Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken
This dish is called three cups because it is traditionally made with equal proportions of three main ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine. It is a one pot dish that is flavourful and very easy to make. Although the authentic version has thai basil in it, I have also made this dish without it and it still tastes great.
Three Cup Chicken Recipe
6 to 8 chicken drumsticks (Note: You could also any chicken parts that you like: wings, half or whole chicken cut into chunks, or the most popular – boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs cut into pieces.)
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup shaoxing wine
1/6 cup soy sauce
1/6 cup dark soy sauce (or substitute with soy sauce)
1/4 cup water (Note: Omit this if using boneless chicken meat)
3 tablespoons Chinese rock sugar, chopped roughly (or substitute with white granulated sugar) – Note: Be careful handling the rock sugar as it can have sharp edges when cut
6 cloves garlic, roughly minced
3 slices of ginger cut into thin strips
1 to 2 small red chillies (or to taste), deseeded and sliced thinly (optional)
1 cup very loosely packed fresh thai basil (or substitute with green onions, green parts only cut into 2 inch pieces)
Heat a heavy bottomed pot or a large clay pot over medium high heat. Add the sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, and red chillies if using, and saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then add the chicken drumsticks and the shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, and water (omit water if using boneless chicken). Cover the pot with a lid and bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer while uncovered. (If using boneless chicken, simmer covered.) Mixing the chicken occasionally (to make sure that all of the pieces are covered in sauce and cooked evenly), cook for 15 to 25 minutes until the chicken drumsticks are just cooked through. (If using boneless chicken meat, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes.) About 3 to 5 minutes before the end of your cook time, add the thai basil and stir to combine. Do not overcook the chicken. Remove the pot from heat and serve hot with rice.
To check out my other chettinad chicken recipe - Kozhi Vindhari/Chicken Vindhari click here!!
INGREDIENTS
(Serves 4 people)
- Chicken - 500 grams (chopped into big cubes)
- Shallots / Pearl onions - 75 grams (5 onions)
- Ginger - 1 inch long piece
- Garlic pods - 1
- Dry red chillies - 6 to 8
- Cumin seeds - 3/4 spoon
- Coriander seeds - 1 spoon
- Fennel seeds - 1 spoon
- Peppercorns - 1/4 spoon
- Salt - As per taste
- Oil - 5 spoon (Gingelly oil preferred)
- Coriander leaves & Curry leaves - Few for garnishing (Optional)
PREPARATION METHOD
- Wash chicken pieces well in water and keep them aside.
- Heat a pan or wok and dry roast the following ingredients very slightly until you get a pleasant aroma. Take care not to over roast them or burn them.
(For Masala Powder)
1. Dry red chillies - 6 to 8
1. Dry red chillies - 6 to 8
2. Cumin seeds - 3/4 spoon
3. Coriander seeds - 1 spoon
4. Fennel seeds - 1 spoon
5. Peppercorns - 1/4 spoon
- After the dry roasted ingredients cools down and reaches room temperature, add them to a blender make a fine masala powder out of them and set aside. This is the authentic Chettinad chicken masala powder. You will get nearly 2.5 spoons of this masala powder.
- Peel onions put them in a blender and make a coarse paste out of it and set aside.
- Also make ginger-garlic paste and set aside.
- Now heat a pan, add oil and after it heats up add the coarsely ground onions and saute until the raw smell goes.
- Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a few minutes.
- Now add the chicken pieces and saute well for 5 minutes.
- Now add the prepared masala powder and stir well.
- After 2 minutes pour 1 cup of water, required salt and stir well. Cook on low flame.
- Close the pan with a lid and cook until the chicken gets cooked well. Sprinkle water if necessary and stir occasionally so that the chicken does not get burnt. Please cook on low flame.
- When water evaporates and chicken seems well cooked remove from flame and serve.
- Garnish with coriander and curry leaves if you wish.
TIP 1: The masala powder used here can be used to make other chicken curries too. You can prepare it in larger quantities and store them for future use. While preparing this spice powder please be careful not to over-roast or burn the spices. Just a mild roasting will do.
TIP 2: Use freshly prepared ginger-garlic paste for better flavor.
TIP 3: You can also prepare this using a pressure cooker, after adding a cup of water close the pressure cooker with the lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes on low flame. But the pan method will be the best.
TIP 4: If you want a semi-gravy consistency pour another cup of water and cook until the oil starts to peep out of the gravy.
Delicious and Flavorful Chettinad Chicken Masala is now ready!! Serve with rice or any Indian bread varieties and enjoy!!
Spicy Chicken Masala Recipe
Recipe source: From my recipe files
Prep & Cooking Time: 30-35 mts
Serves 4-5 persons
Cuisine: South Indian
.
Ingredients:
Marinate:
½ kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces
3 tbsp curds
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your spice level)
¼ tsp turmeric pwd
salt to taste
Make a paste:
6-7 cashewnuts
4-5 tbsps milk
Dry roast and make a fine powder:
1” cinnamon
10-12 curry leaves
3 cloves
Rest of the ingredients:
3-4 tbsps oil
2 big onions finely chopped
1 large tomato finely chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp black pepper powder (adjust to suit your spice level)
¼ tsp cumin powder
coriander leaves for garnish
1 Marinate chicken pieces in chilli powder, turmeric powder, curds and salt for 20 mts.
2 While the chicken pieces are marinating, make a paste of cashewnuts and milk. Keep aside.
3 Dry roast cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves for 1 mt and make a powder of them. Keep aside.
4 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps of oil in a cooking vessel. Add the onions and saute till pink. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute further for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
5 Add coriander pwd, cumin pwd, pepper pwd and combine well and fry for another minute.
6 Add the tomatoes and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Combine well and cook till oil separates.Turn off heat. Cool and grind the cooked masala. Keep aside this masala paste.
7 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps oil in a cooking vessel and add the marinated chicken and cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes, reduce heat and cook covered for another 4-5 minutes.
8 Add the ground masala paste, cashewnut paste and ground powder of cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves and combine well. (Add a cup of water for more gravy consistency). Cook till chicken pieces are soft and you get the desired curry consistency. Adjust salt.
9 Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
2 While the chicken pieces are marinating, make a paste of cashewnuts and milk. Keep aside.
3 Dry roast cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves for 1 mt and make a powder of them. Keep aside.
4 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps of oil in a cooking vessel. Add the onions and saute till pink. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute further for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
5 Add coriander pwd, cumin pwd, pepper pwd and combine well and fry for another minute.
6 Add the tomatoes and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Combine well and cook till oil separates.Turn off heat. Cool and grind the cooked masala. Keep aside this masala paste.
7 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps oil in a cooking vessel and add the marinated chicken and cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes, reduce heat and cook covered for another 4-5 minutes.
8 Add the ground masala paste, cashewnut paste and ground powder of cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves and combine well. (Add a cup of water for more gravy consistency). Cook till chicken pieces are soft and you get the desired curry consistency. Adjust salt.
9 Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Note:
Adjust the spices according to your choice. Dont over fry the masala too much or burn it as its the masala paste which gives the chicken its flavor. If you dont have curry leaves on hand, don’t worry. Do add more water for a gravy consistency. One variation is add a tbsp of coconut paste and juice of half a lemon to the above curry for added flavor.
Spicy Chicken Masala Curry Recipe
Prep time: min
Cook time: min
Main Ingredients:
An easy chicken curry from Spice Trip with peppercorns for flavour and heat
"Peppery and nutty with a kick, this curry demonstrates the different flavours that pepper can bring to a dish. Here, it is toasted and cooked into the sauce and then sprinkled on at the end for extra aroma and heat."
Serves 4
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 x 1.6kg whole chicken, skinned and jointed, or 8 chicken thighs, skinned
- 4 tsp freshly cracked Tellicherry or Kampot black peppercorns
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Pinch of salt, plus ½ tsp
- 3 onions, half thinly sliced and half roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3cm piece ginger, finely chopped or grated
- Olive oil, for frying
- 300ml water
Method
- Put the chicken in a large dish. In a small bowl, combine a quarter of the black pepper, the turmeric, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then rub all over the chicken and leave to marinate, covered, for a few hours.
- Blend the roughly chopped onions with the garlic and ginger to make a paste.
- Toast the remaining pepper in a hot, dry pan until there’s a delicious nutty, toasty scent and the pepper begins to smoke. Shake the pan so the pepper doesn’t burn.
- Heat a good glug of oil in a heavy-based frying pan (one with a lid) and fry the sliced onions until they turn soft and golden. Add the onion paste and continue frying until all the liquid has evaporated and the onion is starting to brown.
- Add the toasted pepper (reserve a generous pinch for later) and the chicken including all the marinade juices, the 300ml water and ½ tsp salt.
- Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through – add a splash more water if the curry gets too thick.
- Serve the curry sprinkled with the reserved toasted black pepper, alongside some boiled rice, warmed chapattis and the salad.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Ingredients
Preparation1 (3 3/4-lb.) cut up whole chicken- 3 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil
- 1. Combine chicken and buttermilk in a large nonmetal bowl; cover and chill 8 to 12 hours. Drain chicken, discarding buttermilk.
- 2. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine salt and pepper; sprinkle half of salt mixture over chicken. Combine remaining salt mixture and flour in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Place 2 pieces of chicken in bag; seal bag, and shake to coat. Remove chicken. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.
- 3. Pour oil to depth of 1/4 inch in a large skillet. Fry chicken pieces, in 2 batches, in hot oil over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until browned. Place chicken on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan.
- 4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until done.
- http://www.myrecipes.com/
Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken
Recipe revised and updated. Originally posted Aug, 2006.Chicken cacciatore is an Italian dish of chicken braised in a tomato-based sauce and often includes wild mushrooms. It is frequently referred to as “hunter style” as the word cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. Why “hunter” style? One story is that if a hunter came home empty-handed, his wife would kill a chicken for the meal instead.When I first experimented with this recipe, I made it without mushrooms or bell peppers, which are often included in chicken cacciatore. Since then, I’ve come to enjoy the dish with mushrooms and bell peppers so have updated the recipe to reflect those additions. If you prefer it without one or both of these ingredients, please feel free to leave them out. Many people also add green olives or capers which would be great additions as well.Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken) Recipe
This recipe calls for added wine, which is traditional. It does add to the flavor. If you have a dietary restriction that prohibits wine, just omit.INGREDIENTS
- One 4 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces, trimmed of excess fat (or 3 1/2 to 4 pounds of chicken thighs, bone in, skin on)
- Salt
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced root to tip, about 1 1/2 cups
- 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded, sliced into 1/4-inch wide slices
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup white or red wine
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups peeled and chopped, firm ripe tomatoes, with their juices, or 1 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes in their juice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped)
METHOD
1 Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Working in batches so that you don't crowd the pan, place the chicken pieces skin side down in the pan. Cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes, then turn over and lightly brown the other side. Remove chicken to a bowl, set aside. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat. If you have less than 2 Tbsp of fat in the pan, add more olive oil until you have about that much oil coating the pan.2 Add the sliced onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms to the pan. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the onions are translucent, and the mushrooms have given up most of their moisture, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook a minute more.3 Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes. Stir in the pepper, thyme, oregano, and about a teaspoon of salt. Test and taste to adjust. Simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes. Place the chicken pieces on top of the tomatoes and onions, skin side up. Lower the heat and cover the skillet with the lid slightly ajar.4 Cook the chicken on a low simmer, turning and basting from time to time. Cook until the thighs are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.Chicken Curry with Poppy Seeds
Chicken curry with poppy seeds is a very popular chicken recipe from Bengal.It is a rich and aromatic curry that makes a wonderful meal for the family. It can be served with plain steamed rice or with chappatis. Enjoy. Happy Cooking ~ Kamakshi
Prep Time : 20 mins Cook Time : 20 mins
Serves : 4-6INGREDIENTSFor the Marination- Chicken 1 Kg cut into desired size pieces
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric (Haldi) powder
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
For the Poppy Seed Paste- 3 tbsp Poppy Seeds ( Khus Khus/ Posto)
- 5-6 Green Chillies ( adjust according to taste)
For the Gravy- 1″ Cinnamon (dalchini) stick
- 3-4 Green Cardamons
- 4-5 Cloves
- 2 Medium Onions, finely chopped
- 2 Medium Tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric (Haldi)
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 3 tbsp Oil
- Salt as per taste
METHOD- Wash and clean the chicken. Cut into desired size pieces. Mix the ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, turmeric and garam masala powder into the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for 30 mins – 1 hr.
- Soak the poppy seeds in half a cup of hot water for 10-15 mins. In a grinder, add the poppy seeds and green chillies and make into a fine paste. Keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the cinnamon stick, green cardamoms and the cloves and stir fry for 10-15 secs. Add the chopped onions and fry till the onions become soft and light pink. Then add the chopped tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes are mushy. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and cook till the oil starts separating from the gravy.
- Add the marinated chicken pieces and mix it well so that the chicken pieces are nicely coated. Fry for another 5-6 mins. Then add the poppy seeds paste and cook for 5-10 mins on low flame. Add a cup of water, cover the pan and cook for another 10 mins till the chicken becomes tender.
- Sprinkle garam masala over the curry, mix well and garnish with chopped coriander/cilantro. Serve with rice or chappatis.
- http://www.gfcookingclub.com
Chicken Stew with Onions, Tomatoes, and Dijon
Chicken Stew with Onions, Tomatoes, and Dijon Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole head garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- One 3-4 pound whole chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces (2 breasts, wings, thighs, legs)
- 6 medium red onions (about 2 pounds)
- One 28 to 32 ounce can good quality whole peeled tomatoes, drained
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- A pinch of chile powder
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 3 Tbsp old-fashioned whole seed Dijon mustard (or 1/4 cup regular Dijon mustard)
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 400°F.2 Remove the papery outer layers of the garlic bulb, leaving intact the skins of the individual cloves. Cut 1/4 to a 1/2 inch off the tops of cloves, exposing the individual garlic cloves. Place the head of garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle some olive oil over the garlic, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Wrap the head of garlic with the aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the flesh of the cloves are light brown and feel quite soft when pressed. Set aside to cool. (See how to roast garlic.)3 While the garlic is roasting, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (with lid) or Dutch oven, on medium high heat. Rinse the chicken pieces in cold water then pat dry with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper.Brown the chicken pieces, starting them skin-side down, cooking them a few minutes on each side, working in batches so that you don't crowd the pan.4 While the chicken is browning, peel and quarter the onions. Remove chicken from pan when nicely golden with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Discard any fat and oil beyond about 1 Tbsp left in the pan. Put the onions in the pot and cook them until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.5 Add the tomatoes to the pot, the thyme, bay leaves, and ground chile powder. Put the chicken pieces on top of the tomatoes. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 40 minutes, stirring from time to time so that the vegetables don't stick.6 After the garlic has cooled enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted garlic from the cloves into a small bowl and crush with a fork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to serve with the chicken stew.7 When the chicken has cooked, add the mustard to the pot and stir to blend. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to cling to the meat. Remove bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.Serve stew over rice or pasta, with the garlic paste on the side.Ancho Chile, Shrimp, and Pasta
Ancho Chile, Shrimp, and Pasta Recipe
If you don't have access to ancho chiles, you can steer more to the Italian side and just use 1/4 teaspoon of red chili flakes to brighten up this dish.INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces long, thin pasta such as spaghetti or fettucini
- Salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (grapeseed or canola)
- 3 thinly sliced cloves garlic
- 1 ounce (about 2 medium to large) dried ancho chiles, rinsed, seeded and deveined
- 1/2 pound 21-25 count raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed, the shrimp pieces cut into thirds
- Black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Lime or lemon juice, fresh squeezed
METHOD
1 Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta when you start this recipe. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. While the water is coming to a boil and while the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe as follows.2 Heat oil in a small skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add sliced garlic. Cook until lightly browned, then remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.3 Thinly slice the ancho chiles (can chiffonade as you would with basil, just roll up into a cigar shape and slice crosswise). Add the sliced chiles to the hot oil and cook ONLY for 20 to 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the garlic. Do not over-cook the chiles or they will get bitter.4 Add the raw shrimp to the pan with the now chile and garlic infused oil. Increase the heat to high, cook for a couple minutes, stirring frequently, until the shrimp is just turning pink. Remove from heat. Add the shrimp and oil to the bowl with the garlic and chiles.5 Add the drained, cooked pasta to the bowl with the shrimp, garlic, chiles, and oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and toss to combine. To serve, portion out into bowls, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and a little lemon or lime juice.Mom’s Pasta Primavera
The word primavera refers to being served with fresh vegetables; it is from the Italian (alla) primavera, or (in the) spring (style). Pasta primavera is almost always a simple-to-prepare dish using the fresh vegetables of the season. In spring you might make it with asparagus and peas, later in the summer with tomatoes and zucchini. Sometimes it uses a cream sauce, sometimes a marinara sauce, and sometimes, just with some olive oil and shaved Parmesan. The following recipe is how my mother likes to prepare Pasta Primavera – whatever vegetables we have on hand with a little marinara sauce.Mom’s Pasta Primavera Recipe
INGREDIENTS
4 cups of mixed vegetables, for example:- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2x1/2-inch strips
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/2 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/2 red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/2 bell pepper, any color, cut into thin strips
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence
- A sprinkling of garlic salt
- 1/4 cup of spaghetti, marinara, or tomato sauce
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 pound pasta (use rice pasta for gluten-free version)
- Grated Parmesan optional
METHOD
1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for your pasta).2 Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the vegetables, stir to coat with oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until vegetables are just cooked. Turn off heat, but let pan stay on the burner.3 While you are cooking the vegetables, add the dry pasta to the boiling water and follow the cooking instructions for the pasta. You want to time it so that the pasta is done soon after the vegetables.4 Add a 1/4 cup of the spaghetti, marinara, or tomato sauce to the vegetables, along with 1/4 cup of water to thin the sauce. If you are using a prepared spaghetti or marinara sauce, you don't need to add much seasoning, just a 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence, a few sprinkles of garlic salt, and salt and pepper to taste. If you are using a plain tomato sauce, you might want to start out cooking the vegetables by cooking a minced clove of garlic first, and then adding the vegetables, and then add a bit more of the seasoning (to taste). Spaghetti and marinara sauce are already seasoned.5 Once the pasta is ready - cooked but still a bit firm, or al dente - drain the pasta and put it directly into the skillet with the vegetables. Adjust seasoning. Add more sauce if needed. Gently mix in the cherry tomatoes.Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan, if you like. A little bit of chopped fresh basil would go nicely with this as well.Baked Spaghetti
Okay, this is crazy good. Think lasagna, but made with spaghetti noodles instead. Thin spaghetti noodles, actually, or vermicelli. A couple of beaten eggs are tossed in with the cooked noodles (along with grated Parmesan, yum!) and layered just the way you would if you were using lasagna noodles. The egg helps bind the noodles in place so you can easily cut out even rectangles to serve without them falling apart.It’s the perfect thing to serve a hungry teenage boy who is visiting for spring break, who somehow manages to eat his weight every day, who loves to skateboard and can play Minecraft for hours without getting bored. Not that I know anyone like this at all.Baked Spaghetti Recipe
If you don't like mushrooms, please feel free to leave them out. If you love mushrooms, I recommend using shiitake because they are so wonderfully flavorful. Or you could augment creminis with dried porcinis that have been reconstituted in hot water.Save time on prep by chopping the onions and mushrooms while the sausage is cooking, and grating the cheese while the pasta is cooking.INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 lb vermicelli pasta or thin spaghetti
- 1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
- 1/4 pound shiitake or cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups or 24 ounces of marinara or meatless tomato sauce*
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp olive oil plus more for greasing the casserole dish
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
*You can make your own or use a good quality jarred sauce. To make your own, make a double recipe of our basic tomato sauce, blend it smooth to use in this baked spaghetti recipe.METHOD
1 Put a large pot of water on the stove on high heat. Add salt to the water, about 2 Tbsp for 6 quarts of water. While the pasta water is heating, continue with the next steps.2 Break up the sausage into clumps into a large sauté pan. Turn the heat on, to medium. Slowly cook the sausage, breaking it up into smaller pieces with the a wooden spoon. The slow cooking will help the fat render out. Cook until the sausage is cooked through, no longer pink anywhere, and lightly browned. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain the fat from the pan (not into your sink or you may clog it!)3 Add the chopped onions and mushrooms to the pan. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent and the mushrooms have given up some of their liquid. Add the minced garlic and red chili pepper flakes, and cook a minute more.4 Add the marinara sauce and the 1 1/2 cups of water to the pan with the onions and mushrooms. Add the sausage back to the pan. Add the Italian seasoning and chopped parsley. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to a very low simmer on the lowest simmer setting on your stovetop. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or so while you make the pasta.5 By this time your pasta water in step one should be boiling. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, uncovered, at a rolling boil, for 5 to 6 minutes, al dente. Note that the pasta will continue to cook and absorb some of the sauce when it is in the casserole dish in the oven, so the pasta should be al dente. When ready, drain the pasta and rinse in cold water.6 Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, then the Parmesan, then 2 beaten eggs. It's easiest to do this with your (clean) hands.7 Preheat your oven to 350°F. Rub the inside of a 13x9 inch casserole dish (a Pyrex dish works great) with olive oil. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the casserole dish.8 Place half of the pasta in an even layer in the casserole dish. Cover with half of the sauce. Then dot the sauce with all of the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle half of the Mozzarella over the ricotta layer. Layer again with the remaining pasta, the remaining sauce, and the remaining Mozzarella.9 Cover with foil and bake for 40 min at 350°F. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce
A favorite from the archives. A new post and recipe will be up soon, I promise! ~EliseAll I had to do was read the ingredient list of this recipe and my father was half-way out the door to the store to buy the fettuccini. Normally either one of “a pound of Italian sausage” or “a cup of whipping cream” is enough to pique his interest. Both together and the recipe takes on its own gravitational force. “Make me… make me..”Even better than trying out a great new (to us) recipe is having a delightful guest with whom to share it. Fellow food blogger Chip Brantley of CookThink happened to be driving through Sacramento tonight and popped by for dinner. I can happily report that this recipe goes quite well with 2 bottles of full-bodied red wine, 4 hungry people, and stimulating (to us) conversation about growing stone fruit.Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1/2 pound spicy or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 Tbsp dried sage
- 3/4 pound fettuccine
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
METHOD
1 Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add sausages and sauté until no longer pink, breaking up the sausages a bit, about 5 minutes. Add cream; simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices. Add sage. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.2 Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.3 Return pasta to same pot; add sauce. Toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with cheese and serve.Italian Sausage Spaghetti
Italian Sausage Spaghetti Recipe
This spaghetti recipe is light on the sauce, which is more typical of how spaghetti is actually served in Italy. If you would like more sauce, you may want to thin it with water, or add more canned tomatoes to the sauce.INGREDIENTS
- 1 large (7 to 8 inch link) Italian sweet sausage
- 1 large Italian hot and spicy sausage
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3/4 large (28 oz) can of whole tomatoes
- Olive oil
- 1 lb (16 oz) spaghetti pasta
- Salt
- Grated Parmesan cheese
METHOD
The Sauce:
Take the Italian sausage meat out of the sausage casings. Break up into pieces and mix the sweet and spicy sausage meats together. Brown the sausage meat in a large skillet on medium high or high heat with a little olive oil. In a separate skillet sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Purée the tomatoes in a blender, add to the skillet with the sausage meat. Add the cooked onions and garlic.The Pasta
Fill an 8-quart or larger stock pot at least half full with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add a tablespoon of salt. Slowly add the pasta, stirring to prevent clumping. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil again. Cook, uncovered, with a fairly vigorous boil, for as long as the directions on the pasta package say, usually about 10-12 minutes. When pasta is al dente (cooked but still a little firm), remove the pot from the heat. Add a cup or two of cold water to the pasta to stop the cooking. Drain the water from the pasta through a colander. Place the pasta in a serving bowl.Serve immediately. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.Banana Sheet Cake
Banana Sheet Cake Recip
Here's a tip, leave the cream cheese and butter for the frosting out while you make the cake, that way they will be softened by the time the cake is cooled and ready to frost. This cake is on the sweet side (it is a cake after all). If you are trying to cut sugars, you may want to experiment dropping the sugar in the cake mixture by a half cup and cutting the amount of frosting in half.INGREDIENTS
Cake- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- The scraped insides of one vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of mashed ripe bananas (2 large or 3 medium bananas)
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
Frosting- 6 ounces cream cheese, room temp
- 4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temp
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) . In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.2 Beat together in a mixer the butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla and mashed bananas.3 Mix in half of the flour mixture, then the sour cream, then the other half of the flour mixture.4 Spread batter evenly in a greased 10x15 baking pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and the surface bounces back when you press it with your finger. Cool completely before frosting.5 To make the frosting, mix all of the ingredients together with an electric mixer. If too stiff to spread, add a teaspoon or two of water. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake and slice to serve.Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This pineapple upside-down cake is one of my father’s favorite recipes (he’ll look for almost any excuse to make it). The cake is wonderfully dense, with a slight almond flavor and with sweetness from caramel and pineapple. Dad has recently changed the way he makes the caramel topping, so I’ve added this alternative approach as an addendum to the instructions.Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Topping:*- 1 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 can (20 oz) of pineapple slices
Cake:- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 6 Tbsp cake flour
- 6 Tbsp of ground almonds (from about 2 oz of whole almonds)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups of sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
METHOD
1 Start by making the caramel topping. Take brown sugar and butter and combine and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly, this should take several minutes. (After sugar melts, don't stir.) Pour mixture into a 10 inch diameter stick-free cake pan with 2 inch high sides. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer ontop of the caramel mixture.2 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk the flours, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition. Pour cake batter over caramel and pineapple in pan.3 Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.Makes 12 to 14 servings.* Note an alternative topping that my father is favoring these days. 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup butter. Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium until all sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Boil until syrup becomes warm amber in color (about 10 minutes). Add 1/4 cup butter, carefully as it will foam up a bit. Swirl the pan so that the butter is all incorporated, stirring with a wooden spoon if necessary. Remove from heat and pour out into cake pan. Continue with recipe as noted.Blueberry Frozen Yogurt
“Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Recipe
Frozen blueberries work great for this recipe.INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (about 1 1lb)
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet your blueberries are, and how sweet you want the result to be)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups full fat plain yogurt (full fat yogurt is preferred, if you use low-fat or non-fat yogurt, substitute 1/4 cup of it with heavy whipping cream)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
METHOD
1 Place the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring, until all of the sugar has dissolved. While the mixture is heating, use a potato masher to mash up the blueberries. When all of the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.If you want a smooth result, you can process the cooled mixture in a food processor, or skip, in which case you'll have pieces of blueberries which can add flavorful texture to the frozen yogurt.2 Stir in the yogurt and milk until completely incorporated. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) until completely cold.3 Process the blueberry yogurt mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions (usually about 25 minutes). Serve immediately (it will be soft) or let it firm up a bit by freezing it for several hours.Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This pineapple upside-down cake is one of my father’s favorite recipes (he’ll look for almost any excuse to make it). The cake is wonderfully dense, with a slight almond flavor and with sweetness from caramel and pineapple. Dad has recently changed the way he makes the caramel topping, so I’ve added this alternative approach as an addendum to the instructions.Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Topping:*- 1 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 can (20 oz) of pineapple slices
Cake:- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 6 Tbsp cake flour
- 6 Tbsp of ground almonds (from about 2 oz of whole almonds)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups of sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
METHOD
1 Start by making the caramel topping. Take brown sugar and butter and combine and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly, this should take several minutes. (After sugar melts, don't stir.) Pour mixture into a 10 inch diameter stick-free cake pan with 2 inch high sides. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer ontop of the caramel mixture.2 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk the flours, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition. Pour cake batter over caramel and pineapple in pan.3 Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.Makes 12 to 14 servings.* Note an alternative topping that my father is favoring these days. 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup butter. Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium until all sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Boil until syrup becomes warm amber in color (about 10 minutes). Add 1/4 cup butter, carefully as it will foam up a bit. Swirl the pan so that the butter is all incorporated, stirring with a wooden spoon if necessary. Remove from heat and pour out into cake pan. Continue with recipe as noted.
Pork Curry with Iskus
Prep Time : 10 mins Cook Time : 15 mins
Serves : 6INGREDIENTS- 1 Kg Pork , cut into medium size cubes
- 4 Medium size , Chayote Squash ( Iskus) cut into big chunky pieces ( I just make 4 chunks out of 1 Iskus)
- 2 Large Onions, finely diced or made into a paste
- 7 Cloves of Garlic, finely diced
- 2 tsp Ginger Paste
- 3 Medium Tomatoes , finely diced
- 1 tsp Turmeric (Haldi)
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
METHOD- In a pressure cooker, first add the pork meat. On top of the meat , layer with the chopped onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes.
- Sprinkle chill powder, turmeric and salt on top and add 1 cup of water.
- Cover the pressure cooker and cook for 10 mins till the meat becomes tender.
- Switch of the gas, release the steam from the cooker and open the pressure cooker. The gravy will be watery when you check the meat. Add the chunks of Iskus to the meat, mix well. Put the pressure cooker cover again and pressure cook for another 10 mins. No additional water is required.
- Switch of the gas and let the pork and Iskus steam inside the pressure cooker. After 5-10 mins , open the cooker , gentle mix so that the iskus pieces do not become mushy.
- Serve hot with plain rice.
