Saturday, December 17, 2011

Indian Curried Shrimp

My co-worker Katie introduced me to this recipe and I have made it a few times since I got it. I must admit that I’m a bit addicted! This recipe is super easy to make and takes very little time and ingredients, while yielding amazing flavor. The only call out is that you must use Indian chili powder, which is much like cayenne pepper.

Indian Curried Shrimp

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 large yellow or red onion diced small (or 2 small onions if needed)

1 tablespoon ginger, finely minced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)

1 teaspoon red Indian chili powder (you have to use Indian red chili or the taste will be altered and you can add more or less to taste)

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt (or too taste)

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 pound shrimp (shelled and deveined)

chopped cilantro, for garnish

Steamed Rice

Heat oil in large skilled over medium heat, add onions and cook until just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Next add ginger and garlic, continue to sauté over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until garlic is cooked and fragrant.

Add Chili powder, cumin and salt, cook another 5 minutes, while stirring often to keep the onions from burning.

Add tomatoes, and continue to cook for 15 minutes until sauce is a rich dark red color. Add shrimp and cook until bright pink and cooked through.

Serve immediately over rice with a generous amount of parsley as garnish.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Boef Bourguignon

I love this dish, but hate waiting hours for it to cook, so I created this quick cook version, which is just as good. Using steak instead of a pot roast enables you to cook the meat quickly, while the demi glace provides that deep rich flavor you would normally get from a slow roasting method.

Boef Bourguignon


¼ Pound Bacon, diced


4 NY Steaks, about 12 ounces each


3 Cloves Garlic, minced


1 Bottle Good Chianti Wine


3 Cups Beef Stock


2 Tablespoons Double Concentrated Tomato Paste


2 Teaspoons Beef Demi Glace (I use Williams Sonoma Brand)


1 Bouquet Garni (3 sprigs each of thyme, rosemary, and oregano)


1 Pound Frozen Pearl Onions


8 Large Carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices, on a diagonal


Unsalted Butter, at room temperature


2 Tablespoons flour


2 Pounds Crimini Mushrooms, sliced ½ inch thick


1 Bunch Parsley


2 Tablespoons Thyme, minced



Heat a large heavy bottom paan on high heat, with 3 tablespoons oil until smoking. Add steaks and cook until seared on each side and medium rare, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and cover with aluminum foil.


In the same pan, sauté the bacon on medium heat, until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside. Drain fat, except 2 tablespoons from the pan.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with the Chianti wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping all browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Next add the beef stock, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

Add onions and carrots, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, until the vegetables are tender (about 25 minutes).


With a fork combine the 2 tablespoons butter and flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce, continue cooking until sauce is thickened and glossy.


Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms separately in 2 tablespoons butter, until browned and tender.
 Add the steaks, mushrooms, and bacon to the pan, cover and reheat steaks gently for 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.