Feb 162006
 

I realized today that I started working full-time at the University of Arkansas ten years ago, on February 1st.

How time flies.

 

this recipe sounds good. i found it at http://www.boston.com/ae/food/articles/2006/01/18/guinness_ice_cream/

Guinness ice cream

Makes 1 quart

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Guinness stout
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons molasses
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a medium saucepan, scrape in the vanilla bean seeds. Add the pod, milk, and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the flavors infuse for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stout and molasses. Bring to a boil and turn off heat.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk in a few tablespoons of the hot cream mixture, then slowly whisk in another 1/4 cup of the cream. Add the remaining cream in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

4. Stir the beer mixture into the cream mixture. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.

5. Strain the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Process the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

All recipes adaptedfrom ”Sunday Suppersat Lucques”

 

Ingredients:

A couple of handfuls of red lentils (about 1 cup)
3-4 cups of water
Salt to taste
2-3 teaspoons Turmeric
1-2 large onions
1-2 green chilis
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1-2 small cloves fresh garlic, minced
3-4 tomatoes, diced
1/8 cup chopped coriander leaf (cilantro)
2 teaspoons whole mustard seed
1 teapoon whole cumin seed
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Cook lentils and turmeric in water until lentils are completely soft. About 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute onions, chilis, ginger, and garlic. When soft, add diced tomatoes. Continue cooking until mixture appears homogenous.

Add onion-tomato mixture to lentils. While over low flame, add corainder leaf.

In a small pan, heat oil. Toast mustard seed and cumin seed in oil until fragrant. Add to lentil mixture.

Serve dahl hot over rice or as side dish.

The quantities of spices should be adjusted for individual taste.

 

Spinach chopped 1 big bunch or 2 frozen spinach boxes (10 oz box)

Paneer (*see recipe below) 1 cup cubed

Onions, finely chopped 3/4 th cup

Ginger, finely chopped 1 teaspoon

Garlic, finely chopped 2 teaspoons

Green chili, chopped 1 number

Garam Masala 1 teaspoon

Oil 3 to 4 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

  1. Heat the oil (oil for frying) and fry the cubed paneer until light brown. Keep aside.
  2. Boil the spinach with ginger and garlic. Drain and puree.
  3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the green chili and onions. Sauté till light brown. Add the garam masala, spinach puree and salt to taste and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
  4. Finally add the fried cheese cubes. Garnish with heavy cream and garam masala.
  5. Serve with naan.

Paneer   -   Home made cheese

There is no western equivalent of Paneer. It is called “cottage cheese” in India. Paneer is an extraordinary source of protein in a vegetarian diet. It is what meat is to non-vegetarians. It is one of the easiest cheeses to make at home.   Make this a day ahead.

8 cups of whole milk

6 tablespoons of plain yogurt

4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
Whisk the yogurt and lime juice together. Bring the milk to a boil over high heat in a large heavy saucepan. Stir frequently. As soon as the foam begins to rise, remove the pan from the heat and thoroughly but gently stir in the yogurt and limejuice. The milk will start to separate into the cheese and the whey. Boil till you can see that all the milk has finished curdling.

Set a fine cheese cloth over a colander in a clean sink. Strain the curdled milk through cheesecloth, allowing the whey to drain out. Let the cheese drain undisturbed until the cloth is cool enough to handle. Then wrap the cloth tightly around the cheese and wring it to squeeze out all the excess liquid. Place a weight on top for 2 to 3 hours. It is now ready to be cut into cubes for use.
Shelf life : 48 hours in the refrigerator. This cheese cn be made a day ahead. This way the cheese has a day to settle. If it crumbles when you cut, then you have not removed enough whey from it. So the next time let it drain for a little longer.

Feb 152006
 

Ingredients:

  • flour – 1 kg
  • dry yeast – 1 tbsp
  • sugar – 1 tsp
  • salt – 2 tsp
  • milk – 200 cc
  • water – 200 cc
  • butter or margarine – 2 tbsp

Instructions:

  1. Combine ingredients, cover and let dough rise 2 hours.
  2. Talk small chunks and make flat naans on a floured board
  3. Put batches in oven at high temperature under grill for ~ 1 minute (both sides)

Variant: add a bit of yogurt to the dough

 

An elegant dish from the state of Punjab, tandoori murgh is one of the most-popular chicken dishes. It can be made in a tandoor (clay oven), baked in an oven or grilled on a barbecue.

3 lb chicken pieces
1 small onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2 whole cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cardamom pods
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp red food coloring

  1. Remove the skin and all visible fat from the chicken pieces. Cut 2–3 slits, 1 inch long and 1/2 inch deep, in each piece of chicken. Place in a casserole dish and set aside.
  2. Cut onion into 4–6 pieces.
  3. In a blender jar put onion, tomato sauce, yogurt, ginger, garlic cloves, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, cloves, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, salt, garam masala and red food coloring. Blend to a smooth paste.
  4. Pour the tandoori paste on the chicken and turn pieces to thoroughly coat with spices. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator 4–24 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
  6. Remove chicken pieces from the marinade, saving marinade. Arrange pieces in a broiler pan. Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over and brush with remaining marinade. Bake for 10–15 minutes until chicken is tender.
  7. Turn oven to broil. Turn pieces over once again and broil for 5 minutes to get a nice red color.
  8. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve with lemon wedges or squeeze lemon juice over the chicken before eating, if desired.Makes 6 servings
 

1 whole (3 to 4 pound) fryer chicken
1 onion, quartered
2 slices lemon
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
pinch of dried thyme OR poultry seasoning herbs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

Directions

  1. In a heavy pot with a lid place the chicken, onion, lemon, salt, pepper, water, bay leaf and thyme/seasoning. Simmer all over low heat until tender, about 1 hour.
  2. Let chicken cool slightly in pot, then remove and take the meat off of the bones. Discard the bones and skin and skim excess fat off the broth if desired. Discard the onion, lemon and bay leaf. If desired, wash out pot well. Return broth and chicken pieces to the pot. Simmer over low heat while making the dumplings.
  3. To Make Dumplings: In a medium mixing bowl, cutshortening into the flour and salt. Stir in 1/4 cup water (more if needed) to form a soft dough. Roll out dough on a floured surface, with a rolling pin, until very thin. Cut into 1 inch wide strips using a pizza cutter or knife. Tear off 1 inch long pieces from these strips and drop into simmering broth and chicken meat. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid off, then 10 minutes more with the lid on. Serve immediately.
 

1 whole chicken
2 carrots, quartered
2 stalks celery, quartered
1 leek, quartered
1 onion, quartered
water

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place chicken, carrots, celery, leek, and onion in an 8 quart stock pot; cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
  2. Remove whole chicken from soup, tear meat from bone, and set meat aside. Discard chicken bones.. Remove vegetables from stock pot. Using a food processor, puree vegetables and return to stock pot, along with chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
 

valentines day was nice.

jill and I went out for sushi saturday night, and after I spent $60 at Rice Village, she proclaimed that to be our valentine’s dinner.

for the day itself, i went to richard’s meat market and bought two beautiful rib eye steaks. I grilled those, and fixed mashed cauliflower, fresh green beans, sauteed mushrooms, and sauteed onions. Haagen Daaz Coffee Ice Cream for desert.

I gave Jill this card, from the somethingawful.com photoshop contest:

wookie_vday06.jpg

along with a coupon for a free massage from the masseuse of her choice. Now she can decide who she wants to go see.

I received a red tart from la Maison des Tartes, and a donation of part of a sheep made in my name to Heifer International.

 

taken the same night:

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