Brainy Chicken Murgh Makhani... a taste of India?

 

Eat at home as if you just stepped out for an Indian dinner extravaganza....

This dish is a favorite in the Brainy Gourmet kitchen. Why? Because it is so simple and delicious. Basically, all you will need are: skinless/boneless chicken breasts, onion, garlic, heavy cream/plain yogurt, tomato paste, a couple of tasty spices such as cumin, coriander and paprika and also some dried herbs like mint and rosemary.

Melt on med heat in a deep skillet 2 tbs of olive oil and 1/2 stick of butter. Next, saute in the oil and butter whole one chopped onion and one glove garlic until browned, then add cubed chicken breast meat, continue to cook on med heat.

To this add 1 cup of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of yogurt, one small can of tomato paste and your spices/herbs (using as much as you like; recommending 1 tsp of each). Cover and let simmer on low (30-40min) while you prepare sides. My family likes to eat this with potatoes and or buckwheat groats. You can also serve as a side a hearty dark green winter squash which is really nice baked and then mix with mashed potatoes... one way to get the kids to eat a good for them vegetable medley.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Peanut Butter Stew 'Maafe' with Wild Rice...

Simply an African delight ~ exotic food served at home never tasted so good...

Being a Brainy Gourmet means thinking on your feet ~ fast and frugal. You as a home chef should know what you like and don't like; sweet/savory, herbs and spices. You should know which of the five senses works best for you when you cook . For me its smell. Seriously, when I cook, I take a deep breath and I know what I have to do to make it good.

For this dish, you can use either chicken or pork (white meat) in stew size chunks. To begin, start a sauce pan with 2 cups of water to boil 1 cup of wild rice. Then saute one onion in olive oil. When browned on the edges, add 3 tbs of butter.

Next add the pork (or chicken) and let sizzle slowly until the meat turns from pink to white. Pour in 2/3 - 1/2 cup of peanut butter depending on your love for peanut butter (the oily self stir brand). Obviously, if you or a loved one are allergic to peanuts, then find a comparable nut substitute.

Lastly, add dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano along with 2-3 tbs of red pesto, 3-4 tbs of soy sauce and 1/4 cup of heavy cream.  As it thickens, you may add water but slowly for the preferred consistency. You can also prepare a side of green beans, adding color.

When the rice is tender, drain and ladle onto a serving plate. Pour over the pork and sauce, lay on the green beans and serve.

Peanut stew or groundnut stew, also called as maafe, sauce d'arachide, tigadèguèna or domoda, is a stew that is a staple food in Western Africa. It originates from the Mandinka and Bambara people of Mali. African rice is a tall rice plant, and has small, pear-shaped grain, reddish bran and green to black hulls...

 ~ Tutti a Tavola!

Gimmie Some Brainy Cajun Gumbo...

 

Gumbo is a great way to make use of chicken stock. You can make a chicken gumbo or sausage and shrimp gumbo using chicken stock. The result is Who Whee Cajun!

Brainy Chicken Gumbo from stock...

How do you make chicken, shrimp/sausage gumbo from chicken stock? Take out a pot, saute onion and red peppers in olive oil. Than take a left over soup stock (meat and any vegetables removed), add to the pot with onion and peppers (you can also use tetra packed chicken stock... about 4 cups.

)

To that stock, add either precooked cubed chicken or sausage/shrimp along with fresh chunks of zucchini and or okra. Let simmer while you prepare the rice.

Lastly, boil separately 1-2 cups of white long grain rice (amount depends on dinner guests). When tender, drain and put it all together in a bowl (rice and gumbo) ... next, put out the Louisiana hot sauce and get ready to dig in.

~ Tutti a Tavola

Brainy Italian Chicken Soup with Red Pesto...

 

You can always find good chicken soup just about anywhere in Italy. Chicken soup is very good and very simple. The basic ingredients are: 2 large fresh chicken breasts (boneless and skinless if you prefer), onion, chicken stock or bullion, red pesto and rigatoni pasta... arugula to top it off.

To begin, saute onion in a combination of olive oil and butter. Once browned, add 4 tsps of balsamic vinegar (4 good shakes from the bottle). Set aside and prepare the chicken. Slice and or dice each breast into small pieces.

Fill a large pot with water (10 cups), add a generous pinch of salt, one cup of rich chicken stock or 2 bullion cubes. As this comes to a rolling boil, add the diced chicken and some dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano along with a bit of sage and parsley.

Once the meat is white (cooked) scoop the onion with balsamic vinegar from the skillet into the soup pot and also one box of rigatoni pasta or boil separately which is preferable. I usually do not add pasta/rice/potatoes to any soup because if it is not eaten in one dinner sitting, you will have the same soup the next day. It is better to keep a rich vibrant stock which can morph into other soups.

When the pasta is tender, drain and ladle into bowls pouring the soup over the pasta topping with a dollop of red pesto and fresh chopped arugula.



~ Tutti a Tavola!

Mark's Brainy Italian Veal with Pappardelle Pasta...

Yes, you can make this dish without veal... just use pork or even turkey or soy if you are a vegetarian. I love this dish because its fast, frugal and delicious but that's because its brainy... like my mom and me.

For this dish you will need: either thin veal cutlets or you can use pork. Marinate in lemon juice about 20 minutes before cooking. After the marinate time has finished, pound each cutlet. Prepare a flour dip with herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano along with paprika and garlic powder.

Coat each piece front and back. Start a skillet with olive oil on high heat, lay in each coated cutlet. Brown in each side and then add 1/2 cup of roasted red pepper juice and about 1/4 cup of chopped roasted red pepper (from the jar). To that add 3 tbs of capers. Reduce heat and let simmer.

From time to time, add a bit of water so that the liquid is not consumed. And, also add a few pats of butter. Start pasta to boil. You can use either angel hair or pappardelle - wide egg noodle. When tender, drain and ladle onto a low lipped serving plate and top with cutlets and sauce.

...enjoy!

*Guest blogger ~ Mark

 

Brainy Meatloaf Dinner on the Porch...

Meatloaf, a porch dinner delicacy...

When most people think of meatloaf they think dry ground beef in a football shape due to added oatmeal, crackers, bread crumbs, egg, milk, steak sauce, and or ketchup. Some try to beat the 'dried out' version by adding broccoli. But, meatloaf doesn't have to be like that.

You can use of course good ground sirloin but if you don't have then use ground pork or even turkey or a combination. I have made meatloaf from all three combined and alone. The secret to juicy tasty meatloaf is to Not put in oatmeal, crackers, egg, milk or too many bread crumbs. The key to juicy tasty even delicate meatloaf is to use a small amount of bread crumbs, heavy cream and either Worcestershire sauce of a bit of beef stock along with fresh dried herbs, salt and garlic powder.

To begin, blend 1 pound of ground pork (today's choice of ground meat) with 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup of bread crumbs. Add to that dried herbs: sage, rosemary, mint and oregano. Sprinkle in salt and garlic powder. Mix by hand, then add 2 tbs of beef stock and mix again by hand.

Set the oven to 350, drizzle olive oil onto a glass baking dish and lay in the shaped meatloaf. Top with 1 tbs of the beef stock, a good sprinkle of additional herbs and bake for 40 min. About half way through, add a handful of dried plums. For a side, blackened zucchini in olive oil with a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of clarified butter.

Just before serving the meatloaf, prepare a creamy dill sauce to top. Melt one pat of butter in a small skillet along with some of the fat juices coming off the meatloaf dish (remove carefully to take a spoonful out of the glass dish). Pour in about 4 tbs of heavy cream and a few sprigs of fresh dill.