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Moussaka(Eggplant Lasagna)

June 26th 2008 09:33
Moussaka
Eggplant Lasagna

This is a dish of layered eggplants and meat topped with white sauce and baked. Moussaka means "casserole". Origin is Greek.

For Filling
3 large eggplants
1 cup oil
3 large onions, chopped
2 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For cream sauce:
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
3 beaten eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
dash white pepper
dash nutmeg

Wash eggplants. Slice eggplants (with skins) into 1/2-inch rounds or cut into 1/4 inch lengthwise. Sprinkle with a little salt and let stand 20 minutes to remove any bitter taste. Rinse in cold water; pat dry.
In a frying pan, heat oil, fry eggplants briefly about 1 or 2 minutes or brown slices of eggplant on both sides. Set aside and drain on paper towels.

In skillet saute onions in 1/3 cup oil until tender. Add ground meat and saute around 5 - 10 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Return to skillet. Add tomato paste, water, parsley, salt, pepper. Simmer until liquid is nearly absorbed. Take off heat, add 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 2 beaten eggs, and 1/4 cup cheese.

For cream sauce/Custard
Bring milk almost to a boil. In another saucepan, melt butter. Blend in flour with wire wisk stirring constantly. Add warm milk slowly to butter-flour mixture, stirring vigorously. Continue stirring and cooking. When mixture is thickened and smooth, remove from heat. Cool slightly. Slowly add a little of the cream mixture to beaten eggs, then pour back into cream sauce and stir well. Add white pepper, nutmeg and cheese.


To Assemble:
Grease 9" x 13" baking dish or pan. Sprinkle bottom lightly with bread crumbs. Cover with a layer of eggplant slices. Spoon on all of meat mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Arrange remaining eggplant over meat mixture. Pour cream sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake custard uncovered until custard is set about 1 hour.
Bake 350 degrees F. If custard oozes out, cook longer another half hour.
Remove - cool slightly before cutting into squares.

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How to Peel & Cut Pineapple Fruit

May 27th 2008 04:56
How to Peel & Cut a Pineapple
Pineapple


Pineapple fruit is rich in minerals and vitamins C, B1, B6, excelent source of manganese and copper. Good source of dietary fiber. Pineapple have diuretic, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. It is good for diarrhea, digestion, intestinal infection, athritis, sore throat, gout etc.

First cut off the top and the bottom

Pineapple
Top portion of pineapple


Pineapple
Cut off the rest of the skin


Pineapple
cut out the eyes


Pineapple
Dressed pineapple

Cut out all the eyes, be careful not to cut deeply.

Pineapple
Slice the fruit

Serve & enjoy. I sprinkle the fruit with some salt.
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Ground Beef with Tofu

May 25th 2008 10:32
Ground Beef with Tofu
Ground Beef with Tofu


This recipe can be used as topping over hot cooked rice.

Ingredients
2 cake Tofu, the firm type
100 gms ground beef
2 clove garlic, chopped
1 stalk leeks, chopped (for topping)

For the Sauce:
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Procedure:

1. Slice tofu into cubes (2 cm). Drain well.
2. In a small bowl, combine cooking sauce ingredients.
3. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Saute garlic, beef. Add cooking sauce and bring to a boil. Add tofu , stir fry gently the tofu, and cook about 3 minutes over medium heat.
5. Stir in dissolved cornstarch and leeks. Mix lightly and remove from heat.

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Sticky Rice Squares

May 19th 2008 05:12
Sticky Rice Squares
Sticky Rice Squares


I will be posting different recipes of rice and sticky rice for that matter.
My first feature will be the Sticky or Glutinous rice.

Cooking Rice:
1 cup sticky rice or glutinous rice
1 cup cold water
a pinch of salt

1. Cook sticky rice same way as ordinary rice cooking method of steaming.
2. When cooked, leave to cool.
3. You need to put the cooked rice in a square pan, by spreading rice evenly in the pan.
4. Cut into squares and FRY each rice squares one by one to avoid sticking squares in the frying pan.

Frynig Method:
You need a cup of cooking oil to fry the rice squares.

In a small frying pan, dip fry in hot oil each square for just a few minutes or about 1 minute, (if you prefer a crunchy rice, fry it for another 2 minutes) drain on paper towel.

How to serve it?
Arrange rice squares in a platter and sprinkle sugar on top of each squares.

NOTE: This recipe is only for sticky rice.
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Cooking Rice Tricks

May 8th 2008 01:05


finger-knuckle technique
Cooking Rice Tricks

The so called finger-Knuckle method - Add the water until it covers your knuckles hand is flat on the rice.

Finger-Knuckle Method 2
Cooking Rice Tricks

Dip your Fingers on top of the rice (not bottom) up to the first line of your middle finger.

Try this method, if it works-no need to buy an electric rice cooker.

Stove Top Method:
1. Wash or rinse rice in cold water about 3-4 times. Discard water.
2. In a pan mix rice with amount of water desired.
3. Close lid of your pan.
4. Boil the rice on med-high heat (The water gets absorbed into the rice and the rice expands).
5. Once its boiling, stir the rice and close the lid and turn the heat down to low for about 5 minutes.
6. While simmering the water gets absorbed into the rice or evaporates, do not open the lid at this point. When the water has nearly disappeared(water will stop spilling) turn the heat off. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes or more with the lid on.

Hey guys this is a challenge!!! Let me know if you succeed.

NOTE: Do not soak rice before cooking, this method is only applied to Stcky Rice or Glutinous Rice for sweet desserts or other rice with meat recipes.
There is a microwave rice cooker but I seldom use this because it makes my microwave messy.

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How to Cook Rice

May 5th 2008 02:33
How To Cook Rice
How To Cook Rice

Electric Rice Cooker

How To Cook Rice
How To Cook Rice

Cooking Pan

How To Cook Rice
wrap="0

Steam Rice
If you use an electric rice cooker, we just put the rice and water into the cooker and press the button. If you use the stove top method there are several steps to follow when you cook the rice. Rice cooker is the convenient way of cooking especially for beginners, but I recommend that you use the ordinary cooking pan so you will experience and master the art of steaming rice the traditional way.

Water measurement, timing techniques are very important, from boiling, simmering until rice is perfectly done.

Steps:

1 cup of rice(add 1 1/2 cup of water)

1. Rinse or wash rice in cold water until water is clear, discard water, do this about 3 times.
2. Combine rice and water(for every cup of rice use 1 1/2 cups of water. Asians cooked their rice in a traditional way by measuring the "hand method" - When you dip your middle finger on top of the rice, the water will cover up to middle line of the finger. (If this is complicated, don't follow this method).Excess water will make rice mushy.
3. Cook rice in medium heat, bring to a boil. Open the lid right away, and swirl/stir it once and close the lid. Reduce the heat to low fire. Simmer and let rice cook for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Leave the pan in the burner for another 5 minutes.
If you use the electric rice cooker - just push the button and rice will cook, just leave it and it will be cooked automatically.
NOTE: Don't leave the kitchen while you are cooking the rice. Watch it until it boils because water will spill off your cooking pan and this will mess your burner.


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FRIED RICE

May 4th 2008 02:39
Fried Rice
Fried Rice


3 cups cooked steam rice
2 cloves garlic chopped
3 tbsp canned whole corn
3 tbsp thawed green peas
2 slices cooked ham, cut in cubes
2 tbsp butter
pinch of salt & pepper

Procedure:

Melt butter in a frying pan. Saute garlic, corn, ham and green peas quickly.
Add rice, stir fry and toss, season with salt & pepper.

Serve 2
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Potato Dauphine

April 17th 2008 04:01
Potato Dauphine
Potato Dauphine


You can serve this as snack or as a fingerfood.

For the Duchess Potato
1/2 kg potatoes
2 1/2 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp butter

[For the Choux Paste
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
pinch of salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs

Peel potatoes and wash, cut into quarters. In a saucepan, combine water, salt, bring to a boil, then add potatos. Cook until potatoes are soft. Drain off water.

Mash potatoes in a bowl. Put mashed potatoes in a saucepan and cook over low fire. Add egg yolk, stir until well blended and let cool. Set aside.

Choux paste:
In a saucepan, combine water, butter and salt. Heat until butter melts and water boils. Lower heat. Add flout at once, stir, until mixtyre leaves sides of pan. Turn off heat. Let cool , the beat eggs one at a time. Beat until mixture is smooth.

Fold choux paste into Duchess potato mixture and mix well. Scoop into a piping bag with a large star tube or tip. Pipe out into spirals onto a lightly greased tray.

Heat oil in pan and deep fry potato spirals until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot.
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Baguette Bread Pizza

April 16th 2008 05:43
Baguette Bread Pizza
Baguette Bread Pizza


1 baguette, sliced into half, lengthwise
2 tomatoes, cut into rings
1 medium green bell peppers, cut into rings
1 large white onion, cut into rings
1 cup Italian dressing divided (for brushing the bread and veggies)
2 180-grm cans tuna in brine, dained
1 cup sliced bologna
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Brush veggies with Italian dressing and arranged in prepared pan.. Roast uncovered 12-15 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Don't turn off the oven.

Brush surface of baguette slice with Italian dressing. Arrange on top of baguette the tuna, bologna, mushrooms and roasted veggies. Sprinkle cheese on top of the veggies.
Bake until cheese melts about 8 minutes or less.
Slice into serving pieces.
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Cheese Dip

April 16th 2008 02:18

Cheese Dip
Cheese Dip


This dip will go well with chips, veggies sticks and as pasta sauce.

1 cup milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 pcs. tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1/3 cup chopped jalapenos
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp. white sugar

1. Combine milk and cheeses in a pan and cook over low heat. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Serve with chips or veggies sticks.
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