Food

Ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter: 2 tbsp
  • All- purpose flour: 2 tbsp
  • Warm milk: 1 cup
  • Nutmeg: 1 pinch
  • White bread: 4 slices
  • Dijon mustard
  • Sliced ham: 4 ounces
  • Sliced gruyere cheese: 4 ounces
  • Shredded gruyere cheese: 1/4 cup

Preparation:

Making Bechamel Sauce:

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a small heavy bottomed pot. When it starts to bubble and foam, add the flour and whisk for about 30 seconds. Stir continuously. Add the warm milk and stir gently.

Making Sandwich:

Spread the Dijon on one side of the bread slices. Top 2 pieces of bread with even amounts of the ham and cheese. Place the other two pieces of bread on top to make the sandwiches. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a pan. Place each sandwich and lightly brown on both sides.

Place the sandwiches on a sheet pan. Top with the béchamel sauce. Top each with the grated Gruyere. Place it under broiler until golden brown and bubbly. Serve hot.

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Ingredients:

  • Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp
  • Butter: 4 tbsp
  • Chopped onion: 1/2 cup
  • Chopped celery: 1/2 cup
  • Chopped carrot: 1/2 cup
  • Ground beef chuck: 3/4 pound
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Whole milk: 1 cup
  • Whole nutmeg
  • Dry white wine: 1 cup
  • Canned imported Italian plum tomatoes: 1 1/2 cups
  • Pasta: 1 1/2 pound
  • Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Preparation:

Take a pan and add the oil, butter and chopped onion into it. Put the flame on medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent. Add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the ground beef, salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork. Stir continuously and cook well. Add milk and simmer slowly. Stir continuously, until it has bubbled away completely. Add about 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg, and stir.

Add wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more. It will begin to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Check the salt. Toss with cooked drained pasta, with one tablespoon of butter. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan !

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Food

Ingredients:

  • 5 ounce baby spinach
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 10 ounce diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
  • 2 habanero peppers, chopped
  • 2.2 ounce sliced black olives
  • 8 ounce salmon fillets

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Apply the cooking spray in a baking dish. In a large bowl, mix spinach, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with the mixture. Set it aside.

Mix thoroughly the tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno peppers, habanero peppers, black olives, remaining lemon juice, remaining lime juice, and remaining chipotle powder together in a large bowl. Place the salmon fillets on top of spinach in the baking dish and top with tomato mixture. Bake it in the preheated oven for about 14 minutes. Test the consistency with a fork. Take it out and serve hot!

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Check out an easy home made Caramel bread pudding recipe (without egg) that can be made without an oven !

Ingredients:

  • Sugar : 3/4 cup
  • Bread : 6 slices
  • Custard powder : 4 tbsp
  • Water : 1/2 cup
  • Milk : 1 1/2 cup
  • Dry fruits for garnishing

Preparation:

Take a pan and add 1/4 cup of sugar. Heat and caramelize the sugar. Wait until it becomes dark brown in colour. Immediately transfer it into a 6 inch baking pan. Spread it evenly on the bottom of the pan and keep it aside.

Take 6 slices of bread and remove its edges with a knife. Cut it into small pieces. Grind it well. Take 4 tbsp of custard powder and mix ti with 1/2 cup of water. Keep it aside. In a pan, take 1 1/2 cup of milk. Add 1/2 cup of sugar into it. Cook it on medium flame. Add the custard mixture into it. Mix it well and continue cooking on medium flame.

Keep stirring and cook it until it becomes a little thick consistency. Keep the flame low and gradually add the bread crumbs into it. Mix it properly by continuously stirring. Pour this thick mixture over the caramel in the baking pan. Tap it slowly for setting, and make the top even. Cover the pan an aluminium foil.

Pour some hot water into a pan. Place a stand onto the pan to hold the mould. Place the mould onto the stand. Cover it with a lid and steam it on medium flame for 20 to 30 minutes. Bring it in room temperature and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. Take it out into a plate. Garnish it with dry fruits and serve!

Image courtesy: delishpotpourri. com / images are subject to copyright

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This Italian sweet cream dessert will surely take you to a toothsome world!

Ingredients:

  • Cream : 2 cups
  • Vanilla Pod : 1
  • Sugar : 2 1/2 tbsp
  • 1 leaf of Gelatin
  • Vanilla essence : 1 tsp
  • Dark rum : 1 tbsp
  • Strawberries for garnishing

Preparation:

Soak the gelatin leaf in a little cold water until it becomes soft. In a heavy based pot, add the cream and sugar. Split and scrape out the vanilla pod. Add the whole pod and vanilla extract to the pot. Mix and bring the whole ingredients in the pot to boil.

Take off the heat and add the soaked gelatin into it, until it gets dissolved. Add the rum into it. Strain this through a fine sieve, into the moulds of your desired shape. Refrigerate this overnight, until it sets well. Before taking it of from the moulds, dip these moulds in warm water for about 5 seconds. Take it out, garnish it with strawberries and serve!

Image courtesy: pescetarian.kitchen / images are subject to copyright

Food

Rabri, the sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent.

Ingredients:

  • Milk : 2 litres
  • Koya : 50 grams
  • Sugar : 1/2 cup (60 grams)
  • Cardamom powder : 1/2 tsp
  • Saffron : 12 to 15 strands
  • Fresh rose water : 1/2 tsp
  • Koya : 50 grams
  • Sliced almonds and pistachios : 2 tsp each

Preparation:

Add 1 cup of boiled milk in a pan. As it gets condensed, keep collecting the cream at the sides of the pan. When you see the cream floating, gently move the cream layer with a spatula. Again add another 1 cup of milk and similarly collect the cream at the sides. In the similar way, collect the milk cream of 2 liters of milk, by adding each cups of milk slowly.

While adding the final cup, mix 50 grams of Koya and half cup of milk, and add it to the pan. Mix it well and add this to the cream collected. Add 1/2 cup or 60 grams of sugar. Add 1/2 tsp of cardamom powder and saffron strands. Add sliced almonds and pistachios (almonds and pistachios should be soaked in water) for a . Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Switch off the flame. Leave it to cool and add 1/2 tsp of pure rose water. Garnish with sliced almonds.

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Food

Mititei, a tasty traditional Romanian Barbecue!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef or lamb
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon coriander
  • 2 teaspoons of caraway seeds
  • 2 teaspoons of baking soda
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and knead until it becomes smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight, to allow flavors to blend. Using wet hands, form small sausages about 4 inches long and 1 inch thick with the meat mixture. Grill the sausages over hot coals until browned on both sides and cooked through. Serve with mustard and cold beer.

Image courtesy: romaniansemester.eu / images are subject to copyright

Food

Ingredients:

  • Water : 4 cups
  • 4 ounces feta cheese (about 1 cup crumbled)
  • Kosher salt : 2 tsp
  • Freshly ground black pepper : 2 tsp
  • 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
  • 1 head garlic
  • Fresh rosemary, cut or broken into small pieces : 6 sprigs
  • Olive oil : 1 tbsp
  • 1/2 large lemon
  • Crostini, for serving

Preparation:

Blend the water, feta, salt, and pepper in a bowl, until it becomes smooth. Put the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag or container. Spread the brine over the chicken and cover it. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, pat dry with paper towels, and place in a single layer in a baking dish or on an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Let sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

Take some garlic cloves, peel, smash, and scatter around the chicken. Cut the top off the remaining garlic head to expose the cloves, cut in half horizontally, then place the 2 pieces in the pan. Sprinkle the rosemary sprigs over the chicken, then drizzle with the oil. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breasts reads 165°F, 35 to 45 minutes.

Take out the chicken breasts from the oven, squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the chicken, and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their peels onto crostini, if desired.

Image courtesy: about.spud.com / images are subject to copyright

Food

Get weird with some Pineapple Upside Down Cake! A simple and delicious cake that you will enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • Brown sugar: 1/3 cup
  • Butter : 2 tbsp
  • Water
  • Sliced pineapple pieces
  • Cherries
  • Salt : 1 cup
  • Plane flour : 1 cup (130 grams)
  • Powdered sugar : 1/4 cup
  • Baking soda : 1/4 tsp
  • Baking powder : 1 tsp
  • Butter : 1/4 cup (60 grams)
  • Condensed milk : 1/2 cup
  • Milk : 1/2 cup
  • Pineapple juice/ liquid pineapple extract : 1/2 cup
  • Vinegar : 1 tsp

Preparation:

We are using a cooker for making this yummy cake. In a pan, add 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Add 2 tbsp of butter and 1/4 cup of water into it. Cook it until it turns thick and bubbly. First, cook in a medium flame until the butter is melted. After butter gets melted, lower the flame and keep cooking till it gets thick and small bubbles appear on it. The topping for the cake is done.

Take a 7 inch cake tin, and just pour the brown sugar topping we made into this. Wait till the bubbles in the mix stops. Take some sliced pineapple pieces (round) and place it properly into this. Fill the gaps with chopped pineapple. Place cherries inside the pineapple rings.

Take a cooker and preheat it. Inside the cooker, add about 1 cup of salt. Place a ring cutter or a metal bowl in the middle of the cooker. Put the lid of the cooker without the whistle. Keep the flame high and heat for 10 minutes.

Next, we can prepare the dry ingredients. Take 1 cup (130 grams) of plane flour. Add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar into it. Add 1/4 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp of baking powder into it. Mix all these ingredients and sift it. Add these into a large bowl after sifting.

Next, we can make the wet ingredients. Take a bowl and add 1/4 cup (60 grams) of butter. Add 1/2 cup of condensed milk. Whip well the butter and condensed milk. Take a glass and add 1/2 cup of milk into it. Add 1/2 cup of pineapple juice/ liquid pineapple extract into it.

Add 1 tsp of vinegar and mix it. Keep it aside for 2 minutes. Then add half of this liquid to the butter-condensed milk mixture. Mix it and then add the dry ingredients to it. Mix it well and add the rest of milk-vinegar mix to it. Give it a final mix and the batter is ready.

Transfer this batter to the cake tin that contains the pineapple layer. Place this cake tin inside the preheated cooker. Cover it without the whistle. Keep it in a medium flame and then let it bake inside the cooker for 30-35 minutes. (If u have an oven, you can bake it at 180 degree Celsius for 30 minutes. Use a toothpick to check whether the cake is ready. Take the cake out and wait for about 10 minutes, and flip it over. Serve it immediately or after cooling.

Image courtesy: kingarthurflour.com / images are subject to copyright

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The Lampuki Pie is a tasty Maltese food. It is a delicious pie made with the lampuki (mahi-mahi) fishes.

Ingredients:

  • 500g prepared puff pastry or shortcrust
  • 1½kg lampuki fish (mahi-mahi fish)
  • Flour, for coating
  • 2 sliced onions
  • Cooked peas
  • 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 small cauliflower or broccoli, half boiled
  • 1kg fresh spinach, cleaned and cooked or 500g frozen spinach cooked, drained
  • 2 carrots, peeled and boiled till tender
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree (kunserva)
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 2 tbsp sultanas
  • 6 black olives, pitted and chopped
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tbsp basil
  • 1 tbsp mint
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 lemon’s zest
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper powder

Preparation:

Cut the fish into portions, excluding the head and tail. Dip in seasoned flour. Heat oil, and shallow fry until they are cooked through. Allow the fish to cool enough to be able to handle it. Remove all the skin and bones carefully and cut up into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Fry the sliced onions in olive oil until they become soft and transparent. Add the peeled chopped tomatoes, cook for 1 min after which add the cooked chopped cauliflower, the cooked chopped carrots, cooked chopped spinach and the peas. Add some water and simmer until all the vegetables are tender.

Add all the lemon zest, olives, herbs, spice, tomato puree, sultanas, and capers. Season and allow to simmer another 5 mins. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Roll out the pastry and line a shallow round, square or rectangular oven dish remembering to keep one third of the pastry for the top of the pie.

Take half of the vegetable mixture and spread out on top of the pastry base, then place the fried lampuki pieces evenly over all the vegetables, and finish off by spreading the remaining vegetables as a top layer over the fish.

Roll out the remaining pastry and place over the top sealing the edges well. Prick all over the pastry lid with a fork. Bake in a hot oven 200°C for 15 mins, then lower the heat to moderate 180°C and cook further until the pastry is golden brown. Let the pie settle for 10 mins and serve it warm.

Image courtesy: tescomamalta.com / images are subject to copyright