Apple Topping

Since I am just starting now after so long decided to write up a recipe which is easy and sweet.
A friend of mine a few months back had told me about this warm topping for icecreams and it did taste great...
Once you try this you will not need to add syrups to your icecream ever...

You will need:-

Any sweet apple - skinned and chopped fine - 5 cups
Brown sugar - 2 cups (or as per ur sweet tooth demands)
Nutmeg powder - a few pinch
Dry toasted coconut flakes small sized - 1/4 cup optional
Butter - 1/4 cup


Method:

In a non stick pan  melt the butter and add the chopped apples and let them cook on medium flame till almost tender.
Add the brown sugar and let it mix well and melt. Make sure the heat is maintained at medium or low only.
Once the water evaporates and it starts to soften well add the nutmeg powder and mix and remove from heat.
You can add the toasted coconut flakes on top when it cools down.
Serve it warm on any icecream that you love.
It goes well with toasted bread too....

I will add a picture for it once I make a second batch of it sometime...

Bon Apetite and don't blame me if you get cavities after eating this, as you are not gonna stop with just a small spoon of it. Have fun...

Turkey Melts

I started to eat burgers at Fuddruckers last year while I was pregnant and it was part of my cravings too. And now I am totally in love with them. For a while I had been wanting to make them at home, but wasn't very sure about how successful I could be with the attempt. Thought of making it with ground turkey and there it was a flavorful burger which all three of us enjoyed.


Ingredients:-


For the burger:
Ground turkey - 1 lb
Shallots - 1 big or two small finely chopped
Green chilies - 2 finely chopped
Paprika/cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp (as much as you need)
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - a little
Egg - 1
Oregano - i used dry oregano, its optional
Lemon juice - a few drops

Mix all the above together and put it back in the fridge for a couple of hours to set.
Make sure that the mix is at room temperature before you start making them.

Heat a skillet and just rub it with oil. In the mean time, preheat the oven at 400 degrees (broiler).
Divide the mix into equal portions and then place it on the hot skillet, after two minutes turn it and leave it for another two minutes.
Now place them on the bottom half of the bun and place it in a baking tray, followed by a slice of cheese on top and put in the oven for two to three minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow it to rest for a couple of minutes before you are ready to serve them. If you don't like them well done, you remove them once the cheese melts. Putting it in the broiler setting, will ensure that the burger doesn't become dry and stays juicy and tasty!


Hamburger buns
Lettuce leaf - seperate the leaves and put them in ice cold water with a few drops of vinegar (helps to maintain the crunch)
White onion - sliced in circles
Mustard
Tomato slices
Pepper jack cheese or any cheese that you like

For the sweet chili sauce:
Chili garlic paste - 4 tbspn
Hot sauce - a few drops
White vinegar a few drops
Ketchup - 3 tbsp
Honey - 2 tbsp

Mix it all together and set it aside. You can add more or less spicy as per your need.

To plate it - on top of the melted cheese spread the sweet chili sauce, then place a couple of lettuce leaves, a slice of onion, tomato, a little mustard (if you need) and place the top bun on top and serve.
A juicy and tasty burger is ready and you will wanna make it more often at home that go to a burger joint to have it

Steak in cranberry sauce

I had tried this recipe to send it for an event, but it got well done and I wasn't very pleased with the color. So I opted not to send it for the event. The taste was good and Vivek liked it too. Steak is a very flavorful meal and the first time I had it was when Vivek took me to Texas De Brazil for his birthday a couple of years back. But I don't try it much at home. I served it with creamed mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, fried spinach and sauteed beans.
You can view the images at this link :  yummy steak


For the steak:
Flank steak
Spice rub
Pepper
Salt
Few drops of lemon juice
Cooking wine - a few drops

Mix the ingredients together and rub the steak with it. Put it in a zip lock bag and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours. Remember to keep it out and let it return to room temperature before grilling it.Heat a grilling pan or a non-stick pan and just spray with cooking oil . Once hot place the steak and do not move it around. After 5 mins turn it over and leave it for 3 to 4 mins. This timing depends on the size of the piece and also gives a perfect medium rare cooked steak. Remove it and cover it with a foil and let it rest for a couple of minutes before slicing it. This

Mashed potatoes:-
Yukon gold potaoes or any potatoes that you use
Whipping cream - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Salt
Pepper
Fresh parsley

Bring a big vessel of water to a boil and add the peeled and cut potatoes along with salt. Once the potatoes are well done, strain the water and smash the potatoes immediately and make sure there are no lumps left. Warm the milk and add it gradually to the smashed potatoes and return it to the stove on low to medium heat. Once it starts to absorb the milk add the cream and pepper powder and mix it well and just before removing it from the stove add the chopped parsley and stir it well. Cover and let it set for a few minutes before serving. If it becomes dry add some more milk to it. It has to be creamy and smooth...Serve it warm.

Mushroom gravy:
This gravy is optional...
Button mushrooms
Shallot - 1
Garlic - 1 minced
Pepper powder
Salt
Whipping cream - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
All purpose flour - 1 tsp
Paprika - just a little
Oil
Salt to taste

In a non-stick pan heat the oil add the minced garlic and then add the chopped shallot. Once done add the chopped mushroom and saute till the raw smell goes add the pepper powder, paprika, salt and the all purpose flour and stir well add the milk and a little water if needed. Once the flour and mushrooms cook completely add the whipping cream and reduce teh heat. Let it reduce till the gravy thickens and remove from heat.
Fried Spinach:
Oil for deep frying
Baby spinach leaves

Remove the stem from the leaves and wash and wipe them dry. Make sure they are completely dry or else while frying the water might splutter all around you.  Heat a non stick pan and add oil ,once hot add the leaves a few at a time and make sure they get cooked well and crisp. Place them on a paper towel to extract all the oil and keep it aside.


Sauteed Beans:-

This was my first time with canned beans and all i had to to was just strain the water and give it a quick rinse. In a non-stick pan add a couple of drops of olive oil and add the beans and pepper powder and saute for a couple of minutes and serve warm.


Cranberry cinnamon sauce:-

I used dry cranberries, so had to rehydrate them first by putting them in a little boiling water for 30 minutes
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon sticks

Once the cranberries were ready i added the brown sugar and cinnamon sticks and water and let it boil and  then simmer it for 15 minutes. Then grind it into a puree, remember to remove the cinnamon sticks. Strain the mixture and return it to the stove, place the cinnamon back in it and then let it reduce some more.

Plating - pour a couple of tablespoons of the cranberry sause on one end of the plate, place sliced steak on top if it, a big scoop of the mashed potatoes with the mushroom gravy on top, place the crisped spinach on the side of the mashed potatoes and the sauteed beans on the side. Bon Appetite..... The whole meal took me around two hours to get done, hope you guys like it too