Vols-au-Vent with Home-made Puff Pastry for DB challenge

Once again its time for all of the Daring Bakers across the world to reveal our challenge for the month of September.

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

Eventhough I was a little scared thinking that this would be a lot of work, I was encouraged and excited by the wonderful photos that Steph had posted in our forum on challenge reveal post!! I knew I wanted to attempt this challenge, but like the last few months, I wasnt sure if I would actually get to do it because of time constraints.

Mandatory parts of the challenge: You must make Michel Richard’s recipe for puff pastry (as seen below), and form at least part of it into vols-au-vent.

Optional parts of the challenge: You may make your vols-au-vent large or small, and may fill them with whatever you choose (savory or sweet).

I finally got to start my challenge yesterday!! I halved the recipe because the thought of using a pound of butter on the same day, almost made me faint! I started at around 8.00 am and finished all of my six turns of dough by about 10.00 am. Working with the dough was so easy and everything went smooth, but still a bit of butter leaked here and there, once in a while. But I was really surprised at how quickly I finished my turns without major problems.

I was thinking of completing the baking in the evening, but couldnt' wait to see if my pastry would rise or not. So I cut the dough in half, rolled it out and cut out floral shapes to form my savory vols-au-vents. By the time I finished cutting them out, I think the butter was softened, so it was hard to align two floral cutouts to form the shell. So my initial shells turned out a bit lopsided or uneven.

The savory shells were filled with chilled chicken salad with chopped cooked chicken, celery, onion, mayo and salt. The sweet version was kept simple with whipped cream, chopped strawberries and grated chocolate.

VERDICT:

I really really loved the home-made puff pastry!! I am so excited because I never thought I could make a supposedly hard dough of puff pastry at home, ever! It was really amazing to me how fast I got done with preparing the dough! The pastry puffed up nicely when baked and was crisp, flaky and delicious! The chicken salad was perfect on the pastry shells. Yes, for the first time ever, I loved the savory version more than the sweet version (probably because the dough had salt which went well with the mayo and the salad). The sweet version was kept simple because I just didnt have any time, though I thought about a filling of mango mousse or vanilla mousse. I bet it would be awesome fillings for a more elegant dessert version! JM and even lil LM loved the chicken salad version. I would love to make the puff pastry again and maybe make some meat puffs and some sweet versions of vols-au-vent! Thanks Steph, for this wonderful choice...

Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough

From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough

Steph’s note: This recipe makes more than you will need for the quantity of vols-au-vent stated above. While I encourage you to make the full recipe of puff pastry, as extra dough freezes well, you can halve it successfully if you’d rather not have much leftover.

There is a wonderful on-line video from the PBS show “Baking with Julia” that accompanies the book. In it, Michel Richard and Julia Child demonstrate making puff pastry dough (although they go on to use it in other applications). They do seem to give slightly different ingredient measurements verbally than the ones in the book…I listed the recipe as it appears printed in the book. http://video.pbs.org/video/1174110297/search/Pastry

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter

plus extra flour for dusting work surface

Mixing the Dough:

Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.

Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.)

Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.

Incorporating the Butter:

Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears," or flaps.

Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square.

To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.

Making the Turns:

Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).

With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.

Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough:

If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.

The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.

Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent

Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe above will yield about 8-10 1.5” vols-au-vent or 4 4" vols-au-vent

In addition to the equipment listed above, you will need:
-well-chilled puff pastry dough (recipe below)
-egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)
-your filling of choice

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage. See the “Tips” section below for more storage info.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.

(This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d'oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)

Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.

Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.

Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)

Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)

Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.

Fill and serve.

*For additional rise on the larger-sized vols-au-vents, you can stack one or two additional ring layers on top of each other (using egg wash to "glue"). This will give higher sides to larger vols-au-vents, but is not advisable for the smaller ones, whose bases may not be large enough to support the extra weight.

*Although they are at their best filled and eaten soon after baking, baked vols-au-vent shells can be stored airtight for a day.

*Shaped, unbaked vols-au-vent can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month (bake from frozen, egg-washing them first).

Steph’s extra tips:

-While this is not included in the original recipe we are using (and I did not do this in my own trials), many puff pastry recipes use a teaspoon or two of white vinegar or lemon juice, added to the ice water, in the détrempe dough. This adds acidity, which relaxes the gluten in the dough by breaking down the proteins, making rolling easier. You are welcome to try this if you wish.

-Keep things cool by using the refrigerator as your friend! If you see any butter starting to leak through the dough during the turning process, rub a little flour on the exposed dough and chill straight away. Although you should certainly chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns, if you feel the dough getting to soft or hard to work with at any point, pop in the fridge for a rest.

-Not to sound contradictory, but if you chill your paton longer than the recommended time between turns, the butter can firm up too much. If this seems to be the case, I advise letting it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to give it a chance to soften before proceeding to roll. You don't want the hard butter to separate into chuncks or break through the dough...you want it to roll evenly, in a continuous layer.

-Roll the puff pastry gently but firmly, and don’t roll your pin over the edges, which will prevent them from rising properly. Don't roll your puff thinner than about about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick, or you will not get the rise you are looking for.

-Try to keep “neat” edges and corners during the rolling and turning process, so the layers are properly aligned. Give the edges of the paton a scooch with your rolling pin or a bench scraper to keep straight edges and 90-degree corners.

-Brush off excess flour before turning dough and after rolling.

-Make clean cuts. Don’t drag your knife through the puff or twist your cutters too much, which can inhibit rise.

-When egg washing puff pastry, try not to let extra egg wash drip down the cut edges, which can also inhibit rise.

-Extra puff pastry dough freezes beautifully. It’s best to roll it into a sheet about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick (similar to store-bought puff) and freeze firm on a lined baking sheet. Then you can easily wrap the sheet in plastic, then foil (and if you have a sealable plastic bag big enough, place the wrapped dough inside) and return to the freezer for up to a few months. Defrost in the refrigerator when ready to use.

-You can also freeze well-wrapped, unbaked cut and shaped puff pastry (i.e., unbaked vols-au-vent shells). Bake from frozen, without thawing first.

-Homemade puff pastry is precious stuff, so save any clean scraps. Stack or overlap them, rather than balling them up, to help keep the integrity of the layers. Then give them a singe “turn” and gently re-roll. Scrap puff can be used for applications where a super-high rise is not necessary (such as palmiers, cheese straws, napoleons, or even the bottom bases for your vols-au-vent).

Thank you so much for visiting me today!! Have a great week ahead! Check out the work of other DBers here.

Country Bob's All-purpose sauce

Hey everyone!! Glad to see you back at Tasty treats....

Today I would like to introduce you all to an awesome product : Country Bob's All purpose Sauce. Quoting from the Country Bob's website, to give you an introduction, "It was 1968 when Country Bob Edson perfected his steak sauce recipe and he called it an All Purpose Sauce because it was more than just a steak sauce. Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce has remained the flagship item since 1982 when Country Bob, Inc. was established".

I was sent two bottle of their delicious all purpose sauce to try and review. It arrived promptly, well packaged and tempting.

According to the Country Bob's website, "Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce is in a class by itself. It is more than a steak sauce, because of its unique flavor and the variety of uses. You can grill, cook, and marinate with it, or put it in your soups, stews, baked beans, and your other favorite dishes. Use our All Purpose Sauce on: Steak, Chicken, Barbeque, Fries, Hamburger, Fish and so much more!"

I had tried the sauce in a couple of recipes. The first choice ofcourse was Chicken wings tossed in the sauce. The sauce is thick and sweet and complimented the chicken wings very well. It is best enjoyed with a side of ice cold beer. The recipe for the Chicken wings can be found here. Toss the baked chicken wings in the Country Bob's All purpose sauce for an exciting taste treat!

The second recipe that I tried was the barbeque chicken pizza with mushrooms, green peppers and onions. I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe, especially the use of all-purpose sauce as the base. It particularly well complimented the pizza toppings and was really delicious!! I would say I liked this better than the chicken wings (which I never would've expected!!). The recipe for the pizza can be found here.

I would like to try a couple of more recipes with the sauce when I get some time, including Sloppy joes and a pulled pork sandwich. The only thing I would've preferred is the sauce to have a bit more kick on the spicy side which would've made it absolutely perrrrfect for me!!

Check out the Country Bob's All purpose sauce and more at Country Bob's place. I apologize for the big delay in posting this review, Mr. Malekovic. Thanks so much for your patience and support!!

Methi Chicken

Last week had been really hectic for me with the MN Kerala association Christmas celebration and programmes, getting together for practices. So I couldnt do many posts. But today I am feeling much tired because of the nasty weather in MN today! From blizzard warnings yesterday to very low sub-zero temperatures, the weather is unbearable out here! Its -22 C here, so I decided to skip pre-school for my lil one. I feel like writing about something warm and hence today's recipe.

Methi leaves are my new-found love and I had done a post on Methi Parathas last month. Heres a chicken dish that would go with any meal, an awesome dish, with tomato and yoghurt based thick gravy which coats the succulent chicken pieces. The recipe has been inspired from a video by the Vah Chef on VahRehvah.com. Do check out his video on methi chicken. In his instructional video, the amount of ingredients have not been mentioned, so I have come up with a recipe that served the taste of my family well. So please adapt the recipe to your tastes.

Feel like curling up on the bed and snoozing the day away! ;-) Have a great warm day you all!!!

Recipe:

Chicken - 1 1/2 lb
Onions - 1 1/2 large
Tomatoes - 1 can (10 oz), chopped
Greem chillies - 1, sliced
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger - 1" piece, chopped fine
Garlic - 2 big cloves, chopped fine
Yoghurt - 2/3 cup, whisked with a bit of water
Water - as needed
Kasoori methi - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - a handful




Method:

Heat oil in a large pan and add cumin.

Once the cumin splutters, add the chopped onions.

Saute until the onions are cooked and golden brown in color.

Add the ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder and saute until fragrant.

Toss in the chopped tomatoes and green chillies and mix well.

Once the tomatoes are slightly cooked, add the chilly powder and coriander powder and saute until fragrant.

Pour the whisked yoghurt in and stir well.

Close the pan with a lid and allow the tomato - yoghurt mix to cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.

After 5 minutes, stir the sauce well.

Add the kasoori methi and chicken and stir well to coat.

Close the lid again and allow the chicken to cook completely.

When the chicken is done, remove the lid and allow the sauce to thicken.

Once the sauce coats the chicken, remove from heat.

Serve hot.

Source: Inspired from VahRehVah.com


Tips:

1. The amount of ingredients are those that worked for me, so feel free to change it to your preference.
2. The chef on VahRehVah suggests adding chicken thigh meat in this recipe.
3. Lamb meat can also be used (suggests the Chef), but be sure to pressure cook the lamb separately and add to the sauce.

Just reminding you that Santa's Holiday Challenge is still going on. Dont forget to send in your desserts on or before Dec 31, 2008 for a chance to win Santa's gifts!! Have a great day!

Chicken Biriyani

I have always been fond of biriyanis. It truly is a treat for all senses. The wonderful aroma, color and the taste of the biriyanis would beat any other rice dish, hands down! It also has cherished memories associated with it. It reminds me of my friends whom I am proud to have as friends even after these 5 years! Hmmm!! those really were the good times! I also prefer biriyanis for entertaining because if you get it right, you dont need many other sides to complete the meal. I have already posted another version of chicken biriyani (Hyderabadi dum biriyani) in which the uncooked meat is layered with rice in a pot sealed with dough and cooked over the flame until done. This technique is called a kacchi biriyani in which the meat is cooked after layering with rice. The other one is the pakki biriyani in which the meat and rice are pre-cooked before layering and allowing the flavors to mingle.

This recipe for Chicken Biriyani is one that JM's mother made when she was visiting. It is a very interesting recipe which makes use of both cooking and baking the rice - chicken mix. Addition of ground cashews and khuskhus gives richness and body to the chicken gravy. The other techniques are the ones regularly followed in biriyani recipes. Dont be alarmed by the long list of ingredients, most of them (if not all) would definitely be available in an Indian pantry. I have tried to break up the process into easy steps and I hope it helps anyone who wants to try this wonderful and flavorful dish.

For the rice:

Basmati rice - 1 lb 4 oz

Cardamom - 2

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Cloves - 3

Lime juice - as needed

Rinse the rice with water until the water runs clear.Cook the rice in a heavy pot with salt, cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves and lime juice or oil, to prevent the rice from sticking. Drain when the rice is just done (the grains should be cooked but separate and not mushy). Keep aside to cool.

Chicken marinade:

Chicken - 1 1/2 lb

Plain yoghurt - 3/4 cup

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt - as needed

Cut the chicken into large chunks and marinate with youghurt, turmeric powder and salt for an hour.

To grind:

Cashewnuts - 8-12
Khuskhus - 3/4 tsp

Soak the cashewnuts and khuskhus together and grind to a fine paste. Keep aside. Alternatively, I used dry cashews and khuskhus and powdered them in a spice grinder.

For garnish:

Cashewnuts - a handful
Raisins - a handful
Onion - 1, sliced thin

Fry the cashewnuts until golden brown. Fry the raisins until they puff up. Keep them aside. Fry the sliced onions until crisp and brown. Drain on paper towels and keep aside.

For the chicken gravy:

Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Cloves - 5
Star anise - 1, broken
Fennel - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 3 1/2, sliced thin
Green chilli - 2, split lengthwise
Curry leaves - a handful (if using)
Ginger - 1" sliced
Garlic - 3 pods, sliced
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Tomato - 2 small, chopped
Cilantro - 1/2 cup
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Ghee/Butter - 1 tsp, melted

Heat oil in a heavy pan.

Toss in cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and fennel and saute.

Add the sliced onions, green chillies, curry leaves (if using), ginger and garlic.

Saute until the onions are cooked and tender.

Measure the red chilly powder, turmeric powder and pepper powder and add to the onion mixture.

Add the marinated chicken to this mixture and toss to coat.

Cover and cook the chicken until half done.

Add the chopped tomatoes, cilantro and mint leaves to the chicken and cook until well done.

Now add the ground cashewnut-khuskhus mixture and mix well.

Allow to bring to a boil.

Remove from heat when the chicken is cooked all the way through with a bit of gravy.

Final assembly:

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Grease an oven-safe baking pan.

Layer the pan with chicken and gravy.

Line with a layer of rice.

Repeat the layering and finish off with a layer of rice.

Drizzle a bit of melted ghee or butter on the top.

Cover with aluminium foil and bake in an oven until the gravy is absorbed into the rice.

Open the foil when ready to serve.

Garnish with nuts, raisins and fried onions.

Enjoy hot with pickles, raita and pappad.

Tip:

I unfortunately dont remember the exact temperature at which I baked the rice, but I believe it was 300F for 20 minutes. Since the rice and chicken are cooked before layering and baking, I assure you that it wont be undercooked. the purpose of the baking is to allow the gravy to eveporate and flavor the rice.

I am sending this to the "Rice Mela" hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons. While I am at it, I am also sending a few of my previous rice posts to the mela.

Pineapple Fried Rice:
Coconut Rice:

Turkish tomato pilaf:


Lemon rice:

Click here for more of my rice dishes.

Stir-fried Chicken and Broccoli with Noodles

Hey Friends, hope you all are having an awesome time! I have missed quite many wonderful posts and milestones of you all, but I hope I will be able to catch up on everything soon. My family and I are really busy going on small outings everyday with my in-laws and we also have a major trip in the making! Eventhough I hoped that I would be able to post as frequent as earlier, I understood that it would not be the case. But still it really is hard to stay away from the blog, without interacting with all my friends!!

Anyways, coming to the recipe, this is a stir-fry that I made from a cookbook that has become my favourite in no time. This was actually a stir-fry with pork, which I adapted to be made with chicken. My vegetarian friends can do without chicken/meat and add other veggies like snow-pea pods, mushrooms, carrots and onions along with broccoli to make an delicious and healthy meal. This recipe is distinct in that the cooked noodles are pan-fried with garlic which imparts a delicate flavor and texture to the noodles. The stir-fry also has a very balanced flavor, the white wine lending a unique and extraordinary distinction to the dish. It is kid friendly too. I have used dried (and not fresh) egg noodles, which was cooked to perfection in boiling water. My lil one and I thoroughly enjoyed it for lunch and JM, for dinner. It simply was perfect! Hope you all would give this a try! I will be back with another recipe soon. Until then, have a great time and enjoy!!

Recipe (Serves 4) :

Chicken (Beef/Pork) - 6 oz
Salt - 1/4 tsp
White pepper - a pinch
Cornstarch - 2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp, divided
Broccoli - 10 oz
Oyster sauce - 2 tbsp
Dried egg noodles - 8 oz
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp, divided
Minced garlic - 2 tsp
White wine - 2 tbsp
Chicken broth - 1 cup
Green onion - 1, shredded

Method:

Cut the chicken into thing strips and mix with salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp cornstarch.

Cook the fresh florets of broccoli in boiling water for a minute and drain.

Immediately rinse in cold water, drain well and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 2 tbsp cornstarch, oyster sauce and 2 tbsp water.

Cook the egg noodles in a pot of boiling water until just al dente (about 5 minutes for dried noodles and 3 minutes for fresh noodles).

Drain well and set aside.

Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat.

Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil, garlic and noodles and pan fry until both sides are browned (about 2 minutes). Keep aside.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the skillet.

Toss in the marinated chicken and stir-fry until the meat is cooked (about 1 minute).

Pour the white wine and stir well.

Add the broccoli and chicken broth to the meat and heat to boiling.

Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly until thickened.

Pour the chicken and sauce over the noodles.

Garnish with the shredded green onion.

Serve immediately.

Source: Everyday Chinese Cooking by Leeann Chin and Katie Chin.


Tips:

1. Fresh egg noodles (14 oz) can be used instead of dried egg noodles.
2. I used frozen broccoli and cooked it slightly in the microwave.
3. Vegetarians can adapt this recipe by omitting the meat and adding a bit of their favorite veggies. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
4. The picture shows a garnish of green onions and red hot chilli peppers.

Tandoori Tofu & Tandoori Chicken

Good morning friends! As most of you might know, my in-laws reached here on (early morning) Tuesday and I've been pretty busy with them most of the time. They are getting used to the weather and schedule in the US despite their jet-lag and fatigue! We have been to some nearby parks and malls already!! I apologise for not visiting your blogs everyday as I used to (I still do on alternate days!). I guess you all could understand that it would get hectic when you have family visting. Anyways, I am hoping to post regularly like this throughout their visit. We've already made a few traditional Kerala recipes about which I will be posting soon. Thanks a lot for the support shown for my earlier posts.

Coming back to the recipes, we actually grilled these tikkas some time back along with the Chicken tikkas. I had substituted tofu for paneer in the recipe for Tandoori paneer. Eventhough I knew that JM hates tofu (I have a strong dislike too), I wanted to give it another try. I thought the tandoor marinade would mask the distaste that we feel and make it something that we could accept without much fuss. The marination is kind of short (3 hours) when compared to overnight marination for non-veg stuff. I bought the firm tofu available at the grocers and the veggies mentioned and marinated them in the spices for 3 hours. After grilling, we thoroughly enjoyed the tandoori veggies, but the tofu, not so much. Infact JM was not at all willing to try, since he had told me earlier on about his dislike. I tried to enjoy it, but again, it wasnt something that my palate agreed with. I wished I had followed the recipe exactly and bought paneer too!!

Verdict :

Anyways, the marinade is EXCELLENT. Use paneer for this recipe and it would be an awesome tikka for sure. The marinade would also be perfect for just a veggies-only tikka as we thoroughly enjoyed the bell peppers and tomatoes skewered with the tofu. For those who have a seasoned palate for tofu, go ahead and enjoy an Indian treat with soy cheese!!

Recipe (Serves 4) :

Paneer/Tofu - 11 oz
Green bell peppers - 2
Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 2 firm
Thick plain yoghurt - 1 1/4 cups
Ground turmeric - 1 tsp
Ginger - 3/4", grated
Garlic cloves - 4, crushed
Lemon juice - 1 1/2 tbsp
Mint leaves - 2 tbsp
Chopped cilantro - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Cut the tofu/paneer into cubes.

Cut the capsicums into squares, the onion into chunks and the tomatoes into cubes.

Mix the yoghurt, turmeric, ginger, garlic and lemon juice, together with a little salt, in a large bowl.

Stir in the herbs.

Add the paneer and vegetables, cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Preheat the grill (broiler) to its highest setting.

Using 8 skewers, thread onto each, 5 pieces of paneer/tofu and some capsicum, onion and tomato.

Brush with the oil, season with salt.

Grill (broil) on all sides for 3-4 minutes, or until the paneer/tofu and vegetables are cooked and slightly charred around the edges.

Serve hot.

Source: The Food of India by Priya Wickramasinghe.

I am sending this Tandoori tofu to the "JFI : Soya event" over at Sia's Passionate about Life 'n Spice.

Recipe :

Tandoori chicken - check out my Chicken tikkas post for detailed recipe and tips.

I used a cut-up whole chicken (bone-in) and trimmed them into slightly smaller pieces and used the same marinade as for the Chicken tikkas. Due to our inexperience in grilling, they didn't get cooked completely, which was made right by popping it in the oven for about 15 minutes. I think that without the grill, the Tandoori Chicken would be probably done in about 30 minutes or so in the oven. Look for signs of charring on the sides of the chicken and the juices would run clear when pierced. The oven temperatures and other suggestions are given in the Chicken tikka post. The picture actually shows a boneless whole chicken breast that I cut out of the bone-in chicken.

The Tandoori Chicken is on its way to "Monthly Mingle : Grill It! Summer Fun" event at Sig's Live to Eat. Here's a couple more of pictures.

I am happy to pass on a beautiful award bestowed upon me by a few of my dear blogger friends. Srilekha of Me and My Kitchen, Skribles of Food with a pinch of love and EC of Simple Indian Food passed on the "Blogging Friends Forever" award to me. Thanks a lot friends!! I really am happy and honored to receive these awards from you guys!! Thanks a lot!

I would like to pass these onto,

Ranji of Ranji's Kitchen Corner

Maheswari of Beyond the Usual

Vandana of Cooking up something nice

Laavanya of Cookery Corner

Sonu from Melbourne, Australia, who is new to my blog, but is a very enthusiastic and ardent supporter of my blog and I !!

Thanks to each and everyone of you, for supporting me. Have a great weekend!!

Chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala is probably the most popular Indian dish in the Western countries. For me it is definitely not surprising that perfectly grilled chicken cubes slathered with a rich and delicious sauce of almonds and tomatoes are well-loved and in demand. The tomatoes make the curry mild for those who dont have a fiery palate and the almonds lend their rich nutty flavor to make it all the more irresistible. I have always loved the tandoori dishes be it naan or tikkas or tikka masalas. So it was taken that when we grill the tikkas, I would make Chicken tikka masala with it. The recipe I used was perfect, with the spices and the tomato gravy balanced well to make a decadent rich curry. We enjoyed it very well with hot naan. The recipe starts with marinating and grilling the chicken cubes to make chicken tikkas. I have given the recipe for the marinade and grilling instructions in a previous post. Hope you all would enjoy this delicious chicken tikka masala. Have a great day!!

Recipe (Serves 6) :

Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Cardamom pods - 2
Garlic cloves - 2, crushed
Chopped tomatoes - 14 oz, can
Ground cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery or soft brown sugar - 1 tsp
Cream - 1 1/4 cups
Ground almonds - 1 tbsp
Chicken tikka - 1 recipe
Chopped cilantro - 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over low heat.

Add the onion and cardamom pods and fry until the onion is soft and starting to brown.

Add the garlic to the pan, cook for 1 minute and then add the tomatoes.

Cook until the paste is thick.

Add the cinnamon, garam masala, chilli powder and sugar to the pan.

Cook for a minute.

Stir in the cream and almonds.

Add the cooked chicken tikka pieces.

Gently simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is heated through.

Garnish with chopped cilantro/coriander.

Source: The Food Of India by Priya Wickramasinghe.




I am sending this yummy curry to "Eat Healthy-Protein Rich" event at Sangeeth's Art of Cooking Indian Food. My other entries include:

Noodles with Peanut Sauce
Stir-fried Chicken with Mango
Baked Buffalo Wings
Chicken tikka
Diced Chicken with Vegetables
Hot and Sour Pork with Celery
Sweet and Sour Chickpeas

Stir fried Chicken with Mango

Once again I made something just for an event on the Foodie blog world, for MM - Mango Mania hosted by Meeta of Whats For Lunch Honey? I should say I managed to come up with it just in the nick of time because today is the last day for the entries. This recipe is from the Chinese cookbook which has become my favourite in no time. The main feature of these Chinese recipes is that the prep work takes the time whereas the cooking is real quick with thin strips of meat and veggies cooked rapidly over high heat. I made this stir fry yesterday and had it for lunch. We had it with plain basmati rice which wasnt a good idea (they didnt taste great together!). I thoroughly enjoyed the stir fry with chunky mango pieces and chicken in a tasty sauce. JM really didnt like the mangoes in his share, but ate it anyways! ;-) So I guess this stir fry is for people who love mangoes and for those who like sweet and spicy stuff in the same dish. The white wine lends a distinct flavor to this dish, so try not to do without it. It also is not very spicy and could be considered kid friendly too!! My only suggestion would be to serve it with fried rice or noodles. Enjoy!!

Recipe (Serves 4) :

Boneless chicken breast - 1 lb, skinless
Salt - 1/2 tsp
White pepper - 1/4 tsp
Fresh ginger - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Egg white - 1 small
White wine - 2 tbsp
Minced garlic - 1 tsp
Ketchup - 4 tbsp
Hot red pepper sauce - 2 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Mango - 1
Green bell pepper - 1 small
All-purpose flour - 2 tbsp
Cornstarch - 2 tbsp
Vegetable oil - 2 tsp



Method:

Trim the fat from the chicken and cut the chicken into 2 by 1/2" strips.

In a medium bowl, mix together salt, white pepper, ginger and egg white.

Add the chicken, toss, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the white wine, garlic, ketchup, red pepper sauce, sugar and soy sauce. Set aside.

Peel the mango and cut into 2 by 1/2" strips.

Place the mango strips in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes; drain.

Core and seed the green pepper and cut into 2 by 1/2" strips.

In a small bowl, mix the flour and cornstarch together.

Toss with the marianted chicken to coat and set aside.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add the vegetable oil and chicken pieces.

Stir and separate the chicken pieces.

Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the sauce mixture and green pepper and stir well.

Cook for 1 minute and add the mango.

Cook and stir until well mixed, about 30 seconds.

Serve hot.

Source: Everyday Chinese Cooking by Leeann Chin and Katie Chin.


Tip:

1. The stir-fry would taste best when served with Chinese fried rice or noodles.

I am also sending this stir-fried chicken to the "Eat Healthy Protein Rich" event at Sangeeth's Art of Cooking Indian Food.

I received the "Friendship" award from Trupti of Recipe Center. I am so happy to know that I am lucky enough to be considered a friend by some of the bloggers. Thank you so much Trupti! I really appreciate your loving gesture.

I would like to pass this on to,

Vandana Rajesh of Cooking up something nice
Vani of Mysoorean
Maheswari of Beyond the Usual
Madhuram of Eggless Cooking
Cham of Spice-club

Enjoy your awards and have a nice day!

Baked Buffalo Wings

Buffalo wings are probably the most popular appetizers in the US. I fell in love with them the first time I tasted them. Eventhough the idea of chewing between the bones to get a tiny morsel of meat was not that appealing to me, I was convinced by JM that they infact are the tastiest pieces! The red hot sauce that was slathered on the wings were my absolute favourite! I started using them on anything anywhere! Nowadays, my frenzy has quieted down a bit, but my love for buffalo wings havent. So I made some last weekend, where the wings were baked rather than fried, to get the crispy cooked texture and then tossed in some hot wing sauce to make the delectable buffalo hot wings! Served with a side of celery sticks and blue cheese, and I sure was on cloud nine!

This is a simple recipe, but, since I have only baked the wings (which actually produced crispy outside similar to that of fried ones) and hadnt used melted butter along with the sauce, it is much less in fat content. The recipe was found on the hot sauce bottle itself, whereas the other recipes that I came across either involved frying the chicken or using butter. The only thing is that you need to have a bit of planning since the wings have to be baked nearly an hour. But theres no prep work involved and is super easy. If you have a to feed a crowd, this is it! You will know for sure that these wings would be the highlight of the party! Enjoy!!

Recipe (Makes 6-8 servings) :

Chicken wings - 2 1/2 lbs
Red hot sauce - 3/4 cup
Celery stalks - 4-5, cut into sticks(optional)
Blue cheese dressing - optional

Method:

Bake wings at 425 F for one hour, until cooked and crispy.

Toss wings in the hot buffalo wing sauce.

If desired, serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.

Source: Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce.

Tips:

1. For quicker wings, deep-fry the chicken wings for 12 minutes at 400 F. (Dont!, bake :-))
2. I made about 1 1/2 lbs wings which were baked for about 45 minutes. It doesnt have to be baked that long, so if you do, bake for about 30-35 minutes. I used up about 1/2 cup of buffalo wing sauce.

I am sending this to "Eat Healthy Protein Rich" event at Sangeeth's Art of Cooking Indian Food. See you all on Monday! Have a great weekend! :-)