Limoncello

This one is inspired by the show Good Eats , a very easy to make and can be stored in for over a year s time

Ingredients

 8 - 10 lemons
750 ml Vodka
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar


Directions:

Carefully remove the zest from the lemons using a microplane. Be careful not to remove any of the white pith / part of the lemon
(You can reserve the lemons to make lemonade or squeeze and freeze the juice for later use)
Put the lemon zest into a large glass container and pour the vodka over the zest and let it sit in a cool dark place for 7 days
After 7 days , strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer, lined with muslin or cheese cloth layers and strain
Meanwhile combine the water and the sugar in a saucepan over high heat and cook, stirring it continually until the sugar is dissolved - this will take about 3 minutes
Cool this syrup and add the strained lemon zest vodka. Stir to combine
Transfer into a glass container and let it age for atleast 4 hours in the freezer
Limoncello can be stored in the freezer for upto a year s time

Drink safely !!!!

Home Bar - Mint Lime Fizz

Mint Lime Fizz



Nimbu pani / Lemonade gets a makeover with soda and mint

juice of 6 limes

350 gm sugar

450 ml water

1/4 cup mint leaves - chopped

soda - to dilute ice-cubes
 
METHOD:

Blend the lime juice, sugar and water.

Divide the mixture into four glasses, add some ice cubes and then divide the mint into the glasses too.

Stir to mix and top up the glasses with soda and serve

Hot Herbal Tea

You might wonder, as to why such a post during summers.......I am sure just like me many out there would have got cold - soar throat - fever due to weather changes....so this is the perfect cup just for them


1tsp Tea leaves or 1 tea bag
3/4 cup water
few fresh mint springs
1" cinnamon stick
A slice of lemon
1/2 tsp Honey


Heat water in a sauce pan
Meanwhile place mint, cinnamon, lemon and pour honey in a cup
Once the water has boiled ass the tea leaves, simmer for 1 - 2 minutes and turn off the gas
Place a lid over the sauce pan and let the leaves infuse for about 2 -3 mins
Strain and pour it into the cup
Serve hot

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

Mother s Day Special

Happy Mothers Day to all the lovely Mom's out there.....have you every wondered how did it come into Existent....

"One of the early calls to celebrate a Mother's Day in the United States was the "Mother's Day Proclamation" by Julia Ward Howe. Written in 1870, it was a pacifist reaction to the carnage of the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. The Proclamation was tied to Howe's feminist belief that women had a responsibility to shape their societies at the political level."

In United States, its celebrated on the Second Sunday of May,while there are countries which coincide it with existing celebrations honouring motherhood, like Mothering Sunday in the UK or, in Greece, the Orthodox celebration of the presentation of Jesus to the temple (February 2). In some countries it was changed to dates that were significant to the majority religion, like the Virgin Mary day in Catholic countries, or the birthday of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad in Islamic countries

So today, here are some recipes for our Great Mom's toasting to their Long lives ..........Love you Momma

BAKED SPINACH WITH CORN

Many women have problems with their Hemoglobin(Hb) levels, so here s simple and easy to make recipe with the Iron (Fe) richness of spinach and Tomatoes ,Calcium from Panneer packed with a difference!

Serves 6

Ingredients:-

For the spinach layer

3 cups chopped spinach (palak)

½ cup chopped tomatoes ( Finely )

½ cup chopped onions (Finely)

½ cup boiled tender corn kernels

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Butter

salt to taste

For the potato layer

2 cups boiled and grated potatoes

½ cup crumbled paneer (cottage cheese)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

1 green chilli, chopped

salt to taste

Other Ingredients

  1 tomato, sliced

1 teaspoon fresh cream

3 tablespoons grated cheese  - I used Cheddar but you can try with other variations

 ½ teaspoon oil for greasing

To Proceed :

For the spinach layer

• Heat butter in a pan and saute the onions for a minute. Add the green chillies 
• Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute and then add chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute
• Now add the corn and the seasoning , mix well and set aside

For the potato layer

• Mix all the ingredients well

Finally.....

• Pre heat Oven at 230°C (450°F)
• Take a baking dish and grease it evenly
• Layer it with the potato mixture followed with the spinach and corn mixture 
• Place the tomato slice and spread the cream
• Sprinkle cheese and bake for about 10 - 15 mins or until the cheese turns color
• Serve hot with Garlic bread / Bread sticks 

 Note: let me know if you are looking for a modified Indian Spicy version for the same....

Since We have given our Mom's enuf dose of Fe...need to add something that helps in absorption of Fe....and  here it is

RANGEEN CITRUS COOLER

A tasty and delightful drink prepared using khus syrup, rose syrup, lemon and orange juice

Serves : 4

1/4 cup Khus syrup

1/4 cup Rose syrup

1/4 cup Orange squash

1 cup Sugar       

1/2 cup Lemon juice

Fresh mint leaves to garnish

Take Khus , Rose and Orange in 3 separate bowls and dilute them with 2 - 3 Tbsp water

Pour these in 3 different trays and set them to freeze

Meanwhile heat equal quantities of sugar and water to form the syrup, once it starts to boil set aside to cool

For the Final Touch 

Take tall glasses and pour 2Tbsp of lemon junice, add a Tbsp of sugar syrup to each ( you can add more depending on the sweetness you want ) along with 2Tbsp water. Mix well

Top it along with the colored ice cubes and mint leaves for garnish

Serve Chilled