My friends Tim and Mary invited me to prepare dinner for Tim’s business friends. Since it was a working week night, we selected dishes that could be served in about 2 hours. Mary prepared Thai Chicken Barbeque for appetizers, Cream of Asparagus Soup for the starting course, and Creme Brulee for dessert. I prepared the main courses which consisted of: Pan-Seared Steaks with a Mustard Sauce, Pan-Seared Scallops and Prawns with a Spinach, Arugula and Orange Salad, Fingerling Potatoes With Aioli, and Carrots and Parsnips Braised in Butter.
Archive for Meat:Cooked
Beef Short Ribs with Tomatoes, Roasted Poblanos and Herbs (Costillas de Res a la Mexicana)
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The Latin American grocery store in our town had a thin cut of beef ribs which we prepared into Costillas de Res a la Mexicana, braised in a charming sauce of poblano peppers. |
Shahi Sabz Korma (Royal Braised Vegetables in Cardamom Nut Sauce)
This week, we prepared two dishes that use milk.
Earlier in the week, we made paneer, an Indian cheese, with just boiled milk and lemon juice. We also prepared a cardamom spice mixture called Mughal garam masala.
Then today, we cooked potatoes, carrots, and turnips in a rich liquid mixture of sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, jalapeño peppers, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, almonds, yoghurt, the paneer, cream, and Mughal garam masala. The dish is called Shai Sabz Korma. The term “Korma” refers to “braising” in Indian cooking.
For desert, we boiled shredded carrots in milk and cardamom, pan-fried the carrots with a buttered oil and sugar, and then mixed in golden raisins and pistachio nuts. The dish is called Carrot Halva. The term “Halva” refers to a sweet confection.
Here are the recipes for Paneer, Mughal Garam Masala, Royal Braised Vegetables, and Carrot Halva.
Virginia’s Turkish Party
We were invited to a Turkish-inspired dinner party. We brought a Turkish Carrot Soup and Stuffed Sweet Peppers. Here are the recipes for the Turkish Carrot Soup and the Stuffed Sweet Peppers.
Stir-Fry
Today, we stir-fried vegetables and chicken.
| First, we prepared bell peppers, lightly seasoned with salt and sugar, |  |
| then, spinach with garlic, |  |
| and finally, a medley of vegetables with chicken. |
Here are the recipes.
Tim and Mary Indian Party
We prepared an Indian dinner with Tim’s and Mary’s family to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. The centerpieces were Chicken Tikka Masala, a tomato-based curry, and Andi’s Chicken Curry, the classic yellow curry with carrots and potatoes.
We also prepared Lentils With Garlic Butter, Cauliflower Fritters, Whole Eggs In Tangy Tomato Sauce, Plain Steamed Basmati Rice, and Yoghurt Sauce.
Tomatillo
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Today, we prepared two dishes with tomatillo, a green vegetable with a thin brown husk and a relative of the tomato. First, we stewed chicken Mexican-style with a green sauce that was thickened with pumpkinseeds. Second, we prepared a spicy green salsa. |
Here are the recipes.
Thai Eggplant, Red Peppers, and Meatballs
Today, we prepared three dishes.
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First, we prepared Thai Eggplant with a spicy green curry sauce and coconut milk. |
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Next, we stewed a colorful assortment of sweet peppers in a classical Italian dish called Peperonata. |
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Finally, we prepared Polpete, Italian meatballs, with a combination of ground pork and beef, flavored with parmesan cheese. |
Here are the recipes.
Tamales
Today, we concluded our Mexican series with two types of tamales — a savory tamale filled with pork in a red chile sauce, and a sweet tamale filled with banana in coconut cream. Earlier in the week, Señora Carmen showed us how to make them.
Since making tamales involves assembly work, it is ideal to prepare them in the company of friends. We were fortunate to have Marina and Nazish help us.
Here are the recipes.
Luigi Cooks 