Sesame Tofu

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Dark Or Light Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Ginger
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• ½ Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
• ½ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 1 pound Firm Tofu
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil, For Frying
• Cooked Rice, To Serve
• 4 whole Scallions, Chopped, For Garnish

METHOD:

1. Put the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, cornstarch and honey into a bowl and whisk well until fully combined. Set aside.
2. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
3. Roll the tofu cubes in the flour, making sure you are coating them on all sides.
4. Fry the tofu in vegetable oil until golden brown on all sides. Set aside.
5. Pour the sauce ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a full boil. Keep boiling the sauce until it becomes translucent and thickens. Take off the heat and pour over the tofu.
6. Serve with rice and sprinkle chopped scallions on top.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

Serves:10.

Preparation time :5 min.

Cooking time:5 min

Ingredients:

• 6 (plum) tomatoes chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt or as Ur taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 french baguette
• 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
• In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
• Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
• Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
• Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

BAKERY STYLE SUGAR COOKIES

Serves-4.

Preparation Time -10 min.

Cooking Time -14 min.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring (sold by other flavor extracts)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• zest of one lemon
• sparkling sugar

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed.
4. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until well incorporated. Add vanilla extract, butter flavoring, lemon juice, and zest and mix.
5. Turn speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
6. I used my 1 1/2 tablespoon size scoop to make 24 dough balls. Dip the top of each dough ball in sparkling sugar and placed them 9 at a time on Silpat lined baking sheet. These cookies will spread when baking.
7. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack.

Vermicelli (Semiya) Biryani Recipe

Serves: 5.

Preparation time: 10 min.

Cooking time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups vermicelli, roast in a tsp of ghee for 4-5 mts till golden brown

2 cups cubed, mixed vegetables (beans, capsicum, carrot, peas, potato)

1 finely sliced large onion

1 tsp green chili-ginger paste

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 cloves

1 elaichi

1/2″ cinnamom

1 bay leaf

1 large tomato, chopped

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsps chopped mint leaves

1/2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

salt to taste

Biryani Masala – Grind to make a fine powder

2 cloves

1/2″ cinnamon stick

1 elaichi/cardamom

pinch of shah jeera

5-6 pepper corns

Method:

1 Boil 5 cups of water and add the vermicelli along with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ghee. Once the vermicelli is half cooked (it should be undercooked), turn off heat, pour the vermicelli into a colander to drain completely and spread on a wide plate. Keep aside
2 Heat oil and ghee in a cooking vessel, add bay leaf and cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the sliced onions and saute for 4 mts. Add the green chilli-ginger and saute for a mt.
3 Add the cubed vegetables (if using beans, blanch in hot water for 4 mts) and saute on medium heat for 3 mts. Add salt to taste (remember you have already added salt to the boiling vermicelli, so add accordingly). Add tomatoes, place lid, reduce flame and cook for 12-13 mts. Add biryani masala pwd and mix.
4 Now, add the cooked semiya to the sauteed onion-vegetable base and mix it lightly and see that no lumps form. Place lid and cook over low flame for 12-15 mts. Garnish with coriander leaves.
5 Serve hot with raita or pickle of your choice.

Homemade Biscuit Mix and Biscuit Recipe

Serves: 8

Preparation Time: 15 minutes 

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

For the biscuit mix
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
For biscuits
• 1 cup biscuit mix
• 1/3 cup buttermilk or milk

METHOD:

To make the biscuit mix

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until well combined. Mixture will look like cornmeal.
2. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
To make biscuits
3. Combine biscuit mix and buttermilk in a mixing bowl until the mix is completely moistened.
4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead it 4-5 times. Roll dough out to a 3/4 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter.
5. Place cut biscuits onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 9-10 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.

Blueberry-orange muffins

Ingredients:

• •  2  cups 

    all-purpose flour
  • 3/4  cup 

    plus 5 teaspoons sugar
  • 3/4  teaspoon 

    baking powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon 

    baking soda
  • 1/2  teaspoon 

    salt
  • 1/2  cup 

    milk
  • 2   

    eggs
  • 1/2  cup 

    vegetable oil
  • 1   teaspoon 

    grated orange zest
  • 
    
  • 1   cup 

    fresh blueberries

  • 
    

  • METHOD:

  • 1.

    Heat oven to 375 degrees . Coat a standard-size muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
    2.

    In large bowl, whisk flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center .
    3.

    In small bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, oil and orange zest . Pour milk mixture into well in flour mixture, then stir just until combined. Fold in blueberries .
    4.

    Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, 1/3 cup batter in each cup . Each muffin cup should be about 3/4 full. Fill the two empty muffin cups with water, so muffins bake evenly.
    5.

    Sprinkle each muffin with 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Bake muffins at 375 degrees for 23 to 25 minutes, until crowned and lightly brown. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Tip:

    • Step A - To finely grate orange zest, we recommend a Micro-plane zester. This designed to mimic a woodworking toolboxes the best job separating flavorful rind from bitter pith.

    
    

    • Step B - Gently fold berries into batter, taking care not to crush the fragile fruit.
    • 
      

    • Step C - Pour a scant 1/3 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup, dividing equally.