Tomato, Basil & Cheese Soup

Last day of Week 2 (Soup and Fruit Week) and I stumbled across this recipe for a Tomato, Basil & Cheddar soup. It looked tempting and since I had most of the ingredients at home, decided to add my own Thai twist to it by adding coconut milk and chilli powder. I tastes great. A very nice vegetable soup for a quiet spring Sunday night. Wish I had some bread rolls and butter on the side. sigh.

Your Challenge: A Thai-ish soup to soothe your lazy Sunday moods.

Ready ---  Steady --- Cook

Tomato, Basil & Cheese Soup

(Makes 4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tomatoes, diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp olive oil 

1.5 cups of vegetable broth
1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt

1/3 coconut milk

1/2cup cheddar cheese or mozzarella, grated
1/2 cup basil, chopped, loosely packed
2 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon sugar 

2 teaspoons corn flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Boiled Chicken pieces (optional) 

METHOD: 

1. Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. Add the chopped onion and allow to cook until tender, about three to four minutes. 

2. Add in chopped garlic and cook for an additional two minutes.

3. Put the tomato, vegetable stock and Coconut milk.

4. Stir in the basil, oregano, sugar, corn flour, salt and pepper.

5. Place the lid back onto the pot and allow to simmer ten minutes. 

6. At the end, stir in the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until well blended. 

Note: Use either a blender or food processor to puree the soup if you prefer a smooth texture. Garnish with chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese if desired.

Challenge Accepted?

 
Enjoy!

Tosakanth

Baklava

One of my friends in Sydney was leaving and going back to the mother land for good. So for her farewell they wanted me to make something because they've been seeing all the culinary expeditions that I've been on. I've been out Sheesha-ing with this chick who is leaving a few times and she mentioned that she LOVES Baklava. When I say love, what I really mean is - obsessed. She buys these things in bulk from a shop in some godforsaken corner of Boganville NSW. How she finds these places, I don't know.

I am not a Baklava fan. I find it too sweet to handle. I feel a bit nauseous just from its super sweet rose-watery aroma. Anyway, I decided to make Baklava for her because she loves it. May as well fare her well, well.  I always thought it must be super difficult to make because it looks pretty complicated. But seriously, it's soo easy. The only thing that is annoying is the layering of the sheets and there is so much butter involved, this cannot possibly be good for you. Anyway, I looked up a few recipes and found some good ones and mixed them all together to get the final result. So the recipe below is a fusion of about 3 recipes. It turned out pretty well. I myself had a few pieces and enjoyed it without feeling nauseous. That says a lot. Seriously. I can't walk by donut shops without feeling nauseous. To get myself to actually eat the Baklava proves that it's a good recipe.

Your Challenge: make some Baklava for your Luvah.

Ready --- Steady --- Cook

Baklava

INGREDIENTS:

375g pack filo pastry 
450g Chopped Walnuts and Pistachio mix
250g Butter
3 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons of Rose Water
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

For syrup:
200g sugar
250ml water
130 ml honey
3 tablespoons rose water
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
Squeeze of lemon juice

Makes 30 pieces

Prep: 40 minutes | Cook: 40 minutes

METHOD:  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter the bottom and sides of a 20-23cmx30cm baking dish. 

2. Toss nuts with cinnamon, 3 tablespoons Sugar, 2 teaspoons of Rose Water and Vanilla Extract and set aside.  
3. Unroll filo pastry. Cut whole stack at once to fit the dimensions of the baking dish. Cover filo with a damp cloth to keep from drying out as you work.   
4. Melt the butter fully. (This is used for the layering)
5. Place two sheets of filo in the dish, buttering the top layer. Keep adding 2 sheets together and buttering the top sheet until you have a good thick base of about 20 sheets. 
6. Sprinkle a good serving of the nut mixture evenly on the filo pastry layers. 
7. Continue layering and buttering the sheets of filo pastry. Place 2 sheets per layer and butter and add another 6 layers at least before puting more nut filling. 
8. Keep doing this until you finish the nut mixture. 
9. Continue layering and buttering the sheets of filo pastry. The top layer should be 8-10 layers deep. 
10. Using a sharp knife, cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the dish. 
11. Butter the top layer well to have a golden crisp look once baked. 
12. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until baklava is golden and crisp. (pay close attention as it may burn depending on the oven) 
13. Once Baklava is baked, remove from oven and immediately and pour the hot sugar syrup over the hot pastry. Let it settle and cool before cutting it. 

Sugar syrup:

while the pastry is baking, prepare the sugar syrup.  

1. Combine the sugar, honey and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil for 15 minutes.  
2. When the syrup becomes slightly viscous, remove from heat, add the rose water, orange blossom water and mix through. 
3. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. 
4. Remove form heat and allow to cool. 


Challenge Accepted ???


 Enjoy!

Tosakanth

French Onion Soup

I have been telling my friend DashGlowPrincess to come over for dinner for a while so I can cook her an awesome romantic 3 course meal just for funzies. Eventually after much fuss and persuasion she finally decided to grace me with her presence. I cooked up an absolute storm that night, if I can say so my self.. so the romantic dinner menu included:

Starter: French Onion Soup with Cheesy Garlic Bread

Main: Cheese Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Bacon with Crispy Herbed Baked Potatoes

Dessert: Cheesecake Brownie Swirl 

Just realised that 'CHEESE' may have been the theme for the night. I didn't plan that one out well enough I guess. Oh well. anyway, one can never have too much cheese. we had a great time. and the food was pretty delish too. win-win!

Your  challenge: Cook some soup and give me a hoot!

Ready --- Steady --- Cook

French Onion Soup

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)  

60g butter, chopped  
2 tablespoons olive oil  
6 (1kg) brown onions, thinly sliced  
2 teaspoons brown sugar  
2 tablespoons plain flour  
4 cups beef stock    
3 cloves of garlic, chopped 

METHOD:

1. Heat butter and oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat until sizzling. 
2. Add garlic, onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 45 to 50 minutes or until onions are very soft. 
3. Stir in sugar and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until onions caramelise.
4. Add flour to saucepan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. 
5. Add stock and 2 cups water. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes to allow flavours to combine.
6. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheese, season with pepper and serve. 

Challenge Accepted ???

Enjoy!

Tosakanth
 

Pol Roti (Coconut Flat Bread) & Lunu Miris

One fine day I was on the train and I could smell someone eating a banana and for some weird reason I could also smell butter. The only thing that came to mind the moment that aroma hit my nostrils was -- POL ROTI. This probably doesn't mean anything to you. Pol Roti is a very traditional, standard Sri Lankan breakfast meal. Pol = Coconut, Roti = Roti/flat bread. We normally eat it with Lunu Miris, which is a super duper spicy dynamite onion sambol thingy, Onion curry or Dhal curry. Alternatively, kids like to butter it when its hot off the hot plate and eat it with a banana. It's soooooooo goood. You have to try it out, it's super duper simple to make, and super duper yummy. So here's the recipe to super duper Pol Roti:

Your Challenge: make some roti and feed a hottie!

 

Ready --- Steady --- Cook

Pol Roti

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Whole Wheat flour

1 cup Plain Self Raising flour

1 cup shredded coconut (or 3/4 cups desiccated coconut soaked in 1/4 cup of water)

1/2 onion chopped
Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Mix the all the ingredients in a bowl. 

2. Next add cold water little by little so that all the ingredients come together to form a dough. Take care not to get it too wet.
3. If the dough is too wet add a little bit of flour.
4. Knead the dough and break into balls of about 2" diameter.
5. Flatten on a floured board or plate using your palms. If more crispy crust is desired, roll using rolling pin. on Cook in a heated heavy bottom pan till 6.golden brown on both sides under medium heat.

Accompany it with some Lunu Miris or butter and a banana.

makes: 10 - 12 Roti 


Lunu Miris

INGREDIENTS:

1 Onion diced

Chilli powder

Dry Chilli Pieces 

Lime Juice

Salt

Maldive Fish

METHOD:

add all the ingredients together and mix well. you can add extra lime juice to get an extra kick. 

once all the ingredients are mixed together, put it in a mortar and pestle and grind it. 

Challenge Accepted ???

Enjoy!

Tosakanth

Honey Mustard Chicken with Bacon and Mushroom

Had a few friends over last night just for funzies, and thought I'd make some delish chicken. Well I was actually meant to study with them, but it turned in to a rather messy drunken escapade. As we do.We have now named  the dish "P's Special", because Honey Mustard Chicken with Bacon and Mushroom is just too long and not very classy.

 

What I generally  do is, use the recipe as a base and then mix in other stuff to give it my own twist.. So with the flavouring of the Honey Mustard marinade I just added a bit of chilli powder to give it a bit of kick, and more lemon juice because when life gives you lemons you need to make a kick as marinade with it. Also, I didn't have Dijon mustard so I just used English mustard seed something something that was in my fridge instead. So basically, I changed the whole recipe. Whoopsy daisies.. But in the end it turned out really well. That's all that really matters at the end of the day. 

Your challenge: Give it a go and let me know, how your chicken goes with your bros!

Ready --- Steady --- Cook

Honey Mustard Chicken with Bacon and Mushroom (P's Special)

INGREDIENTS:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 to 12 slices bacon, partially cooked
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Seasonings: salt, pepper, paprika

METHOD:

1. Make marinade by mixing together mustard, honey, and lemon juice. 
2. Add chicken breasts and refrigerate for two hours. 
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
4. Heat a small amount of oil (canola or vegetable) in a skillet and add chicken breasts, discarding marinade. 
5. Cook chicken a few minutes on each side.  Set aside.
6. Scrape out most of the juices from the pan, and add mushrooms.  Saute mushrooms until tender (a few minutes). 
7. Assemble chicken in a large baking dish: chicken, then bacon, then mushrooms, then cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. 
8. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

http://www.everydayhomecook.com/2011/03/honey-mustard-chicken-with-bacon-and-mushrooms/

Challenge Accepted ???

Enjoy!

Tosakanth