tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14407912239230408922024-02-21T09:53:26.659-08:00saffron and cardamomAdventures in life and food.Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-77910411924568596202012-02-25T20:28:00.000-08:002012-02-29T14:51:44.684-08:00Dinner Impossible and Quick Fire Dinner
We had a "dinner impossible " night at our house this past week. It had been a workday so we were tired and I was completely unmotivated when it came to making dinner. I hadn't been grocery shopping, neither one of us wanted to head back outside into the cold to dine out and the thought of take-out just depressed me. So once again I found myself staring blankly Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-60287545875821112432010-06-12T19:30:00.000-07:002010-06-12T19:51:20.682-07:00Grilled Beef Kabobs
One thing I like most about the warm summer months is the chance to take advantage of the grill. Today we grilled beef kabobs marinated overnight in a scallion-parsley-jalapeno sauce. Not only is it quite tasty, it's also very simple to make. I used top round steak today but I recommend sirloin for a more tender kabob. We enjoyed the kabobs with grilled scallions, grilledSaffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-6781928040012718152010-05-31T14:46:00.000-07:002010-06-13T09:23:44.244-07:00Weekend with my sister
My sister came over Sunday afternoon and stayed until Monday. All we did was go shopping while she was here. And when we weren't shopping we were cooking and eating! In the picture above you'll see what we had for lunch on Sunday, grilled beef burgers with blue cheese and caramelized onions with a side of fries. The addition of blue cheese and caramelized onions to the burgers was her ideaSaffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-33214735035240569992010-05-26T11:20:00.000-07:002010-06-12T19:21:28.355-07:00spicy herb turkey burger
Do you ever purchase herbs for a recipe then end up discarding the unused portion because it wilts in the fridge? I can't stand when that happens, perfectly good produce going to waste. Some herbs I do chop up and freeze for later use like cilantro, parsley, scallions, and chives. I also freeze curry leaves when my mom brings them for me picked from her many plants she has at her home.Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-12549739616938580452010-05-23T16:17:00.000-07:002010-06-12T19:07:13.169-07:00Eggplant
I was not in the mood to cook today but I had an eggplant on the counter which had been purchased two days ago just begging to be cooked. I find that eggplant is one of those foods that I have very limited uses for. Well there is eggplant parmesan and baba ganoush. In our house we also make a guyanese eggplant stew made with potatoes and shrimp, guyanese eggplant choka or what I made today Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-21682921118075609752010-05-19T13:30:00.000-07:002010-06-12T19:40:28.433-07:00Almond milk
Looks like a glass of milk right? It is actually homemade almond milk.
I grew up drinking regular full fat cow’s milk. You know the kind that comes in the big plastic jug with the red cap? About six years ago as I started educating myself about eating organic and eating healthier, I switched to organic fat free milk. Then last year, I started drinking soy milk every morning with my cereal in Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-2292755482182956642010-05-02T14:42:00.000-07:002010-06-12T19:26:07.108-07:00Tacos
Homemade tacos from scratch are so much more satisfying than the store bought variety. If you try to make the tortillas yourself you'll never buy premade again...believe me. I just follow the directions on the back of the masa harina package. It's not difficult at all. I made my beef filling in the Crockpot and topped the tacos with salsa, sliced avocado and grated sharp cheddar cheese. This Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-2808785790797830292010-04-06T18:42:00.000-07:002010-04-07T19:44:48.278-07:00Roast ChickenThis is a very easy recipe for roast chicken. The aroma that wafts through the house as it cooks will make your mouth water. I think the key to this recipe is that once it's in the oven, it should be left alone. When I first started making roast chicken I would open the oven door several times to check on it, baste it, and re-season it. It never turned out right that way. Now that I leave it Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-44763985889360501292010-03-30T10:05:00.000-07:002010-03-30T10:05:01.619-07:00Feeling SadWe've been sad here at saffron and cardamom. See "House & Home" for details.
We're starting to feel a bit better and will be adding a new food post soon.Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-18293737513876630572010-03-14T17:21:00.000-07:002010-04-07T19:41:10.859-07:00NaanI'm a bit nervous about this post. Why you ask? Well, I'm afraid that if anyone tries my recipe for naan they will be very upset with me. Let me explain. The way I make this naan is a bit messy, challenging, definitely unconventional and maybe even dangerous. However, if you try it and stay the course, using the utmost caution during the baking process I think you'll be happy with the end result.Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-39625844366021146972010-03-12T17:16:00.000-08:002010-03-14T15:15:09.233-07:00Vegetable KormaSeveral days ago I was standing in the international food isle at my local supermarket looking for inspiration for my lamb shanks recipe.As I stood browsing through "Spanish" spices, standing just next to me was a woman studying and examining prepackaged "Indian" meals. I had once tried the very same vacuum sealed, ready to eat microwavable meals she was attempting to select from; cardboard boxesSaffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-79894804436719380332010-03-04T16:31:00.000-08:002010-03-14T13:01:33.972-07:00Braised Lamb ShanksI love it when an experimental recipe turns out well. That's what happened last night. I went out on a limb and purchased lamb shanks, a cut of meat that I've never cooked before. I am also using ancho chilies for the very first time.The whole idea came about because I had a bottle of Paringa Sparkling Shiraz that I wanted to open and try - another thoughtful gift from my sister. See Poor Girl Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-40240105480369280752010-03-01T19:20:00.000-08:002010-03-14T15:09:15.022-07:00Spicy Fried BeefThe dish that I'm posting today is not a saucy type curry; it's a Kerala style dry fried curry. The recipe is my attempt at recreating the flavors I remember from my mom's recipe. The extra step of frying, while seemingly over-indulgent, turns a simpler saucy curry into tender, browned, caramelized mouthwatering goodness.My mom, until she recently retired, was a registered nurse who worked the Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-53279657547082900692010-02-28T10:19:00.000-08:002010-03-14T15:09:35.269-07:00Lady's FingerToday I have a tip for anyone who likes fried okra.For those who are not familiar it's a green fruit which is typically used as a vegetable, also known as "lady's finger" in some parts of the world. If you're from the US, you know it as an ingredient in gumbo. They vary in size but generally they're about the size of your finger, green and slightly fuzzy on the outside. Their insides contain manySaffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-77400353168812874022010-02-23T08:32:00.000-08:002010-03-14T15:10:17.607-07:00Nice and Hot with Milk and HoneyAre you wondering why there is a bird perched on top of my teapot? It's a teapot drip catcher. This past fall the morning after my sister and I returned from a short trip to Paris, we decided to have breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup in Manhattan, NY. It was sort of a celebratory morning for me because I had just returned from my first trip to Europe and I was celebrating being able to eat a big Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-49793182912779186012010-02-22T19:19:00.000-08:002010-03-14T13:19:08.614-07:00In-laws' Chicken StewWhat to make for dinner? This question creeps into my head sometimes as soon as I wake up in the morning and most days around 4pm as my work day is drawing to a close. The answer often depend on what ingredients I have in my pantry / fridge / freezer, what I think K may like that day or how much energy I have left in me to cook. For tonight's dinner I made my in-laws' chicken stew. I had Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-38396917479514587852010-02-21T18:26:00.000-08:002010-03-14T15:14:35.038-07:00Sunday Morning PancakesThese pancakes are so thick and fluffy that I can only eat two. The stack of three in the picture above was devoured by my husband K. This recipe is adapted from a Martha Stewart "fluffy pancakes" recipe but I've made a few changes. Martha's calls for powdered milk plus water, I prefer to use nonfat milk. Hers also calls for double the amount of baking powder than I've used. I've added vanillaSaffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-35356238471732184892010-02-20T11:47:00.001-08:002010-03-14T15:15:48.085-07:00Quick Lamb Curry for TwoWhile perusing the meat department at the market yesterday I spotted boneless lamb for stew. I decided that it would be perfect for a quick lamb curry. Since there’s only K and me, the .75 lb. portion was perfect. Normally when I make lamb curry I use bone in meat, however for this “quick” version the boneless lamb worked really well. The recipe here is my own creation resulting from making it Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-28830771390055693862010-02-16T21:05:00.001-08:002010-03-14T15:10:30.582-07:00Shrimp ArrabiataLast weekend I had dinner at Sojourn restaurant in Manhattan, NY. Several of their small plates were sampled but two stood out for me. I really enjoyed their lobster arrabiata with squid ink pasta and their braised short rib over creamy polenta. Inspired by Sojourn's lobster arrabiata, I made my own version of shrimp arrabiata for dinner tonight. I used shrimp instead of lobster because that’s Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-22221461572720226972010-02-15T09:52:00.001-08:002010-03-14T12:49:40.807-07:00Green DrinkYou know Dr. Oz of Oprah fame? Well he swears by this “green drink”. You can find the recipe online, just Google it. It contains apples, carrots, ginger, parsley, cucumber, celery, lemon, and spinach. Anyway, I decided I would try it for myself. Actually the plan was to have a glass every morning as suggested by Dr. Oz. I did have it one morning last week, but it turned out to be too much effort Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-30432477630122075512010-02-14T22:45:00.002-08:002010-03-14T15:10:53.928-07:00The Best Laid Plans and the Valentine’s Day Beef StewMy first entry is in honor of my wonderful husband, K.OK so how many of you out there have spouses/partners who do not cook for whatever reason? Well K is one of them, but today is Valentine's Day and my birthday to boot. We decided to stay in tonight because we went out to dinner last night. He asked me what I’d like him to make for dinner. How sweet right? This from a guy who doesn’t cook. By Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440791223923040892.post-70141973781554747152010-02-14T17:48:00.000-08:002010-03-14T07:15:13.737-07:00saffron and cardamomHello there! This blog began at the urging of my younger sister…tired of me calling her up nearly every week to report what I’ve cooked, how I cooked it and how lovely it turned out. I’m not that great of a cook, just a home cook and a wanna-be foodie. I’ve procrastinated starting this blog for quite some time because from what I can see of the food bloggers whom I follow, they all write really Saffron and Cardamomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321213239740439741noreply@blogger.com0