We are surrounded by chemicals—the air we breathe, some of the food we eat, the cleaning supplies we use and our personal care products. A skill testing question: how many personal care products does an average Canadian use? I was surprised with the answer, nearly 15 personal care products containing more than 100 toxic ingredients that are poorly regulated giving us exposure to harmful ingredients. How many do you use?
The Globe and Mail last week had an article on Madhur Jaffrey. She is a noted author of some 30 cookbooks of Indian, and world vegetarian cuisines, many of which have become bestsellers and several of which have won James Beard Foundation awards. She is one of my favourite ‘home cooks’ and the cookbook I refer to constantly is ‘Quick and Easy Indian Cooking.’
Chicken Breasts Baked with Onions and Ginger This is a mild tasting dish elegant enough to be served for a grand dinner. It can be doubled or tripled as the guest list expands or perfect for just two people. Serve it with a rice dish and vegetables or salad. Don’t let the spices intimate you. They will create the most awesome flavours.
For the sauce: 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp garam masala 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp salt 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 1 cup heavy whipping cream For the chicken: 4 boned skinned chicken breast halves (about 1.5 pounds) Salt and pepper as needed 4 Tbsp olive oil 1-inch stick cinnamon 6 cardamom pods 6 whole cloves 2 medium-size onion, peeled and sliced thinly 3 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped 2-inch piece fresh ginger minced 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F 2. Put the tomato paste in a bowl, add 1 Tbsp water and mix. Add all the remaining ingredients for the sauce in the order listed, mixing as you go. 3. Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides. 4. Put 3 Tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and set over high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cloves. Ten seconds later, put in the chicken pieces in a single layer and brown them lightly on both sides. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and place in an ovenproof dish in a single layer. Put the onion, and ginger into the oil that remains in the frying pan. Stir and fry them until they are light in brown colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and spread evenly over the chicken pieces. 5. Add the last Tbsp of oil to the frying pan and let it heat. Put in the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop (this takes just seconds), put in the garlic. Stir. As soon as it starts to brown, pour in the sauce. As soon as the sauce heats up and starts bubbling, pour it over and around the chicken without displacing the onion and bake for 25 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and whole cloves and serve immediately. Serves 2 to 4 Turmeric Rice This rice has a beautiful yellow colour, and is very lightly seasoned perfect with any dish. 2 cups basmati rice 3 Tbsp olive oil 3 whole cloves 1 bay leaf 4 cardamom pods 1-inch stick cinnamon 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 1/4 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp finely sliced chives or the green part of green onions 1. Put the rice in a bowl and wash well in several changes of water. Drain and leave in a strainer set over a bowl. 2. Put the oil in a heavy saucepan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the cloves, bay leaf, cardamom pods, and cinnamon. Stir once or twice and put in the garlic. As soon as the garlic turns medium brown, put in the rice, turmeric, and salt. Stir gently for a minute. Now put in 2 3/4 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn the heat down very, very low, and cook for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with chives before serving.
