Garam Masala

Making homemade Garam Masala!


1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/3 cup corinader seeds
1 rounded tablespoon green cardamom pods
1 rounded tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 whole dried red chilie
1/8 teaspoon ground mace


Combine the cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, and red chilie in a frying pan and toast over medium heat. Stir constantly until cumin turns brown. Around 5 minutes.
Grind in a spice grinder (or cleaned out coffee grinder) and grind to a powder. Stir in mace (we have been known to leave out this ingredient...) and store in airtight container.  For up to 4 months...


Lahori Chicken Curry & Potatoes




Serves 4


  • 3 chicken breasts cut into inch cube pieces
  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 3/4 teaspoon tumeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Salt
  • 2 medium onions, diced 
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2-3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut
  • Few tablespoons of oil 
  • cinnamon stick
  • 12 green caramom pods
  • 9 whole cloves
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 3 whole dried red chiles
  • 1 teaspoon corinader seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 fresh hot green chilie, cut in half
  • 2 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup to 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lemon

In a bowl mix chicken pieces, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of the tumeric and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix to coat the chicken and potatoes. Let stand as you make the sauce

Mince onions, garlic and ginger in a food processor. Set aside.

Combine 2 tablespoons oil, cinnamon stick, cardamom seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, red chilies, corinader and cumin in a pot over medium-high heat. Cook stirring until cinnamon unfurls...around 3-4 minutes. Add minced onion mixture, the green chilie and teaspoon salt. Stir until the onions start to turn brown around the edges, about 10 minutes.

Remove cinnamon stick and green chile and stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon tumeric and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Transfer to food processor and blend until smooth, set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and potatoes and stir. Cook for a few minutes. Add the yogurt 1 tablespoon at a time and stir well after each addition. Cook two minutes after all yogurt is added to have some of the moisture evaporate.
Add pureed tomato mixture and bring to boil. Stir in water (how much water to add depends on how thick your sauce is...)  Return to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, around 30 minutes.
Stir every few minutes and make sure sauce and chicken isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer and reduce.
Stir in cilantro and lemon juice. Salt to taste. Serve hot.

Banana Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

I found this recipe online and had to try it for my husband who loves anything banana. It is a lot like banana bread...just lighter...and sweeter...







2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 egg yolks
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 crushed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg whites, beaten


  • Mix sugar and butter and beat on low speed until completely combined.

  • Add egg yolks and beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. 

  • In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk thoroughly.

  • Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients (milk), beating each time until just mixed in. Start and end with dry. When you’re done, you should have a nice, soft, fluffy batter. 

  • Mash bananas and add to batter.

  • Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

  • Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter, trying not to deflate them too much.

  • Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured round pans.

  • Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
  • Remove cakes from the pans and let cool. 





1 cup milk
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt (if you use unsalted butter)


  • Stir milk and flour together and mix over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until it thickens. It changes suddenly, so don’t walk away from it.

  • Set the milk aside to cool. Very important to make sure this cools completely otherwise you will have a gravy for your frosting.

  •  Combine sugar, butter (room temperature) and vanilla in a mixer.

  • Beat on medium speed for around 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved, for the most part.

  • Add the cooled milk mixture to the butter mixture and stir until smooth. Once you do this any remaining graininess from the sugar will pretty much dissolve. 
  • Frost cake. It is a pretty soft and light frosting so if you want it to set up at all you will have to put it in the fridge for a bit.


Menu Plan Monday - Bonnie - 13 September 2010

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Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie

No photos ... I'm in a crazy hurry to get this
posted and head outside to drink my
Pina Colada tea !! YUM YUM !!


Sunday
Rory's Carbonara
Italian Roast Peppers

Monday
Andrea's Ajiaco

Tuesday
Laksa
Lumpia
Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

Wednesday
Calamari
Salad
Foccacia

Thursday
Pumpkin Lentil Salad
Leftover Foccacia with Dukkah

Friday
Jono wants to do pizza

Saturday
Still need to talk to Alia about what she wants to do

Sunday
I'm hoping Rory will do a burger ...

For Lunches on days when there's no leftovers ...
Raw Lasagna and Mushrooms
Tuna Fish Sandwiches
Tuna Mac

Also going to try these chili lime nuts ...

Seafood Pizza

I made this ages ago and never posted the recipe.
It was delicious. I'll make it again soon. Very simple recipe !!

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All I did was mozzarella and gruyere cheese as the base. sliced red onion, garlic powder, capers, feta cheese and prawns (w/garlic and parsley) that I cooked for a minute in the fry pan before adding to the pizza. Top with a bit more Mozzarella and then into the oven at 200C. I use a thin crust ....

PS ... I made this up.

The Bohemian

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This burger is deliciousness at it's best.
You will find it at Cheese and Burger.com
Have you visited that site yet ? No ? What ?!
Come on ... go there ! You will like it ... it's fun !!

What you need to make this beast ...

Beef Patty ... have you tried our beef patty's yet ? Rory is convinced they are the best on the planet. So, maybe you should.

Gouda Cheese
Fried Prosciutto
Sliced Turkey
Pesto Mayonnaise
Spinach
Oat Bread - we buttered ours and pressed it in the panini maker ...

So ... I made the pesto mayonnaise. It was easy and so delicious ... Just whip up some mayo using your stick blender. And then make some pesto ... like this ...

2 cups fresh basil leaves ~ I used greek basil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup nice olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
garlic cloves, minced ~ to taste, I used a couple of cloves
Salt and Pepper

Mix basil, pine nuts and garlic in food processor. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Add the grated cheese and keep going til blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

To make the pesto mayonnaise, just add some of this pesto to the mayo ...

DELICIOUS !!
TRY THIS BURGER !!


Menu Plan Monday - Bonnie - 6 September 2010

Photobucket

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie


I've totally spaced posting this menu plan for two weeks in a row !
I did actually write it two weeks ago but then didn't post it ... ooooops !


Saturday ~ 4 Sep
Alia is going to make pizza ....
2 x Rosemary Chicken
1 x Ruth's Rosemary Potato
1 x Plain Cheese

Sunday ~ 5 Sep
Cheese and Burger Time Again
Rory's going to make us The Pioneer

Monday ~ 6 Sep

Chicken Fajitas
on
Homemade Tortillas

Tuesday ~ 7 Sep
I've been craving this Baby Pea Salad but haven't been able to
make it since I hadn't been able to find a balsamic vinegar that didn't have coloring in it.
BUT ... I found one on the weekend bit the bullet and paid the $30 to buy it !

I was also thinking about running out to the store to get the ingredients to
make Tuna Mac as I planned this menu. Must be about time to make it again too ...
It appears, as I try to link to the recipe, that I haven't posted it here !
I will rectify that ... tuna mac is a recipe everyone needs to have !!

Wednesday ~ 8 Sep


Andrea's Ajiaco Soup with my modifications.

That's as far as I got with the planning ....

Hope you all have a great week !! I have some great recipes to post ... I hope to post some of them here in the next couple of days !! I've been a bit of a lazy blogger lately ... sorry !! :)