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Moroccan Spiced Meatball

I tried a delicious easy to prepare Moroccan Spiced Meatball recipe in the instruction booklet that accompanied the Breville's Sous Chef 12. This Sous Chef is handy and wonderful for a variety of meal prep.

This Breville Sous Chef is Useful in My Kitchen

I like using Breville’s sleek products, which are esteemed for durable quality, innovation, speed, and precision. I have been enjoying Breville’s Sous Chef™ 12, another wonderful heavy-duty construction and cutting-edge innovation designed to be the perfect kitchen sidekick.

Maille Flavoured Kebab and Vegetables Grilled in MR. BAR-B-Q Grilling Basket

La Maison Maille have been making mustard for 268 years, and they have set the standard for Dijon mustard. Maille is the leading premium producer of mustard, vinegar, and French cornichons in France because of its attention to detail and carefully selected ingredients. The production of mustard dates back to early Roman cuisine, where they combined mustard seeds with unfermented grape juice and called it mustum ardens that is now known as mustard. Mustard has many different varieties, and can be used beyond a topping for hamburgers and hot dogs. Maille products are available in select gourmet grocery stores and supermarkets in Canada.

Tagine of Lamb with Prunes

I made half the portion of this sweet, delicious Tagine of Lamb with Prunes recipe is from Cooking at the Kasbah cookbook. It was a little unusal for our taste becuase I usually cook meat as a spicy dish and not sweet.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

2 lbs lamb 2" chunks

2 onions

Manti Turkish Dumplings

This recipe for Manti or Turkish Dumplings recipe is similar to ravioli is from the Turkey book. I made the filling and sauce to suit our taste. I cooked and cooled down the filling before placing it inside the dough and boiling the manti.

Tips on Grilling and Grilled Steak

I made this flavourful steak by following the recipe of the Indian spice rub mix from the Grill It DK book. This book is perfect to learn about techniques and tips of grilling a variety of meat, seafood, vegetables and desserts. It has information on how we can check the doneness of the meat, and also recipes on using different spices and herbs to enhance flavour. The spice rubs and spice pastes in the book are inspired from different countries. All purpose Indian Masala Rub makes 1 cup 1/4 cup coriander seeds 2 tbsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds 2 tbsp fennel seeds 2 tbsp peppercorn 2 tbsp salt 2 small dried chillies or 1/2 tbsp chillie flakes 1 tbsp ground ginger 1 tbsp ground turmeric
Lightly dry roast all the ingredients except for the salt, ginger and turmeric then grind it to a coarse powder. 6 t-bone steaks 1 tbsp olive oil per steak
Heat up the grill to 400F, when the fire is hot. To check if it is hot count how many seconds by keeping the hand 5" above the grill if it is hot you will feel it in 1 to 2 seconds. Rub the steaks with oil then the spices on both sides. Put the steaks in the hottest part of the grill and cook each side until it is well seared about 6 to 8 minutes, turn only once. Move the steaks to the cooler side of the grill, cover with a metal pan or disposable foil pan and cook slowly till it is done a little less than to your liking for about 8 to 10 minutes per side. If the meat is overcooked when it cools it will become hard. Remove from the grill, cut strips and serve with a dip or salad. I served with a tomato and onion salad. Happy Canada Day to all my friends in Canada and Happy 4th of July to all my friends in US. With lots of grilling and entertaining happening lets make sure to follow these four food safety steps.

Clean: Make sure to clean all utensils, hands, and surfaces with soapy water. If you’re going to be outside, using a moist towelette is a good idea.
Separate: Don’t put meat items back on the same plate you used for the raw meat. Make sure to bring separate plates for grilling raw meat from fruits and veggies.
Cook: Hamburgers should be cooked to 160F before serving. Remember, just because it’s brown doesn’t mean its safe use a food thermometer every time.
Chill: The general rule is to never let food sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

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Saha Thai marinades and sauces

It is nice to have delicious tasting marinades and sauces on hand for quick meals. I think, it allows us to impress our loved ones and make tasty meals with very less effort. Saha has a variety of sauces and marinades we can use to make Middle Eastern and Thai food. All the ingredients used by Saha are natural so we can use these preservative free sauces guilt free :)

I used the Saha Thai sauces; red curry, green curry and massaman curry to make a variety of curries, which all had a unique delicious taste. The curries also had authentic flavour, as I used coconut milk to get the intended flavours.

Thai red curry paste is a staple in many classic Thai dishes. The spices and exotic flavours from lemongrass and galangal is in the sauce, so there is no need to look for these exotic ingredients or prepare the base at home. I used this container of Thai red curry in a variety of dishes such as in this shrimp curry and also to make a mixed vegetable dish.

For the shrimp curry

2 cups cleaned shrimp without peel

1 tbsp oil

2 shallots or green onion chopped keep the green and white part separate

1 green chillie

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup Saha Thai red curry sauce

1/2 tsp salt to taste

1 cup of coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup red pepper

2 tbsp coriander leaves

Heat oil and sauté the white part of the shallots then add the garlic, green chillie and shrimp. When the shrimp is changing colour add the sauce, salt, water, coconut milk and cook covered in low heat till the shrimp is cooked. Add red pepper and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat add the green parts of the shallot and coriander leaves. Serve as a side dish with rice, flatbread or bread.

All Saha products are flavourful and have a unique taste. These sauces and marinades help us make traditional Thai or Middle Eastern food within a few minutes. I wish these sauces are available everywhere as I am addicted to it :) It is sold in these places and online.

Massaman meat curry

I made this meat curry in the pressure cooker within minutes by mixing this massaman curry sauce. The delicious aroma of the sauce, blended with coconut milk tasted fabulous. My family and I enjoyed the flavours. The sauce had the secret ingredients that reminded me of my grandma's meat curry. The sauce had oil and salt in it so I didn't add either.

For this Massaman meat curry I added 1/2 tbsp oil to sauté onions, curry leaves, ginger, garlic and then the meat. I let the meat brown a little, before adding about 4 tbsp of sauces and 1 tbsp coconut milk powder with 1 cup of water. Then I cooked the meat in pressure cooker for about 10 minutes in medium heat and served it hot as a side dish.

Baked chicken pieces

This delicious recipe of Baked Chicken is adapted from the book Modern Flavours of Arabia by Suzanne Husseini. This cookbook is written in the memory of the author's Middle Eastern kitchen. Suzanne introduces herself and has useful cook's notes in the beginning of the book i.e she suggests that we toast nuts and then leave it in the fridge in sealed jars to use when needed.

The book is organized by breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and mezzo. The recipes in the book is easy to follow. I like the delicious pictures that makes us want to try the dishes.

20 chicken pieces (in book chicken wings are used)

4 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup cilantro or coriander leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp cinnamon ground

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chillie powder

1/4 cup honey

juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

salt

pepper

Mix all the ingredients and toss the chicken pieces. Leave aside for the flavours to absorb for an hour or more in the fridge.

Preheat the oven for 350F. Place the chicken pieces an inch apart on a shallow baking pan and bake until crisp and cooked on the inside for about 35 minutes. I baked in a glass baking dish.

The author served the chicken with spicy tomato salsa, but I served it plain and we enjoyed it.

Lahmajoun Middle Eastern pizza

Saha is a Canadian food company that creates authentic marinades using only natural ingredients free of additives and preservatives. I got to try Saha's unique marinades from Middle Eastern cuisine. The shawarma, shish taouk and lahmajoon marinades have delicious aromatic authentic flavours. I didn't have to add anything except for the meat. I used the sauces to create unique meals within a few minutes and impressed my family :) The marinades made my job easy and we enjoyed the meals.

People following a healthy balanced diet will like these sauce/ marinates as its cholesterol and trans fat free. The in-house chefs and experienced food development staff ensure the quality of all their products. The ingredients in all Saha products are vegetarian. The Saha site and bottle suggests vegetarian and non-veg recipes for us to use. The products are sold online and are shipped across USA and Canada. It is also available in some specialty food stores. I hope Saha products will soon become available in all stores.

I used this Lahmajoun (lah.mah.joon) sauce for a few dishes; middle eastern style pizza, stuffed cabbages and stuffed grape leaves. The origin of this sauce is from Turkey and Armenia. It is made with red peppers, tomatoes, onion and spices. The containers hold 250ml about 1 cup of sauce.

Lahmajoun middle eastern pizza

1 to 3/4 cup minced meat

1/4 to 1/2 cup sauce

4 store bought flat bread

Cook the minced meat with the sauce until the meat is cooked. Spread the cooked meat with extra sauce if needed over store bought flat bread and bake at 375F for 10 to 15 minutes.

The meat can be substituted for soy.

For the stuffed cabbages and grape leaves I used

1/2 cup minced meat

1/4 cup lahmajoun sauce

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup cooked rice

1 tbsp mint leaves

2 tbsp coriander leaves

1 green chillie chopped

Cook the minced meat and garlic with the sauce in low medium heat covered until the meat is cooked. Remove from heat. Then add the cooked rice, chopped green chillie, mint leaves and coriander leaves.

To prepare the cabbage and/ or grape leaves

Boil the grape leaves for about 3 to 4 minutes in hot water, then remove it and place in cold water. With the shiny side down, place some filling and roll the leaves tightly as you would roll spring rolls.

Place it in a pot lined with grape leaves by packing the leaves close to each other. Put about 1 cup of water and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Place a plate or saucer over the leaves and keep something that has weight. Let the leaves cook for about 20 to 25 minutes on low medium heat until the water evaporates.

For the cabbages follow the same instructions. To make it easy to remove the leaves, place the whole cabbage into boiling water and then remove. Or carefully remove cabbage leaves and then place into boiling hot water for about 5 minutes.

I will be posting about what I made with other sauces soon :)

Kashi and vegetable meat soup

Kashi has been a pioneer in making tasty innovative health food dedicated to nutrition. Their products are wholesome, natural and include seven whole grains. All Kashi products have natural source of protein, fiber, whole grain and nutrients. The products are low in saturated fat and has no trans fat, artificial flavours, hydrogenated oils or cholesterol.

My first experience with Kashi was their cereal a few years ago, which became a favourite.

Kashi toasted cinnamon crisp cereal is a new addition to the Kashi line of products since January 2012.

The Kashi pita crisps is a light, crunchy cracker made with natural ingredients, 7 whole grains and sesame blend. The flavourful crisps come in 2 varieties original 7 grain sea salt and zesty salsa.

The pita crisps can be eaten on it own or served with hummus, dips, soup etc...

I served it as a side with this vegetable meat soup and we finished the whole packet of pita crisps :)

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp coriander seeds

3/4 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp fennel seeds

1/4 tbsp pepper seeds

1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 cup of meat with bones or more

1/4 cup of each carrot, cabbage, beans, celery, onion, tomato

3 to 4 cups broth or water

Grind the coriander, cumin and fennel coarsely or fine depending on your preference. If you want to taste the whole spices then grind coarsely and if you don't like to taste the whole spices grind it fine.

Heat the oil, add the ground spices and sauté then add the meat. When the meat changes colour add onion, tomato and the vegetables one at a time and mix. Add the broth or water with the salt and cook covered in medium heat until the meat is cooked. This can be done faster in the pressure cooker.

Serve it hot.

Kashi snack crackers can be served on it own, with dips or hummus. There are two varieties fire roasted vegetable and toasted asiago.

Next time you are at the grocery store make sure to check out Kashi to have as a snack or serve it at the next gathering or meal.

On a side note, a spring themed table decoration.

Pierce the narrow end of the egg with a sharp skewer or fork and remove the inside (which can be used for cooking)

Fill the eggshell with soil and place natural or artificial flowers. Place it in an egg holder or this paper egg holder.

Spaghetti and meatballs

for the meatballs

1 1/2 cup minced meat

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chillie powder

1/4 tsp coriander powder optional

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup parsley chopped

2 tbsp onion chopped

1 tsp garlic chopped

1/2 tsp ginger grated

1 slice bread soaked in 1 to 2 tbsp water

Mix all the ingredients together and put in a food processor and mince it. Make small balls and bake for 1/2 hour at 350F in a lightly greased baking sheet lined with wax paper or on the TFX baking sheet.

for the sauce

1 1/2 cups water

4 to 5 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup tomato chopped

3 tbsp onion chopped

1 green chillie

1 tbsp garlic chopped

1/2 tsp ginger chopped

1 tbsp italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper ground

To make the sauce, heat oil sauté the onions. Then sauté the garlic, ginger, chillie and then add the tomato. Add tomato paste mixed with water and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the baked meatballs and cook for about 20 minutes covered with a lid in low heat.

Toss the meatball and sauce with the cooked spaghetti and serve hot.

Beef curry with cashews and coconut

Friends, Check out this recipe for nei paniyaram and a game that will (might :) bring memories.

For the meat curry with cashews and coconut

1 to 2 tbsp oil

3 tbsp onion

4 tbsp tomato

1 tbsp curry leaves

1 aniseed flower

1 tbsp garlic

2 cups beef or mutton cubed with or without bones

3/4 tbsp chillie powder or more to taste

1/4 tbsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp garam masala

1 1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp tamarind pulp in 1/4 cup water

1 cup water

2 tbsp fresh grated coconut

1 tbsp cashew nuts crushed to a powder

Mix the meat with the spices and leave aside, it doesn't need to be marinated.

Heat oil, sauté onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, aniseed flower. Then add the meat with the spices. Add the tomato and tamarind to the meat and mix well. Add the water and cook covered in medium low heat till the meat is well cooked and soft. Can use a pressure cook.

Add the coconut and cashews after the meat is well cooked. Cook uncovered till the water evaporates. Serve hot with rice or bread.

This goes to MLLA #43 and savoury sunday.

Bombay biryani

There are two giveaways that ends December 15th: Please check and leave a comment on the posts if you are interested and want to win.

Fun kits to bake with children for the holidays.

Camelina oil a healthy oil with lots of benefits.

A good offer for the holidays if you want to Learn the secrets of professional photographers check this out.

1 1/2 cups basmati rice soak for 1/2 hour

1 tbsp salt

water 1" above the rice level

Cook the rice separate with 1 tbsp salt in water about 1" above the rice level. Cook until more than half cooked, remove from heat and drain the water if there is any.

2 tbsp ghee or oil

2 cups meat cut into cubes

1 cup onion

1 cup tomatoes

1 cup potatoes cut into cubes

1 tbsp ginger grated or paste

1/2 tbsp garlic paste

1/2 cup yogurt whipped

2 tbsp biryani mix *

1 1/2 cups water *

Heat ghee or oil and fry the onions till golden. Then add the tomatoes and fry till it softens. Add meat, ginger, garlic, potatoes, yogurt and biryani mix. Fry for about 10 minutes then add 1 1/2 cups water and cook on low heat till meat is tender.

* If making chicken reduce the amount of water to 1 cup and cook covered. Increase the heat and make the gravy thick.

Spread the cooked meat and curry in a pot then layer the rice, make two layers. Cover the pot tight and cook on low heat till rice is fully cooked. Mix before serving.

This rice can be served with raita yogurt salad.

* Recipe adapted from Shan Bombay biryani packet. It is sometimes convenient to use these types of spice mixtures that has lots of flavour.

Pizza with homemade tomato sauce

for the dough

2 cups flour

1 tbsp yeast

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

water to knead very little if needed

Mix everything together and knead into a smooth soft dough. Leave the dough aside to double about 1 to 2 hours depends on the humidity etc :)

* If you are not using instant yeast, froth the yeast and sugar with about 2 to 3 tbsp warm water.

I use the same dough to make savoury baked buns.

for the sauce

2 cups tomatoes

1 tbsp oregano optional *

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp onion

1/2 tsp garlic

1/2 cup minced meat *

1/4 tsp chillie powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp turmeric

Heat oil sauté onion, garlic and minced meat. Add tomatoes, spices and salt. Cook until the sauce is thick, if adding oregano add towards the end.

* Other types of herbs, that you prefer can be substituted.

* If vegetarian make the sauce by sautéing onions, ginger and garlic. Then add the tomatoes with the spices and let it simmer till the sauce is thick.

for the topping

1 cup cheese grated

1/4 cup red pepper

1/4 cup green pepper or jalepeno

1/4 cup onion

1/4 cup tomato

1/4 cup mushroom

1/4 cup pineapple

* the toppings can be anything you prefer, use some or all of the suggested.

Roll the dough and prick all over it with a fork. Then put the prepared sauce and put some cheese over it before putting the toppings. Put more cheese over the toppings.

Prepare a pizza stone with olive oil and cornmeal. Bake at 400F for 10 to 15 minutes till the bottom of the pizza is golden brown.

Grape leaf rolls or Dolma

about 25 grape leaves *

1 cup of boiling water to blanch

1 cup of cold water to place after blanching

* If the leaves are small then use more, if it is big then use less leaves.

For filling

1 tbsp oil

1/2 cup minced meat or burger meat *

1/4 cup rice cooked

2 tbsp onion

3 tbsp mint leaves chopped

1 green chillie chopped optional to deseed

* If using burger meat don't add too much spices or salt as it pre made with spices and salt. If vegetarian can use burgers prepared with vegetarian ingredients.

* If using minced meat season with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp cumin ground, 1/4 tsp pepper

I find filling with cooked ingredients is easy and convenient it doesn't take a long time to cook the filled dolmas.

Heat oil and sauté the onion, burger meat, green chillie. Remove from heat and mix the cooked rice and mint leaves.

to cook

1 1/2 cups stock water or 1 to 2 soup cubes

2 tbsp lemon juice

Let the prepared filling cool a little before wrapping in the leaf. Place the shinny part of the leaf down and the rough part of the leaf up, then place about 1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp filling depending on the size of the leaf. Roll the leaf tightly similar to rolling spring rolls with the sides first then roll towards the outer tip of the leaf.

Before placing the rolled leaves in a pan, prepare the pan with extra one or two grape leaves with the rough side facing down to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the wrapped leaves close together without any space or it will expand when cooking and the filling may come out.

Put a fitting saucer or plate over the rolled leaves then pour the stock and lemon juice. Keep something heavy over the plate like a bowl filled with water which helps when it is cooking to keep the rolled leaves in place.

Cook on low medium heat till the water evaporates taking care not to burn the bottom of the rolls. These dolmas taste good even the next day.

Pages

Moroccan Spiced Meatball

This Breville Sous Chef is Useful in My Kitchen

Maille Flavoured Kebab and Vegetables Grilled in MR. BAR-B-Q Grilling Basket

Tagine of Lamb with Prunes

Manti Turkish Dumplings

Tips on Grilling and Grilled Steak

Saha Thai marinades and sauces

Baked chicken pieces

Lahmajoun Middle Eastern pizza

Kashi and vegetable meat soup

Spaghetti and meatballs

Beef curry with cashews and coconut

Bombay biryani

Pizza with homemade tomato sauce

Grape leaf rolls or Dolma

Giveaway and My other site