Spinach Quiche

Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

1 Small onion, chopped 1 Unbaked 9 inch pie crust ½ Cup butter 4 Eggs, beaten 3 Cloves garlic, chopped 1 Cup milk 1 (4.5 oz.) Can mushrooms, drained 1 (8 oz.) Package shredded cheddar cheese 1 (10 oz.) Package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1 (6 oz.) Package herb and garlic feta, crumbled Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and ½ cup cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture. Bake in preheated over for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Karimeen Pollichathu

Ingredients
1: Pearl Spot Fish
3-4: Chopped Curry Leaves
2: Red Chillies
3-4: Chopped Shallots
1/4 tsp: Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp: Lime Juice
1 tsp: Chopped green chillies
1: Banana Leaf
1/2 tsp: Chopped Ginger
1: Thin banana stem
1/2 tsp: Chopped garlic
1 tbsp: Coconut Oil
Salt to taste.

Preparation

Grind red chillies, turmeric powder, chopped green chillies, chopped ginger, chopped garlic, chopped curry leaves, chopped shallots, salt and lime juice to a coarse paste.

After cleaning the fish, apply a thick layer of the paste on the inside and on the outside. Wrap the fish in a banana leaf and tie it with the banana stem. Heat oil in a pan and place the wrapped fish in it.

Cook on each side for 5-6 minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients

Plain vegetable oil - 1/3 cup
Chicken(diced) - 1/3 lb
or
Meat(cooked, cubed or shredded) - 2 cups
Onion - 1 no
(diced)
Salt - As reqd
Pepper - As reqd
Garlic pods - 3 nos
(finely chopped)
Fresh ginger - 2" piece
(peeled and finely chopped)
Whole scallions - 3 nos
(thinly sliced;white and green separated)
Frozen corn, peas, carrots - 1 1/3 cups
Eggs(large) - 4 nos
(lightly beaten)
Cold cooked long-grain rice, white or jasmine rice, grains separated - 4 cups

Preparation Method

1)Heat a tbsp of oil in a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet on a high heat.

2)Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

3)Add onions, salt and pepper.

4)Cook for 1 - 2 mins, until onion is fragrant.

5)Add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites and stir-fry, until fragrant, for about 30 secs.

6)Add the frozen vegetables.

7)Cook, until just defrosted, but still crisp.

8)Transfer contents of the skillet to a large bowl.

9)Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the same pan.

10)Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper.

11)Stir the eggs constantly and cook, until almost set, but still moist.

12)Transfer the egg to the bowl.

13)Heat up the remaining oil in the same pan.

14)Add rice and use a spoon to break up any clumps.

15)Add salt and pepper and stir-fry the rice to coat evenly with oil.

16)Stop stirring and then let the rice cook undisturbed, until its gets slightly crispy, for about 2 mins.

17)Stir the rice again, breaking up any new clumps.

18)Add the scallion greens.

19)Transfer to the bowl.

20)Stir all the ingredients together with the rice.

:- Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.

:- Serve hot.

Chicken Manchurian

Ingredients

Chicken - 1/2 kg
(Boneless, preferably breast meat)
Corn flour - 150 gm
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Onion(medium) - 3 nos
(finely chopped)
Green chillies(split) - 4 nos
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
or cut into small pieces
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
or cut into small pieces
Black pepper(crushed) - 1 tsp
Olive oil
Soya Sauce(Black) - 2-3 tsp
Salt - As reqd

Preparation Method

1)Cut the chicken into small sized pieces.

2)Mix it well with chilly, turmeric and
coriander powder and salt.

3)Add the corn flour and mix well with enough water.

4)Keep the mixture on the freezer for 1/2 hour.

5)Heat oil in a frying pan.

6)Add onions and fry, till it becomes light brown.

7)Add enough salt, green chillies, black pepper, ginger and garlic and fry.

8)Add 2 tsp of soya sauce and keep on low flame.

9)Once the chicken mix is settled, fry the mix in oil, in a separate pan, until
the chicken is cooked well.

10)Transfer the mix with the oil to the onion - soya mix and add extra sauce, if needed.

11)Keep on a low flame and cook for 10 minutes.

12)Add coriander leaves, just before switching off.

13)Decorate with extra coriander leaves, once the dish is transferred to the serving bowl.

:- Serve hot with chappathis.
:- A pinch of ajinomotto would
be nice too.

Chemmeen Cutlet Naden Style

Ingredients
Prawns(Chemmeen) – 500 gm
Onion – 2 nos
(finely chopped)
Potato – 250 gm
(cooked and mashed well)
Green chillies – 6 nos
(finely chopped)
Salt – As reqd
Turmeric powder – A little
Egg – 1 no
Bread crumbs – As reqd
Curry leaves – As reqd
(finely chopped)
Coriander leaves(finely chopped) – A little
Oil for frying

Preparation Method

1)Clean prawns well.

2)Cook it well with salt and turmeric powder. Keep it aside.

3)Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.

4)Add onion and sauté well.

5)Add green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and sauté well.

6)Remove from flame.

7)Add mashed potatoes and cooked prawns and mix well.

8)Make small balls off the above mixture and shape them into cutlets.

9)Dip them first in beaten egg and roll them in bread crumbs.

10)Deep fry them in hot oil, till they turn brown in colour.

Special Christmas Cakes

Ingredients
Raisins 2-1/4 lb.
Currants 1 lb.
Dates, stoned and chopped 6 oz.
Prunes (4 oz.)Cooked, stoned and chopped.
Almond flakes 8 oz.
Butter 14 oz.
Raw brown sugar 14 oz.
Eggs 8
Grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
Molasses 1 tablespoon
Flour 1 lb.
Salt 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon each of : ground nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon & ginger
Sherry 5 tablespoon
Preparation

Grease and line a 10 inch round cake tin with a double thickness of greaseproof paper. Wrap a double layer thickness of brown paper around the outside of the tin and secure with string. Make sure the paper is twice as high as the depth of the cake pan.Combine the raisins, currants, dates, prunes and almonds in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the lemon and or the black treacle. If the mixture looks like it is starting to curdle stir in a little flour. Mix together the flour, salt and spices. Fold the flour mixture and the fruit mixture into the batter mixture a little at a time alternating between the flour and fruit mixtures. Stir in the sherry and ensure everything is well blended.

Traditionally all the members of the family take turns in stirring the cake and each makes a wish while doing so.

Put the mixture into the cake tin being careful not to create any air holes and remembering to smooth the top surface before placing the cake in the oven.

Bake in the oven at 300F for 1 hour and then reduce the heat to 275F and cook for a further 4 hours. If the top starts to overbrown then cover with greaseproof paper.

When you remove the cake from the oven leave it in the cake tin and allow to cool overnight - the cake can stay warm for up to 24 hrs. When cool remove from the tin and wrap in a double layer of aluminium foil until it is decorated. Occasionally unwrapping and treating with sherry or an alcohol of your choosing can ensure a moist flavourful cake but be careful not to overdo this and create a soggy cake! The cake will improve with keeping.

Decoration

The traditional method of decorating a Christmas cake is with almond paste or marzipan and icing. You will need about 2 lb of marzipan to cover the cake.

Place the cake on the cake plate on which it will be presented.

Roll the marzipan out as thinly as possible and cover the top and sides of the cake. A thin layer of strawberry jam spread over the cake will help to 'glue' the marzipan to the cake.

To make the Royal Icing sift 12 oz. of icing sugar (confectioner's sugar for Americans) into a bowl. Beat two egg whites then fold them into the sugar. Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Brush the marzipan with a little egg white to help the icing stick to the cake then add the icing in a thin layer. The icing can be thickened if necessary with additional icing sugar.

A flat metal spatulla dipped in hot water will help to spread the icing but in general best results are obtained if the icing is 'worked' as little as possible.

Fish Curry Recipe

Ingredients

Fish - 450 gm
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt - As reqd
Fish masala - 3 tsp
Mango powder - 1/2 tsp(Amchur)
Coconut milk - 1/3 cup
Green chillies - 2 nos
Shallot(Kunjulli) - 1 no
Onions
(medium sized) - 1 no
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 stems
Fenugreek(Uluva)powder- A pinch
Tomato puree - 3 tsp
Tomato
(medium sized
sliced thin and long) - 1 no
Ginger - 1/2"

Preparation Method

1)Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter.

2)Add onions and sauté.

3)Once it turns to golden brown, add green chillies, ginger, shallot pieces and curry leaves. Fry for a few minutes.

4)Then add tomato pieces and tomato puree. Mix well.

5)Add salt, fenugreek powder, mango powder and fish masala. Stir well.

6)Add coconut milk and when it boils, add the fish pieces and cover it. Cook on low-medium heat.

:-Serve hot without breaking the fish pieces.