sourdough naan

Yesterday's curry recipe was found due to a friend of mine finding a naan recipe on Dinner with Julie.  Naan is just bread so I figured what the heck.  I did start it three days ahead of time so it could have lots of time for the yeastie beasties to develop flavor and I always use sourdough any more.

I would have to say sourdough naan turned out quite tasty.  When eaten plain, they are a little bland but when combined with the curry, they are perfect.  The bland mellows the spicy but does not cut it.  The flavor is still there.  It does take a little time and is a lot like make tortillas.  I did not wish to use any extra flour so I did all the forming by hand and with out my rolling pin.

Naan

sourdough starter

3/4 cup water

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 egg

5 tablspoons yogurt

3 to 4 cups flour

The night before, mix the starter with 3/4 cup water and 1 cup flour.  Cover and let sit out for at least eight hours or until bubbly.

Remove a bit of sourdough for the starter for next time.

Into the starter, mix the sugar, salt, oil, egg, and yogurt.  Mix in three cups flour.  You want a soft pliable dough.  Add a bit more flour if needed.  Cover and let rise until double or put in a ziploc and let rise in the refrigerator (this is what I did, for three days).

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle until very hot.  Divide the dough into eight.  Roll out each piece until it is a circle.  Brush each side with oil and cook on the griddle until bubbles appear and are blistered.

Eat with your curry.  Smile because your belly is happy.

daal curry

When we were out in Oregon a couple years ago, we had the best Indian food.  I have been trying to replicate it since.  I come close but it is not quite right.  That is until tonight.  A friend of ours tried a naan recipe which I wanted to try.  It is from Julie over at Dinner with Julie.  This is the lentil curry I have been trying to replicate.  And it is simple!  I did tweak a little bit but that is normal!

I served it with some roasted potatoes and homemade naan and my belly could not be happier.  This is one of those dishes that just needs to be part of each week.

daal curry

1 1/2 cups orange or red lentils

3 cups homemade vegetable broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 to 3 teaspoon ground curry or to taste

1/2 teaspoon new mexican chile powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garam marsala

1/2 cup coconut milk

Because I am lazy, in the morning, wash your lentils until they wash clean.  Put them in a pot or slow cooker insert, and cover with vegetable broth.  Three hours before you wish to eat, turn the slow cooker onto high.  If cooking in a pot, bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer, covered.  You will wish to cook them close to an hour or until they are very soft.

In a skillet over medium heat, put the olive oil and onion.  Cook the onion until golden brown.  Add the garlic and tomato.  Cook these down until there are bits of color.  Add the spices and salt.  Mix well.  Add the tomato mixture and the coconut milk to the lentils.  Stir well and heat through. 

Serve with rice or potatoes and naan.

This is really quick.  Once the lentils are cooked, it took about 15 minutes to put together.  Using a slow cooker makes cooking the lentils really easy.  The trick is to wash the lentils really well.

Happy belly time!

miss isabella's quilt is done

Miss Isabella's quilt is done.  It just needs to be mailed on Friday.

Because that is just really how my life goes.  I actually finished it yesterday but Friday will be the first day that I have free to get the packaging done and a trip to the post office.

I have to admit I really like this back.  I keep thinking I need to make one for myself.  But there are three in my head already:  one for Miss Lillian, one for the babe that will be born in two months if his/her mother slows down (sooner if Miss Katie does not slow done!), and one for a friend, Miss J, who I just thinks needs a bit of cuddle when she is tired though I know she gets a lot of those.

Someday, it will be mine.  I am saving scraps for it already.

p.s. The bruises are magnificent from the technically perfect roll/fall yesterday!  Three year old just kept blowing bubbles and laughing.

sitting this weekend

I spent a lot of time sitting in this rocking chair this weekend.  It is my rocking chair.  If I do not say it is mine, it has a tendency to get snitched by the other family member.  I needed to finish this quilt, which I did, but I also really needed to be off my feet.  

I cracked my right ankle a year and half ago.  Do not ask me how, because I do not know.  I do know there was much pain.  Either at the time or during the healing process, I screwed up tendons and ligaments in the foot and ankle too.  I have found skateboarding (or landsurfing as my Beloved calls it) stretches out and strengthens all those tendons and ligaments.  And I over do SO well!  The only way I got that foot into my figure skate on Sunday was that it had been in my hockey skate doing laps first!

I always find the most interesting ways to rehab.  And tonight I am a bit bruised.  I did a very good technical fall.  The three year old wandering all around blowing bubbles is fine.  It was me or him.  I chose me.  It did kill the downhill though.... sigh... Really good bruises.  Something to smile at tomorrow and try to ice skate through.

This is a bit of a babble today.  

playing with duck

We picked up a  3 1/2 pound duck at the butcher shop.  We like duck. My Beloved wants to raise them.  I thought it was time.  I did some searching on the internet but ended up with the old standard:  Joy of Cooking.  I have never had them go wrong with a turkey or a chicken, and they did not go wrong this time.

My Beloved cleaned up all the bits (and saved for soup) and the oven preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

The duck went into a roasting pan with some salt and pepper.  There are lots of ways to play with the duck skin to get it crispy I found.  I decided just to go simple this time.

The duck got popped into the oven.  The temperature got turned down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.   The duck roasted for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

It got mangled before I could get a picture of its loveliness.  It was quite good.  I made a bit of gravy and we had some mashed potatoes.  Life was good.

Yes, my Beloved can raise ducks.