Friday, February 28, 2014

Enchiladas Pescadores

Hello all! "Bienvenido a mi cocina!" Today, I have a recipe for fish enchiladas, or as I like to call em Enchiladas Pescadores! This is not your regular red sauced enchilada commonly found in average Mexican restaurants. I wanted to stay away from using any red sauce, as it can overpower the delicate taste of fish. Any light, mild tasting fish like walleye, crappie or catfish will do; I used crappie. I like to serve this with our own Spanish Rice, refried beans and Waka-Guacomole. I made the chips as we did in our "Nachos Cazadores" recipe. These side dish recipes can be found here on our website. Check out the "Recipes" tab or click on the above links. I like to wash this dish down with my favorite Mexican beer. Enjoy!

Servings: 2-3, 6 enchiladas total
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 crappie filets
- 1/2 cups of flour
- 1/2 cup of cornmeal
- 1 tsp. of chili powder
- 1 cup of cilantro, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. of garlic powder
- 1 Serrano chili, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 egg
- 1/8 tsp. of cracked black pepper
- tortillas
- salsa
- vegetable oil

1. Rinse crappie filets and pat dry. Set aside.

Combine flour, corn meal, chili powder and pepper in a small bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg.

2. Heat oil in a fry pan. Coat each filet in egg, then dip into flour mixture to coat both sides. Shake off excess flour. Lightly fry each filet for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels. Place in a 170 degree F oven to keep warm.

3. In a separate fry pan or wok, heat 2 tbs. of vegetable oil. Lightly fry a tortilla to soften, not to crisp. Place heated tortilla in a 9 inch baking dish. Crumble a filet of fish onto the tortilla and then sprinkle a fair amount of chopped cilantro and onion. Roll tortilla tightly and place on the far side of the baking dish.

Repeat until youve used up all the fish. Rolled tortillas should sit neatly in a single layer and not on top of one other.

4. Top the enchiladas with as much cheese as you like. I like to use quite a bit. Sprinkle more chopped onions and cilantro over the cheese (this is where I like to add the finely chopped Serrano) and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until cheese is melted and turned a golden brown.

5. Serve enchiladas with refried beans, Spanish rice, guacamole and homemade tortilla chips. I also like to place some salsa on top of the enchiladas for a little extra "zip."

World Premier Gilroy Garlic Festival Movie Starring the Stamp of Shame

Well, here it is. A quick tour of the GGF as captured on my little spy cam. If you want to know why there is a giant pink stamp across every frame, please refer to the previous post regarding this horrible example of techno-extortion.

The vocalists wailing in the soundtrack perfectly captures and conveys the pain I feel thinking about how great this film was going to be. Im pretty sure it would have won awards at Sundance, Cannes, etc., and now its just a four-minute eyesore I didnt even bother to narrate. Enjoy!

Soundtrack: Pink Flyods "The Great Gig in the Sky" from the album, Dark Side of the Moon

Photo credit (c) Flickr user lowjumpingfrog

Taj kebabs

Taj kebabs

Ingredients

Beef undercut (cut into 1 inch cube) ½ kg
Onion (sliced) 3 medium
Potatoes (cut into thick slices) 3
Tomatoes (cut into slice) 3
Oil ½ cup
Vinegar 2 tbsp
Turmeric ½ tsp
Ketchup 2 tbsp
Ginger garlic 2 tsp
Salt 1-1/2 tsp
Chili powder 1-1/2 tsp
Yogurt ½ cup

Method

Marinate beef with all above, for 30 minutes. In large pan heat oil, spread meat in a single layer. Top with potatoes, tomatoes, onions. Add ½ cup water. Cover and cook on slow flame for 30 minutes.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Who Said Cupcakes Arent Healthy

When you shove a piece of broccoli into anything, it immediately becomes health food. At least, thats how I would justify eating a buttery, cheesy savory cupcake like this one:

Photo via Etsys The Storque

The broccoli stands like a mighty oak tree, bathed by a warm autumn sunlit sky. I say "out with the cornbread of yesteryear!" These should be served at every holiday gathering this year. Get the recipe here.

Grilled Lemon Parsley Chicken

This is why I love having this blog. I was going through pictures of recipes I needed to put up, and I had forgotten about this one! It was so delicious and if I hadnt snapped this picture I may never have made it again. What a tragedy. We made this one night shortly before we moved to Alabama for the summer and with all the changes I had forgotten about it. The recipe was in an actual cookbook I have that I didnt bring with me, so it wasnt something I could just look up online. Anyway, in short, I didnt forget about it because it wasnt delicious - because it was. It was some of the best grilled chicken Ive ever eaten. Its getting pretty chilly here in Pittsburgh, but if its still warm where you are, or if youre brave enough to man the grill outside, then go ahead and make this one! Its delicious!

The original recipe is for boneless skinless chicken breasts, but I used a whole chicken that I cut up into pieces (bone-in). I used the recipe more for the marinade/sauce than anything else so Ive made comments on how youll have to adjust for bone-in, but its delicious either way you do it. Any piece of chicken will work!

Grilled Lemon-Parsley Chicken

6 T. olive oil
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. minced fresh parsley
1 1/4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 T. water
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed; (or whatever chicken pieces you prefer to use for grilling)

Whisk 3 T. oil, 1 T. lemon juice, parsley, 1/4 tsp. sugar, mustard, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper together in bowl and set aside for serving.

Whisk remaining 3 T. oil, 1 T. lemon juice, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, water, and garlic together in bowl. Place marinade and chicken in 1-gallon zip-lock bag and toss to coat. Press out as much air as possible and seal bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, flipping bag every 15 minutes.

For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).

Clean and oil cooking grate. Remove chicken from bag, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Place chicken on cooler side of grill, smooth side down (or skin side down if using bone-in), with thicker sides facing coals and flames. Cover and cook until bottom of chicken just begins to develop light grill marks and is no longer translucent, 6-9 minutes.

Flip chicken and rotate so that thinner sides face coals and flames. Cover and continue to cook until chicken is opaque and firm to touch, 6-9 minutes longer*.

Move chicken to hot side of grill and cook until dark grill marks appear on both side and chicken register 160 degrees (175 for legs & thighs), 2-6 minutes longer (again, total cooking time will be longer for bone-in chicken).

Transfer chicken to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice each breast on bias into 1/4" thick slices and transfer to individual plates (or serve whole if desired). Drizzle with reserved sauce and serve.

*If using chicken pieces with skin and bone in, youll need to cook the chicken longer.

Source: Cooks Illustrated Cookbook

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Murgh zafrani masala

Murgh zafrani masala

Ingredients

Chicken 1 kg 12 pieces
Oil ½ cup
Yogurt 1 cup
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Almonds 12 blanched and ground
All spice ½ tsp
Salt 1 ½ tsp
Onion 1 large
Coriander leaves ½ cup
Mint leaves 10
Ginger 1 inch piece
Garlic 12 cloves
Chili powder 3 tsp leveled
Coriander powder 1 ½ tsp

Method

Grind together the onions, coriander leaves, mint leaves, ginger garlic, chili powder and coriander powder into a fine paste.Heat oil in a pan fry ground masala for 10 minutes, add chicken pieces, fry for 5 minutes.Add yogurt and lemon juice with almond paste, cook on low flame till the chicken is tender and oil comes on top,lastly add the all spice and saffron. Serve hot with paratha.

SANDRAS HALIBUT and KING SALMON PINWHEELS with MANGO SALSA PUREE

These are absolutely divine ~
and in hindsight the only thing
Id do differently is to place
the sauce beneath the pinwheels
to provide a better view
of the handiwork...

[Featured, I found on 2-24-12 at:
http://www.fast-and-easy-recipes.com/mexican-salmon-recipe/]

Servings: (4 to 6)
Prep: 15 Mins. |
Cook: 6 Mins.

Posted: by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Halibut and Salmon Pinwheels
2 (6 oz.) skinless and boneless king salmon fillets
2 (6 oz.) skinless and boneless halibut fillets
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
4 tablespoons almond seeds, toasted, and finely chopped

kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

--Toothpicks

--Cooking spray

***Mango Puree (Yields 2-1/2 cups)

1 mango, peeled, deseeded, and chopped

¼ red onion, chopped
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped

Butterflied
(not cut through in center)

1 jalapeno, de-seeded, de-ribbed, and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

A halibut and salmon pinwheel

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey
kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Grilling pinwheels

--Prepared steamed jasmine rice
--Grape tomatoes

METHOD

Combine all of the Mango Puree ingredients, except the olive oil and pulse a few times in blender, and then puree for 1 minute until smooth. Drizzle in the olive oil while pureeing for 15 seconds longer, and set aside.

Cut each of the halibut and salmon fillets across into 1” thick strips. Starting at the thinnest end about 1/3 the way back, and fillet in half just before end and open to form long 6” to 7” long by 1” wide strips. Place the salmon inside the halibut strips and roll up to form a pinwheel, and secure by inserting a toothpick from the side through the center of each.

Heat a stovetop grill pan (or skillet) to medium-high heat, and spray with oil. Pat dry each of the pinwheels, and spray with oil, and then coat with toasted seed and nut mixture, pressing securely so they adhere. Place in hot grill pan, and cook on each side for 3 to 4 minutes, for a total of 6 to 8 minutes (please do not over cook or fish will be dry).

To serve, drizzle a bit of Mango Salsa Puree onto serving platter, remove toothpics from pinwheels and place over sauce. Serve remaining Mango Salsa Puree in a small dish along side. I serve this with steamed jasmine rice, and fresh grape tomatoes. – Enjoy!

To Rosemary

My reply to your e-mail bounced, so Im posting my reply here in the hope that you will visit the blog again and see it:

Hello Rosemary,

I hear from time to time from people who have been stationed in Keflavik or who have accompanied their spouses there, and its always interesting to see what foods they miss (usually the fish and the hot dogs, but also miscellaneous other stuff).

As it happens, both Gunnars mayonnaise and smoked lamb can be ordered on-line through the website nammi.is. The following links will take you to the right pages: for mayonnaise: http://nammi.is/mayonnaise-250-ml-p-1398.html
and for smoked lamb: http://nammi.is/ss-smoked-leg-of-lamb-13001700-gr-p-391.html
.

However, you should check if there are any import restrictions either product before you order.

Best regards and I hope you get the chance to visit Iceland again.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with nammi.is and do not get paid for mentioning them here. I have never used them myself and dont know what kind of service they give, but I have never heard anything bad about them.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Stuffed Onions Soğan Dolması

In order to promote circulation sales, once in a week most newspapers in Turkey come with a supplementary booklet loaded with recipes by TV celebrity chefs. Sad but true! Turkey has witnessed worse; in the past, newspapers offered even non-reading related "things" to increase their sales. Among those were vacuum cleaners, radios, TVs, dinner sets, silverware, cameras, bikes, etc. Unfortunately people subscribed for months to certain newspapers not for their content, political views, or their columnists, but for the items those papers were offering. Compared to TVs and plates, recipe booklets seem less harmless since you need to "read" those recipes.

My mom had packed a couple of food magazines and those recipe booklets when they came to visit us last April. One of the booklets is by a TV celebrity chef, Emine Beder whose dishes I usually find too greasy, and recipes unexciting. However, I have to give her credits; her measurements are very peculiar and when followed strictly, recipes turn out as expected--no surprises.

I found her recipes after the move while unpacking. Flipping through the pages, I found this jewel among ordinary recipes. I changed the recipe here and there, but remained loyal to it in principle. The result was magnificent. I think I will give her recipes another chance.

2-3 red onions (try to pick large ones--the recipe called for regular onions, I chose to use red ones)
1/3 lb ground meat (beef or lamb)
1/4 cup rice
1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp red pepper paste (if you cannot find it, use tomato paste)
1/3 cup crushed dried sumac
1 tsp dried mint flakes
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp or more crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup hot water
salt

- Cut the bottom parts of onions 1/4 inch and peel.
-Boil them until soft, but not too soft. Rinse and let cool down.
-Squeeze each one to get every single layer. You will be stuffing those layers. If slippery, use a clean kitchen towel to grip and squeeze.
-Wash rice in plenty water and rinse.
-Soak sumac in hot water for 15 minutes and drain. Save the water.
-Heat butter in a frying pan. Add pastes, spices, and salt. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
-Take the pan off the fire. Add ground meat, rice, and sumac. Mix well.
-Stuff onions with the mix and place them in a broad pot.
-Pour in sumac water.
-After it starts boiling, simmer covered on low for half an hour.
-Serve hot with crusty bread. We loved it, especially with yogurt.

Snowball Cookies

These little gems are known by many names - Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cookies, Snowdrops, etc. Whatever you call them, they are delicious, and to me they scream Christmas! I was first introduced to these when I was dating my husband. They are his mothers favorite Christmas cookie and I see why. They have very few ingredients, but are so nutty and crumbly and delicious, and of course they look like little snowballs! The dough is not like your traditional sugar or chocolate chip cookie, so dont be alarmed. These are easy to make and look very festive on a plate of goodies. Give them a try!

Tips: As I mentioned, dough is not normal cookie dough. There are no eggs in this recipe so the dough is very crumbly - thats how it should be. Also, there is no baking powder/soda, so they dont change shape at all. If you want your cookies to come out as perfectly rounded, smooth-topped balls, make sure you shape them that way because they come out looking exactly the way they did when they went in. :) Ive heard you can also make these with almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, etc., but this is the traditional way (with pecans).

Snowball Cookies

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter (2 sticks), softened

2 1/2 c. sifted flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. very finely chopped pecans

additional powdered sugar, for rolling

Cream together butter and sugar. Add the flour, salt, vanilla, and pecans, and mix until fully incorporated. Refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into 1.5" balls (youll have to kind of squeeze the dough together) and place close together on an ungreased cookie sheet. I can fit the entire batch on one cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet and roll in additional powdered sugar while still warm. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Source: Debbie Nowland

Srav’s Culinary Concepts turns ‘2’!!! With Lamingtons

Happy Second Anniversary to My blog!!!!!

Two years already? I am still amazed when I think about it. I can’t believe its been 2 years since I started this blog. Blogging helped me to know different cuisines, cultures and ingredients. It helped me to attempt various recipes that I havent heard or tasted before.

A big Hug to my lovely hubby who helps me in my cooking and tasting all my dishes!!!

Huge thanks to each and every one of you for giving me all the support and encouragement that has kept me going these wonderful two years.

For this second anniversary I prepared lamingtons which is a traditional Australian dessert that appeals to most. These are little sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and then rolled in grated coconut which has heavenly taste!!! YUMMY!!

Recipe Source : joyofbaking

Ingredients:

For Cake

All purpose flour – 2 cups

Baking powder – 2 tsps

Unsalted butter – ½ cup

Granulated white sugar – ¾ cup

Salt – ¼ tsp

Eggs – 2 no

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Milk – ½ cup

For Chocolate Frosting

Confectioners or icing sugar – 2 cups

Cocoa powder – ¼ cup

Unsalted butter – ½ tbsp

Milk – ¼ cup

Coating

Unsweetened desiccated coconut, finely ground – 1 ½ cups

Preparation

In a large bowl whisk together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
In a bowl with hand mixer or electric mixer beat the butter until soft.
Add sugar, eggs beating well together.
Add vanilla extract and beat will till combined well.
Now add the above flour mixture and milk and mix well.
Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 F.
Prepare 8 inch square baking pan lightly greased with butter or line them with parchment paper
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a long toothpick comes out clean.
Remove Cake from the pan and let them cool.
Once the cake is completely cooled cut into 16 2-inch squares.
Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Frosting

Place the confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, butter and milk in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Stir the mixture until it becomes smooth and of pouring consistency.

To assemble Lamingtons

Have ready the coconut on a large plate and chocolate frosting in a bowl.
Now take each cake piece by holding the edges of cake with fork and dip the cake into chocolate frosting, by covering all sides.
Transfer the chocolate covered cake to the plate of coconut and roll the cake in the coconut covering all the sides.
Gently transfer the lamington to a clean wire rack to set. Repeat with the rest of the cake squares.
Once the Lamingtons have set, store in an airtight container for several days.

Note: If the icing becomes too thick to pour, add a little more milk to frosting if necessary to get pouring consistency.

Monday, February 24, 2014

HIWWI Detachable Collar

Akira Detachable Collar, $24

Leopard print calf-hair detachable collar, $375

Hello little chickens! I skipped last weeks HIWWI because things were a little cray cray here at casa CupcakesOMG! Youre probably well aware by now that my birthday was last week (Im still accepting both presents and well-wishes), plus my friend Julia was in town so needless to say there was much happy houring going on. But were back, and better than ever (maybe?), because this weeks edition of HIWWI is a doozy with a "Steal or Splurge" kind of vibe.

I found the leopard collar first on a blog that I can neither remember nor find, so Im now taking credit for finding it. Voila! Insta-ego. As much as a I loveloveLOVE the collar, $375 seems reallllllllll steep for a glorified necklace (although it is super fly and would totes make my fashion stock go through the roof), so I was supes excited to find the black one for a mere $24. Kyle loses more money than that in his couch cushions. This is relevant because Ill try to figure out a way for Kyle to buy this for me. I digress.

Lets talk practicality. Detachable collars are practical. The end.

Okay, you want more? Detachable collars are the mullet of clothes. The collar says "its business time", while the lack of any additional fabric says, "but I still know how to get down wit da get down, ya hearrrrd?" Theyre versatile and every man, woman, and child should own one.

Keeping this sentiment in mind, the look I consider this collar most apropos for is geek chic (spoiler alert: suspenders are involved.) The look starts with a basic tank, like this one by The Wang:

{T By Alexander Wang tank, $74}

Basic and versatile, youll be able to wear this with anything. Plus, the boob pocket gives you all the reason you need to top the look off with a pocket protector. Win/Win!

Then, Id tuck this tank into a tailored, full mini skirt. This patterned one is perfect:

{Pleasure Doing Business skirt, $187}

Were now both prim AND proper...but not yet geeky. Thats where the suspenders come in. Think of it as the literal suspension of your persona into complete geekdom.

{American Apparel suspenders, $18}

This model knows whats up. (Its the waist of her pants, in case you werent sure.)

I think this outfit is the perfect one for playing with the whole socks-with-heels concept.

{Yellow Socks, $3.50--sorry for the creepy shot. Its the only one they had}

Im obsessedicals with these yellow socks tucked into black platforms, like so:

{Steve Madden Gabbor platform, $129.95}

Now, run free (socks and heels and all!!), my geeks-in-training and get thee a detachable collar. If you already have one or decide to try this look, tell me how you wore it in the comments!!

A Quick and Easy Cassoulet Recipe – Pork Beans with Benefits

Of course you can’t make a real cassoulet in an hour, but you can make this very acceptable cheater version, and as long as you manage expectations, you’re in for a great, cold-weather meal.

Real cassoulet is an involved process, with several days of prep just to make the various meats served in this rustic bean casserole. Once everything is prepared, the dish bakes for hours, during which time the ritualistic crust forming and re-forming occurs.

Buttery breadcrumbs are scatted over the top, and when they form a crusty, golden brown layer, they’re pushed down into the bubbling mixture, and new crumbs applied. This is done several times, creating the dish’s signature texture. A creamy, aromatic, not-too-wet-or-too-dry bean mixture into which is suspended the chunks of succulent meat.

Here, we’re taking lots of short cuts. Chicken thighs replace the classic, and time-consuming, duck confit; canned beans replace dried; and bacon serves as a convenient substitute for other, more involved smoked pork options.

While it will be tempting to dig right into this as soon as the final “gratin” is formed, please follow the advice in the video, and let your cassoulet rest in the hot oven for 15 minutes. This will allow the beans and buttery crumbs to absorb the last of the excess liquid, and make for a better texture.

By the way, please adjust your seasoning depending on the sausage used. Mine was plenty garlicky, so I didn’t add any additional cloves. You’ll also have to taste and alter the salt, depending on whether your bacon and sausage shared enough with the rest of the ingredients. I hope you give this hearty, cold-weather classic a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

4 oz bacon, sliced

8 oz spicy, garlicky, smoked pork sausage, sliced

12 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed

1 onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chicken broth, or as needed

2 (15-oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme

cayenne to taste

4 tbsp melted butter

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Chilly Fish Fry

Ingredients

Any fish slice( boneless and skinless)-300gms

Besan flour/ Chickpea flour-1tbsp

Egg-1

Dry red chilly-6

Garlic cloves-3

Turmeric powder-1/2tsp

Lime juice-1/2tsp

Red food color-pinch

Salt to taste

Method

Soak red chilly and garlic cloves in hot water for 10 mins and grind it into smooth paste. In a small bowl add besan flour, red chilly and garlic paste, turmeric powder, lime juice, food color and salt. Mix well and break an egg into it, mix once again to form a smooth paste. Marinade the fish slices in this mixture for atleast half an hour. Heat oil in a pan and fry these fish slices until crisp. Serve hot.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Hucleberry Spirals

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1 cup hucleberry jam
1/2 cup ground hazelnuts or almonds
powdered sugar -- optional

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on med.-high speed
for 30 sec. Add the sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined. Beat in
the egg, milk and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as
you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Roll each half between 2 sheets of waxed paper into a 12x8 rectangle. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Combine jam and ground nuts. Spread half of filling over a dough rectangle to within 1/2 of edges. From a long side, roll jelly-roll style, removing waxed paper as you roll. Press edges to seal. Wrap filled roll in waxed paper or clear plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Chill rolls in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours. Line cookie sheets with foil. Grease the foil. Cut filled rolls into 1/4 slices. Place slices 2 apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 min. or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 min. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. If desired, before serving, sift powdered sugar lightly onto cooled cookies.

Cantonese Style Chicken

Cantonese Style Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken Thai boneless ½ kg
Black mushrooms 2 – 3
Button mushroom 8 – 10
Oil 3 – 4 tbsp
Garlic paste 1 tbsp
Baby corn 4 – 5
Bamboo shoots 1 medium
Spring onion 2
Fish sauce 1 tbsp
Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
Water ¼ cup
Corn flour 1 tbsp
Brown sugar 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder ¼ tsp

Method

Cut boneless chicken into juliennes. Finely slice 4 – 5 baby corn, 2 – 3 black mushrooms, and 8 – 10 button mushrooms.Heat 3 – 4 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 tbsp garlic paste. Fry till its fragrance comes out. Now add in sliced chicken and fry till golden brown.Then add in chopped bamboo shoot, button mushrooms, black mushrooms, sliced baby corn and chopped spring onion. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes.Now add fish sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, salt to taste and black pepper powder. Fry well for 1 – 2 minutes more.Lastly add ¼ cup water and let it cook.Thicken sauce with corn flour paste and dish it out, serve with boiled rice.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Brinjal Pachadi Brinjal side dish for Biryani

Brinjal Pachadi also known as Brinjal chutney or Brinjal Serva is a popular side dish for Biryani. This Brinjal side dish for biryani is commonly served in many Hyderabadi and Muslim Restaurants. I got this recipe from a caterer who specializes in Non Vegetarian Biryani, they serve Brinjal Pachadi and Onion Raita along with Biryanis. When I tried this Brinjal Pachadi at home it came out perfect like the one they served. Sharing this recipe with everyone, guaranteed that this recipe is fail safe.
Brinjal side dish for biryani
Ingredients
Small Purple Brinjals( Eggplant)- 10 nos
Onion small( sliced)- 1 no
Tomato small( chopped)- 1 no
Ginger and Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Gingelly oil/ Oil- 4 tbsp

Ingredient for Peanut Masala Paste
( Grind the below ingredients to a smooth and fine paste)
Roasted Peanuts/ Groundnuts- 2 tbsp
Roasted Poppy seeds( Kuskus)- 1 tbsp
Roasted Black Sesame seeds( Karuppu Ellu)- 1 tbsp
Tamarind pulp( thick)- 1 tbsp

Ingredient for tempering
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Black Peppercorns- 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick- 1/2"
Cloves- 4 nos
Cardamom- 4 nos
Brinjal Serva for Biryani
Method
Cut the brinjals into quarters and soak it in water to avoid de-coloration.
Grind the onion into fine paste.
Grind roasted peanuts, poppy seeds, black sesame seeds and tamarind pulp to a smooth and fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan, when oil is hot add the mustard seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
When the mustard seeds crackle, add the ground onion paste and fry till the onion paste turn golden brown in color.
Next add the ginger and garlic paste and fry until the raw smell leaves.
Add the quartered brinjals to the pan and fry until the Brinjal turns light brown in color.
Now add the tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are cooked and mashed.
Add the ground peanut paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and a cup of water to the brinjals and mix well.
Bring the Brinjal gravy to boil, cover pan with lid and reduce the heat.
Cook until the brinjals are tender and gravy reaches the desired consistency.
Serve hot Brinjal Pachadi with Mutton Biryani/ Chicken Biryani/ Vegetable Biryani of your choice.

Note: This Brinjal Pachadi tastes very best when prepared a day before, can be stored for a week when refrigerated.

LEMON BUTTER COOKIES

I love it when you find a recipe that you know you already have all of the ingredients, even if you are snowed in, or havent gone shopping in a while. That describes this super quick, super easy, super tasty lemon butter cookie.

¾ cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
a little extra sugar to roll cookies in

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it is very light and fluffy (this takes a few minutes at high speed). Beat in egg, corn syrup and extracts. Add the flour, baking soda & baking powder and mix well.

Roll dough into 1" balls then roll the balls in granulated sugar. Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 2 or 3 inches a part. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 12 minutes or until they are just golden around the edges.

SANDRA’S ENHANCED STRAWBERRY BANANA JELLO LAYERED DESSERT

This traditional jello dessert

tends to evoke many memories

of fond family times...

I have altered the traditional recipe somewhat, and this new version definitely turned out to be much more flavorful with greater texture.

Servings: (12)

Prep: 10 Mins.

Set: 3 hours.

INGREDIENTS

1 large box sugar free strawberry jello (or 2 small)

1-1/2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup orange juice

2 bananas, finely chopped

1 (16 oz. pkg.) frozen whole strawberries, thawed, and finely chopped

1 (8 oz. pkg.) fat free cream cheese, at room temperature

1 (12 oz. container) fat free cool whip, thawed

--(do not substitute for real whipped cream, as it does not hold its integrity)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped candied pecans

METHOD

Dissolve jello in boiling water while stirring for 2 minutes in a medium bowl, and stir in orange juice. Chop the bananas and strawberries, and add to jello mixture.

Pour half of jello-fruit mixture into a 9”x13” glass dish. Chill until set for 1 hour.

Using a hand mixer, cream softened cream cheese, cool whip, and vanilla extract together until smooth and fluffy in a medium bowl.

Spread half the creamed mixture over set jello. Sprinkle with half the chopped pecans.

Pour remaining jello-fruit mixture over this layer. Chill until completely set for 2 hours.

When set, top with remaining cream mixture, and sprinkle with the rest of the pecans.

Cut into 12 squares, and serve. ~ Enjoy!

Friday, February 21, 2014

Jazzy Watercolor Mussels Painting by Numbers Ones and Zeros

Come with me on a jazzy journey into colors, shapes, and sounds. Old broken footage has been filtered and folded, softened and slurped. The unusable made useable, and now playing. Watch tapping, bobbing, swaying to swimming spoon, and fresh fills.

Close your eyes and watch the magic. Smell the notes, smell the teen spirit, and smell the garlic. Come with me on a jazzy journey into open shells and closed fists. Go ahead, brush your shoulders off.

Ingredients:
2 pounds mussels
1 cup of wine
1/2 stick butter
lots of minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pepper flakes
1/2 cup Italian parsley
bread and lemons

Eddie Harris "Compared to What" Part 1

Coloring eggs Naturally Experiment

This is my experiment with natural eggs coloring:) I had fun with this experiment. Colors turned out different then I expected.

This is what I used.

6 Eggs for each color
1 tbsp Vinegar
2-3 cups water
1 cup Grape jelly
3 tbs Turmeric
3 bags Green tea
1 1/2 cups Frozen or fresh blueberries
3 tbs Beet powder

I havent tried paprika it should be red color.

For 2 cups of water I used 1 tbs vinegar.

Add turmeric powder. Boil for 20 min.

This is how turmeric color turned out.

I boiled for 20 min than left em overnight in the same water, then rinsed with cold water. Grape jelly turned out soft pink.

Blueberry turned out gray. I rinsed with cold water after I boiled em.

With beet powder, I boiled for 20 min than I left it overnight in the same water. And its still came out tan color:)

For green tea I boiled eggs first then I added em into green tea and vinegar mix. Left it overnight. You can rub em with oil to make em shinny, I havent done that.
I had fun trying new things:)

This info I found on the web:
Red:
2 pounds beets, peeled, diced
Yellow/tan:
1 pound onion skins
Yellow/orange:
1 1/2 cup (1.9 ounce) jar turmeric
Purple:
2 small heads red cabbage, sliced
Warm brown:
1 (6-cup) pot of strong coffee

Distilled white vinegar

Directions
For all but the coffee color, in a 5 quart saucepan add 1 vegetable or ingredient. Add 4 quarts water, bring to a boil and cook for 1/2 hour or until the color is very dark. Allow to cool to room temperature and strain out vegetables. Add 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar and then add hard boiled eggs to each color. Refrigerate overnight. For the coffee color: brew the coffee. Allow to cool to room temperature. Add 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, add hard boiled eggs, refrigerate overnight.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/natural-dyes-for-easter-eggs-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Lavender
Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice
Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Red Zinger Tea

Violet Blue
Violet Blossoms
Small Quantity of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Hibiscus Tea
Red Wine

Blue
Canned Blueberries
Red Cabbage Leaves (boiled)
Purple Grape Juice

Green
Spinach Leaves (boiled)
Liquid Chlorophyll

Greenish Yellow Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled)
Yellow
Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled)
Carrot Tops (boiled)
Celery Seed (boiled)
Ground Cumin (boiled)
Ground Turmeric (boiled)
Chamomile Tea
Green Tea

Golden Brown
Dill Seeds

Brown
Strong Coffee
Instant Coffee
Black Walnut Shells (boiled)
Black Tea

Orange
Yellow Onion Skins (boiled)
Cooked Carrots
Chili Powder
Paprika

Pink
Beets
Cranberries or Juice
Raspberries
Red Grape Juice
Juice from Pickled Beets

Red
Lots of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Canned Cherries with Juice
Pomegranate Juice
Raspberries

http://chemistry.about.com/od/holidayhowtos/a/eastereggdyes.htm

Try both fresh and frozen produce. Canned produce will produce much paler colors. Boiling the colors with vinegar will result in deeper colors. Some materials need to be boiled to impart their color (name followed by boiled in the table). Some of the fruits, vegetables, and spices can be used cold. To use a cold material, cover the boiled eggs with water, add dyeing materials, a teaspoon or less of vinegar, and let the eggs remain in the refrigerator until the desired color is achieved. In most cases, the longer you leave Easter eggs in the dye, the more deeply colored they will become.

Here is the preferred method for using natural dyes:

Place the eggs in a single layer in a pan. Add water until the eggs are covered.
Add approximately one teaspoon of vinegar.
Add the natural dye. Use more dye material for more eggs or for a more intense color.
Bring water to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
If you are pleased with the color, remove the eggs from the liquid.
If you want more intensely colored eggs, temporarily remove the eggs from the liquid. Strain the dye through a coffee filter (unless you want speckled eggs). Cover the eggs with the filtered dye and let them remain in the refrigerator overnight.
Naturally-colored eggs will not be glossy, but if you want a shiny appearance you can rub a bit of cooking oil onto the eggs once they are dry.

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