( you can replace with fresh cherry tomatoes cut into halves)
Tuscan Seafood
Ingredients for garnish
Chopped basil - 8 to 10 leaves
Parmesan cheese - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Chilly flakes - 1 tsp
Tuscan Fish
Method
Apply salt and pepper to both sides of the fish fillets and rest for 5 minutes, heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the fish till both sides are slightly brown. keep it aside.
Add milk chocolate chips into a bowl and melt them in microwave for a minute and extra 15 seconds if needed or melt using a double boiler.
Once melted pour it into the lined tray and spread evenly using a rubber spatula. Each microwave is different so melting time may vary.
Same way melt the white chocolate and pour it on top of the melted milk chocolate , spread evenly.
While still warm sprinkle all the nuts , dry fruits and cake sprinkles, arrange the cherry on top and gently press so they stick well with the chocolate.
Keep it in fridge for 30 minutes or till hard , remove from the fridge and break into pieces and enjoy!
Note:
a) Use any nut or fruit of your choice.
b) If you don't have chocolate chips use cooking chocolate bars.
( add 1 or 2 tbsp of flour if your dough is sticky)
Milk powder - 1 & 1/2 tbsp
Dry Yeast - 1 & 1/2 tbsp
Luke warm water - 1 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Method
Take warm water in a bowl add the yeast ,sugar and salt mix to dissolve, cover and wait for the yeast to activate may be 5 to 10 minutes.
Once its foamy add the flour and milk powder gently mix to form a soft dough. If dough is sticky add more flour to get the right consistency.
Dough should not be very stiff like we knead for roti. Grease a bowl and place the dough , cover with a tight lid and wait for 1 to 2 hours for the dough to double in size.
Punch the dough slightly to knock out the air and knead once , divide the dough into small equal size balls. Roll the balls into thick poori or roll out the whole dough like a thick sheet and cut into circles using a cookie cutter.
Apply oil on both sides of the bun and fold it into half, place these on a parchment paper or banana leaf. Applying oil prevents the fold of the to bun to stick together.
Cover and rest for another 30 minutes to rise. Steam these buns till they puff up. Once cooked they look glossy and dry on top.
I covered the steamer lid while steaming with a cloth so the water does not drip down on the buns and the towel will absorb the water (this step is optional).
Filling ingredients
Paneer cut into small cubes - 2 cups
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Jeera powder - 3/4 tsp
Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Ginger and garlic paste - 1/2 tsp)
( Take a bowl add all the above mentioned ingredients except onion and oil, mix well and marinate for 10 minutes) .
Chopped onions - 1/4 cup
Oil - 3 tsp
Paneer Bao
Garnish
Carrots, Cucumber - cut into thin strips
Chopped coriander leaves
Method
Heat oil in a pan fry the onions till colour changes but still has the crunch , add the marinated paneer along with the curd mixture. In high flame mix well till raw smell has disappeared and paneer is dry.
Switch off the stove garnish with coriander leaves.
Assembling
Take a bao bun fill it up with some panner mixture, garnish with cucumber. carrots and coriander leaves. These as served as an appetizer in Taiwan.
Note:
Be creative in making your own filling. Today i have shown a basic paneer filling.
Take a baking dish pour olive oil and all the ingredients except the fish and feta cheese, toss well till combined.
Broil them in LOW till the vegetables are roasted and light brown.
Remove from the oven and place the fish on top of the roasted vegetables , sprinkle some salt and pepper and evenly add the crumbled feta cheese on top and drizzle olive oil.
Again BROIL in LOW till the fish is cooked and feta cheese is in light brown on top.
Sprinkle freshly chopped coriander leaves and squeeze some lemon juice on top and serve hot.
Pat the fish with a kitchen tissue to remove extra moisture.
Sprinkle salt, pepper powder, olive oil rub both sides of the fish, sprinkle maida on both sides till well dusted. Place the fish inside the air fryer basket. You can even fry with some oil in a pan on stove.
Heat Gourmia air fryer press seafood mode and fry for 10 minutes turning the fish after 5 minutes. To get a crust i broiled the fish for 10 minutes. Each air fryer is different so temperature and frying time may vary.Keep the fish aside.
Heat butter in a pan when melted add the garlic and cook till butter changes to light golden brown colour and garlic has been roasted.
Switch off the stove and add the salt , pepper powder, few drops of lemon juice and basil mix well.Your brown butter sauce is ready
Assembling
Take a plate pour some brown sauce at the base place the fried fish on top and pour the remaining sauce on top.
Sprinkle the red chilly flakes, pepper powder, drizzle some lemon juice and serve.
( Place a heavy weight on top of the firm tofu slab for 20 minutes for extra water to drain out.Pat dry using a kitchen tissue and then cut into cubes)
( trim the edges and cut into half and scoop out the flesh,use the flesh for filling)
Mozzarella cheese - as needed
Baby potatoes - 4 and garlic -2
( I cut them and roasted along with zucchini boats) - Optional
Baked Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Method
Heat oil in a pan and fry onion, parsley and zucchini flesh till color changes. Add the ground chicken, seasoning and fry in high flame for couple minutes.
Lower the flame and add the marinara sauce, cook till the mixture thickens.switch off the stove and mix in the parsley leaves,
Grease a baking dish and arrange the zucchini boats and potatoes and garlic on the sides
Take the cooked chicken mixture and fill it inside the zucchini boats.
Sprinkle cheese and parsley on top and bake at 400 deg.F for 25 minutes or till cooked.
Serve hot!
Note:
Use your imagination to create interesting fillings
( all ways use good quality yeast to get the best result)
Method
Add yeast and sugar to 1 cup of warm water mix cover and rest to activate in a warm place ( till foamy).
Take a wide bowl add both the flours,oil,salt and the activated yeast mixture,gently mix with a wooden spoon.Add 1 tbsp of water if needed and using your hand knead the dough for 5 minutes till soft.
Grease a bowl with oil and place the dough,cover the dough and rest to rise for 3 hours at a warm place.
Divide the dough into equal size balls.Roll out each ball into a semi thick disc.
Cover with a wet cloth and rest for another 30 minute.
Heat a tawa when hot place the roll disc and cook on both sides till light brown and puffs up.While cooking gently press with a cloth for the pita bread to puff.
Remove from tawa and serve warm with any dip you like.
Heat butter,oil,garlic and rosemary in a pan and in low heat cook till garlic changes colour.
Switch off the stove cool and filter the oil.
Keep 2 chopsticks or wooden spoon handles either side of the potato and cut into thin slices,The wooden sticks stops us from cutting the potatoes till the end.( see picture)
Place the potato on a baking tray and brush the garlic oil all over and between each slices and sprinkle salt & pepper powder.
Bake these at 390 deg F. for total 30 minutes. After 10 minutes take the potatoes out from the oven and brush it up with remaining oil and bake till light brown and crisp.
Each oven is different so keep an eye on the baking time and temperature.
Lastly garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy hot!
Ingredients
Medium size raw shrimp cleaned - 20
Holy basil leaves - 1/2 cup
( add more if you want a strong flavour)
Garlic - 8
Diced onion - 1/4 cup
Red Thai chillies - 8
( I did not have so soaked 8 kashmiri chillies in hot water for 10 minutes)
Red chilly paste - 1/4 tsp ( optional)
( I added for extra hotness)
Brown sugar - 1 tsp heaped
Salt to taste
Oyster sauce - 1 tsp
( Today i did not use as i ran out of the sauce)
Fish sauce - 1 tsp
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Stock or water - 1/4 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
