Category Archives: Sidekicks

Tater Tots

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I’m OBSESSED with Dunkin Donuts hash browns. Mainly because they are so flavorful but it’s also their texture. They are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. They almost look like circular tater tots and that’s why I got the idea to try and recreate them at home. Granted for 99 cents you cant go wrong, however with the weather getting better and hot dog season approaching, I figured a good tater recipe would come in handy for most folks. Also, I’m not a huge dill fan so I substituted with chives, but do whatever herbs you like. Just get some flavors going in the tots, try paprika, etc. just experiment!

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until parboiled, about 6-7 minutes; drain well and let cool. (don’t forget that it says to par boil, if u cook too long the shredding will be difficult) Using a box grater, finely shred potatoes. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, drain potatoes completely, removing as much water as possible. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Stir in flour, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and dill; season with salt and pepper, to taste. The mixture should be workable but dry. (Make sure you salt and season the mixture very well. You could also try french onion soup mix with the other seasonings)  Form potatoes into tots (make sure you oil your hands to form tots because mixture is gummy). Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add tots to the skillet, 5 or 6 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

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*TO FREEZE: Transfer cooled tater tots to an airtight container. Freeze up to 1 month. To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake until heated through, about 15-17 minutes

Happy Eating, XO.

Nouveau Seekh Kebabs

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Don’t get startled by the fancy French word in front of an old Pakistani or Punjabi classic. I am just taking a family favorite and adding a short cut or twist, hence the new or nouveau seekh kebabs. Ok so let me back up for some of you novices. A seekh kebab is just like any other kebab because its base is ground meat, but the reason for it being different is that the meat is wrapped around a skewer when grilled so when it’s served there is hole running through it. In culinary speak, this is done so the cooking time is shorter and the kebab stays moist instead of drying out (also so the kebab stays whole). Ok so typically this is made with mutton, I just didn’t have time to stop at a specialty store to get that so I went with ground beef, but note you can make this with ground chicken or turkey if you want to lighten this snack up as well.

Here is the nouveau secret: instead of chopping cilantro and using an egg as a binder I used Trader Joe’s cilantro dressing. That’s right, my seekh kebab mixture has salad dressing in it! Ok so I know aunties everywhere are cringing, but try this out and tell me if you don’t love it.

  • 1 lb. ground meat (mutton or beef) **Note I used 80/20 beef since I wanted enough fat to add flavor and moisture.
  • 1 tbsp. ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp. garlic paste
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin or jeera powder
  • 1/2 tsp. of garam masala
  • salt to taste and chaat masala to dust on after cooking
  • finely chopped onion (1 medium is what the recipe said and that was definitely way too much, go half an onion at the most)
  • 2-3 tbsp. of cilantro dressing
  • finely chopped green chili (3 if using the Indian ones and 2 if using a jalapeno or bigger chili)
  • don’t forget salt & pepper, I did and it just killed it with no salt

If baking, set the oven to 475 degrees and oil your hands when molding into kebab shape so they don’t stick. If you are cooking it on the charcoal grill or grill pan, cook it on high heat. Do not even try to get around the using a bamboo/metal stick. If you have noticed there is no filler in these kebabs so they WILL fall apart unless cooked in the traditional seekh kebab fashion around a skewer. Hope you enjoy!

Served with hummus, ketchup, or mint chutney.

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Happy Eating, XO.

Italian Sushi

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I know sushi is a Japanese concept, but as of late I have been eating it more and more in an Italian fashion.
Shout out to Gran Caffe L’Aquila in Philadelphia for giving me the joy of combining my two favorite cuisines. The concept is Japanese, but the flavors are Italian. The first recipe is savory and the second is sweet. They wont disappoint. And while I’m on a roll here (haha pun totally intended)
Get out to local fusion spots and embrace the melting pot of cultures America is so known for. (i.e I just heard of a new French & Lebanese spot called Cafe La Maude in Philly as well) I mean the world is your oyster. Support local restaurants and cafes! Not only will it be an enjoyable outing, it will help spark creativity in your own kitchens and cooking endeavors. Ok food PSA is over now just go and roll some sushi!

  • Salumi Sushi
  • 1 slice Mortadella
  • 1 stick/ thin wedge of fontina
  • 1 tbsp. of crushed pistachio
  • 1 tbsp. of fig jam

Lay out the mortadella, smear the jam and lay the cheese in center. Sprinkle the nuts, roll, and slice.
Just like our sultry salads these are palate pleasing ingredients with creamy cheese, crunch of the nuts, salt of the meat and sweet/fruity flavors from the jam.

  • Brunch Sushi
  • 1 Whole wheat wrap
  • 1 tbsp. Nutella (note for our lactose intolerant folks you can always substitute for peanut butter)
  • 1 banana
  • Lay out the wrap and smear the nutella or PB. Lay the banana in the center, roll, and slice.

This is so great as a snack or breakfast on the go. I make it the night before and refrigerate so the nutella serves as a glue and hardens a bit with the cooler temps of the fridge. Popping them in my mouth sitting in morning rush hr traffic.

Hope you enjoy both of these and can email us other ideas (Damndelish@gmail.com) or tag us in photos (@damndelish) of your Italian Sushi creations!

Happy Eating, XO.

Challah Back Ya’ll

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You knew we couldn’t help it with the title.

Anyway, it’s high time we gave you a bread recipe. Making bread may seem daunting, but honestly, it’s more about testing your patience than anything. A couple of ingredients, a good amount of time, and you have a delicious sweet bread to serve during dinners or to make french toast with during the weekends.

Also, how cool is it that you don’t have to go to the store? You can MAKE it yourself! I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I walk around the grocery store and realize, “I can make that, and that, and that.” We hope you’re starting to feel the same way. That is our motto after all. 🙂

  • 2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs (take 1 of the eggs and separate the yolk from the whites. Store the whites in the fridge separately until ready to use.)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the yeast, water, and a pinch or two of sugar. Whisk together until the yeast and sugar are dissolved. Let it stand until you begin to see a frothy layer on the top. While the yeast is “frothing”, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Make a “well” in the flour mixture and drop in the yeast water, eggs (including the egg yolk) and oil. Begin mixing and slowly incorporating the flour from the sides. Eventually you’ll see a dough begin to form. Knead it until it’s smooth and no longer sticky. Roll it in to a ball, put it in a big bowl and cover it with plastic wrap to rise for 2 hours.

After the 2 hours, the dough will have doubled in size. Cut it in to 3 equal pieces, and roll the pieces in to strips. (I made the strips 19″ which is waaay too long. I would suggest making them around 15″ to get a good size loaf.). Press the tops of the 3 strips together and begin to braid the rest, just like hair. Move it on to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, sprinkle with flour and cover it with a towel. Unfortunately, you have to let it rise again here for another hour. I told you this is about patience.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take the egg whites out of the fridge, combine with a tablespoon of water and whisk together to make an egg wash. Uncover the bread and brush the egg wash over the top, sides, and in the cracks of the bread. Bake it for 30 minutes.

Challah bread

 

Happy Eating, XO.

“Suddenly Salad”, suddenly more delicious

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In keeping with the theme of keeping it super simple (we know you’re still recovering from the holidays) here’s a way to cheat with your next lunch or dinner. Buy a box of the new Suddenly Salad and spruce it up with chic peas and kale. I used the Tuscan Grains flavor and it was seriously amazing. It’s already exploding with flavor, so adding in the kale and chic peas just adds some “oompf” to it.

  •  1 box of Suddenly Salad Tuscan Grains
  • 1 can of chic peas
  • 3-4 leaves of kale, chopped
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil

Make the Suddenly Salad according to the box instructions. In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, saute the kale. Add the chic peas to the kale to warm them up for roughly 5 five minutes. Once the Suddenly Salad is done, combine everything together and serve hot. (But honestly, if you want to make this ahead for an office lunch it works just as well cold.)

Suddenly salad remake

Happy Eating, XO.