Easy Pumpkin Gratin
Posted: October 5, 2013 Filed under: Vegetable | Tags: Cook, Cooking, food, Parmesan cheese, Pumpkin, pumpkin gratin, recipes 1 Comment
Easy Pumpkin Gratin
There are so many things you can do with the pumpkin. There is the pumpkin latte (I have yet to try this), pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins and the list goes on. You can never run out of ideas on what to cook.
This week I made a Pumpkin Curry; Pumpkin, Pea & Mushroom Curry and here is the recipe for a simple Pumpkin Gratin. It takes very little time to prepare and it went so well with the lamb chops I prepared for dinner.
Do also check out my other pumpkin recipes: Pumpkin Risotto; Pumpkin Soup; Pumpkin & Capsicum Quesadillas
INGREDIENTS
1/2 small pumpkin (peeled, de-seeded and cut into cubes)
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 tablespoons melted butter
Salt & pepper to taste
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 200oC
- Melt the butter in a microwave
- Mix the sliced pumpkin with salt & pepper and place an oven-proof dish greased with butter
- Mix the parmesan cheese with the breadcrumbs, dried thyme and sliced almonds
- Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the pumpkin and drizzle with melted butter
- Place in the pre-heated oven and bake until the pumpkin is soft and the top is golden brown
Do check out some of my favorite blogs
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake by Cookazido
Pumpkin, Pea & Mushroom Curry
Posted: October 5, 2013 Filed under: Indian, Vegetable | Tags: food, indian recipes, mushrooms, peas, Pumpkin, recipes 5 Comments
Pumpkin, Pea & Mushroom Curry
Hello everyone. I mentioned that this is “pumpkin week”. Last week I prepared a pumpkin curry and it was a winner, from the feedback I received from my family and friends.
Here is another absolutely tasty pumpkin recipe. For this recipe I have combined pumpkin, green peas and mushrooms. I would normally prepare this dish with button mushrooms, but unfortunately I had run out of them, so I replaced it with a huge shiitake mushroom instead and it turned out as great.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 a medium-sized pumpkin (skinned, seeds removed and cut into cubes)
1 large shiitake mushroom (sliced) * / or 1/2 cup button mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 cup green peas
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 cardamoms
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
2 small green chilies (sliced)
1 large tomato (chopped)
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Salt to taste
3 cashew nuts (blended with 3 tablespoons water)
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coriander leaves for garnishing
METHOD
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamoms until they are aromatic
- Add the onions and saute until they are golden brown
- Next add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for another minute
- Add the chopped tomatoes, coriander, chili, turmeric and gram masala powders. Saute over a low flame until the oil rises (for about 5 mins or so)
- Add the salt and water and bring to a boil
- Firstly add the sliced pumpkin (as they take a little longer to cook)
- When the pumpkin is half-cooked, add the green peas, sliced mushrooms, blended cashew nuts, tomato puree and mix well
- Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is soft and adjust salt according to taste
- Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve
And there you have it – another wonderful pumpkin dish!
Pumpkin
Devil Curry
Posted: September 29, 2013 Filed under: Chicken, Curry | Tags: chinese roast pork, chinese sausage, Cook, Cooking, devil curry, food, recipes 3 Comments
Chinese sausage unpackaged (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Devil’s curry or curry devil is very fiery hot (spicy) and flavored with chilies, mustard powder and vinegar and is a Eurasian traditional dish often served during Christmas and special occasions.
There are many variations to this dish and this particular one has been adapted from The Eurasian Cookbook
In “The Eurasian Cookbook”, author Mary Gomes provides a collection of recipes representing the rich heritage of Eurasian food. They reflect the influence of a multitude of cultures – Portuguese, Dutch, English, Chinese, Indian and even Peranakan.
A novice or experienced cook can now prepare authentic dishes such as curry debal (or devil curry), feng and sugee cake as well as forgotten recipes like apom berkuah and everyday dishes like ketula.
“The Eurasian Cookbook” is the first attempt at collating the recipes of one of the important ethnic groups of the island state of Singapore. It may be a little known cuisine outside its community but the author hopes her book will share with us her community’s love affair with food, a love affair that refuses to die.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium-sized chicken
2 large red onions
1 thumbsized ginger
2 red chilis (sliced lengthwise)
5 Thai cucumbers
5 potatoes (cut each into 4 pcs)
3 tablespoons chili paste (more if you prefer it spicier)
1 strip Chinese roasted pork (sliced)
1 strip Chinese barbecued pork (sliced)
1 chinese sausage (sliced)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dark soya sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
METHOD
- Cut the chicken into medium pieces and marinate with salt, pepper and dark soya sauce and set aside for about 1/2 hour
- In the meantime grind 1 onion and ginger to a paste
- Heat a little oil and fry the potatoes until they are brown, remove and set aside
- In the same oil fry the Chinese roast pork, Chinese barbecued pork and Chinese sausage for about 5 minutes, remove and set aside
- Add a little more oil and fry the marinated chicken pieces until they are cooked, remove and set aside
- Next slice 1 onion and fry together with the ground onion/ginger paste until brown
- Add the chili paste and all the other fried ingredients (chicken, roast pork, barbecued pork and sausage and potato) and add 1 cup of water and let it simmer until it is boiling and then add the sliced cucumbers
- Next add the mustard powder which has been mixed with the vinegar, sugar and salt to taste and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so
- Serve with white rice or baguette
Note: It will taste better if kept in the fridge overnight
Devil Curry 2
Pumpkin Curry
Posted: September 28, 2013 Filed under: Indian, Vegetable | Tags: Cook, Cooking, Curry, Pumpkin, pumpkin curry, recipes 13 Comments
Pumpkin-Curry2
The pumpkin is a member of the squash family, and, though it is treated like a vegetable, it is technically a fruit. Well this is something new to me because I always thought the pumpkin was a vegetable. The reason a pumpkin is a fruit is because it grows on a vine and it contains seeds.
I love it for its natural sweetness and it can be used in stews, you can grill it, bake it and there are dozens other ways to prepare this wonderful fruit.
Pumpkin is an excellent source of antioxidant beta-carotene and is loaded with Vitamin A. It helps keep the skin and mucous membrane cells healthy. It has also been classified as one the world’s healthiest foods. The beta carotene can help prevent night blindness and other eye problems. It is said to help enhance your immune system, and protects against colds, flu and infections. It is also believed that it can reduce the risk of cancer.
This wonderful curried pumpkin dish that I have prepared goes so well with rice or Indian breads.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 small pumpkin
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 thumbsized ginger
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 2 dried chilies
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper corns
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 small fresh green chilies (whole)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons tamarind paste (or tamarind pulp mixed with 6 tablespoons water)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup water
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
Pumpkin-Curry3
METHOD
- Skin and slice the pumpkin into cubes
- Slice the onions
- Grind and garlic and ginger to a paste
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the dried chilies, cumin and mustard seeds until they sizzle and the chilies turn brown
- Add the sliced onions and fresh green chilies and saute for about a minute or until the onions turn a little brown
- Next add the pumpkin, chili, cumin, turmeric powders and water, cover and let it cook until the pumpkin is tender but not mushy
- Add the tamarind paste, fenugreek leaves and salt and continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed and the pumpkin is soft
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or Indian breads
Pumpkin Curry
Fenugreek and Tomato Fried Rice
Posted: September 22, 2013 Filed under: Indian, Rice | Tags: Basmati, Cook, Cooking, Fenugreek, Fenugreek fried rice, food, Fried rice, Indian, recipes, Tomato Fried Rice 1 Comment
Hello everyone! Today’s recipe is Fenugreek and Tomato Fried Rice.
I prepared this fried rice for just the two of us for lunch today. I don’t usually cook huge quantities if its just for the two of us, mainly to avoid wastage and I don’t like having to eat the left overs again the next day (well that’s just me!). So if you are cooking for more than 2, just double up on the rice and ingredients accordingly.
For this dish you can also use fresh fenugreek leaves, but I used the dried ones and they can be purchased in packets and they do last me quite a long time. I’ve cooked this dish with basmati rice (which is much healthier as it’s not too starchy).
This dish goes well with Pumpkin Curry and I will also be sharing the recipe soon as well as Indian Tomato Chicken Curry and Bhindi Masala (Okra and Tomato Curry)
Fenugreek-Tomato-Fried-Rice2
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
2 cardamoms
1 tablespoon ginger/garlic paste
2 green chilies (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 large tomato (chopped)
Coriander leaves for garnishing
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
METHOD
- Cook the basmati rice and set aside
- Heat oil in a pan and when hot add the cumin seeds and let it sizzle
- Next add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick and cook them for a few minutes
- Add the ginger/garlic paste and chopped green chilies and cook till they brown
- Next add the chopped onions, mix well and cook until light brown
- Add the chopped tomatoes and all the spice powders (i.e. cumin, coriander, turmeric and chili powders)
- Mix well and continue cooking until the tomatoes are soft
- Add the dried fenugreek leaves and mix well with the cooked ingredients
- Next in goes the cooked rice (if it’s too dry add a little water) and mix well with all the ingredients and continue to cook until done
- Add salt to taste and serve immediately
Mini Fried Spring-roll Bananas
Posted: September 21, 2013 Filed under: Desserts, Snacks, Starters | Tags: banana, Cook, Cooking, Deep frying, desserts, finger food, finger foods, food, fried bananas, Maple syrup, recipes, Spring roll, spring roll wrappers 3 Comments
Mini Fried Springroll Bananas1
These absolutely delicious mini springroll fried bananas are so easy to prepare and a great finger food to serve at parties. You can make them larger with the large spring roll wrappers, but I had the small ones so I made use of those.
INGREDIENTS
1 large banana
15 spring roll wrappers (if using the small ones)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
A dash of icing sugar
Oil for deep-frying
METHOD
- Slice the banana into 4 and slit them into 4
- Wrap the a slice of banana in the wonton skin and fold
- Heat enough oil in a pan for deep-frying and when it is hot add the banana and fry until golden brown on one side and then flip over to brown the other side
- Place in a dish and drizzle a tablespoon of maple syrup and dust with icing sugar and serve
Mini Fried Springroll Bananas2
Roti John
Posted: September 19, 2013 Filed under: Beef, Breakfast Ideas, Meat | Tags: Beef, Beef mince, Cooking, food, Onion, quick and easy, recipes, roti john, Tomato Leave a comment
Quick and Easy Roti John
Roti John (or omelette sandwich) is a popular Malay dish made of minced beef, egg, chilies and chopped onions placed in the cavity of a baguette which is halved lengthwise, and fried. There are many versions of this dish, but basically the slices of baguette with the egg mixture are briefly pan-fried and they are served with cucumber, tomatoes and tomato catchup or you may even spread on some mayonnaise.
I prefer preparing Roti John at home as I use very little oil and it is therefore much healthier as I find that the ones sold at the food stalls to be extremely oily.
INGREDIENTS
1 loaf crusty baguette
500 grams minced beef
4 eggs
1 large onion (chopped)
2 small green chilies (sliced)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
- Heat a pan and when hot add a little oil and stir fry the minced beef with a little salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool
- Beat the eggs and add the chopped onion, green chilies, minced beef, salt and pepper to taste and mix well
- Cut the baguette into 4 and slice each portion into half down the middle
- Heat a little oil in a pan and when hot, pour the egg and beef mixture on to one slice of the bread and quickly press the beef side on to the hot pan
- Press it down to secure the egg mixture to the bread until it is brown then flip it over to the other side and cook until it is crispy
- Serve with slices of cucumber, tomato and tomato sauce
Quick and Easy Roti John
A Spice A Day – Curry Leaves
Posted: September 12, 2013 Filed under: A Spice A Day | Tags: Cooking, curry leaves, food, recipes 1 Comment
Curry leaves. Their taste differs vastly from curry spice mixes.. français: Feuilles de curry (caloupilés). Ils ont un goût très différent de la préparation d’épices de curry.. scientific: Murraya koenigii. Hindi: कड़ी पत्ता (kaRī pattā), मीठा नीम (mīThā nīm). Tamil: kaRivEmpu, kaRivEppilai, karuvEppilai (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
These are highly aromatic leaves are shaped like bay leaves but smaller. Curry leaves are nutritious and therefore it is alright to use more than what the recipe calls for.
If fresh curry leaves are not available, dried ones can be used. Curry leaves impart their full flavour when fried in hot oil. The leaves are slightly bitter and very aromatic.
Curry plant is a native of India and Sri Lanka.
Curry leaves are said to protect gastrointestinal tract, control diabetes, lower cholesterol, is a good source of Vitamin A and important for maintaining good eyesight.
Fresh curry leaves, with stalks removed and wiped clean, can be stored in air-tight freezer friendly box for upto 2 months or little longer.
Bread & Butter Pudding With Vanilla Cream
Posted: September 9, 2013 Filed under: Desserts | Tags: baking, Bread & Butter Pudding, Bread pudding, Cooking, food, recipes, Vanilla Cream 1 Comment
Bread & Butter Pudding with Vanilla Cream
Here’s another family favorite, Bread & Butter Pudding with Vanilla Cream. We can never have enough of it. The lemon zest gives it an added kick!
INGREDIENTS
8 slices raisin bread
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons raisins (add more if you are using plain bread)
3 eggs, beaten
¾ cup milk
½ cup thickened cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
- Butter one side of the bread and cut into small pieces and put into an 8 inch baking dish and sprinkle with raisins
- In a mixing bowl, mix the eggs, milk, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla and beat until well mixed
- Pour the mixture over the bread and put the bread down lightly with a fork until the bread is covered and with the egg mixture
- Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it soaks up the egg mixture and sprinkle the top with a little brown sugar and the lemon zest
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes or until the top springs back and is golden brown
Bread & Butter Pudding
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CREAM
¾ cup milk
¼ cup thickened cream
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain flour
METHOD
- Melt butter in a pot and stir in the milk and thickened cream
- Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract and mix well and let it simmer gently
- Next add the plain flour, a little at a time. and keep stirring until the mixture thickens
- If it gets too thick, add a little milk to dilute
- Serve warm over the bread pudding
Bread & Butter Pudding
Mint Chutney
Posted: September 8, 2013 Filed under: Indian, Snacks, Starters, Vegetable | Tags: chutney, Cook, Cooking, Coriander, food, mint chutney, mint leaves, recipes 1 Comment
Mint Chutney
Mint chutney is usually served cold with pakoras, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka and samosas. It is a delicious tangy dip. If you prefer it very spicy just add a few extra green chilies – I use the small chilies and just 3 pieces is enough to add lots of spice to this dip.
INGREDIENTS
1 small bunch of mint leaves
1 small bunch of coriander leaves
1 small onion (sliced)
3 cloves of garlic
3 small green chilies
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
METHOD
- In a blender or food processor, grind all the ingredients together until finely blended
- Add enough water to achieve a thick paste
Mint leaves. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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