Fried Padron Peppers

Fried Padron Peppers is an amazing side dish just made with some really small Spanish peppers which literally melts in your mouth with a small amount of salty heat dashing a lingering pepper flavours as you grab the next one and the next one.

Fried Padron peppers are very special Spain’s delicacy as it is one of the seasonal foods that appear in a short period annually. Padrones are small green peppers native to Spain but occasionally available in American farmer’s markets. They are seasonal crops, very short period in just few weeks they disappear like some shadowy, charismatic guest leaving just as things are spicing up.

They are complex having a bitter sweet flavour. Usually the mild padrones are the world’s most exciting peppers to eat. This is due to a fascinating genetic oddity that just one out of every dozen or so peppers is really spicy. The most famous produce of Padrón are its peppers (Spanish pimientos de Padrón), which are small green peppers from the Capsicum annuum family. They are generally served fried with olive oil and coarse salt. Most taste sweet and mild, though some are particularly hot and spicy, which gives its character to the dish. The level of heat varies according to the capsaicin of each pepper. The younger the Capsicum pepper, generally the less capsaicin levels. Padron chile peppers are picked immaturely so as to avoid the higher levels of capsaicin, allowing for an entirely edible fruit.

Although it’s not always the case, the peppers grown towards August/ September tend to contain more capsaicin than the ones of June/July. Each Padron chile pepper is unique though similar in shape and size with curved and grooved furrows along their skin. Young padrons are crisp, the color of limes, roughly two inches in length and their flavor savory, grassy, piquant and peppery. Padron peppers are essentially finger food. They are traditionally pan fried in hot olive oil until the skin blisters and finishes with sea salt and lemon juice and served with stem on.

Padrons can be a sparkling addition to pizzas, salads, pasta, soups, fritattas and rice dishes such as paella. Padrons pair well with creamy sauces, citrus, manchego cheese, other chiles such as smoked chipotles, lobster, shrimp, chorizo, pork, poultry and tomatoes. Large harvests of padron peppers can be used for pickling.

There are a variety of green chilli peppers differing mainly in size, shape and pungency of fruits. Unripe fruits are green in color and on ripening they attain a red hue. Generally the long and thin varieties are highly pungent and used as spice in preparation of hot and spicy foods. They are an integral part of Indian cuisine and regularly used in Indian Kitchen. Green chilli peppers are used in preparing stuffed chillies, green chilli pickles, green chilli chicken, used in salads; and also an important ingredient in various hot sauces (green chilli sauce) and chutneys (green chilli chutney).

For preparing the Fried Padron Peppers, firstly add some olive oil to a hot frying pan and when the oil is hot add shimmering, add the chilli peppers. Cook and stir the peppers until the skin is brown and blistered. Remove the peppers from the pan and serve on a plate. Sprinkle with some sea salt to taste.

They are the perfect first dish to start a good meal, followed by meat, seafood or shellfish. A quick sizzle in hot olive oil, and a few flakes of sea salt is all that is needed to make this exotic, late summer treat that can be served as a tapa, with eggs or as a side. Just give it a try!

Mexican Lasagna

 Mexican Lasagna is wonderful layering of corn tortillas, tomatoes, green chillies, spicy salsa and cheese. It’s a convenient one pot appetizing meal that the kids will love as much as the grownups. Corn tortillas create a tender layer that’s so delectable filled with paneer, corn kernels, salsa and cheese. Lasagna is an epic dish looks like an ordinary broiled mass of cheese, pasta and meaty tomato sauce but it’s so much more than an exotic wholesome meal.

As Lasagna goes, this recipe is very low maintenance, quick to prepare and does not actually need a lengthy cooking of ingredients beforehand but just requires a bit of chopping and assembly of ingredients. This dish also makes a great meal with leftovers as well. Mexican Lasagna is a comfort food and will be the perfect dish to treat; with full of Mexican flavours.

In Mexican Lasagna, generally corn tortillas take the place of the traditional lasagne noodles. In Mexico and Central America, tortilla is a type of thin, leavened flat bread made from finely ground maize (usually called ‘corn’ in United States). In Mexico, there are about three colours of maize dough for making tortillas such as white maize, yellow maize and blue maize. However, white and yellow tortillas are by far the most common ones used. The corn tortilla, with many variants, has been a staple food in North American and Mesoamerican cultures since pre-Columbian times. It predates the alternative wheat flour version of the tortilla (tortilla de harina or tortilla de trigo) in all such cultures, as wheat was not grown in the Americas prior to European contact.

Traditionally, Corn tortillas are the basis of many Mexican dishes such as tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, flautas, quesadillas, chilaquiles, and tortilla soup (sopa de tortilla). Warmed corn tortillas are also often served as an accompaniment to stews, soups, grilled meats and other dishes, as bread is served other cuisines. By contrast, wheat flour tortillas are often used for burritos and quesadillas, particularly in the United States. Corn tortillas are also deep fried to make crisp tortilla chips that are often salted and can be eaten on its own or accompanied with various salsas and dips such as guacamole. Tortilla chips are a key ingredient in nachos.

In Mexico, particularly in the towns and cities, corn tortillas are often made nowadays by machine and are very thin and uniform, but in many places in the country, they are still made by hand, even when the nixtamal is ground into masa by machine. Corn tortillas are customarily served and eaten warm; when cool, they often acquire a rubbery or grainy texture as the cooked starches stale.

For preparing this appetizing and scrumptious one pot meal, Mexican Lasagna, firstly squeeze soya chunks (soaked in warm water for 20 minutes) and crush them with jalapenos and cilantro. Brown this mixture in oil in a large skillet on medium heat for 5-6 minutes, add salsa or crushed tomatoes, whole kernel boiled corn and seasonings that includes chilli powder and ground cumin.

Layer 1/3 of the soya mixture, 1/2 of the tortillas and 1/2 of the cottage cheese in a 13 x 9 -inch baking dish. Repeat layers, ending with soya mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and olives (sliced ripe pitted). Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Mexican Lasagna is a perfect layered with corn tortillas filled with tons of veggies, salsa and cheese giving it a delicious taste and flavour. Chilli powder and ground cumin is something that’s really wonderful in enhancing the flavours. This dish is unique and special and looks much pretty and much more fantastic in their baking dishes than slopped onto your plates. Do give it a try as it’s a great dish for potlucks and large gatherings of hungry people. For detailed recipe, click on the link below:

http://www.vahrehvah.com/Mexican+Lasagna:324

The preparation of maize in an alkaline solution of mineral lime or calcium hydroxide, used in the production of flour for corn tortillas, significantly enriches the nutritional value of maize as a source of vitamins, dietary minerals and protein. The lime water used in the process adds its own bioavailable calcium, while it also renders the B vitamins and amino acids in maize far more easily absorbable by the human digestive system.

Canneles Bordelais are small crunchy little rum cakes that originated from the Bordeaux region of France. It is a small French pastry with a soft and tender custard center and dark around thick caramelized crust. While making these little cakes they require a small amount of patience and planning, but the end result is just worth the effort.

This delicious dessert is in the shape of small, striated cylinder approximately two inches in height, in a speciality of the Bordeaux region of France but can often be found in Parisian patisseries as well. Canneles Bordelais is made with egg, sugar, milk and flour, flavoured with rum and vanilla, the custard batter is baked in a mold giving the canele a caramelized crust and custard like inside.

French desserts are very popular throughout the world and usually involve seasonally chosen fruits. Some of the best known in the world are French cake (Apple cake, Almond cake), tarts, flans (coconut flan), French pancakes or Crepes (a traditional french recipe that exists all over France. Can be sweet or savoury and filled with practically anything you want), Crème caramel (caramel custard, is a famous rich custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top. It is also known as a flan in France), Clafouti (the most famous traditional dessert from the southwest of France. ‘Le Clafouti’ is traditionally made with wild cherries and comes from Limousin) and breads (Baguettes, Bread rolls) etc.

Dessert too is considered an important course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food but sometimes of a strongly-flavored one, such as some cheeses. The word comes from the Old French ‘desservir’, “to clear the table.” The origin of making of Canneles is not known but legend has it that a group of nuns many centuries ago made a cake called a canelas to feed the poor. It was then considerably later that a Bordelais pastry baker concocted the modern cannele. It would seem logical that the name derives from the shape of these cakes, which have small channels running up and down the sides. They have enjoyed waxing and waning popularity in France over the years and currently they seem to be getting a lot of attention.

A great Canneles should be lightly crunchy and very dark brown on the outside with a creamy crepe like consistency on the inside. Cannele is consumed for breakfast, snack or as desserts. They can be made in various forms and sizes and is notable appreciated during tasting of syrupy wines. It is better to serve the small Canelé with cocktails, and the big version for dessert at the end of a meal. The Canelé is light and easy to carry or ship, thanks to its solidity. If it collapses during transportation, it deforms little and a light reshaping makes it revert to its initial shape.

The canelé de Bordeaux (cannelé bordelais) is a magical bakery confection, a cake with a rich custardy interior enclosed by a thin caramelized shell. It’s a brilliant construction developed long ago by an anonymous Bordeaux cook, whose innovation has been subjected to 300 years of refinements. Nearly black at first sight, bittersweet at first bite, the crunchy burnt sugar canelé-shell makes an exquisite complement to its smooth, sweet filling, fragrant with vanilla and rum.

To prepare these yummy and delectable tiny desserts, firstly gently boil milk with vanilla pod and butter. Meanwhile mix the flour, sugar and incorporate the eggs and then pour in the boiling milk. Mix gently to obtain a fluid paste or like a crepe paste. Let this cool and then add the rum. Put this mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 10 (270 degrees C which is 518 deg F) along with the cookie sheet on which the canneles will sit. Pour the cool mixture in the well buttered molds, filling half way then quickly place the molds in the preheated oven on the baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes then lower the temperature to 6 (154 degree C, which is 310 degree F) and bake for an hour. The Canneles should have a dark brown crust and a soft interior.

Carefully take out of the mold while hot. Eat cold. Once baked, the canneles should be consumed that day itself. By contrast, the uncooked mix can be kept refrigerated for 3-4 days. The most delicate part of baking is to generously butter the molds. Suggest putting first coat and refrigerate and then re-butter. If the canneles get too dark, lower the temperature to 260 degree F. Best made in specialized molds!

Tip: After baking, the canelés are firmly tapped out onto a grill while still hot, then left to cool while their exteriors harden. They’re at their most glorious one hour out of the oven; within five or six hours they begin to turn spongy. patissiers have all sorts of tricks to revive them, ranging from putting them back in a hot oven for a few minutes, to flaming them with quality rum to crisp the shells.

To fully understand the fabulous quality of a true Canneles Bordelais, eat it out of hand as a snack, with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. For details on quantities of ingredients, click on the link below:

http://www.vahrehvah.com/Canneles+Bordelais+:2748

Stuffed Summer Squash is an absolute classic dish with merquez sausage and goat cheese stuffed and baked. This makes a fantastic and delicious way to use up your garden goodies. The flavours of sausage and goat cheese truly complement each other and makes this an ideal dish for any summer meal.

This is an exceptionally baked stuffed summer squash recipe, with sausage, goat cheese, onion, along with bread crumbs and seasonings. This recipe would really hit the spot and will be the topic of your meal conversation.  Made with tender summer squash with delicate soft shell and creamy white flesh is typically much more delicate and are often eaten fresh and shortly after harvest.

Merguez is a red, spicy mutton or beef based fresh sausage in North African cuisine. It is also popular in Middle East and Europe. Merguez is a fresh sausage made with lamb, beef, or a mixture stuffed into a lamb-intestine casing. It is heavily spiced with chili pepper or harissa, which gives it its characteristic piquancy and red colour, as well as other spices such as sumac, fennel, and garlic. Merguez is usually eaten grilled or with couscous.

Summer squashes is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family and relatives of both the melon and the cucumber, come in many different varieties. While each variety may have a distinct shape, colour, size and flavour, all varieties share some common characteristics. All parts of summer squash are edible, including the flesh, seeds and skin. To get the best out of summer squash, purchase the ones that are average size as overly large may be fibrous, while those that are overly small may be inferior in flavour. Summer squash is very fragile and should be handled with care as small punctures will lead to decay. This dish has an excellent combination of subtle and natural flavours and not overpowering the main ingredient.

If you do not get summer squash than there are other varieties of squash that could be used for stuffing like the zucchini (stuffed zucchini is a popular recipe), crookneck squash, pattypan etc. Most of the summer squash are soft shelled with thin edible skins and edible seeds. They consume very little cooking time as the flesh is very tender. Summer squash are low in calories, high in vitamin C and fibre. They can be cooked in several ways such as steamed, baked, sautéed and deep-fat fried.

Summer squash can also be eaten raw on its own, as an appetizer, in salads, or on sandwiches. Some summer squash, such as zucchini, can be grated and added to breads, cakes and muffins. They are also added to other vegetables, stews, casseroles, and soups. They can also have stuffing added to them and then baked. Lemon Zucchini, Zucchini Fry, Zucchini Antipasto, Zucchini Salad with Chipotles are to name a few dishes made with zucchini.

To prepare this amazing summer meal, firstly preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Take about 5 to 6 round green summer squash and trim off the tops off the squash and cut them into halves lengthwise and discard seeds if any. Scoop out the remaining flesh (except for bell peppers), leaving shells about ½ to ¾ inches thick, taking care not to break shells. Chop the flesh, put it into a large bowl, and set it aside.

Drizzle 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a large baking dish and arrange the halves evenly in the dish. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the half cut squash.

In skillet over medium-high heat, cook 4 oz. merguez sausage or any spicy sausage and slightly brown them. Add ½ cup diced red bell pepper and sauté well. Add salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat. Add squash pulp, bread crumbs, 2-3 oz fresh soft goat cheese and seasoned salt. Add a little water if the mixture is too dry. Mix everything together evenly with your hands.

Fill the vegetable shells with the stuffing and sprinkle each with the ¼ cup breadcrumbs and more shredded cheese. Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Bake for an hour or until the shells have softened (but not crumpled); and the crumbs on top have browned.  Serve hot.

Tip: Remember while buying squash, select the ones that have a shiny, bright coloured skin, are heavy for their size, firm and free from cracks or bruises. Do not select squashes that are overly large because they tend to be fibrous and their flavour can be bitter. Too small of squash will lack flavour.

While baking the squash cut them into half, remove seeds. The skin should remain on the squash. Add a bit of butter to open cavity of each half. Place the squash cavity side up in a baking dish with 1 inch of water. Bake for 20 minutes to 1 hour, until desired tenderness.

Next time you find summer squash, and then do try this amazing recipe. Enjoy cooking!

Pasta Primavera is a wonderful pasta dish that burst with spring fresh and flavourful veggies. This chock full of vegetables is extremely a nutritious and healthy pasta dish which makes a lovely entrée for spring.  Pasta primavera is popular dish from the Italian cuisine.

Pasta is a staple food from traditional Italian cuisine with the first reference dating back to 1154. Typically pasta is made from unleavened dough of durum wheat flour mixed with water and formed into sheets or various shapes, then cooked and served in any number of dishes. Pasta can also be made with flour from other cereals or grains and eggs can be used instead of water. Pastas may be divided into two broad categories, dried (pasta secca) and fresh (pasta fresca).

Pasta is generally served with various types of sauce. The sauce and the type of pasta are generally matched based on consistency and ease of eating. A mix of tomato sauce, garlic and herbs are used in Northern Italian cooking. In Bologna, the meat based Bolognese sauce incorporates a small amount of tomato concentrate and a green sauce called pesto originates from Genoa. There are various other versions of sauces such as tomato sauce, pasta onion sauce, chicken pasta mango cream sauce, spaghetti Bolognese and the egg based carbonara.

In pasta primavera, the vegetables and pasta are tossed together in a cream sauce made with broth and heavy cream. For a classic or lighter and brighter version you can make a creamy sauce without cream. Wonderful and colourful spring vegetables like asparagus, fresh green peas, chives, leeks and garlic are best chosen for depth and sweetness. Experimenting in making deeply flavoured sauces were influenced from risotto; lightly toasting the pasta in olive oil before cooking it in broth and white wine. The sauce flavoured the pasta as it cooked while the pasta added starch to the sauce, thickening it without the need for heavy cream. This non-traditional approach gave a light but creamy sauce with sweet, grassy flavours that paired perfectly with the vegetables for a dish that truly tasted like spring.

Pasta primavera is an Italian-American dish that consists of pasta and fresh vegetables. Meats such as chicken, sausage or shrimp are also added sometimes but the main focus of primavera is the vegetables themselves.  Traditionally the dish may contain almost any kind of vegetable, but cooks tend to stick to firm, crisp vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, peas, onions and green bell peppers, with tomatoes. Pasta primavera is usually highlighted by light flavours, aromatic herbs and bright colors (‘primavera’ meaning the season of spring). Since primavera means spring, the vegetable choices should be the crisp new vegetables of spring. Classic primavera sauce is based on a soffritto of garlic and olive oil, and finished with Parmesan cheese. However versions further enriched by, or based on, a heavier cream or Alfredo sauce are also common. Pasta primavera is best classified as an excellent appetizer.

Pastas served with this dish are typically smaller shapes, such as penne, farfalle, rigatoni and fusilli. If using longer types of pasta, such as spaghetti or fettuccine, the vegetables are normally sliced in thin strips to match the shape of the noodles.  In this recipe, we are using the fettuccine pasta which literally means ‘little ribbons’ in Italian. It is a type of pasta popular in Roman cuisine. It is a flat thick noodle made of egg and flour wider than but similar to the tagliatelle typical of Bologna. They are eaten with sugo d’umido (beef ragù) and ragù di pollo (chicken ragù). A popular fettuccine dish in North America is fettuccine alfredo.

To prepare this delicious Pasta primavera, firstly wash and trim one bunch green onions into small cubes and 1 large leek (dark green parts trimmed off and discarded), chopped, washed thoroughly; soak them in cold water and strain the water off.

In a bowl, add in ½ cup fresh green peas, 1 cup sugar snap peas (cut finely into equal sized pieces), 2 green zucchini diced finely, 2 jalapeno, diced and 1 bunch asparagus, stalks diced, tips left whole and keep aside.

Add water in a sauce pan to cook the pasta. To make a wonderful green sauce, take a bunch of basil and just blanch in hot water. Remove and add the leaves in a bowl, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth and blend all these ingredients into a nice puree.

In the saucepan of hot water, cook 1 pound fettuccine as per the instructions and once the pasta is done, drain off the excess water. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat the chopped green onions, leeks and toss them well. Sweat them thoroughly for about 5 minutes and then add in mix of finely chopped vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally add in the asparagus and mix. Cook for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and then add in the green sauce, mix and cook for a minute stirring constantly until it thickens.

In a fresh bowl, add in the boiled pastas, and mix in the vegetables mix with sauce over the pasta and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle over 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, or as needed, salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Pasta Primavera is a burst of spring and it taste exceptionally delicious when you actually use a variety of fresh spring vegetables. When done right, this is one of the year’s great seasonal recipes. This looks, smells, and tastes like a cool, sunny spring day. Do give it a try and enjoy eating.

Enjoy Cooking!

Couscous is a popular Berber dish made with semolina traditionally served with meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. It is a staple food throughout Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.

Couscous name is derived from Berber seksu meaning well rolled, well formed, rounded. Couscous is known by different names around the world such as Seksu or Kesksu in Arabic which is pronounced as kuskus. In Tunisia and Libya it is called as kuseksi. Couscous was elected as the third favorite dish of French people in 2011 in a study by TNS Sofres for magazine Vie Pratique Gourmand and the first in East of France. To this day, couscous is known as the ‘North Africa national dish’.

Couscous was known to the Nasrid royalty in Granada and in the 13th century a Syrian historian from Aleppo includes four references for couscous. These early mentions show that couscous spread rapidly, but generally that couscous was common from Tripolitania to the west, while from Cyrenaica to the east the main cuisine was Egyptian, with couscous as an occasional dish. Today, in Egypt and the Middle East, couscous is known, but in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya couscous is a staple. Couscous was taken from Syria to Turkey in the 16th century and is eaten in most of the southern provinces. It is also staple of Sicilian cuisine. Couscous is traditionally made with semolina but in some regions it is also made from coarsely ground barley or pearl millet. In Brazil, the traditional couscous is made from cornmeal.

Traditionally, North Africans use a food steamer to properly cook the couscous which is light and fluffy and not gummy or gritty. This steamer is called as kiskas in Arabic or a couscoussiere in French. The base is a tall metal pot shaped rather like an oil jar in which the meat and vegetables are cooked as a stew. On top of the base, a steamer sits where the couscous is cooked, absorbing the flavors from the stew. The lid to the steamer has holes around its edge so steam can escape. It is also possible to use a pot with a steamer insert. If the holes are too big the steamer can be lined with damp cheesecloth. The couscous is generally served with vegetables (carrots, potatoes, turnips etc) which cooked in a spicy or mild broth or stew and some meat which includes chicken, lamb or mutton.

The couscous is usually steamed several times until it is very fluffy and pale in color. It is then sprinkled with almonds, cinnamon and sugar. Traditionally, this dessert will be served with milk perfumed with orange flower water, or it can be served plain with buttermilk in a bowl as a cold light soup for supper. Another way to eat couscous is as a dessert; it is prepared with dates, sesame, and pure honey, and locally referred to as “maghrood”. In Tunisia, it is made mostly spicy with harissa sauce, it is served with almost everything, including lamb, beef, camel, and poultry. Fish couscous is Tunisian specialty; it can be also made with octopus in hot red spicy sauce. Couscous in Tunisia is served on every occasion; it is also served sweetened as dessert called masfouf, mostly during Ramadan.

The instant couscous dish from Morocco is easy and doesn’t actually take a long time. To prepare this scrumptious dish, firstly wash and chop up the vegetables.

Add some oil into a large frying pan and heat. Add the onion and fennel and fry for 1 minute. Reduce heat and add the other vegetables. Simmer for 5 Minutes. Meanwhile put the cous-cous into the vegetable stock and leave for 5 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Add all the spices to the vegetables and finally stir in the cous-cous.

For detailed recipe, click on the link below:

http://www.vahrehvah.com/Cous-Cous+%28From+Morocco%29:2125

Couscous is among the healthiest grain-based products. It has a glycemic load per gram 25% below that of pasta. It has a superior vitamin profile to pasta, containing twice as much riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate, and containing four times as much thiamine and pantothenic acid.

Couscous (spicy vegetable couscous) is made from two different sizes of the husked and crushed, but unground, semolina of hard wheat using water to bind them. Semolina is the hard part of the grain of hard wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum), that resisted the grinding of the relatively primitive medieval millstone. When hard wheat is ground, the endosperm—the floury part of the grain—is cracked into its two parts, the surrounding aleurone with its proteins and mineral salts and the central floury mass, also called the endosperm, which contains the gluten protein that gives hard wheat its unique properties for making couscous and pasta–that is, pasta secca or dried pasta, also called generically macaroni. Couscous is also the name for all of the prepared dishes made from hard wheat or other grains such as barley, millet, sorghum, rice, or maize.

Enjoy Cooking!