SPANISH DUCK IN SHERRY SAUCE

This dish is one of my most favourite Spanish dish. Because of the sweet subtle taste of Sherry the whole dish gets a new dimension. While recreating this dish to suit Indian taste and cooking style I tried to avoid using Sherry first, but it never worked. So I decided to keep the dish unaltered. But for those who do not use any alcohol in cooking, only advice from my end is, you can try with Malt Vinegar instead, but I am not very sure, if it will taste as good. 

Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time      : 50 minutes

Ingredients :

•  1 ( 450 grams) Duck, cut at joints 
•  4 tablespoon Olive oil
•  100 grams Ham, Chopped (you can use chicken Ham or any other ham, as per your choice) 
•  1 Onion, Chopped
•  150 grams of Mushrooms, sliced (you can use Oyster or even Button mushrooms) 
•  150 mils Sherry (You can use any Dry / Sweet Sherry) 
•  Salt to taste 
•  Ground Black Pepper to taste
• Some chopped parsley to sprinkle

Method :

1) Wash , Clean and drain the duck pieces well.

2) Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish and add the duck pieces and cook until they are browned. Remember not to put too many duck pieces together. Then they will be braised and not browned. Though it is more time consuming, still fry the pieces in batches.

3) Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and put on a paper lined plate until you finish browning all the pieces.
4) Chop the onion and ham and slice the mushrooms.

5) Add the onion, ham and mushrooms to the casserole dish and saute for 5 - 10 minutes.

6) Now add the duck pieces back to the casserole and cook for a couple of minutes.

7) Pour in the sherry, mix well. Now season with salt and pepper.

8) Cover and simmer until the duck is tender (approx 20 mins).

9) Check the seasonings and adjust if required. Pour in a serving dish. Sprinkle chopped parsley to decorate, then serve hot with Mashed potatoes and a green salad.

Let me know how was it :) Enjoy!

FRITTATA

The Italian Frittata is almost like an open faced omelet. I make a Frittata, when I need to clear my fridge. Though the traditional Frittata is made out of Potato, onions, eggs and peppers, I use leftover hams, thinly sliced spiced sausages, mushrooms, bell peppers, parsley and whatever I can lay my hands on. They are an ideal snack on a rainy afternoon, an ideal branch on a lazy Sunday, even equally good for dinner, accompanied with a bowl of crunchy salad.

Ingredients :

• 6 to 8 Eggs
• 3 or 4 tablespoons of Milk
• 1 to 2 cups Optional ingredients (see variations)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 2 or 3 tablespoons of Olive oil

Method : 

1) Beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl until smooth.

2) Heat a Skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil. Add slices of ham, bacon or sausages, fry till done. Set aside.

3) In the same pan add the veggies (sliced roundels of potato, onions, thickly sliced bell peppers, mushrooms) sprinkle some salt. This will help the veggies to cook faster by drawing out the water.

4) Simmer and cook till the veggies are well done. But still Al Dante. Remove them on a separate plate, set aside.

5) Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-low flame.

6) Add veggies and other additives to the egg mixture. Give the egg mixture a big stir and pour into the skillet and cook over low heat.

7) Cook until the frittata is well set but still runny on the top, this will take about 6 to 8 minutes.
8) Meanwhile preheat oven at 180 degrees.

9) Set the frittata in the oven until the eggs are cooked through and lightly browned, this will take about 1 to 2 minutes.

10) Let the frittata rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.
You can serve it with salsa, crispy salad, crusty bread, bowl of soup as per your wish. You can even add finely chopped spinach, parsley, coriander, to your frittata or top it with shredded cheese.

STRAWBERRIES, CREAM AND ICE CREAM

Makes about a pint:

1 C sour cream
1/2 C buttermilk
1/4 C heavy cream
1/4 C milk
1/2 C sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 t lemon juice

1 pint of fresh ripe strawberries
3 T sugar, to taste
balsamic vinegar, to taste

Whisk all the dairy ingredients together until blended. Add the sugar, pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Chill thoroughly.

Hull and cut strawberries into thin slices and place in a bowl. Toss with sugar and taste for sweetness. Add balsamic vinegar a teaspoon at a time, to taste. Set aside and let macerate for about an hour.

Freeze the ice cream according to your machine’s instructions. Pour into a clean airtight container. Put a piece of plastic wrap on the surface, cover and place in your freezer for an hour or two to firm up a bit.

Drain strawberries in a strainer and reserve the syrup.

When the ice cream is ready, pour about half of it into another container and dollop with strawberry mixture. Repeat and press the strawberries into the surface. Scoop into ice cream dishes and enjoy with a drizzle of strawberry balsamic syrup. 

Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIE PANCAKES

Now who wouldn't like a Chocolate chip oatmeal cookie pancakes? Here's a recipe I always drool for.

INGREDIENTS:

1 very ripe medium banana
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flax-seed meal + 2.5 Tbsp water)
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon almond butter
1 Tablespoon canola oil (or coconut oil)
3 Tablespoons almond milk (or sub other milk)
1/2 cup rolled oats (or gluten free oats)
1/4 cup whole wheat or unbleached flour (or sub other flour)
3 Tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips (non-dairy for vegan)


INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat a skillet to medium heat or about 300-325 degrees.
Prepare flax egg by mixing flax-seed meal and water and letting set for 3-5 minutes.
Mash your very ripe banana with baking powder.
Add flax egg, oil, salt, vanilla, almond butter, almond milk and stir.
Stir in oats and flour until just combined.
Sprinkle in chocolate chips and fold gently.
Scoop scant 1/4 cup measurements onto lightly greased griddle.
Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side – until golden brown.
Serve plain or with a small drizzle of maple syrup and a few additional chocolate chips for melting.

Notes * Should yield 5-6 small pancakes. * Make gluten free by using gluten-free oats and flour. * Adding 1 Tablespoons of honey, maple syrup, sugar or agave nectar is optional for extra sweetening, but I didn't find it necessary. * Reheat great the following day in the microwave.

ROSEMARY BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

This is a great meal to make when you have company coming over; the prep is done in advance and you can enjoy the guests while dinner is cooked!

There are a lot of good recipes out there, but this is my favorite.

Ingredients:

6 lamb shanks

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 large carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds

10 cloves garlic, minced

1 (750 milliliter) bottle red wine

1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice

1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth

1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth

5 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Directions:

Sprinkle shanks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook shanks until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer shanks to plate.

Add onions, carrots and garlic to pot and saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in wine, tomatoes, chicken broth and beef broth. Season with rosemary and thyme. Return shanks to pot, pressing down to submerge. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 2 hours. Given the luxury of time, I like to simmer even longer, until the meat is just about falling off the bone!

Remove cover from pot. Simmer about 20 minutes longer. Transfer shanks to platter, place in a warm oven. Boil juices in pot until thickened, about 15 minutes. Spoon over shanks.

Try serving with mashed potatoes, or polenta; you really need something that can sop up all that wonderful jus!

HOT MUTTON CURRY

This recipe I took from a friend years back when I first tasted this delicious mutton curry. Till date I don't regret even for a single day whenever I cooked this yummiest dish. Yes its bit spicy but don't we all love spicy food to a certain extent? Anyway here is the recipe for you all and I hope you will enjoy this hot mutton curry just like I do.

Mutton Recipe:

Preperation time 30 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Mutton/Lamb 500gms cut into medium pieces
½ Cup Desi Ghee (clarified butter)
2 large Onions, chopped
½ pod Garlic, crushed
1 inch Ginger, crushed
Salt to test
2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder/paste
1 teaspoon Kashmiri Degi Mirch
½ teaspoon Sugar
2 Green Chillies, deseeded and chopped
1 bunch Green Garlic, finely chopped
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
½ Tablespoon Cumin Powder
½ Tablespoon Coriander Powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 inch Cinnamon stick
Whole Cloves: 4
Bay Leaf: 1
2 whole Cardamom
Tomato Puree: 1 Cup
Water: 2 Cups

Instruction:

In a heavy bottom pot, heat ghee.
Add Mutton/Lamb pieces and fry till the lambs are brown. Remove the lamb and set it aside with a slotted spoon
Add remaining Ghee in the pan and add Bayleaf, cinnamon, clove and whole cardamom
Add onions to and Red chilli powder. Sauté till onions look translucent
Add garlic, ginger and chopped green chillies. Sauté about 2 minutes.
Now in a small bowl add Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander and little water and make a paste
Add the paste in the cooking pot and sauté for about 2 minutes
Add water and bring it to boil
Now reduce the heat to low and add the fried mutton pieces
Cover the pot and simmer one hour or till the mutton is almost done
Remove the cover, add the tomato puree, sugar, Garam Masala powder and Kashmiri Degi Mirchi or Red Paprika powder
Add the chopped whites of green garlic and stir well
Cook uncovered over medium heat for another 5 minutes
Check the seasoning and adjust salt
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped greens of garlic
Serve hot with Chapatti, Roti, Puri or any other Indian bread or even with Steamed rice

Tip:

Don’t add any cold water to the mutton, please make sure to add water on the masala and bring it to boil, then only add mutton to it
Don’t add Tomato puree before the mutton is well cooked, else the mutton will be chewy

:))

CHICKEN BREAST WITH ALMOND BUTTER & HERBS

Since many of you asked me to jot down the recipe of Chicken breast in Almond butter and herbs, here I am as promised. Its a simple recipe, not much to be done. So here we go.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup almond butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
4-5 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)


DIRECTION:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Blend flour and Almond butter until smooth. Add salt, cayenne, lemon zest and mix well.

3. Pound breasts lightly to thin them out, and spread generously with almond butter. Place in buttered baking dish, and bake for about 15 minutes (turning once).

4. Top with slivered almonds and broil 30 seconds, or until browned.


HERBS

Handful of Thai Basil, Coriander, Thyme and Olive oil blend it well in mixer.

Just season it on top of the Chicken breast before serving, now isn't it easy? Am sure you will love it. Do let know how it turned out. Love to hear your opinion.

ENJOY!

SINDHI BIRYANI

The other day when my mom made Sindhi Biryani, my mom made me stay out of the kitchen cos she was afraid I would eat all before its even cooked. So here is the recipe she used :)


INGREDIENTS


1 kilogram of Mutton
1 kilogram Basmati Rice (long grain)
1 cup Plain Yogurt
1 tbsp. Red Chilli Powder (Pisi Lal Mirch)
2 tbsp. Coriander Powder (Pisa Dhania)
½ tbsp. Garlic Paste (Pisa Lehsan)
½ tbsp. Ginger Paste (Pisi Adrak)
1 tbsp. Mixed Spices
Salt (to taste)
¼ kilogram of Dried Apricots (Khubaani) (soaked in hot water)
A bunch of Fresh Mint Leaves (Podina) (chopped)
6 Green Chillies
Lemon Juice (of 4 lemons)
1 Bay Leaf (Tezz Patta)
4 medium Onions (chopped)
½ kg Potatoes
4 Tomatoes
¼ tsp. Yellow Food Color (soaked in ½ cup milk)
1 ½ cup Dalda Oil or any Cooking Oil

DIRECTION

Heat oil in a pan, fry onions until golden brown. Remove half of the onions and place on absorbent paper. Add meat, all of the spices, and the plain yogurt to the rest of the onion. Cook until water evaporates and meat is tender.

Add potatoes, tomatoes, pulp of dried apricots, and green chillies. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes; stirring continuously. When done set aside.


In a large pot add 12 cups water with salt, 3 green chillies, whole spices, and mint leaves. When water boils, add rice, parboil and strain. 


Put layers of rice and meat one by one with a last layer of rice on top. Add food color. Place pot on a griddle or tava and cook on high heat. When steam appears, lower heat for 10 to 15 minutes. 

I hope you all can use the same method and try out, if you take my word.....it was totally yummm!

GOLABKI

Golabki is a traditional Polish food that is difficult and time consuming to make. Stuffed cabbage rolls are filled with pork and covered in tomato sauce. I just loved the flavour with all the ingredients that are mixed together and tastes so incredibly amazing. 

The photo is not taken by me as I forgot to take snaps due to my over enthusiasm to know how its cooked and yes, of course how it taste.

The recipe is as follows: 

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 head cabbage

2 slices stale bread

3/4lb ground pork/chicken/beef/lamb

1 onion, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 egg

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup chicken broth

SAUCE:

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons tomato paste

salt

pepper

sugar

paprika

DIRECTION:

Boil cabbage long enough that leaves separate without tearing.

Select 10 to 12 of the largest leaves and trim off midribs so leaves become easy to roll.

Soak bread in water and squeeze out.

Combine with meat and mix thouroughly.

Cook onion in butter until golden.

Add with egg and salt and pepper to meat mixture.

Divide into as many portions as there are cabbage leaves and spread evenly on leaves.

Roll firmly, tucking edges so stuffing will not escape and secure with cotton thread, if desired. 

If there are not enough large leaves, use 2 small leaves.

Slice some of the remaining cabbage and place in the bottom of a large pot.

Arrange cabbage rolls tightly on top and add broth.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.

Arrange on hot platter, pour sauce over top and serve with hot boiled potatoes.

SAUCE:

Make a roux with the flour and butter.

Add tomato paste and broth from the stuffed cabbage and stir until smooth and bubbly.

Add salt, pepper, Sugar and paprika to taste and simmer for about 5 minutes.

I am sure you will love it despite the hard work.