Turkey thighs with Herb Butter and Cajun Seasoning

Celebrating Thanksgiving with families and friends by watching our favorite teams playing football or basketball and of course food. Turkey thighs  cooks faster  than the whole turkey and is tasty as well.Make herb butter with sage, rosemary, oregano and spices to rub on the thighs.


Ingredients
1 stick of  soften butter
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne
4 turkey thighs

Method
1 Mix everything with butter.Pat dry the thighs with paper towel. Season it with salt and pepper.Leave it for about 10 minutes.
2 Preheat the the oven to 375 degrees. Rub the season butter under the skin of the turkey thighs and on top of the skin and on the other side as well.
3.Place it on a baking sheet and place it in the oven and cook it for an hour or until the temperature reads 165 degrees.
4 Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes and enjoy.

Sweet Potato and Basil Tart

Sweet potato tart is a good for an appetizer for  any party of get together.It is delicious and is also a good way of using left over sweet potatoes from thanksgiving.I used the store bought puff pastry ,brushed it with roasted garlic olive oil and placed par cooked  sweet potatoes  and placed it in the oven.It was chancy from the puff pastry and sweet from the potatoes  .Yummy.

Ingredients

puff pastry 

1 sweet potato peeled and cut in circles

few basil leaves

3 garlic cloves roasted and minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt to taste 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoon cheese of your choice

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.On a baking sheet place the sweet potatoes and drizzle it with half of the oil, salt and pepper.Cook it in the oven as it is almost done but not all the way cooked.Roast garlic at the same time.

2 At the same time in another sheet bake the puff pastry for 10 minutes.

3.Remove it from the oven ,brush it with roasted garlic olive oil, arrange sweet potatoes on the puff pastry with basil leaves.Spread cheese and put it back in the oven for another 5minutes  or until puff pastry is cooked through.

4Enjoy as an appetizer or for an snack

Chicken And Vegetable Palau

Palau is like a pilaf which is easy to cook and can be served with ratia or  with any salad or chutney. This can be cooked with veggies only or with chicken or with any other meat of your choice, but I  made it with boneless and skinless chicken breast and some vegetables.It was  tasty and flavorful with a kick from chili powder.

Ingredients
1 chicken breast skinless boneless cut into small pieces
1 cup brown rice
1 cup bok choy cut lengthwise
1 cup green bell pepper
1 cup red bell pepper
2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
oil for cooing
1 teaspoon palau masala
Butter (optional)


Method
1 wash and rinse rice.Keep it aside.Boil water until it comes to a rolling boil.
2 In a pot heat oil, add in chicken ,season it with salt 1 teaspoon black pepper.cook it until done.remove form the pot and keep it aside.
3 Add a little bit more oil to the pot and then add in onions, cook it until soft, add in ginger garlic paste and saute it for a minute.Add in bok choy with green bell pepper  and cook it for a minute.
4 Add in rice with chili pepper ,1 teaspoon black pepper, salt and Palau masala.Stir everything together and than add water cover and cook on low heat until rice is almost done.Than add chicken, red  bell pepper and cilantro and stir and cover until rice is cooked all the way.
5 This is optional add in little cubes of butter on the top of the rice mixture ,cover and let the butter melt in the pot.Mix and serve  it with cucumber salad.

Barfi

Barfi is  sweet and yummy and is made in every household for Diwali.It is made with powdered milk and then let it rest for 4 hours before cutting into squares.

Ingredients
1 packet of powdered milk
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cup sugar
1 cup water
yellow food color
 1 cup ghee
Decorating sprinkles



Method

1. In a pan add ghee milk and cook for 3 minutes.take it off the stove.
2.In a pot make sugar syrup with  with cardamom, and add in food color, and boil it is little bit sticky.Then add in milk mix and keep stirring until the mixture thickens and it atarts to leave the siade of the pot.
3.Pour this on a greased tray ,spread it out evenly and sprinkle with decorations.Let it cool and then cut it into squares.

Chicken Curry

Chicken curry is my daughters favorite and she enjoys with over dhal(lentils).the spicy curry is a comfort for this rainy weather.Just chop the chicken in bite size pieces and add turmeric and masala with chilis  and chopped cilantro, really yummy .

Ingredients
chicken chopped in bite size pieces
2 tablespoon masala
2 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 of an onion chopped
1/4 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds (sarso)
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
chicken stock
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Method
1, .Add lemon juice to the chicken and set it aside.Heat oil  in a pot ,add in cumin, mustard seeds when it starts to crackle then add in onions cook
it for a minute ,then add in ginger garlic paste and cook it for a second.
2 Add in turmeric, stir then add in masala ,stir it then add in chicken ,salt chili powder and stir everything together.Add in stock ,cover bring it to a boil and then let it cook on low heat for 30 minute.Stir once or twice while it is been cooking.
3 Add in cilantro .stir and serve it with rice.

Bread Pudding with Banana and chocolate Chips

This is a very  good way of using left over bread and is also a very delicious desert  for a company.I made this with my children who really enjoyed this over ice cream. Any thing can be added to this pudding such as nuts, dried fruits and of course chocolates.This is easy to make and is very flavorful with chocolate melts into your mouth when you take a bite.

Ingredients

1/2 loaf of bread torn into small pieces
2 cans of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips or more of your choice
1 stick of butter
2 eggs
sugar 1/4 cup or to taste
2 mashed banana

Method
1 In a bowl place the bread,add in cinnamon,baking power, and toss all together.
 2 In another bowl add in  banana,eggs ,vanilla, coconut milk, sugar and mix everything together and then add in chocolate chips.
3 Pour the liquid over the bread and mix it together and then add little pieces of butter on the bread.
4 Pour it on a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until done at 350 degrees.

Spinach and Mushroom stuff Chicken Breast

This is another way of cooking chicken breast which is full of flavor and it also very healthy.Just defrost spinach  and cook it with mushroom and than stuff  and wrap and roll the chicken .It does take a little time to prepare the chicken but it does not take long to cook.


Ingredients
2 chicken breast
1 large plastic storage bag or  parchment paper
1/2 cup defrosted spinach
6 button mushrooms finely chopped
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 teaspoon ground nut meg
2 tablespoon goat cheese
olive oil for cooking

Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chicken stock


Method

1  Cut the chicken breast in half to it makes  it into 2  chicken  breast.Place the chicken breast in the storage bag  and pound it thin.
2 Place the defrosted spinach in a towel and squeeze out all the liquid.Heat oil in a pan and add in mushroom ,chili flakes cook it for few minutes.
3 Add in spinach,1 teaspoon black pepper,nut meg,garlic and salt mix,and cook for few minutes.When everything comes  together than put the mixture in a bowl and add in cheese and mix it together.
4 Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place a mound of the stuffing on the chicken and then wrap and  roll the chicken over the stuffing.Secure it with a toothpick.
5 Heat oil  in a skillet ,add the chicken and brown it on all sides.Since the chicken is thin it will cook faster.
6 Remove chicken from the pan and add in butter  and flour , cook it for a minute  than add in chicken stock ,bring it to a boil and than add the chicken and bring it to simmer.
7 Serve it any vegetable of your choice