Rashmi Chicken kabobs served with mint and yogurt dipping sauce and kachumbar salad

Rashmi Chicken kabobs served with mint and yogurt dipping sauce

To serve 2

2 Chicken breasts cut into cubes

(Marinade- mix together)
1/4 cup of yogurt
1/4 cup of fresh mint and cilantro leaves chopped/ pulverised finely
1 tsp of all spice powder
1 clove of garlic (mashed)
1/4″ root of ginger (mashed)
1 tbsp of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Marinate chicken cubes in the marinade above for min of 30 and max of 4 hrs.
Skewer the chicken onto skewers (water soaked for 15 min) and grill on an open flame on med high for 5-6 min each on all sides. (till chicken is cooked)

Serve with beaten yogurt seasoned with salt and pepper, some grilled flat bread and a kachumbar salad.


kachumbar salad

1 Tomato cubed
1 Red Onion cubed
1 Bell pepper (green) cubed
1 juice of a lemon
2 Tbsp of Cilantro chopped
salt and pepper to taste.

mix all the above and leave covered in the fridge for atleast 2 hrs
Serve as a side to kababs, or sandwiches.

Tamarind Salmon w/grilled pineapple served with salad of haricot verts

To serve 2

Tamarind Salmon w/grilled pineapple

2 Salmon fillets – 6-8 oz each
1 can of sliced pineapples (2 slices needed)

Marinade:
1/2 cup of tamarind juice
(1/2 cup of dried tamarind (find in the Indian store or the asian store) soaked in 1/2 cup of hot water for 30 min. Pulp and remove seeds + dried shell)
1/2 cup of OJ
sea salt, red pepper flakes + black pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp of fresh dill (chopped)

Marinate the fish for 30 min.

Grill the fish on an open flame on top of greased aluminum foil .
4 min on each side. Grill pineapples on an open flame (withot the alum foil). 3 min on each side till they have dark grill marks.

Place each pineapple slice on top of the salmon and cover in foil to keep warm.


Haricot verts salad

1/2 pound of haricot verts or tender green beans.
1 juice of a lemon
1 clove of garlic
2 Tbsp of slivered almonds.
sea salt, red pepper flakes + black pepper to taste

Saute the beans in 1 Tbsp of hot OO . Drop in the clove of garlic and continue for another couple of miutes. Season the beans with the seasoning.
Sprinkle the lemon juice and remove from the stove top. Garnish with the almonds and serve with the salmon.

Enjoy with a glass of Pinot grigio for a sunday brunch or a ladies afternoon.

Spicy spinach and bean burrito —- Vegge friendly

For ma veggy friends !

To serve 2-3

3-4 flour tortillas (big ones)
2 cups fresh baby spinach (washed and patted dry)
1 can Black beans (rinsed)
1 can garbanzo beans (rinsed)
1 can red kidney beans (rinsed)
2 Tbsp Cilantro chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
1 med tomato chopped
1 serrano pepper chopped (optional)
3-4 Tbsp of creme cheese (plain or vegge)
1/2 a lemon juice
1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I like Jalapeno or pepper jack)
1 clove of garlic
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Saute spinach and a clove of garlic in 1 Tbsp of OO. Season with the seasoning.. Let it cool.. Mix all the above except the tortilla and crush with the back of your spoon till the beans are roughly mashed.

Heat a pan and dry roast the tortilla one by one.. (you can use the microwave also).

Fill about 1/3 of the filling mixture into the tortilla and fold like a burrito.

Learn here how to fold a burrito.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2126935_fold-burrito.html

Repeat till you have no tortillas or mixture left.

Cut diagonally in halves or if you have a press grill, use that to grill the burrito before cutting.

Serve with salsa and/or sour creme.

Fresh strawberry jam

2 pints of strawberries (fresh is the best)
1/2 – 3/4 cup of sugar (more depending on your taste)
1/2 cup of Orange juice

Remove the greens from the berries and wash, and pat dry.
Pulverize the berries, OJ and the sugar and keep for a couple days in the fridge till all the juices gel together.
Mix before serving. Serve with the hot scones as described below.

Butterscotch scones

To make about 6 scones

As per wikipedia, “The scone is a small British quickbread”. I think scones are more like savoury biscuits with a hint of sugar.. well, in our case, butterscotch chips šŸ™‚

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons white sugar
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 egg yolk, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F .
Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with baking parchment.
Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl.
Rub butter and sugar into flour till it crumbles.
Add milk and butterscotch chips.
Knead gently together, being careful not to over mix. Dough will be sticky.
Drop spoonfuls to the baking dish or roll around in extra flour and form a biscuit like shape. Brush tops with egg yolk.
Bake in preheated oven until risen and lightly golden on top, 12 to 15 minutes.
Brush with butter and sprinkle some crushed butterscotch chips on top.

Enjoy with some hot lemon tea or earl grey.

Spinach and Feta omelette

To serve 2.

4 Large eggs ( you can use more , but I think 2 eggs per person is enough)
1/2 a red onion finely chopped
1 med tomato finely chopped
2 cups of baby spinach – washed and patted dry
2 Tbsp of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup of feta – crumbled. (more as desired)
1/4 cup of milk (I use 2%)

salt ,pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Saute’ Onions and tomatoes in 1 Tbsp Olive oil till tender.
Don’t overcook till the tomatoes becomes pureed. They should be still firm.
Add spinach to it and saute till the leaves start showing signs of getting limp.
Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Keep aside.

Beat the eggs , milk and the seasonings. Add 1 Tbsp cilantro in it. Beat the eggs till they become stiff and peak like.

In a med hot non stick pan, swirl around 1 tbsp of OO. Pour half the egg mixture in it and let it set. (DO NOT TOUCH IT). After a couple of minutes, start from the edge of the egg and start separating it from the pan, go all the way around and if the egg separates , add half the spinach mixture on one side of the pan. Add 1/2 the cheese and fold the other half of the egg over on top.

Reduce the stove top to low and cover the pan for 2 min.. (till the cheese melts a lil bit). When done, Slide the omelette out to a serving dish and sprinkle the rest of the coriander and serve immediately.

Enjoy with hot toast with honey and butter. and yes !! garam garam chai šŸ™‚

Have a great morning !

Thanksgiving menu

I know I know I’ve been MIA .. Well, that’s what happens when you have a lil one and you are working and every last minute of your free time is either spent in laundary or catching up on your sleep..
But I am here and am ready to go..
This is what I’ll be working on for Thanksgiving this year.. its not as extensive as I want it to be but I think it’s plenty enough.. so, did I tell you I am hosting the fam for TG this year ! .. Yeah.. Good luck to me.. šŸ™‚

Appetizer
Cheese, fruit, proscuitto and serrano ham
Pear , cranberries and gorgonzola salad w/ homemade maple muffins
Roasted Lamb chops
Curry Pumpkin soup with whiskey spiked cre’me.

Dinner
Honey baked ham
Cajun fried Turkey

Sides
Green bean casserole
Baked Mac nā€™ cheese
Roasted Veggies(potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash) with rosemary and honey
Haricot verts with almonds and lemon sauce
Butter corn

Bread
Corn bread
Homemade wholegrain bread with sage butter

Dessert
Pumpkin pie
Cobbler
Sweet potato cake
Watergate salad
Poached pears with Vanilla icecream.

and Garam garam chai šŸ™‚