Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps

3 T oyster sauce - I only had fish sauce
2T dry sherry
1/4 c water
1 lb ground beef
1 red pepper - seeded & diced
5 scallions - sliced thin
1 T chili garlic sauce - I used sriracha
1 T fresh grated ginger
1 head bibb lettuce - I also used flour tortillas, as they are easier to eat.....
1/4 c chopped peanuts - forgot them........

whisk oyster sauce, sherry and water in bowl.

cook beef over med-high heat until just cooked.  drain - reserve 2 T fat.

heat fat in empty skillet.  Add pepper and scallions and cook until soft.  Clear center of skillet and add ginger and chili sauce - cook until fragrant.  Return beef to skillet with oyster sauce mix and cook until thick - about a minute.  Spook mix into lettuce and sprinkle with peanuts.

Nancy's Take:  I made these for friends - all of whom loved them - even the kids.

Green Chicken Curry

2 small bunches cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
1 red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water, plus 1 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 1 3/4 pounds, halved
1/2 teaspoon malt vinegar
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt, whisked until smooth
Cooked basmati rice or warm naan bread, for serving

Add the cilantro, mint, red onion, garlic, ginger, and salt, and pepper, to taste, to a food processor or blender. Puree on high until smooth. With the processor running, add about 1/4 cup water, and blend until the mixture is the consistency of a thick paste, a.k.a. "masala". Set aside.

In a large pot or deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until golden brown.

Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the masala mixture into skillet and cook, stirring often until it deepens in color and aroma. You'll know it's ready when it looks shiny, little droplets of oil will appear on the surface, and the masala will hold together as a cohesive mass.

Add the chicken, coating every piece in the masala and stirring often. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, so that the masala really adheres to the chicken. Add about 1 1/2 cups water, just enough to cover the chicken, and the vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and sauce has thickened slightly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and serve over rice or with warm naan bread.
 
 Dave's Take:  Dave liked it a lot and enjoyed the leftovers too!

Nancy's Take:  Yummy - even the kids liked it!  Even the baby liked it!!  Will make again.

Chocolate Nutella Cookies

I don't bake cookies or cakes very often.  Today I wanted to make a different cookie - not the traditional chocolate chip cookie.  I saw this recipe on a blog I enjoy and it looked super yummy!!


1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of white sugar
1 cup of Nutella
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts
 
1 Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter in an electric mixer for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and Nutella and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing. 

2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds between each. Add the vanilla and mix for 10 seconds.

3 Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda (do not skip this step as sifting eliminates clumps of cocoa). Mix into the butter mixture on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides at least once to ensure even mixing. Fold in the chocolate chips and hazelnuts and refrigerate the dough for ten minutes. 

4 Spoon tablespoon-sized drops of dough onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the sheets for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. 

Dave's Take:  He LOVED them!



Nancy's Take:  Terrific!!  A glass of milk and you are done.  Everyone loved them from my parents to the kids.  Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Curried Ground Turkey with Potatoes

Wanted to make something different for dinner and a blog I follow had this recipe - looked interesting, so I gave it a shot........

3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound ground turkey (thigh meat if you can get it)
1 chopped onion
2 chopped garlic cloves
1-2 chopped fresh red chiles (optional)
A 1-inch piece of peeled ginger, grated fine
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp garam masala (or curry powder)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2-4 Roma or other plum tomatoes, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro or parsley

1 Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large pot with a lid. When the oil is hot, add the ground meat, spreading it out over the pan. Try not to crowd the meat (you may need to cook in batches). Cook the meat without stirring, until it begins to brown. 

2 Add the chopped onion and chiles. Stir and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion begins to color a bit. Sprinkle salt over everything.

3 Add the grated ginger and garlic, mix well and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.

4 Mix in the spices, water, and the potatoes. Stir to combine and cover. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

5 When the potatoes are tender, add the diced tomatoes and peas. Mix well and cover the pot. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add salt, if needed, to taste.

6 Right before you serve, mix in the chopped cilantro. Serve alone or with flatbread or white rice. 

Dave's Take:  He liked it a lot!  Will ask for it again.

Nancy's Take:  Liked it a lot!  Had my nose running from the spice - in a good way!  I'd imagine this is what Indian Chili would taste like - and it gives me ideas to try adding other things to it.  Might try ground chicken or beef next time - the turkey was a little tough.