4 Delicious Recipes for Smorgasbord

4 DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH #SMORGASBORD #FOODIE

This post is in continuation to an earlier post on smorging. Here is a list of recipes for the smorgasbord.

Piri Piri Prawns with Feta

Piri Piri prawns with feta cheese, smorgasbord
Piri Piri prawns with feta cheese

Ingredients:  6 cloves garlic, 2 fresh red chillies, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1 dozen tiger prawns, Olive oil, few sprigs of mint and rocket leaves chopped, 2 lemons, 1 tbsp honey, 50 gms soft feta cheese crumbled, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Method: Peel and finely chop the garlic and deseed the chillies and finely chop too. Place in a bowl along with the paprika, oregano, prawns and season with salt and pepper as needed. Drizzle with about 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, mix well, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Place the griddle over high heat. Cut the lemon in half. Place the lemons cut-side down in the griddle. Place the prawns on the griddle and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until opaque and cooked through. Serve the prawns drizzled with honey.  Crumble over the feta and scatter the chopped mint and rocket. Squeeze the charred lemon juice all over and serve immediately with either peach chutney or some spiced marmalade.

Recipes for Smorgasbord

Festive couscous

Ingredients: 2 ½ cups couscous, 4 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock, ½ tsp. chilli flakes, 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, finely grated rind, 1 ½ cup frozen peas cooked until tender, 1 small onion finely chopped, 75 gms pomegranate arils, 2 tbsp dried cranberry, ¼ cup chopped pistachios, ½ tbsp. dried tarragon, 2 tbsp small mint leaves chopped.

Method: Place the couscous in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the hot stock, chilli flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and fluff the couscous using a fork. Toss the peas, onion, pomegranate, cranberry, pistachios, tarragon, mint and the lemon rind. Toss well and serve with toast.

 Classic Prawn Cocktail

Classic Prawn Cocktail- recipes for Smorgasbord
Classic Prawn Cocktail
Image credit- Pinterest

Ingredients: Few martini or wine glasses, 1 small iceberg lettuce, finely chopped, 15-20 large prawns, boiled with tails, ½ tsp freshly ground pepper, 1 tsp tobacco bottled seafood sauce or Thousand Island Dressing Capers as needed, Olives and lemon slices for garnishing.

Method: Line the glasses and fill them with half the lettuce. In a bowl combine remaining lettuce and the prawns, (reserve 1 prawn for each glass and keep aside) capers, pepper, thousand island and tabasco. Gently fold and pour with 2 prawns per glass. Hang the reserved prawn over the edge of the glass and garnish with a lemon slice and an olive. Serve chilled.

Chutneywale Aloo or Potatoes with Chutney

Ingredients:  3 tbsp. vegetable oil. 1 kg baby potatoes peeled, 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar, 1 medium onion, thinly sliced, 2 tbsp. thick yoghurt, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp. garam masala. Salt as needed.

Green Chutney: 50 gms cashew nuts, 50 gms mint leaves, 50 gms coriander leaves with stalks, 25 gms ginger chopped, 1 small green chilli pinch of sugar.

Method: Whizz the chutney ingredients with 100 ml water in a blender and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a heavy based non-stick pan over a medium flame, add the potatoes.  Fry for 20-25 minutes stirring often as they begin to brown. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the cumin seeds for about 5-6 seconds until they sizzle.  Add the onion and fry for 8-10 minutes until browned. Then stir in the chutney and fry stirring for a few minutes until slightly dry. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the yoghurt a spoonful at a time, stirring in the ground coriander and chilli powder and return the pan to a low heat and simmer for a minute. Stir in the garam masala and season with salt. Return the potatoes and stir to coat well.

BON APPETIT

4 DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH #SMORGASBORD #FOODIE

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Exotic gifts for Christmas

Christmas gifts

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,
Just like the ones I used to know,
Where the tree tops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow

With the onset of Yuletide Holiday season, it is time for gift-giving and here is when your mind goes blank. So, take a deep breath and explore the cool Christmas gifts here. Browsing for the right Christmas gift for the people could be tricky.

The exchange of gifts is one of the main aspects of Christmas celebration in contemporary times. Here are wonderful treats that you can enjoy with family and friends while they celebrate such joyful moments as food is the central attraction of any celebration.

Shop for Amazing Fine Gourmet Chocolates Gifts


The Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory was founded In 1925 by two industrious women, Riddell Angell and Cora Phelps. The company’s rich history began in the resort town of Mackinac Island, Michigan but at the start of WWII that shop was closed and the company moved to Daytona Beach, FL.

When you visit Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory you will be greeted by their friendly, courteous staff and offered free samples of their chocolate. While here please be sure to take advantage of their free tour and watch chocolate being made the old fashion way! When you leave here you will understand why TripAdvisor.com named them one of the Top 10 Sweetest Destinations in America.

It matters not what the custom may be,
For Christmas is loved by you and by me!
Yes; the years may come and the years may go;
But, when December wind doth, coldly, blow,
We all, I guess, are just children once more
And we plan our gifts, as we did of yore.
~Gertrude Tooley Buckingham, “Christmas” (1940s)


So what are you waiting for? Use your gadgets to browse through these exotic gifts for Christmas!

You may like to read How to spend Christmas?

Smorging- The Great New Way of Enter

Smorging-The great new way

Based on the Scandinavian smorgasbord- smorging is trending

The weather has become cooler, so it’s time to have your friends over for a chilled-out Sunday brunch or maybe a lazy but competitive game night or an entertainment-filled dress up movie night. We just have a few days of this great weather and all of us want to make the most of it.

The new way to entertain without much fuss is the Scandinavian way-or smorging. It’s based on the Scandinavian smorgasbord-an indulgent grazing (the art of dipping from plate to plate, nibbling a bit of this and a bit of that with no end in sight) style of eating.

To smorg: verb – to gather with friends and take pleasure in grazing on an assortment of creatively presented cheeses, normally presented in the Scandinavian style of the smorgasbord with a range of accompaniments.

Smorging
Swedish_buffet-Smörgåsbord By bigmick – flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0,

What is #Smorgasbord?

A smorgasbord is a buffet style dining that is traditionally served in Scandinavian countries for special occasions for Saturday lunch. Smorebrod (open sandwich) are created from different components, often leftovers from dinner the previous night. Cheese, fish, meat and vegetables are laid out for guests to put together themselves on top of a piece of rye bread, which is the classic base. To add an extra taste dimension additional condiments like salted butter, mustard or preserved beetroots are also offered.

A smorgasbord is easy to prepare and is part of the new Nordic food movement. It has variety, flavour, texture and can be as healthy as you would like it to be.

Smorging means you don’t need to save your favourite cheeses for a special occasion or a traditional cheeseboard.  Dive into your fridge, raid your kitchen cupboard to put together a creatively crafted smorgasbord. Use whatever you have on hand to compliment your favourite cheeses and cold cuts.

If you are planning, remember your guests’ tastes- have a selection of olives, gherkins, dried cranberries, apricots and a selection of fresh fruit to compliment the cheese and meats.

Successful smorging tips

*Have a selection of breads, bread sticks, crackers and toast.

*Plan the rest of your ingredients and poke around your kitchen and fridge to see what you find to make up your board.

*Try to include a range of tastes salty, sweet, sour and mild spice. Also, try to include a variety of textures so there is a balance between crunchy and soft.

*Choose some good cheeses and include a variety of soft, semi-hard, hard, as well as sharp.

* Have a selection of meats, pates, roast slices and vegetables too.

*Have plenty of dipping sauces, slices of lemon, condiments and chutneys on hand.

* Present your selection on large platters or wooden boards.

*Make sure you have plenty of cutlery like forks, spreaders, knives, cheese knives, spoons, tissues/napkins and some quarter plates on hand.

Don’t forget your pitchers of margarita and sangria.

*Last, but most importantly, have fun and make the best of what you’ve got. Try new combinations and see what happens!

Smorging-The great new way

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Masterclass with Chef Gil Hovav

#Israeli Delicacies with Chef Gil Hovav #food #foodie

Israel’s culinary traditions have been shaped by influences from Asia, Africa and Europe. Thus, becoming a culinary melting pot. The food of the Israelites has ‘seven species’ – olives, figs, dates, pomegranates, wheat, barley and grapes that play an important role in Israeli cuisine.

Some of the popular Israeli food are borekas (fresh vegetables, eggs and cheeses), Shakshouka (eggs in the morning) , Baba Ganoush– a tangy eggplant spread, falafel-deep fried chickpea balls with pita bread, Hummus– a mashed chickpea spread,( Hummus is a staple in Israeli households), Pita bread-national bread of Israel, Schnitzel -chicken cutlets in bread and fried, Shawarma-grilled lamb or other meat that is then sliced or ‘shaved’ and is enjoyed with pita bread and Tahini-a delicious spread made from sesame seeds. For lovers of desserts, baklava– a sweet layered enjoyed in Israel and its surrounding countries – Mediterranean and the middle east, crepes– fresh crepes with different fillings.

So, when Israel’s Chef Gil Hovav was in town, I attended his Masterclass.  Chef Gil Hovav is a leading culinary journalists and television personality who comes from one of the respected families in the Jewish world. He is the great-grandson of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the reviver of the Hebrew language; the grandson of Itamar Ben-Avi who began modern Hebrew journalism; and the son of Moshe & Drora Hovav, “founding members” of Israel’s modern-day public radio.

Mr Hovav himself, with his illustrious career in journalism, in television and as an author, has played a major role in changing Israeli cuisine from one of the basic traditional foods to one of enviable gourmet dining. He began his career as a restaurant critic, moved on to become a newspaper editor, and was involved in creating, producing and presenting some of Israel’s most viewed and loved television food shows. These include the classic “Pepper, Garlic and Olive Oil”, “Captain Cook” (which reviewed the world’s best restaurants), and “Going to the Market”. These series later turned into best-selling cookbooks.

As an author, Chef Gil Hovav has published three best-selling novels all related to his family’s colourful history, exposing with humour and emotion the Jerusalem of his childhood that no longer exists. He has lectured around the world about Wartime Cooking in JerusalemMy Great (and short) Grandfather Eliezer Ben Yehuda and Being Gay in Israel Today and has led cooking demonstrations and seminars focusing on Israeli cuisine, combined with his unique personal stories. Source

#Israeli delicacies by Chef Gil Hovav #Food #Recipes

Hummus

Hummus is as common in Israeli cuisine just as peanut butter is for America. Hummus is usually had with pita bread.

Hummus with pita bread
Hummus with pita bread

Serves: 25 portions

Ingredients:  400 gms small dry chickpeas,

4 peeled garlic cloves,

½ hot green pepper,

½ cup parsley,

1 cup good raw tahini, 

(tahini is a sesame seed paste. A staple of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cooking. It is essential ingredient in Hummus)

Juice of 1 lemon,

½ tsp cumin,

1 tbsp. salt

Directions:

  • Soak chickpeas for at least 6 hours.
  • Drain and wash. Cook in fresh water until soft not mushy (this takes about 3 hours). While cooking, discard any foam on top of the water.
  • When soft, take off the stove, let cool and drain but save about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
  • Put garlic, fresh hot pepper and parsley in the food processor, and puree.
  • Add chickpeas, and process. Add as much cooking liquid as needed to form a rather smooth paste. Do not over-process.
  • Add tahini, lemon juice, cumin and salt and process again.
  • Do not refrigerate. Serve at once, topped with olive oil and garnished with hot paprika, cumin and chopped parsley.

Tabbouleh

(Couscous Vegetable salad)

Tabbouleh is a Levantine vegetarian dish or a salad that is made from tomatoes, chopped parsley, mint, bulgur and onion and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. At times, it is made with pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients: 1 bag instant couscous, (couscous is a dish made from granules of wheat flour usually prepared by steaming until they are light and fluffy).

4 tomatoes,

4 cucumbers,

4 scallions,

2 lemons,

6 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. coarse salt,

2 tbsp. ground black pepper,

½ cup pine nuts (lightly toasted),

1 cup pomegranate seeds,

½ cup chopped coriander,

½ cup chopped parsley,

½ cup chopped dill.

Directions:

-Prepare instant couscous.

– Prepare salad from tomatoes, cucumbers and scallions. Dice well.

-Grind the peel of one lemon and squeeze the juice from both. Add to the salad.

– Add the rest of the ingredients (including couscous) and mix well.

– The salad keeps well in the fridge up to 24 hours.

Zehoug

(Hot Yemenite Salsa)

This hot salsa is eaten with everything by Yemenite Jews.

Zehoug
Zehoug

Ingredients:

2 bunches fresh cilantro, (A Spanish word for coriander, also derived from Coriandrum).

15 hot green peppers,

1 bulb garlic,

1 tbsp. ground black pepper,

1 tbsp. ground cardamom,

1 tbsp. ground cumin,

1 tbsp. salt.

 

Directions:

-Peel garlic cloves. Discard stems of green peppers. Put in food processor and make a rough paste.

– Roughly chop cilantro and add to the food processor together with the rest of the ingredients.

– Process until you get a shiny green paste.

– Put in jars and store in the fridge.

It was a wonderful evening, where we tasted all the above made by Gil Hovav. It was simply awesome.

#Israeli Delicacies with Chef Gil Hovav #food #foodie
Israeli Delicacies with Chef Gil Hovav
Img courtesy- @FoodhallIndia