Shrimp Curry, by Cheryl

Shrimp Curry

Complete meal with the shrimp and eggplant curry

I just realized that I forgot to post the rest of the Sri Lanken dishes that I made from the recipes of my friends Ashley and Kam. This recipe goes really well with the eggplant curry and pairs well with rice to offset the spice. It's a delicious and different way to make shrimp. Yum!


Ingredients:

Shrimp, peeled and tail off
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1 cinnamon stick
2 pieces of anese
5-10 curry leaves
1 tablespoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons curry
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
2 teaspoons crushed fenugreek (I didn't use this)
salt and black pepper
canola or vegetable oil

Directions:

1) Saute the onion and garlic in oil until soft.

2) Add all of the spices and mix until fully coated. Add more oil.

3) Add the shrimp and cook until no longer transparent.

Risotto alla verza (Cabbage Risotto), by Cheryl

All of my posts seem to be taking an Italian turn! No bother... they are really good recipes that I'm trying to perfect before we leave Italy in 8 months. About three times a week my Italian neighbor has something for us to taste. Usually she'll give us enough for a meal for two and then give us the recipe the next day if we like it (which of course we always do). When I first told Jon that she had cabbage risotto for us, we thought, "Meh, I'm sure it's tasty, but I don't know about the cabbage". We've made it four times in the last six weeks since she gave us the recipe. It's really good! We've also experimented with different add ins like porcini mushrooms and shrimp, but honestly it's good on it's own and it's a hearty vegetarian meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

200 grams of cabbage (we have been using half of cabbage head)

1 liter of vegetable broth (or chicken)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped 

160 grams of risotto rice (we used about 250 grams because the portion was small and we weren't having another course)

20 grams grated Parmesan cheese (We now estimate this depending on how cheesy we want it)

salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Coarsely chop the washed cabbage. 

2) Heat the broth in a soup pan.

3) Put the oil in a pan with the chopped onions and heat until soft and almost brown.

4) Turn up the heat and add the cabbage to the onions. Cook for a few minutes on high heat. 

5) Add a ladle of broth and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Keep checking on it and add more broth in small amounts if it starts to dry out or stick to the pan. 

6) After 10 minutes take off the lid and let it dry out the sauce. Add the rice and toast for a minute. 

7) Combine 4-5 ladles of hot broth and set the timer according to the type of risotto you have (usually 15-18 minutes). Continue combining the broth as it absorbs, stirring from time to time, without letting the mixture get too dry, otherwise it will cook unevenly. 

8) Towards the end of the cooking time stir in the grated cheese, pepper, and a ladle of broth. Season with salt. 

9) Turn off the heat and let sit, covered, for a minute of two before serving. 

Pizzette alla Melanzane (Fried eggplant balls), by Cheryl

This is a Neapolitan specialty that our neighbor gave us to eat. They are an appetizer to any meal and are really easy to make! I thought that we would need a sauce to go with it, but the balls are delicious on their own. I probably have made these once a week since she gave me the recipe! This recipe makes about 8 balls.

Ingredients (sorry it's in grams!):

- 800 grams of eggplant

- 120 grams of bread crumbs (I didn't measure this out at all- I eyeballed the amount I needed in order to make good balls, like when making falafels or meatballs).

- 120 grams of grated Parmesan cheese

- one tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

- 1 egg (original recipe calls for 2, but one did just fine)

- salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Slice the eggplant into strips and boil until soft (maybe 5-10 minutes)

2) Drain the water, let cool, then squeeze the water out of the eggplant. I used some paper towels to help me.

3) In a bowl combine all of the ingredients, adding small amounts of breadcrumbs as needed and mix. You want the balls to keep its shape without being sticky. I also made the balls into flatter, more oval shaped, in order to fry them more easily.

4) Heat canola oil in a pan on the stove. When it becomes hot, fry the balls until they are golden brown. Turn over and repeat. Eat hot!