Simple Baked Chicken Drumsticks

5 -6 chicken drumsticks
garlic powder
pepper
salt
olive oil

Directions:

1
Put some olive oil in the bottom of a 9X13 pan (just enough to put the drumsticks on ).
2
Add drumsticks (space enough apart so they aren't touching each other).
3
Sprinkle generously with pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
4
Bake at 375 for half an hour. Turn drumsticks over and add more garlic powder, pepper and salt (same as before).
5
Bake another half an hour (or until cooked til 160 degrees)).

Stuffed Potato Cutlets 

Ingredients:
Potatoes – 2 cups, boiled, mashed
Breadcrumbs – 5 tsp, fresh
White Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Green Chillies – 1 tsp, chopped
Green Coriander – 1 tsp, chopped
Ginger – 1/2 tsp, chopped
Large Raisins – 3 tbsp, chopped
Oil – 5 tbsp

Method:
1. Add breadcrumbs, white pepper powder, salt, green chillies, green coriander and ginger to the mashed potatoes.
2. Mix well and divide into 8 equal portions.
3. Divide the chopped raisins also into 8 equal portions.
4. Stuff each portion of the chopped raisins into one portion of the potato mixture and shape into medallions.
5. Heat a tawa, brush with oil and shallow fry the medallions until golden brown.
6. Drain excess oil and serve.

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

ingredients

For cake layers

• 3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut

• 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting

• 1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Special equipment

• two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans

• preparation

  Make cake layers:
  Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
  Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
  Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
  Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
  Make frosting:
  Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.
  Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).
  Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving

Sweet Vermicelli

Ingredients:

• 1 cup seviyan/vermicelli broken in small pieces
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter or ghee
• 1-3/4 cups water
• Pinch salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds and pistachios
• 4 cardamoms shelled and crushed
• Few strings of saffron

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add vermicelli and stir fry until golden brown this should take about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add water and salt. Increase the heat to medium high and bring it to boil. After watering is boiling reduce the heat to low medium and cover the pan
3. Cook till vermicelli’s are soft and the water is absorbed but not dry. If vermicelli gets dry it will become hard after adding sugar, add 1-2 spoons of water before adding the sugar.
4.  Add sugar, raisins, cardamoms, crushed saffron, almonds and pistachios (save some almonds and pistachios for garnishing). Mix it well and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
5. Serve Meethi Seviyan warm, garnish with pistachios and almonds.

Italian rice with chicken

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breast fillets or 4 boneless thighs, cut into strips
• 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 orange peppers, halved, deseeded and sliced thickly
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 100g long grain rice
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 300ml chicken stock
• 4 tbsp ready-made pesto (you'll find long-life jars on the shelves with pasta sauces or more expensive fresh pots in the chiller cabinet)

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large, shallow ovenproof pan, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 mins until golden all over. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add the onion and peppers, and cook for 3 mins or until lightly golden. Tip in the garlic and fry for a min. Stir in the rice, then the tomatoes, stock and reserved chicken. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil before transferring to the oven to cook, uncovered, for 20 mins. Season to taste and drizzle over the pesto before serving

Pineapple Custard

ingredients

serves 4

1 X 376 g (13 oz) can crushed pineapple
3 tbls (25 g) 1 oz cornflour
400 ml (14 fl oz) milk
2 eggs, separated
2 tbsp (25 g) 1 oz caster sugar (superfine granulated)

method

1. Drain the pineapple, pouring the juice into a jug and spreading the fruit in a 750 ml/ 1 1/4 pint ovenproof dish.

2. In a bowl, blend the cornflour to a smooth paste with a little of the milk. Heat the rest of the milk in a saucepan until it is just below boiling point, then pour on to the blended cornflour. Stir in well.

3. Return the mixture to the clean saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. 

4. Boil gently for 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the reserved pineapple juice.

5. Add the egg yolks to the cornflour sauce. Stir well. Return to the heat and cook very gently, without boiling, stirring all the time, until the mixture thickens. 

6. Remove from the heat and leave to cool; stir from time to time to prevent the formation of a skin. 

7. Set the oven at 140°c (275°f) gas 1.

8. Pour the cooled custard over the crushed pineapple. 

9. In a clean, grease free bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in most of the sugar. 

10. Spread the meringue mixture over the custard, making sure that it is completely covered. 

11. Sprinkle with the rest of the sugar. 

12. Bake for 30 minutes until the meringue is crisp and browned.

• 
  

  Fried Mashed Potato Balls 

  
  
  
  

  Ingredients

  • 2 cups cold mashed potatoes
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
   cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup real bacon bits
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• Oil for frying

Directions

1. Place mashed potatoes in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in the egg, cheese, onions and bacon bits. Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in bread crumbs. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. In an electric skillet, heat 1 in. of oil to 375°. Fry potato balls, a few at a time, for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Serve warm. 

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom and Onion Dijon Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 6 ounces each (1 ½ pounds)
• ¼ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups sliced button mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, place four, salt and pepper and mix. Dredge chicken in four, shake excess and set aside.
2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Add chicken breasts and brown 3-4 minutes per side. If all four pieces will not fit, cook in two batches. Remove chicken to a platter and set aside.
3. Heat pan back up to high and add mushrooms and cook for about three minutes until just starting to brown. Reduce to medium high and add onions and rosemary. Cook for two to three minutes. The mushrooms will give up some liquid when the onions are added. Add both mustards, and wine and scrape up bottom. Add parsley, stock, cream and butter and mix to combine. Add chicken back in and cover with sauce. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook just until the chicken is cooked through (depending on size). Serve with sauce over each portion

Summer Peach Drink

Ingredients

• Makes about 4 servings
• 4 peaches, peeled and cut into slices
• 2 1/2 cups water
• Fresh juice of 1 lemon
• 5 tbsp sugar
• Ice cubes
• For Garnish
• peach slices
• Mint leaves

Directions

1. Place the peach slices in the bowl of a food processor  or blender. Add lemon juice, sugar, water and ice cubes. Puree until smooth. 
2. Add ice to serving glasses and fill each glass with peach juice. Garnish with peach slice and mint leaves.

Garlic Brown Rice 

1 cup long grain brown rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chicken broth or 2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 -6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Heat oil in medium pan and saute the garlic just till it begins to color (careful not to overcook the garlic or it will be bitter), add the rice and saute one to two minutes.
2
*For stove top add chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 60 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3
Fluff with fork and serve.
4
**For oven method preheat oven to 375°F while you saute garlic and oil (as above in step one).
5
Place sauted rice in an 8" casserole dish.
6
Bring stock to boil, add wine and pour over rice.
7
Cover with foil and bake in middle of oven for 1 hour.
8Fluff with fork and serve.

Homemad Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1-1¼kg/2lb 4oz-2lb 12oz ripe tomatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 squirts of tomato purée (about 2 tsp)
• a good pinch of sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.2 litres/ 2 pints hot vegetable stock (made with boiling water and 4 rounded tsp bouillon powder or 2 stock cubes)

Method

1. Firstly, prepare your vegetables. You need 1-1.25kg/2lb 4oz-2lb 12oz ripe tomatoes. If the tomatoes are on their vines, pull them off. The green stalky bits should come off at the same time, but if they don't, just pull or twist them off afterwards. Throw the vines and green bits away and wash the tomatoes. Now cut each tomato into quarters and slice off any hard cores (they don't soften during cooking and you'd get hard bits in the soup at the end). Peel 1 medium onion and 1 small carrot and chop them into small pieces. Chop 1 celery stick roughly the same size.
2. Spoon 2 tbsp olive oil into a large heavy-based pan and heat it over a low heat. Hold your hand over the pan until you can feel the heat rising from the oil, then tip in the onion, carrot and celery and mix them together with a wooden spoon. Still with the heat low, cook the vegetables until they're soft and faintly coloured. This should take about 10 minutes and you should stir them two or three times so they cook evenly and don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Holding the tube over the pan, squirt inabout 2 tsp of tomato purée, then stir it around so it turns the vegetables red. Shoot the tomatoes in off the chopping board, sprinkle in a good pinch of sugar and grind in a little black pepper. Tear 2 bay leaves into a few pieces and throw them into the pan. Stir to mix everything together, put the lid on the pan and let the tomatoes stew over a low heat for 10 minutes until they shrink down in the pan and their juices flow nicely. From time to time, give the pan a good shake – this will keep everything well mixed.
4. Slowly pour in the 1.2 litres/ 2 pints of hot stock (made with boiling water and 4 rounded tsp bouillon powder or 2 stock cubes), stirring at the same time to mix it with the vegetables. Turn up the heat as high as it will go and wait until everything is bubbling, then turn the heat down to low again and put the lid back on the pan. Cook gently for 25 minutes, stirring a couple of times. At the end of cooking the tomatoes will have broken down and be very slushy looking.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, take the lid off and stand back for a few seconds or so while the steam escapes, then fish out the pieces of bay leaf and throw them away. Ladle the soup into your blender until it’s about three-quarters full, fit the lid on tightly and turn the machine on full. Blitz until the soup’s smooth (stop the machine and lift the lid to check after about 30 seconds), then pour the puréed soup into a large bowl. Repeat with the soup that’s left in the pan. (The soup may now be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost before reheating.)
6. Pour the puréed soup back into the pan and reheat it over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until you can see bubbles breaking gently on the surface. Taste a spoonful and add a pinch or two of salt if you think the soup needs it, plus more pepper and sugar if you like. If the colour’s not a deep enough red for you, plop in another teaspoon of tomato purée and stir until it dissolves. Ladle into bowls and serve. Or sieve and serve chilled with some cream swirled in. For other serving suggestions, see opposite.

Best Ever Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups cubed red potatoes
10 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small onion, chopped
½ medium green pepper, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. (If you're not sure how to boil the potatoes, this is a good resource.) Drain the potatoes and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the skillet.

3. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and salt to the reserved bacon drippings in the skillet and whisk to combine.

4. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion and green pepper. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and gently stir to evenly coat. Stir in the bacon.

5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Yogurt Mint Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1 clove small garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

PREP

5 mins

READY IN

1.25 hrs

• Whisk all ingredients together.  Then, cover and refrigerate at least one hour to blend the flavors.

Almond Drink

 Almond Drink

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg almond (badam)
• 2 kg sugar
• 1 kg water
• 1 tsp saffron (kesar)
• 1 tsp green cardamom powder (hari elaichi)
• 1/2 tsp potassium meta bi sulphate

1. Soak badam in water for 8-10 hours.
2. Peel the outer covering.
3. Boil sugar, water, kesar and elaichi powder in it.
4. Boil it to one sugar syrup strand.
5. Let it cool, then add some syrup to badam and grind it to a fine paste.
6. Add syrup and potassium meta bi sulphate to the above.
7. Fill it in a bottle.

Dutch East Chicken Wings and Rice

Wings:

3 1/2 pounds chicken wings, tips on

1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce

3 (10.75 ounce) cans tomato soup

2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 cloves garlic, crushed

8 bay leaves

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Rice:

2 cups long grain rice, rinsed and drained

4 cups water

1 teaspoon cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/3 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Pour tomato sauce and soup into a large roasting pan. Stir in cloves, garlic, bay leaves, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Take the tip of each chicken wing and bend it back, securing it under the joint where thigh and drummette are joined. Place wings in pan, and spoon sauce over chicken.
3. Cover pan, and bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), and bake until sauce is thick, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. To prepare rice, combine rice, water, cloves, salt, turmeric, almonds, and raisins in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until rice is cooked, about 10 minutes.