I was looking for a go-to reliable fruity (and pink-ish hued) punch recipe for a recent ladies party - and this one hit the spot!
Southern Living Magazine - April 2007
Yield:
I made this in a standard size punch tureen ~approx 1.5 Gal
Ingredients:
2 (46 oz) cans pineapple juice
1 (12 oz) can pink lemonade concentrate - thawed
1 (12 oz) can frozen strawberry daiquiri mix concentrate - thawed
2 (1 L) bottles ginger-ale
Garnish - lemon and orange slices
Method:
1. Mix first three ingredients and chill in fridge for an hour.
2. Add the ginger-ale to the mix prior to serving, and garnish.
Verdict:
Fruity, non-alcoholic, easily put-together punch - perfect for a ladies or kids party.
I once attempted to make tandoori chicken with a jar of ready-made tandoori paste.
Result : Never will I do that again, though I did get that fiery red color thing going, more on my dish towels and countertops than the actual chicken,.
Fast forward to a year ago, where I saw a review of a Williams Sonoma recipe on the now closed Trial and Errors blog (Nabeela, Nabeela, oh where art thou?) which etched itself firmly in the back of my head as The Recipe To Try If Ever...
I have to giggle though. Ironically, I defaulted to an American cookbook for a recipe of the most popular item in any Indian restaurant, both on and off the sub-continent. And as if stars collided, I also chose to post on tandoori chicken the same week HE did. OK, not that I'm proposing a recipe duel of sorts, but the recipe below was GOOD. Thanks Nabeela, for sharing, even though I don't know how to get that across to you anymore =(.
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Gripes: Requires previous day prep, so don't try to pull this one out for a surprise treat.
Glows: Restaurant style chicken right out of your humble oven
Adapted from Williams Sonoma - Essentials of Roasting and Trial and Error blog
Ingredients:
8 chicken legs , skins removed
1/2 cup yogurt
1/3 onion, cut into chunks
2 serrano chilis, cut into thick rings
mint leaves from 4-5 sprigs
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp ground pepper
OPTIONAL - 1/4 cup tomato ketchup or tomato sauce
OPTIONAL - 1 drop red food color
Glaze:
1 tbsp butter
1-2 tbsp lime juice
Method:
- Make the marinade by blending or processing in a food processor yogurt, onion, serrano, mint, ginger-garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, chilli powder, garam masala, ground pepper, food color and tomato ketchup/sauce. Blend to a smooth puree.
- Taste for salt and adjust. The marinade should be a little on the salty side so that the meat absorbs it.
- Rinse the legs. Using a sharp knife, make a cut to the bone around the bottom of the drumstick, about 3/4 inch from the end. Remove the flesh and any tendons. This will ensure the meat will contract in a nice clump when you bake it. (Note - I didn't do this, the chicken looks like a giant lollipop when you do this, I left the tendons on.)
- Slash 3-4 cuts on each leg to the bone to help the marinade penetrate further.
- Place the chicken legs in a ziploc bag or bowl and pour in the marinade. Make sure the marinade covers the chicken pieces and gets into all the slashes.
- Marinate for 12-24 hours in the fridge.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 500 F. You need this high temperature since we are trying to replicate a tandoor oven which can go to very high temperatures.
- Take out the chicken from the marinade, place on the roasting rack and roast in oven for about 20-25 minutes, till the juices run clear.
- Melt butter and add lime juice.
- Brush butter-lime mixture over chicken before serving (it's best to serve the chicken hot).
I'm a little late to post the final March recipe for the Barefoot Bloggers, the chosen recipe was for Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts as chosen by Anne of Anne Strawberry.
And given most everyone else in the BB group has posted their recipes online, that may explain why there was not even one box of puff pastry available in my local grocery store yesterday.
Barefoot Bloggers causes a run on frozen pastry?...I can see the headlines tomorrow...
OK, well, I tried to have a sensational excuse for why I had to resort to puff pastry shells - and the mini-sized ones to boot (!) instead of the pastry sheets called for in the original recipe. So this recipe had two firsts for me - I got to work with puff pastry shells and I got to try herb flavored goat cheese.
Modifications
- I used chicken stock instead of wine
- I added a large pinch of red chilli flakes to the onions as they caramelized to pack some heat, and a little oregano along with the basil
Verdict
I don't know why I've breezed over goat cheese before, perhaps the word "goat" didn't resonate well with me?They are my least favorite farm animal...
Goat cheese does have a slightly sharp taste, but when melted in layers of flaky pastry accompanied with golden onions and some tomato - it was mmmm...lip-smacking goodness.
I used a brand of goat cheese called Chavrie - garlic and basil flavored.
And the mini shells - I'll pass on them and go for the real pastry sheets next time - unless I have Lilliputians showing up for a soiree.
Thank you Ina! Thank you Anne!
This recipe is a keeper - I have my cousin's bridal shower coming up soon, and these beauties are definitely going to be making an appearance.
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves
Directions
1. Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
4. Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.
5. Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge.
6. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper.
7. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.
I'm having kitchen work done, and have no access to my stove and sink - so unless I start doing reviews of microwave dinners - see you (all 2 of you fine selves) next week!
I started this blog, went into hiatus, slapped myself back into action, and the first thing I did was join a group.One with deadlines.
But - we LOVE all things Ina, and so, I rolled up my sleeves, surveyed the pantry, and realised I could almost pull this one off without a 3 a.m. jaunt to the grocery store.
The recipe in question is Brownie Pudding selected by Tia of Southern, Eh? for the March Bonus Recipe Challenge from the Barefoot Bloggers.
The original recipe called for 4 eggs, and as luck would have it, I only had 2 left in the fridge.
=(
Knowing full well that any further procrastination would kill this post, I went ahead and halved the original recipe. I also did not have framboise, which is an optional ingredient in the original recipe, so to add some kick, I substituted coffee powder.
Modifications:
- I halved the original recipe
- I replaced framboise liqueur with 1 tsp instant coffee powder
- I used vanilla essence (blasphemy!) because I didn't have vanilla bean on hand
Cook's Notes:
The original recipe was straightforward. I don't own a stand mixer and used a hand-held beater. While I was first puzzled why the pudding had to be baked in a bain-marie, I figure that is what is needed to get the pudding-like consistency.
Brownie Pudding
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.
3. When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.
4. Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.
5. Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Since I had halved the recipe, I turned off the oven after 50 minutes, and removed the pudding from the oven 5 minutes later.
Verdict:
Crisp brownie-like topping with a gooey, almost fudge-like intense chocolate pudding below. This recipe is a keeper! I'm glad I tried it, and wish I could have seen the episode on Food Network when it aired just to see what Ina's version looked like.
Warning - it is a sugar-high inducer, I think I might knock down the amount of sugar the next time, after a few spoonfuls, I had a little aftertaste on my palate - which may also have been due to the intense cocoa flavor.
I prefer to serve this warm, but because of the brownie flavor, I opted to have mine with a glass of milk (slurp!) rather than ice-cream.
Many recipes, especially for lovely baked goods, often call for buttermilk, and I've been caught dashing out to the grocery store to get a pint, whereas the recipe only called for half a cup. Invariably, I'm usually left with a pitiful half bottle of buttermilk in the fridge that just waits to get tossed in the trash.
I recently found a subsitute for buttermilk that can be made with what you probably already have in the kitchen, and this way, I never have to have drag myself out to the store to grab a pint whenever a recipe calls for it.
To make 1 cup of buttermilk:
What you need:
1 cup milk
1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice
Method:
1. Pour 1 tbsp of white vingear in a bowl.
2. Add the milk to the bowl.
3. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes - you'll then have buttermilk ready to use in your recipe!
Hmmm, well lookie here now......
I finally took the plunge, into the world of blogging! I've been bitten by the foodie bug - which though it sounds like an illness - is more of an obsession. I would love to master the culinary delights of different cuisines and cultures, and increase my cooking repertoire, which sadly, has been stuck at a few go-to dishes that even I am getting tired of!
I want to use this space that Google has lent me, to chronicle my new found food affairs, and perhaps become an on-line diary of what I've tried, and succeeded and failed at....cooking =).
