Peanut Butter and Julie

Tandoori Chicken

We are very fortunate in Las Vegas to have a wide array of fine dining restaurants to choose from, whenever we want to go out for a special occasion meal.  It seems that every great chef from Guy Savoy to Charlie Trotter has opened up at least one establishment here.  They are usually located on the strip, and they are always an investment.

The challenge with the Las Vegas food scene is that, despite all of the wonderful steakhouses, gourmet rooms, and tasting menus, there are very few great quality casual dining options.  This is a town in love with (and overflowing with) franchises and chains.  Have a craving for a Bloomin' Onion at the Outback?  It's just down the road.  Looking for a Quizno's, Subway, or Cold Stone?  Pick a direction, and you'll reach one eventually.  What we really need here are more of those great hole-in-the-wall, locally owned and operated, mom-and-pop places; the kind that you can go to over and over again because you know that you will be served great food, and the staff will greet you by name.

So far, we have only found a handful of these hidden gems.  One of them, Table 34, we dine at so often that we are probably nearing stalker status.  Let's put it this way: We were asked by our usual server, Rich, if we wanted to be part of the waitstaff's NCAA pool for this year's Final Four Tournament.  The food is always great, and the atmosphere is relaxed, and that combination is perfect after a long work week.  Another favorite find is Crazy Pita, a small Mediterranean restaurant, which serves some of the most flavorful chicken kabobs and couscous that I have ever tasted.  I have not once been at Crazy Pita when the owner, Mehdi, was not there too.  He runs a tight ship, which is reflected in the quality of his craveable cuisine and operational efficiency.  My only complaint is that we need to travel about 15 minutes to get there.

No matter how much I am craving a Crazy Pita Marinated Chicken Skewer Platter with a side of hummus, sometimes I just don't want to make the trip.  So, I decided to attempt to come up with my own similar marinade.  While this is definitely not the same caliber as Mehdi's masterpiece, it does have some similarities, and it is enough to keep me satisfied until my next Crazy Pita run.  Here are a few tips for making this healthy, flavorful, and moist main dish:

• If you can, marinate the chicken overnight, or for at least eight hours.  The extended marinating time is important for tenderizing the chicken and for keeping it juicy throughout the grilling process.
• Garam masala is a traditional Indian spice mixture with many variations.  It usually contains cinnamon, cardamom, garlic, ginger, chili, and cloves.  If you don't have any on hand, then add about 1/4 teaspoon of the included spices in order to achieve a similar flavor profile.  Garam masala has become popular enough that most major spice companies now offer it, and you should be able to find some in your local grocery store. 
• This chicken is great on its own, served over a bed of baby spinach or with a side of couscous, but it also makes a wonderful grilled chicken sandwich, topped with some caramelized onions, mixed greens, and the seasoned yogurt sauce.
• This recipe would also work well with chicken thighs, shrimp, beef, lamb, and firm cuts of fish.  You can also make it into kabobs.

Tandoori Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil

4 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided

2 teaspoons ground coriander, divided

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 cups chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons chopped seeded jalapeno

8 cloves garlic, crushed

2 1/2 cups plain lowfat yogurt, divided

1/4 cup lemon juice, divided

2 teaspoons salt, divided

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.  Add the paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne to the pan; cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring constantly.  Remove from the pan and cool.

Place the onion, ginger, jalapeno, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.  Add the spice mixture, 1/2 cup of the yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to the onion mixture; process until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a large zip-top bag, add the chicken to the bag, seal, and toss to coat.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat the grill.

Combine the remaining 2 cups yogurt, 2 tablespoons juice, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and mix well.  Cover and chill.

Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade.  Grill the chicken about 7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.  Serve with the yogurt mixture. 

Spicy Wild Mushroom Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a food whose origin dates back to the 15th century in central Italy.  Back then, it was a pretty simple recipe: grilled bread rubbed with garlic and then topped with salt, pepper, and olive oil.  The word "bruschetta" comes from the verb in the Roman dialect "bruscare", which means "to roast over coals."  Over time, the meaning of the word has changed, and Americans typically use it to refer to the toppings themselves as opposed to the bread.  Grocery stores even sell bottled bruschetta, which is really their fancy-sounding way of getting consumers to cough up $5.95 for a mixture of tomatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs.  The jig is up guys.

The number of topping variations for bruschetta keeps growing as chefs become more inventive.  The most popular topping with Americans includes basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomato, but I have seen everything from roasted red peppers and eggplant to chocolate-hazelnut flavored Nutella over bananas.  It is the perfect appetizer to serve for entertaining, and putting out a "bruschetta bar" for you guests to mix and match their own toppings always goes over well. 

This variation of bruschetta is inspired by Indian cuisine, with ingredients like fenugreek, garam masala, ginger, cumin, and cardamom.  Warning: If you are not a fan of spicy foods, then you might want to tone down the amount of peppers just a tad, as they definitely have a powerful kick.  Here are some tips for this vegetarian light bite:

• Fenugreek is an aromatic and pungent herb with a slightly bitter taste, somewhat comparable to the taste of celery or burnt sugar.   It is a very common ingredient in Indian curries, but it can be tough to find at a regular grocery store.  Feel free to omit the fenugreek in this recipe--it will still turn out delicious.
• Garam masala is a blend of ground spices, common to Indian cuisine.  The literal meaning is "warm spice", and although there are many variations, it usually contains cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, chili peppers, ginger, and garlic.  I would recommend investing in a jar if you enjoy the flavors of the Indian or Middle Eastern cuisines.
• For mushrooms, I like to use a combination of crimini, portobellos (or mini portobellos), shiitakes, and button, but use whatever combination you prefer.
• If you don't have any whole cumin seeds, then just replace it with an equal amount of ground cumin.

Spicy Wild Mushroom Bruschetta

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola or safflower oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 dried red chile

2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger

1 cup finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 minced and seeded jalapeno pepper

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups quartered assorted mushrooms

1 cup tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3/4  cup tomato sauce

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided

1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala

Toasted baguette slices

Heat the canola oil, cumin, and the chile in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute for 1 minute or until the cumin begins to darken.  Add the ginger to the pan and saute for 30 seconds.  Add the red onion and fenugreek and saute for 2 minutes or until the onion is tender.  Add the salt and jalapeno and saute for 2 minutes or until the onion softens and begins to brown.  Add the coriander, cayenne, and minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid has been released and evaporates, 6 to 8 minutes.  Stir in the tomato, tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and the Garam Masala.  Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  Sprinkle the mixture with the remaining cilantro, season with salt and pepper, and serve on slices of toasted baguette.