My Cooking Mantra

Sloppy Joes

2010-08-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 (15 ounce) packages Sister Schubert's Dinner Yeast Rolls, prepared according to package directions
3 pounds lean ground sirloin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped green or red bell pepper
2 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 2/3 cups water

Directions

Heat a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and add ground meat. Brown meat until it is cooked thoroughly. Carefully drain and discard fat. Transfer meat to a bowl.
To same pan, heat oil on medium heat; and add onions and peppers and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. When vegetables are tender, return meat to pan and add remaining ingredients. Stir frequently to cover meat with sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.
Split Sister Schubert Dinner Yeast Rolls and spoon meat into rolls. Serve.

Grilled Brined Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce

2010-08-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Chicken:

1/4 cup fine sea salt
2 teaspoons pickling spice
2 tablespoons honey
1 4 1/2-pound whole chicken (preferably organic), backbone removed and discarded, chicken quartered
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large garlic clove, peeled

Chimichurri sauce:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 garlic clove, peeled
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper

Preparation

For chicken:
Bring 2 cups water, 1/4 cup salt, and pickling spice to boil in large saucepan, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat; add 6 cups water and honey. Cool brine to room temperature. Add chicken to brine; let soak 1 hour at room temperature.

Remove chicken from brine and rinse with cold water; discard brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place chicken in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, shallot, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and garlic in processor. Blend until herb mixture is finely chopped. Rub herb mixture all over chicken; cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

For chimichurri sauce:
Place all ingredients in processor; puree until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD:Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Rub excess marinade off chicken, leaving some marinade still clinging. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken covered until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Spoon some chimichurri over. Pass remaining chimichurri.

yield: Makes 4 servings

active time: 1 hour 30 minutes

total time: 7 hours (includes brining and marinating time)

Lamb Kebabs with Mint Pesto

2010-07-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Pesto:

1 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup (or more) extra-virgin olive oil

Kebabs:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds, ground in spice mill or in mortar with pestle
2 pounds trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares
1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch squares

Special Equipment

6 to 8 metal skewers

Preparation

For pesto:
Blend first 7 ingredients in processor to coarse puree. With machine running, gradually pour in 1/2 cup oil; puree until almost smooth. Transfer pesto to bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

For kebabs:
Mix 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, coarse salt, and coriander in medium bowl. Add lamb; toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread lamb on skewers alternately with peppers and onions. Place on baking sheet. Brush with oil; sprinkle with pepper. Grill to desired doneness, turning occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes for medium-rare.

Arrange kebabs on serving platter. Drizzle each kebab very lightly with pesto and serve remaining pesto alongside.

yield: Makes 6 servings

active time: 1 hour

total time: 3 hours

Marinated Thai-Style Pork Spareribs

2010-07-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup sliced shallots
10 scallions, coarsely chopped
One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
8 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro including thin stems (and roots, if possible)
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
4 pounds pork spare ribs, cut by your butcher across the bone into 2- to 3-inch "racks," each rack cut between the bones into individual 2- to 3-inch-long riblets
Thai Chile-Herb Dipping Sauce

Preparation

1. Put the shallots, scallions, ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, fish sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process to a loose, finely chopped paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

2. Place pork ribs in a large bowl or a pair of heavy resealable plastic bags. Thoroughly coat the ribs with the marinade, massaging the paste into the flesh for a minute or so. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours or up to 5 hours in the refrigerator, tossing the ribs once or twice during this time.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the ribs out, bone-side down, on two large, parchment-lined baking sheets and bake until ribs are deeply colored and very tender but not yet falling from the bone, about 11/2 hours, occasionally rotating the pans to encourage even cooking. Remove from the oven and serve with small bowls of Thai Chile-Herb Dipping Sauce .

Toasted Bread with Burrata and Arugula

2010-07-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

6 3x2-inch pieces friselle or crusty ciabatta bread, halved horizontally
5 tablespoons (about) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved
1 8-ounce ball burrata cheese,* cut into 12 wedges
1 1/2 cups (about) baby arugula
Finely grated peel from 1 lemon

Preparation

Finely grated peel from 1 lemon Preheat oven to 400°F. Fill small bowl with water. Place bread halves, cut side up, on baking sheet; brush bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toast bread in oven until crisp and light golden around edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Lightly brush each bread half with water (do not soak). Rub cut sides of bread halves with cut sides of garlic halves.

Place 2 bread halves, cut side up, on each of 6 plates. Drizzle each bread half lightly with olive oil. Top each half with 1 burrata wedge; sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Toss arugula with 1 tablespoon olive oil in small bowl; sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mound arugula salad atop burrata on each bread half; sprinkle each with grated lemon peel and serve.

* A soft, fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

Dried Cranberry, Walnut, and Lemon Scones

2010-07-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (or more) chilled half and half, divided

Preparation

Position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in bowl for glaze.

Whisk flour, baking powder, lemon peel, salt, and 1 cup sugar in large bowl. Add chilled butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Mix in cranberries and walnuts. Add 1/2 cup half and half and1 tablespoon lemon juice. Toss with fork until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more half and half if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Press out each half on floured surface to 6-inch-diameter (1-inch-high) round. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Transfer to baking sheet; brush with glaze.

Bake scones until golden and tester comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Orange Sandesh

2010-07-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
250 g - sugar cubes
200 g - paneer
1 - small orange
a few drops - orange red colour
golden foil

Method

Rub sugar cubes nicely over the surface of orange to absorb the colour and flavour and then crush to a powder.
Grind paneer to a paste.
Mix together paneer and the sugar and cook over a slow fire till the mixture turns thick and leaves the sides of the vessel.
Remove from fire, mix in colour and put in a greased thali.
Cover with foil and cut when cold into pieces, or you can also shape the
mixture into small oranges.
stick an angelica in the centre of the oranges to resemble leaves.

BBQ Prawns

2010-07-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
18-20 jumbo prawns - cleaned & deveined ( I leave the tail on)
2 cups mixed colored bellpeppers & onions- cut into 1-inch pieces
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp djon mustard
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp coriander pwd
2 tsp jeera/ cumin
1 tbsp corn flour
1/4 cup any BBQ sauce
Salt
1 package wooden skewers
3 tbsp dark low-sodium soy sauce (optional)
4 tbsp fish sauce or oyster sauce (optional)
2 tbsp white wine (optional)

Method

Soak the wooden skewers in water to prevent them from burning while bbq-ing or broiling.
Marinade all the ingredients together & set aside for 20 mins.
Skewer the prawns with pieces of bell-peppers & onions in between, leaving enough end-space to flip-over.
Grill on a bbq or broil in your oven for 3-4 mins each side, until white (no longer pink & translucent). Char a bit & then braise with butter on each side.
Don't over-cook them, else they will get rubbery & hard.
Serve with some tartar sauce, bbq sauce or any sauce of your choice.

Cheese Vegetable Garlic Bread Sandwich for Your Breakfast

2010-07-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
4 - garlic bread
1 tbsp - grated cheese
1 cup - mixed vegetables cut into thin slices (carrot, cucumber, tomato, cabbage)
1 tsp - black pepper powder

Method

Take one garlic bread and spread the vegetables.
Top the vegetables with grated cheese and pepper.
Place another garlic bread and toast in a sandwich toaster.
Serve hot with tomato sauce

Yummy Butter Chicken

2010-07-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
700 g - raw chicken
For Marinade:
1/2 kg - curd
1 tsp - red chilli powder
1 tsp - ginger garlic paste
salt to taste
For Gravy:
1/2 kg - tomato, pureed
100 g - white butter
100 g - fresh cream
75 g - white butter
4 - sliced green chillies
1/2 tsp - black cumin seeds
1/2 tsp - sugar
1 tsp - red chilli powder
1/2 tsp - crushed fenugreek leaves
prepared chicken
salt to taste

Method
For the Marinade:

Mix red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, salt and curd together. Marinade is ready.
Now mix the raw chicken in the marinade and keep it in the refrigerator overnight.
Then roast the marinated chicken in a tandoor or an oven for about 5-10 minutes till it is three fourth done.

For the Gravy:

heat white butter in pan.
Add black cumin seeds, tomato puree, sugar, red chilli powder and salt. Mix it well.
Now add the prepared chicken, white butter, fresh cream, sliced green chillies and crushed fenugreek leaves.
Cook till chicken is done. Butter Chicken is ready to eat. Serve hot with rice or naan

Servings : 2
Time Taken : 15-30 mins

Grilled Chicken Burger

2010-07-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken, ground
2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup low-fat milk
3 tsp red onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp cumin, grounded
2 tbsp mozarella cheese
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, ground or cracked
1 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp freshly chopped tarragon leaves
4 Hamburger buns, split and toasted
4 slices Swiss cheese
8 leaves leaf lettuce
1 vine ripe tomato, thinly sliced

Method

Put chicken in a mixing bowl, add milk and bread crumbs.
Add onions, cayenne, garlic, cumin, cheese, salt and pepper.
Mix all the ingredients with a spatula.
Divide chicken meat into 4 or 5 piles and using your hands, shape into patties.
Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Brush both sides of the burger lightly with the olive oil.
Grill the patties until cooked through,about 3-4 minutes on each side and remove from heat.
Combine mayonnaise, mustard and tarragon to form sauce.
Slather the bun top and bottom with the sauce.
Stack lettuce, sliced tomato, onion and cucumber on the bun bottom.
Top it with the chicken pattie and a slice of cheese.
Put bun tops in place.
Serve immediately.
Servings : 3-4
Time Taken : 15-30 mins

New look at curries

2010-07-22T21:58:00.001-07:00

Curries are an integral part of Indian cooking. If our meals are to be healthy, we must make our curries healthy. As we all know, traditional Indian menus are developed with staples (rice, wheat) as the focus and the curries are mainly to add taste and flavor to them. That is the reason for listing rice and Indian breads as main dishes and curries as side dishes in Indian menus. Where as ,in western menus, rice and breads are accompaniments to main dishes consisting of meat, fish and vegetables. In other words, we eat more rice or wheat ( roti, chapattis, paratha)than vegetables, meat, fish etc. It means that our diet is high on carbohydrates and low on proteins, vitamins and minerals .To correct this basic defect, we must reduce the intake of rice or rotis and eat curries and salads.
Tips to healthy alternative food
This shift in our eating pattern calls for effecting some changes in the curries. They should use less fat and spices, so that they can be consumed as the main suppliers of nutrition and energy.
How good are low calorie vegetables?
Generally speaking, south Indian curries, especially the vegetarian curries are lower in fat than the north Indian curries. These curries when prepared in traditional way, involve prolonged frying of plenty of onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and other spices in generous amounts of fat. This method can be modified to make the curries healthier.

Ground onion , garlic and ginger need more oil or ghee while frying to prevent them from burning. So, use them finely chopped and if a smooth gravy is desired, grind them after frying.
When frying these ingredients with less fat, the heat should be low. So, leave it on a low flame and let them cook slowly to soften and mellow the flavors, stirring occasionally.
Alternately, combine them with little fat and microwave without covering. If the wattage of the microwave oven is 100 and above, use only medium hi, or 70% power.
Another way is to lightly fry them in little oil and then pressure cook with tomato and spices.

Mouth watering Antipasto Kabobs

2010-07-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
40 pimiento-stuffed olives
40 large pitted ripe olives
3/4 cup Italian salad dressing
40 thin slices pepperoni
20 thin slices hard salami, halved
Fresh parsley sprigs, optional

Directions

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the tortellini, olives and salad dressing. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Drain and discard marinade. For each appetizer, thread a stuffed olive, folded pepperoni slice, tortellini, folded salami piece, ripe olive and parsley sprig if desired on a toothpick or short skewer. Yield: 40 appetizers.

20 Servings
Prep: 35 min. + marinating

Crispy Chicken Nuggets

2010-07-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1/3 cup - boneless chicken tenders
1/4 kg - all-purpose flour (maida)
1/4 tsp - baking soda
salt as required
1 tsp - vinegar (sirka)
1/3 cup - water
cooking oil, to fry

Method

Cut chicken into medium size pieces, about 1&1/2 inch.
Mix flour with salt in a small bowl.
Mix vinegar with baking soda and add this mixture and water to the flour mixture and beat until the batter is smooth.
Dip chicken pieces into batter; allow excess batter to drip off into the bowl.
Heat oil in deep pan and fry chicken nuggets until golden brown.
Fry on the both sides.
Delicious Chicken Nuggets is ready to eat as starters or Crispy Chicken Nuggets can be served as side dish.

Servings : 4
Time Taken : 15-30 mins

Roasted King Crab

2010-07-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 - live king crab, 4 to 6 pounds
6 tbsp - olive oil
2 tbsp - shredded ginger
2 tbsp - chopped garlic
3 - small green chilies, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 tbsp - butter
salt to taste

Method

To kill the crab, either plunge it into a large pot of boiling water for a minute, or place it on its back on a cutting board and split the body down the middle with one quick cut with a heavy knife.
Use the first method if you wish to use the upper shell in presenting your dish.
Holding the crab body by the legs, pull off the shell.
Discard the feathery gills on both sides of the body and the spongy mass in the middle of the back. Rinse until nothing but shell and meat show.
Pull out the bits of greenish fat from the corners of the shell.
Rinse both the body and shell and drain thoroughly.
Split the body of the crab (if it is not already split) into 2 halves with each cluster consisting of a set of 3 legs and a claw.
Carefully crack each leg and claw segment with a mallet.
Place the clusters in a large bowl with the oil, ginger, garlic, chillies and a generous grinding of pepper.
Marinate for 1 to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
You may need to break your clusters into individual leg and claw sections to be able to submerse the legs while marinating.
Remove crab from marinade 15 minutes before cooking.

For Grilling:
Grill the halves and the shell over a hot fire until outer shells are bright red and meat in the largest sections is opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
For Roasting:
Place crab halves and shell in a roasting pan lightly oiled with a bit of the marinade and roast in a 450F, about 12 to 15 minutes.
For Dipping Sauce:

Strain vegetables out of marinade and combine with the butter in a saucepan.
Simmer for 5 minutes and season to taste.
Serve in small bowls as a dipping sauce for the crab.

Basic British Scones

2010-07-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 cups - all purpose flour
1 tsp - cream of tartar
1/2 tsp - baking soda
1/4 cup - margarine
1/8 cup - white sugar
1/2 cup - milk
additional milk for glaze
1 pinch - salt

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
Stir in the sugar and enough milk to mix to a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface, knead lightly and roll out to a 3/4-inch thickness.
Cut into 2-inch rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush with milk to glaze.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.
Serve with butter.

Servings : 2
Time Taken : 15-30 mins

Italian Sausage Frittata

2010-07-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1 lb. Italian Sausage meat

1 small onion chopped

1 (1 lb) bag of hash brown potatoes

Salt

8 eggs

parmesan cheese

slice tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

1 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2 - saute meat with onion in a non stick skillet until done, about 10 mins

3 - remove from pan.

4 - in same pan with added oil, if needed, cook hash browns until golden brown, about 10-12 mins.

5 - lightly season potatoes with salt (optional)- hash browns are already salted from package

6 - add half of sausage mixture to potatoes.

7 - with back of spoon, press potatoe mixture evenly onto bottom of skillet.

8 - Add the eggs to the remainder of the sausage meat; add salt & mix with fork.

(beat eggs first before adding to the remainder of the sausage meat).

9 - pour egg with the sausage meat over potatoes & cook for 3 minutes until egg mixture begins to set around edges.

10 - place skillet in oven & bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until eggs are done.

11 - thinly slice a couple of tomatoes (optional) & arrange on top.

12 - sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Voila.........Enjoy!!

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

2010-07-09T02:38:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1-1/2 lb. fresh or frozen, peeled and deveined extra-large shrimp
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup honey
2 to 3 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups hot cooked rice

Directions

Thaw shrimp, if frozen. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 1 hour. Rinse shrimp; pat dry. For sauce, in a small saucepan stir together marmalade, honey, and 1/2 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning; set aside.
Place shrimp in a self-sealing plastic bag set in a shallow bowl. For marinade, in a small bowl combine oil and remaining Cajun seasoning. Pour marinade over shrimp. Seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.
Drain shrimp, discarding marinade. Thread shrimp onto skewers. For a charcoal grill, place skewers on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 7 to 9 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place skewers on greased grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.)
Stir marmalade sauce over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until melted. Serve shrimp on skewers with sauce drizzled over. Serve with hot cooked rice. Makes 4 servings.

2010-07-09T02:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks)
Nonstick spray coating
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch

directions

Remove skin from chicken; set chicken aside.
Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray coating. Add mushrooms, onion, basil, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until onion is tender.
Stir in chicken broth, wine, salt, and pepper. Arrange chicken in skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook over low heat about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm.
Measure cooking liquid. Add water to equal 1 cup, if necessary. Pour into skillet.
Combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir into cooking liquid in skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Serve over chicken. Makes 5 servings.

The chicken in this recipe is cooked in a wine sauce, which results in very moist and tender meat. The flavorful sauce, which includes mushrooms, onions, basil, garlic, chicken broth, and white wine, is thickened with cornstarch. You can serve this chicken with a steamed vegetable for a healthy main meal.

Don't think , just try....... It is great!

Yummy Weekend !

2010-07-09T02:18:00.000-07:00

Southwestern Black Bean Cakes with Guacamole

These spicy black bean cakes are meatless finger foods filling enough to make a main course. Vegetarians and carnivores alike are sure to love these grilled Southwestern patties spiced with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Serve with guacamole (instructions included), chopped tomato, tortilla chips, and orange wedges for a complete and colorful meal.
This is my top idea for dinner in the weekend. What about you?

ingredients

2 slices whole wheat bread, torn
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 7-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg
1/2 of a medium avocado, seeded and peeled
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 small plum tomato
Purchased baked tortilla chips (optional)
Orange wedges (optional)

directions

Place torn bread in a food processor bowl or blender container. Cover and process or blend until bread resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a large bowl and set aside. Place cilantro and garlic in the food processor bowl or blender container; cover and process or blend until finely chopped. Add beans, 1 of the chipotle peppers, 1 to 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce (reserve remaining peppers and sauce for another use), and cumin. Process or blend using on/off pulses until beans are coarsely chopped and mixture begins to pull away from sides. Add mixture to bread crumbs in bowl. Add egg; mix well and shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties.
Grill patties on the lightly greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until patties are heated through, turning once.
Meanwhile, for guacamole, in small bowl mash avocado. Stir in lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve patties with guacamole and tomato.
If desired, for burger baskets, place the bean cakes on a bed of purchased baked tortilla chips in a lined basket or bowl and garnish with orange wedges. Makes 4 servings.
Make-Ahead Tip: Up to 24 hours in advance, prepare guacamole, cover, and refrigerate.

recipe source
BHG.com

Chicken Ball Soup

2010-07-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

These low fat chicken recipes by Chandri Bhat are easy to prepare, low in fat, and simply delicious.

Ingredients:

Chicken, minced - 1 cup

Carrot, cut into match sticks - ï¿½ cup

Cabbage, shredded - ï¿½ cup

Garlic - 4 cloves, chopped

Black pepper corns - ï¿½ tsp

Corn flour to bind

Chicken stock - 4 cup

Dark soya sauce - 2 tsp

Light soya sauce - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Crush garlic with pepper corns.
Add to the chicken mince with salt.
Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of corn flour and mix well.
Shape this mixture into 2 cm round balls.
Boil the chicken stock and add the chicken balls to it.
Add carrot and cabbage.
Simmer till the balls and vegetables are cooked.
Add dark and light Soya sauce.
Serve hot.

Image: Flickr/creativecommons/milesgehm

Aloo Gobi

2010-07-02T04:32:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for simple Aloo Phool Gobi Recipe? I am sharing my easy recipe to cook Aloo Phoo Gobi through this recipe video. Even if you are a beginner at cooking, you can try the easy Aloo Phool Gobi Recipe and surprise your family and friends. The Aloo Phoo Gobi is a popular North Indian dish. In Hindi, which is a common language of North India, potato is known as Aloo and cauliflower is called Phool Gobi. Hence, this is known as Aloo Phool Gobi Sabji or Cauliflower Potato Fry. Aloo Gobi is an everyday food during the season of cauliflower, so I have used controlled amount of spices and vegetable oil to make it nutritious and healthy. Aloo Gobi can be eaten during lunch, dinner or break-fast. Phool Gobi Aloo fry goes well with Roti or Chapati, rice, Paratha, and Puri. Enjoy and do let me know how this Aloo Phool Gobi Recipe turned out for you.

Lovely Fried Pomfrate

2010-07-02T01:22:00.001-07:00

Braised Salmon

2010-07-02T01:19:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 lb - skinless Atlantic pink salmon fillets cut into 3X5 inch pieces
Salt & lime juice to marinate fish
1 - large finely chopped onion
2-3 - big ripe tomatoes - finely chopped/ pureed
1 - green chilli/ 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - cumin powder
1/4 tsp - pepper powder
1/4 tsp - rosemary/ thyme/ oregano herbs of ur choice/availability - optional
10-12 - curry leaves if available
1 tbsp - cooking oil
Salt to taste

Method

Wash the fish pieces and marinate for 20 mins in salt & lime juice.
Wash well & smear all the powders (not salt & pepper) on the pieces and set aside.
Heat oil, fry onions well & then add the green chilli, curry leaves' herbs, salt & pepper
Fry well & then add tomatoes & cook till soft.
Remove 2/3rds of the mixture.
Over the remaining 1/3rd, place half the fish pieces & cover with another 1/3rd of the mix.
Then, place the last portion of fish & top with the last of the mix.
Drizzle 2-3 tbsp water & cover & cook till the fish is done.

Time taken:15-30mins
Serving:4

Goan green chicken curry

2010-07-02T01:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 - full chicken cut to medium pieces (1-1.1kg in all)
1/2 tsp - garlic ginger paste
2 - sprigs curry leaves
Salt to taste
6 tbsp - desiccated coconut
2 - green chillies
1 cup - mint leaves
2-3 cups - coriander leaves
1/2 tsp - cumin seeds
1/2 tsp - pepper corns
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
2 - large onions chopped finely
1/2 cup - chopped coriander to garnish
1 tsp - sugar
Cooking oil
1&1-2 inch - cinnamon stick
2 - dried red chilies
4-5 - cardamoms

Method

In a mixer, grind the coconut, coriander, mint, some salt, sugar, turmeric, pepper corns, cumin, half the onions & green chillies into a paste, adding water a little at a time till you get a smooth paste.
Fry the remaining onions in hot oil & then add garlic-ginger paste, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, whole red chillies and fry well.
Add the ground masala/spices 2 tbsp at a time, frying well.
Add washed chicken pieces & fry well for 2-3 minutes.
Throw in the curry leaves, add 2 cups water, cover & cook till the chicken is done (1 whistle on high flame & simmer for 5 mins in pressure cooker).
Garnish with chopped coriander & serve with steamed rice.

Serving:4-5
Time taken:10-30mins

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