Friday, 25 May 2012

Chicken and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

Closed cup mushroom250gm (chopped vertically)
Chicken breast piece......1 (large, cut in chunks)
Potato………………………..1 (small, peeled & grated)
Onion………………….........1 (small, chopped)
Garlic……….....……….......1 clove (finely chopped)
Chicken broth………..……5 cups
Salt to taste
Oil to cook

Method
  • Heat oil in pan and sauté the chicken until cooked, sprinkle salt on the chicken pieces while it is cooking. Keep aside once cooked.
  • Similarly sauté ½ of the chopped mushrooms until cooked and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a soup pan. Add the onions and sauté for 1 min.
  • Add the garlic, cook for 1 min.
  • Now add the remaining ½ of the mushrooms, grated potato and the salt and cook for 3 min.
  • Finally add the chicken broth and let the mushroom and potato simmer in the broth until cooked.
  • Once cooked, let it cool down slightly. Then add the entire soup mixture in a blender and blend. (You can use a hand blender directly in the soup pan if you like)
  • Pour the thick soup mixture back in the soup pan to heat/cook it again for 3 min. Now turn off the heat.
  • Serve the soup in the soup bowls and drop half the sautéed chicken pieces and mushrooms at the centre of each of the bowls.
  • Garnish with parsley (if required). Serve hot.
Serves: 2

Note:
I you like watery soup and do not prefer thick textured soup or if you do not find the colour of the chicken and mushroom soup appetising does not blend the soup. A watery chicken and mushroom soup is equally delicious.


Thursday, 24 May 2012

Corned Beef Patty Burger

Ingredients

Corned beef………………220gm
Potato………………………1 (large, boiled)
Green peas………………..1 cup (boiled)
Breadcrumbs…………….2 cup
Green chilli…..…………..2 (large, chopped)
Basil…………………………1 tea spoon
Burger bread…………….5 (sliced)
Butter………………………2 ½ tea spoon
Onions……………………..1
Tomato…………………….2
Mayonnaise………………5 table spoon
Mustered………………….2 ½ tea spoons
Salt to taste
Oil to shallow fry patties

Method
  • Mash the boiled potato and peas in a bowl. Now add the corned beef, basil, chillies and salt. Mix well.
  • Divide the mix in 5 equal portions. Roll each portion on the palm of your hand, and then press to flatten them into 3/4 inch thick burger patties.
  • Spread the breadcrumbs on a plate to easy the coating process. Now coat the patties with breadcrumbs on all sides.
  • Heat some oil in a shallow frying pan. Drop a few breadcrumbs in the oil to check if it’s hot enough to start cooking. They should start to sizzle immediately.
  • Shallow fry the patties for 7 min on both sides or until their colour changes to deep golden brown and are cooked from the inside. Drain them on a paper towel. 
  • After all the patties are cooked, drop ½ tea spoon of butter in the hot pan and lightly toast sliced burger bread in the butter (only the insides). Repeat the process for each of the 5 sliced burger breads.   
  • Slice the tomatoes into half’s and then chop the half’s into semi-circle slices of to medium thickness. Repeat the same for the onions.
  • Now apply mayonnaise on the top slice of the burger bread and mustered on the bottom side. Place a patty on the bottom slice and top the patty with the tomatoes and then the onions slices. Cap the burger with the top half of the burger bread.
  • Serve hot with your choice of condiments.   

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Lamb Scotch Eggs

Ingredients

Eggs…………………………4
Minced lamb……..……..250g
Onion……………………...½ (finely chopped)
Chilli powder…………....1 tea spoon
Rosemary……………...…½ tea spoon
Ground peppercorns….½ tea spoon
Garlic……………………….1 clove (large, chopped)
Breadcrumbs……….……1 ½ cup
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method
  • Boil 3 eggs in salted water for 5 min, reduce the heat and let the eggs simmer in the water for 10 min.
  • Now discard the hot water and place the eggs in cold/chilled water to artificially cool them.
  • One the eggs are cooled peel them and keep aside.
  • Mix the mince lamb, chilli powder, rosemary, garlic, ground peppercorn, onion and salt in a bowl. Now divide the mince in 3 equal parts.
  • Take one portion of the divided mince and flatter it in your palm. Place one of the boiled eggs on the flattened mince and wrap the entire egg with it.  Make sure there are no gaps in the mice coating. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining eggs.
  • Break and whisk the fourth egg in a bowl.
  • Now dip the mince coated eggs in the whisked egg and roll it on the breadcrumbs to coat the entire egg ball.  Keep ready to be deep fry.
  • Heat oil in a deep frying pan. To make sure the oil is hot enough drop few crumbs of bread in the oil, if they start to sizzle immediately the oil is hot enough to fry the eggs. 
  • Carefully dip the eggs in the hot oil and fry them for 10 min or until golden brown.
  • Serve cold.
Note:
Traditionally scotch eggs are made with sausage meat and light herbs like parsley.  

Do not make the mince layer too thick as it will take a very long time to cook from the inside or might remain uncooked.