Thursday, April 20, 2017

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This cake is the answer to anyone with a gluten intolerance.  So tasty!
Ingredients
8 oz (227 g) dark chocolate, chopped
3 T (21 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp (1 g) baking powder
¼ tsp (1 g) salt
6 T (86 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C (192 g) sugar
4 lg eggs
1¼ tsp (6 ml) vanilla extract
½ C (43 g) walnuts, ground
¾ C (87 g) walnuts, chopped

Garnish
¾ C (165 g) heavy cream, whipped
¼ C (25 g) chocolate shavings
1 C (125 g) raspberries or raspberry sauce


Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 inch springform pan with a small amount of butter.

Melt chocolate in a microwave on high in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is fully melted and smooth; set aside. 

Combine cocoa baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together butter, and sugar; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and continue beating until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 5 minutes. 

Beat in vanilla. Add chocolate beat until just blended. Fold in ground walnuts, chopped walnuts and cocoa mixture. 

Pour into prepared pan and bake until cooked through, about 35 minutes Let cool on a wirerack. Run a small knife around edges of springform pan before releasing cake. Serve at room temperature, topping with one or more of garnishes to taste.

  • Prep time: 15 minutes.
  • Cook time: 35 minutes.
  • Makes 8 servings.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Flattened Chicken Thighs With Lemon Slices



Ingredients:


For the Marinade:
2 lemons, rinsed
¼ cup fresh thyme or oregano leaves
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh sageleaves
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
10 to 12 medium or large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil



For the chicken:
9 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, rinsed in cold water
18 fresh sage leaves
3 to 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced (to yield 18 slices)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 lemons, rinsed
Fresh thyme or oregano sprigs, for garnish





























Make the marinade: 
Use a vegetable peeler to shave 9 large strips of peel from the lemons, taking care to cut into only the brightest yellow outer layer. Put strips in a large bowl or container and add thyme or oregano, sage, parsley, garlic, red chile flakes and olive oil.

Prepare the chicken: Pat each piece dry with paper towels. Using your fingers, gently separate the skin of each piece from the flesh, taking care to leave the skin attached at one end, to create a deep pocket between the skin and the flesh. Tuck 2 sage leaves and 2 garlic slices under the skin. Put the thigh in the bowl with the marinade and repeat with remaining thighs, sage and garlic. Turn the thighs gently to coat with the marinade. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, remove thighs from marinade and place them skin side up on a baking sheet. (Reserve garlic cloves and lemon peel from the marinade; discard the liquid.) Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt over the chicken, then turn over and sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons salt.

Transfer 5 chicken thighs, skin side down, to a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Put it over high heat and weigh down the chicken with the bottom of another cast-iron skillet. (Or, use a lighter skillet weighed down with a large full can, a brick or another heavy object. Make sure the bottom of the skillet is clean, or place a sheet of parchment paper between the chicken and the top skillet.)

Once chicken is sizzling loudly, reduce heat to medium and cook without moving for 10 to 12 minutes, until skin is brown and crisp. To check for doneness, gently lift the corner of a chicken thigh with a metal spatula. The skin will come away cleanly from the bottom of the pan when it is done. If it is still stuck, do not pull but let it cook a little longer.

When thighs are done, remove the weight and lift the chicken out of the pan, taking care to keep the skin attached to the thighs as you lift them. Transfer the thighs, skin side up, to a clean baking sheet or plate. Cook the remaining 4 chicken thighs in the same way. Pour off most of the fat from the skillet.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut lemons in half and squeeze gently to remove some of the juice. Cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices and lay on paper towels to absorb more juice.

Place a layer of lemon slices in the skillet. Return all the browned chicken to the skillet on top of the lemons, skin side up. Tuck reserved lemon peel and garlic cloves down between the pieces.

Transfer skillet to oven for 20 to 30 minutes. To test, remove a thigh, pierce it on the flesh side with a knife, and check that the juices are clear and there is no redness near the bone. Remove pan from oven and let thighs rest in the pan 5 to 10 minutes. Tuck thyme or oregano sprigs around the thighs and serve from the pan at the table, with roasted lemon slices and garlic cloves.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake


Ingredients
Butter for greasing pan

3 blood oranges
1 cup sugar
Buttermilk or plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
Honey-blood orange compote, for serving, optional (see note)
Whipped cream, for serving, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.

Supreme an orange: Cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4-inch pieces.


Halve remaining orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup. You will have about 1/4 cup or so. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs.


In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk dry ingredients into wet ones. Switch to a spatula and fold in oil a little at a time. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Scrape batter into pan and smooth top.Bake cake for about 55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. 

Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up. Serve with whipped cream and honey-blood orange compote, if desired.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Kimchi Soup


Kimchi Soup
One of the toppings I used here was the last of the season's cherry tomatoes, roasted until caramelized. When I go to make it again, I'll reach for whatever is seasonal - now that we're deep into fall, with winter not far off, some roasted delicata squash would be great. Or, a tangle of intensely roasted leeks. On the kimchi front, if you're buying prepared kimchi and are vegan or vegetarian, have a quick scan of the ingredient list, you'll need to choose one based on your parameters.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, ghee, or clarified butter
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
fine grain sea salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon chile flakes
5 garlic cloves, transparently sliced
2/3 cup kimchi, drained with 2 tablespoons juice reserved
6 cups water
1 tablespoon honey or dark brown sugar
8 ounces broccoli florets
3 tablespoons miso paste, or to taste
shoyu or soy sauce, to taste
12 ounces extra firm tofu, (pan-fried / optional)

to serve: roasted tomatoes, shredded green onions, sesame seeds, shoyu, squeeze of lime or lemon


Directions:
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, toss to coat, and arrange in a single layer. Cook until golden where the mushrooms meet the pan. Toss, and cook a couple more times, or until the mushrooms are deeply browned, five minutes or so. Remove from the pan and set aside.


Using the same pan, stir in the onion, adding a bit more oil if needed. Sauté the onions, and after a few minutes, stir in the ginger, and chile flakes. After another minute or so, add the garlic, and the kimchi. Sauté until the garlic is deeply aromatic. Add the water, the reserved kimchi juice, and the honey or sugar. If you taste things now, the broth is going to be bland and lack depth. That's ok, you'll season with miso later on, and retain the beneficial properties of the miso by not letting it simmer. At this point, stir in the broccoli, and simmer for a minute, or just until the broccoli becomes bright green. Remove the soup from heat. Place the miso in a small bowl and whisk a splash of broth into it, to thin it out. Stir the thinned miso into the soup. Taste. You really need to get the balance right here. If the broth tastes a bit flat, you might need more salt, or miso, or a splash of shoyu/soy sauce.


Just before serving, drizzle the tofu with a bit of shoyu/soy sauce. Serve the soup ladled into bowls, topped with the tofu, mushrooms, and as many of the suggested toppings as you can pull together. Pictured above, cherry tomatoes (roasted), shredded green onions, and sesame seeds. You might like to finish with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.


Serves 4.
Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 15 min
Recipe of Heidi Swanson

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Australian Lamb Pie With Roots




              Australian Lamb Pie With Roots
These pies are real taste treats. Made with a rough puff flaky pastry and filled with braised lamb and root vegetables, they are an integral part of Australian cooking. These are the kind of pies sold late at night from pie wagons, beloved of Australians. Make the pastry while the filling bakes. You can use packaged puff pastry if desired, but look for the all-butter kind. If you don’t have a heavy ovenproof casserole that goes on top of the stove, use a frying pan and transfer to an ovenproof casserole. Serve these individual pies with puréed peas with mint.

FILLING
1 lb (500 g) lamb from the shoulder, cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
1½ cups (375 mL) sliced leeks, white part only
¾ cup (175 mL) peeled and diced white turnips
¾ cup (175 mL) peeled and diced carrot
½ cup (125 mL) peeled and diced parsnip
½ cup (125 mL) chopped celery
½ tsp (2 mL) chopped garlic
1 tbsp (15 mL) flour
¼ cup (60 mL) red wine
1 cup (250 mL) lamb, beef or chicken stock
1 tbsp (15 mL) mint sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) Worcestershire sauce
Pinch chili flakes

ROUGH PUFF PASTRY
2½ cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) frozen butter
¼ cup (60 mL) cold water mixed with 1 tbsp (15 mL) vinegar

EGG WASH
1 egg beaten with pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).

2. To make filling, season lamb with rosemary, salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil in ovenproof heavy casserole over high heat. Add lamb in batches and brown well on each side, about 1 minute per side, removing meat as it browns. Reduce heat to medium and add leeks, turnips, carrots, parsnips and celery. If pan seems dry, add more oil. Cook until vegetables are beginning to soften and turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.

3. Remove vegetables from pot and reserve. Add remaining oil and stir in flour. Cook until the flour is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in red wine and bring to a boil. Add stock, mint sauce, Worcestershire and chili flakes, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pot. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more or until mixture is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Return meat and vegetables to liquid. Cover and bake for 1 to 1½ hours or until meat and vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened. If sauce is not thick enough, remove lid and bake another 15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Cool filling.

5. To make pastry, combine flour and salt in a bowl. Grate frozen butter into flour mixture. Stir in water-vinegar mixture. Gently combine together until flour is fully incorporated and dough holds together. Roll out into a rectangle about 18 x 7-inches (45 x 18-cm). Dough will look streaky. Fold into thirds with the shorter ends overlapping. Turn dough one-quarter turn. Roll out once more and fold into thirds again. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer. Repeat rolling and folding the dough a third time, then roll out into a rectangle about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.

6. Cut six 5-inch (12-cm) rounds and six 4-inch (10-cm) rounds. If you need to reroll dough to make enough rounds, fold it together (to preserve the layers) but do not squeeze into a ball; after folding together, reroll dough. Chill rounds for 20 minutes.

7. To make the pies, increase oven to 400°F (200°C).

8. Press larger rounds into mu§n tins, making sure you have about a ½-inch (1-cm) overhang. Fill each with ½ cup (125 mL) lamb mixture, mounded in centre. Brush overhanging pastry with egg wash. Press smaller rounds on top of each pie and crimp together. Brush tops with egg wash and cut a small hole in pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake on bottom rack of oven 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is hot.

Serves 6

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Oven Roasted Leg Of Lamb With Pan Roasted Roots

Oven Roasted Leg Of Lamb
Roasting lamb on the bone gives a juicier result as bones always add flavour to meats. Lamb legs are irregular in size, and thinner pieces will be well done while the rest will be pink. Lamb fat congeals at a low temperature so make sure you use hot plates.

Ingredients:
1 lamb leg (5 lbs/2.2 kg) on the bone
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped garlic
2 tsp (10 mL) dried rosemary or
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme or
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh sage
2 tsp (10 mL) grated lemon rind
¼ tsp (1 mL) hot smoked Spanish paprika
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil

SAUCE
½ cup (125 mL) Shiraz (or other red wine)
½ cup (125 mL) cranberry juice
2 cups (500 mL) beef or chicken stock,
homemade or low salt
1 tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper 
Directions:
Place lamb in a large dish and season well with salt and pepper. Combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon rind and paprika in a bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Massage thoroughly into lamb leg and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).

Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. Turn on broiler and broil lamb for 2 minutes a side. Turn oven heat back to 450°F (230°C) and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°F (150°C) and continue to roast for another 1½ to 1¾ hrs or until lamb is pink at its thickest part.

Place lamb on a carving board to rest while you make the sauce. Remove and discard any fat from roasting pan. Place pan over medium- high heat. Add Shiraz and juice. Bring to a boil, stirring in any little brown bits on the base of the pan, and boil for 2 to 5 minutes or until reduced by three-quarters. Add stock and bring to boil, reducing until ½ cup (125 mL) remains, about 7 to 10 minutes. Whisk in butter and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Slice lamb from the knuckle end into thin slices. Serve with sauce and Pan-Roasted Roots (recipe follows).


Serves 6
PAN-ROASTED ROOTS
These are cooked in a large sauté pan instead of the oven. The texture is creamy and the taste is incredible.
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
½ butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces
2 large carrots, peeled andcut into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces
½ rutabaga, peeled andcut into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces
1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped parsley
 

Directions: 
Add oil and butter to a large pan over medium heat. When butter is melted, stir in vegetables and garlic to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are tender and edges are golden. Uncover and cook for 5 more minutes to crisp them up.

Remove from heat and stir in parsley.    Serves 4

Friday, April 14, 2017

Stir-Fried Asparagus Salad

Stir-Fried Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds pencil-thin asparagus (or substitute small or medium asparagus, split lengthwise)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 serrano or other fresh hot chile, finely chopped
A large handful of basil, mint and cilantro leaves

Directions:
Snap off and discard the tough bottoms of each asparagus spear. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths
In a wok or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil until nearly smoking. Add the asparagus, season generously with salt and pepper and stir well, making sure the asparagus is coated and glistening with oil. Continue to stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minute, until the asparagus looks bright green and barely cooked. Add the garlic, ginger and chile and stir-fry for 30 seconds more.
Transfer to a serving platter and scatter leaves on top. Serve immediately.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Grilled Romaine Lettuce


Ingredients:
For the dressing:
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
6 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For The Salad:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 heads romaine lettuce, tops and bottoms trimmed neatly, the heads cut lengthwise into quarters
½ cup grated Parmesan


Directions:
Build a fire in your grill, leaving one side free of coals. When coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds), you are ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes, then turn burners to medium.)


Meanwhile, make the dressing: Put the minced garlic into a bowl, and add the minced anchovies. Using a whisk, mix and mash these ingredients together until they form a paste. Add the mayonnaise and the mustard and whisk. Add the olive oil, whisking all the while, and then the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make the salad: Drizzle the olive oil over the quartered heads of lettuce. Lightly grill these directly over the hot coals for 15 to 20 seconds on each side, until they are lightly golden, then remove to the cool side of the grill. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, paint the dressing over the lettuce, making sure to get dressing between the leaves. Sprinkle the lettuce with Parmesan and cover the grill for 1 or 2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and the lettuce to soften further. Remove lettuce to a platter and serve.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Butterflied Lamb With Italian Seasonings


BUTTERFLIED LAMB WITH
ITALIAN SEASONINGS


This recipe makes a superb lamb with lots of flavor highlighted by the vinaigrette, which should be lightly drizzled onto the meat when serving.

Ingredients:

1 boneless leg of lamb, 3 lbs (1.5 kg), butterflied
2 tbsp (30 mL) sliced garlic
2 tbsp (30 mL) small rosemary sprigs
4 anchovy fillets, cut into pieces
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind
Salt and freshly ground pepper

BAGNA CAUDE VINAIGRETTE
⅓ cup (80 mL) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped garlic
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped anchovies
¼ cup (60 mL) lemon juice
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind
½ cup (125 mL) chopped mint

Directions:

Cut slashes in the fat of the lamb leg with a sharp knife. Stuff half of garlic, rosemary and anchovies into slashes. Turn lamb over and stuff remaining garlic, rosemary and anchovies between the folds of the meat. Combine oil and grated lemon rind and brush all over lamb. Leave to marinate for 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat grill to high.

Season lamb with salt and pepper. Place lamb, fat-side down, on grill and sear each side for 3 minutes. Turn off middle burner and place lamb, fat-side up, on turned-off side. Close lid and grill for 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is pink. Remove from heat and let rest.

Combine olive oil, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, lemon rind and mint in a bowl to make vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over lamb when serving.
Serves 6 to 8

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Polenta With Mushrooms And Soy!

Monday, April 10, 2017

Detox Beet Soup With Almond Milk

Detox Beet Soup With Coconut Milk

This vibrant beetroot soup can be enjoyed hot or cold. Cozy up to it on a chilly night or enjoy it chilled on a summer afternoon!

Ingredients:
3 large red beets
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t cumin powder
1/2 t coriander powder
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 T fresh chives, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:
    Preheat oven to 400°F.

    Wash the sweet potatoes and beets under cool running water. Wrap them in separate foil sheets, place them on a baking tray, and roast for 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

    Meanwhile, chop and sauté the onion with extra virgin olive oil until translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and coriander. Set aside.

    Once the beetroots and potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off, chop into cubes, and place them into a blender. Add onion mix, coconut milk and 3 cups of vegetable stock. Blend until smooth. If you find it too thick, gradually add another cup of stock until you reach your desired consistency.

    If you’d like to enjoy it hot, heat soup in a saucepan. Pour into serving bowls and garnish with coconut milk and chopped chive
  • s.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Orange-Almond Mandelbrot

Orange-Almond Mandlebrot

Mandlebrot is a Jewish 
version of Italian Biscotti

Ingredients:
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon/264 grams all-purpose flour 
   or 1 1/2 cups/204 grams matzo cake meal
½ cup/85 grams potato starch
½ cup/55 grams almond flour
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ¼ cups/250 grams granulated sugar
12 tablespoons/169 grams/1 1/2 sticks unsalted  
     butter or coconut oil, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1 cup/126 grams slivered almonds
½ teaspoon vanilla
Zest of 2 oranges

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix flour or matzo cake meal, potato starch, almond flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the salt.


In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 1 cup/200 grams sugar and the butter or coconut oil. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in flour or matzo mixture, almonds, vanilla and orange zest.

Place half the dough on a piece of parchment paper about 20 inches long. Use parchment paper to help mold the dough into a log about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. (The dough is very soft and may be hard to worth with.) Gently press down along the top of the log to flatten it slightly. Twist ends of the parchment paper to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate both logs for at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap dough logs and put on the prepared baking sheet, side by side. Bake logs for 35 to 45 minutes, until just beginning to brown. The dough should not be too cracked on the top. It is better to underbake than over bake.

Let logs cool, wrap in plastic and freeze until you are ready to finish them, or for at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup/50 grams sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Remove logs from freezer. With a sharp, serrated knife, cut the logs into roughly 1/2-inch-thick slices, discarding the end slices if they fall apart. (If the logs have been in the freezer for several hours, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before slicing.)

Dip both sides of each slice in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place them flat on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, carefully turn slices over, then bake another 10 minutes, or until golden brown and starting to crisp.

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Chicken Korma

CHICKEN KORMA
Chicken korma is a muglai speciality. Chicken korma curry has pieces of boneless chicken cooked with almond sauce and spices and garnished with roasted almonds.

Serves : 2
Cooking time : 30 mins

Ingredients:
400 gms chicken breasts, chopped in big pieces
1 tblsp ground almonds
1 tblsp lemon juice 
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp garlic paste
2-3 oil or clarified butter(ghee)
1 medium size onion, chopped finely
1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
150 ml curd (dahi)
2 green chillies
4 pods cardammom
3 cloves
2 medium size cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tblsp chopped green coriander
1/2 tblsp roasted chopped almonds
Salt to taste

Directions:
Marinate the chicken pieces with lemon juice, pinch of salt, black pepper and garlic paste. Rub the mixture thoroughly to the pieces and keep it aside for 1/2 an hour.


In a heavy bottom pan, heat the oil/ghee and when it is medium hot add the chopped onions and turmeric.

Fry till the onions are light golden and then take them out and keep aside. Leave the oil behind for further use.

In a mixer make a fine paste of fried onions, curd, almonds, green chillies. Pour this mixture on the marinated chicken pieces.

Now reheat the oil in the pan on medium flame and then add cardammom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Stir them for 30 secs and then add the marinated chicken along with leftover paste.  Let the chicken cook on low flame while stirring occasionally till it boils. Then cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer till the chicken is cooked properly. 

Finally add garam masala and chopped green coriander.
Add the salt according to taste and garnish with roasted almonds and some cream

Friday, April 7, 2017

Mushroom Risotto With Cauliflower Rice

Mushroom Risotto With Cauliflower RiceIngredients
  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 T coconut oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾ lb mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • Fresh parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  • Cut the cauliflower into small florets, then wash and dry them with paper towels.

  • Process the cauliflower florets in small batches in a food processor or blender until
  • you get a rice-like texture. 

  • Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions until they are tender and caramelized (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and stir until it is fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are brown on both sides.

  • Add the cauliflower rice and beef stock and bring heat down to low. Allow the cauliflower rice to absorb the beef stock until it is tender but not mushy (about 10 minutes).

  • Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before dividing it into bowls and serving.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Sunflower Seed Butter

Sunflower Seed Butter
This is an excellent substitute for those with a nut allergy.  Taste is very much like Almond Butter
Ingredients:
3 cups raw hulled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, softened
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean scraped OR 1/4 teaspoon 
   vanilla powder

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325*F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the seeds in an even layer.  Roast 9 to 12 minutes, until some of the seeds are lightly golden.  Let cool a few minutes before using.

In a high speed blender, grind the sugar into a powder.  Leave the lid on and set aside so the dust can settle.

Spoon the seeds into a heavy-duty food processor.  When you have the last 1/2 left lift the parchment and funnel the seeds into the food processor.

Process the seeds for a few minutes, stopping to scrape the sides down the bowl every minute.  They will look powdery and dry at this point.  Keep your feed tube open for steam to escape.

Add the coconut oil and process a couple minutes more.  The butter will clump together into a large ball and start rattling around the bowl for a bit.  The ball will eventually break down into butter again.  Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed.

Add in the ground sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  Process for a few minutes more, until smooth.  With the motor running, slowly stream in the vanilla extract.  Add the vanilla bean seeds, if using.  You can add a touch more oil if you need more to thin out the butter (but do NOT add water or liquid sweetener.)  I process 9 to 12 minutes but timing will vary based on your food processor and texture preference.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Samoas Cookie Pie

Samoas Cookie Pie


YIELD: one 9-inch pie, serves 8 to 16
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: about 35 to 37 minutes, divided
TOTAL TIME: about 4+ hours (or overnight), for cooling

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, loosely laid in measuring cup (not packed)
two-thirds of one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (about 10 ounces)
4 to 5 ounces salted caramel sauce (use homemade salted caramel or storebought, regular caramel sauce may be substituted)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted for drizzling
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish very well with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.

Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don't scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.

Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined; don't over mix.

Turn batter out into prepared pie dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until edges firm up slightly and center will have begun to set up a bit. It's by no means done, but pie will be returned to oven to bake another 25 minutes or so.

Remove pie dish from oven, and evenly sprinkle 3/4 cup chocolate chips over the crust.

Evenly sprinkle the coconut.

Evenly drizzle the sweetened condensed milk (just eyeball it).

Evenly drizzle the caramel sauce (just eyeball it).

Return pan to oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until there's slightly bubbling near the edge of dish and the center has dried out some and looks more set. Cookie pie will firm up more as it cools. In the last 10 minutes of baking, watch it like a hawk because the coconut, caramel, and sweetened condensed milk will all be prone to burning; better to underbake than overbake if you're unsure.

Allow pie to cool in dish on a wire rack while you melt the chocolate for drizzling by adding 3/4 cup chocolate chips to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power. Stop to check and stir and heat in 10-second increments until chocolate can be stirred smooth.

Using a spoon (or pastry bag or ziptop bag with corner cut off if you want to be fancier but I didn't bother), evenly drizzle the chocolate in long vertical lines, parallel to each other, spaced about 1/2-inch apart. Pie doesn't have to be cooled to add the chocolate drizzle.

Allow pie to continue to cool on wire rack for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before slicing and serving. Don't slice too early because chocolate drizzle needs to set and interior of pie needs to firm up or you'll have a literal hot mess. Pie is best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I store it by slicing into small wedges, wrapping each wedge individually in plasticwrap, and putting those in a large ziptop bag.