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Awadhi Lamb Biryani

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The 2 most popular regions in India where Biryani comes from is Lucknow in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and Hyderabad which is located in the Southern state of Telangana.

The Awadhi Biryani we will make is one from Lucknow in the north also called Lucknowi biryani.

What is Awadhi Biryani?

Awadhi Biryani which is considered one of the most elegant and lavish dishes of the Nawabs of Awadh, who were originally of Persian origin. Awadh used to be one of the many provinces in the north India that was under the rule of the Mughal empire.  This region now referred to as Lucknow and the dish is quite often also called Lucknowi Biryani 

Traditionally biryani is cooked over coal in a sealed clay pot. The pot is sealed using a dough seal. Flour and water are mixed to form a dough that is pliable enough to wrap around the lid and it forms a tight seal. The pot is left sealed through the whole cooking process. This method of cooking where the clay pot layered meat and rice is cooked for hours is called “Dum”. If you see Dum Biryani mentioned in the menu, it refers to the method used for cooking the biryani. 

The Awadhi Biryani is considered a “Pakki” style biryani where a lamb based stew is made ahead of time then layered with the rest of the components of the biryani. “Pakki” meaning “cooked”, refers to the meat which is cooked first separately, then layered with the rice and cooked again along with the rice. This results in the meat being very tender in the biryani. 

How to make Awadhi Lamb Biryani? 

I promise the process of making biryani is not as hard as it may seem. I will break it down into simple steps for you. This process works really well for me each time I make it. And once you get the hang of it, you can very well make all the other variations too. Basically, we can break the process down to 3 major process steps:

  • First, is making the Base Lamb Stew, which can be done ahead of time (Step 1 below).
  • Cooking the rice and getting the other ingredients ready for assembly (Step 2, Step 3 and Step 4 below).
  • Assembling the Biryani, sealing the pot and then cooking it altogether (Step 5 and Step 6 below).

For the seal, instead of the flour and water paste, I am going to cheat a little by using a couple of layers of aluminum foil along. That with the heavy lid of my Dutch oven does a great job at sealing the pot. . 

Step 1 – Making the Base Lamb Stew

This step can be done the previous day or morning of the biryani dinner night.  You will need  –

  • 2lbs Lamb leg cut up into 1-2 inch chunks
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 2-3 cardamom pods
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tbsp of grated ginger
  • 6-8 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • Salt to taste (about 1tsp)
  • 1 tsp cayenne powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 2 cups Lamb or chicken stock

Method to make the lamb stew:

  1. Heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. 
  2. Once hot, add the sliced onion and cook stirring often until it is golden brown.  You can add 1 to 2 tsp water if it starts to stick or dry up. 
  3. Add the cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and fry them for about 2-3mins.
  4. Add the cut up lamb chunks to this pot. Turn up the heat and brown it on all sides, stirring often.
  5. Once the lamb is brown, add the ginger and garlic to the pot and sauté for 2-3 mins.
  6. Add the cayenne, turmeric, salt and garam masala
  7. Stir in the yoghurt and cook until you see oil starting to separate, 4-5 mins.
  8. Add the stock and bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer on low heat for about an hour. Alternatively, you may also cover and cook it in the oven at 300F for about 1 to 2 hours. This will make the lamb really tender.
  9. Lamb will be cooked through. 

Step 2- Soaking & Cooking the Rice 

You will need:

  • 2 cups of good quality Basmati Rice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1tbsp lime juice

Cleaning and soaking the rice is essential to get the rice to cooked to the right texture. To do this,

  1. Put the rice in a large bowl and rinse it with water a few times. To do this gently move the rice around in the water to remove any starch in the grains, this will show up sort of cloudy in the water. Do this at least 2-3 times to make sure to get all of it.
  2. Once done, then soak the rice in a generous amount of water for 30 to 45 minutes.
  3. When the rice is soaking, bring a big pot of water to a boil.
  4. Add the salt and lime juice to the water.
  5. Drain the soaked rice and put into the pot of boiling water, salt and lime juice. 
  6. Boil for 4-5 mins until the rice is almost cooked. You can tell when you pick up a grain of rice and press with your fingers. It should still be firm, but break into pieces. 

Step 3 – Making the Caramelized Onions:

The caramelized onions really are the star of the biryani in my opinion. I wouldn’t have a biryani without these. They not only make the biryani look spectacular, but add a very nice caramelized umami flavor to it.

You will need:

  • 1 really large red onion thinly sliced 
  • ¼ cup oil
  • pinch of salt
  • 1tsp granulated sugar

To make them,

  1. Heat up the oil in a frying pan on medium. Add the onions to the pan and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
  2. Cook until they start to change color. The onions should caramelize, turn slightly crispy and dark golden brown.
  3. Turn the heat down if they start to change color too fast. If the onions aren’t getting to the deep brown color, sprinkle a 1tsp of sugar to it and that will help caramelize them.
  4. Take it out and drain it on paper towels to remove excess oil. 

Step 4 – Preparing the Saffron water

  1. Saffron releases its flavors well when it’s toasted.
  2. To toast the saffron, heat up a small pan on medium heat until it gets hot. 
  3. Turn off the heat and take the pan off the heat. Add a large pinch of saffron to the pan and toss it around for about 2 mins. Take it out right away if you start to see it turn too dark. 
  4. Let the toasted saffron cool for a few mins. Once cool you can powder the saffron and then add about 2 tbsp of hot water to the powdered saffron and let it bloom. 

Step 5 – Assembling the Biryani

You will need:

  • 2-3 Jalapeno chilies cut into long strips, more if you want more heat.
  • 2 inch fresh ginger cut into fine matchsticks
  • Dozen or so mint leaves, julienned into thin strips
  • 2 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves (optional, not for genetically induced coriander haters)
  • 2tbsp butter
  • 4tbsp of heavy cream
  • Cooked and drained rice (Step 2)
  • Caramelized Onions (Step 3)
  • Saffron Water (Step 4)
  1. If the lamb base has a lot of liquid, take some out and reserve. You can warm this up and use it as a side sauce for the biryani. There should still be a little over a cup with the lamb. This will prevent the base from burning.
  2. On the lamb, first add the crispy fried onions. Sprinkle it evenly over the lamb.
  3. Next sprinkle the julienned mint leaves, julienned chilies, ginger matchsticks and the coriander leaves if using. 
  4. Add the rice on top of this layer.
  5. Warm the butter and cream in a small saucepan until the butter melts. Slowly drizzle this all over the rice. 
  6. Lastly, sprinkle the saffron water over the rice. This will add a bright orange color to the rice and an amazing aroma when you open the pot after it is out of the oven.

Step 6 – Cooking the Biryani

  1. Preheat oven to 350F 
  2. Cover the assembled biryani tightly with a double layer of foil and start heating it up on the stove.
  3. When it’s warmed through, put the lid of the Dutch oven back on and then transfer it to the oven.
  4. Bake in the oven for 45 mins. 
  5. Once out, let it cool for 10-15 mins before you open it up. 
  6. Serve the biryani, by scooping it up all the way to the bottom to be sure to get to all the delicious layers.
  7. Garnish with pomegranate seeds or more mint, and lime wedges.

Enjoy! You can serve the Biryani with a side of the reserved warmed sauce or a yogurt sauce like tzatziki or raita.

Fish Molee Curry

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Delicious with any firm white fish. This is a version of fish curry made in Kerala, a southern state of India. It’s a simple recipe but elegant and tasty recipe that you can enjoy with a side of rice or naan.

Key Tips

  • For this recipe, we will pan fry the fish on it’s own first and then add it to the molee curry. You could directly add the raw fish into the curry and cook the fish in the curry sauce as well. But the fish tends to break apart while cooking. Pan frying the fish first, then adding it to the curry works better if you are using a delicate white fish. Moreover the slightly browned crust adds a nice touch to the finished recipe.
  • I do use Indian curry spices in this recipe, so a quick trip to the Indian store or local grocery story that carries spices may do. But these species are what you’ll use in multiple different Indian, African or maybe in Mexican recipes, so worth stocking up your pantry with these.
  • Be sure to shake the can of coconut milk before you use it. Canned coconut milk always separates into 2 layers at room temp, solid coconut cream at the top and the liquid water at the bottom.

How to prepare the Fish?

Any firm white fish would work well. For this recipe I have used Cod, but you can use pollock, halibut, etc. Tilapia will fall apart, if using, pan fry it and then add it to the sauce at the very end.

Ingredients for the Fish:

  • 1 Lb firm white fish like cod pieces
  • 2 tbs Lemon Juice
  • Salt, Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 2tbsp Olive oil

Method used to cook the Fish

  1. Cut up the fish into the size you’d like, I’d recommend 2 inch pieces. If the fish you are using is smaller size fillets, you may leave them whole as a fillet.
  2. Sprinkle the pieces of fish with the lemon juice, salt, pepper and turmeric.
  3. Let the fish marinate for 15-20mins.
  4. After that, heat up a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Turn the heat to medium, add the fish when hot and cook until the fish is browned on both sides and cooked through.
  5. Take the fish out of the pan and let it sit in a plate when you are cooking the Molee sauce.

How to make the Molee sauce?

The coconut milk here works really well with the fish. The spices are mild, you may completely avoid the Jalapenos if you do not like the heat or use just 1 for the flavor and a tiny bit of heat. It’s important that you cook the sauce at a simmer. If you like the sauce creamy and thick, you can avoid the broth. This might be a good idea if you are serving this with Naan instead of rice. With rice, I like a little lighter sauce so I add some broth. I always use full fat coconut cream and dilute it with broth rather than getting a low fat coconut milk.

Ingredients for the Fish:

  • 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1tbsp mustard seeds (optional)
  • 1-2 Jalapeno chillies thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 6-7 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp of grated ginger
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1tsp ground coriander
  • 1cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 15 oz can of coconut milk
  • 6-7 curry leaves
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Method to make the Molee sauce:

Here is the method to make the sauce:

  1. In a large deep frying pan, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the mustard seeds and let it sputter. They’ll start to jump when this happens.
  2. Add the onions and turn the heat to medium. Cook until the onion has softened and looks translucent about 5-6 mins.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger and sliced jalapenos and cook for another 2-3 mins.
  4. Add the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander and the cloves and fry with the onion mixture for 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in the can of coconut milk, broth, the curry leaves and salt and bring it to a simmer. Do not bring it to a boil, always cook the coconut milk at a simmer.
  6. Simmer this sauce for 15-20 mins. Adjust the salt as needed.
  7. Add the fish into the sauce and cook until it’s heated through, should only take couple mins.
  8. Stir in the finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves if using.

Serve with Rice or Roti or Naan. Enjoy!

Seafood Green Curry

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This is a slightly milder form of Thai green curry that works great with seafood. You could use a store bought curry paste but after making a homemade version, you wouldn’t go back to buying a curry paste from the store. It takes some effort to gather all the right ingredients but it is worth the effort. I usually tend to make curry pastes in big batches, you can jar or freeze the paste. Use it for the next few months until it’s time to visit the Asian grocery store again.

Homemade Green curry paste vs Store Bought

The advantage is the customization. With homemade you have the control to modify the quantity of each ingredient and spice level. The heat in green curry is from Thai green chilies and you can decide how many of these you want to add to the paste.  The other advantage is the use of fresh herbs and spices  in green curry makes a huge difference in boosting the flavors in the curry.

What makes Green Curry Green?

Green curry has been my favorite of all types of Thai Curries. The Thai word for it Kaeng khiao wan, Kaeng meaning curry and Khiao wan meaning green. So what makes it green? It’s all the fresh herbs that go in it. The freshness and mild, but beautiful flavors of the fresh herbs pairs perfectly with fish, oysters, clams, shrimp. 

How to make the Green Curry Paste?

It is the simplest curry paste to make from scratch and you will find most of these ingredients in any Asian grocery market or even in stores like Whole Foods. 

Once you have all of these ingredients, getting them ready to go into the processor and turning it into a paste takes only a few minutes and the benefits of the fresh paste are worth it. 

Ingredients for the Green Curry Paste

  • 6 Spring Onions
  • 6-7 Fresh Cilantro Stems coarsely chopped (Optional)
  • 8 Kaffir Lime leaves shredded
  • 1-3 Thai green Chilies (if you like the heat), if not Serrano works too
  • 4 lemongrass stalks (bottom tender portion only), coarsely chopped
  • 1 inch piece of Galanga, skin peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 inch piece of ginger, skin peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 10-12 of fresh Thai Basil leaves
  • 4-tbsp of vegetable oil 
  • 1tbsp salt

Put all of these into a food processor and blend until you get a smooth paste. You may need to add 1-2 tbsp of water or additional oil if you prefer to get to the smooth texture.

You can use the paste right away to make the curry or you can put it in a jar, refrigerate or freeze the paste until you are ready to use it. With the amount here I can make this seafood curry recipe at least 2 -3 times, depending on the concentration of flavors you like in your curry. 

How do you make Seafood Green Curry?

You can use just fish, if you prefer. A light fish like Cod or Barramundi works well. My favorite curry is a seafood mix including fish, shrimp, scallops, mussels, squid rings. The creaminess of the coconut milk and the flavors of the fresh herbs pairs really well with any seafood. 

For the curry you will need,

Ingredients:

  • 2.5lbs bag of mixed seafood (shrimp, mussels, scallops and calamari). I get this from Costco. If not, just any such combination will do. 
  • 2 small fillets of Cod, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 4-5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded, or cut into thin strips.
  • 2-3 fresh Thai or Serrano chilies, seeded and cut into strips (optional for additional heat)
  • 2 cans of coconut milk
  • Handful of torn Thai Basil leaves
  • 2-3tbsp of Thai fish sauce
  • 3-4 green parts of the Spring Onions for garnish, minced
  • Squeeze of lime juice

Key Tips – 

  • If you not into Thai Fish Sauce (yes, it is super stinky, but adds a delicious flavor), you can use soy sauce.
  • For coconut milk, I prefer the full fat coconut milk with seafood. For chicken, a little less creamy works better. You can use one can of full fat coconut with 1 can of reduced fat coconut milk.
  • You do not want to overcook the curry sauce, coconut milk can get slimy as it overcooks. I split up the additions of coconut milk to avoid this.  Avoid bringing coconut milk to a boil, should always stay in a state of mild simmer.
  • While cutting up Kaffir Lime leaves, take out the central vein, it is tough and will not taste good in the curry. To cut up Kaffir lime, roll up a few after taking the central vein out and cut it into very fine strips.
  • While using Lemongrass, only use the bottom 1-2 inches that are tender. Take out the most of the tough layers until you get to the tender part of the stalk. Remove the tough base as well. 
  • It’s important not to overcook the squid, it will turn chewy. As soon as shrimp gets slightly pink, you can stop.  It shouldn’t take more than a few mins if there is no liquid. If the seafood is frozen, completely thaw it out and strain all liquid before stir frying. Also if the wok isn’t large enough, cook the seafood in installments. If you overcrowd the wok, the seafood will steam, release water and overcook. 

Method to make the curry

  1. In a large wok, heat up some oil. When hot add the seafood mix and cook until the shrimp turns just pink. If using mussels either use cooked mussels or cook it separately until mussels open up and are cooked.
  2. Transfer the cooked seafood onto a plate while you are making the curry sauce.
  3. Add 1 can of coconut milk to the same wok and add 1/4 to 1/3rd cup of the paste, the fish sauce and shredded kaffir lime leaves to the hot coconut milk and stir well to mix. You can use close to half of the paste that you made. 
  4. Bring this mix to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain simmering gently for 10 mins
  5. Add the 2nd can of coconut milk to the wok and stir and continue to cook until it is heated through and comes up to simmer. This should take a couple mins. 
  6. Add the chunks of fish to the sauce 1st, and after a couple minutes or so add the cooked seafood. 
  7. Adjust seasoning. Cook until the seafood is heated through, a few more mins, not more. You do not want to overcook the seafood.
  8. When heated through, add in the green chilies (if using), scallions and torn basil leaves.
  9. Serve with freshly cooked hot Thai Jasmine rice and couple lime wedges on the side. Squeeze of lime into the curry just before you eat. 

You may substitute seafood for chicken or tofu if you prefer. When I use seafood, I do not use any other vegetables. But if you are using chicken, you could add other vegetables like eggplant or peas. You can use thinly sliced chicken or precooked chicken breasts to the curry sauce. The other option with chicken is to marinate the chicken in some curry paste and soy sauce, stir fry the chicken prior to adding it to the curry sauce. Enjoy!

Clams in White Wine Sauce

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Clams are perfect when gently cooked in white wine. Fast and easy to do and super tasty. You can also do the same with Mussels and the same recipe works great. What I enjoy the most is dipping a piece of rustic bread like a baguette into the warm clam, lemon and wine sauce, generates a burst of flavor in your mouth. Be sure to have this with the wine you use to cook the clams.

Clams cooked in Wine

Very popular in Belgium and France served as Moules et Frite (Mussels with Fries) and in Italy the clams with the wine sauce are served on spaghetti.  I ate this for the first time in Bruges, Belgium and fell for it and have been making it ever since I got back home. 

Moules- Frites at Poules Moules Restaurant in Bruges, Belgium

Key Tips

  1. Use a good wine! Use the one you want to drink with this dish. I would recommend a zesty acidic wine like a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio with this one. 
  2. Clean the Clams or Mussels thoroughly otherwise you’ll end up with them spitting out the sand in your delicious sauce

Cleaning the Clams

After this I move the clams one by one into another container of fresh water, discarding the broken or open fellas out. Test by tapping on the clams. If alive it will close. The open and cracked clams are dead, toss these out. Let it sit another 10-15 mins to get rid of the saltiness from the salt water and any remaining sand.

Dump all the clams in a large pot of water with a couple of tablespoons of sea salt. Let the clams sit in it for about 30 mins. The clams will relax and start slowing opening a little and they will spit out any sand inside. This step is important as if you don’t do this, you will likely end up with sand in your sauce.

Clams spit out sand when in salt water

If you are using Mussels:  In addition to the steps above it is important and you pick them out one by one to pull out the beard of the mussels. I’d highly recommend wearing a pair of rubber cleaning gloves, these strands are sharp and I have ended up with cuts on my fingers many times! 

Components of the Clams in White Wine Sauce

Clams cook really fast, so be sure you have all of these next to you on the counter before you begin. You will need the following:

  • Clams about 3lbs, 30-32 in count
  • 3 cups Dry White Wine, Good quality Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
  • Shallots, 2 tbsp very finely chopped
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed & then finely chopped
  • 1 lemon
  • 2-3 tbsp of finely chopped Parsley

Steps to make Clams in White Wine Sauce

Clams cooking in white wine, garlic and lemon
  1. Clean the clams or mussels following the cleaning method described above.
  2. In a large sauté pan, big enough to hold all the clams, sauté the finely chopped shallots in 2 tbsp. of butter until translucent. You do not want it to brown. It should take about 3-4 mins.
  3. Add the finely chopped garlic and fry for 1-2 mins
  4. Add the 3 cups of the wine to the pan. Simmer until the wine reduces in half.
  5. Season with salt and pepper
  6. Cut the lemon into quarters and add 2 of them to the pan.
  7. Add the cleaned clams to the pan. Cover and cook for 3-4 mins.
  8. Within a couple of minutes the clams will start opening up. Wait for all of them to open up. 
  9. The clams will release their juice into the pan, which combined with the wine will make a tasty sauce. Simmer the juices for a couple more mins without the lid.
  10. Sprinkle fine chopped parsley to the pan and it’s ready. If you like a bit of heat, you can add a pinch or 2 of red pepper flakes to it at this time.

Serve it with a rustic baguette and the remaining 2 quarters of lemon. Be sure to dip the baguette into the sauce and enjoy!

Clams in white wine, served with warm baguette

Maple Nut Granola

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The first time I made granola at home, I couldn’t believe how simple it was to put it together.  Throw your favorite nuts, seeds, oatmeal, a bit of oil or butter and a sweetener like maple syrup or honey together for a fantastic and healthy treat.  Such a good and handy snack to have at home. You store it in an airtight container and it will last for several days. Also makes for great giveaways to neighbors or friends. Put it in a little fancy box and that makes for a really healthy gift. 

The advantage is, you choose what goes in it, have control of how sweet you like it and pick your favorite type of nuts to use.  Once you have the base ingredients, you can create your own variation. No more store bought granola for me.

What is in a basic granola?

Granola is usually has a base of old fashioned oats. With that base, you can add other dry ingredients like nuts, seeds, dried fruits, chocolate chips etc.. You can go nuts using your imagination.

  • The Sweetener – Brown sugar or Maple syrup or Honey, any of these work well. I like mixing brown sugar with maple syrup in this version.
  • The Fat – We need some fat to give it that nice crispiness. You can use canola oil, butter or even olive oil.
  • The Spices – You can use spices like Cinnamon, Cardamom, nutmeg, orange zest.. So many options.

Always add a pinch of salt, it goes a long way to bring out the flavors in the granola..Now we just mix them all up and bake.

Dry Ingredients = Rolled Oats + Nuts + Sugar + Dried fruits

Wet Ingredients = Veg oil/Butter + A Sweet Syrup (Maple Syrup/Agave/Honey etc..)

How do you make Maple Nut Granola?

The sweetness and flavor in this version is from Maple syrup and the dark Brown sugar. Together it creates a dense maple flavor to the granola.  I use many different types of nuts here, but you can pick just a couple and  double up the amounts.

Key Tips:

  • I highly recommend using the best quality maple syrup you can get your hands on.. If you can get hold of a Grade B bottle of goodness, use it.
  • For the nuts, use them as soon as your buy them. Old nuts stored away for while do taste bad. Use raw nuts as you will be roasted them with the granola.
  • For the sugar, using dark brown sugar adds a more dense molasses flavor to the granola. If not regular cane sugar or light brown sugar works well here too.
  • If you are adding dried fruits or chocolate chip, add them to the granola when backing is done.  We don’t need to bake these.

For the Dry Mix

  • 5 cups of Old fashioned Rolled Oats
  • 1 cup Walnuts
  • 1 cup Pecans
  • 1 cup Slivered Almonds
  • 1 cup Sunflower seeds
  • 3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Salt

First we mix all our dry ingredients together – oatmeal and the nuts and seeds (sunflower or pumpkin)

I use them all – 1 cup each of Walnuts, Pecans, Slivered Almonds, Sunflower Seeds together. If you choose to add Pistachios, add them on to the 2nd half of baking. Pistachios tend to roast fast and may turn brown quickly.

Mix in the nuts to the oatmeal with ¾ cup brown sugar and 1 tsp of salt.

The Wet Mix..

  • 3/4 cup Maple Syrup
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Tbs of Butter
  • 1/2 cup Water

For the maple syrup mix, whisk ½ cup maple syrup with ½ cup oil, 2 tbsp of butter and ½ cup of water.

Putting it together..

Preheat oven to 275F. Add the Maple Syrup Mix to the Oatmeal Nut mix and stir well. Line a baking tray with parchment and spread it evenly on a baking tray. Bake at 275F preheated oven for 45 mins.

After 45 mins, stir granola around and turn the baking tray around and then back into the oven for another 45 mins.

Adding the Dried fruits..

Once you pull our the granola from the oven, add about 1.5 to 2 cups of raisins to it. You can use dried cranberries or cherries instead of rasins if you wish to do so, but raisins go well with this recipe.

Let the granola cool completely. Store it in an airtight jar for a couple weeks, that is if it lasts that long, ha!  At home, we are usually all over it when I pull it out the oven, and get through a batch in 2 to 3 days.

Also a really awesome way to make your house smell great!

Bonus:

Mix this 1 cup of the granola with Vanilla ice cream & top if off with wild blueberries for an awesome dessert!

 

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5 from 1 reviews
Maple Nut Granola
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Healthy Snack
Serves: 1 baking sheet full
Ingredients
  • 5 cups Old Fashioned Oats
  • 1 cup Sunflower Seeds
  • 1 cup Slivered Almonds
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • (or 1 cup pistachios)
  • ½ cup Brown Sugar
  • ½ cup Water
  • ½ cup Canola oil
  • ¾ cup Maple Syrup
  • 1½ cups Raisins
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven 275F
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients together, except for the pistachios if using and the raisins.
  3. Whisk together water, canola oil and maple syrup
  4. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients
  5. Spread on a cookie sheet
  6. Place in the oven for 45 mins
  7. Remove, mix it well and bake again for another 45 mins. If using Pistachios add them in at this time.
  8. Remove and add the Raisins
  9. Cool and store in airtight container.

 

Thai Yellow Curry

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One of the things I am a real sucker for a rich and creamy Thai curry. The freshness of the herbs and spices used in Thai curries always intrigue me.. The first few times I made Thai curries at home, I went over to my local Asian market and grabbed a jar of curry paste. It turned out good but the heat in the curries, made with the store bought Thai curry paste was too much for my family.. It was just too spicy. That’s when I decided to do this myself, and now I am hooked!! My freezer is well stocked with all our favorite curry pastes..

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Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

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Do you just ever crave a quick and instant pizza? And you don’t have time to go to the store and buy a pizza crust? Well, this quick and easy made from scratch pizza crust from your pantry will surely amaze you! The first time I made it, I couldn’t believe how tasty it turned out, and all you need is 3 staple ingredients from your kitchen..

  1. Self-Rising Flour
  2. Greek Yogurt
  3. Olive oil

Equipment:

  • Rolling Pin
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Baking Mat or a clean surface to roll your dough

Tips & Tricks:

  1. You may need to adjust the proportion each of the ingredients slightly as the consistency of the Greek Yogurt varies from brand to brand. I have used the Costco’s Kirkland Signature Organic Non-Fat Greek Yogurt for this recipe..
  2. Best to roll the crust on a large silicone baking mat, you are always guaranteed a stick free rolling with it..

Ingredients (Makes Two 14-15 inch Pizzas)

  • 3 Cups Self-Rising Flour
  • 2 cups to 2.5 cups Greek Yogurt
  • 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

  1. Add the 3 Cups Self-Rising Flour, 2 cups of Greek Yogurt and the 4 Tbsp Olive Oil to a mixing bowl.

2. Get in there with your hands and mix to form a dough. You may need to add either more flour or yogurt to form dough.

3. Knead the dough with your hand until it feels pliable and can be easily rolled with a rolling pin.

4. Cut the dough in half and let it sit for 10 mins.

5. Roll each half of the dough to fit your pizza pan or you can also roll it to fit your baking tray if you are making a flatbread..

6. Brush the pizza crust with olive oil and top with your favorite ingredients..

This is a quick and easy meals for kids or play dates. One of my tricks is to roll the pizza crust to a large size and then give the kids each a cookie cutter so they get to decide their pizza shapes. Put out a few toppings and let them have a go at making their own pizzas! They absolutely enjoy this and guess what, how could anyone not eat a pizza the shape of a Christmas tree or Snow flake or Mickey mouse :)!

 

Veggie Pizza

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This is a really fun, kid friendly meal that can be put together really quick.. You can pretty much use any vegetable you like. I usually end up making this Pizza for a quick dinner, so end up using what I can find in my refrigerator. My family absolutely enjoys this pizza and we usually end up eating this on a Friday evening. After a busy week, there is no other better way to start the weekend than a quick home-made pizza and popcorn..

Tips & Tricks..

  1. The trick to an amazing crust and bubbling top is to bake a pizza at 450F and put it on the lowest rack of the oven
  2. I do prefer Pizza trays with holes..produces a nice brown crispy crust!
  3. The tomato sauce, be sure the sauce is brushed on a thin layer. A lot of sauce just makes the pizza too soggy, over cooks the crust leave the insides still really soggy, we don’t want that. A thin layer ensures that pizza cooks fast and as soon as the crust is ready, the pizza is ready. Using a strong flavored tomato sauce helps add a lot of flavor while keep the sauce layer thin.

Ingredients

1 Quick and Easy Pizza Crust Recipe

1 Jar of good strong Tomato Sauce (I like the one with Basil or Garlic for Pizza base)

1.5 cups of Shredded Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese

½ Red Bell Pepper cut up into small cubes

½ Yellow Bell Pepper cut up into small cubes

1/4 of a Red onion, thin slices

½ cup olives cut in half

½ cup Roasted Garlic

1 to 1.5 cups Spinach cut fine

Method:

1. Roll the Pizza dough and transfer it on to the Pizza tray. The trick to transferring the rolled dough onto the tray is roll it on the rolling pins and then unroll it over the pizza tray.

2. Brush a thin layer of tomato sauce on the pizza crust

3. Sprinkle your favorite shredded cheese. For this version, I used shredded Cheddar.

4. Top up with the veggies.. Keep it to minimal, you don’t want the pizza loaded up. This will overcook the crust, leaving pizza still soggy on the inside

5. Once the veggies on top, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to season the raw vegetables.

6. Place the pizza tray on the bottom rack of the oven and cook until crust is done. You should be able to lift it off the tray and center of the pizza should not be wet.

7. Use a Pizza cutter to cut up pizza to size you like and enjoy! 🙂

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake with Caramel Sauce

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There’s something about “Sticky” and “Toffee” that got my attention over the holidays.  Let me tell you and it does taste exactly like what it sounds and is a perfect dessert to serve up on a cold winter evening.

The cake’s origin takes you over to the northwest country side of England. The story is that it was first created in the 1970s during the winter months in the Lake District where it can get really cold. It was served warm, drizzled with a warm toffee sauce. It slowly became a popular comfort food throughout England. It is now served as a classic holiday dessert in England. It is also a popular dessert in Australia and New Zealand.

Although called a pudding, it is really a very moist cake made with dates and drenched in the buttery toffee sauce.

What I like about it is it is a foolproof moist cake. The secret is to keeping this cake moist is using a water bath while baking the cake.

Tips & Tricks:

1. Key to getting the cake to a sticky pudding feel is to soak the dates in boiling water and baking soda until they just simply fall apart on touch.

2. Use a water bath while baking the cake, this will give you a moist and spongy texture that make the cake just melt in your mouth.

I have it broken down in to the following easy steps for you to follow along..

PART 1- THE CAKE

Ingredients:

2 Cups Chopped Dates (Medjool preferred)

1 Cup Water

1/2Tsp Orange Zest (optional)

1Tsp Vanilla Extract

1Tsp Baking Soda

1.5 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour

1Tsp Baking Powder

½Tsp Salt

1 Cup Butter (at room temperature)

½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

2 large Eggs

Method:

Step 1:

2 Cups Chopped Dates (Medjool preferred)

1 Cup Water

1/2Tsp Orange Zest (optional)

1Tsp Vanilla Extract

1Tsp Baking Soda

1. Bring the 1 cup of water to boil.

2. Add the 2 cups of dates, 1 tsp Baking Powder, ½ Tsp Orange Zest(optional) if using to the boiling water.

3. Let soak until the dates fall apart at touch. Add the 1sp Vanilla Extract.

This is almost the single most important step for this cake. The trick to getting that gooey sticky pudding cake is soaking the dates in boiling water and baking soda until they just simply fall apart on touch.

Soak dates in boiling water with baking soda

Step  2:

1.5 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour

1Tsp Baking Powder

½Tsp Salt

1. Sift 1.5 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Powder and ½ Tsp Salt. Set aside.

Step 3:

1 Cup Butter (at room temperature)

½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

2 large Eggs

1. In a Mixer, mix together 1 cup Butter (at room temperature), ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar and ½ cup Granulated Sugar

2.When well mixed, add 2 large eggs and mix.

Step 4:

1.Add the date mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixture and mix until all the dates are incorporated

2. Add the sifted flour mix and mix until combined. Set aside.

 

Step 5:

1.Preheat oven to 325F

2. Bring water to a boil in a kettle

3. In the meantime, grease Mini Bundt cake tray with some butter or Pam and coat lightly with flour. You could also use Ramekins or a Muffin Tray.

4. Pour the cake batter into the Mini Bundt tray.

5. Lightly Sprinkle some granulated sugar on top. This is give a slightly crispy base when the cakes are done

6. Place the Mini Bundt tray or Ramekins into a 9×13 inch baking pan, then place in the oven.

7. Once in the baking rack, carefully pour the boiling water around the bottom of the tray. The boiling water should come up to at least half the height of the Mini Bundt tray or the Ramekins.

8. Bake for 35 to 40 mins until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

9. Carefully take the Mini Bundt Tray or Ramekins out of the oven. Keep in mind, at this time, the water bath around the Mini Bundt Tray or Ramekins is really hot.

10. Let cool for an hour…

PART 2 – THE CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients:

1.5 Cups Butter

1 Cup Light Brown Sugar

¼ Tsp Sea Salt

1Tbs Cointreau or Bourbon (Optional)

1 Cup Whipping Cream

½Tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:

1. On medium high, heat 5cups of Butter and 1cup Light Brown Sugar in a saucepan until the butter and brown sugar start to boil. Bring the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the brown sugar well combined with the butter. This would take about 5-6 mins.

2. Add the ½ Tsp Vanilla, ¼ Tsp Sea Salt and 1Tbs Cointreau or Bourbon if using and simmer addition 2-3 mins.

3. Add the 1cup Whipping Cream and heat until sauce starts to look more like a caramel, about 4-5 mins.

4. Take off the heat and it is ready to serve with the cake…You other option is to grab a spoon and just got for it :)@