Mango & Tomato

5/24/13

Cooking with ScratchDC: Chicken Tikka Masala

On Monday I got a chance to try out ScratchDC (for free!!!). They delivered a box full of ingredients to make Chicken Tikka Masala to my work and asked me to give it a whirl in my kitchen.

Of course they knew I wasn't going to follow directions to a t. But let me back up a bit...

ScratcDC is a local business that comes up with recipes, does all the prep and delivers it to you with directions. The ingredients are mostly organic and locally sourced; the containers are compostable, and the menu changes daily Monday through Thursday.

And they have the most hysterical video telling you what and how they do things ;)

Back to the chicken tikka masala. I skipped the rice. I made the sauce according to the directions, but then pureed it before adding the peas. As for the chicken, instead of broiling it, I simply cut it into cubes and browned it on the stove in a cast iron skillet.

The chicken was tender and came already pre-marinated. If you are one of those people who is not good with a knife, TAKE MY KNIFE SKILLS PRIVATE CLASS!!! Or order from ScratchDC because everything comes nicely chopped and measured. All you have to do is follow directions, which even tell you what kind of equipment you need.

I served the chicken tikka masala with a big salad that had tomatoes, corn, avocado and red peppers.

It was delicious!

And the nice people of ScratchDC even included a few cookies for me to bake from scratch :)

Have you tried ScratchDC or similar services? What do you think?

If you want to try ScratchDC, use mangotomato code to get 15% off!!!

Happy LONG weekend!

Disclosure: ScratchDC delivered this meal box free of charge for me. I was not paid for this blog post. All opinions are my own.

5/22/13

Vegan Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, Arugula & Marcona Almonds

This Vegan Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, Arugula & Marcona Almonds came about as many of my other creations. I had random ingredients in my pantry and refrigerator and needed to make something out of them without going to the grocery store.

As the title indicates, the recipe is vegan. It's also pretty darn healthy and filling. And you can eat it hot, at room temperature or cold.

Vegan Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, Arugula & Marcona Almonds
Ingredients

cooked quinoa
chiffonade of basil
arugula
pan seared skinny asparagus
Marcona almonds
sliced avocado
olive oil
lemon juice
salt & pepper

Directions
1. Combined quinoa with basil and arugula and place in an individual bowl.
2. Top with asparagus, Marcona almonds and sliced avocado.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and a bit of lemon juice and season with salt & pepper.
4. Serve.

Of course you can also mix all of the ingredients together, but that would not be as pretty.

Have you been cooking with quinoa? What do you usually make?

5/19/13

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe from Muir Glen

A few weeks ago I received a super sweet gift from Muir Glen: canned tomatoes, a pretty towel, wood tongues and a spoon, an apron and little packets of olive oil. ♥♥♥

Included in this gift was a recipe for Fire Roasted Tomato Soup. So I made it. And it was awesome.

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup from Muir Glen

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cans (14.5 oz each) Muir Glen® organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can can (14 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, cilantro leaves or Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions

In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until onion is crisp-tender.
Stir in tomatoes, broth, 1 tablespoon of the basil, the sugar and pepper flakes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; pour mixture into large heatproof bowl; cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
In blender, place half of the mixture. Cover; blend until pureed. Return to saucepan. Repeat with remaining mixture. Heat over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat. Stir in cream and remaining 1 tablespoon basil. {I just used a stick blender, and it worked perfectly}

The soup was incredibly easy to make, creamy, flavorful and reheated well the next day for lunch.

Of course tomato soup goes really well with grilled cheese sandwich, but I just toasted jalapeno cheese bread :)

Do you make hot soups in Spring and Summer? If yes, what kind of soups do you make?

5/17/13

Eating out with Instagram: #Philadelphia4ADay. Where to Eat Brunch & Dinner in Philadelphia

I love traveling. If I'm in the same place for too long, I get antsy. Although I just got back from a trip to San Francisco and Alameda, and am going to Seattle in June, I have no other travel plans on my calendar. Oy.

That's why I was so happy when my friend Pankti suggested a day trip to Philadelphia. I've been to Philadelphia three times already: once on a solo trip, once on a trip with my twin {Philadelphia can also be a City of Sisterly Love :)}, and once for a flower show.

Our friend Samantha also joined us for a day of eating and walking around the city. It was really nice not to have any specific plans and just enjoy each other's company and Philadelphia.

For brunch, we went to Garces Trading Co (thank you, K for the recommendation!!). Garces has a gorgeous open space, big windows, communal tables and a fun $28 brunch special menu. I started with a mimosa, and had a house mozzarella as my appetizer. It was creamy and just slightly salty. The olive oil drizzled over the mozzarella was so delicious, I bought a bottle of it to take home with me.

For my main course I had Steak & Eggs: it was a flavorful and filling dish. Somehow I managed to eat the whole thing :) The steak was cooked as I asked for it: medium rare, and was tender and a bit bloody. The poached eggs were perfect.

Unfortunately there was no room for dessert.

And just so that you know, I took some "people photos" and not just food photos. Below is Pankti, Samantha and I by the gorgeous Magic Garden.

And this is me kissing a frog. I'm still waiting for it to turn into my Prince!

After brunch we did quite a bit of walking around. Philadelphia really lends itself for that and provides fun things to look at. Loved these murals.

And of course I'm still obsessed with red doors:

For a quick snack we stopped by at Fork. Check out their website for fun interior shots. I had hibiscus iced tea (yes, still obsessed with hibiscus flavor) and a grapefruit pastry.

And then it was time for dinner. I was disappointed we could not get reservations at Zahav, so we just decided to walk around and see what looked good. By that point we were a bit tired and it was raining and a few of the restaurants we went to have more than an hour wait. No good.

And then, we discovered a lovely neighborhood wine bar called Tria.

The restaurant was somewhat dark, so no photos other than a dessert, but I LOVED the Housemade Lamb Sausage served with white beans, piuillo pepper and min-feta sauce. I also ordered Warm Poached Black Mission Figs with gorgonzola and prosciutto.

For dessert I had Lemon Panna Cotta with blood orange sauce. Divine.

This was such a fun day trip!

5/15/13

Lemony French Lentils with Shitake Mushrooms & Pan Seared Salmon

This Lemony French Lentils with Shitake Mushrooms & Pan Seared Salmon recipe is inspired by a dish I had at Pappo while visiting friends in Alameda, CA.

I guess this is more of a how to put different things together post than a true recipe, but I have faith in your cooking abilities!

The French lentils are not only beautiful, but they retain their shape after being cooked unlike other lentils. Of course you know that salmon is good for you, and so is garlic. With a bit of earthy flavor from the shitake mushrooms and some brightness from the lemon, this dish really has a lot to offer.

Lemony French Lentils with Shitake Mushrooms & Pan Seared Salmon

Ingredients
olive oil
sliced shitake mushrooms
sliced garlic cloves
salt & pepper
cooked French lentils
lemon juice
salmon fillet
cilantro leaves

Directions
1. In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add mushrooms and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Saute until the mushrooms are slightly crispy.
2. Add cooked French lentils and lemon juice to taste.
3. Meanwhile, pan sear salmon on both sides in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve the salmon on a bed of mushrooms and French lentils and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and a bit more of lemon juice.

Easy, right?

Have you tried to recreate a dish you liked in a restaurant in your own kitchen? Were you successful?

5/12/13

Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup with Yogurt Sauce Recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetable Literacy

My friend Amy gave me Deborah Madison's Vegetable Literacy for my birthday a few months ago. Although the book is filled with an incredible amount of information, so far I've just looked at its pretty photos and made one recipe: Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup with Yogurt Sauce.

Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup with Yogurt Sauce
from Deborah Madison's Vegetable Literacy

Ingredients for 6
2 tablespoons ghee, olive oil, or light sesame oil
1 onion, sliced
1 heaping tablespoon peeled and coarsely chopped fresh ginger
3 cups sliced carrots
1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons cilantro stems, finely minced
5 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock or light chicken stock
sea salt
juice of 1 lime, plus more if needed

for the sauce
3 tablespoons creamy yogurt
1/2 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoons slivered Thai basil
pinch of sumac powder

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a wide soup pot and add the onion, ginger, carrots, spices and cilantro stems. Give a stir to coat with the oil and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are quite soft, about 20 minutes. {Note: I don't know if I did not slice my carrots thin enough, but this took at least 40 minutes.}

3. Puree in a blender until very smooth. Cover and chill well. The flavors dull with the cold, so season with the lime juice and with more salt, if needed, just before serving.

4. To make the sauce, stir together the yogurt, chile, cilantro and basil. Swirl a spoonful of the sauce into each serving of soup and add a pinch of sumac to each bowl.

My thoughts: the soup was really easy to make. The color was beautiful, especially paired with blue.

However, I thought it was too thin. If you are going to make this recipe, definitely reduce the amount of water by at least 1 cup, if not more. 5 1/2 cups of liquid was way too much. In fact, it was impossible to "swirl a spoonful of the sauce into each serving of soup" because the yogurt sauce just fell to the bottom of the bowl. Bummers.

Have you made anything from Vegetable Literacy? Any recommendations?

5/10/13

Mango, Tomato & Black Bean Salad (or Salsa)

Happy almost weekend! Are you doing anything exciting? I'm going to Philadelphia for a day tomorrow with a few friends and spending Sunday cooking and photographing and hopefully cleaning my condo. {Don't forget to call your mom for Mother's Day!!!}

This Mango, Tomato & Black Bean Salad recipe came about after I saw Bonnie Benwick's tweet last week:

But of course I had to add my own spin to that black bean, cilantro and lime salad idea. Since May is 5th Bloggiversary of Mango & Tomato, I decided to add mangoes and tomatoes ;)

Mango, Tomato & Black Bean Salad

Ingredients for 1-2 portions {depending on how hungry you are}

1 cup peeled and chopped mango
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup rinsed black beans
1/2 seeded jalapeno, minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
salt to taste

Directions
1. Combine mango, tomatoes, black beans, jalapeno and cilantro in a bowl.
2. In a small jar fitted with a lid shake lime juice, olive oil, mustard and salt until well incorporated.
3. Dress the salad with just enough dressing {you will have some left over}.
4. Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes.

This is such a colorful salad. You can eat it on its own, or with chips, or as a side served with grilled fish or chicken or steak. It's super versatile.

Have a great weekend!!!

5/8/13

What to do with Carrots: Whole Roasted Carrots with Fresh Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Over the weekend I did a TON of cooking for the blog. You've already seen the beautiful (if I say so myself) Mango Tart with Crystallized Ginger and Pistachios. Another recipe I made was Chilled Carrot Soup from Deborah Madison's latest cookbook: I will publish it either this Friday or next week.

The Chilled Carrot Soup called for 3 cups of sliced carrots, but I wasn't sure how many pounds of carrots it would take and bought extras just in case. Turns out, 3 cups of sliced carrots is about one pound. I had a pound of beautiful carrots left over and decided to make Whole Roasted Carrots with Fresh Fig Balsamic Vinegar. This recipe is inspired by a recipe my friend Cindy made for Tavern on the Green Blog.

Just for fun, I decided to roast my carrots in a cast iron grill pan to give the final product some grill marks, but you can use a cookie sheet.

Roasted Carrots with Fresh Fig Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients

1 pound young carrots, scrubbed
drizzle of olive oil
drizzle of fresh fig balsamic vinegar (or any other vinegar you like)
salt to taste

for the glaze
1/2 cup fresh fig balsamic vinegar

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450F with the cast iron grill pan inside.
2. Drizzle the carrots with olive oil and season with salt.
3. CAREFULLY remove the cast iron grill pan from the oven. Add the carrots to the pan and roast for 40-60 minutes depending on how thick your carrots are and how crunchy you will want them to remain. You might want to check on the carrots a few times and roll them around the pan.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring the 1/2 cup fresh fig balsamic vinegar to a boil, then reduce the heat and continue to cook until the vinegar thickens and reduces in volume.
5. Drizzle the roasted carrots with the balsamic reduction before serving.

before:

after:

This is a relatively easy dish to make and can be served hot, at room temperature or even cold. You can use these carrots as a side dish or chop them to add to salads or pasta. You could also puree them with other roasted vegetables and turn them into a sauce or a soup.

What is your favorite thing to do with whole carrots?

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