I Sugges this Recipes

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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

The simplest cod recipes

COD is only one this famous fish species in recipe s used because of the white meat and delicate flavor. This fish is on top, highly nutritious; It is rich in vitamins (A, D and E) and is a good source of Omega-3, or, the highly acclaimed fat-Ty acid which is good for the heart. COD is low in cholesterol, its good for those with cardiovascular problems.

As to what types of prescription s a come up with this fish? We three have to do that just yet delicious cod recipe s, like this collected:

1. Cod Chowder

The Chowder is a soup dish that is impregnated with meat or fish, pre-cooked process of sauteing. Because of the mild aromas of cod is this make sure Chowder best comfort food at all. For this Court one will need a pound cod fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces. Cooking, roast you first, in about two tablespoons of butter or oil, onions, celery, two cups diced potatoes, salt and pepper. Once cooked, add in two cups of water, then you simmer, until the vegetables are tender and cooked fish. Then add a cup of milk and reheat but be careful not to bring the entire mixture for cooking. COD Chowder is served as comfort food with bread and butter.

2. Cod tacos

A healthier alternative to this is filled with cod tacos certainly often meat Mexican dish. This recipe is enough for a dozen cod tacos. Prepare, assemble half cup sour cream, half a cup Mayo, some fresh coriander and half a package of taco seasoning mix in a bowl type. Place a pound cod that seasoning mix has been cut into four pieces, two tablespoons of lemon juice and the remaining half of the package of Taco in a pan together. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir often. Is a way to test if the mix is already cooked when cod, flakes when one crosses a fork. Once it is cooked, stuff the mix within the Taco shells. Garnish with tomatoes, cabbage, Taco sauce and lime juice.

3. Crispy fried cod

The delicate taste which would be cod certainly well with the high fire spices used in this recipe mixture. This fried cod recipe calls for about four fillets of cod. First dive cod in a bowl with cold water. And then, two cups potato flakes, shared a cup of all ground flour and a tablespoon of garlic powder, black pepper, seasoning salt and two teaspoons cayenne pepper in a medium-sized medium bowl mix. Then you set two cups butter in a deep Fryer. Melt and heat it up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then the cod pieces and roles deleted you into the mix of potato flakes and spices and FRY in butter for about five minutes. Drain excess oil.

Click here for more information about Cod and vegetable recipes or know about size of pantry.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Im A Genie In A Bottle of Wine and The Birth of the Waist Hip

Let me preface this post by ensuring that this is the most flattering picture I was able to get of myself in the most unflattering outfit I have likely worn to date (and thats including the maxi skirt/sweater/headband combo phase I went through freshman year of high school).

I bought the very sheer, black, harem-pant jumpsuit I highlighted in this previous HIWWI post with the intention of wearing it to the Virginia Wine Festival last weekend. It arrived only the day before and because I was already wearing this for the Savor Beer event, I didnt bother trying it on until the morning of.

You can likely imagine the molestation my eyes suffered when I looked at my reflection in said jumpsuit the next morning only to realize it had created the illusion that my hips jutted out several inches farther on either side just where my waist should have been.

{Please notice the bulging waist-hip situation just above my elbow.

Please also acknowledge that this is an unflattering angle of me.}

Looking back, it might have been naive to think that an outfit requiring THREE whole adjectives to describe it could possibly be flattering, but dammit, I was willing to take the risk.

In my defense, I was ill-prepared to pair something underneath the jumpsuit. The intent was to wear a one piece swimsuit--which I dont own--or black bikini bottoms with a tank, but upon seeing how wide the harem pants had made my waist-hips, bikini bottoms with ties on the sides was, in fact, making it worse.

{Saving my look was this sweet hairdo I was rockin. Tutorial coming soon.}

Would I wear harem pants again? Absolutely. Its fun to feel like you can grant people wishes, but next time Ill make sure they sit below my natural waist. Thatd be crucial point number 1.

Furthermore, Im far from giving up on the sheer trend. Therere just too many good garments with sheer panels to throw in the towel just yet, but maybe I wont do it in a full onesie ensemble.

{Also saving my look: this amazeballs face tattoo I got. Just kiddingggggggggg...its face paint.
I was probably the only person over 13 getting one, and I feel pretty good about that}

There really are no fashion mistakes, only fashion lessons, and class? You just got SCHOOLED!!

Friday, April 25, 2014

Instant Mashed Potato Pancakes – Made from the Other Kind of Leftovers

I loved seeing mashed potatoes at the dinner table growing up, not only because I loved mashed potatoes, but also because it meant my mother would be using the leftovers to make fried mashed potato pancakes.

These were nothing more than cold mashed potatoes, shaped into patties, and browned in butter. I loved them, and use that same trick to this day. The potato pancakes you see here were born from another kind of leftover potatoes…the end of a box of instant potato buds.

Id used them while testing the crispy onion rings recipe, but didnt want to keep such an unsightly container in my pantry (you never know when some other celebrity food blogger is going to drop in to borrow a cup of foie gras), I decided to see what would happen if I used it, uncooked, in a potato pancake mixture. What happened were four crispy, buttery, perfectly decent potato pancakes!

One advantage this version has over the freshly mashed one is those contain milk and butter, which makes it much harder to hold together when fried. Im not saying you should just switch to instant, but I felt like I had to find some shred of a culinary advantage.

Logistically, this would be perfect for backcountry camping, or your friendly neighborhood college dormitory for obvious reasons, not the least of which is its cheapness and shelf stability (and by "shelf," I mean an old milk crate, turned on its side).

So, if you have some instant potatoes in the pantry, maybe consider giving this a try. Otherwise, remember this the next time you do find yourself in a similar situation. I mean, who would go out and buy a box just to specifically make a batch of these crispy, crusty, delicious patties? Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup Betty Crocker Potato Buds (probably will work with any similar brand)
fresh chives
freshly ground black pepper
cayenne to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Perfect Mashed Potatoes – Breaking the Cycle of Generational Potato Dysfunction

Well, I just posted a meatloaf clip so I thought I would re-post this mashed potato demo. Every day, all across the country, people sit down to plates of lumpy, watery, sticky, gluey, pasty mashed potatoes. This demo will hopefully show you the proper techniques to turn out perfect mashed potatoes every time; always light, fluffy and lump-free.

It’s not hard, but it does require breaking some bad, old habits you may have. Making mashed potatoes is one of those comfort foods that you probably learned from your mother. If she used waxy red potatoes, then that’s what you use. If she mixed them for 20 minutes and ended up with something resembling wallpaper paste, then that’s what you do. Well, it’s time to face a harsh reality…your mom may not have known what the hell she was doing. There, I said it. Now, if you mom’s mashers came out great and she taught you well, fantastic! But if you do suffer from this generational potato dysfunction, then watch and learn. As they say, it’s never too late to have a happy childhood (mashed potato-wise at least).

I suggest NOT using a non-stick pot for these, as I will be using a metal wire-style potato masher.

Ingredients:
Serves 4
3 large Russet potatoes
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Monday, April 7, 2014

Black Mission Figs over a Fire under the Fog

It was one of those San Francisco evenings when the fog comes in disguised as a light mist. Easier to feel than see, I could hear its tiny sizzle as it slowly floated down onto my quickly dying coals.

The flank steak had been grilled and was resting, but my work was not over. I had fresh figs to grill before the damp evening claimed my fire. Not just any figs; deep dark purple, perfectly ripe, sweet and juicy Mission figs.

A drip of olive oil moistening their soft skins, on the grill they went. As the heat from the glowing embers began to expand the soft interiors, the surface of the figs tightened and became shiny. Soon small cracks appeared, and the sound of their sweet syrup dripping into the coals told me they were done.

Back inside the steak was sliced thin and scattered atop a tangle of wild arugula. The still warm figs joined the plate, as did a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. A grind of black pepper and pinch of sea salt were the only garnishes needed. We ate in smiling silence as the fog disappeared into the darkness. There is no video record of this extraordinary meal. Some things are better left to the mind’s eye.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Gluten Free Mexican Recipes The Flavors of Santa Fe

The Land of Enchantment

I lived in rural northern New Mexico for three years. During that time I loved cooking with fresh roasted green chiles. Harvest season in New Mexico smells like roasting green chiles. Everywhere. Its true. And its seductive. Some might even say, magical.

But beyond the smoky sweetness that tugs at your suddenly empty and ravenous belly there is something else in the cool dry air, some intoxicating, invigorating whiff of the impossible, the extraordinary, the stuff of dreams. Barely there. Unless you pay attention to it. A shape shift at the corner of your eye. A rainbow over the mesa. A wing. The yelp of a coyote. The sudden purple of autumn asters in the rain carved arroyo.

New Mexico enchants her visitors.

It’s a feast of color and tastes spiked with the scents of juniper, chile and sage. To celebrate its flavors I have gathered my New Mexican inspired recipes for you- a reference to tempt you. Until you visit New Mexico. And find your own rainbow, waiting.

Fresh fire roasted green and red chiles.

My Santa Fe + Mexican Recipes

Acorn Squash with Green Chiles

Big Easy Chili

Blue Corn Muffins with Green Chiles

Brown Rice Tortilla Chips

Buffalo Sausage Stew with Gold Potatoes

Butternut Chili

Calabasitas- Zucchini, Corn, Green Chiles, Lime and Black Beans

Chicken and Artichoke Enchilada Casserole (New Mexican Style)

Cilantro Pesto de Esteban

Cranberry Buffalo Roast Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Easy Spinach and Cheddar Quesadilla

Enchiladas Griegos for Two with Spinach and Feta Cheese

Holiday Turkey Enchiladas

How to Make Roasted Green Chile Sauce

Jalapeño Lime Hummus

Joeys Kicked Up Rockin Guac with Tomatillos

Lime Chicken (Soft) Tacos

Lime Quinoa Salad with Mint

Mexican Pumpkin Soup with Black Beans and Lime

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Cornbread Stuffing

Mexican Black Bean Soup

Pumpkin Polenta with Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

Quickie Enchilada Sauce- Gluten-Free

Quinoa: How to Cook It- the easy way

Quinoa Taco Salad

Nachos Fabuloso

New Mexican Green Chile Stew with Turkey

Parmesan Crisps & Roasted Tomato Salsa

Pineapple Salsa Chicken Enchiladas

Pinon Rice Bake with Corn, Green Chile, Artichokes and Goat Cheese

Red Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

Roasted Corn Chowder with Chicken & Cilantro

Roasted Green Chile Tortilla Bake with Cream Cheese

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Roasted Yellow Tomato Salsa

Roasted Vegetable Salsa

Santa Fe Chicken Chili

Santa Fe Pumpkin Chowder

Slow Cooker Roasted Hatch Chile Stew

Spaghetti Squash New Mexican with Black Beans and Lime

Spanish Rice Bake

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

Sweet Potato Soup

Tequilla Lime Salmon

Tostada Nueva- a Southwestern Twist on the BLT

Two Artists Chili

Turkey + Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Vegetarian New Mexican Green Chile

Bakery and Bread

Pear Polenta Muffins

Pueblo Bread- with green chiles

Pumpkin Corn Muffins

Skillet Cornbread with Green Chiles

Sweet Banana Polenta Cake

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Yeasted Quinoa Cornbread

Dessert

Banana Polenta Cake

Mexican Chocolate Cake

New Mexican Hot Fudge Sundae

Pumpkin Raisin Cake

Quinoa Pumpkin Cookies

Rustic Strawberry Cobbler Cake

Strawberries Citronge

More Tex-Mex and New Mexican Recipes from Food Bloggers:

Green Chili Sauce - Salsa Verde from Kitchen Parade

Chile Rellenos Bake from Kalyns Kitchen

Tangerine and Jicama Salad with Garlic and Cilantro from Pinch My Salt

Turkey Green Chile Chili from Perfect Pantry

Carnitasfrom Simply Recipes

Roasted Green Tomatillo Salsafrom Andreas Recipes

How To Roast Your Own Green Chiles from Elise at Simply Recipes

Chipotle Chili from Cooking with Amy

Creamy Mexican Chayote Soup from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Homesick Texans Carnitas Houston Style

Mexican Grilled Corn from Food Blogga

Three No-Cook Summer Recipes from Farmgirl Fare

Guacamole Deviled Eggs from Coconut and Lime

Thursday, March 27, 2014

And the Winner is…Food Wishes!

Im proud to announce that Food Wishes has been awarded the 2012 Tasty Award for Best Food Program: Web. I cant thank you all enough for taking the time to nominate and vote for the blog.

I wasn’t able to attend the ceremonies in Hollywood, but our dear friend Sara, from Average Betty, did, and graciously accepted on our behalf. When she wasn’t accepting other people’s Tasty Awards, she was accepting her own, winning for Best Critic or Review Series. Congratulations, Sara, and thank you for representing!

Speaking of representing, check out this great video Sara did recently featuring David Chang’s Potato Volcano from the Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. If youre looking for a metaphorically suitable Valentines side dish, this may be just the thing. Click here to check out the full blog post and recipe on Average Betty. Enjoy!

Friday, March 21, 2014

The Cake Bizzle

First off can i just tell you how amazing Katie is at cakes??Katie has a blog site called "The cake bizzle". Not only was this cake to die for but it was so yummy! My Daughter Tatum just had her 3rd Birthday Party, and Katie was nice enough to make our cake for her party! I am so glad she did because i was so happy with the turn out, and even more important so was Tatum.

Please go check out her blog, leave a comment and become a follower to get updates on her cakes!! She truly is amazing!!
Thanks so much Katie. We loved it

posted by Jenny

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

COLONIAL ANGLO INDIAN DISHES SHOW CASED BY ME AT THE TAJ WEST END BANGALORE

The Taj West End Bangalore is celebrating 125 years of the West End. I was invited by them to be part of the 125 years celebrations by demonstrating the old Colonial Anglo-Indian Dishes in their MYNT Kitchen from the 27th April to the 8th May.

The West End already has a Colonial Anglo-Indian Menu for Brunch on Week ends at the MYNT Coffee Shop. They are going to incorporate some of the dishes shown by me in the new Menu.

These are the dishes demonstrated by me. Along with me is Chef Abijith and Chef Susai. I had a lovely time demonstrating and showing off my Culinary Skills!!!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Eggs Benedicts – The last 2 episodes to make this brunch classic!

Hopefully you watched the hollandaise demo we just posted, and you are ready to fearlessly finish this delicious egg dish! So, the sauce is done, now you need to poach the eggs and finish the plate. In this first clip, I show the basic restaurant technique for poaching eggs. Due to the high-volume of a brunch service, it is almost impossible to poach eggs “to order.” They are poached ahead of time and held in cold water until final plating, when they are re-heated in simmering water for a few minutes. This method also works great at home for smaller batches as you’ll see. Once you’ve poached your eggs and have them in cold water you are free to set up the rest of the plate and all you then have to do is reheat them as I’ll show you. Ok, here we go with the poaching clip. Immediately following is the final plating and some cruel teasing on my part.

Now that we have our eggs ready we can plate this beauty up. Now, as you’ll hear me say in the clip, I didn’t waste time filming how to toast an English muffin and fry up a couple pieces of Canadian bacon. If you need help with those techniques you can email me and I’ll make fun of you in private. VERY IMPORTANT: make sure you are using a warm plate! Since the sauce is just warm, not piping hot, and the eggs are also just warm, it is CRUCIAL that the plate is warm, as well as making sure the English muffin and Canadian bacon are hot. If you need some potatoes to serve with this dish, please check out our Homefries demo. Enjoy!

This Strawberry Cheesecake Sauce Recipe is the Lesser of Two Evils

I only had enough time to do one of two things; write a post with no video, or edit and upload a video with no post. Guess which one I went with? Okay, so technically this is a post, but since its really about not doing a post, Im not sure it counts. Wow, I am tired! Where was I? Oh yeah, heres video recipe for the strawberry dessert sauce I paired with the cheesecake. Enjoy!

1 pint strawberries, rinsed, green tops removed (frozen will work)
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar (depends on sweetness of berries)
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved into 2 tablespoons water

View the complete recipe

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Was it the Last Supper

Im a HUGE Sopranos fan. So for this weekends filler clip Im posting this clip I found on YouTube that makes the case for Tony being whacked. Since the now famous final scene takes place in a Diner, that makes it food related, and completely appropriate for this blog. Personally, I dont think Tony was shot, but as youll see in this clip, the author makes some interesting observations. I especially like the onion ring comparison. And, what if youve never seen the Sopranos? Well, youve got a lot of catching up to do. In my humble opinion, the Sopranos was the best television show EVER…except of course for The Simpsons and Seinfeld. I tried to find a Sopranos food scene montage, but didn’t find anything, which would have been very cool. If you see one please let me know! Enjoy.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Fig Brulee with Burrata Cheese – Let’s Burn the Top of Some Fruit!

I love a crème brulee as much as the next portly chef, but when you consider the custard base is egg yolk-thickened, sweetened heavy cream, it’s not something you should be eating more than occasionally. But, why waste such a great technique when it can be applied to other things, like fresh fruit?

In the spirit of full disclosure, I chose figs here because I received a generous sampling from the California Fig Advisory Board, and decided this would be a wonderful way to enjoy them. As I mention in the video, this technique also works on fresh banana, a roasted peach or apple, and basically any tender fruit you can slice and sprinkle with sugar.

While this will work with white sugar, the Demerara sugar you see in the video seems to work best. It’s a type of raw brown sugar, and pretty much the same thing as you get in those little, brown “Sugar in the Raw” packages at the coffee shop. Let me be clear – I’m not suggesting you borrow a few of those to use for this recipe. That would be as illegal, as it would be free and convenient.

These were amazing with the fresh, creamy burrata, but any style cheese plate would benefit mightily from the shiny, sexy fruit. If cheese isn’t your thing, go grab a pint of vanilla ice cream, forget all about that sweet-savory thing, and just go full dessert.

Anyway, thanks to California Fig Advisory Board for inspiring the recipe, and if you want more info on how awesome figs are, you can check out their homepage here. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

View the complete recipe

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Save the coconut!

It probably is very easy to guess- but the way this one looks, I thought it would lead to some interesting guesses.

This post is going to be on Save the _______ ! Coming up soon...

LG and Lakshmi have guessed it right so far!

Being the health conscious one, I dont use much of coconut in my daily cooking. Whether coconut is good or bad for health, thats one controversy Im not getting into, at this point of time. However, when I want to make that coconut chutney, or arachu vitta sambhar (Sambhar with freshly ground masala) or use it for a garnish, I like to have fresh grated coconut on hand.

Since I use the coconut on the odd occasion, breaking open a whole coconut and using a few slivers leads to the rest of it getting spoilt (even when refrigerated). The other option is grating the whole thing and freezing in a box. This gets problematic when i need a bit of the stuff and I have to struggle with the whole big lot- break off a little and thaw.

I find that the following solution serves me best and may be it will suit you too!

1. Break off the shell by hitting it hard around the central circumference on a big stone or a stony edge.

2. Usually, it will break off into two halves. You can keep a bowl beneath, while breaking to collect the sweet coconut water. In some occasions, the shell may break off leaving the whole coconut inside intact (the way it is in the picture). In the latter, you will have to cut open the whole nut into two halves-collecting the coconut water in a bowl.

3. Grate the flesh, or cut it into big pieces and mill in a food processor.

4.Stuff the grated coconut into an ice tray as in the picture above. Leave overnight in the freezer.

5.Extract the coconut cubes and save them in a Ziploc bag in the deep freezer. Now you can have exactly as much fresh coconut as you want and yet save the rest.

6.Whenever you need some of this for a recipe, just remove the required number of cubes into a bowl and nuke them for 1 min in the defrost mode.

Some coconut delights~

coconut chutney

Coconut chutney

Choco-coconut scones (Adapted from Meetas Chunky chocolate scones )

Coffee coconut rum cake- Adapted from Susans Spicy coconut chai cake

Ive got two questions for you. Would you call this a fruit, a vegetable or a nut? Whats your favourite coconut recipe? Would love to hear from you !

This is my entry for Kalyns Weekend Herb Blogging

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Pardon the Interuption

Im back east for my uncle Billys funeral, and will be away from the blog for a day or two. Id like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who passed along their condolences, and to let you know how much I was touched by the response. Thanks again, and stay tuned!

Monday, February 17, 2014

The Best BBQ Chicken шашлык

This is the best chicken BBQ ever. The guy kept this recipe a secret for over 20 years and then he told my mom. The thing is he didnt realize is that mom cant keep a secret. My mom used to make this recipe for parties and weddings. Now my family enjoys it. This is the most delicious chicken ever. Tender and juicy. We all love it.

You will need:
3.5 lbs Boneless skinless thighs
8-9 cloves Garlic
8 tbs Mayonnaise
1 tbsp + 2 tsp Soy sauce
2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp of ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tbs Red wine vinegar
Optional 1 tsp vegeta
Red chili pepper flakes (optional if you like spicy)

Trim fat of chicken pieces.

Put Mayonnaise and all spices in the pot. Mix well.

Cover and marinade overnight.
Next day BBQ. The best way to BBQ is turning meat over every 5 min.

Potatoes bake in the oven until ready. Put in BBQ for 10 min.
I used yellow potatoes.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Celebrate the Inauguration with Iconic Posters

Peggy sent me a link to a site called obamiconme, where you can do a version of Shepard Faireys now famous Obama poster. Its kind of fun play around with. Heres the original (on the left, in case you werent sure), one of me, one of Michele and me, and our cat Nigella. Enjoy!

The Great British Bake Off Farmersgirl Bakes!

No, Im not a contestant in the Great British Bake Off. I am sure I would crack under the pressure and probably swear, maybe even throw my cake at Paul Hollywood and tip my macaroons into Mary Berrys lap. Well, maybe I exaggerate a little, but I bake best when I have the kitchen to myself, some good music playing and permission to deviate from the recipe on a whim!

I have, however, given in and bought the book. I got it yesterday in Tesco for a tenner, I used my points vouchers which makes it feel like it cost nothing at all - result!

I thought I would honour the final of GBBO which will be shown on Tuesday 4th October by baking something from the book. I needed to make something for the Macmillan Cancer coffee morning we are having at work, its not till Thursday so it had to be a biscuit that I could put in an airtight tin to keep.

I was taken with the shortbread recipe, which uses cornflour or rice flour as well as plain wheat flour. I didnt have any rice flour but plenty of cornflour. The recipe is for Ginger Shortbread, but I have left out the ginger because I didnt have any crystalised ginger so I just made it plain.

I make shortbread every Christmas with THIS recipe, which works well. It was interesting to see how a different recipe worked. I will try the variations from the GBBO book another time. The biscuits were easy to make and baked very evenly. Looking forward to trying more recipes from the book.

Good Luck to Holly, Jo and Mary Ann in the Final of the Great British Bake Off. You have given us some fabulous bakes, some nail biting moments and it will be strange not to join you all on a Tuesday evening.

Friday, February 7, 2014

The Real Winner of the Superbowl Cupcakes

To me, the only redeeming quality of the Superbowl (or any sporting event, for that matter) is the food. I relish any experience that allows me to consume multiple pounds of cream cheese-laden dips, meat sauce, and--hellooooOOoooo!--sugar!

So, in a feeble attempt to make "themed" cupcakes, I made these:

On the left, representing the Colts, Blue Moon Cupcakes...do you GET IT?!!? Blue...team colors...thats all I understand about football!! On the right, representing the Saints, Chocolate "Bourbon Street" Pecan cupcakes. And yes, theres alcohol in both of these cupcakes. Whats a Superbowl without a few incoherent drunks, after all?

I finally perfected the dome effect!!!

Look, the last thing I ever want to do is lie to you, so I have to tell you that these are hands-down the BEST cupcakes Ive ever made. Dont you wish you were in my company yesterday to enjoy these bad boys?!

So the Blue Moon cupcake was a vanilla, cardamom, orange, Blue Moon-spiked cupcake, topped with a Blue Moon-spiked orange cream cheese frosting, garnished with a smidge of orange zest.

The Chocolate "Bourbon Street" cupcake was a chocolate cupcake spiked with Jack Daniels and some chopped pecans, topped with a brown sugar, Jack Daniels buttercream and a pecan slice.

Did the button on your pants pop off yet?!?!

I cant imagine anyone will ever duplicate such perfection, but in the event youd like to try, heres the recipes:

Blue Moon Cupcakes
makes 12 large cupcakes
Adapted from Bitchin Kitchen

3/4 a stick/6 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs, room temperature
4 oz buttermilk
6 oz Blue Moon beer
2 tsp vanilla
zest of one orange
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp baking soda

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Melt butter and set aside to cool down.
3) Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, beer, vanilla, and orange zest in one bowl, and mix together the sugar, flour, coriander, and baking soda in another.
4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two parts, using a mixer to combine, ending with dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and combine.
5) Pour batter into cupcake cups 4/5 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool.

Orange Blue Moon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package(s) (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup(s) (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon(s) fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon(s) grated orange zest
5 cup(s) confectioners sugar
1.5 oz Blue Moon beer (or however much you want!)

1) Blend the cream cheese, butter, orange juice, orange zest, and Blue Moon in a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, until smooth.
2) Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy -- about 3 more minutes.

3) Fill a large Ziploc bag, trim the end off, and pipe on cooled cupcakes

Chocolate "Bourbon Street" Pecan Cupcakes

makes 12 large cupcakes

Adapted from Rice and Beans

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup flour
1/4 cup high quality cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup bourbon
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Bourbon-Brown Sugar Buttercream:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

3 tablespoons bourbon

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

box of powdered sugar

Toasted pecan halves for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the shortening, 1/4 butter, and 1 cup light brown sugar at medium speed in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk and 1/4 cup bourbon, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in 1 cup chopped toasted pecan. Beat the egg whites at high speed in a medium mixing bowl until stiff. Gently fold into the cake batter. Line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. Fill each muffin cup about 4/5 full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

2. While cupcakes are baking, heat 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 3 tablespoons bourbon over medium heat in a medium heavy saucepan, whisking often, until butter melts. Continue to cook until mixture begins to boil, then boil for one minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and cool completely.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter on high speed until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the cooled brown sugar-bourbon mixture until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until smooth. Frost each cooled cupcake with a generous amount of the frosting. Top each cupcake with a toasted pecan half. Refrigerate any remaining frosting for another use, or eat with a spoont.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Dhokla with the readymade flour available in the market

Dhokla is one of the dish I always wanted to try, this time I bought some ready made dokla flour form the "Patel brothers" one of the Indian grocery store in our near by area. The ingredients on the pack say that it contains besin (Gram flour) and rice flour. I was little confused, about the kind of ingredients that goes into the recipe. Later I did a little research and came up with my own recipe. It worked, dokla came out wonderfully. I never tasted dokla before, but now after making this yummy and healthy Indian flour cakes, I regret for not tasting them before. Form now dokla always stays in the weekly snack menu of our home.

I feel so dumb sometimes, because I bought dokla flour but forgot the fact that I do not have dokla plates. If your case is same like me, give me "high-5"!! No problem you can use the idli plates instead. Problem solved! Now coming to the recipe.

Ingredients:
Dokla flour- 1 cup
Curd/ Yogurt-1/2cup

Turmeric-1/4 t.s
Chilli powder-1/4 t.s
salt-1 t.s
Curry leaves-8
Green coriander-2 tbls
Eno fruit salt-1 t.s

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds- 1/2tbsp

oil-2tbsp

water-3tbsp

Whole green chillies-4

Coriander/cilantro leaves few

fresh grated coconut (optional)

PROCEDURE-
Take curd/yogurt in a bowl, beat well, then mix dhokla flour, turmeric, salt, chopped green chillies, lemon juice and chilli powder and make a semi thick batter with water. Keep aside for 20 minutes,add more water if it became thick.

Grease the plates with oil , add 1/2 t.s eno to the mixture and mix well and pour in to the greased plates and steam them. I used Microwave Idli maker for this process, I kept on high for 7min. Later when the dhoklas are ready wait for 5 minutes and let them set. When the dhoklas are all set remove them from the plates and cut into square or diamond shape pieces.

For seasoning:
Heat 3 tbls of oil in a small pan,add 1 t.s mustard seeds,pinch of asafoetida,,when done ,add 2 tbls of water in it and then garnish this mixture on the top of the dhokls along with coriander/cilantro and fresh coconut

Serve these yummy cakes with mint or coconut chutney. Hope you like my recipe, please leave your valuable comments and keep visitng.