Indian style dinner with everyday dal

I'm working nowadays. Just for the Summer, like most students, to earn a little more (pocket) money. I do reception work at my mum's work. She works nights for an institution that takes care of mentally disabled adults. 
My work is quite varied: answering incoming and outgoing calls, typing and posting letters, doing some administration, openening gates, ... I like it quite a lot. It's not boring and I come across people all the time so that I 'm never lonely, even though I have to spend the hours in a fish bowl-like office ^^

As I have very irregular hours, I mostly don't eat dinner with the rest of the family. I have to cook my own stews. That might seem lonely, but that's also good for trying out something new.

Today it's Veggie Day for me. And what cuisine is known for it's splendid vegetarian kitchen so much as the Indian? I browsed through the recipes and found this gharki dal recipe. 

It's a lentil stew with lots of spices and can be served as a hearty side dish or even as a full meal with basmati rice. (the author calls it 'everyday lentils', but for me it's much more)
It looks quite boring because it's a porridge-like dish, but the taste is quite unlike it!

As you see, the dal really needs a lot of different aromas - 11 - but they're essential to the end result which is delicious!
The tomatoes I've added to the recipe weren't there originally, but to me they add some more colour and I'm also a fan of having as much vegetables (with all their vitamins) in my food. But if you want to leave them out, that's also no problem because the dal is great in itself.

Ingredients for 1:
- 55 grams red lentils
- 250 ml water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 ground turmeric
- 1/5 teaspoon nigella seeds
- 1/5 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/5 teaspooncumin seeds
- 1/5 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/5 teaspoon fenugreek leaves
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/5 teaspoon hot chilli powder
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of chopped up fresh cilantro

How to:
Put the lentils, the tomatoes you've cut in four and the water with the salt, turmeric and ginger on the fire. Let the lentils simmer on medium heat for about 25 minutes until they're tender. 

Crush all the other spices - apart from the cilantro - and the garlic until the aromas come off. Add them to the lentils on the fire. Stir regularly while the dal simmers for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Now cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. 
Serve the dal with the rice and the fresh cilantro.

Watch out with the chilli powder if you are not a fan of real hot food! I like it very much, but you might be surprised by the heat of just the pinch you put inside ... 

Enjoy!

Chicken enchiladas with guacamole

After a long period of 'boerenkost' (my dad's favourite food: daily meat, vegetables and potatoes, can be translated as 'farmers' food') I felt it was time for something else. 
I'm a fan of all sorts of kitchens, especially spicy kitchens. Mexican is one of them. I love the use of cilantro, and the Mexican kitchen is full of it.

Today it's chicken enchiladas I'll make. It's my own adaptation of the dish so please don't blame me for messing with the recipe!

Ingredients for enchiladas (4):
- 4 large or 8 small tortillas
- 4 chicken fillets
- olive oil
- chicken herbs
- pepper and salt to taste
- chilli flakes or harissa to taste
- 2 cans of peeled tomatoes
- 2 large sweet red bell peppers
- 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 250 grams grated cheddar
- hot chilli powder
- fresh cilantro for serving

How to:
Bring the peeled tomatoes, the chopped garlic, the chopped peppers and the herbs to a boil in a large pot. Let it all simmer for at least half an hour or until the flavours have combined and the peppers have become soft. Blend the sauce a little so that the largest chunks are gone.
Cut the chicken into small cubes and rub them in with some of the chicken herbs.
Heat a skillet and fry the chicken in some olive oil.
Now take a tortilla, dip one side of it in the sauce, fill it up with some of the chicken, another little bit of sauce,  a bit of the grated cheddar and - if you like it hot - some hot chilli powder.
Roll the tortilla up so that you get a large roll. Place it in a greased oven tray and cover the wrap with sauce and some cheddar.
You do this for each of the tortillas, until all ingredients are finished.
Put in a 200°C oven for about 45 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle with some fresh cilantro for colour and extra taste.

Ingredients for guacamole (4):
- 2 avocados
- juice of 1 lime
- pepper and salt to taste
- 2 large tomatoes, peeled and deseeded
- 1 small onion
- handful of fresh cilantro
- tabasco (if you like it hot)

How to:
Cut the avocados in half. Take the stone out by putting a knife in the middle of it and pulling the knife with the stone on it out. Don't throw away the stones!
Use a spoon to take all the flesh out of the avocados. 
Mash the avocado with a fork.
Cut the garlic, tomatoes and the onion in very small pieces. Add them to the avocado.
Spice things up with lime juice, salt, pepper, tabasco and cilantro.
Put the stones of the avocados back in so that the nice green colour stays.

Sublime!

Pasta with chicken livers and pepper sauce

It's been a very busy week. I've been monitoring a children's camp the past five days. The theme of the week was 'animals', and I was in charge of twelve 6 to 8 year olds, which were adorable. We had a falconer visiting us, who showed us falcons, owls, buzzards, an eagle and a vulture. The children and I were delighted, but who wouldn't be?


The coming week will be camp again, this time in the theme 'cupcakes'. This title is not covering all we will be doing. We'll be doing all sorts of baking activities such as preparing cupcakes (of course, hence the title), making quiche, cake pops, biscuits and whoopie pies.  Lots to look forward to!


Today is the first day I can cook again after all this busyness. It'll be pasta with a sauce of peppers and cilantro and chicken livers. Liver isn't everyone's favourite, but I can assure you it's very good. You have to try it!

Ingredients for 4:
- 450 grams chicken livers
- 300 grams pasta
- olive oil
- 2 peppers (red and yellow)
- 400 grams peeled tomatoes (canned)
- 1 small can of tomato paste
- crushed chillies (flakes)
- powdered ginger
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
- fresh cilantro
- pepper and salt to taste
- 100 grams grated cheese


How to:
Make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a pot and add the garlic which you've cut into small pieces and the peppers, diced. Once they've fried for a while (make sure to stir a lot), you can add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Let it cook for a few minutes on high heat.
Season with salt, pepper, a little cilantro and the chilli flakes. Lower the heat and let it all simmer for about an hour.
In the mean time, you can cut the chicken livers into smaller, bite-size pieces.

Heat some olive oil in a non-stick skillet on the fire and fry the pieces of liver in it. Once they're done (you can check by cutting a piece in half), powder some ginger on top of the chicken livers.

Add the chicken livers to the sauce and let them simmer along for a while, so that the sauce can take up the flavours.

Cook the pasta until tender. Mix the cooked pasta with the sauce and the chicken livers, season to taste and serve with some grated cheese.

Have a nice meal!