Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or malt vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon peeled and grated or crushed ginger root
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish
• Slices of cucumber, red (Spanish) onion, tomato and lemon, for garnish

Method:-

Prick the flesh of the chicken all over with a fork. Then, using a sharp knife, cut slashes in the flesh to allow the marinade to penetrate. Place the chicken in a nonreactive large, shallow dish.

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ca

rdamom, cloves, black pepper and salt. Stir until well-mixed, then pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it into the flesh, turning the chicken several times. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. (Do not marinate for longer than 2 days.) Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.

The chicken may be grilled or roasted. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a fire for direct-heat cooking. Position the grill rack 5 inches from the fire. Allow the coals to burn until white ash covers them and the heat is moderate.

tandoori-chicken.jpg

Remove the chicken from the marinade, pressing lightly to extract excess marinade, and brush with oil. Place the chicken pieces on a well-oiled grill rack and; grill, covered, with the vents open, turning 3 or 4 times, 45 minutes or until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

If roasting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, brush with oil, and cook, turning once, 25 to 30 minutes until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

Cast Iron Skillet Care

Some brand names in quality older and highly collectible cast iron skillets are Griswold and Wagner. Books have been written on both brands with information on types and sizes as well as what they are worth to collectors. You can still find these skillets at yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores where they can be purchased for a few dollars. These older skillets still offer many years of excellent service for cooking.

New and used cast iron skillets that have been cleaned need to seasoned. New skillets have to be seasoned before using them, used skillets that have been cleaned or scrubbed to the point where the smooth patina cooking surface has been removed also will have to under go the seasoning process. First, wash the skillet or pan in hot, soapy water; dry immediately. Using a cloth that has been soaked in cooking oil or melted solid shortening and wrung out, rub the entire surface of the cast iron, even the exterior and the lid. Heat upside down in a 350F oven for one hour. Turn oven off and leave the cast iron skillet in a safe place to cool. If the skillet has a heavy build up of burnt caked on grease on the bottom and sides you may have to remove it with oven cleaner and a good scraping and scrubbing before following the above procedure.

How do you clean cast iron after cooking in it? Use hot soapy water (though many experts avoid soap unless they’ll be re-seasoning) and clean the pan by simply pouring boiling water over it and wiping it clean with a paper towel. Never use harsh detergents on cast iron. Dry at once.When do you re-season your cast iron? When the skillet is rusty or the surface appears dull, not shiny, or when food has stuck to the bottom. Scour thoroughly with steel wool, then re-season as explained above. Store, uncovered, in a dry place.

Pie Recipes

The actual content of the pie is only half the pleasure, the crust or topping is something else, some heavy and stodgy, others light and crisp My family enjoy any type or pie, but when I first got married I struggled to find different pie recipes. Sometimes I would start with a recipe I had used before and with confidence I slightly changed the content and sat back as I watched my family sampled my new pie recipe. My Pie Recipe Tips. The main thing to remember when cooking is to have fun, whether it be a pie recipe or not, do not worry if it does not turn out perfect, you can always try again. If you are cooking a savory pie such as shepherd’s pie, remember you do not have to keep it simple, try changing the potato topping for sweet potato or mix potato and Swede for an extra sweet taste. Another idea is to mash plenty of cream and cheese onto your mash before topping your pie, although this pie recipe is not so good for the hips it really is delicious! When trying out a new pie recipe make sure you understand the different cooking terminologies. This can alter the final flavour of a dish as most pie recipes can be prepared in a number of different ways. If you are stuck for ideas for new pie recipes never forget that information and ingredients for pie recipes is readily available on the internet at the click of a button. I would strongly recommend you do not invite the world and his wife over for dinner if you are trying out new pie recipes, there is nothing worse than feeling of disappointment if it does not work out to plan. Always test on your family first but ask them to be honest. When trying new pie recipes always try to get the freshest ingredients you can, visit your local organic farm store if possible, choose vegetables or fruit that in season to be guaranteed the best taste. Try to think what would go best along side your dish If it is a sweet desert tries to consider if it would taste better hot will a cool ice cream next to it. Or if it is savory what vegetables or side dishes would look best, I would always go for bright colors as the pasty or topping can sometime look pale and boring. Above all remember to test your food along the way so you know if you should add something to give your pie recipe that little something extra

Beer

Maybe you’ve been following my column on our blog, Your Weekly Libation, and my tapestry of booze has enticed you. Maybe you’re a drink-fixated foodie looking to move from smoothies and teas into a more exciting area. Maybe you saw the word ‘beer’ and started drooling like one of Pavlov’s dogs. Whatever the reason, you’re here and eager to make your own beer!

How easy or difficult is the process? That depends entirely on how much you want to influence the outcome. Whatever the method, prepare to commit some cash; at least $40 for an all-in-one kit, or up to $150 to make things from scratch. It’s worth the costs, however, when you finally crack open a bottle of your own personal beer and down it with glee.

The first option for the amateur brewer is to pick up an all-in-one beer kit. Mr. Beer, the most well-known, offers four different kits, from the $40 Deluxe Edition all the way up to the $150 Ultimate Edition. Another brand to consider is the $130-150 Starter Home Brewery set (which uses a glass carboy and organic ingredients). These sets don’t do all the work for you, but they do cut down on use of raw ingredients or jerry-rigged equipment. By using a kit, you’ll possibly save money and definitely ensure consistency. But all the ease of production comes at a price: good luck customizing the flavor of your beer using a pre-made brewpack.

For the truly discerning brewer-to-be, it may seem necessary to do everything yourself. This allows for much more experimentation and creativity; it also has a much smaller margin for error. It’s best to buy a brewkit first, experiment with it, and move on to custom beers once you’re comfortable. If you are, and you’ve made sure to properly sterilize all your equipment (via steam dry in the dishwasher or a diluted bleach soak and rinse) there are three broad phases to beer creation:

Brewing
For this, you’ll need a brewpot, a recipe , a kitchen strainer, at least 2.5 gallons of water (most brewpacks and recipes call for 2.5-3 gallons), and a rolling pin (to crush your grain ingredients). What ingredients you need depends on what kind of beer you’re making. A Simple Ale, for example, might contain:

3 lbs. light dried malt extract
8 oz. crushed crystal malt
1 oz. Northern Brewer pellet hops
1 pkg. brewers yeast
3/8 C. sugar, for bottling

But different beers require different amounts of even the most basic ingredients. The brewpot is where you prepare the beer ingredients—the “wort”—for fermentation. Use a large (at least 4 gallon) metal pot, ideally stainless steel or ceramic-coated. Using an aluminum pan will work, sort of, but your beer will end up tasting funny. And with a process as long as this one, the final result had better be good! Once you’ve prepared the wort, you’re ready for the second phase.

Primary fermentation
For this, you’ll need a serious fermenting container. No skimping with a two-liter bottle, here. Some sites suggest you use a fermenter made specifically for brewing, with a stopper and spigot; others show how to employ things like water cooler bottles. Whichever kind you use, pour in (“pitch”) your brewer’s yeast. Here is where the the infant beer shall remain as the yeast parties down inside, chowing down on the sugars within the wort and giving off carbon dioxide. To prevent the the whole thing from going kablammo like an oversized Wort Grenade, you’ll need an airlock, a simple little plastic doodad which constantly releases the building CO2. It forms an airtight seal between the fermenter’s stopper and the outside world. You can make one fairly easily, but plastic airlocks generally go for about $1, and I’d say that’s a dollar well spent. Place the container in a dark, cool place, and prepare for the hardest part of your brewing experience: waiting.

After feasting for 10-14 days, the yeast should be done with all the sugar. It’s time for your beer to go into the third phase…

Secondary fermentation
What? But we already fermented it once! True, but we’ve been letting out the CO2; secondary fermentation takes place in sealed bottles, trapping the CO2 and giving the beer its foamy, fizzy carbonation. But since the sugars from the wort are all gone, you’ll need to add some “primer” sugar before bottling. Prepare a  primer by boiling 3/8 a cup of sugar in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes, then pouring it into another container large enough to hold your beer. Siphon the beer into this new container carefully; your goal is to leave behind as much of the sediment as possible. From here, pour/siphon/spigot the beer into bottles and…wait some more. Argh! Let the beer age for another 7-10 days in that same cool, dark area from before; finally, pop open a bottle and have a taste.

Chocolate Chip

“There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love chocolate, and communists.” – Leslie Moak Murray

I can’t help but love that quote. When I was a kid, my grandpa always called any store bought cookies that somehow made it into the house “Commie cookies.” For him, it was Grandma’s homemade cookies or none at all.

There’s just something special about homemade cookies, especially chocolate chip cookies, so far as I’m concerned. It’s a great family activity, something even children can help with, and everyone loves eating the results.

Here’s an easy recipe for chocolate chip cookies I think you’ll enjoy:

Materials

• 1 package butter pecan, chocolate chip, chocolate fudge, devil’s food, German, chocolate or yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine — softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 (6 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

Heat oven to 350°. Combine half of the dry cake mix , butter, vanilla and eggs in large bowl and mix until smooth. Stir in remaining cake mix, nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are set (centers will be soft). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Take Shahi Paneer In your Lunch And Dinear

Shahi Paneer or “Cottage Cheese Curry” is a popular vegetarian delight. Shahi Paneer tastes good as well as stands high on nutrition chart. Before describing the method to prepare Shahi Paneer let us tell you the nutritional value of the Shahi Paneer. It contain 510 calories, 225 calories from fat many other nutrients like sugar and proteins. Try this royal dish with SurfIndia now. Shahi Paneer rocks with Butter Naan

Materials

250 gm: Paneer (cottage cheese)

• 1/4 cup: Beaten curd

• 1/2 cup: Milk

• 1 1/2 cup: Tomatoes (chopped fine)

• 1/2 cup: Onion (chopped into strips)

• 1/2″ piece: Ginger chopped fine

• 2-3: Green chillies chopped fine

• 2-3: Cardamoms (crushed)

• 1/2 tsp: Garam masala

• 1/2 tsp: Red chilli powder

• 2 tsp: Tomato sauce

• 3 tsp: Ghee or butter

• Salt to taste

Method

1.  Chop paneer into 2″ fingers.
2. Heat half the ghee. Add onion, ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes,       covered. Add curd and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cool.
3. Blend in a mixer till smooth.
4. Heat remaining ghee, add gravy and other ingredients except milk and paneer. Boil to get a very thick gravy.
5. Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 minutes.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander and grated paneer.

Celebrity Foods Selling Points

The time of meal should be the part of relaxation of your day, a time to replug with the family and to appreciate a healthy meal. For much of overloaded and occupied Americans, however, it is simply not reality. They upwards finish eating the unhealthy prepackaged meals and little appétissants simply because they’about rapid and of easy, or worse, spending a ton of money to eat some outside. Now, with foods of celebrity, this doesn’T must be the case. You can reduce the effort, eat better, and to even save on gas by avoiding voyages to the store of grocer, all while taking again the joy of sitting down with a dish cooked at the house. Here’S how you can draw benefit from our products and services:

Reduce stress: Going to the grocery store is usually a chore. Long lines, searching for what you want, and packing your groceries into your trunk in the freezing cold are never pleasant. With our service, you’ll get your groceries delivered right to your door. We’ll even put them away! What could be easier?

Eat better: We all want to eat well, but it can be confusing, not to mention time consuming. There’s portion size to consider, and many low calorie foods simply aren’t that enjoyable. Our foods are wholesome, nutritious, and, best of all, delicious. You can enjoy a wide variety of delicious meals, from mouth-watering salmon fillets to hearty beef stew. With such a huge selection, there’s sure to be something everyone in your family can enjoy. All of our products come individually portioned, so there’s no more guesswork. You can rest assured that you’re serving a meal that is just the right size.

A better quality: The money which we spend in isn T’of food right about the price on the package. It’S about the quality of which’S inside. While you can be able to find a package cheaper of ox to the store of grocer, it’S interesting to wonder how much about’really saving you. Many meat cuts have much loss in the form of grease and bone. All our products hand- are balanced to remove this material, thus you’on the subject only of the payment what you really eat, not which ends upwards in the refuse.

For years, you’ve probably made last minute trips to the grocery store to pick up something you forgot, served your family low quality meals, and resorted to fat-laden fast food, all the while thinking there must be a better way. Now, with Celebrity Foods, there is!