Quick and Easy Sausage Kebabs

Ingredients:

• Pork/Beef/Chicken or any kind of Sausage (Bock-wurst would be good)
• BBQ Skewers
• Tomatoes
• Soy Sauce
• Treacle

Method:

I used a shortcut to make these. but if you have all the time in the world you can grill your way through it all!

Soak the skewers for at least couple of hours before you start and thaw the sausages to room temperature.

Mix the soy sauce and treacle in to a combined solution. 

Cut each sausage in to four chunks (if they are big enough to chop). Lightly fry the chunks in butter mixed with a glug of olive oil. Chop the tomatoes into chinks as well. Alternate the chunks of sausage with the tomato chunks on the skewers. Set them on the coals burning on low heat and generously anoint the kebabs with the treacle and soy sauce mixture. When the sausages swell in size and the tomatoes get their beautiful burnt colour take them off the heat they are ready to be munched on! 

Quick and Easy BBQ Chicken

Marinade Ingredients:

• Stirred Yogurt
• Pepper
• Salt
• Mustard Powder
• Coriander Leaves  
• Chillie Powder 
• Worcestershire Sauce

Glaze Ingredients (1):

• Margarine/Butter
• Lemon/Limes

Glaze Ingredients (2):

• Coconut Treacle  
• Brandy  (Ritz)

Method:

The choice of cut for this or any BBQ chicken in my opinion would be back quarters. the reason being that meat on the bone tastes and feels good and also helps the chicken to stay moist. and make sure to buy it with the skin intact unless you have a medical reason to avoid the skin.

Wash the chicken and let it drain. Pat the meat dry with tissues. this is an essential step as it will make the chicken drink up the marinade more eagerly and will also not dilute the marinade before it can cure the meat.

Mix all the marinade ingredients together except the leaves in a large bowl. the quantities should be determined by your palette. However the base of the marinade is the yogurt as I wanted the end product to be tender and succulent.  yogurt cures as well as conditions the meat and makes a excellent medium for the chicken to dwell in while easing the marinade in to the back quarters. Leave the chicken to season overnight.and turn the chicken over in the marinading container twice at minimum.

Prepare the two glazes prior to starting the coals. Heat the butter/margarine and once the butter is fully melted add the lemon or lime. A bit of extra citrus is fine to go by since the marinade lacks any sourness to it. And hence this glaze counters the other flavors on the fly.

Add the treacle to a separate heat proof container and heat it in a bath of hot water. Once the treacle is warmed to a considerable amount (do not heat it in direct heat nor boil it) add the brandy. Again the amounts should be justified by the preference of taste. This is the marinade which would make the meat look good and will add that special touch of stickiness and richness to the meat. Additionally it will also give the skin around the meat a sweet tartness which i found to be quite mind-blowing.

Start the coals and make sure that there are no actual flames rising out of the coals. Place the meat on the grid in batches. Glazing should be started with the butter-lemon and should be finished with the treacle mixture.

It is also vitally important to rest the meat a long as they have been cooked to allow the meat to absorb the juices and the glaze in to the core of the meat. Yes, cold meat tastes better than burning hot chunks of meat! Do not follow the trend!

Easy, Zesty Potato Egg Salad

Easy, Zesty Potato Egg Salad

Potatoes and eggs always go well together. The tartness of the potatoes combined with the creaminess of the eggs creates an excellent base to build on as far as a salad goes. And whats more!? you ca customize this salad limited only by your imagination.

This recipe is a perfect dish to have alongside a BBQ. The meat of the BBQ, the salad and plenty of fruit juice or punch makes a hearty meal.

I'm going to describe a moderately customized version of this recipe. However as mentioned earlier feel free to let your imagination run wild with this dish!

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - Boiled, peeled and chopped in to cubes. do not get them mashed up.
• Eggs - Hard boiled and shelled.
• Onions - Peeled and chopped in to cubes.
• Green Chilies -  Finely chopped.
• Peanuts - Fried in oil.
• Bread - Use regular sandwich bread.
• Bacon - Fried and crisped.
• Lemon Peel - A fruit of lemon basically. Let's peel it later.
• Dry Thyme.
• Pepper and Salt.
• Mayonnaise.
• Butter. 
• Olive oil.

Method:
Chop the eggs in to cubes. Combine the potatoes, eggs green chilies, bacon, onions, dry thyme, peanuts and the mayonnaise together in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and give it a good mix taking care to leave the chunks of potatoes and eggs intact as much as possible. Place in a refrigerator until you are ready to combine the salad.

Grab a few slices of bread and cut them in to squares (approximately half an inch on each side). Heat a shallow pan and heat some butter and olive oil. Once the oil mixture is heated up add the bread squares in batches and fry them until golden brown and crispy. Drain the excess oil on paper towels.

Once the stomachs are ready for the salad combine the dish by mixing the salad in the fridge with the fried bread squares. Grate a lemon's zest (or more depending on the quantity) on top of the salad. Serve with the BBQ meat and feel the pleasures of life!

Versatile Party Dip

Versatile Party Dip

This recipe is a very versatile, quick and delicious recipe which  can be put together with next to no effort. The ingredients are easy to find and are inexpensive as well. However the dip is rich, buttery and goes well with savory biscuits, pastry strips (I will post the recipe later) and french fries as well. This dip could also be used as a sauce to garnish buns and burgers. Hence it is versatile to the core!

Ingredients:

• Meat Balls (I recommend chicken for this recipe since beef and pork bring in an excess amount of fat which could ruin the dip. The meat balls should also be finely minced)
• Two Onions (finely chopped)
• Three Cloves of Garlic (Finely chopped or grated)
• One teaspoon of butter
• One teaspoon of olive oil
• Fresh Milk (250 or 200 ML)

Method:
Heat the butter and oil in a wok or saucepan. Once the butter is hot add the garlic and then follow with the onions. Saute the condiments for a couple minutes or until they are translucent (nope! do not brown them!!). Reduce the heat to to low and add the milk gradually stirring it all the time to prevent any clotting. Let the milk simmer for 20 to 25 minutes and give it an occasional stir to make sure that it does not get clotted or boil to an overflow. The mixture will turn in to a slightly thicker texture in time. Now add the minced meat balls and let it cook for another 15 minutes on low heat. The milk will cook the meat balls and disintegrate them in to the dip. Season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let it sit for an additional 10 minutes.

Let the mixture cool and serve with savory biscuits or any other side dish of your choice. Apart from the list mentioned above this also goes well with red radish, the peppery radish mixing with the savory and slightly strong flavor of the dip is truly rewarding.

Relatively Quick Chicken Stock

Relatively Quick Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock is the basis of many other delicious dishes. It can be used as a base for soups, sauces and even to cook other meats! However the moment the word chicken stock (or for that reason any other stock) is heard the immediate thought is hours and hours of boiling. While this is not undoubtedly the best and old school way of doing it what would you do if you need a chicken stock ASAP!? Here is the solution.

This method basically kick-starts the chicken to yield it's creamy goodness and then sustains the process until the desired level quality of the stock is reached. However please note that this is not a full substitute to the old school method and the traditional method of boiling the meet bones for hours (5 hours minimum) makes the best of the stocks.

Ingredients:

• Raw chicken [necks, wings (lesser the better but a few of them would be nice), backbones]
• A few cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed once per clove with the flat side of the knife.
• A few storks of celery (you can add any other vegetable to like as well).
• Couple teaspoons of butter
• Dash of olive oil

Method:
Heat the butter and olive oil in the pan you wish to prepare the stock. Saute the garlic and chopped celery in the melted and heated butter. Remember that the pan has to be on high heat for this step. Once the garlic is half done add the chicken bones and celery. The chicken will start to give away it's juices directly in to the pan. Once this occurs (usually after about 4-8 minutes of sauteing) pour boiling (yes boiling not just hot) water and reduce the heat to medium or low. The lower the heat and slower the cook time the better the stock gets.

Cover the pot and let is boil for a minimum of 30 minutes. Then open the lid and let is boil for 3 minutes more on low or medium heat. For the final 30 minutes increase the heat to reduce the stock to the desired thickness.

Remove the meat bones while the stock is still piping hot and strain the broth. Once this is done strain the stock using paper towels to remove the excess fat. Stock has to be free of fat as the fat spoils the taste and texture.

Now off you go with your recipe waiting for the chicken stock!

Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback Potatoes 

I'm personally a very carnivorous human and I don't vote much for veges. But as mentioned by master chef Mr. Gordon Ramsey, vegetables can be far more rewarding than can be imagined if they are treated with some respect and given some attitude. This is one recipe that proved this concept to me.
The Hasselbacks are very easy to knock up and like my style of recipes are very versatile in preparation. All you need are some peeled potatoes, some melted butter, salt, pepper, an oven , a baking tray lined with baking paper and last but not the least your imagination!

The given quantities of the ingredients are not exact. Hence please feel free to adjust them to tantalize your pallet. 

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - They should not be too large and should be somewhat round in shape
• Melted Butter - About 3 Table Spoons
• Salt
• Pepper - Freshly ground in to flakes and not in to dust! 
• Cheddar Cheese - Grated, about a teaspoon per potato. This can be alternated with grated Parmesan as well 
• Sour Cream - About one teaspoon per potato. 
• Dried Oregano - Roughly 2 teaspoons

Method:

Peel the potatoes and submerge them in cold water until you start chopping them up. This will avoid them from going brown. Once peeled, get your chopping board out and lay two skewers parallel to each other on the board. you should be able to place a potato between the two skewers.

Now place a potato between the skewers  and chop them making sure that the slices stay connected at the bottom. The skewers can easily be substituted with butter knives etc once you get the concept.

Once the chopping is done place each potato on the  baking tray lined with baking paper with the chopped side up. At this point they will not look impressive at all. But wait! They are just getting started!!

Now brush each potato with the melted butter using a pastry brush or alike. Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius and place the baking tray in it. The cooking process it a three stage process with approximately 15 minutes spent on each stage.

Stage 1 (First 15  minutes elapsed) - Take the tray out of the oven and brush the potatoes with some of the remaining melted butter. Dust with some salt and pepper flakes and return to the oven.

Stage 2 (Second slot of 15 minutes elapsed) - Take the tray out once again and brush them with the remaining melted butter. Return to the oven.

Stage 3 (Third slot of 15 minutes elapsed) - Now comes the interesting part! Take the tray out of the oven and brush them with sour cream mixed with oregano. Sprinkle with some of the cheese of your choice and return to the oven for the final round or cooking. Leave them for 15 minutes more or until the potatoes are crisp on top and are soft inside.

Once the cooking is done take the potatoes out and let them cool on a metal rack briefly before dishing them out. The little creamy delights must be served warm as much as possible.

These little babies go very well with some baked or fried chicken, beef or pork and some of the cooking juices of the meat drizzled on them.

Easy dinner recipe.... done!

Butter Brown Bananas

Butter Brown Bananas

This is undoubtedly one of the most indulging desserts one can taste. The different sensations all performing their own magical tricks on the pallet is an unforgettable experience. You and your guests will just keep craving for more! As usual I don't go by precise amounts unless it is absolutely necessary. Hence use your tongue and brains to figure out the amounts depending on your likeliness of sweets.

Ingredients:

• Bananas
• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Chocolate Sauce
• Treacle
• Almonds/Peanuts/Cashew Nuts
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Method:

Add some butter to a shallow skillet and heat it very gently. Use the minimum amount of heat possible. Once the butter is heated and turns slightly amber in colour, add the brown sugar. As a guideline for newbies one portion of butter should be accompanied by one portion of sugar. Allow the sugar to melt in the same order as the butter. Once almost all the sugar has disappeared add the pealed bananas. You can add as many as you like to the pan but don't  overcrowd the pan. Increase the heat slightly and allow the bananas to brown on the side facing the pan. Once one side is done turn them over gently (use a set of tongs to grab the bananas). When the bananas are done remove them from the pan and cut each banana in to 3 pieces and set them aside. Get whatever the nuts you have :-) and lightly pound them in to small pieces. Put them on the same pan and roast them. Remove the nuts in to a small bowl. Take the banana pieces and arrange them on a dessert bowl. Add one spoon of treacle, some chocolate sauce and scoops (and scoops) of ice cream. Sprinkle a some crushed nuts over the servings and enjoy! Just make sure that you have plenty of extra bananas to enjoy and serve the bananas warm with chilled ice cream to get the best sensation...

Banana Boats - Quick and Easy

Banana Boats - Quick and Easy

Ingredients:

• Bananas (As much as you want)
• Chocolate
• Marshmallows

Method:

1. Make a deep cut in each banana lengthways. This cut should not go through the banana. But it should be deep.
2. Widen the cutting off by chopping off small strips along the original cut. A butter knife does a good job than a normal knife. Do not peel the bananas! 
3. Crumble the chocolate in to small bits. Smaller the better.
4. Chop the marshmallows in to small bits as well.
5. Fill the cut in the bananas with alternative layers of chocolate and marshmallow. Once you reach the top take a baking tray, line it with foil and place the bananas on it. Make single layers only and do not pile the bananas on each other!
6. Bake in 160 (Celsius) for about 15 minutes. You will see the filling oozing out. Take the dressed up fellows out and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are something one can barely resist! The best part about this recipe is that the customizations are unlimited. Let's get stated!

Ingredients:

• Eggs of course! (depends on the number you want to serve)
• Cheese (creamier the better)
• Bacon (chopped in to fine bits and fried)
• Sausage meat (This can be substituted by any ground/finely minced meat)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oregano flakes (optional)

Method:

1. Boil the eggs, shell and then half them (along the width or length).
2. Chop off a small slice of the bottom so that the eggs can  stand-alone.
3. Carefully remove the yolk along with the chopped off bottoms of the eggs and collect them in to a mixing bowl.
4. Add the cheese, bacon and sausage meat. Also add salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Mix the ingredients well until you have a smooth paste.
6. Fill the paste in to the hollows of the eggs (where the yolks were before)
7. Sprinkle some oregano flakes on top/add a few drops of sauce 

Serve!!!