Author: AFSHAN KHAN

Breads

Breads Around The World

Post author By AFSHAN KHAN
Post date August 13, 2021

Breads Around The World

The making of bread

Baking bread is a lot easier than it seems. Bread baking is its own world, different from baking cookies and cakes. Its unique blend of ingredients, flour, yeast, water, salt, and, most importantly, time.

Kneading is the process of forming the dough into a smooth, elastic ball. Gluten strands are formed when flour is mixed with liquid.

Kneading develops the gluten by making it stronger and more elastic for better volume. Kneading can be done by hand or by a stand mixer, or bread machine.

Bread comes in many forms, they can contain leavening or not. Bread can be grilled, baked, boiled, and fried. They can be loaf-shaped, flat, square, round, long, and shaped like a wreath. They all have some sort of grain or flour in their ingredients.

Pieces of bread are consumed with every meal of the day, not to mention for snacks.

In breakfast, we may consider Bagels, Croissants, or Muffins. Lunches may contain sandwiches made with Ciabatta, Pita, or Challah. For our dinner, we commonly see baskets containing Rolls, Bread Sticks, Focaccia, or Naan.

Bread can be consumed in the form of snacks such as pretzels and it may be a slice of fruit bread.

White Bread

The white bread is a timeless favorite. It’s usually the go-to for all sorts of sandwiches and toasts.

The best part about white bread is its taste, affordability, and accessibility.
It typically tastes good and is often the bread featured at fast-food restaurants and bakeries.
It is also very low in fiber. As a result, white bread is likely to cause weight increase without the added benefit of nutrition.

Whole Wheat Bread

Whole wheat bread or brown bread is one of the types of bread that is easy to identify.

Wheat bread maintains most of its nutritional integrity during the processing so that the majority of vitamins and minerals stay by the end.
It is also loaded with fiber, which is associated with weight loss and a healthy digestive system.
Wheat bread also can help lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Multigrain Bread

Multigrain Bread is packed with good for you whole grains, seeds, and whole wheat with just a touch of sweetness.

Multigrain bread is any type of bread made with more than one type of grain. Wheat is one type of grain. Multigrain bread often also includes a topping of pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, or oats.

French Baguette

A traditional French baguette is made of flour, water, yeast, and salt. These four simple ingredients produce a beautiful, flavorful, crusty baguette. French bread can be served with any meal. Ideal for sandwiches, perfect for dips, and excellent with soups, French baguettes are an artisan bread masterpiece.

Bagel

A bagel is a soft chewy piece of bread with a hole in the middle just like a doughnut. Its taste is increased by adding some cream cheese or strawberry jam. The bagel is a perfect meal for breakfast.

Bagel comes in a number of delicious flavors. There are so many varieties of bagels that there is one to satisfy everyone’s taste. These can be savory or sweet, soft or crunchy. Even just a plain bagel can be scrumptious with fillings such as cream cheese, smoked salmon, and avocado spread.

Challah

Challah is a braided bread that is so delicious and easy to prepare.

Made with honey and eggs, this slightly sweet bread is braided and brushed with an egg wash before being baked until the perfect golden brown color.

Challah bread is delicious on its own, and it’s even more when paired with honey or cinnamon butter.

It can be served alongside scrambled or even poached eggs. It’s also a great bread to use to make homemade bread pudding or French toast.

Ciabatta

Ciabatta bread is originally from Italy. It is a flat, elongated bread with a light texture. It is a very simple bread, made up of a very high quantity of water. It produces a very large crumb. And is considered an old-traditional Italian bread. Each ciabatta presents a unique look just a bit different from the next.

This bread is soft, incredibly open, and light in hand. Ciabatta is meant to be used for sandwiches.

Focaccia

Focaccia is an oven-baked Italian bread that is usually related to Italian flatbread. It’s a dimpled dough packed with olive oil and various seasonings and a choice of toppings.

Focaccia is most commonly compared to pizza dough. They are both flat, oven-baked bread that often includes different toppings. One of the main differences between the two is the rise time.

A traditional focaccia bread bakes up crisp on the outside and is warm and soft on the inside. With endless topping options, you can easily make this focaccia recipe your own by simply changing the choice of topping or keeping it simple. Perfect for serving with soups and stews, or even for making into sandwiches.

Bread Sticks

Breadsticks are usually pencil-sized sticks of crisp, dry baked bread.

There are a variety of breadsticks which are enjoyed with soups, dips and as it is.

Garlic Butter topping
Cheesy Breadsticks
Cinnamon Sugar Breadsticks
Gluten-free breadsticks
Vegan breadsticks

Sourdough Bread

A sourdough is a fermented mix of flour and water containing wild yeast and bacteria.

Sourdough is known for its characteristic tangy flavor, chewy texture and crisp, crackly crust.

Pita Bread

Pita bread is a flatbread popular in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. It can be formed with or without a pocket. Pita bread is a leaner dough that is thinner and usually consists of basic ingredients such as flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil. To make a pita bread recipe, you also need a very hot oven in order to cook it with a pocket in the pita. Pita can be stuffed with falafel, sandwich with fried eggplant, served with hummus, shawarma sandwiches.

Naan

Naan is a flatbread usually cooked in a Tandoor, a hot clay oven, which gives it gentle puffiness and a hint of smoke. Naan is usually made with an egg and yogurt base that thickens and gives it a different texture when cooking.

There are also many varieties of naan, such as kulcha, which is stuffed with a filling of nuts and raisins, potatoes, or onions, garlic naan, topped with butter, and crushed garlic.

Traditionally, naan is served hot from the oven, slightly charred, brushed with clarified butter, and is usually eaten with a variety of meals.

Cooking

Cooking with Teens

Post author By AFSHAN KHAN
Post date August 9, 2021

Many students head off to college and quickly realize they don’t know how to cook. After years of eating out and parents preparing meals, many young adults have little or no skills in the kitchen. If you have teens at home, you still have the opportunity to give them this valuable life skill. Learning to cook some basic recipes not only prepares them for moving away to work or go to college but also builds responsibility and independence, increase self-esteem, and ease the burden on parents to prepare all the meals.

Follow these guidelines as you introduce your child to cooking.

Master the Kitchen:

Before preparing the first recipe, your child must know the way around the kitchen.
Help your child become more familiar with the kitchen by giving him a recipe or a list of ingredients to gather from the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer.
Assist them to find the utensils and other equipment needed to make the meal.
These steps take extra time initially, but eventually, they will learn where to find everything needed without asking for help.

Prioritize Kitchen & Food Safety:

As parents, we have to discuss safety in the kitchen.

Keep hands clean, washing in soapy water frequently, and not licking fingers while preparing food.
Avoid cross-contamination by separating raw and cooked foods; do not reuse bowls or dishes unless they have been washed and dried.
Avoid wearing dangling jewelry and loose clothing; always tie back long hair.
Keep pot handles turned away from the front of the stove to prevent burns from hot contents being knocked onto you and the floor.
Before leaving the kitchen, make sure all appliances are turned off, unplugged, and clean. Wipe down the microwave and stove once it has cooled.

Work Together:

By starting slowly and preparing meals together, your teen builds skills and confidence at the same time.
Your teen can start by preparing some of the ingredients for the recipe or meal to gradually take full responsibility for the meal. This approach is less overwhelming and allows your child to ask questions at the moment.

Start Simple:

Choosing recipes with just a few ingredients and simple preparation allows your child to be successful from the beginning. Once the teen becomes more familiar with reading recipes, handling equipment, and using the stove and oven, they can progress to more difficult meals. For example, starting with scrambled eggs, quesadillas, and pasta.
Your child also needs to be comfortable using the oven. Many teens enjoy baking, so starting with a recipe straight from a mix might be an easy win.
You can then encourage them to try baking potatoes, frozen chicken tenders, or fish sticks. Next, your child can progress to making entrees and finally trying more complex recipes with multiple ingredients.

Teach the Healthy Plate:

Although many teens would be happy just eating the entrée as their full dinner, it’s important to encourage them to prepare a balanced meal.
A key component to achieving the Healthy Platter is to keep the side dish preparation very basic.
If your child is making a meal once a week, helping to get meals started for you, or preparing the fruits and vegetables on other days, he or she is developing valuable life skills that develop independence and a sense of responsibility that will carry on into adulthood

The Cooking Process with Teens

The earlier that kids are included in the cooking process, the more likely they’ll continue helping as they grow up. The skills that children build in the kitchen at a young age will be valuable to their well-being for the rest of their lives.

When kids get involved in the cooking process including:

Grocery shopping
Taste-testing
Learn ingredient names
Discuss the meal
Food vocabulary —- teaching them about sweet, salty, sour, and even spicy tastes, and crunchy, smooth, and tender textures.
Brainstorm meal ideas—-Involve your teens in the meal planning process. Have them share their favorite ingredients and work with them to build a few meals around these ingredients.
Grow a garden—- to involve your teen to know how it grows and what it looks like. Growing your own food opens up a great learning opportunity. This can also be a fun, family task to make an environmental impact together and teach your teens the importance of going green.

When encouraging your teen to cook, the best approach can be to help them organize the ingredients they need – and then take a step back. You can always be on hand if they need it. There are different areas of cooking and they can be managed by teens once they get to know the strategy to cook everything.

PASTA:

All teens are likely to have a favorite pasta dish, which will end up being their easy go-to option.

NUTRITION BOWL:

There’s nothing more satisfying than preparing a beautiful bowl of food that includes a healthy salad or a fruit platter. It’s a compilation of a colorful lunch or energizing breakfast bowl with a touch of culinary creativity.

SANDWICHES:

Making your sandwich, but creating something simple and delicious from scratch can feel like a true milestone. This recipe includes simple kitchen tasks like slicing and frying vegetables and meat on a hot griddle.

OMELETS:

Omelets are a great meal for a teen. Once they’ve cracked the basic skills and recipes they can start getting creative with ingredients.

STIR-FRY:

The simple stir-fry is a starting point for the amateur cook because it’s speedy, simple.

CURRIES:

Making a curry is all about the art of balancing a large collection of flavors and textures to create a fragrant dish. It’s always best to start with the basics, so teens can experiment to taste and add extras as they go along.

ONE-POT FUSION:

One-pot recipes are the best when there is a busy routine. Chilli is one of those recipes that will always be passed down through generations with a few unique family twists.

SMOOTHIES:

If your teenager struggles over eating breakfast, then a fruit-packed smoothie might make a good balance. These smoothies make for a good mid-afternoon booster. Super simple to make by teens with their choice of fruits and milk.

BAKING:

Simple baking is an exceptional way of earning confidence in the kitchen, and more appealing to a new chef. Baking something quick and easy can also make for a relaxing break between studies.

Menu Planning

IFTAR SPONSORED BY “Tsunami of Spices”

Post author By AFSHAN KHAN
Post date May 27, 2021
27 Comments on IFTAR SPONSORED BY “Tsunami of Spices”

Iftar sponsoredf by"tsunami of spices"

Ramadan, a Muslim holiday that spans the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, lasted from April 13 to May 12 this year. The month is dedicated to worship, charity and community. It welcomes Muslims to retreat from human and worldly desires and focus on renewing their Iman, or faith. Muslims celebrate by abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, and typically join in communal prayer and post-sunset feasting.

Every evening around 6:30 pm, the cars drove into the parking lot of our community Mosque during the month of Ramadan. The families inside were Muslims, checking out a fresh Ramadan contribution project driven by the coronavirus: Iftar boxes to-go.

With mosques closed to avoid the spread of COVID-19, the meals traditionally served after Muslims broke their daily fasts during Ramadan, likewise came to an end. These meals, called iftars, are particularly important to families and to community members who work late and have limited time to arrange food.

This year, my family and I had prepared and delivered Iftar boxes to-go. to our community as a way of spreading the Ramadan cheer and spirit.

It was a different experience of presenting food, without knowing your audience. Keeping the hope that it will fulfill their needs and taste. This task was teamwork of my family, my husband, and daughters, and we accomplished it really well and on time.

Preperation of 200 boxes

Cooking for a crowd can be one of the most stressful tasks. Not only do you have to worry about the food tasting good, but you also have to maintain your time frame.

Planning was the key to cook for a crowd, which was 200 boxes fully prepared with all the courses on the menu, which included:

Chicken BBQ with Saffron Rice
Smoked Ground Beef
Yogurt with Gramflour Boondi
Samosas
Naan
Date

Keeping all the courses, in mind, the biggest task was how to keep the quantity perfect and to keep the weight of all the boxes equal. I had to focus on the following points to stay on track:

How long will it take to complete each recipe?
Can some of the tasks be done in advance?
Are all the ingredients in hand?

Cooking for a crowd is not as scary as it seems. Unlike home cooking, large gatherings require that you use a feast planner if you are going to be cooking large amounts of food, whether it be a sit-down dinner, a buffet, or even catering in to-go boxes. This must hold all details of the gathering from the very start of the preparation to the presentation of the food.

When it comes to big batch or crowd cooking, it requires planning and learning some cooking tips & tricks that will make the entire process smooth.

TIPS AND TRICKS TO COOK FOR A CROWD:

If making something new, test the recipe ahead of time.
Keep the decorations simple.
Fill the menu with a few easy dishes.
Use all appliances to execute tasks easily and quickly.
Use slow cookers, chafing dishes, or warming trays to keep food at the right temperature.
Choose some recipes that can be made ahead, in full or in part.
Make large dishes that can easily be doubled.
Do as much food prep ahead of time as possible.
Create a menu with one simple main dish.
Divide the portions in large foil trays to balance the spread.
Label the to-go boxes with your sponsored name.

Appetizers

The World of “CHAAT”

Post author By AFSHAN KHAN
Post date March 30, 2021

Tangy, spicy, and rich flavors combine to make chaat, a crunchy and delicious snack that is a popular fast food served in South Asian countries. The word “Chaat” is used for various snacks. Chaat is a phrase defining savory snacks, typically served at road-side tracks from stalls or food carts.

Each may look and taste a little different, but they all share a common combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, spicy, and savory ingredients.

There are many versions of chaat, each distinguished by its combination of ingredients.

Chutneys are a staple in chaat which are served alongside.

Tamarind Chutney: This classic tangy sauce is sweet, sour, and spicy. It’s made from zesty tamarind, spices, and a sweetener like sugar, or dates.
Red Garlic Chutney: This vibrant, hot sauce is loaded with garlic and ground Kashmiri chilies.
Green Chutney: This chutney is made essentially of cilantro, mint, garlic, ginger, cumin, and chilies. This chutney is both spicy and refreshing.

A key requisite to any good chaat is, of course, “Chaat Masala”. Black salt is one of the main ingredients in this particular spice blend. Chaat masala, also known as “snack spice” is a spice everyone should keep in their spice rack. Chaat masala is a spice blend, containing cumin, coriander, dried green mango powder, and black salt as it is a key component in chaat.

The World of 'CHAAT"

Papri Chaat

The perfect soul food, a variety of every possible taste and texture – Chaat. This is the classic pick-me-up every other day. Papri Chaat is traditionally eaten as a type of street food, although this delicious vegetarian recipe is well served as a snack or side dish, loaded with Papri (mildly spiced crackers) that are usually deep-fried.

Be it an unexpected guest or just your usual craving for something tasty, Papri Chaat is the perfect fix.
The green and sweet chutney drizzled on a base of papri chaat, lends a sweet, tangy, and savory note, further enriched with beaten yogurt and completed with chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, and sev, adding crunch to the lively chaat. A crowd-pleasing appetizer recipe that is quick to make, wow your guests by artfully arranging the papri with zesty toppings and vibrant garnishes for an impressive beginning to dinner.

Fruit Chaat

Fruit Chaat is versatile, delicious, and simple to prepare snacks. It can be served as a lunch or as a side dish with any meal.

Fruit chaat is a blend of assorted fruits tossed with a delectable blend of spices. Fruit Chaat can be prepared of any combination of fruits according to the seasonal availability and personal choice. This dish is packed with mixed flavors and tastes and rich in nutrients as well as is low in calories.

Fruit chaat is an excellent refreshing and exotic summer salad with an alluring zing-in taste. Fruit chaat is considered to be street food and sold at most of the market places. The amazing thing about making this dish is that it can be to anyone’s taste and choice as you desire. You can use any fruit that you like and flavor the spiciness as per your taste. It would be a creation of your own.

Fruits are important ingredients during Ramadan. They are mainly valued for their nutritional value and easy digestion hence fruits are considered the best option to break the fast.

There are many varieties of this recipe like

Fruit Chat with Cream
Fruit and Vegetable Chaat,
Fruit Chana Chaat.

Chana Chaat (Garbanzo)

Chana Chaat, a salad from Southeast Asia, is a pack of flavor to your taste buds. Chana chaat is not only an easy-to-make salad but a dish that can be eaten with your own special twist.

Chana Chaat is a delicious and commonly eaten savory snack of Pakistani fast food cuisine. Chana Chaat is easy to prepare and takes only minutes to be ready to be served. You require some extremely spicy, delicious, and tangy ingredients like boiled garbanzo, chopped onions, green chilies, coriander, mint, cumin seeds, pomegranate seeds, chaat masala, crushed red pepper, chili powder, dry mango powder, and tamarind paste. Chana Chaat is all about assembling once garbanzo beans are boiled.

Aloo Chaat (Potato)

Aloo Chaat is a savory and tangy dish composed of crispy fried potatoes tossed in spices with sweet and tangy sauces.

Aloo chaat is a favorite and quick snack particularly when one is craving something spicy, flavourful, and tangy.

Aloo chaat recipe has shallow fried crispy potatoes which are then topped with salt, spices tamarind, and coriander chutney (sauce). It is garnished with fresh coriander leaves and fresh-cut onion pieces.

One of the key ingredients in this recipe is the chaat masala. Roasted cumin powder and dried mint powder also give a fresh and mouthwatering zing to this dish.

Bhel Puri Chaat

Bhel Puri Chaat is a popular savory snack made with puffed rice, tossed with vegetables, and tangy chutneys. It is a quick & easy snack to prepare at home and is also served over roadside stalls. Bhelpuri is served as a tangy and crunchy snack for teatime.

The vegetables used in the preparation of Bhel Puri may vary in various regions, but it most commonly consists of boiled potatoes, diced onions, and tomatoes. Another essential ingredient of Bhel is Sev, which are savory thin crunchy noodles made of chickpea flour. Sev is mixed in the bhel itself as well as used for garnishing.

Various other ingredients can be added in Bhel like roasted peanuts, papri (thin crunchy wafers), for more taste and crunchiness. The mixture is then spiced with salt, chilies, and the star of the Chaat world…The Chaat Masala.

The dish is finished by adding tamarind and coriander chutney (sauces) which bind the ingredients together and gives the unique sweet & spicy taste to the bhel.

Appetizers

CINNAMON CHALLAH RAISIN SWIRL BREAD

Post author By AFSHAN KHAN
Post date March 2, 2021

Cinnamon Challah Raisin Swirl Bread is soft, fluffy, and airy. This soft buttery bread comes with a brown sugar cinnamon swirl along with sweet raisins. The dough is mixed and risen, rolled out, filled up, braided, and brushed with egg, sprinkle with coarse sugar. Each strand is filled with some fantastic goodness.

Making this recipe is definitely no science. It is made with very few ingredients from the pantry and is ideal for breakfast and dessert, or use leftovers for a Blueberry French Toast.

Dough Proofing & Filling

Start with combining milk, sugar, honey, and yeast and transfer the dough to a greased bowl then prepare the filling of brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside. On a very lightly floured surface cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Spread filling on top of each dough equally and seal the edges.

Braiding the Dough

Braid the three strands by placing them side by side. Pinch together the upper end of the three strands. Pinch the end and tuck the tip under that it has a round shape and braid until fully shaped. Transfer to a parchment paper layered baking sheet.

Baking till Perfection

Brush the loaf with egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 30-32 minutes. Cover with parchment paper after 10 minutes to prevent heavy browning.

CINNAMON CHALLAH RAISIN SWIRL BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups bread flour
2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm milk
3 tbsp oil
1 egg
1 cup raisins
2 tbsp softened butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Egg wash- 1 egg yolk

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine flour, yeast, sugar & salt in a mixing bowl.
Add warm milk followed by oil and egg.
Mix with electric mixer on medium-high for 2 minutes.
Stir in raisins and enough flour to form a mass.
Transfer to a floured surface and knead.
Cover dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Meantime, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and combine brown sugar & cinnamon in a bowl.
Roll dough into a rectangle. Cut into three 3 x 12-inch strips.
Spread butter down the center of each strip.
Top the butter with narrow rows of the brown sugar mix, keeping away from the edges.
Pinch the strips closed. Go over sealed edges with floured hands to make three sealed ropes with filling inside.
Form into a braid, tucking in edges. Place on a baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours till double in size.
Brush loaf with egg wash. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° F for 25 minutes.
Cover with a foil tent for the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning.
Let rest 10 minutes and top with glaze.
Serve with tea or coffee.

Appetizers

FOCACCIA BREAD

Post author By AFSHAN KHAN
Post date March 1, 2021

Focaccia is an oven-baked Italian bread that is usually related to Italian flatbread. It’s a dimpled dough packed with olive oil and various seasonings and a choice of toppings.

Focaccia is most commonly compared to pizza dough. They are both flat, oven-baked bread that often includes different toppings. One of the main differences between the two is the rise time.

A traditional focaccia bread bakes up crisp on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. With endless topping options, you can easily make this focaccia recipe your own by simply changing the choice of topping or keeping it simple. Perfect for serving with soups and stews, or even for making into sandwiches. This homemade recipe of Focaccia Bread is surprisingly simple but makes rich, flavorful, and soft bread with ultra-crispy edges that you’re going to love.

The Proofing of Dough

Stir together flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the olive oil and water and mix at low speed until it forms a wet, sticky ball. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. Add additional flour to firm up the dough enough to clear the sides of the bowl. Let rise for 2 hours in a warm place.

The Herb Oil Dressing

Made with olive oil, fresh or dry herbs, kosher salt, black pepper, and minced garlic. This is what infuses the bread with tons of flavor and gives it that characteristic texture. There are lots of flavor modifications and additions you can make to suit your tastes

Dimple the dough

Lightly oil your hands transfer the dough to the sheet pan, keeping the rectangular shape as much as possible. Spoon half the herb oil over the dough and use your fingertips to dimple the dough and spread it to fit the pan. Use more herb oil as needed to ensure the entire surface is coated.

TOPPING IDEAS FOR FOCACCIA

There are various points in the recipe when you can add toppings to your Focaccia.

Pre-Proof Topping Ideas:

- - Sun-dried tomatoes
  - Olives
  - Roasted garlic
  - Fresh herbs
  - Walnuts, pine nuts, or other nuts
  - Sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, or onions

Pre-Bake Topping Ideas:

- - Fresh mozzarella, and feta
  - Cooked ground meat
  - Coarse salt
  - Coarse sugar

FOCACCIA BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE HERB OIL:

2 cups olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh herbs
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic (minced)

FOR THE DOUGH:

5 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
6 tbsp olive oil
2 cups water

FOR PREPARATION:

¼ cup olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make the Herb Oil:

Warm 2 cups olive oil in a small saucepan.
Add the herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic and stir together, remove from the heat and allow to steep while you prepare the dough.

Make the Dough:

Stir together the flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Add the oil and water and mix until all of the ingredients form a wet, sticky ball.
The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl.
Sprinkle enough flour on a clean work surface to make a bed.
Transfer the sticky dough to the bed of flour and leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
Coat your hands with flour and stretch the dough from each end to twice its size.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise on the work surface for 1 hour.
Drizzle ¼ cup olive oil over the baking tray, and spread it with your hands or a brush to cover the surface.
Lightly oil your hands and lift the dough, transfer it to the baking tray maintaining the rectangular shape as much as possible.
Spoon half of the herb oil over the dough.
Use your fingertips to dimple the dough and spread it to fill the pan. If the dough becomes too springy, let it rest for 15 minutes and then continue dimpling.
Drizzle additional herb oil over the surface and dimple it in.
The pan should be filled completely with the dough and the dough should have a thickness of about ½-inch.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the baking tray in the oven.
Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it begins to turn a light golden brown.
Serve with a dip of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Menu Planning Recipes

List of Cuisine to Learn

Post author By AFSHAN KHAN
Post date February 24, 2021

List of Cuisine to Learn

Coming Soon…….

Menu Planning Uncategorized

The Kitchen for the Beginners

Post author By AFSHAN KHAN
Post date February 24, 2021

When it comes to cooking, it is essential to keep in mind that everyone started somewhere. There is a lot of learning that needs to be done to become a productive cook and then there is always room for improvement. Not only do you need to begin with the basics when it comes to cooking but you almost need to begin again when learning to cook a new cuisine.

Many people cook for different reasons. Some cook to eat and survive while others cook because they really enjoy the process of cooking. Whatever your reason for cooking or learning to cook you should always begin with the basics.

The first thing that you need to learn is the different terminology used in cooking. when it comes to cooking basics, try simpler recipes for a while and then expand your limits. You don’t have to study cooking for years to get better at cooking food. Even as a beginner, it’s possible to cook delectable meals without detailed skills.

Cooking is perceived as an art that results in delightful foodstuffs. It is the only science that saves one from hunger and satisfies our cravings. One requires several sorts of gadgets to efficiently prepare food.

Cooking is fun, but kitchen safety is a priority. Many pieces of equipment can be very dangerous. Sharp objects like knives, open fire by the oven, electrical appliances around the kitchen. Following the basic rules of the kitchen, safety is a good rule, to begin with. Always give attention to what you’re doing in the kitchen. Adopt a plan for kitchen cleanliness, and have necessary safety equipment at your disposal.

THE BASIC RULES OF COOKING

The Kitchen Gear

The apron is used as a great shield against spills and stains. It is considered a uniform and a mandatory tool for home cooks and chefs who spend most of the day in the kitchen.

Read the Entire Recipe First

Reading the entire recipe before you start cooking will just give you a quick heads up before you make it into anything.

Use Measuring Tools

Measuring tools are some of the most important items in the kitchen.

Chop Easily With a Sharp Knife

Make sure that your knife is sharp. Not only will it make things easier, but it will also make things safer.

Don’t Improvise too Much

Wait until you're a little bit more experienced before improvising and adding your own touches to the recipe.

Let Red Meat Sit Before Cutting It

Wrap the meat in aluminum foil and let it sit there for around 5 minutes so the juices will have some time to settle before you cut it.

Turn Pan Handles to the Side

Make sure that the pan handles on the stove are facing inwards, to avoid accidents.

Taste Dishes Before Serving

Tasting food before serving it to anyone is the only way to make sure that it tastes great

Don’t Work Near Heat Sources

Avoid working near the stove, to prevent burns and spillage.

4 Steps for Food Safety

CLEAN ----Always wash your food, hands, counters, and cooking tools.

Wash hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Do this before and after touching food. Wash your cutting boards, dishes, forks, spoons, knives, and countertops with hot soapy water. Do this after working with each food item. Rinse fruits and veggies. Clean the lids on canned goods before opening.

SEPERATE------ Keep raw foods to themselves. Germs can spread from one food to another.

Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from other foods. Do this in your shopping cart, bags, and fridge. Do not reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first. Use a special cutting board or plate for raw foods only.

COOK---- Foods need to get hot and stay hot. Heat kills germs.

Cook to safe temperatures: Beef, Pork, Lamb 145 °F Fish 145 °F Ground Beef, Pork, Lamb 160 °F Turkey, Chicken, Duck 165 °F Use a food thermometer to make sure that food is done. You can’t always tell by looking.

CHILL----- Put food in the fridge right away.

2-Hour Rule: Put foods in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours after cooking or buying from the store. Do this within 1 hour if it is 90 degrees or hotter outside. Never thaw food by simply taking it out of the fridge. Thaw food: In the fridge Under cold water In the microwave Marinate foods in the fridge.

Menu Planning Uncategorized

The Leftovers

Post author By AFSHAN KHAN
Post date February 22, 2021

The Leftovers

Tales from the Table

When you plan your meals right, you won’t have too much of it leftover. This is the smart way of cooking food and reducing waste. However, in some families, leftover night gives the cook in the family a much-needed break. Leftover food is also ideal for elderly people or those living alone who prefer not to cook every day. So here are some tips, ideas, and easy ways to use leftover food.
Leftover foods can be a benefit to both…… your budget and your time. They’re also a great way to reduce food waste.

A shocking amount of food goes to waste. Much of this food gets thrown away before it ever reaches consumers, but a lot of food waste comes from our kitchens. Some of this waste results from leftovers from meals that aren’t eaten, and some is created during preparation, such as vegetable peels. Either way, food waste is expensive.
Hence if you find yourself constantly discarding leftovers and food portions, it’s time to be productive and start utilizing them.

Many people just don’t know what to do with leftovers. After finishing a dinner ,some might look at what’s left on the table and can’t understand any way of serving it again. So rather than put it in the fridge, they decide to throw it away and be done with it.
But that food is still perfectly good, and there are plenty of ways to put it to good use. By thinking outside the box, you can plate it for the servants or give it to the people who are sitting outside hungry, or use them as ingredients in a different meal that can feed the whole family next day.

The simplest way to use up leftovers is to eat them for lunch. If it’s a weekend it’s easy enough to reheat that leftover. If you don’t want to eat the same thing two days in a row, simply save it for the next day.

If you have to go to work, these leftovers can still be the source of lunch, instead of throwing it away. Leftovers are a chance to get creative

If you want a change, you can combine your leftovers with fresh ingredients to make a new dish, such as a salad or sandwich.

Practically, if you don’t want to eat the same thing so many times in a row, you can just put the whole meal in the freezer and reheat it later in the week for a quick dinner.

If you think you’re not going to have a chance to finish your leftovers within a few days of preparation, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer. Good containers for freezing leftovers include:

Pyrex Bowls
Mason Jars
Plastic Containers
Zip-Top Bags
Freezer Wrap.

It’s a good idea to label containers of leftovers with the contents

Normally, it’s best to restore leftovers whenever you can instead of letting them go to waste. However, this only applies to food that’s still safe to eat. If leftovers have already gone bad, they’re not food anymore they’re a case of food poisoning. To keep yourself safe, it’s best to discard any food that looks or smells at all suspicious. However, you can’t always identify bad food by smell, so you should also keep track of how long your leftovers have been in the fridge. This is particularly important with cooked meat and any type of salad containing mayonnaise since this food goes bad quickly.

However, even if your leftovers and food scraps are no longer fit to eat, there’s still one way left to get some use out of them By putting rotten fruit and veggie scraps in a compost bin, you can turn them into fertilizer for your garden. So even if your leftovers can’t feed you, they can still feed your plants.