Baklava

If you love Baklava, this recipe is to die for. I got the original recipe from allrecipes.com

Recipe
Phyllo Dough
Nuts - walnuts & Pista
Butter
Cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tspn vanilla
1/2 cup honey
1 spoon lemon juice

Directions
1. Roast nuts in oven after crushing them with a bit of cinnamon
2. Make sauce and cool in fridge.
3. Place about 8 shees, lightly butter each sheet
4. Top with nuts
5. Layer with 2 sheets
6. Top with nuts
7. continue the above layering and then top it off with 8 more sheets.
8. cut diagonally
9. Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes.

Sauce recipe
-boil all ingredients until thickens. Cool in fridge and pour over cooked baklava.

Kerala Sweet Bread

Scallops with Bok Choy

This recipe was inspired from a recipe I saw on Chatelaine magazine.

Ingredients
Baby scallops
Bok Choy
Sweet chilly sauce
Crushed chilly flakes
Oyster sauce
Sesame seeds
Ginger & garlic paste
Onion

Directions
1. Cook scallops with onion, ginger garlic and crushed chilly flakes
2. Once cooked (about 5 - 10 minutes) add in sauces
3. Remove scallops from pan.
4. Add the bok choy and cook until done.
5. Add the sesame seeds.
6. Assemble the scallops on top of the bok choy.
7. Serve with rice.

Shepherd's Pie

I was inspired to make Shepherd's Pie from my aunts cooking. She used to make it occasionally. Well I have to admit, my mashed potatoes were a little gummy in texture. Anyone know how to make perfect soft mashed potatoes? My husband doesn't know the difference so it worked out for me anyways.

Ingredients
Mashed potatoes - I added chives and garlic to mine.
Ground beef
Vegetable medley - any veggies you want. I used corn, carrots, celery, onions, green peas and mushrooms in mine.
Parsley - a bunch chopped well.
Flour - 2 tbspns
Beef stock - 1/2 cup
Worcestershire sauce - a few drops
Garlic - a few cloves
Crushed chilly - 1 or 2 tbspns (optional).

Directions
1. Cook ground beef. No need to add oil.
2. Add veggies according to their cooking time.
3. Add flour
4. Add beef stock and bring to a boil.
5. Once the beef stock thickens turn off heat.
6. Assemble the pie with the ground beef at the bottom and mashed potatoes on top.
7. Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 - 30 minutes.
8. Wait until it cools down a bit before cutting.

Simple Chicken Curry

This is a fast and easy version of chicken curry that my mother in law has taught me. This is great if you want to make a low fuss type curry.