Issue Date: May 20, 2007
An Indian-inspired picnic
This warm-weather meal takes picnic favorites and adds the spicy flavors of New Delhi and Mumbai.
It's picnic time. You could go traditional -- fried chicken with all the familiar side dishes. But you also could go a bit exotic. Instead of chicken legs and breasts, make it easy-to-eat wings. Marinate them in spice-kicked plain yogurt and then cook them quickly -- tandoori style -- on a hot grill. You can serve them warm or at room temperature.
Deviled eggs get a hint of curry. If the picnic's far from your fridge, pack the egg white "shells" and filling separately (put filling in a zipper-lock bag). When you're ready to serve, simply snip the bag's corner, pipe in the filling and discard the bag. No more smushed deviled eggs!
A fresh, colorful cucumber-vegetable salad plays nicely against the spicy tandoori wings. Salting the cucumbers draws out moisture so that the tossed salad doesn't end up waterlogged.
End with eye-catching Mango Fruit Salad and ginger cookies. Or, if you like, dress baby greens witha little oil, salt, pepper and freshly squeezed lime juice. Add the fruit salad and toss again.
Contributing Editor Pam Anderson is the author of four cookbooks. Her latest is the entertaining guide, Perfect Recipes for Having People Over (Houghton Mifflin, $35).
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Curried Deviled Eggs
8 hard-cooked eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tb. sweet pickle juice (from a jar of sweet pickles)
1 tsp. classic yellow mustard
1 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
Peel eggs, halve them lengthwise, remove yolks and place the yolks in a food processor. Transfer egg white "shells" to a plate. Process yolks until smooth. Add all other ingredients and process again until smooth. Transfer filling to a quart-size zipper bag. (Eggs whites can be covered with plastic wrap, and the whites and filling can be refrigerated overnight.) When ready to serve, snip 1/4 inch off a bottom corner of the bag of filling, and pipe the filling into each egg half.
Serves 8
Per serving (2 egg halves): 127 calories, 1g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 11g fat (2g saturated), 214mg cholesterol, 0g fiber, 203mg sodium
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Grilled Chicken Wings with Tandoori Flavorings
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tb. curry powder
2 tsps. garlic powder
2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup plain yogurt
4 pounds chicken wings (about 16 whole wings), tips removed and wings split at the joint
Heat oil in an 8-inch skillet over low heat. Mix cumin, curry, garlic, salt, ginger and cayenne in a medium bowl. Add spices to the oil and heat until they start to sizzle and darken slightly in color, 20 to 30 seconds. Return spices to bowl; whisk in vinegar, then yogurt. Add wings; toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes, or transfer to a zipper-lock bag and marinate up to 24 hours.
If using a gas grill, turn all burners on high for 10 minutes. Clean grate with a wire brush, then use tongs to swipe grate with an oil-soaked rag. Place wings on rack; cover and cook until grill marks form on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until grill-marked on other side, about5 minutes longer. Turn burners to low and grill until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
If using a charcoal grill, build coals on one half of the grill floor. When the coals are hot and ashy, grill wings as instructed above, then move to the cool side of the grill for an additional 5 minutes of cooking, if necessary.
Serves 8
Per serving (4 pieces total): 276 calories, 1g carbohydrates, 24g protein, 19g fat (5g saturated), 73mg cholesterol, 0g fiber, 660mg sodium
These wings are so addictive, you may want to make extra.
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Mango Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Sauce
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger root
1 tsp. finely grated zest and 2 Tbs. juice from a large lime
1/4 cup honey
2 medium mangos, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
3 cups green grapes(about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 2 4.4-ounce containers)
1/4 cup chopped freshmint leaves
Whisk ginger, lime zest and juice, and honey in a small bowl; set aside. Mix fruits and mint in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)
Serves 8
Per serving: 126 calories, 33g carbohydrates, 1g protein, 0g fat (0g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 2g fiber, 5mg sodium
Cooling salads are used to temper spicy Indian dishes. Remember that old saying, "cool as a cucumber"?
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Cucumber Vegetable Salad with Cilantro & Red Onion
1 large seedless English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into short, thin strips
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
2 cups (12 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved and salted
1/2 medium red onion, cut into thin slivers
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
Ground black pepper, to taste
Toss cucumber slices with salt in a colander; let stand in the sink or over a bowl until juice has drained, 30 to 45 minutes. Pat cucumbers dry with paper towels and turn into a large bowl. Add remaining vegetables, cilantro and oil; toss to coat. Add vinegar and pepper; toss again. (Can be covered and refrigerated several hours.) Before serving, adjust seasonings (salt, pepper, vinegar).
Serves 8
Per serving: 103 calories, 9g carbohydrates, 1g protein, 7g fat (1g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 2g fiber, 99mg sodium
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Mastering a mango ...
in 4 simple steps
1. Turn the fruit on its side and make one cut down one side of the mango's long, flat, fibrous pit, slicing as close to the pit as possible. Repeat with the other side. You now have two mango halves and the reserved center with the pit.
2. Carefully score the flesh of each half with the knife, first down its length, then across its width to make cubes, being sure not to cut through to the fruit's skin.
3. Pick up one scored half and use your fingers to gently push the fruit into a concave shape, exposing the mango cubes.
4. Use the knife to loosen and cut the cubes into a bowl. Then, repeat these steps with the second half. To get the last bits of mango, cut around the discarded pit, freeing more mango, and cut off peel. Add the cubes to the bowl.
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