Christmas Centennial - 3 Course Set Menu - Part II (Veggie Wellington)

WISHING YOU ALL A MERRY XMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!! This is my last post for this year....See ya all next year with more amazing world class recipes.

This is my 100th post of my blog which I started almost a year ago. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I tried to cook up a three course set menu for this Christmas. The Menu is completely vegetarian (for a change, let the turkeys jot down some wishes to their bucket list)!!

Starter - Vegetarian Strudel
Main - Christmas Veggie Wellington
Dessert - Baked Chocolate Puddings with Rich Chocolate Sauce

I just wanted to cook up something good and delicious for the lovely vegetarians so they too can enjoy a good Christmas meal. So I opted for "Veggie Wellington", a recipe of Simon Rimmer from BBC food. The recipe looked delicious, wholesome & perfectly suited for a Christmas meal.



Preparation time 40 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the filling

- 60g/2oz basmati rice
- pinch of turmeric
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 600g/1lb 5oz brown cap mushrooms, sliced
- 50g/2oz butter, melted
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 tbsp dried cranberries
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry

- 250g/9oz ready-rolled puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- vegetarian gravy, to serve (I used up my Indian spinach curry to go with it)

Preparation method

1) Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2) Cook the rice, turmeric and lemon zest in a pan according to packet instructions, until tender. Drain well.



3) Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and mushroom and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until softened.



4) Stir in the cooked rice, herbs, cranberries and hard-boiled eggs until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.



5) For the pastry, cut a 20cm x 30cm/8in x 12in rectangle from the puff pastry.
6) Spoon the rice mixture down the centre of the pastry. Bring the sides of the pastry together and seal by stroking with the help of a fork. Brush all over with beaten egg and chill for 15 minutes.
7)Sprinkle the pastry parcel with sesame seeds and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown.





To serve, place one slice of the Wellington onto each of six serving plates. Pour over vegetarian gravy.




PS: The Blogger has issues with its editing functions thus am a bit frustrated about not putting any hyper links of my other possible Christmas sides which is posted in my blog. So please go to the category English / Roasted Potatoes. Perfect for a Christmas dinner.

Christmas Centennial - 3 Course Set Menu - Part I (Vegetable Strudel)

Vegetable Strudel can be a perfect Christmas dinner first course or starter where you can slice up the veggie log and serve with some healthy greens. A Strudel is a German word meaning "Whirlpool", where the rolled layers of pastry dough is made to form a shape of a spiral. Stuffing can be made from sweet to savoury. thought of making a vegetable strudel to cater both vegetarian & non-vegetarian friends. Enjoy making this one as your Starter and I will be back very soon with my Main Course! Merry Christmas!

Preparation time 30 minutes
Total Cooking Time 35 minutes
Serves 4-6



Ingredients:

- 10-12 spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), seeded & cut into strips
- 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), seeded & cut into strips
- 2 zucchinis (courgette), sliced
- 2 eggplants (or 1 aubergine), sliced
- 6 sheets of filo pastry
- 40 g butter, melted
- 20 g basil, finely sliced
- 60 g grated cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:

1)Preheat the oven to 210 Degrees Celsius. Brush an oven tray with melted butter.
2)Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly & steam or microwave them until they are just softened. Squeeze out any excess moisture & spread the leaves out to dry.
3)Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion & cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the capsicum, zucchini & eggplant & cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Season well & set aside to cool.
4)Brush one sheet of filo pastry with melted butter & top with a second sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry, brushing with butter between each layer. Place the spinach, cooled vegetable mixture, basil & cheese along one long side of the pastry, about 2 inch in from the edge. Fold the sides over the filling, fold the short end over & roll up tightly.








5) Place the strudel seam side down, on the prepared tray. Brush with the remaining butter & sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 25 mminutes, or until golden brown & crisp.




PS: This dish is best made just before serving. Serve sliced as a first course with a green salad.

Christmas Centennial - 3 Course Set Menu - Part III (Baked Chocolate Puddings With Rich Chocolate Sauce)

Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas is around the corner & every one is in a festive mood. Hustle bustle on the streets, malls full of people ticking their Xmas shopping list, Santas giving free goodies to kiddoes, lights & decor galore in shops & homes & FOOD of different varieties are kept to fill in your little tummy. Well, you can almost find me near the Xmas special food aisle, By Default.

You must be wondering about the Title of this post by now. The word "Christmas" is fine (she must be putting something special in her blog as it is the most important time of the year) but what is "Centennial" ? Well, I just recently noticed that I have posted almost 97 dishes in my blog since February & 3 more dishes will make my 100th post. So I merged my happiness, festivity & my 100th dish into one big post & thought of publishing it in three different parts.

So I came with an idea of creating a simple but grand Christmas 3 course Set Menu which will complete my 98th, 99th & 1ooth dish & also help my friends in deciding their Christmas Menu for this year. There will be a Starter, a Main Course (am planning to do a veg & a non-veg) & a Dessert (which is in this post). As am not a perfectionist, the Menu is not in order, so the Dessert goes first. Its very simple yet delicious Baked Chocolate Pudding & am sure the baking beginners will love it. Enjoy the recipe & I will be back with my other two parts of this post before Christmas!!

Baked Chocolate Puddings With Rich Chocolate Sauce

Preparation Time 30 Minutes

Total Cooking Time 15 minutes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 120 gm good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 120 gm unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3 eggs (room temperature)
• 2 egg yolks (room temperature)
• 55 gm caster sugar
• 90 gm plain (all purpose) flour

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Degree Celsius & grease 125 ml sized metal moulds or ramekins with some butter. Dust the moulds with the cocoa powder.
2. Put the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Allow the chocolate to melt, then add the buter. When the butter has melted, stir to combine, then remove from the heat.
3. Beat the eggs, egg yolks & sugar in a large bowl using electric beaters until thick, creamy & pale in colour. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture. Sift in the flour & gently fold through.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared moulds, leaving about half an inch at the top of the mould to allow the puddings to rise. Bake for 10 minutes or until the top is firm & risen.

Chocolate Sauce

• 80 gm good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 125 ml (pouring) whipping cream

Put the chocolate & cream in a heatproof bowl & melt over a small saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir Well.

To Serve, run a knife around the moulds to loosen the puddings, then carefully turn out onto serving plates. Drizzle with the sauce made & serve immediately.

Karaikudi Chicken Curry

Another spicy chicken dish comes your way & this time its from South India. Karaikudi, is a big town in Tamilnadu situated in the region of Chettinad. It is also the unofficial capital of Chettinad region. As I have already introduced the Chettinad flavours in my Urulai Chettinad recipe, this time am here with a non-vegetarian dish. It will be very peppery, very coconutty and very very tasty.

"Karaikudi Chicken Curry" will remain a special dish for me as this was the first dish which I cooked and served after my wedding at my in-laws place. My in laws were bowled over my cooking and declared that I am a Super-Cook.....So every time I make this dish at home, I remember my initial marriage days & thank the recipe every time. It saved my reputation in the kitchen in front of all. Ha!

Ingredients:

• 1 kg chicken (cut into bite size chunks)
• 2 big onions (finely chopped)
• 2 big tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder + 1/2 tsp for marination
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder + 1/2 tsp for marination
• 3 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt as required

Wet Paste:

• 5 whole red chillies
• 4 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 2 inch ginger (peeled)
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 cloves
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 10-12 curry leaves

Roast the above said ingredients in a frying pan with 2 tsp of oil until the coconut turns light golden brown in colour. Let it cool & then make a wet fine paste.

• Marinate the chicken in turmeric powder, red chilli powder & salt and keep it for 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep based pan (kadai). Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds & fennel seeds. Once it splutters, add onions & fry till it becomes golden brown.
• Add tomatoes & fry till it becomes soft. Now add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder & fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add the wet paste & fry for 5 minutes. Then add the marinated chicken, required salt & water for the gravy.
• Cook the chicken with the lid closed for 20 minutes in medium heat.
• Garnish the gravy with coriander leaves and curry leaves and serve hot with rice.