Cook Without Book

                         Ingredients Lemon rind strips (from 1 lemon) 1 tablespoon   fresh lemon juice 1  gallon apple cider 2 tablespoons   light brown sugar 20  whole cloves 5  (3-inch) cinnamon sticks, halved 1/8 teaspoon   ground allspice 1/8 teaspoon   ground nutmeg 1/2 cup   Calvados (apple brandy) or applejack (such as Laird's) Additional cinnamon sticks (optional) Preparation 1. Bring first 8 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. 2. Pour mixture through a sieve over a large bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids. Stir in brandy. Serve in mugs; garnish with additional cinnamon sticks, if desired. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 173 Fat per serving: 0.0g Saturated fat per serving: 0.0g Monounsaturated fat per serving: 0.0g Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 0.0g Protein per serving: 0.0g Carboh...

                        Ingredients 8 ounces   penne Salt and pepper 1 cup   diced grilled eggplant (from about 3 grilled lengthwise slices) 1 cup   diced grilled zucchini or other summer squash (from about 5 grilled lengthwise slices) 1/2 cup   diced grilled bell peppers (from about 3 grilled lengthwise slices) 4  stalks grilled asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup) 1/3 cup   pitted kalamata olives, halved 1 cup   grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large 1/4 cup   thinly sliced fresh basil, plus more for serving 1 teaspoon   finely grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon  2 tablespoons   olive oil Preparation 1. Cook penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, as package label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot. 2. Combine grilled vegetables, olives, tomatoes, basil, lemon z...

                Ingredients 8 ounces   multigrain farfalle Zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 teaspoons   olive oil 1 13.5- ounce   can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained and chopped 8 ounces   fresh part-skim mozzarella cheese, chopped 1/4 cup   chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper 1/4 cup   chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup   frozen peas Preparation 1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, omitting salt and fat. 2. While pasta cooks, combine zest and juice of 1 lemon and 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add artichoke hearts, cheese, bell pepper, and parsley; toss to combine. 3. Place peas in a colander; when pasta is cooked, drain pasta over peas. Shake well to drain, but do not run under cold water. Add pasta and peas to artichoke mixture, and toss well until thoroughly combined. Serve warm or at room temperature. Nutritional Information Calories...

Prep Time:  10 minutes Cook Time:  20 minutes Yield:  Makes 4 servings (serving size: 4 ounces shrimp, 1 tortilla, and about 2 cups salad)                                  Ingredients Cooking spray 2  lemons, thinly sliced 2  limes, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons   chopped fresh oregano 3 tablespoons   extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon   kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces   romaine lettuce, chopped 20  large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound) 4  (6-inch) corn tortillas 1  large ripe tomato, diced 1  diced peeled avocado 1 ounce   Cotija cheese Preparation 1. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat; coat lightly with cooking spray. Quickly grill the citrus slices in batches, just until browned (about 1 minute per side); transfer to a cutting board, and finely...

Dhaniya Paneer Kabab Paneer cubes marinated in coriander chutney and cooked to perfection. Cooking Time:  25-30 minutes Servings:  4   Preparation Time:  20-25 minutes   Category:  Veg Ingredients • Paneer (cottage cheese),cut into 1 inch cubes 500 grams • Coriander seeds 1 tablespoon • Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon • Ginger 1 inch • Garlic 3-4 cloves • Fresh coriander leaves,roughly chopped 1 cup • Green chillies 2 • Salt to taste • Lemon 1 • Hung yogurt 2 tablespoons • Extra virgin olive oil 5 tablespoons • Cherry tomatoes a few • Onion rings few • Lemon slices few • Red capsicum,thin strips few Method Grind together coriander seeds, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, fresh coriander leaves, green chillies with a little water to a fine paste. Transfer into a bowl, add salt, juice of 1 lemon and mix well. Add hung yogurt and mix well. Add 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil and mix well....

Prep Time:  30 minutes Cook Time:  45 minutes Yield:  Makes 12 servings (serving size: 1/12 of the trifle) Ingredients Cake: 1 cup   non-self-rising cake flour 1 teaspoon   kosher salt 12  large egg whites (at room temperature) 1 1/2 teaspoons   cream of tartar 1 cup   granulated sugar Zest of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons   finely crushed coffee beans Trifle: 2 pounds   hulled strawberries 6 tablespoons   granulated sugar, divided 2 tablespoons   espresso powder combined with 1/2 cup boiling water 2  (8-ounce) blocks 1/3 less fat cream cheese (at room temperature) 1 cup   powdered sugar, sifted 2 teaspoons   espresso powder 1 teaspoon   pure vanilla extract 1 cup   fat-free sour cream 1/2 cup   plus 2 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites (at room temperature) 1/3 cup   unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted Preparation 1. Heat oven to 350° with a rack in the lower th...

                             Ingredients Sauce: 1 cup   granulated sugar 1/4 cup   water 2 tablespoons   agave nectar 5 tablespoons   unsalted butter 1 tablespoon   pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons   sea salt Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons   espresso powder dissolved into 2 tablespoons boiling water To serve: 8  waffle cones (such as Keebler) 2  pints vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt 1/3 cup   sliced almonds, toasted Preparation 1. Combine sugar, water and agave nectar in a heavy medium saucepan; stir well. Cover, and boil until sugar has dissolved (about 5 minutes), stirring once or twice. Cover again, and boil until bubbles are large and mixture is thick (4 minutes). Uncover, and continue boiling 6 minutes or until mixture is golden. 2. Remove pan from heat; place bottom of hot pan in cold water. Carefully add the butter, vanilla, a...

Wonton Crisps with Seedless Fruit Chutney Crisply fried wonton sheets served with a delicious fruit chutney. Cooking Time:  25-30 minutes Servings:  4   Preparation Time:  15-20 minutes   Category:  Veg Ingredients • Wonton sheets 8 • Fruit safari (mix of exotic fruits) 1 tin • Oil to deep fry • Ginger 1/2 inch piece • Salt to taste • Cinnamon powder a pinch • Cornflour/ corn starch 2 tablespoons • Crushed black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon • black sesame seeds (kale til) 1 teaspoon • White sesame seeds 1 teaspoon • Brown sugar 1/4 cup • Lemon 1/2 • Fresh red chilli 1 Method Heat sufficient oil in a wok. Strain the syrup from the tinned fruits into a bowl. Put half the fruits in a non stick pan. Put the remaining half into a mixer jar. Roughly chop ginger and add to the fruits in the mixer jar and grind to a puree. Pour the puree into the pan. Add salt, a pinch of cinnamon powde...

Thai Fried Rice with Pineapple The wonderful flavour of pineapple make this rice dish extra special. Cooking Time:  25-30 minutes Servings:  4   Preparation Time:  15-20 minutes   Category:  Veg Ingredients • Cooked rice 1 1/2 cups • Cooked basmati rice 1 1/2 cups • Pineapple slices,tinned 6 • Oil 2 tablespoons • Onion ,chopped 1 medium • Green capsicum 1/4 medium • yellow capsicum 1/4 medium • Red capsicum 1/4 medium • Roasted peanuts 1/4 cup • Green curry paste 1 teaspoon • Thai red bird chillies 2 • Kaffir lime leaves 3 • Salt to taste • Brown sugar 2 teaspoons • Fresh basil leaves 7-8 • Lemon 1 Method Heat oil in a non stick pan, add onion and saute. Roughly chop red and green capsicums. Add green curry paste to the pan and mix well. Add red and green capsicums. Grind roasted peanuts and Thai red bird chillies. Chop pineapple slices and add to th...

South Indian Style Fried Fish Serves 4 2 pounds firm fish fillet, such as sole, halibut or pomfret, cut into 3-inch pieces Salt to taste 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup rice flour 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon ground fennel 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying 4 to 6 lemon wedges Place the fish pieces on a large platter. Sprinkle with the salt and lemon juice and marinate about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Mix together the rice fl our, cayenne pepper and fennel powder in a fl at pan. With a paper towel, dry each piece of fish, and then dredge it in the rice flour mixture. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F on a frying thermometer. Deep fry the fi sh until golden brown and crispy. About 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towels to drain. Serve hot garnished with lemon wedges.

Perfect Lemonade Everybody knows how to make lemonade, right? Squeeze some lemons, add sugar and water. But how to make lemonade so that it tastes right every time? Here’s a surefire method. Remember the starting proportions – 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of lemon juice. (This ratio makes a pretty sweet lemonade. Reduce the amount of sugar if you want your lemonade less sweet or if you are using Meyer lemons which are naturally sweeter than standard lemons.) The secret to perfect lemonade is to start by making  sugar syrup , also known as “simple syrup”. Dissolving the sugar in hot water effectively disperses the sugar in the lemonade, instead of having the sugar sink to the bottom. Prep time:   10 minutes INGREDIENTS 1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup) 1 cup water (for the simple syrup) 1 cup lemon juice 3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute) METHOD 1  Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the su...