Monday, January 25, 2010

savory latkes


I added serrano pepper to a basic latkes recipe for a little added heat and topped with sautéed onions, sour cream, salsa and fresh cilantro.

Latkes (or potato pancakes)

4 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
1 med. onion, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. baking soda
1-2 garlic cloves
1 serrano pepper, seeded
fat for frying

1. Wash potatoes and peel them. Let rest in cold water for at least one hour or overnight.
2. Grate potatoes with a fine grater and press to squeeze out excess liquid (use an old kitchen towel or paper towels). Peel and grate the onion into the potatoes.
3. In mini-chopper, beat egg, garlic, serrano pepper, salt, pepper, and baking soda. Add to potatoes and onions and mix well.
4. Heat fat (butter, oil...) in a large skillet and add one spoonful of the mixture for each pancake. They should not be too thick. Cook gently until golden brown on the bottom, urn and brown other side. Add more fat as necessary.
5. Serve with sour cream, salsa, sautéed onions, and fresh cilantro.

Monday, January 4, 2010

leftover curry (wink)

I love curries and challenged myself to learn to cook it last year. It was a bumpy road (why, oh why?) but I finally became confident enough to share one with you. This was made of items I already had on hand and isn't based on any established recipe. This combo relies heavily on winter vegetables and mausman curry paste. Bon appetite!

Leftover Curry
1 T. grapeseed oil (or other high smoke point oil)
1 small onion, chopped (100 g)
1 large potato, chopped (285 g)
1 carrot, sliced (70 g)
1 inch ginger, grated (11 g)
4 large cloves garlic, minced (16 g)
1 c. coconut milk
1 c. water
50 g. curry paste, mausman
150 g. chickpeas, cooked
75 g. spinach, frozen
1-2 T. fish sauce
2 T. honey

1. Open windows to get a cross breeze (my smoke detector usually goes off when making curry). Prepare all ingredients - dicing, mincing, and measuring. I like to use my mini chopper for garlic and ginger. You don't have much time when using a wok and need to prepare everything in advance!

2. Preheat wok. When hot add grapeseed oil (one of the highest temp oils) and 'roll' around interior of wok. Add onions and cook until soft. Add potatoes and carrots and cook until until browned. Add grated ginger and minced garlic (or using mini-chopper!). Cook briefly until scented.

3. Add coconut milk and an equal amount of water. Stir well and add curry paste. Stir to dissolve into liquid. Add chickpeas and spinach. Add fish sauce (which smells awful, but adds umami) and honey. Most recipes call for sugar, but I prefer honey. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Serve with brown rice.