Sheesh Kebab

This recipe is made on the special request of our ardent member Ms. Meena Noronha.   Meena, although I made it during the weekend,  I was unable to post as I was busy with other commitments.  Apologize.

Many years ago, I had viewed a similar version on a  Food Network, “Barefoot Contessa in the Kitchen” and I adapted it a bit to suit our taste and ever since it has found a place in my special cook-book.  Am pleased to share it with our readers.

The meat needs to be marinated and  placed on skewers along with vegetables cooked on a grill, however if you do not have a grill you can put it in a big roasting tray and keep in an oven till it is cooked.  Stirring it every now and then helps to keep the meat tender and moist.

Basting the skewers with the marinade at regular intervals while grilling will produce succulent results.

Recipe   (Serves 6-8)

Lamb or Beef (1 Kg) – cut into small cubes
5 large tomatoes- chopped into chunks similar size as the meat cubes
5 green peppers/capcicums –chopped into chunks similar size as the meat cubes
5 onions – chopped into chunks similar size as the meat cubes
1 tin of mushrooms (if large –cut each mushroom into 2)
3/4 cup olive oil
1.5 cups red wine (I used Wincarnis ginger wine)
1” ginger – chopped fine/or ground
6 garlic cloves – chopped fine/or ground
2 tablespoons oregano
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper powder
Stew powder (1 teaspoon) {or use ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ turmeric and ¼ coriander)
Worcestershire sauce -1/2 cup
Salt to taste

(If you need it spicier – increase the pepper or add cut green chillies to the marinade)

Wash the meat and pierce with a fork all over or beat with mallet {this is important to ensure that the meat is not tough).    In a large glass bowl,  add olive oil, wine, ginger, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, pepper powder, stew powder, Worcestershire sauce and salt.

Add the meat cubes and mix thoroughly.  Cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.  This is necessary so that the meat is tenderized and will cook soon on the grill.

Soak the wooden skewers in a pan of water for 30 minutes…to ensure that they do not burn when grilling.  When ready to grill, cut the onions, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms.  Add to the marinated meat and mix.   Thread the skewers starting with a meat and ending with meat preferably (layer like this – meat, tomato, meat, pepper, meat, onion, meat, mushroom, meat – repeat twice on one skewer).

Grill the skewers, basting every five minutes with the left-over marinade, till it is done.  Serve hot.

I made 2 batches on skewers in the Grill Mode in my convection oven, basting frequently; and the remaining put in a roasting tray and baked for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Enjoy.

Baked Cheesecake with Blueberries Sauce

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (unsalted) butter or margarine, melted
Filling:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (preferably Philadelphia Cheese)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
Dash of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Sauce:
2 cups frozen blueberries
2-4 Tbsp sugar depending on the sweetness of your berries (I used 2)
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp water

Method:
1. For the Crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter, press into buttered 8 inch springform cake tin to form crust on bottom and sides.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add in lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, salt and vanilla.
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour filling into crust.
4. Bake at 160 C for 35 minutes or until set.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature, and chill for 5 hours or more before serving.
6. For the Sauce: Place blueberries and sugar in a pan and heat until the blueberries release their juices. Combine cornstarch, juice, and water in a small bowl. Stir together until smooth.
Add the mixture to the pan and stir to mix completely. Bring mixture to boil for a few minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
7.When the cake is set, carefully remove the cake and slide onto a plate. Spoon the syrupy berries on top.

Good Ole Fish Curry

I  call it a ‘Good Ole Fish Curry’  coz this is one recipe that comes handy when am running out of ingredients,  like fresh coconut,  or fresh fish.   One thing that puts me off is gutting fish,  and if I do happen to do that,  I have to wash my hands umpteen times till that stinky smell is off my hands.   This Fish curry is made with Desiccated Coconut and  frozen Fish Fillet.   So no stinky hands and no cracking/grating a fresh coconut.   And its nothing less compared to the original one which uses fresh coconut and fresh fish….. so start rushing to the frozen aisle  at your local supermarket,  grab some frozen fish fillets (I used a pack of frozen White Fish Fillets; which were very reasonably priced)   and of course some desiccated coconut;  and  ta…dah……  Fish Curry on the dining table;  with a few more ingredients thrown in here and there . 

Are you ready….. ?

Ingredients :

Frozen Fish Fillets   (1 Kg) {I got 4 large fish fillets – cut each into 3 pcs before it thaws fully -so you get neat pieces)
Desiccated coconut -1-1/2 cups
Coriander seeds – 2-1/2  tablespoons
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Red chilies – 5-6  or 1.5 tablespoons chilly powder or bafat powder  (more if you want it spicier)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Small lime sized tamarind
4 cloves of garlic
Onion – (small)  -1
Oil – 2/3  tablespoons
Salt to taste
Few coriander leaves for garnish

For Bagar :  (1 small onion sliced fine,  2 green chilies slit,  1 tomato cut into half and 1″ piece ginger cut into thin slices).

Apply little salt to the fish, wash and pat dry and keep aside.

In a dry grinder, powder very fine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, red chillies and turmeric powder.    To a wet grinder add tamarind, 4 cloves of garlic,  one small onion and  the spices just ground in the dry grinder.   Add the desiccated coconut to the dry grinder and spin it for 1 minute;  {the desiccated coconut grinds very fine this way }  then add to the wet grinder.    Add little water to the wet grinder and grind all to a very fine paste.  Keep aside.

 Take a vessel and keep on heat.  Add two/three  tablespoons of oil, when it is warm,   add half onion and fry till it is golden brown,  then add the remaining half onion sliced, green chilies, sliced ginger  and tomato, stir for few seconds, then add the ground masala and fry for a minute.   Add about two or two and half cups of water to the wet grinder {sorry I did not measure but this is roughly the quantity I guess),  shake so that all left over masala in the grinder dissolves in the water.  Add this water to the vessel and make a thickish/runny curry.  Add salt to taste.  If required you can add just a teaspoon of white vinegar (optional).  Bring the curry to a rolling boil and when it is bubbling very furiously,  add the fish.  Let it boil for 5-7 minutes.  After the fish is added do not stir with a spoon as the fish may break;  just hold the hot pan with two kitchen towels and shake it from side to side so that it is well mixed.    Put the flame off and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice and a vegetable side dish;  maybe some fried-fish too :).  Serves 4-5 persons.

Cheese & Oregano Pull-Apart Bread

After a packed Thursday and Friday,  I woke up on a early Saturday morning and found that I had nothing much to do.  The boys were fast asleep,  so I decided to surprise them with this Parmesan and Oregano Pull-Apart Bread when they woke up.  “Is there a Pizza in the Oven” ? said Devon as soon as he was up… as there was a lovely aroma of freshly baked bread coming out from the kitchen.

I made a simple lunch of fish curry and rice…that’s up next folks; so watch this space.

So here you are…. Parmesan & Oregano Pull-Apart Bread……

Recipe :
Cheese               -              ½ cup grated
Oregano              -              2 teaspoons
Garlic               -              5 cloves-very finely minced/grated
Chillie flakes       -              1 teaspoon
Butter (Melted)  -              ¼ cup
Flour (Plain)         -              3-1/2 cups
1-1/4 cup             -              Milk  (room temperature)
Sugar                 -              2 teaspoons
Yeast                 -              2 teaspoons
Olive Oil             -              4 tablespoons
Garlic powder      -              2 teaspoons
Salt                   -              1-1/2 teaspoon

Take a small bowl add milk sugar and yeast.  Stir and keep it for 10 minutes till it is frothy.  (This is important, if no froth or bubbles form, your yeast is faulty/expired – so either start again or change the yeast).  Mix in olive oil after the yeast froths..stir and keep aside.

In another bowl, add the flour and the milk/yeast mixture.  Stir in garlic powder and salt and knead till a soft dough is formed.  If the dough is not soft…just wet your hands with a little water and knead till the dough is soft and elastic.  (The texture is like chappati dough).  Cover the kneaded dough with cling wrap and keep aside for 1-1-1/2 hour to rise.

In the meanwhile mix melted butter, herbs, chillie flakes and minced garlic and keep aside.  Grate the cheese and keep aside.

When the dough has risen, punch it back and knead again.  Then form lemon sized balls.  Take a bundt pan (or if you don’t have one, take a normal round cake pan and keep an aluminium mug in the center) and grease it lightly with olive oil.

Dunk the balls one by one in the butter/herb mixture,  lift with a fork, drain excess butter, and layer them in the bundt pan… don’t pack them too tightly – let there be some space in between.  Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese. Then put the second layer of dunked balls.  When it is completed just flatten them so that the level is more/less same.  Cover with a foil and keep aside for 10-15 minutes to rise just a bit.

Preheat oven to 175 deg. C /350 def. F.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or till it is golden.  When done, remove from oven and brush all over with remaining butter/herb mixture.

When done, you can pull each bread separately.  Serve warm with tomato sauce or dip of your choice.

Garlic Ginger Beef

Weekends are a bit like rainbows;  they look good from a distance,  and when you get close to them they just dissappear.  Our weekend was the same – looked like a rainbow and then when we reached close ‘Abra-ka-dabra’  it just dissappeared in a flash.

A dear friend of hubby was celebrating his birthday and I volunteered to do Dessert (2) and Starters (7).   The party was a big hit, games galore, music, dance and good food;  though after all those Starters, nobody wanted any lunch.   Finally we were forced to have the so-called lunch at 5:30.   Great party Ron and Pam  !!!.

It is said that ”Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian;  wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; but Garlic makes it good” .   Made this “Garlic/Ginger Beef” on Saturday and it was really good. 

Recipe for you dears…………

1 kg  tender beef,  3” piece ginger, 1-1/2  pod garlic (big ones),  8 big onions,  3 tablespoons jeera,  4/5 pieces 2” cinnamon,   10 cloves,  10 cardamoms,  6-8 pepper corns,   3 tablespoons bafat powder or 3 tablespoons chilly powder,  2 cups curds,  3 bay leaves, 1 flat teaspoon mixed spice powder-to sprinkle after done, (extra cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves for frying whole – few).  

Cut and wash beef till water runs clear.  Drain on a colander so that all water drains out.  In a large non-stick vessel,  brown the beef in small batches and keep aside.  Grind the ginger and garlic to a fine paste.  Grind the jeera, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, peppercorns and bafat powder to a fine powder. 

Cut the 8 onions into fine slices.  In the same vessel  that the beef was fried (I usually use a large, thick bottomed non-stick Tefal vessel)  and which has a residue of oil/ghee, add the bay leaves and the extra cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves and fry for a minute.  Then add the sliced onions and required salt and fry till the onions are golden (this is important).  When lightly browned, add the ginger/garlic paste and fry for sometime,  then add the powdered spice dry powder (Jeera/chilly/bafat +other spices ground abv) and stir for sometime. 

Add the beef and any juices left behind and keep frying till the meat is nicely fried and oil/ghee starts glistening.  Add curds, 1 tablespoon at a time, till all the curds in incorporated.  Add one tablespoon and stir immediately- else it may curdle. 

At this point check the seasoning and add salt.  {Optional to add 1 teaspoon of sugar at this point).   Test if the meat is cooked;  and depending on this add a little water and cook till beef is tender.  By now you should have a thickish gravy.  Garnish with the mixed spice powder and coriander leaves and fried potatoes (optional) just before serving.