Crab Cutlet

Cutlets are every one's fav appetizer,of course a good choice for evening snacks or a party. Crispy on the outside, moist and exploding with flavor on the inside makes this dish a favorite of young and old alike. Also known as 'croquette',made with minced meat or vegetables ,smashed potatoes ,encased in bread crumbs and deep or shallow fried.Last weekend,we celebrated one of our friends birthday .we planned our simple menu with 'Crab cutlet' as appetizer,My other friends made Idiyaapam,Badam Chicken curry,Potato Stew and rice and Heavenly Tiramisu as dessert.I brought 'Alaskan King Crab' with shells from Costco.Alaskan King Crab Legs are low in fat and calories, and they are a light and healthy source of high-quality protein.Ready for ur party !!!!
Ingredients..
Crab meat 2cups(use canned meat or fresh )
Chopped onions 1cup
Potato-boiled and smashed 1cup
Chopped ginger 2tsp
Fennel seeds 1/4tsp
Green chilli chopped 2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp(optional)
Egg yolks 2
Egg whites 2
Cilantro
Bread crumbs 1cup
Oil for shallow frying
Salt to taste
Method...
Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan,saute fennel seeds,onions,ginger and green chilli till raw smell goes off.Now add Crab meat and salt and cook for some mins.Once its cooked well.Turn off the flame.Add turmeric powder,boiled potatoes,cilantro ,egg yolks and mix well.Make equals balls from mixture and shape it into cutlet.Beat egg white.Dip each cutlet in egg white ,then in bread crumbs and shallow fry it till golden brown.Serve hot with Tomato ketchup.

Nankatai - Vanilla Butter cookies

Nankatai is a usual biscuit available in all bakeries in India,also known as Benne Biscuits in different places.These rich and cute shortbreads cookies are in two variations like sugar or savory ones with salt and cumin seeds,comes in different flavours like almonds,kesar,cardamom,vanilla and also spicy ones.After coming here in US,found many types of cookies like chocolate,ginger,intalian biscotti and more.But i love the simple n elegent tea cookies in India. Small crispy cookies dipped in tea taste awesome!!!isn't....I searched a lot in Indian stores,couldnt find.Finally made myself.This is the first cookie in tried,i gotta a problem whenever i try it,my cookies always burn at the bottom,while the top part remains uncooked and white.Adding butter is also important,My first set of cookies was a flop coz of more butter,while baking, the cookies started to spread and became flat.I made the second set of dough carefully with little butter,it was nice.They look so good,here goes the second set of cookies toSusan for the Eat Christmas Cookies event in Food Blogga.

Ingredients..
Maida/All purpose flour - 1 cup
Granulated Sugar - 1/2 cup
Softened Butter - 5-6 tbsps (approx)
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence 1tsp
Almonds spitted (for garnishing)
Method:
1.Mix all purpose flour,baking powder,sugar and vanilla essence.
2. Add butter a little at a time and knead the dough into a nice soft ball.
3.Keepthe dough for a couple of hours.
4.Preheat the oven to 180 degree F
5. Divide the dough into small round balls and flatten them on the top with your fingers,place half splitted almonds on top of cookies.
6. Bake for 15 mins or until the bottom starts to turn slightly brownish.
7. Let cool and store in a air tight container.

Dates Apple Smoothie

"Smoothie" means something smooth.Smoothies were invented in the 1960’s as a healthy alternative to milkshakes,made from all natural fruits, making them of course naturally healthy.A blended and chilled beverage made from fresh fruit and nuts. It is sometimes blended with crushed ice, frozen fruit, frozen yogurt or fat free milk.I was scratching my brain these days thinking about what to send to Chandrika's event in this nov AFAM Dates ,finally ended up in these delicious healthy smoothie.Calorie content in 1cup of smoothie is 1 Fruit Smoothie contains 125 cal,1 Fruit Smoothie (wid.fat-free milk) contains 205 cal,1 Fruit Smoothie (wid.fat-free yogurt) contains 220 cal.Of course u all know about these cute and wrinkly yumm dates are high in iron, potassium, fiber and a bunch o’ vitamins, no fat or cholesterol.I love the combo of dates with almonds, crunchy nuts with milk ,apple n dates...
Ingredients
Low fat milk 4cups
Apple 1big
Dates 10 deseeded
Vanilla extract 1/2tsp
Ice cubes(optional)
Sugar 2tsp(optional)
Method

• Soak deseeded dates in 1cup of warm water for half an hour.
• Peel the apple skin ,finely chop into small pieces.
• Blend dates,apple,milk and vanilla extract till u get a smooth n frothy drink.Freeze your fruit beforehand, smoothie will stay colder and be thicker . U can add ice cubes ,if u need chilled one.Instead of milk,vanilla ice creams or fat free yogurt can be used .Add sugar ,if u need more sweet.i didt add,as dates and apple makes enough sweet.
• Garnish with chopped almonds.

Vacation Dishes

I'm here with the dishes we prepared during our vacation trip at Harstene Island.We started our trip at Friday evening,it was like 2hrs drive from our home.It was rainy day as usual in Seattle, went in two cars,one gang went first they reached beach house and was waiting for us.On the other side,we lost our way,went far beyond the destination,reached some dead end.Thought like we reached first, started key questing.Actually caretaker was not there , key was placed under some log near the community entrance,details was given to us clearly.It was raining heavily,we began to search key,under some logs found there and was looking for community board.ohhh...atlast came to know that hm mm...we were at wrong place ,almost thirty miles ahead from destination.Fun was that,we were searching key in a log near a Pub ,not the community entrance...ha ha ha....it was a real fun key questing...
Now coming to foods, Here goes few recipes of my friend's special.

Anu's Baby corn salad and StrawBerry Punch....






Baby corn Salad
Ingredients
Baby corn 1
Onions 1/2
Pepper powder 1tsp
Garam masala powder 1/2tsp
oil 1tsp
Salt
For Garnishing..
Tomatoes,onions and Lettuce..
Method..
Heat oil in a pan,saute till onions are golden brown.Add salt ,pepper corns,masala and saute till a nice flavour comes. Now add baby corns ,keep in low flames.sprinkle water if needed and cook till corns are cooked.Garnish with tomatoes,onions and lettuce.


Strawberry Punch
Strawberry 1 pack
Lemon Juice 1bottle
Sugar to taste
Method..
Make lemonade with con.lemon juice or lemon with sugar .Add sugar according to Ur taste.Now add chopped strawberries into it.Keep refrigerated for few hours,so that the strawberry color spreads in lemonade.Otherwise blend strawberries and add with lemonade.Serve chilled.
It was really very tasty....

Gop'z Tilapia Fry -Kerala style
Tilapia (cut into desired pieces or any kind of fish) 1
For marinate
Red chilly powder 2tsp
Pepper powder 1tsp
Onions chopped 1tsp
Ginger-Garlic paste 1tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/2tsp
Lemon juice 1/4tsp
Salt
Make a thin paste of red chilly powder,turmeric powder,pepper,onions,ginger-garlic,lemon juice, and salt with little water. Apply to the fish pieces and marinate for 15 minutes.Heat oil in a pan, the fish pieces and fry on both sides till done.


Niv's Prawns masala - Kerala Style
Prawns 2lbs
Coconut oil 2tsp
Curry leaves

For masala..
Coconut 1/2cup
Turmeric powder 1tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp
Jeera powder 1/2tsp
Garlic paste 1tsp
Salt

Method..
Clean prawns.Do not take the shells from it.If u prefer without shells,then try in that way.In a thick pan,pour 1tsp oil,add mustard seeds,curry leaves.When it splutters,add prawns .Cook for 10-15 mins,add some if needed.When its cooked,prawns shell turns into orange-red colour.In the mean time,grind the items listed under masala with little water.Pour this masala along with prawns.Cook for another 10 mins till the raw smell of masala goes.Atlast again add 1tsp oil,saute for 5 mins.Usually Crab in done in this way in kerala,Prawns also can be done.While eating,remove the shell like we eat crab.Enjoy !!!