BBQ (chicken & shrimp)

Palak or Spinach rice

Ingredients:
Basmati rice-1 cup
spinach leaves-1/2 cup
potatoes cubed-1/4 cup
tomato-1 chopped
onion-thinly sliced
spices-Cardamon,cinnamon,bay leaf(2 each)
cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
red chilli powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Garam masala -1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste-1 tsp
oil or ghee-3 tbsp
salt as needed
Water-2 cups

Method:

1. Heat oil or ghee in a vessel or a pressure cooker.
2. Add the spices,cumin seeds,onion,ginger-garlic paste annd fry until onions are soft.
3. Now add the tomatoes ,spinach and basmati rice and fry for 2 mins.
4. Then add the cubed potatoes,chilli powder,turmeric and garam masala.
5. Add salt and Water.
6. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Serve with cucumber raita.

Tastes yum....

Eggless Orange Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

All purpose flour-2 cups

Butter-100 grams

Sugar powder -1 cup

condensed milk - 1 cup

carbonated orange drink-200 ml (i used sunskist)

Baking soda-1/2 tsp

Baking powder-1 &1/2 tsp

butter -to grease the cake pan.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F .

Sieve flour,baking soda,baking powder twice and keep aside.

In a bowl beat sugar powder,butter and condensed milk until creamy.

Now add the Carbonated orange drink into this mixture.

Gradually add flour mixture and mix well until smooth .

Pour this batter in a cake pan and bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 mins.

cool, slice and serve.

Note:you get two 8'' cakes

Veg Pasta

Ingredients:-

Vegetable of your choice-2 cups(I used a combination of Broccoli, Carrot, Celery, Mushroom, Spinach, bell pepper)

Dry pasta of your choice-1 cup

Cilantro chopped-1/4 cup

salt & pepper

Curry Sauce -Recipe follows

Curry Sauce:

olive oil

Onion finely chopped-1/4 cup

Garlic minced -4 cloves

All purpose flour- 2tsp

Curry powder -2 tsp

chilli powder/cayenne pepper -1/4 tsp

Vegetable /chicken Broth- 2 cups

Cornstarch -1 tbs

water-1/4 cup

Method:-

For Curry sauce

Add 2 tsp olive oil to a medium saucepan;saute onion, garlic for 2 to 3 mins.

Stir in flour,curry powder and chilli powder.Cook 1 min, stirring

1. Add Broth and heat to boiling.
2. Mix cornstarch in water and add it to the boiling broth mixture,stirring until thickened.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assembling the pasta:

1. Steam the veg and tossing them with olive oil.season with salt and pepper.
2. cook pasta as per the package instructions
3. Combine together the steamed veggies , pasta and the curry sauce.garnish with cilantro.
   

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chicken breasts,shredded

1/2 cup of yellow or green onions chopped (opt)

3/4 cup celery , chopped

1/2 cup red grapes , sliced

1/4 cup granny smith apple chopped

1/2 cup walnuts chopped or cashews

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

lettuce leaves

croissants,halved

Directions:

To make the chicked salad , mix the first 8 ingedients and refrigerate overnight.Spread an even amount of chicken salad on each croissant and top with the lettuce leaves and a thin slice of tomato .serve immediately.

Note: you can also use canned tuna instead of chicken.

Egg PAROTTA

Ingredients :-

Maida - 8 cups

Eggs - 2

Sugar -2tsp

Salt - as needed

Water - as needed

Method:

STEP1:Sieve maida and mix it with egg,sugar and salt.

STEP2:Knead it into soft dough using water.

STEP3:Divide the dough into equal sized balls

and rub each ball well with oil and keep it in an airtight containerfor 4-5 hrs.

STEP4:After 5 hrs Roll each ball into a small chappathi.

STEP5:Start beating it on the counter top.Keep going around the chappathi doing this until, the chappathi is very thin.

STEP6:Now try streching the chappathi with your hand to max level.Sometimes the chappathi breaks, that's just fine. Now pick the chappathi up by one end.Hold it vertically and try streching a little, careful not to break it.

STEP7:Now keep rolling this in spirals and tuck the end into the center.

STEP8:just spread little oil on the sprial ball.After done making all the spiral balls.

STEP9:Take one spiral ball at a time, roll it into small thick chappathi.Cook this in a hot griddle till it's golden brown on both the sides.add little oil while cooking.

STEP10:Now try pushing them with both the hands from all the sides.This is just to separate the layers.
READY TO SERVE.

Rava Kichadi

Ingredients:-

Rava - 2 C
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Tomato - 1(chopped)
Green peas - 1/2 C
Carrot - 1/4 C (grated)
Ghee - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Salt - as needed
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Curry leaves- as needed
Oil - 2 tspCashews - as needed (opional)

To grind:
Garlic - 2 pods
Cinnamon - 1 piece
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Fennel seeds/Perunjeeragam - 1/2tsp
Green chillies - 3

Method:

In a pan, heat 1 tsp of ghee and fry rava until aroma. Keep it aside and let it cool down.In a kadai, heat oil and ghee.Add mustard seeds,curryleaves.Add Onions and tomatoes.Add green peas, carrot,turmeric powder and the grounded paste and fry well till raw smell goes.Now add 5 cups of water and salt to this and let it come to boil.Now add rava to this and mix well ,then cover the lid and keep it in low flame for about 8-10mts.Serve hot with coconut or peanut chutney.

Biscotti

Orange Cranberry Biscotti :-

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. orange zest (roughly 2 oranges, fully zested)
2 tbsp. orange juice
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. chopped dried cranberries
3/4 c. toasted and chopped almonds

Method:
1) Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Stir in orange zest and juice.
2) Sift together the flour, baking power and salt, then stir into the creamed orange mixture.
3) Fold in the cranberries and almonds.
4) On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times, just until it is smooth. Separate the dough in to two equal halves.
5) Roll each half into a log about 1.5 inches wide and 10 inches long (but seriously, don’t whip out the measuring tape or anything…an approximation will work out just fine). Place the rolls on a greased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until firm to the touch and slightly browned around the edges.
7) Cool for 10-15 minutes, or until you can comfortably touch the baked logs.
8 ) Using a long, serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise, at a diagonal, into roughly 1/2 inch slices. Place each slice cut-side down on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the cookies over, and bake for 10 minutes more.

Makes 20-30 biscotti, depending on thickness