Crispy Onion Rings with Spiced Ketchup

I was just watching a television show - Restaurant Impossible ... and thus got inspired for my quick finger licking snack - Onion rings, which are equally famous to French fries here in USA


Ingredients:

For the Spiced Ketchup

1 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
1 Tbsp stone ground mustard / Dijon mustard if you have on hand
1 Tbsp chilli paste

For the Onion Rings

3 large yellow onion, cut into roundel s- about 1/8th " thick
Oil for frying
1 cup Maida / All purpose flour
Salt and Pepper for seasoning
Ice cold water

To go about:--

Soak the onion rings for about 15- 20 mins in ice cold water. Next drain ensuring the onion has no more water in it
Lay it on a paper towel for a min
Preheat your oil - in case you are used to a thermometer 375 F is the point
In a bowl, blend the flour - salt and pepper mixing them well
Add one - third of the onion, mix the onion well tapping off excess flour and add to the fryer cooking until they are crisp , say about for 2 - 3 minutes
Once done, transfer to a paper towel to remove the excess oil
Repeat the same procedure with the remaining onions - in batches

For the Spiced Ketchup: Mix all the ingredients well

In a plate arrange the onion rings along with the spiced ketchup. You can also garnish with some mint leaves (Onion and Mint really go on very well )


Note:

If you want it a little Indian style flavor, you can add some chilly powder and ajwain / carom seeds to the flour mixture
Adding garam masala also would give you the Indian touch
Usually onion rings are coated with a batter made with flour and seasoning, but I did not want to overload myself with the taste of the flour, this also turned to be great where you can actually bite into a combination of sweaty and caramelised onions
I could not take a picture of this , as it was at my friends place , but next time I make it at home, will surely shoot some good pics 

Chunky Pineapple and Avocado Salsa

• 1 can sliced pineapple in juice, drained and juices reserved
• 1 tablespoon lime juice 
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium avocado, halved, pitted and flesh cubed
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves

In a bowl combine in 2Tbsp of the pineapple juice, lime juice to give it some acid and kick, honey and oil, whisk it well along with the seasoning 

Deseed the jalapeño, not removing all the seeds which will give it a nice little kick, if you wish to have some. Chop the pineapples, this can be rough and I put in some red onion which will give it a nice flavor and some color too

Roughly chop - cube the avocado and add it to the pineapple - onion along with the finely chopped cilantro 

Mix well and serve immediately

Note:

The pineapple - onion - avocado can also be grilled for a grill salsa

Serve it with tacos or with chips

Spinach Cheese Swirls with Avocado

This tempting appetizers look like they are reallyyyyy difficult to make, but guess this is one recipe that a fresher to cooking experiments can try their hands on.....and results in flaky puff with your choice of stuffing and an awesome dressing

(I am sorry for the clumsy pics, as I was in a hurry while preparing this...but next time when I bake this will post more clearer pics )

So all you require is

1 Sheet Puff pastry ( thawed)
All purpose flour to dust
Rolling pin
Oil - for brushing


Stuffing - Cheese Spinach Mixture

1/2 cup Spinach - finely chopped
3 Tbsp of fresh coriander / Parsley leaves - finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2Tbsp Mozzarella Cheese - grated
1Tbsp Parmesan cheese - grated

Heat the oven to 400°F.
Sprinkle the flour on the work surface / baking tray.
Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface and roll it out a bit

Brush the pastry sheet with oil
Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing
Top the sheet with the cheese and spinach.mixture
Starting at a short side, roll up like a jelly roll
Cut into about 20 (1/2-inch) slices
Place the slices, cut-side down, onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Brush the slices with oil
Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown
Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks for 5 minutes



Topping / Dressing

3Tbsp Mashed  ripe avocado
1Tbsp boiled corn kernels
1Tbsp onion - finely chopped
1/4 tsp green chillies - finely chopped
1Tbsp Tomatoes - finely Chopped
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Mix all the above ingredients and keep aside

Finally........In a plate place the pastry swirls and top it with the Avocado mix
Sprinkle some fresh ground black pepper over it

TIP's:


For a flavor twist, try a different cheese.  Any shredded cheese will work in this recipe
You have endless options for the stuffing's
For best results, make sure to remove as much liquid as you can from the greens before adding it to the pastry. If it's too wet, it may make the pastry soggy
For the toppings, you can also try versions such as Pesto, Hummus, Cucumber - Yogurt Dip,  mixed glazed fruits, Apple Plum Reduction

Mushroom and Oregano Open sandwich

Mushroom Oregano Open Sandwich is an open faced sandwich made with a filling of muchrooms, onlions, ect, sprinkled with the aromatic oregano herb....and this is another fav TD recipe of mine


Baking Time: approx 5 mins.
Baking temperature: 150°C (300°F).
Makes 32 pieces. 




8 brown bread slices
butter for spreading


For the mushroom filling


1/4 cup chopped onions
2 tsp plain flour (maida)
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms (khumbh)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp butter
salt to taste


For the garnish


finely chopped parsley
finely chopped tomatoes


Method


For the mushroom filling


Heat the butter in a pan and fry the onions till they are translucent. Add the flour and green chilli and fry for a few more seconds.
Add the mushrooms, oregano and salt. Cook for a few minutes on a very high flame until the mushrooms are soft.
Divide into 8 equal portions and keep aside.


How to proceed


Trim and discard the edges of the bread slices and cut each slice into 4 equal squares.
Toast the pieces in the oven at 150°C (300°F) or on a tava on both sides till they are golden brown.
Butter the toasted pieces.
Top each toasted and buttered piece with a portion of the filling.
Garnish with the chopped parsley and tomatoes and serve immediately

Baked Beans

I am sure we all love baked beans....buy tins to store it in our pantry.....but its so very simple n easy to try it at home.....It never struck me to post this off....But Thanks to Pragya Goyal for her lovely comment

pragya goyal - nice!! u r sharing your recipes with all...thanks.
One of your recipe of soyabeans..(i think its called baked beans) is really nice and i have tried it a few times....we ate that at your home once before a ddd workshop


All you would require are


1 cup Soya Beans - soaked and boiled
1 small Onion , finely chopped
2 green chillies - finely chopped
1Tbsp Oil
1tsp red chilly powder
Salt to taste
3/4 cup Tomato sauce / ketchup
Bread Slices
Cheese


Heat oil in a pan and add in green chillies and onions, saute until the onions turn light pink
Add in the beans , mix well
Pour in Tomato sauce , add in salt and red chilly powder.Mix well
Let it be on a low flame for 3 - 4mins 


To Serve:


Method1:
You can toast the bread spread a layer of the bean mixture and sprinkle it with grated cheese and serve 


Method 2:
Follow Method 1 and place it inside an oven / OTG for 2 mins or until cheese melts - do not keep this in an microwave else the bread might get soggy


Method 3:
Place the toasted bread in a tawa ....spread the bean mixture and sprinkle cheese , and cover the tawa for 2 mins until cheese melts......remember to have it over medium - light flame so that your bread does not burns 


Method 4:
Toast bread - spread mixture and instead of grated cheese you might add chunks // small cubes of cheese / panner.....and sprinkle it with a little chaat masala....tastes chatpata


Method5:


Grilled Bake Bean Sandwich


Place 2 slices of bread on a board and a cheese slice on both
Spread in some bean mixture, top this with another bread slice
Heat a pan on medium flame and drizzle some olive / vegetable oil 
Place both the sandwiches and cook until both sides are evenly browned
Remove once done, cut in half and serve

Garnishing Your Way

Nothing transforms your ordinary dish into an extra-ordinary one more quickly than a Garnish....It's always best to make garnishes just before serving; however, if making garnishes in advance, store like you would similar foods – cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight bag or container and refrigerate.....so here you go with a few tips for a quick set garnish ...............



Tools: There are many tools available to make beautiful garnishes and edible decorations. If you are just learning, all you really need to begin is a sharp paring knife; a small, sharp, serrated knife; and a melon baller

Once you have mastered some simple techniques with these items, you can add other useful tools like a butter curler, a grapefruit knife, various shapes of small cookie cutter and a hand grater with a small section of holes and a larger section of holes. Wooden toothpicks and skewers are also used for more complex garnishes.

Lemons, limes, and oranges are extremely versatile. Slice them thin, cut them into wedges, or spiral-score their rinds and use them whole for tremendous visual appeal! Save the spiral curl from scoring the rind and use that for embellishment as well!

Fresh cranberries, rasperries, and blueberries are very attractive on a food table! Use them on top of desserts, or pair them with a sprig of fresh herbs for added interest

Line your serving platters with leafy lettuce. It adds a beautiful touch, keeps food from slipping around on the plate, and it absorbs grease

Olives and olive sprigs make a gorgeous compliment to bread dipping oils and salads

Grate chocolate and sprinkle it over your favorite dessert or coffee

Fried Garnish: This can also be done with an ingredient of your dish or plainly with onions and potatoes by slicing them thinly and frying until they are crisp. For desserts, use thin fried slices of dough, or fried rice noodles as a crispy fried garnish. Pile crispy fried garnishes high on top of the main item.

Soups: Creamed or pureed soups need a garnish to add interest to their bland, uniform texture and color. Swirl heavy cream, plain yogurt or sour cream on top of soup to make an artistic pattern. Use a single ingredient or a combination to garnish soups


Nuts: 

Whether chopped, flaked, toasted or fried - offer an abundance of flavor, texture and color and make an ideal garnish for many dishes.


Toasted, flaked almonds make an attractive garnish for rice and curry dishes, giving  a contrast in texture and color. Brown the flaked almonds on a baking tray either in a hot oven or under the grill (broiler)
Whole, halved or finely chopped walnuts add flavor and are and attractive garnish to many salads, green vegetables, and can even be finely chopped in savory butters for fish.
Pistachio nuts are a delicate pare green in color and have a sweet, pleasant flavor. They can be used to garnish desserts.
Pine nuts are delicious fried in butter and then sprinkled over vegetables or salads or into spicy vegetable soups.
Desiccated or flaked coconut, toasted is traditionally used as the accompaniments to curries. Sprinkled over a tomato salad, it offers both a flavor contrast and a crunchy texture.
Hazelnuts have a very distinct flavor and are most delicious toasted and skinned. Finely chopped, they make a crunchy coating or sprinkled over vegetables. Flaked, can also garnish soups and salads.


Soaking fresh vegetable / leafy garnishes in cold water for 30 minutes helps preserve them and keep them crisp and fresh. After soaking, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate till needed.





For more detailed and picture illustrations you can check out - http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/how-to-garnish-cooking.htm

Jiffy Indo American dishes

Hey Guys......I have recently moved to NYC/NJ..and the first thing that worries me are lunch boxes for my hubby......Life was so peaceful @ India, with his office providing lunch...and here.......Sure many would have faced the same issue , so here are some "Food for Thought" recipes for a jiffy lunch

Indian Bento

A note on bento: Bento is, very simply put, a Japanese lunchbox that's making waves across the U.S.. Traditionally made with rice, meat, poultry or fish and pickled or other cooked vegetables, bento can be as intricate or simple as you'd like.
Bento boxes can be as simple or elaborate as the food they hold, from laquered boxes with built-in dividers to reuseable plastic containers available just about everywhere lately. It's important to keep moist foods separate from dry foods to decrease the risk of spoilage. Silicone muffin liners are ideal for keeping foods separate, but anything from dry lettuce leaves to waxed paper works as well.
While leftovers are perfect, any food that tastes as good chilled as it does hot will do. To keep foods cold until lunch time, small condiment packets like kethcup, mustard, mayo or relish, when frozen, are the perfect size ice-pack whether meant to be consumed or not.
Fill-ins help food keep its shape and stay put; some ideas for fill-ins are grape tomatoes, grapes, baby carrots, individually wrapped cheeses and dried fruit.

So you can add the following for a Veggie Bento

Spicy Chickpeas and Tomatoes:

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 large tomato - seeded and diced
1 large green pepper - seeded and diced
1 cup yellow onion - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper and cook until fragrant - about 3 minutes.
2. Add chickpeas, tomato, spices and salt. Stir well and heat through
3. Cool and pack ...this can be reheated just before consuming

Spiced Yogurt Dip:


Combine
1 cup plain thick yogurt - whisked well
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon honey
Salt to taste.

Blend well and chill until serving time.
This can be coupled with some Nachos / Green Salad / Spinach - Veggie Fru Salad / Risotto / any portion of your choice