FLAKED ALMOND AND PEAR TART RECIPE. PEAR AND FLAKED ALMOND TART RECIPE.

A SPECIAL GUEST POST

I sure feel happy and honoured to receive yet another guest post. This time it’s from none other than my dear blogger friend Dr Jehanne who blogs at the cooking doctor. Check out her  link here

Dr Jehanne is currrently working abroad. Despite her busy work schedules, performing surgeries and very often on stand by for hospital calls, Dr Jehanne still find time to always prepare home cook food for her family. She has a very cute and trendy little girl.

The last time we had a chat, her husband just came back from work and her pies and puffs just came out very well done from the oven, ready to be served for dinner.  She being a doctor, i remembered asking her for a health tip and she replied “ Eat home cook food with no additives is the healthy way.”  I am not a health freak, but i put reasonable efforts to keep a healthy lifestyle. Thanks doc for your tip, a great reminder for me...

I also wish to congratulate Dr Jehanne for “the cooking doctor” turns 1 last May and she celebrated her milestone, with her article being featured in BBC Good  Food Asia magazine . She came up with Fraisier using dragon fruit-  a Flamboyant beauty.. (see dragon fruit image at my sidebar)

I feel honoured and very pleased and i thank you very much Dr Jehanne for finding time in your super hectic schedule, to do this guest post for me- the awesome “Flaked almond and pear tart recipe”- another flamboyant beauty. Here, a bouquet specially for you dear. Let’s hear it from her.

I have known Ms Wan Maznah for sometime now, almost during the early days of my blogging last year. Hailed from the same country as me, and with a superb blog, Cooking Varieties which focuses on healthy lifestyle, it is no wonder that we click instantly, all the while sharing messages and comments on each others' posts. I was elated when the topic of guest posting came up, and  I am more than happy to contribute to Wan's lovely blog. I wanted something special and befitting the Cooking Varieties, something healthy yet entertaining enough for her varied readers.

So I came up with an afternoon tea idea. Something moreish, indulgent yet healthy too. Packed with flavours and pretty on the eye. Ideal for parties, yet beautiful on its own for a solo treat. 

Pear and almond tart-who would have though that pears would take over the classic place of apples perfectly?

Now I might be biased, but I love tarts. I love pears and certainly almond too. I try to incorporate fruits into our daily lives, not purely for health reason but we as a family genuinely love fruits. Although we seldom get good peckham pears, every time I see the good ones in the market, they always end up in our household soon after-straight to the mouth or a notch higher as dessert, or poached in light syrup.

Apart from the daily five, pear is also known for its anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties to combat cancer, and also prevent hypertension, stroke and lowers the cholesterol level. As pear contains high amount of fibre, it is also naturally good source as mild laxative and also preventive of colon cancer.

Good news for moms out there: Pear is one of the fruits with lower risk of allergic reactions so it is ideal to be introduced as first solid food for babies, mostly in puree form or juice.

For this recipe, I combined almonds into the flour for the pastry as well as flakes in the filling. Almonds are truly a baker's dream as it is universally delicious for pastries and cakes alike. But more so than that, with its rich source of vitamin E and amino acids, almonds should be incorporated into the diet more often, especially as its monounsaturated fat can lower the HDl (bad) choleserol.

Before I go on my rant, let's get on to the recipe. Little morsels of delight that would make you forget all the above facts as their beauty brings in the Parisienne patisserie charm with it. Adorn your favourite tiered plates with the tarts, put the kettle on and invite those guests in. For they are in for a little treat.

FLAKED ALMOND AND PEAR TART- perfect for afternoon tea

Shortcrust:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
7 tbsp unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
2 tsp cold water

Filling:
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond oil or extract(optional)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 ripe Peckham pears-peeled and julienned
12 cup almond flakes

Method
1. Prepare the shortcrust pastry. You can use several tartlette moulds like I did here, or a large 20 cm flat tart pan.

2. In a food processor, combine almond flour, plain flour and salt. Diced in the cold butter into the flours and whizz until crumbs are formed. Alternatively you can also use tip of your fingers.

3. Add in the egg yolk and just enough water to form a dough. The dough will not stick to the mixer bowl.

4. Form a disk and chill in the fridge for around 30 minutes.

5. In the meantime, prepare the filling. Hand whisk the almond flour, sugar, egg, almond oil, butter and plain flour together until cream is formed. 

6. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to around 2 cm thick circle and fill the moulds of your choice.

7. Blind bake the pastry cases by piercing the dough and fill the tartlette with ceramic baking beans (or cooking beans) so the dough does not puff up whilst baking.

8. Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C.

9. Remove the half-baked tartlettes from the oven. Spoon in the almond cream on the base and garnish with julienned pears and almond flakes.

10. Lower the oven temperature to 170C and bake for another 15-20 minutes until top is golden brown.

11. Serve warm with dollop of creme fraiche, plain Greek yogurt or vanilla ice-cream, or just as it is. 

AMBUR BIRYANI RECIPE. AMBUR CHICKEN BIRYANI RECIPE

AMBUR BIRYANI RECIPE. 

AMBUR CHICKEN BIRYANI RECIPE

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM JAY OF TASTY APPETITE.
Today, i am proud to announce that i have another special guest foodie blogger, Jay. We have been great friends  for a while now, i like to surf through her recipes, bookmarked many of them, and have tried a few... but not yet the biryani- which needs a lot of rice cooking skills. 

Jay, I will try to try this after you become my guest :)  :)

I love flavored rice very much, especially biryani. When i saw her "Ambur biryani", i fell in love with it instantly, in fact Jay was a bit reluctant to post this recipe, because she had this published already this year.. But i made a special request- ie: nothing less than ambur.. that leaves her no choice. Thanks Jay for that- so sweet of you to oblige.

Let's hear from Jay-

Hy Friends,

This is Jay, of Tasty Appetite..!   First of all, I would like to thank Ms.Wan, my favorite foodie friend,  for giving me this honour of guest blogging in her awesome space. 

To speak about myself, I am an Indian by birth & soul. I am a passionate cook, mom of two lovely kids, who keep me busy all the time. My hubby is a software professional & its my hubby’s encouragement that helped me to start my own food blog & share the recipes with the world. Cooking has become a passion for me, since the day I started blogging. 

My speciality is Cuisine from South India, but  I love trying out new recipes and giving them a twist of my own wherever possible. The sources of my recipes are – My mother, Mil, grandma, Internet, magazine, friends & of course my own experiments. This blogging world has encouraged me to try out new recipes and to exhibit my talent. Another plus is,  it has earned me so many blogger friends worldwide.;)

Now, talking about today’s post,  Ambur Biryani -  it’s a recipe for non-veg lovers. This spicy and yummy recipe is one of the famous biryani recipe of South India. It is prepared mainly using Basmati variety of rice and  has an unique appetizing taste. 

Try this recipe, surely you’ll love it.

AMBUR CHICKEN BIRYANI:

      Ingredients:

·  Basmati Rice           - 2 cups

·  Chicken                  - ½ kg

·  Oil                         - 6 tbsp

·  Cinnamon               - 2

·  Cardamom              - 3

·  Cloves                    - 5

·  Onion                     - 3

·  Ginger paste           - 1 tbsp

·  Mint leaves             - 1 cup

·  Coriander leaves      - handful

·  Red chilly pwd         - 2 ½ tsp

·  Garlic paste            - 1 tbsp

·  Biryani masala pwd  - ½ tsp

·  Tomato                  - 2

·  Lemon juice            - 1 tbsp

·  Yogurt                 - 1 small cup

·  Salt to taste

       Method:

1.   Wash and soak biryani rice for 5 mins.

2.   Drain water and reserve.

3.   Clean chicken pieces in running water and strain water from it.

4.   Take 2 pans and heat them simultaneously

5.   In one pan, add water and allow to boil without covering with lid.

6.   In the other pan, add oil and heat.

7.   Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, wait to splutter.

8.   Add chopped onion and roast it to golden in medium flame.

9.   Add garlic paste and add chopped mint and coriander leaves.

10.Now add ginger paste and toss continuously.

11.Add red chilly pwd, chopped tomato pieces, fresh lemon juice, yogurt one by one with stirring.

12.Toss it in medium flame till oil separates(approx 5 mins)

Now biryani masala curry with strong and rich aroma has been prepared.

13.In this stage, add chicken pieces, saute it in masala curry.

14.Add salt and required water.

15.Allow to cook for 10 mins.

16.Now add soaked and strained biryani rice to the first pan with boiling water.

17.Allow the rice to get half cooked.

18.Transfer this rice to the biryani masala curry prepared above in the second pan.

19.Stir and close it with a lid.

20.Allow to cook in medium flame for 4 to 5 mins.

21.Remove from flame & cook it in “ dhum “

22.For cooking in “dhum“, heat a strong dosa girdle on the
         flame

23.Place the biryani pan on top of the girdle.

24.Now take a wide bowl, add 4 tumblers of hot water to it.

25.Place this bowl on top of the lid of biryani pan.

26.Keep the biryani in “ dhum “ like this for 15 mins.

27.Once it is done, open the lid and fluff the biryani gently.

28.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

29.Serve hot with  spicy curry  & onion raitha.

30.Mouthwatering Aambur Chicken Biryani is ready to delight your taste buds..!

So , Wan thanks once again for giving me an opportunity for doing the Guest post. 

And friends, I welcome you all to my world  Tasty Appetite –  feel free to explore, express and record your feedback to improve my culinary skills.

Thanks & I hope to see you around.. :)

Jay

Hi Jay, many thanks for your authentic Ambur biryani recipe and for your willingness to be my guest. Here, is a bouquet of roses for you as a token of appreciation from me.

         Please check at my sidebar on Jay's link-'Tasty Appetite'

ALMOND MILK RECIPE. HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALMONDS. ALMOND MILK, WALNUT AND AVOCADO RECIPE.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALMONDS

NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS

ALMOND MILK , WALNUT AND AVOCADO  DRINK   

From cooking varieties original
Ingredients:
3/4 glass almond milk as per recipe below.
1 avocado  fruit- peel and coarse blend
2 tbsp ground walnut
Honey/ organic sugar/ maple syrup to taste
Mix all and serve with ice cubes

ALMOND MILK RECIPE

Almond milk can be home made by blending half cup ground almonds with a pinch of salt and 2 1/2 cups water, in a blender. 

Strain away pulp/ residue with a fine mesh strainer. These almonds are raw and not boiled. Refrigerate.

But for my recipe here, I have added and blended in the ground walnuts as well. Since I am not a vegan,i choose to boil the milk for three minutes and then let simmer for another 3 minutes.. You may add in a tiny drop of vanilla flavoring when boiling (not for me).

Turn off fire and let cool. Pour into glasses, add in coarse blended avocado and sugar/ maple syrup/ honey.  Serve with ice cubes.

Makes about 3 glasses of almond milk.

My adding walnut is my choice of adding more health benefits and flavor. Sometimes, instead of avocado, optionally you may add some cocoa while it is hot, this is to add in a cheerful mood to your system. Serve hot.

But always remember that almonds and walnuts are best eaten in raw form.

Refrigerate and it will last for about 3 days.

WALNUTS

Walnuts (especially raw) contain the highest total level of antioxidants, including both free antioxidants and antioxidants bound to fiber, as compared to other nuts, such as almonds, peanuts and hazel nuts. Walnuts are one of the several high nutrient density foods.

In Oct 2006, Science Daily published a report which stated "New research shows that consuming a handful of raw walnuts along with meals high in saturated fat, appears to limit the ability of the harmful fat to damage arteries." ..

and attributed the result to a 2006 article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The lead researcher, Emilio Ros, MD, PhD, was quoted as saying "People would get the wrong message, if they think that they can continue eating unhealthy fats, provided they add walnuts to their meals."

With this findings, walnuts is now trending in my mind. I thought, this is eating smart… I must regularly have some walnuts in my diet.

Also a handful of pistachios daily will help destroy the bad cholesterol. Besides, pistachios has more lutein and beta carotene than other nuts. Lutein is for good skin and good vision. Beta carotene converts into vitaminA and helps prevent certain cancers. Nuts have NO cholesterol.

There is no gluten in almond.  

Unlike animal milk, almond milk contains no cholesterol, no lactose.

 

Ancient cooks used almond milk to drink.

Animal milk did not last long and therefore had to be processed into cheese instead.

Almond milk, being an efficient analog to dairy, is also good for lactose intolerant and vegans. 

Raw almond milk production, are similar to that of soymilk. It does not use heat, resulting in "raw milk" foodism, suitable for vegans.

-Essential fatty acids: great for speeding up metabolic rate. The essential fatty acids in this type of nuts can heal swelling and inflammation.

-Fiber, protein, also essential fatty acids: these elements can help improve heart health and lower blood pressure.

-Monounsaturated fats: the good fat that lowers cholesterol.

LDL in almonds are good for the heart, reduce risk of heart attack and cancer.

-Protein rich: About 20 % of raw almond is high quality protein, a third of which are essential amino acids. It is very good for hair growth, skin and nails.

-Calcium- very good for bone growth and bone health.

-Vitamin E: good for skin, remove black spots and black marks. For each 100g almond=26g vit E.

It is also used as a massage oil for the skin- a mild, lightweight oil that can be used as a substitute for olive oil too.

-B vitamins and essential minerals

-In Chinese medicine, almonds are used as an aphrodisiac tonic for its ability to accelerate blood circulation and maintain liver stability.

Almond milk is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Commercial almond milk products come in plain vanilla or chocolate flavors and is often enriched with vitamins.

ALMOND FLOUR

Almond flour is often used as a gluten free alternative to wheat flour. It is also used by people on carb-restricted diets.

ALMOND FLOUR.

Instead of using wheat flour, “gluten free” almond flour is being used, especially by those with coeliac disease

Gluten is a protein composite, found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. Gluten makes a dough mixture elastic, chewy, helps it to rise and keep its shape.

 INTERESTING TO NOTE- COELIAC DISEASE

Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction to gluten protein.

Dr Sarah Jarvis : Coeliac disease is not a food allergy or a food intolerance.

Coeliac disease is a condition of the small intestine (part of the gut). symptoms can  include abdominal pains, tiredness and weight loss.

It is an autoimmune disease which means that the immune system mistakenly attacks itself. (Immune system normally protects (not attack) the body from infections) 

In effect, the gut had 'mistaken' gluten to be harmful, and reacts against it as if it was fighting off a germ.

Other autoimmune diseases include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and some thyroid disorders.

The lining of the small intestine becomes flat, due to inflammation of the gut lining. So, food and nutrients cannot be so readily digested into the body.

Coeliac disease affects about 1 in 100 people in the UK.

Coeliac disease often runs in families. If your close family member has this, then you have a 1 in 10 chance of having coeliac disease also… Dr Sarah Jarvis of patient.co.uk/health/Coeliac-Disease.htm

Take note that wheat allergy and coeliac disease are two different disorders.

CULINARY USES

In most parts of the world, almonds are popular in making desserts, cookies, cakes and dishes among  other ingredients, in Iran, as a special almond food for babies. 

In India and Pakistan, almond is the base ingredients for a type of popular sweet,” badam halva”.

In Morocco, almond drink is mixed with milk and served in important ceremonies such as weddings.

"Amlou" a type of spread made with almond paste, argan oil and honey.

Almond paste is also mixed with toasted flour and among others, honey, olive oil or butter, anise, fennel, sesame seeds, and cinnamon to make "Sellou" ("Slilou" in Marakech), a sweet snack known for its long shelf life and high nutritive value.

In Greece, a soft drink is also made from almonds.

Almonds also form the base of various drinks, they are supposed to have cooling properties as in Almond sherbet 

Wiki and a few other reliable sources

COMMENT FROM TRICK AND TREATS:
These nuts are so beneficial to our health especially almond is a brain booster too! 
Thank you very much for this great comment- wan of cooking varieties

CINNAMON ROLL BUNS RECIPE

CINNAMON ROLL BUNS 

Here's taking a breather from my Cooking Tips and Recipe series after 8 postings.. Will continue the 9th series soon.

Today, i would like to introduce my special guest blogger, Ms Nash from foodies by ai. Please get her link at my sidebar. I noticed Nash is very passionate about kimchi and it is definitely one of her favorite food/pickle. Kimchi is a Korean pickled cabbage.

A "Franciscan apple " ceramics 1942
WHAT'S FOR TEA?

I was most attracted to her recipes on making buns- basic soft buns and a few others.To me,there are many bun recipes,but they dont look as soft as Nash's and this moves me to request her to be my guest. Let's hear it from this culinary college graduate herself..

Hi! My name is Nash from Malaysia. I’m an ex-culinary student  and I enjoy good food and writing.

I started blogging in Foodies by ai to train on what I have learnt – cooking, food writing and food photography. I enjoyed learning new recipes through other blogs, and meeting new people.

I’m really happy to share this recipe – Cinnamon Roll Buns. It is something I learnt during my first year in culinary school. I hope you will enjoy this dish as I do.

Cinnamon Roll Buns

250g Flour
1 egg
100ml water
25g butter
35g castor sugar
5g dried yeast
10g salt
more flour for dusting

1.  Combine all ingredients in a mixer with salt and yeast added separately.

2. Mix for 20 minutes in medium speed.

3. Knead the dough.

4. Rest for 20 minutes. Cover the dough with damp towel.

5. Knock the dough to let the air out. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Then, roll the dough flat into a square or rectangle.

6. Spread some butter, sprinkle some sugar, or brown sugar if you like, and a whole lot of ground cinnamon. But of course, if you didn't like your cinnamon rolls taste too cinnamony, you can sprinkle them moderately.

7. Roll the cinnamon to form a log. If you didn’t want the center to pop up like mine, you have to roll your buns loosely.

8. Cut them into equal-sized pieces.

9. Arrange rolls into a greased baking pan, or a muffin tin.

10. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

11. You could have your cinnamon roll buns just the way it is. Or, you could drizzle some syrup, or powdered sugar glaze (just whip a cup of confection sugar with a tablespoon of hot milk).00g butter (melted)
sugar/brown sugar
ground cinnamon/cinnamon powder

MY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO NASH FOR BEING MY GUEST
A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET OF EGYPTIAN ROSES IN WATER COLOR ART