Sri Lankan Chicken Curry (Kukul Mas)

 

• 4 cloves Garlic , finely chopped
• 1 inch Ginger , finely chopped 
• 2 Onions , thinly sliced
• 2 Dry Red Chillies
• 2 sprig Curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
• 250 ml Coconut milk
• Salt , to taste 
• 300 grams Chicken , curry cut pieces 
• 1 tablespoon Sunflower Oil
  

   

  Heat oil on medium flame. Add ginger, garlic, onions, red chillies and curry leaves.

  Saute for a good 4-6 minutes, until it turns into a deep brown colour.

  To this add the Sri Lankan curry powder, mix well.

  Add the chicken and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook.

  Mix in the coconut milk into the Kukul Mas Curry and simmer on low flame for 5 minutes.
  
  Once done, turn off the heat and transfer the Kukul Mas Curry to as serving bowl and serve hot

Sri Lankan Spice Powder

 

• 1 teaspoon Coriander (Dhania) Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper Corns
• 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 4 Cloves (Laung)
• 4 Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds (Saunf)
• 3 Dry Red Chillies
• 1 Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)
  
  Dry fry for 3 or 4 minutes, then grind to a powder. 

Swedish Meatballs

 

Meatballs:
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 10 oz ground beef
* 10 oz ground pork
* 2 tbsp milk
* 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
* 1/2 large onion chopped
* 3 cloves garlic minced
* 1 tsp dried oregano
* ½ tsp sea salt
* ½ tsp pepper
* 1 egg

Sauce:
* 5 tbsp butter
* 3 tbsp flour
* 2 cups beef broth
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tsp Dijon mustard
* Salt and pepper to taste

* Combine 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs and milk and allow bread crumbs to soak up milk.

* Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan (I used cast iron one) on medium high. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and sauté for another minute. Turn off heat.

* In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked bread crumbs and sautéed onion/garlic/oregano mixture. Mix in with salt and pepper. Add 1 egg and combine using a wooden spoon until the entire egg is mixed in.

* Using a tablespoon for measuring and your hands for rolling, start making those meatballs. I just rolled them between my palms and got 18 average size meatballs.

* On medium high heat, brown meat balls on all sides, carefully turning so they don't break apart. Cook them for about 10 minutes, making sure they are not raw inside. Remove meatballs and put them on a large plate.

TO MAKE SAUCE:
* Reduce heat to low and add 4 tablespoons butter to hot pan. Once butter is melted, whisk in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.

* Add in 2 cups beef broth and simmer for 2 minutes. Next add in 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Simmer until sauce thickens just a bit. Taste it and add salt and pepper if necessary (depends on whether your broth is sodium free or not).

* Add meatballs into sauce, cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.



Spicy Asian Pork Cabbage Rolls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Adapted from: https://www.fromachefskitchen.com/spicy-asian-pork-cabbage-rolls/

Spicy Asian Pork Cabbage Rolls are a spicy, Asian twist on traditional cabbage rolls. Use turkey, chicken, beef or even tofu if you prefer! Any leftovers freeze and reheat just fine.

Serves 6
PREP TIME
30 minutes
COOK TIME
50 minutes
TOTAL TIME
1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients
SAUCE
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1/2 can (3 ounces) tomato paste
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
* 1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce (or to taste)
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoons minced ginger
* 2 tablespoons corn starch

* CABBAGE AND FILLING
* Oil or non-stick cooking spray
* Salt
* 1 large head green cabbage
* 1 container (12-ounce) broccoli slaw
* 1 pound ground pork
* 1 cup cooked brown rice
* 1 bunch of scallions, white and light green part only, chopped, divided
* 4 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon minced ginger
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1 large egg
* 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Instructions
1. SAUCE: Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan until the cornstarch dissolves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened.
2. Transfer 1/4 cup of the sauce to a bowl large enough to accommodate the filling you will be mixing up. Set remaining sauce aside to cool.

3. ROLLS: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil or spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Set aside.
4. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Remove 12 outer leaves from the head of cabbage, being careful not to tear or break the leaves.
5. Place three leaves at a time in the boiling water and cook 1-2 minutes or until pliable. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to drain and cool. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
6. Alternately, boil the entire head of cabbage and remove the leaves with a knife as they become pliable.
7. Keep the water boiling and add the broccoli slaw. Drain immediately in a colander and cool under cold tap water. (You just want it softened slightly so it's easier to roll into the cabbage leaves.)
8. Combine the broccoli slaw, pork, brown rice, all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and egg in the bowl with the reserved sauce and mix well.
9. Cut the thick vein out of each leaf of cabbage in an upside-down V-shape. Place 1/12th of the filling in the center of each cabbage leaf.
10. Pull the bottom "flaps" up and over the filling, overlapping them slightly. Fold in the sides and roll up.
11. Place in the prepared baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls.
12. Cover with aluminium foil and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center of each roll registers 165 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
13. Spoon any sauce that settled in the bottom of the baking dish back over the rolls. Garnish with reserved 2 tablespoons scallions and sesame seeds.

Melt-in-your-mouth shin stew

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/melt-in-your-mouth-shin-stew/

• olive oil
• 2 red onions , peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 carrots , peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 sticks celery , trimmed and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic , unpeeled
• a few sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small handful dried porcini
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 kg quality shin of beef , bone removed, trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 x 400 g good-quality tinned plum tomatoes
• ⅔ bottle Chianti

Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. In a heavy-bottomed ovenproof saucepan, heat a splash of olive oil and gently fry the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, herbs, porcini and cinnamon for 5 minutes until softened slightly. Meanwhile, toss the pieces of beef in a little seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Add the meat to the pan and stir everything together, then add the tomatoes, wine and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently bring to the boil, cover with a double-thickness piece of tinfoil and a lid and place in your preheated oven for 3 hours or until the beef is meltingly tender and can be broken up with a spoon. Taste and check the seasoning, remove the cinnamon stick and rosemary sprigs and serve.

Roast Leg of Lamb

• Leg of Lamb 2½ kg/5lb 8oz
• Garlic
• Bunch of fresh Rosemary
• Anchovies
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Carrots chopped chunky
• 1 Onion, cut into quarters
• Red Wine (about 150ml)
• 1.2l Beef or Lamb Stock

1.The first job is to stud the lamb with garlic. anchovies and rosemary. Use a sharp pointed knife, make at least 30 small incisions all over the meat. Peel 4 garlic cloves, thinly slice them and prod a slice into each incision. Do the same with small sprigs of rosemary and the Anchovies. If done in advance, cover the lamb well and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge 1 hr before roasting. 

2.Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Heat a large frying pan, add a little oil and brown the lamb all over.

3.Scatter the carrot, onion, remaining garlic and rosemary in a large roasting tin, pour in the wine and stock, then place the browned lamb in the tin.

4.Roast for about 1 hr 45 mins. Turn the lamb halfway through so by the time it’s cooked, each side has been in the stock. When cooked, remove the lamb and allow to rest in a warm place covered in foil for about 30 mins.

5.While the lamb is resting, make the gravy. Pour all the stock from the tin through a sieve into a saucepan to remove all the vegetables and herbs. This stock should be rich, slightly thick and have a great lamb flavour. Reduce it a little on the hob if you feel you want to concentrate the flavour, skimming off any fat that comes to the surface.


Cauliflower Gratin with Garlic and Sage

https://www.feastingathome.com/cauliflower-gratin-with-garlic-and-sage/

Ingredients
• 2 medium cauliflower heads (about 10 cups, 20 ounces florets)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 Tablespoon olive oil or butter
• 1 onion, diced or sub 2 fat shallots)
• 6–8 garlic cloves, rough chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage (or 2 teaspoons dry sage, or sub rosemary or thyme)
Bechamel Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk, hot
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4  teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ cup grated gruyere cheese- (or mozzarella -plus 3 Tablespoons for the top)
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan or pecorino
Optional Additions:
• ¼ cup crispy bacon bits, or crispy pancetta
• bread crumb topping

1.Preheat oven to 400 F.

2.Roast the Cauliflower: Cut cauliflower into bite size pieces, toss with olive oil (just enough to lightly coat) salt and pepper and place on one (or two) parchment-lined sheet pans ( in a single layer) and bake until tender and golden, about 20-25 minutes.

3.Saute the onions: In an extra large skillet saute the onion over med- high heat in olive oil until tender and fragrant, stirring often, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sage and lower heat to medium and sauté 3-4 minutes, until fragrant, season with salt and pepper. Take your time here and make sure onion and garlic are golden and tender. Set aside.

4.Make the Bechamel Sauce: In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir until butter just begins to become golden and becomes nutty and fragrant. Add flour. Stir and cook flour for at least 1 minute. Whisk in ½ C hot milk making sure to whisk all the flour from the corners and sides of the pot. Add another ½ C milk, whisking well. Add the final cup of milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper and whisk constantly until mixture thickens and just comes to a simmer. Turn heat to low and whisk in cheese and set aside.

5.Assemble:  Use a greased, oven-proof 10 inch cast iron skillet,  8×11 inch baking dish or greased individual ramekins. Toss the roasted cauliflower with the Bechamel sauce and onions/garlic/ sage mixture. Taste for salt and pepper, adjusting to your liking.
6.Top with optional bread crumbs (see notes), optional crispy bacon or pancetta  (or vegan bacon bits) a few sage leaves or a little more cheese. You could refrigerate this overnight at this point if making ahead (perhaps not in the cast iron). If refrigerating, be sure to bring to room temp before baking.

7.Lower heat to 375 F and bake uncovered in the oven,  until golden and bubbly, about 20-25  minutes.

Version: Roast or steam some Broccoli instead, or in addition, to using the Cauliflower.

Welsh Lamb Paella

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people

Author Eb Gargano from https://www.easypeasyfoodie.com/lamb-paella/

Ingredients
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 Welsh lamb leg steaks (roughly 600g/1¼lbs)
• 2 litres hot lamb stock (I used 1 Knorr lamb stock cube)
• Pinch saffron
• 1 onion  sliced
• 1 red pepper  sliced
• 3 cloves garlic  crushed or grated
• ½ to 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes  (or to taste)
• 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 medium tomatoes  roughly chopped
• 300 g paella rice
• 100 g frozen peas
• 2 lemons  cut into quarters
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley  (plus extra for garnish)

• Place a griddle pan over a high heat and heat until smoking hot. Meanwhile drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the lamb steaks and season well with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and seasoning into both sides.

• Place the lamb straight into the hot pan for 1 minute each side. Turn the heat down and cook for a further 1 minute each side (for medium-raror 2 more minutes each side (for well done). Remove the lamb leg steaks from the pan and rest for 10 minutes.

• Add the saffron to the hot lamb stock, stir thoroughly and set aside.

• Place the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, wide frying pan and add the onion and red pepper. Cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Remove the lid, turn down the heat and add the garlic, chilli and paprika. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring frequently

• Add the tomatoes, paella rice and lamb stock, plus a little black pepper (to taste). Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 minutes, with the lid off.

• When the lamb has rested for 10 minutes, chop into bite-sized pieces

• After the paella has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the frozen peas and lamb pieces to the paella and cook for a further 3 minutes. By this time all the stock should have all been absorbed and the peas should be just cooked.

• Finally stir in the juice from 2 of the lemon quarters and the chopped parsley. Serve scattered with more parsley and with the remaining lemon quarters.


Playing with Garlic

From Chef John Nash

A simple way of taming garlic’s sometimes dominating flavor is to roast, poach, or toast it first.  When you cut into raw garlic you break the cell walls and it immediately begins to oxidize.  A product of that oxidation is the development of hot, often funky flavors that can overpower a dish. By applying heat, the enzymes that account for those flavors are neutralized, and the garlic will remain sweet and delicate.  This is especially important for things like pesto which often is made in big batches and stored refrigerated or frozen for later use.  You definitely don’t want the garlic to take over down the road.  With all of these methods, garlic can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for at least a week.

To Roast Garlic:  Slice off the top quarter or so of each garlic head to expose the cloves.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Loosely but completely wrap each head in a piece of foil and roast in a preheated 400-degree oven or until garlic is very soft and lightly browned, about 45 minutes or so.  To use simply squeeze the buttery soft garlic out of the head just like you’d do toothpaste.

To Poach garlic: Separate cloves but don’t peel.  Place in a small saucepan and cover with at least ½ inch of cold water.  Place on stove over high heat and bring to a boil.  As soon as water boils, drain and repeat process one more time.  Rinse to cool off cloves and now easily remove husk.

To Toast garlic:  Separate the cloves and place them unpeeled in a dry sauté pan over moderate heat.  Shake and turn them occasionally until the cloves develop toasty brown spots on the skin.  Remove, cool and the skin will easily slip off.  The additional benefit of this method is that you’ve added a lovely toasty flavor to the garlic.

---

Garlic over a naked flame - Another technique I saw on TV the other week is to get some cloves over a naked flame on the hob. I use a metal BBQ fish thing that sandwiches the garlic and holds it in place and makes it easy to flip over.
Get the unpeeled cloves blackened, and chop them as is for a wonderfully smokey garlic flavour.

Italian Chicken and Cauliflower Bake

* 5 tsp. tomato paste
* 5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
* 1 tsp. dijon mustard
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
* 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
* 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
* salt
* coarse black pepper
* One medium head of cauliflower
* 4 large chicken breasts (about 1 lb. total)

1 Preheat oven to 425ºF.

2 In a large bowl whisk together the tomato paste, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and dijon mustard. Note that the olive oil will not fully incorporate. That’s o.k.. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the oregano, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper.

3 Break a head of cauliflower into florets and add them to the tomato paste mixture. Stir using a spatula to make sure the sauce is getting onto the cauliflower, which should end up stained red. Use the spatula to transfer all the cauliflower and sauce to a large baking sheet, spreading the cauliflower around the outside of the pan.

4 Cut the chicken breasts in half width-wise. Put them in the middle of the pan in a single layer. Brush them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkled with the Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of coarse black pepper.

5 Roast until cauliflower is darkened in spots and is tender-crisp when stuck with a fork and the chicken is cooked through to 165ºF, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle everything with remaining Parmesan cheese to serve.

Middle Eastern Lamb Tart

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Tomato paste
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
350g Lamb mince
1 teaspoon ground Coriander
Pinch of dried Chilli flakes
2 teaspoons Cumin seeds, toasted
60ml Lemon Juice
Finely chopped Mint, plus extra leaves to serve
6 sheets fresh filo pastry
50g unsalted butter, melted
2 Tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Sumac
1 Red Onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
260g Hummus
65g Feta, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 12cm x 35cm loose-bottomed tart pan.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste and half the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add lamb, coriander, chilli flakes and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, then cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until browned all over. Stir through 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon mint, season, then remove from heat. Set aside.
3. Brush 1 filo sheet with butter (cover the remaining filo with a tea towel while you work). Top with another filo sheet and brush with butter. Repeat with remaining filo and butter, then use it to line the tart pan. Prick the base with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until pastry is crisp and lightly golden. Cool slightly, then push the centre of the pastry down.
4. Meanwhile, combine tomato, sumac, onion and parsley in a bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons mint. Season and set aside.
5. Spread centre of the pastry case with hummus, then scatter with lamb and feta. Bake for 3-4 minutes to warm through. Remove from oven and top with parsley mixture and extra mint leaves, to serve.

Beetroot & Tomato Borscht

• 1 red onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 large beetroot
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 x 400 g tin of plum tomatoes
• 1.2 litres organic beef stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• ½ a very small red cabbage
• 4 tabelspoons sour cream
• a few sprigs of fresh dill

Peel and finely slice the onion, peel and finely chop the carrots and beetroot, then trim and finely chop the celery. Peel and crush the garlic.

Using a pair of scissors, snip up the tomatoes while still in the tin. Tip these into a large pan and stir in the onion, carrots, celery, beetroot, garlic, beef stock, tomato purée and sugar.

Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Very finely shred and add the cabbage and simmer for another 30 minutes or so, or until very soft.

Blend the soup to a texture that suits you.

Serve hot with swirls of the sour cream and a little finely chopped dill sprinkled over with some crutons or crusty bread to dip.