Yummy Banana Walnut muffin

 

 

 

Ingredients: 

½ Cup of Vegetable Oil

 2 Eggs

 ½ Cup of Sugar

 3 Mashed Bananas

 ¼ tsp of Vanilla Extract

 1 2/3 Cup of All Purpose Flour

 1 tsp Baking Powder

 ½ tsp of Baking Soda

 ¼ tsp of Salt

 ¼ tsp of Cinnamon

 1 Cup of Chopped walnuts

 

Process

1.     Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12 piece muffin tin with muffin liners and set aside.

 

2.      In a small bowl add the chopped walnuts and 3 tbsp of flour and mix until all the chocolate chips are coated in the flour. Set aside. 

3.      In a blender add the first 5 ingredients and blend until all combined into a thick paste. Transfer it into a bowl.

4.      Add the flour and baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon to the batter and mix  until all combined (be careful not to over mix). 

5.      Fold in the walnut and flour mixture.

 

6.      Using a large ice cream scoop divide the batter into your muffin pan and bake for about 18 minutes.

Comforting Mussels in broth

Ingredients:

1lb of Mussels, cleaned, scrubbed and de beard

4 cloves of Garlic, sliced

2 Tbsp of dried parsley

Pinch of Hot Pepper Flakes

3 tbsp of tomato puree

2 Tbsp of Olive Oil

1 cup of White Wine or fish stock or chicken stock

 

Process

 

1.     Preheat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat, add the garlic, tomato puree, parsley and hot pepper flakes and cook for about a minute or two.

 

2.     Add the wine/stock and let it reduce by about half, about 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper.

 

3.     Add the mussels and cover with a lid, let it cook for about 5 minutes ( giving it a stir after 2 mintues) or until the mussels open up.

 

4.      Serve with some Italian bread.

Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

3 Egg Yolks

1/4 cup Granulated Sugar + 1 Tbsp for each serving

1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream

1 tsp Vanilla

1/8 tsp Salt

 

Process

1.     Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

 

2.      In a small saucepan on low heat, slowly heat the cream to a simmer but not boiling.

 

3.     Meanwhile, in a bowl, with a wish, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Slowly add the cream to the egg mixture whisking continuously making sure you don’t curdle the eggs. Add salt and whisk to combine.

 

4.      Divide batter into 5 to 6, 1-inch deep ramekins and place them into a deep roasting pan.

 

5.      Pour boiling water into the pan, just enough to come up half way on the ramekins. Bake for 35-45 minutes (custard should be set when gently shaken).

 

6.      Remove custards from water bath and let cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then set them in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. (for best results, make these the night before you want to eat them)

 

7.      When ready to serve, let them come to room temperature for 10 minutes, top each one with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. With a small kitchen blow torch, ( or under broiler) heat the top of each custard until the sugar caramelizes evenly, but does not burn. (Keep your eye on it, because it happens very quickly, and the sugar will burn very quickly.

Beef Barley soup

Ingredients: 

1 lb of Beef cut into ½ inch cubes

4 cloves of garlic finely minced

2 Carrots, diced

1 Onion, chopped

2 Stalks of Celery, diced

½ cup of Pearl Barley, rinsed

4-5 cups of Chicken Stock

1 tsp of dried Thyme

2 Tbsp of Oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp of onion powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

 

Process

1.     In a pressure cooker, (you can use a large pot if you don’t have pressure cooker) preheat the oil over medium high heat.

 

2.     Cook the beef in the oil, Allow the beef to cook and develop some color, this should take about 4 to 5 minutes so its colored on all sides.

 

3.      In the same pot, add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and minced garlic season with a little salt and pepper and cook the veggies until they have cooked down a bit, this should take about 5 minutes.

 

4.      Add thyme, garlic powder and onion powder and cook for 1 minute.

 

5.     Add washed pearl barley and add the chicken stock. Cover the lid of pressure cooker and cook on low heat for 45 minutes, by this time the beef will be tender and barley will be cooked the soup will thicken up on its own.

 

6.     Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley and serve hot.

 

Note : If you do not have a pressure cooker you can cook in a large pot, the cooking time will increase to 1.5 hr and you will have to stir the soup at intervals.

Easy Falafel

Ingredients:

2 cups of dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup of cilantro/ coriander

3-4 cloves garlic

2 1/2 tbsp flour

Salt to taste

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp of baking soda

Vegetable oil for frying

 

 

Process

1.     Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them by about 3 inches of cold water. Let them soak overnight. They will double in size as they soak.

2.     Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans well. Pour them into your food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley and cilantro/ coriander.

3.     Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process till the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste. You want the mixture to hold together, but do not over process.

4.     Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl add in  salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, baking soda and flour. You may add more flour if you think the paste is a bit too wet.

5.     Fill a skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 1 ½ inches.

6.     Form falafel mixture into round balls using 1 heaping tablespoon of the mixture.

7.     Fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides.

8.     Once the falafels are fried, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon. Let them drain on paper towels. Serve the falafels fresh and hot; they go best with a plate of hummus and topped with creamy tahini sauce. You can also stuff them into a pita.

 

Yummy chicken fry

Ingredients: 

4 chicken drumsticks

½ cup water

Salt to taste

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 tsp curry powder

3 tbsp tomato puree

2 eggs

¼ cup bread crumbs

Oil for frying

 

Process

1.     Start off by making 2 deep cuts on each drumstick.

2.     Then in a pot on medium heat add 4 chicken drumsticks, water, tomato puree, ginger garlic paste, chicken bouillon cube, curry powder, salt to taste and let the chicken boil and cook in the water till the chicken is completely cooked and all the liquid is dried out. You can check for seasoning at this point since the chicken is completely cooked

3.     Transfer the chicken and the thick cooked masala in a plate and let the chicken cool down.

4.     In the meanwhile beat 2 egg, season them and set aside and heat up oil up to 1 inch deep in a frying pan.

5.     Ensure all the masala is sticking to the chicken and dip each chicken in bread crumbs and then in egg and put in oil to fry for  2-3 minutes on each side. Once the egg coating is cooked remove the chicken and transfer onto a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.

6.     Serve hot.

Delicious Mixed fruit Trifle

Ingredients: 

1 (8 or 9 inch) white cake, baked and cooled or pound cake  

2 15oz mixed fruits in syrup cans  

1/4 cup white sugar  

1 Jell-O: Strawberry Gelatin Dessert, 6 Oz

7 -8 fresh strawberries for garnish

3 tbsp of vanilla or strawberry custard mix

3 cups milk  

1 cup heavy whipping cream  

 

Process for preparation

1.     Prepared the jello as per the instruction given on the package and set it in the dish in which the trifle is going to be served. The jello should be the bottom most layer about ½ to 1 inch thick.

 

2.     Cut the pound cake into ½ inch slices and set it aside.

 

3.     Combine custard powder and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in milk and cook until thick and creamy. Chill custard cool to room temperature before proceeding to assembling the trifle pudding.

 

4.     Whip the cream with 2tbsp sugar (or to taste) to stiff peaks and set aside.

 

Process for assembling the trifle

 

5.     Once the jello is step layer the jello with slices of pound cake, overlap the cake so that there are no gaps.

 

6.     Layer the cake with mixed fruits  to at least 1 to 2 inch thickness.

 

7.     Pour the cooled custard over the fruits ensuring the custard seeps through the fruits into the cake layer.

 

8.     Layer the whipped cream over the custard using a spatula to spread the cream as evenly as possible.

 

9.     Garnish the trifle with fresh strawberries or nuts of your choice.

 

Chill before serving! Enjoy!!!!

 

Perfect Accompaniment Coconut chutney

Ingredients

1 cup grated coconut or fresh coconut cut into small pieces

2 small green chilies

½ inch of ginger

2 tbsp roasted split gram/ chana (dalia)

½ tsp of tamarind paste

2 tbsp of fresh coriander/ cilantro

salt to taste

 

For The Tempering

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 red chilies

2 to 3 curry leaves

1 tbsp urad dal (optional)

1 tsp oil

 

 

Process

1.     Put the coconut, green chilies, ginger, roasted split gram, tamarind, cilantro and salt in a blender with a little water and grind to make a fine paste. Keep aside.

2.     Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and adding the mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves and stirring till the mustard seeds crackle. Add urad dal and fry till they are golden brown. Pour this tempering over the chutney and mix well.

Refrigerate and use as required.

 

This chutney is popular accompaniment for any South Indian dishes.

 

Healthy Sweet corn chicken soup

Ingredients:

11/2 tbsp Corn Starch

½ cup of milk

2 cups of fresh corn

Salt to taste

White pepper to taste

 4 cups Chicken or vegetable stock

2 eggs well beaten

1 cup of shredded chicken (chicken breast boiled and shredded)

 

Process

1.     Reserve ½ cup of corn and the balance crush in a blender along with milk into coarse paste

2.     In a wok on high flame heat up chicken stock, ½ cup of whole corn and crushed corn.

3.     Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.     Bring the entire mixture to a rapid boil.

5.     Dissolve corn starch in 1/2 cup water and add to the soup stirring constantly till it becomes thick.

6.     Pour in the eggs slowly while stirring the soup in the same direction. The egg will spread and feather.

7.     Add shredded chicken. Turn off the heat and serve with dash of soysauce.

 

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients: 

2 cups diced fresh pineapple

 1 cup diced tomatoes

 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

 3 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper seeded

 1 clove garlic, minced

 Juice of 1 large lime

 Salt, to taste

 

Process

In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, garlic, and lime juice. Stir until well combined. Season with salt, to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Methi Chicken

Ingredients: 

1 bunch of methi

1 lbs Chicken on bone

4 tsp of ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp fresh coriander

2 tbsp Oil

2 Bay leaves

2 green cardamoms

1 stick of cinnamon

3-4 black pepper corns

½ cup of yogurt

1tsp of garam masala

Salt to taste

¼ cup of cashew boiled in water

2 tbsp Dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

 

 

 

Process

1.     Clean the methi leaves out of the bunch and wash and pat it try, reserve a handful of methi leaves and the rest make a paste along with with fresh coriander/cilantro in a blender and keep aside.

2.     In a pot heat up oil and add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon , pepper corns and roast them for a min.

3.     Add the chicken and ginger garlic paste and let it cook on medium flame till the chicken is golden in color.

4.     To the above pot add the whole methi leaves as well as the paste and let it cook for 10 mins.

5.     In the meanwhile make a paste of the cashew nuts in a blender.

6.     Once the methiis cooked down add yogurt which is well beaten to the above mixture and cook for 2-3 mins.

7.     Add the cashew paste along with salt to taste. Cover the pot and let it cook for 15 mins on medium low flame.

8.     Once the chicken is cooked through add dried fenugreek leaves and garam masala.

 

Serve hot with Naan, roti or rice. Enjoy!