Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (210 grams) light or dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoonbaking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups (260 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (140 grams) dark raisins
1/2 cup walnuts ( chopped)

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350F or 177C) with oven rack in the center of the oven.
• In the bowl beat the butter and sugars until creamy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes). 
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. 
• Beat in the vanilla extract. 
• In a separate bowl, mix together the baking soda, flour, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add the flour mixture and the cream mixture and beat until mixed well.
• Stir in the rolled oats, raisins and walnuts.

Make small balls and Flatten the cookies slightly so they are about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. 

Bake the cookies for about 14 -18 minutes turning the cookie sheets half way through the baking time. 

The cookies are done when they turn golden brown around the edges but still a little soft in the centers. 

The longer the cookies bake the more crispy they will be.

Remove cookies and let them cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. 

These cookies can be kept several days at room temperature.

Best Brownie Recipe

Brownies
Ingredients
12 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa powder
1/2 Cup Butter
1-1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2/3 Cup Flour
4 Eggs

First Step: Melting and Mixing
First, in a microwavable dish, melt the butter (make sure that the butter is completely melted, otherwise it will not mix in with the other ingredients, and you will have to start over). Then stir this into the Cocoa.

Second Step: Mixing Brownie Batter
Now, combine sugar, eggs, Vanilla Extract, Flour and salt. Mix Well.

Third Step: Brownie Batter & Pouring the Batter.
Your final batter should look like in the picture.

Now, pre-heat oven to 325F degre

You will need to flour the baking pan. First, cover you dish with butter. Then, sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour or cocoa in the dish, and shake it until the sides and bottom are covered. This will keep the brownies from sticking to the dish.

Pour the brownie batter into the dish.

Fourth Step: Cooking and Cooling Brownies
Once oven is preheated, put the brownies into the oven for 20-30 minutes. Poke your brownies with a toothpick. If the tooth pick comes out dry, the brownies are done! Now, take them out of the oven and let them cool until slightly warm. You are ready to cut and serve.

LASAGNE

LASAGNA

Ingredients for Lasagna: 

Beef mince / chicken mince or boneless chicken -  ½ kg
Lasagna sheets
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tablespoon
Capsicum - 1 chopped
Onion - 1 chopped
Tomato puree - 1 cup
thyme - 1/2 teaspoon
Oregano - 1/2 teaspoon
Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
White pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil 3 tbsp

Worcestershire sauce - 2 tablespoon

Chili Sauce - 2 tablespoon

vinegar - 1 tablespoon

Soya Sauce - 1 tablespoon

Ingredients For White Sauce:

Butter - 2 tablespoon
Flour - 2 tablespoon
Cheddar cream cheese - 6-7 tablespoons
Milk - 2 Cup
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon

Preparation For Lasagna: 

Boil lasagna sheets with some salt.  And keep them in cool water after boiling. So that sheets will not tear and will not stick to each other.

• Take a pan and Sauté ginger garlic paste for about 1 mins. 
• Add mince to it  and half cup water.
• Cook till meat changes its color and water gets dried..
• Add soya sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and chili sauce. Mix 
• Add oregano, rosemary, thyme, salt, black pepper and white pepper and mix well.
• Now add capsicum and onions to it. 
• Stir fry for like 2 mins and Add 1/2 cup olives into it. 
• Now add tomato puree to the meat and cook on low flame for about 2 minutes. 
• it should b in the form of a smooth thick paste. If it thickens add half cup water and put aside.

Preparation For White Sauce:

• Take a pan and melt butter on medium flame.
• Mix in the flour and stir constantly till flour becomes bubbly and darker in color. It will take almost 2 mins.
• Take the pan off the flame and let is cool for a few mins.
• Mix in milk and mix well to avoid lumps. 
• Put pan back on flame, keep stirring till the sauce becomes thick.
• Add in cream cheese, salt and black pepper.
• Cook for another minute
• Take off flame.

Directions: 

Take a non stick baking deep pan.. and slightly grease it with oil.
Put a layer of lasagne. Them a layer of mince. and a layer of white sauce.
Repeat the process till complete.
The top layer should b a sheet of lasagne.
Top with grated mozzarella cheese. 

Bake in oven till lasgane becomes bubbly.

Serve hot and enjoy.

Pepper Chicken with Mushroom Sauce and Pasta

Pepper Chicken with Mushroom Sauce and Pasta
Ingredients:

2 cups pasta - any kind (i prefer shell or bows)
Boneless chicken - 4 breast piece
Digon Mustard - 1 tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce - 1 tablespoon
Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon
Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Soya sauce - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Butter - around 2 tablespoon.

Oil - about 1 tablespoon

Preparation: 

For Pasta: 

Boil pasta in salt according to the instructions given on the box. Set aside. 

For Chicken: 

• Marinade the chicken with all ingredients except butter and oil. Mix well and leave for about 30min.
• Take a pan and add oil and butter and add marinated chicken in it.
• Fry chicken till properly tender. 

Ingredients For mushroom sauce:
Flour - 2 tablespoon

Chicken stock -  1 cup
Evaporated milk - 1/4 cup

Sliced mushrooms - 1 cup
1 tablespoon black pepper

Butter - 2  tablespoon

Preparation:

• Heat butter in a pan and add flour and mix it well to avoid lumps.
• Remove from heat and let it cook. Add chicken stock and black pepper and put back on flame stirring constantly till it thickens.
• Add evaporated milk and mushrooms. Bring it to a boil and set aside. 

For Caramelized onions:
Take 2 medium onions and slice it.

Saute it in 1 tablespoon butter with 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Set aside.

Now in a plate, layer bows in the bottom. Spread Chicken and then mushroom sauce and on top add carmalized onions. 

Serve it with roasted or steamed vegetable or fries.

Caramel coffee flan

Caramel Coffee Flan

I was browsing thru youtube and found this recipe.  link if you want to watch the video - for visual learners like me :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmnDTg0QCgE

Ingredients:


For caramel:

150g Fine Granulated Sugar
4 tbsps Water

Directions: 

• Put Sugar in hot pan on medium high heat add water.
• Allow mixture to slowly brown, stir occasionally with wooden spoon.
• As soon as it begins to caramelize keep stirring. When it golden brown remove from heat.
• Pour the caramel to your flan dish or in your individual small cups. 
• Keep Aside.

For the Flan:

400ml Sweetened Condensed Milk
200ml Milk
225ml Cream
1 stick of Cinnamon
2 pods of cardamon
2 tablespoon of Instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 160C / 315F / Gas mark 2.5.
• Add milk and cream to the warm saucepan on medium high heat
• Add condensed milk, vanilla essence, dissolved coffee, cinnamon stick, cardamon pods, stir till well combined. 
• Allow it to come to a boil. Remove from heat. Let it steep for a few minutes to infuse flavors.
• In a separate bowl briefly whisk eggs. Slowly add small amount of coffee sauce to the whisked eggs and whisk it. Add remaining sauce and mix it well.
• Strain the coffee sauce through sieve into a clean bowl to remove cinnamon and cardamon

Take a big baking pan or a deep roaster pan

Put a kitchen towel in it and then your flan dish. Now pour coffee sauce over your caramel.
Now fill the deep pan with hot water about a third full. This is called a "Bain Marie" (cooking in a water bath) this prevents overheating or burning. 

Put tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 mins or until set. 

Gently shake flan dish to check they have set. 

Remove from oven.
Allow to cool and remove from the tray

Place in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Now after the flan dish has been in the fridge . Cut the edges with a sharp small knife loosen flan.

Turn over on your serving dish. 

You can place a warm towel for the caramel to melt and pop out of the flan dish :)

Chicken n Mushroom Cups Or Mini pies

Chicken & Mushroom Cups Or Mini Pies


Dough for the Base:

2 cups cake flour
A pinch of salt
Baking powder - teaspoon
125g butter
+- 1/2 cup cold milk

Method for Dough:

• Add your butter and dry ingredients into your food processor or by hand.
• Mix until it resembles bread crumbs.
• Add milk a little at a time until it forms a dough.
• Dust your surface with flour and roll out dough. Cut out flower shapes as in the picture and den place them in a muffin pan. 
• Poke the dough with a fork and bake at 180'c for 4-5 mins. Do not fully cook.
• Remove and allow to cool.

Filling Ingredients:

1 medium onion - finely sliced
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
60g butter
2 cups boneless chicken - cubed
6 mushrooms - sliced
1 cup capsicum - diced
2 teaspoon finely ground green chili
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup (250ml) fresh cream
3 tablespoon cornflour
215grams cream style sweetcorn / or blend corn to make it cream style
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
Cheddar Cheese - grated.

Method: 

• Add butter in a pan and saute onions and garlic in it for a few mins.
• Add chicken n mushroom, Stir fry for about 2mins till chicken is half cooked.
• Now add in the bell pepper and rest of the spices and cook until all water burns out.
• Make a paste out of fresh cream and corn flour and add it to chicken.
• Cook till a boil comes and until chicken filling looks thick and saucy.
• Remove from stove and add the sweetcorn and mayonnaise.
• Add chopped coriander leaves ,if desired.

Preparation: 

• After filling is cool ,add it to your cool flower cups.
• Top with grated cheese and a sprinkle of dried oregano herb and a slice of tomato.

Return to oven and bake until cheese has melted.

Dough makes almost 3 dozen of these mini pies :) 

Baked potato or Potatoes en Mille Feulles

Savory Herbs & Potatoes en Mille feuilles (or baked potatoes) with Creamy Sauce 

Ingredients: 

4 potatoes with skin
2 tablespoon melted butter
Dry parsley - 1 tablespoon
Oregano - 1 tablespoon
Thyme - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - to taste
Parmesan cheese

Preparation: 

• Slice the potatoes in the middle (do not cut the ends)
• In a bowl, mix the butter with all dry herbs, salt and pepper. 
• Wrap the potatoes with this mixture. 
• Include this mixture between the cuts as well. 
• Wrap potatoes in foil and bake for 1 hour in hot oven at temperature of 180'-200'
• Remove the foil when potatoes become soft. 
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 5 minutes more mins.

Creamy Cheese Sauce: 

Ingredients: 

Flour - 3 tablespoon 

Butter- 3 tablespoon  

Milk - 500ml
Salt - pinch

Black pepper - pinch
Nutmeg - pinch
Thyme - 1/2 teaspoon
Oregano - 1/2 teaspoon
Grated emmental cheese or cheddar cheese 

Method:

• Melt some butter and add flour in it. 
• Mix well till crumbs are formed, remove from heat
• Add milk and slowly cook stirring constantly so that lumps are not formed. 
• add all dry ingredients and cheese. cook on low flame till mixture is thick. 

Pour sauce over the baked potato and serve on side with steaks or any other dish. 

Garlic Potato Wedges

Garlic Potato Wedges
Ingredients:

2 lbs new potatoes
1/2 cup garlic butter (recipe below)
Salt - to taste
3/4 teaspoon pepper (optional)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Recipe for Garlic butter:

1/2-1 cup butter
4 cloves garlic (crushed, minced)
Combine butter and garlic in sauce pan, melt butter. heat up on low flame for about 1 min.

Preparation:

• Wash potatoes, cut into slices 3/8" thick.
• Wash potato slices again properly to remove starch. 
• Place potatoes in bowl, add garlic butter, salt, pepper. Mix Well
• Heat over to 425. 
• Arrange potatoes in a single layer. 
• Sprinkle with Parmesan. 
• Bake for 15-18 minutes.
• Potatoes should be a nice golden brown and soft in the  inside with a slightly crisp exterior.

Channa Chat..

Channa Chaat

Preparation:

potatoes 6-7 - boiled and cut in cubes.
Chick peas around 2 cups - boiled - or use canned.

take a big bowl
slice one red onion
3 tomatoes in cubes
2 green chili - chopped
half cup of imli chutney
salt - 1/2 teaspoons
red chili flakes - 1/2 teaspoon
cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
half bunch fresh coriander - chopped
lemon juice 3 tablespoon
mix well.

Add the chick peas and potatoes and mix all well.

Take 5 tblsp oil in a pan and roast 1 tablespoon white cumin in it and stir for 1 min. 

pour it with cumin on to the chaat.
The cumin baghaar gives it a glaze and a very fresh look!!

Imli Chutney:soak 1/2kg of imli overnight into 4 glass of water.
squeeze and take out pulp and sieve twice thrice
mix in 6 tablespoon sugar
Salt 1/4 teaspoon
red chili 1/4 teaspoon
cumin powder 1&1/2  teaspoon
Let it cook at least an hour

Cool and store in a glass bottle. Mix in the channa Chaat.

Pineapple Aqua Fresca Cooler

Pineapple Aqua Fresca Cooler (Pineapple Water)

2 cups fresh or canned pineapple
2 cups cold water
1 cup ice
2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice.

Add all ingredients in blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour blended juice through a sieve into a glass pitcher. Chill and stir before serving. 

Makes about 5 glasses. 

Spring Fried chicken

SPRING FRIED CHICKEN
Chicken Boneless 1kg (small pieces)
Garlic/Ginger paste 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Black pepper 1 teaspoon
White pepper 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon powder 1teaspoon
Sesame seeds teaspoon
1 Egss
Crushed Red Chili 2 tablespoon

Flour-3 tablespoon
Corn flour 3 tablespoon
Oil 2 tablespoon
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Apply all ingredients to the chicken chicken. 

Marinate for 15 minutes
Heat the oil in wok and Deep fry chicken on slow heat till it changes it color to golden brown.

Puff Pastry Sandwiches

Puff Pastry Sandwiches
Ingredients:

1cup mince beef or chicken cooked with garlic, salt and pepper.
1tablespoon spring onion (chopped)
2tbsp red or green capsicum (small cubes)
2tbsp fetta (small cubes)
2 square sheets of puff pastry

Method:

• Mix all the above ingredients except puff pastry.
• In sandwich maker keep half of the puff pastry sheet
• Place 1 tablespoon of the filling mixture.
• cover with the remaining part.
• cook in sandwich maker. 

Chicken Salsa Rolls

Chicken Salsa Rolls

For Chicken:

Boneless Chicken 1/2 kg (small pieces)
Salt 1 tsp
Black pepper (to taste)
Crushed red chillies 1 teaspoon
Crushed cumin 1 teaspoon
Crushed mint leaves 3 or 4
Ginger paste 1 teaspoon
Garlic paste 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice 4 teaspoon
Oil 1 tablespoon
pinch of Chinese salt
Soya sauce 1 tablespoon
Marinate for 30 mins

Put this marinated chicken on low heat & cover the lid till chicken is soft.

STEP 2:

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes grinded or 2 tablespoon tomato puree or u can use chopped tomatoes.
Garlic chopped 1 tablespoon
Onion chopped 2 tablespoon
Tomatoes chopped 1 tablespoon
Capsicum chopped 2tablespoon
Coriander leaves 1 tablespoon
Oil 1 tablespoon
Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Crushed red chillies 1/2 teaspoon
Tomato ketchup 2 teaspoon

Preparation:

• Add oil in pan
• Add tomato paste, tomato ketchup, & garlic chopped
• Heat it until tomato is well cooked then add onion, tomato, salt, crushed red chillies & capsicum.
• Heat it for about 2 mins on low flame

Tortillas Preparation:
Ingredients:

Flour 2 cups
Wheat flour 1 cup
Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Oil 2-3 tablespoon
Baking powder 1 teaspoon (leveled)

• Mix all the ingredients and start to make the dough.
• Make tortillas. 

Note: Tortilla recipe is for people who dont have tortillas available. I normally buy the ones in the store :) Just slightly heat the ones in store and go to next step. :) 

Preparation: 

• Take one tortilla
• Spread salsa on it
• Add chicken on it
• Roll it
• Cover it with foil paper.

Enjoy home made tortillas. 

chicken cutlets with cheese

Chicken cutlets with cheese

• Boil chicken(boneless) with a little water and some regular spices and then shred in small pieces
• Boil potatoes and mash them.
• Mix potatoes with chicken, coriander and mint and season with salt black pepper etc. 
• Now put a peace of cheddar or mozzarella in the middle, make a flattened ball. 
• Coat in egg and bread crumbs and fry till golden brown.