Corn Bread

This is my sister's recipe. She gave it to me last Thanksgiving and it turned out really good so thought of sharing it with you all. Corn bread is one of the popular American thanksgiving dishes.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Baking Time : 30-40 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

11/3 cup sugar

8 oz melted butter

4 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups butter milk

2 cups cornmeal

2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

Method:

• Mix sugar and melted butter in a bowl.
• Beat the eggs and add it to the sugar butter mixture and fold it well.
• Add baking soda to the buttermilk and mix it with the above mixture
• Finally, add the cornmeal and the flour and mix well till you see no lumps. It should be a smooth batter.
• Grease the parchment paper and pour the batter in the tin.
• Bake it 375 degree F for 30 -40 minutes
• Let it cool and then cut it into pieces and serve.

Pumpkin Pie

We had our thanksgiving in Canada on 11th October but, I could not put up any recipes then as I was busy studying for a short term HR course. So, I thought of putting it now, as my American friends are celebrating their thanksgiving tomorrow.

This recipe is not my original. It was written on the E.D. Smith pumpkin pie tin. But, for all those who can't find this particular brand of pumpkin pie mix, you can simple use this recipe with any other brand.

I made this recipe for the first time and it came out really good. My friends enjoyed it and my daughter simply loved it.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Baking time: 50 minutes

Serves : 8

Ingredients:

To make 1 pie:

3 eggs

398 ml (1/2 can of 796 ml) of E.D. Smith Pure Pumpkin (you can use any other brand too)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup(175 ml) evaporated milk

1 (9 in/23cm) unbaked home-made or frozen deep dish pie shell

Method:

• Beat the eggs lightly in a medium bowl.
• Add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; stir until well combined.
• Blend in milk. Pour filling in a pie shell.
• Bake at 425 degree F (220 degree C) for 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degree F (180 degree C) and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes, longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool and serve.

Nutty Couscous Salad

Couscous is basically a Mediterranean dish. In general, I am not too fond of couscous and have never prepared it at home. But, one of my friend taught me this recipe. It was very easy to prepare and I liked this recipe of couscous, as a salad. I found it very nutritious and tasty. This recipe serves as a good side dish with fish, chicken or lamb or also a salad.

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine couscous
• 11/2 cup water
• 1 red bell pepper cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp parsley or coriander finely chopped
• 1 small can of mixed beans
• 2 tbsp of roughly chopped pecans or walnuts
• 2 tbsp dried blueberry
• 2 tbsp dried cranberry
• salt to tast

Method:

• Bring 11/2 cup water to a boil.
• Pour this hot water over the couscous and cover and keep it for about 15 minutes
• Then with the help of fork, gently flake it like the way you would handle cooked rice.
• Drain the water from the canned mixed beans and rinse it nicely under the tap and mix these beans with the couscous.
• Add all the remaining ingredients to the couscous and gently mix it together with a fork.
• Chill it for about 1/2 hour in the refrigerator and serve it as a side or a salad.

Note: You can customize this salad and put in any ingredients of your choice. You can add grilled chicken breast to it if you like or some smoked sausages. Also serves as a great snack idea.

Baked Salmon with an Indian twist

Salmon is considered to be a health food by many because of its omega-3 fatty acids. A lot of health benefits are associated with its consumption. This is one of my favorite fish, here in Canada. However, I don't buy it often because it is too expensive. Whenever, I did buy salmon, I generally prepared it in a Continental style but was very surprised to know that our Indian spices also go very well with this fish. I had this dish at my friend's place and really liked the preparation. So, decided to share it with you all.

Preparation Time : 40 minutes + marination time

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

4 medium sized salmon steaks

3 tbsp of fish fry masala

salt to taste

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp of mixed Italian herbs

2 tbsp of fresh chives finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

• In a bowl, combine fish fry masala, salt, lime juice, Italian herbs and chives together.
• Pour in 1 tbsp of olive oil to form a thick paste
• Apply this paste or marinade on both sides of the salmon steaks.
• Let this rest in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
• Grease a baking tray lightly with olive oil
• Preheat the oven to about 400 degree F and bake the fish for about 15 minutes on either side.
• Serve hot with some nutty couscous salad.

Note: If you don't have fish fry masala, you need to combine 2 tbsp of red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garlic powder together. Combine this with the rest of the ingredients mentioned above and make a marinade for the fish.

Crab Cakes with Pickled Garlic & Cucumber Relish

One of my dear friend is suffering from Cancer. I have been accompanying her to the hospital for her chemo treatment. It is so sad to see some young kids going through this sickness. I have come across so many young and old people with different kinds of cancer and it is so sad to see them suffer. But, I must say that this experience has helped me appreciate life better rather than simply taking it for granted.

While waiting at the hospital for her turn, I was whiling my time reading a few magazines. Suddenly, I saw this interesting recipe of Crab cakes with Pickled garlic and cucumber relish. The picture looked so appetizing that it simply caught my attention. I immediately grabbed a paper and pen from the receptionist and wrote it down. Last week, I tried it out at home and it came out really good. So, thought of sharing it with all of you...

Preparation Time: 30 minutes + refrigerating time

Makes :12 crab cakes

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter

2 green onions finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped celery

2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper

250 gms crab meat drained

2 eggs

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp chilli powder

11/2 cups panko breadcrumbs - divided into 2 portions (I used regular breadcrumbs)

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

• Melt the butter in a pan. Cook onions, celery and red bell pepper for about 5 minutes and then transfer it into a bowl.
• To this, add the crab meat, 1 egg, lime juice, mayonnaise, cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, chilli powder, 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs. Stir till it well combined.
• Make 12 crab cakes and freeze it for about 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.
• Brush the baking sheet with olive oil
• Beat one egg in the bowl and put the remaining panko breadcrumbs in another bowl.
• Dip the crab cakes first into the egg and then sprinkle it with panko breadcrumbs and transfer them to the baking sheet.
• Bake for about 10 minutes on one side and then flip it and bake again for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve hot with Pickled Garlic & Cucumber Relish on top.

Pickled Garlic & Cucumber Relish

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

3 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp cucumber finely chopped

1 tbsp red bell pepper finely chopped

2 tbsp mango finely chopped

1 tsp red onion finely chopped

1 tsp cilantro finely chopped

1/2 tsp Indian pickled garlic (you can find this in the Indian Grocery stores)

Method:

• Mix everything together and serve it on top of the crab cakes.

Strawberry Smoothie

Who doesn't love strawberries??? This delicious recipe is a perfect drink to beat the summer heat. You can make this with fresh or frozen strawberries and it tastes simply refreshing. Enjoy!!!

Preparation Time : 5 minutes

Serves : 1

Ingredients:

100 gm fresh or frozen strawberries cut into halves

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup low fat yoghurt beaten

a pinch of nutmeg powder

a sprig of mint leaf

Method :

• Sprinkle the sugar on the strawberries and put everything together in the blender except for the mint leaves and blend it till it is smooth and creamy.
• Garnish with mint leaf and a slice of strawberry.

Beef Roast Sandwiches / Beef Chilly

I generally cook a lot of chicken. I am not too fond of beef or any other meat. But, one day this friend of mine taught me to make this delicious beef roast. I am not exaggerating, it is simply amazing. The best part of this recipe is that, you can make the beef roast and then have different variations of it. You can either make chilly beef out of the roast or beef roast sandwiches or simply have beef roast with some vegetables and mashed potatoes. So, just one simple recipe can help you prepare 3 days dinner. Isn't that so convenient?

So, here goes the recipe :

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 2-3 hours

Serves : 6 people

Ingredients:

for the Beef Roast:

11/2 lb beef eye of round

3 big onion chopped fine

3 big tomatoes chopped fine

2 tbsp ginger paste

2 tbsp garlic paste

4-5 kashmiri whole red chillies

1 tbsp clvoes

5-6 cinnamon sticks

2 tbsp cane or rice vinegar (if you don't have this, even regular vinegar would do)

salt & pepper to taste

Oil

Method:

• First prick the eye of round with a fork on all sides. Then, apply salt all over the eye of round. Then, rub the ginger-garlic paste nicely on all sides. Finally rub the pepper and pour the vinegar on it and keep it aside for about 1/2 hour. (You could also marinate this the previous night and keep it in the refrigerator)
• Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. When the oil is hot, throw in the cloves and cinnamon sticks, whole red chillies and fry for a minute or two.
• Then, add the onions and fry till they turn translucent.
• Then, add the tomatoes and salt and fry for about 10 minutes.
• On top of this gravy, place the marinated beef and pour in 1/4 cup water and cover the cooker and wait for the pressure cooker to release 3 whistles.
• After the 3 whistles, lower the heat and without opening the cooker, let it cook on slow flame for about 25-30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove the meat from the gravy and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes.
• Increase the heat and thicken the gravy. This will take about 30 minutes to thicken the gravy.
• After the meat has rested, cut it into thin long strips and mix it with the gravy.
• Delicious beef roast is ready.

For Beef Chilly:

Ingredients:

2 big onions cut into thick round circles

2 big tomatoes cut into thick round circles

3-4 green chillies slit (depending on your spice intake)

1/2 fresh lemon squeezed to get juice.

Method:

• Place the cooked roasted beef with the gravy in a pan.
• On top of it, place the onions and tomatoes and the slit green chillies.
• Adjust the seasoning and pour in the lemon juice.
• On slow flame, keep mixing the onions & tomatoes into the beef till you see the tomatoes getting mushed and the onions turning slightly translucent.
• Remove from heat and serve it with some roasted potatoes or grilled vegetables

For Beef Roast Sandwiches:

Serves : 1

Ingredients:

1 hot dog bread

1 tbsp mayonnaise

3 tbsp beef chilly

some shredded ice-berg lettuce

some shredded cheese (any cheese of your choice)

Method :

• Cut the hot dog bread into half and apply mayonnaise on both sides.
• On top of it, place about 3 tbsp of beef chilly
• Sprinkle with some shredded cheese of your choice and grill it in the oven for about 5 minutes till the cheese is melted.
• On top of the cheese, put some shredded ice-berg lettuce and serve immediately.