7 minute read
Flavor Fusions
Flavor Fusions
Recipes that create a feast for your senses.
By Lydia Zerby
Embark on a culinary adventure that tantalizes your taste buds and ignites your kitchen creativity. These flavorpacked recipes are designed to transform everyday meals into extraordinary experiences.
Dive into the rich, aromatic depths of Turkey and Squash Curry, where tender turkey melds seamlessly with the hearty squash, all bathed in a luscious, spice-infused curry sauce. Next, let a vibrant and bold Sizzling Asian Beef Stir Fry captivate you with its symphony of crisp vegetables, succulent beef, and a perfect balance of savory and sweet notes, all sizzling in your wok. Finally, wake up your senses with Chilaquiles Verdes Con Huevos, a traditional Mexican dish that layers crispy tortillas with tangy green salsa, crowned with perfectly cooked eggs for a breakfast or brunch that’s both fresh and comforting.
These recipes are not just about meals. They’re about moments of joy, discovery and shared delight around the table. So, tie on your apron, gather your ingredients and get ready to savor every bite of these exquisite dishes.
Turkey and Squash Curry
• 2 pounds turkey thighs, skin and bones removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound butternut squash, seeded, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated or chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 1 teaspoon coriander, ground
• ½ teaspoon turmeric, ground
• ½ teaspoon chili powder (add more to increase spiciness)
• 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• ½ cup water or stock
• 2 ounces fresh spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil
• White rice, cooked according to package directions
• Optional: scallions, cilantro, lime, chopped cashews, yogurt
Cut turkey thighs into 1-inch cubes. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the turkey pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Remove the turkey from the pot and set aside. Repeat with remaining turkey, adding additional oil if needed.
In the same pot, add another tablespoon of oil and sauté the chopped onion until translucent.
Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, stirring for another minute.
Stir in the curry powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and chili powder. Cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Incorporate the drained tomatoes. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot using the liquid released from the tomatoes.
Add the cubed squash and the browned turkey to the pot and incorporate into the mixture.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the coconut milk. The liquid should almost cover the turkey and squash. If there appears not to be enough liquid, add about ½ cup of water or stock.
Return the pot to low heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, stir and then continue to simmer on low with the top off until the squash is tender and the curry has thickened a bit, about 10–15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
When ready to serve, take off the heat and stir in the fresh spinach so that it wilts.
Serve over rice and garnish with items like scallions, cilantro, lime, chopped cashews and yogurt.
Cook’s Tip: You can substitute butternut squash with sugar pumpkin, Hubbard squash or acorn squash.
Sizzling Asian Stir Fry
• 1 pound beef top sirloin steak, boneless
• 3 tablespoons water
• 4 cups (10–12 ounces) fresh stir-fry vegetable blend
• ½ cup red bell pepper strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 2 cups hot, cooked brown rice
• Optional: coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Marinade
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Cut beef top sirloin steak lengthwise in half, then crosswise into ⅛-inch thick strips. Combine marinade ingredients in medium bowl. Add beef; toss to coat. Set aside.
Combine water, vegetable blend and bell pepper in large nonstick skillet or wok; cover and cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove and drain vegetables; keep warm.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in same pan over medium-high heat until hot.
Add crushed red pepper; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add ½ of beef; stirfry 1 to 3 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.) Remove from pan. Repeat with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and beef.
Return beef and vegetables to pan. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until heated through. Serve over rice and garnish with peanuts, as desired.
Cook's Tip: You can also use 1 pound beef top round steak, cut ¾ to 1 inch thick.
Chilaquiles Verdes Con Huevos
• 1 red onion, sliced and de-flamed
• 10 (1 ¼ pounds) tomatillos, stemmed, husked and rinsed
• 4 cubanelle peppers
• 2 poblano chiles
• 4 serrano chiles, divided
• ½ white onion, quartered
• 1 cup cilantro (leaves and stems) plus more leaves to garnish
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 limes, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 30 (5-inch) corn tortillas, quartered and fried in peanut oil (substitute for a bag of store-bought tortilla chips)
• 6 ounces Manchego cheese, shredded 12 ounces Oaxaca cheese, shredded Mexican crema or sour cream
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced 6 to 12 large eggs, divided
De-flame the red onion by soaking the slices in cold water, 5 to 10 minutes, to remove the harsh, raw onion flavor. Drain and set aside.
Heat grill over medium heat. Oil the grates and place the tomatillos, cubanelles, poblanos, 2 serrano peppers and white onion onto grill and char all over, 10 to 15 minutes. Once the tomatillos are charred, slightly soft but still holding their shape, remove them so they don’t let their juice out onto the grill.
Place the poblanos and cubanelles into a large bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap to steam. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins, stems and seeds. Remove the stems from the serrano peppers. Remove the seeds to decrease heat, if desired.
To make the salsa verde, place the charred tomatillos, cubanelles, poblanos, serrano peppers, onion, cilantro (stems and all), chicken stock, ½ freshly squeezed lime and cumin in a blender. Purée until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch frypan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour salsa verde into the pan and heat over medium to medium-low heat until hot, stirring periodically, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Divide the tortilla chips among 6 plates. Divide and sprinkle both cheeses over the chips, followed by hot salsa verde to coat the chips and melt the cheese.
Slice the remaining serrano peppers. Garnish each plate with a drizzle of crema or sour cream, sliced serranos, avocados, de-flamed red onions, cilantro leaves and remaining limes wedges on the side, for squeezing.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch nonstick frypan over medium-low heat. Once the oil is heated, crack 4 eggs into the pan, one at a time. Fry sunny side up, for about 1 minute. Once the whites begin to set, carefully tilt the pan and baste the top of the whites with the oil until fully set with a runny yolk. Remove and place 1 to 2 eggs on top of the chips on each plate. Repeat with the remaining eggs, as desired.
