Monday, December 24, 2012

It Is An Authentic Massaman Curry Chicken Recipe

Massaman Curry Chicken, as delicious and healthy foods for us. Much of people have know, this foods, because Massaman Curry Chicken was familiar in some Countries. For that reason, I tell you about How to Make Massaman Curry Chicken. Well, here are some materials or ingredients on Massaman Curry Chicken Recipe, and completed with Steps.


Ingredients:
  • 2 tbs Massaman curry paste
  • Jasmine rice
  • 1 x 375ml can light and creamy evaporated milk
  • 600g chicken thigh fillet, cut into3cm pieces
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp finely grated palm sugar
  • 450g desiree potatoes, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
  • 1/3 cup (30g) desiccated coconut
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
  • 2 tsp cornflour
Steps:

Firstly, you must Soak coconut in evaporated milk for 15 mins. Heat oil in a wok over a low heat, add curry paste and palm sugar. Stir for 1 min or until the paste becomes caramel and fragrant. Add the potatoes, cinnamon and stock and cook, covered, for 8 mins, stirring.

After that, Drain coconut mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Squeeze out the milk from the coconut, making certain the coconut is dry. Set the coconut aside. Place cornflour into a small measuring jug, whisk in the milk until smooth.

And then, You should Add chicken to wok, coating well in paste. Stir in coconut milk. Simmer on low for 8 mins or until thick. Place reserved coconut into a frying pan, toast over a very low heat for 5 mins.

And Finally, just Sprinkle toasted coconut over curry and serve with jasmine rice.

Monday, December 17, 2012

This German Pancake Recipe Is Really Wonderful For Your Breakfast

German Pancakes are incredibly simple and they taste amazing to say the least. If you've never had one before, I'd say the best comparison would be french toast meets pancakes meets crepes. So really how could they not be good? I make breakfast a LOT in my home (probably more often for dinner than an actual breakfast meal) so I'm incredibly excited to have come across such a simple and delicious breakfast recipe.


German Pancake

Ingredients:
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp butter
Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs until well blended. Add in flour, sugar and salt and whisk until smooth. Add in milk and vanilla and whisk until combine. Place butter in a large cast-iron skillet and place skillet in oven and allow butter to melt completely. Working quickly, remove pan from oven and slightly tilt pan to evenly distribute butter across the bottom of the pan (not edges). Pour batter into hot skillet and return to oven. Bake 15 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cut into 4 - 6 pieces (I just used a pizza cutter) and serve warm with Vanilla Cream Syrup, maple syrup, honey, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, jam, fresh fruit, or fruit syrup (this blueberry syrup is excellent).

Monday, December 10, 2012

The Facts About So Famous Italian Ice Cream

Italian ice cream - also known as gelato - is treasured throughout the world. Have you tried it If not, you should. You will be delighted when you discover what you have been missing. Do you love ice cream Then there's a good chance you will also enjoy Italian ice cream. It has a lot more flavor than typical ice cream and the consistency tends to be more dense. If you are interested in learning more about gelato, you will enjoy this report which is full of interesting information about this Italian ice cream.

The word used for Italian ice cream is gelato which, when translated, means frozen. Rather than being a specific dessert, gelato is more of a classification of many different types of frozen Italian desserts. Due to this, recipes for "genuine" gelato will vary from person to person. During the Renaissance in Florence, Italy, gelato was first prepared. As it spread through Italy, different cooks and different regions altered the original recipe. If you visit Sicily, for example, you will find Italian ice cream prepared with milk and fresh cheese, in addition to vegetable starch. The cooks in the northern regions of Italy like to add cream to their Italian ice cream. You will also find some recipes that include eggs, and others that do not. With all the different types and variations of ingredients that are available, you will have to try several before you can decide which one you like the best.


If you can't find a store or gelateria that sells Italian ice cream in your city, and a vacation to Italy isn't feasible, there are other ways you can delight in the robust flavors of Italian ice cream. You could, of course, make it yourself, though that does require some work and perhaps an ice cream machine Visit Your URL. The choices don't stop there, however. There are other options available to you. Due to the popularity of Italian ice cream, grocery stores and health food stores are beginning to carry different flavors of gelato and placing them in the freezer compartment with the ice cream and toffuti. Have you thought about ordering ready-made gelato from the many companies that can ship it wherever you desire These companies are available to cater to your gelato needs if no other alternative is available to you. You can find them online and place your order. Needless to say, shipping will be expensive. The product has to be shipped Overnight or 2nd Day delivery and must be specially packed in dry ice and styrofoam.


Which is healthier - ice cream or gelato Compare the ingredients and you can make this decision for yourself. The ingredients for making gelato vary so much that it's impossible to draw any conclusions about the amount of calories in a normal serving. In the final analysis, if you are a calorie counter, you would be better off eating a fruit-based sorbet instead of either ice cream or gelato. It's not really an ice cream, as such, but you can usually find it sold alongside the gelato and ice cream in the freezer section of your supermarket. American ice cream is made with cream, and has a higher calorie content than gelato, which is usually prepared with milk. Soy or yogurt are two alternative ingredients you can use in your gelato recipes that would reduce the caloric content even more. If sugar is an issue, there are varieties of gelato that are sugar-free.

It's easier to find American ice cream, obviously, than it is to find Italian ice cream, especially in America. But that trend could be changing as gelato becomes more popular. American consumption of gelato may never overtake the amount of American ice cream that is traditionally eaten in the USA. Some reasons are that gelato shouldn't be stored for more than a couple of days and, due to the use of fresh ingredients, gelato is more expensive. Even better, you can learn how to make it so you can enjoy Italian ice cream whenever you're in the mood for it.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

There Is A Traditional Chinese Ma Po Tofu Recipe

It feels like months since I last updated my blog and prior to giving birth I used to update my blog every week or so, but recently I've spent a lot of time working towards my new illustrator business, setting up a website for it and most importantly working on my portfolio. While I have still been cooking in recent times, with both Chris and my workloads we don't really have time to sit down and eat elaborate meals so we've been eating fairly simply.

One thing I have felt though is a bit lost for not having time to cook. I'm due to go back to working in the same restaurant I worked in before part-time and I do actually miss the feeling of cooking properly. I also spent roughly two years working on this website so it's upset me a litle not being able to update it.


Just recently as well, Chris has been incredibly busy with his photography business so he hasn't had the time to photograph any dishes for me and we've both been really sick with baby flu which Amelia picked up at nursery. Seriously, if you haven't had a baby, be warned, baby flu is literally 10 times worse than adult flu.

So to get back into the run of my blog, I had a re go at cooking and photographing one of my original recipes from this website, Ma Po Tofu. Here is the orignal blog with the story behind this dish and the recipe. I hope you will like it.

Ma Po tofu is a well known dish from Sichuan. The creator is a lady who has
pockmark on her face and pockmark is Ma in Chinese and Po is a respectful form for a old lady. Ma Po had this small restaurant in Chengdu city and the most of her customers were porters. They usually bought some tofu and mince to ask Ma Po to cook them something to eat. After a long time, this tofu dish got more and more popular and famous, so people named this dish after Ma Po's name. That's how we called this dish Ma Po tofu.


I also know of a British chef called Fuchsia Dunlop who is a so called expert on Chinese food after she learnt some Chinese and spent some time at a cookery school in China. The way she pronounces this dish in Chinese translates to "Pock-Marked Mother Chen's Bean Curd" but if you ever go to a Chinese restaurant in Sichuan or Sichuan restaurant in Taiwan and China . Ma Po Tofu is the proper way to call this dish.

I went to the original site of Ma Po's restaurant in Chengdu when I was 14 year-old. But this restaurant was burned down in 2005. Many people felt really sad about this as Ma Po's restaurant plays an important part in the history of Sichuan cuisine. So, the Sichuan government rebuilt it again at another address in Chengdu city.

Here is one of the cooking methods for Ma Po tofu which was taught to me by my grandpa. My grandpa originated from Sichuan and was a really excellent cook and some of my happiest memories are of the time I spent with him in the kitchen learning to cook many different delicious dishes.

Monday, November 26, 2012

You Can Try This Well Butter Cake Recipe At Your Home

One of the best tried and tested butter cake recipe that I have made with success. Makes for a light, fluffy, moist yet firm cake that works great for a fondant icing celebration cake. You can marble the cake by adding two tablespoons of cocoa powder to half of the batter and create a ripple effect to your cake. In fact, the cake does not need any icing and tastes great on its own.

You can try adding different flavorings instead of the usual vanilla flavor to this cake recipe with butter. Lemon zest, orange zest, nutmeg, cardamom or cinnamon powder work great as flavorings. This cake works well with any sort of frosting, be it chocolate frosting, buttercream, ganache or any flavored glaze.


Basic Butter Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
  • Butter - 1 cup + 4 tbsps
  • Castor Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
  • Vanilla Essence - 2 tsps
  • Eggs - 4
  • Maida - 2 1/2 cups
  • Baking powder - 2 tsps
  • Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
  • Milk - 2/3 cup
  • Buttermilk - 1/3 cup
  • Salt - 1/2 tsp
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line two 8" cake pans with baking/parchment paper.
  2. Sieve all purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. Add salt and whisk together. Keep aside.
  3. In a bowl, cream butter, castor sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine. Add the buttermilk and beat for 10 seconds.
  5. Add the flour, a few tbsps at a time. Use a wooden spoon to combine. Next add a little milk and stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and milk, ending with the flour.
  6. Divide the cake batter equally into the two greased and lined pans. Bake for 55 mts to an hour or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. (Check from 50 mts onwards) Allow to stand in pan for 10 mts.
  7. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool for 30 mts.. Slice and serve.

Monday, November 19, 2012

This Mini Cheese Pizza Recipe Is Really Unique

This Mini Cheese Pizza is delightful when eaten warm. Also known as fried pizza or Pizza Fritta, they are deep fried, and you make it sweet or savory with your favorite toppings. Here, I have stuffed the dough with mozzarella cheese and instead of deep-frying, I baked them in the oven for about 12 minutes at 450˚F. The baked pizza turned out superb, crusty on the outside with gooey cheese inside!


Mini Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:
  • 1 Packet (about 320g) Fresh Pizza Dough (available at Whole Foods Market)


  • 80 g Mozzarella Cheese, diced and divided into 6 portions

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • ¼ tsp Dried Italian Herbs

  • Red Chili Flakes
  • Sea Salt
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • Baking tray-lined with parchment paper


Method



:

Preheat the oven to 450˚F.



Press down the dough on a lightly oil surface. Then divide the dough into 6 equals balls. Roll each out into a circle. Place diced mozzarella cheese in the center of each circle, wrap the dough around filling and flatten it with your palm. Place the dough on the baking dish, seam side down, brush the top with olive oil, and sprinkle some Italian herbs, chili flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until light golden brown in color.

Monday, November 12, 2012

There Is A Delicious And Easy Fruit Pizza Recipe

Whether you're looking to host a dinner party with your friends or planning a fun cooking project with the kids, homemade fruit pizzas are the perfect solution. It is also an easy desert recipe for guests.


Delicious and Easy Fruit Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:
  • 1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (leave out at room temperature)
  • 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • Fresh fruit (I used one package sliced fresh strawberries, one-half package blueberries, and 3 kiwis)
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Press cookie dough flat onto greased pizza pan (will make a thin layer). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. You can chill for a while at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.

Begin with strawberries, sliced in half. Arrange in a circle around the outside edge. Continue with fruit of your choice, working towards the middle. If bananas are used, dip them in lemon juice so they don't darken. Then make a sauce to spoon over fruit.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. Spoon over fruit. Chill for two hours, then cut into wedges and serve.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

A Good Summer Fruit Salad Recipe

No time to ramble, been super busy with taking the in-laws around. By the time this post goes up, we'd be in Scotland, taking in the highlands and whiskey and all that's Scottish, well except Haggis maybe.

I made this salad on a day I felt too lazy to fix up something for lunch and since my fruit basket was crying out to me I thought I'd whip up something fruity. I thought it wouldn't fill me, but strangely it did and I think I should make it a practise. There is no recipe as such, just throw in a bunch of fruits you like, do a simple dressing and if you like, add a chilli or so for some spice. Here is another fruit salad I made a while back

Use fruits that are in season and if they are fresh, then nothing like it. But mine was about 2 to 3 days old and was almost at the wilting stage when I decided to rescue them. It tasted great nonetheless. I love fruits but I'm kinda lazy to eat fruit, especially when it involved peeling and slicing and stuff.


  • Mango- 1 cup, peeled and diced
  • Watermelon- 1 cup, deseeded and diced
  • Orange- 1 half, peeled and cut into rounds
  • Apple- 1 half, cut into rounds
  • Grapes- 1/4 cup
  • Kiwi fruit- 1, diced
  • Ginger- 1 tsp, julienne
  • Green chilli- 1 small, roughly chopped
  • Caster sugar- to sprinkle
  • Lemon juice- 1 to 2 tsp
  • Coriander leaves/ mint- to garnish
Mix together the ginger, chilli, sugar and lemon juice. Gently squash the mix with your hands, enough to get the chilli and ginger flavours infused. Add a bit of salt if required.

Arrange the fruits in a platter (or in a bowl) and pour over the dressing.

Garnish with some mint or coriander leaves.

Gently mix before serving.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Such A Delicious Korean Seafood Pancake Recipe

Korean Seafood Pancake


Kitchen appliances:
- Big mixing bowl
- Spatula
- 2-3 Frying pans
- Serving dishes

Ingredients:
- 4.5 cups Korean pancake mix
- 3.5 cups water
- 1 starch powder
- 4.5 cups mixed frozen seafood
- 1 lb carrots
- 10 Leeks
- For Sauce A: Soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chopped garlic, green onion
- For Sauce B: mayonnaise, lemon, sugar
Method
  • Slice carrots and leeks into 5cm pieces
  • Combine water and Korean pancake mix in a large bowl. Mix well.
  • After all the powder is mixed into water, add starch powder. Stir well.
  • Finally add chopped carrots and leeks, mixed seafood, and salt to taste. Gently stir all ingredients together.
  • Place and evenly spread the mixture of seafood pancake into an oiled pan at a low heat.
  • After the patty cooks slightly, add a little bit of batter again.
  • Flip the patty and fry until each side becomes appetizingly yellowish brown.
  • Place on dishes and serve with sauce.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Here Is A Delicious French Baguette Recipe

French baguette is a French bread which is one of the most popular breads of France. Baguette is a hollow cylindrical loaf of bread with three or four leaf-like structures on it. Although the preparation process of a baguette is quite extensive and time consuming, it is definitely worth the wait and efforts. French baguette is very versatile bread, as it can be eaten with many other foods.

Sometimes this bread is also used in soups like French onion soup. So, just follow the recipe to prepare your own French baguette at your home and stun your guests with your culinary skills.


Ingredients:
  • 1 3/4 cups warm water
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Vegetable oil for greasing the bowl
Directions:
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together the water and yeast. Allow to sit for a couple minutes, until the yeast is fully dissolved. Add the flour and salt and mix on low until the dough starts to come together; crank the speed up to medium and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  2. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Fold the dough over gently on itself, then re-cover and let rise for an additional 45 minutes.
  3. Fold the dough over on itself again, pressing it down to release the gas bubbles. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut into two equal pieces. Shape the pieces into two round balls and cover. Let rest for about 30 minutes.
  4. Press each dough ball into the shape of a rectangle, about 10 inches long. Roll longways to create a 10-inch cylinder, and pinch the seam on the underside of the dough. Place the dough cylinders on a large baking sheet and cover. Allow to rise in a warm spot until nearly doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
  5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Run a knife diagonally across the tops of the loaves to score them, cutting just through the top layer of dough.
  6. Just before putting the loaves in the oven, brush or mist lightly with water. Brush or mist 1 more time during the first 5 minutes of baking. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped; about 30 minutes. Allow to cool on wire racks before cutting.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Know More About Peking Roast Duck

The famous Peking Roast Duck is the best way to sample the tantalizing Chinese cuisine and also to understand the culture, customs and the vivid history of Beijing and China.
The Peking Roast Duck can be compared to the European traditional ware of roast goose and it is believed that the recipe originated from the culture brought to the East by explorers such as Marco Polo- with which the tradition of offering roasted poultry to one's guests began way back during the Yuan Dynasty.
Other facts lead us through a different history as records indicate the actually recipe was used in the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420 – 589) and that it was a popular recipe in Jinling, now known as Nanjing. And it is believed that the as the Yuan Dynasty moved their main city to Beijing the recipe followed to become a popular dish in the capital, with the added flavours of the city itself.
The ideal bird roasted in this manner features a delectable shining reddish coat – a crispy outer skin and tender textures inside. And most of the eateries in town offer an All Duck Banquet, the mains being the roast duck and side dishes being complimenting accompaniments made with duck stock – a complete meal.
The original recipe, after being transformed in to the imperial delicacy, required for a special breed of bird. With the main ingredient being the White Beijing duck new methods of preparation were also introduced. Today, the established method of preparation involves roasting of the bird, which is primed by essentially cleaning and plucking, filing the body cavity with water, air drying and brushing the skin with sugar, in a large oven. The roasting is done using smokeless hardwood fuel and the poultry is frequently turned to ensure even roasting.

There Are A Few Important Factors To Make The Special Indian Curry

Indian dishes are quite famous for their "Spices" and "Curry" all around the globe. Indian Curry has a long history of over 5,000 years. Curry is basically derived from Tamil word 'kaikaari' that means vegetable cooked in spices. Curry has hot and sour tastes and it is a gravy dish made with a variety of spices and seasonings. Curry is such popular among the western countries that it has become a symbol for Indian dishes eaten with rice or rotis.

Here are a few important factors that makes Indian curry and spices quite special and authentic to serve the taste buds:


Bhuna: It is one of the most important process of cooking a perfect Indian curry. Bhuna is a Hindi term that means 'fry in oil' or cooking various assorted spices in hot oil. This process helps to abolish the raw taste of various spices and release their natural flavors. Tadka is the similar process as Bhuna, this process is followed by frying whole spices in hot oil. To fry the spices the oil used should be really hot and one should take care not to burn the spices. The spices are cooked till the moment they attain color. This process can be very quick especially with the small spices like cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

Spices: Spices are the most important ingredients in any traditional curry, acquired from aromatic dried bark, roots, buds, seeds, berries or fruits of the Plants roots. To release the aroma and flavors of spices they must be heated properly. To retain the aroma of spices one must store them in air-tight containers, else they loose their fragrance and flavor. Masala is a mixture of spices sauteed in oil or ghee. In India, majority of people use Garam masala in daily cooking. Garam masala is one of the major ingredients of Indian Curries and is often added at the end of the recipe.

Curry Powder: Curry powder is a blend of various spices like turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, five spice powder, with red chili powder. Curry powder is used in many dishes in western countries like America and U.K. In India, still many people are unaware of curry powder as they create their own mixtures using various spices. Turmeric is also known as 'haldi' in Hindi. It is a deep yellow colored powder derived from grinding a dried plant root. It is well-known for its health benefits, anti-oxidant properties and is much popular for its digestive properties and to fight against leukemia.

Curry: It is the preperation of gravy used in the Indian dishes; it is a perfect blend of various spices and other ingredients like turmeric, cloves, coriander, fenugreek, ginger, red and black pepper. One of the popular spice blends used in Indian curries is called "Garam Masala".

India is a land of several religions and cultures. Each region of India has its own style of preparing curry, the flavors, textures and pungency in each region is quite different yet similar due to some common factors like marination and slow cooking. These factors of cooking ensures the texture, colors and flavors of herbs comes out really well in the dish. All these above factors make Indian curry special. The spices and the process of making Indian curry gives it an authentic aroma which is getting quite popular around the globe.

Friday, October 19, 2012

There Is An Easy Italian Cream Cake Recipe

Italian Cream Cake

For the Cake:
  • 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 8 Tablespoons (4-ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 extra large eggs, yolks and whites separated
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded dried coconut, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the Frosting:
  • 12-ounces cream cheese, cold
  • 12 Tablespoons (6-ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 6 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

For the Cake:
Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a round of parchment.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the 1 1/3 cups sugar. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 4-6 minutes. Beat the egg yolks in one at a time. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Beating on low speed, add the flour in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in 2 parts; scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until combined. Stir in the coconut and pecans.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar using a hand-held mixer or whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high until stiff, but not dry peaks form. Fold one-quarter of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the cakes to detach from the pan. Invert the cakes, remove the parchment, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla just until blended. Add the confectioners' sugar, one-third at a time, and beat just until smooth (do not over beat). Stir in the pecans.

Place one cake layer on a serving platter and top with 1 cup of the frosting, spreading evenly. Place the other cake layer on top and frost the sides and the top with the remaining frosting. Enjoy!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

A Healthy And Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

A simple, delicious and easy chocolate cupcake recipe! This is what I kept searching for it for long time. My children are completely fond of eating chocolate cupcakes since they ate such cupcakes at a birthday party. I used to buy chocolate cupcakes for some time then I decided to make my perfect chocolate cupcake at home after finding the best and easiest chocolate cupcake recipe ever!


Chocolate cupcake recipe

This chocolate cupcake recipe can be made in 30 minutes; 15 minutes for preparation and the same for cooking. For making this chocolate cupcake recipe, you will need these following ingredients:
  • ½ tea spoon of baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups of flour
  • 1 table spoon of baking powder
  • 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ tea spoon of salt
  • 4 table spoons of butter, softened
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tea spoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of milk
Follow this chocolate cupcake recipe step by step
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
  2. Prepare 12 hole muffin pan or 24 hole mini muffin pan.
  3. Line the muffin pan with foil liners.
  4. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cocoa into a large mixing bowl.
  5. Set this mixture aside.
  6. In another bowl, mix butter softened and sugar well until they get light and fluffy.
  7. Add the eggs to the mixture one by one, and keep beating with each addition.
  8. Add the vanilla extract to the bowl and stir well.
  9. Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately to the bowl and beat well.
  10. Put two table spoons of the mixture in the muffin cups until they get 2/3 full.
  11. Bake cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven or till a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
  12. Leave cupcakes for 10 minutes in order to chill.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

I View Carrot Cake Ice Cream As A Kind Of Summer Reward


carrot cake ice cream
Carrot Cake Ice Cream Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 to 2 cups carrot cake crumbles, plus another cup for garnishing

1/4 cup golden raisins

Instructions

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat your cream until stiff.

Fold in your sweetened condensed milk.

Add in remaining ingredients.

Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 6 hours.

I’ve made healthier versions such as Elana’s carrot cake with almond flour several times before, subbing honey for the agave and coconut oil for the grapeseed with delicious results! It’s been awhile since I made a cake (which I need to put on my list “to make soon”) but when I was recently craving my beloved carrot cake, I went with a cooler treat during the summer heat. Plus, it’s egg-free, dairy-free, sugar free and still creamy and delicious!

I put my ice cream maker to work and made a creamy, frozen dessert that didn’t include cake itself but incorporated the flavors that I love so much. A carrot and cinnamon-spiced ice cream base of dairy-free coconut milk is sweetened with medjool dates (reminiscent of raisins) and speckled with chopped pecans for a bit of crunch. I topped the ice cream off with unsweetened shredded coconut and more chopped nuts but rum-soaked raisins and/or crushed or dried pineapple would also be yummy!

While the cream mixture is cooling, combine the brown sugar and butter in small pot over medium heat. When the sugar and butter are melted, stir in the carrots and raisins. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Fold this mixture into the cream mix with a rubber spatula.

When everything is sufficiently cold, give the mix a good stir to distribute all the bits evenly and add to an ice cream maker. Churn the mix according to the manufacturers directions.

Serve alone or with a bit of caramel sauce. Enjoy!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Do You Want To Have The Bacon And Banana Burger Below

Bacon And Banana Burger
Ever tried a Bacon and Banana Burger? Tastes Great!

1lb/500g ground beef (how to grind your own meat)

A little pepper, fresh ground is better

A little salt, none if the bacon is salty

1 hand fresh bread crumbs

1 egg lightly beaten

1 quarter beef bouillon/stock cube dissolved in 2 to 3 tablespoons water

To cover the Patty

8 strips or enough bacon to enclose 4 patties

Some toothpicks

For the Rolls:

4 rolls

2 bananas

A little butter

Mix all the patty ingredients thoroughly, leaving the bacon for later. (how to season meat).

Make sure the mixture is cool. Divide mixture into 4 equal balls and mold into patties (how to mold patties).

Wrap the bacon around the patties entirely covering it in as thin a layer as possible and secure by either tucking the edges under or by using toothpicks.

Peel the 2 bananas and split each in half by cutting down the full length from top to bottom. You now have 4 long 'half' bananas. Cut these diagonally in half and you have 8 shorter pieces. Heat a pan and fry the bananas in a little butter over low to medium heat for a minute or two, turning, until heated through and softish in texture. Set aside.

Cook the bacon wrapped patties on medium heat under the grill, on the barbecue or in a pan (how to regulate cooking temperature) until the patty is cooked to your preferred degree of doneness or the internal temp reaches 160F/70C (when is my patty cooked?).

Split the rolls and toast the cut surfaces lightly (under grill, on barbecue or in pan) just before the patties are done. Place 2 pieces of banana on each of the bottom halves. Remove the toothpicks and put the patties on top of the bananas and cover with the top halves of the rolls. I hope that you will enjoy this somewhat different bacon and banana burger.

If you have already visited my Burger Making Tips page, are experienced in burger making or are a regular visitor to Hamburger Recipes please ignore the (links) below.For best results you should get your hamburger meat from a local butcher and avoid prepackaged patties at all costs! Prepackaged hamburger patties are uneven in flavor and taste. Use a meat which has about 15% fat for a nice balance between flavor, health, and price.

Good luck and let me know how it works out for you!

Cooking the Hamburgers:

Medium heat works best for cooking hamburgers as it allows for nice grill marks and color, but provides enough time to cook the inside without drying it out. Prepare your grill (or your pan) by allowing it to reach medium heat. Place your hamburger patties on the grill (or in the pan) and resist the urge to press them with a spatula or move them around too much; either of these practices will dry out the burgers and can also cause Lela’s Famous Hamburgers to crumble.

Flip your patties after 3 minutes of steady cooking and allow them to cook for 3 more minutes. You may need to flip once or twice more depending on the heat of your grill (or stove). USDA says that the inside of your hamburgers should be 160 degrees before eating. Some of you might like your hamburgers medium, or medium rare. Under cook hamburger patties at your own risk.

Now top those bad boys with some of the freshest tomatoes and lettuce you can get your hands on! You can now enjoy the tastiest hamburgers I’ve ever eaten!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Roti Prata Is Originally A Traditional South Indian Food


Roti Prata
Roti Prata, a popular breakfast dish in Singapore, is originially a traditional South Indian food. It is somehow comparable to a fried pancake that you cook over a level grill. More often than not, Singaporeans eat Roti Prata with banana, chocolate, cheese, egg, mushroom, onion, vegetables, or meat-based curry, amongst many others.

Furthermore, Roti Prata is a traditional dish in the countries of India, Malaysia, and Singapore. For instance, the Singaporean dish is known as Parantha or Prata in India, and Roti Canai in Malaysia. Each country has a distinct version of the dish, and its way of cooking Roti Prata has been influenced by its taste and food history.

For instance, in Singapore, the dough of the dish is principally composed of egg, fat, flour, and water, and is commonly served with curry. Despite the fact that Roti Prata is a favorite dish among Singaporeans, there is still a level of mystery about the dish, since its procedure of cooking may seem difficult for one to do at home, particularly the flipping of the dough.

However, if you will try to learn how to cook the dish, you will realize that it is easier than you think, and that you can do it anytime at your own place. In order for you to make a six inch-wide Roti Prata, you will need the following ingredients - 100 grams of sugar, 100 grams of melted margarine, 500 grams of sifted plain flour, 2 tablespoons of milk, water, oil, and rolling pin.

You could try the taste of some Indian cuisine too. Indian roti prata is hugely popular here, served with a curry for dipping. The prata contains egg or cheese, but it can be oily at times.

At Indian restaurants you could find a mix range of cuisines. Indian dishes could be rasam or sambar along with rice, and also murtabak. Murtabak is an Indian version of the pizza; it contains a filling of meat (chicken, mutton) some vegetables and spices all rolled into a prata.

Firstly, you need to combine and mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. You need to make a well in the middle of the bowl, and put the margarine and milk afterward. Subsequently, massage the combined ingredients, and add water until you form soft dough. It is advisable that you leave the dough at rest for a minimum of 2 hours, though you should evenly lubricate its surface with oil in order to prevent it from drying off.

After 2 hours, split the dough into six balls, and massage each piece as necessary. In order to level and compress the balls, use a rolling pin, and use your hands in extending the dough as thin as possible. Consequently, crease the rims of the dough inward, and create a square-shaped pie from it.

Lastly, cook the dough on an oiled grill or a frying pan until it turns into golden brown on both sides. Know that you may eat the dish in any way that you prefer - be it adding egg, fruits, ice cream, or sugar.

Singapore offers one of the most savory breakfast cuisines in the world. Roti Prata, which is a dough-based flat pancake, is a popular breakfast dish and snack in the Lion City. The dish had its origins in India, and it has a number of variations in several neighboring Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. Typically, the dish is served with curry, sprinkled with sugar, or consumed plainly by visitors and locals alike. Furthermore, there are a number of ingredients that you can add in the dish, and it includes fruits, vegetables, sweeteners, and so on.

Indian food in Singapore can be found with both Southern and Northern Indian styles. Southern India style typically is spicier than Northern Indian style, and typically vegetarian options are in abundance with both types of Indian foods. Furthermore they also have a localized twist using various South East Asian ingredients. Must try Indian foods include roti prata (a flat type of pan fried pancake served with curry), chicken briyani (chicken curry rice served with fragrant rice), and fish head curry.

When traveling to Singapore, be sure to sample a little bit of cuisines from each of the above major ethnic backgrounds to get the most complete experience of Singapore. You will be definitely spoilt for choice by enjoying the great selection of food in Singapore.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Ways To Baking A Lobster Tail


Baking a lobster tail
Baking a lobster tail is one of the easiest ways to cook lobster tails. This method can be done with the standard oven and results in a juice lobster tail. This technique is also more forgiving than broiling a lobster tail if you overcook it.
  
Ingredients
  
1 cup panko bread crumbs
  
1/2 stick butter, melted
  
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
  
2 tablespoons, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  
4 or 5 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and gently smashed
  
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
2 live lobsters, split in 1/2, cleaned (about 2 pounds) (ask fish monger to split and clean your lobster if you don't feel comfortable doing so)
  
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling,1 lemon, cut into large wedges, plus more for drizzling, for serving. Mixed lettuce, for serving
  
Directions
  
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  
In a food processor add panko, butter, fresh herbs, garlic and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Process until well combined then set aside while you prepare the lobster.
  
Place the lobster halves flesh side up in a roasting tray. Top with the panko-mixture. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the hot oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden brown. Serve whole with a shell cracker, or split claw shells slightly with the heel of your knife and section the tail into pieces. Serve with fresh lemon wedges, mixed lettuce and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
  
Lobster tails are a rich and filling entree, especially when served alongside steak. In this recipe, our home economists cut three lobster tails in half to feed six people.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen.
  
When buying frozen lobster tails, read the package and avoid ones that are soaked in Sodium trioyphosphate. This is a preservative and it adds weight to the tail. More weight means higher cost. Thaw tails completely to ensure even cooking.
  
Steam-Baked Lobster Tails
 
2 (6-8 ounce) lobster tails, thawed completely, butterflied, and piggy-backed
  
Clarified butter
  
Kosher salt
  
Chopped fresh parsley
  
Lemon wedges
  
Preheat the oven to 400º F. Place the lobster tails in a baking dish and brush the tail meat with clarified butter. Add 1 cup of water to the baking dish. Cover the dish with a piece of aluminum foil. Bake until the internal temperature of the tail meat reaches 135º-140º F, about 10-12 minutes. For larger tails, increase the baking time. A 10-12 ounce tail will take about 12-14 minutes and a 12-14 ounce tail will bake for approximately 14-16 minutes.
  
Remove from the baking dish and place on a serving plate. Brush with more butter, season with salt to taste and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with additional clarified butter and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
  
Gently lift the meat up and out of the shell and lay it directly on top of the shell. This is called piggy-backing. Place the tails in a baking dish, brush the meat with clarified butter and add 1 cup of tap water. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 400º F oven until the internal temperature reaches 135º-140º F, about 10-16 minutes depending on the size of the tail. Season with salt, fresh chopped parsley, lemon wedges and clarified butter.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Mouth-watering Brunch Casserole Recipes For This Weekend

Weekend is a pleasant time to rest and relax. Some people like to spend time sleeping, while others may spend time gardening or some sports activities. For the food-lovers, it's definitely a great time to try some new food recipes and get a delicious change. Are you looking for some new exceptional recipes for this weekend? Then, why don't you try brunch casserole recipes?

Casserole is a type of cookware that is used for cooking as well as a serving dish. Cooking in a casserole is one of the easiest and fastest ways to prepare any kind of dish. You can prepare some sumptuous brunch casserole recipes within a short time. Brunch menu offers a combination of breakfast and lunch. So try following delicious brunch casserole recipes.

Brunch Casserole

Ingredients
8 Slices of whole wheat bread
4 Eggs, beaten
2 Cups chopped, cooked broccoli
¾ Cup melted butter
2 Cups chopped, cooked ham
2 Cups cheddar cheese
2 Cups milk
½ Tsp pepper
1 Tsp salt

Preparation
Make the small cubes of bread and toss them with melted butter. In a greased casserole dish, add ham, half of the bread cubes and half of the broccoli. Then add remaining of bread cubes, cheese and broccoli. In a small mixing bowl, beat milk and egg together and then add pepper and salt. Pour this mixture over the casserole. Refrigerate this mixture, for at least 2 hours. Then bake for about 1 hour at 350°F.

Broccoli and Cheese Brunch Casserole

Ingredients
8 Oz pork sausage
1½ Cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 Cup ricotta cheese
10 Oz package of chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
¼ Cup milk
8 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tomato, thinly sliced
1 Tsp black pepper
½ Tsp salt

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the sausage, drain it and place in a large mixing bowl. Then, add ½ cup of cheddar cheese and broccoli. Place this mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish. In another bowl, place ½ cup of cheddar cheese and then add beaten eggs, milk, ricotta cheese and pepper and salt to taste. Mix it well. Spread this mixture over the sausage mixture. Then, sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese. Decorate with tomato slices over the top. Cover this mixture and bake for about 30 minutes. Then, uncover the dish and bake for 15 minutes more.

Hash Brown Brunch Casserole

Ingredients
1 2-Pound package frozen hash brown potatoes, unthawed
3 Cups (packed) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 Ounce can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 Cup finely chopped onion
1 Cup sour cream
1 6-Ounce can french fried onions

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine together brown potatoes, cream of celery soup, cheddar cheese, sour cream and finely chopped onion. Then, transfer this mixture to a casserole dish. Bake it for about 1 hour, until the top is slightly golden. Then, sprinkle some french fried onions over the top and then bake for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Mouth-watering Traditional Brazilian Recipes Are Just Here

Brazilian food is light, spicy and delicious. The Brazilian cuisine is characterized by its variety, and it reflects the diversity in culture and its people (Spaniards, Africans, Portuguese and Amerindians). Some traditional food recipes are:

Feijoada
Feijoada is considered to be the national dish of Brazil. It is a thick stew made from black turtle beans and a variety of salted pork and beef products. It's an intense and heavy preparation because besides containing stew meat and beans, it is served with rice, farofa, orange slices etc. Hence, it is mostly served for lunch and is followed by a nap. Feijoada is generally found in southeastern region of Brazil, also an industrial region.
Ingredients
  1. 1 lb pork tenderloin
  2. 1 lb black beans
  3. few slices of bacon
  4. 1 lb varied pork sausages
  5. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  6. Garlic, salt, chopped onions and bay leaves
Preparation
  • Soak beans in water overnight, as this will make the beans easier to cook. Drain the beans and put in a pressure cooker. Add water, the water level should be 1 inch over the beans. Close the pressure cooker and put in medium heat for 20 minutes. The beans are ready.
  • Now, add 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, salt, chopped onions, 5 or 6 bay leaves and cook for about 15 minutes.
  • Cook slices of bacon and cubes of pork tenderloin with garlic and salt in a separate pan-fry.
  • Add all the sliced sausages and stir at medium heat until all the water dries.
  • Now, add the cooked meat to the pan with black beans.
  • Cook for 10 minutes to let the meat soak in black beans; and your Feijoada is ready.
Serve Feijoada with white rice and collard greens.

Caipirinha
Caipirinha, known as national cocktail of Brazil, is made with cachaca, sugar and lime. Cachaca is a product of distillation of fermented sugarcane juice.
Ingredients
  1. 1 lime quartered
  2. 1 shot cachaca
  3. 1 tablespoon sugar
  4. ½ cup ice cubes with water
Preparation
  • Place lime and sugar at the bottom of a glass.
  • Crush and mash the lime using a wooden spoon.
  • Pour liquor, add ice and stir well; Caipirinha is ready.
Picanha
Picanha is one of the famous traditional barbecue recipes (churrasco), containing white rice, farofa (seasoned manioc flour) and vinaigrette. It is tender beef which is grilled, the beef has the layer of fat which is removed during the cooking process. This dish is quite famous with foreign visitors.
Ingredients
  1. 1 full piece of picanha
  2. Rock salt
  3. Garlic paste
Preparation
  • Cut the picanha into about 2 inch-thick beefs.
  • Rub the rock salt on the meat with or without garlic paste.
  • Put the meat over the grill.
  • Cook the meat to your preference.
  • Later, skin out the outer layer and if needed, you can put the inner meat for more cooking. The dish is ready.
Picanha is served with rice and the preferred sauce.

Bolinho de Chuva
Bolinho de chuva, famously called Brazilian donut, is a traditional food made of flour and is deep-fried.
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup flour
  2. ½ cup milk
  3. 2 tablespoons baking powder
  4. ½ cup cornstarch
  5. 2 eggs
  6. 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  7. Pinch of salt
  8. Oil
  9. Sugar with cinnamon
Preparation
  • Mix eggs, sugar and pinch of salt in a large bowl. While mixing with a wooden spoon, add flour, cornstarch, baking powder and milk until a batter similar to cake batter appears.
  • Preheat the fryer to 350 degree F.
  • Take a spoon of batter and scrape off the batter into fryer using another spoon.
  • Fry donut for about 3 or 4 minutes till they turn golden brown.
  • Remove them from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Sprinkle with powdered sugar along with cinnamon and the dish is ready to be served.
There are more dishes which are relatively unknown to the world but are quite delicious and famous in Brazil. This just shows the culinary richness of Brazil.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Most Savory Singapore Foods That You Should Not Miss

Singapore is a beautiful country compiled with various cultures. It is the center of tourist attractions. Singapore attracts travelers in many ways. It attracts with its multi culture, shopping malls, Zoo and food. I got many questions when I thought about their cooking style. I wondered what makes Singapore food so delicious. What is the traditional food of Singapore? Etc. I am curious to research more about their cuisine.

Singapore is mixed with people of many cultures. Their food habit also differs according to their culture. I would like to dig more about the history of Singaporean cuisine.The dominated food culture in Singapore is the native "Malay". It is integrated with Chinese, Indonesian, Indian and British food culture. Singaporean Hawker stores (Street stores) are popular in Singapore. They are cheap and provide nice food varieties. They are better than the restaurants.In Hawker stores, the Chinese chefs influenced by the Indian culture and they experiment the ingredients such as ghee, tamarind and turmeric. We get nice Indian food varieties here.

The Singapore government organizes the Singapore food festival every year in July. The multiculturalism of local food, the international cuisine and multi style attract many travelers. Singapore attracts people not only by its cleanliness but also by its wide array of cuisine. The cuisine is similar to the cuisine of Malaysia. Malaysia has strong historical and cultural ties between these two countries.

Many of the Chinese dishes were adapted by early Chinese immigrants. These Chinese varieties are loved by many young generations. Chinese varieties such as Bak kut the, Bak chang, Bak chor mee, Ban mian, Chai tow kway and Char kway teow are popular.Malay dishes are adapted to local tastes. It differs from Indonesian and Malaysian dishes. Wonderful dishes such as Acar, tofu, Ayam goreng, Curry puff and Soto ayam are really popular varieties.

Without any uncertainty, Singapore is one of the most wonderful places when it comes to food and culture. What is interesting about the place is that its cuisines are as culturally diverse as its people are. The foods in the country feature a combination of Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Malay, and Western influences, which makes the Lion City a good place to visit. If you are a food aficionado, here is a list of the most savory Singaporean foods that you should not miss:

• Bak Kut Teh. This dish is a pork ribs soup that had its origins in China. It is cooked in different herbs and spices, which include garlic, pepper, and salt, amongst others. Typically, one consumes the food with rice and other complementary dishes such as fried dough, bread, and salted vegetables.

• Black Pepper Crab. One may find this dish in almost all restaurants over the Lion City, principally for the reason that it is one of the most popular Asian dishes known to tourists. The black pepper crab is mixed with bird's eye chilies, butter, curry leaves, dried shrimps, pepper, and further seasonings.

• Chicken Rice. This savory Singaporean dish simply entails rice cooked in a palatable chicken broth. The skinless breast meat is simmered to create a savory and juicy chicken. With regard to consuming the dish, one may choose to eat it with a chili sauce or with green onions and cucumbers.

• Chili Crab. This is probably the most popular Singaporean food, and most people associate the chili crab as the face of the country's cuisine. In the main, this dish is made of meaty crabs in a sweet and spicy sauce. You may choose to consume the dish with rice or deep fried mantou, but whichever way you prefer, eating chili crab is still going to be one of the most satisfying experiences that you can have in your life.

• Duck Rice. This is somehow similar to the Hainanese chicken rice, but this dish focuses on rice cooked with duck and vegetables. It is also served with a syrupy sauce, which has been a common way for people to consume Singaporean dishes.

• Fish Head Curry. This dish is made of a huge fish head that is boiled in curry gravy. The dish, which is also popular in china and India, is best consumed with white rice.

• Katong Laksa. This famous piquant noodle soup had its origins in the Perankan civilization. Katong laksa has numerous variations, which have sprung from the number of cultures that influenced the dish.

• Nasi Lemak. This dish is made of anchovies, chili paste, coconut rice, cucumber, and omelette.

• Roti Prata. This popular breakfast dish is cooked from cheese, flour, egg, and numerous spices. One may choose to add further ingredients to the dish, and consume it either plainly or with a bowl of curry.

• Satay. This dish is similar to barbecue in other Asian countries, since it features sliced and roasted meat on wooden sticks. With regard to how you may consume Satay, you may choose to eat it with vegetables, peanut sauce, or rice cubes, amongst others.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Turkish Sweet Dishes Are Famous For Their Unique Taste

Turkey is well-known for its desserts throughout the world. The country offers a variety of desserts. Turkish sweet dishes are attractive and easy to make. A sweet dish is often served as a dessert in many Turkish restaurants. These delicacies mentioned below are favorite in almost every Turkish household.

Ekmek Tatlisi Turkish Sweet Recipe: This sweet dish is a variation of bread pudding.

Ingredients
  • 1 and 2/3 cups milk
  • 200 grams of bread (white part only)
  • 3 eggs (beaten together with a fork)
  • 3 tablespoons margarine-melted
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
For Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup of water
  • 9 ounces sugar
Preparation
  1. Pre-heat the oven to about 175 degree Celsius.
  2. Crumble the bread in a bowl.
  3. Pour the milk into the bowl. Mix it with bread properly. Leave the mixture aside for about 30 minutes. Allow the bread to soak the milk.
  4. After this is done, drain excess milk. Combine the soaked bread with a mixture of beaten eggs, 1 tablespoon sugar and melted margarine. Thoroughly mix it by hand.
  5. Pour the mixture in a baking dish. The mixture will be around half an inch thick.
  6. Bake the mixture in the preheated oven for around 40 minutes.
  7. If the mixture puffs irregularly, then make few cuts using a knife.
  8. For preparing the syrup, heat all the ingredients listed above, until the mixture starts boiling.
  9. When you remove the baked bread from the oven after 40 minutes, just pour the syrup over it.
  10. Allow it to cool. Let the syrup be completely absorbed.
  11. After it cools, cut the bread in diagonal shapes. You can serve it with chopped toasted hazelnuts, coconut flakes or chopped walnuts.
Turkish Baklava
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of butter
  • A pack of phyllo pastry sheets
  • 3 cups of white granulated sugar
  • 1 pound of chopped walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
Preparation
  1. Mix the chopped walnuts with ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup sugar and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.
  2. Melt the butter.
  3. Cut phyllo in such a way that each sheet fits exactly the bottom of baking pan.
  4. Butter the sides and the bottom of the baking before placing the phyllo. Put the phyllo sheets one at a time in your baking pan.
  5. After every 6 sheets of phyllo, spread the mixture over it. Pour the remaining butter if any, over the top of Baklava. For best results, ensure that each sheet is well buttered to stop them from sticking together.
  6. Diagonally cut the baklava with the help of a sharp knife to get diamond-shaped pieces.
  7. Pre-heat the oven to a temperature of 175 degree Celsius. Place the baklava pieces in the oven and bake them for around 45 or until the top turns golden brown.
  8. Remove the diamond-shaped pieces from the oven. Allow the pieces to cool completely.
  9. In order to prepare the syrup mix 1 cup water, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 2 cups sugar and ¾ teaspoons cinnamon in a sauce pan and heat until the mixture starts boiling.
  10. Pour this boiling syrup over the Baklava pieces. Allow it to cool. When it cools completely, serve the pieces with Turkish sweet coffee.
These are some of the popular Turkish recipes that are relished by people from all over the world. As most of the ingredients are available at home, you can easily make them within a short span of time.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Africa Various Food

Africa, for most people is a mystery, a dream, and often the introduction of unlimited imagination, there are thick and lush tropical rainforest, the world's most vast Sahara Desert, simple and rough customs, there has The rich style of cuisine.

Pilipili soup
Production: 1. Wok, add salad oil, green peppers, onions and goat diced with stir fry, then add the right amount of chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken powder, soy sauce, and finally add the soup with stewed.

2. Soup Aohao the after Sheng into red peppers, red peppers buckle in the dish, sprinkle with croutons around the peppers the Soup, red pepper, raised, red pepper in the soup will flow out.
 
Three-color ostrich egg cake
This recipe is for maintenance folks, or a special treat on holidays. It's relatively low in carbs (estimated 5-7 carbs a slice, not counting the SA and depending on the filling you use), but high in calories. It's bakery quality.

Production: 1 respectively in spinach broken ostrich egg and salt, the potato pieces and tuna, tune into the juice.

2 work into the right amount of salad oil, onion soy pan Drizzle the three kinds of egg pan, spread into a pancake, and three pancake stacked.

Madagascar Huicai
Production:1. Lentils, cabbage, red peppers, carrots, cleaned, shredded, and boiled with water, dry well spare.
2 Frying pan into the oil, with fried onion, garlic and ginger soy pan, into the vegetables, silk, salt, white vinegar, black pepper to the pan when cornmeal cooked with water (to be thick polenta than we drink a lot).
  
Tips: In Africa, the dish food is hand to seize the polenta and vegetables are put into the mouth.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Paradise Pizza Hut For All Italian Food Lovers


Printable Pizza Hut coupons is the easiest way to save money at Pizza Hut, all you have to do is go to the Pizza Hut website and check their deals. Sometimes they will have some coupons you can print out, and some times they will just have deals you have to tell the person when placing your order. It is as easy as pie, Pizza pie!

People of India take their food seriously and adore eating. There are dining choices on all streets, a number of them are small with mid-range costs and some are costly. Although Chinese, Thai, Italian and Japanese are most admired, you can moreover come across Lebanese, Mexican and Mediterranean restaurants in the country, too.

The Italian restaurants in India have had a great charisma owing to the taste, especially. People find the flavor of this food quite appealing which has an exclusive method of preparation.

The features of glamour and striking look that are linked with the Italian foods have made it so admired among the Indian foodies. Thus, having these restaurants in India helps loads of Italian food lovers to hit upon the most excellent dishes from this cuisine which are these days being offered in the most exotically looking servings

Italian restaurants in India are found in approximately every part of the nation, anywhere people go. Even the small joints and hotels are making the Italian dishes. Pizza hut is one of the famous Italian restaurants in India.

It is not unusual these days to find that people are ordering these interesting dishes from lots of restaurants in their surrounding area and can say the names of these foreign dishes pretty straightforwardly. The customs of eating out and trying new dishes has offered a new perception towards the Italian restaurants in India.

Pizza Hut is about a lot more than pizzas. From freshly sautéed pastas & tasty starters to mocktails, desserts, soups and salads, it has an extensive range for everybody to eat. All this, united with the affectionate, welcoming ambience and pleasant service, which brings about never-ending discussions, laughter and memories that you'll treasure everlastingly. Hence, let your hair down and feel relaxed. Go-ahead and take pleasure in the All New Pizza Hut experience in its best new restaurants.

The final way to try and save money outside of using Pizza Hut coupons is to call your local Pizza Hut. Every restaurant tends to have different promotions so when you call, simply ask what is on special. Don't feel rushed like you have to order right away, write it down then talk to your family and friends who are ordering with you. Figure out if the current in store promotion will work for you and if it does, give them a call back and nab up those savings.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Indian Butter Chicken Is The Most Favorite Dishes


India has a lot of cuisines which range from very spicy and vegetarian to non-vegetarian. Some of the most common non-vegetarian recipes include meals made from chicken such as butter chicken, chicken korma, coconut curry chicken, chicken pakora, and chicken tikka masala among others. Fish recipes include fish moilee, Indian fish curry, patrani macchi, sarsoon macchi, Bengali chicken and deep fried fish among others as well. Below are the recipes for two of India's most favorite dishes, the Indian Butter Chicken and Fish Pakora:

Indian Butter Chicken
The Indian Butter Chicken recipe include 2 ounces or an equivalent 50 grams of ground almonds, ¼ pint or 150 ml of natural yoghurt, to spice it up 1 ½ tablespoon of chili powder is neded too, ¼ tablespoon of crushed bay leaves, another ¼ tablespoon of ground cloves and ground cinnamon. 1 tablespoon of garam masala is also needed to spice the chicken up, 1 tablespoon of ginger pulp, 4 green cardamom pods, 1 table spoon of garlic pulp, 400 grams or 14 ounces of can tomatoes, 1 and ¼ tablespoons of salt, 3 ounces of butter, another table spoon of corn oil, medium sliced onions, two of them, 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander which is chopped, 4 tablespoons of cream and finally the main ingredient, 1 kilogram of chicken which is equivalent to 2 pounds of chicken too. The chicken should be skinned, boned and curbed.

The preparation of the Indian Butter chicken is also very simple and fast as well. One needs to begin by blending together all dried spices which include tomatoes, ginger, garlic and salt. Ground almonds and yoghurt should be added into the mixture as well and mixed very well together. The next step is covering the chicken with this mixture and to do that well, one should place the chicken in whole in a big bowl and pour the blended mixture over the chicken to cover it completely. After doing this, the chicken should be placed aside and the oil and butter melt together in a frying pan. After they melt well, add the sliced onions and fry them for about 3 minutes and add the chicken mixture into the fried onions. Keep stirring for the chicken not to stick to the pan for about 7-10 minutes. Pour half of the coriander over and stir well and the cream as well. Keep stirring and bring the meal to boil. Use the remaining coriander to garnish the chicken and make it curry. After this process, the meal is ready it can be served as pleased.

Fish Pakora
Fish Pakora is another non vegetarian dish that is popular among the Indians. The ingredients include 4 white fish fillets that are sliced and cut into small pieces, a pinch of salt, 2 eggs, another pinch of red chili powder, 2 tablespoons of corn flour and lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves and oil for deep frying the fish fillets. This meal is prepared by first beating the eggs into a bowl, add salt, chili powder. Lemon juice and coriander leaves. It should be mixed well and corn flour added to make smooth batter. In the mat time, the oil is preheated into the frying pan each fish fillet is dipped into the batter and fried in batches until they are crisp. The meal can be served hot together with ketchup or chutney.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Give You The Taste Of Spanish Food


Spanish food is rich in both ingredients and flavors. Saffron is the prime ingredient and spice that is used in most of the dishes. Sea Food is also vey much preferred by the Spanish people. Tapas, which are small appetizers are quite popular throughout Spain and you will find a lot of bars and restaurants offering traditional Tapas. Below are some tips on how should one enjoy a great Spanish meal.

1.Start with sangria (red wine). This drink is actually a punch that is made by mixing brandy, red wine and fruit. In case you prefer white wine then have sangria that is made using white wine. This is also a very refreshing and fruity drink that is generally served chilled as sangria is supposed to.

2.Select some Tapas or small appetizers that are available in different exotic tastes throughout Spain. You can have many of these appetizers as they are basically small bite of food that is served traditionally with drinks. You can choose between chorizos (Spanish sausages), atun (tuna), mussels or clams. These Specialties of Spain are cooked on a very slow flame of heat using different kind of spices and oils.

3.Next you should go for in a hearty soup. A Galician soup named Caldo Gallego is made using beans and this soup is much known for its enticing flavor. Most of the restaurants in Spain serve this soup.

4.Then you can choose Spanish Pella Marinera for your main course. This dish has a base of yellow rice with mussels, shrimps, lobster and clams cooked in spices. Saffron is the main spice used for bestowing yellow color and also for seasoning. A lot of Spanish restaurants also serve tenderloins and steaks in a large variety. These are generally grilled on charcoal and taste awesome.

5.You can select rice pudding that has added cinnamon or the Arroz con Leche for Desert Storm. Caramel custard or flan is another favorite amongst Spaniards as desert.

Baked Fish Recipe:
Ingredients
White fish fillets - Cod/haddock etc (4 x 175g)
Olive oil
Bay leaves (2)
Dry white wine (8 table spoons)
Lemon Juice (1/2 lemon)
Green pepper - chopped (1)
Onion - finely chopped (1)
Clove of garlic - crushed (1)
Tomato peeled, seeded and chopped (1)
Salt
Ground black pepper

Preparation
For this recipe from Spain, you would need 4 pieces of foil, 12 X 12 inches in size. Brush each foil piece with some olive oil. Then place a piece of fish on each square. Add the following ingredients together- garlic, onion, green pepper and tomato. Place this carefully on top of the fish pieces. You would now need to place ½ portion of the bay leaf over this. Now, add around 2 tablespoons of white wine and lemon juice over this bay leaf. Use some quantity of salt and pepper as seasoning and fold the foil edges.

These little foil packets should now be placed on a baking tray. Cook them in a preheated oven at 190 degrees C. An advisable tip over here would be to keep a check on one packet of fish after 20 minutes. You would thus be able to note when the fish is cooked just right! Once baked well, serve this preparation with some boiled potatoes!

The Cuisine of Spain is famous for the variety in dishes because of differences in culture, geography and climate. The availability of seafood is highly influenced by the water that surrounds the entire country and it also reflects the deep maritime roots that the country had. Due to extensive history and a large number of cultural influences, the Spain has benefited thousands of dishes and recipes. Spanish food is also renowned for fresh ingredients and health benefits.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Spanish Rice Recipe Is Flavorful And Nutritious


Since I have to please a large crowd of vegetarians in the house, I'm always looking for ways to make my dishes more flavorful and nutritious.  Traditional Spanish rice is already packed with flavor, so with the addition of just a few ingredients it can become a complete meal. To the standard blend of white rice, onion, tomato, garlic and cilantro, I add protein in the form of cannellini beans and vegetarian chorizo.  I finish the dish with a little saffron and Tabasco for an additional kick of fragrance and flavor.

For the non-vegetarians, I make a ground lamb chorizo that I add to the Spanish rice instead. This way everyone is happy, and it's not a lot of additional work for me.

Ingredients
Yields: 6
2-1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 (15 oz) can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with the juice
3 tablespoons canola oil, as needed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon salt, + 1 teaspoon for rice water
3 pinches saffron threads
3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup vegetarian chorizo (see tips)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, freshly ground
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
Wash the rice thoroughly. Place in a large bowl, cover with water. Add the lemon juice. Soak for an hour. Drain as much water as possible.

Fill a large pot with about 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Add the rice. Bring the liquid back to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a gentle boil. That way the rice will cook evenly all the way through. Cook for about 7-8 minutes at a bubbly simmer. Add 1 teaspoon of salt halfway through the cooking process (it will bring out the natural flavor of the white rice and the rice will be more tender). Keep stirring the rice every now and then so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. The grains of rice should still be still a little hard, about 2/3 of the way cooked. Drain the liquid from the rice using a fine mesh colander. Do NOT rinse. Discard the liquid.
In a deep saucepan, heat the canola oil. Cook the onions until nicely golden (may take 5-6 minutes). Add the green bell pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes until tender. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
In the same saucepan, add the garlic and cook until slightly golden. Add the canellini beans. Gently toss the cannellini beans for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the beans from the pan and set aside. Add the shallot to the remaining oil in the pan (or add more oil if necessary). Cook until golden, then add the vegetarian chorizo. Separate the "soyrizo" into small lumps using a spoon. Cook until each piece is nicely browned. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

In the same saucepan, add the diced tomatoes and juice, the white rice, paprika, cayenne pepper, Tabasco and saffron. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of salt if you like. Cover and cook over high heat for about 3-4 minutes. Steam should escape from the pot. Remove the lid, stir well, then add the onions and green bell pepper. Cover the saucepan one more time and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the cannellini beans and the "soyrizo". Gently stir the Spanish rice without mashing the beans. Cover and let stand until you're ready to serve.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Turkey Cobbler With Your Favorite Homemade

With all the leftover antipasto we had, I decided to make a turkey  antipasto salad. Who says salami doesn’t go well with turkey? Eating a big salad tonight was very refreshing after the mounds of stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy I ate yesterday. The pie and cheesecake didn’t help either. This salad was not low calorie as it contained provolone cheese, pepperoni and salami. But it felt good to eat a bunch of greens with an oil and vinegar dressing. Chopping everything up in bite size pieces made it very easy to eat.

This savory "Gobbler" cobbler is yet another great way to enjoy leftover turkey. Serve this cobbler with cranberry sauce on the side and a tossed green salad or fresh sliced tomatoes, if desired. If you're short on time, top the filling with your favorite homemade or refrigerated biscuits just before baking.

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 ribs celery, sliced
  • 1 bunch green onions, about 6 to 8, thinly sliced
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup leftover or canned turkey gravy, or use more chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
  • 3 cups diced leftover cooked turkey
  • -
  • Topping:
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 milk
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 scant teaspoon poultry seasoning or crumbled rubbed sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, optional
  • -
  • cranberry sauce, optional

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat until frothy; add celery and cook until celery is tender. Add green onions and cook 1 minute longer. Add 6 tablespoons flour, stirring until well blended and bubbly. Add chicken broth and turkey gravy; continue cooking, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Add seasonings, thawed vegetables, and turkey; heat through. Pour into a buttered 9-inch square pan or 2-quart baking dish. Heat oven to 400°.

Topping:

In a medium bowl, whisk 1 egg with the milk and melted butter. In another bowl, blend the 1 cup of flour with cornmeal, baking powder, salt, poultry seasoning, and parsley. With a wooden spoon, stir dry ingredients into the egg and milk mixture until well blended. Drop spoonfuls of the dough all over the hot filling. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until topping is browned and filling is bubbly.
Serve with cranberry sauce on the side, if desired. Serves 4 to 6.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

How To Cook Sweet And Sour Spare Ribs

Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, is a mouth-watering and goes-great-with-cold-beer type of dish. We searched Shanghai to bring you three of the best Tangcu Paigu dishes in town. Prepare to lick your fingers in delight.Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs epitomizes the sweet and sour dishes of China. It is made from fresh pork ribs, which appear shiny and red after being cooked. It originated in Wuxi City of Jiangsu Province and has been popular in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Sichuan provinces.

Ingredients:
spare ribs 500 g
1 egg
green onion sections
cooking wine
soy sauce
salt
white vinegar
cornstarch
white sugar
wheat flour

Note: the amount of the ingredients especially the seasonings listed above can be appropriately used according to one's personal taste.

Step 1: Fill a wok with half-full of water and turn on the heat. Slowly add the spare rib sections, and cover them. Once the water is boiling, add in the cooking wine. Boil for 15-20 minutes until the spare rib sections is 70% cooked. Remove them to a colander, and place in a small basin. Add the salt, white vinegar and wheat flour. Crack the egg into it and stir well with a spatula or chopsticks. Let it marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Step 2: In another bowl or small basin combine the white sugar, white vinegar, cooking wine, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Stir well.

Step 3: Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add some coooking oil, and add in the processed spare ribs one by one with chopsticks. Turn off the fire and remove them when they look yellowish-white and put them in a colander quickly. Remove the broken bits, and add the fried spare ribs back in to be fired again when the temperature of the oil in the wok is heated back up to 70 centigrade (158 Fahrenheit). Fry the spare ribs well until they turn golden. Then, remove them from the wok.

Step 4: Leave some cooking oil in the wok, swirling to coat the sides. Add in the green onion sections and prepared seasoning sauce from step 2, and stir-fry over high heat for about 20 seconds. Then, add in the fried spare ribs and fry and stew for 2-3 minutes over high heat until the seasoning sauce coats the outside skin of the fried spare ribs.

Step 5: Now, turn off the fire, pick the delicious sweet and sour spare ribs out of the wok, and serve. A plate of delicious sweet and sour spare ribs is ready for you to enjoy.

Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, is a mouth-watering and goes-great-with-cold-beer type of dish. We searched Shanghai to bring you three of the best Tangcu Paigu dishes in town. Prepare to lick your fingers in delight.

Friday, January 6, 2012

How To Cook Beef And Broccoli

That is one of the things I like about this dish, you can prep it all out and then wait for your dinner guests. Then you can quickly cook it from start to finish in about 20 minutes. I also like the fact that the veggies cook just about the same amount of time that the steaks need to rest so it all comes together at the same time.
Alexis and our 21 y/o son were on their way back from Florida yesterday and I wanted to have a hot dinner for them when they arrived. Alexis called when they were an hour away so I could start making dinner. An hour later when I expected to drop the steaks on the grill as they walked in, they were still at the NC/TN state line stuck in traffic from the rock slide reconstruction.
Normally, Trevor (10) and I would have savored that extra hour. It would have given us extra time to scurry around cleaning and hiding the evidence of the wild parties that we had. Pasties on the ceiling fan, how'd those get up there?
But sadly, we were well behaved all week and there was no damage control to be done. So I put all the prepped ingredients in the fridge, cut the grill temp to low to keep it warm, and just waited.
Just before they got home, I opened up the vents on the Big Green Egg and we were eating within 30 minutes of them walking in the door.
Beef and Broccoli
Source: Broccoli part adapted from an adaptation of Joy of Cooking
2 ea ribeye steaks
1/4 cup ginger flavored soy sauce
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 head Broccoli chopped into 1" pieces
1 tablespoon Peanut oil
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
3 cloves Garlic finely minced
1 tablespoon Ginger finely minced
1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
1/3 cup Chicken stock
1/4 cup Oyster sauce
Instructions
Marinate the steaks in the soy sauce and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic for 1-4 hours.
Preheat grill to high. I had my Big Green Egg running at 500-550f with a cast iron grate. Grill the steaks 2 minutes per side and then do another 90 seconds per side to get to medium done. Cut that time to 60 seconds for medium-rare, 30 for rare. You could also pan cook or broil the steaks if that is your only option.
Remove the steaks to a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes. If you don't have a cooling rack, use an extra grill grate or even the rack from your toaster oven.
Why not just stick them on a plate? I picked this tip up from Rouxbe Online Cooking School. I tried it a few months ago and found it DOES make a difference. Here's why and another tip...
Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes
As soon as the steaks come off, place a wok on the grill. Heat oil in wok. Stir fry garlic, ginger, and pepper for just a few seconds. Don't let the garlic brown. Add in broccoli (wet from rinsing) and stir fry for two minutes.
Add chicken broth, cover tightly, and steam for four minutes. By cover tightly, I mean with the wok lid, not just closing the grill.
Add oyster sauce and stir fry for 3-5 more minutes. If you want a thicker sauce, mix in a slurry of 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp cold water mixed together. If you like spicer, add 1 Tbsp of sriracha sauce.