All posts by nasdatoo

Sea Food Chowder

Seafoods, Soups & Salads

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 3           tbsp butter
  • 1           fresh fennel bulb, centre core removed, sliced thinly
  • 2           med-large potatoes, peeled and diced.1 large white onion
  • 1           medium leek, white part only diced
  • 2           small bay leaves
  • 5-6        sprigs chopped fresh thyme
  • 2           cups fish stock
  • 2           cups whipping cream
  •              Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1           cup diced fish(Halibut, salmon or ling cod)
  • 1           lb prawns or another seafood of your choice
  •              Chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill and/or chives
  •              Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add fennel, potato, onion and leek. Cook. continue stirring until vegetables are tender but not brown, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add bay leaves and thyme, fish stock and cream.  Simmer until chowder thickens slightly and flavours blend, about 10-15 min.  Add lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste.
  3. The chowder can be made ahead to this point, and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.
  4. To complete the dish: dice fish and devein prawns.
  5. Reheat the chowder base over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Add the fish and prawns and cook for 8 minutes, stirring constantly.
  6. Season with salt and pepper and add fresh chopped herds.
  7. Divide the seafood into bowls and serve. 

Salmon Chowder

Seafoods, Soups & Salads

Bisques and chowders are two types of thick soup.  Bisque is generally smooth while chowder is chunky.  Both have a history with seafood – the word chowder comes from the french word for cauldron in which fishermen made their stew, but both words are often used to describe non-seafood dishes as well.

Serves 6-8

  • 6          tbsp canola oil
  • 3          large yellow onions, diced medium
  • 3          large carrots, diced medium
  • 6          stalks celery, diced medium
  • 1          lb potatoes, diced medium 
  • 5          cups water
  • 2          tbsp dried oregano
  • 1          tbsp dried basil
  • 1          tbsp dried thyme
  • 1          tbsp salt
  • 1/2       cup roasted garlic*
  • 1          small roasted red bell pepper peeled**
  • 3          cups whipping cream
  • 1          lb fresh Salmon, Halibut or ling code, boneless, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1          tbsp chipotle chili 
  • 1          tbsp chopped fresh dill

Instructions

  1. Heat 4 tbsps of the oil in a large heavy-bottom saucepan.Stir in all but 2 tbsps of the chopped onions as well as all the carrots and celery,  (set the onions aside for now).  Cook for 25 minutes or until tender.
  2. Add the potatoes, water, dried spices, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, use a food processor to puree the roasted garlic and red pepper.  Add to the soup along wth the cream.
  4. Heat the remaining 2 tbsps oil in a medium heavy bottom frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the fresh salmon, chopped onions and chipotle puree.  Sure for 4-5 mins, then transfer to the soup pot.
  5. Simmer for 5 min. or until the chowder is hot throughout, then serve, garnish each bowl with a little chopped dill.

* To roast a whole garlic, preheat the oven to  400 degree, slice the paper end of the build, exposing the top of the garlic cloves.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil, wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and bake for 20-25 mins,, until soft.

**To roast bell peppers, preheat the broiler in your oven, then core each pepper and slice it into quarters.  Place the pieces skin side up on a baking sheet and slide it under the broiler, roasting until the skin is blackened.  Pop the blackened peppers into a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and steam for 20 min.  Remove the skins.  they should slide off easily.

Corn Chowder

Substitue corn for salmon

 

Salad Dressing

Salad Dressing

Asian Sesame Salad Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1            cup rice Vinegar
  • 1/2         cup sugar
  • 1/4         cup canola oil
  • 3            tsp sesame seed oil
  • 1            tsp salt
  • 1            tsp sesame seeds, toasted 

Instructions

Mix everything together and use as needed

Creamy Lime – Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1/2         cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4         cup sour cream(plain greek yoghurt can be substituted)
  • 4            tbsp lime juice(fresh or bottled
  • 1/4         cup cilantro leaves finely chopped
  • 1/2         tsp sugar

Instructions

Mix everything together

Creamy Carrot and Onion Dressing

Ingredients 

  • 1                   large carrot, peeled and chopped 
  • 1                   large sweet or red onion, peeled and chopped 
  • 1                   cup extra virgin oil 
  • 1                   cup unseasoned rice vinegar 
  • 1/2                cup maple syrup

 Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree at high speed until smooth. Store in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Greek Salad Dressing

Ingredients

  • 2                 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4              cup extra virgin oil
  • 2                 tbsp honey
  • 1                 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2                 tbsp red wine vinegar(white vinegar)
  • 1                 minced garlic grated
  •                    pinch salt and pepper
  • 2                 pinches of basil and oregano

Instructions
Mix together in a blender.

 

 

 

Taco Meat

Entrees, vegetarian

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1           lb lean ground beef
  • 1/4        cup vinegar
  • 1           tsp sugar
  • 1           tsp dried oregano leaves
  • 1           tsp red chilly powder(optional)
  • 1           tsp paprika
  • 1/2        tsp garlic paste
  • 1/2        tsp ginger paste1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2        tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2        tsp freshly ground cumin
  • 1           small red onion
  • 1           medium red or green pepper
  • 1           jalepino, thinly sliced
  • 1           tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan add beef, vinegar sugar, oregano, chillies, paprika, garlic and ginger paste, black pepper and cumin and cook on medium high heat, stirring and breaking the beef.
  2. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 mins., stirring it a couple of times, till most of the liquid has evaporated.
  3. Add the sliced onions, peppers, jalepino and cilantro.
  4. serve it on rice with Salsa

Note:

you can use any meat, I have used chicken ground.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sweets

Ingredients

  • 8               oz chopped pitted dried dates
  • 1 1/2         cups water
  • 1/3            cup butter
  • 1               cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2               tsp vanilla essence
  • 2               extra large eggs
  • 3               tbsp molasses
  • 2               tbsp golden syrup dark corn syrup
  • 1               2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2         tsp baking powder
  • 1               tsp baking soda

Instructions

  1. Put the dates and water in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.  When it starts to boil turn the heat to low and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Let it stand for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the batter.
  2. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and vanilla, till it is light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Puree the date mixture in a food processor.
  5. Add the molasses and golden syrup and beat well.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture in three equal portions mixing until smooth after each addition.
  7. Add the hot mixture immediately to the batter and mix until smooth.
  8. Pour batter into a well greased and floured muffin tins and bake for about 18-20 min in a preheated 350 degree oven until the centre is just firm.

Toffee Sauce

  • 1/2         cup whipping cream
  • 1/4         cup butter
  • 1/4         cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1            tbsp molasses
  • 2            tbsp golden syrup
  • 2            tsp vanilla essence

Instructions

Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes before serving over the baked pudding.

Note:

You can bake this cake in a bundt pan.  Grease and flour it well.  Bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 55-60 min.

Serve it warm with Toffee sauce.

To grease the pan well:

Freeze the pan, then brush it with melted butter and dust it with flour or spray pam on it.

Hondavo(Original)

Gluten Free, Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1           cup basmati rice
  • 1           cup long grain ice
  • 1/4        cup chana daal
  • 1/4        cup moong daal
  • 1/4        cup Toor Daal
  • 1           cup yoghurt
  • 1/2        cup water
  • 1           tsp ajwan(ajma)
  • 1           tablespoon Sesame seeds
  • 1           tsp chilli powder(optional)
  • 1           tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1           tsp freshly ground cumin(jeera)
  • 1/2        tsp turmeric powder
  • 1           tsp ground garlic
  • 1           tsp ground ginger
  • 1           tsp ground jalepino
  • 2           tbsp sugar
  • 1           cup sliced onions
  • 1/4        cup fresh chopped cilantro
  •              juice of 1 lemon or
  • 1/2        tsp citric acid
  • 1           tsp eno or baking soda

For Tempering(Vagar)

  • 1/2        cup vegetable oil(or oil of your choice)
  • 10         curry leaves
  • 1/2        tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2        tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2        tsp cumin seeds
  • 1           red chilli (dried or fresh)(optional)

For Decoration

  • 2           tablespoon sesame seeds
  •              a few onion rings
  •              a few cilantro leaves

Instructions

  1. Rinse and soak the rice and daal for 5 hrs or overnight.
  2. In the morning drain the rice and daal.  In a blender or a food processor puree this with yoghurt and water to a thick paste.  Let it stand overnight.
  3. In the morning add the rest of the ingredients except eno and mix well.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease the baking pan with pam or butter.  Line the pan with baking paper.
  5. Make the vagara,
  6. Heat the oil in a fry pan.  When the oil is hot add curry leaves, and the rest of the vagaries ingredients.  When the seeds start to pop, add this to the mix.  Add the eno and mix well.
  7. Pour the mix in the prepared pan. decorate with sesame seeds, onion rings and cilantro leaves.
  8. Bake on the middle shelf for 1 hour till the top is brown and when you insert a bamboo stick it in the middle, it comes out clean.
  9. Serve with Garlic Chutney or Sambaro.

Hondavo IngredientsHondavo Ingredients

Kadhi and Kichadi(or Kichari)

Entrees, vegetarian

It is a Cold Snowy Day in Vancouver.  It has been snowing for 3 days now, so I decided to make Kadhi and  Lassi Kichadi (or grey kichadi) for dinner.

Snow Feb 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kadhi is a yoghurt based gravy dish to which chickpea flour/besan is added, tempered and then simmered with spices.  Kadhi is a popular North Indian dish, made with chickpea flour and yogurt as main ingredients along with various spices.  In India each state and region has their own version of kadhi.  Panjabi Kadhi is thick with  pakoras added to it.  Gujarati kadhi is thin and sweet as jaggery or sugar is added to it.

Kichadi is a simple dish that has the consistency of porridge. kichadi is from Indian subcontinent made from rice and Mung Daal(lentils).  In Indian culture, it is considered one of the first solid foods that babies eat.  It is also eaten by those recovering from indigestion problem.  It is also a comfort food to be eaten on a cold winter day.  It can be  a simple dish served with ghee or butter or it can be spiced up with vegetables in it.  It is served with masala potato and kadhi.  This kichadi is cooked on slow heat till it is very soft.  Back home khichdi is cooked in a clay pot on a sagari(sagari is a cooking stove and uses coal). We also had our main meal at lunch time and then have a simple meal for dinner.  Kadhi Kichari is one of the simple meal.  A lot of our seniors have dudh kichadi(milk and kichadi0 or dahi kichadi (yoghurt and kichadi) for dinner. Add papadum and mango pickle to the meal.  The following day we added the the oil from the mango pickle and had the kichadi, tastes pretty good.

Kadhi

Kichadi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kadhi

Ingredients

  • 1           lt yoghurt (6%MF)
  • 3           cups water
  • 1           level tbsp chickpea flour
  • 1           tbsp green masala
  • 1/4        tsp  haldi(turmeric powder)
  • 1           tsp dhana jeera(coriander and cumin powder)
  • 1           tsp salt(to taste)
  • 1           tbsp sugar/jaggery
  • 1           jalapeño(optional)
  •              coriander leaves for garnishing

Tempering

  • 2           tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1           spring curry leaves
  • 1           broken red chilli(optional)
  • 2           clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1/2        tsp jeera(cumin seeds)
  • 1/2        tsp rai(mustard seeds)
  • 1/2        tsp methi(fenugreek seeds)

Instructions

  • In a Medium bowl add the yoghurt, water, chickpea flour, green masala,haldi, chana jeera, and salt and mix well.  Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture.
  • Heat a large sauce pan on high heat.  Add the oil, when the oil is hot add the rest of the tempering ingredients.  When the seeds start to pop, add the yoghurt mix and mix well.
  • Keep stirring till the curry thins out, about 5 minutes.  The kadhi will boil over if you do not stir it.
  • Lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times.
  • Add the sugar/jaggery,  jalepeno cut in half and coriander leaves.
  • Serve hot with Lassi kichari, chuti kichari or vegetable pilau.
  • You can serve kadhi in a small tea cup for people to drink it. 

Kichadi

Ingredients

  • 1/2       cup Split Mung Daal
  • 1/2       cup long grain rice
  • 4          cups water
  • 1/2       tsp salt
  • 2          oz butter or ghee.

Instructions

  1. Rinse  mung daal and rice with cold water a few times.
  2. Add mung daal and rice to a pot with 4 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt.
  3. Bring to a boil on high heat stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the butter/ghee.  Reduce heat to medium low(mark 4) and simmer until all the water is absorbed.
  5. Turn the heat off.  Mash the kichadi and serve with yoghurt, kadhi or other vegetable curry.

Note:

If you soak mung daal and rice for 1/2 hr or more, the kichadi will cook faster.

Crunchy Oriental Salad

Soups & Salads

      Dressing

  • 1/4         cup canola oil
  • 1/4         cup sugar
  • 1/4         cup cider vinegar
  • 2            tbsp soy sauce

 

Mix everything together in a jar and refrigerate till needed.

Ingredients

  • 1            package (16oz) Coleslaw
  • 1            pkg broccoli coleslaw mix
  • 2            grated carrots
  • 1            red pepper thinly sliced
  • 1            green pepper thinly sliced
  • 1            cup cooked edamame beans
  • 1            bunch spring onions
  • 1            pkg (3oz) beef/vegetable flavoured ramen noodles
  • 1/4         cup cranberries
  • 1/4         cup roasted peanuts or sunflower seeds
  • 1/4         cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4         cup chopped mint leaves

Instructions

  1. Rinse and drain the coleslaws.  Put the coleslaw at the bottom of the dish.  Add the rest of the vegetable.
  2. Just before serving, sprinkle the salad with broken ramen noodles, and the rest of the ingredients,
  3. Add the salad dressing mix the salad and serve. 

Greek Salad Dressing

  • 2              tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4           cup extra virgin oil
  • 2              tbsp honey
  • 1              tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2              tbsp red wine vinegar(white vinegar)
  • 1              minced garlic grated
  •                 pinch salt and pepper
  • 2              pinches of basil and oregano

Shake together and serve.

Chutti Kichadi(Rice with Lentils)

Accompaniments, vegetarian

The spilt pigeon peas provides protein, and the rice provides carbohydrates.  Make this a more balance meal with a vegetable curry and or Kadhi and carrot pickle.

Ingredients

  • 1/2           cup tovar ni Daal( split pigeon pea)
  • 1              cup basmati rice
  • 4              tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3              whole elichi (green cardamon)
  • 5              laving(cloves)
  • 1/4           tsp jeera(cumin)
  • 1/4           tsp Mari(black pepper)
  • 1              1” stick cinnamon stick
  • 1/2           tsp crushed ginger
  • 1/2           tsp crushed garlic
  • 1/2           tsp crushed jaleoino
  • 1              tsp salt
  • 1/4           tsp haldi(turmeric powder)
  • 1/2           tsp garam masala

Instructions

  1. Rinse and soak the Daal in cold water for at least and hr, if not more.
  2. Rinse and soak the rice in cold water for about half an hour.
  3. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil.  Add elichi, laving, jeera, mari and cinnamon stick.
  4. Add the green masala and stir for a minute.
  5. Add the daal and stir for a few minutes, add the salt and haldi.
  6. Add the hot water and bring to a boil, add the drained rice, mix, cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or till most of the liquid has evaporated.
  7. Sprinkle with garam masala and bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or lower the heat to low (mark 2) and let it cook on the stove top.
  8. Serve with Kadhi and or vegetable curry.

Egg and potato Rolls

Breakfast, vegetarian

IMG_2507

Makes 6

Ingredients

  • 2                 cups finely chopped potatoes or frozen hashbrowns
  • 2                 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2                 tbsp green chutney
  • 1                 tsp salt
  • 9                 eggs
  • 3                 tbsp finely chopped onions
  • 1                 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 1/4              cup cold water
  • 2                 tbsp butter
  • 6                 10 inch wheat tortillias
  • 1                  tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Grease a baking tray.
  3. Add 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp green chutney and 1/2 tsp salt to the potatoes and bake for 15 minutes or till the potatoes are cooked and light brown.
  4. In a bowl break the eggs, add 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp green chutney, onions cilantro, and water and mix well.
  5. Heat a 9″ frypan, melt 1 tsp butter and make an omelette withe about 3/4 cup of egg mixture,
  6. While the omelette is cooking on a hot griddle cook the tortillia on one side for 1 min, brush it with oil turn it around and cook for another 1 min.
  7. Put the omelette in the centre of the tortillia, add 1/3 cup potatoes.  Bring the 2 sides 1″ in towards the centre and roll it up.
  8. Serve it hot with a green chutney.  This is a perfect breakfast to go.

IMG_2506