I Sugges this Recipes

Thursday, May 22, 2014

New Food Recipe Site Update

Hi everyone,
It has been very busy in the kitchen this week, I have been cooking and baking and updating my new food recipe website.

Thank you for visiting my blog and all your lovely comments and support.

Keep logging on to to see a new BIGGER and BETTER food recipe website!

Jeenas new food recipe website will be revealed very soon so stay tuned...

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Putthandu Vazhthugal Happy New Year

Today is Varusha Pirappu, or the day when a new year is born according to the traditional Tamil calender.

Heres wishing you a year full of happiness, love and prosperity and of course good food.

Looking for something to make for your New Year lunch?

Browse some authentic Tamil recipes here, or youll find a larger selection of Tamil food from across the food blogging community, neatly indexed over here.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Some Fat Tuesday Temptations Before Your Lenten Fast

Okay, so youre probably aren’t fasting for Lent, at least not in the traditional sense, but that doesnt mean you still cant indulge for Mardi Gras (French for "fat Tuesday" …and its not called that for nothing!).

The official motto of Mardi Gras is, "Laissez le bon temp rouler" (pronounced lazay-la-bon-tom-roulay), which means, "let the good times roll!" With that in mind, Ive linked below to some New Orleans-inspired classics Ive posted before. I hope you give them a try. Enjoy!

Creole Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Spicy Shrimp Etouffee

Sausage and Chicken Gumbo

New Orleans-Style French Toast "Pain Perdu"

Monday, May 19, 2014

Pumpkin Cheesecake – Giving Thanks for Cheap and Easy to Use Kitchen Gadgets

I’d rather eat vegan for a week than write a blog post on why pumpkin cheesecakes crack, but I’m more than happy to explain how to get that perfect, creamy-custardy, probably-won’t-crack doneness you all deserve. Use a digital thermometer. Okay, that was a little anticlimactic, but it really is that simple.

If you turn off the heat when the cheesecake’s internal temp is between 155-160 F., and let it cool slowly in the warm oven, you should get exactly what you see here. The reason a thermometer is so key, is that going just by sight is hard to do. Even at 155 F., a cheesecake has a fairly jiggly middle, and really does look undercooked. Many cooks get scared and leave it in for a few more minutes, which can make all the difference.

This should take anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Many factors are involved, but a big one is the temperature of your cheese and eggs. Mine were cold, which not only makes mixing harder, but also will increase cooking time, as a room temp batter starts cooking sooner. So, to recap, use a thermometer.

That covers the cheesecake, but what about the ginger snap crust? It was okay. The flavor was great, but it got a little gritty and gummy, and Im not sure which, if any, of the thirty-five ingredients in the cookies was responsible. Maybe a little pre-baking would help, but I cant pretend to be overly concerned. Feel free to improve, or just go graham cracker.

This recipe was adapted from one found on my friend Elise’s blog, Simply Recipes. She’s one of my all-time favorites (food bloggers and people), and I insist you head over there to check out her gorgeous version as well. I (we) hope you give this easy pumpkin cheesecake a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 1 Pumpkin Cheesecake (10 slices)
Note: This is not a classic, dense, NY-style cheesecake, and has more of a creamy, custardy texture.

For the crust:

2 cups gingersnap crumbs

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

1 large egg yolk

Filling

4 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, room temp

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 (15-oz) cans pure pumpkin puree

4 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoons bourbon whiskey

1/4 cup all purpose flour

*Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until internal temp is between 155-160 F. Let cool in warm oven, with door cracked.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Quinoa Taco Salad

Quinoa taco salad with avocado and lime- perfect for a gluten-free diet.

Quinoa Taco Salad

Looking for a fresh idea for a summer picnic or backyard get-together? This cool and breezy quinoa taco salad might be just what you're craving. Laced with lime juice and sea salt, the combo of fluffy quinoa and ripe avocado, spiked with red onion and sunny sweet pepper, served on a crisp bed of romaine lettuce, is a light and healthy twist on the salsa drenched bean and cheese heavy taco salads so ubiquitous years ago. It's a total win for gluten-free vegans and vegetarians. And let's face it.

Quinoa is much more hip than canned re-fried beans.

The inspiration for a quinoa taco salad was sparked over on the Gluten-Free Goddess Facebook page. Reader (and long distance friend) Patsy commented on a thread about Memorial Day picnic salads, mentioning her current fave, quinoa taco salad. We all perked up.

Quinoa? As a taco salad? Brilliant.

Patsy generously shared her recipe with me. It called for diced tomatoes, black beans and cheese, so I revamped the flavors to create a lighter, legume-free vegan version. Quinoa is a complete vegetarian protein, so you really don't need the black beans (as a complementary protein), unless, of course, you're fond of those fiber rich little beauties in your quinoa salad.

Read more + get the recipe >>

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Panzanella Caprese

I dont believe its any secret that I love to cook.

My specialties: Breads, pies and oh -- anything using ground venison. (When you marry a hunter, you learn to make yummy eats with a variety of dead carcasses. Im just sayin.)

But lately, Im having dreams of creating something new. Something different. Something fresh. And something beautiful.

Im what you would call uninitiated in the ways of traditional gourmet cooking, but I have decided to stop waiting on the sidelines and get in the game.

Just for fun.

We country gals can flex our culinary muscles every now and again. Right?

I cant hear you.

Right?

Right on. I heard you that time.

For my maiden voyage into the world of gourmet chefery - I prepared an Italian salad dish, Panzanella Caprese, based on this recipe I found on Gourmet.com:

Panzanella Caprese

Serves 6 to 8

1 (18-inch) piece of baguette, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 garlic clove

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons drained capers, chopped

1 1/2 lb tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 lb fresh mozzarella, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup chopped basil

•Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

•Toss bread with 2 Tbsp oil and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper in a large 4-sided sheet pan, then spread out in 1 layer. Bake, stirring once, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

•Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 tsp salt. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in vinegar, capers, and remaining 1/3 cup oil.

•Add croutons to dressing along with tomatoes, onion, mozzarella, and basil, then toss. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe by Melissa Roberts

I wanted to do this one by the book, so I bought all of the necessary ingredients to prepare this dish. The total grocery bill: $20.00. The fresh basil and capers were the most expensive items. I didnt even know what a caper was until I bought a jar. I honestly thought they would be in the sardine section.

For reals.

What a nube.

But, being the thrifty sort that I am, I figured if I made the baguette and used my own homegrown garlic, tomatoes, onion and basil -- I would save $7.00. When my garden is ready, I will definitely make Panzanella Caprese again, using homemade bread and vegetables harvested from the Claeys garden.

Nancy come see me here

Friday, May 16, 2014

Aattu Ratham Poriyal lamb blood curry

The sight of the goat blood in the meat shop kept like a pudding in bowls used to frighten me. I never imagined making a curry out of it. But during my last visit to chettinad, my periamma whom I have already mentioned to be great cook asked me to try this and blog the recipe. She told me the recipe also. She told me that the curry will not have any smell. This Sunday the lady who comes once or twice a month from the nearby village and helps me in cleaning the house, fish tank, car etc came. I asked her about the goat blood. She said that they people buy and cook it. So I took her to the shop to buy it. There were some 6 or 7 bowls of jelly like red thing in front itself. I asked for one .The man in the shop asked me is it enough? I asked the cost .He told 15 Rs. I was surprised and got one bowl more. The lady who came with me told that they would have added salt in the bowl and should be careful while adding salt to the curry. As per the recipe my periamma gave, I first washed the thing nicely. In a kadai in 4 cups of water boiled the blood till they turned like liver. Allowed it to cool and then cut into small pieces. I prepared it as per the recipe. I never told my daughter what it was. While eating she told me ‘amma the liver is very soft today The curry did not have any non veg smell and was good.

Ingredients
Goat or lamb blood -2 bowls
Small onion minced -30 or big onion minced -1 or 2
Garlic chopped –little
Curry leaf –little
Grated coconut -2 table spoons
Green chili -8 minced
Procedure
Wash and cook the blood in a kadai in 4 cups of water till it turns like liver. Allow it to cool. Then cut them into small pieces .

In a kadai in one teaspoon of oil season the curry with a teaspoon of fennel seed and little curry leaf. Sauté the minced onion and garlic and chilies for 5 minutes. Now add the cut pieces too and mix well. Check for the salt taste and add the salt needed and cook for 5 to 6 minutes without adding water .There will be little water in the boiled pieces. Finally add the grated coconut and mix well. The fry goes well with both sambar and curd rice.
I have not browsed the medicinal value of this goat blood. If my readers can find time to do so please send it to me .I will add on to the blog.