It’s bright and early on a Monday morning, I am already at my desk at work, and I feel buoyant. Whatever the opposite of a “case of the Mondays,” is, I’ve got it. I am not sure if it is the adaptogenic mushrooms in my smoothie, the beautiful weather, or the solid thirteen hours of sleep I got on Saturday night, but I am here for it. Hopefully, we have arrived at the transition from winter to summer. Some years it feels like the magical time that is spring in Northern Nevada is fleeting. I wish that we would have at least a few weeks of sunny, 80-degree weather before the heat is really upon us. Spring is hopeful and always fills me with a sense of wonder and anticipation.
This last week I cooked a weird mishmash of recipes as I transition from winter cooking (hearty braises, oven-baked beans, stews, and red wine reductions) to summer cooking (smoked meat, salads, lots of fish, and whatever produce is popping up at Lattin Farms). I made a delicious shrimp tikka masala (inspired by the kitchen antics of a certain newspaper publisher), Gigante beans swimming in buffalo sauce topped with crispy onions and bleu cheese, and Vietnamese-style lemongrass beef with rice noodles and “the stinky” fish sauce-based dressing.
Here are two recipes for you to try out. The first is the aforementioned tikka masala. I made it with shrimp, but you can make it with the protein of your choosing. This same recipe works with chicken, fish, beef, lamb, goat, and pretty much any protein you can think of, even tofu. The second recipe comes from an article I read this morning for Brazilian-style Lemonade. I have not made the lemonade yet, but it sounds delicious, and I can’t wait to try it.
Tikka Masala
INGREDIENTS:
1 T garam masala
1 T turmeric
1 T ground cumin
1 T hot paprika
Kosher Salt
2 t black pepper
1 c plain yogurt
2 T lemon juice
6 cloves garlic - grated
2” piece of ginger - grated
1 lb. protein (I used shrimp)
2 T vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 T double-strength tomato paste
1 14 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes
½ c heavy cream
Cilantro for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine garam masala, turmeric, cumin, 2 t kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, 3 cloves of garlic, half of the ginger, and half of the spice mix. Add protein and toss to coat. Cover, refrigerate, and let sit for 4 hours or more.
3. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add tomato paste, remaining garlic, ginger, and spice mix and cook, stirring frequently until the tomato paste has started to darken on the bottom of the pot.
4. Add tomatoes, heavy cream, and 1 c of water. Season with salt and pepper and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly (20 minutes or so).
5. Turn on your broiler and place the oven rack about 6 inches from the top.
6. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Scrape the excess marinade off of your protein and broil just until lightly charred in spots. Bring the sauce back to a simmer. Add broiled protein to the sauce and simmer until cooked through (10 minutes).
7. Serve with rice and topped with cilantro.
Brazilian Lemonade
INGREDIENTS:
4 fresh limes - quartered
½ c sweetened condensed milk
⅓ c sugar
4 c water
Ice
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a blender, combine limes and water and puree until smooth.
2. Strain and return the liquid to the blender.
3. Add ice start blending, drizzle sweetened condensed milk into the pitcher, and puree until smooth and foamy.
4. Serve over ice and enjoy.
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