Tuesday 14 July 2015

Italian Tomato Mozzarella Crostini made with Ciabatta Bread....

Italian Tomato Mozzarella Crostini made with Ciabatta Bread.... 
Ingredients
12 Ciabatta bread slices
12 strips Of fresh Mozzarella
2 Tomatoes cut into half and sliced
2 Onion cut into half and sliced
Olive oil
Dry Orageno for seasoning 
Sprinkle of Pepper
Salt as per taste

Optional- 2 slices Ham cut into long strips 

Method 
Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted for about 6-8 minutes at 200 degrees in a preheated oven.. Remove and add ham (Optional), tomato and onion. Sprinkle with pepper.
Add mozzarella. Top with seasoning and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 200 degrees or till the cheese melts. When done, place crostini on serving plate and serve immediately.




Ciabatta

Ciabatta 

It means slipper bread is an Italian white bread made from wheat flour, water, salt, olive oil and yeast. Ciabatta is somewhat elongated, broad and flat and is baked in many variations.

Ingredients
3 1/2 + 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups Lukewarm Water
1½ tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp Dry a Yeast
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Method
Take a mixing bowl. Add in 3 1/2 cups of flour, make a well in the centre. Add yeast and water. Mix the flour with the help of a wooden spoon. The dough will be quite sticky.  Leave the dough covered for 6 hours or over night if possible.  Add salt and 1/2 tbsp oil to the dough and mix it.Add 1/2 cup of flour on the dough and mix the dough for few minutes. Add 1/2 tbsp oil and cover the dough and and let it rest for 2 hours. Sprinkle some more flour, take the dough and divide the dough in to 2 portions. Grease a baking tray. Apply oil on the palms as the dough is a soft dough. Take one portion of the dough flatten and stretch the dough and give it a longish cylindrical shape. Give folds from all the sides. Turn the dough. Then with the help of the knuckles, press it to flatten the dough a bit. Do the same for the other dough. Cover and let the dough to rise for a hour. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. During baking, spritz loaves with water every 5 to 10 minutes for a crispier crust.They sound hollow when you tap the bread. Cool the bread completely before cutting.



Monday 13 July 2015

Vegetable Sweet and Sour Pasta with Olives , Dill and Parmesan cheese

Vegetable Sweet and Sour Pasta with Olives , Dill and Parmesan cheese
Ingredients 
1 packet of Pasta (Farfella)
1/2 cup diced Carrot
1/2 cup diced Onion
1/2 cup diced Capsicum 
1 cup diced Tomato
2 tbsp Dill chopped 
1/4 cup Black Olives chopped 
1/2 cup Tomato purée
6 Garlic crushed 
1/2 cup Vegetable  stock 
1/2 cup starchy water for the boiled Pasta
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
2 tbsp  Sugar
2 tbsp Parmesan grated or powder
1 tbsp Oilve oil

Method 
Take a pan. Add oil. Let it heat. Add garlic. Sauté it for few minutes. Add the onions. Stir it and cook the onions till translucent. Add capsicum and carrots. Stir it and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add the tomato purée and the vegetable stock. Cover the pan and let it simmer for few minutes till the vegetables are half cooked. Add the sugar, salt and pepper powder. Cover and keep on simmer for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. Keep it aside.  Meanwhile take the pasta, follow the packet instructions and cook the pasta. Drain the pasta... Retain 1/2 cup of the water while draining the pasta. Add the pasta to the gravy. Add the pasta water and dill leaves. Mix the pasta with the gravy on medium flame till the gravy has mixed with the pasta well. Add black olives and Parmesan cheese on top for garnishing. Sprinkle with some dill leaves. Serve it hot. 

Option for non vegetarian... Add any boneless fish pieces, prawns, squids, chicken pieces....while cooking the gravy. 

Mutton OR Chicken Liver Pâté

Mutton OR Chicken Liver Pâté

Ingredients
250 grams  Liver (Mutton Or Chicken) cut into pieces
1 large Onion sliced
2 tbsp Oil 
2 Garlic cloves crushed 
1 tsp  All Spice Powder OR
2 Pinches of each Cinnamon powder, Clove powder and Nutmeg powder
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp Pepper

Method 
Take a pan. Add oil. Add onions, fry the onion till light brown, add the crushed garlic and sauté it for few minutes.Add the liver and sauté it for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cook the liver till tender. Add salt, pepper powder and all spiced powder. Mix it. Let the liver cool down a bit. Add the liver and the juices of the liver into the food processor. Blend it until smooth. Eat it fresh... Spread it on bread or chill it... Or to make it into big cubes and slice it... Add the pâté in to a cubed greased container. Chill it, slice it and use it for sandwiches.

Chicken Kabiraji Cutlet

Chicken Kabiraji Cutlet

For Marinating the Chicken 
Ingredients 
500 Grams Boneless Chicken Cut in to pieces and beaten and flattened with a blunt knife
1 small Onion paste
1 tbsp Coriander paste
1 tbsp Mint paste
2 Green chilli paste
1 tbsp Garlic paste 
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Lime juice 
1/2 tsp pepper
Salt to taste
1 tsp Garam Masala powder 
Method 
Marinate the chicken with all the above ingredients for 2 to 3 hours. 


For Making the Kabiraji
Ingredients 
Marinated Chicken 
Oil for deep frying
1/2 cup Bread crumbs 
8 Eggs
3 tbsp Cornflour 
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
Salt to taste

Method 
Take a bowl. Take the eggs, beat it. Add salt and pepper powder. Take the chicken pieces. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and coat the chicken pieces with the bread crumbs. Repeat the same process with the rest of the chicken pieces. Take oil for frying in a fry pan. Heat the oil. Meanwhile take the remaining egg batter, add corn flour. Beat it again. Deep fry the cutlet the hot oil until the both sides are  brown.Push the cutlet on one side of the pan. Carefully sprinkle the  egg batter in the oil until it covers the whole surface of the oil. Take the cutlet and place it on the sprinkled egg. Fold or wrap the fried cutlets in the egg and fry. Remove it from hot oil and  place it on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Repeat the same process with the other cutlets. Serve hot with some Kasundi and a salad.