There's Nothing Like Curry!

Yes, there's nothing like a good curry. I thought I'd refine this recipe while cooking dinner and serve it to you this evening on the blog!

Here goes!


Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

4-5 fresh carrots, peeled and cut into medium chunks
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into medium chunks
2 fennel bulbs, washed and cleaned, cut into medium chunks
1 large green pepper, washed, seeded and cut into medium chunks
1-1/4 cup frozen peas
1 cup coconut milk
1 10-oz. can chopped tomatoes and chilis
4 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. butter
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. fresh, grated gingerroot
2 tbsp. madras curry powder (divided)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. chili powder

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut milk, 1 tbsp. curry powder, the cumin, the chili powder, the salt and the ginger. Set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat 4 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, the garam masala and 1 tbsp. of the curry powder. Saute until onions have softened and are translucent.

Add the last 2 tbsp. of butter to the sauteed onion, then add red onion, peppers, carrots, potatoes and fennel. Saute for about 5 more minutes, then add the can of chopped tomatoes and chilis and the frozen peas. Cook for about another 3-5 minutes. Add the coconut milk mixture and incorporate completely, lower the heat and allow to simmer on the stove for another 5-7 minutes. The sauce will thicken.

Take a spoonful of this curry and you will not believe how good it tastes. It's excellent served with white rice or with couscous. It can also be served with a great Indian Naan bread (minus the rice and/or couscous, of course).

Pasta Salad Recipes for Great Summertime Fun!

We're starting today with some great summertime (or anytime) pasta salad recipes. We're sure you'll enjoy them and look forward to your feedback!



Greek Orzo Salad

Ingredients

1 lb orzo pasta
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 lb. crumbled feta cheese
1 box grape tomatoes
3-4 tbsp. fresh, chopped dill

For the dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Directions

Cook orzo pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente. This is different for every pasta, but a good checkpoint would be about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water.

Defrost peas in microwave, drain and set aside. Prepare the dressing by whisking everything together in a small bowl. This dressing will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. (It's also excellent on traditional "green" salads, by the way.)

To assemble, simply put the pasta, peas, grape tomatoes, crumbled feta and dill in a large container. Add dressing to taste. Place in refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving to chill (pasta salad always tastes better when cold).

I'm a big believer in adjusting recipes to taste, so you should stir it up before serving and adjust the flavor as you see fit. I come from a long line of cooks who measure ingredients using the palm of their hands as opposed to measuring spoons and cups. I'm only going to say this once for this entry!


Champagne Pasta Salad

Ingredients

For the chicken breasts

4 thin-cut boneless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. champagne
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

For the dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. minced garlic or garlic granules
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarse-ground black pepper
1 tsp. onion powder


For the pasta salad

Cooked chicken breast, cut into thin slices
1 lb. Campanelli pasta
1/2 lb. fresh green beans
6 fresh radiccio leaves, slivered
Dressing

Directions

First, you want to prepare everything. That means, you should wash the chicken breasts and pat them dry. Season them by rubbing a bit of oil on them, then adding salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Cook them through in a skillet with the rest of the oil, the champagne and dried seasonings. Remember, the recipe calls for thin-sliced chicken breasts, so the idea here is to fully cook them without turning them into shoe leather. I recommend "poaching" them slowly over medium heat with the cover on until the very end when you remove the cover and brown them slightly. Once cooled, slice the chicken breasts into thin strips.

Add the pasta to boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until cooked al dente, then remove from heat, drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

Wash the fresh green beans and remove the stems. Blanch them in boiling, salted water until they turn bright green. You want them crunchy, not limp, so this is a short cycle. Remove from heat, drain, and run under cold water immediately to stop the cooking process. Wash, dry and slice the fresh radiccio leaves into thin slivers and set aside.

Prepare the dressing by whisking everything together in a small bowl.

This salad can be assemble in two ways, depending upon your preference. The easiest way is to throw everything together into a large bowl and simply add the dressing. Then, place the salad in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. This works best for a cookout where there are many people going back and forth from the food table.

If there's a more formal meal in process, you can throw everything into a bowl and add the dressing with the exception of the cooked chicken strips. Those you can add last on top of the salad when serving and place a small bottle of dressing on the table for folks to add to their salad if desired.

Either way, this is a delicious salad. Enjoy!

(And remember, the dressing will last in the fridge for 2 weeks, so don't be afraid to use it on your green salads as well!)

That's it for now, but we'll be back with more!

International Flavor Courses at NECC, Fall 2007

I will be teaching two courses at Northern Essex Community College from September through November 2007 focusing on international flavors. The information on the courses follows:

International Flavors NEW!

Italy, France, India, and Thailand! Come learn how to use the spices from these different parts of the world by creating wonderful dishes such as Spicy Chicken Coconut Curry or Fusilli with Artichokes & Pancetta to name just two! Some of the recipes have been in the Della Piana family for years and have been handed down from the instructor’s great grandmother!

962 CULN1012-MA: Th, 6-8:30pm, 4 wks, 9/27-10/18, $100 + $60 materials fee, Methuen

More International Flavors NEW!

Greece, Spain, Caribbean and Global Vegetarian! Come learn how to use the spices from these additional parts of the world to create more dishes from international recipes, such as Greek Meatballs with Spicy Cucumber Yogurt sauce or Spanish White Bean, Kale & Chorizo Soup to name just two! Some of the recipes have been in the Della Piana family for years and have been handed down from the instructor’s great grandmother!

963 CULN1013-MA: Th, 6-8:30pm, 4 wks, 11/1-11/29 (no class 11/22), $100 + $60 materials fee, Methuen

Welcome to Good Karma Kitchens!

Welcome to the Good Karma Kitchens blog. This site will feature original recipes and the stories behind them. I hope you'll try our recipes and give us some feedback. You can visit our web site at http://www.goodkarmakitchens.com for information on us and what we do.