A Spanish New Year's Eve Dinner (in pictures)

Happy 2011! It's finally here! A new year and a fresh start.  I just love that sense of newness that comes with the start of another year.  It's sort of like staring at a crisp white blank sheet of paper while holding an inky black pen, ready to start filling up the page with all of the events and happenings of another year of life.  Possibilities seem abundant and hopes are high that this will be a great and memorable year.  To help welcome 2011, I had some friends over on New Year's Eve for games, adult beverages and of course, food.....

Sangria got the party started!

We dined on Spanish food because cuisine from that region tends to be bold and packed with bright and exciting flavors, which seemed to be a fitting way to start the new year.  Also, a meal of pork served with beans is said to be very lucky to eat on New Year's Eve.  (Pork is said to signify prosperity and well-being and beans are said to symbolize wealth.  Finger's crossed, right?)

Fiona made out-of-this-world pork belly lettuce wraps

Served with corn and black bean salad and homemade spicy tomatillo salsa

I made a veggie paella-inspired rice 

Sarah made awesome cheese stuffed peppers with herbs and aged sherry vinegar

And for dessert, Cheesecake Flan

Sweet, creamy and cool..recipe to follow tomorrow

Happy 2011! May you're year be off to a great start!

A First Attempt At Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala

And Indian Favorite: Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala

As a food blogger and obsessive home cook, I keep a running list of things that I want to attempt to make or recreate in my Small Boston Kitchen.  My list isn't anything fancy or super serious, it's just a bunch of random dishes or ingredients that I'd like to try.  Whenever I'm drawing a blank or having some trouble thinking of what to make, I turn to my list, pick something off of it, turn to my kitchen and get cooking.  Tonight, I'm happy to announce, I'm crossing one item off my list that's been on there for a while: Chicken Tikka Masala.

I love Chicken Tikka Masala.  I mean, what's not to love?  A rich, spicy tomato-y sauce hugging tender chunks of chicken and then served alongside rice, how can one pass that up?  Not easily I tell you, not easily.  Whenever I go out for Indian food I find it hard for me to pass it up.  I know it's common request but I think it's so popular for  reason, it's just so darn tasty and I knew I wanted to create my own version of this popular Indian dish in my Small Boston Kitchen.

When thinking about how I would tackle this recipe, I turned to Google and found a plethora of recipes and lots of variations however, me being me, I wanted to go without a recipe and create from instinct and taste and I was really happy with my results.  Once I had my spices and herbs laid out on the counter, the rest was pretty easy.  To help bring all the flavors together, I slowly simmered it in a tagine until the sauce got rich and flavorful and the chicken was tender that it was falling apart.  I suspect a crockpot set to low or a dutch oven would also do the trick and yield similar results.  Another adjustment that I made to the traditional recipe for this dish was that the I omitted the mass amounts of butter that are usually part of this recipe and instead, turned to Greek yogurt and tomato paste to provide a luxurious richness to the sauce.  Truth be told, I didn't miss the fat one bit and I plan to make this at home much more often.  What is it that is so satisfying about not only crossing something off your list, but making something that you've never made before, from scratch?

Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala

Not Just Another Chicken And Rice Dish

The inspiration for this simple yet oh so satisfying little chicken and rice dish came from about 18 places.  First, I was craving something rice based, then wanted something spicy.  Later on in the afternoon I saw (and smelled) some delicious looking cilantro at a farmer's market and I happened to have some leftover chicken on hand.  Not a bad little creation considering the inspiration came from so many places.  Drawing on some classic Mexican components, this dish is a nice little change up from your average chicken and rice dinner.  I think what truly makes this dish work so well is the balance of all of the flavors.  There's a significant amount of smoky chipotle heat in here, but the cilantro and lime have a cooling affect while the corn provides little bursts of sweetness.  This would be a great little dish to make for a Mexican themed dinner.  (Just be sure to invite me over if there is a pinata.  Aren't those fun?) You could also add some sharp cheddar to the rice and use it to stuff a burrito or this would make a super little stuffing for some stuffed peppers as well.

Along with there being several options of how to serve this little creation, there are a myriad of things you could put into it to change it up even further.  Try pieces of steak or bits of sausage instead of chicken or do away with the meat entirely and add some black beans.  Get in touch with your inner creative chef here and just create!

Okay, I seriously cannot stop eating this and I need to go back for round two!  Mmm, this dish totally hit all of my cravings.  I just love when that happens!

Homemade Chicken Fried Rice

As I type this, I have a bowl of still-hot homemade chicken fried rice balancing on my knee.  I have never attempted fried rice, I had always left that to the professionals.  Until tonight, that is.  Although mine isn't exactly like what you would get at a Chinese food restaurant (I used way less oil and I didn't attempt that fried egg mixed in thing.  It kinda weirded me out to scramble up an egg into my rice, so I left it out) I really am digging my take on this take-out favorite.  It was very easy to make (even if you have Small Boston Kitchen like mine) and would be fantastic to make if you're having a big group of people over.  Make some some wonton soup (on my to-make list) or egg roles (ditto) and follow it up with some fortune cookies and you've got yourself a party.  

Mmmm, the flavors here are just so exciting!  Sweet carrots and corn, soft shiitake mushrooms, crunchy water chestnuts coated in a salty soy sauce.  I've already caught myself running back to the stove for a refill and am already thinking about how wonderful this will taste at lunch tomorrow.  Yuuuum.

Thai For Beginners

It's true.  I have never made Thai food before.  Ever.  

This dish is my take on the ever popular Chicken Satay that is found in virtually every Thai food restaurant.  Usually paired with cucumbers that are spiked with sweet rice vinegar, I wanted to make sure that was represented.  To round it all out, I served a cooling cilantro-lime rice, which paired really well with all of the other elements of this dish as well as further utilizing some basic Thai staples.  Because I had never made a spicy peanut sauce before, I ran a Google search to get some inspiration and to see what some typical components of this sauce are.  I found quite the array of ingredients ranging from coconut milk to the addition of basic red pepper flakes.  Then I stumbled upon a version that called for red curry paste and I couldn't help but get excited about adding this component to the sauce, mainly because I had never used it and was curious what type of flavor it would provide.   

So there I was, in my Small Boston Kitchen, looking at a jar of peanut butter and a small, newly purchased little jar of red curry paste, wondering what to do next..and that's when the fun started.  I find that when creating a new recipe, I like to add things very slowly and taste it as I go along and this process continues until I am fully satisfied.  When it was all said and done, I was really happy with the way the sauce came out and I've already started thinking of other ways to utilize this sauce.  Wraps for an interesting work lunch?  A noodley stir fry?  There are so many options!  And now that I made my first Thai dish, I feel ready to take on some more creations of this cuisine.  Don't be surprised if you see some Tom Yum soup or Drunken Noodles coming to a blog near you in the not too distant future...  

One special note about the red curry paste, if you are one of those that walks around saying, "I don't like curry so this isn't for me", do me a favor and try it.  I found this paste in the ethnic section of my Stop and Shop and I'm not usually a huge fan of curry but this stuff rocks.  It has an awesome spicy heat to it that makes the sauce so unique and delicious.

Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers

I don't usually like to play favorites with my recipe creations, but this one was a standout. Nothing crazy and super sophisticated, just simple ingredients that worked together really well to create a very satisfying meal. Lately, it seems that I've been on a huge roasted red pepper kick. I'm not sure where this strong craving came from but it I can't get enough of these delicate sweets.  And they are so versatile!  Perfect melted in between some fresh mozzarella and tomatoes on a sandwich, fantastic on a pizza, great swimming in a flavorful soup and even excellent all on there own.  Is there anything that the little roasted red pepper can't do? 

Looking back on a lot of my recipes, it seemed that my humble little roasted red pepper played the supporting role to another main ingredient.  For this dish, I wanted to change that.  I wanted the pepper front and center, the star of the show.  To start, I roasted the red pepper and then peeled the skins off, creating a tender little edible bowl.  I then made a rice and mixed it with a rustic, thicker than usual pesto sauce and fresh toasted pignolis (or pine nuts, which I left whole because I love the subtle little pop that they make when you bite into them)  I then stuffed the rice into the roasted peppers and topped them with cheese and then baked it again until the cheese got all bubbly and melty.

This dish makes a wonderful addition to any recipe box because it is quick, easy and so versatile.  You could also add sausage or prosciutto to the rice before baking it again or you could mix in some chopped up spinach for a more rustic taste.  You could even use a store bought pesto sauce in a pinch.  The options here really are endless.  As with all of my recipes, I advise you to give them a shot and tweak them to your liking.

Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers

- 3 medium sized red bell peppers

- 2 cups of cooked rice (I just made some plain rice using my rice machine and cooked in chicken stock instead of water to give it a great flavor)

- About 2 cups of fresh basil
~ 1/8 - 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
- A small handful of pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
~1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

~ 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

- Salt and pepper to taste

Start by cutting the tops off of the roasted red peppers and gently scrape the seeds out.  Lay them flat on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Broil them in the oven until they are heavily spotted brown and black.  Carefully, so not to tear the pepper, rotate it and let that side darken.  Repeat for all four sides until the peppers have become softer.  Remove from the heat and place them them in large bowl, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.  Set them aside to let them steam. 

Meanwhile, with a food processor or hand blender, combine the basil, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese until an chunky paste has formed (I recommend smelling the pesto at this point because it smells AWESOME).  Stir in the rice and add the pignolis.  Mix until all combined.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Take the plastic wrap off of the peppers and gently peel away the skin that by this point, has started to separate from the pepper.  Once all of the skin is removed, scoop the rice into the hollowed out pepper and top each one with mozzarella cheese.  Bake the stuffed peppers in the oven until the cheese melts. 

Hawaiian Pork and Toasted Lime Macadamia Rice

So yesterday was a big day!  It marked the start of the final season of LOST.  I am a huge LOST fan, not just because I find "Jack" particularly dreamy, but because this show is just so brilliantly written, it's insane.  Not usually a fan of the sci-fi world, this is the exception.  I got hooked a couple years ago and never was able to kick the addiction.  Needless to say, after the show's year long hiatus, I was psyched to have it back on and I can't wait to see how it all ends.  To mark this momentous occasion, I decided to have a friend of mine over for a Hawaiian themed dinner.  (that's where the show is filmed.)  The meal turned out really well and paired fantastically with the tropical island action that was unfolding on TV.

I started out by marinating a pork tenderloin in soy sauce and sweet pineapple juice.  I then seared the outside of the meat on super high heat and then baked it in the oven on a low temperature until cooked through.  To top the pork, I made a simple salsa out of chunky pineapple bits and fresh cilantro.  I also created a rice dish comprised of tangy lime and crunchy toasted macadamia nuts to pair with the pork and salsa.  All of the flavors really came together nicely and complimented each other well on the plate.  Since hindsight is 20/20, looking back, I probably would have also thrown some thinly sliced green onions into the rice as well.  I suppose I will just have to save that for the next time I make this, which will definitely be soon.  This one's a keeper.