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?