Monthly Archives: April 2016

Chicken Saltimbocca

Entrees

I had Chicken Saltimbocca in Buca de Bepo and I absolutely fell in love with this Italian classic. This is a simple and quick dish to make if you have the right ingredients lurking in your pantry. It can be enjoyed with simple Pasta or crusty bread and is surely a crowd pleasure. I am toning down on the butter to make it lighter but this has no effect on the taste whatsoever.act_chicken saltimboca

You will need:

♦           2 Chicken Breasts butterflied                            ♦          2 artichoke hearts halved

♦          2 prosciutto strips cut in half                              ♦         2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

♦          ½ teaspoon salt                                                        ♦          ½ teaspoon of pepper

♦          ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes                      ♦          2 tablespoons of lemon juice

♦          1 teaspoon of sage                                                  ♦          1 teaspoon lemon zest

♦          1 teaspoon of capers                                             ♦          1 tablespoon of butter

♦          1 tablespoon of olive oil                                      ♦          1/3 cup of white wine

♦          ½ cup chicken stock

What you need to do:

  • Combine the flour salt and pepper and sprinkle over the Chicken breast and wrap them with prosciutto strips.
  • Heat the sage and olive oil in a pan on a medium high heat and add the Chicken breasts to brown them which will take 4-5 mins on each side.
  • In the same pan, add the rest of the ingredients except for the chicken stock and let the wine reduce to half.
  • Once the wine has reduced, add the chicken stock and the butter. Cook till the butter melts and serve with desired sides.

 

Blueberry Muffins

Breads, Desserts

I love blueberry muffins and this recipe makes the moistest muffins I have ever had. The act_Blueberry muffinsbest part is they stay moist for a whole week. Once you make them at home you will never be happy with the store bought ones and you do not need to be an expert baker to make these lovelies, all you need to master is stirring with a wooden spoon.

You will need:

1 ½   + 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour separated

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup melted butter

1 egg at room temperature

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of buttermilk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

What you need to do:

  • Combine the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the all-purpose flour so that each of them is well coated with the flour. This will prevent them from sinking at the bottom of the muffin while baking.
  • Combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and keep it aside.
  • In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In a separate bowl combine the butter, sugar, egg and buttermilk and mix it well.
  • Now pour in the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and combine well with a spatula or wooden spoon till there are no dry lumps left. Avoid over mixing the batter for a better texture of the muffins.
  • Fold in the flour coated blueberries and leave a few to add over the muffins.
  • Line a muffin pan with muffin or cupcake cups and spoon in the batter equally. Tap the pan gently to get rid of air bubbles and top the muffins with the rest of the blueberries and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar.
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 400 °F or 210° C.
  • Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before indulging.

 

 

Coconut Jalapeno Pouches

Appetizers-Snacks

act_Coconut Jalapeno PouchThis recipe is very close to my heart, I have grown up eating it and it was my mother’s go to recipe for a quick snack with just three simple ingredients. It is vegan friendly so everyone can enjoy it.

The recipe consists of two different sections: The shell and the filling.

Ingredients you will need:

For the pouch you will need:

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon oil

1 and 1/2 cups of warm water

 

What you need to do:

Mix all the above ingredients into smooth dough and add more flour if you need. It would be fairly stiff dough. Keep aside wrapped in plastic.

 

For the filling you will need:

1 cup grated coconut

1 jalapeno chopped

1 medium sized onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

 

What you need to do:

Mix all the above ingredients.

To make the pouch you will need enough neutral oil to deep fry, the oil will not be infused with any smell so it can be reused.
Divide the dough into small balls about 1 inch in diameter.
Flour your work surface and roll the little balls into circles just like wanton wrappers.
Now place the rolled out circle into your palm and scoop in 1 tablespoon of the filling.
Fold the circle into half to make a pouch and pinch the open side together. You can use water as an adhesive.
After making all the pouches, deep fry them until they get golden brown. This should happen fairly soon, in about 2 minutes.
Drain the excess oil from the pouches onto an absorbent paper and serve it hot.

Tips:

Store bought wanton wrappers are a time saver.

Add salt to the filling when you are ready to make the pouches or else they will release water and the pouches will fall apart.

 

Sticky Date and walnut cookie

Appetizers-Snacks, Desserts

act_sticky date and walnut cookiesDates and walnuts have been an integral part of Middle Eastern desserts for many years. Now that dates and walnuts are available nearly everywhere, it is time to put together an easy to do dessert and for me it will be sticky gooey cookies. Yum!! Just writing about it makes my mouth water. I have made it healthier by adding oats. The measurements for this recipe yields about 18-20 medium sized cookies and can easily be multiplied for a bigger batch.

 

Ingredients for the cookies:

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

½ cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 and ½ cup of oats (crushed)

1 cup chopped dates

½ cup chopped walnut

 

Ingredients for the Toffee sauce:

1 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoon heavy cream

 

What you need to do:

  • To make the sauce, heat the butter and sugar in a saucepan until bubbly and then add the cream and stir.
  • To make the cookies, beat the butter and sugar till it is an even paste.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat till it is properly incorporated.
  • Mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and gradually add the dry mixture gradually to the wet mixture until fully combined.
  • Make small balls from the dough and refrigerate for an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C.
  • Place the cookie balls 2 inch part on a baking sheet and bake the cookie balls for 18 mins or until golden brown.
  • Cool on a wire rack and pipe over some of that delicious toffee sauce.

No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

Breads

Home baked bread not only is delicious but it also makes the house smell like a bakery. I am not a fan of spending a huge amount of time kneading and rolling dough so this no knead bread recipe is perfect for any day when I do not want to eat store bought bread. Once you make your own bread, there is no going back, you might never be happy again with the store bought ones. I baked my bread on a crisp spring morning and accompanied it with home-made strawberry preserve and local organic wild flower honey. This recipe calls for 18 o 24 hours rising period but that varies with the temperature and humidity in your area.Edited Whole wheat bread

You will need:

1 tablespoon of dry active yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon oil (olive/ vegetable)

1 cup water at 125°F (52°C)

2 cups of whole wheat flour

 

What you need to do:

Combine the yeast and sugar in the water and leave it aside for 15 minutes or until it is frothy.

In a mixing bowl, add all the other ingredients and the yeast solution an combine well with a wooden spoon till there are no lumps. The dough will be very sticky and wet but do not add any more flour at this point.

Leave the dough to rest for 12 to 18 hours. If where you live is humid and warmer you can reduce the time to 8 hours.

After the raising time, flour the work surface and scrape the dough from the bowl. Try making a rough ball of the dough. Add some extra flour if the dough is very sticky and if not leaving the work surface.

Dump the dough ball into a preheated Dutch-oven at 425 °F and bake covered for 35 minutes and then uncovered for 10 minutes. You can also bake it without a Dutch oven; just use a heavy duty aluminum foil to cover the baking container that you are using.

Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it.