Torviewtoronto: savoury

Showing posts with label savoury. Show all posts

Pinwheel Samosa

Making these delicious savoury filled pinwheel samosas for an evening snack is quicker than making traditional samosas. The filling can be anything savoury you want.

Crispy Cod Fritters

The recipe for this delicious cod fritters or Pasteis de bacalhau from Portugal is from the Mediterranean cookbook.

1 lb 2oz (500g) salt cod

1 lb 2oz (500g) russet potatoes

1 onion grated

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

black pepper or chile flakes

2 eggs

olive oil for frying

Tomato Jam

This flavourful Tomato Jam made with ripe tomatoes is delicious to serve as a side and enjoy with rice and flatbread. It is a perfect way to save up the garden harvest.

about 20 tomatoes when pureed it will be about 2 1/2 to 3 cups

1/4 cup sugar brown or white, add more to taste

1/2 tsp cardamom crushed into powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp salt

1 to 2 tbsp raisins optional to add towards the end

Vegetable Fritters

Eid Mubarak :) to all my readers that are celebrating.

To make this savoury snack vegetable fritters or pakoras you will need...

julienne carrots and cabbage 1/2 cup each

2 tbsp curry leaves

1 onion chopped

1/2 cup chickpeas flour and more if needed

2 tbsp rice flour

1/2 tsp ginger grated

1/2 tsp garlic grated

1/2 tsp chillie powder or more to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp roasted cumin powder lightly crushed

1/2 tsp salt to taste

1 tsp carom or ajwain seeds

water as needed start with 1 tbsp at a time

oil to fry

Mix all the ingredients together and make a smooth thick batter that coats the vegetables, and leave it aside.
Heat the oil to large high heat and fry until the fritters or pakoras are golden brown. Adjust the heat to low if the fritters are getting dark too fast. Serve it hot as a snack.

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.

Making Several Papadums Without Oil Using Papadum Express

We love eating papadum, but don't make it often enough because of the hassle of frying it. Recently, I got to know about the wonderful papadum stacking utility that we can place in the microwave and make several papadums in a minute. Using the Papadum Express allows us to make papadums fast in the microwave without the need for oil.

Spanish Potato and Onion Egg Tortilla

This Potato and Onion Egg Tortilla recipe is from the cookbook Spain. I enjoyed looking through and trying out a few dishes from this book. The author, Jeff Koehler has delicious recipes, and talks about traditions from the Verdant Hills of the Basque Country to the coastal waters of Andalucia.

Chicken With Cashews and Coconut

1 tbsp ghee

2 bay leaves

2" cinnamon stick

3 cloves

3 cardamom slightly crushed

1/2 cup onion chopped

1/2 cup tomato chopped

1/2 tsp garlic chopped

1/2 tsp ginger chopped

Grilled Snapper in Banana Leaves

This grilled fish in banana leaves recipe from the Seafood book allows the fish to steam in its own moisture and the leaves give a smoked flavour.

1 red snapper about 3 lbs scaled and gutted

2 to 3 banana leaves

1 tsp sesame oil for the banana leaves

lime wedges to serve

For the marinade

2 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro

1/2 tbsp grated ginger

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

grated zest of 1 lime

1 red chillie seeded and chopped

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Make 3 to 4 slashes on each side of the fish nearly to the bone. Put the marinade ingredients into a blender and chop. Press this mixture into the slashes and set aside for about 20 minutes.

Blanch the banana leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds to soften then remove with tongs and rinse in cold running water. Cut the thick vein from the center of the banana leaves. Then arrange them overlapping on a large cutting board, shiny side down. Brush with sesame oil, and put the fish on the leaves and wrap to encase the body, the head and tail can be visible. If needed secure the leaves with cocktail sticks.

Grill or Bake

Preheat the grill to make it really hot and cook the fish turning often to prevent the leaves from burning, it will take about 20 minutes.

It can also be baked at 375F for 20 minutes, I wrapped the banana leaves with foil to prevent it from burning and turned it once during the baking time.

Insert a metal skewer into the center of the fish through the leaves for 30 seconds. If the fish is cooked, the skewer will emerge piping hot. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with lime wedges. Unwrap at the table and serve with rice.

Fried Chicken

about 8 to 10 chicken pieces

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp chillie powder to preference

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

oil to fry*

Mix the salt, turmeric and chillie powder with the chicken pieces then parboil the chicken with the water in medium heat until the liquid evaporates. Remove the chicken from the cooker and leave it aside.

Heat oil to high heat and fry the chicken until it is golden brown in all sides, reduce the heat if the chicken is becoming brown fast.

*I discard the oil after frying chicken so I used about 3" of oil and fried.

Eggplant with dried shrimp curry

This side dish tastes delicious served with rice or flatbread. For this curry the eggplant is cooked slow with dried shrimp.

Easy flavourful Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs potatoes

1/4 cup butter

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp salt depending on preference

ground black pepper to taste

chopped parsley optional

Brown the butter in a pan, until there is an aroma of a nutty flavour. Make sure not to burn the butter.

Boil the potatoes until it is cooked, drain and mash the potatoes. Mix the potatoes with the browned butter, salt, pepper and buttermilk. Add some chopped parsley and mix, this is optional. Serve the mashed potatoes warm.

This recipe is adapted from the smitten kitchen cookbook.

Rasam: Spicy vegetarian soup

1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp peppercorn
1 to 2 red chilli1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 cup onion
1 tbsp curry leaves
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup tomato
1 tsp tamarind
3 to 4 cups water

Dry roast cumin seeds, fennel seeds, red chillie and peppercorn then grind it. Soak the tamarind in hot water, make pulp and leave aside.

Heat the oil and put the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter add the onions, curry leaves, garlic, ginger and saute. Saute the tomato and salt. Then add the tamarind water and simmer until desired consistency.
This easy to make delicious rasam recipe is from my aunt.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 - 2013 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Oats and rice flour savoury pancakes

1 1/2 cups instant oats
3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup yogurt
water enough to make the batter smooth

1/2 tsp salt to taste

oil for the pan

Mix all the ingredients to make a smooth batter. Leave aside and make the seasoning.

seasoning
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp urud dal seeds optional
1 to 2 tbsp shallots or onion
1 tbsp curry leaves
1/2 cup carrot grated
1 green chillie optional
1 tbsp coriander leaves optional

Heat a tbsp of oil and when the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urud dal starts crackling add the onion, curry leaves, green chillie and sauté. Then add the carrots and coriander leaves, mix the seasoning into the prepared batter.

Heat a griddle and when it is hot pour about 2 tbsp batter and make a pancake. When it is easy to turn, turn it and cook the other side. Serve it warm with chutney or on its own.
This recipe is adapted from here yummy tummy.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 - 2013 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Mysoor lentil fritters

2 cups of split mysoor or masoor dal or yellow/orange lentil

1/2 cup cleaned shrimp chopped

2 tbsp onion sliced finely

1 tbsp curry leaves chopped

1 to 1/2 tsp chillie flakes to preference

1/2 tsp salt

oil 2" high to fry

*Shrimp can be omitted if you want to make it vegetarian.

Wash and soak the lentils for about an hour or more. Grind the dal coarsely without any water, don't grind well because it would be hard to form the shape to fry.

Add salt, chillie flakes, onion, curry leaves and shrimp to the ground dal and mix. Make ball shapes or use a tbsp full of mixture to drop into the hot oil; it is optional to make a donut shape hole in the middle for these fritters.

Deep fry in hot oil (about 360F), the fritters should not brown too fast so keep the heat in medium high heat and fry until the fritters are golden brown. Serve hot on its own or with hot sauce. These savoury fritters would be perfect for brunch, snack or as a savoury treat for tea time.

Cassava chips and Cooking with CUTCO Giveaway

To make Cassava chips...

2 cups cassava slices

1/2 to 1 tsp chillie powder

1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt

oil to fry

Cut the cassava into thin slices and then remove the peel. Toss the cassava slices with chillie powder and salt. Fry in hot oil and serve.

Using a sharp and reliable knife makes our kitchen jobs easy and safe. I am a big fan of CUTCO and have been using CUTCO knives for many years, so I can personally guarantee their products. Once you use a knife from CUTCO it will for sure become a favourite and the only one you will want to use :)

The stain resistance CUTCO knives are easy to clean and store. Some of their knives have the special Double-D edge that makes clean cuts all the time. High-carbon stainless steel is used to make the knives. All CUTCO knives have a full-tang feature where the steel of the blade extends to the full length of the knife. The knives are attached to the blade with three highly polished, nickel silver rivets. The ergonomically designed "hand perfect" handle is contoured to distribute the workload equally to all parts of the hand. With CUTCO knives it doesn't matter if you have small or large hands or use your left or right hand. The handle is made with smooth, thermo-resin material that will not crack, chip, fade or absorb moisture.

CUTCO has a wide collection of wonderful cutlery and cookware. Their products have a forever guarantee, even if the CUTCO products are passed from generation to generation. We don't need to hold on to the receipt :) They sharpen the knives for free, but there is a small fee for shipping. If you are not 100% satisfied, CUTCO will repair or replace the knives from free.

Cooking with CUTCO is a new venture from CUTCO cutlery that gives people an opportunity to run their own business from home. Their products are sold through direct sales (home presentations) and online, to keep the costs low. If you want to be a part of selling CUTCO and become a representative, the company will provide hands-on and video training.

Check out their Facebook to keep up to date about their fabulous products.

Giveaway

If you would like to win this 7" Santoku knife (value of $138) please leave a comment on this post and enter through the rafflecopter below. This giveaway is open to people in Canada and ends on November 10th.

Update: The winner is Brenda

Gluten free rice flour pancakes using Ryza and giveaway

I had a wonderful time at the Maple Leaf Gardens Loblaws in Toronto cooking with Chef Patricia Muzzi using Ryza products.
Before attending this event, I haven't used Ryza so I am glad I got the opportunity to cook with Chef Muzzi's recipes along with other bloggers.

Ryza is 100% gluten, lactose, dairy and cholesterol free beverage. It is made using whole grain, un-milled, unpolished North American grown non-GMO rice. It has a light taste of rice, and is not very thick. We have to shake the carton well before usin. Ryza is naturally sweet because of the rice grains and there are no added sugar or sweeteners. Chef Muzzi said, that processed sugars are not healthy as it can alter proper neuron function in our brain.
Compared to other rice beverages Ryza has no added fats or oils. One glass of Ryza equals to a full serving of whole grain rich nutrients, calcium and fibre.

There are many benefits in Ryza:

Ryza has calcium, vitamin A, D, B12, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and phosphorus that gives us energy, improves our learning and memory.
Calcium phosphate tribasic is a mineral salt that prevents accelerated aging of brain cells.
Brown rice has manganese and selenium that helps maintain healthy nerve function in the brain, which keeps us alert and focused.
Selenium also detoxifies our chemical exposures i.e. our surroundings, shampoo etc.
Tryptophan keeps us calm and relaxed.

Ryza is available in original and vanilla flavour. It is sold in many stores i.e. Sobeys, Superstores, Fortinos, Zehrs, Loblaws, YIG and Health Food stores to name a few.

Giveaway

If you would like to win 2 coupons to taste this delicious healthy beverage, leave a comment on this post and enter through the rafflecopter below. Giveaway is open to Canadian readers and ends on October 30th.
Update: The winner is Amy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Using the vanilla flavoured Ryza, I made these delicious Gluten free rice flour crepes following the recipe from Crepes: 50 savoury and sweet recipes book by Martha Holmberg.

This is good book that has delicious recipes of crepe using different flours. It is separated into savoury filled crepes and sweet crepes. In the beginning of the book, the author talks about her love for crepes, about the ingredients and equipment we will need. The author also has pictures showing how crepes can be folded and presented.
I changed the method of making the batter slightly for this rice flour pancakes as I think it would make the batter smooth.

Gluten free Rice flour pancakes
1 3/4 cup milk or Ryza
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup and 3 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp melted butter or oil

Mix all the ingredients except for the butter or oil and beat well until smooth. Then add the butter or oil and mix. I strained the batter through a sieve to make sure there were no lumps.
Leave the batter to rest for at least an hour at room temperature before making the crepes. We can prepare this mixture before hand and leave it in the fridge, I left it overnight.

Spread some butter on a non-stick crepe pan. Make the pancakes in a medium hot non-stick pan. Pour the pancake batter into the hot pan and gently swirl the pan in a circular motion to coat the bottom of the pan and then let the pancake cook for about a minute until the bottom is cooked. Turn the other side and cook for a few seconds before removing from heat.
Serve with savoury or sweet.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2012 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Pasta Frittata

The Tuscan Sun cookbook is a colourful well-written book with delicious Italian recipes that are easy to follow and make. The book is written by Frances and Edward Mayes. The photographs by Steven Rothfeld capture the Tuscan life and cuisine beautifully.

Jalapeño poppers

I had a lovely time touring the Leaside Longo's store. We had the opportunity to meet Longo's food experts and enjoy an array of freshly prepared food at the event. I enjoyed the fresh delicious oysters that were shucked and served.

I like the Veggie Bar at Longo's, which has freshly chopped fruits and vegetables that are cleaned and pre cut. We can use these freshly cut produce to make healthy meals at home without cleaning, cutting or chopping. This type of service is convenient for busy families and helps small families to prepare fresh meals at home. It also promotes eating healthy and including a variety of colourful fruits/vegetables in our meals.

It is good to know the freshly cut vegetables are replaced everyday and nothing is wasted because the unsold items are used for the products that are made in the store i.e pizza, sandwich etc.

I would prefer if all the products including the ones made in the store i.e bread etc include labels of ingredients so it is easy for us to make sure there are no ingredients with allergies, and we don't have to bother the service people each time we want to know :)
Longo's is a family owned business that puts quality and customers first. There wasn't fresh halal products at this location, however they had packeted products available.

The cheese section had over 300 different types of cheese, that looked really delicious. They have a fresh juice bar, sushi, pizza, under $10 meals, fresh baked breads, pops and many more. Longo's at Leaside will also be having cooking classes for adults and children in their loft.
I liked the atmosphere and the design of the 1919 brick building that had a market feel. This Leaside building once belonged to the Canadian Northern Railway and was designed to service steam locomotives.

I made these delicious Jalapeño poppers with the Jalapeño from our garden and quinoa from Longo's. This recipe is adapted from 500 Best Quinoa Recipes by Camilla Saulsbury © 2012 Robert Rose Inc.www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission.

1/2 cup cream cheese*
1/2 cup cooked quinoa**
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste
6 large jalapeño pepper halved

* to get a delicious flavour don't use fat free cream cheese
**any type cooked I used the multicoloured quinoa. Rinse the quinoa before using by placing it in a mesh and rinse under water. 1 part quinoa with 2 parts of water bring to a boil then cover and cook in low heat for about 12 to 15 minutes until the water is absorbed.

Remove the ribs of the jalapeño if you want to make it less spicy and wash it with cold water before putting the stuffing.
Mix the cheeses, quinoa, salt and pepper then stuff about 1 tbsp of the mixture into the halves of the jalapeño. Bake for about 9 to 12 minutes in a 450F until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Serve hot.

This book 500 Best Quinoa Recipes has 100% gluten free easy to make superfood. The book explains all about quinoa then separates it by breakfast, appetizers, snacks, soups, stews, chills, salads, sides, vegetarian, main dish, seafood, poultry, lean meat, main dishes, breads and desserts. This book also has information about other ingredients that are used in the recipes.

Although quinoa (keen wah) is a seed, it is cooked and eaten like a grain. It is harvested from a broadleaf plant that belongs to goosefoot family related to spinach, beets and chard. The plant grows upwards about 7 feet. When the seed head is dry, the quinoa is shaken out. The seeds are coated in saponin, which is a bitter resin like substance that protects the plant from insects and birds. Rinsing the quinoa before cooking helps get rid of the saponin.

Quinoa has protein, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, vitamin E, iron, calcium, phosphorus and zinc. 1 cup of cooked quinoa has 30% of daily food requirement. It can be toasted like nuts, sprouted, steamed, baked or cooked. We can grind the seeds to make quinoa flour to add into baked goods. It is better to store the flour in the fridge or freeze to keep it fresh.

Green banana peel chutney

2 to 3 cooking bananas or ash plantain peel

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

Wash the peel and chop. Then pressure cook the peel with the turmeric, salt and water. Let it cool.

1 tsp ginger

1 to 2 green chillie

1 to 2 dried red chillie

2 tbsp coconut

1/2 tbsp tamarind pulp with 2 tbsp water

Puree the cooked plantain peel with the above ingredients. Adjust salt to taste.

It is optional to add this tempered garnish or seasoning to the chutney.

1 tbsp oil or ghee

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 dried red chillie

1 tbsp onion optional

1 tsp curry leaves

Heat oil sauté the mustard seeds, red chillie and curry leaves and add it to the ground mixture.

Serve this chutney/ pachadi as a side dish with dosa/ crepe, idly, flatbread, rice etc.

Pages

Pinwheel Samosa

Crispy Cod Fritters

Tomato Jam

Vegetable Fritters

Manti Turkish Dumplings

Making Several Papadums Without Oil Using Papadum Express

Spanish Potato and Onion Egg Tortilla

Chicken With Cashews and Coconut

Grilled Snapper in Banana Leaves

Fried Chicken

Eggplant with dried shrimp curry

Easy flavourful Mashed Potatoes

Rasam: Spicy vegetarian soup

Oats and rice flour savoury pancakes

Mysoor lentil fritters

Cassava chips and Cooking with CUTCO Giveaway

Gluten free rice flour pancakes using Ryza and giveaway

Pasta Frittata

Jalapeño poppers

Green banana peel chutney

Giveaway and My other site