Mindful Musings

Jennifer has been really really busy in preparing for her pharmacy certification and I have been missing the chances to cook for her. Here are some of the foods and recipes that we like to put together and really enjoy. I figured I would put them in once place and some people might benefit from our adventures:

• Chicken Yakhni – Mild Chicken curry from the Kashmir region of India which is very cinnamony and fragrant, yet deliciously light for the discerning palate. Good with fragrant Basmati Rice.


• Chicken Marsala


• Butter Chicken – Jennifer’s favourite. This is a tomato laden, slightly rich dish which can be cooked to creamy perfection by the most novice cook. Perfect with a little pita bread.


• Beef Biryani – A fragrant and often mild colored rice dish from the heart of India. This is a one pot dish that can be cooked very easily and is a complete meal in and of itself. Any kind of meat can be used (not limited to beef) and there are a myriad of spice packets available that make this dish a very easy one to put together. The secret of having a delicious biryani is to cook at relatively low heat for hours.


• Swordfish steaks – This fish, though exotic, is very very non-fishy. The meat is flaky and yet moist, very flavorful and very easy to cook. Just make sure there are no dark meats hiding inside the steaks, heat up some butter and garlic peices in a pan and lightly brown on both sides. This is great with rice, any kind of bread and works well with slightly flavorful vegetables such as asparagus or broccoli. Make sure the meat is seared rather than baked to retain the soft flaky texture. Quick, easy and very delicious.


• Chicken Tandoori – This is one of my favorite dishes. Invest in a nice clay pot that can be oven baked and a nice box of tandoori spices. Available at Meijer and other stores, the spices can be used as liberally or as delicately as you would like. Just marinate overnight in the refrigirator, put into the clay pot and bake at low heat for a long time. Again, the secret is the length of time the meat is cooked and the heat.

These are some of the recipes that we use almost everyday. I will try to provide links to the recipes as soon as I find some time this weekend. In the meantime, Google them and enjoy!