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Kate's
Monday
Munchies
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| This
odd little combo of foods are the kind of food that I love to share
with my friends during those long, cold dark Alberta winters.
Warm, gooey and comforting, these foods help you drive away the
cold. Henna can do the same thing, by taking you to a faraway
land, for a little while, as you put it on. Pinto Gallo (Painted Rooster) This is an amazing Central American dish, that I got served for breakfast when I was staying in El Salvador, but you can eat it whenever. It's really good with scrambled eggs and fried plantain. Ingredients:
1Tbs canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, smushed 1/2 tsp chili flakes 1 1/2 cups white long grain rice (jasmine or converted is best) 1 can black refried beans (not those gross brown ones from El Paso) 1 cup corn, frozen (thawed) or canned 1/2 cup chicken broth Salt and pepper to raste Instructions:
OK, put the oil, onion, chili and
garlic in a medium-sized pot, and
cook on Medium until translucent. Add the rice, and stir until
it's all combined. Add 3 cups of cold water and bring to a boil on
High. Turn it down to Medium-low, put on a lid, and cook untill the
liquid is gone and the rice is tender, about 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the beans and chicken stock in a microwaveable bowl, and cook on High for about 2 minutes, or until it's nice and warm. Mix in the corn, and then add this to the rice. Mix well and season to taste, then serve with scrambbled eggs and corn tortillas. Yummy!! Killer Chicken Curry One of my favorite foods is curry, but it's such a pain to make it from scratch, that and I'm too lazy to do that. So, instead I use curry sauce from a jar. There's some really nice ones out there, especially the ones by Shere Khan and Pataks. Find one you like, try them all. Serve it with coconut rice, and green beans. Ingredients:
500g chicken, cut into 1" pieces
Instructions:canola oil 2 onions, chopped 1 jar of your fave curry sauce, mine is Pataks Tikka Masala 1 1/2 cups of plain Balkan-style yogurt chopped cilantro This is dead easy. Heat up
the oil in a big pot, then cook the
chicken in batches until it's golden brown on the outside but not
cooked through. Set the chicken aside, the add a little more oil
to the pan. Add the onions and cook them until they're golden,
sweet and sticky. Add back the chicken, then pour in the curry
sauce. Fill the empty jar halfway full of water, put the lid back
on, then shake it up. Pour the curry water into the pot, and cook
on medium heat until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked
through. Right before you serve it, mix in the yogurt and
sprinkle the cilantro on top. Perfect for an East Indian henna
party!
Paprika Shrimp This one is messy to eat, but so delicious. I make it for my Mum when we get together for dinner. Serve it with plain spaghetti, salad, and lots of crusty bread to soak up the yummy juices. If you can find smoked paprika, use that, it makes the dish, well, smokier. Ingredients:
350g raw, unpeeled shrimp
2 Tbs olive oil 2 cloves garlic, smushed 1Tbs chili flakes, or 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 Tbs paprika- smoked or sweet salt and black pepper 3/4 cup white wine 1/2 cup chicken stock Fresh parsley, chopped Instructions: So, put the oil, garlic and chili
in a big, cold frying pan, and cook
over Medium heat until transparent, then add the paprika. Turn it
up to High, then add the shrimp. Cook for about a minute either
side, or until they're just pink. Add the wine, cook for a minute
or two, then add the stock. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes, then
serve with the parsley on top.
Soy Almonds These are the best munchies! They're salty and yummy and not greasy (but you do get some brown, soy residue on your fingers), so they're good to eat while your doing your own or someone else's hands. Ingredients:
2 cups of almonds (skins
on)
1/2 cup dark soy sauce 3 Tbs melted butter Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients in a
bowl, then bake on a cookie sheet in a
400ºF oven for 15 minutes, or untill the soy sauce has become like
a crust on the nuts, stirring often so they don't burn. Because
they will, and that means you won't have any yummy almonds.
Coffee-can Vanilla Ice Cream Ok, this is really easy and lots of fun, but it does take a while to freeze. So patience grasshopper, and let the person who’s hands you’re doing roll this around under their feet while you paint them. Best ice cream that you’ll ever eat. Ingredients:
1 ½ c. whipping cream
1 ¾ c. homogenized (whole) milk 5 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 ½ Tbsp. vanilla Ice cubes Rock/pickling salt Instructions: In a big bowl, mix the salt and
ice together. Cover the bottom of one of those giant coffee cans
with about an inch of the slush.
In a smaller coffee can combine the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla. Taste it; if you like it sweeter, add more sugar. Pour this into a smaller (clean) coffee can, put on the lid and duct tape it shut. Put the small can inside the big one, and surround it with the rest of the ice. Put the lid on the big can the duct tape it shut. Roll it around for about 30-45 minutes, or until stiff and frozen. The person your henna-ing can do this with their feet but make them wear sock, ‘cause their feet will get very cold. Serve it plain, no chocolate, no caramel, no sprinkles, nothing. It is the best ice cream you will ever eat. Drinks Smoothies made with yogurt, frozen fruit, bananas and orange juice are always a hit. They help you delude yourself into thinking you're being healthy, no matter what you're eating with them. If you want something stronger, go with this: Mix 1 part vodka, 3 parts cranberry juice and 2 parts Sprite in a pitcher, then add a whole lime sliced. It's something that everyone likes, and it's just like candy. During the winter, hot chocolate made with 70% cocoa-solids chocolate, or homemade spiced apple cider with lots of cinnamon is perfect. Mood For music, I usually go with Celtic. Stuff like Loreena McKennitt (my fave is "The Book of Secrets"), Caipercaillie, Runrig, Riverdance, or any Celtic cd. I also love Sarah McLauglin, Jewel and Dido's "No Angel". I also love to listen to another fellow Canadian, named Sarah Slean; her discs "Night Bugs" and "Day One" are tons of fun. If you're lucky like me, and your favorite thrift store is right next to Little India, then you can sometimes find some beautiful sari scarves for dirt cheap. I once found this amazing sheer one with a matching skirt, all for 7$ Canadian. And candles, lots of candles! ~Kates~ |
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