Recipe Blog

Chicken Pie

Administrator — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 09:36:39 +0000

[Quick Facts]
Main Ingredients: Chicken, Puff Pastry, Chicken Broth, Butter, Cheese
Time Required: 1.0 hour
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Ready-made or homemade puff Pastry (for two crust pies)

6 tablespoon of All-Purpose Flour (Maida)

3 cups of chopped and cooked Chicken

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground Black Pepper (Pisi Kaali Mirch)

6 tablespoon Butter (Makhan)

1 3/4 cups of Chicken Broth

2/3 cup of Half & Half (dairy product with half whole milk, half cream) or half cup of grated cheese

Instructions

(1) Line a shallow 1 1/2 -quart baking dish (about 10×6) with pastry
(2) Melt the butter in a medium saucepan; add flour and seasonings and stir until it is smooth and bubbly
(3) Add liquids/cheese and cook slowly until it is thickened; add chicken. Pour into pastry-lined pan
(4) Cover chicken mixture with more pastry; pinch edges together. Bake at 425°F/218°C for 20-30 minutes, or until pastry is nicely browned

Batenjein Ablama (Aubergines Ablama)

Administrator — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:54:50 +0000

[Quick Facts]
Main Ingredients: Aubergines, Pine Nuts, Onion, Minced Meet, Various Spices
Time Required: 1.0 hour
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

350g minced Lamb or Beef

2 tablespoons Tomato Puree

800g Aubergines, peeled and cut into quarters

1/4 tablespoon Pine Nuts

1 chopped Onion

2×400g cans of crushed Tomatoes

2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon traditional “7 spices” (Allspice, Black pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Fenugreek, Ginger)

1 tablespoon Lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Extra oil for deep frying

Instructions

(1) Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan.
(2) Fry the onion until soft.
(3) Add the nuts and fry until browned.
(4) Add the minced meat, spices, pinch of salt. Fry till the meat is well cooked.
(5) Deep-fry the aubergines until browned. Remove and put on kitchen paper or brush with oil and grill on both sides.
(6) Arrange the aubergine in an oven tray. Spread the meat mixture over, pressing it with the back of a spoon. Pour the crushed tomato, mixed with tomato puree, lemon juice salt and pepper over the aubergines.
(7) Cook in a hot oven for 45 minutes or till the sauce is thickened.
(8) Serve with rice.

Deh-Ta Hsiung (Stir-fried Beef with Oyster Sauce)

Administrator — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 11:19:31 +0000

[Quick Facts]
Main Ingredients: Beef, Mushrooms, Ginger, Snow Peas, Soy Sauce
Time Required: 1.0 hour
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

4 ounces (approx 113 grams) topped and tailed Snow Peas

1/2 thinly sliced small Carrot

1/2 teaspoon salt

A few small bits of fresh Ginger root

1 spring Onion cut into short sections

1/2 teaspoon soft brown sugar

2 tablespoons Oyster sauce

10 ounces (approx 283 grams) beef steak for example topside rump

4 small dried Chinese mushrooms soaked in water

About 1 pint (approx 473 ml or 2 cups) seasoned oil* (see below)

For the marinade:

1/2 teaspoon baking powder or bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons thick cornstarch (cornflour) paste – (1 part cornflour with 1.25 parts cold water)

1/2 teaspoon soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon dark or light soy sauce

1 tablespoon Oil

Instructions:

(1) Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices about 2 inches long.

(2) Marinate in the marinade for several hours; overnight if possible.

(3) Press dry the mushrooms and dispose any hard stalks.

(4) Heat the oil in a preheated Wok until medium hot (300-325 degrees F).

(5) Blanch the beef for about 45-55 seconds. Stir to separate the slices and then remove as soon as the color changes.

(6) Drain. Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the Wok.

(7) Stir-fry the vegetables for 1 minute. Add the salt and sugar, continue stirring for another minute.

(8) Add the beef and the oyster sauce, blend well and serve hot.

*How to season vegetable oil:

(1) Pour about 1 pint (473 ml) vegetable oil into a pre-heated saucepan or Wok over high heat.

(2) Add 2-3 small pieces of Ginger root.

(3) The Ginger pieces should rise to the surface in a few minutes.

(4) Watch the color of the Ginger now. When it turns from pale yellow to dark brown, turn off the heat and let the oil cool down a little before removing the ginger pieces.

(5) You have seasoned oil now, store it in a container.

Linguini With Roasted Garlic and Red Peppers

Administrator — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 11:16:03 +0000

[Quick Facts]
Main Ingredients: Linguine, Olive Oil, Beef Bouillon, Feta Cheese, Chives
Time Required: 1.0 hour
Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Olive oil

1 lb Linguine (Pasta with very narrow, long ribbons)

1 cup Beef Consomme or Beef Bouillon

6 sun-dried Tomatoes cut into quarters

12 Garlic cloves sliced in half

1/3 fresh chopped Chives

1 red Onion cut into large pieces

3 red Peppers with seeds taken out and cut into large pieces

1 teaspoon dried hot Pepper flakes

8 ounces of crumbled Feta cheese preferably Mediterranean seasoned

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Instructions:

(1) Heat the Olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan.

(2) Add the sliced Garlic.

(3) Cook carefully so it doesn’t burn for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.

(4) Using a slotted spoon, remove the Garlic from oil and put aside for later.

(5) Add the red Peppers, Onion and the sundried Tomatos to the heated oil.

(6) Cook for about 10 minutes. The onions will start to caramelise but the peppers should remain nice and crunchy.

(7) In the meantime, boil enough salted water to cook the Linguini in a large pot. When cooked, drain and save Linguini for later.

(8) Add Beef Bouillion or Consomme and the hot Pepper flakes to the heated oil, red Pepper, Onion, Tomato mix.

(9) Add salt and pepper as desired.

(10) Add the Linguini and heat just long enough for them to get a nice covering of the Consomme or Bouillion.

(11) Serve immediately with a few spoonfuls of the crumbled Feta on top and the fresh Chives.

Veal Picatta

Administrator — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 10:36:01 +0000

[Quick Facts]
Main Ingredients: Veal Cutlets, Parmesan Cheese, Olive Oil, Mushrooms, Capers
Time Required: 1.5 hours
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Veal Cutlets

1/8 teaspoon Paprika

Salt to taste

Ground Black Pepper to taste

1 large Egg

Flour for dredging

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted Butter

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup white chopped Onion

1 large finely Minced Shallot

3 finely Minced Garlic Cloves

1 cup Bouillon prepared with following ingredients…

2 teaspoons grated Lemon Peel

2 teaspoons rinsed and lightly crushed Capers

2 teaspoons Flour

Juice of one Lemon

1 lb sauteed fresh Mushroom

1/4 cup flat-leaf roughly chopped Italian Parsley

1 thinly sliced Lemon

Instructions:

(1) Wash the Veal thoroughly and pat it dry.

(2) Pound cutlets with meat mallet until 1/4″ to 1/8″ thick.

(3) Beat the egg in a bowl large enough to hold cutlets.

(4) In a shallow pie plate, combine flour, Parmesan, paprika, salt and pepper

(5) Dip cutlets in egg, then in flour mixture until well coated.

(6) Heat a wide skillet and melt the butter and then add the Olive oil. When hot, add the cutlets.

(7) Quickly brown the cutlets on both sides, adding more butter and oil as needed. Fry until color is brown and cutlet is cooked.

(8) Remove cutlets to serving platter, keep warm.

(9) Sauté the onion, shallot, and garlic for about 1 minute in the drippings.

(10) Add the bouillon, deglaze the skillet while stirring to get all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

(11) Put the cutlets back into the skillet.

(12) Pour the lemon juice, capers, grated lemon peel and mushrooms over the cutlets while gently turning cutlets to coat with sauce.

(13) Simmer for about 15 minutes.

(14) Serve cutlets in warm serving platter and top with parsley, sauce and lemon slices. Combine this dish with rice pilaf and a tossed salad.