Friday 18 April 2008

Asperges op z'n Vlaams


Asperges op z'n Vlaams/ Asparagus Flemish way, this is what it means.
The season of Asparagus have started here in Belgium.
Every year during this period especially May I do few times at home this delicious vegetable in different ways.

One of the most famous way it is eaten is like this, which is really delicious. I love it and according to my husband Belgium has the best Asparagus. Who am I to argue with it as I have only had Belgium Asparagus.

Talking about asparagus I have to tell you all a funny story, This happened almost (in three months) 16 years ago.
I just had my daughter, she must have been a week or 2 old. So for lunch I had asparagus soup . And here they say if you are brest feeding you should not eat this vegetable as the milk will have a particular taste.
Ofcourse at that time i didn't know this. After lunch we went to my MIL place and my 5 year old niece was there too.
So after a while I was changing Shyama's pamper and my niece was really curious to see what i was doing. ( She was wearing this beautiful new dress which was stiched by my MIL).

She was oposite to me and watching, suddenly we saw a full spray of you know what (No:2)was on my niece.

She was so shocked that my little niece didn't even cry ,but then the whole family started laughing and laughing.
Now she is 21 years we have told her this few times to her and every time we have fun.


This is my contribution to Barbara of Wineosandfoodies, she is hosting this wonderfull event LiveSTRONG Day A taste of yellow event.She have asked us to join her again as we remember those loved ones who are no longer with us, support those still fighting and celebrate with those who have won the fight.Tommorow is the last day to send the entries.

Before we go to the recipe , i want to say I am going for a One month break as my Sister from India is comming to visit me.
She is will be here from next week for almost a month, so I will see you all by the end of May.

You can all guess what I have asked to bring for me .
Few things for my kitchen :-)Have asked her to bring me Appom Chatti, Murukku press etc.... if i contnue the list it will go on and on :-)


Asparagus,eggs,butter

Asparagus 16 to 20
3 hard boiled eggs finley chopped ( I didn't do it as i was in a hurry)
150 gm butter
ParsleySalt and Pepper
Method
Heat water in a large pan and cook the asparagus for 15 minutes ot till it is done.
In the mean time heat the butter with salt and pepper.
When the asparagus is cooked strain them, arrange them on two plates, with the eggs and pour the melted butter over it and sprinkle with parsley.
Serve with slices of bread to mope up all the butter :-)

Thursday 17 April 2008

Au Garlic for Au Naturel


My entry to click

Every month I lookfroward to the announcment of the event from the famous Duo at Jugalbandi. And i know what I do next from my part.

I will be going and checking out their image gallery every other day or two, just to see what others are sending them for the event.

When i see some of those pictures, other bloggers have send, Ithink, well how can one take a picture better than these fellow bloggers.

But then I tell to myself it is not winning which matters ( ofcourse it matters) the main thing is to join up such a wonderful event.

So while I was shopping yesterday I saw this fresh garlic which is available here at the moment and thought why not send it for Au Naturel.

Monday 14 April 2008

Belgium Pancakes for the Dosa Mela




Happy Vishu to all my friends. Photo Courtsey

For the last week I have been going on asking my daughter do you want to have pancakes, when you are back from school (thinking in my mind if I make them I can send it for Srivalli's Dosa Mela. She had said we can also make pancakes too for the event :-))))


And everyime I got the answer from my daughter, no not today.Last Friday I ask her again do you want me to make pancakes..... and she replied again NOPE. She love these pancakes but you know how teenager girls are.....

So yesterday evening I announced to my daughter and hubby I am going to make pancakes on Moday as it is almost the last day to send the entry for the Dosa Mela.
And then my daughter replied, oh that is why for the last week you have been going on asking me do you want to have pancakes.

You know, I didn't want to tell them I was intrested in making panckes only for the Dosa Mela.
I wanted to give them the impression, i was making the pancakes for them and not for the blog ;-)

Well didn't work I had to tell them the truth................
In belgium these pancakes are really famous. You will see them served in every coffee shops .You can have them with brown sugar, jam etc................


Eggs, flour, butter etc...


Batter







Spreading butter


Brown Sugar


PANCAKES

Ingridients. You can make 16 pancakes
200 gm plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
600 ml milk
2 tbsp buter/oil
Brown Sugar/Jam for serving
Butter for serving

Method:
Mix all the ingridients in a bowl and leave it for 10 minutes.
Heat a little oil in a pan.
Pour in just enough batter to thinly coat the pan.
Cook for 1- 2 minutes, untill golden brown, turn or toss the other side and cook the second side untill golden brown.
Transfer the pancake to a plate and keep hot.
Repeat with the remaining batter to make the rest of the pancakes.
Serve them with butter and sugar/Jam.
You can also make the pancakes and then reheat them in the MW before serving them.

Friday 11 April 2008

Pipe rigate ai piselli e prosciutto

I have this wonderfull pasta book and all the dishes are written in Italian name ( i think atleast) and it is so funny to read the names if one don't know the language itself like me.

Translated this dish is called Pasta withy peas and ham.

My daughter loves this dish, everytime I make this her plate is fully empty. Only thing she picks out is the tiny pieces of onions in it.


Ham,Onion,past etc...


Almost there


Ingridients
25 gm butter
1 tbsp olive oilI
1onion chopped
150 gm peas ( i used frozen ones)
2 garlic cloves
150 ml Chicken broth
200 ml cream
150 gm parma ham in slices
350 gm pipe rigate pasta
Salt and peper to taste
Paremesan cheese grated few tbsp
Few tbsp parsley for garnish

Melt the butter in a pan together with the oilive oil. Add the onions and garlic and fry for few minutes. Add then the ham , fry for few more minutes and now add the peas and the chicken broth.
Cook for some five minutes till the peas are cooked. Add the cream and cook boil for 2 minutes. Add salt and peper to your taste.

In the mean time cook the pasta and drain.Add the drain pasta to the sauce, mix well and serve with grated cheese and parsley.
I am sending this to Ruth's of Once Upon A Feast for her

Monday 7 April 2008

Kerala Kadala Curry

Life is back to normal from today onwards.My daughters spring break is finished and she is back to school from today , so the daily routine have started, no more getting up late having breakfast in the irregular time and lunch etc......

Have to admit we had a excelent two weeks. Even though the weather here was really, really bad.

We went to London for four days which was wonderful. One of our friends asked me how was it in London and I replied to her we ate and drank and had a jolly good time :-)

Well we also went to Museums and lot of other touristical places....... also did shopping.
I did window shopping and my daughter did real shopping. I have to admit i bought few baking things from there.
Isn't it crazy i went to one of the most famous places and the main things i bought are for my cooking.

And talking about cooking, I made this kerala chick pea curry thanks to bee of Jugalbandi actually I made this before I went for the break but didn't had time to post it.

The kadal curry was really delicious. My hubby was extremley glad that I made a totally different chick pea dish, for the last 17 years I have been making the same one :-)

Bee had written, Her words......This recipe needs patience. The onions need to be cooked down for a while and caramelised to a deep brown on a medium-low flame. Likewise with the coconut. Don’t try to hurry this dish along.

It did take a bit of time to make it, but it is really woth all the time you spend on making it as it was DELICIOUS. I will be surley making it again soon.

I didn't change anything in the recipe except she used dessicated coconut I used fresh coconut.

Roasting the spices

Roasting the coconut
Sunita's Think Spice event is back and it is going to trotting the globe from now on and this month it is hosted by Grecthen Noelle of Canela & Comino The spice she have choosed is She have asked us to Share other information about cloves: Is it used in forms other than cooking in your home?

I remember when I had tooth pain when i was at home my mom giving cloves to me and asking me to chew on them. Don't ask me if it worked or not as I don't remember, I only remember the severe pain I had :-(

Also when I was in high school one of our sir was trying to stop smoking and he used to chew these cloves always. No idea if it worked.
Only thing I remember is we girls used to give him lots of cloves ( you know to please the teacher) which we used to take from our mom's kitchen.
I am sure all the moms were thinking to themselve are they using so much cloves as it was getting finished so fast.

Little did they know their daughters were taking it for giving to their favourite teacher :-)


Most of the ingridients


Curryleaves etc....


Delicious...............