Thursday, November 13, 2014

Chilli Soya Nuggets


Chilli Soya Nuggets
Healthy soya, flavors of soya sauce, vinegar, garlic and green chillies to add the spice, makes for this hassle free Spicy Soya Nuggets recipe.

Ingredients:

100 gm soya nuggets - soaked in water for 1/2 an hour & drained
2 Tbsp salt or to taste
1/2 Tbsp garlic paste
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup spring onions - chopped coarsely
2 Tbsp green chillies-thickly sliced
2 Tbsp soya sauce
 2 Tbsp vinegar
Some greens for garnish

Method:

1.Mix together the nuggets, 1 tsp salt and garlic paste.
2.Heat the oil, add the onions and stir-fry over high heat till a little brown at the edges.
3.Add the green chillies and stir a few times, add the remaindered salt, soya sauce, vinegar and the nuggets.
4.Stir-fry over high heat for a minute or so and serve garnished with some greens.

Prawns Wrapped in Noodles


Prawns Wrapped in Noodles
Chinese food is so delicious that you would keep coming back for more. This time super chef Nikhil Chib cooks up an easy Chinese inspired dish. Tiger prawns marinated in spices, then wrapped in noodles and finally fried golden.

Ingredients:

4 tiger or king prawns, cleaned
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 whole red chilly, mashed
Garlic, mashed
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
1/4 onion chopped finely
Some coriander, chopped

For the Sauce:
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tsp coriander, chopped
1/2 tsp chilly
A pinch of sugar or 1/4 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste

For Wrapping:
1 packet rice noodles, boiled
Satay sticks
Oil for frying

Method:

1.Marinate the prawns in lemon juice, red chilly, salt, pepper, coriander, onions and garlic.
2.Let it marinate for a couple of minutes.
3.In the meanwhile make the sauce.
4.Mix all the sauce ingredients.
5.Pierce the prawns with the satay sticks through the back of its tail.

6.Wrap these with the noodle strands and deep fry them

Bruschetta With Melted Cheese & Sausage


Bruschetta With Melted Cheese & Sausage
These bruschetta would be great option as a starter for a fall menu when entertaining, or as party nibbles along with a few other appetizers. Want to bring Umbria into your kitchen? Add shaved black truffles, a drizzle of black truffle paste or truffle oil on top!.

Ingredients:

2 Mild Italian Sausage Links Removed From Casings
1 Crusty Baguette Bread, Cut Into 12 Slices
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Caciotta Cheese (Or Substitute - See Notes Above)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Sage
Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven broiler, and place sausage meat in a frying pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it up with two forks as it cooks.
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, and brown lightly under the broiler on both sides.
Brush one side of each of the bread slices with olive oil.
In a bowl, combine the cheese, sausage crumbles, sage, and cracked black pepper.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cover each bread slice with the cheese mixture, then place the tray in the oven and bake until hot and bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve hot.

Stromboli With Meat & Cheese


Stromboli With Meat & Cheese
This stuffed bread or Stromboli is a great idea for summer entertaining, or even to pack and take on a picnic. You can make your own pizza dough, or feel free to buy store bought pizza dough to simplify things if you prefer. Optionally, you could scatter sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top of the prepared rolls before baking after they have been brushed with the beaten egg.

Ingredients:

2 (1 Pound Each)Pizza Dough Balls
1/2 Pound Thinly Sliced Salami
1/2 Pound Thinly Sliced Mortadella (Or Ham)
3/4 Pound Thinly Sliced, or Cubed Semi-Soft Cheese Such As Pecorino or Asiago
1 Egg Lightly Beaten With 1 Tablespoon Water

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and lightly grease two baking sheets.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough balls to a 15 x 12 inch rectangle.
Use half the meat and cheese, and cover the dough rectangle, leaving a 1/2 inch border.
Roll the dough up into a roll, leaving seam at the bottom, and pinching the ends closed.
Place the prepared dough roll on one of the baking sheets, then complete the other in the same manner.
Brush the rolls with the beaten egg mixture, and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Tom Ka Kai


Tom Ka Kai (Chicken Soup)
In Thailand, most tom kha kai recipes typically include coconut milk, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Thai chilli peppers, coriander (or dill weed), straw mushrooms (or shiitake or other mushrooms), chicken, fish sauce, and lime juice. Fried chillies are sometimes added, and this creates a smoky flavour as well as texture, colour, and heat; however, they are not added so much that they overwhelm the soup. The key is to get a taste balance between the spices.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I use a stir-fry mix of mushrooms with shitakes, oyster mushrooms, and portabellas)
3 green onions, sliced (divided)
1 stalk lemongrass
1 inch fresh galangal root or 1 inch gingerroot, grated
2 red chilies (more or less to desired heat level)
6 cups chicken stock (use good quality here)
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
fresh cilantro
fresh basil leaf

Method:

1. In the bottom of a large soup pot, heat the oil over high heat until very hot but not smoking. I often make this is a wok on the stove.
2. Salt the chicken and add to oil, tossing to brown all the pieces. Cook about 3 minutes or until outside is browned, but not necessarily cooked all the way through.
3. Add mushrooms and toss. Allow to cook until some of the moisture is cooked out and the mushrooms are soft. Turn down heat to medium-low.
4. To prepare the lemongrass, slice and mince the lower portion and reserve the stalk to flavor the soup. You can use a food processor for this, or just mince it by hand. The woody upper portion of the stalk will be removed later, so don't chop it up, simply score it by making a few superficial cuts in it to allow it to flavor the soup.
5. Add the whites of the onions, reserving the greens. Add the minced lower portion of the lemongrass, grated galangal, and chilies. Toss until just warmed through.
6. Add the lemongrass stalk, lime leaves, chicken stock, coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar and remaining onions, reserving just a few for garnish. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend well.
7. Taste test and adjust flavors as follows:.
8. Not salty enough - add more fish sauce.
9. Too sour - add a little more brown sugar.
10. Too spicy - add more coconut milk.
11. Not spicy enough - add more chilies.
12. Ladle into 4 soup bowls and garnish with remaining onion greens, cilantro, and basil.
13. Variations:.
14. Add more vegetables such as some sliced red bell peppers with the mushrooms.
15. Serve over wide rice noodles for a main dish serving.

16. Make vegetarian by increasing mushrooms in place of chicken and substituting vegetable stock.

Chicken Wings With Thai Sweet & Hot Chili Glaze



Chicken Wings With Thai Sweet & Hot Chili Glaze
Sweet chilli sauce (also known as Thai sweet chilli sauce or sweet chilli sauce) is a popular condiment in Thai, Malaysian, and Western cuisine. It is commonly made with red chilli peppers (often Fresno, Thai or red jalapenos), rice wine vinegar, sometimes garlic, sometimes fish sauce and sweetening ingredient such as fruit or a refined sugar. It is popular as a dip in European Chinese restaurant dishes such as prawn toast, egg rolls, lettuce wraps, chicken wings and spring rolls. It can also be purchased in bottle form. In Australia, Europe and the United States, 'Thai sweet chilli sauce' is extremely popular and available as a condiment at almost all takeaway stores and supermarkets

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hot chili-garlic sauce, such as sriracha
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
16 chicken wings, wing tips removed
vegetable oil
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Method:

1. Make the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk the sauces, sesame oil and ginger together.
2. Trim excess skin from the edges of the wings.
3. Lightly brush or spray with the oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Grill the chicken wings over Direct Medium heat until the skin begins to crisp, about 10 minutes, turning once or twice.
5. Brush the wings with the glaze and continue to grill until the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 8 to 10 minutes, turning and brushing with the glaze 2 or 3 times.

6. Serve warm.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Sambusa


Sambusa
This is a Somali recipe. I learned it by watching my Somali friends around Ramadan and I was able to make my own variation. They are really good and I can't stop eating them. They are served during Ramadan, Weddings, Parties, or just because. Since I am married to a Somalian man, I learned to cook a few things, and there are some of my American dishes he loves as well. For a variation you can substitute shredded beef for ground beef.

Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) package spring roll wrappers
 2 tablespoons olive oil
 2 pounds ground beef
 1 leek, chopped
 2 teaspoons ground cumin
 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon pepper
 1 small onion, finely chopped
 1 clove garlic, minced
 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
 1 tablespoon water, or as needed
 1 quart oil for frying

Method:

1.   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, leek and garlic, and cook, stirring until the onions are transparent. Add ground beef, and cook until about halfway done. Season with cumin, cardamom, salt and pepper. Mix well, and continue cooking until beef has browned.
2.   In a small dish or cup, mix together the flour and water to make a thin paste. Using one wrapper at a time, fold into the shape of a cone. Fill the cone with the meat mixture, close the top, and seal with the paste. Repeat until wraps or filling are used up.

3.   Heat the oil to 365 degrees F ( 170 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or deep heavy pot. There should be enough oil to submerge the wraps. Fry the Sambusa a few at a time until golden brown. Remove carefully to drain on paper towels.

Slow Cooker Chicken Marrakesh


Slow Cooker Chicken Marrakesh
I have been making this Moroccan-style recipe for years. It's so easy to make, it has become a tradition in our household.

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced
 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces
 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
 1 teaspoon dried parsley
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

Method:

1.Place the onion, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, and chicken breast pieces into a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, parsley, and salt, and sprinkle over the chicken and vegetables. Pour in the tomatoes, and stir to combine.

2.Cover the cooker, set to High, and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened, 4 to 5 hours.

Peri Peri African Chicken


Peri Peri African Chicken
This is a great spicy marinade recipe, a traditional African dish, great for BBQ. Nice with salad and fries, but I like adding it to a pita with salad and garlic Greek yogurt (3/4 cup Greek yogurt and 3 cloves of crushed garlic with finely chopped chives). Don't go on a date though, gives you wicked garlic breath.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup paprika
 2 tablespoons hot chili powder
 1 cup fresh lemon juice
 3 cloves garlic, minced
 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
 4 bone-in chicken breast halves

Method:

1.In a large bowl, stir together the paprika, chili powder, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and salt. Rub chicken with the mixture, place in a dish, and marinate for 3 hours.
2.Preheat a grill for medium heat.

3.Place chicken onto the grill and discard the marinade. Cook for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skin is slightly charred and juices run clear.

Chamchijeon


Chamchijeon
Im pleased to introduce you to this easy and delicious side dish recipe made with a can of tuna. It doesn’t have to be served hot, so it’s good for a side dish at a picnic or in a Korean lunch box (dosirak).

Ingredients:

1 can of tuna (5 oz: 142 grams)
onion
garlic
salt
ground black pepper
sesame oil
egg
flour
canola oil.

Method:

1.Strain out the liquid from a can of tuna and place it in a bowl. tip: You can use cheesecloth, paper towel, or just squeeze with your hands to get the excess liquid out
2.Add ¼ cup chopped onion, 1 minced garlic, 1ts salt, ¼ ts ground black pepper, 1 egg, 1 ts sesame oil, and 1 tbs flour to the tuna and mix it well.
3.Strain out the liquid from a can of tuna and place it in a bowl.
*tip: You can use cheesecloth, paper towel, or just squeeze with your hands to get the excess liquid out
4.Add ¼ cup chopped onion, 1 minced garlic, 1ts salt, ¼ ts ground black pepper, 1 egg, 1 ts sesame oil, and 1 tbs flour to the tuna and mix it well.
5.Press slightly and round the edges with the spoon.
6.Make 6 small size pancakes with the tuna mixture.
7.When the bottom is cooked golden brown, turn it over and cook until both sides of the pancakes are golden brown. Total cooking time is 3-5 minutes
Transfer the cooked pancakes to a serving plate and serve with rice.

Samgyetang


Samgyetang
Samgyetang (Korean pronunciations a variety of gunk Korean soup, which primarily consists of a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng. The dish's name literally translates as "ginseng chicken soup" in English. Samgyetang is traditionally served in the summer for its supposed nutrients, which replaces those lost through excessive sweating and physical exertion during the hot summers in Korea.

Ingredients:

Small chicken (Cornish hen)
1/4 cup of sweet rice
a dozen cloves of garlic
green onions
a few jujubes
1 or 2 small ginseng roots

Method:

1.Wash and rinse your chicken in cold running water.
2.Soak 1/4 cup of sweet rice for 1 hour.
3.Stuff the chicken with the sweet rice, a ginseng root, a few jujubes, and 3-4 cloves of garlic. Place it in a pot.
4.Pour water into the pot and boil it over high heat for 20 minutes. When it starts boiling, skim off any foam and fat that rises to the surface Then pour in more water and boil it over medium heat for 40 minutes.
5.When it cooks properly, the chicken will be easily pulled apart by chopsticks.

6.Serve it with salt and pepper and kimchi or kaktugi.

Bibimbap



Bibimbap
Bibimbap (Korean pronunciation: [pibimbap] sometimes anglicized bi bim bap or bi bim bop) is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed rice". Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste), soy sauce, or doenjang, a salty soybean paste. A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The hot dish is stirred together thoroughly just before eating.

Ingredients:

Cooked rice
a package of bean sprouts
a bunch of spinach
2 small size of zucchinis
5-7 Shiitake mushrooms
fernbrake (kosari)
200 grams of ground beef (about half a pound)
1 small carrot, eggs
soy sauce, hot pepper paste, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and vegetable oil

Method:

1.   Cook rice. You can use a rice cooker or a stainless pot.
2.   Next, you need to prepare a large platter to put all your ingredients on. Rinse your  bean sprouts 3 times and put them in a pot with a cup of water. Add 1 ts of salt and cook for 20 minutes. Drain water and mix it with 1 clove of minced garlic, sesame oil and a pinch of salt.Put it on the platter.
3.   Put your spinach in a pot of boiling water and stir it for a minute. Then rinse it in cold water a few times and squeeze it lightly. Mix it with a pinch of salt, 1 ts of soy sauce, 1 clove of minced garlic and sesame oil. Put it on the platter.
4.   Cut 2 small size zucchinis into thin strips, sprinkle them with a pinch of salt, and then mix them together. A few minutes later, sauté them in a pan over high heat. When it’s cooked, it will look a little translucent. Put it on the platter.
5.   You can buy soaked and cooked “kosari” at a Korean grocery store. Prepare about 2 or 3 cups of kosari for this 4 servings of bibimbap. Cut it into pieces 5-7 cm long and sauté in a heated pan with 1 ts of vegetable oil. Stir and add 1 tbs of soy sauce, 1/2 tbs of sugar, and cook them for 1-2 minutes. Add sesame oil. Put it on the platter.
6.   Slice shitake mushrooms thinly and sauté with 1 ts of vegetable oil. Add 2 ts of soy sauce and 1 or 2 ts of sugar and stir it for 2 minutes. Add some sesame oil, and put it on the platter.
7.   On a heated pan, put some oil and 200 grams of ground beef and stir it. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbs of soy sauce, 1/2  tbs of sugar, a little grounded black pepper, and sesame oil. Put it on the platter.
8.   Cut a carrot into strips, sauté it for 30 seconds and put it on the platter.
9.   prepare eggs with sunny side up.
10.  Put your rice In a big bowl, and attractively display all your vegetables and meat, Place the sunny side up egg on the center.
11.  Serve it with sesame oil and hot pepper paste.
12.  Lastly, mix it up and eat.

Yangnyeomjang sauce:
Chop 4 green onions and put them in a small bowl. Pour half cup of soy sauce in there, and add 1 tbs of sesame seeds, 2 ts of sugar, 1 tbs of sesame oil and mix it up.

Egg soup:
1.   Put a can of chicken broth in a pot, as well as 2 cans of water using the can from the chicken broth. Boil it.
2.   Beat 2 eggs with a fork and pour it into the boiling stock while stirring slowly. Put some salt in it if you want.
3.   Chop 2 green onions

4.   Serve your soup in a small bowl and sprinkle some chopped green onion over the top.