Learn with recipes

There are two things Im out of my mind obsessed with right now: HBOs Girls (and subsequently everything about Lena Dunhum) and this hummus made out of heart of palm.
When you first explain Paleo to someone, in particular the part where you cant eat beans, which consequently means hummus, which is basically its own food group for most girls, a typical reaction goes something like this:

"Okay, what the hell is WRONG with beans??? Theyre good for you!! And omfg, I will NOT give up hummus. Youre a TFI." (Editors note: TFI = Total Fucking Idiot. Im trying to make this happen. Help a sista out.)
The truth is, I STILL dont know why beans arent paleo, I just know that they arent. But what the eff ever! You dont even need them anymore, because heart of palm does exactly what I thought it would and purees down into the very same creamy texture a chickpea does.
And regardless of whether youre into Paleo, heart of palm has 2/3 less calories than chickpeas. Eh?? Ehhhh???
I mean, if theres one thing girls universally care about, its cutting calories. I mean, just ask Lena Dunham.

Heart of Palm Hummus (or Faux-mmus)
Makes about 1.5 cups

• 1 14 oz. can heart of palm, drained
• 3 Tbsp. tahini
• 2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper

• Roast rice flour powder in a vessel for 2-3 mins and keep aside.
• In a bowl take 2-3tsp of  rice flour powder and mix with water like a thick paste and keep aside.
• In another separate bowl mix the rest rice flour with water and make dough(like chapathi)
• Take the dough in janthikalu maker with medium size hole plate and press the flour in a vessel.
• Pressure cook these rice strings without whistle for 10 mins.

• Boil milk in microwave for 2mins.
• Boil ½ cup water, add the above boiled milk, once it comes to full boil add the prepared cooked rice strings  and let it boil for another 10mins.
• In the meantime, take ½ cup of water and mix jaggery and boil till it dissolves in water.
• Add this jaggery water to the boiling milk.
• Add granted coconut and cardamom powder and let it cook for 2 -3 mins
• Fry cashew nuts and raisins in one tsp of ghee and add it palathalikalu.
• Remove from Stove and garnish with nuts.

Sending this to "Lets Celebrate Sweets - Warm Desserts" hosted by Priya originally started by Nivedita 

 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Lamb is something that is very popular in the Middle East, Australia and parts of China. Some people dont like it because of their gamey smell, and there are others who prize lambs tenderness and its aroma. For me, I love any lamb cooked in such a way that removes the gamey smell and preserve the aroma. Actually one of the best lamb stir fry dish (Chengdu Spiced Lamb) Ive had is at the PF Changs restaurant in Boise, ID. We also tried the same dish at PF Changs in Fremont, CA and it wasnt as good as Boises for some reason. If you have a PF Changs restaurant nearby, Id highly recommend you to give it a try. Anyhoo, todays cumin dish is kind similar to the PF Changs version, but with a simpler flavor. I will probably post another one that is more similar to their flavor sometime later. This recipe is adapted from a Chinese recipe site.

Serves 3

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound lamb leg or shoulder meat, thinly sliced into 1/4 inch thick biteable slices
2 scallion, minced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cooking wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon corn starch
2-4 tablespoon water
1 cup corn or vegatable oil
1 6-inch diameter onion, cut into wedges, halved and seperate the onion layer
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1-3 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped



Tips:

1. The amount of salt, cumin and chili powder is based on your taste, so during the last seasoning step, taste the dish and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
   

Instruction:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix the lamb slices with the salt, 1 teaspoon cooking wine, soy sauce and corn starch. Water should be the last ingredient to add to the marinate, the amount of water gets added depends on how much the lamb slices absorbs. Add in 2 teaspoon of water at a time, mix it well with the lamb with your hand in clockwise circular motion, then keep adding more water until the lamb cant absorb anymore water and the meat feels springy when pressed. Let it marinate for 10 minutes. After the lamb is marinated, if there are some water came out of the lamb, use the clockwise hand motion to mix it back in with the lamb, then mix it well with 1 tablespoon oil. This lamb marinate process is to let the moister get in the lamb while add the oil coating prevents the moister escape during the cooking process, our goal is to make the lamb more tender. This marinating process is exactly the same for beef, which we talked about in the Mongolian Beef recipe.
   
2. Heat 1 cup of oil in the wok or skillet over high heat till pretty hot but not smoking, put in the onion wedges and cook until onion start to soften (1-2 mintues), use a mesh to scope out the onion and put it on a paper towl lined plate. Reheat the oil till pretty hot and drop in the lamb slices, quickly cook the lamb until the lamb slices are barely cooked (white on the outside and pink in the middle). Use a mesh to scope out the lamb and drain on the paper towl.
3. Leave 1 tablespoon of the oil in the wok or skillet over high heat, put in the onion and lamb and quickly add salt, 1 teaspoon cooking wine, cumin and chili powder, mix everything so the lamb and onion is well coated. Cook till the lamb is no longer pink, taste to adjust seasoning, and mix in the sesame oil and cilantro. Serve over white rice.
   

3/4 cup unsweetened coca powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1 pkg (16 oz) angel food cake mix
1 1/4 cup water
1 tbs instant coffee powder (optional)
1 1/2 cup skim milk
1 pkg (1 1/3 oz) whipped topping mix (can substitute fat free cool whip)
1 pkg (1.4 oz) sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. LIne a 10x15 jelly-roll pan with waxed paper. Whisk together cocoa, sugar, and boiling water. Cool to lukewarm.

2. Prepare cake mix per package directions, using 1 1/4 cup water and adding cocoa mixture. Soread batter evenly in the pan. Bake 20 minutes or until top looks dry. Invert onto a large wire rack. Remove the pan and waxed paper. Cool.

3. In a medium bolw, dissolve coffie in milk. Add topping and pudding mixes. Beat on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Chill 5 minutes.

4. Cut cake crosswise into thirds. Cover each layer with topping. Stack; chill 2 hours.

Serves 10.

per slice: 261 cal, 1.5 g fat (5% of cal), 427 mg sodium

From Prevention Magazine insert found in Sunday paper.

keywords: dessert, cake, chocolate

This orange & poppy seed pound cake is a true, mid-winter, blast of sunshine. It is (yet) another recipe from the holiday issue of Sweet Cakes published by The Best of Fine Cooking magazine.
.

2 + 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup poppy seeds
2½ cups white sugar
4 teaspoons fresh, finely grated orange zest
1½ cups unsalted butter, soft
8 ounce cream cheese, soft
6 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks (room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together (I just whisk it together) and set aside.
.
Put the sugar and orange zest in the food processor and pulse it for 20 seconds, set aside.
.
With a stand mixer (using paddle beater) beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and zest mixture and beat until light and fluffy (about a minute). Beat in the whole eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each egg. Beat in the 2 egg yolks and the vanilla.
.
With your mixer on low, beat in the flour mixture, stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times. Beat until smooth.
.
Spoon the batter into TWO greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pans (or 8 mini loaf pans). Bake on center rack of a pre-heated 350F oven for 50 minutes (my oven took 55 minutes) or 25 to 30 minutes for mini-loafs.
.
Cool in pan (on a rack) for 20 minutes, then turn out. Glaze while still warm.
.
ORANGE GLAZE FOR POUND CAKE
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (I used 1 tsp. vanilla)
.
Bring orange juice and sugar to a boil, over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens and reduces to ½ cup (3 or 4 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the liqueur (vanilla). Keep brushing the tops and sides of the warm pound cake until all of the glaze is used up.
.
NOTE: This pound cake has such a fresh clean taste and because it is just a little different, it would make a great gift for someone.

Paneer Biryani Recipe

Ingredients
Basmati rice - 1 and 1/2 cups
Paneer / Indian cottage cheese - 300 gms
Onion sliced - 2 nos
Green chilli slit - 2 nos
Tomato chopped - 1 no
Ginger & garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Mint leaves chopped - 1 cup
Coriander leaves chopped - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds / Shahi jeera - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 2" piece
Cashew nuts - 10 pieces
Water - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

Paneer Biryani

Method
1. Chop the paneer into cubes and soak it in hot water for 10 mins.
2. Wash the basmati rice and soak it in 2 cups water.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add cashew nuts and fry until golden brown, drain nuts from oil and set aside.
4. To the same oil add cumin seeds and cinnamon stick, let the cumin splutter.
5. Add the sliced onions and green chillies to the pan, sauté until onions are soft.
6. Add the ginger & garlic paste to the pan and sauté until raw smell leaves.
7. Now add the chopped mint leaves, sauté for a minute and add chopped tomatoes to the pan, cook until tomatoes are soft.
8. Next add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt to the pan, sauté for
few seconds.
9. Add the soaked and drained paneer pieces to the pan and stir well until the masalas are coated on
the paneer.
10. Add the basmati rice along with the water in which it was soaked to the pan, bring to boil.
11. Once water starts boiling, gently stir well the rice and cook for few minutes until 3/4th of
the water is absorbed by the rice.
12. Cover the pan with lid, simmer and cook biryani for 10 mins on low heat.
13. Finally garnish paneer biryani with chopped coriander leaves, fried cashew nuts and 1 tsp
ghee.