Easy chicken seekh kebabs

These kebabs have become a staple in our family. They are so easy to make and taste so yummy. They don't last more than a day in our house.I tend to use ground chicken breast but you can use any minced meat. To keep the ground chicken breast moist and to help bind the meat, I use butter. The butter helps to keep the meat from drying out and it also keeps the meat from falling apart. Traditionally, seekh kebabs are made on skewers but since I don't have the time or patience for that, I just shape them into logs. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground meat (I use chicken breast) bring to room temperature
2 tbs butter, softened
1 medium sized onion, chopped
3 tbs chopped cilantro
1 tbs garlic paste (If you don't have, make paste out of 2 cloves garlic, little water, and a little vinegar)
1 tsp ginger paste (If you don't have, make paste out of 1/2 ginger, little water, and a little vinegar)
1 tsp dried mint (optional)
1 tsp red chili powder ( i prefer Kashmiri. It is less spicy and adds a better flavor.)
1 tsp garam masala
1-2 green chili, minced (optional)
salt to taste (I like to use smoked sea salt. Gives it a nice smokey flavor. If you do not have, you can use regular table salt of kosher salt) 
Preparation :
Place ground meat in a bowl. Make sure you dry any excess water from meat with a paper towel. This will  keep your seekh kebabs from falling apart. Add all ingredients and mix. Once all ingredients have been incorporated, take a little bit of meat mixture and pan fry.

Make sure salt and spices are to your liking. Once you have your seasonings set, shape into logs.

Heat up grill on high for 5 -10 minutes or use a grill pan. Lower heat to medium high and place seekh kebabs on grill/pan. Cook for approx. 10 minutes.

Samosa Pinwheels

Sorry neglected blog. I am trying very hard to remember to take pictures of food I make. I finally remembered to take a picture of my samosa pinwheels! Yeah! These are easy appetizers if you have the ingredients on hand. I like to take shortcuts and buy frozen cooked potatoes in a bag and puff pastry. Makes life easier when you have company coming over. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry sheets (contains 2 sheets), thaw according to instructions
1 egg and 1 tbs water, mixed

3-4 potatoes (peeled, cubed, and cooked) I like to use frozen cooked and cubed potatoes.
2 tbs oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup green peas (if using frozen, thaw before using)
1 green chili (optional), chopped
3 tbs chopped cilantro leaves
4-5 tbs water
1.5 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds*
1/2 tsp dried mint
2 tbs lemon juice

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease.

Heat pan with oil. Add onions until brown around edges. Add peas, cilantro and chili. Add water so that the peas cook. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until peas are cooked through. There should  be no water left in pan. If the water dries out before the peas are cooked and more water. Add potatoe and spices to the pan. Mix together. Add lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust spices accordingly. Once mixture has cooled, roll out puff pastry. Spread mixture on puff pastry. Roll puff pastry from shortest end to top making sure to roll tight. You should have enough potato mixture for both rolls of puff pastry. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry. Cut rolls into slices and place on cookie sheets. Brush pinwheel tops with egg wash. Bake in oven for 20 -25 minutes until golden brown.

I like to serve the pinwheels with Cheesecake Factory's tamarind cashew chutney. They sell it in a bottle and it is yum!

*To make roasted cumin seeds, heat a small pan and add 2 tsp cumin seeds. Roast seeds until they become dark and fragrant. Once cooled, grind in a coffee grinder. Store leftovers in a container.

South African Milk Tart or Melktert

Over the holidays my aupair, who is from South Africa, had eggnog for the first time. When she tasted it, she told me that it reminded her of a dessert they make called Melktert which translates to milk tart. Now, an eggnog pie sounded very interesting to me. She was very kind to make the milk tart and share the recipe. Try it out for yourself. It is yummy!

Ingredients:
9 inch prepared pie crust
3 tbs. butter, melted
1 cup sugar
3 egg, separated
1 cup self rising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups whole milk
cinnamon for dusting

Preparation:
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Mix together butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg yolks and  beat until light in color. Sift self rising flour and add to sugar,egg,butter mixture. Mix in the vanilla and milk.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Fold into milk batter.
4. Pour into prepared pie crust.
5. Bake for for 50 - 60 minutes until the center is set.
6. Sprinkle cinnamon over pie and serve.

It can be served warm or cold. I prefer it cold.

Reshmi Kebab

Wow... this blog stuff is hard work. Unfortunately, I make so many things and I forget to post pictures and recipes. Today, I actually remembered to take a picture of what I made!

Today's recipe was inspired by an Indian buffet that my family and I went to yesterday for lunch. They had reshmi kebabs in their buffet and fortunately for me, my 4 year old gobbled it up. I was able to get him to eat lunch without begging him to eat. The stars, the sun, and moon must have been aligned right because he even ate salad with it! For those of you who don't know what reshmi kebab is, it is a milder, tender kebab than tandoori chicken tikka kebab. Because of the special marinade, the kebab is so soft and tender that the name literally means silky.

I used chicken but this recipe also works great with lamb, steak or shrimp. The following is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 8 blanched almonds
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 inch of ginger root, peeled
• 1 cup of cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 pounds of chicken breast, cubed

Directions:
Add first 4 ingredients (if using jalapeno, add that as well) into a food processor and blend until smooth. Empty into a non-reactive bowl. Add lemon juice and incorporate. Add cream, salt and incorporate. Add chicken and mix until chicken is covered with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap. For best results, marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

Preheat a grill pan or your grill on high heat. Lightly grease and place chicken on top. Cook chicken until cooked through.

***Note: I didn't use skewers but placed the chicken directly on a grill pan. I sprayed the grill pan with Pam and preheated the grill pan on high heat. I covered the pan and cooked the chicken for 3 - 5 minutes on each side. Don't overcook! It doesn't take long to cook the chicken so be careful not to overcook otherwise your chicken will be dry.

Serve with lemon wedges and naan.

I've been featured on Nothing but FABULOSITY

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have been featured on Nothing but FABULOSITY. Check out Chara's blog  or visit http://www.nothingbutfabulousity.com/2010/08/spice-spice-baby-giveaway.html to find out how you can win a free Indian spice kit.

When life throws you a lemon, you make lemon pepper salmon!

I went to get my yearly checkup and I was in shock because my cholesterol has gone up! My husband has been bugging me about eating more salmon. Personally, I am not a big fan of salmon. I know many people out there LOVE salmon. I just can't get past the fishy taste. I am not a huge fan of COOKED fish. I don't know why... give it to me raw and I LOVE it! I don't find sushi to taste fishy. Anyway... back to my cholesterol. My husband successfully lowered his cholesterol by eating salmon and avocados with red wine at least 3 days a week. I decided to give it a try and it wasn't too bad. I seasoned my salmon with lemon pepper (this is my own personal blend that can be found at http://spicespicebaby.etsy.com/) and olive oil. Baked it in the oven for 30 minutes. While that was baking, I took an avocado and mashed it. Squeezed some lime in the mash and then seasoned it with my citrus lemongrass finishing salt (again - http://spicespicebaby.etsy.com/)! It tasted amazing. I think I might change my opinion about salmon...

Mango Salsa

This is a great and quick appetizer. I had some last minute guests come over for dinner and decided to have a barbeque. This sweet,tart,spicy salsa makes this dish perfect for summer barbeques. I like to pour the mango salsa over some softened cream cheese to make it more dip like. It's great served with tortilla chips and tastes amazing over burgers. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded, and diced (If you cannot find a RIPE mango, substitute with a ripe papaya)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbs finely chopped jalapeno
• 2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 8 0z cream cheese, softened (optional)

Combine mango, jalapeno, green bell pepper,onions, and garlic in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the vinegar, cilantro and salt and stir well. Adjust seasoning to taste. If using cream cheese, pour over cream cheese to create a dip. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies or pita chips.
The salsa can be made up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated tightly covered.