Chefs Nectar

Chef’s Nectar, ” Chicken Corden Bleu”

Classic Chicken Cordon Bleu is breaded stuffed cheese with bacon and then fried. Then will bake into a beautiful, golden, and crispy piece of meat that’s perfectly swirled on the inside. It left us mesmerized.

Ingredients for the Chicken

4 chicken breasts
8 slices Swiss cheese
8 slices deli ham
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 nos large eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp dried oregano
For the sauce
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method for making the chicken

Preheat oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board and flatten to a ¼” thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Top chicken with 2 slices of cheese, then 2 slices of ham. Starting at the top of the breast, roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
Place flour, eggs, and panko in three shallow bowls. Season flour with salt and pepper. Add melted butter and oregano to panko and mix until incorporated.
Working with one at a time, roll chicken first in flour, then eggs, then panko mixture, pressing to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and cooked through, 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir until golden, 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk, then add mustard. Let simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Add Parmesan and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove toothpicks from chicken and serve hot garnished with your choice of salad and sauce.

Please Note

One of the classic dish, you can give any shape as per your preferences, love to have it with extra bowl of cheese.

Chef’s Nectar,”Black Grapes Tarts”

Ingredients for the black grapes tarts

4 cups California seedless grapes
3 tbsp each sugar and cornstarch
1/2 tsp each ground cardamom and ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust dough(Make individual mini tarts or use the pie crust)
1/4 cup each chopped walnuts and packed brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp milk

Method of making

Combine grapes, sugar, cornstarch, spices and salt; mix well.
Place dough on baking sheet.
Mound grape mixture in center of pastry, leaving a 3-inch border.
Lift edges of dough up and over edge of grapes, leaving grapes showing in the center; fold edges of pastry to contain grapes.
Combine walnuts, brown sugar and butter; mix well.
Sprinkle over grapes. Brush pastry with milk. Bake at 375 F for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry browns and the filling bubbles. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Please Note

In the above recipe i have taken individual tart shells and stuffed with grapes and walnuts, its up to you how you want to do the decoration, or want to present the recipe.

“BBQ Seafood Platter”

Ingredients for the platter

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped basil
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 blue swimmer crabs, halved, claws cracked
4 lobster tails or small whole lobsters, halved, cleaned
24 scampi, peeled (tails intact), de veined
32 green prawns, peeled (tails intact), de veined
350g clams (vongole)
12 scallops in the half shell
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Avocado cream

2 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned, roughly chopped
1/2 cup thickened cream
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Seafood sauce

200ml whole-egg mayonnaise
1 small lime, zest grated, juiced
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp Tomato Sauce

Method for making

Combine the oil, garlic, basil, lemon juice and zest in a bowl, then season. Brush the marinade over the seafood.
Heat a barbecue hotplate to medium-high. Cook the crab and lobster for 2 minutes, then add the scampi and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the prawns and clams, and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the scallops. When the clams open and the prawns and scallops are opaque, transfer all seafood to a platter. Serve with parsley, avocado and seafood sauces.
To make the avocado cream: Pulse ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. How to prepare avocados How to cut an avocado
To make the seafood sauce: Whisk the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper.

Please Note

Seafood platter is not for the dainty. Make sure you have finger bowls spread over the table and plenty of napkins. Invest in a seafood cracker (it can double as a nut cracker) so you can get to every sweet and juicy morsel.

Chef’s Nectar, “Chocolate Oreo Cake”(Surprised as its decorate with strawberries” My Love Favorites <3 as she hates strawberries??

Ingredients for the cake

For the Cake:
3/4 cup (about 3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (about 3/4 ounce) cocoa powder
1/2 plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (about 4 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Oreo whipped cream:
50 Oreo cookies (for decoration as just for tease i used Chocolate coated Strawberries)
4 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Method of making

Make cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350&deg. Line bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and lightly coat the inside with non-stick pan spray. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into large bowl; set aside. In medium bowl, whisk sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until smooth. Pour batter into pan and bake until cake is just firm and toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan to completely cool on wire rack, about 1 hour.
Carefully cut 6 Oreo cookies in half; set aside. Chop remaining cookies into 1/4-inch pieces; set aside.
To Assemble Cake: make the Oreo whipped cream in 2 batches. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whip attachment, whip 2 cups cream on medium-high speed to soft peak, spoon into large bowl and refrigerate. In same mixer bowl, whip remaining 2 1/2 cups cream, sugar, and vanilla to soft peak. Fold into already whipped cream.
Place about 1 cup whipped cream in bowl and refrigerate until ready to decorate cake. Fold chopped Oreos into remaining whipped cream.
Slice cake in half horizontally to create 2 layers. Place bottom layer on serving plate. Spread about 1/3 of Oreo whipped cream onto cake. Top with second cake layer and use remaining Oreo whipped cream to frost top and sides of cake. Chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours to allow cookies to soften.
Place reserved whipped cream in pastry bag fitted with star tip (re-whisk if necessary). Pipe 12 whipped cream rosettes around perimeter of cake and garnish with reserved Oreo cookie halves. Serve.

Love able Tease

Wife’s special cake been make as she asked for cake on one of the Sunday, she do not likes strawberries at all, but love to have ores biscuits at any point of time, so i got an idea to make this cake, which full of oreo and chocolate but i decorate it with strawberries, while distribution she got upset, one of her friend shout wow its oreos inside the cake. then she understand its a trick which i have played on her. she hug me and say thank you for this wonderful and surprising treat. enjoy you too with your dear ones.

“Tempura prawns with kale salad, health recipe”

Ingredients for making the prawns

DRESSING INGREDIENTS
100ml olive oil
20 ml white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt to taste
SALAD INGREDIENTS
120 gms b grade Prawns
1 medium avocado (peeled, de-seeded and diced)
100 gms baby kale
2 medium garlic cloves
1 medium tomatoes (chopped)
Tempura Batter
20 gms tempura flour
50 ml water
salt & pepper to taste

Method of making

Heat oil in the heavy bottomed pan, check the temp by inserting a drop of batter, if its come up that mean oil is ready for deep frying.
one by one dip each prawns in the tempura batter and deep fry till golden brown, repeat the process until you have done with frying the prawns.

Salad dressings

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend for about 3-4 minutes to ensure the herbs are finely ground and distributed.
Assemble all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.
Toss salad with dressing and arrange the salad in the oval platter and horizontally arrange the golden fried tempura flours

Recipe Notes

You can deep fried the prawns in the tempura batter and arrange it on the top of kale salad, similarly you can combined both as per you liking and preferences.

“Dal Tadke Wali”

Ingredients for making the dal

100 gms arhar dal (tuvar dal or split pigeon pea lentils)
or 150 gms arhar dal
100 gms masoor dal (split pink lentils)
1 or 2 green chilies – chopped or slit lengthwise
1 medium sized onion – chopped
2 medium sized tomato – chopped
½ inch ginger – finely chopped or grated or about
⅓ to ½ teaspoon of grated or chopped ginger (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 to 2 pinch garam masala powder
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
2.5 cups water for pressure cooking
1 tsp crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1 or 2 tbsp cream (optional)
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
(cilantro leaves)
Salt to taste

for tempering/tadka

2 tbsp oil
1.5 tbsp ghee or butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 to 6 garlic cloves – finely chopped
½ tsp red chili powder

for garnish

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)

for smoke/dhunger

a small piece of charcoal
¼ teaspoon oil or ghee (clarified butter)

Method of making

Rinse the lentils and add them to the pressure cooker. The below pic shows only tuvar or arhar dal. You can also cook the lentils in a pot. Just soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook them in a pot. Cooking the lentils in a pot, will take more time than cooking in the pressure cooker. Method on how to cook lentils in a pot is mentioned in the notes section of recipe details below
To the lentils, add chopped onions, tomato, green chilies, ginger.
Pour 2.5 cups water. If cooking in a pot, then about 4 to 4.5 cups water can be added.
Add turmeric powder and asafoetida. Stir well.
Pressure cook the lentils for about 7 to 8 whistles or more till they become soft and creamy. Mash the dal with a wired whisk or with a spoon and keep aside. If the dal looks thick, then add some water to get a medium consistency. Simmer the dal for 3 to 4 minutes. Pic of the consistency of the lentils in step 6
Once the desired consistency is reached, add cream (optional), garam masala powder, crushed kasuri methi, chopped coriander leaves and salt. Switch off the fire. Please note crushed kasuri methi can also be added in the tempering later and skipped at this step.
Mix well so that everything combines uniformly. Check salt before you add the tempering. If less than add more salt.

dhungar method (optional) for dal tadka

Next is the dhungar method of flavoring the dal with the smoky fumes of burnt charocal. For this with the help of tongs or on a grill pan like shown in the pic below, place the a small piece of charcoal. Burn the charcoal till it becomes red hot. Please use natural charcoal for this method.note that this is an optional step and you can proceed directly to the tempering method.
Place the red hot charcoal in a small steel bowl.
Pour about 1/4 tsp of oil or ghee on the charcoal. You will see fumes emanating as soon as you pour oil or ghee on the hot charcoal.
Place this bowl on the dal.
Cover the cooker or the pot with a lid and let the dal get infused with the charcoal smoke. Just keep for 1 to 2 minutes. The more you keep. The more smoky the dal will become. Remove the bowl carefully with the helps of tongs and cover the dal. Keep aside.

Making the tempering (tadka or chaunk)

Next heat oil or ghee or butter in a small pan. First add cumin seeds and crackle them. The cumin should get fried and not be raw but don’t burn them.
Now add red chilies, asafoetida and chopped garlic. Let the garlic brown and the red chilies change color.
Lastly add kasuri methi (add kasuri methi, if you have not added before to the dal) and red chili powder. Stir and switch off the stove. Make sure to fry the tempering ingredients at a low flame, so that you don’t burn them.
Pour the entire tempering along with the oil/ghee into the dal.
You can mix the dal or serve the dal tadka with the tempering on top it. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve dal tadka hot with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice or with rotis or phulkas.

NOTES

Instead of oil you can temper the dal with ghee (clarified butter).
The dal tadka consistency is neither thick nor thin but medium. But if you prefer you can go for a slightly thick or thin dal consistency.
You can also soak the dal for 30 to 40 minutes before cooking.

“Muffins the way you love it”

Ingredients for making the Muffins

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
Add 20 gms sugar

Method of making

Combine flour and baking powder; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar.
Add eggs; mix well. Combine milk and vanilla; add to creamed mixture alternately with flour mixture.
Fold in the raspberries. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until center of muffin springs back when lightly touched.

Please Note

Personnel favorite for tea time snack, i love to have at any point of time. you can add yogurt or muffin mix for the better result, or simply follow this simple recipes.

“Croissants of your choice”

Ingredients of making

4 cups refined flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cold (2 1/2 sticks)
1 cup milk (you may need as much as 1 1/4 cups)
egg wash (1 large egg beaten with a teaspoon or two of water)

Method of making

Place the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together until combined.
Slice the butter into 1/8-inch thick slices and toss in the flour mixture to coat.
Add the milk and stir together until a stiff dough forms.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a long rectangle shape.
Fold it into thirds (like a letter), turn 90 degrees, and repeat 4 to 6 more times, or until the dough has large streaks of butter in it but it is smooth and flat. (If at any point the butter starts to feel soft, chill it in the refrigerator or freezer until stiff.)
Wrap tightly and chill for 1 more hour, then divide the dough in half and roll each portion out to a thickness of about 1/8-inch, in a long rectangle shape (approx. 10-inches wide by 22-inches long).
Cut the dough into long, skinny triangles (about 5-inches at the wide end).
Notch the wide end of each triangle with about a 1/2-inch cut, then roll from the wide end to the pointed end, tucking the point under the croissant.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to proof for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and gently brush the croissants with egg wash.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until puffed, golden brown, and flaky.

Please Note

One of the exotic recipes which would be good for kids and family, best for the tea break.

Chef’s Nectar” Blueberry Donuts”

Ingredients for making the donuts

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 stick unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 cup blueberries
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk

Method of making

Arrange a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and another large baking sheet with two layers of paper towels.
In a very large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add in blueberries to flour mixture & Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, coconut milk, and greek yogurt until combined. Add the melted, cool, butter and whisk to combine.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture into the center. Using a large rubber spatula, slowly fold the flour into the liquid center until the mixture forms a sticky, cohesive dough. {Note: It may seem like the dough will never come together, but just keep mixing, gently, until most of the dry patches are gone. It’s okay to use your hands and knead it a few times- just don’t over-work the dough.}
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and pat it out until it’s about 1/2-inch thick.
Use two round cookie, or biscuit cutters (about 3 1/4-inch and 1 1/2-inch for large doughnuts; or 2 1/2-inch and 1-inch for smaller doughnuts). I used the small end of a wide piping tip to make the doughnut holes.
Dip larger of the cutters in flour and press out as many rounds as possible. Dip the smaller cutters (or pastry tips, if using) in flour and cut out the center of each round- saving the centers for doughnut holes. Arrange the doughnuts and doughnut holes on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Pat the scraps back together and repeat until all the dough has been used up. {Note: If you run out of dough toward the end, just make doughnut holes.} Chill the dough while the oil heats up.
Pour enough oil into a large, deep skillet to make a layer that’s approximately 1- 1 1/2 inches deep. Slowly heat the oil over med-high heat until it reaches 365- 370 F.
As the oil is heating, prepare the glaze.
Buttermilk glaze: Place the confectioners’ sugar into a large, heat-proof mixing bowl. Slowly begin whisking in the buttermilk- about 1 Tablespoon at a time- until you’re left with a slightly thick, yet drizzley glaze. (It should move around the bowl freely when tilted and have a loose paste consistency.) Set aside.
Grab the paper towel-lined baking sheet and place it next to the skillet. Once the oil reaches the proper temperature, gently place the chilled doughnuts into the hot oil. Don’t fry too many all at once- three or two at a time is easy to handle.
Once the doughnuts have browned on one side (about 2-3 minutes), carefully turn them over with tongs or a slotted spoon and continue to cook for another minuter or two- until golden brown. {Note: Don’t walk away from the skillet as the doughnuts are frying, they can burn quite fast once they turn brown.} Using a slotted spoon (or the tongs), transfer the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet.
Repeat the process with the remaining doughnuts and doughnut holes. {Note: The doughnut holes will fry much faster, so keep a close watch.}
When all the doughnuts and holes have been fried, work quickly and dip each one into the buttermilk glaze. I just placed each doughnut into the glaze until they were completely coated. Set the glazed doughnuts onto a plate or serving platter until set. Once the doughnuts have cooled off, the glaze will harden.
Unlike most doughnuts, these were even better once they had cooled off completely!

Please Note

Best way to make the donuts with its given ingredients and follow the step by step to get the actual essence.

Tandoori Pomfret

Ingredients of Tandoori Pomfret

1 pomfret fish, whole
1 Tbsp yoghurt (low fat)
1 Tbsp mustard paste
1/2 Tbsp red chilli powder
1/4 Tbsp turmeric
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp mustard oil
3-4 Tbsp lemon juice

Making of Tandoori Pomfret

In a bowl, take yoghurt, mustard paste, red chilli powder, turmeric, salt, mustard oil, lemon juice and mix well.
Cut slits into the fish.
Marinate the fish with the paste.
Grill the fish till it is crispy and golden brown.
Serve on a platter with lettuce and lemon wedges.

Please Note

Fish marinated with hung curd and an assortment of traditional condiments. Grilled till golden and crisp. served with your choice of salads and chutneys.