Thursday, March 20, 2014
Easy egg custard recipe
With Chef Jeena an egg custard recipe never has to be difficult ever again.
Here is one of Chefs favourite delicious tasting sweets of all time, the humble egg custard.
Egg custards taste absolutely wonderful, if you have ever bought an egg custard from a shop and thought it tasted good, then I promise that once you taste thias recipe you will never buy another custard again.
These egg custards are the real deal.
It is the kind of recipe that reminds you of how they tasted when you were a kid, if you have never tried an egg custard before then try this recipe it is a must.
It is really simple to make, you may think it is hard to bake something that has to set but I assure you there is nothing complicated about this recipe.
You do not have to blind bake(blind bake is where you pre-cook pastry so the bottom does not go soggy when the filling is added) the pastry for this recipe.
These egg custards are so tasty and the custards are a fantastic dish to pre make before you have visitors round.
Go ahead give Chefs egg custard recipe a try and see for yourself that you can really bake those lovely foods you never thought to make for yourself.
Pastry ingredients
8oz Plain Flour
4oz Butter/Margarine
approx 1 oz White Sugar
Pinch Salt (optional)
Little Cold Water
Egg custard filling
1/2 Pint/300ml Milk (full fat)
2 Tbsp White Sugar
2 Medium Eggs
Grated Nutmeg
8oz Plain Flour
4oz Butter/Margarine
approx 1 oz White Sugar
Pinch Salt (optional)
Little Cold Water
Egg custard filling
1/2 Pint/300ml Milk (full fat)
2 Tbsp White Sugar
2 Medium Eggs
Grated Nutmeg
How to make pastry
Mix flour, sugar and salt(optional) together in a bowl.
Add margarine to the bowl and start to rub it all together using your thumbs and fingertips, keep doing this until your mixture looks like bread crumbs.
Mix flour, sugar and salt(optional) together in a bowl.
Add margarine to the bowl and start to rub it all together using your thumbs and fingertips, keep doing this until your mixture looks like bread crumbs.
Keep adding a little cold water to your mixture until it forms a dough.
Make sure only a tiny amount of water is added at a time - mix well between adding each drop of water - pastry needs very little liquid.
Make sure only a tiny amount of water is added at a time - mix well between adding each drop of water - pastry needs very little liquid.
On a floured top divide the pastry into four even pieces.
Grease and flour 4 small ramekin oven pots.
Roll each piece out to be larger than the oven pots in size, do not roll it out too thick but be sure it is not too thin.
Approximately one centimetre in thickness but use your own judgment for your sized oven dishes.
Grease and flour 4 small ramekin oven pots.
Roll each piece out to be larger than the oven pots in size, do not roll it out too thick but be sure it is not too thin.
Approximately one centimetre in thickness but use your own judgment for your sized oven dishes.
Place each rolled out pastry into the oven pots.
Gently push the pastry down into the middle and make the pastry as even as possible up the sides.
The pastry will over flow the oven pots.
Gently push the pastry down into the middle and make the pastry as even as possible up the sides.
The pastry will over flow the oven pots.
Gently and loosely wrap each one up in plastic wrap and place into your fridge while you cook the egg custard filling.
For the egg custard filling
Place two eggs into a bowl/jug and whisk, an electric whisk is not necessary.
Preferably in a heavy based pan bring the 1/2 pint of milk and sugar to the boil then switch off.
Gently add milk to the eggs stiring all the time to stop the egg curdling.
You should be left with an almost runny type custard.
Leave the custard to cool a little the temperature should be neither hot nor cold.
If you pour the custard into a flat dish this helps it cool a lot quicker.
If you pour the custard into a flat dish this helps it cool a lot quicker.
When egg custard filing is cooled enough take the pastry pots out of the fridge and discard the plastic wrap.
If the egg custard filling is not already in a jug, pour it into a jug here.
Pour an even amount of custard into each pastry case.
Pour an even amount of custard into each pastry case.
Take a small knife and gently cut off the excess pastry from the egg custards.
It is easier if you gently lean your knife edge onto the outer oven pot as you do it.
It is easier if you gently lean your knife edge onto the outer oven pot as you do it.
Grate fresh nutmeg on top of the egg custards , this helps them to set - only a little nutmeg is needed.
You can use the powdered nutmeg also.
You can use the powdered nutmeg also.
The egg custards are ready for the oven.
Place the egg custards ont o the middle shelt of a hot oven at 170-180C.
Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Bake for 30-40 minutes.
To check if the egg custards are ready use the back of a spoon or your finger(only if your used to the hot touch) if they feel firm they are ready.
The pastry should be pale golden/golden brown, the egg custard filling can go a little golden brown on top this is normal, sometimes it doesnt this also is fine.
The pastry should be pale golden/golden brown, the egg custard filling can go a little golden brown on top this is normal, sometimes it doesnt this also is fine.
Take the custards out of the oven and place onto a cooling rack.
Once cooled a little you should be able to quickly tip the custards out of the oven pot, if still hot use a tea towel.
Place onto your cooling rack.
Place onto your cooling rack.
You can try eating them warm if you like, but the true way to eat an egg custard is to leave them to cool down and then place them in the fridge to go cold.
Make sure you wrap them in plastic wrap or cover them when they are in your fridge.
Egg custards are a great dessert to eat, they can be made the night before.
Make sure you wrap them in plastic wrap or cover them when they are in your fridge.
Egg custards are a great dessert to eat, they can be made the night before.
Enjoy Chefs egg custard recipe.
SANDRA’S CILANTRO LIME DIPPING SAUCE or SALAD DRESSING
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| I created this to dip my Crispy Halibut Taquitos in, and found it is wonderful as a salad dressing, and for dipping vegetables as well... |
Yields: (2-1/4 cups)
Prep: 5 Mins.
1 (1 oz. pkg.) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup green salsa
Sriracha (hot sauce), to taste
Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl, and add Sriracha sauce, to taste. Place, covered, in refrigerator to thicken and for flavors to meld for 2 hours. Use as a dip with your favorite appetizers and vegetables, or as a dressing for salads. ~ Enjoy!
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| Serve this dipping sauce with: Sandras Crispy Halibut Taquitos |
Pomegranate Glazed Green Beans Portobellos
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| Pomegranate glazed green beans. |
The days may be getting longer but for this casita-bound goddess (I'm not one to strap on skis or skates or hurtle downhill on a toboggan, Darling) each successive chilly day invades my bookworm bones a little deeper. I get restless. I get itchy.
Don't you?
So after a leg stretching day in Santa Fe doing errands and getting a total pick-me-up shake-me-loose hair cut, Steve and I headed back to our quiet casita by the mesa with a bag of fresh green beans and portobellos and a bottle of Trader Joe's Pomegranate Glaze. Something new to try.
Just for fun.
Read more + get the recipe >>
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Chicken White Handi
Chicken White Handi
Ingredients:
- Chicken ½ kg (boneless)
- Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
- Salt 1-1/2 tsp
- Cumin 1 tbsp (Roasted and crushed)
- Coriander 1 tbsp (Roasted and crushed)
- White pepper ¼ tsp
- Black pepper crushed ½ tsp
- Green chilies 4 grinded
- Curd ½ cup
- Cream 1 cup
- Butter 1 tbsp
- Oil ½ cup
- Green chilies 3 (chopped)
Method:
- Heat oil in a handi add ginger garlic fry for 2 minutes.Add chicken with salt coriander and cumin fry for 2 minutesadd chopped green chilies, white pepper, black pepper, grinded green chilies and curd.Keep stirring from time to time add cream cover and cook till thick gravy remains Lastly add butter serve with Nan.
Cracked wheat with tons of veggies
This dish is modeled after the excellent Vegetable Baath that my mom makes. Baath is nothing to do with bathing, but this is a rice dish, that has loads of vegetables that are finely chopped, sauteed with whole spices and spice powders. The cooked rice is then cooled and delicately hand-mixed with the spiced vegetables. My favourite accompaniment to this is a ripe banana pachchadi (raita), the recipe for which I must share with you once I manage to capture a picture of this. This darn thing is so delicious that waiting to take a pic is an ultimate test of resolve.
Here, I have not bothered to cook the veggies and wheat separately but cooked the wheat in a sort of stock where the vegetables have been half cooked. Next time, I intend to do it the way mom does it for the baath and will update the results here.
The result of the dish below is a cross between an upma and a pulao, which could have been due to some confusion in my head. The dals, ginger and curry leaves are the seasoning that are done in case of upmas and the whole spices are from the pulao end of the spectrum. You could use either one or both of them.
Here, I have not bothered to cook the veggies and wheat separately but cooked the wheat in a sort of stock where the vegetables have been half cooked. Next time, I intend to do it the way mom does it for the baath and will update the results here.
The result of the dish below is a cross between an upma and a pulao, which could have been due to some confusion in my head. The dals, ginger and curry leaves are the seasoning that are done in case of upmas and the whole spices are from the pulao end of the spectrum. You could use either one or both of them.
Ingredients
3/4 cup cracked wheat, medium sized
1/2 tsp ghee / butter
5-6 cups of finely chopped vegetables
I used-
Fresh green peas
Green beans
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Spinach
Fenugreek greens
Capsicum
2 tsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
4-5 cloves
1-2 sticks of cinnamon
2 green cardamoms
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
1-2 dried red chillies, broken
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp sambhar powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup cracked wheat, medium sized
1/2 tsp ghee / butter
5-6 cups of finely chopped vegetables
I used-
Fresh green peas
Green beans
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Spinach
Fenugreek greens
Capsicum
2 tsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
4-5 cloves
1-2 sticks of cinnamon
2 green cardamoms
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
1-2 dried red chillies, broken
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp sambhar powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
Directions
In a large wok, heat the ghee / butter and saute the cracked wheat for 3-4 minutes on medium flame till fragrant. Remove in a bowl. Cover with 3 cups of boiling hot water, cover and keep aside.
In the same wok, heat the olive oil and add the whole spices (bay leaves, cloves, cumin, cardamom). After 30 seconds, add the mustard seeds. Let them crackle, and follow it with the udad dal and chana dal. These need to be sauteed for 1 minute on low to medium flame to turn them golden brown.
Next, add the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, red chillies. Stir them around for a minute or so, and transfer all the chopped veggies and greens into the wok. Add half the salt, sprinkle with water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Give it a stir every 2 minutes with more sprinkles of water. OR Place a thali (a dish with a rim) with one cup water in it to cover the wok and let the veggies cook for 6-8 minutes till almost tender.
At this point, tip the bowl with the cracked wheat in hot water, into the wok. Add the spice powders (turmeric powder, sambhar powder), remaining salt, stir well and cover until the cracked wheat is cooked till tender. This will take around 6-8 minutes depending on size of the grains. Adjust salt and spiciness. Fluff with a fork and remove into a serving bowl.
Serve hot with a bowl of chilled raita.
In a large wok, heat the ghee / butter and saute the cracked wheat for 3-4 minutes on medium flame till fragrant. Remove in a bowl. Cover with 3 cups of boiling hot water, cover and keep aside.
In the same wok, heat the olive oil and add the whole spices (bay leaves, cloves, cumin, cardamom). After 30 seconds, add the mustard seeds. Let them crackle, and follow it with the udad dal and chana dal. These need to be sauteed for 1 minute on low to medium flame to turn them golden brown.
Next, add the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, red chillies. Stir them around for a minute or so, and transfer all the chopped veggies and greens into the wok. Add half the salt, sprinkle with water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Give it a stir every 2 minutes with more sprinkles of water. OR Place a thali (a dish with a rim) with one cup water in it to cover the wok and let the veggies cook for 6-8 minutes till almost tender.
At this point, tip the bowl with the cracked wheat in hot water, into the wok. Add the spice powders (turmeric powder, sambhar powder), remaining salt, stir well and cover until the cracked wheat is cooked till tender. This will take around 6-8 minutes depending on size of the grains. Adjust salt and spiciness. Fluff with a fork and remove into a serving bowl.
Serve hot with a bowl of chilled raita.
This is perfect when I dont want to fuss over making dinner. This one pot dish is nutritious, filling and tasty as well, and it is just right to send over to Meetas Monthly Mingle : One dish dinners.
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