Daily Archives: July 29, 2014

Cucumber relish salad with cheese dressing

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes to cook sweet corn kernels

Serving : 4 to 6 members

Description

Cucumber relish salad with cheese dressing . A salad I came up with when I had to have a grand spread on the table for lunch when my brother visited my place after three years on a holiday to India with his family from United Kingdom . The food habits that the NRI people follow does challenge you a lot at times . I had to come up with four different salads with each tasting different making sure not to repeat the vegetables used as well . Some how I managed to pull it of and this cheesy fatty culprit did shine among the four salads on display ending with a clean whipped empty bowl that was removed after the lunch . The difficulty in putting up a salad is that it’s not a melting one pot dish with flavors let to infuse into each other . In a salad bowl, you put in the different things. You want the vegetables – the lettuce, the cucumbers, the onions, the green peppers so on so forth to maintain each of their identity along with a dressing that marries each one of the vegetables used perfectly . You have to be prepared to appreciate the difference in taste , texture and color . Gear up people for a mouth full of different munching .

Ingredients for cheese dressing

Ingredients	Quantity
Cheese spread	5 tablespoons
Butter milk	2 tablespoons
Hung curd	2 tablespoons
Mayonnaise	2 tablespoons
Vinegar	1 teaspoon
Sugar	1/4 teaspoon
Garlic powder	1/4 teaspoon
Salt + pepper	to taste

Method for dressing

Mix all the above ingredients together to get a smooth thick mass of dressing .
Taste and adjust seasoning , set aside .

Other ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Big Cucumber	1 1/2 chopped
Apple	1 chopped
Canned Pineapple	4 slices chopped
Red pepper	1/2 chopped
Onion	1 chopped
Cooked Sweet corn Kernels	1/2 cup

To Decorate

Thin long slices of cucumber’s with skin done with the help of a potato peeler .

How to proceed

Mix all the chopped fruits and vegetables together .
Toss with the cheese dressing with the mixed chopped fruits and vegetables . Taste and adjust seasoning .
Place in the refrigerator until required to be served .
Roll the thin cucumber slices into roses and decorate to your choice . ( in case the roses don’t stay intact ,use tooth picks to secure them together ) serve chill .

Fruit Mosaic glass jelly

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes + 3 hours or more of refrigeration for the jelly to set

Serving : 8 – 10 members

Description

This mosaic fruit glass jelly made with your choice of mixed colored fruits makes a stunning and easy dessert for the family and to entertain guests effortlessly with a vibrant , Refreshing and light look . This dessert requires only minimal ingredients including gelatine and mixed fruits of your choice to make. Don’t forget to get the kids involved as well . They sure will love to work beside you . To make a good mosaic fruit glass jelly ensure the fruits used are firm and just ripe. To make the jelly you need 3 to 4 cups of water to about 2 tablespoons of gelatine. However, in this recipe, I use a higher ratio of gelatine to make sure the fruits are well encased.You can use almost any type of fruits to make this mosaic fruit glass jelly . Just remember to avoid fruits that contain bromeliad such as fresh pineapples, papaya, kiwi, guava and fig. Bromeliad breaks down gelatine causing it to lose its thickening properties.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Gelatine	4 tablespoons
Sugar	to taste
Water	4 cups
dragon fruit	1 cup
Apples	cubed 1 cup
Water melon	deseeded and cubed 1 cup
Ripe firm mango	cubed 1 cup
Vanilla essence	few drops
Butter	2 tablespoons to grease

Method

Pat dry the cubed fruits with the help of a clean kitchen towel and set aside .In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water , let it soften for 5 minutes.
Heat sugar with water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves . Remove from heat, stir in softened gelatine and mix well until dissolved, then stir in vanilla essence .
Arrange fruits in a round , greased pan alternatively in two layers to get a vibrant colourful glass jelly tightly . So when you pour the gelatine liquid the fruit cubes don’t wobble around but stay intact .
Pour gelatine mixture over, pressing fruits gently to submerge the fruits completely making sure the gelatine liquid is all around , bottom and top of the fruits . (remove some if necessary.)
Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours to set , then replace in the refrigerator until to be served . To un mould the glass jelly , run a wet sharp knife all around the jelly .
Then dip bottom of container in hot water for about 5-10 seconds. Invert onto a serving platter, and shake firmly to release.
If not serving immediately, return to refrigerator. Cut and Serve cold as it is .

Potato gnocchi with mushroom herby brown butter

Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serving : 5 to 6 members

Description

Potato gnocchi with mushroom herby burnt butter .An Italian origin dish served as an entree alternative to soup or pasta which is a sort of dumpling made with steamed potatoes , egg and flour . Served hot or warm .
Common accompaniments of gnocchi include melted butter (sometimes fried butter) with sage, pesto, and various sauces.
Like many Italian dishes, there is considerable variation in recipes and names across different regions of Italy . I am not sure which region this recipe is from . I did get to know about this wonder dish through the telly . From then , being wanting to give it a try . Finally one fine day started of very nervously , following the recipe that require a little effort but that makes it all the more worth while . Finished boiling the gnocchi and had to make a sauce now . I didn’t want to make the usual tomato or cheese based sauce that I make for pasta or any Italian dishes . Came across a recipe that used pumpkins and mushrooms with burnt butter and sage with gnocchi . Loved the idea and went ahead by omitting the pumpkin and substituting sage with mixed herbs . Though it looks and sounds less pretentious , works surprisingly well with all the elements coming together . I guess the butter did the magic here as every thing tastes better with a smear of melted butter . more butter used , more better in taste :-)) The gnocchi’s were soft and moist drunk with the fragrantly herby butter and stock . Every one in the table liked it except my boy , Afzar who missed his cheesy creamy sauce .

Ingredients for potato gnocchi

Ingredients	Quantity
potatoes (washed), peeled, quartered	4 about 800 grams
Salt & ground white pepper	to taste
egg lightly whisked	1
plain flour	2 cups ( 300 grams )
finely grated parmesan	1/4 cup ( 20 grams )
Plain flour	little to dust

Method for potato gnocchi

Add enough water to a saucepan to reach a depth of 3 cm. Bring to the boil over high heat.
Place potato in a metal steaming basket. Place steamer in saucepan (make sure base of steamer doesn’t touch the water). Steam, covered, for 15 minutes or until tender. (It’s best to steam rather than boil the potato.
Boiling can saturate potato with water, which will increase the amount of flour required and result in a heavier gnocchi.) Transfer to a bowl and use a potato masher to mash until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper.Add the egg and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add half the flour and parmesan and stir until combined. Add the remaining flour, in 2 more batches, until well combined and a firm dough forms. (If dough is too soft, add more flour.)
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll 1 portion into a 2 cm-diameter log about 30 cm long.
Use a lightly floured knife to cut into 2cm pieces. Repeat with remaining dough portions.
Lightly flour your hands and roll each piece of dough into a ball. Use your thumb to roll each ball over a floured fork. Place on tray.Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil over medium heat.
Add one-quarter of gnocchi (drop onto base of pan in a single layer, but don’t overcrowd as they can stick together) and cook for 3 minutes or until they rise to the surface.
Use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer to a bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with the remaining gnocchi.

Ingredients for Mushroom herby Brown Butter

Ingredients	Quantity
Butter	4 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons extra
Mixed dried herbs - (basil , oregano , thyme , rose Mary , dill and sage)	2 pinches each
Maggi chicken stock	1 cube
olive oil	1 tablespoon
sliced mushrooms	250 grams
Grated Parmesan cheese	for serving

Method for Mushroom herby Brown Butter

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil in large skillet then add mushrooms. Saute until tender and cooked down. Remove and set aside .
Heat remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until melted. Add mixed dried herbs and continue cooking until butter turns a clear, dark amber, being careful not to burn.
Add chicken stock cube to butter along with 1/4 cup warm water . Bring to boil . Add drained gnocchi to skillet with butter and stock, tossing to coat evenly.
Add cooked mushroom slices, tossing to coat evenly.Season with salt ( be careful with salt as butter and the stock cube contains a lot of salt ) and pepper, and top with grated Parmesan cheese . Serve hot .

Notes

These gnocchi’s stay moist and soft even the next day if kept in the fridge and heated in the microwave .
The shape of my gnocchi’s are a bit different Than the regular shape as I didn’t get the original form of rolling with a fork right so just went ahead with what I felt comfortable with .
Make sure not to over crowd the gnocchi’s while boiling them . Boil them in 3 – 4 batches .
I used a little chilli flakes as well to spike up the herby butter sauce a bit . It’s optional and your choice to add or omit this ingredient .

Onion soup

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Serving : 5 members

Description

Onion soup . This is the basic method I follow to make a rich creamy soup at home . Not sure from where I learnt it . The first time I tried it out was with mushrooms when my brother Darvesh was sick and had to be given some soup ( I did avoid the butter and cheese then but everything tastes better with a smear of melted butter :-)) . just loved the creaminess the white sauce gives to the soup . From then on this has been my magical mantra for a creamy rich soup . I do the same with carrots , green peas and potatoes . Once wanting to make mushroom soup for dinner .. Started of but in between noticed that I had no veggies at all . Just went ahead with onions and the soup was Delicate , velvety , creamy and yum . Now a days when ever confused about what to do for dinner , any unexpected guests drop in home and pressed for time , the first in my menu list is onion soup . It rustles up a fuss free yet impressive brunch apt for any meal or time of day . What more do you need than soaking into good food with a relaxed ambiance .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Onions	1/4 kg sliced
Garlic	1 big flake
Butter	4 tablespoons
Pepper	to taste
Salt	to taste
Milk	2 cups
Flour	2 tablespoons
Grated cheese	2 tablespoons

Method

In a pressure cooker , fry the sliced onions along with salt to taste and garlic in two tablespoons of butter for ten minutes .
Add four cups of water and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles . Remove from flame , cool completely and blend the onions to a puree . Strain and set aside .
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a pan , stir in the flour and keep stirring and cook gently for about one minute . Remove the pan from heat and gradually stir in one cup of milk .
Replace the pan on heat . Bring to boil , slowly stirring continuously until the white sauce thickens . Set aside .
Mix onion puree , one cup milk , cheese , white sauce , pepper to taste and bring to boil and cook for 4-5 minutes letting all the flavors infuse together .
Adjust the consistency by adding water or milk to get a semi thick following soup . Serve hot with garlic bread .

Note

The same method can be followed by substituting 1/2 the amount of onions with mushrooms for mushroom soup , carrots for carrot soup , potatoes for potato soup or green peas for green peas soup .

Beetroot borscht

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 12 -15 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

Beet root borscht . This is a clear hot soup originated from Ukraine . This hearty and delicious soup is known as red borscht because the beet root gives it a deep red hue . Simple to make , it’s cooked in oil , and features no cream , cheese , or thickening agent . Add all vegetables you want , and let the soup simmer until it is thick and gives out a wonderful aroma and color . Serve it bubbling hot , garnished with curd and celery and accompanied by toasted whole wheat bread , multigrain bread or just normal plain bread . This borscht is light on your tummy and goes swiftly out of sight . I made this borscht on a rainy day (this borscht is a winter soup ) because of the eye catching color it has and is really healthy to . Found the original recipe to be too bland so my twist was to add orange juice to spike up the taste with a bit of fruitiness along with sourness . Habit’s don’t stick if they are joyless and healthy decadence needn’t be an oxymoron . Well food has to be a pleasure , not an obligation . Right ???

Main Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Beet root grated	3/4 cup
Onion	1/3 cup thinly sliced
Potato	1/2 cup thinly sliced
Carrot	1/2 cup grated
Cabbage	3/4 cup shredded
Tomato	1/2 cup thinly sliced
Stock cube	1 ( chicken or vegetarian ) - I used maggi chicken cube
Orange juice	2 oranges
Olive oil	1 teaspoon
Salt and pepper	to taste
Water	3 cups or more

Ingredients for garnishing

Ingredients	Quantity
Sour cream / hung curd	2 tablespoons
Celery / parsley	4 teaspoon chopped

To serve along – Toasted bread .

Method

Heat oil in a deep non – stick pan . Add onions and saute on a medium flame for one minute .
Add beer root , potatoes , carrots , cabbage and tomatoes . Mix well and saute on a medium flame for another two minutes .
Add 3 cups of water along with the stock cube . Mix well and simmer for 5-7 minutes , stirring continuously .
Once the vegetables are cooked , pour the orange juice , season with salt ( be careful with salt as the stock cube contains a lot of salt ) and pepper to taste . Mix well . Taste and adjust .
Serve hot garnished with sour cream / hung curd and chopped celery .

Ragi tacos

Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 25 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

Ragi tacos , a dish that Nilofer had got for the recipe swap get together for the first anniversary of sauté , fry n bake . First let me introduce nifoler , who is my hubby’s niece . who , i have seen from a kid blooming into a beautiful girl . she was one among the first to confirm her participation in the recipe swap with so much enthusiasm and it was a joy to have her as well . The tacos looked colourful , vibrant and showed me a new way to use our local produce “ragi ” with imagination . The best part of this dish being its cooked using our traditional methods , but styled to look contemporary and of international standards . I just got a tiny bite from my hubby’s plate as by the time I could start my lunch the ragi tacos were wiped out clean . Nilofer was a bit worried as she had fried the ragi tacos even before she came for the recipe swap in the morning by 11 , in spite of her worries they were vanished in minutes . Make this for a mid week dinner , adding a style affair than the usual like . We ladies not only got to taste and get free recipes that day … ( Recipe swap ) but with an added bonus of friends to socialise was introduced for keeps in style .

Main Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
maida	1 cup
ragi	1 cup
butter beans / mushroom / paneerchicken boneless	shredded ( all together 3 cups )
fresh cream	1/4 cup
cheese	to taste

Ingredients for masala powders

Ingredients	Quantity
chilli powder	1 teaspoon
zeera powder	1/ 4 teaspoon
pepper	1/4 teaspoon
ginger garlic paste	1/4 teaspoon
tomatoes	1 small chopped
capsicum	1 chopped
Salt	to taste
Oil	2 tablespoons + to deep fry
onion	1 chopped
sugar	a pinch

Method for Dough

Mix maida, ragi with warm water ,salt to taste and make a dough , press like puris, fold it to boat shape.

Method for filling

Heat oil fry onion , ginger garlic paste , above said ingredients, with masala powders .
Keep filling aside, make pooris fold it to boat shape , deep fry it and drain , then keep the filling and serve with cheese, cream, lettuce leaves garnished on top.

Notes

Vegetarians can avoid the chicken and do the same . Recipe as and how nelofer posted .