Yum! Yum! Yum!

Chicken Broccoli Quesadilla

Thanks giving is around the corner, all the Turkey events at Kids School, Turkey songs at Music Classes are reminding me that those Holidays are approaching soon. And thanks to continuous freezing temperatures, which made me to get those coats, boots out of closet, and making me to believe that Winter is already here!  Most of the time Thanksgiving Gathering happens at our home, where our family and friends gather and we compile a Potluck Menu with full of Thanks Giving Recipes, and I take full pleasure on making my Signature Cranberry Chutney and Baking the Turkey. This year we have a planned trip to California during Thanks Giving week and our family will be missing this Thanks Giving Gathering. So I am posting the Thanks Giving Turkey recipe here so that Turkey is not missed at the table while our family is missed. :-)!



So far I have baked Whole Turkey two times, One time is Indian Twisted Way, and last year I baked the Turkey in Cajun Style. Today I will be sharing the Cajun Herbed Turkey recipe here, which was super hit at the table. The Turkey came out super tender, very easy to cut, spicy to satisfy our Indian taste buds and the Whole Turkey (20 Lbs weighed) is gone by the end of the party and it was Super Delicious and cherished by both Kiddos and Grown-ups. Here is the recipe, Njoy!

Ingredients:

Whole Turkey - ( around 20 Lbs, feeds up to 20 people) Cajun Seasoning - 1 cup Sea Salt - 1/2 cup Salt - 1/4 cup Black Pepper - 1/4 cup Lime Juice - 1/2 cup ( or Vinegar) Ginger  - 1/2 cup Garlic - 1/2 cup ( peeled) Mint  Leaves - 1 cup Oregano  Leaves - 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil - 1/2 cup

Preparatory Steps:

• Grind Ginger, Garlic, Mint Leaves, Oregano into smooth paste and set aside.
• In a small Bowl Mix salt, black pepper and lime juice and set aside.

Marination Process:

• First you have to thaw the Whole Turkey ( if you are using frozen one) for at least 8 to 10 hours outside, so that all the freezing temperatures inside will come to room temperature. Usually I leave the frozen turkey outside on the counter top for whole night.
• Once the Turkey is completely thawed, take out any inner parts of it and clean the whole turkey from in and out. 
• Using Knife make slits on all around turkey to allow the spices and seasonings to sink in. 
• First start rubbing the sea salt all over turkey and leave it there like for 1 hour. Then rub the Salt, Black Pepper and Lime juice mixture all over the turkey, leave it for 30 minutes. It literally sounds like you are giving a bath to Turkey. .
• Then apply all the ginger, garlic and herb paste all over the turkey and leave for another 30 minutes.  By now all the flavors will sink in and out side will be dry. Now Apply Cajun Seasoning in and out all over turkey.  
• Finally Brush with vegetable oil all over it ( this helps the skin and outer side roast more and gives shining effect). Now your turkey is ready to bake. 

Baking Method:

• Pre-Heat the Oven to 350 F. Once the Oven is ready. Keep the marinated Turkey in Roasting Pan and bake it for at least 5 to 6 hours. The bigger the turkey the longer time you need to bake. 20 Lbs turkey will easily take 6 hours to cook completely. After 5 hours on wards I will be at the Oven and keep on checking and monitoring the tenderness ( by piercing with long forks) and roasting effect on the outside. 

Notes:

• Initial Sea Salt Rubbing and marinating for 1 hour is the trick to make Turkey very tender inside. Salt is the natural agent in tenderizing the meat.
• In this recipe, I haven't used any stuffing inside, as our crowd is not that big about stuffing. If you like you can stuff the stuffing inside turkey and bake it.
• You can cover the turkey with Aluminum Foil while baking not to roast the outer skin. Usually I like the roasting skin part, hence I don't cover with Aluminum Foil. But from last 1 hour I will be monitoring, if the skins gets right roasting effect, otherwise some times your will get the burnt effect than roasting. ( that's when aluminium foil will help).
• I didn't have any fancy thermometers to check the temperature inside, but 5 to 6 hours of baking will do the full cooking of turkey. 
• For Small Turkey you need to reduce the measure of marination ingredients, and need to reduce the time to bake. Based on your turkey size adjust these accordingly. 

Happy Thanks Giving Ahead!
-Mythreyi

Are you bored with routine breakfast? In my house the routines are Bread and Butter or Waffles or Cereal with Milk! Sometimes I really get bored with these, I will try to make something special on the weekends ( will try to incorporate the Indian Breakfast like Idli, Dosa, Upma), but on the weekdays it becomes hard to come up with new ideas and try them esp in the early morning.  But if you have Phyllo ( pronounced as filo) Shells or Cups handy, you can make these Mixed Veg Miniature Quiches in no time to surprise your family. They are One-Bite Wonders, very crispy, irresistible, fast to make, made with simple ingredients, very healthy and finally not your routine breakfast! Wat else you want, We found the Complete Winner on the Breakfast List which is not so routine! 



Quiche is a savory, pastry crust with a filling of cheese, eggs, meat and vegetables. It is part of the French Cuisine and popular as party food. But in USA, this is mostly known as a fancy breakfast when it is especially made with Eggs and Vegetables. Spinach Quiche is very popular on the Americans Breakfast Table. So here is the miniature quiche recipe, make your own!



Ingredients:
Phyllo Shells - 1 package ( count of 15)
Egg - 1 large
Olive Oil - 1 tsp
Minced Onion - 1 Tbsp
Red Bell Pepper - 1 Tbsp
Zucchini - 1 Tbsp
Spinach - 4 to 5 Leaves
Parsley - 1 tsp ( or Chives)
Thyme - 1/4 tsp ( Optional)
Salt - 1/2 tsp ( according to taste)
Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Mixed Cheese - 1/3 cup ( I have used four cheese)

Preparatory Steps:

1. Remove the Shells from Package and arrange them on the Baking Sheet and allow them to thaw for 15 min. 
2. Preheat the Oven at 375 F .
3. In a small bowl whisk the egg along with salt and black pepper and set aside.  

Method:

1. In a small non stick frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add minced Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Zucchini, chopped Spinach and saute for 2 minutes until vegetables are tender and becomes soft. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for 1 minute and stir in the Herbs ( Parsley, Thyme, Chives). Now add this vegetable mixture to egg and mix it well.
2. Fill the Shells with this egg mixture. ( You can spoon in this mixture into shells carefully, do not fill up to top, leave some room on top so that the egg mixture will puff up when you bake these). Now top each shell with some shredded cheese.
3. Bake these for 12 to 15 minutes until egg is set and cheese is melted. Once shells are done, take them out of the oven and serve warm! 

These One-Bite Quiches are so irresistible, very easy to make with less fuss, makes your morning special with no effort needed. These are loved by kiddos and cherished by grown-ups and party appetizers to please the crowd as well. Njoy!

OneBite Quiche Served with some fruit cut-up for complete Breakfast!

Notes:

• You can use any variety of vegetables  like Green Bell Peppers, Asparagus, Shredded Carrot, Mushrooms.
• I have used Cheese to give more cheesy flavor, if you don't like it you can skip it. 
• You can add some crushed red pepper or Paprika to make this little bit spicy.  

Today I am bringing a super duper easy recipe that will be winner on your kids plate. That is Basil Pesto Pizza, to make this pizza all you need is just 4 ingredients and 8 minutes to prepare. But all the ingredients that are used in this recipe are very critical so no excuses to skip or replace any ingredients, other wise you won't get the same taste and flavor. Today I gave a little Indian Twist for this recipe by using Tandoori Naan as the Pizza base. If you want to use regular pizza base, you can do that by all means. Okay, that's the only thing you can replace, everything else is must for this recipe. In this recipe, I am using freshly made Basil Pesto Sauce, that is the secret sauce for this recipe,you can find that recipe on my blog as well.  Find Here : Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe



Today I made this pizza by the time kids returned from school, and guess what? it's all gone in minutes, they have absolutely enjoyed it. So with out a fuss they ate all these Greens (Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, Pine Nuts) that are included in this Pizza. Only you and I know that, so keep it that way, Shhhhh! :-). I have made this Pizza half a dozen times this weekend, because Grown-ups are also enjoying  this!

With out any due here is the easy recipe, and even better you can watch a video of this preparation as well! Njoy!



Ingredients:
Tandoori Naan - 1
Basil Pesto Sauce - 2 Tbsp
Cherry Tomatoes - 6
Mozzarella Cheese - 1/3 cup ( Finely shredded)
Sweet Basil leaves - 3 ( optional)

Method:

1. Take a Cookie Sheet, place the Naan on the sheet. Spread the Basil Pesto sauce on all over the Naan. 
2. Cut the Cherry Tomatoes into halves, and arrange these on the Naan on top of the sauce. Then sprinkle Mozzarella Cheese on top so that Tomatoes are covered completely. 
3. Heat the Oven at 400 F and once the Oven is ready, place the cookie sheet with prepared Naan in the Oven and bake it for 7 to 8 minutes. 
4. Around 5 minutes, Open the Oven door and add basil leaves on top of it. After 7 minutes, take it out, cut them into slices and serve hot immediately. 

Notes:

• As we are keeping Oven at 400 F it can burn easily so keep monitoring around 6 to 7 minutes. 
• You need to take it away once all the cheese is melt, that's all. 
• I have used StoneFire brand Tandoori Naan, they are so good and you can buy them in bulk at Costco, if you want several flavors and need small portions, you can find these at Sprouts as well. 

Basil Pesto Pizza Video Recipe:



will back with another easy recipe, stay tuned until then!
-Mythreyi

Hello All, It's true that I have given a break to some of Thai Recipes these days. Today I am excited to bring this easy peasy Spicy Thai Red Curry to the table. Vj and I used to go to Thai Restaurant a lot in those newly weds days. There used to be place called Thai Garden in Plano, it is one of a kind for Thai Dishes known best in the town. After trying several dishes there I have started cooking some of the Signature Thai Recipes at home, I haven't mastered their Spicy Southern Thai Fried Rice yet ( hmm, my mouth waters now) but I have mastered several Thai Dishes including Thai Curries.

Spicy Thai Red Curry

The preparation of these curries is so easy if you have Red Curry or Yellow curry pastes at hand. I always use Thai Kitchen brand pastes and sauces for my Thai Cooking. And another critical ingredient is Coconut milk, there is always plenty of coconut milk in my pantry. So putting these two ingredients along withe some vegetables and meat, will bring this Spicy Thai Dish to the table in no time, that is comforting for this cold weather. Why late, make it your own, Here is the recipe, Njoy!

Ingredients:
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste - 3 Tbsp
Onion ( shallots) - 1/4 of medium size
Thai Red Chili - 2
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1 tsp ( or as per taste)
Tofu or Chicken  cubes - 1/2 cup
Vegetable Blend - 1 cup  ( used Fresh Baby Corn, Bell Pepper, Peas, Broccoli)
Coconut Milk - 1 cup
Thai Basil Leaves - 5

Method:

1. Heat oil in Nonstick pan ( or heavy bottomed pan). Add Onion Slices, Thai Chili, once they sauteed well add Coriander and Cumin powder. Now add Red Curry paste and mix it well and saute for 3 min. 
2. Add Tofu pieces and toss them well with red curry paste and seasonings. Once the Tofu becomes tender and browns outside then add rest of the vegetables mix well. Add slat and saute for 3 min. 
3. Add coconut milk to the pan and cook for 5 min bringing it to boil. Taste and adjust any salt or other seasonings. ( if it is too spicy for you, add 1 tsp brown sugar to soften the flavors). 
4. Now switch off the stove and transfer Red Curry to serving bowl and top with Fresh Thai Basil leaves and serve hot with white rice.

I always love serving Thai Curries with this nice Rice Mold setting, that gives a lot of restaurantish touch and I am sure it blows away your hubby's mind. And a candle lit up on the side makes it even more romantic...! Did you hear me? :-)



If you want to serve this in traditional Thai style try serving along with some Jasmine Rice or Sticky Rice.

Notes:

• I haven't used chicken in my recipe here, I have used Tofu. 
• If you are using chicken use chicken breast meat that cooks fast. Cook or 5 to 7 min so that the chicken cooks properly and becomes tender in step #2.
• For Red Curry I always use lot of green and yellow colored vegetables ( Broccoli, Green Bell Pepper, Peas, Yellow Bell Pepper, Baby Corn) to make it contrast to this Red Color Curry. 
• You can add variety of other vegetables like Green Beans, Cauliflower, Carrot etc.
• The vegetables needs to be added towards the end. These should not be overcooked. These should be semi cooked so that the color and crunch of vegetables is persisted in this curry.

These Shortbread Cookies are seemingly easy, made with only 3 Ingredients that are readily available in your pantry anytime. These cookies are not that sweet as regular cookies, hence perfect for Tea Time and goes very well with Coffee enhancing it's flavor more. I just made these one day to try out the 3 Ingredient simplicity in this recipe and they turned out so good. The fun part is, I didn't know how good these taste with coffee, until Vj started munching these with his afternoon coffee, wondering how many calories are in these cookies. I told him there is almost no sugar in these cookies, but didn't tell him there is lots of butter in these that's why they taste so Great. Shhhhhh!
But sometimes Butter is better than Sugar as it has real fat than those processed or artificial fats. Here is the recipe, Njoy!



Ingredients:
Butter - 1 Cup ( 2 sticks) ( softened at room temperature)
Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
All Purpose Flour - 2 Cups

Method

1. Leave Butter sticks outside at room temperature until butter becomes soft. Take the softened butter in a medium wide bowl, add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and mix it well until sugar incorporates with butter.
2. Now add 2 cups of APF to the bowl and mix it well with your hands, so that it becomes like a dough ball. Leave it in the bowl for 10 min.
3. Now dust the surface and rolling pin with some flour, and start rolling the dough into flat spread ( 1/2 inch thickness), take any round cutter and make round cookie molds in the dough. Take round cookie shaped dough and place on cookies sheet with parchment paper.  Repeat the same process until you are done with Dough.
4. Another variation is you roll the dough as log shape and wrap in cling wrap and keep it in freezer for 10 min. Then it becomes firm and slice it horizontally 1/2 inch thickness, then place these on the cooking sheet.
5. Now bake these cookies at 325 F for 16 to 20 minutes. Temperature varies from oven to oven, start watching after 16th minute. otherwise these cookies can burn easily with in minutes. 
6. Once the cookies are done, take them out of the oven and cool them for 10 min and store them in air tight container so that they don't become firm. These last for 4 to 5 days outside. 

Notes:

• For Round Cookie cutter, I have used small tin from Taalimpu Box. :-)
• Temperature varies from oven to oven and from batch to batch also. For the first batch you might need longer than 16 min, like 17 or 18 min. For 2nd and 3rd batch, you might need to bake only until 16 minutes, as the oven is very hot already. 
• I have made several batches of these cookies and burnt some batches too in the beginning as i waited too long until 20 minutes. So I came to magic number 17 min in my oven for this recipe upon trying and failing. So I suggest you to start at 16 min and keep an eye on the oven so that these cookies won't burn.
• Alternatively after 16 min, you can leave the oven door open and watch them closely, when you start seeing the brown ring on top of the cookies that's when you need to take them out. 

Here are more 3 Ingredient Recipes:

• Chocolate Ice Cream
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Chocolate Balls

Doesn't it look like your Coffee is calling them! ;-)

will be back with another easy recipe
until then take care
-Mythreyi