Date & Nut Rugelach

How can Christmas be complete without baking cookies! I was debating if I should bake a cake or cookies. I knew they had to have dates in them, because it reminds of my chidlhood and Christmas with my family in Saudi Arabia, where dates are always in the house. I was searching for recipes on Epicurious and came across this recipe for a Rugelach. This seemed intriguing to me because they looked like mini croissants with a date filing in them....

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Chicken Malai Kabab

Last year, I had an American couple come over for Christmas dinner. As they were very sensitive to spices, I had to be careful about choosing milder recipes. I used a recipe for chicken malai kabab and omitted the green chillies. They turned out to be a hit, and my guests even took the leftovers home. This was one of the sides to the main course - rack of lamb. This year, I made this again with the green chillies on the day after Christmas,...

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Herb marinated Rack of Lamb

This was the main course for last year's Christmas. I served one rack of lamb among 4 people. We had several other dishes too. It was my first time grilling a rack of lamb, and yes I was nervous about serving it to guests. So I timed it exactly as mentioned in the recipe and it turned out medium (light pink center). I wasn't really able to enjoy the dinner because I was hosting too. So I decided to try it again this Christmas. Maybe this one's...

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Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Another recipe I made last Christmas and again this year. This was served as a side to my main course of herb marinated lamb rack. Ingredients: 4 cups cubed Yukon Gold potatoes 3 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp garlic salt 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp paprika 1 tsp pepper 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese Method: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place the cubed potatoes into a baking dish. (The cubes of potatoes should be about 3/4 of an inch on...

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I love making a soup as one of my Christmas dinner courses. Last year I made a delicious pea soup. I did not have the time to take photos and note the recipe down, since I had guests coming over and I was in a mad rush to get everything done on time. I think I'll make it again before the winter ends. This year, I decided to use a vegetable I've never cooked or even tasted before. I was looking at the all the fresh seasonal vegetables at a local...

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Gougères

Due to my love of cheese, I wanted to try an easy cheese puff recipe. I've seen choux pastry being made everywhere - Julia Child talks about it, its an important know-how on Masterchef, youtube, cooking channel, you name it. And to think I haven't tried it even once, was a shame. So I tried these gougères on Christmas eve. This was also an accompaniment to the butternut squash soup which was the second course of our Christmas dinner. The...

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Baked Brie - Brie en Croute

Baked Brie!! This is a pleasant new discovery for me last month. Anyone who knows me, will know that I love cheese, and trying various cheeses. During my business trip to France in 2010, I was in heaven when my manager took me to a famouse cheese restaurant in Strasbourg called La Cloche à Fromage. Anyone visiting Strasbourg, I highly recommend this place - you will need an advance reservation and I hear its a little difficult to get in, but...

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Sambar Powder

Yet another essential in your pantry for South Indian cooking. I make this in small batches to retain freshness of the spice mix. I mostly use this mix to make Sambar and dal palak. You can also add it to stir-fries like kovakkai poriyal. Ingredients: Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp Channa dal - 1/2 tbsp (adjust, see note) Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Black peppercorns - 1 tbsp Fennel seeds - 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp Dried red chillies - approx. 5 nos. Curry...

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