2011 June « Nutty Kitchen

Bison Masala with Fresh Curry Leaves

06/20/2011 2 Comments

Fresh curry leaves are fabulous…they actually do not have anything to do with “Curry” they are little gorgeous green leaves that enhance your dishes.

The leaves are highly valued as seasoning in southern and west-coast Indian cooking, and Sri Lankan cooking, much like bay leaves, and especially in curries, usually fried along with the chopped onion in the first stage of the preparation. They are also used to make thoran, vada, rasam and kadhi. In their fresh form, they have a short shelf life, and they don’t keep well in the refrigerator. They are also available dried, though the aroma is largely inferior.

The leaves of these little lovelies, Murraya Koenigii, are also used as a herb in Ayurvedic medicine. Their properties include much value as an anti-diabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-hypercholesterolemic etc. Curry leave also contain iron. They are most excellent if you throw them into hot oil before you begin adding your other ingredients. The flavors are so subtle, they really do bring out other spices in a gorgeous way. A must try if you haven’t yet.

This is one of my top favorite sauces that Henry has made for me so far.

Blend the following ingredients very well in to a paste:

1 large yellow onion
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp turmeric
8 Thai chilies
1 tsp Garam masala
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 bunch cilantro
Salt/pepper

Secondly, heat a tablespoon of coconut oil, once the oil is hot, add fresh curry leaves, peppers and 1/4 onion, diced.

Finally add bison/ground beef, add masala paste, garnish with cilantro and enjoy! We served our with some fresh boiled beets.

Filed under Entree, Paleo, Primal Tagged with antioxidants, coconut milk, coconut oil, Cooking, Coriander, Curry, Curry Tree, dairy-free, Garam masala, gluten-free, Indian cuisine, Nutrition, Recipe

Beet and Turkish Goat Cheese with Guava Dressing

06/13/2011 Leave a comment

This latest creation is simply delightful and fabulous. We shared one large beet between us in this salad.

Here is the fantastic line up of ingredients:

1 large “organic” beet, boiled and peeled
2 – 3 fresh guava fruit
1 fresh red chili pepper
1 pinch of Himalayan Pink sea salt
1 pinch of fresh black cracked pepper
1/2 small pear
2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
a few cilantro leaves
4 thick smaller slices of goat cheese, we used a Turkish style

Slice the boiled beet in half and then equally cut slices and arrange with tip out on a pretty plate. The idea is to give it a Kaleidoscope or flowery look. Place one of the cheese squares into the center of the four beet slices. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and add a few slices of chili pepper. Place shaved pear over the cheese and sprinkle with fresh cilantro leaves.

Blend guava fruit we used our little bullet, but you can also use a small Ninja, to pulp the fruit. Add a tiny amount of water, and a small amount of lime juice. Blend well, then pour pulp into a fine strainer, push through with a spoon so to make sure that you get all the lovely fruit. Drizzle over your salad, and finish it off with some fresh cracked pepper.

We’d love to hear your feedback, we absolutely loved this salad.

Filed under Paleo, Perfect Health Diet, Primal, Recipe, Salads Tagged with antioxidants, Beet, Black pepper, Cook, Cooking, gluten-free, goat cheese, Guava, HDL cholesterol, health, LDL cholesterol, natural oils, Nutrition, olive oil, Recipe, Salad

Cooking with Apples Series: Gala Red Cabbage

06/07/2011 Leave a comment

Cooking with apples adds interesting flavor and texture and is an amazing addition to dishes especially for pork, poultry and fish. This is my mom’s goody – but oldie.

It’s best if you use tart apples such as Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith apples unless you want to make something very sweet and more pulpy.

The rich red color of red cabbage reflects it concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols, which contribute to red cabbage containing significantly more protective phytonutrients than green cabbage. Interest in anthocyanin pigments continues to intensify because of their health benefits as dietary antioxidants, as an anti-inflammatory, and their potentially protective, preventative, and therapeutic roles in a number of human diseases. WHFoods: Cabbage Nutrition

Ingredients

1 large Gala apple, cored and peeled, and shredded
1 large red cabbage, cut in half, chopped into thin slices
1 tbsp coconut oil
3/4 cup of water
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 whole cloves
3 whole cardamom pods
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Pink Himalayan sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch of caraway seeds

In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat coconut oil on medium – high, add onions and saute until very glossy, then you add cabbage, water and all other spices. Cover, and reduce heat to low – medium and cook for about 15 minutes. Now add shredded apple and vinegar stir thoroughly until all ingredients are blended and all water has evaporated. Check to make sure that it tastes to your liking and serve.

This side dish takes about 20 minutes to prepare and cook and is very easy. Enjoy, we served it in the last post as accompaniment to our pork shoulder.