Wind Mill,Black and White Wenesday

Till now I have only had food post here.
But there is this weekley even called Black & Whtie Wedenesday and I have been wanting to join .

So few days ago Hubby and I went with bycycle to this Mill in Sluis / Nederland were we can buy flour and it is from this place I buy my Spelt and all the other variety of flour which I make my bread and it is far cheaper than the shops.

Malai Chicken Kebabs

You must be thinking when you read this post, why the Hell I should buy a Indian Cookbook which is written by Gordon Ramsay. The main reason I bought the book is as he travelled to India to expirence himeself the culinary tradition so I thought why not give it a try.

I don't think i would try all the recipes in the book as some of then are not as authentic as I would like it to be, but still I like the book. I am not sure I will say I love the book but for me I like the book and there is a difference isn't it :-)

You can buy the book online if you like here

So from the book I thought why not try this Malai chicken recipe. And I have to say here at home we loved it. I am sure I will be making this more often.
I didn't had orange and red pepers so I didn't use them.

500 gm boneless and skinless chicken breasts

salt and frshly ground black pepper

6 to 8 bamboo skewers or metal skewers

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper

2 tbsp meleted ghee or unsalted butter.

Marinade

150 ml double cream

2 cardamom pods, split and seeds finley crushed

3 cm gignger peeled and finley grated

3 large garlic cloves peeled and finley grated

2 tbsp gram flour

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp dried mango powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

4 green chillies finley chopped.
1 tbsp corrianger leaves optional

Cut the chicken into cubes.
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingridients for the marinade and season well with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well to ensure that every piece is well coated.
Cover the bowl with cling film and chill for few hours, preferably overnight.

Soal the bambbo skewers in cold water for at least 20 ùinuted.
Whean ready to cook, heat the grill to the hghest setting.
Halve the peppers and remove and discard the seeds. Cut the peppers into small cubes the same size as the chicken pieces.
Thread the chicken pieces and peppers alternatley on to the soaked skewers and place on a lightly oiled baking trey.
Grill for about 10 to 12 minutes, basting turning and basing again with ghee or butter a couple of times during cooking.
Serve the chicken kebabs with pulao rice or naan with a salade of your choice.



Mango Ice Cream

I don't know why I didn't post this super delicious mango ice cream till now. I must have made this two months back.

It has been summer holiday here and still it is.

Not that we can call summer as the weather this year has been horrible, I think we must have had few days of really good weather and that was it.

Where ever we go or meet someone in the street, the main talk is how the summer weather has been horrible etc......funny when I was in India we never thought aobut good sunny weather as there was always sunshine except in the monsoon time.

And I don't remember even listening to the weather report which was always there after the evening news, but here when I get up in the morning I am watching the weather report to know what the weather is going to be that day :-)

This is one of the best mango ice cream I have ever ate. It is so so silky smooth and delicious.

Made this from Soma's place eCurry I followed her recipe, almost same, just that i used full cream, and I whipped up the cream before I added into the mago pulp mix, and I used mango liquer instead of vodka and also lessed the sugar.
Ingredients:

1. 500 ml double cream
2. 2 cups mango pulp, canned or fresh, chilled
3. 1 tablespoon lime juice
4. 3/4 cup sugar or as per taste (the amount will differ with the sweetness of the mango)
5. 1 tablespoon vodka (optional – the alcohol prevents the ice cream from getting rock hard and breaks up crystals)

Preparation:
If you are using fresh mango, puree the scooped out flesh of the mango and strain the pureed pulp to remove the fibers. If you are using canned mango pulp, I would suggest you use the Alphonso Mango Pulp (available in Indian Groceries in Ratna brand). Nothing tastes as good as the alphonso mangoes.
Combine the pulp; lime juice and the sugar till the sugar is dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator.
Whip up the creamand then fold it through the mango pulp.

If you do not have an ice cream maker,pour the mango cream mixture into the machine and follow the instructions of your machinge.. Add the vodka towards the end of the process.
If you don't have a machine blend/whip the mixture  for a minute and freeze.
 Every couple of hours break the ice cream up with a hand blender or by cranking your arms(= whip the ice cream till your arms are sore). Do freezing and whipping about 3-4 times to achieve the soft whipped crystal free consistency.

Meat Ball Curry



I am sure I have written this, that mostly in my blog that there is more sweet recipe than savour or Lunch/Dinner food recipes.
I don't like to take photo's in a hurry and If I do that I am sure I will spill things or break something which is around me as I am in a hurry to take the food to the table.
But these days I am trying to take more pictures from my Lunch dishes as you can see.
I made this meat ball Curry few days back and I managed to take few clicks.

What I do is I make everything ready to take pictures, the camera , my props etc.... and then when the food is ready I take the plate and do few clicks.

I am sure my sis will be happy as she always complain that I blog too much seet things as she prefers to make dishes like these.

The recipe is from Pat Chapman's Curry bible book, me adapting a bit. If you like more spicier just add more chillies etc...

Clicke the picture for a enlarged image.



500 gm minced beef / Lamb

2 large garlic cloves finley chopped

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp chopped fresh corriander

Gram flour for rolling ( if you don't have you can use normal flour)

Masala one:

1 tsp ground corriander.

1/2 tsp dried mango powder ( if you don't have you can add a bit lime juice)

1 tsp chillie powder

2 tsp cummin seeds powdered

2 tsp gram flour

Masala Two:

2 tp 3 tsp ground corriander

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp asafoetida

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
1/2 tsp caraway seeds

For the Sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200 gm onion paste  ( Chop onions together with 2 garlic cloves chopped and 1 inch ginger chopped and fry them with few tbsp of oil and grind into a smooth paste)

 2 to 3 tsp curry powder

 2 cloves

2 cardamom

1 stick cinamon
1 tsp mint leaves.

1 fresh green chilli.

1. To make the meat balls, put the meat , garlic, egg yolk, corriander and Masala one into a food processor and pulse into a smooth paste.

2. Mix well then divide the mixture into small balls.
Keep wetting your hands inbetween so that the meat doesn't stivk to your hands while you make the balls.
Roll them in gram flour and keep aside.

3. To cook, heat the oil in a karahi or wok, and fry the meat balls light brown( just to seal all the sides, it takes just few minutes) Keep them aside.

4. Now add a little more oil and add the cloves, cardamom and cinamon, fty for few seconds and then add the fried onion paste. Add the mint leaves and the chilli.

Fry for few minutes then add the curry powder.Fry for few minutes then add the Masala 2. Fry for few more minutes. Add the meat balls and then add water till the balls are covered.

Simmer the whle dish for 20 minutes or till the meat is cooked.

If the gravy is too thin add a bit corn flour and make the sauce thicker.

Sprinkle with a bit of  corriander leaves and serve with rice or roties.

Red Cake Pops



I don't think you need any introuduction to Cake Pops. Everybody knows about it after it was seen in Bakerella.

The moment her book Cake Pops was out I wanted to buy but then she herself had written that these cuties are really sweet, so that put me off buying the book.

But then few months back we were in the book shop and Shyama saw the book and I was looking through it and she told me you know you should buy the book as these Cake Pops are in ( well in a teenage language that means they are in fashion :-) )

I still didn't buy it, but as you can see now I coudn't resist buying the book and making them.

I made them today and when Shyama came home for lunch ( as she is going summer job for a month) she even had one as a dessert so Hans and I joined in.
Ok they are indeed sweet even though I made my own cake and I lessed half the suagr which was given in the recipe.

I did the exact amount of suagr when I made the frosting, but next time I will try to add less sugar to the frosting too.

I am sure if you make then with the amount of sugar in the book they would be over sweet as Bakeralla make the cake from readymade cake mix.
She has indeed give a recipe for home made cake and that is what I did but with lesser sugar.

Over sweet or not one loves it. While I was busy makeing them Hans came to the kitchen and he remarked oh they are so cute :-)

18.25 ounce box cake mix ( I made the cake from scratch with the recipe which was given in the book, you will see the recipe below)

1 by 13 inch cake pan

Large mixing bowl

16 ounce container ready made frosting. ( I made the frosting from scrach with the recipe she gave in the book)

Large metal spoon

Wax paper ( used my silpat)

2 baking sheets

Palstic wrap

48 ounces ( 3 pounds) candy coating

Deep, micriwave safe plastic bowls

48 paper lolipos sticks

Styrofoam blocks.
Bake the cake as directed on the box or make from scrach with the recipe below, using a 9 by 13 inch cake pan.

Let cool completley.
Once the cake is cooled, get organized and set aside plenty of time, to crumble, roll, and dip the cake pops.

Crumble the cooled cake  into a large mixing bowl. You should not see any large pieces of cake.

Add three quaters of the container of frosting or use the full home made frosting. ( you will not need the remaining frosting).
Mix it into the crumble cake, using the back of a large metal spoon,until throughly combined. If you use the entire ready made container , the cake balls will be too moist.

The mixture should be moist enought to roll into  1 1/2 inch balls and still hold a round shape. After rolling the cake balls  by hans, place them on a wax paper ( i used silpat) -covered baing sheet.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours in the refrigerator, or place in the freezer for 15 minutes. You want the balls to be firm by not frozen.

Place the candy coating in a deep MW bowl. These bowl make it easier to cover the cake balls completley with candy coating while holdignt eh bown without burning your fingers. ( I used a small glass after melting the candy melts to dip)

Melt the candy coating, following the instructions on the package. MW on medium heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring with a spoon in between. You can use a doubl boiler. Either way make sure you do not over heat the coating.
Now you are ready to dip.
Take a few cake balls at a time out of the refrigerator or freezer to work with..
If they are in the freezer, transfer the rest of the balls to the fridge at this point, so they stay firm but do not freeze.

One at a time, dip about 1/2 inch of the tip of the lolipop stick into the melted coating and then insert the lollipop stick straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more that half way through.

Holding the lollipop stick with teh cake ball attached, dip the entire cake ball ino the melted candy coating untill it is completley covered, and remove it in one motion.
Make sure the coating meets at the base of the lollipo stick.
This hels to secure the cake ball into the stick when the coating sets.

The thinner the consistency of your coating the easier it will be to coat the cake pops.
If you find the coating too thick, add some shortening or paramount crystals or oil to thin the coating.
Stick the cake into the styrofoam block.

Repeat the remaing cake balls in the same method.

Click the picture to enlarge image.





Yellow Cake Recipe

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

1 cup butter, at room temperatie
2 cup sugar ( I only added 1 cup as I didn't want the cake balls to be really sweet)

4 eggs at room temperatue

2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9 by -13 inch cake pan.
In a large bowl, whsik together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Crea the butter and sugar with a mixer for 5 minutes, untill light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, to creamed sugar and butter, mixign untill just combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix untill combined.

Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, atlternaing with milk in two additions. ( you'll begin and end with the flour mixture)

Spread the batter ( it will be thick) evenly into prpared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes ( in my oven it was fully baked after 28 minutes) or untill a toothprick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completley before crumbling for cake balls.



Vanilla Frosting Recipe

3/4 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups confectioner's sugar

1 to 2 tsp of milk, if needed

Cream the butter and vanilla with a mixer untill combined.

Add the sugar to the creamed mixture in two  or three batched, scraping down thesides of the bowl after each addition.

If needed add the milk to make the frosting creamier.

Tips she had mentioned in her book.

I would personally suggest, if you are serious about making pops more than once, you should buy the book as she has given in details lots of good tips and I am too lazy to write down everything which she has mentioned in her book, but I am writting down few.

Make the cake day before and let it cool overnight .

If you are using ready made mix cake then it is easy to crumble by hand. But if you are using the cake from scratch use a food processor to crumble the cake.
SHe also have given this tip which i used, she had written as 4 dozen  pops are too many???

You can make as few as a dozen that is what I did.

You make the cake and cut into 4 quaters and use 1 quater for 12 pops and freeze the rest of the cake for another time. Just make sue to adjust the amount of the butter cream.

The thinner the consistency of your coating the easier it will be to coat the cake pops.

If you find the coating too thick, add some shortening or paramount crystals or oil to thin the coating.

I do have step by step pictures, I will add them when I download the pictures.



Grilled aubergines with olive oil, garlic, parsley and feta cheese



Normally I never post anything so fast. But this dish is so delicious that I thought I will post it before the summer is finished.
I did make this two weeks back but coudn't take any picture as mostly I can never take picture of warm food as my family is waiting for having their food and I don't want them to wait, just because I have to take pictures.

But then this dish is so yumm and my hubby and daughter who are carnivorous in nature loved this, and when I made this two weeks backs and after the lunch hubby asked when we are going to make this again.
So that is what I did today, we had this again for lunch and I took my plate and clicked few pictures in a hurry :-)

God the recipe from the TV show The Good Cook
The cook say in the show he feel so bad that he didn't discover this dish long agi as he only had this last year when he went to Greace and I totally agree with him.

4 long, thin-skinned purple aubergines (alternatively use the ordinary plump, pear-shaped variety available from most supermarkets)

1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped ( I used 3 garlic)

handful parsley leaves, finely chopped

5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ( I used some 10 tbsp so that one can soak up the dressing with bread)

a little sea salt and black pepper ( take care in adding salt as the feta cheese is salty)

200 gm Cheese
lemons, for serving

1.Preheat the grill to high.


2.Run a small, sharp knife round the top of the aubergine, 1cm/½in or so below the stalk and only just cutting through the skin; then make four evenly spaced, similarly shallow cuts, along the length of the aubergine right down to the end.

3.Grill the aubergines for about 20 minutes, turning every 5-7 minutes or so, until evenly cooked with charred skin, and until the aubergine feels soft, but not too collapsed within. In the case of the purple aubergines, the skin will also have turned a dull brown colour. Transfer to a large, oval, white plate and allow to cool for two minutes.

4.Peel away the aubergine skin in four long, narrow sheets using a small knife. Without cutting right through the stalk end, cut the aubergines in half lengthways and gently prise apart until you have two horizontal halves remaining attached at the top end

5.Mix the garlic and parsley with the olive oil until well combined and spoon the mixture over the aubergine. Season lightly with salt (not too much - the cheese is salty anyway) and pepper, and crumble the feta cheese over the top. If liked, trickle over more olive oil to finish.

6.Serve warm, or at room temperature with lemon squeezed over.



Blueberry and Frangipane Tart



When ever I look through this particulat Bake book I have, I see this delicious looking blueberry tart shouting at me make me make me. But every year I forget to make when it is bluberry season or when I think I will make the tart, I woudn't able to remember in which cooking book I saw it.
But as you can see , I made it this year and only regret I have is why I didn't make this tart years ago when I bought the book as these are so so delicious.
We all loved the crispy tart shell and the filling, all to all we love it so much that hubby even asked when am I going to make the delicious bluberry tart again.

The sharp lemon / Lime dough with a sweet almond filling and ripe blueberry is something iressistable. The jam liqueur glaze is a luxurious finishing touch.

Click the picture to have a bigger image.



Ingridients.

1 tbsp coffee powder ( I used nescafe)

3 tbsp warm milk

50 gm butter

50 gm powder sugar
1 egg
115 gm almond powder
1 tbsp flour
225 gm bluberry
2 tbsp bluberry jam
1 tbsp amaretto
Whipped cream or Sour Cream to serve with the tarts.

For the dough
175 gm flour
115 gm butter in blocks ( keep in the fridge till you use it)

25 gm powder sugar
Zest of 1/2 lime / Lemon ( i used lime)
1 tbsp ice cold water

For the dough , add the flour into a  food processor together with the sugar , butter, lime zest and cold water.
Pulse untill they form a a dough this will only take a minute or so. You might have to add a bit more water depending on your flour.
Shape them into a flat dough, cover with a plastic foil and keep in the fridge for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes roll the dough with a bit od flour. Lay it on a butterd tart tin, you can use any shape I used a straigt one that a round one.

Prick the bottom of the dough. Line with a baking paper and fill the paper with baking bean or any dry pulse.
Preheat the oven to 190° c .
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the the beans and bake for futher 10 minutes.
In the mean time make the frangipan filling.
Mix the coffee with the milk.
In a bowl mix the butter and  powder sugar fluffy. Add the egg to teh mix and then the almond powder and the flour.
Pour the koffie mix into the bowl, mix everything very smooth.

Spread the above mixture into the baked tart shell evenly.
Arrange the bluberries on top, press them a little into the mix.
Bake the tart for 30 minutes.
After 15 minutes cover the whole tart loosley with a foil for the rest of the baking time.
In the book it is written 30 minutes in my ove it was baked in 25 minutes.
When the tart is bakes, take it out and leave it got cooling a bit.

In the mean time melt the jam in the MW with the liqueor and brush the tart with this.

Serve it warm with whipped cream or sour cream.

I served it cold. As I took the tart to my inlaws place for coffee.