Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip

 Recipe Credit : Juli / http://www.food.com/

Image  Credit  : Marg (CaymanDesigns)

INGREDIENTS 

2 cups parmesan cheese

1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2⁄3 cup sour cream

1 cup cream cheese

1⁄3 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix together Parmesan cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts.

Combine remaining ingredients and mix with spinach mixture.

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with crackers or toasted bread.

Haleeb ma Hal

Image Credit : http://theglobalreader.com/

Ingredients

6 cups fresh milk

sugar to taste

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a rapid boil, stirring constantly.

Boil for one or two minutes.

Remove from heat, transfer to a vacuum flask and keep warm until ready to drink.

Recipe Credit : http://recipes.wikia.com/

Cran-Apple Cider Mocktail

Image and Recipe Credit : http://www.parenting.com/gallery/mocktails-recipes

Cran-Apple Cider Rim glass with cinnamon sugar. Combine equal parts cranberry juice and apple cider. Garnish with a rock-candy swizzle stick.

Mojitos

Image Credit : http://lensandladle.com/

Ingredients 

 2 cups water

 1 1/2 cups white sugar

 2 cups mint leaves, chopped

 2 cups lime sherbet, softened

 1 cup lime juice

 1 cup water

 8 cups club soda

 lime slices for garnish

Directions

Combine 2 cups water and the sugar in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave on High for 5 minutes. Stir the mint into the water; let stand for 5 minutes. Strain and discard the mint leaves from the syrup; set aside.

Stir the lime sherbet, lime juice, and 1 cup water together in a large pitcher until well combined. Pour the mint-infused syrup into the mixture. Add club soda and stir. Serve over ice. Garnish with lime slices.

Recipe Credit : tigershoes / http://allrecipes.com/

Roast lamb

Image Credit : www.ocado.com

Roast lamb with spring herb crumbs

Ingredients

For the crumbs

100g good-quality white bread

2 garlic cloves

zest 1 lemon

1 tsp thyme leaf, chopped

small bunch parsley, chopped

3-4 anchovy fillets, chopped (optional)

For the lamb

5 carrots, cut into chunks

2 onions, cut into chunks

4 bay leaves

small bunch rosemary

2 tbsp olive oil

large leg of lamb, about 3kg/6lb 8oz

3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced, plus a whole bulb, halved

For the gravy

5 tbsp plain flour

200ml white wine, plus a splash

600ml lamb stock

Method

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. For the lamb, scatter the vegetables, bay leaves and a few rosemary sprigs into a large roasting tin and drizzle with the olive oil. Use a sharp knife to make little slits all over the lamb. Poke a slice of garlic and a small sprig of rosemary into each one. Sit the lamb on top of the veg in the roasting tin, add a splash of wine, then cook for 2 hrs if you like it pink, or 2 hrs 15 mins for cooked through. Remove from the oven, transfer to a board and cover with foil, then rest for 45 mins-1 hr.

To make the gravy, pour off most of the fat from the tin but leave the veg and any meat juices. Place the tin on the heat to caramelise the veg, then stir in the flour and cook to a paste. Gradually stir in the wine, cook for a min, then stir in the stock and simmer until you have a tasty gravy. Push the gravy through a sieve into a small pan and keep warm.

Turn oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. For the crumbs, blitz everything in a food processor and scatter over a tray. Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins until crisp, then re-blitz or break up with your fingers to crumbs again. These can be made in advance and kept in an airtight container for 2 days. Serve the lamb carved into slices, sprinkled with crumbs and a jug of gravy alongside.

Recipe Credit : Good Food / http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/

Gatte Ki Sabzi

Image Source / Credit : http://blog.hungry100.com/

Ingredients

For the Gattas:

1 small cup besan

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp dhania powder

1/2 tsp chilly powder

A hint of heeng

3/4 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp zeera

1/2 ginger, chopped fine

1 tsp pudina, chopped fine

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 big cup curd, whisked

Oil

For the Base:

1 Tbsp ghee

1 Tbsp oil

5 guntur chillies

1/2 tsp zeera

1 onion, chopped fine

8-10  cloves

1 piece cassia

5-6 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/2 tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp chilly powder or to taste

1/2 tsp dhania powder

1/4 tsp heeng

Salt

1 green chilly, slit

Some coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method

For the gattas:

Dry roast the zeera and then grind it in a mortar and pestle.

In a bowl mix the besan, spices and zeera togethar to make the mixture for the gattas.

Add to this the ginger and mint leaves.

Add about 1 and 1/2 Tbsp of curd into the besan mixture along with the soda.

Start to knead it like a dough. Add more curd if its too dry. Be careful not to add too much.

Add a couple of drops of oil to make it easier to handle.

Once you get the dough to a good consistency where it can be easily handled, you can now just divide it and roll them out into long thin strips.

Now boil this rounded strips in some water in a pan.

They will be very delicate so handle them with extreme care. Once done take them out.

Now cut the long strips into smaller pieces and deep fry these pieces. You can shape the gattas as you like.

Once there are nice and golden brown take them out and now prepare the base of this curry.

Do not throw away the oil.

For the base:

In a pan add 1 Tbsp of the oil in which the gattas were fried. Add to that 1 Tbsp of ghee.

Add the chillies and zeera to the oil and let it brown.

Now add the onions and saute.

Add the cloves, cassia, and garlic. Saute well.

Now add the powdered spices like turmeric, dhania powder, heeng, red chilly powder,

Now just toast the spices. Add a pinch of salt.

Now add some water to de-glaze the pan and lift the spices. (just a sprinkle of water to 'bhuno' the masala)

Now use the curd that was left earlier from the gattas and add it to this masala. Add it little by little.

Add a green chilly.

Mix all the curd well with masalas.

Once you see the oil coming up to the surface add the gattas.

Mix well. Add the coriander leaves.

Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes for the flavors to concentrate.

Serve hot.

Recipe Credit : Chef:     Aditya Bal / http://food.ndtv.com/

Food safety

Food safety myths & facts

Article Credit : http://femina.in/

Washing is always good

Make a habit to wash fruits and vegetables even if you are going to peel them as it’s easy for germs to travel from the peel to the inside. The knife or peeler is a great medium to transport germs from the peel.

Time the leftovers

Do not wait for the leftovers to smell or taste bad. Bacteria starts breeding and multiplying if food is refrigerated for too long even if it doesn’t smell stale.

Cooked food myth

One common belief is that cooked food is bacteria free! False: As the temperature of the cooked food drops, it allows bacteria to thrive. The solution is to keep cooked food warm or reheat it just before serving.

Cut fruits and veggies

It is easy and convenient to buy cut fruits and veggies that are sold at your nearest mall or the local grocery vendor. It might save you 10 minutes of your cooking time, but can harm your health. You don’t know since how long these kept or the water quality used to wash these. Fruits and veggies that are cut and kept for a longer period of time become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria.

The 5 second rule

The rule is quite old and popular. It says that if you a food item falls on the ground, it is still good to eat if you pick it up within 5 seconds. This is a big myth and works only on a few items. When it comes to foods that have high moisture content (muffin, pastry), the wetness/moisture will help bacteria to multiply, however, this rule may apply to dry items like a chip or a cookie. But since the food will anyways be infected with just the level of contamination deferring between the wet and dry items, isn’t it better to completely chuck what has been dropped?

Spaghettini

Image and Recipe Source : http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/

Spaghettini with Lemon and Ricotta

Ingredients

12 oz. spaghettini

3/4 c. Homemade Ricotta (below) or good-quality fresh whole-milk ricotta

1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 lemons

HOMEMADE RICOTTA

4 c. whole milk

1 c. heavy cream

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions

Heat a large saucepot of salted water to boiling on high. Add spaghettini; cook 6 minutes or until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix ricotta, oil and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Finely grate peel of 1 lemon; stir into ricotta. Season with kosher salt.

Add spaghettini to ricotta mixture; stir well, adding reserved cooking water if needed. Season to taste.

Divide pasta among 4 plates. Finely grate peel of remaining lemon over pasta; serve immediately.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA: In a large heavy saucepot, combine milk, cream, buttermilk, and lemon juice; cook on medium 25 minutes or until the mixture has reached 160 degrees F, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. The mixture will begin to separate into milky cheese curds and watery whey.

Line strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into strainer; refrigerate about 2 hours or until most of the liquid has drained from the cheese. The texture of the cheese will depend on draining time; for firmer texture, drain cheese for as long as overnight.

Remove ricotta from cheesecloth; transfer to airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 5 days.

Guide to Buying Seeds

Original Source :  Doug Jimerson/http://www.bhg.com/

Image Credit : http://www.bhg.com/

1. Read the Label

Before you buy seeds, check the label to see if they require an early start indoors. Cool weather plants, such as pansy and broccoli, need a jump start indoors in order for them to grow large enough to be transplanted in the garden in the early spring. Warm-weather crops, such as tomatoes and peppers, also need to be started under grow-lights so they're ready to go into the garden after frost danger passes. A grow-light can be as simple as a fluorescent shop light hung just inches over your seed trays.

2. Buy Extra

Fast-growing vegetables, such as lettuce, radish, spinach and beans, can be planted several times throughout the spring and summer. Be sure to buy enough seeds for a continuous harvest.

3. Be Selective

If you're shopping for vegetable seeds, buy only what your family will eat. Don't take up valuable garden space with crops you won't use. Instead, buy only your favorites and try expanding your range each season with new varieties.

4. Consider your Space

If you have a small garden, don't start space-hogging vegetables, such as sweet corn, pumpkins, or squash. Focus on higher-yielding, more compact vegetables, such as salad greens, tomatoes, beans, and peppers.

5. Include Flowers

For quick color, choose fast-growing annual flowers you can grow from seed sown directly in the garden. Cosmos, zinnia, marigold, nasturtium, cleome, morning glory, and sunflower are just a few of the many annual flowers that grow effortlessly from seed.

6. Watch the Weather

Keep soil temperatures in mind when you plant seeds outdoors. Seeds sown in cold, wet soil will often rot. Cool-weather plants prefer soil temperatures of 50-65 degrees F. Warm-weather crops prefer to grow in soil between 70-80 degrees F. Also, do not set out warm-weather crops until all frost danger has passed. Check the USDA Zone map for details on your region.

7. Save Excess Seeds

Store surplus seeds in an airtight container in a dark, cool location. Many seeds will remain viable for several years stored in this manner. Before planting old seed, do a germination test. Sprinkle a few seeds on a moist paper towel to help them germinate. If less than half of your seeds sprout, buy new seed.

8. Keep Diseases at Bay

When shopping for seeds look for disease-resistant varieties, especially if you've had problems in your garden previously. For example, when purchasing tomato seeds, look for varieties labeled with a VFN designation after their name. This means the variety is resistant to several types of wilt and nematode damage.

9. Note Maturity Dates

If you want to grow vegetables, check the "days to harvest" information on the seed pack. Vegetable varieties vary in how long it takes for them to mature. If you live in a northern climate with a short growing season, focus on faster-maturing varieties to insure harvest before frost. In the South, you'll be able to grow plants, such as okra, that require a long season of hot weather.

10. Buy Seeds Online

There are many companies that specialize in flower and vegetable seeds -- especially hard-to-find and unusual varieties.

Yogurt Chicken Kebabs

Yogurt Chicken Kebabs with Tomato Salad

Image Credit : http://www.womansday.com/

1 c. plain nonfat Greek yogurt

2 clove garlic

0.50 tsp. ground cumin

Kosher salt and black pepper

1.50 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 lb. tomatoes (such as plum, beefsteak, cherry or grape)

1 shallot

0.50 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. olive oil

Direction : 

In a shallow baking dish, combine the yogurt, garlic, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Thread the chicken onto 8 skewers and add them to the yogurt mixture, turning to coat. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes and up to overnight.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, shallot, parsley, vinegar, oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

Heat a grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat. Oil the grill and cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with the tomato salad.

Recipe Credit : http://www.womansday.com/

Falooda

Image Credit : http://www.sbs.com.au/

Ingredients

• 60 g (⅓ cup) basil seeds (takmania) (see Note)
• 60 g falooda sev noodles (see Note), broken into 8 cm lengths
• 250 ml (1 cup) rose syrup (rooh afzah) (see Note), or to taste, plus extra, to serve
• 8 scoops vanilla ice-cream or kulfi (see Note)
• 500 ml (2 cups) cold milk
• 4 basil sprigs, to serve

Direction 

Soaking time 2 hours

You will need four 350 ml glasses for this recipe.

Place basil seeds in a bowl and cover well with water. Soak for 2 hours, then strain through a fine sieve or muslin-lined bowl.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in a small saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain, refresh, then drain again.

Divide noodles among serving glasses. Evenly spoon over rose syrup, then reserved basil seeds. Place 2 scoops of ice-cream in each glass and pour over milk. Drizzle over extra rose syrup, then top with a basil sprig and serve immediately.

Note

• Basil seeds (takmania), falooda sev noodles and rose syrup (rooh afzah) are from Indian and Middle Eastern food shops.

• Kulfi is a type of ice-cream made from sweetened, evaporated milk. You can make your own or use regular ice-cream.

recipe credit : http://www.sbs.com.au/

Nigerian Meat Pie

Image Credit : http://www.africanaroma.com/

Ingredients:

For  the filling you will need:

300g of ground meat

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic gloves, crushed

1 tsp thyme leaves

1 tsp curry powder

 1 bouillon cube .

2 potatoes, cubed

1 carrots, cubed

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp of flour, to thicken the filling

salt, to taste

2 cups of water

 For the dough, you will need:

500g all-purposed flour

200g Margarine or any butter of your choice

1 tsp baking powder

250 ml water

A whisked egg

Direction:

A-Making the Filling:

• Step 1:  Heat the oil and lightly brown the onions and garlic.
• Step 2:  Add the ground meat and fry until brown, season the meat with the thyme leaves, curry powder and the bouillon cube. Then  add a cup of water and let it cook for 5 min.
• Step 3: Add the carrots and potatoes with 1 cup of water and salt to your taste.
• Cover the pot and let it cook till everything is tender (around 15 min) .
• Step 4: Dissolve the flour in some water and add in the filling. This will thicken the filling.
• Stop the heat and let the filling completely cool down.

B-Making the dough:

• Step 1: Add the flour in a bowl with the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Then mix well.
• Step 2: Add the margarine and mix thoroughly until the mixture looks more like bread crumbs.
• Step 3: Gradually add water while mixing until you get stiff dough.
•  Now, Knead the dough well for at least 8 to 10 minutes until your dough is smooth and elastic.  Then let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Step 4:  Place the dough on a lightly floored table. Roll out the dough using your rolling pin, make sure that it is not too flat nor too thick.
•    Use a circular shaped cutter, cut the dough into medium size circles.
• Step 5: Fill it with the meat filling. You can add around a f tablespoon of the pie filling. Brush the ends with a beaten egg.
• Close and secure using a fork. Then repeat the process for all the dough
• Step 6: Transfer the meat pies on your baking tray that was greased with butter or oil .
• Rub the surface of the meat pies with a whisked egg.
• Then to Place the Meat pies in the preheated at 335°F  or 170°C and bake it for 35 minutes or until the meat pies are lightly browned.
• And your meat pies are ready.

Article Credit : http://www.kadiafricanrecipes.com/

Shrimp Tempura

Image Credit : http://cookinghawaiianstyle.com/

Author: Namiko Chen

Serves: 10 pieces

Ingredients

10 large shrimps

Corn starch for dusting

Oil for deep frying (vegetable oil : sesame oil = 10 : 1)

Tempura Batter (egg + water : flour = 1 : 1)

1 cup (240 ml) egg + water (1 cold large egg (40ml) + 200 ml ice water)

1 cup (240 ml) all purpose flour

Tempura Sauce

¾ cup (200 ml) dashi (or ¾ cup water + 1 tsp. Hondashi)

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. mirin

2 tsp. sugar

2" (5 cm) daikon radish, grated and squeeze liquid out

Direction 

• To make tempura sauce, combine dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then lower the heat and let it simmer until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
• To prepare shrimp, read step-by-step instructions with pictures on How To Prepare Shrimp for Shrimp Tempura to make shrimp straight.
• In a deep fryer, heat 1½" (3 cm) of the oil to 338-356F (170-180C). You can check the temperature with chopsticks or with a thermometer. When you see small bubbles around chopsticks, it’s pretty much ready for deep frying.
• In a deep fryer, heat 1½" (3 cm) of the oil to 338-356F (170-180C). You can check the temperature with chopsticks or with a thermometer. When you see small bubbles around chopsticks, it’s pretty much ready for deep frying.
• Add the egg into very cold water.
• Whisk the egg mixture vigorously and discard the form on the surface.
• As you slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour, mix the batter but do not over mix. It's okay to leave some lumps in batter. Keep the batter cold all the time.
• Dust corn starch on top of shrimps.
• Coat the shrimp in batter.
• Deep fry until golden brown. Do not crowd the fryer with shrimps; leave at least half of oil surface empty. Transfer cooked shrimp tempura to a wired rack or a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil. Between batches, remove the crumbs which will burn and turn the oil darker if left in fryer.
• Grate the daikon and squeeze the liquid out. Serve shrimp tempura with warm tempura sauce and grated daikon.
• Notes
• Make batter right before deep frying to avoid activation of wheat gluten.
• When you put too many shrimps, the oil temperature will drop quickly. Make sure to keep the right temperature for frying at all times.
• For vegetarian tempura, you can use vegetables such as sweet potato, kabocha squash, lotus root, king oyster mushrooms, etc. Instead of regular dashi, vegetarians can use kombu dashi.

Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook./http://www.justonecookbook.com/

Vegetable Fried Rice

Recipe by dakota kelly

Image Credit : http://allrecipes.com

"This dish combines the nutty flavor of brown rice with the fresh taste of bell peppers, baby peas, and other vegetables."

3 cups water

 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking brown rice

 2 tablespoons peanut oil

 1 small yellow onion, chopped

 1 small green bell pepper, chopped

 1 teaspoon minced garlic

 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

 3 green onions, thinly sliced

 3 tablespoons soy sauce

 1 cup frozen petite peas

 2 teaspoons sesame oil

 1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Directions

In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic and pepper flakes, to taste. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Increase heat to medium-high and stir in cooked rice, green onions and soy sauce. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add peas and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Add sesame oil and mix well. Garnish with peanuts, if desired.

Salad Dressing

Image Credit : http://www.bostonmagazine.com/

Dig into a crisp, cool salad for a perfect summer meal. Salads are easy to do, nutritious and make for a filling meal. However,  if you don’t play around with dressings flavours, then it can get a bit boring. Here are a few ideas that’ll jazz up your salads this summer:

1 Puree fun: Use puree of your favourite fruit as a dressing. Avocado puree with some lime and olive oil adds a nice, creamy texture to the salad and blends well with the basic ingredients. “It has  great nutritional value and the addition of lime balances the flavours very well,” says chef Kunal Kapoor.

2  Lemon-mint vinaigrette: Add a dash of citrusy freshness into your salad by using lemon-mint as your dressing. “Combine the flavours of lemon and mint to add sparkle to simple salads made with steamed vegetables, potatoes or grains, such as couscous,” says chef Adam Szczechura.

3  Strawberry –Tarragon Vinaigrette: Fresh strawberries with tarragon give your salad a dose of anti-oxidants, making your salad  healthy. You can also add bitter greens such as arugula or escarole, to give it a twist.

4  Sherry vinaigrette: For breezy summer evenings, top your salad with sherry. No matter how complex your salad is, sherry just makes everything smooth. Mix it up with just a touch of vinegar for tang and body, and with some and smooth olive oil.

5  Mint yoghurt and blueberry: Yoghurt and blueberry make for a fabulous dressing to go with lettuce or vegetables. “High in protein and vitamin, it also helps to fill up the thirst for moisture. A daily serving especially in summer keeps cold away. The combination works really well,” says chef Nishtant Choubey

6 Raspberry vinaigrette: This sweet dressing offers an excellent finish for a salad of mixed greens, fresh peaches or berries and grilled chicken.

7  Honey pepper vinaigrette:  This combination of honey, black pepper, and mint and sherry vinegar topped over fresh tomatoes, grilled shrimp or chicken breast is perfect and irresistible.

Recipe Credit : http://www.hindustantimes.com/

Finjan Erfeh - Saudi Spicy Tea

Image Credit : https://www.pinterest.com/Annachiara/middle-eastern-food-drinks/

3 cups water

2 teaspoons anise seeds

1⁄2 teaspoon sugar

1 1⁄2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons black tea

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients, except tea, and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for three minutes. Strain.

Pour liquid into a tea pot and add the tea. Sit for 5 mins before serving.

Recipe Credit : http://www.food.com/recipe/finjan-erfeh-saudi-spicy-tea-427806

Spaghetti alla Gricia

Image Credit : http://italianchef.com/2015/03/02/spaghetti-alla-gricia/

The key ingredient in Spaghetti alla Gricia is guanciale, cured pork jowl. Guanciale is also traditionally used in the classic Roman Pasta dishes, Bucatini all’Amatriciana and Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Since guanciale is not easy to find outside of Rome and the Lazio region in Italy, and until recently impossible here in the U.S., substituting pancetta for the guanciale in those dishes has become commonplace. However, I would not make that subsitution with this dish, because guanciale is the centerpiece here, and it would not be the same. Spaghetti alla Gricia, is sometimes referred to as Amatriciana in Bianco, which means White Amatriciana, because it is made without tomatoes.

Serves 4-6

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 ounces guanciale, cut into1/4 inch slices, then chopped coarsely

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound spaghetti

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Direction : 

Heat the olive oil in a large sautè pan over medium heat. Add the guanciale and the hot pepper and sautè until guanciale is crisp. Remove from the heat.

Bring a large pot of liberally salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook uncovered over high heat until al dente.

Place the pan with the guanciale back over medium heat. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the Pecorino Romano. Stir the pasta vigorously until guanciale and cheese are well distributed.

Serve immediately with extra Pecorino Romano on the side.

Recipe Credit : http://italianchef.com/2015/03/02/spaghetti-alla-gricia/

Martini

How to Make a Martini

Image Credit : http://www.food.com/

While variations of martinis have moved well beyond the traditional mixture of gin and vermouth, you can't beat the original. With just a few ingredients and simple steps, you can readily enjoy this classic cocktail at home, but remember: The key to making the perfect martini is to think perfectly chilled.

Step 1

ICE IS NICE

Image Credit : http://www.food.com/

To start, grab a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice cubes. Fill the shaker all the way to the brim, as this is key to chilling the martini while still allowing the ingredients to melt just a tiny bit of the ice into the drink.

Step 2

ADD THE INGREDIENTS

Image Credit : http://www.food.com/

Add 3 1/2 ounces of your chosen high-quality vodka or gin, and a tiny splash of dry vermouth, to the ice. Then start shaking. Shaking for a full 30 seconds to 1 minute achieves the coveted perfect martini chill we're after, so be sure to keep that shaker going.

Step 3

POUR IT OUT

Image Credit : http://www.food.com/

Pour your cocktail into a well-chilled martini glass. Place glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes before preparing your martinis, to get that perfect martini chill.

Step 4

GARNISH & ENJOY

Image Credit : http://www.food.com/

Finally, garnish your drink as you'd like. Want to be traditional? Use olives or lemon peel twists. Want to shake tradition up a bit? Garnish with caper berries, cherry tomatoes, cocktail onions or even baby dill pickles.

Image & Recipe Credit : Kitchen Is My Playground

http://www.food.com/

Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Image Credit : http://www.food.com/recipe/loaded-potato-and-buffalo-chicken-casserole-493413

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

8 -10 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I leave the skin on)

1⁄3 cup olive oil

1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoons garlic powder

6 tablespoons hot sauce

Topping

2 cups fiesta Mexican blend cheese or 2 cups monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend

1 cup crumbled cooked bacon

1 cup diced green onion

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 500F (This is NOT a typo, 500F is correct!) .

In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika.

Add the potatoes and stir to coat.

Add the potatoes to a greased baking dish.

When scooping the potatoes into the baking dish, leave behind any extra olive oil/hot sauce mix.

Add the diced chicken to the “left behind” olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat all the chicken. Allow to marinate as the potatoes bake.

Roast the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and nice and crispy on the outside.

Once the potatoes are fully cooked add the marinated chicken.

Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400°F.

In a large bowl mix all the topping ingredients together.

Top the raw chicken with the topping.

Bake 15 minutes or until until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is melted and bubbly delicious.

Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.

Recipe Credit : http://www.food.com/recipe/loaded-potato-and-buffalo-chicken-casserole-493413

Kung Pao Chicken

Image Credit : http://en.wikipedia.org/

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks

 2 tablespoons white wine

 2 tablespoons soy sauce

 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided

 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

 1 ounce hot chile paste

 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

 2 teaspoons brown sugar

 4 green onions, chopped

 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts

 4 ounces chopped peanuts

Directions

To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.

Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens. 

Ham Hocks and Beans

Recipe By Karen From Colorado /food.com

Image Credit : Peter J/food.com

bag dry beans (my favorite is a 15 bean mix)

4 -6 ham hocks

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced (more if desired)

1 large bay leaf

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon pepper

Salt

DIRECTIONS

Wash beans and remove all gravel and such.

Place beans, ham hocks, onions and garlic in a large dutch oven filled with water.

Add spices.

Bring to boil.

Simmer on med-low heat for 4 to 5 hours, adding more water as needed.

Remove hamhocks when they are tender and falling apart; allow to cool so they can be handled.

Remove meat from ham hocks (discarding fat and bones) and return to the soup.

Kala Jamun

Image Credit : http://www.indianspicesgroceriessweets.com/

Kala Jamun, a dark brown colour jamuns coated with desiccated coconut powder is a variation to normal gulab jamuns which are larger in size when compared to the gulab jamuns and also much tastier.

• Khoya  200 Grams
• Paneer  50 Grams
• All purpose flour  30 Grams
• Soda 1 Pinch
• Sugar  1 Cup
• Cardamom powder ½ Teaspoons
• sooji 20 Grams
• Pistachio  10 Grams
• Almonds 10 Grams
• Saffron water 2 Tablespoons
• Oil for deep fry 2 Cup

Direction : 

Take a bowl add grated khoya, paneer, all purpose flour, soda, sugar, cardamom powder, sooji and mix it gently. Add little bit of water and make it into a dough and knead the dough well. Take a small bowl add soaked and chopped pistachio, almonds, saffron water and small portion of dough mix it well. Divide the white and colored dough into equal portions. Take the white dough spread it then stuff the coloured dough into it and close make a bullet shape, repeat the same process for entire dough. For sugar syrup take a pan add sugar and some water and bring to boil, and boil till syrup is one string consistency. Once all the jamuns are ready heat oil fry in a low flame till they are golden brown. Add these jamuns to hot sugar syrup soak for at least 30 minutes.

Mint

Mint Sharbat

Ingredients

1 bunch Mint Leaves

1 cup Sugar

1 inch Ginger

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

2 glasses Water/Soda

Ice

Some Mint Leaves For Garnishing

Directions

In a blender, take cleaned and washed mint leaves, sugar and ginger and grind it.

Add water or soda

Blend it again

Seave and serve with Ice and mint leaves

Prawns Pepper Fry

Image Credit : http://www.awesomecuisine.com/

Egg (less than half an egg)

Crush pepper 1 Teaspoons

Lime juice 1 Tablespoons

Corn starch 1 Teaspoons

Rice flour 1 Teaspoons

Salt To Taste

Garam masala powder ½ Teaspoons

Turmeric ¼ Teaspoons

Coriander powder 1 Teaspoons

Chilly powder ½ Teaspoons

Ginger garlic paste  ½ Teaspoons

Prawns  250 Grams

Oil for deep fry

Curry leaves  2 Springs

Green chilly 3 Numbers

Direction :

Take a bowl add ginger garlic paste, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric, garam masala powder, salt, rice flour, corn starch, lime juice, crush pepper and add less than half an egg, mix it well and add prawns, coat the mixture well and deep fry them and also coat the rest of the mixture to curry leaves and green chilly and deep fry them. Serve this hot.

Carrot Cake

Image Credit : https://highdesertvapes.com/products/

Ingredients

•  3 eggs
•  3/4 cup buttermilk
•  3/4 cup vegetable oil
•  1 1/2 cups white sugar
•  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  2 cups all-purpose flour
•  2 teaspoons baking soda
•  2 cups shredded carrots
•  1 cup flaked coconut
•  1 cup chopped walnuts
•  1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
•  1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x12 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins.

Using a large wooden spoon or a very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.

Pour into prepared 8x12 inch pan, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. Check with toothpick.

Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.