Carrot Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups grated fresh carrots (about 2 large)
1 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple (see Cooks Note)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 (4-ounce) jars pureed carrot baby food

Icing:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese (1 pound), at room temperature
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple
Preparation of the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) square cake pans, line them with buttered parchment paper, and dust with flour.
Toss the carrots, walnuts and 1/2 cup pineapple with 1/2 cup of the flour in a small bowl and set aside.
Whisk the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
In another large bowl beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and light, about 5 minutes. While continuing to beat the eggs slowly, gradually add the oil, and then the pureed carrot.
Scatter the dry ingredients over the wet and then gently fold them together to make a loose batter. Gently fold the nuts, carrots, and pineapple into the batter. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake the cakes until firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on a rack for 25 minutes. Turn cakes out of pans and cool completely on the rack.
For the icing: Beat cream cheese in a large bowl, with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in the butter until smooth. Sift the sugar over the cream cheese, and beat until smooth. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate to set slightly for about 20 minutes.
To assemble the cake, place a cake layer on a cake stand, plate, or cake board. Spread about half of the icing over top, but leave the sides bare. Sprinkle icing with about half of the pineapple. Top with a second cake layer, and repeat with remaining icing and pineapple. Serve.
Cook's Note: You will need about 1/2 a fresh medium pineapple, trimmed, cored, and finely chopped for the whole cake and frosting.

Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients:-

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds;
2-3 hot, dried red chillies;
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds;
A 2 cm (3") stick of cinammon;
1.5 teaspoons whole black mustard seeds;
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar;
1.5 teaspoons salt;
1 teaspoon light brown sugar;
10 tablespoons vegetable oil;
190 g (6.5 oz) onions, peeled and sliced;
5 tablespoons plus 225 ml (8 fl oz) water;
900 g (2 lb) boneless chicken cut into small chunks;
A 2.5 cm (1") cube of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped;
A small, whole head of garlic, separated & peeled;
1 tablesppon ground coriander seeds;
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric.

Preparation Method
Grind cumin seeds, red chillies, pepercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon and black mustard seeds in a grinder. Put the ground spices in a bowl.

Add the vinegar, salt and sugar. Mix and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium flame. Put in the onions. Fry, stirring frequently, until the onions turn brown and crisp. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and put them into the container of an electric blender or food processor. (Turn the heat off). Add 2-3 table- spoons oof water to the blender and puree the onions. Add this puree to the ground spices in the bowl. (This is the vindaloo paste. It may be made ahead of time and frozen.)

Dry off the chicken chunks with a paper towel and remove large pieces of fat, if any.

Put the ginger and garlic into the container of an electric blender or food processor. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend until you have a smooth paste.

Heat the oil remaining in the pot once again over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the chicken chunks, a few at a time, and brown them lightly on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and keep in a bowl.

When all the chicken has been removed from the pot put the ginger-garlic paste in the same pot. Turn down the heat to medium. Stir the paste for another few seconds. Add the coriander and turmeric. Stir for another few

seconds. Add the chicken, any juices that may have accumulated as well as the vindaloo paste and 225 ml (8 fl oz) water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for an hour or so, until the chicken is tender. Stir occasionally meanwhile.

Mutton Biriyani

Preparation Method

Ingredients Quantities

Mutton ------------------ ½ kg

Onion medium size chopped finely -------6

Tomato medium size chopped finely ------3

Garlic ---------------------2 1/2tab spoons

Ginger -----------2 1/2tab spoons

Green chilly paste -----2 tab spoons

Garam masala powder ---1 tablespoon

Yogurt -----4tab spoons

Coriander leaves -------1 cup

Mint leaves -------------¾ cup

Ghee ½ cup

Limejuice 4 teaspoons

Chilly powder 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder ¼ teaspoon

Coriander powder 1 teaspoon

Basmati rice 2 ½ cups

Method of Preparation

Heat Ghee in a pan. Sauté onions till golden brown. Add garlic-ginger-green chilly paste. Fry for two minutes. Put chopped tomatoes, chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, mint leaves and coriander leaves into this. Sauté for a few minutes till the masala becomes thick. Add cut and cleaned mutton pieces and stir. Pour little water [if required] and mix. Cook till mutton is done. Add yogurt.

Boil water. Add enough salt, a pinch of turmeric powder, 2 cardamoms, 3 small pieces of cinnamon, 2 cloves, and 1 spoon ghee into this. Cook rice until it is done and drain. Take care the rice not to be sticky.

Heat a vessel. Pour a little of ghee. Put a little of cooked rice and spread 1 teaspoon of limejuice over it. Put one layer of the mutton masala above it and repeat the process till the rice and masala are over. Close the lid tightly and heat on a low flame for about 10 minutes. Mix before serve. Serve with yogurt and cocunut-pudina chutney and pickle.

Coconut pudina chutney

Coconut grated – 1 cup

Small onions – 5

Garlic – 1 clove

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Mint leaves – 6 leaves

Curry leaves – a few

Green chilies – 2

Salt - to taste

Juice of lemon- 1

Grind all the above things except limejuice. Mix limejuice to the ground chutney. Serve with biriyani.

Top health issues of 2008 | Health & Fitness | Reuters

Top health issues of 2008 | Health & Fitness | Reuters: "Photo
1 of 1Full Size

By Terri Coles

1 of 1Full Size

By Terri Coles

If 2007 was the year of the toy recall and mental gymnastics over what we eat, then what will 2008 hold? Raw milk, melting fat, the end of cheap food... the crystal ball is still a little cloudy but here are some of the stories to watch.

1. Raw Milk

People will go to extreme lengths to get it, farmers will risk their businesses to sell it, and most state governments want nothing to do with legalizing it. Raw milk -- milk that hasn't been pasteurized or homogenized -- was one of the most talked-about foods of the year.

Its fans say that pasteurization removes proteins, enzymes and healthy bacteria from milk, making it less nutritious, and that the taste of raw milk is incomparable. Those opposed to raw milk consumption -- including health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control -- argue that the harmful bacteria are of primary concern, and that the dangers posed by E. coli, salmonella and listeria are not worth the risk.

The debate is sure to continue in 2008 as raw milk goes mainstream, governments try to make it unappealing and people find more creative ways to get their hands on it.

2. Melting Fat

It sounds too good to be true: a non-surgical cosmetic treatment that can melt away fat. The verdict is still out on whether or not it is. Mesotherapy treatments like LipoDissolve involve the injection of a customized chemical cocktail just under the skin, with the aim of reducing fat by causing the cells to explode and be released through feces and urine. But the treatments are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this use, which also means they aren't standardized.

They were outlawed in Kansas this year, with the exception of clinical trials, though the state then decided to regulate use of the injections instead. They are not allowed in Canada or Brazil. St. Louis-based fat-injection chain Fig recently filed for bankruptcy, but the FDA is studying the treatment's safety and effectiveness, with results expected this year.

An investigation by Allure magazine charged that the injections constitute "human experimentation" and featured interviews from patients who say they experienced serious side effects, such as swelling, numbness and nodule formation, from the treatments. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has warned against them. But rumors about celebrities slimming down quickly with fat-melting injections will likely keep interest high while the wait for the FDA's results continues.

3. Food and Farm Bill

The 2007 Food and Farm Bill narrowly avoided becoming the 2008 Food and Farm Bill, and it passed so late in this year that the impact won't be realized until the next. But the Farm Bill that got passed is not the Farm Bill some politicians, food activists and bloggers were hoping for, and the end result was criticized in several newspaper editorials. The Senate dropped the school nutrition standards -- actually backed by food manufacturers like Coca-Cola and Mars -- that would have pulled soft drinks out of elementary schools and forced cafeterias to offer meals lower in fat and sugar.

Subsidies to large farms were largely untouched, and small family farms didn't get the help they were hoping for. Other activists pointed to a few victories, including livestock reforms and funding for research into biofuels and organics. And proponents of cloned foods also got a surprise: an amendment that stopped the FDA from approving food from clones until more studies are done went through with the bill.

4. What's Natural?

Rules for the labeling of organically grown meat are pretty strict in the United States, but when it comes to naturally raised, it's something of a free-for-all.

As things stand, meat or poultry with a "natural" label must be minimally processed and mean what the marketer says it does. But nobody is really checking, and there is some debate over what constitutes "minimally processed". Should injecting chicken with sodium solution or binding agents take away its natural status, for example? What about treating red meat with carbon monoxide in order to make it look fresher? The FDA will attempt to settle these and other questions in 2008 as it reviews the use of the "natural" label for fresh meat. The public comment period on the review ends Jan. 28.

5. Food Labels

If you're already addled by the many labels and symbols on your food, prepare to be even more flummoxed in 2008. Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, created the Overall Nutritional Quality Index, which rates foods on a scale from one -- the least healthy -- to 100 -- the most healthy. It should start showing up on some grocery store shelves this coming summer. Grocery retailer Hannaford will begin licensing their Guiding Stars rating system to other grocery chains next year, which could see their starred rating system spread across the country. And University of Washington nutritionist Adam Drewnowski is also working on a food scoring system. It remains to be seen if one of these systems will really grab consumers and help them make healthier choices, or if they'll leave everyone even more confused.

6. Michael Pollan

It was difficult to discuss food this year without bringing up Michael Pollan, whose bestselling book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" hit a nerve in the debate about our food system. By the end of 2008, we could be saying the same of "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto". Set for release on Jan. 1, Pollan's newest book follows up on a New York Magazine article from 2007 and argues that we're focusing too much on individual nutrients and losing site of the value of -- and delight in -- real food. Pollan's American paradox -- "the more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become" -- is made all the more interesting by the increasing popularity of functional foods, or foods that are said to have added health benefits, with consumers and the food industry.

7. The End of Cheap Food?

At the start of 2007, ethanol seemed like a great idea. By the end of the year, it was looking about as good as oil. The problem is that it's made with corn, a heavily subsidized monoculture crop that's so cheap it's found in everything -- and not just as the much-maligned high-fructose corn syrup either. Corn tied into what we eat in a new way when demand for ethanol increased crop prices, which increased tortilla prices in Mexico and, less directly, pasta prices in Italy. The Economist charged that the prices North Americans pay for foods at the supermarket -- not just the processed ones made with the crop, but also diet staples like milk and vegetables -- might also start going up. Americans spend only about 10 percent of the household income on food, according to the USDA -- a proportion that has steadily decreased over time -- and last week, The Today Show's food editor Phil Lemptert argued that an increase might not be unwarranted.

8. Fixing the FDA/USDA

This month, a Food and Drug Administration committee said in a report that funding shortages had put the FDA in crisis mode, to the point where public safety was at risk.

It pointed to hand-written safety inspection reports, food plant inspections occurring as infrequently as once a decade and a full-time pet-food safety staff of two as signs of a widespread, serious problem at the federal agency in charge of regulating 80 percent of the food sold in the United States, as well as cosmetics, drugs, vaccines and medical devices -- the products the agency oversees account for about a quarter of every consumer dollar spent by Americans, the FDA says. The agency has seen its responsibilities increase as its budget decreased, and the globalization of food has changed the playing field and added new concerns to its long list. To hear that the FDA is in trouble likely comes as little surprise: between contaminated pet food, meat recalls, warnings on the popular diabetes drug Avandia and accusations of politically motivated appointments, the agency has had a bad year in the court of public opinion. What remains to be seen for the year to come is whether the FDA will get the money it says it needs to fix itself -- and if that will be enough to do the job.

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Recipe - West Indian chicken curry - Recipe sofeminine

Recipe - West Indian chicken curry - Recipe sofeminine: Ingredients :
6 chicken breasts
4 tbsp curry powder or paste
8 tbsp coconut milk
200g onions
1 apple
1 banana
Salt,
pepper,
oil Basmati rice
Recipe :
1. Brown onions in oil in a frying pan over high heat.
2. Slice chicken and add, cook until golden.
3. Add curry and coconut milk, cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add 1/4 litre water and chopped fruit. Season.
5. Cover and leave to cook over a low heat for 30 minutes.
6. Cook rice until fluffy then serve.
Advice : This dish is even better if prepared the day before and reheated. Try serving with a little desiccated coconut and chopped banana to decorate."

Chicken Fried Pieces

Ingredients:

Chicken one kg ( cut in to 8 Pieces )

Soya sauce - one table spoon

Ginger paste – one table spoon

Garlic paste – one Teaspoon

Green chilli paste – one teaspoon

Lemon juice – Half lemon

Vinegar – one tablespoon

Preparation:

Marinade comprising vinegar, Soya sauce, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, and lemon juice.

Thoroughly apply the marinade to the chicken pieces, piercing them with a fork to enable the marinade permeate deep inside. Cover and keep for a few minutes to an hour [the more time the better]. You can marinate the chicken in the morning before you go to work and keep in the fridge and you can cook the moment you return.

Now, depending on your taste, you can either directly stir fry the marinated chicken pieces till done in hot oil. Eat it as a meal, by itself, or with chapatti, bread or rice. Pour in the marinade juices while frying if you want it a bit more succulent

Kadai Chicken Curry Recipe-Kerala Style

Chicken curries have gained a lot of popularity the world over and one such flavorful curry is Kadai Chicken, a North Indian traditional chicken dish which is rich, creamy and spicy gravy cooked in a blended paste of tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, green chillis, cashewnut paste and Indian spices.We can prepare this in kerala style, please try

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 kg

Onion - 5

Tomato - 3

Green Chilly - 10

Ginger - 1 piece

Garlic - 1 bulb

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Salt - As required

Oil - 1 desert spoon

Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Procedure:

Heat oil in a kadai

Add chopped onion, green chilly and sauté until golden brown

Add ginger, garlic paste and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt and sauté well.

Add tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes are half done and gravy becomes thick.

Add chicken pieces and little water and mix well.

Cook for 15-20 minutes on low flame.

Garnish with Coriander leaves

Beef Dry Fry Recipe Kerala style

This Beef fry from VKN’s My Dhaba is a typical Keralite dish with those sliced coconuts in it.This is one of my favorite recipe for Beef fry,and I think i’ve prepared it more than 3 or 4 times.Thanks to My Dhaba ,for such a simple and fail-proof recipe.As he says,this can be made with both beef and mutton.Next time i’ll be trying it with Mutton.

Anyway,here goes the recipe…

Ingredients:-

Mutton/Beef - diced into small pieces
Sliced Onion - 2
Finely crushed Ginger - 1 inch piece
Finely crushed Garlic pods - 6-8
Sliced Tomatoes - 2
Green chillies slit - 3-4
Coriander POwder -2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste

For grinding:-
Fennel seeds - 3tsp
Black peppercorns - 8-10
Cinnamon - 1 inch size piece
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 4
Bay Leaves - 3
Grind the above together to a fine masala powder .Keep it aside.

For popping:-
Oil - as needed
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Sliced Onion - 1
Curry leaves - 2 sprig
Thinly sliced Coconut pieces - 1 cup
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Method:-

Mix together onion,ginger,garlic,chillies,tomatoes,coriander powder,turmeric powder and salt along with meat and prepared ground masala powder.Cook it in a pressure cooker adding a little water,till the meat is well done.Don’t add too much of water,as the meat pieces will shed some water too.When the pressure is released completely ,open the lid and switch on the heat again,cook it till the meat pieces are almost dry.

Heat oil and ghee in another pan and pop the mustard seeds.Add sliced onion and saute it until brown.Add curry leaves and coconut slices into it and fry them for a while.Now add cooked meat and lemon juice.Fry it for some more time stirring frequently,until beef turns dark brown in color.It goes very well with rice.

Rasam Recipe for Vishu

Method of preparation

tuar dal - 1/4 cup

masoor dal - 1/4 cup

tomatoes - 1 16 oz.can or 4 large tomatoes

tamarind extract - 1/2 teaspoon

black pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon

saunf (perum jeerakam/fennel seed)- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

whole red pepper (dry red chilli) - 2 or 3

chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

hing powder - 1/2 teaspoon

methi seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

garlic cloves - 3

cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

coriander and curry leaves - a bunch

salt to taste

Cook the dal well with sufficient water. Add the tomatoes,salt,

chilli powder, turmeric powder and tamarind extract. Crush the

cumin and garlic and add to the rasam with the black pepper.

Simmer for a few minutes and add the hing powder. Heat a little

oil in a fry pan and pop the mustard seeds. Add the methi seeds

saunf and curry leaves after removing the heat source and add to the

rasam. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Kerala Sambar Recipe – Vishu Special

Direction for preparation

tuar dal or yellow split peas - half cup

onions - 2 - medium

okra - 10 or 12 (fresh or frozen) (optional)

tomatoes - 3 large (or one can) - quartered

tamarind extract (available in Indian stores) - 1 tablespoon

coriander powder - 2 tablespoon

chilli powder - 1 tablespoon

turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

methi powder - 1/2 teaspoon

hing powder - 1/2 teaspoon

mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

methi seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

veg. oil - 1 tablespoon

salt to taste

coriander leaves, chopped - 4 Tablespoons

curry leaves - a few (optional)

Cook the dal with chopped onions,turmeric powder, chilli powder

and sufficient water. Cut the okra in two inch pieces and saute

them in a frying pan with one teaspoon oil till dry and slightly

browned.

Mash the cooked dal with a wooden spoon and add the salt,

coriander powder, methi powder,hing and the tamarind extract.

Simmer for a few minutes and add the tomatoes and okra and

half of the coriander leaves.

When the vegetables are cooked ,heat oil in a fry pan with

a splatter screen or a lid and pop the mustard seeds. Remove

pan from the fire, add the curry leaves and methi seeds. Add

this seasoning to the sambar and garnish with the rest of

the coriander leaves.

Hint. Other vegetables that can be added to sambar are potatoes

(which do not freeze well) ,shallots, pearl onions (available

frozen), cucumber, indian or oriental eggplant (baingan),

beans, carrots, lima beans drumsticks or squash.

Chilly Chicken Recipe for Easter

Ingredients

Chicken 1 lb (250gm)

Egg 1

Chilly powder 1 tspn

Paprika 1 tspn

Vineger 1 tbsn

Soy Sauce 2 tbsn

Salt as per taste

Onion 1

Green chilly 2

Cooking oil, for deep frying.

Preparation

1. Mix chicken with vinegar, 1 tbsn soy sauce, chilly powder,paprika, salt, and beaten egg. Keep aside for 2 hours.

2. Slice onion and green chilly thin.

3. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry chicken pieces. (Keep aside the remaining marinade). Remove from oil keep aside.

4. Remove oil from pan leaving about 1 tbsn. Add onion and green chillies and sauté till onion is translucent. Add the remaining marinade and cook till thickened. Add chicken pieces and remaining soy sauce and little salt. Heat through. Serve hot

Special Chicken Soup Recipe for Easter

Ingredients

Chicken Thigh (with bone) 1

Salt as per taste

Butter 1 tspn

Garlic chopped 1 tbsn

All purpose flour 2 tbsn

Dried rosemary 1 tspn

Water 4 cups

Pepper As per taste

Vineger 1/4 cup

Chopped green chilly 2 tbsn

Preparation

1. Cook Chicken with water and little salt.Let it cool and then remove the bone and shread the meat.

2. Heat butter and fry garlic till browned and add flour and rosemary and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add Chicken along with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 2-3 mintes.

4. Add salt and pepper and adjust taste.

5. Serve with vineger and green chillies