Puttanesca

Puttanesca is a spicy and salty Italian spaghetti dish. It's relatively easy to make and is one of my favorites. We usually double the recipe below so that it makes about 6 servings.

Prep. Time: 10 mins.
Cooking Time: 30 mins.
Servings: 3-4
Wine Recommendation:  Sangiovese


Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves
2 oz. can of Anchovies
28 oz can of Tomatoes
1/4 cup halved and pitted Kalamata Olives
2 tsp Capers
1 tsp Red Pepper
1/2 tsp Oregano
Dash of Black Pepper


Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot.

Saute the garlic and red pepper flakes for 2-3 mins. on medium heat.

Add in the remaining ingredients.

Simmer for 60 mins.

Serve over spaghetti.

Seafood Okra Gumbo

We've tried a few different gumbo recipes and this one is probably my favorite. My wife is a pescatarian so no modifications are necessary. If you can't find fish stock, chicken stock can be substituted, but its definitely not quite as good. The filè powder is also optional if you can't find it. It does help to thicken the gumbo though, and this gumbo is a little thinner to begin with since it doesn't use a roux.

Prep. Time: 1 hr.
Cooking Time: 1 hr.


Ingredients:

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 lbs Okra
1 Medium Onion Diced
1 cup Celery Diced
1 Green Pepper Diced
14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic
3 Bay Leaves
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cayenne
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Thyme
2 tsp Filè Powder
1/2 lb Cod
8 cups Fish Stock
1/2 lb Shrimp
1 lb Crawfish Tails
1/2 lb Lump Crabmeat
1/2 cup Green Onions
Dash Hot Sauce


Directions:

Cut the caps and tips off of the okra and slice into approximately 1/4 inch thick slices.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot, then add the okra along with the cayenne and salt.

Fry the okra, stirring constantly, for 10-12 mins.

Add the Onion, Celery, Green Pepper, Garlic and Tomatoes, along with a dash of Cayenne and cook for 15-20 mins.

Add the Cod and cook for 2 mins.

Add the Fish Stock, Bay Leaves, Paprika, Black Pepper, Oregano and Thyme and bring to a boil.

Simmer for 15 mins.

Add the Shrimp, Crawfish and Crab Meat and cook for 5 mins. or until shrimp are done.

Add in the Green Onions, a Dash of Hot Sauce and the Filè Powder.

Serve over rice.

Paneer Masala

Paneer Masala is a rich dish made with Indian cheese and a creamy tomato sauce. It's generally served over rice and can be fairly spicy. The hardest ingredients to find will be the paneer and the masala spices. You'll almost definitely need to visit an Indian grocery store for these. The recipe below takes a little bit of prep. work, but it's well worth it.

Prep. Time: 1 hr.
Cooking Time: 45 mins.
Servings: 3-4
Wine Recommendation: Gewurztraminer


Ingredients:

32 oz can Tomatoes
8 oz. cubed Paneer
1 Large or 2 Small Onions
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Bay Leaf
2 Cloves (or 1/8th tsp)
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
3 tbsps Cashews
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Coriander
1/2 tsp Fenugreek Powder
1 tsp Tandoori Masala
2 tsp Garam Masala
3 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Cream
1 Bunch Cilantro


Directions:

Place the cashews in a bowl of warm water and allow them to soak for approximately 10 mins.

Saute the chopped onions and garlic in the vegetable oil until translucent, approximately 10 mins.

Place the onions, garlic cloves and cashews in the blender and puree them.

Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a pot, add the bay leaf, cloves and ginger, then add the onion paste.

Puree the canned tomatoes in the blender and add to the onions along with the chili powder, fenugreek powder, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and tandoori masala.

Stir and let simmer for approximately 15-30 mins.

While the onions and tomatoes are cooking, heat 1 tbsp of butter in a frying pan and saute the paneer cubes until golden brown.

Remove the panner from the frying pan and place in a pot of boiling water and boil for 10-12 mins.

Once the paneer and sauce are both done, mix the paneer cubes in with the onions and tomatoes. Add in 1/4 cup of water and cook on medium heat for another 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and mix in 1 tbsp of butter and 3 tbsp of cream.

Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.

Yellow Chicken Curry (Gaeng Garee Gai)

This is a relatively simple Thai dish that's not lacking in flavor. The hardest part may be finding a good yellow curry powder. You'll almost certainly have to go to your local Asian grocery store for this. If you have no other option, there are a few recipes for making the powder on-line.

Prep. Time: 10 mins.

Cooking Time: 20 mins.

Wine Recommendation: Gerwurtztraminer

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Fresh chopped Ginger

1 Tbsp Fresh chopped Lemon Grass

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

15 oz can of coconut cream (get the good kind like Goya brand)

15 oz can of coconut milk

4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

2 tsp fish sauce

5 Tbsp yellow curry paste

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp Turmeric

2 med. potatoes

4 large Carrots

2 Tbsp Lime Juice

2-3 Chicken Breasts (optional)

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a vegetable steamer.

Dice carrots in 1/2" pieces, steam for 5 mins. and set aside.

Cut potatoes into eigths, then into thick slices, steam for 15 mins. and set aside.

Saute the Ginger and Lemongrass for 3-5 mins. in the vegetable oil.

Put the coconut cream in the pot and fry for 3-5 mins. stirring continuously, until the oil begins to separate out.

Add the stock, yellow curry paste, fish sauce and turmeric and stir fry for another 1-2 mins.

Add the potato, carrots and coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Add the sugar and lime juice and simmer for about 5 mins.

Serve over rice.

Cooking the Chicken:

If you're adding chicken, simply cut the chicken breasts into thin slices and cook in a frying pan with a little olive oil. The chicken can then be added in to the curry with the individual servings.

Ghormeh Sabzi

Ghormeh Sabzi is a Persian Stew that is often called the national dish of Iran. It's full of greens and onions and can be made with or without lamb. This stew is really hearty, while at the same time having a very delicate and complex flavor profile (due to the wide variety of greens). If you're looking for something quick and easy, this is definitely not it. There's quite a bit of chopping of vegetables and herbs required, but it's well worth the effort.

Prep. Time: 1 hr. 15 mins.
Cooking Time: 30 mins.
Servings: 4-6
Wine Recommendation: Shiraz

Ingredients:

16-24 oz. Baby Spinach
1/2 Bunch Fresh Dill
1 Bunch Fresh Parsley
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro
1 Bunch Leeks
1 Bunch Green Onions
1 Tbs Dried Fenugreek
4 Dried Limes (or 1/4 cup lime juice)
1 Medium Onion
1/2 tsp Turmeric
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
14.5 oz can Red Kidney Beans
1 Medium Potato
1 lb Cubed Lamb (optional)
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
Salt
Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper (or Cayenne)

Directions:

Cut the heads off of the Leeks and Green Onions. Finely chop the remaining parts, along with the Parsley, Cilantro, Dill, Spinach and Onion.

Cut the Potato into 1/2 size pieces.

Place the spinach into a pot with the heat setting on high and stir frequently until the excess water has been evaporated.

Add in the leeks, cilantro, green onions and parsley and continue cooking until the remaining greens have wilted.

Add two table spoons of olive oil and fry the vegetables until they turn a brownish color (about 15 mins.). Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate frying pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil along with the chopped onions and potatoes. Stir fry until the onions become translucent.

Add the onions and potatoes to the vegetables.

Poke a hole in each of the dried limes and add those to the mixture along with the dill, 4 cups of vegetable broth, the turmeric, cayenne and the dried fenugreek.

Let the stew simmer for about 30 mins. and serve over rice.


Cooking the Lamb:

If you're adding meat in separately, simply re-use the frying pan that was use for the onions and potatoes. Add in about 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp turmeric, a 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper along with 1/4 cup of broth from the stew. Cook until the lamb is done.

Japchae

 Japchae is a Korean dish made with cellophane noodles (also called dangmyeon, glass noodles or sweet potato noodles).It's generally stir fried in sesame seed oil with various vegetables. For the carnivores flank steak can be cooked seperately and added in later. The key ingredients in this recipe are the dangmyeon and sesame seed oil. If you have an Asian grocery store nearby you should have no trouble finding them there, if not, they are sometimes carried in some of the larger chains.

Prep. Time: 15-20 mins.
Cooking Time: 45 mins.

Ingredients:
1 lb Dangmyeon
1 lb. Flank Steak (optional)
8-12 oz. Spinach
1 Large Carrot (cut julienne)
1 Medium Onion
1 Cup Chopped Cabbage
5 Shitake Mushrooms
8 oz. White Mushrooms
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Bunch of Green Onions
2 1/2 tbs Sesame Oil
2 tsp Vegetable Oil
3 tbs Soy Sauce
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbs Sesame Seeds


Directions:

Chop the Cabbage, Green Onions, Mushrooms and Carrots

Boil the dangmyeon for 10 mins. 

Once the noodles are done, drain them and place them back in the pot. Run a knife through the pot 4-5 times to cut the noodles up somewhat.

In a separate larger pot saute the onions and garlic with 2 tsp vegetable oil and 2 tsp sesame oil until the onions become transparent.

Add the Cabbage, Green Onions and Carrots along with 1 Tbs of Soy Sauce. Saute this mixture for 5-10 mins. on med. heat.

Add the noodles and 1 Tbs of Sesame Oil into the pot with the vegetables and cook for another 5-10 mins. on med. heat.

Add the spinach and mushrooms, along with 1 tsp of black pepper, 2 Tbs Soy Sauce. 2 tsp Sugar, 2 Tbs sesame oil and mix well.

Cook this mixture over medium heat until the spinach and mushrooms are done (about 10 minutes).

Add 1 Tbs of sesame seeds.


Cooking the Flank Steak:

If you're adding flank steak, simply cook this in a separate frying pan. Add about 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cook until the steak is no longer pink and serve with the noodles.