Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Comfort  Food! This is a classic one. The smell of tender chicken and veggies in a hearty sauce, simmering away on the stove … pure rustic joy!  There are days when you want to eat fancy restaurant food and other days when nothing but a home cooked meal of goodness will do. Well, this is for the other days! I make this often, not just cause its yummy but cause its really easy as well. Actually it’s easy cause I skip the pastry crust on top. I know its cheating, but who wants the unnecessary calories? OK fine… that’s a lie as well… the truth my darlings - ready pastry is not available in India. Well not the cheap variety anyway and it’s a pain to make short crust pastry in a hurry. I’ll give you the pastry recipe however, for lazy Sundays when you can luxuriously knead the dough till it cries foul BUT today my friends I’m going to enjoy this sans the frills. (Eg: Minus Pie Crust , Add Dinner Rolls). Its tastes bloody good … if that’s what you’re thinking! 

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 6

What you need:

50 gm/ ¼ cup Butter

4 Tbsp Single Cream

1 1/2 cups Milk

1 Onion (cut into eights)

2 Carrots (diced)

1 Celery Stick (Chopped)

200 gms Button Mushrooms

400 gms cooked Chicken (cubed)

50 gms fresh/ frozen Peas

¼ cup Plain flour

1 cup hot Chicken stock

Salt and Ground Black pepper to taste

Fresh Bread to serve

What to do:

For the “lazy no pie crust” people : Melt half the butter in a heavy pan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until bubbling, whickly constantly. Add the stock and whisk over a medium heat until the mixture boils. Add in the milk. Let it come to a rolling simmer. Cook for 2-3 mins. Whisk in the cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside.

Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan, add onions and carrots and cook over a low heat for 5 mins. Add the celery and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 mins, until they have softened. Add the cooked chicken and peas and stir.

Add the chicken mixture to the hot cream sauce and mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Spoon into a 2.5 litre oval baking dish. The lazy ones can now Serve Hot with fresh bread for dunking!

For the “I have time on my hands and want a pie” people: Roll out ready shortcrust pastry on to a floured surface of about 1/8 thick. Cut an oval 1 inch larger than the baking dish. Lay the pastry over the filling. Gently press around the edge of the dish to seal, then trim off excess pastry. Crimp the edge by pushing together forefinger and thumb all around the dish. Glaze the entire lid with beaten egg, then cut several slits in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake the pie in preheated oven (109°C/375°F/Gas5) for about 30 mins or until the pastry has browned. Serve Hot!!! 

Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise

I made this as soon as I got back from my holiday, but posting it has taken me this long. You know how January is … tying up all the loose ends and brushing away all the lint from the previous year! Anyway I was lusting for some more seafood (The Lankan Hangover I like to call it!) and Fish and Chips always hits the spot. The recipe is so easy I would like to think a kindergarten kid could pull it off (except the frying bit which needs parental intervention). That doesn’t mean you start getting your kids to work in the kitchen…I wouldn’t want to be promoting child labor on this site now would I? Anyway they will be thanking you for this... it’s got a whole fast food aura to it, though you’ll always know its way healthier. Our little secret! 

Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

8 fillets of Sear/ White fish (800 gms in total)

1 Lemon (juice of)

2 Tbsp Mustard paste

1 tsp Salt

5 Tbsp Corn flour

2 med Eggs

11/2 cups Bread crumbs for coating

For the lemon mayonnaise:

6 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1Lemon (juice of) and rind grated

2 Tbsp Tify Relish

Parsley sprigs to garnish

What to do:

Marinate the fish fillets in lime juice, mustard and salt for 15 mins. Lay out three plates separately with cornflour, bread crumbs and beaten eggs. Heat the oil and check the termperature – a cube of bread should brown in 30 secs. Dip each fillet in corn flour, then in beaten egg an finally cost with bread crumbs. Keep aside on a wire rach for 5 mins. Fry in oil till golden brown. Drain on tissue. Serve with mayo, salad and chunky fries.

To make the Lemon Mayonnaise: Grate the rind of the lemon into the mayonnaise. Extract juice of the lemon and mix in along with the relish. Garnish with parsley.

Note: I served this with a fresh lettuce and red onion salad with a lemon, olive oil and sugar vinaigrette. Tangy goodness!!

 

Happy 2011!

 “People are so worried about what they eat between Chirstmas and New year when in reality they need to be worried about what they eat between New year and Christmas!” so said Anonymous. Agreed we all overindulge during the holidays and why not? It’s the season to be jolly :)  I was away on holiday in Sri Lanka and trust me, even if you tried, you can’t stop overindulging. Sun, Sand, Surf … all add up to an atmosphere of blissful overeating. Add to it beers and wines and cocktails and you could really be in a glutton’s heaven. (MY heaven to be precise!) So without much adieu I wish you a wonderful 2011, filled with all things good and blissful and lipsmackingly awesome!


P.S. Some seafood that I lovingly shoved my face with …

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

As a kid I was always amazed at this cake. How did they make the pineapple fit into the cake? Did they push it down and then burn the top? If they did then why dint it fall off when you turned it over? Anyway childhood has passed and all things magical are now just like that show – ‘Great magic tricks revealed’ (Which I hate by the way – I think they’re killing the enigma!). So yeah... I finally figured it out. They lay out the pineapple, pour the cake batter in and bake it. Finally, they filp it over – Hence Upside-Down cake. Should have paid more attention to the linguistics, mind you … would have figured it out much much earlier. But when you’re young and starry eyed, life is just so so much more fun. (The previous sentence in no way implies I’m an old hag now…just so you know … :P)

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Prep time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 30-35 mins

Serves: 8 (or 4 if you’re greedy)

What you need:

60 gms Butter, softened
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp Brown sugar
4 slices of canned Pineapple rings (drained and juice reserved)
For the sponge:
½ cup Butter, softened
½ cup Sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1½ cups Flour
2½ tsp Baking powder
A pinch of salt
7in/18cm Cake pan (deep)

What to do:

Lightly butter the pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Cream together the butter and sugar and spread evenly over the parchment paper. Arrange the drained pineapple rings on top of the butter and sugar mixture. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C.

To make the sponge, cream butter and sugar. Toss in the beaten eggs. Beat for 2 mins. Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix till just incorporated. Cut and fold technique. Spoon the batter on top of the pineapple rings and level the surface. Bake in the preheated over for 30-35 mins until the cake is well risen and springy to the touch. Invert the cake onto a warmed serving platter and serve at once.

P.S. That's my beautiful Brown sugar...mmm....

Insalata Caprese (Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato Salad)

I know it’s not summer and this is definitely a summer salad. But on a dreary winter day like today, the colors sure cheer me up. This is such a simple salad but tastes heavenly. The creaminess of the bocconcini is well worth the visit to a gourmet store. (By the way, the white colour and creaminess is because it’s made from buffalo milk.) But if you can’t stomach the thought, then fresh mozzarella is fine as well. Like I was saying…chase the winter blues away with some red, white and green!

Insalata Caprese
Prep time: 10 mins
Serves: 6

What you need:
6 medium, ripe Tomatoes
4 fresh small Mozzarella (Bocconcini) balls
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
4 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
Handful of shredded Basil leaves
Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste

What to do:
Slice tomatoes thickly. Slice mozzarella thinly and interleave with tomato slices and basil leaves. Combine lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well using a wire whick. Drizzle dressing over salad. Sprinkle with shreds of basil leaves and pepper. Serve!


P.S. This salad is best served freshly made. Tomatoes at room temperature bring out their flavor.

Perfectly Poached Eggs

I’ve stayed away from poaching eggs. It’s an art and a science apparently, not for mere mortals. The regular cook in the kitchen need be satisfied with scrambled eggs, fried eggs, boiled eggs or omelets. But Poached eggs were to be left to a fancy chef who turned it out ala Eggs Benedict!  Well no more I said and attempted to poach an egg (remember Julie in ‘Julie and Julia’ J) To be honest, the first attempt was a birds nest and I quickly gobbled it down to erase any photo evidence. The second one however was definitely palatable. The proof of the pudding or the poaching is for all to see. Sunday morning brekkie anyone?

How to Poach an Egg (Courtesy: Wiki Info)

Step1: Set a saucepan to boil that is about two-thirds full of water. Milk can also be used for a richer taste.

Step 2: Add a dash of white vinegar (while it's not absolutely vital, it helps the egg's appearance - the vinegar coagulates the egg white turning it into a perfectly poached egg). The fresher the eggs, the better they poach. An egg straight from the chicken will poach without any need for vinegar.

Step 3: Crack an egg into a ramekin, small bowl or soup ladle.

Step 4: Spin the boiling water to cool down the water before you drop in the egg. You will want to bring the water to a temperature of about 160-180ºF (71-82ºC).

Step 5: Carefully lower or drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool. Make sure that you do not drop the egg into boiling water (100ºC/212ºF), as this will toughen the eggs and make them unpalatable.

Step 6: Wait 3-4 minutes until cooked.

Step 7: Remove with a slotted spoon. Work quickly to transfer each egg onto the plate, letting excess water drip back into the saucepan. Poached eggs should be served as soon as they are pulled from the water. Poached eggs get cold quickly, and cold poached eggs are decidedly less than perfect.

Pasta with Tuna and Capers

We generally buy our seafood fresh from the local market and nothing can really beat the taste of the sea. However there is no shame opening up a can of tuna for a quick weekday meal. Considering the fish was a favorite of the ancient Phoenicians (And the Greeks and Romans loved it as well)…it’s already got a good reputation. With all the Omega3 that doctors keep saying we need to incorporate into our diet, this fish is heart healthy! I found this recipe in my cooking bible – The Family Circle Cooking Encyclopedia.  So there’s really no going wrong. The co-resident and I give this one a thumbs-up! So does Muesli, who thought the can of tuna was for her… :)

Pasta with Tuna and Capers

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:
500 gms Pasta
¼ cup Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
225 gm Tuna drained
60 gms Butter
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp chopped Capers
½ tsp chopped Chilli

What to do:
Place pasta in a pan of boiling salted water and cook until just tender.
Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and chilli, cook 1 min. Add tuna and cook 2 mins longer. Add butter lemon juice and capers, stir into tuna and cook on low until heated through. Drain pasta, add to sauce and mix to combine. Serve hot.

Muesli and my new Canon 500D

I know this has nothing to do with food... but considering I just upgraded from my old kodak of 5 years ( I know I know.. tsk tsk.. practically a fossil) I can't help but gloat. No food pics on this post.. just one of my darling baby Muesli. (Yes, I named my cat after cereal! But what do you expect from a foodie?!) Hopefully I can turn out some better pictures with this one... Wish me luck!

Lemon Rice (Chitranna)

This post is for ‘someone’ who asked me recently, whether I had locked my kitchen up as he dint see any new posts on the blog :P Considering that ‘someone’ is also a Vegetarian and South Indian … this recipe should appeal to him. Lemon Rice is something that mom made in a jiffy for breakfast IF – she was out of time or there was rice leftover from last night’s dinner. So as a teenager I used to ho and hum when I saw lemon rice on my plate. But now I completely understand the lemon rice logic – it’s a healthy, simple, no wastage dish. Not to mention for all the ho-ing and hum-ing it was and is delicious!

Lemon Rice

Prep time: 15 mins
Serves: 4

What you need:
1 ½ cups Rice (uncooked) / 2 ½ cups cooked Rice
1 Onion sliced
1 Lemon (Juice of)
3-4 green Chilies
½ tsp Channa Dal
½ tsp Urd Dal
½ tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Ginger paste
½ tsp Mustard seeds
4 tsps Oil
6-7 Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Handful of peanuts
Grated coconut to Garnish

What to do:
Deep fry peanuts, keep aside. Cook rice and fluff out rice to cool and separate grains.
In a wok heat 4 tsps of Oil, Add mustard seeds, urd and channa dal and fry till mustard splutters. Add sliced onions and slit chilies and sauté till soft and transparent. Put in ginger and fry for a min. Finally add in turmeric and salt. Pour this mixture over the rice and mix well to incorporate the yellow color evenly. Mix lemon juice in, toss in the peanuts and garnish with grated coconut. Serve hot!

Note: Mixing the peanuts in the end keeps them crunchy to the bite.

Spinach and Corn Quiche

This quiche recipe is for all the non-meat eaters who obviously ignored my Bacon and Mushroom Quiche recipe. This recipe is also for everyone who likes a nice chewy cheesy quiche. So basically this recipe is for everyone :) Spinach and Corn is one of those excellent combinations that you can’t go wrong with. The colors compliment each other as well – yellow and green. I’ve told you all about quiches before – savory pastry with a filling of your choice. If you buy ready pastry shells then you can roll out quiches in minutes. Perfect for a weekday!

Spinach and Corn Quiche

Baking time: 25 mins + 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves: 4
What you need:
For Pastry
1 cup plain Flour
75 gms Butter, chopped
Large pinch of salt
Water

For Filling
2 cups blanched and chopped Spinach leaves
1 cup crumbled fresh Cottage Cheese
3/4th cup Sweet Corn kernels
3/4th cup Milk
2 Tbsp Cream
1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
½ tsp dried Oregano
2 Tbsps Butter
Salt and Pepper
What to do:

To Make Pastry: Place flour and butter in a cold bowl. Rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add ice cold water (2-3 Tbsp) and bring the misture together. Turn onto a lightly floured board. Knead mixture gently to form smooth dough. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to moderately hot 210ºC.

Roll Pastry on a flour board large enough to fit a 9 inch round loose bottomed flan tin. Ease pastry into tin. Trim edge with a sharp knife. Cut a sheet of baking paper large enough to cover pastry lined tin. Place paper over pastry; spread a layer of dried beans or rice evenly over paper. Bake for 15 mins, remove paper and beans; bake for another 10 mins or until pastry case is lightly browned; Remove and cool. Preheat oven to 230 ºC for the next stage.

To make Filling: Heat the butter in a pan, add corn and sauté for 1 minute. Dissolve the cornflour in the milk and add this to the mixture. Cook till the mixture thickens. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Keep aside.

Spread the spinach corn mixture over the baked pastry in the pie dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 mins or until mixture becomes firm. Serve hot!