Pan Grilled Basil & Garlic Chicken Breast on a bed of Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

It's the 4th of July weekend and since all my plans of going out got shelved, I hit the kitchen to try something new. I wanted to have grilled chicken breasts and also wanted to make wasabi mashed potatoes. Then this wild idea struck me . . . why not combine the two.
It did not come about without delays and hurdles. Firstly, to figure out if this really translates to something good. This meant giving a call to India and consulting my dear friend Vaneet. Vaneet is a chef and loves to play with flavors and food. I'll probably feature him on the blog someday ...the problem is getting him to cook for the blog. Then came the problem of ingredients. I hit the Target store and found out they have no wasabi. Macy's food court was out of Wasabi too. However, their sushi chef was kind enough to give me some (Actually he gave me quite a bit). Last problem was the sensitive fire alarm in my suite. I didn't want the whole hotel to know I pan grilled some good food. (now Blackberry's camera is not a hurdle anymore ...I have learnt to live with it).
In the end it all came together quite well. I cut the chicken breasts into two initially not knowing if I'll be able to eat the whole thing, but in the end I polished off everything. And by the way, Happy 4th of July.




Pan Grilled Basil & Garlic Chicken Breast



Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts, boned - 2
Basil leaves - 4
Minced Garlic- 3 Tblsp
Red Chili powder - 1 Tblsp
Onions, finely chopped - 1
Black peppercorns, coarsely powdered - 2 Tblsp
Parsley, finely chopped - 2 Tblsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
Olive Oil - 3 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste


Method:
1. Run the chicken breasts with the spices and salt. Leave aside.
2. Finely chop the basil leaves till they almost start resembling a paste form.
3. In a large bowl, combine the finely chopped basil leaves, minced garlic, chopped onion, olive oil.
4. Marinate the chicken breasts in the basil and garlic mixture made above. Leave aside for an hour.

5. Heat the Pan on flame for about 5 minutes.
6. Add in the chicken breasts and grill for about 10 minutes, or till the breasts are done.



Wasabi Mashed Potatoes


Ingredients:
Potatoes, peeled and roughly cut - 3
Milk - 1/2 Cup
Wasabi powder - 1 Tblsp
Butter - 2 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste



Method:
1. Place the potatoes in a pan of water. Add in salt and boil till they are tender.
2. Drain and mash them.
3. In a bowl dissolve wasabi powder into milk.
4. Add this wasabi mixture and butter to the masged potatoes.
5. Mix well with a fork to remove lumps and mix wasabi evenly.
6. Adjust seasoning.

Chaamp Masala (Mutton/Lamb Chops Indian Style)

The last 3 weeks have been an overdose of rich tandoori Indian food, kind courtesy visits to restaurants almost every second day. This recipe has been an after effect of those visits and as I write this post, I am already planning to recreate the Burrah Kabab that is served in Bukhara and the Kurkuri Bhindi from Vedas.

Chaamp Masala

Ingredients

Mutton/Lamb Chops - 500 gm
Yogurt - 1 Cup
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Coriander Powder- 2 Tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 2 Tsp
Green Chillies, chopped finely - 2
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 3 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - For Basting
Brown Onion Paste - 1/2 Cup
Lemon Juice - 2 Tblsp
Amchur Powder (Raw Mango Powder) - 1 Tsp, for sprinkling before serving.
Onion Rings - For Garnish

Method:
1. Clean and trim the mutton/lamb chops.
2. Whisk together yogurt, brown onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, Red Chili powder, garam masala powder, green chillies and salt. Chill.
3. Rub the chops with coriander powder and marinate in lemon juice for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, marinate the chops in the yogurt mixture for 2 hours.
5. Put the chops on a hot plate and cook. You can alternately cook them on a grill or a pan too.
6. Sprinkle amchur powder before serving. Garnish with onion rings and serve with mint chutney.

Cauliflower Curry

There has been a long silence on this blog. I have since my last post hardly felt like entering the kitchen and most of my free time has been spent catching up cricket on TV. Though there has been a lot of eating out at restaurants, no dish worth mentioning out here has made its way out of the family kitchen. Till today. Finally, despite the summer heat encouraging me to continue in the cool environs of the house and avoid the kitchen heat, I made it to the kitchen and tried my hand at something.

Cauliflower Curry Ingredients:

Cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets - 1
Onion Paste - 200 gm
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 20 gm
Cashew Paste - 100 gm
Poppy Seed Paste - 50 gm
Tomato Paste - 100 gm
Coconut, grated - 20 gm
Red Chili Powder - 10 gm
Turmeric Powder- 5 gm
Cumin Powder - 10 gm
Coriander Powder - 10 gm
Bay Leaf - 1
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 100 ml

Method:
1. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the bay leaf.
2. Add in the onion paste. Saute till golden brown.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste.
4. Add the red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder & turmeric powder.
5. Add the tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add poppy seed paste & cashew paste.
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add the cauliflower florets. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add the grated coconut.
10. Add 1 cup of water. cook and bring to boil.
11. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add salt.
12. Cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from flame and serve hot.

Goan Escapades (Part 2) - Portuguese style Goan Chicken Pulao

The worst part of flying is the long layover times. Sometimes they extend so long that you really do not know what to do. It becomes extremely irritating if you are travelling alone. Time does not seem to fly and the airports ( the duty frees, the lounges) seem to be losing their charm. I think Hotels will do good business if they organise some cooking classes on the local cuisine at these international airports ( pay & learn). I'm sure dead bored travellers like me who almost everytime have a long layover, will attend these classes. Let me know what you think about this idea and incase it does get incorporated remember where you read it first. I'm writing this post during one such long layover ( 4 hours ...fairly long for me). It pays to have such posts up your sleeve to tide over long layovers ( longer and you might have seen 2 of them). It is the sequel to my first goan escapades. My colleague and neighbour ( our cabins in office are next to each other), Dan, had this video, as I had used his camera to shoot it. He had since gone on a long vacation and returned a few weeks back. What makes this post exciting is the fact, that in my previous post, we cooked (as in the Chef) some nicy spicy Balchao. Most people associate goan food to being fiery, with lots of tangy flavors. The chicken pulao in this post, shatters this.

Stuffed Peppers

I have never hated flying and so much and I have never loved coming back to a hotel so much as I did last evening. My trip to Florida and Washington had been so exhaustive that everytime I needed to catch a plane, I dreaded it. Thankfully, I'm back in Minneapolis and looking forward to the weekend.

To celebrate the weekend I made myself some stuffed peppers. It took me no time to make them and once I was done with the plating, I raised a glass of wine to myself quitely and bit into one of them. They tasted so good, I had to raise the next glass to my creations. I used some spanish rice with squid salad on the sides.

If these look appealing to you, wait till you hear my plan for the weekend. I plan to make some Chile Rellenos with an Indian twist on Sunday and have been spending my time shopping for the ingredients.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

Bell Peppers - 3

Rice, boiled and drained - 1 Cup

Beef Mince - 1 Cup

Onions, chopped finely - 3 Tblsp

Carrot, chopped fine - 3 Tblsp

Mushrooms, chopped fine - 4 Tblsp

Celery, chopped fine - 3 Tblsp

Garlic, minced - 1 Tsp

Tomatoes, concassed - 3 Tblsp

Cayenne Pepper - 1 Tsp

Thyme - 1 tsp

Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Allspice - 1 Tsp
Basil - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds, powdered - 1/2 tsp

Paprika - 1 tsp

Black Pepper - 2 tsp

Cheese, grated - 3 Tblsp

Salt - To taste

Oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add in garlic and onions. Saute till they turn translucent.

2. Add in the Beef mince. Cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add in the finely chopped vegetables (except tomatoes) and mix well.

4. Add in the spices and mix well.

5. Cook for 7 minutes.

6. Add in the chopped tomatoes. Mix well.

7. Cook till the mixture starts to dry and beef is cooked.

8. Take off flame. Mix in rice and adjust seasoning. Keep aside.

9. Blanch the bell peppers and cut them into halves lengthwise. Deseed and clean them.

10. Fill the bell peppers with the prepared mixture. Press the mixture down as you fill the peppers.

11. After you have filled the peppers till the top, sprinkle grated cheese on top.

12. Place on grill and cook till cheese melts.

13. Cut into further halves (quarters) and serve hot.

Cafe Lurcat - Restaurant Review

Last evening I was at Cafe Lurcat (pronounced Lurr-KAHT) and what blew me away initially was the expansive space the restaurant had. It really made you feel comfortable. The large windows also gave you good feeling as if you were dining outside minus the wind. The ambience was very cool and loungey. The staff was extremely hospitable and small things like the stewardess taking our valet tag and having our car ready outside by the time we got out, really touched.

Cafe Lurcat is a 140 seater new age American food restaurant with a menu that is as stylish as the interiors and a wine list to die for ( it has a selection of 200 wines to choose from).
They have almost everything for everyone. There are different spaces to choose from. You can enjoy yourself at the bar while you wait for your table or can choose a private dining room, if you have a large crowd. It even has a seasonal outdoor seating.
The food selection is good. The crab cakes and stone crab with mustard sauce are ideal starters. The prtion sizes are just right for all the appetizers. The main courses do not dissapoint you at all. I had the Sea Bass marinated in Miso. I had sea bass for lunch the other day(at another restaurant) and was in two minds on whether to order it or not. I did not regret ordering it. You got a decent helping of the sea bass and the flavors were delicately balanced. The scallops were nice and juicy. I haven't such good scallops since my visit to Paris.
The dessert selection is excellent and unique. The triple chocolate cream cake is sinful when you look at eat, but doesn't feel you feeling sick after you have finished it. The carrot cake with cheesecake was a great combination. The only thing about it that stuck with me was the cinnamon flavor which overpowered.
Overall, Cafe Lurcat is a great addition to the Minneapolis culinary scene and is a must visit for all. I'm off to Florida next week and visiting the Cafe Lurcat there is on my agenda of things to do.

Rating

Ambience - 5/5
Food - 5/5
Service - 5/5
Price - 5/5
Overall - 5/5

A Cuppa Zuppa

My parents are crazy over soups. It's not uncommon to walk in at 7:30-8 in the evening and see them having soup and offering you a generous helping of one. I have never taken a liking for soups but love making them.

This week in Minneapolis the weather at the beginning was not too great ..it was fairly windy and chilly...in short the perfect time to make soup. The ingredients required were not too many and I quickly picked up the ones needed to stir up some good Italian style tomato soup. Staying in a suite with kitchen has its advantages and I make it a point during my visits to book myself in one. That way I can eat out when I want to and cook in when I feel like.
Please do not read too much into the photographs. I haven't carried my camera along and these are all courtesy my phone camera. I also take the liberty to attach a few photographs of what I clicked roaming around the downtown area, and it's not too much ...since it's only a office and back to Hotel routine. Maybe I'll explore the city more this weekend and cook up some more delicacies to post. Till then, Bon Apetit or in this case Buon Appetito (In Italian) !!!

Zuppa Di Pomodoro

Ingredients:
Ripe Tomatoes, roughly Cut - 6
Onions, chopped fine - 2
Garlic cloves, crushed - 4
Chicken Stock - 1 Cup (Optional)
Basil leaves, chopped - 3 Tblsp
Thyme Sprigs - 2 Tblsp(Some people use Parsley instead)
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 Tsp
Black Pepper, freshly ground - 3 Tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Salt - To taste
Sugar - 1 Tsp
Olive Oil - 2 Tblsp

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the bayleaf. Fry for a minute.
2. Add in the onions and garlic. Cook till they turn translucent and starting to turn slight golden.
3. Add in the tomatoes, salt, sugar, basil and thyme. Stir.
4. Bring this to a boil. Let the tomatoes cook fully and start to disintegrate.
5. Take the pot off the flame and allow to cool a little.
6. Put the soup in a blender and puree. ( I prefer passing this mixture through a sieve first, to remove seeds and skin).
7. Put the pureed soup back on the flame.
8. Add in the chicken stock. ( Vegetarians can exclude this step).
9. Add in the Black pepper and cayenne pepper. Add in the remaining basil just before taking off flame (2 mins).
10. Serve hot.

Note: You can garnish the soup with some sprinkled grated cheese on top and croutons.