Andhra Chicken Curry

I have found that people either love or hate Indian food. My husband and I fall into the love category. The blends of herbs and spices are so fragrant and leave me wanting more. I took a course at Whole Foods Market to learn more about re-creating Indian dishes at home. What I have found is that making Indian food is not a rushed process. At times, it can take a full day to make a meal. In the end, it is so worth it!

Savory Rolls and Feta Spread

Have you heard of Dorot before? I’ve been using them for years. They are awesome little cubes of tasty goodness. So easy to use and perfect for a quick meal loaded with flavor. We over at 37 Cooks had the privilege of having them as our latest sponsor. They sent us each a few coupons to pick up a variety of their products to work with and create a recipe. As with all sponsored posts and reviews these opinions are 100% my own.

Dorot Basil & Garlic Cultured Compound Butter

I was reading the March issue of Food & Wine magazine a week or so ago and I saw an article on cultured butter. I was so intrigued. I've been making compound butters for years - sweet, buttery spreads and savory ones as well. But I’ve never tried to “culture” butter before. My first attempt at cultured butter yielded a log of creamy and tangy deliciousness that was perfect for anything calling for butter. When the Dorot Challenge came-a-knockin’ I thought I’d make a “cultured” compound butter using their product. The Dorot garlic and basil was so easy to use and is so fresh tasting it’s like I picked it from my own garden. The bright and sweet basil, mild but spicy garlic, and the tangy cultured butter produced a concoction that is absolutely mouthwatering.

Garlic and Basil Black-Bean Eggplant

Garlic and Basil Black-Bean Eggplant
by Kate

adapted from The Bitten Word

1 1/2 to 2 pounds eggplant, halved and then sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons peanut oil 

dash of salt and pepper
4 cubes Dorot Crushed Garlic (or 4 cloves garlic, minced)
4 cubes Dorot Crushed Ginger (or 4 teaspoons minced ginger)
2 Tablespoons black-bean sauce (available in the Asian section of many supermarkets)
2 teaspoons Sriracha (or other hot sauce of choice)
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1/2 cup water
2 cubes Dorot Chopped Basil (or 2 teaspoons fresh minced basil)
4 green onions, sliced

Heat a wok or a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Once the pan is screaming hot, add the oil and reduce the heat to medium. Add the eggplant (add a dash of salt and pepper) and fry it until browned and soft - about 10 minutes.

Move the eggplant to the edges of the pan, leaving the middle clear. In the center, throw in the garlic, ginger, black-bean sauce, Sriracha, oyster sauce and water. Once heated, stir to evenly distribute the ingredients. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.

Turn the heat back to high, and add the water and basil cubes. Cook until the water is mostly evaporated, about 3-5 minutes longer.

Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes
by Sarah M.

1/2 cup white onion, diced fine
1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced fine
1/3 cup celery, diced fine
1 teaspoon capers, chopped
2 cubes Dorot Crushed Garlic
2 cubes Dorot Chopped Basil
2 6-ounce cans Alaskan salmon, boneless and skinless
1 egg
1 heaping Tablespoon ground flaxseed
zest of 1 lemon
about 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
olive oil

Sweet and Spicy Duck Quesadillas

I have actually been using Dorot cubes in my cooking for quite some time. When I learned that they would be the sponsor of a 37 Cooks Challenge I was SO excited! I decided to create a dish that was pretty simple, yet could be turned into something nice enough to serve to guests. This recipe relies on a crock pot, makes a lot of food and can be served in a few different ways, not just as quesadillas. You could easily make just half, but I would make it as written. Aside from quesadillas, the duck is great served as tacos, over rice, or with pasta. It also freezes well, so don't worry about the amount. Just toss some in the freezer and save for later! Also...if you don't have duck, you can easily substitute an equal amount of dark meat chicken, such as thighs. Enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin with Garlic/Ginger Pan Sauce

Weeknight dinners mean something fairly quick at my house. Pork tenderloin is one of our favorites. When challenged to use some of the frozen garlic and herb cubes from Dorot, I was drawn to the garlic and ginger - two ingredients I use quite a lot.

Combined with the end of an open jar of jelly, they turned out a delicious pan sauce in less than three minutes. Not only was it easy and fabulous, the flavor could be varied simply by changing up the jam and aromatics. I am already imagining different pan sauces I might use for pork (or for chicken!) - what about sage and apple, or thyme and peach, or...you get the picture. Thanks, Dorot!

Scallion Pancake with Chili and Ginger Dipping Sauce

Scallion Pancake with Chili and Ginger Dipping Sauce
by Christine

2 cups flour
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cube Dorot Crushed Ginger
2 cubes Dorot Chopped Chili
2 cubes Dorot Chopped Cilantro
3/4 cup chopped scallion, divided
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Canola oil for frying

Chicken Taquitos

I love all Mexican food! I live in Texas, so what we call Tex-Mex is readily available. Sometimes though, I want Mexican food but I don’t want to go out. This chicken, cooked in the crock pot with the Mojo marinade, tastes great due to the fresh citrus juices and Dorot herb cubes.  It is very versatile. In addition to the taquitos, I plan to make chicken enchiladas, quesadillas, tostadas and tacos. If I have any left, I will freeze some of the shredded chicken for a quick dinner at a later date. I love the ease of the Dorot frozen herbs and garlic. When I want to make something on the spur of the moment, chances of me having fresh herbs on hand are almost zero. Keeping a variety of Dorot frozen cubes in my freezer makes it much easier for me to make something on the fly. I know you will love them as much as I do. Enjoy!

Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Dippin' Sauce

I am a true lover of seafood. Any way, any type. Sometimes I crave seafood. That's what makes this recipe so darn unique. You are going to be surprised at this sauce. It is AMAZING. Dorot made it easier for me. The marinade for the shrimp can easily be adapted for chicken. The dippin' sauce was originally supposed to be warm, but I fell in love with it at room temp! I am not lying, it is so good that I will be making this for all of my seafood plates. I can envision it on the top of a just-shucked oyster and, of course, as a dip for my Clams Casino. It, along with these shrimp, made me a very happy camper for a few hours. I have to taste while going along, you know!! Please enjoy this, and please enjoy the simplicity of using Dorot products. Pop a cube, season, cook, and devour.

Spanish Peppers

Several years ago, my best friend and I were in Dallas. We were there for me to run a qualifying half-marathon. My husband was unable to go, so she gladly went with me. The night before the race, we went to eat at a quaint Spanish restaurant. While there, we ordered an appetizer of goat cheese peppers. We loved them so much that we ordered a second. They must have been fantastic because I qualified for the race I was trying to qualify for by 2 seconds!!! However, on a sad note, I didn’t get to run that next race because I fractured my pelvis in 4 places in the Dallas race. Just goes to show what determination can do for you, though. I ran my best ever race even AFTER the fracture happened at mile 5 of 13.1 miles. Once I returned home, I decided I wanted to try to duplicate what we had eaten and this is the recipe I came up with. Even my youngest grandchildren love eating these.

Clams Casino

Clams Casino
by Christine

24 cherrystone or littleneck clams

2 Tablespoons white wine
5 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced red pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cubes Dorot Chopped Parsley
4 cubes Dorot Crushed Garlic
1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
4-5 pieces bacon, cut into 24 squares

Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Chiffonade’s Basil Gelato

I was so excited to try Dorot Chopped Basil in my basic gelato recipe. I made a conscious effort not to include additional flavorings so as not to detract from the basil flavor. The resulting dessert was silky smooth, heady with basil and a delight to enjoy. Make it and serve some to your friends.

Basil Cupcakes with Chili Frosting

I have always been a fan of a cupcake, before the "fad" happened. My mom would make us cupcakes all the time and while I do have her recipe, it NEVER included Basil. So I wasn't sure if it would work. I started searching for basil-related items and ran across this recipe. I made the brownies and my appointed taste-testers loved them. Basil and chocolate are amazing together. My kitchen smelled wonderful while I did these. But, I wanted to incorporate the Chili frosting. I played a bit and came up with this recipe. No, you do not have to use the Chile frosting but if you did, you will never want anything but!

Roasted Garlic Soup

The wind and snow continue to make their presence known here in Western New York, making this Roasted Garlic Soup recipe perfect for this time of year. Garlic soup might sound odd to some. I had it for the first time many years ago and was amazed at how mellow it was. Dorot's Garlic Cubes are perfect for whipping this soup up quickly after a long work day. The addition of both roasted garlic and fresh garlic create both a mellow and bright garlic flavor at the same time.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Lotus Martin made Linguine with Clam Sauce at every occasion she could. Whether or not it made sense, the big silver pot of garlicky goodness just seemed to work with whatever was going on: Easter (with Chinese buffet), July 4^th (alongside barbecue), Halloween (with grape eyeballs), Thanksgiving (next to turkey), Christmas (with prime rib). Lotus, more than an aunt, more like a mother, was a major influence in my life. As I grew up, I learned to cook from Lotus, and this recipe was one of the things she taught me. The first time I watched her cook it, it seemed like a terribly haphazard process: Glugging what looked like an insane amount of olive oil into a pan, filling the pan to the brim with a ton of other liquids and chopped up stuff, and just when I thought it couldn’t handle any more, it would end with an enormous amount of buttered pasta. Once tossed to combine, it would miraculously create the most delicious, the most luxurious, and the most comforting pasta dishes I’ve ever eaten. 

Shrimp Pops

I love a tasty low-carb recipe, especially when it's an appetizer. I like my guests not to be too filled up so they can enjoy the main event! These Shrimp Pops fit the bill, although you will have to watch yourself with the Sweet Chile Sauce - it's not low-carb but it IS delicious! Although I didn't include the recipe for it, don't you think these pops would taste so good as a corn dog? It would be very simple to turn this low-carb dish into a high-carb one, but I think it might be worth it. If you try it, please tell me about it. I'll do the same!

Cucumber Basil Martini (Dorotini)

This is a tasty and refreshing cocktail for anytime. You will need a cocktail shaker, muddling tool and a small fine strainer to make the perfect Dorotini. This makes one serving, but could easily be doubled to enjoy with a friend.

Green Goodness

I hate peeling garlic! The peel is sticky and I hate it when it sticks to my fingers. However, I love garlic. The more, the better. I have tried peeled garlic in a jar, but you just don’t get that pungent kick that fresh garlic delivers. I have to say, I was leery about trying the Dorot Crushed Garlic. I didn’t think it would deliver that kick that I wanted. However, it did and I loved it. I will now keep it in my freezer, always! The Dorot Crushed Garlic is great in this healthy, easy pasta dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Italian Turkey Meatball Sandwiches

We love meatball sandwiches. They're easy, delicious and messy. What could be more fun? I also love the idea of lightening up recipes to make them a bit more healthy, which is why I decided to make this dish a little leaner by using ground turkey instead of ground beef and fat free milk instead of whole milk. I know there's some butter and cheese involved here, but I did say a little more healthy. Some things are just better when left alone!