Reshmi Kebab has a special little place in my heart! I used to eat it in restaurants in India, where they served it with mint-coriander chutney (pudina and dhania chutney). It is a great appetizer! When done right, it really melts in your mouth. I think marination is the key.
My friend Tehsin is into barbecuing these days, and she happened to experiment with a few ingredients, and she says, this recipe is pretty close to the Reshmi kebabs served back home in India.
I am going to try it this weekend. And I will let you all know for sure, what I think. But till then if you would like to try it out, here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
2 Onions (grilled on barbecue or in oven, wrapped in aluminum foil) till smooshy
few green hot peppers,
Whole Spices: 2 tsp coriander seeds (akha dhania) , 2-3 cardamom (elaichi), 4-5 cloves (laung) , cinnamon stick (daalchini)
3 tbsp yogurt,
1 tbsp garlic,
salt, black pepper
Chicken breast (or boneless chicken, any part)
skewers (bamboo, or metal)
Method:
Grind all the listed ingredients in a blender (except the chicken). Cut chicken in little cubes and marinate it in the prepared marinade for atleast 5-6 hours, the longer the marination, the velvety your kebabs will be.
Put them on the skewers, and at this point, you have 2 options. Either you can grill them, or if you dont have a grill, then you can just fry in the pan, with a little oil. (If you dont have a pan big enough to hold the skewers, trim off the skewers to the desired size).
Serve hot with mint chutney!!
May 19th, 2008
I got this Betty Crocker Cooky recipe book from Mrs. Vanard, and it is a really old book. I have to look up the book details, it has wonderful cookie recipes (including brownies, bars, etc). Here is the website address: http://www.bettycrocker.com/
I made the stir and drop cookies(sugar and oatmeal), what it means is, you put your ingredients and stir, and then with a tsp drop them on a cookie sheet.
The sugar recipe yielded lots of cookies (unfortunately, I put either too much of the vanilla essence or the fresh grated lemon rind) because it has a bitter after taste. I have to see how to use them with something else, so the bitter taste gets neutralized. Other than that, it is really easy, and they look so cute!!
Click here for the recipe on Betty Crocker website, or go to: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/recipe.aspx?recipeID=7280&Source=SearchResultPage
The only thing extra in my recipe is the 1/2 tsp lemon rind (grated lemon skin, but I think you leave that out, maybe that was what gave the bitterness, I must have not grated it right!)
The oatmeal cookie made a small batch of cookies (about 20 something). But they are soooooo good! I think i am going to make another batch if possible. I couldn’t find this recipe on the website.
And did I mention, I am not a baker, and I could still manage these recipes!
May 19th, 2008
Just pictures today to titillate your senses! Mrs. Vanard, or Jeanie as everyone calls her, is the best neighbor anyone could have! And I am lucky to be her neighbor! 
These are a couple things she made recently, I am putting up pictures now, I just have to get the recipes from her soon. She also made oatmeal and sugar cookies, but I ate all of them before I could get to my camera! 
May 16th, 2008
Banana Split Sundae is an all around favorite! Its practically made in every country, if not, you should start it! This is not really a recipe, its more like an assembly to make Banana Split Sundae. It cannot get easier than this.
You could modify or add to this recipe. It is very very flexible and there are no rules. Actually, just one rule, you have to have a split banana to start with… duh!
Ingredients:
Banana, split, lengthwise
vanilla ice cream,
Toppings:
Strawberry Syrup (or homemade straweberry sauce I have to get this recipe from Ulfet, she makes a killer fresh Strawberry sauce),
Chocolate Sauce, and
Crushed Pineapple (from a can is the easiest, or you could cut up fresh Pineapple)
Whipped Cream
Method:
First put the split banana in a dish, then put 3 scoops of icecream over it. Drizzle on one scoop, lots of strawberry syrup or sauce, then on the middle scoop put crushed pineapple, on the last scoop, my favorite part, lots of chocolate syrup. Finally garnish it with whipped topping!!!
So, what do you say, for the next barbecue, Banana split sundaes for your friends and family. You don’t even have to make all of them, just organize all the ingredients in an assembly line, and ask your guests to make them to their liking. You could also have nuts like walnuts, pecans, and fresh fruits like strawberry, pineapple, etc as extra toppings!
May 12th, 2008
I cannot boast, this recipe is 100% mine, but I did combine a couple recipes, and added a few or my own ingredients, and the end result, is 100% delicious!
What is Orange Chicken, basically its chicken cooked in soy sauce and seasoning and using Orange Juice at the end for that tangy flavor.
Ingredients:
2 chicken breast (for 3-4 people), chopped in small cubes,
green onions (as many as you like, I think but 2 bunches is good for 2 breasts) chopped
green hot peppers (2 or more) chopped,
garlic flakes (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
olive oil (for cooking) about 4 tbsp
Soy sauce (about 3 tbsp for making the sauce)
tomato ketchup (about 3 tbsp)
Hot sauce (2 tbsp or more)
cornflour 1 1/2 tsp for sauce mixed in 1/2 cup water
Orange Juice (about 1/2 -3/4 cup)
honey 1 tsp
salt, and pepper
1 tsp garam masala (Indian spice mix)
For marinade:
1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp salt
Method:
Marinate the chicken in the vinegar, soy sauce, and cornflour for at least 15 minutes. To make the sauce, fry the onions and the hot pepper on high for a couple minutes, add the garlic and cook till garlic is brown. Now on the side, shallow fry the chicken till golden.
Back to the sauce; after the garlic, onions and pepper is cooked, add the garam masala, saute for a few seconds, then add soy sauce, ketchup and hot sauce (add a little salt and pepper too).
When this is ready, mix it in the fried chicken. Mix well, add salt as per taste, put the cornflour mixed in water, bring it to a boil. Then finally add the orange juice and honey, and let it come to a boil, then let it simmer covered till the chicken is tender.
Serve hot with steamed rice.
Yumm-eee!
P.s. This recipe from start to finish is done in less than an hour. So while cooking, you can empty or load your dishwasher, organize a few shelves in the kitchen, or check your inventory and make your shopping list.
April 25th, 2008
I recycle, do you?
I use energy saving bulbs, do you?
I say ‘Neither’, when asked if I would like paper or plastic bag at the grocery store. I carry a jute bag for my groceries.
I am doing my part for our future, are you?
April 22nd, 2008
When you dont want to cook Indian food with long recipes, then this one will be a quick and painless recipe. The only cooking involved is boiling chicken pieces. Thats it.
Ingredients:
Chicken breast boiled and chopped into cubes,
apple chopped into cubes,
grapes cut in halves,
walnuts or pecans, broken
cranberries (as many as you like),
mayonnaise (about a cup),
sour cream (about half a cup),
black pepper powder,
salt if needed
lettuce leaves (chopped in halves)
and ofcourse few slices of bread (I prefer whole grain breads like Pepperidge Farms)
Method:
Except lettuce, and bread, mix the other ingredients in a bowl. Now on one side of the bread, place a lettuce leaf, and some of the chicken salad, and another lettuce, and finally a slice of bread.
Enjoy!
Note: This salad sandwich is to be eaten cold. So you can prepare and keep the salad in the refrigerator and eat anytime.
April 9th, 2008
This is the simplest and quickest recipe ever! And the best part is, you can use almost any salad dressing to marinate the chicken! I used Ranch dressing (because I have marinated shrimps in it before, and they tasted great).
So here is the quickest way to make super tender grilled chicken that is excellent chopped up in a salad, or as a sandwich with a little mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato…. the possibilities are endless!
Ingredients:
Ranch dressing,
chicken breasts sliced into 2 thin pieces,
garlic powder (enough to sprinkle over the pieces),
lemon juice (just a couple tsps)
salt if needed
Method:
Marinate the chicken in the above ingredients for atleast 24 hours (a couple days will make the chicken tender). You can fire grill it, or as I did, used my George Foreman electric grill. I grilled about 10 -12 minutes. Done! See, now what was I telling you about the quickest recipe ever!
April 9th, 2008
Now who doesn’t like garlic, almost everyone does, but the smell, aye! I have this love hate relationship with garlic, without it, the food is just plain blah, and with it, well you know, the food tastes just perfect!
Well, enough about the garlic, now lets talk about the smell that lingers, long after you have chopped up a garlic clove. Thanks to Rachael Ray, I know the trick to get it off. Just rub your hands on stainless steel…. Thats it!
Dont believe me, try it!
March 28th, 2008
Gooey, mushy fruit from Mexico. Delicious, and what can I say about its nutritious properties. Avocados are great!
I used to enjoy the guacamole that our local mexican restaurant makes. But recently at Fatime’s house, I had it in a fruit salad. It was awesome!!! I love to bite into it with other crunchy juicy fruits and nuts.
I dont remember all the fruits there were in Fatime’s fruit salad, but I make it with whatever fruits I have at hand. I add walnuts, and raisins. A dash of honey, lemon and orange juice, salt and pepper. Thats it, a little goes a long way is so true here.
Aniket, my nephew who was visiting me last week, told us about avocado smoothie. Sounds weird huh? Well, it does not taste that bad. We blended the avocado, with a scoop of vanilla icecream and little milk. Thats it.
Also, recently I heard from a friend of mine, that avocado is a great conditioner for dry hair. Mash it up and apply it all over your hair. And also I think it is great as a face pack.
See, now you understand why I am totally fascinated with avocados.
p.s. The best way to get it out, is sliced through the avocado, it has a pit in the middle which wont cut. Then holding the avocado in your palms, twist the two halves in opposite directions. Then peel of the skin with your fingers. Chop it up or mash it.
March 26th, 2008
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