Falafel

It’s a veggie time!!I can just go around farmers market on and on just looking for vegetables. This proves how much I like veggies. Well today’s food is going to be home made falafel!!A very famous Middle Eastern street food. I have cooked this many times, it gets better and better with time,lol!! It is tricky to make, the oil needs to be hot enough otherwise the chickpeas patties will fall apart while deep frying.It is rich in protein, even though it is fried the refreshing cucumber sauce and fresh tomatoes makes it extra yummy…It is strictly veggie. The food is usually served with tahini sauce but I am substituting this sauce with cucumber sauce made in plain yogurt and sour cream!! Everything about this food is so delicious, you would want to come back and cook more and more just like me:)

Time: 20 minutes

Serving: 4

Ingredients:

15.5 ounces of chickpeas

1 cup bread crumb

1 medium size onion

1 cup of cilantro

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Oil to fry

1 packet of wheat pita bread

1 Roma tomatoes to garnish


For sauce:

1 cucumber

1 cup of plain yogurt

2 tablespoon sour cream

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 table spoon lemon

½ tsp black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in the pan. Meanwhile drain the chickpeas from the can and pour it into food processor, add onions,cilantro, cayenne pepper,salt,cumin powder and coriander powder to it. Puree until it is a fine paste.

Add 1 cup of bread crumb to the chickpeas paste. If you don’t have bread crumb, simply make the bread crumb in food processor with old bread crumb. Mix the breadcrumb and chickpeas paste properly, make patties according to your size. When the oil is hot enough 350 degree F, deep fry the patties until it is golden brown.

For sauce, shred the cucumber. Mix the shredded cucumber in the plain yoghourt, sour cream,lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt.

Cut the pita bread in two pieces, fill each pocket with chickpeas patties, and garnish it with fresh tomatoes and cucumber sauce.

Fajitas

Okay!! I have been feeling low for couple of days:(,I could see and feel it. So I wanted to indulge myself in a good food, the one I really like. So I marinated London broil beef steak this morning to make fajitas.  If there would have been a dislike button in Facebook I am sure I will get for this recipe. It is nothing to do with taste, it is something to do with beef. It is sensitive issue to my family and friends, as it is against the religions.  I am sorry to offend. This dish is unique in many ways, as my recipes for fajitas is too herby!! The smell of fresh herbs from the beef sizzling in the skillet, the Crunchiness of slightly sauted onions and bell peppers, homemade tortillas, salsa and guacamole!!! The creaminess of guacamole!!Yum! This is like in heaven!!! Everything is from scratch!! I don’t like store bought tortillas or salsas. It is gross!! Once you learn how to make everything from scratch you wouldn’t want to go outside and eat!!! I finished making all these food in 40 minutes but it might be different for you guys !!Depends upon the cooking skills:).


Time:40 minutes
Serves:4 


Ingredients:


Marinate
1 ½ pounds London broil beef
2 lemon
½ cup cilantro
2 garlic cloves ( grated)
1 finely chopped Serrano peppers
2 bunch of fresh oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of vegetable oil


½ onion
½ bell pepper


Directions:


In a zip lock bag mix all of the above ingredients and marinate the beef for five hours.


In a skillet cook the beef each side for 8 minutes. After cooking, let it stay aside for 5 minutes so the juice will stay inside the meat.


In the meantime saute, the chopped onion and bell peppers in the skillet that was used to make the beef.

Tortillas:


2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp of baking powder
2 tsp of vegetable oil
¾ cup of water


Directions:


Mix the flour,baking powder,vegetable oil and water in a  bowl to make a dough. Set aside for 10 minutes for the dough to become firm and soft. Make dough ball according to your size preferences.
 

Guacamole

2 avocados
1 lemon
½ cup of cilantro
1 Serrano peppers
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne peppers
1 tsp salt


Directions:


Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl.  Don’t forget to squeeze lemon in the freshly scooped avocados otherwise it will change its color into black!


Salsa


4 big Roma tomatoes
1/3 cup of finely chopped onions
1 Serrano peppers
1 cup of cilantro
1 tsp cayenne peppers
1 tsp salt
3 tsp of vegetable oil


Directions:


Heat the pan and put the oil.  Saute the finely chopped Roma tomatoes in the pan until the tomatoes becomes soft and mushy. (5 min)


Pour the cooked tomatoes in the food processor. Add the cilantro, Serrano peppers, cayenne peppers, salt and puree it. Pour it in the bowl and mix the finely chopped onion.

Black Forest Cupcakes.

Among all the dessert, the one I really like is the Black Forest cake. Originated from Germany ,the main ingredients of this cake is cherry, whipped cream and chocolate cake!! But today instead of making black forest cake I will be making cupcakes. And on top of that my little son has been telling me to make cupcakes for a while, and what else could be better than black forest cupcakes? Every kids like cupcakes!!! Not to mention adults too!!No big mess , no need to have knife to cut like the cake!! It’s just easy. Today instead of cherry layer, I am injecting the cupcakes with the pureed cherry. Influence of working in the research lab:). And the topping of cupcakes with heavy whipped cream with cherry looked so pretty!! And of course the cake itself was moist and delicious.




Yield: 16 cup cakes

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Cup cakes:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup vegetable cake

2 eggs

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

Cherry filling:

10 ounces of no sugar added cherry filling

¼ cup sugar

Topping:

2 cups of heavy whipped cream

1/3 cup of confectioner sugar

½ tsp of vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven at 350 degree F. Mix the 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup cocoa powder, 2 cups sugar, ½ cup vegetable oil,1 ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder,1 tb of vanilla extract and ¼ tsp salt in a big bowl. Add one egg at a time and pour the buttermilk slowly while mixing with the electric mixture. Set the mixture aside.

Meanwhile mix the 10 ounces no added cherry filling and ¼ cup of sugar and heat it for 5 minutes in low heat. After that, pour it in blender to puree it.

In a separate bowl, cream the heavy whipped cream with the electric mixture until it is light and fluffy. Too much mixing will make it to butter. Be careful in this step. Add 1/3 cup of confectioner sugar and ½ tsp of vanilla extract to the fluffy heavy whipped cream

Pour the batter in the cup cake pan, fill it up to 2/3 in each well. Bake it upto 20 mintues. Make sure to check it with tooth pick. If nothing comes out than it is baked.

Inject 5 ml of the pureed cherry filling in each cupcake, top it with whipped cream and cherry. Sprinkle it with curled chocolate.

Momos!!

Momos!! Who don't like it? I guess you can hardly count the people who dislike this food!! It's all time favourite food of many Nepalese people. It is served as appetizer and many people love to eat it just for dinner. That is why my first food blogs is dedicated to momos:). It is similar to Chinese dumplings and Japanese gyoza except for the spices in the filling ingredients. I have always enjoyed cooking momos for small to large gathering. It reminds me of my large family gathering. And my friends too!! And they miss my food more than me! I have been making this food for a long time, so much that i am picky with the shapes too:) even though it is taste that should matter!! Making wanton from scratch might be challenging for many people, but if you are expert in making "roti", then it shouldn't be problem. When ever i am bored i just like the idea of hot juicy momos with hot sauce!!

Serving: 4

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Momos fillings:

1 pound ground pork

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped green spring onions.

½ cup cilantro

¼ cup water

3 tsp vegetable oil

½ tsp cayenne powder

1tsp of cumin powder

1 tsp of salt ( According to taste)


Wanton wrappers:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 egg

½ cup water


Tomato sauce:

6 ounces of canned tomato sauce

½ cup water

2 tsp of vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 finely chopped jalapeno

½ tsp of cayenne powder

½ tsp of salt ( according to taste)

Finely chopped cilantro to garnish

Directions:

Mix the ground pork, chopped onion, chopped green spring onions, chopped cilantro, oil, cayenne peppers, salt, cumin powder and water in a bowl.

For wanton wrappers, mix the all-purpose flour, egg and water. Set aside for 30 minutes so the dough will become soft and firm. Make medium marble shape like dough ball. Roll the dough in the flour and use a rolling pin to make a wanton wrapper. If you are not expert in making wanton wrappers, then you can go to the Asian section in the grocery aisle and buy the wanton wrappers.

For tomato sauce, sauté the chopped garlic and jalapeno in the oil, pour the 6 ounce of tomato sauce, add ½ cup of water ,salt and cayenne peppers and cook it in low heat for 15 minutes.

In each wanton wrappers put a tablespoon of the above filling, wrap in all the way around such a way that no filling should be leaking outside. Steam in the steamer for 15 minutes and serve it hot with the sauce.