food&drinks

Chicken Curry, a taste of India at home

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Chicken_Curry
Nothing says exotic like curry and one of the simplest curry dishes to make is chicken curry. The dish is traditionally Indian and is like bringing a little taste of the sub-Continent home.

The curry can be spiced according to your own taste – fiery hot or just mild enough to leave you wanting more.

Chicken curry is best served with either Jasmine or Basmati Rice or Nan, or both.

Gather together 2 cups of Basmati or Jasmine rice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 medium onion chopped, 1 clove of garlic minced, 3 tablespoons of curry powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon of grated ginger root, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 skinless chicken breast halves cut into bite sized strips, 1 cup plain yogurt, ¾ cup coconut milk, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt to taste.

In a saucepan, heat olive oil over a medium flame and sauté onion until lightly browned. Add the garlic, curry powder, paprika, bay leaf, ginger root, and salt. Stir. Add chicken, tomato paste, coconut milk, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and yogurt. Bring to boil, turn down heat, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. In a separate pot, cook rice according to directions on package.

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Thai shrimp, spicy exotic

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thai_shrimp1
Spicy, tasty, exotic. Thai style shrimp is ideal for a quick dinner with spunk. It can be made in half an hour as shrimp is easy to prepare. Just add steamed broccoli and white basmati rice.

To prepare you need 1 cup basmati rice, 1/2 broccoli, 4 cloves of peeled garlic, 1 piece of fresh ginger, chili peppers, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, vegetable oil, 1 medium onion finely chopped, 1 stalk scallion, 1 pound medium shrimp – peeled and de-veined, 2 tomatoes, diced, 1 cup coconut milk, and 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves.

To prepare rice, place in a small pot and cook according to directions on the package. In a separate pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add broccoli. Steam for five minutes. For shrimp: In a blender, mix garlic, ginger, chili, salt, and turmeric to a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and scallion and cook, stirring frequently. Add paste and stir. Add shrimp, and cook for a few minutes until they turn pink. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Cover, and simmer for a few minutes.

Stir in the basil in the last minute of cooking. Serve rice and top with shrimp.

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Taste the strawberry daquiri

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strawberry_daquiri

If a cool refreshing beverage is what you’re looking for then the Strawberry Daquiri may just be it. With or without alcohol, the strawberry daiquiri is a tasty treat that requires only a few ingredients and is easy to prepare.

The following recipe makes eight servings and is good to serve as light refreshment when entertaining.

It needs six cups of ice, ½ cup of white sugar, four ounces of frozen strawberries, 1/8 cup of lime juice, ½ cup of lemon juice, ¾ cups of white rum, and ¼ cup of lemon-lime flavoured carbonated beverage.

Combine the ice, sugar, and strawberries in a blender or shaker. Add the lime juice, lemon juice, rum, and lemon-lime carbonated beverage and blend until mixture is smooth.

This daiquiri can be made with a number of variations. Fresh strawberries can be substituted with strawberry-flavoured syrup. You can also make the mixture without rum for a virgin daiquiri.

The daiquiri can also be blended with a pina colada to make a Lava Flow.

To add the pina colada use 3 ounces of coconut cream, 6 ounces of pineapple juice, and 1½ ounces of white rum; blender or shaker with crushed ice. Blend or shake very well until smooth.

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Pina Colada, cool pineapple beverage

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pina_colada

Drinking a Pina Colada is like drinking in the taste of the Caribbean. The rum-based cocktailalmost goes hand-in-hand with a walk on the beach in the region and has actually been the official drink of Puerto Rico since 1978.

There is even a National Pina Colada Day celebrated on July 10th.The name Pina Colada means strained pineapple and refers to the fact that freshly squeezed pineapples are usually used in the drinks’ preparation.

The Puerto Rican style of Pina Colada includes using cream of coconut which is made fromcoconut juice, sugar, emulsifier, cellulose, thickeners, citric acid, and salt. The drink is served using with blended or shaken with ice and garnished with pineapple wedges ormaraschino cherries.

The recipe calls for 3 ounces of coconut cream, 6 ounces of pineapple juice, and 1½ ounces ofwhite rum. The mixture is then put in a blender or shaker with crushed ice. Blend or shake very well until smooth. Add garnish.

The drink can also be made using dark rum, amaretto – Amaretto Colada; coconut rum –Staten Island Ferry; blended with a strawberry daquiri- Lava Flow, or a Virgin Pina Coladawithout rum altogether.

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Fried Rice, simply delicious

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fried_rice

There is nothing simpler than a meal of fried rice. It is filling, easy to prepare, and it doesn’t leave you with much to wash up afterwards.

Fried rice is the ideal one-pot meal when you’re on the go and because you can add so many ingredients, it can also be the perfect balanced dish, providing all the major food groups required at any one sitting.

This fried rice requires four cups of left-over rice, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1/2 cup cooked thinly sliced chicken breast or breast loin, 1/2 cup pork fillet, thinly sliced, 1/2 cup cooked and thinly sliced beef fillet, 1 medium onion finely chopped, 1 spring onion chopped, 1/4 cup cooked green peas, vegetable oil, and 1 small green pepper finely chopped.

In a large saucepan or wok, heat the vegetable oil over a low flame. Add onion, spring onion, and green pepper. Cook lightly, stirring constantly. Add pork, beef, and chicken and saute lightly while continuing to stir. Mix in rice and green peas and stir. Add soy sauce and continue to stir. Once rice is hot turn off flame. Can serve up to three persons.

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Chicken Lasagna, Healthy Twist on an old favourite

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chicken_lasagna
Lasagna made with chicken instead of the traditional beef is a tasty choice which provides a twist on an old favourite and is a great option for vegetarians who want to add a bit of animal protein to their pasta.

This lasagna requires 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked ground chicken, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 can tomatoes, 1 can tomato paste, 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped, thyme, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons honey, 8 ounces lasagna noodles, pepper,4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°. In a saucepan combine chicken, chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper, garlic, thyme, honey, and olive oil and cook for a few minutes. Cook lasagna noodles until tender. Drain and cool in cold water.

In a casserole dish place a thin layer of chicken mixture, add a layer of lasagna noodles, slightly crossing each other. Pour more chicken mixture, sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheese and add a second layer of noodles, add a third layer of chicken mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Finally add more noodles chicken mixture, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Bake lasagna for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown.

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Shepherd’s Pie, hearty filling food

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shepherds_pie
Whether you call it a Shepherd’s Pie or a Cottage Pie, if a down-home hearty meal is what you’re searching for then this dish is the tasty, filling, traditional choice.

Shepherd’s Pie is an English or Irish dish traditionally made with mashed potatoes, mutton or lamb but is now most often made with minced beef. It can be topped with cheddar cheese for an extra zingy flavour.

The ingredients include two pounds of potatoes, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, garlic, salt, grounded pepper, dried thyme, ¼ all-purpose flour, 2 pounds ground beef, 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup of whole milk, 1 large onion chopped, tomato paste, ½ cup peas, and 6 carrots diced.

To prepare first preheat the oven to 450. Boil potatoes until tender; Drain and crush with milk. In a separate saucepan, heat vegetable oil, add ground beef, flour, onion, carrots, thyme, garlic, peas, and tomato paste. Cook beef until browned.

In a casserole, pour beef and carrot filling. Add the potato topping using a spatula to spread over beef. Add grated cheese and bake in an oven for 20 minutes or until topping is browned. Let sit five minutes before serving.

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Crepe suzette, desert with a twist

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crepes_suzette
Nothing says “France” quite like a crepe. The wafer thin pancake is a staple of French cuisine as a desert that can be enjoyed at home or away.

The crepe Suzette adds a little more romance to the classic crepe with its sauce of beurre Suzette made from caramelised sugar and butter, tangerine or orange juice, zest, and Grand Marnier or orange Curaçao liqueur served flambé.

The crepe can be made from scratch or store bought but for a more authentic flavour homemade is best. All that is needed are 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup flour, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons of liqueur, and butter to coat the pan.

Blend eggs, flour, milk, until it will pour smoothly from a mixing bowl. Put batter in the fridge. Heat a frying pan with sweet butter and pour in batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Tip the pan from side to side to allow the batter to spread thinly. After a minute, turn the pancake upside down, then turn it again, until brown. Fold crepes in a triangular shape and store.

To make the Sauce Suzette, melt 1/4 butter in a saucepan, after it has boiled, add combination of liqueurs and orange and lemon zest.

Pour sauce over crepes, add brandy and light. When crepe is cool it is ready to serve. 

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Arroz con leche, a milky rice treat

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arroz_con_leche
Arroz con leche, or literally rice with milk, is a desert that is enjoyed in parts of South America, especially Peru, as well as Europe.

It is an exotic yet simple desert that can is easy to make. The arroz con leche can be sweetened and flavoured to taste and it is an easy desert that can be served when entertaining either for a small dinner party or just to offer a little taste of something different for your own family. This desert is also quite filling and is best eaten with a meal that does not already include rice.

All you need are two cups of uncooked white rice, three pints of cow’s milk, condensed milk, powdered cinnamon, brown sugar, a saucepan, four cinnamon sticks, and four small desert bowls or desert glasses.

Soak the uncooked rice in milk for a few hours. This can be done overnight as desired. Once soaked, in a saucepan over a low flame, boil rice in the remaining milk until nice and tender. Once rice is tender leave to cool

Stir in condensed milk and sugar to sweeten to taste. Add powdered cinnamon and place small amounts of mixture into glasses. Chill in a cool refrigerator until ready.

Cinnamon sticks can be added to the desert bowls before serving.

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Blended fruit punch, goodness in a glass

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fruit_punch
A fruit punch is a fun, fresh, and refreshing drink and with lots of fresh fruits it’s good for you too.

A blended fruit punch made with crushed ice, is the perfect drink to cool down a hot summer‘s day or a nice non-alcoholic beverage to serve when you’re entertaining friends.

It is easy to make. All that is needed are two bananas, one medium papaya, the juice of one lemon, 4 ounces of watermelon, 3 oranges, pineapple juice, and 3 ounces of apple juice, two glasses, crushed ice, 2 pineapple wedges, toothpicks, maraschino cherries, and one blender.

In a jug, squeeze the oranges, being careful to remove all seeds. Press the watermelon removing all the liquid and combine with the orange, apple, and pineapple juices.

Peel the papaya, remove the seeds and slice along with the bananas in a blender. Add combined juices of apple, orange, and pineapple. Add crushed ice and blend until smooth.

Pour into glasses. Place pineapple wedges onto glass. Use one toothpick to sear wedge through and add cherry.

Enjoy!

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