Nigel Slater Dish of the Month January Round Up

Many thanks to all the wonderful bloggers who entered Januarys Dish of the Month. This is the first blog challenge I have run, other than occasional hosting for others. My co-host Sue from A little bit of Heaven on a Plate has been very active tweeting and pinning to our shared Dish of the Month Pinterest board.  Im not promising that there will be a round up every month but as this is the first month of the challenge, I wanted to say thank you and feature the amazing variety of Nigel Slater recipes you have all made.

One of the things I like best is that many people have made the dishes their own by adapting them to the ingredients they had or their own personal tastes.  This is a feature of Nigels cooking philosophy, which I think makes his recipes so appealing to me and it seems to you too.

First up is Camilla from Fab Food 4 All with this tasty looking Bacon Wrapped Salmon

A creamy parsley risotto and delicate parmesan crisps is the offering from my co-host, Sue at A little bit of heaven on a plate

A soup of bacon and celeriac is my recipe which comes from The Kitchen Diaries II is my offering from Farmersgirl Kitchen.

This Mincemeat Cheesecake attracted the attention of Mr Nigel Slater himself when Claire at Foodie Quine tweeted about it.

 In Elizabeths Kitchen, a beautiful dish of Shetland lamb was slowly cooked, to Nigels instructions,  until it fell off the bone. 

Choclette at Chocolate Log Blog made Nigels Chocolate and Hazelnut cookies which she describes as "chocolate brownies in biscuit form".

 Karen at Lavender and Lovage made a Winter Salad and said "My salad is a VERY loose adaptation of Nigel Slater’s recipe from “The Kitchen Diaries”, the first one."

 Rachel at Marmaduke Scarlet made these delicious looking Almond, Marzipan and Berry Cakes from The Kitchen Diaries II.

Chickpea Fritters with Beetroot Tzatsiki is the entry from Jane at Onions and Paper, its a recipe in Nigel Slaters Tender volume 1 and was found by Jane in her search for a different recipe altogether!

The fabulously named Hangover Salad is the recipe made by London Busy Body which was served as an accompaniment to venison rather than with the beef in the original.

The lovely Dish Dom over at Belleau Kitchen made his own version of Nigels aubergine and bean hotpot, adding a cheesy broccoli and cauliflower crust.

These tasty looking rolls are made with wholemeal Spelt Flour from one of Nigels Guardian Lifestyle online recipes and were added to the challenge by Kate at Turquoise Lemons

Dal and Butternut Squash Soup is the warming Dish of the Month for Karen at Use it up, wear it out.

 

I love the way Kavey of Kavey Eats,  has made this Beef Stroganoff from Nigel Slaters Real Fast Food and served it in Yorkshire Puddings, I think this is such a great dish.

This zesty Lime Tart comes from Susie at Fold in the Flour, who found the recipe in the January Chapter of  The Kitchen Diaries 1.

Laura of Laura Loves Cakes was having a bit of a crisis with her new oven but came up trumps with this no bake Tropical Tumbler Trifle

Making Plans with Nigel was the clever title of this article at edible things and features a version of Nigels Bright Vegetable Stew

Cream of Mushroom, mustard and tarragon soup is a combination of two of Nigels recipes, you can find out which ones by visiting Linzi at Lancashire Food.

Maggie at Kitchen Delights whipped up a Creamy Crunchy Fruit Sundae which Nigel featured on Simple Suppers.

 

At Nyssapod blog we were treated to Onion Soup without Tears from Kitchen Diaries.

Honey and Mustard Sausages and Carrot Mash  is another Simple Supper dish, this time from Jo at Jos Kitchen.

Marzipan and Berry Cakes were featured along with Mincemeat Hotcakes and Brandy Butter at Cookies Cakes and Bakes and dont they look great, obviously a popular choice.

The February Dish of the Month Linky will be posted on 

Saturday 2nd February.

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Vendaya Keerai Sadam Methi Rice

Vendaya Keerai Sadam (Methi Rice)

For a long time I am trying out different recipes using Vendaya keerai.Since it is slightly bitter in taste, I wanted to find out a recipe which will make it tastier and easy to consume in large quantities. Though all of us will be aware of the wonderful medicinal qualities of this wonder leaf and spice, I will share with you some valuable information that I have read about this wonder leaf vendaya keeraiand spice vendayam.Vendayam is well known as Methi

FENUGREEK (Methi/Vendya keerai) is an excellent leafy vegetable, well known for its medicinal properties.

Eating it regularly reduces problems like stomach and digestive disorders, anemia, respiratory infections and diabetes. The caloric count for 100 grams of fenugreek leaves is only 49.
Fenugreek leaves are rich in iron, calcium, potassium and Vitamin C. The Vitamin K and iron from fenugreek greens are comparable to spinach
Fenugreek seeds are used as a spice and fenugreek leaves are eaten as vegetable
Fresh fenugreek leaves are beneficial in the treatment of indigestion, flatulence and a sluggish liver
An infusion of the leaves is used as a gargle for recurrent mouth ulcers. A gargle made from the seeds is best for ordinary sore throat.
Fenugreek seeds made in gruel, given to nursing mothers increase the flow of milk.
According to a research findings of National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India
“The effect of taking fenugreek seeds could be quite dramatic, when consumed with 1200-1400 calories diet per day, which is usually recommended for diabetic patients.”
It is also known to reduce the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in diabetic patients
Fenugreek seeds are considered very effective in controlling diabetes and reducing back pain
Methi is supposed to be natural cure for arthritis
It is an appetizer, relieves constipation, and reduces colic.
The fresh juice of Methi leaves prevents hair fall. You can massage it in your hair, particularly the roots, to get rid of dandruff and promote new hair growth.
It can also be used in a facepack to reduce wrinkles
Fenugreek has excellent medicinal virtues. Its regular use helps the body clean and healthy. The leaves of Fenugreek are aromatic, cooling and mild laxative
1 tbsp ground fenugreek seed taken in the diet daily can reduce cholesterol
When you have excess methi, wash and chop the leaves. Place a paper towel on a plate and spread the chopped methi leaves on it and then microwave for 8-9 minutes till they are dry and crisp. You can store these dried leaves in an airtight container. This is called Kasoori Methi which can be added to any dal, vegetable, rice or chapathi flour to boost flavour.
In India it is customary to add fenugreek in the diet of a new mother after childbirth as it promotes lactation
I have read that pregnant women should not take this in large quantities as this is likely to cause uterine contractions

It is also used in dried form (kasoori methi) to flavour chicken and fish
So after going through these many benefits of this wonder leaf, I am sure every one will be eager to try out a recipe using it.Methi Rice is an excellent choice as far as I am concerned. This leaf can be added to potato fry and any other dish in small quantities.

Ingredients
Methi leaves – 1 cup
1 1/2 cup cooked rice
tamarind-a small bit(if paste is used 1/2 tea spoon)
Coconut – ½ cup grated(optional)
Onion – 1 finely chopped

To dry grind
coriander seeds-1 teaspoon.
Channa dal – 1 tsp
Red chillies – 4

To season
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Oil – 3 tsp

Procedure
Roast the items given in Dry grind .Grind it in a mixie.
Cook the rice in such a way that they do not stick to each other
Keep the kadai in the stove. season with the items given in ‘To season’
Add the onions and sauté nicely. Then add the methi leaves and sauté that also till the water disappears. Add little water and cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes add little salt and little tamarind dissolved in 2 spoons of water. After the water dries out add the grinded powder and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the rice to a flat bottom vessel and allow it to cool.Once the rice has cooled down mix the methi masal into the rice. Add grated coconut also if desired.Check for the taste and add the salt required. This rice will taste good with raita or papad.

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Fried Tofu with Stir Fried Cabbage

I dont buy tofu often enough. I really enjoy it, but somehow I find it easy to forget about it. However, I saw some in the local grocery store marked at half price the other day. This was not a very firm, dense tofu, but a fairly soft one. Not as soft as some, which can be almost custard-like. You do need one that can be cut up and tossed around and still stay more or less in one piece (but dont get too upset if it crumbles a bit). The contrast of the crispy, flour coated outside and the soft creamy middle was very nice. And its good old cabbage, carrots and onions again. Yay! I wont be saying that in April. But for now? Yay!

3 or 4 servings
30 minutes prep time


Prepare the Tofu:
450 grams (1 pound) semi-firm tofu
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

Rinse the tofu, and put it on a plate, with another plate upside down on top. Put a weight on top of the second plate, and let the tofu drain for about 20 minutes.

Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside until needed.

Prepare the Vegetables:
4 cups chopped cabbage
2 medium carrots
1 large onion
2 tablespoons finely minced, peeled ginger
3 cloves of garlic

Trim and chop the cabbage. Peel and slice the carrots. Peel and chop the onion. Mince the ginger. Peel and mince the garlic.

Final Cooking:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
2 or 3 tablespoons soy sauce

Heat 2 large skillets. Put 1/4 cup oil in one of them, and 2 tablespoons of oil in the other.

Cut the tofu into cubes, and toss it in the flour mixture until evenly coated. Lift the tofu out and put it in the pan with the 1/4 cup of oil once the oil is hot. Fry until nicely browned, turning it as needed so that most of the sides brown.

Meanwhile, add the carrots and onions to the second pan, along with about 1/4 cup water. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the vegetables are partly cooked and the water has evaporated. Add the ginger and garlic, and stir in for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the cabbage, and season with a good sprinkle of soy sauce. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 or 3 minutes more, until the vegetables are cooked to your liking.

Serve the vegetables over rice, with the crispy, browned tofu over them both.




Last year at this time I made Ham, Squash and Leek Orzotto.

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Peach Macaroni

Peach Macaroni

Ingredients

• Chicken breast 1
• Peaches 1 tin
• Flour roasted 2 – 3 tbsp
• Oil 2 tbsp
• Oil 3 tbsp
• Macaroni boiled ½ packet
• Onion 1 small
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Capsicum half
• Carrot 1 medium piece
• Spring onion 1
• Salt to taste
• Fresh cream 3 tbsp
• Black pepper ¼ tsp
• Water ½ cup

Method

•  Heat 2tbsp oil in a pan and fry 2 cloves of garlic until golden brown.Add 1 chicken fillet sliced and fry until the color changes.Add1 chopped onion,1/2 chopped capsicum,1 chopped carrot and 1 chopped spring onion.After 2-3 minutes add ½ cup water, 1 tin apricot, salt as required and 1/4tsp black pepper powder.Cover and cook on a simmer.In a separate pan add 3tbsp oil and sauté 2-3 tbsp flour.Stir the roux into the chicken gravy until thick.Toss in boiled macaroni followed and mix in a dollop of fresh cream.Cook for a minute on a high flame.The delicious peach macaroni is ready to serve.

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Methi Fenu greek leaf Chicken

Few days back I have been to Indian grocery store and brought this frozen methi leaves. I love methi paratha, that is the reason why I brought them. This leafy vegetable is considered as the very healthy one. When it is added to chicken it imparts very different and delicious flavor to it. My hubby loved it. I hope you will enjoy it too! coming to recipe

Ingredients:Chicken----------------1/2KG
Methi/menthem koora/fenu greek leaves-20 springs-washed and cut
Whole garam masala spices- clove2, cardamom-2, cinnamon stick-1 inch)
Garlic minced-2 cloves
Sesame seeds-1/2tbsp
2 large onions chopped
Coconut milk-2 tbsp
chopped cilantro (Coriander/ Kothimera)---1 small bunch(20 springs)- washed and chopped
Cumin seeds--------1tbspCumin powder------1tbsp
Coriander powder--1tbsp
Garam masala------1/4tbsp
Dry coconut powder--2tbsp
Turmeric------------1/4tbsp
Salt-----------------To taste
Chili powder------1/2tbsp

Yogurt/curd-100grams 

Procedure:

1. Take chicken cut it into medium size cubes by removing extra fat and wash it.

2. Take a pan heat it add oil. Add whole garam masala spices and saute till they are done.

3. Add cumin seeds, after they splutter add onions and little bit of salt which aids to cook onions faster.

4. After the onions are half cooked add gingergarlic paste and turmeric and cook it until raw flavor of garlic            

5. Add chicken & garlic and cook it untill 80% done by stirring it in constant intervals. Do not cover with lid. Let the water that are naturally present in chicken evaporate.

6. Add Methi leaves, sesame seeds (nuvvulu),vred chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder,Coconut milk, salt, dry coconut powder, curd and garam masala. Mix well and cook it under medium flame.

9. After the curry is cooked garnish with ciliantro and serve it...goes well with bagara/ plain rice/chapati.

Hope you like my recipe, please feel free to post your comments. They are very valuable for me, you can even subscribe by e-mail to my blog, the recipes will reach your inbox. ThanX for visiting my space. Please bookmark it to visit/ remember again.

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Pan Seared Filet Mignon with Burst Grape Tomato and Basil Crostini

A simple, yet elegant meal consisting of a pan seared filet mignon with grape tomatoes bursting with flavor and spooned over charred bread.

I seasoned the filet with olive, oil sea salt and pepper and seared it in a hot skillet on all sides in order to develop a brown delicious crust.  After browning the filet, I roasted it in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes for medium rare.  After 10 minutes, remove the steak from the pan and allow to rest tented with foil for at least 15 minutes prior to serving. 

While the meat was resting, I gently warmed 1/4 cup of olive oil in a sauce pan with 2 minced cloves of garlic.  When the garlic reached a sizzle, but before it turned brown, I tumbled in a container of grape tomatoes  (you could also use cherry tomatoes).  Seasoned with flaked sea salt, placed a lid on the sauce pan and cooked just until the tomatoes begin to burst.  Immediately remove the tomatoes from the heat and drizzled with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and a small bunch of chopped fresh basil. Serve over charred bread. 

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Gila River Fry Bread

2 1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup warm water (or a little less)
3 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
fat or oil for frying

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in 1 T. of shortening. Melt
and cool remaining 2 T of shortening and set aside. Add just enough
water to flour mixture so dough holds together and can be handled
easily. Knead on a lightly floured board until smooth (30 seconds),
adding only enough flour to work dough. Form dough into smooth 2-
inch balls. Brush each ball with cooled shortening and let stand 45
minutes. On a lightly floured surface, with the heel of your hand,
flatten each ball out into a round circle about 6 inches in
diameter.In a deep skillet or deep fryer, heat fat to 360 degrees. Ease
dough into deep fat. Dough will bob to surface. Cook until dough is a
light brown (45-60 seconds). Turn and cook other side (45-60 seconds).
Remove from fat immediately and drain on paper towels. Makes 6
individual breads. Fry bread should never be made in advance. The
only way to enjoy it is sizzling hot from the skillet. Try
drizzling its crusty golden skin with honey or dust it with powdered sugar;
great for breakfast or addition to soup or a stew meal.

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1st May Golden Gujarat Day

It is 1st may celebration time every where in Gujarat-India  ,
1^st May 1960, and with first ray of sunlight hitting the ground, Gujarat began a new era. This was to be an era of self confidence, of trend setting, of proving to the world, what Gujarat and Gujaratis have been known for ages. It was to prove to be a watershed in history of Gujarat.

The preceding years had seen a visionary struggle – a struggle for statehood, a charm for smaller geographical units with potential of turning adversities into advantages. The “Maha Gujarat Andolan” as it was called was led by visionary leaders like Indulal Yagnik, Jivraj Mehta, Harihar Khambholja and Brahmakumar Bhatt. The movement had its roots in difficulties for hinterlands of Gujarat to travel all the way to Mumbai for administrative affairs. As Government of India had already carved out separate units for administrative purposes in southern India on linguistic considerations, the desire of Gujarati masses was justified. After a long struggle of four years, the Central Government agreed to the State of Gujarat and under the leadership of Shri Jivraj Mehta, first Government of Gujarat was sworn in on May 1^st, 1960. The oath of office was administered by Pt. Ravishankar Maharaj at the Gandhi Ashram and hence came into being a State called Gujarat with natural geographical formation looking like “Jaws of Lion”.
(Source : http://www.swarnimgujarat.org/ )

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Winner

Congrats to the hatch family for winning the anthro bowls! Email us for your prize!!!!

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TwoFaced Tuesday Deviled Eggs

"TwoFaced Tuesdays" is a joint venture between CupcakesOMG! and Jenna from The Paleo Project. Each week, we select one secret ingredient and put our own paleo spin on it. You can catch up on the entire series here. Also, if you have any special ingredient requests, you can always tweet us (@CupcakesOhMG and @ThePaleoProject) using the hashtag #TwoFacedTuesday.

If you follow me on Instagram (its "cupcakesomg", obvi), not only would your life be complete, but you also would have seen these from a couple weeks ago. Theyre pickled deviled eggs from a new restaurant in Adams Morgan called Mintwood, and they are one of the most surprisingly delicious things Ive ever eaten.

So, naturally, I had to figure out how to make them. A little clicky clicky on the internet later and I find out these things have been around forever! Its knowing that there are still things in this world to discover like pink deviled eggs that just slightly eases the blow of getting older--Im 28 in 9 days...send me presents!!

How do they get pink, you might be wondering? Beets, duh! They "pickle" in a beet and apple cider vinegar brine overnight and absorb the gorgeous pink you see before you.

 Then, you make the filling just as you would any deviled egg recipe.

Fill them with a pretty icing tip and voila! You have a showstopper appetizer that would excite anyone, Paleo or not!

Anyone else had pickled deviled eggs before? Am I totally out of it for just NOW discovering these things?? Whats your favorite pink food?

Head over to The Paleo Project to see how Jenna tackles Deviled Eggs!!

Pickled Deviled Eggs

• 6 eggs
• 1 can beets, drained
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 sprigs thyme

• 1/3 cup real mayonaisse
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 Tbsp dill relish
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper

1. Hard boil your eggs. Place eggs in a pot, cover with water. Bring to a boil for about 2 minutes. Turn off water and allow eggs to sit for at least 10 minutes in water.

2. To make eggs easier to peel, plunge warm eggs into a bowl of ice water to bring down the temperature. When cooled, peel eggs.

3. To make pickling bring, combine vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and thyme in a large mason jar. (Youll need a really large jar or bowl to make sure you have enough room for the eggs).

4. Add beets and eggs to the brine. Cover the top of the eggs with a layer of beet slices.

5. Shake eggs in brine a few times to thoroughly coat. Place in refrigerator and allow to pickle for at least 24 hours.

6. After 24 hours, remove eggs from brine. Slice in half.

7. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl. 

8. Add mayo, mustard, relish, salt, and pepper to yolks. Whip with a fork until mixture is smooth and creamy.

9. Using a Ziploc bag and a frosting tip, pipe filling into egg whites.

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Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

It looks like these little muffins are making their way around the blogosphere.  I saw them on Cooking with LT about a week and a half ago and she got them from Cook with Sara.  They are so cute and I had all the ingredients so I knew I could make them some time between Christmas and New Years eve and I did.  I only keep skim plus milk on hand and wasnt sure if that would be okay.  After reaching out to my friends on Bakespace and facebook, I was assured that they would be just find....and they were!  Like Laura says, they make more mini muffins/cupcakes than 24 which is what the original poster stated. The more the better, dont you think?  If youre looking for an easy, yummy and cute recipe you should definitely try these.


Cinnamon Sugar Mini Muffins (that taste like cupcakes!)

from Cooking with LT

Ingredients:

Muffins:

3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Topping:

1 Tbsp. butter, melted (I needed a bit more)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon


Directions:

1) In a mixing bowl, beat together egg and sugar until fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat just until combined (the mixture will be crumbly).

2)In a measuring cup, combine milk, oil and vanilla; add to flour mixture and mix well.

3) Pour into muffin cups or mini muffin cups lined with papers or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

4) Cool for 10 minutes. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Melt butter in a second small bowl. When muffins are cool enough to handle, remove from muffin pans and dip muffin tops in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar mixture.

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Singapore Prawn Noodles Chilli Garlic Prawn Noodles

Singapore Noodles with Shrimp

Ingredients

Fresh Noodles - 400 gms

Prawns medium sized - 20 nos

Capsicum thickly sliced - ¼ cup

Capsicum finely chopped – ¼ cup

Onion thickly sliced - ¼ cup

Onion finely chopped - ¼ cup

Ginger minced - 1 tsp

Readymade Sweet chilli garlic sauce – ¼ cup or see below tips for homemade version

Sugar – ¼ tsp

Chilli powder / paprika – ¼ tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Peanut oil or Vegetale oil - 3 tsp

Singapore Prawn Noodles

Method

1. Marinate the prawns with sweet chilli garlic sauce, sugar, chilli powder  and salt for atleast 15 mins.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok, when wok is smoking hot add thickly sliced capsicum and onions, quickly stir fry for a minute to retain its crunchiness, remove onto a plate and set aside.

3. In the same pan heat 2 tsp oil, add chopped onions, capsicums and minced ginger stir fry for a minute.

4. Next add marinated prawns along with the marinate sauce to the onion mixture in the pan, add a tbsp of water and cook until prawns are done and sauce had slightly thickened.

5. Now add the noodles to the pan and stir fry until the sauce is well coated on the noodles.

6. Finally add the sliced sautéed onion and capsicum to the noodles, stir well and serve.

Chefs tips

1. I have used fresh noodles for this recipe, fresh noodles have chewy texture when compared to dried noodles. If fresh noodles are not available try substituting it with dried noodles. Cook the dried noodles al dente as per box instructions,  drain the cooked noodles,  toss with generous oil and set aside.

2. This recipe uses store bought sweet chilli garlic sauce you can replace it with homemade chilli garlic sauce. Soak 4 to 5 kashmiri red chilies and 2 to 3 peeled garlic cloves in ¼ cup boiling water for 5 mins, drain the soaked chilli and garlic and grind to smooth paste with 1 tsp vinegar and 2 tsp sugar.

3. When using homemade chilli garlic sauce for this recipe mix 1 tsp corn-flour diluted in 2 tbsp cold water to the homemade sweet chilli garlic sauce.

Chilli Garlic Prawn Noodles

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