Basil-Curry Chicken

Basil-Curry Chicken

A thai-indian fusion recipe which is not very difficult and very tasty too. You can use chicken breast also for this recipe but thighs are more flavourful .

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless skinless chicken

(cut into bite sized pieces)

1 onion finely chopped

2-3 green chillies chopped

1 inch piece ginger grated

1 cup coconut milk

2 tsp corn starch

1 tbsp vegetable oil

salt to taste

oil for frying

3-4 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

Curry Mix

1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp gingergarlic paste

1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Take the chicken in a bowl.Add all the ingredients in the curry mix . Mix well and marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil for frying in a pan and fry the chicken in batches, till chicken is browned on both sides. Drain to paper towels.

Remove oil from the pan , leaving 1 tbsp. To that add the chopped onion , green chilllies and ginger . Saute till onions are soft.

Then add the coconut milk . Mix well . Then mix the cornstarch in 1/2 cup water and add to the coconut milk. Mix well till the sauce is thick and adjust seasonings .Add Worcestershire sauce and chopped basil.Finally add the fried chicken .Mix well and continue cooking till the curry is heated thoroughly.

Garnish with extra basil and serve over cooked jasmine rice.

Kerala Chicken Stew for Appams

Kerala Chicken Stew for Appams

This is an easy way of preparing the stew. Make appams and have a delicious breakfast!!

INGREDIENTS

Seasoning:

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard

a big pinch cumin seeds

1 inch stick of cinnamon broken

2 cardamoms crushed

4 cloves

4-6 peppercorns

1 garlic clove minced

a sprig of curry leaves

Pressure Cook:

6 shallots sliced

2 lbs chicken cut into bite size pieces

4-5 green chilies slit

2 medium potaoes peeled and diced

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

Finishing:

1/2 cup of canned coconut milk

2 tsp corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water.

1/2 tsp garam masala(optional)

Method

Take a pressure cooker and heat the oil in it .Splutter mustard and when it starts to pop , add all other ingredients for the seasoning.Keep the flame low and Stir till the spices releases the aroma.

Then add all the ingredients to pressure cooker and cook till chicken is done.

When the pressure subsides , open the cooker stir and add more water if required. Using a wooden spoon mash the potatoes well which will help to thicken the stew.

Add the coconut milk and stir . Then add the corn starch water and stir till the sauce really thickens.Simmer for 3-4 minutes .Adjust seasonings and Sprinkle garam masala if required.

Pepper Chicken

Pepper Chicken

A very good recipe . Nice with rice or roti . Adjust the pepper and green chillies according to taste.

INGREDIENTS

2 lb chicken pieces

2 tbsp peppercorns coarsely ground

3 large onions sliced long

4 green chillies slit(to taste)

1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup tomato puree or sauce

a bunch of coriander leaves chopped

A sprig of curry leaves

juice of half lime

oil for cooking

salt to taste

Method

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with salt , ground pepper , half of the ginger garlic paste and lime juice for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

2. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a pan .Shallow fry the chicken pieces for about 7 minutes of till lightly browned.Drain to paper towel and keep them warm.

3. Add little bit more oil and add the curry leaves,green chillies and the rest of the ginger garlic paste.Saute for a while and then add the tomato sauce or puree. Bring it to a boil and add the chicken pieces.

4. Add the garam masala and coriander leaves.Stir well .Cover and cook till chicken is tender.Add hot water in between , if required.

5. Meanwhile in another pan , heat some more oil and saute the onions with little bit salt. Saute till the onions are well browned and carmalized.Drain to paper towels.

6. Shutdown the flame when the chicken is cooked and the curry becomes dry.Add the browned onions and stir well.Serve hot garnished with extra chopped coriander leaves .

Almond Date Macaroons

Almond Date Macaroons

These macaroons are perfect during Ramadan. That is the monthlong celebration during which Muslims fast all the day. The fasting traditionally is broken by eating a date at sunset.

Ingredients

1 peeled banana

l / 2 cup very moist dried pitted dates

1 (7-ounce) package sweetened coconut

1 teaspoon almond extract

Method

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking pan with no-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, mash together 1 peeled banana and l / 2 cup very moist dried pitted dates. Add 1 (7-ounce) package sweetened coconut and 1 teaspoon almond extract; mix well. Divide dough into 12 to 15 pieces and roll each into a ball.

Arrange balls on baking pan; press a blanched whole almond into the top of each. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown on the bottom, but still soft. Cool. Makes 12 to 15 cookies.

How to Cut up a whole chicken

Chef shows you how to cut up a whole chicken. It's much more economical to buy a whole bird and cut it up than to buy the parts.

Begin by making two diagonal cuts, one on each side of the bird, just behind the leg joints and through the back bone. This will divide the bird into two pieces: the legs and the breast.

Working with the leg portion of the carcass, bend each leg at the joint to break the joint. Then use a knife to cut the leg/thigh piece from the carcass. This dark meat is best if it is braised. Put the backbone portion in the stockpot to use for soups and sauces.

Slip the skin from over the breast meat on the breast portion of the bird. Run your hand under the skin to loosen it from the meat before trying to remove it.

Cut between the breast bone and ribs and the breast meat to remove the boneless skinless chicken breasts from the carcass.

Cut at the joint to remove the wings from the breast portion. Cut each wing into three pieces. Save these in a bag in the freezer until you have enough for a meal. To prepare them, marinate them for an hour then roast in a 450-degree oven 30 minutes basting them with marinade after 15 minutes.

Remove the tenders, the strip of meat, from the back side of the breast. Save these in a bag in the freezer until you have enough for a meal. Two or three make a portion.

When the whole bird is completely cut up, a job that takes mere minutes with a little practice, you'll have a week's worth of meals waiting to be prepared. Be sure to put the bones in the stockpot for soups and sauces.

Indian Yogurt Sauce

Indian Yogurt Sauce

Serve sauce with an Indian-style dish or any grilled meat or seafood.

Ingredients

• 1 / 2 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 pint plain low-fat milk yogurt

• 1 / 2 cup sour cream

• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 / 4-inch dice

• 1 ripe tomato, seeded and cut into 1 / 4-inch dice

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 / 2 teaspoon coarse salt

• 1 / 4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

• 2 sprigs dill, chopped, for garnish

Method

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast 2 minutes until fragrant. Let cool.

Grind the cumin in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder, then transfer to a nonreactive bowl. Add the yogurt and sour cream; stir to mix. Stir in the cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, garlic, salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped dill.

Serve immediately or, for better flavor, refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes. Makes 3 1 / 2 cups.

Quick and Easy Chocolate Pudding

Quick and Easy Chocolate Pudding

This is a quick and easy chocolate pudding recipe that is great to make with your kids.

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 tablespoons cornstarch

4 cups milk

4 teaspoons vanilla

Method

In a microwave safe bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, & cornstarch. Whisk in milk a little at a time so the mixture does not have any dry lumps.

Place in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on HIGH.

Stir. Then cook at 1 minute intervals, stirring between cooking times for 2 - 4 minutes, or until shiny and thick. Stir in vanilla.

Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the chocolate pudding to prevent a skin from forming (the chocolate pudding will be HOT, so be careful!) No, the plastic wrap will not melt.

Chill in the fridge. Serve cold. Enjoy!

Shrimp Cobb Salad

Shrimp Cobb Salad

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 tsp Grey Poupon

1/2 large Shallot

1 Garlic Clove

4-5 Chives

Salt/Pepper to taste

Dice the garlic and chives. Slice the shallot into paper-thin strips.

Cobb Salad:

1/2 head Red Leaf Lettuce

1/2 head Romaine

3 Hard Boiled Eggs (quartered)

1 Large Avocado (diced)

1 Tomatillo (diced)

3 Roma Tomatoes (diced)

1 Yellow Tomato (diced)

1 Garlic Clove (minced)

1/2 Large Shallot (minced)

3 Tbsp Vinegar

7oz Roquefort Cheese

1/2 lb Shrimp (peeled)

1/4 cup White Wine

2 Lemons

4 sliced of Bacon (cooked and diced)

Method

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and refrigerate for an hour.

Since I can't stand plain raw tomatoes, combine the tomatoes, tomatillo, shallots, and garlic with the vinegar and juice from one lemon. Salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate for an hour to allow flavors to set.

If you don't mind the tomatoes raw, just add them to the salad without marinating them.

Sautee the shrimp off in some Olive Oil. As they near doneness, add the juice from the other lemon and wine.

Chop the romaine and red leaf up and layer in a shallow salad bowl.

Add the dressing. Layer each ingredient in a row.

Asian Garlic Toast

Asian Garlic Toast

Ingredients:

1 baguette

1 large clove garlic

1 tbs spicy Asian chili sauce

1 tbs sweet Asian chili sauce

2 tbs chives

1 stick butter, softened

Method

Chop your chives.

Chop your garlic. Mmm. Garlic.

Put all ingredients together in a resealable container.

Whisk with a fork to thoroughly incorporate everything.

Give it a chill. This would optimally sit overnight.

Cut your bread on diagonal to make little crostinis.

Spread your garlic spread on them.

Put them under the broiler on high.

Plate your Asian garlic toast.

Beefy French Onion Soup

Beefy French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

Stock:

4 Carrots

1 Head Garlic, chopped in half

4 Stalks of Celery

3 Bay Leaves

1 TB Black Peppercorns

1 Onion, quartered

3 springs fresh thyme

4 back ribs

2 oxtails

Water to cover

Soup:

2 quarts beef stock

About 1.5 cups reserved beef, shredded

1/2 cups dry white wine

3 TB brandy

1 TB fresh thyme

2 sweet onions

3 shallots

1 white onion

Gruyere Cheese, shredded

Baguette, sliced

Method

In a pressure cooker over medium-high heat, brown the back ribs and oxtail and reserve.

Add the meat back into the pressure cooker along with the vegetables and herbs.

Cover with water, bring to a boil and lid the cooker.

Cook until weldone

Once completed, steam off the pressure, pull out the meat and reserve.

Strain and refrigerate the stock.

Once the meat is at a manageable temperature using your hands remove the bits of meat from the fat and shred. It should be extremely tender and pull away from the fat effortlessly.

Once the stock's temperature has come down, you'll notice a lot of fat has congealed on top. Remove and discard this.

Caramelize the onions and shallots.

Add the stock, thyme, shredded beef and white wine, and simmer ~30 minutes on low heat.

5 minutes prior to serving the Beefy French Onion Soup, add the brandy.

Top the sliced baguette with the gruyere cheese and broil until melted.

To plate the Beefy French Onion Soup, ladle the soup into a bowl and top with 2-3 gruyere toasts.

Servers about 6 as part of a meal or 3 as a meal itself.

Spicy Potato Soup

Spicy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

6 small/medium sized Potatoes

5 small carrots (or fewer big ones)

2 Capsicums

1 Serrano chilli

chicken stock

pinch of paprika

salt and pepper to taste

oil

water

I didn't use - but would recommend - an onion and some Soy sauce as well.

If you are using onions chop them up with everything else and fry them a little before chucking the other veggies in the pot, but not for too long because you don't want burned onion.

Method

Start by peeling the potatoes and carrots (you may not have to if they are clean and fresh and depending on what you like).

Then cut the Potatoes into cubes - the size doesn't matter as long as you are consistent. Usually chunky is good but smaller may be handy if dinner needs to be done more quickly.

Slice the carrot into fairly thick slices and dice up your capsicum. I cut my capsicum very finely because I don't like eating large chunks of it but capsicum lovers would probably prefer larger bits.

Finally cut the chilli very finely - you may want to consider wearing gloves to do this or otherwise your hands will be very spicy for quite a while afterwards which could becomes unpleasant if you get itchy eyes or something.

Having cut everything up it should look somewhat like this (note that there's capsicum in my photo this time).

Now on to the actual cooking.

Find a fairly large, preferably non-stick, pot and chuck some oil into the bottom of it. Then pop your potatoes and carrots in there and fry them up a little on high until they get some colour. If you have decided to have quite large chunks of capsicum you may want to add it at this stage - otherwise leave it till later. This will probably need a fair bit of stirring so don't go wandering off at this stage - there will be plenty of time for that later.

Now add water to completely cover your veggies - add all the other ingredients as well. Essentially you want to use enough stock, soy sauce, salt and pepper to give a nice flavour. This will depend a lot on how much water you use. You can always add more later if the flavour isn't quite right so don't worry too much.

If someone you're serving doesn't like things too spicy don't use all of the chilli or they will complain alot which may spoil the meal.

Stir everything up and then stick a lid on the pot and leave everything to cook. Check in occasionally - it's done once your potatoes and carrots are soft. Make sure you've added enough water or add some extra if too much is evaporating - it is meant to be soup after all.

Once things have been cooking for a while it is also a good time to check the flavour. Add whatever is missing (in my case it was mostly salt).

This is also a good time to go away and have a beer or to wash some of the dishes you used while chopping things up - or both.

Depending on the size of your veggies it should take around 10-15 minutes until your soup to be done cooking.

Serve

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

Pie Dish

6 ounces of uncooked spaghetti

1 egg

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound lean ground beef

1 can of frenches fried onions

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 jar spaghetti sauce(I'm not a big sauce person so i only use 1/2 a jar )

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

and a bunch of pepperonis

Method

combine cooked spaghetti, Parmesan cheese and egg.

Press over the bottom and up sides of pan to form a "crust."

Fry ground beef... add onions when browning begins.

and then the sauce...stir.

add meat/sauce mix, cheese, and toppings of choice.

Bake till cheese is golden brown.

Slice it up. and eat!

Vegetarian Stir Fry

Vegetarian Stir Fry

Ingredients:

A single green, orange, and red bell pepper

2 full zucchinis

Half an onion

A head of broccoli

14-16 pieces of asparagus

2 cloves of garlic

1/2lb of firm tofu

Spices:

Wok oil (this is flavored oil, but any light oil is fine)

Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

Rice vinegar

Rice wine

Oregano

Black pepper

Ginger

Sesame seeds (optional)

Method

First step is the most time consuming, chop up all of the vegetables.

Remember, a well cut pepper should come straight out.

If you use the amount of vegetables I listed above, you should get an amount similar to this:

The leftover waste rinds etc, dispose of them.

Go ahead and add the oil to the wok and put it on a low heat, just to get the oil to a less viscous state and get your wok warmed up.

Mince your cloves of garlic, and cut your tofu into small cubes.

Make sure to store your tofu in fresh water! Tofu is only good for a few days after you open it, and if you don't use the rest by tommorow, you have to change out this water.

Place your tofu in the wok along with the garlic. Add 1 teaspoon of rice wine and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar.

Add oregano, black pepper, and ginger, I add these visually to my taste, so do so accordingly for your own tastes. Increase heat to medium and sautee for a couple minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, increase the heat to maximum, then let sautee for a minute.

Add the veggies! Place another teaspoon of rice wine in at this point if you would prefer a slightly less tangy stir fry.

Add in additional oregano, black pepper, and ginger along with sesame seeds, and stir.

Once your stir fry reaches this stage (3 or so minutes), you should notice a few things. One, the brocolli should start to shrink together, the onions should become less crisp, and the asparagus is at the point of no return. You can keep cooking if you really want to infuse the taste here, but you do so at the cost of mushy asparagus. The general rule of doneness still applies here, taste a few of the vegetables and see what you think.

Serve it and enjoy! This is enough to easily feed a few hungry mouths around, or one really hungry person. As always, make sure to strain the stir fry well before placing in a serving dish, otherwise the bottom will sit in liquid and turn to mush before you get to it.

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients

1 lb chicken thighs, boned and cubed

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cornstarch, plus

2 teaspoons cornstarch

5 dried chili pods

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons rice wine

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Method

Cut up the chicken

Mixthe cornstarch and eggs.

Coat the chicken with the cornstarch mixture.

Fry the chicken.

Let the fried chicken pieces drain on some paper towls.

Make the sauce using cornstarch, soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine, sugar and chili paste (only if you want more heat).

Next add some chili pods to the wok with some oil and cooked them on low heat to release their aroma.

Once you have decent aroma, turn the heat onto high and add the fried chicken pices and allow them to reheat and crisp up. Be careful not to burn the chili pods, if they start to remove them.

Once crisp add the sauce and cook and toss until it was thick and bubbly.

Tada! Time to eat, you also add some sesame seeds, if you like them.

Easy Meatballs

Easy Meatballs

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef or turkey

1 c. bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

various spices to your taste (I used garlic powder, onion powder, and basil - about 1 - 2 tbs each)

Method

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.

Mix thoroughly by hand.

Shape into 1 - 2 inch balls on baking sheet or pan - notice that I used aluminum foil for easy cleanup.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes (or until done).

Plate your easy meatballs and serve.

Or freeze for future use.

Shrimp & Garlic with Linguini

Shrimp & Garlic with Linguini

Linguine With Shrimp, Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Garlic

Ingredients

2 tablespoons grape seed oil or other neutral oil, divided

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups sliced mushrooms

Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

¼ cup white wine

12 cherry tomatoes, halved, or 24 grape tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced scallions

1 pound dry linguine, cooked according to package directions

1/2 cup Legal Sea Foods Garlic Butter* or purchased garlic butter**

1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in batches and cook well on both sides. Remove each batch to a plate and season with salt and pepper.

Using the same pan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Return shrimp to pan. Add white wine and se a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add tomatoes and scallions to pan and toss well. Add pasta and garlic butter to pan, toss. Add lemon juice. Turn off heat and continue tossing to incorporate butter and pasta with pan sauce. Add parsley, adjust seasoning and toss to combine. Divide among plates. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

*To make Legal Sea Foods Garlic Butter: Combine 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened unsalted butter, 1/2 cup fine-chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste and 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until smooth. Makes 1/2 cup.

**Land O Lakes Roasted Garlic Butter With Oil can be purchased in a tub in the dairy section of the supermarket. If using this produce in this recipe, increase the lemon juice to 3 tablespoons and add ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley when you add the butter.

Chef's tips: Take the time to get the pan really hot before you start cooking. Get a good sear on the shrimp and make sure the mushrooms are cooked through. Reduce the ingredients to thicken the pan sauce. It shouldn't be thin. The sauce should hug the pasta tightly.

Ceviche

Ceviche

For those who need a bit of background, Ceviche is a South American dish composed of white fish, shrimp, scallops on their own or mixed together, with lots of coriander and sometimes corn and beans. Its not cooked with heat, but with the acid of citrus fruit; namely lime.

Ingredients:

10 fresh limes. (these gave me just over a cup of fresh juice but you can use the easier to use juice made from concentrate as well)

4 large scallops

6 extra large shrimp

A nice piece of halibut. (Ask your fishmonger to give you about 1 serving's worth)

1/2 a red onion

1 or 2 chiles

1 jalepeno pepper

1/2 cup fresh coriander (also known as cilantro)

Method

Start with your limes.

Add the zest of 1 lime to a non-reactive (glass or plastic) bowl.

Then, roll each lime around on a hard surface while applying pressure with your hands so that they'll yield the most juice. Slice limes in half squeeze them out into a measuring cup and set aside.

Prepare your onions onions and peppers by dicing them neatly. Chop up your coriander, and set aside.

Take your lovely piece of halibut (or whatever white fish you decide on... tilapia, flounder, cod...whatever) and get your sharpest knife out and cut off about 1/3 of the filet's worth of fish like so.

Cut the fish down again into thin slices. Think sashimi.

Then, take your scallops, which always remind me of marshmallows... and cut them down widthwise so they're thinner too.

Then, ready your shrimps.

If you have a good source for seafood, you can ask them to de-vein them for you when you ask for them. Otherwise, you're going to have to do this yourself. Start by peeling them and then taking a small knife (a paring knife will do) and running the blade down the back of the shrimp. Run the shrimp under cold water while rubbing its back where you've cut and the vein should come free. You can also pull out the vein with your knife as well.

Once that's done, cut them in half so you'll have twice as many pieces of shrimp.

Bring back your bowl of zest now and put the halibut, scallops and shrimp into it.

Then, add the remainder of your ingredients including the lime juice, ensuring you have enough juice to cover everything up.

Give it a good stir, and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18-24 hours, but remember to stir up the mixture every few hours if you can remember to.

The next day, your ceviche will be ready. Strain what you want to serve from the lime juice mixture and rinse it so that it won't taste overpoweringly limey and serve.

Horiatiki Salata - Greek Salad

Horiatiki Salata - Greek Salad

This is a great recipe for the Greek salad. It's just that people call every salad with feta cheese in it "Greek". This is the real deal.

First thing you gotta do is buy good, quality tomatoes. Make sure they are ripe.

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes

1/2 cucumber

1/2 onion

1 sweet pepper

4-5 olives

some feta cheese

1/2 spoons oregano

1/2 spoons thyme

olive oil

salt, pepper

Method

The olive oil is the next important thing. If you know your oils, skip this. As for you newbies, get a bottle of extra virgin olive oil. Make sure that those exact words are printed on the label. Good olive oils tend to be expensive, so you should get different brands for cooking and salads.

You can use any feta you like. I prefer older goat feta, but if that's too strong for you, stick with cow milk feta - "Macedonian feta" is good (not from FYR Macedonia though).

Chop up your veggies, add salt and olive oil and mix it together. Put a big slice of feta on top of it, and cover it with spices. After the salad is served, you break the feta into little pieces with your fork, and mix it with the veggies.

For extra goodness some fresh Italian bread ready for dipping into the tomato juice and olive oil mix from the bottom of the bowl. Yes, I know you're fat and shouldn't be dipping into oil, but it's good for you.

Tzatziki Sauce for Gyros - Greek Salad Dressing

Tzatziki Sauce for Gyros - Greek Salad Dressing

Tzatziki is awesome not only because it tastes good, but you can serve it with anything. It's good as meze, in gyros, as a salad or as a side-dish.

Ingredients:

1 cucumber

1 cup yogurt

1 cup sour cream

2 spoons garlic powder

1 spoons oregano

1 spoons mint

1 pinch dill (optional)

2 tbs olive oil

salt

Method

Since I can't find galaktokrema anywhere (the proper ingredient for tzatziki), I had to improvise. Mix the sour cream and yogurt (drain the yogurt first!) in a bowl until it forms a creamy homogenous mass.

Take a big cucumber and skin it, then grate it. Using a paper towel, drain as much water as you can. We don't want water ruining our creamy texture.

Mix it with the sour cream and yogurt, and then add garlic, salt, olive oil and the spices to taste. Stick it in your fridge for an hour or so.

Arni kleftiko (made with Lamb chops)

Arni kleftiko (made with Lamb chops)

Arni Kleftiko is the best Greek dish I ever had. It sounds simple enough, and just looking at the recipe makes you think it's one of those dishes where you just throw in whatever you have lying around, but trust me - it tastes divine. Like other Greek dishes, it has a strong taste. However it's quite light and you can eat A LOT of it once you start. So make sure you have enough - this recipe is for 3 moderately hungry people.

Ingredients:

- 2 tomatoes

- 2 potatoes

- 2 onions

- 2 lamb shoulder chops

- 1 carrot

- 100g feta cheese

- 2 pieces of Italian bread

- 1 tbs Vegeta (you could substitute this with 1/4 tbs salt)

- 3 tbs olive oil

- oregano, mint, pepper, 2 tbs lemon juice

Method

Chop up tomatoes, potatoes, onions, feta, bread and lamb into half-inch cubes. You can't make carrots into cubes, so cut them normally. Don't use a feta with a strong taste - cheap cow milk feta will do.

Take a big casserole dish or something similar and oil it up. Make sure you spread the oil all the way to the top.

Start layering the ingredients. The order is not important, just make sure they are evenly mixed. Apply vegeta/salt and spices as you go. Squeeze some lemon in there for good measure.

Stick it in an oven warmed up to 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

The finished Arni kleftiko is ready to serve

Chicken Makhani Curry

Chicken Makhani Curry

Ingredients:

4 large skinned chicken breasts

2 large red chillies

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

150ml double cream

150ml natural yogurt

1 fresh lemon

1 tsp Garam Masala

2 tsp Ground Cumin

2 tblsp Coriander leaves

50g Butter

1/2 tsp salt

1.5kg fresh ripe tomatos

Method

Core and deseed the chillies, chop them up fine.

Add the chillies, fine chopped garlic, cumin and garam masala to a small bowl.

Mash it up and then add the juice of the lemon, coriander leaves and the yogurt to create the marinade. Really this should be blended but as I don't have a blender I did it by hand. If you have a blender though, use it.

Chop up the chicken into 3cm pieces and put into a non metallic bowl

Mix in the marinade with the chicken, cover and put in the fridge for 3 hours.

While that is happening....

Quarter the tomatos and put into a pan with nothing else. Warm for 20mins on a low to medium heat

They will start to go like this.

Strain the tomatos into a clean pan using a fine seive. Throw away the skins and pulp left over.

You end up with a tomato sauce like so, heat this for 50 mins until reduced to a nice thick sauce. You may need to skim off any yellow stuff off the top as it is heating.

Add in 50g of butter and salt then stir and heat for another 20 minutes.

Add in the 150ml of double cream, heat through thoroughly and set aside.

By this time the chicken should be ready, so heat a pan with 3 tbl spoons of vegetable oil and add it all.

Cook for 15 minutes on a medium heat.

Add in the tomato sauce and stir and heat for 5 minutes.

The finished curry. Serve with basmati rice.

Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef)

Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef)

Ingredients

• 1 (1-pound)Beef skirt steak

• Water

• 1 / 3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 / 2 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and julienned

• 1 / 2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and julienned

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 1 / 4 cup jarred minced garlic*

• 2 cups beef broth, optional

• 2 tablespoons sour orange juice*

• 1 1 / 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 cup chunky roasted pepper and onion tomato sauce*

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

• 2 tablespoons chopped culantro

• Salt, to taste

• 1 / 4 cup sliced stuffed green olives, for garnish

Method

Put the steak in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil; skim any brown scum that accumulates on the top of the water. Reduce heat and boil gently 1 hour.

Drain off the cooking liquid; reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid to use in place of broth, if you wish. Let the meat and reserved broth cool. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat apart into shreds; set aside. When the cooking liquid cools, skim any fat that rises to the top. (Can be prepared to this point a day ahead and the meat and cooking liquid refrigerated. The fat on the top of the cooking liquid will congeal if it's refrigerated and then it will be easy to skim off.)

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions and saute about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the shredded meat; reserved cooking liquid, if using, or broth; sour orange juice and cumin. Stir to combine. Add the tomato sauce, cilantro, culantro and salt.

Simmer about 20 minutes until the liquid is reduced and the dish thickened. Garnish with olives, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Serve with white rice.

* Jarred minced garlic found in the produce department of supermarkets. Sour orange juice is available fresh (squeeze your own sour oranges) or in plastic bottles from Badia (it's labeled naranja agria)sold in the condiment aisle of supermarkets. The chef uses the Chunky Ragu Roasted Red Pepper and Onion Pasta Sauce, but says any brand of roasted tomato sauce will work.

Yucca Fry (Kappa Vilayichathu)

Yucca Fry (Kappa Vilayichathu)

Ingredients

1.Tapioca chips 750 gm.,

2. Scraped coconut 1 cup,

3.Nescafe 7 level teaspoons,

4. Sugar 500 gm,

5.Ghee 1 tablespoon,

6.Water 1 ½ cups.

Method

1.The Nescafe is dissolved in ½ cup hot water and kept aside.

2.The sugar is dissolved in the remaining water and heated, and before it reaches the syrup form, the Nescafe is added along with the scraped coconut and heated till all the water is gone.

3.When the mix reaches the required consistency, the ghee is added.

4.To this the tapioca chips are added and mixed well till the Nescafe mix covers the chips. Once this is done, it is taken off the fire. (While mixing make sure the tapioca chips do not break).

5.This may now be cooled, ready for use.

Duck Roast

Duck Roast

Ingredients

1. Duck meat cut to large pieces- 1 kg.,

2. Coriander powder- 2 teaspoon,

Turmeric powder- ½ teaspoon,

Black pepper- 1 teaspoon,

Cumin- ¼ teaspoon,

Sahjeera- ¼ teaspoon,

Cinnamon (1” length)- 1 piece,

Cloves- 9, Cardamom- 2 Nos.,

Garlic pods-8 Nos. Ginger- 1” piece,

3. Vinegar- 1 dessert spoon, salt- to taste,

4. Coconut oil- 4 dessert spoon,

5. Onions sliced- ½ cup.,

6. Coconut milk extracted from I cup scraped coconut- ½ cup.,

7, Potatoes cut to square cubes and fried- 3 cups.

Method

1.The second set of ingredients are ground to a smooth paste, the meat pieces are marinated with the paste along with vinegar and salt. Three cups of water are poured to this and the meat pieces are cooked. Once it is cooked the gravy is separated.

2.The meat pieces are now deep fried in coconut oil and kept aside to strain off oil. If oil in the kadai is not enough, a little more is added and the sliced onions are sauted. When it is sauted well, the gravy and coconut milk are added and when it begins to boil well, the meat pieces are added.

3.When the gravy thickens and mixes well with the meat, it is taken off the fire. This is then transferred to the serving dish and decorated with the fried potato cubes.

Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

1. 1 kg chicken

2. 2 tsp garlic, chopped

3. 2 tsp ginger, chopped

4. 6 green chillies

5. 1 tsp peppercorns

6. 1 tsp turmeric powder

7. 2 dsp lime juice

8. Salt to taste

9. 2 cups hot water

10. 2 eggs, beaten

11. 1 cup bread crumbs

12. 3 dsp white & black mixed sesame seeds

13. Oil to fry

For the gravy:

1. 1 tsp butter

2. 1 tsp rice flour

Method:

1. Wash and clean the chicken. Cut into ten pieces.

2. Grind into a paste ingredients 2 to 6. Add lime juice and mix the chicken pieces with the ground paste.

3. Add salt to taste and cook the chicken in hot water. When the chicken is cooked, there should be ½ cup stock left for the gravy.

4. Separate the chicken pieces from the gravy.

5. Dip the cooked pieces of chicken in beaten egg.

6. Coat well by rolling in bread crumbs mixed with sesame seeds.

7. Heat oil in a shallow pan, deep fry the chicken and serve hot with a bowl of gravy.

To make the gravy:

1. Melt the butter. Add the flour and brown. Add the stock and stir to make a gravy.

Note:

Try using the same recipe for mutton chops.