Sunday, December 19, 2010

Fried Plantains


Tried my hand at making fried plantains today. They were pretty easy to make and they tasted so good on this cold, rainy day. I bought a plantain at the store a while ago and I have been patiently waiting for it to ripen or turn yellow. It was green when I bought it, so it took some time to turn yellow. Actually, I think my plantain got a little over ripe, but that's ok. I just cut it up in small pieces to get it ready to fry--it resembled banana chunks.

After heating up about an inch or so of vegetable oil on medium high heat for a few minutes, I dropped a few of the plantain pieces in and let them brown a bit, turning them after a few minutes. When they were done, I just added some salt to taste. They turned out pretty good! They have a slight sweet taste, but they are starchy like a potato, but chewier. Plantains have a very interesting flavor and they can replace the starch or carbohydrate part of your meal. I love them! It's a nice change up from your ordinary potato, toast or rice.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Free Small Coffee or Tea at Borders

Borders has a coupon for a free small coffee or tea that is until 12/25/10. It's time to take a break and relax during this holiday season, so please pass this coupon on and enjoy some free coffee or tea with a friend at Borders!

Print your coupon for a Free Coffee or Tea at Borders Seattle's Best Cafe.

$10 off Purchase at DSW Shoes

DSW Shoes has a great coupon now for $10 off your purchase from now until December 18, 2010. No minimum purchase required, so if you can find something for $10, like socks, leather cleaner or mink oil, you can basically get it free, give or take some change for tax.

Print this coupon to get $10 off Purchase at DSW Shoes. You can also use this coupon for online purchases if you enter the code 296 at checkout with your DSW Members Rewards number.

Find a DSW Shoe Store near you.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Emmylou Harris, "Goodbye"

It's time for some Emmylou Harris. It's just one of those mornings...

Love this song, "Goodbye." So chilling, bittersweet and beautiful.



I remember holdin' on to you 
All them long and lonely nights I put you through 
Somewhere in there I'm sure I made you cry 
But I can't remember if we said goodbye 

But I recall all of them nights down in Mexico 
One place I may never go in my life again 
Was I just off somewhere or just too high 
But I can't remember if we said goodbye 

I only miss you every now and then 
Like the soft breeze blowin' up from the Caribbean 
Most Novembers I break down and cry 
Cause I can't remember if we said goodbye 

But I recall all of them nights down in Mexico 
One place I will never go in my life again 
Was I just off somewhere or just too high 
But I can't remember if we said goodbye 
No I can't remember if we said goodbye 
Goodbye goodbye 



Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Chocolate Biscotti





It's definitely smelling like the holidays around here with all the baking going on in the oven! It's rainy today and I felt like making some chocolate biscotti for the week. The good thing about making your own biscotti at home is that you can customize it to how you like it. Because this recipe makes two logs, you can omit the almonds in one if someone doesn't like almonds. I added semi-sweet chocolate chips to both logs and just added almonds to one. I just like the added sweet chocolate chips hiding in the biscotti for a nice little surprise. 

I haven't made biscotti in a long time, so I forgot just how little butter it takes! You only need 3 tablespoons for two whole logs, or 48 servings! That's amazing for a cookie recipe. No wonder you can eat these for breakfast with your coffee and not feel too guilty about it! YUM!

Just be careful when you cut these up because they are a bit crumbly (probably due to the added chocolate chips). I don't mind imperfectly shaped biscotti. My batch came out a little burnt, so next time I am going to reduce the baking time to 15-18 minutes, instead of 20 minutes for the second round of baking.





CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
Courtesy of COOKS.COM

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. Nestle Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. sugar
3 tbsp. butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. almonds, coarsely chopped 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Combine cocoa, flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.


In large mixer bowl, beat sugar, butter, eggs and extract until creamy. Gradually beat in flour mixture; stir in almonds.


Divide dough in half. Shape into two 12 inch long rolls; flatten slightly. Place in greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch baking pan.


Bake 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Cut in 1/2 inch thick slices; return to baking pan, cut sides down. Bake 20 minutes longer. Cool completely on rack. Yield: 48 cookies.





50% off One Item at Borders Bookstore

Hurray! My friend just sent me the best coupon today!

Borders Bookstore just made holiday shopping a lot more affordable! For a limited time only, you can use Borders' best-ever coupon: 50% off the list price of one item! What a great deal! This is the perfect time to get someone a great book, CD or DVD or toy for Christmas! What a nice savings at a time when every dollar saved counts!!!

Happy Shopping!

Find a Borders Bookstore near you.

Print your coupon for 50% off one item at Borders Bookstore. (Coupon expires December 16, 2010. Limit one per transaction. See details on coupon for restrictions.)

Shopping tip: Print this coupon several times. Go to Borders and pick out one item and check out at the register with the coupon. Continue shopping and pick out your second item. Go to the cafe register and use another coupon to check out there. The coupon will work for multiple transactions in one day. The trick is to go to different registers to get your items. You can even go to a different Borders store and shop there with the coupon.

Free Bath and Body Works Item with any $10 purchase

My friend just told me about this great offer from Bath & Body Works! You can get a free item with any purchase of $10.

Print your coupon for a Free Bath and Body Works item with $10 purchase (valued up to $13!). Offer valid until December 24, 2010.




Use coupon code: FREE4U for online purchases

Find a Bath and Body Works near you.

FREE Coffee at Borders for Downloading FREE e-reader App


Download the FREE Borders eREADER App to your iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android device, Blackberry or laptop and get a free small brewed coffee at Borders Seattle's Best Cafe. After you download the eREADER App, go to the Borders Cafe and show the barista the app on your phone or other device and get a FREE small coffee! How cool is that?!!!

Free Coffee at Borders when you download FREE e-reader App


Click to download FREE eREADER App

Monday, December 13, 2010

Flourless Chocolate Cake


A flourless chocolate cake? YES! I found a great new recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake in A Taste of Heritage: The New African American Cuisine Cookbook by Chef Joe Randall and Tony Tipton-Martin. My new favorite place to browse recipes is the cookbook section of the public library! I know this sounds stupid, but I didn't know they had cookbooks at the library! It just never occured to me to look for a cookbook at the library. But, now that I know, I can check out cookbooks whenever I want and explore new recipes without committing to buying the cookbook unless I love it. I found this cookbook a few weeks ago and browsed through it. The only disappointing thing about this book is that there aren't any photos of the food! I have no idea what each recipe is supposed to look like, and let's face it, we eat with our eyes, so it's important to get a visual temptation before making a new recipe! Nevertheless, I have enjoyed this cook book immensely. The recipes range from savory to sweet and I love the mini historical tidbits woven in between each recipe.

I used the recipe, "Patrick Yves Pierre-Jerome's Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce," on page 255 this weekend for a birthday cake for my friend. She doesn't eat flour, so I thought this recipe would be perfect for her! I didn't want to add liquer in case kids wanted to eat it, and I omitted the raspberry sauce and whipped up a batch of homemade whipped cream instead. I tweaked the chef's recipe a little bit by substituting vanilla for the liquer (didn't know if that would work, but it turned out okay!).

What I love about this recipe is that the cake turns out like a fudgy brownie. I still can't believe there is no flour in this recipe, though. It's almost like a chocolate souffle! I have never made something like this before, so it was an experiment from start to finish. Now, that I know how to do it, I want to make it again. The trick is to make sure your egg whites are beaten properly. They have to be stiff for this to work since the volume of this cake relies on the airy lightness of the beaten egg whites. If I make this recipe again, I might cut back the sugar to 1 and 1/3 cups to see if it still works and is equally as good. Surprisingly, this cake wasn't too sweet though. I just don't like overly sweet cakes, so if I can cut the sugar down a bit, this will be a solid go-to recipe for me. I did not have a pound of chocolate to chop up, so I just used Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips, instead and it worked just fine.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter
8 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla (or 2 tablespoons Frangelico liquer)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Cool to room temperature. Whip the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Beat in the Frangelico or vanilla (if you don't want the liquer). Whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold one third of the chocolate into the yolks. Fold in one third of the whites.  Fold in the remaining chocolate and whites. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan.  Pour in the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake edges will be set, but the center will still be soft.


Cool in the pan and chill overnight.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Michelle Featherstone: "Coffee & Cigarettes"



Heard yet another new (new to me) and cool artist on Pandora radio today! I am so out of the loop that Pandora is the only way that I learn about new artists. I love this song by Michelle Featherstone, "Coffee & Cigarettes." This song is so beautiful. I love the simplicity of the piano and the lyrics, especially the last line, "I must quit you," when the singer realizes that her problems are not coffee or cigarettes, but rather being addicted to the wrong person.


I gave up coffee and cigarettes
I hate to say it hasn't helped me yet
I thought my problems would just dissipate
And all my pain would be in yesterday

I poured my booze all down the kitchen drain
And watched my bad habits get flushed away
I thought that that would keep my head on straight
And all my pain would be in yesterday

But it's true
I'm still blue
But I finally know what to do
I must quit
I must quit
You

I thought that if I didn't go and play
The sadness would get bored and go away
I thought that if I didn't go astray
Then all my pain would be in yesterday

But it's true
I'm still blue
But I finally know what to do
I must quit
I must quit
You

I sold my guitar and my piano
I thought that it was these that kept me low
I thought if only I could try and change
That all my pain would be in yesterday

But it's true
I'm still blue
But I finally know what to do
I must quit
I must quit
You

I must quit
I must quit
You

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins


          I decided to bake some Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins for my son's school's Teacher's Appreciation breakfast. I got up at 5 am and started baking early, so the muffins would be fresh this morning (instead of having to worry about storing them overnight and losing that fresh baked allure). Since I knew I would be short on time in the morning (not to mention tired!), I did some research last night on how to make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins and I decided to just experiment this morning by fusing a few recipes together. 



          I took a major shortcut and used Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix and just added a can of Organic Trader Joe's Pumpkin 15 oz. I added a heaping tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie spice mix to the Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix (but you can use  a teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves. Add more of each if you like the spices to be stronger. Like I said, I used several shortcuts for these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins because I was short on time and rushing to get these done in the morning before school!). After reading some reviews on basic pumpkin muffins that used this method of just adding a can of pumpkin to a cake mix, I decided to add more things to mine (but you can make this recipe with just a box of cake mix, spices and pumpkin!! Just mix the wet and dry ingredients and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.) Anyway, I added about half a stick of melted unsalted butter to the canned pumpkin and one egg and mixed that together until it was smooth. Then I mixed the pumpkin pie spices with the cake mix and added that to the pumpkin mixture. I then decided to spruce these up a bit and made a cream cheese filling and streusel topping to make them look more cafe-finished and visually appealing. But, you can make these pumpkin muffins without the topping for sure--they just might look like drop biscuits in muffin wrappers, which is definitely okay. I just wanted these to look special for the teachers. 

          Well, when it was time to wake up my slumbering son in the morning, the first thing he said was, "It smells good! I want that smell!" I just had to laugh, thinking to myself, "Gosh, I'm such a bad mom for not waking up at 5 am every day to make him fresh muffins!" He had one for breakfast and said it was good--so, score one point for me for sneaking pumpkin into his diet! Yeah!! 

           Ingredients for Cream Cheese filling and Streusel Topping 

        (Courtesy of allrecipes.com)

  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar


  • 4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons white sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons butter






  1. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
  2. For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
  3. Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

           I'm so glad I learned a new trick today! I love this shortcut for making Pumpkin Muffins = Box of Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix (or any yellow cake mix) and one can of pumpkin 15 oz, and a heaping tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice! Mix it all together and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350! Easy! I love having the option to jazz these pumpkin muffins up with a cream cheese filling and streusel topping when time allows for it! Now I feel like Sandra Lee on "Semi-Homemade" on Food Network, using these secret shortcuts but still making it my own by adding a few embellishments!

          I am going to be making these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins more often, now that I know my son likes them. 

          These pumpkin cream cheese muffins will make your house smell so good your kids say "I want that smell!" 





Thursday, December 9, 2010

Emiliana Torrini

This is yet another reason I love, love, love Pandora radio: I just found another new artist to adore that I have never heard of before! Pandora always introduces new songs based on some of my previous artists that I inputted. Emiliana Torrini landed on the radio today and I just had to share these songs:  "Birds" and "Dead Things." Emiliana Torrini has some nice strumming and musical textures with a musical quality like Jewel meets Mazzy Star meets Bjork meets Garbage at a Cardigans concert--but she still has something new and beautiful to offer. I love it!




Emiliana Torrini, "Dead Things":

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Brandi Carlile

I was listening to Pandora Radio today while cleaning the bathroom and a song by Brandi Carlile started playing. I was struck by her unique soundscape and I was immediately hooked. I had to look up who this singer was since I had never heard of her before.

Here is "Throw It All Away," the song on Pandora that piqued my interest. Enjoy!




Here is another great Brandi Carlile song, "Have You Ever":


Anza Parking Coupon for SFO $10.75/day

My friend just asked me to print this coupon for her for Anza Parking for SFO. I thought I should share it, so everyone can take advantage of this great deal for San Francisco Airport parking. The regular rate is $12.85/day and this coupon brings it down to $10.75/day, which isn't too bad for air port parking, especially in San Francisco. There's a free shuttle to SFO 24 hours a day!

With all the holiday traveling this season, this coupon might come in handy, so why not save a few bucks?

Print your coupon for Anza Parking for SFO

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Free Fish Taco at Rubio's on Veteran's Day for Veterans or Active Duty Military

If you are a veteran or an active duty military person, go to Rubio's on Veteran's Day this November 11, 2010 with this coupon and you'll receive a free fish taco!

Happy Veteran's Day!


Find a Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill near you.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Free Reusable Tote from Rubio's Mexican Grill

Rubio's Mexican Grill is giving away a free reusable tote until 11-1-10, no purchase necessary! Hurry up and get your free reusable tote from Rubio's--this offer is only while supplies last! Limit one free item per person. Happy Halloween from Rubio's!



Print your coupon for a Free Reusable Tote from Rubio's Mexican Grill.

Find a Rubio's near you.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Pink's "Glitter in the Air"

Every time Pink's "Glitter in the Air" play on the radio, I am just swept away into the music. It's just such a beautiful song and her voice is so raspy and raw.  "Glitter in the Air" is just such a lovely series of imagistic musings that just linger in my head long after the song ends.




Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face
And said I just don't care?

It's only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning, the breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It's only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table, the walk before the run
The breath before the kiss and the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

There you are, sitting in the garden
Clutching my coffee, calling me sugar
You called me sugar

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself
Will it ever get better than tonight? Tonight



Songwriters: Billy Mann and Alecia Moore


FREE Coffee or Tea at Borders Coupon Valid until 11/11/10

Here's a super cool freebie for a Free Coffee or Tea at Borders, valid until 11/11/10. What a great chance to take a nice break and enjoy some coffee or tea with a friend! I got my free coffee today, no purchase necessary. What a nice treat!

Go to Borders and enjoy a free small coffee or tea!

Find a Borders near you.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Wilco, "Muzzle of Bees"

I love Wilco's "Muzzle of Bees." The guitar in the background is so pretty and brilliant the way it "flutters" and almost makes a "musical onomatopoeia" of buzzing bees.



Leslie Mendelson: "Be My Baby"

This is a great cover of "Be My Baby" sung by Leslie Mendleson. I love how she slowed it down and let the song breathe with a softer, almost breathless quality.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Yubuchobap (Korean seasoned tofu pockets stuffed with rice recipe)

My Korean culinary exploration has been heavily guided by YouTube and all the generous "how-to" videos that people post. As I learn more about Korean food, I get more and more excited about going to various Korean markets and buying Korean products to try out.

This is my latest video discovery featuring Yubuchobap, which is similar to Japanese inari, but has a Korean spin on it. Unlike the Japanese inari that you can buy at Asian Markets, you don't need to boil these Korean tofu pockets before using them.  I never would have known that if I hadn't seen this video! I make inari all the time, but now that I know about Yubuchobap, I want to try to make them.  I saw them in the Korean market next to the inari last week and since I wasn't familiar with how to prepare the Korean version, I just bought the Japanese inari tofu pockets instead.

This video is so great and even has a Halloween theme. I want blue hair and blue eyelashes like this woman! I love how she uses every bit of rice that she cooks, including the burnt rice (nooroongji) and the last rice remnants to make a burnt rice tea. She's so resourceful. Hope you enjoy this video demo as much as I did. Thank you Maangchi for sharing this video!




Monday, October 18, 2010

Another Reason Why Le Crueset and Sur La Table are the BEST!


This weekend we had a horrible mishap with our Le Crueset enamel stoneware rectangular baking dish. As our salmon was baking away at 450 degrees F, the Le Crueset dish cracked into two pieces! It was the strangest thing ever! The manufacturer's instructions indicate that the dish may be used in the freezer, microwave, oven and broiler, so this was not a temperature issue. Le Crueset enamel stoneware dishes are supposed to withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees F, plus it's not supposed to shatter, even if it's under the broiler. Our salmon was dripping on the bottom of the oven causing it to smoke up. We tried to lift the baking dish out of the oven, but we couldn't because the baking dish had split in two! Luckily, we salvaged the salmon by lifting it out of the oven with some spatulas.

Today, I went to Sur La Table and explained what happened to our Le Crueset baking dish and since it was a gift, I did not have a receipt for it (specifically, a Le Crueset 9" x 12" enamel stoneware baking dish). The lady working there was so nice and went to get me a new baking dish right away. She asked me if I used it under the broiler and I said no. I told her that the instructions indicate that this dish may be used under the broiler, though, so even if I did use the broiler, this should not have happened.

I'm so glad Le Crueset honors its warranty without hassling the customer for a receipt at Sur La Table. This is yet another reason why I love Sur La Table and Le Crueset!

Find a Sur La Table near you.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Top Ten Toy Story 3 Toys: Ideas for Early Christmas Shopping

I can't believe it's mid-October already! What's more, I can't believe I'm about to say this, but it's almost time to start early Christmas shopping! (I know, Halloween hasn't even passed yet! How can I be thinking about Christmas?) I don't like to wait until the last minute to Christmas shop, so I slowly start shopping in November. That way I'm not overwhelmed in December with a ton of gifts to buy in the last two weeks before Christmas.

My son enjoyed all the Toy Story movies and since he loves trains and Legos, I am contemplating whether or not to get him the Toy Story Lego Western Train Chase, which was listed as one of the top 10 Toy Story 3 toys to get on squidoo.com. It's the best of all three worlds: trains, Legos, and Toy Story 3! What's not to love?!

Check out this link for more Christmas present ideas: Best Toy Story 3 Toys.

Friday, October 15, 2010

FREE Handmade White Slippers




Cloud 9 Spa Salon is giving away an amazing freebie, a free pair of handmade white slippers! Sign up now because I don't know how long this promotion is going to last! I already signed up for mine and they should be coming in the mail soon! I can't wait!

Happy Friday!

Sign up here for a FREE pair of handmade white slippers at Cloud 9 Spa Salon.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sticky Rice Recipe Results


Since I do not have a Sticky Rice Steamer pot and basket, I had to use a makeshift, homemade steamer. I took a big pot and used the biggest strainer I had and added 1.5 cups of sticky rice (soaked overnight and rinsed).  I filled the pot with water (about 2 inches up the side) and brought it to a boil on high heat. When it started to boil, I placed the strainer over the simmering water to steam the sticky rice for 10 minutes. I checked the sticky rice at 10 minutes and flipped it over and steamed it some more for another 10 minutes.



As luck would have it, 20 minutes was the perfect amount of time to steam the sticky rice!


I made my very first sticky rice ball yesterday and I was giddy with excitement, gobbling down my perfectly cooked sticky rice ball! The brand I used was Sun Lee Sweet Rice from Thailand. I can't wait to make coconut sticky rice next!















Monday, October 11, 2010

Social Distortion: "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash cover)

I love Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" song, so when I came across this cover by Social Distortion, I had to pass it on. It's a fun, modern interpretation of Johnny Cash's song. Just crank it up and start your cleaning for the day! It sure makes doing dishes a lot more "fun," if there is such a thing!



Sunday, October 10, 2010

Sticky Rice

I am officially obsessed with sticky rice, so I'm determined to learn how to make it at home. I usually buy sticky rice at Asian delis or markets whenever my craving for sticky rice strikes. However, since I love it so much, I decided it's time that I learned how to make it myself. So, I went on an adventure today and bought my first bag of sticky/glutinous rice at Koreana Market in Oakland. I love that market now--it's my new favorite market for Korean food products and other Asian goodies!

While I've read different recipes for how to make sticky rice, I've discovered that YouTube has informative food demos for culinary questions I have for new recipes. I found this cool video demonstrating how to make sticky rice at home. I am soaking my sticky rice tonight, so I can try to make it tomorrow!

I love this video and just had to pass it on:



Sticky Rice video is courtesy of CookingThaiFood.com

Friday, October 1, 2010

Aarti Sequiera's AMAZING Bombay Sloppy Joe's


Bombay Sloppy Joe's recipe is courtesy of Aarti Sequeira. 

I finally mustered up the courage to make Aarti Sequiera's Bombay Sloppy Joe's recipe from her premiere episode of Aarti Party on Food Network TV. I have been thoroughly enjoying Aarti Sequiera's new program on Food Network ever since she won The Next Food Network Star competition. In order to make these Bombay Sloppy Joe's, I had to buy the garam masala, whole cumin seeds, raisins, cilantro and serano chile. Everything else, I had on hand in my pantry or refrigerator. I already love making sloppy joe's from scratch with ground turkey meat, so Aarti's recipe was particularly intriguing to me. I wasn't sure how I would like the raisins and pistachios in this, but low and behold, they were absolutely DELICIOUS! I have to say that I have never cooked with raisins or pistachios, let alone in the same recipe! (I have baked with these ingredients, but that's different!) What struck me the most was cooking the raisins and pistachios in oil and watching them plump up and tasting them after they cooled a bit. The flavors are so radically different than when they are just raw. I am hooked on that flavor combination now! It's so fantastic in a surprising way! I'm glad I took the plunge and just tried out Aarti's recipe head on! Bombay Sloppy Joe's looked so good when Aarti made it on Aarti Party that I knew I just had to make it so I could see how it tasted.



Anyway, I am here to say that Aarti's Bombay Sloppy Joe's recipe is practically full proof! The only thing you need to do is taste it for seasoning and adjust it to how you like it. I like a lot of salt and pepper, so I added quite a bit during the cooking process. I was so determined to make this recipe that I shelled my pistachios by hand (I couldn't find any at the store that were pre-shelled!). The only other suggestion I can make is that if you like your sloppy joe's a little sweeter, then add more honey. The 1/2 teaspoon in this recipe didn't seem to make a difference to me and I couldn't really taste it behind all the other seasonings. 


I am so excited about Bombay Sloppy Joe's and I am thrilled it came out tasting wonderfully yummy!! Bombay Sloppy Joe's were a hit in my house and I must say that this is going to be a new staple on our monthly menu! I know I'm going to crave this at least once a month because the flavors are insanely tasty and the smells that come out of the kitchen when preparing this are just divine! 

My husband made a great suggestion and thought this would taste good over rice! I agree. I think if you had leftovers, you could serve it over rice the next day or the day after to change it up a bit. Or, if you're like me, you can freeze the leftovers and use it the next week for a quick fix meal on one of those nights you just don't feel like cooking!

This recipe took me about 45 minutes to make because of all the chopping and because it was the first time I made it. I had to read the directions very carefully and make sure I did things in the correct order. I'm sure the total cooking and prep time will go down later when I get better at making this. But for now, I totally recommend making this if you love new and exciting food. You can't buy Bombay Sloppy Joe's anywhere! And it's special enough that you can invite your friends over and have a casual dinner in the middle of the week together!

THANK YOU AARTI SEQUIERA FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE!!!!! I love your show!

         Ingredients

           Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the turkey)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water

           Turkey:

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Small handful shelled pistachios, about 1/4 cup
  • Small handful raisins, about 1/4 cup
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 large white onion, finely diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced
  • 1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact (don't chop it up unless you like things spicy!)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 cup half-and-half
  • Small handful chopped fresh cilantro (soft stems included)
  • 4 to 6 hamburger buns

         Directions

Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile for the turkey, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper (unless you want to eat it whole, like my Dad does!). Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro.
Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve. Eat (with your hands!) and enjoy!