Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Cucumber Raita


It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Regular Friday night dinners didn't start up again until late December. Regular, meaning I cooked and my mom didn't show up with nearly all of the food already prepared.

The weekend before Christmas, Meredith invited several friends from the travel industry for a nice dinner. I started cooking the night before just because I didn't have enough pots, pans and stove-top space to keep things sane.

The dinner also provided me an opportunity to take pictures of a couple dishes I hadn't previously photographed, including my channa masala and chicken tikka masala.

To compliment the chickpeas and the rice dish I made (no recipe for the rice, just some cloves, saffron and a bit of turmeric), I made a great cucumber ratia. I took extra care squeezing the liquid from the cucumber and using whole-milk yogurt to make it nice and thick. If I had salvaged more mint from my garden before the frost killed it, it would've been even better!

Cucumber Raita
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp mint (dried) or 1 tbsp fresh mint finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  1. Seed and shred the cucumber.
  2. Squeeze the shredded cucumber using a cheesecloth.
  3. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate to allow flavours to mingle.
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Friday, March 25, 2011

Williams-Sonoma Star Wars Pancakes

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2-1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • maple syrup for serving


  1. In a bowl, using an electric mixer or a handheld whisk, beat the eggs on medium speed until frothy. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Stir just until the batter is smooth and no lumps of flour remain; do not overmix.
  2. Heat a griddle over medium heat until a few drops of water flicked onto the surface skitter across it. Lightly grease the griddle and the inside surface of the pancake molds with vegetable oil, or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set the molds, with the handles up, on the griddle and heat until hot.
  3. Pour about 1/3 cup batter into each mold. Using a butter knife, spread the batter into the corners of the molds. Cook until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, about 2 minutes.
  4. Remove the molds and, using a spatula, flip the pancakes over. Cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Keep warm until all the pancakes are cooked.
  5. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the griddle and greasing the molds as needed. Serve with maple syrup. Makes about 15 pancakes, 5 of each shape.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Star Wars Pancake Molds.

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Pancake followup

As promised, Meredith made Jacob and I pancakes from my Valentine's Day gift.

The Williams-Sonoma molds are pretty awesome. They don't stick if you use them according to the instructions and the resulting pancakes look great.


Meredith and I had plain pancakes (with jam) and she made some chocolate-chip ones for Jacob.

Recipe: Williams-Sonoma Star Wars Pancakes

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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Rotini with Chorizo and Peppers

  • 1 box (375g) whole wheat rotini
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ kilo chorizo, casings removed
  • 3 bell peppers (different colours), thinly sliced
  • 1 oninon, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds, ground with a mortar and pestle
  • 2 pinches chili pepper flakes
  • 1 can (800 ml) crushed tomatoes
  • salt and pepper
  • parmesean cheese
  1. Cook the pasta until al dente according to instructions.
  2. While the pasta is boiling, heat a dutch oven with olive oil over medium heat and add sausage. Cook until browned.
  3. Add peppers, onions, garlic, fennel, chili flakes and saute until vegetables start to soften.
  4. Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer for 5-6 minutes.
  5. Drain the pasta and add ½ cup of the water to the sauce and stir.
  6. Add pasta to the sauce, toss and serve.
  7. Garnish with parmesean cheese.
Recipe mostly from Girlichef.

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Monday, March 21, 2011

Girlichef's Olive Garden Pasta

Being at home full-time, I had extra time to cook new things. I even started bonus posts on the occasional Thursday.

A short time ago, Girlichef showcased a pasta dish from her time at the Olive Garden. What caught me was the fennel in the sauce - I had to try it. I arranged to make it for dinner that same week.

The recipe made quite a lot - probably enough for four to six people. It got great reviews from Meredith and we had lots of leftovers that disappeared very quickly.

Recipe: Rotini with Chorizo and Peppers

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Friday, March 18, 2011

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

Squares:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chip
Peanut Butter Glaze
  • 1/3 cup icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1-2 tbsp milk
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13x9 pan.
  2. Mix sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter in a large bowl. Stir in flour, oats, baking soda, salt, vanilla and egg and spread evenly on the bottom of the pan.
  3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and then immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes or until chocolate chips have softened and then carefully spread melted chocolate over the baked layer.
  4. Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
  5. Prepare the glaze by mixing all ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle.
  6. Drizzle glaze, refrigerate again for 10 minutes and cut for serving.
Based on Hun, What's For Dinner?

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Last-minute baking panic!

Unlike throwing together a quick meal, it's difficult to bake at the last minute. Or, at least, it's difficult to bake what you want from scratch at the last minute. The butter needs to be softened, some cookie recipes require refrigeration after mixing, the list goes on.

With guests arriving for dinner on a busy day for Meredith, there wasn't time for anything that caused delays (after all, I still needed the oven to cook dinner). Meredith and I scoured Cook, Eat, Share for something both tasty and relatively quick, and we finally found something with two of my favourite flavours - chocolate and peanut butter. I hope everyone whom Meredith helped today understood that dessert was at stake here!

Meredith finished just in time for me to start supper.

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Rice Krispies

  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  1. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well.
  4. Add flour mixture, mixing until combined.
  5. Stir in rice krispies and chocolate chips.
  6. Drop by level tablespoon onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.
  7. Bake at 350-degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
  8. Remove immediately from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.
  9. Store in airtight container.
(recipe originally from http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-cookies.aspx#/recipes/chocolate-chip-cookies)


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Monday, March 14, 2011

Cereal Killers

I was making cookies because big J was going to be here every day this week after school, and I know that chocolate chip is his favourite. I then decided to try something different, but I didn't know what ingredients I had on hand until I remembered the jumbo box of Rice Krispies.

I thought the Rice Krispies would add crunchy bits to the otherwise soft cookies, but I was mistaken. The dough was very crumbly and nearly impossible to hold together. Once they were out of the oven, they were all in one piece, however, the cookies themselves weren't very soft. Using margarine instead of butter probably didn't help either.

However, there were no complaints from either big J or Dan, so it's still a success!

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies with Rice Krispies

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Friday, March 11, 2011

Crunchy Roasted Potatoes and Carrots



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Crunchy Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
Serve it as a side or eat it alone for the pure comfort-food value.
Ingredients
5 or 6 potatoes, diced, (peeled, optional)2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 3/4" rounds 3-4 tbsp olive oil2 tsp paprika1/4 tsp cayenne pepperto taste salt
Instructions
1. Boil potatoes and carrots in salted water until soft (15-20 minutes).2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.3. Drain and run potatoes and carrots under cold water for 2-4 minutes, drain again and let dry for 2-3 minutes.4. In a small bowl, mix oil, paprika, cayenne and a pinch of salt.5. Toss potatoes and carrots in oil mixture and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.6. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until outside is golden and crispy.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 6 servings
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Nobody can beat Aunty Helen's roasted potatoes

I don't know how she does it, but there's nothing like them. I could never duplicate my aunt's roasted potatoes. Believe me, I've tried. It's just not possible. Those potatoes are part of the reason that everyone starves themselves 24-hours before a holiday dinner - must make extra capacity!

Fortunately, a couple of years back at a cooking demonstration at JUMP, I was introduced to a method that is now my favourite way to make them at home. The result is a crunchy outside with a soft inside. You can add any herbs and spices to the mixture that suit your tastes. They're still not as good as my aunts (I imagine my aunt's potatoes involve more oil), but I'm able to make them at home.

Recipe: Crunchy Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Mashed Cauliflower and Broccoli

  • 1 cauliflower, chopped
  • 1 broccoli, chopped
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 pinches sea salt
  1. shredded cheddar cheese for garnish.
  2. Steam cauliflower and broccoli until very tender.
  3. In a food processor, combine vegetables, butter and salt and puree.
  4. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes at 350-degrees.
  5. Garnish with cheese when serving.
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Monday, March 7, 2011

Excessive Vegetables

My mother-in-law likes to bring stuff over. If she's coming for dinner, she'll swing by the farmer's market and pick up enough vegetables to feed roughly ninety-seven people. I usually try to get her to bring the unused vegetables home if they don't fit into my weekly menu because I really, really hate having stuff spoil in our fridge.

In November I found broccoli and cauliflower from the previous week that didn't make their way back so I started to think about what to make with it. I originally wanted to make a cauliflower and pea curry, but I had just made a curry the night before and Meredith isn't fond of peas anyway.

Returning to my computer I started reading up on the food blogs that I follow and almost immediately, I found a recipe for mashed cauliflower at Elana's Pantry to use as a starting point and immediately got to work. The result was a tasty lunch with enough leftovers for the following day.

Recipe: Mashed Cauliflower and Broccoli

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Friday, March 4, 2011

SkyFlake Baked Basa



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SkyFlake Baked Basa
SkyFlake-brand crackers make a tasty breading for this baked fish.
Ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise1 tsp mustard1 tsp ketchup1/4 tsp paprika1 clove garlic, minced1/4 tsp hot pepper sauceto taste salt and pepper500g basa fillets1 cup SkyFlake crackers, crushed1 lemon, sliced
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees.2. In a bowl, thoroughly blend the mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, paprika, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper.3. Pat the basa dry and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.4. Coat the basa with the sauce mixture and sprinkle with the crushed SkyFlakes.5. Use pan spray to lightly spray the coated fish with oil. Arrange the fish in a baking dish and top with lemon slices.6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork and the coating is lightly browned.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 5-6 pieces
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SkyFlakes to the Rescue!

A little over a month ago, I brought home some basa (Vietnamese catfish) and cooked it up. I was surprised how well it turned out - so surprised that I didn't document the ordeal - but I did manage to find the recipe last week, and I bought more basa. When I first made the recipe, I had to make some substitutions. Most notably, I didn't have Melba Toast crackers. However, I do have Sky Flakes, so why the heck not?!

I also realized that the first time I made the recipe, I didn't properly follow the directions. The original directions had the fish breaded with the crackers and oil (that's it), with the mayo mixture served on the side, while I baked the fish with the mayo mix and the crackers on top. Frankly, I like my version better.

Recipe: SkyFlakes Baked Basa

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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Loaded Green Apple Mustard

  • 6 tbsp mustard seeds (I used mostly brown with a few yellow)
  • 2/3 cup green apple flavoured rum
  • 1 tbsp dry mustard powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp golden yellow sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  1. Combine mustard seeds and rum in a jar and let soak overnight.
  2. Pour mixture into a food processor and add salt, cider vinegar, sugar and water.
  3. Pulse until desired consistency is reached and pour back into jar.
  4. Let mixture set for at least two days before serving.

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Balsamic Mustard

  • ¼ cup yellow mustard seeds
  • ¼ cup brown mustard seeds
  • ½ cup water
  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 4 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp golden yellow sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  1. Grind seeds in a spice grinder or blender until mostly powdered (you still want some seedy bits).
  2. Add all ingredients to a jar, stir, and let sit unrefrigerated for 3-4 hours.
  3. Put mixture into a food-processor or blender and mix until smooth.
  4. Put mixture in a glass jar and refrigerate.
  5. Wait 2-3 days before serving.
from http://www.food.com/recipe/balsamic-mustard-386563

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Whiskey Mustard

  • 1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
  • 1/2 cup brown mustard seeds
  • 2/3 cup cider vinegar
  • 2/3 cup whiskey
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup runny honey
  • 1 tbsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp mustard powder
  • 1 tbsp salt
  1. pulse ½ cup of yellow and ½ cup of brown in a spice grinder, leaving some chunky bits.
  2. Add the ground seeds, cider vinegar and whiskey. Sitr and let sit for at least four hours or overnight.
  3. Puree in blender until thickened.
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