Roast Garlic

Roasted Garlic

“What are you making?”

“The house smells of garlic?”

The smell must have surprised my husband; he knows I do not enjoy garlic as much as he does.

He can live with garlic day in and out. Me I just tolerate the thing.

Ok it gives flavours, that are good but there is only so much of good a person can take.

Anyway coming to the husband’s question I roasted garlic for him and was he thrilled.  We kept it in a container and he enjoyed it in his daily food.

You can use it as a spread on bread or crackers, mashed into salad dressing, mashed into hummus, baba ganoush, or other spreads, in place of raw garlic in soups, casseroles, and sauces. Or like hubby spread on every surface he found he could spread it on.

This time I used the oven specially to roast the garlic but next time when I  #FireUpYourOven   baking this is one that will go with the bakes, only the savoury bakes mind you.

 Roast Garlic 

Recipe Source: The Kitchn

Ingredients:

• 1 or more heads of garlic
• Olive oil

Method:

• Heat the oven to 200° C / 400°F.
• Peel most of the dry skin off the garlic leaving the head and all the cloves connected.
• With a sharp knife cut off about ¼ inch off the top of the head of garlic. This will expose the tops of the garlic cloves.
• Drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the exposed surface of the garlic let the oil sink down into the cloves.
• Wrap the garlic aluminium foil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes. The garlic is done when a center clove is completely soft when pierced with a paring knife.
• Let the garlic cool slightly and serve.
• If you have questions as to how to get it out of the peel then tell them,” Press on the bottom of a clove” the garlic will come out.
• Roasted garlic can also be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes:

• Pressed for time? Then you can separate the head of garlic into individual cloves. Leave the cloves intact and covered with their skin, toss with olive oil, and roast in a foil packet until soft.
• The garlic head gets done in 40 minutes; you can continue roasting until deeply golden for a more caramelized flavour — check the garlic every 10 minutes. Exact roasting time will depend on the size of your garlic, the variety, and its age.

Day 14

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Garlic Cheese Dip

Garlic Cheese Dip

One evening we were to go out for dinner in local hotel that has a buffet. Hubby told me he had invited one of his friends!

Since I know the man for 27 years I was wondering who he was inviting and then at the hotel he introduced me to Felix Da’silva…

I tell you the man is wow! What an amazing recipes he shared! I wish I had the presence of mind to switch on the recorder to hear him speak.

Later on he shared this delicious garlic dip and strawberry jam.

He was to demonstrate the making of the dip in my kitchen, but unfortunately we could not so he shared the recipe with me!

I promise you it’s a from the lips to the hips recipe so beware!

Garlic Cheese Dip

Garlic Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

15 flakes of garlic big flakes

1 tblspn oil

25 grams butter

½ tsp parsley

¼ tsp salt

2 cubes Amul cheese, grated

200 ml Amul cream

1 slice Britannia cheese

Method:

Chop the garlic fine.

Heat the oil in a thick kadhai/wok.

Add the garlic and fry till the garlic turns brown.

Add the butter, parsley and the salt mix.

Add the Amul cheese and melt. The cheese melts almost immediately.

Add the 200 ml Amul cream. Stir and blend.

Add the Britannia cheese slice shredded.

Stir and serve with the French baguette, crudités.

Notes:

The girls used some more milk and made a thinner sauce and eat it with pasta.

This goes for the November Week 4, Cooking from Cookbook Challenge  Group.

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Home remedy for Lowering Cholesterol

Home remedy for Lowering Cholesterol

For day 3 for home remedies I am posting one that my husband has every day. It’s a cholesterol lowering syrup and is practiced in traditional medicine. Taking it on a regular basis reduces cholesterol.

Home remedy for Lowering Cholesterol

Ingredients:

• 1 cup garlic juice
• 1 cup ginger juice
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup cider apple vinegar
• 3 cups honey

Method:

• Mix the ginger, garlic lemon juice with the apple cider vinegar.
• Heat it reduce it to 3 cups on low flame. I prefer to stir it constantly.
• Cool it then add the 3 cups of honey.
• Mix well and refrigerate.
• Every morning before breakfast have a tablespoonful of this liquid.

Notes:

• Do not add water while extracting the juice of the ginger and garlic.
• For extracting the juice grind the ginger and garlic separately in the mixer.
•  Extract the juice by squeezing the ground pastes individually through a thin muslin cloth.
• You know me I use the juicer.

Home remedy for Lowering Cholesterol

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 45

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Rice Balls

Rice Balls

This was to be my day 1 recipe. I had thought since starters are first this is day 1. However my laptop is under repairs and not delivered on the promised date. Yes fool that I was I believed him... So this is the last in the series Kids Delight.

Rice Balls was my kid’s choice, they watch some cartoon/ serial and apparently there is one person who makes delicious rice balls. This was okay as first try but bland.   Next time...

Rice Balls

Recipe Source: Adapted from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice cooked with extra water (I used sona masuri) 
• Salt
•  Pepper
• ½ cup grated Parmesan (I used regular processed Amul Cheese)
• 2 tblspn extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½  capsicum each or red and yellow , diced fine
• ¼ cup cabbage
• 5  basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tblspn tomato sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup  bread crumbs
• 1  cup oil ( as needed)

Rice Balls

Method:

• Take the cooked rice in a large bowl.
• Add salt and pepper and cheese.
• Mash well kneading it to a smooth dough.
• Keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. The rice must be chilled.
• In a large kadhai/wok over heat 1 tblspn oil.
• Sauté onions and the chopped garlic for 2 minutes.
• Add in basil, tomato sauce take off heat add the cabbage and capsicum mix well.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool.
• Lightly grease your palms take 2 tblspn of the rice mixture in the hand and form a small cup.
• Place 1/2 tsp of the filling mixture to centre of the rice cup. Close the opening and shape in a proper ball.
•  Roll the rice ball in the into the bread crumbs.
• You can either deep fry or like me use the appe/paniyaram pan and shallow fry the rice balls till deep brown.
• Transfer on a paper towel lined plate or dish.
• Serve with chilli sauce.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 45

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Xi’an stuffed pancakes

Xi’an stuffed pancakes

For the alphabet X I have tried the Xain province from China.I knew of this province for the terracotta army. I would have liked to write more but as my arm is not too agreeable I am just linking my source Wikipediaof course.

These were appreciated a lot at home and the waiting period is right now extended till y arm is better then I better make these again and not just 8. Apparently younger one want 8 for herself alone. ;D

 Xi’an stuffed pancakes

Recipe Source:here

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8 pancakes

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
•  Water as needed

For the filling:

• 200 grms mushrooms
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• ½ tsp pepper
• Pinch of jeera/cumin
• ½ tblspn soya sauce
• 1 tblspn tomato sauce
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt
• ¼ cup paneer, crumbled
• 1 cup cabbage, finely chopped
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oil
• Pinch of white pepper
• 2 tblspn til/sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup oil for frying+ 1 tblspn oil

Method:

Let’s make the dough first:

• To the flour add salt and water little at a time to form dough.
•  Knead for 5 minutes. Set aside keep covered with a damp kitchen towel to rest.

Now let’s make the filling:

• In a kadhai /wok add 1 tblspn of oil.
• Add the garlic and brown it.
• Add the onion and stir fry till the onions are translucent.
• Add the mushrooms and stir and cook covered.
• Once the mushrooms are done add the jeera/cumin, pepper, soya sauce, tomato sauce, salt sugar. Mix and stir fry till almost dry.
• Add the paneer and mix well. Switch off the gas and keep the kadhai/wok open. Set aside to cool.
• Once cool transfer to the chutney jar of the blender and make a coarse paste. Set aside.
•  In another bowl, combine the cabbage, spring onion, garlic powder.

Now let’s assemble the pancakes:

•  Divide the dough into 8 equal portions use one portion and keep the rest covered with a damp towel.
•  Oil the work surface lightly and roll the selected portion into a long, thin rectangle about four inches wide.
• Again very lightly oil the dough and spread on about an eighth of your mushroom paneer mixture on one side. Spread till about the middle of the rectangle.
• Add about 2 tblspn cabbage mixture to one end.
•  Roll the dough a little. Cover the sides like a burrito to make a cylinder till you reach the end of the rectangle.
• Stand the roll on one end so it's like a standing cylinder.
• Press the dough down into a flat pancake with one hand and then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Repeat with all the balls. Meanwhile keep the prepared pancakes under the damp towel.
•  Pour ½ cup oil into a small kadhai/wok and heat. When put a small pinch of dough in the hot oil the dough should first sink then slowly come up. In case the dough sinks and stays under you oil is not hot enough heat it and test with a fresh pinch of dough. In case it rises immediately cool the oil. Test and then fry.
• Drop the pancakes gently into the pan and fry until golden.  You will need to flip the pancakes so fry 1-2 at a time.
• Carefully flip and fry on the other side (about 3 minutes per side). Please be careful when working with hot oil.
• When golden brown, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Taste best when eaten immediately but they can be frozen and re-toasted in the oven.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

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Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

In Venezuela the cuisine you will find influences especially from Italy, Spain and France. If that is not enough you will find indigenous as well as African influence.

Being a large and diverse country, each region in Venezuela has its own distinctive regional cooking.

On the coast enjoy fish, shellfish, crayfish, and fish soups as well as fish stews.  Coconut is also part of some dishes. In the Andean region the food is quite different. Here the "arepa" is not made of cornmeal but wheat. Cured meats and sausages are a delicacy and are sold in many villages.

 In the Amazon region besides yucca, corn, beans and bananas you can also enjoy turtles, tapirs, monkeys birds and deep fried ants. Squeamish you could also live on Casabe, bread made out of yucca.

When in the market, for my weekly Sunday marketing I started looking at avocados hubby was all too happy! He was expecting a shake. When I came home I immediately started attending to it (normally it’s lying around, he gets irritated and attends to it) was he thrilled!!!

Then he saw me mixing it up for a salad he just walked away….poor man!!!

At lunch (he came late) he had heard me admonishing the girls “keep some for Papa” he got curious and Apeksha served him a miniscule portion just to harass him, “taste it Papa. You may not like it” was what she told him!!

He came back not just for seconds but for fourths also. The entire bowl was over in one sitting. But the best part was FIL too liked it!!

There are some substitutions here; I replaced seeded jalapeno peppers with chillies and hot pepper sauce with chilli sauce, white wine vinegar with red wine vinegar.

Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

Recipe Source:Food.com

Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups onions, finely chopped 
• ¾ cup red capsicum, finely chopped  
• 3 tblspn green chillies, finely chopped
• 3 tblspn extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tblspn red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp US mustard
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¼   tsp black pepper, fresh ground
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 ½ cups avocado, chopped and peeled 
• 1 ½ cups tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tblspn dhania/ coriander leaves, chopped 
• ¼ tsp red chilli sauce

Method:

• Mix the onions, red capsicum, green chillies, olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic in a large bowl.
• Toss mixture gently.
• Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.
• Stir in avocado and tomatoes and red chilli sauce just before serving.

 

Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

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Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

Pad Thai for Thailand

Pad Thai

Again I go back to Wikipedia  which says that , “Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand. Balance, detail and variety are of paramount significance to Thai chefs. In his book The Principles of Thai Cookery, renowned celebrity chef, writer and authority on Thai cuisine McDang wrote

"What is Thai food? Every country in the world has its own food profile. It reflects its culture, environment, ingenuity and values. In the case of Thailand, these words come to mind: intricacy; attention to detail; texture; color; taste; and the use of ingredients with medicinal benefits, as well as good flavor.

We not only pay attention to how a dish tastes: we are also concerned about how it looks, how it smells, and how it fits in with the rest of the meal. We think of all parts of the meal as a whole - sum rap Thai (the way Thais eat), is the term we use for the unique components that make up a characteristically Thai meal."

Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. It is known for its complex interplay of at least three and up to four or five fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: sour, sweet, salty, bitter and spicy. Australian chef David Thompson, a prolific chef and expert on Thai food, observed that unlike many other cuisines:

"Thai food ain't about simplicity. It's about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord it's got to have a smooth surface but it doesn't matter what's happening underneath. Simplicity isn't the dictum here, at all. Some westerners think it's a jumble of flavours, but to a Thai that's important, it's the complexity they delight in.”

So this is my attempt at making Thai Food... I have in the past tried my hand at Veggie Thai Curry, A delicious rice in coconut milk( I realize now I have never got down to posting it) and some others that I have forgotten about!!

But this was totally different as I had guests at home my daughter’s friends, making this and the Blintzes taking pics and pouring rain things were in a chaos. Finally I did not get to taste any  of the Pad Thai as the kids had  loved it and finished it all.

My kids are thrilled about it. They keep reminding me that i have not eaten this awesome dish.etc etc.... Well I do want to  eat this instead of drooling over the pics.... This is my entry for Blogging Marathon were we are on a whirlwind tour around the World in 30 days!!

Pad Thai

Vegetarian Pad Thai

Recipe Source: here and here 

Ingredients:

• 1 ½   cups flat rice noodles
• 4 tbsp oil
• ½  tblspn garlic, chopped
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup cabbage, finely sliced
• 4-5 baby corn, sliced
• 3 tbsp peanuts roasted and roughly chopped
• ¾   cup paneer  cubes ( I did not use)
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• ¼  cup chopped spring onion greens

For The Garnish:

• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
• 1 tbsp  spring onion greens, chopped
• 1 tbsp  coriander (dhania) , chopped

Method:

•  In large bowl soak rice noodles in warm water to cover until they are limp and white, about 45 minutes in my case. Please follow the instructions of your package.
• While noodles are soaking mix lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, chilli sauce and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl. Set aside.
•  In kadhai/wok  heat oil over high heat.
• Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry 30 seconds.
• Add the beans sprouts, then add carrot strips and green onions and stir-fry 1 minute.
• Add peanuts and baby corn, mix well and cook on a high flame for 2 to 3 minutes stirring continuously.
• Add lime juice mixture.
• Drain noodles and   add to kadhai/ wok along with the cabbage.
• Cook covered  until they soften and curl, about 1 minute.
• Divide mixture among serving plates, sprinkle with peanuts and garnish with a slice of lime and coriander.

Pad Thai

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Vegetarian Shawarma Recipe for Quatar

Vegetarian Shawarma

We love Shawarma now !

It was introduced to me by my elder daughter as I was constantly complaining that she does not eat at home. “What do you eat at Miramar that I cannot make?”   Now throw this challenge to a teenager and be prepared to face the consequences.

She took me to Miramar and fed me Shawarma.  She was shocked that I did not like it. It was bland and I felt not something as good as she described.  

Somewhere around that time it was Wine Festival better known as Grape Escapade  and after our visit there   all of us , we are about 20 of us here ,wanted something to eat.  Most places were closed so we went for Shawarma.  Me grumbling that what muck we have to eat, and imagine 18 of them pouncing on you telling you are you crazy….

This time the place was better and the Shawarma was awesome. Both my husband and I liked it.   

Vegetarian Anticucheras or Anticuchos from Peru

Anticucheras or Anticuchos

 According to Wikipedia,” Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients—including influences from the indigenous population including the Inca and cuisines brought in with immigrants from Europe (Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine, German cuisine), Asia (Chinese cuisine and Japanese cuisine) and West Africa. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru.

The four traditional staples of Peruvian cuisine are corn, potatoes and other  tubers, Amaranthaceaes  (Quinoa, Kañiwa and kiwicha) and legumes (beans and lupins). Staples brought by the Spanish include rice, wheat and meats (beef, pork and chicken).

The US food critic Eric Asimov has described it as one of the world's most important cuisines and as an exemplar of fusion cuisine, due to its long multicultural history. “

But I was interested in Street Food…. My chosen theme for the Mega Marathon that we have going for this month at Blogging Marathon which is named “Around the World In 30 Days” where we are blogging international cuisine alphabetically.  So toady for P I have chosen Peru.

In Peru, anticuchos, a type of kebab, are often sold by street vendors called anticucheras. Also, cuy, a species of Guinea Pig is served as a delicacy on religious holidays.

So I made anticucheras, okay you are right I did not use any meat I used potatoes….

Anticucheras or Anticuchos

Vegetarian Anticucheras or Anticuchos

Recipe Source: Food.com.com

Ingredients:

• 1 kg /4-5 big potatoes cut into wedges of about 2 inches long
• 8-10 small onions
• 2 cucumbers cut in thick roundels
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tblspn jeera/cumin powder
• 1 tsp kali mirchi/ pepper corns  ground
• salt  to taste
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tblspn fresh parsley, finely minced
• 2 tblspn dhania/ coriander leaves, finely minced
• 4 dried chillies
• ¼   cup oil plus 1 or 2 tblspn as needed
• 4-5 ears corn on the cob, cooked (save some of the husk)

Method:

• Par -boil the potatoes with a little salt.
• Soak the red chillies in hot water until they are soft. You could remove the seeds if you feel like. That will make the chillies less spicy. 
• Blend the vinegar, garlic, dried chilli, cumin powder, pepper powder, parsley and coriander leaves with ¼ cup of the oil until you have a soft paste. 
• Pour it on the pieces of potato and onions distribute evenly so all pieces are well covered and can absorb the marinade. Adjust the seasonings.
• Cover and let sit in the refrigerator. I marinated the pieces in the morning and cooked them in the afternoon.   
• I added the cucumber just before the grilling but that was a bad idea. They should have gone in before at least 1 hour before the actual grilling.
• In the meantime, place thick bamboo skewers to soak in water so they don't burn when they go on the grill if you are using bamboo skewers. I used the stainless steel ones. 
• In case you plan to use a charcoal grill and make sure the coals are very hot before you start.  I grilled them on the gas.
• Arrange the potatoes, cucumber and onions on the skewer.
• Save the rest of the marinade in a cup or small bowl and add the1 tblspn of the oil to it, mix well. This will be used for basting the potatoes on the grill.
• Tie some pieces of fresh corn husk with a string made out of some more husk and shred them half the way to make a kind of brush and use it for basting. 

Anticucheras or Anticuchos

•  If like me you are grilling over the gas stove then place the potatoes on the stove and baste them generously with the leftover marinade and oil mix. But be careful as this will drip and  cause the coals/gas to flame.  Make sure it flames over because this is what gives the anticuchos their distinctive flavour.

Anticucheras or Anticuchos

• Cook them well basting and flaming until they are done.
• In case you are cooking on coal fire then at the same time, place the pieces of corn and potatoes on a corner of the grill, baste them with the same marinade and allow them to be flamed too.
• Serve the skewers in each plate.
• Serve hot, right out of the grill, don't let it get cold! ENJOY! 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

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Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!