I've been using a lot more ethnic and fresh herbs and spices in my cooking recently (antioxidant benefits!), so here are two recipes that I thought were both extreeeemely yummy and also rather special and unique:
Indian Spiced Chicken and Asparagus (courtesy of Eating Well)
1 1/2 t whole cumin seeds
1 1/2 t whole fennel seeds
1 lb or so chicken cut into bite sized pieces
3/4 t salt
2 T canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced (or if you're me, 3 t of your awesome time and sanity saving jarred garlic!)
1 small chile pepper, seeded and minced (I very carefully picked this out in the produce section of my beloved King Soopers, and then it never made it into my bags when I checked out, sooo, I subbed about 1/2 t dried red pepper flakes and they worked just fine)
1 T minced fresh ginger (this also comes in jars - hallelujah!!)
1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 C light coconut milk (I used closer to 1 C)
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro
Toast cumin and fennel seeds in a small saucepan until fragrant and starting to brown - 2-5 mins. Grind 'em up in a clean coffee grinder, or using that mortar and pestle that your Mom got you for Christmas like ten years ago and you've never actually used, but now you're so glad you have it! (thanks Mom!)
Toss chicken in 1/2 of spice mixture. Heat 1 T of the oil in a large skillet over med-high and brown the chicken, until mostly done. Remove to a plate.
Reduce heat to med and add remaining oil, garlic, onion, chile and ginger. Cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to soften. Throw in the asparagus and remaining cumin/fennel mixture, cooking for about 2 mins. Add coconut milk and salt, cooking another 2 mins. Add chicken, cooking until meat is all the way done and asparagus is tender-crisp. Garnish with cilantro and serve over brown rice or quinoa.
Pear Cardamom Upside-Down Cake (courtesy of Cooking Light)
Pear Stuff:
2 T butter
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 t ground cardamom
cooking spray
2 peeled, cored and sliced Barlett pears - you should get about 12 thin slices out of each pear
Cake Part:
1 1/2 C flour (and you KNOW I only use whole wheat!)
2 t baking powder
1/4 t ground cardamom
1/8 t salt
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C butter, softened
2 large eggs
3/4 C milk
1 t vanilla (omg - the same size organic vanilla that I bought at King Soopers was TWICE as much at Wholefoods...highway robbery!)
Preheat oven to 350.
To prepare pears, melt 2T butter in a small saucepan over med heat. Add brown sugar and cardamom and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture into a 9" round cakepan that you've sprayed with cooking spray (I've also successfully used square, and even gotten crazy and done individual ramekin-sized ones, so whatever size you're going for...). Arrange pears in an overlapping circle or overlapping rows (depending on your pan choice).
Stir together flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar in another bowl, then add the eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture and milk, alternating till you've got a nice little batter situation on your hands. Toss in the vanilla.
Spoon the batter over your artfully arranged pears. Bake for about 50 mins if you are making one larger cake, or less if you're doing smaller ones. My ramekin-sized ones took about 30 mins I think. Cake should be golden and firm and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Here's the fun part - when your cake assures you it's done, remove it from the oven. Let it cool on a cooling rack for 10 min. Run a knife around the outside edge. Cover pan with a plate and flip it over, leaving the pan and plate in place for 2 min. Then pray, hold your breath, and gently remove the pan, to reveal your Martha Stewart-worthy upside-down cake. Seriously. I've never been disappointed - it's magic!!
Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and you may become a victim of culinary stalking. It's really that good.
Bon appetit!
Cake photo courtesy of eatliverun.com
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