Rogan Josh

Serving Size : 4

• 2 1″ chunks fresh ginger ,peeled, coarsley chopped 
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled 
• 2 cups water
• 10 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 2 pounds boned lamb shoulder or leg -- cut into 1″ cubes 
• 10 whole cardamom pods 
• 2 whole bay leaves 
• 6 whole cloves 
• 10 whole black peppercorns 
• 1 stick cinnamon 
• 2 medium onions, peeled, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed -- ground 
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds -- ground 
• 4 teaspoons red paprika 
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, gounnd (adjust to taste) 
• 1 teaspoon salt, to taste 
• 6 tablespoons plain yogurt 
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala (your favorite) 
• 1 dash fresh ground pepper to taste 

1.  Put the ginger, garlic and 4 tablespoons of water into the container of an electric blender. Blend well into a smooth paste. 
2. Heat oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium-high flame. Brown meat cubes in several batches and set aside in a bowl. 
3. Put the cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon into the same hot oil. Stir once and wait until cloves swell and the bay leaves begin to take on color. This just takes a few seconds. 
4. Now put in the onions. Stir and fry for 5 minutes or until the onions turn a medium-brown color. 
5. Put in ginger-garlic paste and stir for 30 seconds. Then add the coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and the salt. Stir fry for another 30 seconds. 
6. Add the browned meat cubes and the meat juices. Now put in 1 tablespoon of the yogurt and stir and fry for about 30 seconds until yogurt is well blended. 
7. Add the remaining yogurt, a tablespoon at a time in the same way. Stir and fry for another 3-4 minutes. 
8. Now add 1 1/4 cups water and bring the contents of the pot to a boil, scraping in all the browned spices on the sides and bottom of the pot. 
9. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about an hour or until meat is tender. Every 10 minutes give the pot a good stir to prevent burning. 
10. When the meat is tender, take off the lid, turn the fire to medium high and boil off some of the liquid, stirring all the time, until the sauce is thickened. 
11. Sprinkle the garam masala and black pepper over the dish and mix them in just before you serve it. 

Thai Spring Rolls

Yield: Approx. 1 dozen spring rolls

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, grated
• 2 green onions, sliced into matchstick pieces
• 1 red chili, minced, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (omit if you prefer very mild spring rolls)
• 1/2 cup shredded or finely chopped cabbage
• 4-6 shiitake mushrooms, cut into matchstick pieces
• 1/2 cup medium to firm tofu, sliced into matchstick pieces (If non-vegetarian: add 1/2 cup cooked baby shrimp)
• approx. 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp. oil, plus more for deep-frying
• 1 pkg. spring roll wrappers (thawed if frozen)

STIR-FRY SAUCE:

• 2 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce OR vegetarian stir-fry sauce (I like Lee Kum Kee brand)
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. sugar

TO SERVE:

• Thai sweet chili sauce (available in most supermarkets, Asian section)

Preparation:

1. Place 2 Tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add garlic, galangal (or ginger), green onion, and chili. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir-frying Tip: Add a little water to the wok/pan when it gets too dry instead of more oil.
2. Add cabbage, mushrooms, and tofu (or shrimp). As you stir-fry, add the sauce. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
3. Remove from heat and add bean sprouts, tossing to mix in.
4. Do a taste test for salt, adding 1 Tbsp. more fish or soy sauce if not salty enough.
5. To assemble rolls, place a spring roll wrapper on a clean working surface. Place one heaping Tbsp. of the filling on the wrapper (if using large wrappers, you will need more).Tips: Spread the filling lengthwise along the spring roll wrapper nearer the end closest to you. Also, try not to include too much of the liquid left in the bottom of your wok/pan (a slotted spoon works well for this - drier filling is better.
6. Now sprinkle some of the fresh coriander and basil over the filling.
7. Fold the left and right sides of wrapper over filling, then lift up the wide end nearest you and tuck overtop. Roll to the other end. Secure the roll by dipping your fingers in some water and wetting the end, "pasting" it shut.
8. To fry spring rolls, place some oil (about 1 inch deep) in a wok or deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. When bubbles rise, or when the oil begins to form snake-like lines across the bottom of the pan, the oil may be hot enough. To test it, dip one corner of a spring roll into the oil. If it beginsto sizzle and cook, the oil is ready. If not, wait another 30 seconds to one minute and try again.
9. Using tongs, place spring rolls in oil, allowing them to fry about 1 minute on each side. Spring rolls are done when they turn light to medium golden-brown (see photo). Place on paper towels (or a clean dish towel) to drain while you finish frying the rest.

Serve spring rolls while still hot with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, or your own dipping sauce (see recipe above). ENJOY!

TO MAKE YOUR OWN DIPPING SAUCE: Mix 1/3 cup plum sauce with 3 Tbsp. soy sauce. Add fresh cut red chili or dried crushed chili as desired.

Mango Lime and Chile Paletas

• 2 ripe, medium mangoes, peeled and cored
• juice of 2-3 limes
• sugar (start with less than 1/4 c; how much sugar you use will depend on the sweetness of your mangoes and your own taste)
• 1 dried guajillo chile, seeded and stemmed
• 1 tsp Mexican chile powder
• approx. 1/2 c. water or milk

Combine ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Taste, adding sugar and liquid as needed. Pour into a popsicle mold and freeze.

White Chocolate Parfait with Flambéed Cherries

Serves - 10

Flambéed cherries

• 300 gm / 10 oz fresh cherries, drained
• 60 gm / 2 oz sugar
• 2 gm / ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150 gm / 5 oz port wine
• 10 Baked disks of chocolate meringue 2½-inch / 6-cm in diameter
• 110 gm sugar
• 75 gm / 2.5 oz water
• 120 gm / 4 oz egg yolks
• 150 gm / 5 oz white chocolate, chopped
• 375 gm / 12 oz heavy cream

For decoration

• chocolate curls as needed
• pistachios as needed

For the chocolate meringue

• 250 gm / 8 oz egg whites
• 250 gm / 8 oz fine granulated sugar
• 125 gm / 4 oz cocoa powder
• 250 gm / 8 oz confectioners’ sugar

1. Prepare the baked chocolate meringue disks, with the whip attachment; beat the egg whites first at medium speed, then at high speed, until they form soft peaks.

2. Add the granulated sugar, a little at a time, with the machine running. Whip until stiff.

3. Sift the confectioners’ sugar twice with the cocoa powder.

4. Stop the machine. Fold in the cocoa powder and sugar with a spatula..

5. Mark circles of 2½-inch / 6-cm in diameter on a sheet of parchment.

6. Using a pastry bag, pipe the chocolate meringue in a spiral to fill circles.

7. Bake at 100ºC until crisp but not browned.

8. Cool the meringues, then remove them from the parchment. Be careful, because they may be fragile.

9. Prepare the cherries: Pit the cherries and place them and the sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently until liquid begins to cook out of the cherries. Continue to heat until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the vanilla and the port. Place over high heat and flambé to burn off the alcohol. Continue to cook, lightly covered, over low heat until the juices are thick and syrupy. Drain the cherries and set aside. Reserve the syrup.

10. Set 2¾-inch / 1-cm ring molds on a tray. Place a disk of baked Chocolate Meringue in the base of each.

11. For the parfait, dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to a boil.

12. Whip the egg yolks until light and gradually whip in the hot syrup. Continue whipping until cool.

13. Melt the white chocolate over a hot water bath.

14. Quickly mix the chocolate into the egg yolk sabayon. Do not overmix, or the sabayon may fall.

15. Whip the cream and quickly fold in.

16. Without delay, fill the molds about two-thirds full. Place 6-8 cherries in each one, pushing some of them down into the mix. (Reserve the remaining cherries and syrup to serve with the parfaits.) Fill to the top with parfait mix and level the tops. Freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm.

17. To serve, unmold by lightly warming the mold and lifting off. Top with chocolate curls and pistachios and a few cherries. Spoon some of the cherry syrup and a few more cherries onto the plate.

Cherries packed in syrup may also be used. Morello cherries (griottes) are especially good in this preparation.

Cannoli with Mascarpone Cream

Yeilds - 16 Cannoli

Ingredients

Cannoli Shells

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/8 cup sweet Marsala wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent cacao)
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Mascarpone Creme

• 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (drained overnight w/ cheesecloth & squeezed dry)
• 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla or Grand Marnier
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Instructions
Cannoli Shells

1. Combine flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add Marsala and oil, and beat on medium speed until dough comes together. Using your hands, knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. Wrap in plastic, and let rest 30 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Pass 1 piece of dough through the widest setting of a pasta machine (keep remaining pieces covered) OR roll out into a thin sheet of dough. Continue passing through narrower settings until it is the thickness of a dime. Lay on a floured work surface. Cut out rounds with a 3 1/4-inch cutter. Gather scraps and reroll.
3. Pour enough oil into a large, heavy saucepan to come about 4 inches up sides. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 380 degrees.
4. Wrap each round of dough around a 3 3/4-inch-long cannoli form, sealing with a dab of egg white. Working in batches of 3 or 4, fry until golden, about 1 minute. Using a wire skimmer or tongs, transfer to paper towels, and let cool 5 minutes. Carefully slide out forms, and let shells cool. Continue rolling, cutting, and frying the remaining dough.
5. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Let set 15 minutes on parchment paper.

Mascarpone Cream

1. Mix filling ingredients together.
2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (at least a couple of hours).
3. When ready to serve, use a ziploc bag (cut the corner) or pastry bag with 1/2 inch star tip. Pipe filling into one end of a shell to the center, then into other end. Repeat with remaining shells and filling. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately.
4. Let the filling smoosh out of each end of the shells, just a tad.
5. Some people sprinkle powdered sugar on top right before serving or dip the ends into chocolate shavings.

Cannoli cannot be made ahead of time the shells will get soggy. You can however, make the shells and cream in advance then pipe them right before serving. After making the shells store them at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

• 2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
• 1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
• 1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

1. Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. 
2. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. 
3. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. 
4. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. 
5. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. 
6. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. 
7. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

Vanilla Sponge Cake

• Refined Flour - 200 g
• Eggs - 10
• Castor Sugar - 1/4 kg
• Vanilla essence - 2 tsp

1.  Beat eggs and sugar together till the sugar is dissolved 
2.  Sift flour and slowly add it to the eggs - sugar mixture followed by the vanilla essence.
3. Grease a baking mould and pour this mixture into it and bake in a preheated oven at 175 degree Celsius for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from the mould and allow it to cool.