18th March 2012

Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 ½ kg Ground Beef

3 Large Onions (chopped)

4 Cloves Garlic (chopped)

1 can Crushed Tomatoes

2 cans Tomato Paste

½ cup Tomato Sauce

½ cup Water

2 tbsp White Sugar

1 ½ tsp Dried Basil 

1 tsp Oregano

1 tbsp Salt

¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

4 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley

12 Lasagna Sheets (pre-cooked)

400 gms Grated Mozzarella Cheese

3/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

For the Cheese Sauce:

500 gms Ricotta Cheese

1 egg

½ tsp Salt

Method:

Step 1. Cook ground beef, onion & garlic over medium heat until well browned.

Step 2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce & water.

Step 3. Season with sugar, basil, oregano, salt, pepper & 2 tbsp parsley. Simmer, covered, for about ½ hr stirring occasionally.

Step 4. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley & salt.

Step 5. Preheat oven to 190ᵒC

Step 6. Assemble: spread some meat sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Arrange sheets lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese. Spoon meat sauce over mozzarella & sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers & top with remaining mozzarella & Parmesan cheese.

Step 8. Cover with foil to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese & bake for 25 mins.

Step 9. Remove foil & bake an additional 25 mins.

Step 10. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

8th March 2012

Home-Made KFC

Ingredients:

1 Full Chicken (cut into big pieces)

1 Bunch Parsley

4 – 6 Cloves Garlic

1 inch piece of Ginger

2 Green Chillies

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Pepper Powder

1 Egg

Corn Flour

Oats

Salt to taste

Method:

Step 1. Grind together the garlic, ginger, green chillies and parsley to a paste.

Step 2. Marinade the chicken with salt, pepper, chilli powder and the paste for about an hour.

Step 3. Coat the chicken pieces with corn flour and set aside.

Step. 4. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and fry the chicken till golden and set aside to cool.

Step 5. Beat the egg and dip the fried chicken in and coat with the oats.

Step 6. Fry again till nicely browned.

Step 7. Serve with French fries or salad.

4th March 2012

Spinach Rice & Pumpkin Prawns

For the rice:

2 tbsp Oil

1 ½ cup Basmati (washed and soaked for ½ hr)

1 bunch Spinach (Puréed)

1 Onion (Sliced)

2 Bay leaves

4 Cloves

8 – 10 pepper corns

1 inch stick Cinnamon

1 Maggie Cube

For pumpkin and prawns:

2 tbsp Oil

¼ tsp Mustard seeds

¼ tsp Jeera seeds

6 – 8 Curry leaves

4 Small dry red chillies

1 Onion (sliced)

1 Tomato (chopped)

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

¼ tsp Chilli powder

½ kg Prawns (shelled, deveined and lightly salted)

½ kg Red Pumpkin (cubed)

Method:

For the rice

Step 1. Heat oil in a cooking vessel and add the bay leaves, cloves, pepper, cinnamon and onions fry till onions are soft.

Step 2. Add the spinach and Maggie cube and stir till the cube is diluted.

Step 3. Add the rice and fry for 1 minute and cover with boiling water (water should be an inch above the rice)

Step 4. Cover and cook on low heat till the rice is done.

For the Pumpkin Prawns

Step 1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, jeera, curry leaves, chillies, onion and fry till onion is soft.

Step 2. Add the tomatoes and fry further till soft.

Step 3. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and pumpkin.

Step 4. Add water just in level with the pumpkin and cook stirring occasionally.

Step 5. When the pumpkin is done add the prawns and cook for 5 mins. (Add salt to taste)

Serve hot..