that spice catalog.   I called the number and talked to a very nice lady.  She questioned the amount of mustard seed that I requested...after all, it's not everyday that someone orders 3 pounds of mustard seed to make a batch of pickles.  But I went ahead and ordered 3 pounds...I even contemplated ordering 4 pounds!  I am horrible about estimating, and WAY overestimated how much mustard seed we would need.  My mum was a little surprised a few days later when the package from Penzeys showed up.  Do you know how many mustard seeds are in 3 pounds?  I don't know either, but it is a lot!  You can get an idea of how small mustard seeds are by looking at the necklace below...now just imagine 3 pounds of mustard seed!  WOW! 

After that mishap with the mustard seeds, I became a Penzeys convert.  I started receiving the catalog in the mail.  I experimented with the recipes in the catalog and began ordering different spices to try.  Years later, I'm still a Penzeys convert.  I look forward to the catalogs that I still get in the mail.  I cut out the recipes and have them in my file box.  I have always been impressed with the quality of spices that I get from Penzeys.  They are fresh and taste better than the ones you can buy at the grocery store.  They are a little bit more expensive than what you pick up at Walmart, however, the taste and the over-all result is out of this world!  I often visit their website to see what's new and to order online.  www.penzeys.com  And I even get to visit one of their stores occasionally! 

JP drawing Cayenne Pepper

A few weeks ago, we traveled to Iowa to visit my in-law family.  On the way there, we stopped in Omaha to visit the Penzeys store.  There is something heavenly about walking through the door of a Penzeys store!  A spicy-peppery smell meets you at the door and penetrates your clothing, so when you leave, you get a slight whiff of the store smell throughout the day.  The staff has always been friendly and eager to help.  Even JP loves to go there!  There is a small kids area and JP draws pictures that he can hang on the wall. 

JP next to the Cayenne Pepper display

If you ever have a chance, please visit the store, the website or just browse through the catalog.  You'll be glad you did!

JP and his Cayenne Pepper drawing

Just in case you didn't get it the first time, I LOVE PENZEYS!

www.penzeys.com

Easy-Peasy Ribs

Jeff is in the top right corner walking in

Welcome Home!

Jeff's been home from Iraq for about 10 days...we're slowly getting into the family rhythm again.  For those of you who aren't military spouses, it's kind of a hard period to explain...  it's like you're on vacation, but not really.  You're so glad that he's home and you want to spend all of your time together, but don't want to suffocate him.  It's a honeymoon period, but not really.  You want to go back to the way things were last year before the deployment began, but all 3 of us have grown and changed in 12 months.  I'm not in charge of the remote anymore (which is fine with me) and I have to share my stuff again.  But I wouldn't change it for anything.  It's a time of adjustments, assimilation and re-figuring of roles.  It's also a time of growth, change and adjustment. 

A Welcome Home Hug

Two Happy Boys!

With all the excitement of Jeff being home, life is starting speed up again...my some-what lazy summer is fading away quickly and the busy-craziness is about to begin again.  Jeff is back to work, JP started 3rd grade on Monday and school starts for me next week.  I will be insanely busy again teaching 2 classes, taking 2 classes, studying for my preliminary exams and writing my dissertation proposal.  But I will have Jeff around as my biggest cheerleader. 

And I have crock pot recipes like Easy-Peasy Ribs that will make my life just a little bit easier!

Easy-Peasy Ribs in the Crock Pot

1 rack of baby back ribs
2 T. liquid smoke

1 c. ketchup
1 T. molasses
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. liquid smoke
1 T. BBQ spice mix (Penzey's makes a few nice BBQ mixes...I like BBQ of the Americas)

Prepare the ribs by removing the thin membrane on the back (bone) side of the rack of ribs.  Cut the ribs into 3 or 4 pieces.  Each piece should contain 3-4 ribs.  Place the ribs in a crock pot that has been sprayed by cooking spray.  Pour the liquid smoke in the bottom of the crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  

Mix the ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, liquid smoke and BBQ spice mix together.  Remove the ribs and drain the liquid.  Place the ribs back into the crock pot 1 piece at a time.  Slather each piece with the prepared BBQ sauce.  Continue until all of the ribs are sauced and in the crock pot.  Continue to cook the ribs on high for 30-60 minutes more to "bake" on the sauce.  Remove and enjoy!

You may want to double the BBQ sauce if you like your ribs saucy.  Also, instead of placing the sauced ribs back into the crock pot, you can place the ribs on a heated grill, brush on the sauce and cook for 10-15 minutes. 

Food Confessions

Over at Windy Poplars, Kristin is leading a "Confession Week."  Today is "Food Confessions."  Hmmm, I think I might have one or two... or three...  OK, I might have a few.  So head over to Windy Poplars, grab the linky and post your food confessions! 

We're defining "confession" this week as: something that makes you, YOU! A quirk, a passion, a bad habit, a good habit, etc. It might even be something obvious, but more likely something we'd never guess about you!

•  When it comes to grocery shopping, I try not to be a label snob.  I know off brand labels are cheaper to buy.  The Walmart or Kroger brand can be so much cheaper, but there are a few things that I will pay extra for. 

  Mayo:  Hellman's or Best Foods (depending on which side of the Mississippi River you live on) Ketchup:  Heinz

Cooking spray:  Pam

Toothpaste:  Crest (it doesn't matter what kind, it just has to be Crest!  OK, I know that toothpaste isn't food, but I buy it at the grocery store)  

Mac and Cheese:  Kraft

Peanut Butter:  Jif (Choosy Mom's Choose Jif!)

Tortilla Chips:  Tostitos

Cereal:  Cheerios (Toasty O's just don't taste the same!)

Creamer:  Coffee Mate liquid.  It doesn't matter what flavor, just as long as it's Coffee Mate!

Orange juice:  Minute Maid

Chocolate Chips:  Toll House

There are a few other things, but this is my list offhand!  

• Another grocery store confession.  I'm a little embarrassed about this one... but... here it goes....  I judge people by what is in their grocery cart.  I do!  Really!  Don't come around me if you see me in the grocery store!  If your cart (or buggy...depending on where you live) has loaves of white Wonder bread, Ramen soup, processed food, more than a 12 pack of soda (or pop...again, depending on where you live) or junk food, I will raise my eyebrows at you.  I'll compare my cart and the goodness of whole wheat bread, whole foods and veggies with your cart of not so healthy junk.  Whew... there, I confessed it.

• I love leftovers!  A lot of times, food tastes better the second day!  

•  I love looking at cooking/kitchen magazines and catalogs.  Cooking Light, King Arthur Flour, Penzies, Penzies One, Chef Catalog, William-Sonoma, Sur LA Table, just to name a few.  I also love to look at the kitchens in Home Depot or even in magazines ads and pick out elements of my dream kitchen.

• I love sharing recipes!  I know people who dread cooking and often eat out, or eat prepackaged meals.  It's easy, cheaper and so much better for you to cook at home...OK, sometimes it's not easy...  But home cooked food usually tastes so much better than prepackaged stuff.  I'm glad to share my recipes with anyone so they can make awesome food at home.

Ok, that's it!  I could go on and on about food, but I'll stop here...these are my most interesting!  Have a great day, and happy cooking!

Spicy Pasta Salad and Southwest Seasoning

JP LOVES this Spicy Pasta Salad.  He begs me to make it at least once a week.  It takes a little while to chop the vegetables, but it is a fairly easy recipe to follow.  This salad is great for a meatless dinner, or as a side dish.  I use whole wheat pasta, plain fat-free yogurt, and lots of veggies to make this salad healthy.  I make my own southwest seasoning, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.  Spice up the salad (or tone it down) according to your tastes!  Enjoy~

 Southwest Seasoning

I am really picky about my Southwest Seasoning.  I don't care for packaged taco seasoning...too much salt and lots of other things I don't want to have in my food!  I also like things a little spicy, so I make my own Southwest Seasoning with that little extra kick! I use this Southwest Seasoning in my Spicy Pasta Salad, or in any recipe that calls for Taco Seasoning.

McCormick has a Southwest Seasoning.  Also, Penzeys has a Southwest Seasoning and a south of the border spice, Arizona Dreaming.  I haven't tried any of these blends, but can't wait to try them, especially Arizona Dreaming!  According to Penzeys website,

•  "Arizona Dreaming is simply a delicious all-purpose coming together of spices. The flavors of South of the Border combined in ways that Americans love so much. Great for just about everything, use frequently to season: Vegetables, Rice, Beans, Beef, Pork, Scrambled Huevos, Ground Turkey, Cheese, Salad Dressings."

Jen's Southwest Seasoning
1/2 c. chili powder, I use Penzeys Medium Hot
1/3 c. paprika, I use Penzeys Smoked Paprika
1/4 c. cumin
1/4 c. onion powder
1/4 c. garlic powder
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 T. chipotle powder, I use Penzeys Ground Chipolte Pepper
1 T. salt
1 T. cayenne pepper, I use Penzeys Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 T. oregano
1 T. crushed red pepper, I use Penzeys Crushed Red Pepper

Pasta Salad

Spicy Pasta Salad

1 package pasta, cooked according to directions, I use Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest Rotini

1 c. plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 c. mayonnaise
4 T. southwest seasoning (use less if you like things less spicy)
1 lime, zested and juiced

1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/8ths, or 1 tomato, chopped
1 can of corn, drained
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded, I use 2% cheddar
1/4  bunch cilantro, chopped

Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, taco seasoning and lime zest and juice together in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, chopped peppers, onion, jalapeno, tomatoes, drained corn, shredded cheese and cilantro.  Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta mixture and stir well.

Refrigerate.  Stir well before serving.

Review:  If you like things a little spicy (like I do!), add an extra jalapeno or two!  Or leave out the jalapeno if you'd like.  This is a really versatile salad, you can add ingredients you like (like chopped olives) or leave out ingredients you don't like.  I've used a can of canned, chopped tomatoes when I didn't have cherry tomatoes on hand.  Enjoy~

Don't Worry, Eat Chicken Curry

I received a Christmas card from my Aunt Helen this year.  Inside the card, she wrote, "Don't worry, eat curry."  It made me laugh quite a bit.  Every time I use curry in the kitchen, I think, "Don't worry, eat curry."  And it makes me laugh.  So, don't worry...eat curry!  :)  And if you'd like to read about some benefits to adding curry to your diet, check out this site.  I'm not sure how true the information is...I didn't check the sources, but it was an interesting article.  

Don't worry.  Eat curry!

 

Chicken Curry


2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 T. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 T. red curry paste
1 T. curry powder
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
3 T. fish sauce
1 can lite coconut milk (not coconut cream)
2-1/2 c. chicken broth
1-1/2 c. rice
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped (optional)


Heat the EVOO in a dutch oven.  Add sliced shallots, onions and garlic.  Cook 2-3 minutes over medium heat.  Push the mixture to one side and add the chicken.  Cook 3-4 min on each side.  Remove the chicken from the dutch oven and add curry paste and curry powder.  Stir in coconut milk, tomatoes, fish sauce and chicken broth.  Stir well and increase heat to medium high.  Bring to a boil and add the rice.  Turn the heat down to low, add the chicken, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Add more chicken broth, if necessary.  During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro when ready to serve.  Serves 4-6.

Review:  This is a very flavorful dish.  It is a one-pot meal that both JP and I love.  The chicken curry keeps very well and makes great leftovers.  I use hot curry powder from Penzeys.com to add a little more heat, but you can make is less spicy by using less of the red curry paste and regular curry powder.  I buy the red chili paste at the Asian market.  Enjoy~

Johnny's Grub Rub by Johnny

JP and I headed northeast this morning to the big town of Manhattan and their farmer's market.  We got some fabulous fresh fruits and veggies...Swiss chard, beets, strawberries, tomatoes, asparagus, cilantro, peanuts, sugar snap peas and gooseberries.  Have you ever tried a gooseberry??  The lady who sold them to us described them as tart.  She said they were a little bit more tart than Sour Airheads (a candy) or sour gummy candies.  Um, I don't know when she last ate sour candy, but gooseberries are a TAD more tart than sour candy.  Holy Moly Macaroni, they are tart!  Pure Pucker Power.

I spent this afternoon cooking.  I made roasted red pepper hummus, couscous salad, strawberry/gooseberry crunch and a superb BBQ rub.  I'll share other recipes later this week.  But for today, I'm all about the BBQ Rub.  I kind of stumbled upon this recipe.  Earlier this week, I found a BBQ rub recipe that was actually 2 recipes.  You made a spice mixture, and then used that in the Rub recipe, along with other ingredients.  I had it scribbled on 2 sticky notes and those sticky notes got stuck to something and never found it's way into the kitchen.  So I quickly looked up BBQ Rub on allrecipes.com, my go-to recipe website.  I sprinkled the Rub on boneless, skinless chicken breasts and let them sit for about 15 minutes before grilling.  Oh, it was delicious!

I used Penzeys Chili 3000 for the chili powder.  Penzeys says it's the Now Chili, and it is good...a little more spicy than traditional chili powder. 

Johnny's Grub Rub  by Johnny

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons ground paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

In a small, nonporous bowl, combine the garlic powder, ground black pepper, salt, mustard powder, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, paprika and oregano. Mix well and apply to meat. 

Review:  I was a little worried about the amount of salt and pepper, but it worked well in the rub.  My chicken was tender and juicy with a little zing from the rub.  Some of the reviews on allrecipes.com said they thought there was too much cumin in the recipe,  However, I thought it was the right amount.  Next time, I'm going to use Penzys 4/S Special Smoky Seasoned Sea Salt
I think that will give it just a little bit more zing!  This rub would be great on pork chops, steaks, ribs and any other meat that is grilled.  I can't wait to experiment with other types of meat!  Enjoy~


By the way, if you're puzzled about who JP is...well, it's a funny story.  When Jacob was a toddler, we called his Jakey.  My niece thought we were calling him JP...and the name stuck.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I made Cajun Chicken Pasta last night for supper and it was good! I got the recipe from The Pioneer Woman a few weeks ago. I've made a few changes to the original recipe. I have a hard time using cream and excessive butter that are in many of her recipes...My genes (and jeans) don't do well with the extra calories! So here is my version of Cajun Chicken Pasta! ~Enjoy~

Cajun Chicken Pasta
(serves 4 generous portions)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1-1/2 T. Cajun Spice Mix

Mix together and let marinate while you get everything ready!

2 T. olive oil
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 onion, halved and sliced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1-1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. white wine (If you don't want to use wine, just increase the chicken broth to 2 cups)

1 c. milk
3 T. flour
Whisk flour and milk together.

Enough spaghetti for 4 people

1/2 t. Crushed Red pepper (optional)
1/2 t. Cajun Spice Mix (optional)

This cooks quickly, so it's best to have all of the ingredients ready to go before you start cooking! Trust me on this... Also, start your pasta so it will be done when the chicken is done!

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium/high heat. A cast iron pan is great, but if you don't have one to use, that's OK. Use what you have! Add half of the chicken, but don't stir. Allow the chicken to brown. (I have a hard time with this...I want to stir it. Resist!) Flip the chicken to the other side and cook about 1 minute, or until it's brown. Remove the cooked chicken and add the rest of the uncooked chicken, repeat the cooking the chicken steps. Remove the chicken from the pan.

Add the sliced peppers and onion to the hot pan and cook for about 1 min. You want the peppers and onions to get brown...not burned, but brown parts. Stir every so often so they don't burn. The bottom of your pan will be dark brown, but don't worry! If you're using cast iron, I don't know if the bottom of the pan looks dark brown. After the veggies have dark brown parts, add the garlic and the drained tomatoes. Give a quick stir and cook for about 1 minute.

Add the wine (if using) and chicken broth. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. I like to use a whisk to help get the browned bits up. Add the chicken back to the pan and stir.

Scoot the chicken and veggies to the side of the pan and add the milk and flour mixed mixture. Whisk until it starts to thicken and bubble. Turn down the heat to low. Stir the veggies and chicken into the bubbling sauce and mix well. Cook about 1 min. I add about 1/2 t. more of the Cajun spice mix and about 1/2 t. Crushed Red Pepper, but I like things spicy! Use your judgment and your tastes!

Add the cooked pasta and mix well. If your frying pan isn't big enough to add the cooked pasta, you can serve the pasta on plates and spoon the Cajun Chicken over it.

Notes on Cajun Spice Mix. Last night I used McCormick's Perfect Pinch Cajun. I found it in the spice section of the grocery store. I've also used Penzeys Cajun Style Seasoning. I like the flavor of Penzeys Cajun Spice, however, it's not as hot/spicy as the McCormick's brand.