Naan

This recipe for naan is not a traditional recipe, but it makes a pretty good version. I found another version that includes yogurt, which is more traditional for Indian naan. Since we didn't have any yogurt in the house (my dh loves the stuff, and gobbles it up practically as soon as we're back from the grocery store), I decided to try this one out. This bread goes well with soupy Indian dishes to sop up the mess.

By the way, this stuff freezes beautifully. I had way too much when I made it last week, so I popped it into a freezer bag. I pulled it out last night for dinner and heated it up in a frying pan (in the 90 degree Florida heat, there was no way I was turning on the oven!), and it worked great.

Ingredients

2 1/8 tsp. active dry yeast (one packet)

1 cup warm water (bathing temperature)

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1/4 cup ghee or butter, melted

Directions

1. Whisk the warm water with the yeast and sugar in your stand mixer until the yeast is dissolved. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the milk, egg, and salt. Begin adding enough flour to create a ball of dough (about 3 1/2 to 4 cups), and then switch out your beater attachment for the dough hook. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary to create a smooth, elastic dough.

3. Remove the dough from the bowl, oil the bowl and the dough, and place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough is doubled in size.

4. Punch down the dough, and then knead again for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece out into 8 inch round naans.

5. Cover an oven tray with foil and grease the foil. Brush the naan with the melted ghee or butter. Cook naan under a very hot grill for about 2 minutes on each side or until puffed and just browned.

Mango Shrimp Ceviche

Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I am a huge fan of Tex-Mex (well, really any recipe that includes cilantro!). I happened to have some green onions and some cilantro in my fridge that needed to be used up sometime in the very near future, and what better recipe to use them up in than a yummy shrimp ceviche. Although I've loved ceviche since my honeymoon five years ago in Mexico, I've never had the guts to try to make it. The whole thought of the shrimp actually cooking without ever being exposed to heat? I had my doubts, no matter what the others said. I thought I was bound to do something wrong and have a horrible case of food poisoning if I even attempted such a feat. Well, I sampled some of this yumminess for lunch today, and no issues yet!

Please note that, like many of my recipes, the quantities of the ingredients are adjustable depending on how much of each you have on hand.

Ingredients

1/3 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, and chopped into smallish pieces

4-5 Tbsp. lime juice

2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 cup green onions, sliced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced

1/3 cup red pepper, diced

2/3 cup mango, chopped (I used frozen mango, and it worked great)

1 avocado, diced

kosher salt, to taste (1-2 tsp.)

Directions

Place the shrimp pieces in a bowl and cover with the lime and lemon juices (use more or less as necessary to ensure they are covered completely). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until completely opaque (mine only took 30 minutes, but it depends on the size of your pieces). Gently fold in remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or toasted pita points.