Category: Olive Oil

No. 570Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Sri Lankan dishes are fresh, vibrant, distinct and a perfect recipe to sample this cuisine is Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry Recipe from Kolamba, Soho NYC. The newest Little Jewel recipe added to the Membership Collection.

LONDON CALLING

Sri Lankan dishes are starting to become known in their own right thanks to a group of restaurants in London. First was Hoppers, which introduced people to the Sri Lankan savory pancake of the same name. Kolamba, is a modern restaurant in the heart of Soho with a more focused approach to authenticity and the dishes cooked and eaten in homes across the island. But when it comes to the food of Sri Lanka, a beautiful island nation just 17 miles off the coast of southern India, a lot of us assume it’s no different to what’s found on the subcontinent. Nothing could be further from the truth. This recipe is adapted from Kolamba in Soho.

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry |Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

SRI LANKAN CUISINE

But what makes Sri Lankan flavors stand out against those found in India? A lot of it comes down to one ingredient: coconut. Despite being a small island it’s the world’s fourth-largest exporter of coconuts, and they are a part of almost every aspect of the national cuisine. ‘We’re always compared to India when it comes to our food, but there are real differences between what we cook and eat compared to the rest of the subcontinent,’ says Eroshan, Kolamba;’s owner, ‘We don’t use any animal fats in our cooking – no ghee, butter, cream or yoghurt – because coconut adds all the rich creaminess we need instead. We go through a couple of hundred coconuts a week here at the restaurant, so it’s the single most important ingredient.’

Sri Lankan food is NOT for the timid eater. Fiery curries, sweet caramelized onion as seen sambal (onion relish), and sour lime pickle are all dominant, powerful flavors that awake the senses dulled by the thick, hot island air. The building blocks of Sri Lankan cuisine are rice, coconut, and native tropical fruits and vegetables. The island grows some 15 varieties of rice (down from 280 just 50 years ago, and 400 in times before that), some of which are used for various types of rice flour pancakes (called hoppers) and rice noodles (called string hoppers).

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry | Bijouxs Little Jewels

GREEN BEAN CURRY

This simple but flavor forward curry demonstrates the cuisine of Sri Lanka. A simple curry with most ingredients easily found in the supermarket. Curry leaves are the one ingredient that is found in International markets. I am lucky to have a small Indian market by my home where I can get my cooking ingredients, including fresh curry leaves stored in the refrigerated section.  The leaves are used both in the curry and to create the curry oil for garnish. I also can’t leave the market without  Kesar Pista Kufi (Saffron Pistachio Ice Cream) heavenly.

Join Bijouxs and explore the foods of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

No. 568Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Spice Roasted Pumpkin Two Ways

Spice Roasted Pumpkin Two Ways |Bijouxs Little Jewels

This is 2-for-1 recipe share today. First up are Spice Roasted Pumpkin slices and next comes Spice Mashed Pumpkin with maple and Parmesan, great sides for the holidays. Grab these two new recipes from the Recipe Membership Collection.

SPICE ROASTED PUMPKIN

This first recipe appeared a while back, wow it’s been almost 10 years! This is an another share of this spice roasted pumpkin, it’s that good. The soft, salty- sweet slices are a great side to add to the holiday table.  The recipe is at home with a traditional turkey dinner or as part of my vegan Everything But the Bird menu.

Spice Roasted Pumpkin Two Ways | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Spice Roasted Pumpkin Two Ways | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

MASHED PUMPKIN WITH MAPLE AND PARMESAN CHEESE

If you have roasted a large pumpkin like I did, aQueensland Blue,  chances are you will have some leftovers, which are perfect for the salty-sweet mash, a more traditional take on pumpkin.  By using the already spiced roasted pumpkin slices creates a great base for another pumpkin side dish. No boring sides on my table. The pureed pumpkin is spiked with bacon bits and maple syrup. A dollop of butter, some Parmesan cheese and off into the oven to bake into a buttery spiced goodness.

Spice Roasted Pumpkin Two Ways | Bijouxs Little Jewels

SEASONAL COOKING

Savor the Seasons with The Bijouxs Little Jewels Recipe Club Membership, a great value. Full access to my 550+ recipes, no ads no popups, just beautifully photographed recipes with printable recipe cards. Membership is less than $3 dollars a month for the year’s subscription. I have created the Little Jewel Recipe Collection just for you.  This season shower the people you love with love, show them the way you feel. Please enjoy!

 

No. 564Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Roasted Pear Salad With Arugula, Walnuts & Roquefort

Roasted Pear Salad With Arugula, Walnuts & Roquefort | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

Cooking the seasons at Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen with Roasted Pear Salad With Arugula, Walnuts & Roquefort. Tis’ pear season, enjoy with this not-to-miss salad with a little twist on the pears.

PEAR SEASON

Yes, pear season is here and there are a bounty of choices. For this salad I chose Bosc pears, identifiable with the a warm cinnamon brown skin with russeting over the surface of the skin, beautiful. The pears are firm, great for baking, as in this case roasting the pears before adding to the salad.

Roasted Pear Salad With Arugula, Walnuts & Roquefort | Bijouxs Little Jewels

ROASTED PEARS

Roasting the pears for the salad creates a more complex flavor for the salad. Usually they are added raw but here they are roasted, seasoned lightly with salt and pepper, creating a complex flavor for the salad. They roast quickly in about 15 minutes and are ready for the salad. Adding them while still warm creates a salad that is both cool & warm.

Roasted Pear Salad With Arugula, Walnuts & Roquefort | Bijouxs Little Jewels

ROASTED PEAR SALAD

The other salad ingredients are basic: arugula, walnuts and best of all crumbled Roquefort cheese. For the cheese select real Roquefort from France, check the label. It is a bit more pricey but the flavor is beyond compare.

Roasted Pear Salad With Arugula, Walnuts & Roquefort | Bijouxs Little Jewels

SORGHUM

The salad’s grain if often a wheat product, but I used Sorghum. It may not be familiar to you, but this grain-free wonder is a stand in for wheat and grain products. You prepare it like many other grains, the easiest way is to use the Instant Pot. You can use cooked sorghum as a stand in for quinoa, rice, or even oats for breakfast. I have used it in this kale salad, it really stands up to the other ingredients.

Enjoy this Fall salad, another Little Jewel from the Recipe Collection Membership. Join to receive access to all 564 recipes in the collection.

No. 563Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Spaghetti alla Vodka

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Food & memories, memories & food. Years ago when the world was steady, I met a fantastic chef/fellow blogger. She shared her take on her Grandmother’s “all vodka” recipe. Spaghetti alla Vodka a memory Little Jewel.

ALLA VODKA

Vodka sauce is a pink sauce with a splash of booze that is somewhere between a tomato sauce and an Alfredo sauce. The sauce was surely created in Italy way before it became popular in America. Not to worry, the alcohol inherent in vodka is cooked out completely during the cooking process.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

TOMATO INFUSED VODKA

Key to the recipe are the vodka soaked tomatoes. Do not skip these, they are easy to make. Just place ripe, large peeled garden tomatoes in a glass jar (with a lid) and cover them with vodka. Cover and put tomatoes away in the refrigerator for at least 5 days to do their magic. Make sure to fill the jar to cover the tomatoes with vodka, if they float up use a wooden skewer to anchor the tomatoes.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI ALLA VODKA

This recipe originated from my friend’s Grandmother in Italy. I will vouch, this is a real Italian family. I enjoyed our days cooking with this fellow chef, always something to learn.

Prepare a large pot of boiling salted water, hold a low boil.

The sauce is so easy to prepare. Lightly sauté onions and garlic together in olive oil, just until translucent. Next add the pureed tomatoes and tomato vodka. Simmer about 10-15 minutes. Add the sliced basil*, red pepper flakes, and heavy cream, stir and allow sauce to heat through.

Add the spaghetti to boiling salted water and cook to package instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water to use if the sauce seems too thick.

Stir in the drained spaghetti to the sauce. Toss lightly to coat the spaghetti. Serve the spaghetti in a large shallow bowls with additional grated Parmesan, drizzle of olive oil and more red pepper flakes if you like spicy.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

CHIFFONADE

This a French cooking term which is the culinary preparation of herbs or leafy vegetables sliced into long, thin ribbons. Simply tighly roll 2-3 basil leaves together then slice crosswise in thin strips.

PASTA BOWLS

A collection of plain white pasta bowls are a worthwhile kitchen investment. I have two types, the shallow bowls you see here and deeper large bowls for ragus and larger pastas.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

No. 563 Spaghetti alla Vodka, a shared Little Jewel from the Kithen Recipe Collection.

 

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