Meat Sauce

From Tina

Ingredients
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Oil or butter
1 lb ground beef
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 jars prepared marinara sauce
Oregano, basil, and rosemary
1 tsp sugar
1 cube chicken bouillon

Method
Heat the oil or butter in a large pan and cook the onions. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add the ground beef. Add the red wine when the beef is cooked through and bring to a boil. Mix the marinara sauce, spices, sugar, and bouillon. Taste for seasoning.

Besciamella Sauce

From Tina

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan. Add flour until it forms a thick paste. Add 1 quart of whole milk and 1 tsp nutmeg. Stir constantly on medium heat until almost boiling. Do not let it boil.

Beef Bulgogi

From Crazy Korean Cooking

Ingredients
3/4 lb beef strips
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c sugar
1 c water
1 onion, sliced into crescents
1 green onion, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
pepper
1 tsp sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
1 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp sesame seeds

In a large bowl, mix together soy sauce, sugar, and 1 cup cold water. Add onions, green onions, sugar, garlic, a pinch of black pepper, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Add the meat, making sure it's completely covered by the marinade. Cover the bowl and keep covered for at least 4 hours.

Add the meat and the onions from the marinade, as well as the mushrooms and chili flakes, to a frying pan and cook on high heat until the meat is just cooked through. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve with rice.

*To substitute pork or chicken, add 1 tsp minced ginger to the marinade

Saag Paneer

Serves 4
From Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 12 ounces store bought paneer (Indian cheese)
• 1 (16-ounce package) frozen chopped spinach
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 (1-inch thumb) ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large green serrano chile, finely chopped (seeds removed if you don't like it spicy!)
• 1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred until smooth

Preparation
In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.

Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here's the important part: saute the mixture until it's evenly toffee-coloured, which should take about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.

Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4
From Food Network

Ingredients


Marinade:

• 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
• 3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks

Sauce:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced)
• 2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 8 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 to 2 cups water
• Oil, for grilling
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving

Ginger-Garlic Paste:

• 1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole
• 1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Preparation

Sauce:
For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.

For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.

Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.

Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).

Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread!

Ginger-Garlic Paste:
Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

Fried Rice

Serves 4
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain converted white rice, rinsed
• Salt
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons light Japanese soy sauce
• 3 large eggs, beaten until just blended
• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
• 2 cups frozen broccoli
• 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced into 2-inch strips
• 2 or 3 scallions, thinly sliced, including some of the green tops, 1/2 cup
• 2 cups diced store bought roast pork, optional
• Sesame oil, as needed

Preparation

At least 1 day before you plan to make the fried rice, place the rinsed rice in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan. Add 2 cups of cold water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, and cook at a gentle boil until the water has cooked down to the level of the rice. With a spoon (not a fork), stir the rice well. Cover, and reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating for 24 hours.

Break up any clumps of the cold rice with your fingers and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce and soy sauce and set aside.

Coat a large, nonstick skillet with nonstick vegetable spray and set over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the eggs, swirling them around to make sure they coat the whole bottom of the pan. Cook, without stirring, and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the eggs are firm and cooked through but not yet starting to brown, lifting the skillet and tilting it so that the eggs cook evenly. Slide the eggs onto a plate and when they have cooled, cut into small pieces and set aside.

Return the skillet to the burner and heat the oil over high heat. When it is hot, add the peas, broccoli, bell pepper, and scallions, and cook, stirring constantly, until the scallions are limp. Stir in the rice, sauce mixture, eggs and roast pork until well mixed. Continue to cook, stirring, until the rice is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Plate and drizzle with sesame oil, to taste.

Simple Spanish Gazpacho

Serves 4-6
From food.com

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ripe juicy tomatoes, rinsed and cut into pieces
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 white onion, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, rinsed, seeded, and diced
• 1 cucumber, about 6-7 inches long, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup virgin olive oil
• 1 piece French bread (3-4 inches long piece)

Preparation
Place the piece of bread in a bowl with water in order to soak it. Once soaked, put all water away, squeeze the soaked bread with your bare hands as much as you can and set aside.

In a good blender or food processor, put the tomatoes, the garlic, onion, pepper, cucumber, squeezed bread. Add remaining ingredients and blend on a high speed until there are no bits and pieces left. It should be creamy with a bit of texture, not watery. Pour it in a jar or bowl and let it chill in your fridge. Do not heat or freeze. Serve it in bowls as a first course for any meal.