Masala Kheema

My former roommate moved back to Winnipeg and left some food in the freezer which I have to get rid of. I can't even remember the last time I bought beef, it must have been over a year ago. Usually I make beef chilli with minced beef but I decided to look up some Indian recipes and the masala kheema came up. It was very easy to make.


Masala Kheema

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:

1/2 kg ground beef/ minced beef (you can use any ground meat you prefer for this recipe)
3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium-sized onions chopped fine
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsps coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp garam masala (see link below for recipe to make your own)
Salt to taste
2 medium-sized tomatoes chopped fine
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:

Heat the cooking oil in a wok or deep pan, on medium heat.
Add the cumin seeds and fry for 1 minute. Add the onions now. Fry till they turn a pale golden colour.
Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for 1 minute.
Add the minced meat and all the powdered spices - coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt to taste.
Continue to brown the minced meat, stirring often to prevent burning. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, stir and cook till they are soft.
Turn the fire off, add the lime juice and stir.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot chapatis or parathas.



http://allrecipes.com/recipe/keema-indian-style-ground-meat/

Christmas 2011

Christmas this year consisted of dinner with my landlords on Christmas Eve followed, a few hours later, by dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's house and then finally a late Christmas lunch at my parents house. As you can see, all the food was amazing! I contributed with the baked sweet potatoes, my sister made her famous English trifle, and another of my sisters made lasagne.All in all, I had a wonderful Christmas. I thank God for my family and friends, my health and for helping me mature as a woman. This year has brought me so many blessings,more than I even deserve.

Vancouver Giants vs Prince George Cougars

Jade, Ronggie, Tracey, Eli and I got free tickets (courtesy of Jade's mum!) to watch the Giants beat the Cougars 5-1 at the Pacific Coliseum. Fun night!

Raspberry Fudge

After checking in Superstore, London Drugs, IGA,Safeway, Wal-Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart and Save-On-Foods for raspberry essence and coming up empty, I almost gave up on the idea of making raspberry fudge. Then I had an epiphany and decided to try the liquor store. I am so lost when surrounded by alcohol but this lady helped me find some raspberry cordial. I was a bit apprehensive about buying such a big bottle but she said I could use it in drinks and baking.

I made this fudge in a similar way to the orange fudge but I added some white chocolate chips, raspberry liquor and a few tablespoons of raspberry jam to the top layer.

Candy Cane Fudge

More fudge! I thought it would be fun to try making some festive fudge.


1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1‑1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup crushed candy canes
1‑1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint essence

PREPARATION:

Line 8-inch baking pan with foil, extending edges over sides of pan.
Bring cream and corn syrup to a boil in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips; stir constantly until chips are melted. Stir in powdered sugar, candy canes and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Spread mixture into corners. Cover; refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
Lift fudge out of pan using foil; remove foil. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in airtight container.

Chocolate Orange Fudge

This year I decided to make fudge for my friends for Christmas. It was surprisingly easy to make and tasted great!



Ingredients

2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Directions

Line an 8 x 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate chips with condensed milk in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and grated orange peel.
Pour chocolate mixture into prepared pan. Chill 2 hours, or until firm, and cut into squares. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Girls' Night!

Farrah invited Sheila and I over to her apartment for another long-overdue get-together. I had so much fun, thank you ladies!I'm very glad my mushroom soup and rice pudding was well-received. Farrah's jerk chicken was awesome, as usual. I forgot to take a picture of the zucchinis though:(

Jerk Chicken

"Don't think you can have fun without me!"

Mushroom Soup

Rice Pudding with Canned Fruits

Rice Pudding

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup milk
1 can coconut milk
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can tropical fruit
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cardamon

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, cardamon and coconut milk. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.Add fruit Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm.

Cream of Mushroom Soup (I halved this recipe)

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cans (435 ml each) chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms and sauté 7 minutes or until tender.
In a small bowl, whisk flour into a small amount of broth until smooth, then stir into pan. Add remaining broth, bring to boil, and cook, stirring until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in half-and-half, salt and pepper. Simmer cream of mushroom soup uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

Hyatt Hotel - Gingerbread Alley 2011

Another year, another Gingerbread Alley. I think this must be my 4th straight year going and I'm still in awe by people's artistic talents!

Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips

I decided to make zucchini bread again. Chocolate zucchini bread is my favourite version so far but, as I was running out of cocoa powder, I added a large handful of chocolate chips instead. I think I prefer this to adding cocoa powder, it tasted delicious!