Home-Brew Recipes

Posts Tagged ‘smart cook’

In general, kids say a big NO to vegetables. So, why not make the same kids to ask for more of vegetables in the form of vegetable sandwich? Cut one onion, tomato and capsicum. Fry them with a little of oil in the pan, with carrot adding salt for taste. Now, fry mint leaves separately and grind it well in a mixer. Then mix the mint paste along with the ginger paste and butter. Apply this mixture to one bread piece.

Keep some vegetable pieces over it followed by the fried vegetables and garnish with coriander. Keep another slice of bread over it and toast it in a toaster. Vegetable Bread Sandwich serves as excellent tiffin in the morning or evening for your brisky kids!

It is now the high time to make tasty Mint Chicken Pulav! Clean three cups of basmati rice and boil it. Heat some oil in the cooker and fry one onion, ginger-garlic paste, and mint leaves. Add a little of turmeric powder and garam masala then the chicken pieces that has been so long soaked in curd.

Add adequate amount of salt and water for taste and mix the contents well. When this mixture gets cooked well and boils, add the cooked basmati rice to it and close the cooker for some ten minutes, allowing it to get cooked for some ten minutes. When the pressure reduces in the cooker, take the lid off with constant stirring, serve hot for your kids with the yummy Mint Chicken Pulav!

Having spent time and money, buying growing or foraging for fresh produce, it is important that you do not allow it to go to the waste. Correct storage and freezing techniques will help you to make the most of fresh ingredients as well as leftover, and will provide you with a supply of food throughout the year.

Storing Foods: All foods in the refrigerator or freezer, particularly raw meat and poultry should be well wrapped or stored in sealed containers. Perishable items, such as meat, poultry, fish and shellfish, eggs and dairy products must be kept refrigerated at a temperature of 1-5^o C. For longer storage, many can also be frozen at -18^o C. Cooked leftovers must be refrigerated or frozen.

Storing Fresh Fruits: Keep apricots, kiwi fruits, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples and plums at room temperature until ripe then refrigerate and eat in 2-3 days. Apples can be kept at room temperature for a few days, dates for a few weeks, and grapefruit and oranges for up to a week, beyond the refrigerate them. Unless you intend to eat them on the day of purchase refrigerate fully ripped and perishable fruits such as berries, cherries, figs, grapes, lemons, melons, pomegranate and tangerines. They can be kept refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Storing Fresh Vegetables: Store garlic, onions, potatoes and sweet potatoes, Swedes and pumpkins in a dark, cool place with good ventilation. All can be kept for about 2 months. Store tomatoes at room temperature until they are ripe. After that, refrigerate them. Other vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator.

Being a clever cook involves the application of several commonsense principles, including planning ahead; shopping around, buying good quality foods, when they are in season, making the most of bargains and special offers, having a storecupboard that is well stocked with basic essentials; knowing how to store and freeze fresh food; and of course, being equipped with the necessary knowledge to transform simple ingredients into a feast for every occasion. Proper planning helps to ensure that you eat a wide variety of foods and make the most of the seasonal produce. If you know that you are going to be short of time in the evenings, then you should consider preparing make-ahead meals and stocking up the freeze, so that you can avoid the temptation to buy and expensive store-bought meal or unhealthy fast foods.

For many people, the thought of planning and evening meal and simply never crosses their minds until dinner-time arrives. This lack of forethought often results in people eating out or buying ready meals both of which can be very costly if indulged in on a regular basis. A little bit of planning not only saves money, but it also ensures greater variety in the diet and can save time at the end of a busy day. Writing a list of exactly what meals you plan to make and the ingredients that you need to buy is an excellent way to ensure that you don’t go over budget.