Dum Aloo

Small unpeeled potatoes the size of a lemon are used in making DumAloo.A great number of Indian restaurants serve this dish as a speciality. Made with baby potatoes, Dum Aloo is cooked with the use of spicy gravy. It is ordinarily served hot not only with roti but may also be served with parathas, chapathi or naan. Also known as Dam Aloo or Alu Dum, Dum Aloo is traditionally cooked in such a way that the potatoes are first fried till they are golden brown and then cooked using a pressure cooker to be able to soak the potatoes in the gravy and for the spicy flavors to be absorbed by them. In this flavorful recipe, unpeeled baby potatoes are cooked in gravy that is made with garlic, salt, turmeric powder, red chili peper, garam masala, jeera powder, green chilies, onions, and grated tomatoes with a garnishing of fresh coriander leaves. 

To make this recipe, the potatoes should be cooked slowly resembling a stew, so the use of a thick or heavy bottomed pot is recommended in order for the heat to be distributed evenly. Thus, potatoes become tender and can easily soak up the gravy flavor. Dum Aloo actually is cooked in different versions depending on the preference of each region and each household. Some are drier while other versions contain more sauce. This spicy and rich dish is also served as a side dish especially to fish and meats, an entrée or appetizer as well.

Ingredients:

250gms very small size potatoes with skin

2 tablespoon oil

3 medium sized tomatoes chopped, grated

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 medium onion finely chopped, grated

2 green chillies finely chopped

1 teaspoon jeera powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon haldi/turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Preparation:

1.       Using a deep pan, heat oil before throwing in jeera.

2.       When the jeera is already brown, add the grated onions and the green chilies.

3.       As soon as the onions are golden brown, the remaining spices and the grated tomatoes must then be added.

4.       Stir continuously until everything is blended well. At this time add the potatoes.

5.       It must then be stirred well and covered.

6.       While cooking for 20 to 30 minutes, stir continuously in between.Water may also be added if necessary.

7.       Use the fresh chopped coriander leaves to garnish it.

8.       It is then ready to be served hot alongside rotis.

Make Healthy Food Choices On The Go

It is very important to eat healthy to stay fit. You should incorporate fresh fruits, cereals and vegetables in your daily diet and this would help you boost your metabolism as well as your overall health.

Ingredients:

1 cup cereals

1 glass mil

1 cup fresh cut fruits

 1 cup fresh chopped vegetables

Preparation:

You can prepare healthy food in no time and this would be good step towards great health. 

Also this video talks about how to make healthy food choices in a fast food restaurant.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

The history of Mexican hot chocolate can be traced back to the time of the Mayans and the Aztec Indians who roasted cocoa beans and mixed it with water, wine, and chili peppers, and considered it to be a sacred drink worthy of the gods. By 1400 AD, the cocoa beverage was an essential part of the Aztec culture. It is believed that the Mayas created the first chocolate beverage around 2,000 years ago. In this recipe for Mexican hot chocolate, adapted from The Prudence Penny Regional Cookbook by Prudence Penny, sweet chocolate is melted in boiling water and combined with coffee, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to create a rich, strong, spicy, and stimulating drink that makes a luscious early morning breakfast or the perfect drink for wintertime.

 

Ingredients:

1 quart milk

1 inch cinnamon stick

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons ground coffee

2 oz. sweet chocolate

½ cup boiling water

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

1.       In a saucepan, pour the milk, cinnamon, salt, and coffee; bring to a boil. Strain.

2.       Dissolve the chocolate in the boiling water. Add to the milk mixture.

3.       Reheat the whole, bringing to a boil. Remove from the stove and add the vanilla.

Cheese Snacks - Sail Boat

Sail away and make fun with this cheese sailboat snack! Click  (recipe videos online) to view full version.

Ingredients

Red bell pepper

Kraft singles

Pretzel sticks

Dried apple chips

Fish crackers

Preparation Instructions

Cut cheese slice diagonally.

Arrange on plate as sails.

Cut slice of red pepper for boat and place on plate.

Use pretzel stick between cheese slices as mast.

Place apple chips around boat for waves.

Cut small wedge of pepper to use as flag on top of mast.

Using cookie cutter, cut cheese slice and make crescent for moon.

Add fish crackers. 

Orient Express Chocolate Torte

This chocolate torte recipe is adapted from Maida Heatter’s Book of Chocolate Desserts, which is the same chocolate torte served in the famous luxury train Orient Express, back when it was known worldwide for gourmet food. Pronounced as TOR-tuh, torte is a very rich and decadent cake multilayered with all kinds of indulgences such as whipped cream, mousses, jam, fruits, and buttercream. In this simple recipe, chocolate cake is layered with an opulent buttercream.

This dessert does not contain any flour, making it the ideal gluten-free chocolate cake. It is rich and dense and absolutely luxurious enough for birthday occasions. The cake is made with unsweetened chocolate, unblanched almonds, eggs, sugar, and salt while the buttercream frosting is made with sweet butter, pure vanilla extract, granulated sugar, eggs, and unsweetened chocolate. You need a spring form pan to bake the cake in and a bain-marie for melting the chocolate. A spring form pan consists of a round base and a band with a latch on the sides. It is meant for use in cheesecakes, flourless cakes, and other dense cakes.

Ingredients:

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

7 ½ oz. (1 ½ cups) unblanched almonds

5 eggs, separated

2 egg yolks

¾ cup granulated sugar

Salt

For the Buttercream Frosting:

3 oz. sweet butter

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

Preparation:

1.       Place the oven rack 1/3 of the way up from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 3 in. springform pan. Coarsely chop the chocolate. Place it, along with the almonds, in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

2.       In the small bowl of an electric mixer, pour the 7 egg yolks. Add the sugar and beat until yolks are lemon-colored but not thick. Add the ground chocolate mixture and mix. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl. In a clean and dry mixer bowl, pour the 5 egg whites and the salt. Beat until they hold shape, but not until they are stiff. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

3.       Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 65 minutes, or until the top just springs back when pressed with the fingers. Remove from the oven and run a sharp knife around the outer edge of the cake. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Place a wire cooling rack over the cake pan and invert. Place the cooling rack on the counter and remove the cake pan. Allow the cake to cool completely on the rack. Freeze the cake for about 1 hour.

4.       In the meantime make the buttercream. In the small bowl of an electric mixer, mix the butter and vanilla. Add the sugar and cream for about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on high for 2 minutes after each one is added.

5.       Place the chocolate on the top of a double broiler placed over medium heat. Cover. When partially melted, uncover and stir constantly until the chocolate is entirely melted. Add the melted chocolate to the butter mixture, beating until well blended. Place the bowl of buttercream, along with the mixer’s beaters, in the freezer or refrigerator until firm.

6.       Remove the cake from the freezer and use a serrated bread knife to cut it in half horizontally, making two layers. Place one layer of the cake, cut side up, on a cake platter. Remove the buttercream from the freezer or refrigerator and beat until it is soft, smooth, and spreadable. Spread 1/3 of the buttercream on top of the bottom layer of cake. Place the second layer of cake on top of this, cut side down. Spread the remaining buttercream over the cake top and sides.

Butter Poached Lobster Shooters

LOBSTER SHOOTERS

Ingredients

Lobster
Butter
Bowl of Cold Water
Pot
Tong
Ladle
Large Chef Knife
Side Towels
Large Pot
Glass
Tomato
Parsly
1 Lemon

Preparation Instructions

Step 1
Put water in a pot and bring to a boil.
Step 3
Dip head of live lobster to shock it. Then let it slide into the water.
Step 4
Once the tail curls take it out of the water as it is cooked. After about 5 minutes it should look
Step 5
Drop them into the cold water to cool them off.
Step 6
Twist the claws and tail off over a bowl.
Step 7
Remove the meat from the claws with the chef knife.
Step 8
Place the heel of the knife just below the claw tip to twist the shell. Carefully remove the meat.
Step 9
Straighten the tail out and put the knife right in the middle and push down to break the shell. Carefully pull the meat out.
Step 10
Drop the meat into the clarified butter until it's firm.
Step 11
Take the meat out and put it in a small glass. This is called a shooter.
Step 12
Take the lemon and cut it in half and squeeze into the bottom of the glass
Step 13
Sprinkle kosher salt in.
Step 14
Take bite size piece of the lobster and put it in the glass.
Step 15
Take some of the lobster flavored butter and pour on the butter
Step 16
Take a little bit of chopped parsley and put it on top
Step 17
Finely slice the tomato and put a little bit on top.

Almond Galette With Red Fruits

An extraordinarily simple recipe by highly esteemed chef Gerard Vie, known for his artistic creations and down-to-earth yet aesthetic dishes, AlmondGalette with Red Fruits takes only twenty minutes to do so you can make this on the fly when friends unexpectedly come over and fresh raspberries are in season. Serve this with a good bottle of Loupiac for a complete celebration. Otherwise, you can serve this with tea or coffee for savoring a lovely afternoon.

Ingredients

almonds

4.48 oz. (about ½ cup) sugar

7 tablespoons flour

5 eggs

1 lb. raspberries or seasonal red fruits

3.5 oz. (7 tablespoons) thick cream (creme fraiche)

3.5 oz. (7 tablespoons) creme patissiere (vanilla flavored custard filling for pastries and cakes)

raspberry sauce

Preparation Instructions

1.       Mix the almonds, sugar, eggs, and flour to create a dough that is a bit greasy but easy to work with. Using both thumbs spread and flatten the dough on a shallow round mold, covering the bottom to make a thin crust. Cook in a very hot oven for about five minutes.

2.       To make a light cream mix equal parts crème patisserie and fresh whipped cream, blend until you get a smooth and even consistency.

3.       Take the now crispy almond galette and place it on the bottom of the plate. Put generous scoops of cream on top. Arrange fresh raspberries around the pancake, lightly covering the mound of cream. Place a sprig of mint on top to decorate.

4.       Spread a bit of cream on another galette and place on the side of the dessert so that it is leaning on the raspberries, with the cream acting as support.

5.       Make abstract patterns with raspberry sauce drippings around the plate. To finish, arrange more fresh raspberries and red currants around the plate for a vibrant color.

Sander Fillet With Pumpkin, Squash And Syrah Butter

A fresh and unusual take on salad, Langoustine tail salad with white beans has no salad greens in it.  The dominant color of this gourmet dish is a rosy pink from the vinaigrette bisque. Diced tomatoes give it a red hue while sprinkled diced carrots give it orange highlights. The white beans dressed in mayonnaise provide a creamy complement, while the trickle of truffles and a spattering of chives complete the luscious presentation. This is a rare starter that can be made even more phenomenal if served with a glorious glass of Sancerre or Chablis.

Ingredients

4 zander fillets

1 squash

1 butternut squash

3 onions

¾ of a bottle of Syrah (red wine)

fowl bouillon

1 pepper (diced)

1 cube of sugar, butter

4 potatoes

1 tip of garlic (minced)

salt, pepper

Preparation Instructions

1.       To make the pumpkin boulangere, sauté the onions in butter for three to four minutes until they soften. Peel and cut pumpkin to thin slices about 3 mm each. Do the same with the potatoes. Add minced garlic to the onions and then place a layer of potatoes. Put a layer of sautéed onions on top of the layer of potatoes. Season with freshly ground pepper. Add a layer of thinly sliced pumpkins. Add some boiling poultry broth on top of the pumpkin. Place inside the oven to cook.

2.       To make pumpkin puree, cut pumpkins into quarters and clean out the core. Drizzle with some butter or olive oil and place in a baking sheet. Cook in oven at 375ºF (190ºC) until flesh is tender and easily pierced with a knife, which takes about 30 minutes to an hour. Cool on rack. Scoop flesh into blender or food processor; whirl until you get a smooth puree. Pass through a sieve to purify further.

3.       Reduce bottle of Syrah red wine to three quarters. Add sugar and thicken with butter.

4.       To make the chutney, cut the butternut squash, onions, and red peppers into small cubes. Sauté onions in olive oil. Add red peppers and squash. Add a bit of sugar. After two or three minutes when the vegetables have cooked, spice it up a bit with a touch of vinegar.

5.       Fry the sander fish filets in olive oil browning both sides.

6.       On a plate, place a portion of pumpkin boulangere in the middle. Place the fish on top. Spread the pumpkin and pepper chutney on the surface of the fish. Around the plate, squirt a circle of pumpkin puree and drip red wine sauce in the inside of the circle.

Veal Cutlet

A dish that is impossible to resist, tender and juicy veal cutlets cooked in butter and served with mushroom gravy, artichoke hearts, and cocktail sausages is a surefire crowd pleaser. Adults and children, gourmands, foodies, and fast food junkies will love this delectably wholesome yet sophisticated dish. It will fit in a roadside steakhouse as much as it will in a snooty fine dining establishment. Pair with a bottle of Chardonnay, Chianti, or Sangiovese for a lovely dinner.

Ingredients

4 veal cutlets

0.44 lbs. butter, salt, pepper

1/2 lb. button mushrooms

juice from 1 lemon

0.85 cups beef bouillon

4 artichoke hearts

8 small cocktail sausages

Preparation Instructions

1.       In a pan, clarify the butter. Season the veal cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook veal over medium heat to your desired doneness.

2.       Wash and cook the button mushrooms in salted, peppered water, with a squeeze of lemon juice.

3.       Reduce the beef bouillon or fond. Add lemon juice.

4.       Cut artichoke hearts into six pieces. Simmer in the reduced bouillon. Add some lemon juice and the cooked mushrooms.

5.       Place the ragout stew in the middle of a serving dish. Lay the veal cutlets around this. Garnish with the small cocktail sausages.

Minted Spring Lamb

Spring lamb is simply delicious roasted with garlic and mint and served with a rosemary and wine sauce such as in this elegant recipe adapted from Cooking with an Accent by Isabella Gaylord. Traditionally served during Easter and Passover, roasted spring lamb is best paired with a hearty and robust red wine like Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Pinot Noir.

Ingredients:

1 leg of lamb

1 tablespoon fresh mint

1 large garlic clove (thinly sliced)

Sea salt

Pepper (freshly ground)

All purpose flour

¼ cup red wine

½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves

Dollop of butter

Preparation Instructions

1.       Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut 6 deep gashes into the meatiest part of the lamb. Fill three of these gashes with the mint and 3 with the garlic slices. Season with salt and pepper. Pour some flour into a shallow dish and dredge the meat through it. Shake off any excess.

2.       Place the lamb in a roasting pan in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and cook for another hour, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the lamb reads between 145 degrees F. to 150 degrees F. Remove lamb from pan and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

3.       In the meantime, pour the cooking juices into a saucepan. Cook over medium high heat. Reduce by half. Add the wine and rosemary and continue reducing until syrupy. Remove from the heat and add a dollop of butter. Swirl the butter until it melts. Serve the sauce on the side.

Molasses-Apple Pie

Molasses add moisture and a deep and exquisite flavor to apple pie in this recipe adapted from Ladies’ Home Journal 100 Great Pie &Pastry Recipes. Ginger and cinnamon give spice and a wonderful aroma to the dessert, creating a one-of-a-kind dish perfect for the holidays and celebrations. You need already made pie pastry for two 9-inch piecrusts to make this recipe. You can buy piecrust pastry in the grocery or bakeshop or make it at home. The filling consists of simple ingredients including Golden Delicious apples, light molasses, butter, ginger, cinnamon, all-purpose flour, and brown sugar.

It is best to make the pie a few hours before you plan to cut into the pie, or the filling will be soupy if you slice into it when the pie is still hot from the oven. After a few hours of rest, the apples will reabsorb the juices and the pie will cut more neatly. The pie is best eaten on the same day that it is cooked. It can be kept at room temperature for up to one day but should be refrigerated for longer storage up to five days. When refrigerating the apple pie, cover it well with aluminum foil. Reheat the apple pie in a 325 degree F oven until warmed through before serving.

You don’t need fancy kitchen tools to make molasses-applepie but a rolling pin and a pastry cloth make it easier to roll out the dough.You can also use other kinds of apples for making pie besides Golden Delicious. A combination of sweet and tart apples makes an awesome tasting pie. When making molasses-apple pie, it is best to use tart apples, which combine well with the sweetness of the molasses. Granny Smith apples are an excellent choice for making molasses-apple pie. A combination of McIntosh and Cortland apples also work excellently.

Ingredients:

Pastry for two 9 in. pie crusts

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1.4 teaspoon ginger

8 cups cored, peeled, and sliced Golden Delicious apples

¼ cup light molasses

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation:

1.       Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2.       In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and ginger. Toss the apples in this mixture until they are well coated. Pour in the molasses and toss the apples again until they are well coated.

3.       Roll out ½ of the piecrust pastry and place it in a 9 in. pie plate. Pour the apple mixture inside. Sprinkle the small, cut up pieces of butter over the apple filling. Roll out the second half of the pie crust pastry and place it on top of the filling. Cut 3 or 4 slits in the top crust. (If desired, cut the pie pastry into strips and make a crisscross pattern with them over the filling instead).

4.       Set the pie on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes.

5.       Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly. Cool the pie on a wire rack for 1 hour or more before serving.

Caron’s Kickin Quinoa Salad

Salads are well-loved because they are not only healthy, they are tasty as well; with the combination of the different fresh ingredients whether vegetable, fruit and a small amount of meat, flavors all coming together with the help of a dressing. But salads tend to be repetitive and boring at times. No longer exciting the senses as it should. After all, salads are originally appetizers, turning on your appetite and gastric juices before the main course. As it has become popular, it also has become commonplace. Hence, the search for a different and unique salad begins. A friend mentioned Caron’s Kickin’ Quinoa Salad and I was almost sold by the name alone. It sounds like something about set your palate on fire and awaken your drowsy senses, until I realize what a quinoa is. Quinoa is famous among health nuts and vegan because of its nutrition content. It contains less fat than true grains and is high in essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. But these edible seeds are also known to have a strong pungent flavor not all of us are used to. It made me think twice about trying out this Caron’s Kickin’ Quinoa Salad I was so intrigued about. Could it be possible that this salad could transform me into a Quinoa fan?

I began my search for the best Caron’s Kickin Quinoa Salad recipe through the internet. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there are actually a good number of recipes for this salad online. It is described as a unique salad, with a different and exciting. This reputation is fueled by the fact that Caron’s Kickin’ Quinoa Salad is made up of ingredients that are are intriguing and have a reputation for their flavor. First there’s quinoa and then there’s wasabi. Those two alone can get your glands going. These two are joined by chopped celery and onion, adding that crunchy texture to the salad. Canned tuna is used as the protein in this salad. The taste of tuna is just perfect for all the other ingredients. The dressing is mostly made up of low fat mayonnaise and wasabi powder. You may then add lemon juice and salt and pepper to your preferred taste. That’s just about it for the ingredients – simple and conveniently available. The cooking and preparation is just as convenient. You simply cook the quinoa in a microwave, mix the dressing, combine all the other ingredients, toss until evenly blended and voila – your very own Caron’s Kickin’ Quinoa in no time.

Buttermilk Glazed Basa Fillet

Basa fillet is seared in canola oil and dredged in Buttermilk batter, coated in pepita crackle then baked in the oven until cooked through and served with sautéed shoestring vegetables in this healthy gourmandia recipe. The vegetables in this recipe consist of carrots, zucchini, Daikon root, and red bell pepper. All the vegetables are julienned or sliced thinly like a shoestring and seasoned with salt and pepper then cooked very quickly in a very hot pan to keep it bright and crisp.

Before cooking the basa fillet, prepare the buttermilk glaze and the pepita crackle. The buttermilk glaze consists of buttermilk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, thyme, Italian parsley, salt and pepper, which are combined to make a batter. The pepita crackle is a combination of toasted pumpkin seeds, panko breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper.

Basa is a type of catfish that is native to Asia, particularly in the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam and Chao Phraya basin in Thailand. Internationally, it is farm-raised in fresh water and is known by different names including river cobbler in the UK, bocourti or basa fish in the US, and panga or pangassius in Europe. Basa has a very mild flavor more delicate than other catfish and is so tender when cooked with no fishy smell. This is quite a nutritious food and is ideal for the weight conscious.

In order for the vegetables to cook very quickly, they are cut julienne – a French term meaning they are cut in long, thin strips. To make julienne strips, you can use a mandolin or a very sharp knife. First cut a flat surface on each of the four sides of the vegetable; this makes the vegetable rectangular. Then cut lengthwise through the vegetable, creating 1/8 inch wide pieces. Finally, stack the sliced vegetable pieces one on top of the other and cut 1/8 inch thick, lengthwise slices.

Ingredients

For Buttermilk Glaze:

250ml Buttermilk

5 ml Dijon mustard

30 ml fresh lemon juice

3 sprig freshly chopped thyme

15 ml freshly chopped Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste(Mix all ingredients together until homogenous)

For Pepita Crackle:

60 ml toasted pumpkin/pepita seeds (350 F for approx 20 minutes, until deeply brown and crisp)

60 ml dry panko bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste(Once pepita are toasted, blend in a food processor until fine. Mix all ingredients well.)

For shoestring vegetables:

(serves 3 to 4)

1 Carrot, Large Peeled , quickly blanched

1 Zucchini, Large Green, quickly blanched

1 Daikon Root, Med Peeled, quickly blanched

1 Bell Pepper, Red(Prepare all except pepper by passing through a stainless steel mandolin julienne blade. Julienne red pepper by hand with a sharp French knife)

10 ml, Whole Salted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instruction:

1.       To make buttermilk glaze, combine buttermilk, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, thyme, Italian parsley, salt and pepper and mix well until homogenous. Set aside.

2.       To make pepita crackle, place pumpkin or pepita seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for about 20 minutes in a 350 degrees F oven or until deeply brown and crisp. Once toasted, blend toasted pepita in a food processor until you get a fine ground. Season with salt and pepper and combined with dry panko breadcrumbs. Set aside.

3.       Preheat oven to 400 F. Clean and debone Basa fillet to 7 oz portions ensuring that skin and scales are removed. Pat dry with paper towel. Season lightly with salt and pepper. In a very hot non-stick pan, sear Basa fillet in canola oil on both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan and allow 2 minutes of cooling.

4.       Carefully dredge Basa in the Buttermilk glaze to ensure a thick, even coating. Rest Basa on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press pepita crust over the topside of the Basa and bake in preheated oven for 6 to 9 minutes, until Basa is flaky to the touch. Do not flip or turn Basa during the cooking process.

5.       Heat a pan with butter until melted and bubbling. Allow butter to brown slightly.Season pan with salt and sautee red pepper julienne for approx 15 seconds. Add remaining blanched shoestring vegetables and sautee in very hot pan until fully cooked (approx 20 seconds). Season to taste.

6.       Serve buttermilk glazed Basa on a plate with vegetables on the side.