Rustic Baked Potato Chips

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes, I used gold, organic from Sprout's ($2.99 for a big bag)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• himalayan salt, to taste...go easy as they can get too salty

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper, a rack would be great too and you would need less cooking time. That's next on my list !
3. Using a sharp knife, food processor attachment or mandolin, thinly slice the potatoes. 
4. Toss with oil and salt in medium size bowl. Or you can go to step five and lightly coat each side with oil while on the cookie sheet using a silicon brush. One less thing to wash this way, which was my way. 
5. Place in a single layer on the baking sheet. 
6. Bake for 10-17 minutes, turning after 10 min. Remove any that seem ready or about to burn completely. 
7. Once baked, remove from oven and let cool for 2 - 5 min.  Makes two servings.

 
 

Read More

Orange Nut Cake

Ingredients

1 tablespoon orange zest

• 5 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• boiling water
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 250g plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 200g caster sugar
• 50g chopped walnuts
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease 3 to 4 mini loaf tins (6x12cm / 5x3 in each).
2. Zest and juice an orange; set 1 tablespoon zest aside. Pour 5 tablespoons orange juice into a measuring cup, add boiling water to fill to 225ml.
3. Pour juice mixture into a bowl and add the melted butter, vanilla, egg, flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, grated orange zest and chopped nuts. Stir well and pour batter into the prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a small knife comes out clean and bread is nicely browned.

Read More

Low Fat Carrot Cake

Ingredients

6 egg whites                                                             

• 250g caster sugar
• 225g apple purée
• 110ml skimmed milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 120g whole flour
• 120g plain flour
• 220g pineapple (Tinned pineapple in juice preferred)
• 225g grated carrots
• 60g chopped walnuts
• 85g raisins

• 
  

  Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly grease a 20x30cm (9x13 in) cake tin with olive/vegetable oil.
  2. In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites. Slowly beat in sugar, then apple purée, skimmed milk and vanilla. Stir in cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and flour.
  3. In a food processor or mixie, roughly process the pineapple with all of its juice.
  4. Stir into the mixture, one ingredient at a time, the pineapple, carrots, walnuts and raisins. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
  5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven. Cake is done when fork inserted in center comes out clean.
  

Read More

Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

400g plain flour

• 400g caster sugar
• 4 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons distilled cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 500ml water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and flour a 20x30cm (9x13 in) cake tin.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Make a well in the centre, and pour in the oil, vinegar, water and vanilla.
3. Mix well, then pour into the cake tin. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Read More

Beer Braised Chicken and Onions Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 chicken thighs, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
• Salt
• 3 pounds yellow onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick, root to stem, about 6-8 cups sliced
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups dark beer
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1 Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot with a lid, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and set them skin side down in the butter. Salt the meat side lightly. Brown the chicken on both sides well. Remove the browned thighs from the pan and set aside in a bowl.

2 The chicken skin has likely rendered quite a bit of fat. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan, taking care to not discard any of the tasty browned bits. (Note, do not discard the fat down the drain, you may clog your plumbing. Pour off into a jar.) Lower the heat to medium and add the sliced onions to the pan. If you want, sprinkle brown sugar over the onions. This is optional. The added sugar will intensify the natural sweetness of the onions. Cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.

3 Add the bay leaves, thyme, mustard, 2 teaspoons of salt, and beer to the onions. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken thighs and the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

4 Cook covered for 45 minutes, then uncover the pot and simmer well until the liquid is greatly reduced and the meat wants to fall off the bone, between 45 minutes and 1 hour. If you are using unsalted or low sodium stock, you will likely need to add more salt. Add freshly ground black pepper and more salt to taste.

Serve over egg noodles or with rice or potatoes.

Read More

Chilled pea and mint soup recipe

• Ingredients

• 1kg bag frozen Tesco garden peas
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1litre cold water
• 1 small packet fresh mint, leaves finely chopped stems discarded
• 4tbsp Tesco half fat crème fraiche

Preparation

Place the peas, stock cube and water into a large saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until the peas are very tender. Allow the mixture to cool, add the mint and puree in a food processor or with a hand blender, chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

To serve season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to bowls and swirl in the crème fraiche.

Read More

Tetul Achar

Ingredients

250g ripe tetul ( tamarind)

• water as needed
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 500 g of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
• 1 cup of mustard oil
• 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder

Directions

1. Wet the tamarind pieces in a bowl with 2 cups of water for 2 hours. Toast the cumin seeds on a hot tawa and grind into a powder.
2. Pour the tamarind extract mixed water through a sieve on a bowl. Squeeze the tamarind flesh on to the sieve so that the tamarind extract comes out as much as possible. Set aside on a bowl.
3. Pour the tamarind extract on a cooking pot and the sugar, salt, garlic paste, mustard oil, red chilli and cumin powders. Place the pot on stove with high heat and cook for 10 minutes. Stir coninously as it is cooked.
4. Put the mixture on bowl and cover with a light cloth so that no dust gets in but enoughsunlight can be absorbed. Set the achar or pickle for sun drying for 2 weeks. Stir every day after sun drying each evening.
5. After two weeks the achar will become thick. Pour it in a jar and it can preserved and eaten for almost a year.

Read More

Broccoli Bajji

Ingredients 

Gram flour - 2 cups
Rice flour - 2 tblsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tsp
Baking soda - 1 pinch
Salt – to taste 
Broccoli – 2 cups (separated into florets)
Water - 1/2 cup 
Oil - 1/4 cup ( for frying) 

Method

1. Mix thoroughly gram flour, rice flour, red chilly powder, baking soda and salt to make bajji flour.
2. Add water gradually to avoid lumps and make a smooth paste.
3. Heat oil in kadai. When the oil is hot enough, dump few broccoli florets in the bajji batter.
4. When the florets are completely coated with the batter, put the florets in the oil and deep fry.
5. Drain excess oil in a paper towel. Serve hot with tomato ketchup when the bajjis are crisp.

Read More

Spinach Rice

Ingredients

3 cups rice 1 bunch Spinach 6 cups water
3 tsp butter 2 tsp cashews 1 medium size onion1/2 tsp Jeera seeds2 bay leaves
2 tsp gingergarlic paste 1/2 bunch mint leaves 3 to 4 green chillies 4 lavang 3 dalchini sticks

Method

1. Make puree of spinach and mint leavesn. Keep it aside.
2. Now take a pan with butter add jeera seeds, dalchini, lavang, bayleaves and cashews.
3. Add onions and ginger paste.
4. Cook it until it becomes tender.
5. Add the puree and cook for some time.
6. Add rice and salt as per needed.
7. Now cook it until the rice is cooked completely.
8. Spinach rice can be served .

Read More

Lemon Rice

Ingredients

3 cups Rice- cooked
3 - dried red chili
1/2 tsp - mustard seeds
1 tsp - channa daal
1 tbsp - raw peanuts
1 tbsp - cashews
1 tsp - urad daal
1/4 tsp - turmeric powder
1 tsp - ginger- minced
2 - green chili, finely chopped
1 sprig - curry leaves
2 tbsp - lemon/lime juice or to taste
5 springs - cilantro, for garnishing
pinch - asofoetida
salt- to taste
1 tbsp - oil

Method

1. Mix Salt and Lemon Juice to the Rice. Mix well.
2. In a pan, heat oil.
3. Once hot, add in the Dried Whole Chili. Break the Chili into the oil for additional spicy flavor.
4. Add in the Mustard Seeds and let them pop and crackle.
5. Add i n the Channa Daal and cook for a minute.
6. Add in Raw Peanuts and cook for about 30 seconds.
7. Add in the cashews, urad daal, turmeric powder, asofoetida, ginger, green chilies and then curry leaves.
8. Add in the Rice and mix well but gently.
9. Keep on the flame till the rice is hot all the way through.
10. Garnish with Cilantro.
11. Lemon Rice is ready to be served.

Read More