Mashed Sweet Potatoes (made with Greek Yogurt)

Introduction

This is a very healthy, low-cal method for making mashed sweet potatoes, from Weight Watchers

Minutes to Prepare: 5

Minutes to Cook: 20

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 small sweet potatoes
0.5 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
salt and pepper for taste

Directions

Peel and chop sweet potatoes, place in medium sized sauce-pan and cover with water. Boil until potatoes are soft enough to mash. Drain potatoes, add yogurt, salt, & pepper. You can either mash with potato masher, or for a really good consistency, mix in a food processor.

Source: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1439597

Moussaka - Classic Greek Moussaka with Eggplant

Moussaka is a casserole made by layering eggplant with a spiced meat filling then topping it off with a creamy bechamel sauce that is baked to golden perfection.

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3-4 eggplants, about 4 lbs. total
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (or lamb)
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice 
• 1/2 tsp. ground Cinnamon powder
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups grated Carrots
• 1 cup grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese
• 
  
• Bechamel Sauce:
• 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup flour
• 4 cups milk, warmed
• 2 cups water, warmed
• Pinch of ground nutmeg

Preparation:

Prep the Vegetables:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the eggplant in to 1/2 inch slices (length wise). Line baking tray with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Place the eggplants on baking stray and sprinkle some salt & olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

When eggplant is finished cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Make the Meat Filling:

In a large sauté pan, brown the ground beef (or lamb) until the pink color disappears. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add wine to pan and allow it to simmer and reduce a bit before adding cinnamon, allspice, tomato paste and carrot. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes so that excess liquid can evaporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I use crushed red chilly flakes).

Make the Béchamel Sauce:

Melt butter over low heat. Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.

Add warmed milk & water to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.

Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil.

Remove from heat, and stir in pinch of nutmeg. Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.

Assemble the Moussaka:

Lightly grease a large deep baking pan (lasagna pan). Leaving a 1/4 inch space around the edges of the pan, place a layer of eggplant slices.

Add 1/2 of the meat sauce on top of eggplant layer and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Top with another layer of eggplant slices and add remaining meat sauce on top of eggplant layer and sprinkle once again with 1/4 of the grated cheese.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and be sure to allow sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Smooth the béchamel on top with a spatula and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until béchamel sauce is a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

You can make this dish ahead up until the béchamel sauce and refrigerate. Make the béchamel sauce right before you intend to bake it.

Best Grilled Chicken

Best Grilled (Roasted / Grilled / Pan fried) Chicken

This recipe is easy, time saving and very tasty. Thanks to my best friend for sharing this recipe with me.

Ingredients:

1 Chicken (1.2 Kg) cut into 4 Pieces

5 – 6 Garlic cloves (chopped)

Salt around 1 tsp. (to taste)

¼ tsp. Turmeric power

1 tsp. Chicken Masala Powder

1 tsp. Oregano

2 – 3 tbsp. Olive oil

Method of preparation:

1. To make everything very easy, take a roasting tray big enough to place all the chicken pieces. Line it with Aluminium foil.
2. Mix the entire ingredients on lined tray and set it aside for half an hour.
3. If roasting in oven, roast it for 30 minutes on medium heat. If frying on a pan / grill, 5- 7 minutes on each side. 

Almond cake

Almond cake

Ingredients

5 egg whites (at room temperature)
Pinch of salt
75g/3oz caster sugar (1/3 Cups)
175g/6oz ground almonds (1 Cup)
1 orange, zest only, grated
1 tbsp. orange liqueur (optional)
25g/1oz slivered almonds

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Grease and line a 20cm/8in spring form cake tin.
3. Whisk the egg whites with the salt until they stand in soft peaks. Whisking constantly, add the sugar a little at a time. Continue whisking until the mixture is firm, shiny and very thick.
4. Fold in the ground almonds, orange zest and the liqueur, if using, with a metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and sprinkle the slivered almonds over the top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Allow to stand in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen, turn out and leave to cool on a wire rack


http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/almondcake_74644.pdf

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/kitchart/kitchart2.html

Basic Bread Recipe

Ingredients

Serves: 12

• 1 tablespoon dried active baking yeast
• 1 Cup (225 ml) warm water (45 C)
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 dessertspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 320g (11 oz) plain flour

Preparation method

Prep: 2 hours | Cook: 25 mins

1.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Lightly grease two baking trays.

2.

In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the sugar, salt, oil and 125g of flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 70g at a time, beating well after each addition.

3.

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.

4.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

5.

Preheat oven to 165 C / Gas mark 3.

6.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into rolls. Place the rolls on prepared baking trays. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

7.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Source: All Recipes

Gordon's Shepherd's Pie Recipe

By Gordon Ramsay 

Gordon's shepherd's pie recipe uses just the right amount of red wine and Worcestershire sauce to ...

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For the shepherd's pie

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 500g minced lean lamb
• 1 large onion, finely grated
• 1 large carrot, finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Handful of thyme sprigs, leaves picked
• 1 sprig of rosemary, needles chopped
• 250ml red wine
• 300ml chicken stock
• 1kg Desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 50g butter
• 2 egg yolks
• Parmesan, for grating
• Olive oil
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the pan-roasted carrots

• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• Small handful of thyme sprigs
• 1 garlic clove
• 500g medium sized carrots, peeled and trimmed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Few knobs of butter

METHOD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpFzc0OJPSc

How to make shepherd's pie

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4 and get prepped bywatching Gordon prepare this shepherd's pie.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan until hot. Season the mince and fry in the oil over moderate to high heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir the onions and carrot into the mince then grate the garlic in as well. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and herbs and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the red wine and reduce until almost completely evaporated. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened

3. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain then return to the hot pan over low heat to dry out briefly. Pass them through a potato ricer then beat in the egg yolks, followed by about 2 tbsp grated Parmesan. Check for seasoning

4. Spoon the mince into the bottom of a large ovenproof dish. Using a large spoon, layer the mashed potato generously on top of the mince, starting from the outside and working your way into the middle. Grate some extra Parmesan over and season. Fluff up the mash potato with a fork to make rough peaks. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown

5. For the carrots bring a pan of water to the boil with the rosemary, thyme and garlic. Boil the carrots in the water for 3 minutes to soften slightly, then drain and pat dry. Heat the oil in a large non-stick sauté pan then add the carrots and some seasoning. Brown the carrots all over until just tender, adding the butter towards the end of cooking

To watch the video Click here

Greek Lemon Chicken

Greek Lemon Chicken

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. (500 g) chicken thighs

4-6 cloves of garlic

Juice of one lemon

5/8 cup (150 ml) water

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon (generous) freshly ground black pepper

Method of Preparation:

Peel and crush or chop garlic, set aside.

Squeeze lemon and add to cup measure.

Fill cup to 600-750 ml with water.

Add olive oil to hot pan and add chicken when oil has begun to get hot. Brown chicken on all sides, approximately 5-10 minutes total, reduce heat.

Add oregano and black pepper; stir into chicken mix.

Add lemon/water mixture and stir gently. Simmer until most of the liquid has been reduced and all of the flavours have been combined; serve with freshly cooked/steamed rice.

How To Eat Sushi

How To Eat Sushi

An all-encompassing guide to enjoying sushi the polite way

Source: Yahoo.

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/video/food-13177966/how-to-eat-sushi-26033250.html

Chicken Tandoori

Chicken Tandoori

Ingredients:

Chicken – 600 grams

Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp.

Lemon Juice – 60 ml.

Yoghurt – 100 grams

Cream – 100 grams.

Ginger/ Garlic Paste – 30 grams.

Cumin Powder – 1 tsp.

Garam Masala – 1 tsp.

Saffron – 1 gram

Orange Colouring – 1 drop

Salt – for seasoning

Method of Preparation:

1.       Preparation: Clean & remove the skin of the chicken, make 3 deep incisions on breast & thighs. On drumstick make 2. Prepare a paste of salt, red chilli and lemon juice. Spread over the chicken evenly and keep aside for 15 minutes.

2.      Marinating: Whisk yoghurt in a large bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Rub the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate it for 6 hours.

3.      Cooking: Roast in a moderately hot domestic oven (gas or electric for approximately 10 minutes. Alternately if using a charcoal grill, cook the chicken for about the same time.

4.     Preheat the oven to 350°F then cook for 10 minutes. Remove & hang the skewers to let the excess moisture drip off (app. 4 – 5 min) baste with butter & roast again for 3 – 4 minutes for additional cooking.

Sponge Cake

SpongeCake

Ingredients:

Eggs – 3

Flour – 1 cup

Sugar – 1 cup

Baking Powder – 1 tsp.

Whipping Cream.

Method of Preparation:

1.       Preheat the oven to 180° C/ gas 160° C/ gas 4. Grease 20 cm cake tin and line the bottom with a circle of greaseproof paper.

2.      Beat eggs in electric mixer for 5 - 10 minutes. Add sugar and beat in electric mixer till it completely dissolves.

3.      Combine baking power & flour to the above mixture

4.     Finally add whipping cream to the above mixture and combine to make batter.

5.      Bake in the preheated oven at 150° C for 40 minutes or until the skewer inserted comes out clean.

Plain Cake

Plain Cake

Ingredients:

Eggs – 3

Flour – 1 ½ cup

Oil – ½ cup

Sugar – 1 cup

Baking Powder – 1 tsp.

Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp.

Saffron & Rose Water (2 tbsp.)

Sesame seeds to garnish

Method of Preparation:

• 1.       Preheat the oven.
• 2.      Beat eggs in electric mixer for 5 - 10 minutes. Add sugar and beat in electric mixer till it completely dissolves. Add oil and beat again.
• 3.      Add Saffron & Rose water, cardamom and baking power to the above mixture
• 4.     Add flour to the above mixture and combine to make batter.
• 5.      Line the baking dish and pour the above mixture into the dish.
• 6.     Bake in the preheated oven at 150° C for 40 minutes or until the tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Agar Agar China Grass Pudding

Agar Agar China Grass Pudding

Ingredients:

½ litres of Milk
6 grms of Agar Agar China Grass strips
6 tbsp. Sugar
Flavouring & colour of your choice

Method of preparation:

1. 1.     Soak Agar Agar China Grass Strips in sufficient quantity of water for 10 minutes and drain it.
2. 2.     Boil milk and add soaked Agar Agar into it.
3. 3.     Let it boil with continued stirring till Agar Agar dissolves completely.
4. 4.     Add sugar, colour and flavour to taste.
5. 5.     Pour the contents into a dish or mould and allow to set at room temperature.
6. 6.     Best served after cooling.

    I have used Strawberry Syrup for colour & flavour:

1. 
   

How to make a 5 minute Chocolate Cake

How to make a 5 minute chocolate cake

You will need:
 4 tbsp Plain Flour
 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
 4 tbsp Caster Sugar
 1 Egg
 3 tbsp Milk
 3 tbsp Sunflower Oil
 Chocolate Chips
 Vanilla Essence
 1 Mug
 1 Tablespoon
 1 Microwave

Step 1: Getting Started

In a mug, combine 4 tablespoons of plain flour, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 4 tablespoons of caster sugar. Give it all a good stir. Now add an egg and mix it up a bit more. Make sure it’s all well combined before moving on.

Step 2: More Ingredients
Stir in 3 tablespoons of milk and 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Add some chocolate chips and a splash of vanilla essence.

Step 3: Mix it up
Now give it another stir.

Step 4: Microwave
Put it in the microwave for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. No liquid nitrogen in sight, just simple, delicious microwave chocolate cake in five minutes flat.

Time to enjoy your microwave cake in a mug. Make sure you share this unique cake recipe with friends and family!
http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/how-to-make-a-5-minute-chocolate-cake.html