Planning to stay in during the holiday season?

Here are three easy to prepare gourmet dinners - to help you impress your partner!

 

1. Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
¼ white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
¼ cup plain yoghurt
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup tomato puree
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup water

Method: Heat one tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yoghurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into the sauce.

Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

From https://www.allrecipes.com/

 

2. Puff Pastry Salmon (Salmon Wellington)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
5 oz fresh spinach (140 g)
1 teaspoon salt, for spinach
1 teaspoon pepper, for spinach
⅓ cup breadcrumb (40 g)
4 oz cream cheese (110 g)
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese (30 g)
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 sheet puff pastry, softened to room temperature
1 salmon fillet
1 teaspoon salt, for salmon
1 teaspoon pepper, for salmon
1 egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

In a pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the garlic and onions, cooking until translucent. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper, cooking until spinach is wilted.

Add the breadcrumbs, cream cheese, parmesan, and dill, stirring until mixture is evenly combined. Remove from heat and set aside.

On a cutting board, smooth out the sheet of puff pastry. Place the salmon in the middle of the pastry and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Place several spoonfuls of the spinach mixture on top of the salmon, smoothing it out so that it does not spill over the sides.

Fold the edges of the puff pastry over the salmon and spinach, starting with the long sides and then the shorter ends. Trim any excess pastry from the ends, then fold the ends on top. Flip the puff pastry-wrapped salmon over and transfer for a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the beaten egg on the top and sides of the pastry. Score the top of the pastry with a knife, cutting shallow diagonal lines to create a crosshatch pattern.

Brush the top again with the egg wash.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Slice, then serve and enjoy!

From https://tasty.co/

 

3. Persian Herb and Leek Frittata

Ingredients
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
5 large eggs
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1½ cups finely chopped cilantro
1½ cups finely chopped dill
1½ cups finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves

Preparation

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a 10" skillet over medium. Cook onion and leek, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not brown, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Wipe out skillet; set aside.

Whisk eggs, salt, baking powder, pepper, and turmeric in a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, mix in onion mixture, cilantro, dill, parsley, and fenugreek. (Egg mixture should look thick and very green.)

Heat broiler. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in a reserved skillet over medium. Pour in egg mixture; spread evenly across the pan with a spatula. Cover and cook the frittata until the bottom is just set, 8–10 minutes. Uncover and broil, watching carefully, until the top is set, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly, then slide out onto a platter.

From https://www.bonappetit.com/

Recommended Reading on this theme brought to you by Finerton:

3 Easy-to-cook summer (healthy) recipes perfect for coders

Blog carried: 26/07/2019

 

Authored by the Finerton.com News Team (Malta)
Images Sourced from Unsplash.com & Pixabay.com