The Vintage Barn

Winter Cooking To Warm The Soul....Indian Syle

I don't know what it is about the winter that inspires me to cook warm comforting meals that I haven't had in years.....TODAY was one of those snowy cold days that provoked me to dust off "The Complete Indian Cookbook", given to me by a once dear friend in SO CAL. So, in between decorating the Christmas tree with my girls, I whipped up the most tasty Indian meal I have had in a while.

The secret is in the spices that have to be thoughtfully bought at an authentic Middle Eastern grocery store. You can order them online as well. I get whole spices when I can, roast them, and grind them myself just prior to cooking. With that said I thought you might enjoy these recipes.

 

Murghi Tandoori

8 chicken legs

2 tbs lemon juice

15 tbs fresh grated ginger

3 cloves fresh chopped garlic1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tbs paprika

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp ground pepper

2/3 cup yoghurt (plain)

1 lemon and one onion sliced

skin, wash and dry chicken thouroughly. slash thighs with sharp knife.

rub lemon juice to start and sset aside

blend the ginger and garlic with 1tbs water in a food processer until liquified. Then add all dry spices. Stir in Yoghurt last.

smother chicken with spiced yoghurt and marinate for 4 hour or even better...overnight.

lay chicken across cooking rack and cook @ 400 degrees for 45 min.

sprinkle with salt and garnish with cut lemon and onions

 

Naan Bread

1 tsp yeast

1 tsp sugar

1/3 cup lukewarm water

2 1/2 cups plain flour (Elephant Brand in specialty stores)

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp oil

1/4 cup plain yoghurt

Stir in yeast and sugar into the water and set asidefor 15-20 min

Sieve together the flour, salt and baking powderr.

make a well in the middle adding the yeast liquid, oil and yoghurt.

knead for 10 min until soft and no longer sticky.

place dough in an oiled plastic bag in a warm place for 2-3 hours until doubled in size.

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. knead dough again and divide into 12 balls.

roll balls into 18cm/7inch rounds.

place as many as possible on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 min. Remove from oven and brown each side on a flat hot grill until golden brown.

wrap the cooked Naan in foil until all are done.

 

Serve chicken over steamed Jasmine rice.

Enjoy,

 

XOXO

Rolane

The Vintage Barn

 

 

 

Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake!!

Okay...so I have taken off a little time from BLOGGING!! I think this time of year I am prone to a hibernation of sorts. I promise that this recipe will be my come back!!

Many of you have been emailing and texting me about my favorite Thanksgiving recipe. Well, I have it right here for you, just in time for the Holidays. Speaking of Holidays...you will want to stay tuned for Decembers BLOG for a HUGE Christmas giveaway!!!

If you are tired of the traditional Pumpkin Pie but don't want to go without pumpkin all together then this is the recipe for you. It will leave your guests asking for the seconds....

 
 
  GOOEY PUMPKIN BUTTER CAKE

(Preheat oven to 350 degrees)

l PKG Yellow Cake Mix (no need for the directions)

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Butter Softened

Mix these ingredients until moist and no more dry cake mix is showing. Dump mixture into an oiled 9x13 pan, press evenly into bottom (stoneware works best) and bake for 10 min to prep the crust.

Mix Thoroughly:

8 OZ softened cream cheese

15 OZ canned pumpkin

Then Add:

3 Eggs 1 @ a time mixing thoroughly but not OVER mixing

2 TSP Vanilla

1/2 cup butter melted

And Then Add:

5 cups of powered sugar 1 cup @ a time

2 TSP Cinnamon

2 TSP Nutmeg

Pour over crust layer. Bake for 50-60 min. Be careful not to over bake. Cake should be custard like. You'll never make another pumpkin pie!!

Serve with fresh whipped cream.... YUM!!

 

Enjoy,

XOXO

Rolane

The Vintage Barn

An Easter Idea.......

This darling cupcake idea comes via my good friend LouAnn (pictured above). She was kind enough to share these great pictures from a party she recently hosted. I asked her to give us the scoop on how to make these darling cupcakes, just in time for Easter. Great news, they are super cute and EASY to make.

Chocolate Cupcakes:

Buy a box of your favorite chocolate cake mix at your local supermarket and follow the box direction for cupcakes. Keep the baking EASY to leave time to enjoy the decorating part of the cupcakes.

Chocolate Frosting:

Take the time for this. Freshly made frosting is always the best!

1 Stick of butter

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup of milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternate powdered sugar and milk. Beat on medium speed to desired consistency. Add more milk if frosting is too thick.

The topping consists of toasted coconut and Cadbury Mini Eggs. Simply toast a bag of shredded coconut in a pan on low until golden brown. Arrange toasted coconut in a nest fashion on top of the frosted cupcake and add Cadbury eggs. Display on stacked cake plates with like colors!!

Thanks LouAnn!! Great idea.

XOXOX
 

Fun for the Holidays!!!

A quick post about a FUN and inexpensive Christmas decorating activity for the kids!!

Here is what you need:

Box of cake mix (Follow directions for 2 8" rounds)

Frosting (White, enough to frost the cake)

Sugar cones (Flip upside down on frosted cake to make Christmas tree)

Green and red frosting in a cake decorating bag with your favorite tip

Lots of sprinkles and creativity

Our girls had a blast decorating them!!!

Country Blueberry Pie

 This recipe came from a wonderful book I found at an antique store in Maine during a vacation. It is Farm Journal's Complete Pie Cookbook. The recipe calls for "fresh picked" so support your local farms and spend some time hand pickin blueberries for this wonderful pie!!

Flaky Pastry for Two-Crust Pie

2 C. Sifted Flour

1 tsp. salt

3/4 C. vegetable shortening

4 to 5 tbls. COLD water

>Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with two knives until mixture is the consistency of coarse cornmeal or tiny peas.

>Sprinkle on COLD water 1 tblsp at a time. The mixture should be consistent enough to stick together when pressed gently with a fork. 

>Shape dough into ball and roll. 

>Make crust for 2  8" or 9" Pies. 

Country Blueberry Pie 

3 c. fresh blueberries

Water

3/4 c. sugar

2 tbls quick cooking tapioca

1 1/2 tbls. cornstarch

1tsp lemon juice

In a saucepan heat 1/4 cup water, sugar, tapioca, and cornstarch. Do not boil. Set aside and cool. Add blueberries and lemon juice to cooled mixture. Pour filling into pastry-lined 9" pie pan. Cut vents and adjust top crust; Flute edges.

Bake in hot oven (425 degrees F) 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

Whip 1cup heavy cream and 1tbl vanilla in Kit chenaid mixture on HIGH until nicely formed peaks. Load on pie and ENJOY!!!